American bass-baritone David Pittsinger is renowned as a stage and concert performer of the greatest distinction for his dramatic portrayals in the world’s major opera houses. This season, David returns to the Opera Theatre of St. Louis as Dr. Podsnap in the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s Awakenings. Recent operatic highlights include appearances at: - The Metropolitan Opera in Thaïs, Cyrano de Bergerac, Tales of Hoffman, and Dialogue of the Carmelites; - Opera San Antonio and Opera Omaha in Faust; - Houston Grand Opera in Francesca Zambello’s production of Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas; - Dallas Opera in The Magic Flute;    - Opera Theatre of St. Louis in The Coronation of Poppea; - Dutch National Opera and the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in The Rake’s Progress; - Washington National Opera in a new production of Phillip Glass’ Appomattox. David’s performance as Emile de Becque in South Pacific has been seen at the Kennedy Center and on Broadway at Lincoln Center Theater, and on a national tour with performances in Toronto, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Providence, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Spokane, and Costa Mesa, among other cities. David’s versatility and elegant musicianship on the operatic stage, on Broadway, with major symphony orchestras, or on Grammy-winning recordings keep him in high demand around the world. www.davidpittsinger.com   For more about our host, episodes, and the podcast visit:   www.passagesandprose.com cjvcommunications.com/the-muse  Executive Producer: Lillie Leonardi Creative Content Producer: Cally Jamis Vennare Tech Producer: Sabry Mohieldin Music: Alethia, George Skaroulis Sponsor: Passages & Prose LLC 

From an early age, Mike Guggino has been playing music. He began with the mandolin when he was in college studying history and music. His love of music eventually led to the formation of the bluegrass group Steep Canyon Rangers. The band would go on to win a Grammy Award in 2012 and tour throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.    Mike also enjoys creating Italian Folk music. He first became interested in it from his grandfather, who played the violin. Mike and his fellow band member, Barrett Smith, have played together for two decades. In 2021, the duo recorded Mia Dolce Farfalla, a musical exploration of Italian folk music.     Mike plays a 1918 Vega Style 202 “Lute Mandolin”. It has a spruce top with a 2-point design. The back is mahogany and has an unusual curvature known as a “cylinder-back”. It is the perfect compromise between the traditional bowl-back mandolins and the more modern American-style bluegrass mandolins.   www.mikegugginoandbarrettsmith.com   For more about our host, episodes, and the podcast visit:   www.passagesandprose.com cjvcommunications.com/the-muse    Executive Producer: Lillie Leonardi Creative Content Producer: Cally Jamis Vennare Tech Producer: Sabry Mohieldin Music: Alethia, George Skaroulis Sponsor: Passages & Prose LLC 

From Broadway to classics, on stage and in concert, Lisa Vroman has established herself as one of America's most versatile voices. She starred on Broadway, in San Francisco, and Los Angeles as Christine Daae’ in The Phantom of the Opera. Other roles include: Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus; both Fantine and Cosette in Les Miserables; Rosabella in The Most Happy Fella; Marion Paroo in The Music Man; Lili Vanessi in Kiss Me Kate; Anna Leonowens in The King and I; Johanna in Sweeney Todd in Concert on PBS; and the London Royal Gala Hey Mr. Producer! Lisa is a regular guest artist with symphonies around the world. Recent performances have included: the debut of composer Andrew Lippa’s Unbreakable, and celebrating the music of Leonard Bernstein and Kurt Weill. www.lisavroman.com For more about our host, episodes, and the podcast visit:   www.passagesandprose.com cjvcommunications.com/the-muse    Executive Producer: Lillie Leonardi Creative Content Producer: Cally Jamis Vennare Tech Producer: Chris Sichi Tech Producer: Sabry Mohieldin Music: Alethia, George Skaroulis Sponsor: Passages & Prose LLC 

Grammy winning conductor JoAnn Falletta serves as Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director Laureate of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Brevard Music Center, and Artistic Adviser of both the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Institute of Music. JoAnn has guest conducted over one hundred orchestras in North America, and many of the most prominent orchestras in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. In 2019, she won her first individual GRAMMY as conductor of the London Symphony in the category of Best Classical Compendium for Spiritualist, her fifth world premiere recording of music of Kenneth Fuchs. The Buffalo Philharmonic’s recording of Richard Danielpour’s The Passion of Yeshua won the GRAMMY for Best Choral Performance in 2021. JoAnn has held the positions of Principal Conductor of the Ulster Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Phoenix Symphony, Music Director of the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the Denver Chamber Orchestra and The Women’s Philharmonic. www.joannfalletta.com For more about our host, episodes, and the podcast visit:   www.passagesandprose.com cjvcommunications.com/the-muse    Executive Producer: Lillie Leonardi Creative Content Producer: Cally Jamis Vennare Tech Producer: Chris Sichi Tech Producer: Sabry Mohieldin Music: Alethia, George Skaroulis Sponsor: Passages & Prose LLC 

Singer, songwriter and GRAMMY winner Cheryl Bentyne has been performing since she was 12-years-old, and the soprano for The Manhattan Transfer for 43 years. Her work with the Transfer has been rewarded with 10 GRAMMYs, in pop vocals, jazz vocals, and vocal arrangements. Over the course of her solo career, Cheryl has recorded tributes to singers June Christy and Anita O’Day, as well as composers George Gershwin, Rogers and Hammerstein, and Cole Porter, and her most recent recording, Rearrangements of Shadows: The Music of Stephen Sondheim. Her vocals have appeared on three movie soundtracks and numerous guest performances on multiple CDs from around the world; and she’s recorded an audio book on the life of Karen Carpenter. On the Transfer’s recent release, The Junction, Cheryl takes the lead with stunning solos on Cantaloop! (based on Cantaloupe Island by Herbie Hancock) and Blues for Harry Bosch (including lyrics she wrote based on an instrumental by jazz phenom, saxophonist Grace Kelly). As the pandemic began, Cheryl delved into her heart by creating a podcast, I Sing The Body. The podcast is dedicated to women cancer survivors. A 2X cancer survivor herself, Cheryl found strength, humor and support with these women as they shared their journeys of hope and healing. For more about our host, episodes, and the podcast visit:   www.passagesandprose.com cjvcommunications.com/the-muse    Executive Producer: Lillie Leonardi Creative Content Producer: Cally Jamis Vennare Tech Producer: Chris Sichi Tech Producer: Sabry Mohieldin Music: Alethia, George Skaroulis Sponsor: Passages & Prose LLC