Milton Community Concerts
at First Parish
Sing For Their Supper 11
Sunday, November 16th at 3:00pm
On Sunday, November 16 at 3pm, Milton Community Concerts will present the eleventh annual “Sing For Their Supper” benefit concert in the historic Meetinghouse at First Parish of Milton, 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 Erin Anderson, Allyson Bennett, Teresa Winner Blume, Nare Kim, Katherine Skafidas, and Simeng Wu; mezzo-soprano Natalja Sticco; tenor Todd Angilly; and baritones Scott Ballantine and David Smyth. They will be assisted by pianist Timothy Steele.
The singers for this concert have come to Boston not only from various parts of the US, but from around the world, including China, Korea, and Latvia. They have appeared with many local performing organizations in town, including the Boston Pops and Boston Lyric Opera. They have performed across the country in opera, recitals, and concerts. They have won awards in vocal competitions such as the Wagner Society of New York Singers Competition, the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and the International Chinese Vocal Competition. One is well-known around town as the Boston Anthem Singer, and another is an associate professor in the math department at Tufts University (when he’s not singing).
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 talent 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
Erin Anderson is a versatile performing artist, equally at home on Musical Theater, Opera, and Concert stages. She is known for her captivating stage presence, expressive musicianship, and brilliant high notes. Some favorite performances include: Phoebe D’Ysquith (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder) at Marblehead Little Theater, The Witch (Into The Woods) and Adele (Die Fledermaus) with NEMPAC Opera Project, Anne (A Little Night Music) with Arlington Friends of the Drama, Valencienne (The Merry Widow) with VOX New England, Cunegonde (Candide) and Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier) with Lowell House Opera, Despina (Cosi Fan Tutte), Mabel (ThePirates of Penzance), and Laurie (Oklahoma!) with Riverside Theater Works. Erin is a member of the professional choral ensemble at First Church in Boston, and a performing member of the board of Opera on Tap Boston.
Instagram: @erinandersing
Todd Angilly is the official anthem singer for the Boston Bruins, a position he's held since 2019 when he succeeded the legendary Rene Rancourt. He graduated from Plymouth State University in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in music and studied opera at the New England Conservatory in Boston.
Originally from Warwick, Rhode Island, he now resides in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. By day, he works as director of workforce development at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, having previously served as a probation officer for 12 years.
Angilly's big break came when he was bartending at TD Garden and was called upon just 15 minutes before puck drop to sing the national anthem when the scheduled singer couldn't make it. He has performed for all five Boston professional sports teams and sings at approximately 80% of the Bruins' regular season home games.
Baritone Scott Ballantine has maintained a busy performing schedule in New England and across the United States. He has worked with companies such as Dayton Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Opera Wilmington, Opera Steamboat, and the Janiec Opera Company. Some of his more familiar roles / operas include Marcello & Schaunard in La bohème, the title role in Don Giovanni, and Silvio in Pagliacci. In addition to many full productions and roles, Ballantine has an abundance of experience with opera outreach, having spent three seasons touring the Midwest with Opera for the Young. Ballantine has an affinity for contemporary opera as well - some of his favorite roles performed include Hannah Before in As One, Father in Scarlet Ibis and the title role in Fantastic Mr. Fox. Equally at home in musical theatre, Ballantine was a recent guest artist at the College Light Opera Company (CLOC), singing Mr. Lindquist in A Little Night Music. He was also a festival artist with the Natchez Festival of Music in 2019 and with Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre in 2017. During these engagements, he sang the role of Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Oliver Hix in The Music Man and Captain Phoebus (cover) in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. A native of Colorado, he left the mountain west in pursuit of his Master's of Music in Voice Performance at The Boston Conservatory in 2015. He received his Bachelor's Degree in Voice Performance from Northern Arizona University in 2013. Ballantine is currently based in Boston, MA.
Allyson Bennett is a classical vocalist with a passion for operatic & song repertoire.
Allyson is currently preparing Mutter in Hänsel und Gretel with Music On Site, Inc . Originating the role of Suzannah in the world premiere of Murder, Meth & Mayhem, Allyson sang with EAH Productions at the Providence Fringe Festival in summer 2025. She recently made her John F. Kennedy Center debut as a winner of the VSA International Musicians Award Program and soon after performed there again in a scene as Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro) with the AAMS Emerging Artists Program. She performed a solo recital with the Montpelier Arts Center in Maryland, and covered Tosca in Tosca with Opera51.
Recent awards include an Encouragement Award with the Wagner Society of New York Singers Competition (2025). Allyson won First Place for Rising Talents of the Americas 2020 with GCC and was named Boston District Winner by the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (2022, 2023, 2024). She was awarded Third Place prize in the Vienna New Year's Concert International Music Competition (2024).
She has performed scenes as Nedda in Pagliacci and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni through New England Conservatory , and Senta in Der fliegende Holländer with the Boston Wagner Institute.
She has performed notable roles such as Tosca (Tosca), First Lady (Die Zauberflöte), Eva (An American Dream), Madame Lidoine (Dialogues of the Carmelite ), Mimì (La Bohème), Meg Page (Falstaff) and Valletto (L’incoronazione di Poppea). She premiered Flora Sun’s “ 難波津に (Naniwa-zu ni)”, appeared with NEC’s Wind Ensemble singing Dvořák’s Song to the Moon, performed Elena Firsova's The Birth of a Smile with trombone quartet and vibraphone, and solo-produced a benefit recital to fundraise for Breonna Taylor's family with Sparrow Live.
Allyson studies under Jane Eaglen. For more information, please visit allysonbennett.com.
Soprano Teresa Winner Blume has navigated a dual career for 25 years as both a professional vocalist and as an educator. Favorite engagements include being a featured soloist with the Boston Pops and Keith Lockhart (Bernstein’s Centennial Celebration Concerts; Holiday Pops), the North Carolina Symphony with Grant Llewellyn (Le Nozze di Figaro), and premiering the international performance art installation Lee Mingwei: Sonic Blossom, at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. She has performed with The Lyric Stage of Boston, Opera Carolina, and New England Light Opera in productions of Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Company, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, The Mikado and more. Concert solo work includes Carmina Burana, Brahms Requiem and Fauré Requiem. Her artistry has been recognized in such competitions as the Jesse Kneisel Lieder Competition (winner), Lotte Lenya (2nd prize), National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards (National semi-finalist) and New York Oratorio Society Solo Competition (semi-finalist).
As a highly sought after vocal instructor, she has served as Head of Voice at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, a boarding and day high school in Natick, MA, since 2015. Here she leads a comprehensive pre-conservatory curriculum to train young classical and musical theater singers. Her students have gained national award recognition at YoungArts, Schmidt, NATS and CS Music, and consistently earn admittance to top classical vocal and theater programs including Juilliard, Curtis, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Cincinnati Conservatory, University of Michigan, Boston Conservatory and more. She also maintains a thriving home voice studio, and cares for her growing family. Originally from North Carolina, Ms. Blume earned a B.M. in Vocal Performance from University of Illinois, and an M.M. and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music.
Korean soprano Naré Kim, acclaimed for her “highly expressive phrasing” and “shimmering warmth of sound,” has appeared with NEMPAC Opera Project, MassOpera, Boston Singers’ Resource, Greater Worcester Opera, Cambridge Chamber Ensemble, Boston Opera Collaborative, Opera NEO, San Diego Opera, Seoul Metropolitan Opera, Korea National Opera, etc. Her recent roles include Morgana in Alcina, Sidonie in Armide, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Hanna in Die lustige Witwe, Musetta in La bohème, and Night in The Fairy Queen.
Naré holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Vocal Performance from Seoul National University and was an Apprenticeship Artist with the San Diego Opera’s Young Artist Program. She is the first prize winner of the La Jolla Symphony Young Artist Competition and second prize winner of the Virginia Hawk Competition. Equally at home on the stage and the podium, Naré is a devoted conductor and ensemble leader, shaping performances with sincerity, artistry, and beauty.
Katerina Skafidas is a Boston-based soprano from Syracuse, NY. Ms. Skafidas has sung with the Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, BYSO Opera, Carduus Chamber Choir, Calliope Boston, Boston Singers Resource, and the Boston Wagner Society. In Central NY, Ms. Skafidas has sung with Syracuse Opera, Society for New Music, Civic Morning Musicals, and Syracuse Shakespeare Festival. She has performed at Boston Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall and Weill Hall, and the National Opera Center. She graduated from Syracuse University (B.M. '20), and earned her graduate degree from New England Conservatory (M.M. '22), studying with Jane Eaglen since then. In 2022, Ms. Skafidas won the Seattle District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. She also won the 2018, 2023, and 2025 Civic Morning Musicals Vocal Competition. She hosts a private voice studio in Somerville, MA, and she is a singing-director of St. Michael's Episcopal Church Choir.
David Smyth is a Boston-based baritone, well-known for his warm, colorful timbre and nuanced acting. He has sung with many regional companies, including MassOpera, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, West End Lyric, Greater Worcester Opera, and Piccola Opera. Recent role highlights include Silvio in I Pagliacci, Rabbi David in L’amico Fritz, Ben in The Telephone, Melisso in Alcina, and Robin Oakapple in Ruddigore. David discovered a passion for classical singing shortly after completing his doctoral studies in mathematics, and continues to study privately while also working as an associate professor in the math department at Tufts University.
Natalja Sticco is an acclaimed Latvian mezzo-soprano celebrated for her expressive voice and captivating stage presence. Originally from Riga, she trained at the Latvian Academy of Music and spent seven seasons with the Latvian National Opera as a Young Artist and resident Alto with the company’s chorus. From 2009 to 2017, she appeared in many of the opera’s major productions, touring internationally to Teatro Calderón in Spain, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Monte Carlo, and the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman. Her operatic roles include Olga in Eugene Onegin, Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, and Baba in The Medium. “Natalja’s voice soars with amazing resonance and brio… reminiscent of opera’s Golden Age,” remarked Sir Simon Rattle, OM CBE. Renowned for her versatility, Natalja also records crossover classical music, with her singles and albums available on all major streaming platforms.
Simeng Wu (Chinese: 吴偲盟; pinyin: Wú Sī Méng) is a Chinese operatic soprano renowned for her passionate and resonant performances. She was the Gold Award recipient at the 7th International Chinese Vocal Competition in 2018 and was named a semifinalist in the Classical Singer Vocal Competition in May 2025. Since 2023, she has been a proud member of Boston Lyric Opera. Born and raised in Shenyang, China, Simeng developed a love for opera at the age of 17. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Shenyang Conservatory of Music and a Master’s degree in Opera from the Longy School of Music. Her lyric coloratura soprano voice has a wide repertoire that spans languages including Chinese, English, Italian, German, and French. Her extensive body of work includes pieces from notable composers such as Donizetti, Bellini, Mozart, Verdi, Massenet, Puccini, Strauss, Britten, Handel, and Shi Guangnan. An adventurer at heart, Simeng advocates for innovation in all areas of her life. Beyond her singing career, she is a traditional Chinese dancer, international Latin dancer, actor, and avid scuba diver. Through her venture Simeng Wu Music, she brings cross-cultural artistry to life—and in May, she received her second Master’s degree in Management at Harvard University Extension School.
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.