Eric Alatorre

Bass

ERIC ALATORRE, bass, joined Chanticleer in the last century. Really. Now the provider of much of the Chanticleer lore from former times, he is enjoying sharing the joy of singing with some of his colleagues who are, quite literally, a new generation of singers. He still enjoys being able to perform all over the country and the world, which gives him plenty of time to explore his other passion: food. A part-time hedonist and full-time wine enthusiast, he is always looking for another wonderful dining experience to share with friends and his fellow singers on the road. His other passions include promoting Apple products to others, eating his way around the world, being married to his wonderful wife Dorothee, and enjoying watching his daughter Mia discover the joys of learning English, German and Spanish.

Michael Axtell

Bass

MICHAEL AXTELL, bass-baritone, is proudly singing in his third season with Chanticleer. He is a recent graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton, WI where he received a BM in Vocal Performance and a BA in Theatre. He studied voice under the tutelage of Karen Leigh-Post, whose guidance and support was instrumental in the healthy vocal navigation of the myriad of operas, musicals, and ensembles in which he performed. While in choir under Richard Bjella, he performed as a soloist at regional and national conventions of the American Choral Director’s Association. In 2009, he participated in the AIS Triple Threat Workshop in Germany whose faculty included Janet Tyler and Richard Lissemore among others. Apart from performing, Mr. Axtell’s passions include cooking, eating, mixing drinks, drinking them, and the logical summation: throwing dinner parties. He sends his love and thanks to his family and to Kurt for their belief and encouragement.

Casey Breves

Soprano

CASEY BREVES, soprano, is thrilled to be in his third season with Chanticleer. Originally from New York City, he graduated from Yale University in 2010. At Yale, he was a member of the Schola Cantorum (conducted by Masaaki Suzuki and Simon Carrington), the Duke's Men, and the Centennial class of the Whiffenpoofs. He sang the title role in Monteverdi's Orfeo at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, performed a recital of Mendelssohn Lieder at the Southport Summer Music Festival, and made his New York debut in The Fall of the House of Usher at the NYC Fringe Festival. Favorite opera roles include Lindoro in L'italiana in Algeri, Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore, and Sam Kaplan in Street Scene. He has studied voice with Victoria Clark and Ian Howell.

Michael Bresnahan

Tenor

MICHAEL BRESNAHAN, tenor, is thrilled to be in his first year with Chanticleer. A West Virginia native, he received his B.M. in Vocal Performance at the Chicago College of Performing Arts, where he studied with Mark Crayton and Matthew Chellis and sang several leading roles. He then received a Master’s Degree in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music and worked as a choir teacher at a high school in downtown Chicago. He sang with some of the finest church choirs in Chicago, including the choirs of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church and Fourth Presbyterian Church. His other interests include country two-stepping, random adventures, and delicious food. He sends his love to his amazing friends and family for their support.

Brian Hinman

Tenor

BRIAN HINMAN,tenor, began singing choral music as a young boy in the suburbs of Chicago.  He studied vocal performance at the University of Tennessee, and after leaving school, cultivated comfort on stage by performing in numerous theatrical productions, sang in a gospel choir, dabbled in bluegrass, rock and roll, and a little bit of soul, and had visions of becoming a jazz singer.  Before his journey with Chanticleer, Mr. Hinman studied jazz and acting in New York City where he began to learn what it means to be an artist.  In New York, he sang with an assortment of ensembles, and throughout his varied artistic pursuits, choral music remained a consistent outlet and continued to hold a special place in his heart.  Mr. Hinman is in his seventh season with Chanticleer as both singer and Road Manager.

Ben Jones

Tenor

BEN JONES, tenor, enjoyed a musical upbringing in Peoria,Illinois. Born into a family of string players, he began his training on the cello and the French horn at an early age. While earning a film degree at the University of Illinois, he studied voice, performed in opera productions and directed the acclaimed comedy octet, The Other Guys. His versatile voice can be heard on recordings under the Albany label and on national radio spots for Coors Light. As a soloist, he has shared the stage with Nathan Gunn, Rita Moreno, Helmuth Rilling, Val Diamond and Ian Hobson. In the years before joining Chanticleer, Jones performed regularly in San Francisco as a soloist with the St. Dominic's SolemnMass Choir, as a cast member of Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon and as the conductor of multiple bay area youth ensembles, including the San Jose Youth Symphony. He holds a masters degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied voice with Cesar Ulloa and conducting with Michael Morgan.

Matthew Knickman

Baritone

MATTHEW KNICKMAN, baritone, is proud to be in his second season with Chanticleer. Born in Korea, he started singing as a member of the St. Stephen's Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Westminster Choir College of Rider University with a B.M. and M.M. in Voice Performance and Pedagogy. While at Westminster, he sang with the critically acclaimed Westminster Choir and Westminster Kantorei in multiple performances with the NY Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic & New Jersey Symphony. Prior to joining Chanticleer, he also performed with various organizations such as Les Violons du Roy et La Chapelle de Québec, Early Music New York, Masterwork Chorus, Antioch Chamber Ensemble, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Theatre of Weston and Spoleto Festival U.S.A. He has been a soloist in numerous oratorios and Bach cantatas including the St. John and St. Matthew Passions with early music organizations such as Fuma Sacra, the Philadelphia Bach Festival and Carmel Bach Festival. In 2010, he was a Finalist in the Sixth Biennial Bach Vocal Competition for American Singers. When not singing, Matthew enjoys skydiving, comfort foods and is an exercise and nutritional science enthusiast.

Cortez Mitchell

Alto

CORTEZ MITCHELL, alto, is a native of Detroit, MI. He graduated from Morgan State University with a B.A in music and a B.S in mathematics and holds an M.M in voice from the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music.  As Minnesota Opera's first resident artist countertenor he performed the role of Cherubino in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and covered Nicklausse in Offenbach's Les Contes de Hoffman.  With Urban Opera he performed the role of 1^st Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aneas.He has been featured in solo performances of J.S Bach's Cantata#147 Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben with the Dayton Philharmonic, R. Nathaniels Dett's The Ordering of Moses and Adolphus Hailstork's Done Made My Vow with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Rachmaniov's Vespers in St. Petersburg Russia, and Wynton Marsallis's All Rise with the Lincoln Center Jazz Ensemble. Mr. Mitchell has received awards from the National Opera Association, The Washington International competition and the Houston Grand Opera Elleanor McCollum competition. Mr. Mitchell is in his sixth season with Chanticleer.

Gregory Peebles

Soprano & assistant music director

GREGORY PEEBLES, soprano & assistant music director, is thrilled to be returning for his fifth season with Chanticleer. Originally from Hartselle, Alabama, he first performed for the public as a very young boy with his family singing gospel music. Eventually, he left the revival circuit for The University of Mississippi in Oxford. After graduating cum laude from “Ole Miss”, he found his way to Chicago, where he spent the better part of this century singing with musicians in such prestigious ensembles as Schola Antiqua, an ensemble in residence at the University of Chicago, as well as the choruses of Lyric Opera of Chicago and Chicago Symphony Orchestra. More recently, he completed his graduate degree in Vocal Performance at Chicago College of the Performing Arts, where he studied with Mark Crayton. In addition to his singing he is also a composer whose works have been performed in the USA and Europe. In his spare time, he enjoys poetry and exploring San Francisco, the most recent addition to a list of beautiful cities he can call Home.

Kory Reid

Soprano

KORY REID, soprano, is in his second season with Chanticleer. He studied music education at Pepperdine University and completed a Masters Degree in Choral and Sacred Music from the University of Southern California. Kory is a sought after countertenor soloist who has sung for Los Angeles Zimriyah Chorale, Los Robles Master Chorale, Catgut Trio, USC Chamber Singers, Pepperdine University Concert Choir and Collegium Musicum, and for many diverse choral recitals and church music programs in Southern California. He is a barbershop music enthusiast, was a district finalist in the quartet contest and a past member of the Westminster Chorus, winning the International Barbershop Chorus Contest in 2010. Kory also served as the Music Director for St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in Newbury Park. In his spare time, he enjoys watching movies, tasting new wines, and eating Doritos.

Alan Reinhardt

Alto

ALAN REINHARDT, alto, is pleased to be in his seventh season with Chanticleer. He grew up in Long Island, N.Y. and prior to joining, sang with various ensembles in New York City including The Men and Boys choir at St. Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue, Early Music New York and choral performances with the N.Y. Philharmonic. In 2005, he sang the lead countertenor role in the premiere of the dance/opera A More Perfect Union in the State Theatre in Perm, Russia as part of the Sergei Diaghilev Festival. Alan holds degrees from SUNY Potsdam and the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

Adam Ward

Alto

ADAM WARD, alto, originally from Tecumseh, Oklahoma, began singing as a countertenor in 2004 while studying French horn performance with William Purvis at Yale University. There he was also a founding member of the Yale Schola Cantorum, conducted by Simon Carrington. Adam has since performed as soloist with the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) and was a member of the Choir of St. Mary the Virgin at the famed "Smoky Mary's" in midtown Manhattan. As a horn player, Adam was a member of the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra, winner of the concerto competitions at Yale and Stony Brook, and was a top prize-winner at the Coleman, Fischoff and Yellow Springs national chamber music competitions with the Intrada Winds. He has also played under the batons of many of the world's leading conductors. Adam is also an avid composer and photographer. His music has been heard at music festivals including Banff, Verbier, Altenburg and OK Mozart. Mr. Ward holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music and Yale School of Music with additional study at the Hartt School, Royal College of Music in London and in the D.M.A. program at Stony Brook University.

Jace Wittig

Interim Music Director

JACE WITTIG, Interim Music Director, is pleased to be in his seventh season with Chanticleer. An Indianapolis native, he began his musical training early with the Indianapolis Children's Choir, touring often in North America and Europe. He received his B.M. in Vocal Performance at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, studying voice with Dr. Craig Priebe and piano with Dr. Jim Helton. Before joining Chanticleer, he sang in Indianapolis with Cantabile and also worked as a studio singer at AireBorn Studios. He has worked as an Artist in Residence at the San Francisco School of the Arts, teaching in the classroom and directing small ensembles. His other interests include stumbling through old piano music and cooking for his loved ones. He is glad to have the unending support of his friends and family, and thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Chanticleer.