Dr. Wayne Bailey, artistic director and conductor

Wayne Bailey is Professor of Music at Arizona State University where he conducts instrumental ensembles, Lyric Opera Theatre shows, and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting. Dr. Bailey also served as the Director of the School of Music at ASU and previously held similar positions at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Texas Tech University, and East Tennessee State University. A trumpeter and band director he has also served on the faculty at the University of Colorado, where he was also Assistant Dean; Hastings College; Alabama State University; and the Howell, Michigan Public Schools.

Dr. Bailey holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Iowa State University, a Master of Music in trumpet performance from the University of Michigan, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in instrumental conducting from the University of Colorado.

Dr. Bailey is the author of five widely used music textbooks, including “Aural Skills for Conductors,” “Teaching Brass; a Resource Manual,” “Conducting; the Art Of Communication,” “In Performance”, and “The Complete Marching Band Resource Manual” which is in its third edition. He has published articles in The Instrumentalist, BD Guide, Band World Today’s Music Educator, The Canadian Band Journal, The Journal of the Association of Concert Bands as well as a number of band and brass arrangements. Ensembles under his direction have performed at the College Band Directors National Association conference, the International Community Band festival in Switzerland, the All-Japan Band Directors Clinic, NFL games, at nationally televised bowl games, and throughout the nation. He has conducted recordings of ensembles in the U.S. and throughout Europe. Former students hold numerous conducting and administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Dr. Bailey lives most of the year in Lacey, Washington with his wife, Gillian. They have two daughters, one a nurse and the other a fashion designer. In spring semesters he returns to Tempe, Arizona to teach at Arizona State University.

Linda Gingrich, chorus master

Linda Gingrich, long-time Issaquah resident, is the founder and conductor of Master Chorus Eastside. She received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree and Masters of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington, and her Bachelor's degree in voice from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle. She is also a performing member of the Ladies Musical Club. She has many years experience with church choirs, in college and private teaching, as an arranger, lecturer and author. Dr. Gingrich is a published composer, and MCE has premiered a number of her works. Master Chorus Eastside's achievements are due primarily to Gingrich's inspiration. She has transformed a group of 25 rusty-voiced amateurs in 1991 into a talented 50-voice ensemble which sings with "zest and panache" (EastsideWeek). Dr. Gingrich has a passion for choral conducting, and according to reviewer Phillipa Kiraly (EastsideWeek, Arts Groups to Watch), is "musical to her fingertips." Dr. Gingrich's incomparable dedication and commitment to presenting enjoyable and inspired musical programs to the community east of Seattle is truly a gift shared by performers and audience members alike.

Master Chorus Eastside: http://www.masterchoruseastside.org/.

Danny Helseth, euphonium

When asked to describe Danny Helseth as a musician, composers Joseph T. Spaniola and Brett Miller use the words such as “high energy…intensity…emotion-filled.” Danny has never been known to go into anything half-way, but rather puts everything he has into what he does. This is very evident as he pursues his musical career on the euphonium, trombone, and in his present capacity as Director of Bands at Seattle Pacific University.

No stranger to the greater Northwest music world, Danny Helseth directs the Symphonic Wind Ensemble at Seattle Pacific. He is recognized as an exciting and spirited euphonium soloist, and has been a featured artist throughout the United States, Japan, Europe, and China. A champion of new music who continually challenges common performance convention, Mr. Helseth has been instrumental in the commissioning of many new solo works for the euphonium, as well as in creating new ensemble opportunities. Mr. Helseth has continually pushed the boundaries of low brass chamber music, and is a founding member of the euphonium quartet Eufonix. Formed in 2009, they released their fourth CD in 2014, have been featured performers throughout the United States, and at several international conferences. Eufonix is the resident chamber group of Low Brass Boot Camp, an annual summer institute designed to further performance standards in the tuba and euphonium world.

A champion of music education as well, Mr. Helseth has presented master classes and clinics to students of all ages throughout the United States, Japan and China. He is a regular on the band-clinic circuit, offering bands of varying levels an enthusiastic approach to music that he hopes is contagious. Besides his position at Seattle Pacific University, Helseth is in his fourth year as instructor of tuba and euphonium at Eastern Washington University, and maintains an active private studio of private students from the greater Seattle area. He holds degrees from Central Washington University (BMus Ed, 1999), University of North Texas (MMus Performance, 2002), The Royal Northern College of Music (Post-Graduate Diploma in Performance, 2002), is a candidate for the Doctorate of Musical Arts, Trombone Performance at the University of Washington, and was a Fulbright Scholar to the United Kingdom (2001-2002).

Alexandra Picard, soprano

Alexandra Picard is emerging as one of the most exciting sopranos in the Northwest. Most notable for her portrayals of the Queen of the Night, Konstanze, Musetta and Lucia, the Seattle Times speaks of her “bell-like clarity” while Classical Voice comments on her “charisma and spot-on singing” and, of her performances of La Bohème, the Everett Herald comments that she “makes a big impression … and knocks it out of the ballpark.” As the Queen of the Night, the Spokesman Review raves “… her singing was arresting… Alexandra Picard tossed off the notorious series of high F’s with complete assurance and at a dauntingly high speed.”

She has sung Queen of the Night in Die Zauberfloete for Tacoma Opera, Rogue Opera, the New Opera Festival in Rome, Italy, for the Willamette Concert Opera, and for Spokane Opera in Washington, and is currently singing her sixth professional engagement as Queen of the Night with University of Washington in collaboration with Pacific MusicWorks. She has sung Lucia di Lammermoor with the University of Washington Orchestra, and has performed Musetta in La Bohème in the Kammersaal in Graz, Austria, for Skagit Opera in Washington, and for the Russian Opera Centre in San Francisco. Other stage roles have included Pamina in Die Zauberfloete in Rome, Italy, and in Seattle, Washington, Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann for Bellevue Opera in Washington, Arminda in La Finta Giardiniera in Oakland, California, and Gerhilde in Die Walküre with Hawaii Opera Theater.

In concert Alexandra has enjoyed performances of Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass, Strauss' Four Last Songs, and Haydn’s The Creation with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, and she originated the role of the Ghost of Butterfly in the jazz opera Welcome to the Voice for the Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival in New York with Elvis Costello on Broadway. She sang Orff’s Carmina Burana to great acclaim, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Queen of the Night for the Seattle Opera Guild, Brahms’ Requiem, Faure's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, as well as a gala concert for the Embassy of the United States in Paris, France. Other projects this year have included Brahms’ Requiem with both Yakima Symphony and Seattle ProMusica, the featured soloist in Brasilia Symphony Orchestra's upcoming gala concert in Brazil, and the headline soloist for Northwest Symphony Orchestra's Season Finale Concert.

Alexandra earned a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, and received her Masters in Music from the San Francisco Conservatory. Ms. Picard is completing her second year as a Doctoral Candidate in Vocal Performance at the University of Washington. Upcoming projects included concerts with Seattle Modern Orchestra and Northwest Symphony Orchestra, and a performance with Seattle Wind Symphony at Benaroya Hall.

Visit her website: http://www.alexandrapicard.com/.

Dave Beck, narrator

Dave Beck is KING FM’s newest daytime announcer and producer of local classical music programming on-air and online.

Dave’s 30 years of experience as a local arts and cultural reporter, music host, producer and, interviewer adds depth to KING FM’s role as a resource and advocate for regional arts. He has deep roots in both radio and classical music, having started as a local arts reporter on KUOW, where he later became music director. Most recently Beck was an interviewer, reporter, and producer for KUOW Presents. He has won national and regional awards for his work. Beck’s work in the arts will also be heard in his role as a contributing reporter with KUOW.

A musician himself, Beck plays cello with the Auburn Symphony and various chamber ensembles and has served on Simple Measures and the Seattle Youth Symphony boards of directors.