The Performers

The alumni invited to perform for us are a diverse group including recent graduates and seasoned performers alike. You'll hear music from every genre, performed by men and women who are making their careers as performers.

The performers are listed here alphabetically ...just like in school.

The Brightones

A subset of the almost-60 young men who sang with The Brightones during its 13-year run from 1983 through 1996 will join us for a joyous vocal reunion. They will open and close our show with their a cappella singing and close harmonies.

Daniel Fischer and Drew Tometsko: Vocals and Acoustic Guitar

Daniel (BHS '92) received his undergraduate degrees in Vocal Music Education and Vocal Music performance from Hope College in 1997. He taught music for several years, but then reinvented himself as a freelance photographer. He sings with the Rochester Oratorio Society for the pure joy of it. Drew (BHS '84) makes his living as a business professional, but at night he still indulges his urge to write music and sing. Together, Daniel and Drew will perform two of Drew's orginal songs.

Christina Gill: Mezzo-Soprano

Christina Gill is currently pursuing her master's degree in classical vocal performance at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. She has numerous awards and competitions to her credit, including the 2002 Friends of Eastman Opera competition and Eastman's 2003 Concerto Competition. In March 2003, Christina sang the Carmen arias with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center with conductor Marvin Hamlisch.

Steve Greene and Andrew Hammond: Jazz Guitar and Vocals

Steve (BHS '74) continued his education at Bard College, Berklee College of Music and the Eastman School of Music. He currently teaches jazz guitar at his studio in Rochester. His most recent recording with the Steve Greene Trio, Live in your Living Room, was voted one of the top 5 albums for 2002 by the editors of Acoustic Guitar magazine. Andrew (BHS '73) has toured nationally with John Raitt in Man of La Mancha, with Richard Kiley in South Pacific, and with Bonnie Franklin in Annie Get Your Gun. Together, Steve and Andrew will perform two jazz standards.

Daniel Grodzicki: Flute

Daniel (BHS '99) holds a Bachelor's degree from the Juilliard School. Daniel has given solo recitals in both New York and Rochester and has performed as soloist and chamber musician in Alice Tully Hall, in Lincoln Center, Paul Hall, the Juilliard School, and CAMI hall, in New York. Daniel has also appeared in Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall and New York's Carnegie Hall and under conductors such as Charles Dutoit, Roger Norrington, Gerard Schwartz, Michael Tilson Thomas, James Depriest, and Neemi Jarvi.

Brian Huff: Singer-Songwriter

Brian Huff (BHS '88) has been pursuing his music career since high school. He was part of the Orlando music scene for many years, playing hundreds of solo gigs in local venues, while concentrating on recording two original CDs. Brian moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 2002 and he is now an active singer-songwriter in Music City USA.

Josh Irving: Saxophone

Josh (BHS '95) graduated from Berklee College of Music in May of 1999, earning a Bachelors of Music Performance with academic honors. He moved to New York City in September to start his life as a professional musician. He still lives in New York and performs regularly at several clubs in Greenwich Village. He performs with different groups, but mainly with his own band, The Josh Irving Quintet. Under his leadership, the group plays original compositions by Josh and other members of the group. In his performance for us, Josh will be backed by bassist Dave Arenius, a very accomplished session man in the region, and drummer Billy Freiberg, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music.

Dinah Romig Mellin: Fiddle

Dinah (BHS '73) is a member of The Cape Cod Fiddlers, a 10 piece fiddle band with string bass and guitar accompaniment. She also performs with Calliope, a contradance band that plays Southern and New England dance tunes, the Nauset River String Band (folk, celtic, bluegrass), Whiskey Before Breakfast (bluegrass), and The Heartstone Trio (pop and folk).

Clifton Romig: Bass-Baritone

Cliff has performed with Opera San Jose, Opera Colorado, Berkeley Opera, Fresno Philharmonic, Ventura County Symphony, Mendocino Music Festival, Eugene Symphony, San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, West Bay Opera and the Santa Fe Opera. He has traveled to Germany and Maui with Gordon Getty's Falstaffian opera, Plump Jack and has recently performed with San Francisco's Pocket Opera. He also performs regularly with Savoy Express, a Bay Area Gilbert and Sullivan troupe that has toured extensively throughout the US.

Sky Sands: Our Emcee

Sky Sands (BHS '78) is known in these parts as no average stand-up performer. Mixing magic and fast-paced improvisation he regularly reduces audiences to convulsions. Sky has performed nationwide, headlining comedy clubs across the country. He has been seen on VH-1, Cinemax and the Showtime network. He has toured with top-flight musicians such as Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Rich and Lou Rawls, and performs regularly at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas.

Jami Tyzik: Mezzo-Soprano

Jami (BHS '97) is a 2001 graduate of the Eastman School of Music. She has spent the past two summers singing with the Aspen Opera Theatre under the direction of Ed Berkeley. Jami has sung and studied at the Chautauqua Institute, the Tanglewood Institute and the Salzburg Festival. She has made solo appearances with the Rochester, Buffalo, and Erie Philharmonics, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Rochester Oratorio Society, the Rochester Chamber Orchestra, the Geneseo Symphony, the Eastman Philharmonia, the Roberts Wesleyan Symphony and the Clayton Chamber Orchestra.