Jill Morgan Brenner & Christa Durand in Concert: A Night of Soprano Splendor with Collaborative Pianist: Paul Dab

Journey through the rich and dramatic world of opera as Jill and Christa masterfully perform a curated selection of magnificent duets and spellbinding arias. Whether you’re an avid opera aficionado or new to the genre, you’ll find yourself enchanted by these powerhouse performers.

Jill Morgen-Brenner, Dramatic Soprano
Hailed for her “vivid tone and expressive elegance” by the San Francisco Chronicle, soprano Jill Morgan Brenner channels a deep sense of connection to music and poetry, allowing her to communicate with conviction and nuance. Transitioning into the dramatic repertoire, hers is a voice opening into the repertoire of Verdi, Strauss, and Wagner while still maintaining the supple flexibility to perform works by composers such as Mozart and Massenet.
Originally an instrumentalist, Jill’s singing evolved from her extensive background as a violinist and pianist. She is a recipient of the Paul L. & Phyllis Wattis Foundation Scholarship, the Anna Freeland Memorial Prize, and the Vocal Department Award at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music and a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In addition to performing, she also maintains a private studio.
https://www.jillmorganbrenner.com/

Christa Durand, Lyric Soprano
A versatile lyric soprano praised for her clarity and warmth of tone, Christa Durand has performed in hundreds of concerts and shows in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. A native of Santa Rosa, California, Ms. Durand is recognized as a gifted performer who is equally comfortable in a classical recital hall as she is in an intimate cabaret venue.

Ms. Durand was a recipient of the Everett B. Person Scholarship for Vocal Studies at Sonoma State University, where she received her classical training and her Bachelor of Arts in Music. During her studies, Ms. Durand became an avid enthusiast of new works and composers. She works, and has worked with, many composers to help bring their opera, folk, jazz, and new-age visions to life. In January 2019, Ms. Durand and her husband, Evan Bowers, purchased Music to My Ears in Cotati. They hope to continue the almost two decades of tradition as a community and family music center offering private lessons in voice and most instruments, musical and opera productions, acting classes, and musical groups. They endeavor to make it a safe and supportive space for students of all ages and abilities to explore music and theater arts.
https://www.christadurand.com/

Paul Dab, Piano
Paul Dab currently teaches private piano and works in classrooms as a teaching artist with the San Francisco Opera Guild. Co-founded and performs regularly on the Fete Concert Series in venues around the Bay Area. MM (2014) San Francisco Conservatory of Music, principal teacher, Dr. Sharon Mann. BM (2011) Vanderbilt University, principal teacher, Dr. Craig Nies.

At Vanderbilt, Paul was awarded the Gall-Martin Collaborative Arts Scholarship and was part of a trio that won the Tennessee Music Teachers Association chamber music competition. He has studied at conservatories in Vienna, Austria and Glasgow, Scotland and participated in festivals in New York and North Carolina. In addition to private teaching, Paul is passionate about engaging the community in classical music and has worked in educational outreach at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Cypress String Quartet, and the Nashville Symphony.