Douglas Boyd, conductor

Currently the Artistic Director of Garsington Opera Douglas Boyd has also held the positions of Music Director of L’Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Chief Conductor of the Musikkollegium Winterthur, Music Director of Manchester Camerata, Principal Guest Conductor of the Colorado Symphony, Artistic Partner of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and Principal Guest Conductor of City of London Sinfonia. In 2020 he received the highly prestigious Grand Vermeil Médaille de la Ville de Paris for services to music, in recognition of his work as Music Director of L’Orchestre de Chambre de Paris.

Originally an oboist and one of the founding members of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Boyd’s formative musical training was under musicians such as Abbado and Harnoncourt, who remain a significant influence on his style and approach to this day.

In the U.K., Boyd has conducted all the BBC Orchestras, the Philharmonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, London Mozart Players, City of Birmingham Symphony, Bournemouth Symphony and Royal Northern Sinfonia. On the continent he has worked with, amongst others, the Bergen Philharmonic, Basel Sinfoniieorchester, Finnish Radio Symphony, Orchestre National de Lyon, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Gürzenich Orchestra Cologne, as well as Munich Chamber Orchestra and Kammerakademie Potsdam.

Further afield he has conducted the Nagoya Symphony in Japan, Hong Kong Philharmonic and with many of the symphony orchestras in Australia including a complete cycle of Beethoven symphonies with the Melbourne Symphony, as well as the complete Beethoven Piano Concertos with Paul Lewis.  He returned to Australia in the 2022-23 season to conduct the complete Beethoven symphonies with the Adelaide Symphony.

Boyd appears regularly in North America, where he has worked with Th Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; and the Baltimore, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Pacific, Sacramento, Seattle and Virginia symphonies.  In Canada he has appeared with the Toronto Symphony and National Arts Orchestra in Ottawa.  

On the concert platform Boyd enjoys a close working relationship with eminent soloists including Jonathan Biss, Steven Isserlis, Anthony Marwood, Viktoria Mulova, Fazil Say, András Schiff, Mark Padmore, Emmanuel Pahud and Alissa Weilerstein.

Operatic engagements have included The Magic Flute for Glyndebourne Opera on Tour, Salieri’s La Grotto di Tronfonio for Zürich Opera Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito with Opera North and with the Potsdam Winteroper conducting Britten’s Rape of Lucretia. Productions at Garsington Opera have included The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan Tutte, Eugene Onegin, Capriccio, Silver Birch (Roxanna Panufnik, world premiere), as well as concert performances of Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with members of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Haydn’s The Creation with Ballet Rambert and concert performances of Fidelio. In 2022 he conducted the world premiere of the new community opera, Dahlia, by Roxanna Panufnik and a new production of Rusalka at Garsington.  The production of Rusalka also appeared as part of the 2022 Edinburgh International Festival. Future titles with Garsington include The Barber of Seville.

During his tenure as Artistic Director of Garsington Opera, Boyd has secured the Philharmonia Orchestra and English Concert as the resident orchestras, forged partnerships with Santa Fe Opera and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and is widely recognized for his leadership in shaping the company into a world-class, internationally renowned festival, reflected in their nomination in the 2019 international opera awards.

Boyd’s recording of the Bach Concerti for DG marked his recording debut as director/soloist and he has since gone on to build an extensive conducting discography. His recordings with Manchester Camerata of the complete Beethoven symphonies and Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 (on Avie) and Das Lied von der Erde have received universal critical acclaim. He has also recorded Schubert Symphonies with The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra on their own label as well as several recordings with Musikkollegium Winterthur. His recordings with L’Orchestre de Chambre de Paris include Intuition with Gautier Capucon for the Erato label, and a disc of Haydn symphonies which was released in 2021. 

Boyd’s recent and future highlights include concerts with the Aalborg Symfoniorkester, Auckland Philharmonia, BBC Symphony, Philharmonic and National Orchesta of Wales Orchestras, Colorado Symphony, Musikkollegium Winterthur, North Carolina Symphony, Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, Gävle Symfoniorkester, Kammerakademie Potsdam, Utah Symphony, Sacramento Symphony, Cyprus Symphony Orchestra and L’Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine. 

Joélle Harvey, soprano

American soprano Joélle Harvey is recognized as one of the most promising talents of her generation. Her recent Royal Opera House main stage debut as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro under the baton of John Eliot Gardiner was praised by Financial Times as “Joélle Harvey sings the most delectably mellifluous Susanna to have been heard here for some years.”

During the 2022-23 season, Ms. Harvey returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Pamina The Magic Flute and to the Glyndebourne Festival for the title role of Semele; in concert she performs Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Cincinnati Symphony and New Philharmonic orchestras, Schubert’s Mass in E-flat with The Cleveland Orchestra, Handel’s Solomon with the Deutsches Symphony-Orchester (Robin Ticciati) and Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Chicago Symphony. Last season Ms. Harvey made her house and role debut as Aristea L' Olimpiade at the Zurich Opera House, and appeared in concert with the Chicago Symphony, Handel & Haydn Society, Indianapolis Symphony and Les violons du Roy.

Ms. Harvey’s recent highlights also include her role debut as Pamina for the Metropolitan Opera. In concert, she appeared with the New York Philharmonic, St Louis Symphony and the Philharmonia Orchestra performing Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with The Cleveland Orchestra, with San Francisco Symphony performing Brahms’ Requiem, and with the Handel & Haydn Society performing Mozart’s Requiem, among others.

In 2018 Ms. Harvey returned to the Glyndebourne Festival Opera for a “captivating” and “exquisite” role debut as Cleopatra in Sir David McVicar’s iconic production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare, conducted by William Christie. In the 2018-19 season, she made her Carnegie Hall recital debut with pianist Allen Perriello, as part of the Great Singers: Evenings of Song series. The works of Gustav Mahler figured substantially in her other season engagements: Symphony No. 8 with the LA Philharmonic orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl, singing the Mater Gloriosa in performances conducted by Gustavo Dudamel; Symphony No. 2 with The Cleveland Orchestra and Franz Welser-Möst and for her debut with Toronto Symphony in performances led by Juanjo Mena; and Symphony No. 5 with San Diego Symphony and Edo de Waart. Ms. Harvey toured with the British ensemble Arcangelo and Jonathan Cohen, performing in several U.S. cities. She also appeared with the New York Philharmonic (Mozart’s Requiem), Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (Bach’s St. John Passion), North Carolina Symphony (Mozart arias and Mass in C minor), Indianapolis Symphony (Bruckner’s “Te deum”) and Handel & Haydn Society (Mozart’s Requiem), among others.

Ms. Havey’s recent opera engagements include her Pittsburgh Opera debut as Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Servilia in La clemenza di Tito for Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Pat Nixon in Nixon in China with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, repeat appearances as Sicle in L’Ormindo with the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Galatea Acis and Galatea at the Teatro La Fenice under the direction of Leonardo García Alarcón for the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and Zerlina in a revival of Dmitri Tcherniakov’s production of Don Giovanni, conducted by Marc Minkowski for the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence. In previous seasons she has appeared as Serpetta in La finta giardiniera and Juno in The Fairy Queen at Glyndebourne Festival.

Ms. Harvey is a recipient of the Shoshana Foundation’s 2007 Richard F. Gold Career Grant, a 2011 first prize award from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, a 2009 Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation, a 2010 Encouragement Award (in honor of Norma Newton) from the George London Foundation, and was also presented with the John Alexander Memorial Award and the coveted Sam Adams Award for Achievement in Acting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

Ronnita Miller, mezzo-soprano

Grammy Award-nominated mezzo-soprano Ronnita Miller enjoyed a richly varied 2022-23 season. In the summer of 2022, she joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as Schwertleite in Die Walküre at the Hollywood Bowl. The autumn season included a return to San Francisco Opera as Filippyevna in Eugene Onegin, before reprising the role of Ella in X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X with Opera Omaha. Later in the season, she returned to Omaha, as La Principessa in Suor Angelica, and to Atlanta Opera as Erda in Das Rheingold. In concert, she appeared twice during the season at Carnegie Hall, with the American Symphony Orchestra as Gaea in Strauss' Daphne, and with Oberlin College as the mezzo soloist for Dett’s The Ordering of Moses. She also sang her first performance of Handel's Messiah with the Indianapolis Symphony.​

During the 2021-2022 season, Ms. Miller performed with The Metropolitan Opera as Big Stone in Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice, and the Detroit Opera (formerly Michigan Opera Theater) as Ella in a new production of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, a role she also performed and recorded with Boston Modern Opera Project (2023 Grammy Award nominee for Best Opera Recording.) She also joined the San Diego and North Carolina symphonies for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and appeared in recital with New World Symphony. Ms. Miller’s 2020-21 season saw performances at The Atlanta Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin, and in 2021 she curated a recital titled What the Heart Desires with tenor Nicholas Phan for the Merola Festival. 

In previous seasons at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Ms. Miller sang Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet before returning to Lyric Opera Chicago in her signature role of Erda in Siegfried. She gave further performances of Erda in Das Rheingold at Teatro Real, Madrid before returning to The Metropolitan Opera to sing the First Norn in Götterdämmerung, and to the Boston Symphony where she sang Schwertleite in Die Walküre at Tanglewood. In the U.K. she sang First Norn at the Edinburgh International Festival with Sir Andrew Davis, and at Brighton Festival, Tippett’s A Child of our Time with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

Ms. Miller’s role highlights at Deutsche Oper Berlin include the Handmaiden in Aribert Reimann’s L’Invisible, Fenena in Nabucco, and Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro, as well as appearing in revival performances of some of the roles that have brought her the admiration of Berlin audiences such as Marthe Schwertlein in Faust. Other recent highlights include Erda and First Norn at San Francisco Opera and performances at Semperoper Dresden as Erda under the baton of Christian Thielemann. Guest appearances elsewhere included the role of Amando in Ligeti’s Le Grand Macabre under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle with both the London Symphony Orchestra and the Berlin Philharmonic, as well as Verdi’s Requiem at Staatsoper Hannover.

In addition to performing, Ms. Miller has conducted master classes at St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Florida, outreach classes in New York City, written for online publications including Interview En L’air, and has taught private lessons.

Limmie Pulliam, tenor

Rising dramatic tenor Limmie Pulliam has thrilled audiences with his captivating stage presence and his “stentorian, yet beautiful,” sound.​

On December 17, 2022, Mr. Pulliam made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Radamès in Aida, which also served as his role debut. He later performs Radamès with Tulsa Opera for its 75th Anniversary Gala concert. Elsewhere during the season, he returns to The Cleveland Orchestra for his first performances as Dick Johnson in Puccini's La fanciulla del West, conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, and also debuts the role of the Prince in Rusalka with Portland Opera. In concert, he debuts with the San Diego Symphony singing Verdi’s Requiem, and makes his Carnegie Hall debut performing The Ordering of Moses in collaboration with Oberlin Conservatory, his alma mater. He also joins pianist Mark Markham for operatic greatest hits concerts and spiritual recitals with the Lincoln and Delta symphonies.​

Mr. Pulliam’s 2021-22 season included his company and role debut with Los Angeles Opera as Manrico in Il Trovatore. He additionally made two significant orchestra debuts, singing the title role in Otello with The Cleveland Orchestra and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézét-Seguin. He joined Vashon Opera as Turridu in Cavalleria Rusticana, and Otello with Livermore Valley Opera, and appeared in concert with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City for a night of opera’s greatest hits, and the Memphis Symphony for their rescheduled Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. During the summer, he joined Madison Opera for their widely popular Opera in the Park concert, and the Bard Music Festival as Albert in Rachmaninoff’s rarely-performed The Miserly Knight, led by Leon Botstein.​

In the 2020-21 COVID-affected season, Mr. Pulliam’s original engagements included his role debut as Florestan in Fidelio with the South Dakota Symphony (cancelled), and a return to the Memphis Symphony as the tenor soloist for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (cancelled). During the shortened 2019-20 season, he appeared with the Springfield Regional Opera for their 40^th Anniversary Gala (performed), and made his debut with the Memphis Symphony (performed) for a gala concert. Additionally, he was slated to debut the role of Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana with Vashon Opera (cancelled), as well as join the Newport Music Festival during the summer for a concert of Verdi selections (cancelled).​

Mr. Pulliam’s other notable operatic engagements include Otello for Maryland Opera’s Verdi in the Valley Gala, Springfield Regional Opera, Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice, covering the title role for Canadian Opera Company, and Canio in I Pagliacci with Vashon Opera.​

An in-demand concert artist, Mr. Pulliam has performed Verdi’s Requiem with the Springfield Symphony and the Lancaster Symphony. He also made a much-anticipated return appearance with Vashon Opera, where he was featured in a sold-out Limmie Pulliam & Friends concert. He has also joined The National Opera Association’s 2016 convention to honor of their Lifetime Achievement Award recipient George Shirley, and appeared with The Concord Chorale as tenor soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and the tenor soloist in Stainer’s Resurrection with New Covenant United Methodist Church. Mr. Pulliam has been featured in numerous appearances with the internationally renowned chorale Gloriae Dei Cantores, as tenor soloist (Ahab/Obadiah) in Mendelssohn’s Elijah as well as in concerts featuring Intimations of Immortality and For St. Cecelia by Gerald Finzi. He appeared as the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Forum Sinfonia Orchestra of Finland and soloist in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with the San Angelo Symphony.  Mr. Pulliam was also a featured soloist on The American Spiritual Ensemble’s 2013 Winter Tour.​

A Missouri native, Mr. Pulliam trained with the late renowned pedagogue Richard Miller. He is also a former participant in the young artist programs of Cleveland Opera, Opera Delaware and Opera Memphis. He was the 2012 Artist Division Winner of the National Opera Association's Vocal Competition and, in 2013, was a winner in the Third Annual Concorso Internazionale di Canto della Fondazione Marcello Giordano in Catania, Sicily.

Musa Ngqungwana, bass-baritone

The “powerful bass-baritone” (The Wall Street Journal) Musa Ngqungwana​, a native of Port Elizabeth, South Africa,​ has been praised by The New York Times for his “rich, glowing voice and elegant legato,” while the The Arts Desk describes him as having “striking stage presence and a dignity that never falters.”

In the 2022-23 season, Mr. Ngqungwana​ made his house debut with the Royal Danish Opera, returning to the role of Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida, which he last sang at his house debut with English National Opera at the London Coliseum in 2017. Additional appearances include singing Dr. Bartolo in The Barber of Seville at Austin Opera and Count Capulet in Roméo et Juliette at the Florentine Opera, plus a return engagement with On Site Opera for their production of Amahl and the Night Visitors.

Possessing a voice hailed as “gorgeously resonant” by Limelight Magazine, Mr. Ngqungwana​’s recent highlights include singing Vodnik in Rusalka at Garsington Opera and Edinburgh International Festival, Lord Krishna in Satyagraha at English National Opera, Intolleranza 1960 at Salzburg Festival, Fidelio at the Austin and North Carolina operas, Sanctuary Road at North Carolina Opera, Dulcamara in The Elixir of Love at Palm Beach Opera and I Puritani at Washington Concert Opera.

A versatile performer, Mr. Ngqungwana​ has been recognized for his talent in both dramatic and lighter roles, his portrayals described as being “played with anguished magnificence” (The Guardian) as well as “brilliantly comedic” (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). He has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of the title role in Porgy and Bess, appearing at the Glimmerglass Festival; the Washington National, Atlanta, Grange Park and Malmö operas, Lithuanian State Symphony, as well as Frankfurt Radio Symphony. He has sung the role of Queequeg in Moby Dick at the Los Angeles, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Utah operas; as well as Zuniga in Carmen at the Philadelphia, Norwegian National and Palm Beach operas. Additional productions include turns as Angelotti in Tosca at ​Canadian Opera Company, Gottardo in La g​azza ladra​ at Glimmerglass Festival and at Washington National Opera as Colline in La bohème, where he also sang the role of Stephen Kumalo in Lost in the Stars.

Mr. Ngqungwana​ has been featured in concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra; Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Bernstein’s Songfest for its Opening Night concert; and as Pythéas in Sapho with Washington Concert Opera, Cape Town Philharmonic and U.S. Naval Academy, plus the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa.

In 2014 Mr. Ngqungwana​ was nominated for the Marian Anderson Award at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and was the Grand Finals Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2013.

Mr. Ngqungwana​ graduated with honors in performance (first class) from the University of Cape Town and is a graduate of the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. He is the author of the memoir Odyssey of an African Opera Singer, which was published in South Africa by Penguin Random House.

Master Chorale of South Florida

From Beethoven to Broadway, Bach to Bernstein, the Master Chorale of South Florida performs works by the full range of beloved classical and contemporary composers, along with some lighter fare.

The Master Chorale is a highly select, auditioned ensemble comprised of singers from Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. Originally founded in 2003, the Chorale is thriving under artistic director and conductor Brett Karlin.

The Master Chorale communicates the transformative and unifying power of choral music by performing a rich and varied repertoire. Since its premiere performance of Mozart’s Requiem (in honor of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus), the Master Chorale has delighted South Florida audiences with classical music’s greatest works. These have included Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Brahms’ German Requiem, Verdi’s Requiem, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Bach’s Mass in B minor. In response to audience demand, the Chorale recently added a concert of lighter fare to its yearly concert series, performing such delights as Broadway favorites, movie music and Gilbert & Sullivan.

In addition to its own concert series, the Master Chorale is in high demand for featured guest performances with other musical organizations. Throughout its history, the Chorale has collaborated with The Cleveland Orchestra, New World Symphony, Russian National Orchestra, Andrea Bocelli, Itzhak Perlman, Franz Welser-Möst, Giancarlo Guerrero and James Judd, among many others.

The Master Chorale is an avid proponent of maintaining a strong cultural fabric in South Florida and supports its community by engaging local solo artists, orchestras and other nonprofit organizations.