A McNeese State University faculty and guest recital will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, in Ralph Squires Recital Hall. Featured faculty performer is Dr. Bret Smithey, bass-baritone, and guest artist is Lori Smithey, soprano, with assistance from McNeese faculty Dr. Lina Morita, piano, and Dr. Michael Buckles, viola.

Among the works featured for this free program are: “Al sen ti stringo e parto” from “Ariodante” by G.F. Handel; “The Morning Song” by Thomas Arne; “Zwei Gesängeop. 91” by Johannes Brahms; “Ständchen” by Richard Strauss; “Chansons de Don Quichotte” byJacques Ibert; “The Willow Song”  from the “Ballad of Baby Doe” by Douglas Moore; and “La ci darem la mano” from “Don Giovanni” byW.A. Mozart.

A native of Charlotte, N.C., B. Smithey received his Bachelor of Music degree from Westminster Choir College, his Master of Music degree from the University of Tennessee and his doctorate with a concentration in opera performance from Florida State University.

B. Smithey, an assistant professor of music, made his Washington Symphony debut in Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony. He has sung with regional opera companies throughout the United States, including the Knoxville Opera, the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, the Natchez Opera Festival, Princeton Opera, the National Opera Company and the Brevard Music Festival, in such roles as “Don Giovanni,” “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” “Cendrillon,” “The Consul,” “Midsummer Nights’ Dream,” “La Bohéme,” “El Capitan,” “Le Nozze di Figaro,” “Carmen,” “Roméo et Juliet” and “La Cenerentola.” He has also appeared with several symphonies including the Tallahassee Symphony, the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Symphony and the Pensecola Symphony. He has sung the bass solo in Bach’s “Cantata No. 61,” the Fauré Requiem, the Duruflé Requiem, Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion,” Mozart’s “Coronation Mass” and Handel’s “Messiah.”

L. Smithey, a native of Oklahoma, has sung with the Knoxville Opera, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, Wichita Grand Opera, Natchez Opera Festival, National Opera Company and Opera in the Ozarks. She was the soprano soloist in the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” as well as a featured artist with the North Carolina Symphony. She has succeeded in vocal competitions as a finalist in the New Jersey Alliance for the Performing Arts vocal competition, a finalist in the Birmingham Opera competition and the Grand Prize Winner in the Young Artist Division of the Orpheus competition. Among her operatic roles are Elvira in “Don Giovanni,” Musetta in “La Bohème,” Antonia in “The Tales of Hoffmann,” Susanna in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” Gretel in “Hansel and Gretel” and Lucy in “The Telephone.” L. Smithey received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and her Master of Music degree from the University of Tennessee. She is currently teaching private voice in Sulphur.

A native of São Paulo, Brazil, Morita received her Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University, Master of Music degree from Rice University and her doctorate from the Eastman School of Music in Piano Performance and Literature. She is currently an assistant professor of music. Morita has performed in various solo and chamber music venues across the United States and abroad. She has performed with the Lake Charles Symphony, Tulane University, the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washtington, D.C., Académie Internationale Musicale d’Été de Nice in France and Sociedade Brasileira de Cultura Japonesa in Brazil.

Buckles is an associate professor of music. His previous positions include Dillard University, Xavier University and the preparatory division at the University of New Orleans.  Performance credits include a tenured position with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, principal second of the Rapides Symphony and his current appointment as concertmaster of the Lake Charles Symphony. He received his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University, his Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute and his doctorate in music from Louisiana State University.

Persons requesting accommodations in accordance with the ADA should contact the Office of the ADA Coordinator at least 72 hours before the event. Additional information is available from: the Office of the ADA Coordinator, Smith Hall, Room 127; Voice: (337) 475-5428; Fax: (337) 475-5960; TDD/TTY, Hearing Impaired: (337) 562-4227; or adacoordinator@mcneese.edu.