Voices

The Tampa Spiritual Ensemble is dedicated to presenting The Tampa Bay Area with quality opera productions, recitals, concerts, and Black History programs that feature celebrated and rising African-American composers and performing artists, as well as providing an impressive array of education and outreach programs. Our community outreach programs will actively engage audiences across a wide range of ages while further contributing to their cultural awareness, educational development and quality of life experience.

ARTISTIC DIRECTORS

SHENITA BERRIAN, Founder & Artistic Director

MEZZO SOPRANO

Shenita Berrian graduated from The University of South Florida with a degree in vocal performance in 2006. Since then she has been one of the featured Mezzo-Soprano soloists for The Richard Zinlinski singers, The Master Chorale, and Opera Tampa. She has performed in major works and operas such as The Messiah, Aida, The Magic Flute, Carmen, Un ballo in Maschera, and La Boheme. Shenita has been a conductor for the annual Hillsborough County Fine Arts Festival. Currently, she teaches elementary music at Robles Elementary where she conducts two choruses and an award winning drumming ensemble. She also volunteers at her church teaching Sunday school and leading several music programs for children.

YETTA BEDNARZ, Co-Artistic Director

FULL-LYRIC SOPRANO

Yetta Bednarz is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Temple University and Master’s degree in Music and Voice Performance from U.S.F. She has performed roles in Candide, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi and the Mikado and was soloist for The Seven Last Words and the Messiah. Performed in various concerts throughout Philadelphia, New York and, Pinellas, Tampa Bay area. Her most recent engagements include performing highlights from Phantom of the Opera and Madame Butterfly with the Pinellas Park Civic Orchestra, participated in productions of Carmen, La Boheme, and Un Ballo in Maschera with Opera Tampa, the Merry Widow with St. Petersburg Opera, numerous concerts with the Bel Canto Opera Singers and the Andrea Bocelli Tampa Forum concert. She currently studies with Stella Zambalis at Patel Conservatory in Tampa.

VOICES

NICOLE REBELO

FULL-LYRIC SOPRANO

Nicole Rebelo sang in Opera Tampa productions of Un Ballo in Maschera, La Boheme, The Magic Flute and Carmen. Ms. Rebelo most recently participated in the Andrea Bocelli concert at the Tampa Forum. She has also sang with the Masters Chorale of Tampa Bay. She currently studies with Mark Lubas at The Patel Conservatory.

NICOLE EVANS

DRAMATIC MEZZO SOPRANO

Nicole Evans received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Studies, Voice Principal, from The University of South Florida. She sang in Opera Tampa productions of Un Ballo in Maschera, The Magic Flute, and Carmen. Most recently she sang in the mainstage production of Porgy and Bess with The Princeton Festival in Princeton, NJ. Evans sings as a featured soloist for local churches and currently studies with renowned soprano Stella Zambalis at The Patel Conservatory

AMBER BLAIR

SOPRANO

Amber Berlin Blair holds a Bachelor in Music Education degree from Stetson University and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of South Florida. Noted for her “rich tone” Amber has performed in numerous opera productions with Opera Tampa, St. Petersburg Opera, and Opera Naples.  She has also performed with the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and the Florida Orchestra under the baton of Stefan Sanderling. She has had the privilege to share the stage with Samuel Ramey and Andrea Bocelli. In the spring of 2012, Amber made her debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In addition to performing, Amber has taught chorus at both middle and high school levels in the public schools and served as the Tampa Bay Children’s Chorus Assistant Director 2012-2014. She has also served as the Florida Vocal Association District Chair for Hillsborough County. Amber is an active member of the Florida Vocal Association, American Choral Directors Association, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Amber currently maintains an active voice studio in the Tampa Bay area.

MAXI WOOD

MEZZO SOPRANO

Bio is coming soon…

Jeff Welch is an accounts receivable specialist with Trinity Services Group in Oldsmar. He is a member of the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and has performed numerous masterworks and pops concerts, as well as several recordings. Through Master Chorale he has also performed with The Florida Orchestra, Tampa Bay Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra. Jeff is also a member of the Opera Tampa Chorus and has been in several operas including Aida, The Magic Flute and Carmen. Jeff has recorded and performed with The Richard Zielinski Singers since its inception. Jeff also enjoys being a volunteer church musician with Lake Magdalene United Methodist by singing in the chancel choir, playing in the orchestra and playing with the Lake Magdalene Ringers, an over 6 octave handbell choir.

OTHER TENORS:

Christian Welch

Guillermo López Gutiérrez

JOEL MERCER

BASS / BARITONE

Joel Mercer is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Saint Petersburg College. He holds Masters and Bachelor Degrees in Mathematics and Mathematics Education from The University of Florida and The University of North Florida. Joel has performed with several of the leading choral ensembles in the bay area which include the Richard Zielinski Singers and the Tampa Bay Master Chorale and… regularly sings at the classical music festival in Eisenstaedt Austria where he has performed many of the major works in the choral repertoire. In addition, he has sung in the Tampa and St Petersburg opera choruses. Joel has been seen in a number of operas including: Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West and La Boehme, Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana , Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette , Rossini’s Barber of Seville and Verdi’s Aida and Un Ballo in Maschera.Most Recently Joel was seen in the South Florida Lyric opera’s productions of Pagliacci and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury. In Palilacci Joel sang the role of the villager. Joel studies voice with Dr Joseph and Violette Meyers.

GLENN SHEFFIELD

BASS

Glenn Sheffied has more than twenty years combined experience performing in multiple community arts organizations around Tampa Bay, and has sung in choruses across the U.S., and in Canada and the United Kingdom. As a member of the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, he has performed a long list of masterworks and other choral music, singing with the likes of Andrea Bocelli, the Cleveland Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Bach Choir of London, among others. Glenn appears with the Chorale on several recordings, including a collaboration with the Empire Brass and a 2013 Naxos Records release with the Florida Orchestra. Operatic experience with the Opera Tampa Chorus includes productions of La Bohème, Un Ballo in Maschera, The Magic Flute, and Carmen. Glenn’s additional memberships currently include Concordia Vocal Ensemble, a 14-voice sacred music ensemble based in St. Petersburg, and the Lake Magdalene Ringers, a 6-plus octave handbell choir based at Tampa’s Lake Magdalene United Methodist Church. Glenn holds a degree from the University of South Florida and is presently pursuing additional degree studies in nursing.

COMPOSER/ARRANGER

BRANDON MARTIN

BARITONE

Bio is coming soon…

ACCOMPANIST

Fernando López Gutiérrez

ALTERNATES

DIEGO IGLESIAS

TENOR

Bio is coming soon…