Fauré’s REQUIEM

Join us on Saturday, May 6 at 5:00pm for a wonderful afternoon of music featuring Fauré’s beautiful Requiem, along with other works by Saint-Saëns, Bainton, and Parry.

Length: Roughly 60 minutes
Location: Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1801 Russell Road, Alexandria, VA 22301
Parking: Free street parking on Russell Road and surrounding streets
Cost: Free
Reception: There will be a light reception following the concert.

About the Artists

Hailed as “a lyric soprano of ravishing quality” by the Boston Globe, Laura Choi Stuart’s solo appearances this season include Elijah with Baltimore Choral Arts, Dona Nobis Pacem with Washington Master Chorale, a debut with Bach Vocal Artists of Orlando, The Enlightenment Festival with Seraphic Fire, and Poulenc Gloria and Mendelssohn Lobgesang with the State College Choral Society as well as a return to Washington National Cathedral for Messiah, Poulenc’s Sept répons des ténèbres and the Monteverdi Vespers.

Recent season highlights include Mozart Requiem and Handel Israel in Egypt and Messiah, also at Washington National Cathedral, Christmas Oratorio with Washington Bach Consort, Brahms Requiem with The Washington Chorus and Fauré Requiem with The Choral Arts Society.

In opera, she has appeared on the mainstage with Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Boston, Annapolis Opera, Lake George Opera, the In Series, and Opera North in roles including Musetta, Adina, Gilda, Pamina, and Frasquita, and in premieres of new American works with Washington National Opera as part of the American Opera Initiative.

Laura was honored for art song performance at both the 2010 and 2012 National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards and as one of the 2009 Art Song Discovery Series winners for the Vocal Arts Society.

Laura is a passionate teacher, and serves as Head of Vocal Studies at Washington National Cathedral. She shares clear (fun) voice education for adult choral singers at TheWeeklyWarmUp.com.

She received her training at The Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers, Opera North, and Berkshire Opera, as well as The New England Conservatory (Presidential Scholar) and Dartmouth College (Summa Cum Laude).

Nate Buttram, baritone

Nate Buttram is originally from Camdenton, MO (Lake of the Ozarks) and now lives in the greater Washington D.C. area with his wife Emily and daughter Ada. Nate completed his Bachelor of Music-Vocal Concentration in 2014 from Truman State University and received a Masters of Music-Vocal Performance and Literature at the University of Illinois in 2017. He is now a member of the United States Navy Band with their premier chorus the Sea Chanters. Nate has performed several operatic roles, the most recent of which include: Sid in Albert Herring by Benjamin Britten, Nerone in L’incornazione di Poppea by Giancarlo Monteverdi, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Benjamin Britten, Claudio in Beatrice et Benedict by Hector Berlioz, and Gregorio in Romeo et Juliet by Gounod. He has had experience as a soloist in L’enfant du Christ by Hector Berlioz, Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, Mozart’s Mass in C minor KV 427, and Bach’s Cantata KV 728. Nate is the primary baritone in the Schola at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria and sings with other choruses in the area as well, including the National Cathedral Choir, Cathedral Choral Society, and Chantry. Nate was a finalist in the Middle Atlantic region for the MET Competition in 2019. He has also been the recipient of many awards including an encouragement award from the Chicago region of the MET Competition in 2016 and multiple awards from the NATS competitions including several 1st place awards in various divisions. Nate was also a National semi-finalist in the NATS competition in 2014.

Madeline Jarzembak is the Principal Harp of the United States Navy Band. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Madeline held the position of Principal Harp with the Santa Cruz Symphony and the Stockton symphony and performed as a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony among others. As a soloist, she performed with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Delaware Symphony, Stockton Symphony, Symphony in C, Orchestra 2001, Philadelphia Classical Symphony and Independence Sinfonia. Madeline won prizes at American Harp Society Competitions both National and Local.

Kerri Elizabeth Robinson is a 16 years old violinist, and has been playing violin from the age of 4. She studied under Ricardo Cyncynates of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) for 3 years, and has been studying with Wanzhen Li of the NSO since 2022. She has been a part of the NSO Youth Fellowship for more than 3 years. She has performed with the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra as 2nd violin, the American Youth Concert Orchestra as concertmaster, AYCO Junior Chamber Ensemble Program as 1st violin, American Youth Symphonic Orchestra as concertmaster, the Iceberg Chamber Music Institute as 2nd violin, Institute Suzuki Montreal Orchestra as first violin. In 2016, at the age of 10 years old, she was the youngest musician accepted into the Karger College Preparatory Program, and was asked to perform a commissioned piece at the Maine College of Art Music festival. Later that year, she became the youngest musician ever accepted into the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra. After moving from Maine to Virginia, she was accepted into the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship. She has performed in Side-by-Sides with both the NSO and the U.S. Army Orchestra. She has performed solo and in ensembles on various stages such as the Appalachian Chamber Music Festival, the Kennedy Center’s “Millennium Stage'', the Dirksen Senate Building, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Rachel M. Schlesinger Hall, The Lyceum, and The Athenaeum in Alexandria. A homeschooled high school student, she intends to attend a music conservatory to study Music Performance and Education, as well as business. She lives in Woodbridge, VA, with her family.

Josef Hageman is part of Immanuel Lutheran School's Upper School faculty, serving as the 8th-grade homeroom teacher as well as the Latin teacher for the 5th–8th grades and History teacher for the 6th–8th grades.

Josef grew up in Montana where he was classically trained in piano and learned how to sing and play various percussion instruments. He attended the University of Notre Dame where he was a part of the university drumline and marching band, performing for football games and private audiences across the country. During that time he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics and Economics and studied abroad in Corinth and Rome. After graduation from college, he joined the faculty of Great Hearts Academies: Anthem Preparatory School in Phoenix, Arizona, where he taught 7th and 10th grade Latin before moving to Alexandria to teach at Immanuel Lutheran School.

In his spare time, Mr. Hageman can be found composing and recording his own music.

Sherry Graveson’s passion for music has existed her entire life. She began her piano studies at age five, organ at age ten, and landed her first organist position in her home church at the age of fourteen. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Organ Performance and Music Education from West Virginia University and then furthered her studies at Peabody Conservatory. She is a Colleague of the American Guild of Organists. Sherry joined Immanuel as interim organist in 2018 and full time in 2021. She has been involved, however, in the music program for Immanuel Lutheran School for many years while her children (Matthew and Timothy) were students at Immanuel. Her youngest, Abigail, is a current student at ILS.

Mrs. Graveson enjoys giving solo recitals, professional accompanying, and teaching. She has performed at National City Christian Church (Music at Midday), Washington Civic Symphony, The Master Chorale of Washington, Levine School of Music, Catholic University, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, M Institute for the Arts as well as numerous military band recitals, and local school systems. Sherry has maintained church organist positions throughout her career. She currently serves as organist, piano and organ teacher at Immanuel Lutheran Church and the associate organist at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria. Previously she was the organist at First Baptist Church of Alexandria for over twenty years.

Stephanie Mekonen, Kantor

Stephanie Mekonen has been praised for her "crystal-clear tone” and "captivating" stage presence. She has performed in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall, The Kennedy Center and The Long Center in Austin, TX. Major concert works include Bach's B-minor mass, Beethoven's Mass in C Major, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, Rutter’s Requiem, Vivaldi's Gloria, Handel's Messiah, Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, and Wilberg's Requiem. Ms. Mekonen has soloed with Washington Master Chorale, Laredo Philharmonic, Austin Symphonic Band, Choral Arts Society of Austin, and Bach Collegium of Ft. Wayne.

Stephanie thoroughly enjoys recital work and has been featured in the Rising Star Concert Series at Grace Cathedral in Topeka, KS with award-winning pianist, Rick Rowley. She has been a finalist in the prestigious Vocal Arts DC Art Song Discovery Competition and a national semi-finalist in the NATS National Student Auditions. Her opera roles include Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni, Kate Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Lauretta in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi.

Ms. Mekonen holds a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. In the DC area, she performs regularly as a professional singer with Washington Master Chorale and Church Circle Singers, serves as Kantor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alexandria, VA, and maintains a private voice studio. She previously served as Cantor at Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda, MD. She resides in Alexandria with her husband Yonas and five beautiful stepchildren.