Clarke Presents ‘For a Blessed Christmas,’ December 10-11, 2013

The Clarke University Arts at Clarke Series and the Clarke music department will present “For a Blessed Christmas” on Saturday, Dec. 10, and Sunday, Dec. 11, in Sacred Heart Chapel on the Clarke campus. The Saturday performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday performance will begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved by calling (563)584-8642 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Staged in the beauty of Clarke’s Sacred Heart Chapel, “For a Blessed Christmas” is a moving portrayal of the Christmas story through an exciting mix of narration and musical performances. This holiday tradition is a favorite in the Dubuque area and features performances by each of Clarke’s vocal and instrumental ensembles. This year’s concert will feature guest soloist Sang-In Han, DMA, assistant professor of music at Clarke. Sang-In Han, Lyric Tenor, is originally from South Korea. Prior to his appointment at the Clarke University, Han served as a voice faculty member at University of Texas at El Paso, Millikin University and Utah State University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the Korean National University of Arts School of Music, a master’s degree in vocal performance from Brigham Young University and a doctoral degree in vocal performance from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 2009, he served as a member of advising board at Seoul International Opera Festival in Seoul and was invited to present a lecturer recital at the Seoul International Art Song Festival. His extensive performing experience includes opera, oratorio, recitals and concerts in Korea and throughout the United States. His opera roles include Tamino from “Magic Flute,” Rinuccio in “Gianni Schichi,” Don José from “Carmen,” Velere from “Tartuff,” Don Ottavio from “Don Giovanni,” and world premiere operas such as, World Champion from “The Life of an Artist.” His oratorio experience includes “Te Deum” by Brukner, “Mass in C” by Beethoven, “Stabat Mater” by Dvorak, “Elijah” by Mendelssohn and Mozart’s “Requiem.” He performed in metropolitan cities in South Korea as Tamino and performed numerous concerts in several locations in the United States, including operas and arias in the Tabernacle Assembly Hall for the 100-year Anniversary of Korean Immigration Concert and the Summer Korean Art Song Concert in Salt Lake City, Utah. He also performed in the Christmas and Valentine’s concerts with the Utah Festival Opera. For more information, contact the Clarke University Marketing and Communication Office at (563)588-6318.