Sessions Vol. XXII: “From Two Worlds” – September 6, 2025 • 7pm

Join us as the award winning, “fearlessly agile” soprano Teresa Castillo sings a portrait of herself in song, exploring her bilingual identity through a brilliantly varied program in English and Spanish alongside her longtime collaborator pianist Derrick Goff.

PROGRAM

From Confiding • David Leisner

“Savior! I’ve no one else to tell”

“Wild nights”

“Signal”

“Faith”

“This is my letter to the World”

Cancionero Gitano • Miguel Astor

Cuatro madrigales amatorios • Joaquin Rodrigo

–intermission–

From Genius Child • Ricky Ian Gordon

“Genius Child”

“To be Somebody”

“Troubled Woman”

“Strange Hurt”

“Border Line”

“Joy”

Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 • Heitor Villa-Lobos

Vocalizaciones • Joaquin Turina

TERESA CASTILLO

Costa Rican-American Soprano Teresa Castillo has been hailed by the San Francisco Gate as a “standout, bringing [vocal] power and florid elegance,” and by Opera News for exhibiting “a clean, concentrated sound, and a lovely, intelligent musicianship.” Ms. Castillo has been seen on stages around the world including the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Carnegie Hall, Houston Grand Opera, The Kennedy Center, The Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Opera Southwest, Opera San Jose, Chicago Opera Theater and with The War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco while at Merola. Ms. Castillo has placed in many competitions including the Lois Alba Aria Competition, Opera Index, The Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, Mildred Miller International Voice Competition, The Anita Cerquetti International Competition, Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition, Classical Singer Magazine Competition, and the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition. She was also a finalist in the George London Foundation Competition and is on the roster at The Metropolitan Opera.

DERRICK GOFF

Derrick Goff, vocal coach and pianist, is an alumnus of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and returned to the MET music staff in subsequent seasons. He has enjoyed many years of collaboration at Teatro Nuovo, a continuation of the young artist program of Bel Canto at Caramoor, where he is resident as coach, chorus master, and Italian teacher. As co-founder of Bel Canto Boot Camp, Derrick has offered masterclasses and residencies at universities across the United States and in South Africa, and co-authored The Vaccai Project, a training manual for Italian style using the lens of the fifteen lessons of Nicola Vaccai. In addition to his work as a pianist, coach, and conductor, Derrick holds degrees in organ and voice from Westminster Choir College and is on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music.