Stephen Pace

Stephen Pace, Solo Baritone, Songs of the Valley

Stephen Pace is a senior in the B.M. Vocal Performance program at Brigham Young University. Recent engagements include his performance with Ballet West earlier in 2009 as the baritone soloist for Poulenc’s Les Biches. Noted operatic roles at BYU include the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, as well as Captain Corcoran in Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S Pinafore. He was a participant at V.O.I.C.Experience in the summer of 2009, directed by Sherrill Milnes and Maria Zouves. He was also the recipient of the Fullerton/Winterton award at BYU’s Young Artist Competition in 2009.  Stephen currently resides with his wife Kristen in Provo, Utah.

Darrell Babridge

Darrell Babidge, Solo Baritone, Songs of the Valley

Darrell Babidge graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music where he was recognized with four awards. He also received his Master’s degree from Brigham Young University and a Professional degree in vocal performance from the Manhattan School of Music.  He has performed with opera companies and orchestras throughout the United States and in Europe. In 2004 he made his Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist in Faure’s Requiem, and returned in April 2005 to sing in Mozart’s Coronation Mass. He has been a soloist with the London Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Hallé and Israeli Chamber Orchestras. Conductors he has worked with include Kent Nagano, Julius Rudell, Ivor Bolton, John Eliot Gardiner, Andrew Davis and James Levine.

Jared Oaks

Jared Oaks, Associate Conductor/Rehearsal Pianist/Music Librarian

Solo Piano, Three Preludes

Jared Oaks, a native of Tacoma, Washington, returns to Ballet West for a second season as Associate Conductor and Rehearsal Pianist. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.M. in piano performance and an M.M. in choral conducting under Ronald Staheli and Rosalind Hall. His piano teachers include Richard Anderson, Duane Hulbert, and Marjorie Skreen-Dickerson. While a student, he sang with the BYU Singers, accompanied the Men’s Chorus, conducted various ensembles including the Scandinavian Choir, and played for several faculty recitals. Jared also conducted in master classes taught by Dan-Olof Stenlund at the College of Music in Malmö, Sweden and Erwin Ortner at the World Choral Symposium in Copenhagen.

-Mark