Margaretha Bessel, soprano, has performed throughout Europe, Israel, Russia, Turkmenistan, Columbia, and the US. Her multi-lingual classical repertoire spans from female composers in the early 17th century to contemporary music. She has a special affinity for Richard Strauss and American composers of the 20th century.
Margaretha is also quite comfortable in the world of Chanson and Broadway and has made a name for herself as music cabaret artist Laura Lavendel. She enjoys the creative challenge of singing in many different styles. Margaretha is a member of ensembles such as FRAUENZIMMERGESPRECHSPIELE (Early Baroque), MAINHATTAN Connection (Swing), DREI DIVEN packen aus! (Cabaret) and VOX VENTIS (Broadway).
After becoming an organist and conductor, Margaretha earned a scholarship from Studien-stiftung Villigst and studied voice (Master’s degree) at HfMDK Frankfurt and HfM Karlsruhe. She also studied singing for 13 years with noted author and pedagogue Cornelius L. Reid in New York City. Margaretha is an author, international seminar leader, vocal coach and passionate about combining a holistic approach, Flow & Freedom, to training singers.
She has recently specialized in helping Long-Covid patients recover in her Free Your Voice Studio in Frankfurt am Main. In her leisure time, Margarethaloves diving, steering boats in deep waters, swinging the golf clubs à la “All is rhythm”, climbing in the Alpes, or dancing Latin American Dance. www.MargarethaBessel.de
Donna Reid, mezzo-soprano, lived and worked as a singer in Europe for nine years specializing in contemporary opera. Among her credits include the premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s Montag aus Licht at La Scala in Milan, Italy and the premiere of Soltanto il Rogo by Franco Mannino in Agrigento, Sicily. Her recordings include the original cast CD of Montag aus Licht and several songs by Franco Mannino with the composer at the piano. She has appeared on television for the WDR in Germany and the RAI in Italy. Donna sang with the vocal quartet, Amici Cantanti. The group made two CD’s, one entitled In Between, the other, Christmas Present. Her most recent musical adventure is with the trio Vox Ventis. They have given concerts in New York, Frankfurt, Germany, and Pomaz, Hungary. Donna performed at Carnegie Hall in January 2020 with the UN Chamber Music Society in a concert benefiting the Helen Sawaya Fund which promotes music therapy for cancer patients.
Donna Reid’s teaching career started In 1993 when she became a singing pupil of Cornelius L. Reid, noted vocal pedagogue and author of six books on singing. A new edition of his book, The Free Voice was republished (2018) by Oxford University Press. In 1996 she became Mr. Reid’s wife. She assisted him in the numerous master classes he presented in the United States, Canada, and Europe and acted as translator during classes given in various cities in Germany and Austria. Donna Reid is co-author with Cornelius L. Reid of an article entitled, Eighteenth Century Registrational Concepts published in the March/April 2000 issue of the Journal of Singing. Donna taught singing at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City from 1995 to 2014. She currently maintains a private studio in New York City. Ms. Reid’s teaching also extends to presenting master classes in Paris, France (Broadway in Pairs); Frankfurt, Germany (Free Your Voice); in Bridgetown, Barbados (Operation Triple Threat); Pomaz, Hungary (Adam Gyorgy Piano Academy) and Switzerland (International Singing Academy). “Donna Reid Talks Voice” is Donna’s YouTube Channel. donnareidtv.com
Kevin Chavez (Oboe, Oboe d‘amore, Bass Oboe, English Horn) is excited to be living in St Pete after having called New York City home for a decade. He graduated in 2003 with a bachelor in music from California State University in Long Beach where he studied with highly sought-after LA studio musician Joe Stone and Los Angeles Philharmonic’s solo English Horn player Carolyn Hove; both of whom with Kevin is still very close. In May of 2012 Kevin graduated with his MM in English Horn performance from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Thomas Stacy who at the time was the Solo English Horn Player in the New York Philharmonic.
Kevin has played in master classes with Metropolitain Opera principal oboist Elaine Douvas as well as oboe soloist Humbert Lucarelli and Clevland’s Robert Walters. He has performed in orchestras in NYC and around the world in many different types of ensembles and is always on the lookout for new musical ventures and is excited about the potential that living in St Pete has to offer musically and collaboratively. Kevin is also the owner and editor for Reed eBooks, which publishes the ground-breaking series Making Reeds Start to Finish. The first volume was published with the acclaimed Dr. Nancy Ambrose King in August 2012 in and the second volume in 2014 by famed bassoonist George Sakakeeny.
Kevin’s goal is to introduce music lovers to the wide variety of sounds that the Oboe family can offer listeners. Special thanks go out to Ryan and Troy for listening to Kevin Practice every day for the past two months straight.
