Milton Community Concerts
at First Parish
Sing For Their Supper 11
Saturday, November 3rd at 7:00pm
On Saturday, October 3 at 7:00pm, Milton Community Concerts will present the thirteenth annual “Sing For Their Supper” free benefit concert in the historic Meetinghouse at First Parish of Milton-UU, 535 Canton Avenue. This event will feature ten opera singers from around New England in a popular program of opera and musical theater favorites to support the Milton Food Pantry and Milton Residents Fund.
This year’s concert features a completely new lineup of singers: sopranos Sohyun Cho, Yelena Doduchkin, Mary Johnston Letellier, Ziruo Li, Kira Lim, and March Steiger, mezzo-sopranos Felicia Gavilanes and Arielle Rogers-Wilkey, countertenor Lucas Ludwig Coura, and baritone Mitch Fitzdaniel. They will be assisted by pianist Timothy Steele.
The singers for this concert have not only come to Boston from various parts of the US, but from around the world, including South Korea, China, Singapore, and Russia. They have appeared with many local performing organizations, including the Boston Symphony, Boston Lyric Opera, Castle of Our Skins, White Snake Projects, and Odyssey Opera. They have performed all over the world, from Carnegie Hall to Budapest and Vienna. They have won awards in international vocal competitions, and one was recently a featured soloist with tenor Placido Domingo in an orchestral concert in Europe.
This is a free concert (no tickets needed), with all net proceeds collected from a free-will offering to benefit the Milton Food Pantry and Milton Residents Fund. All performers are donating their time and talents to support these two charities.
Arrive early for best seating. There is ample free parking available, and the venue is accessible.
Program
Artist Headshots and Bios
Sohyun Cho is a soprano who graduated from the University of Michigan and New England Conservatory. Her operatic roles include Contessa (NOZZE DI FIGARO), Fiordiligi (COSI FAN TUTTE), Poppea (L’INCORONAZIONS DI POPPEA), and Eurydice (ORFEO). She joins Boston Lyric Opera’s chorus for the 2026–27 season’s William Tell.
Lucas Ludwig Coura is a Boston-Based countertenor and voice teacher Lucas has performed a number of opera roles with companies including WhiteSnake Projects, Boston Opera Collaborative, Cambridge Chamber Ensemble, Promenade Opera Project, and Boston Summer Opera, among others. Recent roles include Oberon in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Endimione in La Calisto, and The Pirate King in a reimagined production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.
Lucas is frequently called upon to perform in immersive and innovative projects —he portrayed Virgil in Boston Opera Collaborative’s Opera Inferno, an immersive operatic experience that used a combination of standard operatic arias and spoken excerpts of literature to drew audiences through the hellish scenes described in Dante’s Inferno. As a choral musician, Lucas frequently sings with Boston’s own Nightingale Vocal Ensemble. Most recently, he was featured in A Cask of Amontillado, where he was praised for his “liquid countertenor” (Boston Musical Intelligencer).
Lucas is deeply passionate about creating new work. In August, Lucas will be traveling to New York City to participate in final workshops for Judith, a new opera by Paul Vasile and Karin Coonrod. In Fall of 2027, he will return to WhiteSnake Projects to create the role of Baby Doll in Spitting Sand. Lucas is most drawn to projects that elevate marginalized voices–especially those that share his immigrant identity.
Coura holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory and a Bachelor of Music from Stetson University. To learn more: www.lucasludwigcoura.com
Called “sensitive and impassioned” by Opera News and praised for her “luscious” sound by Opera Magazine, mezzo-soprano Felicia Gavilanes has performed with companies such as Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Odyssey Opera, Santa Barbara Symphony, Teatro Lírico Nacional de Cuba, the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, and the Orquesta Sinfónica del Conservatorio Nacional of the Dominican Republic. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Italy, Felicia completed her Bachelor of Arts in Italian Literature and Music from Dartmouth College, her Master of Music with Honors from the New England Conservatory, and earned her Doctorate from Florida State University. Recent studio recordings include a solo vocal album of Italian art songs entitled La Sera and the role of Ino in Corigliano’s Lord of Cries for Pentatone Records with Boston Modern Orchestra Project, which was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording 2024. Upcoming engagements include Sing Out Strong (SOS) with activist opera company White Snake Projects.
Dramatic coloratura soprano Mary Johnston Letellier (she/her/hers) brings her warm, expressive voice and strong artistic instincts to a wide variety of repertoire.
This past spring, Ms. Letellier enjoyed the role debut of Amelia in Opera in the Pines’ production of A Masked Ball. Last summer, Ms. Letellier debuted the role of Milica in Hogfish’s production of SVADBA. Other roles include Musetta with Opera in the Pines Bar Crawl Bohème, Musetta (cover) with Opera Maine’s La Bohème, Harpy (workshop) for Mark Adamo’s Sarah in the Theater for New England Conservatory and Odyssey Opera, the Queen of the Night in NEC’s production of Die Zauberflöte, Violetta in Mass Opera’s unique production of La Traviata, and covering the role of First Lady in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Maine.
With Snowlion Repertory, she portrayed Grace in The Christmas Bride in Concert, premiered the role of Conrad/ Conradine in The Secret Princess, and originated the role of the Narrator in the premiere of Mesmerized. Other recent engagements on the musical theater stage include Julie/Carrie/Nettie/Louise in Carousel at Tophat Toy Theater, Franca Naccarelli in The Light in the Piazza and The Ghost of Christmas past in The Christmas Carol: The Musical, both at Biddeford City Theater. Broadwayworld.com called her performance as Franca “one of the highlights of the show.”
She has had the honor of singing the soprano soloist at the Assabet Valley Mastersinger's concert of Ralph Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem. In addition, she made her debut as soprano soloist of Haydn's The Seasons with the Assabet Valley Mastersingers. Other recitals include Our Bodies, Our Voices, and Le Petit Prince: A Musical Journey. Ms. Letellier and Alexandra Dietrich debuted their recital, Deep Magic of the Earth and Songs to the Moon with at the University of Southern Maine with Scott Wheatley and Thomas Smoker on the piano. She collaborated with Opera Maine and Bowdoin College for a recital in May called East Meets West: Exoticism in Arias and Art Song.
Also a sought after concert performer, Ms. Letellier has recently been a featured soloist in programs with Lyric Music Theater, Opera Maine, Port City Blue, Biddeford City Theater, Opera in the Pines, and others. She was particularly proud to lend her voice to the concert Still Dreaming: A Tribute to MLK at Milton Community Concerts, and to the Black Lives Matter Faculty Concert at the University of Southern Maine. She won the New England Regional NATS Artist Award and the Anne Marie Gertz Award at the National NATS Artist Competition in 2022.
Ms. Letellier is earning her three-year diploma with the Complete Vocal Institute. She recently received a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance with a Minor in Musicology at New England Conservatory. She received her Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Opera Performance from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She was a member of the Young Artist Program at Seagle Music Colony and has also studied at Flagstaff in Fidenza (Italy). She is currently on faculty at the University of Southern Maine, and New England Conservatory, in addition to maintaining a busy private vocal studio. She serves as the Governor of the New England NATS Region, and as Maine NATS President.
Soprano Ziruo Li is currently pursuing her Master of Music at the New England Conservatory of Music under the guidance of Carole Haber. In the 2026–2027 season, she performed as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro at the New England Conservatory. A prize-winning artist, she received Second Prize at the Macao International Vocal Competition in 2026. At the 61st Concorso Internazionale Voci Verdiane Città di Busseto she was awarded First Prize in the Professional Category.
Kira Lim is a second year Masters of Music (Voice), under the tutelage of Ms Carole Haber at the New England Conservatory. She graduated from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, where she earned her Bachelor of Music (Voice) with highest honours under Professor Alan Bennett. She was awarded the NUSS Medal for Outstanding Achievement. Previously she also received a Diploma in Performance from LASALLE College of the Arts (2019). In 2018, she won First Place in all three categories of the American Protégé Vocal Competition under the guidance of Ms Khor Ai Ming.
Kira has performed widely both locally and internationally, including as a soloist at Carnegie Hall for New York Sounds of Summer (2016) and the Los Angeles International Music Festival (2018). Her stage credits include Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the Musikverein, Vienna (Vienna Opera Academy, 2023), Carmen-Ghia in The Stoned Guest (YST, 2024), Luisa in The Fantasticks (YST, 2022), First Maiden in Der Zwerg (The Opera People, 2019), Gretel in Hansel and Gretel (Vocal Associates, 2016), and Shimmer in the touring musical Baby Shark Live! The Hidden Treasure (2021–2022).
Recently, she has performed in Gianni Schicchi as Lauretta in Berlin Opera Academy (2026), the soprano solo in Orff’s Carmina Burana with Symphonia Choralis (2026), the soprano solo in Jenkins’ The Armed Man with Vocal Associates (2026), Rusalka : The Littlest Mermaid (NEC children's opera touring show) as Rusalka (2025), covered Adina in L'Elisir D'Amore (2026), sang in concerts like In Our Manner of Speaking (2022-2026), Come, Ye Sons of Art, Away! with Red Dot Baroque and YST, CabaRED with New Opera Singapore (2023), She debuted the lead role of Klara in The Opera People’s newly commissioned opera Beacon composed by Dr Jonathan Shin (2024), and performed as Créuse in Charpentier’s Médée with The Opera People, Red Dot Baroque, and Les Épopées under Maestro Stéphane Fuget.
American mezzo-soprano Arielle Rogers-Wilkey is a New England based Performing Artist. Ms. Rogers was seen as Maurya in Riders to the Sea, Almera in Dark Sisters, and La zia Principessa in Suor Angelica; Opera Institute, BU. She has done extensive work with Boston Lyric Opera as Mary, Omar; Gertrude, Romeo et Juliette; and Ensemble, Madama Butterfly, Champion, La bohème, Norma, Daughter of the Regiment, Macbeth, Pagliacci, William Tell and A Handmaid’s Tale. Ms. Rogers-Wilkey took part in Odyssey Opera’s production and album recording of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, which received a Grammy Award nomination. Other credits include Kate, The Pirates of Penzance and Katisha, The Mikado, Opera Providence; La Ciesca, Gianni Schicchi and Ensemble, Madama Butterfly, Don Pasquale, and Le Nozze di Figaro, Salt Marsh Opera. With OperaHub in Boston, she was honored to portray Sissieretta Jones in the world premiere of DIVAS, an operatic play with an all-female cast. Oratorio and orchestral credits include Handel’s Messiah, Schubert’s Magnificat, and Vivaldi’s Gloria; WCO, as well as Mahler No. 3 with Budapest Symph. Orch. Operatic Highlights; Juneteenth & Phyllis Wheatley concert work with Castle of Our Skins; Arias Aloft! with Opera Untapped and the educational concerts Link Up! with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. A fan of collaborative work, Arielle was proud to be a part of two recent workshops for new works in the operatic & theater cannons; Faces in the Flames as well as Adia & Clora Snatch Joy.
ariellerogerswilkey.com
Born on a small farm in rural Maine, March Steiger has found their passion performing works by underrepresented composers, such as J. Rosemond Johnson, Lili and Nadia Boulanger, Cécile Chaminade, Josephine Lang, among many others. They also enjoying diving into the intricacies of bel canto and classical repertoire, particularly the works of Donizetti and Mozart.
In 2026, they made their role debut with Opera in the Pines as Oscar in the Masked Ball. Previously in 2025, they joined Opera in the Pines for Barber of the Cape covering the role of Rosie, as well as joining Vigorous Tenderness as an artist for their Summer and Winter Solstice concerts.
In 2024, they performed with Hogfish Maine in their production of The Breasts of Thérèsias as Elegant Person as well as covering Thérèse. In the spring, March performed the role of Valencienne in Portland State University’s production of The Merry Widow. In 2023, they starred in the academic premier of Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Fallen Giant, as well as reprising the role of the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, both with Portland State University.
March has also been chosen as an Emerging Outreach Artist from 2022-2025 for Opera Maine’s outreach program, dedicated to bringing opera to schools across Maine.
March holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice Performance from the Osher School of Music at the University of Southern Maine and a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Portland State University.
Timothy Steele is an active vocal coach, collaborative pianist, and conductor, and is currently in his thirty-fifth year on the opera faculty at New England Conservatory. He has conducted for outreach tours with the Boston Lyric Opera (more than 200 performances for school children) and is a former music director for Opera Providence. He has served as conductor/pianist for more than 225 operatic productions with 33 companies, including Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Wolf Trap Opera, Central City Opera, and Opera Maine. For workshops and rehearsals he assisted with the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera MADAME WHITE SNAKE in productions in Boston and Taiwan.
He has played for thousands of opera auditions and competitions, assisted as recording producer for two award-winning recordings, and as a vocal coach has worked with both young singers and seasoned professionals. He is currently the producer of Milton Community Concerts and is the music director/organist at historic First Parish Church in Milton, MA. In Boston he has performed with Emmanuel Music (where he played for a decade of weekly Bach cantatas), the Handel and Haydn Society, and the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, among others.
A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Timothy received his Bachelor of Music from Drake University and a Master of Music from the University of Southern California, where he studied collaborative piano with Gwendolyn Koldofsky.