Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Basin Choral Workshop director Michelle Mallinger and her singers rehearse for 'Dido and Aeneas,' their debut performance.

Former SHS student forms choral group

By Kristin Kusumoto

Twenty-two-year-old Saratoga resident Michelle Mallinger may be the frontwoman of her own punk band, but her musical expression has a softer side, too.

This summer, Mallinger takes the helm of her newly formed ensemble, Basin Choral Workshop, by directing the group's debut performance of the opera Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell.

For some members of the young cast, this is their first time in an opera. All members are volunteers, and the group is supported by the Silicon Valley Youth Conservatory and the San Jose State University Music Department. Performances are scheduled for July 19 and 26 at SJSU's Concert Hall, which the ensemble uses for its final stages of rehearsal.

Mallinger conducts with poise, saying "Let's try that again" to soloist Virdell Williams midway through the first act during last week's rehearsal. Williams sings his part, violins chime in, and Mallinger's hands gesture quickly. When the chorus sounds clumsy in the second act, Mallinger pauses to say an oath, which they faithfully repeat: "I solemnly swear that I will sing this part at home 10 times, or else Michelle will be mad at me."

Mallinger says she created the Basin Choral Workshop because she wanted to combine high school, college and professional singers for a fun and educational experience. The workshop's flier states, "Our goal is to learn major works and to gain positive performance experience outside of the classroom." Mallinger recruited student volunteers from Saratoga High School--her alma mater--and SJSU, where she earned a bachelor's degree in music with an emphasis on vocal performance.

A former assistant choral director in high school and assistant conductor at SJSU, Mallinger says she enjoys conducting her own choir and string section. "I like interpreting music. I like taking a bunch of notes from a page and shaping them; it's a form for my own expression," she says.

She says she chose to work on an opera because "I like how through music you can communicate a whole story." One reason she chose Dido and Aeneas was because it met casting requirements for the student ensemble.

The production features eight soloists, a 23-member chorus and eight string instruments plus a piano. Based on Greek mythology, it tells the tragic love story of Dido, queen of Carthage, and Aeneas, the warrior who arrived at her empire by shipwreck after the fall of Troy.

Mallinger says she enjoys the social aspect of the group as well. "It gives high school students a chance to work with college students and vice versa. There's more opportunity for college students to exercise leadership skills and perform solos. For high school students, they know what it's like to be a music student at college," she explains.

Saratoga High School senior Kathy Aanenson says she is enthusiastic about the experience. "It's really neat to be with the college students," she adds.

Aanenson, a chorus member, said she likes the gamut of emotion in the opera. "First we say, 'Go get him.' It's great. Other times we're witches trying to cast a spell. In the end we're weeping," she said. Aanenson also expresses admiration for Mallinger.

"She's awesome. She tries different ways to get the music across. You want to try harder because you don't want to let her down."

Tickets are $7 general admission and $5 for students and seniors. For more information, call 741-5433.

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