Native Italian Franco Martorana made his operatic debut as Alfredo in Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus with Lincoln Opera and then sang Camille in The Merry Widow and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. Shortly after, he sang Pinkerton again in Germany to glowing reviews. With Lyric Opera of Chicago, Mr. Martorana sang the Messenger in Aida and at the Opera Theatre of Humbach, Germany, the roles of Alfredo in La Traviata and Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. He also recently sang the role of Pinkerton in Bellissima Opera’s Madama Butterfly and Alfredo in LaTraviata. Mr. Martorana has made a specialty of the songs of Francesco Paulo Tosti. The renowned opera coach, Ubaldo Gardini, said that his interpretation of these songs was on a level with Bergonzi and Di Stefano. He is a member of the acclaimed “The Other 3 Tenors” which recently sang tribute concerts for superstars Connie Francis and Mickey Rooney and opened the Opera at the Acorn 2011 season with the ‘Attack of The Other 3 Tenors’ concert. In addition to performing in Daley Plaza for World Peace Day, an event representing 150 nations, they are please to announce the release of their first CD “The Other 3 Tenors”. Franco can also be heard singing sacred music on the CD “Caroline Myss’ Voices of the Sacred”.

Keven Keys’ “handsome, mahogany tone” (Washington Post) and beautifully “focused singing” (Chicago Classical Review) have delighted audiences with a wide range of repertoire in both opera and concert literature. He has appeared with several orchestras throughout the Midwest and beyond, performing the Bach B Minor Mass with the Kalamazoo Bach Festival, Haydn’s “Lord Nelson” Mass at the Peninsula Music Festival, Bach cantata BWV 82, “Ich habe genug,” with the Sherwood Conservatory Orchestra, Vaughn-Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Danielpour’s An American Requiem with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra and Mahler’s monumental 8^th Symphony with the Colorado Mahlerfest.

Recent appearances have included a performance of Chicago native Robert Kritz’s composition Lamentations for the 21^st Century with the award winning Orion Ensemble. His concert repertoire includes Mendelsohn’s Elijah, Handel’s Messiah, and Mozart’s Requiem, with groups including Illinois Philharmonic, Waukegan Symphony, Elmhurst Symphony, Northeastern Illinois University Orchestra, Acanthus Chamber Orchestra and the well respected Music of the Baroque. He is also an active recitalist, performing throughout the Midwest.

Opera roles include title roles in Verdi’s Falstaff, Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Mechem’s Tartuffe and Rachmaninoff’s Aleko, as well as both Guglielmo and Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, John Brook in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, and Sam in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti.

Keven is pursuing a Doctorate in Vocal Performance at Northwestern University, where he also teaches. 

Pianist Jeffrey Panko is a musician whose versatility of style and genre, encompassing repertoire from Bach to the contemporary, is presented with poetic grace, technical aplomb and a large color palate. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, Mr. Panko began his formal musical education at the age of six with his grandmother, Lorraine Jagodzinski. Receiving degrees in Piano Performance from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the DePaul University School of Music, he was also selected as a scholarship student to the Tanglewood Music Festival (studying piano with Anthony di Bonaventura and chamber music with Joel Smirnoff) and the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria (studying piano with Alexis Golovin). Currently working with his mentor, Chicago Symphony Orchestra pianist Mary Sauer, Panko has earned top prize awards in competitions including the Society of American Musicians’ Piano Competition (Chicago) and the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition (New York).

Following a concert tour of Poland where Panko was honored by the United States with the title of Cultural Ambassador, Panko was asked by the City of Chicago to present a Chopin recital for the visiting Lech Walesa and other Polish dignitaries, culminating with two Command Performances for Polish Prime Ministers visiting the United States. Panko has also been featured in performances at Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, Lincoln Center Library, WQXR Radio (New York), is a frequent performer on WFMT Radio (Chicago), and has appeared in Symphony Center playing the music of Steven Sondheim for Mr. Sondheim. In May of 2009 Panko appeared as soloist with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Stephen Alltop performing Beethoven’s 4^th Piano Concerto and Choral Fantasy.

Panko has appeared as soloist under the baton of Jed Gaylin, Robert Holst, Timothy McCullom, John Paynter, Phil Simmons, Meng Kong Tham, Eric Townell and John Bruce Yeh and has performed in recital with such internationally acclaimed artists as Denyce Graves, Christopher Robertson, Mary Stolper, members of the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and the Washington Opera Orchestra. Panko has also served as accompanist and master class pianist to Dalton Baldwin, Mathieu Dufour, Judith Haddon, Donald Peck, Ned Rorem, Allan Stone and Giorgio Tozzi.

For nearly twelve years Panko served as Musical Director for the Primavera Singers at the Fairmont Hotel in Chicago. Currently he serves as Minister of Music and as Artistic Director of the Music at Bethel Concert Series for Bethel United Church of Christ in Elmhurst, Illinois, is a member of New Music School piano faculty in Chicago, and has been accompanist for Downer’s Grove Choral Society for 7 years. Panko is represented by Ovation! Management.