Praised for her ‘magnificent, expressive soprano sound’ and ‘requisite emotion, physically as well as vocally’ (ShowBizRadio), Keely Bosworth Borland most recently made her Richmond Symphony Orchestra debut as Soprano Soloist in Handel’s Messiah and performed in the Chorus (Edith Cover) in Virginia Opera’s The Pirates of Penzance. In the 2021/2022 season, Ms. Borland performed as Due Donne/Le nozze di Figaro with Virginia Opera and Soprano Soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Central VA Masterworks Chorale.

During the pandemic, Ms. Borland supplemented her time with virtual musicals including Kathy Seldon/Singin’ in the Rain, Fiona MacLaren/Brigadoon, Carrie/Carousel, Anne Egerman/A Little Night Music, and Hodel/Fiddler on the Roof. Career highlights include Fiona MacLaren/Brigadoon (RMT), Gianetta/The Gondoliers (VLOC), Rapunzel/Into the Woods (St. Petersburg Opera), First Lady/The Magic Flute (Fargo-Moorhead Opera), Gretel/Hansel and Gretel (Opera Louisiane) as well as Soprano Soloist in Baltimore Choral Arts Society’s presentation of David Lang’s the little match girl passion, Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with Choralis, and Vivaldi’s Gloria & Handel’s Messiah, with the Westmoreland Choral Society. 

A resident of Richmond, Ms. Borland is an Adjunct Voice Professor at Randolph-Macon College and works in the Film/TV industry, most notable projects include The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Dopesick, White House Plumbers, and Swagger.

Alan Chavez is a Richmond native and has been consistently performing since his debut at VCU in 2011, becoming a familiar face in opera around the Richmond area ever since.

As a baritone Alan has performed many operatic roles from a variety of different time periods, including Slook in Rossini’s La Cambiale di Matrimonio, the title role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, the Conte Almaviva as well as the title role in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, the Pirate King in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, Schaunard In Puccini’s La Boheme, and Morales and Dancaiiro in Bizet’s Carmen.

As a tenor Alan has already secured many performances including performances as Siegmund in Wagner’s Die Walküre, Manrico in Verdi’s Il Trovatore, and Monostatos and the First Armored Man in Mozart’s The Magic Flute.

It is a great honor and privilege for Alan to sing with Grace & Holy Trinity Church, as he spent his childhood in this church and more importantly he gets to continue his familial tradition of offering his musical gifts to this amazing congregation started by his mother, who was a soprano in the choir for many years, and his grandparents who performed here frequently while teaching music at VCU.

Annabella Cox, better known as Bella, is a vocalist and educator based in Richmond, VA. She currently attends VCU where she studies Music Education and participates in the many wonderful opportunities in vocal performance. She is a student of Michelle Harman-Gulick and has been recognized by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), winning first place in both state and regional vocal competitions. Bella discovered her love for music through musical theater productions and can occasionally still be found performing in shows around Richmond or Music Directing local children’s productions. Bella recently made her operatic debut in VCU’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and hopes to soon add more opera to her repertoire. Bella loves singing baroque and romantic works, including those of Handel Bach, Offenbach, and many more. She also enjoys singing contemporary choral works such as Ola Gjeilo’s “Sunrise Mass’ which she performed at the Wintergreen Music Festival this summer.

Bella is also an avid member of the VCU choir community, singing in Choral Arts, Vocal Chamber Ensemble, and Commonwealth Singers, as well as serving on the ACDA Executive Board, including a year as president, throughout her four years. Bella has served as Choir Manager and Section Leader in the previously mentioned ensemble, facilitating rehearsals and logistics on concert days.

Bella is so excited and honored to be singing with the choir at Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. She is so grateful for the welcoming community and beautiful music that she gets to participate in with this wonderful choir.

Acclaimed by Richmond Times Dispatch’s Tony Farrell “… especially baritone Chase Peak … who delivers every line with magnificent dynamics and indulges in terrific, expressive bits of acting business whenever he is onstage” for his role as Kapitan Tiago in COR’s production of Noli Me Tangere in 2016. He was also heralded by M. D. Ridge of WHRO Norfolk as “..robustly extroverted with a big, exuberant voice and confident manner” in the 2014 production of La Bohème, where he was featured in the role of Schaunard with Lyric Opera of Virginia. In 2008, he performed the National Anthem for President Barack Obama. Chase Peak is a graduate of VCU’s Department of Music with a vocal performance degree. Mr. Peak is in high demand for church and cathedral performances. He performed the role of Guglielmo in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte with Virginia Opera’s Young Artist Program. Most recently, Mr. Peak performed Marcello in COR’s production of La Boheme. In Chase’s personal career he works as an Investment Consultant with Fidelity Investments. Chase is a father to Wells Peak and husband to Erica Peak who is an Infectious Disease Doctor at VCU Health.

Abigail Stinnett is no stranger to Richmond. She grew up just around the corner in Mechanicsville and attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where she studied classical singing and discovered that opera was a passion. Abigail graduated from VCU with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance. While at VCU, she participated in two award winning productions from the National Opera Association singing Miss Todd in The Old Maid and the Thief and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel. Other favorite roles include the Third Lady in The Magic Flute, Sally in Die Fledermaus and Sister Osmina in Suor Angelica. Aside from performing, Abigail is the alto section lead in the Chancel Choir and the assistant Youth Choir Director at Grace and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

James Taylor, M.M. (Yale University), is an internationally celebrated performer. At home in opera, concert, recital, and musical theatre, he has appeared with numerous opera companies, symphonies, and theatres, including the New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, Opera Carolina, Göttigen Handel Festspiele, Theatre Augsburg, and the Nederlandse Reisopera. He has given recitals in the US, Europe, and Asia, and has appeared in leading roles in musicals. A talented and sought-after educator, he has served as Director of Opera at Drake University and the University of Alabama and has been on the music faculties of VCU and the University of Virginia. His students have gone on to such prestigious schools as the New England Conservatory, Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, Yale University, and the Royal College of Music. Several of his students perform regularly with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Semperoper, Glyndebourne, the Opera Comique, Utah Opera, Central City Opera, Landestheater Niederbayern, and the Oldenburgisches Staatsoper.

Mr. Taylor resides in Bon Air, Virginia, with his wife Sheridan and their two daughters Virginia and Meg.

Mary Stuart Watkins has been a choir member of GHTC since 2003 and is currently an assistant soprano section leader. During the week, she is a project manager for a Richmond based real estate management company.

Mary Stuart has directed the Children’s Choir, served as music intern, and participated in numerous musical concerts/events at GHTC and the surrounding Richmond Metro area.

Her musical involvement started at an early age with both of her parents being accomplished organists working in various churches in Southern Virginia. This introduction led to her completing degrees in music and international studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, interior styling projects, working on guitar and hanging with family and friends.

Cannon West is a software engineer and VCU Computer Science alum that spends his free time pursuing his passion for singing anyway he can. Growing up in Northern Virginia, he began classical vocal training in high school, pursuing interests in chamber singing and musicals, before moving to Richmond to attend Virginia Commonwealth University.

Today, studying under Jim Taylor, he relishes any opportunity to sing locally. He has performed as part of VCU’s latest cast of The Magic Flute and as a member of the Richmond Symphony Chorus, he has sung on the Carpenter Theatre stage on a wide range of projects.

Cannon enjoys living in downtown Richmond and raising two wonderful cats and dog with his partner Julia.

Caroline Whisnant is an American opera singer and soprano whose repertoire encompasses Richard Strauss, Puccini, Wagner, bel canto, lieder, American Standards and musical theater. Her signature roles include the title role in Richard Strauss’s Elektra, the Dyer’s Wife in Die Frau ohne Schatten, the title role in Puccini’s Turandot & Brünnhilde in Wagner’s Ring Cycle. Caroline established herself as one of the finest singing actresses in the dramatic soprano repertoire. For her triumphant performance as Elektra with Frankfurt Opera the press raved “the way she nurses her father’s gleaming axe, you would not want to meet her in a dark alley.” In Die Walküre her performance was praised as “a perfect portrait of Brünnhilde.” While in America, Caroline worked across the United States with numerous houses including the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Washington Opera and Dallas Opera. In Europe she has sung Turandot with Teatro La Fenice (Venice, Italy), Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Nationaltheater Mannheim and the Staatsoper Hannover; Elektra with Oper Frankfurt, Teatr Wielki in Warsaw, Stockholm’s Kungliga Operan and Norway’s Den Norske Opera and Anna Bolena with Nationaltheater Mannheim.