College of Charleston Voice Faculty Take the Stage
The Department of Music starts the spring season off with a concert showcasing its very own voice faculty!
UPDATE: The 2nd Monday Series has been postponed to the 2026 fall semester.
The College of Charleston Department of Music is starting off the spring season with a 2nd Monday Series concert at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in the Simons Center Recital Hall. And this time the spotlight’s on College of Charleston voice faculty!
Accompanied by faculty pianist Lorna Barker, the concert will showcase sopranos Saundra DeAthos, Amanda Castellone and Rebecca Krynski Cox; tenor Harold Meers; and baritone David Templeton.
Come watch College of Charleston’s own shine in this program that will blend the contemporary and traditional, offering art songs, operatic works and modern compositions that reflect the musical strengths of each.
About the Performers
Adjunct piano faculty member Lorna Barker has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra for over 20 years, as well as the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, the North Charleston Pops Orchestra and the Broadway touring companies of Wicked and The Book of Mormon. She also has taught private and collegiate piano for over 40 years.
Adjunct piano faculty member Lorna Barker has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra for over 20 years, as well as the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, the North Charleston Pops Orchestra and the Broadway touring companies of Wicked and The Book of Mormon. She also has taught private and collegiate piano for over 40 years.
Amanda Castellone serves as assistant chair of the Department of Music, an instructor of music and the assistant director of opera. An active recitalist and opera performer, she has appeared with Charleston Opera Theater, the Charleston Concert Band, the Charleston Symphony and the North Charleston Pops Orchestra.
Adjunct music faculty member Becky Cox has performed in major opera houses across North America and Europe and was hailed by The New York Times as a “vibrant soprano … with a secure, appealing sound and eye-opening volume.” She has received the Shoshana Foundation’s Richard F. Gold Career Grant and is an alumna of programs with the Metropolitan Opera roster, Santa Fe Opera and Minnesota Opera.
Saundra DeAthos, associate professor of voice/opera, director of opera and soon-chair of the music department, has graced the stages of opera companies across the United States and was featured in Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Charleston Symphony and Chorus for a performance telecast on PBS. She performs regularly with symphony orchestras.
Adjunct music faculty member Harold Meers is the founder and executive artistic director of Charleston Opera Theater. He has debuted with Opera Theatre of St. Louis and earned critical praise at major North American houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera and Los Angeles Opera.
David Templeton, associate professor of voice, has garnered critical and popular praise, with OPERA Magazine noting his “strong voice and a convincing air of authority.” He has appeared with Opera de Puerto Rico, Edmonton Opera and Manitoba Opera and has performed principal baritone roles with major companies, including Nevada Opera, Sarasota Opera and Opera Columbus.
Get Tickets
Tickets range from $9 to $26, including discounts for CofC students and employees. Tickets may be purchased online through the George Street Box Office, at the door, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 843.953.4726.
ABOUT THE 2nd MONDAY SERIES
From jazz to opera to chamber music, the College of Charleston Department of Music’s 2nd Monday Series showcases performances by its distinguished faculty-artists and special guests on the second Monday of each month throughout the academic season.
