$5 After 5 with Matthew Newell & Friends
Thursdays | 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Members: Free | Non-Members: $5
Enjoy $5 admission on Thursdays from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the Huntsville Museum of Art. Explore the Museum’s latest exhibitions or visit favorites from the Museum collection during this after-hours event. Wine service has returned. Guests aged 21+ will be able to purchase a glass of wine from the Church Street Wine Shoppe for $7. At 6 p.m., enjoy a performance from Matthew Newell, Sangeetha Ekambaram, Celese Sanders and Jeremy Howe.
About Matthew Newell:
A native of Crestview, Florida and has recently returned to Huntsville, Alabama with his wife after living in Stuttgart, Germany for the past 3 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Stetson University in 2007 and a Master’s degree in Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2013 and was inducted into Delta Mu Delta, and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Matthew was an elementary school music teacher for three years in Pensacola, Florida. He has served as Music Director and Music Chairman for the Athens Ward, Madison Stake, and Stuttgart Germany International Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He has performed with the Pensacola Opera Company, Opera Huntsville, the Huntsville Community Chorus Association, the Huntsville Christmas Festival Choir, and the Huntsville Patriotic Choir featuring the Army Materiel Command Band.
About: Sangeetha Ekambaram:
Soprano most recently performed Chrysothemis in “A Look at Elektra” (sponsored by the New York Chamber Music Festival), in the “Evolution of Ingenue” at the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Laetitia (The Old Maid and the Thief) with Opera Huntsville, and in the opening gala concert at the Amadeo Bassi Festival. She was one of ten singers selected for the final reveal concert in NYIOP’s Anonymous Audition Project. Other roles include Mimì (La Bohème) (Festival di Ostra), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Antonia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Madame Herz (Der Schauspieldirektor), 1st French Woman in the world premiere of Eleanor and the 1st Calaveras in Frida (The Society for New Music). For her performance on Pamina, the CVNC Arts Journal wrote: “Soprano Sangeetha Ekambaram lacked nothing in vocal power or beauty of line in the role of Pamina. Her voice was beautifully supported across its range and she conveyed the emotional range superbly.”
She equally enjoys performing in creative productions and collaborations, such as the role of Cinderella in Martin Warren’s The True Story of Cinderella (Opera Huntsville) and in concert with renown flamenco singer Chayito Champion in an evening of Spanish classical repertoire. In concert, collaborators include artists such as Craig Ketter, Jennifer McGuire, and Anthony Gian di Tomasso. She is currently a Resident Artist with Sparrow Live, an online streaming platform. She appears on a CD in duets by Heinrich Marschner (Centaur Records) with baritone Jeffrey Williams and pianist/conductor Jennifer McGuire, which was released in January 2021.
About Celese Sanders:
Celese Sanders is a soprano based in Huntsville. She sings any chance she gets and is currently singing with Rocket Harmony, Huntsville Community Chorus, and as a staff singer at Huntsville First United Methodist Church. She has also performed with many local organizations in opera and musical theater. Some of her most notable roles include Despina in Cosi fan tutte, Miss Pinkerton in The Old Maid and the Thief, and Fiona in Shrek. She is a blessed mother of three children who support her and make her heart happy.
About Jeremy Howe:
Jeremy Howe is a tuba player and bass-baritone vocalist with over 30 years of professional experience performing throughout the world. During his twenty-year career as an Army Musician he performed for presidents, on National Public Radio, CNN, and in more parades and ceremonies than he can count. While serving in assignments throughout the United States and overseas, he has performed with and led a wide variety of instrumental and vocal ensembles ranging from traditional brass quintets and jazz bands to a funk-rock band “Rendezvous Groove” who was a featured ensemble at the 2011 W.C. Handy Festival in Florence, Alabama, and a barbershop quartet “7-Ball”, which won the Army-wide “Ensemble of the Year” award for 2011. Jeremy was assigned to the Army Materiel Command Band at Redstone Arsenal in 2011 and retired in 2013. Since arriving in the Tennessee Valley, Jeremy has performed as a vocal soloist with the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Huntsville Community Chorus, and in local performances of Handel’s Messiah. He has stayed active as a tuba player performing with the Brass Band of Huntsville, church ensembles, recitals, and his own bands Oompah-Calypse (oompahcalypse.com) and The Funky Pirates Jazz Band (funkypiratesjazz.com).