The Downtown Singers are very pleased to introduce our soloists for our Spring Glory and Light concert on June 7th. Enjoy these bios as an introduction.

Heather Holmquest - Soprano
Joelle Lachance - Mezzo-Soprano
Noah Unser - Tenor

Dr. Heather Holmquest is based in Rochester, NY and is an active soprano soloist in the Western NY region known for her dynamic range and colorful vocal timbre. Primarily a concert artist, her recent solo appearances include Brahms' Requiem with SUNY Geneseo Choirs and Orchestra; Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël and Exsultate, Jubilate with Avanti Music in Buffalo; Poulenc’s Gloria and Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with the Eastman Summer Community Sings; Handel’s Messiah and Michael Haydn’s Requiem with First Presbyterian Church in Pittsford; Bach’s St. John Passion and Mass in Bm with Voices; and Vivaldi’s Gloria, Fauré’s Requiem, and Bach’s BWV 140 “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” with Third Presbyterian Church in Rochester.

Joelle Lachance has been heralded as a “thrilling, powerful voice with a melting pianissimo” (Boston Musical Intelligencer),“nuanced combination of pitch control and power” (rochestercitynewspaper.com), and “a hoot!” (thebargainhunter.com), Joelle has performed a variety of roles including Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro (Buffalo Opera Unlimited), Mère Marie in Dialogues des Carmélites (Eastman Opera Theater), der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos (Eastman Opera Theater), Mrs. Nolan in The Medium (Buffalo Opera Unlimited), the Page in Rigoletto (Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra).

Noah Unser is a tenor from Albany, NY and is pursuing his Masters in Opera Performance at Binghamton University. He just recently received his BA in Music Education from SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music where he studied with Lorraine Sullivan and Katie Burnham. During his time in Potsdam Noah performed frequently with the Crane Opera Ensemble. Some highlights include the 2023 opera scenes program singing “Vesti la giubba” from Pagliacci and “O soave fanciulla” from La Boheme, and performing roles such as The Moon/ King of the East in Jonathan Dove’s Enchanted Pig and Courtois in Leoncavallo’s ZaZà. His most recent performances include the Tenor Soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Octavo Singers, the Tenor Soloist in Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast as a guest artist with the Crane School of Music, and Alfred in Binghamton University’s production of Die Fledermaus.