With opera, pop, and pure artistry sharing the same stage, it was a concert with a sound that refused to be defined. 

Blending elegance and experimentation with its cross-genre exploration, Beyond the Aria debuted in the Bowes Centers’ 11th-floor Barbro Osher Recital Hall on October 25 with a packed audience. 

Craig Terry, Christine Goerke and Hugh Russell perform in the Barbro Osher Recital Hall.

The concert series has been thrilling Chicago audiences for more than a decade, but this marked the first time it came to the West Coast. It’s led by Askonas Holt artist Craig Terry, a GRAMMY-winning pianist, following his Voice residency at the Conservatory.  

“Every student, from the first minute, was on board with the intensive work it took to bring the music to its highest possible performance level,” Terry said. “I was incredibly impressed with the positive attitude, generous spirit, work ethic, and camaraderie each SFCM student showed throughout the week.”

Craig Terry performs with student Macy Mullins.

The concert series pairs opera stars with young singers, and in parallel fashion, classic arias with popular music. It featured GRAMMY-winning Opus 3 Artist Christine Goerke and baritone Hugh Russell, alongside four student soloists chosen through an audition process: Lily Bogas, Seth Hanson, Macy Mullins, and Vuyiswa Sigadi. The concert also ended with a unique ensemble performance. 

“The soloists raised their level every single day we rehearsed.” Terry added, “I couldn’t have been more proud of the magic all the students ultimately created.”

Opus 3 Artists and Askonas Holt are part of SFCM’s family of industry partners—along with record label Pentatone—that collaborate to elevate the student and audience experience.

Craig Terry performs with Vuyiswa Sigadi and Lily Bogas.

For Vuyiswa Sigadi the experience “was reminiscent of why I got into music in the first place.”

In tune with the blending of classical and contemporary, Sigadi along with student Lily Bogas, sang a mashup of “Belle nuit” by Jacques Offenbach and “Just the two of us” by Bill Withers. “Mashing the barcarolle with Lily was really fun! It was so improvisational, which we don’t get to do too often in opera,” Sigadi added. 

“I have been a fan of Christine Goerke for quite some time,” Lily Bogas said. “So it is so full circle to get to sing alongside her!”

Vuyiswa Sigadi performs with Craig Terry at piano.

Sigadi also sang a solo of “I never has seen snow” by Harold Arlen. “Performing alongside Craig Terry, Christine Goerke, and Hugh Russell really put my ‘why’ into perspective,” Sigadi continued. “I was able to free myself of any expectations and just be in the moment.”

The concert concluded with a medley of several elaborate and exciting ensemble performances, including “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. The performance featured more than two dozen vocal students and was staged by Opera and Musical Theatre Chair Heather Mathews.

The finale included more than two dozen students.

“Working with Craig Terry, Hugh Russell, and Christine Goerke is the kind of experience you dream about in the professional world, let alone at school!” Voice student Akshaya Lakshmi said, who performed in the finale. “I honestly had no idea what to expect, but I’ve always loved the idea of genre-bending. So getting to be exposed to that kind of creative process was interesting and exciting.”

In SFCM’s Voice program students have access to a highly diverse ensemble program, one that continuously generates the unique performance opportunities that now define the modern musical economy. 

Students Seth Hanson and Akshaya Lakshmi (front right) perform with the student ensemble.

“SFCM is clearly a place where skill, artistry, and imagination are highly valued,” Craig Terry added. “Training to become a successful twenty-first-century musician requires more versatility and skill than ever before, and SFCM is on the cutting edge of this type of visionary musical education. It’s a truly special place.”

“It was such a breath of fresh air,” Voice student B Schaubhut said, “As classical singers, we all come from a myriad of singing backgrounds, and this concert let us dig into some of those not-so-classical vocal styles.”

“In this industry, I find it’s easy to get caught up in striving for perfection,” Lakshmi concluded,  “but this experience was a great reminder that making music is supposed to be fun!"

Craig Terry and the voice student ensemble.

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