Twelfth Night

Recipient of the prestigious 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant—the first Baroque artist in the program’s history—and Grand Prize winner of the inaugural Barbash J. S. Bach Competition, violinist Rachell Ellen Wong is a rising star on both the historical performance and modern violin stages. Her growing reputation as one of the top historical performers of her generation has resulted in appearances with renowned early music ensembles such as the The Academy of Ancient Music, Bach Collegium Japan, and Ensemble Jupiter, among others. Equally accomplished on the modern violin, Rachell made her first public appearance at age eleven and has since performed as a soloist all across the globe. In 2020, she made her conducting debut with the Seattle Symphony and has been serving as the concertmaster for the Seattle Baroque Orchestra. She performs on a baroque violin from the school of Joachim Tielke, c. 1700.

Macedonian-American keyboardist and conductor David Belkovski enjoys a vibrant performing career as soloist, director, and continuo player. First prize winner of several international and national competitions including the 2019 Sfzp International Fortepiano Competition, David has performed fortepiano, harpsichord, and modern piano concertos in major American venues including Alice Tully Hall in New York’s Lincoln Center. David is fast building a reputation as a director from the keyboard and currently holding the position of assistant conductor for Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. As a continuo player, he has performed with notable ensembles such as Vox Luminis and for esteemed directors William Christie, Rachel Podger, and Richard Egarr. David is the recipient of the Robert A. and Patricia S. Levinson Award—the first to receive that fellowship in the field of early music.

Jessica Niles, born in the USA, studied at the Juilliard School in New York earning her Pre-College, Bachelors, and Masters degrees. There they were awarded the Juilliard Vocal Arts Honors Recital, the Kovner Fellowship, and multiple awards for outstanding leadership and achievements during their studies. Engagements led them to an international tour of Handel’s Aminta e Fillide with Maestro William Christie and Les Arts Florissants performing in the Queen’s Theatre at the Palace of Versailles, Festival Castell de Peralada, Musée des impressionnismes Giverny, the French Consulate, and Festival Dans les Jardins de William Christie. In the past season, Niles performed Mendelssohn’s Elias with the Bayerische Rundfunk and Almirena/Armida in Handel’s Rinaldo with Maestro Nicholas McGegan at the International Händel Festspiele Göttingen.

Australian mezzo-soprano Xenia Puskarz Thomas is a Kovner Fellow at The Juilliard School and joins the Bayerische Staatsoper Studio later this year. She appeared recently with Opera Queensland and the Festival of Outback Opera 2021 as Cherubino for their new production of The Marriage of Figaro. Recent performances in New York include Ravel’s Shéhérazade, Pierre Vallet’s Liederabend, Bach’s B Minor Mass conducted by Richard Egarr with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, appearances with Juilliard415, and as Aristeo in a new production of Luigi Rossi’s Orfeo. Xenia is an alumna of the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. She is proudly supported by the American Australian Association.