About the Artists…

 

Lyn Purmort has appeared at Tampa Bay Performing Arts Hall, Ruth Eckerd Hall, and Mahaffey Theatre as soloist with the Florida Orchestra under the direction of Thomas Wilkens and also upon the invitation of the late Richard Hayman for his show “Andrew Lloyd Webber and Other Cats”. Favorite performances include the televised “Jazz in July at the 92nd St Y” with Dick Hyman, Howard Alden, and Richard Drexler and “Music Nearly Lost” at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Sarasota.  She earned her Bachelor of Music Degree from Florida Southern College under the tutelage of the late Beverly Wolf of New York City Opera. She subsequently studied at the Konservatorium der Stadt Wien in Vienna Austria as the recipient of a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and also attended the Aspen Music Festival and School summer program as a student.  National Anthem performances include Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, and for many area organizations. A singer and songwriter, Lyn enjoys collaborating with other artists in creating new and exciting Vocal Vixens events!

 

Kathryn Parks has established herself as one of Sarasota’s recognizable leading ladies.  A singer, actress, and dancer, she is a regular in the region’s musical theater scene. Kathryn has starred in productions of My Fair Lady, Carousel, and The King and I, receiving acclaim for her portrayal of Eliza Doolittle, Julie Jordan, and Anna Leonowens respectively. She has appeared on numerous stages including the Florida Studio Theatre, American Stage, the Players Theatre, Venice Theatre, and with the St. Petersburg Opera Company. Also known to the concert and cabaret scene, Kathryn performs with the trio Vocal Vixens. A native of Sarasota, she graduated from the University of Miami with a degree in musical theater and now studies with Carlo Thomas. Her voice has been called “sparkling” by Scene Magazine while the Bradenton Herald has described her as “portraying genuine star power”. In 2014, she was recognized with a “Handy Award” from the Sarasota Herald Tribune which recognizes the best performances in theater for the past season. Born into a musical family, her father is a professional pianist and her mother, a singer. Beyond performing, she is constantly blogging for TheSaundersBlog.com and ThisWeekinSarasota.com and she also enjoys working on film and in print. Visit http://kathrynparks.com/ for more information.

 

Hannah Jae is a rising star in the vocal world and has been referred to as a vocal prodigy.  She has won numerous competitions and has a very natural ability to touch the listener with her beautiful tone and authenticity.  As far as vocal pyrotechnics go, her runs are awe-inspiring. Hannah writes and performs her own material and keeps a busy schedule between recording work and her studies.   This young lady has a very bright future in the music business and anyone who hasn’t heard her yet should try to make her next performance. She has an all original album soon to be released she co-produced with Obie O’Brien of Bon Jovi.  For more information about this rising young star and ticketing information for her solo concert this February 27, 2016 please visit hannahjae.com

 

Bob Constantino was born into a musical family…  his mom, dad and brother were all music teachers. He played on the stage for the first time at the age of three at one of the recitals his parents gave for their students.  He demonstrated an amazing gift and talent for music at a very early age.  His dad determined that he had perfect pitch at the age of five. He played clarinet and saxophone in high school and played his first paying gig at the age of fourteen.  After graduating from high school, Bob attended the Manhattan School of Music in New York City where he was a theory and composition major.  At the same time, he was playing professionally and by this time he had switched his instrument to piano.  These college years provided a very strong foundation and formal classical music education which was practiced and enhanced by his outside musical activities.

     After college, Bob became a teacher and continued to play professionally.  He got involved in recording, producing, engineering and writing music in the early 1990s and has continued practicing in these areas ever since.  In addition to these areas mentioned, Bob has been Musical Director for several theater presentations at the Players Theater in Sarasota including, Cabaret, Hello Dolly and My Fair Lady.  He was also Director of Music for the Players Theater cultural exchange program with China where he took his show to China for two weeks and performed a compilation of Broadway Show excerpts in several Chinese cities.
     Bob has also served as Chairperson for the Community Music School of Southwest Florida and is currently a Board member of the Sarasota Music Archives located at the Selby Library in Sarasota.  He continues to own and operate his own recording studio and Just Friends Entertainment which performs concerts and entertainment up and down the west coast of Florida.

 

Bobby Ryan has an amazing history playing percussion for many greats including Janet Carrol, Bob Newhart, Gloria DeHaven, Jethro Burns, Donald O’Connor, as well as backing up The Drifters for two years.  His credits include recording for film and television (PBS – Only the Ball Was White) and has played five seasons with the Charlotte Symphony including shows such as Ronnie White’s Gershwin .  Many performances at North Port Performing Arts Center including shows with Al Holl. He also played with the Bob Hanson Trio. Theatre experience includes dozens of shows at Venice Theatre -  Bobby just finished up a run of “Daddy Long Legs” at Florida Studio Theatre and remains in high demand for all things rhythmic including contemporary worship serivces which he has been involved in for the past 20 years -  he is currently at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Venice, FL where he’s played for the past 5 years.   Vocal Vixens ladies love Bobby not only for his percussion prowess but also for his un-pretentious personality.

 

Guest Artists and Musicians include the likes of John Miller on Double Bass, Mark Neuenschander on Double Bass, Bruce Wallace on Double Bass….hey it’s starting to sound like these bass players are hard to come by – always in high demand! Vocalist Lindsey Nikel-De La O joined the Vocal Vixens for the Exotic Car Fest – the program was Gatsby inspired music from the 1920′s.  Vocalist Rachel Di Giovanni almost joined us for a concert at Port Charlotte Cultural Center…almost :)