Classical Christmas at St. James, Wilmington

St. James Episcopal Church, Wilmington is proud to present “A Classical Christmas,” on Friday, December 22nd, at 7:30 p.m. at St. James Episcopal Church located at 25 S. Third Street. Featuring St. James’ own celebrated professional singers, this program of Christmas carols and songs will brighten these long winter days and will bring peace to your heart.

Soloists include: Sara Westermark, soprano; Tanya Hanano, mezzo soprano; James Taylor, tenor; and a debut by Hans Graham Westermark, baritone—accompanied by John Sullivan, piano. This program also features upcoming talented students from the Westermark Voice Studio—Nilin Pavate and Ozzy Davidson as trebles.

Donations go to “A Safe Place” to aid victims of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic sex trafficking. For more informationnon A Safe Place please visit their website: https://www.endslaverynow.org/a-safe-place. Most of us know love and safety, but it is our duty to look out for those who need protection and a safe place. Everyone, regardless of belief system, is invited to attend. The love of God knows no boundaries.

Admission is free and open to the public.

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Sara Westermark, lyric soprano, is a celebrated regional soloist, renowned private voice teacher, and metalsmith. Sara graduated with a Master’s in Voice Performance magna cum laude from the University of Missouri School of Music where she performed such roles as Pamina from Magic Flute, Susannah from Floyd’s Susannah, Mother Hansel and Gretel, Poppea l’incornatione di Poppea, and Susanna Le Nozze di Figaro. Sara has performed as a soloist with the Wilmington Symphony, UNCW Opera, Tallis Chamber Orchestra, Opera Wilmington, Wilmington Oratorio Society, Southeastern Oratorio Society, the Wilmington Choral Society, the Wilmington Guild of Organists, and serves as a soprano section leader for the St. James Episcopal Church Choir.

Her students have won top state, regional, and national accolades and awards through the National Association of Teachers of Singing Student Auditions, the Schmidt High School Classical Voice Competition, and they have received admission and scholarships to top music conservatories and universities. Sara’s work with young singers was published in a book by Karen Brunssen, “The Evolving Singing Voice: Changes Through the Lifespan”.

Tanya Hanano, mezzo soprano, made her sixth appearance as an ensemble member with Opera Wilmington in this past summer’s production of La Traviata, having made her professional debut as an ensemble member in Rigoletto in 2015. In October, 2023, she was an ensemble member for NC Opera’s production of Verdi’s La Traviata. In 2022 she performed the role of Mercédès in Bizet’s Carmen with Varna International and the Muzika! Grand Strand Music Festival in Myrtle Beach, SC. Hanano received her Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance at UNCW and studied with Nancy King. She performs locally with Cape Fear Chorale under the direction of Dr. Aaron Peisner, and she also sings with St. James Episcopal Church Choir under the direction of John Sullivan, and performs with the NC Master Chorale in Raleigh, NC under the baton of Dr. Alfred Sturgis. Hanano works full-time as an acute care physical therapist at Novant Health’s Orthopedic Hospital; she obtained her master’s and doctorate in Physical Therapy from Shenandoah University and has been practicing in Wilmington for 21 years.

James Taylor, tenor, is a North Carolina native who currently resides in the Port City of Wilmington. James attended East Carolina University where he studied Liberal Arts and Business, and has continued his education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where he is a private voice student of Dr. Nancy King. While at East Carolina University, James sang with the critically acclaimed ECU Chamber Singers, performed with the ECU Opera Theater, and studied voice with Grammy®-nominated tenor Dr. Daniel Shirley.

James is a well-known soloist and collaborative artist in Eastern North Carolina, and is an active and enthusiastic choral musician, having performed with The Raleigh Bach Soloists, Carolina Choral Artists, The Rocky Mount Chamber Singers, and Wilmington Voices. James also serves as a Choral Scholar at First Presbyterian Church of Wilmington.

As a choral musician, James competed in the 13th International Maribor Choral Competition Gallus (Maribor, Slovenia) as well as the European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (Varna, Bulgaria). In addition to his choral experience, he performs regionally in a variety of solo & oratorio performances, and has been professionally contracted by the North Carolina Opera and Opera Wilmington. Most recently, James performed with the New England Symphonic Ensemble in New York City at Carnegie Hall.

When not performing, James can be found in the Cultural Arts Department at UNCW, where he serves as the Business Services Coordinator for the Kenan Auditorium Office of the Arts. In his free time, James enjoys visiting family, spending time at the beach, and taking care of his house plants.

Hans Graham Westermark, baritone, is a Junior at Hoggard High School who loves music and science. He has been singing with the St. James Episcopal Church Adult choir since he was 10 years old. He sang for two years as a boy soprano with the Wilmington Boys Choir and sang the Messiah Choruses for two years under the direction of Angela Burns. As a junior at Hoggard High School, Hans Graham, sings with Voyagers under the direction of Benjamin Horrell. This past year he won third place at State National Association of Teacher’s of Singing (NATS), and placed third at NATS Regionals while qualifying for NATS Nationals. He was a soloist on the Voyagers concert this Fall. He studies voice with his mother, Sara Westermark and piano with Martha Hayes. Hans Graham is active with the St. James Youth Group.

John Sullivan, piano, is a vocalist, pianist, organist, choir director, and teacher. A cradle Episcopalian, he spent his formative years as a boy chorister in the Choir of Men and Boys at Christ Church, New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he started piano lessons at the age of 5. He has played piano for musical theater productions since junior high school and continues to play in the orchestra pit in Wilmington’s historic Thalian Hall.

In addition to serving as the director of music at St. James Episcopal Church, John is a tenor in the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina’s Schola Cantorum, and is organist and occasional choir director at Temple of Israel. John has previously served the faculty of Cape Fear Community College where he directed the choir and taught voice. John sang for 12 years with the Grace Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys in San Francisco, and has also sung with the San Francisco Symphony and Symphony Chorus under Michael Tilson Thomas and Donald Runnicles.

John has a Bachelor of Music (Piano) from Ithaca College, a Master of Music (Choral Conducting) from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and a Master of Music in Music Education (Kodály Pedagogy) from Holy Names College in Oakland, CA. He has studied piano with Phiroze Mehta and Jeffrey Gilliam, organ with Robert Parkins and David Drinkwater, Chorale Conducting with Richard Westenburg, voice with Roland Bentley and Kathryn LaBouff. and Kodály Music Pedagogy with Ann Laskey, David Xiques, and Judit Hartyanyi.