Season Schedule

About the Featured Artists

In his sixth decade on the podium, Nicholas McGegan is one of the world’s most trusted interpreters of Baroque and Classical music — an artist whose gift is making history feel vibrantly present. Hailed as “one of the finest baroque conductors of his generation” (The Independent), he is prized as much for the wit, warmth, and insight he brings to the podium as for the scholarship beneath it. His approach — intelligent, joyful, and never dogmatic — has made him a pioneer in carrying historically informed performance beyond the world of period ensembles to leading symphony orchestras, among them the New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong Philharmonics, the Chicago and Philadelphia orchestras, and Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw. Following a 34-year tenure as Music Director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale, he now holds the title of Music Director Emeritus and serves as Principal Guest Conductor of Hungary’s Capella Savaria.

McGegan’s 2026–27 season carries his artistry across Europe and North America and from the opera house to the symphony hall. Highlights include Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato with the Warsaw Philharmonic, Handel’s Messiah on period instruments at Trinity Church Wall Street, Haydn’s Orlando Paladino with the Curtis Opera Theatre, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with pianist Steven Osborne at the Oregon Symphony, and Bach with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall.

His discography spans more than 100 releases across five decades, including over 50 Handel albums — two honored with the Gramophone Award — and two GRAMMY nominations with Philharmonia Baroque. With Cantata Collective, he leads a multi-year Bach initiative for AVIE Records whose acclaimed St. Matthew Passion was released in 2026. A devoted mentor, McGegan coaches young musicians at Yale, Juilliard, Harvard, the Colburn School, and the Music Academy of the West.

English-born and educated at Cambridge and Oxford, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) “for services to music overseas.” For more information, visit nicholasmcgegan.com.

Yulia Van Doren has thoughtfully cultivated a distinguished career as one of the foremost concert singers of her generation, appearing as a guest artist with the majority of North America’s leading orchestras and festivals, and on two Grammy-nominated recordings with the Boston Early Music Festival.

She has also sung leading roles across a diverse range of operatic repertoire, including the world premiere of Shostakovich’s Orango with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, directed by Peter Sellars and released on Deutsche Grammophon; the modern revival of Monsigny’s Le roi et le fermier at Opera de Versailles, the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center; Alessandro Scarlatti’s rarely-performed Tigrane at Opera de Nice; Monteverdi excerpts in Venice with Sir John Eliot Gardiner; Handel’s Acis and Galatea in Macau with Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, and at the Royal Concertgebouw Amsterdam; several world premieres at Carnegie Hall; and nationally-televised performances at the Cartagena International Music Festival with soprano Dawn Upshaw, a cherished career mentor.

Ms. Van Doren’s graduate studies were generously supported by a PD Soros Fellowship, postgraduate study in Paris by a Beebe Fellowship, and she is an Astral Artist laureate. Beyond the concert stage, she is the founder of an innovative holistic wellness brand and the author of four award-winning international bestsellers, with over a quarter-million copies sold in eight translations. This year, she is based in Ireland for advanced postgraduate study in Ritual Chant and Song at the University of Limerick, developing a new project at the intersection of music, ritual, and holistic healing.

Mezzo-soprano Abigail Nims is regarded as a musician of integrity and versatility for her performances of repertoire spanning from Monteverdi, Bach, and Mozart to Crumb, Ligeti and premieres of contemporary works. Particularly praised for her expressive interpretations and tonal beauty in the concert repertoire, her career as a soloist has highlights of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse, and Crumb’s Night of the Four Moons with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Top highlights of Nims’ performances as an opera singer include Veruca Salt in Peter Ash’s The Golden Ticket at the Wexford Opera Festival and Atlanta Opera, Melanto in Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria with Boston Baroque, and Lazuli in L’Étoile with New York City Opera.

She has received awards from the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition, Santa Fe Opera, the Carmel Bach Festival, the American Bach Society/Bach Choir of Bethlehem Competition, and Yale School of Music.

Praised for his “impressive clarity and color” (The New York Times) and described as a “superb vocal soloist” (The Washington Post), tenor Steven Soph performs as a soloist with major orchestras and ensembles across the United States.

He has appeared as soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Cleveland Orchestra and Handel’s Messiah with the Seattle Symphony, and with organizations including Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, the Handel + Haydn Society, American Classical Orchestra, and Apollo’s Fire. His repertoire spans the Baroque and Classical canon alongside contemporary works.

A frequent interpreter of Bach’s vocal works, he has developed particular distinction as an Evangelist in the Passions, a role he has made a “national specialty” (The Dallas Morning News). Critics have praised his ability to “expertly inhabit” the role (Chicago Classical Review), noting his precise diction and dramatic sensitivity.

His performances include Stravinsky’s Threni with the Cleveland Orchestra under Franz Welser-Möst, as well as projects with the New World Symphony, Roomful of Teeth, and Yale Choral Artists in collaboration with Yale Philharmonia. His discography includes GRAMMY® Award–winning and nominated recordings with True Concord Voices and Orchestra and Conspirare, and a Latin GRAMMY® Award–winning album with the Mexican rock band Maná. He recently recorded the role of Job in Judith Weir’s In the Land of Uz with Yale’s Schola Cantorum under David Hill; the composer described him as a “fine successor” to Mark Padmore and Adrian Thompson, and Gramophone praised his portrayal as “very moving.”

In the 2026–2027 season, he returns as Evangelist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with True Concord Voices and Orchestra and sings Handel’s Messiah with American Bach Soloists in San Francisco and Mozart’s Mass in C minor with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus, Ohio.
He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and the Kennedy Center, and holds degrees from the University of North Texas and the Yale School of Music.

Kevin Deas has gained international renown as one of America’s leading bass-baritones. He is perhaps most acclaimed for his signature portrayal of the title role in Porgy and Bess, having performed it with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, as well as the most illustrious orchestras on the North American continent, and at the Ravinia, Vail and Saratoga festivals.

Kevin Deas’ 2025-2026 season includes performances of Handel’s Messiah with the New York Philharmonic, National Cathedral and Seattle Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem with Apollo’s Fire, Haydn’s The Creation with Missoula Symphony, Bach’s Mass in B Minor with the Portland Symphony in Maine, and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Music Worcester. Other notable performances include an appearance as Dick Halloran in Paul Moravec’s critically acclaimed opera The Shining with Nashville Opera.

Recent performances include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Oregon Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Portland Symphony in Maine and Vista Philharmonic, and Handel’s Messiah with the National Cathedral, and New Jersey Symphony. Other notable performances in the season include Mark Adamo’s Lysistrata with Odyssey Opera, Mozart’s Requiem with Orchestra Iowa, and Walton Belshazzar’s Feast with Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. Other recent highlights include performances with the New York Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Boston Baroque, Pacific Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Des Moines Symphony, Mobile Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony and Long Beach Symphony.

A proponent of contemporary music, Kevin Deas has performed Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors at Italy’s Spoleto Festival, Derek Bermel’s The Good Life with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Hannibal Lokumbe’s Dear Mrs. Parks with the Detroit Symphony. He also enjoyed a twenty-year collaboration with the late jazz legend Dave Brubeck.

Kevin Deas has recorded Wagner’s Die Meistersinger (Decca/London) with the Chicago Symphony under Sir Georg Solti and Varèse’s Ecuatorial with the ASKO Ensemble under Riccardo Chailly. Other releases include Bach’s Mass in B Minor and Handel’s Acis and Galatea (Vox Classics); Dave Brubeck’s To Hope! with the Cathedral Choral Society (Telarc); Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with the Virginia Symphony and Boston Baroque (Linn Records); and Dvorák in America (Naxos).

Columbus Choral Artists brings together established professional choral artists from throughout the region with exceptional young singers from Capital University’s nationally recognized Chapel Choir. Several of CCA’s professional singers are themselves graduates of Capital’s choral program, creating a unique continuum of artistry, mentorship, and musical tradition.

Established in 2025, with their inaugural performance of Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra, CCA is built on the belief that bringing emerging and established artists together elevates the musical experience for everyone. University music majors and professional singers perform side by side, challenging, inspiring, and learning from one another in a shared commitment to choral artistry.

For this special collaboration with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, CCA draws on the rich choral tradition of Capital University’s Chapel Choir, established in 1929 and recognized nationally and internationally for its expressive sound and commitment to storytelling through song.

Lynda R. Hasseler, D.M.A., became director of the Capital University Chapel Choir in 1990, making history as the first woman to lead a Lutheran collegiate choral program. After 35 years at Capital University, she recently retired as Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities but continues her work in the choral arts, serving as a guest conductor, choral clinician and as Founding Artistic Director of Columbus Choral Artists. Over the course of her career, Dr. Hasseler has performed regionally, nationally, and internationally with singers of all ages, premiered works by prominent composers, and conducted on renowned stages, including Carnegie Hall. For this performance of Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, she serves as preparation conductor for the choir.

This performance marks the fifth performance of the Columbus Choral Artists. Their recent work together has included Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in 2025; the 2025 premiere of Jake Runestad’s Vincent’s Sky; a February 2026 performance with Andrea Bocelli; and an April 2026 concert featuring Sacred Place by Alex Berko.