A Community Christmas

Stacey Mastrian, a “manifestly courageous” (Boston Globe) soprano who is “versatile and passionate” (Der Tagesspiegel), has sung at the Konzerthaus (Berlin), Kennedy Center (DC), Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur (Montréal), Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center (NYC), St. Peter’s (Vatican City), Teatro La Fenice (Venice), and in Mexico and more than half of the U.S.  She sings in over two dozen languages, spanning 900 years from Hildegard von Bingen to Monteverdi, Mozart, Verdi, and beyond.  This spring at Benaroya Hall she sang Democracy in the west coast premiere of the voting-rights cantata Say Your Name by Reena Esmail with Kirkland Choral Society and Philharmonia Northwest, as well as Sibelius’ Luonnotar and the U.S. premiere of Grace Williams’ Fairest of Stars with the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra.  She has been a Fulbright grantee and awarded prizes from The American Prize, Chamber Orchestra of NY, Seattle Opera Guild, and Vocal Arts DC. 

Please visit Stacey’s website at www.staceymastrian.com

Eden Pawlos

Eden Pawlos is a senior at Kentridge High School. She began at the Key to Change Studio four years ago, learning how to play the violin over Zoom. Since then, she has blossomed into a rising star within the program. She was the first-place winner of the Jessie Montgomery Senior Division at the annual Key to Change Solo String Festival. She has also performed as a soloist with the Seattle Symphony, the Northwest Symphony, and the UW Philharmonia. Furthermore, Eden had the honor of performing for the First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, and this past June also performed for Vice President Kamala Harris.

When not playing the violin, Eden loves painting and spending time with friends and family. She plays on a violin made by David Van Zandt, and studies with Seattle Symphony Concertmaster Noah Geller and Dr. Quinton Morris.

Eden is making her second performance as a soloist with the Federal Way Symphony.

Georges Bizet (1838-1875) was a French composer best known for his opera “Carmen.” Born in Paris, he displayed musical talent from an early age, entering the Paris Conservatory at just nine years old. Despite his early success, including winning the prestigious Prix de Rome, Bizet struggled to gain recognition during his lifetime but his legacy endures through his influential compositions, which helped shape the future of French opera. More

Ralph Vaughan Williams, (1872-1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over sixty years. Strongly influenced by Tudor music and English folk-song, his output marked a decisive break in British music from its German-dominated style of the 19th century. More

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was an Italian Baroque composer, virtuoso violinist, and priest, whose music has become a cornerstone of the classical repertoire. He is best known for “The Four Seasons,” a set of violin concertos that vividly depict the changing seasons through innovative musical techniques. Vivaldi composed over 500 concertos, along with operas, sacred music, and chamber works, and was a prominent figure in the development of the concerto form. More

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643–1704) was the most important French composer of his generation. Born in Paris, he later spent time in Italy, where he absorbed the rich musical traditions of the region. Charpentier is best known for his dramatic motets and operas and his work reflects a blend of French style with Italian influences. Charpentier’s music, marked by its emotional depth and lyrical beauty, remains influential, and he is celebrated as one of the leading figures of French Baroque music. More

Victor Hely-Hutchinson (1901–1947) was a distinguished British composer, conductor, and music educator, known for his contributions to both classical and popular music. Born in South Africa, he studied at the Royal College of Music in London. Hely-Hutchinson gained recognition for his light orchestral works and choral compositions, with the Carol Symphony, written in 1927 his best-known work. As a conductor, he worked with various ensembles, including the BBC, and played a vital role in promoting new music. More

Luke Fitzpatrick is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and artistic director of Inverted Space, a Seattle-based new music collective. He recently performed the US Premiere of Isidora Žebeljan’s Three Curious Loves with Seattle Philharmonic and the world premiere of Joël-François Durand’s La descente de l’ange for violin and clarinet . Additionally Luke has performed with Deltron 3030, Terence Blanchard and the E-Collective and as a touring member of the Harry Partch Ensemble and has appeared on recordings released by Ablaze and Centaur records. Luke is currently concertmaster of Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, Seattle Festival Orchestra and Federal Way Symphony. He is a founding member of the String Quartet Pure Flavor and performs with Temple Mozaic, an improvisational music and dance collective alongside Smerk, Orb and Free. Besides music related things, Luke is an avid dancer and enjoys biking, eating sushi and collecting shoes.

Kate Mondragon has been a member of the Federal Way Symphony since 2004. Kate is also principal flute of the Bellevue Symphony and has performed with Symphony Tacoma and the Olympia Symphony. In addition to performing, she maintains a private flute studio in Puyallup and enjoys adjudicating and giving flute clinics throughout the Puget Sound Region. Outside of flute and music, Kate stays busy with her family: husband, Steven, children, Freyja & Magnus, and dog Raven.

Helen Lee is a highly accomplished Seattle-based flutist and piccoloist. She performs with many orchestras, ensembles and choirs in the Puget Sound areas, including Federal Way Symphony (since 2004), Bellevue Opera, Bellevue Symphony, Northwest Symphony, Cascade Symphony and the Sound Ensemble. Inspired by a flutist featured in a Japanese anime, Helen began the flute in Seattle at age 11 which led to many music awards, scholarships, and music performance degrees. Helen enjoys spending her free time with family and friends, relaxing on her lever harps, taking photos and sipping bubble tea.