April 6, 2013
8:00pm
Downey Civic Theatre

LOWRY:  Fanfare for Flora
            Conducted by Dara Small, 2012 Baton Auction Winner
BERLIOZ:  Roman Carnival Overture
CANTELOUBE:  Chants d'Auvergne
            Diana Newman, Soprano
BRAHMS:  Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98
To Purchase Tickets click on http://www.downeytheatre.com/Events

Soprano Diana Newman is just beginning her graduate studies at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music under the instruction of Elizabeth Hynes.  Most recently she performed the role of Miranda in Lee Hoiby’s The Tempest. She has performed the roles of Pamina in Die Zauberflöte and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, also with the USC Thornton Opera.  She has performed with Chamber Opera of USC as Belisa in Conrad Susa’s The Love of Don Perlimplin. Ms. Newman is an avid chamber musician and has sung Lukas Foss’ Time Cycle with faculty members of the Aspen Music Festival and School and with the USC contemporary ensemble. She recently premiered Francesco Cilluffo’s The Land to Life Again with the UCLA Camarades Ensemble. Ms. Newman has sung both Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 and Mahler’s Symphony no. 4  with the American Youth Symphony, under the direction of Alexander Treger. Other orchestral performances include selections from Benjamin Britten`s Les Illuminations with the CSUN Symphony and Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate with the Thornton School of Music alumni ensemble.  This summer Ms. Newman will be attending Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar and The Music Academy of the West.

Dara Small was born in West Berlin, Germany and raised in the Washington DC suburb of McLean, Virginia.  In 2005, she moved to Los Angeles where she currently resides.  Musically, Dara is familiar with the piano, violin, saxophone and bass guitar.  At a young age, Dara engaged in verbal battles with her parents over undisciplined piano practice habits.  The true root of these battles stemmed from conflicting creative differences in study habits, i.e. practice vs. osmosis.  The creative differences, in conjunction with Dara’s busy school schedule, resulted in the end of her piano studies.  Dara, at the request of her parents, also studied the violin.  Specifically, Dara was instructed in the Suzuki method of violin playing.  After a brief stint in the primary school orchestra, Dara abandoned her musical pursuit of the violin.  In fifth grade, on a whim, she began to study the saxophone.  After a short time, Dara decided to stop torturing her parents and neighbors with her lack of instrumental proficiency.  Dara had always dreamt of being a percussionist. Her grandmother was in support of this venture and offered to buy her a drum set for Christmas.  Sadly, that dream never came to fruition, as her parents forbade the gift.  In her early years, Dara enjoyed successful participation in chorus.  In college she continued with singing, but as a hobby at open mic and acapella venues.  Currently, Dara is an occasional bass guitar player and an avid karaoke singer.  She has been a proud supporter of the Downey Symphony Orchestra for a number of years, and is looking forward to the experience of conducting this wonderful ensemble.