The influence of women in music will be in the spotlight Friday, February 10 as the Sounds at St. Philip’s concert series presents “She Is… Her Story: A Woman’s Love and Life in Her Own Words.” The concert will be at 12:00 noon at the church, 256 E. Main St. in Brevard.

‘She Is… Her Story” is a recital series curated by soprano Teri Bickham that explores female composers, poets, muses, and famous singers, with a focus on American women composers and how they use text and music to present their own version of Frauen-liebe und Leben (German for “a Woman’s Love and Life”). This story tells of a woman’s own hopes, dreams, love, faith, and partnerships through the many emotions that encompass our lives.

Three women will be part of the St. Philip’s concert: Dr. Bickham, soprano; mezzo-soprano Jennifer Luiken; and composer Elaine Ross, piano. Dr. Ross's new cycle of duets for soprano and mezzo-soprano, The Privilege of Being, debuted in September 2022 and will be part of the February 10 concert. The program also includes the premiere of her new duet to the text of Psalm 139, Lead Me in the Way Everlasting.

Admission to the February 10 concert is free. Donations at the door will benefit the Adele Chappell Choral Scholars Fund at St. Philip’s. Season sponsorship for Sounds at St. Philip’s is generously provided by American IRA, LLC (www.americanira.com).

Download a concert poster here

About the artists

Teri Bickham

Dr. Teri Bickham’s singing career has taken her to Italy, Austria, and prestigious houses in the United States, where she has performed operatic roles. She has performed a diverse repertory of operatic roles that include a specialization in Mozart heroines (Donna Anna, La Contessa, Fiordiligi), Italian opera (Adina, Violetta, Musetta), German operetta (Rosalinde, Hanna Glawari), and contemporary American opera. In addition, she has placed in prestigious competitions including The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Palm Beach Opera, Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year, and the Concorso Lirico Internazionale per Cantanti lirici Rosa Ponselle. Dr. Bickham regularly performs with orchestras throughout the country and is an avid recitalist and scholar of female composers, poets, and performers. She earned degrees from the University of Maryland College Park (DMA), the University of Houston (MM), and Towson University (BM). Dr. Bickham’s debut album was released by Albany Records in 2021 and she is an Assistant Professor of Voice at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Her performance experience has culminated in her passion for training young professionals and her students have been recognized for their polished performances and exemplary teaching.

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Jennifer Luiken

With a voice described as “voluptuous” and “beautifully clean and radiant,” mezzo-soprano Jennifer Luiken transitions easily between many genres and styles. She has performed throughout the United States, and internationally in England, Scotland, Germany, Bulgaria, Austria, Catalunya Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. She has made multiple appearances with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and other regional orchestras and has performed numerous times at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. Known also for her convincing acting skills in both comedic and dramatic roles, Miss Luiken’s operatic credits include the Old Lady in Candide, Madame Flora in The Medium, Katisha in Mikado, the title role in The Rape of Lucretia, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Principessa in Suor Angelica, Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Maddalena in Rigoletto, the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas, and Third Lady in The Magic Flute. She has been a state winner and regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera auditions and second runner-up in the Mid-Atlantic region of NATSAA. A native of Iowa, she is a Professor of Music at the Horton School of Music at Charleston Southern University where she teaches studio voice and other vocal performance-related classes and is director of Lyric Theatre.

Dr. Elaine M. Ross

Dr. Ross is the President and CEO of The Southern Atlantic Conservatory of Music, a newly founded higher education institution intending to launch its inaugural curriculum in the Fall of 2026. She also currently serves on the faculty of Charleston Southern University and a freelance artist throughout the greater Charleston area. Dr. Ross recently served on the music theory faculty as head of aural skills and instructor of music theory at Morgan State University. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Ross was on the theory faculty at Towson University and Ohio University, served as the chair of music theory at the Colburn Conservatory in Los Angeles, CA, and as the coordinator of music theory/composition at Central Washington University. Dr. Ross is a recording artist for the Albany label and is an extremely active and sought-after collaborative pianist. She has performed with such artists as Toby Oft, principal trombone of the Boston Symphony, Harry Watters, premiere jazz trombonist of the army blues(ret.), world renowned clarinetist Fred Ormand, and internationally acclaimed hornist Frank Lloyd, to name a few. Dr. Ross’ research interests include both the creative aspect of composition and theory pedagogy, including instructional approaches, the comparison of teaching results for perfect/absolute pitch vs. non-perfect pitch musicians, and the compilation of several pedagogical workbooks. Dr. Ross is published by Southern Music Company, Sisra Press, and Triplo Press and has had performances throughout the United States and in France, Germany, Israel, and has numerous upcoming performances throughout the world. A complete catalogue of works, recordings and sample scores can be found at www.elainemross.com.