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Soirée Musicale
Musician bios
Dr. Ming Hong is a neurologist, whose practice is at Kaiser Permanente (formerly Group Health) and Overlake Hospital in Bellevue. He holds an M.D. degree and a Ph.D. degree in pharmacology and neuroscience. Dr. Hong studied voice performance in high school and college, and subsequently trained with a number of voice teachers and coaches, including Robert Peterson and Lucinda Maxey. He has sung in many concerts and opera performances in the greater Seattle area. He is the winner of the Richard Engstrom Award in Opera at the Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside in 2014.
Aaron Hong is an honor student from Redmond High School (RHS). He has studied piano since age four with James Chen, and has received many honors and awards in piano performance, including winning the 2016 Central Washington University Sonata/Sonatina competition at the highest level. He plays the piano in the RHS jazz band. Aaron also plays the cello in the Seattle Junior Symphony Orchestra and the RHS Chamber Orchestra. He studies cello with Kai Chen, and has won cello solo and ensemble performance awards at the Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside and the state Solo and Ensemble Festival. Aaron plays tennis and is the singles No. 1 player on the RHS varsity tennis team. In his spare time, he likes to play video games with his brother Michael.
Michael Hong attends Evergreen Middle School (EMS) in the gifted Quest program. He studies clarinet with Kimberly Fay and plays the clarinet in the Seattle Symphonette Youth Symphony. He also plays the alto saxophone in the EMS jazz band. Michael takes piano lessons with James Chen, and has won in several levels at the Central Washington University Sonata/Sonatina Festival. He likes to play piano four-hands with his elder brother Aaron. Michael plays tennis on the EMS varsity team. In his spare time, he likes to do computer coding and make video games.
Singing is an essential part of life for Diane Althaus, and sharing it with others is a joy. Diane has sung in numerous churches in the Seattle area, both in choirs and as a soloist. She organized and sang in an opera ensemble program to showcase the talents of a number of singers, including music from Simon Boccanegra, Cosi Fan Tutte, Martha, and Carmen. She and her husband, baritone Mike Dodaro, have sung duet programs of opera arias and art songs, and performed in various local venues, including Patty’s Cabaret in Pike Place Market. As part of Fat Chance Opera programs, she has sung in the Faust trio, the Madame Butterfly duet with Suzuki, and the Countess and Susanna duet from The Marriage of Figaro. Most recently Diane sang a concert of Russian and French music at the Russian Community Center in Seattle and at Stage7 in Kirkland.
Mike Dodaro has sung leading roles in regional opera productions of Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Brittan, Donizetti's Don Pasquale, Smetana's Bartered Bride, Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito, and Kurt Weill's Mahagonny. He sang for several seasons as a regular chorister at Seattle Opera. A cantor and choir singer, he has been baritone soloist in the Faure Requiem, several Bach cantatas and Handel's Messiah. He also sings art song literature in recital frequently with his wife, soprano Diane Althaus.
