The Spring Valley Concert Band is fortunate to be able to share our stage with the following gifted performers.

Tenor, Oscar Menoyo, has had the privilege of performing professionally with many prestigious artistic organizations, including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Florentine Opera, Chamber Opera, Elgin Opera, Verismo Opera, Festival Chorus, Grant Park Symphony Chorus, Elgin Choral Union, Downers Grove Choral Society, Spring Valley Concert Band, Schaumburg Youth Symphony, and The Southwest Symphony. His numerous operatic appearances span a great variety of composers and styles. With the Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, he has performed  Spoletta in Tosca, The First Prisoner in Fidelio, The Messenger in Aida, and The Nazarene in Salome. In 2006, he portrayed Alfredo in Elgin Opera's production of La Traviata. In 2007, he appeared as The Black Robed Priest in a new work, Hiawatha, by the Elgin Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director, Robert Hanson. Since 2007, Chamber Opera of Chicago engagements have included tributes to Spanish Music entitled Te Amo, a tribute to the works of Menotti, and Bizet’s Carmen covering the role of Don Jose.

Mr. Menoyo has also appeared in several productions with the Lyric Opera of Chicago Chorus under the direction of Maestro Donald Palumbo. Since 2002, engagements have included The Flying Dutchman, Parsifal, Faust, Aida, Turandot, and Götterdämmerung. Since 2007, he has performed and has future engagements with his newly formed ensemble, “The Tenors 3,” rendering opera, operetta, ethnic, holiday, and patriotic repertoire in various culture centers and festivals throughout the Midwest.

In the past few months, Mr. Menoyo has bowed as the insatiable romantic tenor, Alfred, in Die Fledermaus with Verismo Opera in Manhattan, the tenor soloist in Mendelson’s Elijah conducted by legendary Metroplitan Opera star, Sherrill Milnes, and a featured soloist in “The World’s Best Loved Opera Choruses” concert presented by the combined forces of the Elgin Choral Union and Elgin Symphony Orchestra.

Solange Sior (soprano) a former winner of the Canadian Music Competition and winner of the National Bel Canto Competition, as well as finalist of The Metropolitan Opera National Council, this French Canadian artist has been making her home in Chicago for several years.  She received her American Citizenship in 2001.

A graduate with Bachelor and Masters degrees in Vocal Performance from the University of Montreal and a former apprentice with Lyric Opera Center for American Artists (Chicago) some of the companies that she has performed with in the past include Lyric Opera of Chicago, Florentine Opera Company, Light Opera Works, Lincoln Opera, Chamber Opera Chicago, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Chicago Symphony, La Bergerie Theatre, Opera Viva, New Music Chicago, and CBC Radio Canada.

At the prestigious Shaker Mountain Music Festival she performed 3 years in a row and sang the lead roles of Marguerite (highly acclaimed!), Suor Angelica, and Manon. She has also performed the roles of Violetta, Mimi, Musetta, Pamina, and Fiordiligi.

Solange recently performed the lead role of  Madama Butterfly with Elgin OPERA.

Linda Collins-Hart (soprano) singing since childhood, a natural voice that has taken her everywhere from Comiskey Park and Wrigley Field to sing the national anthem, to Morraine Valley Community College, in Palos Hills, IL, to sing the alto solo in a performance of Handel’s Messiah. 

Performing all over Chicago and the suburbs, she made her living for years in nightclubs.  Popular music and show tunes a specialty, this type of music is still a favorite for Linda.  As a composer, her focus in on Contemporary Christian music, and she is currently producing a CD in this genre.  In addition to being a member of numerous high school, college, and church choirs, many of her recent years have been spent singing with the choir of St. Hubert Church, in Hoffman Estates, where she was a cantor for 13 years.

Now that her 6 children are grown, she has gone back to school to complete her bachelor degrees in Broadcasting and Music.  As a volunteer, She regularly performs at the Friendship Village in Schaumburg, IL, and at countless community events.  Linda is also a commercial voiceover artist.

Karen McBride (soprano) has been performing as a professional singer in the Chicago area for over 20 years.

Karen began her professional career in her teen years as a soloist for weddings and still enjoys sharing the gift of music with local brides and grooms on their special day.  She serves as a professional cantor and choir member at St. Anne's church in Barrington, IL, providing music for weddings, funerals and many other religious services. Her knowledge and love of liturgical music have led to opportunities to sing with the leading composers in this field, in concert, in worship, and in the recording studio. Karen also performs with two event bands,  Touch and Synod, and just for fun with an informal pop group known as The Cukes!

By day, she works for the Harper College library in Palatine, and is currently earning her Masters' Degree in Library and Information Science.

Karen has been performing with the SVCB since Spring 2003. She is delighted to be considered a "regular" with the band and thanks John Snow, Joan Kleppe, Oscar Menoyo and all the band members for their kindness, friendship and support.  Please visit Karen's Yahoo site for updates: http://360.yahoo.com/shantooztoo