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  • About
    • Who We Are
    • What We Do
  • Listeners' Club
  • Private Lessons
  • School Program
  • Videos
  • Contact

2020-21 Sohap Ensemble Artists

Meet the outstanding Colorado artists sharing their talents as performers on Listeners' Club Sessions and as instructors for Private Lessons and in the School Program.

Sabina Balsamo, Artistic Director

Soprano & Voice Instructor

I have a passion for new music and singing. It’s important to me to tell stories that people care about; stories that audiences connect with and make them feel understood on a personal level. I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania and I moved to Colorado 2 years ago and fell in love with the mountains. Yes, I’m one of those people who just won’t leave... I love hiking, traveling, spending time with my loved ones, playing with Jimmy (our pup), learning to cook, and experiencing music of all kinds with others!

Artist Instagram

Chas Barnard, Executive Director

Cellist & Cello Instructor

During the past several years, I have been focused on the obvious, traditional route for a classical cellist of taking auditions for professional orchestras. When the pandemic hit and those opportunities were put on hold for the foreseeable future, I had the chance to really think about what was important to me and what I am truly passionate about. And I found that the answers I kept coming back to were ‘to build and add to our wonderful Colorado musical community’ and ‘performing the great music of today that I love so much.’ This is what Sohap is all about!

Artist Website

Mariama Alcântara

Violinist & Violin Instructor

I grew up in Brazil in a musical family, and started my violin adventures when I was 7 years old. My passion for performing has led me to meet incredible musicians that have been such a great source of inspiration. I also have been able to start passing on what my teachers gifted me: the knowledge to nurture young musicians. 

Artist Website

Zerek Dodson

Pianist

I've had my fingers in a lot of different pies, from paleography/codicology to various European languages to musicology to music performance. Although I consider myself principally a pianist, my dabbling on harpsichord, organ, oboe, and viola (at various degrees of competency) and experience in genres from medieval plainchant to contemporary musical theatre has given me a greater sense and appreciation for the value of music-making as a shared, communal experience. I love participating in and facilitating meaningful musical experiences. The unpredictability and volatility of our uncertain present has increasingly convinced me of the importance of music of all kinds as a vital expression of the human spirit, of our unity arising out of diversity.

Christine Li

Mezzo-Soprano

Music has always felt most powerful to me when it is rooted in catharsis, by communicating and releasing emotions in ways that perhaps words alone fail to do. And with this year being the extreme challenge and catalyst for change that it has been, I feel both grounded and driven in the desire to collaborate with others and work to embody as many diverse and beautifully expressive works as possible. 

Artist instagram

Nnamdi Nwankwo

Baritone

I am a singer and actor. Ultimately, I love the title of storyteller. There's a story to be told in whatever I'm singing/performing and I seek to tell as many stories from as many backgrounds as I can.

Artist Website

David Starry

Tenor & Technology Director

Singing is one of the most pure forms of musical expression. It has never been easier to find an audience to share art, but the learning curve for content creation can be steep. This is what I am passionate about - making art while increasing artists' understanding of the tools they can use to reach more people.

Artist website

Sarah Thune

Pianist & Piano Instructor

I’m a pianist in the greater Denver area. Over the last ten years, I’ve been based in Des Moines, Iowa; the Chicago suburbs; upstate New York; and Phoenix, Arizona, but no state has captured my heart quite like Colorado. I thrive on working with musicians I value, respect, and enjoy to create impactful and meaningful performances. Outside of music, I’m an avid sourdough bread baker and novice runner, two activities made infinitely more difficult in high altitude!

Artist instagram

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MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN... 

... with a fully tax-deductible donation to Sohap Ensemble through our generous fiscal sponsor, Broomfield Council on the Arts & Humanities. One hundred percent of your contribution will go towards carrying out Sohap's non-profit initiatives including the Listeners' Club and School Program. Music-lovers like you make it possible for Sohap Artists to perform and teach in our community. Please consider making your donation on a monthly basis to support world-class music-making and education in Colorado. 

Thank you!

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