Shawnette Sulker is a sought-after Guyanese American soprano artist in the United States and abroad, acclaimed for her “heart-breaking poignancy” and “beautifully tuned soprano” by the San Francisco Chronicle and for her “enchanting vocal splendor” by the Leipziger Volkszeitung. A consummate performer, she recently sang the leading roles of Bulrusher (Bulrusher by Stookey) for a workshop with the Cincinnati Opera; The Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute) with Livermore Valley Opera; Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea) with Intermountain Opera Bozeman; Mary Jane Bowser for a workshop of Intelligence (Heggie), which was sponsored by Houston Grand Opera as a lead up to their recent world premiere of the opera. She also recently created and premiered the role of Ariel in Allen Shearer’s new opera Prospero’s Island. Other recent portrayals featured singing Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare) with West Edge Opera, Sister Rose (Dead Man Walking) with Opera Idaho, and Floralba (Messalina by Pallavicino) with Ars Minerva. More roles in the soprano’s repertoire include Pip (Heggie’s Moby Dick); Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos); Cunegonde (Candide); The Visitor (Sankaram’s Formidable); Carolina (Il matrimonio segreto); Musetta (La Bohème); Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro); Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi).

On the concert stage, Ms. Sulker recently performed several world premiere arrangements of Poulenc chansons with The Poulenc Trio on the Music at Kohl Mansion Concert Series, Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Mission Chamber Orchestra, and as a soloist for the San Francisco Boys Chorus’ 75 th Anniversary concert. Other recent concert engagements featured recitals in New York venues Scorca Hall (an all- Brazilian Music program) and The Blue Building and at Stanford University; The Majesty of the Spiritual concert at Herbst Theatre and Lincoln Center (honoring the works of living masters R. Carter, J. Hairston, and L. McLin); Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Berkeley Symphony. A sampling of her other concert repertoire includes Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras; Bach’s Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen; Mozart’s Exsultate, Jubilate; Bach’s Coffee Cantata; Scarlatti’s Su le sponde del Tebro; Mozart’s Grand Mass in C minor; Fauré’s Requiem; Orff’s Carmina Burana. International credits for Ms. Sulker include recording a CD with Orchestra Wellington in New Zealand, a concert of operatic favorites at Naple’s Teatro di San Carlo, singing Adele throughout the Netherlands and Belgium in a tour of Die Fledermaus, a recital at Red Door Studios in Amsterdam, and orchestra concerts featuring Porgy and Bess highlights and Mendelssohn’s Psalm 42 in Leipzig’s Gewandhaus and Prague’s Smetana Hall.

The soprano has sung with such companies as the San Francisco Opera, Mark Morris Dance Group, American Bach Soloists, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Opera Memphis, Opera Fairbanks, Union Avenue Opera, Opera Naples, Pacific Opera Project (POP), Opera Modesto, Eugene Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, Garden State Philharmonic, Santa Rosa Symphony, and the Natchez Opera Festival, to name a few. Upcoming engagements include performing a double bill of two contemporary opera with Opera Parallèle: the West Coast premiere of Little’s Vinkensport (as Sir Elton John’s Trainer) and the world premiere of Karpman’s Balls (as Susan B. Anthony). She will also be singing as the soprano soloist in Bond’s Credo and Dvorak’s Mass in D Major, both with San Francisco Choral Society.

Arturo Rodriguez is a Chicano flutist, composer, and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Rodriguez is a frequent performer in the Bay Area. You’ll spot him in pit orchestras throughout the bay providing his dynamic flute and piccolo skills to companies like Mountain Play, YMTC, and Spindrift.

He’s also seen on the concert stage performing with ensembles like the San Francisco Philharmonic, Bay Area Rainbow Symphony, San Jose Symphonic Choir, Awesöme Orchestra Collective, and Oakland Civic Orchestra.

He’s also an accomplished chamber musician and soloist where he currently performs with Ensemble 126 and the Etesian Duo. Mr. Rodriguez has performed in many concert halls and recordings including various titles in Undercover Presents and Act IV and V of The Dear Hunter’s albums. Aside from an impressive and engaging musical lifestyle, he is an avid composer.

In December of 2022, he premiered his most ambitious work for orchestra. His Requiem Sinfonica, a requiem without words, was written for the passing of the lives affected by Oakland’s Ghost Ship warehouse fire. His work was performed and premiered by various members and community musicians of the Awesöme Orchestra Collective.

He has also composed several works for flute solo (Metamorphosis Suite), Flute Ensemble which includes Iridescent Fanfare – which premiered at the 2022 NFA Convention in Chicago, Universal Creations which will receive its 2023 NFA premiere by Ensemble 126, and works for Flute Duo (Flute Duo No. 1 & 2), Flute and Harp (Nocturne for an Era of Remembrance – NFA 2023 Premiere and Lines for Flute and Harp).

Arturo serves as coaching faculty with the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra and Young Musicians Choral Orchestra. He is also the flute ambassador for the Awesöme Orchestra Collective. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of the Pacific in 2013.

He’s passionate about his little dog Autumn and spending time with familia y amigos. He’s a passionate leader and advocates increasing visibility and access for musicians and composers of color.

William Skeen serves as Principal Cellist with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Voices of Music, and was Principal Cellist of the American Bach Soloists for nearly two decades. He is a founding member of the New Esterházy Quartet, the Cantata Collective, and La Monica. William taught baroque cello and viola da gamba at the University of Southern California from 2000-2020. Mr. Skeen has appeared as continuo cellist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Gustavo Dudamel), the Los Angeles Master Chorale (Grant Gershon) and San Diego Opera (Kenneth Montgomery). He’s been highlighted as viola da gamba soloist multiple times with the Dallas Symphony (Jaap van Zweden), Los Angeles Master Chorale, Carmel Bach Festival (Bruno Weil and Paul Goodwin), Oregon Bach Festival (Matthew Halls),  American Bach Soloists, and the Orquesta Nacional de México (Carlos Miguel Prieto). He has also performed the rôle of Principal Cellist with Pacific Music Works, Seattle Baroque, the Portland Baroque Orchestra, Musica Angelica, the Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, and Bach Collegium San Diego. William was twice nominated for a Grammy Award: in 2012 for Best Small Ensemble Performance for “The Kingdoms of Castille” with El Mundo, and again in 2022 for Best Classical Compendium for “American Originals” with Agave.  Mr. Skeen has toured and recorded with many early music ensembles including Smithsonian Chamber Players, Musica Pacifica, El Mundo, Agave, Galanterie, Con Gioia, the New Esterházy Quartet, La Monica, and Philharmonia Chamber Players. William has served on the faculty of the American Bach Soloists Academy, the Berwick Academy at the Oregon Bach Festival, the San Francisco Early Music Society’s Baroque Workshop, and co-founded the SFEMS Classical Workshop.

Mr. Skeen can be viewed on countless high-definition videos produced by Voices of Music. He has taken the stage as soloist, continuo cellist, and chamber musician at many summer festivals including Carmel Bach, Oregon Bach, Tanglewood, Caramoor, Mostly Mozart, Mendocino, Valley of the Moon, Ravinia, Ryedale, and most recently performed back-to-back memorized concerts of the complete Bach Cello Suites at the Whidbey Island Music Festival. 

William holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the University of Southern California, with mentors Alan Harris and Ronald Leonard. He performs with his two baroque celli: a Giovanni Grancino from 1725, and an anonymous Italian five-string cello from the 1680s. 

Mr. Skeen lives with his wife, virtuoso violinist Kati Kyme, in Oakland. Talia and Liam, his accomplished musical children, are just beginning promising professional musical careers. 

Hank Maninger has been playing in the Bay Area music scene his entire life. He started off as the bass player for Bonnie Hayes and the Wild Combo, recording two records and placing two songs on the soundtrack of the movie Valley Girl. He played bass with Chuck Prophet for a few years, touring Europe, and played guitar with surf revival pioneers the Aqua Velvets. As a member of the critically acclaimed western soul band the Hacienda Brothers, Hank toured the world and recorded four albums, in addition to a recent compilation of unreleased cuts.

Folks from the Bay Area are likely to recognize Hank’s signature sound on guitar, bass, and vocals. He has been active on the roots music scene since the early 80’s, playing in bands such as Bonnie Hayes and the Wild Combo and internationally with the Hacienda Brothers. When he’s not busy with Nashville Honeymoon, Hank leads his own roots trio (Hank Maninger and the Jukebox Charlies), and plays bass with The Seducers.

Lately Hank has focused on teaching and performing in the Bay Area with his own trio, and with Nashville Honeymoon, a classic country/Americana band that he leads with his wife, Lynne Maes. They have released three records of original material.