Program Notes
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Soloist Bios
Performer Biographies
Morgan Balfour
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Simon Barrad
The versatility of Grammy-nominated baritone, Simon Barrad, has been heard in genre-bending concerts across the United States and Europe. His talent for unique and innovative programming and arranging – melding new and old, jazz and drama, classical technique and heartfelt folk idioms – has led to recent features at the Metropolitan Opera, Wigmore Hall in London, the Austin Symphony, the Ravinia Festival, Stanford Live, the Marlboro Music Festival, and Cincinnati Opera. The 2015/16 Fulbright scholar to Finland has also headlined several concerts in Europe including performances at Helsinki’s Musiikkitalo, Finland’s National Opera House, and the Berlin Philharmonie. Through his performing and as a former mentor for ArtSmart, which provides free music and singing lessons to teenagers in underserved communities, Simon strives to build a more equitable world of empathy and understanding through music. As a Jewish musician, he served as the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur soloist for over a decade at the historic Plum Street Temple in Cincinnati and is currently the cantorial soloist at Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco. He recently founded the musical group JIVE: Jewish Innovative Voices & Experiences with countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen and pianist Ronny Michael Greenberg.
Rabihah Dunn
American soprano Rabihah Davis Dunn is celebrated for her radiant timbre, expressive depth, and stylistic versatility across opera, oratorio, and contemporary choral repertoire. The 2025–2026 season marks an exciting series of major milestones, including an appearance as soprano soloist with Pacific Symphony in Handel’s Messiah and with Pacific Chorale in Poulenc’s Gloria. The same concert includes the world premiere of Jocelyn Hagen’s What the Soul Already Knows.
Rabihah’s international oratorio engagements include Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Stabat Mater with the London Pro Arte Orchestra as well as Mozart’s Requiem and Credo Mass. Her educational background includes a Master's in Music from the University of Michigan, a Postgraduate Diploma from the Royal Academy of Music, London, England, and a Bachelor's in Music from the University of Southern California.
Jessica House Steward
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Eric Mellum
Tenor Eric Mellum moved to the Bay Area in 2021 after more than 20 seasons with The Minnesota Opera. There he was featured in the world premieres of Silent Night and The Grapes of Wrath, and the North American premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale. Eric has performed several principal roles with The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company and the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra. He has also appeared with Out of the Box Opera, The Minnesota Orchestra, Colorado Opera Festival, and numerous Mill City Summer Opera and Skylark Opera productions.
Mr. Mellum was a winner of the Kenwood Chamber Orchestra Masters Concerto and Aria Competition, and has also appeared as a soloist with Rochester Orchestra, Linden Hills Chamber Orchestra, and Twin Cities Chamber Orchestra.
Locally Mr. Mellum has been featured in productions with Opera San José, Pocket Opera and Lamplighters Music Theatre in San Francisco. Eric has also performed on local musical theatre stages, where his favorite roles include Bruce Bechdel in Fun Home, Father in Ragtime, and Oliver Warbucks in Annie. Eric is a graduate of Colorado College and holds a B.A. in Mathematics, cum laude.
Courtney Miller
A versatile performer known for her “captivating stage presence” and “excellent sense of comic timing,” mezzo-soprano Courtney Miller excels across genres. In the 2025-26 season, she returns to Opera San José, debuts with Livermore Valley Opera as Despina in Così fan tutte, and launches her children' s recital “How’s it bee?” This summer, she sings Ruggiero in Alcina with Festival Opera. In the 2024-25 season, she returned to San Francisco Opera as Warren's Wife in The Handmaid’s Tale, made debuts with Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera as Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, and West Bay Opera as Teresa in La sonnambula, and returned to Pocket Opera as Elmire in Tartuffe after making her debut as Nancy in Albert Herring in 2023. In the Bay Area, she has soloed with the SF Choral Society, UC Berkeley Chamber Chorus, SJSU Symphony Orch & Choirs, and Soli Deo Gloria. Additionally, she has sung roles with Detroit Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Madison Opera, and aboard Azamara Club Cruises.