Bass-Baritone Bass-Baritone Andrew Adelsberger, is a Frederick native and delighted to be back at the historic Weinberg Center! This is Andrew’s third appearance as bass soloist for the Messiah Singalong with the Frederick Children’s Chorus, though his first in several years. Recently Andrew performed the role of Herod in a world premier staging of Alessandro Stradella’s St. John the Baptist with the InSeries in Washington, DC. Other roles include Sparafucile in Rigoletto and Ensemble/Bass2 in The Promised End, The InSeries; Dr. Grevil, La Traviata and Dr. Bartolo, Le nozze di Figaro, Annapolis Opera; Death, The Emperor of Atlantis, The InSeries; Dulcamara, L’elisir d’Amore, Permian Basin Opera\Hubbard Hall Opera Theater; Dr. Bartolo, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Opera Ft Collins/Ashlawn Opera/HHOT/Maryland Opera Studio; Don Magnifico, La Cenerentola, Opera Ft Collins, Bel Cantanti Opera; Major General Stanley, The Pirates of Penzance, Young Victorian Theater; Benoit/Alcindoro, La Bohème, Annapolis Opera; Sacristan, Tosca, Annapolis Opera; Gianni Schicchi, Gianni Schicchi, Hubbard Hall Opera Theater; Charles Guiteau in Assassins, Next Stop Theater. Concert credits include the bass solos in Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem, Raphael/Adam in Haydn’s The Creation, and recently as the bass solo in Beethoven’s Mass in C with the City Choir of Washington which performed in Washington, DC as well as the Sala São Paulo in São Paulo, Brazil.
Andrew Adelsberger
Annual Messiah Soloists
Can we get some verbiage here just talking about soloists in general for this event?
Vocalist Chelsey Crowder-Hahn is a Frederick native and passionate vocalist dedicated to sharing the joy of music with her community. She holds a degree in Vocal Performance from Liberty University, where she honed her craft through classical training and numerous stage performances. An alumna of the Frederick Children’s Chorus, Chelsey is honored to now serve as the Little Music Makers Coordinator for the organization, nurturing a love of singing in the next generation of young musicians. She is also the music director for South End Baptist Church in Frederick MD. Chelsey has performed in multiple operas, including Suor Angelica by Puccini, where she portrayed Sister Genovieffa. Her experience spans a range of classical and choral repertoire, and she continues to be an active performer in the Frederick area. One of her favorite musical traditions is singing Handel’s Messiah every Christmas—a piece that holds a special place in her heart and reflects her enduring love for sacred music.
Chelsey Crowder-Hahn
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Natalia St Jean
Soprano Soprano Natalia St Jean (Frederick Children’s Chorus, ’09) is thrilled to return to the Weinberg stage to celebrate the Frederick Children’s Chorus and 30 years of her favorite holiday tradition! Natalia found her niche with the chorus in sixth grade and later served as a musicianship teacher and assistant conductor from 2013-2017. While teaching with the chorus, she also taught music full-time at Whittier Elementary. These days, she hails from Boston, where she works full-time on the External Affairs team at Boston Lyric Opera and remains active as a performer. Upcoming projects include a self-produced recital entitled “One Season Only (And It’s Done)” in collaboration with pianist James Myers. Most recently, Natalia appeared as Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto with Boston Summer Opera. Past engagements include performances with Opera NUOVA, the Victorian Lyric Opera Company, Boston Conservatory Opera, and the Little Patuxent Opera Institute. She is also an alumna of OperaWorks. Natalia unites her passions for music, languages, and accessibility by designing and operating supertitles for live and virtual productions. Her eight years of experience have included projects for Boston Lyric Opera, the Handel and Haydn Society, Odyssey Opera, Ma-Yi Theater Company, the Regent Theatre, and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She was a member of the voice faculty at New School of Music from 2020-2024, also serving as the school’s Interim Executive Director in July 2023. Natalia holds an M.M. in Vocal Pedagogy from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and studies voice with Kathryn Wright. Natalia is delighted to share in this evening’s celebration – not only of the season, but also of a true Frederick treasure: the chorus that has helped countless children find their voice, confidence, direction, and a family that just keeps growing.
Spencer Simpson
Tenor Spencer Simpson, tenor, is originally from Frederick, Maryland, and spent ten formative years singing in the Frederick Children’s Chorus, from third grade through high school. He continued his musical education at the University of Delaware School of Music, earning a Bachelor of Music in Applied Music – Voice, studying with Blake Smith. Spencer went on to earn a Master’s Degree and a Graduate Artist Certificate in Voice Performance at the University of North Texas College of Music, studying with Molly Fillmore and Mark Tempesta. Spencer’s performance career has encompassed a wide range of genres and styles, including opera, art song, choral music, early music, oratorio, and concert repertoire. His work has taken him to England, Scotland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, and France. Most recently, he appeared as the tenor soloist in the UNT Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Honegger’s King David and performed the role of Ferrando in UNT Opera’s production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte. He has sung with ensembles such as Verdigris Ensemble and Orpheus Chamber Singers, and has taught private voice lessons for three years. Today, while maintaining an active performance career, Spencer serves as the Music Admissions Administrator in the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Spencer is fortunate to have had many incredible mentors throughout his life, but he owes a great deal of his success to his time in the Frederick Children’s Chorus. The “Holy Trinity” that is Judy DuBose, Lee DuBose Fuhr, and Ann DuBose, shaped him into not only the musician but also the person he is today. Through their guidance, he not only learned to sing and read music, but also learned patience, empathy, understanding, collaboration, and, above all, that early is on-time, and on-time is late. These remarkable women embodied the spark that ignited Spencer’s lifelong passion for music and created a community where children felt safe to grow, be themselves, learn from mistakes, celebrate joy, and find comfort in times of sadness. Performing tonight as the tenor soloist fulfills a dream Spencer developed thirteen years ago when his voice had (finally) changed and he got to join the Chamber Singers in his very first FCC Messiah. He thanks his parents and grandparents for their steadfast support—especially his grandmother, Nyna, who made every Tuesday night rehearsal special with dinner and a DuBose-Approved Arrival Time™—his brothers, who tolerated his constant singing around the house, and his family, friends, and mentors who have guided him along the way.
Katey Hallock
TBD Katey Hallock holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in Education from Bridgewater College. Originally from Frederick, Maryland, she spent nine years with Frederick Children's Chorus and is honored to be back as a soloist for the 30th Annual Messiah Sing-Along. Now based in Waynesboro, Virginia, Katey teaches middle school choir, guitar, and musical theatre in Augusta County. She is also active with the Wayne Theatre and their education department, Studio Wayne, where she has music directed Main Stage, Junior, and Kids Productions, serves as the music director for the Studio Wayne Junior Theatre Festival Competition Team, teaches classes and performs. Favorite credits include: The Spongebob Musical (Music Director), Alice by Heart (Music Director), Newsies (Katherine Plumber - Shenanarts), Disney’s The Little Mermaid (Ariel), Murder on the Orient Express (Mary Debenham), and White Christmas (Judy Haynes).