Rachel Keller, Soprano:
Rachel Keller first began vocal training as an undergraduate music major in York, England, her native land. There she also sang early music with the Yorkshire Bach Choir and she performed supporting roles with York Opera. Her focus shifted when she pursued Music Therapy graduate studies in Cambridge, England. After this training she immigrated to the Philadelphia, USA where she began to further explore and work in the Music Therapy field. She continued to pursue vocal tuition whilst always enjoying a variety of performance opportunities, including singing with Ancient Voices, an early music ensemble at the University of Pennsylvania. Rachel and her husband moved to Maine in 2002. Since then she has devoted most of her time towards mothering their two children. She recently resumed vocal studies with Kathleen Grammer and she is excited that vocal practice and performance have become an important focus in her life once again. She currently sings with Portland’s Choral Art Society and the St. Mary Schola and she is an active soloist in the greater Portland area. Her other interests include yoga, running, hiking, Nordic skiing, photography, gardening and keeping up with her growing kids.
Danielle Vayenas, Soprano:
A Portland resident, Danielle has performed as a featured concert soloist in Maine with groups including the Oratorio Chorale, Midcoast Symphony Orchestra, the Maine Music Society, Bowdoin Chorale, and the Choral Art Society, having recently sung the Brahms Requiem with them. She has also sung in the greater Boston area, including a concert performance of operatic works with the Salem Philharmonic in February, and she has previously performed with the Longwood Opera, the Masterworks Chorale, and the Paul Madore Chorale. Works she has sung include Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C minor, Brahms and Verdi’s Requiems and many other oratorio works, as well as selections from opera and Broadway. She started her musical career playing flute and piccolo in high school and college, and began choral singing after graduation. She joined the Choral Art Society after moving to Maine, and subsequently began taking voice lessons with David Goulet, leading to NATS awards in Maine and Boston, and her many performances as a soloist. During her spare time, Danielle is a Director of Communications at the University of Southern Maine.
