DEBRA POULTER (mezzo soprano) is the founder and artistic director of The Phoenix Quartet. She began her musical career as a choral conductor and singer in Los Angeles. She has performed in operas and presented recitals in Los Angeles, New York City, Cincinnati, and at St. Martin in the Fields in London, England and performs regularly with the New York Choral Artists in concerts with the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra. Debra teaches voice privately and at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.
DAVID ROOT (tenor) is an active opera, concert, and recital singer, having performed with opera companies and orchestras across the US, including One World Symphony, Nevada Opera, Bronx Opera Company, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Chautauqua Opera, and the Vertical Player Repertory. His wide repertoire encompasses everything from Bach, Mozart, and Haydn to works of 20th century composers such as Benjamin Britten and Igor Stravinsky. The Cleveland Plain Dealer has called his voice “fresh” and “mellifluous”. He recently made his debut with the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Society playing Colonel Fairfax in TheYeomen of the Guard. David may also be heard as the angel Gabriel in the world premiere recording of Randall Thompson’s The NativityAccording to St. Luke, available from Koch International Classics. For more about David, click here.
DAVID ORCUTT (baritone) has sung with many regional opera companies including Opera Carolina, Pittsburgh, Ft. Worth, Central City, Kentucky, and Santa Fe operas as well as locally with Dicapo Opera, Opera Northeast, Rockland Opera, The Center for Contemporary Opera, and the Liederkrantz Foundation. He has done extensive solo concert work and is a member of the Riverside Church Chancel Choir. David O has performed with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and on tour to Tokyo. A longtime member of La Gran Scena Opera, he created the characters of Dame Ada Lotte Trifle, Jocasta Bundle, Boris Pistoff, and Sherrill Merrill in a variety of roles including Amneris, Ramfis, Alfio, Scarpia, Germont, and Jack Rance.
The Phoenix Quartet
The Phoenix Quartet is dedicated to
...performing music composed or arranged for vocal quartet
...commissioning new music for vocal quartet
...conducting educational outreach.
For repertoire and booking information, please contact Debra Poulter, Artistic Director
Phoenix Quartet
(212) 222-2064 or click here
Vocal music is an especially powerful form of communication that can encourage a better understanding of the struggles and achievements that define people and can develop values that sustain people in life’s experiences. It has a unique power to create community. Throughout its rich cultural history and directly because of its melding of poetry and music, vocal music has had a place in all celebrations of life - to herald new life, mourn the passing of life, mark holidays, and to explore the human condition.
The Phoenix Quartet is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit corporation and donations are tax-deductible as determined by law.
The Phoenix Quartet is proud to be a member of
Chamber Music America
Jennifer Greene (soprano) is an active freelance performer and voice teacher. She was recently featured as Pamina (The Magic Flute) under the baton of George Manahan with New York City Opera Education. Other performances include La Fée (Cendrillon) with NYCO Education, Lucy (The Telephone) with Natchez Opera, Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica) with Chelsea Opera, Adina (L'Elisir d'amore), Gilda (Rigoletto), Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Sister Constance (Dialogues of the Carmelites). Concert performances include Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah, Villa-Lobos’s Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, and Strauss’s Brentano Lieder. She has adapted, directed, and performed in numerous school outreach programs including The Magic Flute, Cinderella, and The Little Prince with New York City Opera Education and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel with Fairy Tale Opera Theater. She has been recorded on the NAXOS American Classics label and is an award winner from the Mario Lanza Foundation. Jennifer holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Mannes College of Music, where she was a scholarship winner and recipient of the Michael Sisca Opera Award. Jennifer has also been recognized by Lifetime Television as a “Champion for Change” for her work on incorporating music into inner-city schools. She currently serves on the Voice Faculty at the United Nations International School, maintains a busy private voice studio, and has served as teaching artist for New York City Opera, The Metropolitan Opera Guild, and Education Through Music, Inc. Her website is here !
RICHARD PEARSON THOMAS (composer, pianist) has had works performed by the Boston Pops, Covent Garden Festival, Houston Grand Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Banff Centre, Skylight Opera Theatre, and Riverside Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. His songs have been sung in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, Joe’s Pub, and before the U.S. Congress. He has concertized with singers worldwide. Richard is currently on faculty at Yale and Teachers College Columbia University. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and the University of Southern CA.
DON NEWCOMB (Phoenix Quartet Logo design) is a playwright, short story writer, graphic artist, costume designer and computer animator who teaches at SVA and FIT in New York City. His plays have been produced off-off-Broadway. His graphics have been published in Proof magazine. His costume work includes shows Off-Broadway and a Helen Hayes nomination in Washington, D.C. He and John Goodwin have had their animations shown at various gay and lesbian film festivals. You can see more of his wonderful at: www.newcombgoodwin.com.
