Lauren Michelle Doyel is a genre-bending, classically-trained soloist and chorister based in Los Angeles and Ventura County. She graduated with a B.M. in Vocal Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 2008. After moving to Los Angeles in 2010, Lauren performed widely, singing jazz at the House of Blues, indie rock at the Viper Room, and classical/choral music throughout the city.
In addition to singing with Areté Vocal Ensemble, Lauren performs with the LA Master Chorale and the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. She is a devoted wife and mother of two, and she champions the expressive liberation of professional vocalists through her business, Empowered Singing for Empowered Living.
Sam Estes is a tenor who has performed with many distinguished LA-based ensembles, including Arete, Cantori Domino, Jouyssance, Angeles Chorale, and is a founding member of voices/LA. A classically trained composer and seasoned sound designer, Sam has worked alongside many composers for films like Inception, Inside Out, The Dark Knight, Sherlock Holmes, and Mad Max. He shares his expertise by teaching part-time for the Film Scoring program at USC, designing with Sonicsmiths, and advising music tech startups. When he’s not working, Sam enjoys family time and piloting his Cessna out of Oxnard.
SoCal resident Denise Lopez earned a BA in Music with an emphasis in Music Technology from California Lutheran University, as well as a BA in Psychology from UC Santa Barbara. What started as an artistic and social venture in high school has turned into a strong devotion to singing. She has been a member of Westlake High School’s Women’s Chorale and Vocal Ensemble, and after receiving her Psychology degree from UCSB, she pursued further study in music at Moorpark College as a member of the Concert Choir and Vocal Ensemble, where she had opportunities to sing in Central Europe and attend artist workshops at Disney World. Upon transferring to Cal Lutheran, she was a member of the University Chorus, and in her senior year, performed in the Regal’s Quartet.
Denise is currently singing in Arete Vocal Ensemble, the New West Symphony Chorus, and with the Conejo Valley Choral Society, where she performed as the Alto soloist in the group’s performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria.
She is grateful to her family for their love and continued support of her musical inclinations, and to her friends who have remained a great source of joy and community within the music world.
Dominic Lim graduated from the University of Seoul, Republic of Korea. He has performed numerous recitals, operas, and concerts in Korea. Mr. Lim is currently studying for a Master of Music at CSUN with soprano Shigemi Matsumoto.
In the 2022-2023 season of CSUN Opera, he played “’Lucas” in W. Gluck’s L’ivrogne Corrige, “Coline” in G. Puccini’s La Boheme, and “Papageno” in Die Zauberflöte by W.A. Mozart in the 2023-2024 season of CSUN Opera. Mr. Lim also performed as a bass soloist in W.A. Mozart’s Requiem, G. Faure’s Requiem and Handel’s “Messiah” as a bass soloist with Northridge singers.
Mr. Lim is actively broadening his scope of engagement, not only within CSUN but also through involvement with the wider music community in California. Mr. Lim performed “Frere Laurent” in Romeo et Julliette by C. Gounod, and “Commissario” and “Yamadori” in Madama Butterfly by Puccini with Mission Opera. Also Mr. Lim performed Spinelloccio and Il notaio in Gianni Schicchi by Puccini with Landmakr Opera. Mr. Lim also selected as a performer of SMC Aria Competition.
Mr. Lim awarded Outstanding Student in Opera in CSUN and Certificate of Recognition by California Assembly for his dedication to Korean society.
Mr. Lim is going to perform “Leporello” in Don Giovanni by Mozart, in the production of Varna International Music Academy in June 2024 in South Carolina.
Susannah Ruth, a mezzo-soprano based in Southern California, has been passionately pursuing her love for music since childhood. Raised in a musical household, she was introduced to a wide range of music by her parents and began singing at age seven under the guidance of Carol Foster at the Church of the Epiphany in Oak Park. Since then, she has performed in venues across the U.S. and internationally, collaborating with renowned composers and conductors such as John Adams and John Rutter.
Susannah holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music with an emphasis in Performance from California Lutheran University. Recent highlights include performing as one of two soloists in Haydn’s Missa Brevis at Carnegie Hall with the CLU Choir and singing under John Rutter’s baton in England at Bath Abbey. This spring, she serves as the alto section leader for the Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus in their performance of Brahms’ Requiem and continues to sing with All Saints-by-the-Sea in Montecito.
She remains an active member of Ventura and Santa Barbara ensembles, including Areté Vocal Ensemble, New West Symphony Chorus, and the Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus. Susannah is grateful for the opportunity to perform diverse and inspiring repertoire alongside talented musicians.
Suzanne Falletti sang as a soprano in the full-time Metropolitan Opera Chorus at Lincoln Center for 24 seasons, where she earned two Grammy awards for best opera recordings. A graduate of The Eastman School of Music with a Masters of Music degree in vocal performance and music literature. She is a two-time regional winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Voice Competition and a first place winner in the graduate division of the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition. Ms. Falletti served as an adjunct voice professor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in their musical theater conservatory program, and many of her students went on to have broadway careers. She has been a guest teaching artist with The Eastman School of Music and the Boston Conservatory. She founded an educational opera touring program called Opera-to-Go while an artist-in-residence in Houston, Tx which Houston Grand Opera continues today.
Originally Suzanne attended Iowa State University on a clarinet scholarship, but she began her piano training at age 4 and accompanied choirs throughout middle school and high school. She had an accompanying fellowship and minored in piano after transferring to the University of Northern Iowa, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. She has been teaching online voice lessons since the start of the pandemic. For more complete details feel free to contact her at http://www.suzannefallettising.com.
Kate Listick began singing with the Los Robles Children’s Choir (LRCC) at age eight, under the direction of Donna Young, and continued through her teen years under the direction of Edward and Dana Rouse. As a young adult she continued her involvement with LRCC as an assistant while also joining the Los Robles Master Chorale, where she was honored to have been chosen to sing a solo for the debut of a new commissioned work by Jasper Randall, under the direction of Lesley Leighton.
Kate is delighted to continue her chorale journey with Arete Vocal Ensemble, having attended many wonderful performances over the years under its inimitable director Wyant Morton.
Some highlights of her musical career include a performance on the TV show Code Black as a featured soloist and participation as a session singer for a recording at Capitol Records.
She was honored to be a top-ten finalist in a Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA) competition and to have been included in SCVA and American Chorale Director’s Association honor choirs.
During the week, Kate can be found sharing her love of music with the children at Monte Vista Presbyterian Preschool, where she teaches, and can be heard on many Sundays singing in the choir with her fellow church congregants at The Church of the Epiphany in Oak Park, under music director Jay Wilcox.
Elana Levine received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education with an emphasis on vocal performance, and her teaching credential from Cal State Northridge, and is now in her second decade of teaching middle school music in the area. Although she has taught everything from beginning band, advanced band and jazz band, to music technology, and drama, her love is choir.
Elana is a mezzo-soprano, and has been a member of the alto section in the Los Robles Master Chorale, the Santa Clarita Master Chorale, and the Northridge Singers. Elana has been fortunate enough to have sung in back-up choirs behind Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, and Stephen Schwartz, and under great conductors like John Mauceri.
When Elana is not singing or teaching, she is often playing violin, flute, or piano, hanging out with her husband and 2 boys, or running agility courses with or training her Aussiedoodle. Elana and her husband enjoy musical theater together, having enjoyed many seasons at the Pantages Theater. They also enjoy playing duets together on their violin and viola.
Elana is thrilled to sing with this incredible group of people, and under the direction of such an inspirational and motivating conductor, Dr. Wyant Morton.
Jay Wilcox was encouraged by Sir David Willcocks to make the transition from tenor to countertenor. He was a lay clerk and countertenor soloist with the Washington Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys for four years, and a member of the Washington Bach Consort for fourteen seasons, including their tour of Germany in 2000. In 1994, he became the first countertenor to sing the alto solos in the annual Messiah sing-along at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; he was a free-lance soloist on the East Coast for a number of years. Jay currently serves as the Director of Music at the Church of the Epiphany in Oak Park, having served in similar positions in Northern Virginia prior to his move to California in 2014. His Christmas anthem, Welcome all Wonders, and a motet, O sacrum convivium, are published by Paraclete Press, and he has two Advent anthems forthcoming. He is delighted to be singing with Areté.
Kayla is thrilled to return to Areté! Raised in Ventura County, Kayla earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music at California Lutheran University, then went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Vocal Arts at California State University, Northridge. While studying, Kayla performed as a soloist with the California Lutheran University Choir at Carnegie Hall; traveled to Austria to study and perform with world-renowned instructors as part of AIMS in Graz; and served her local community as Miss Ventura County 2012!
Kayla then set sail on the high seas as a performer for Silversea Cruises. Part of a cast of six voices, Kayla performed in a series of classical, pop, Motown, and musical theatre concerts aboard the Silver Wind, stationed in the Mediterranean Sea.
Kayla currently resides in Thousand Oaks, where she teaches private voice lessons and continues to perform regularly. She also serves as a music specialist for Los Cerritos Middle School, and as a vocal consultant for Young Artists Ensemble. Kayla’s next dream is to lend her voice to a Disney project!
