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2026-2027 Season

LOVE LETTER TO NEW YORK

September 15, 2026 • 6:30 PM

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September 16, 2026 • 6:30 PM

Forest Theater, Carmel Map

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Brad Hogarth, Associate Conductor

Malinda DeRouen and Bernard Holcomb, vocals
Tammy L. Hall, piano

COSTUME CONTEST AT EACH CONCERT!
Costumes strongly encouraged. Dress as a character from one of the featured shows or a New York landmark or icon!
Prizes for kids and adults!

The Monterey Symphony presents Love Letter to New York September 15 and 16 at 6:30 PM at the outdoor Forest Theater in Carmel with Brad Hogarth, Associate Conductor, vocalists Malinda DeRouen and Bernard Holcomb, and pianist Tammy L. Hall. The concerts this year will not disappoint! Featuring music from Bernstein's On the Town, as well as music from popular films such as The Avengers and Spider-Man; soaring hits from Duke Ellington and Shirley Horn, AND SO MUCH MORE!

Leonard Bernstein
Three Dance Episodes from On the Town
i. "The Great Lover Displays Himself"
ii. "Lonely Town: Pas de Deux"
iii. "Times Square: 1944"

William Bolcom
"New York Lights" from A View from the Bridge
Bernard Holcomb, vocals

Duke Ellington / orch. Collier
"Giggling Rapids" from The River Suite

Duke Ellington / arr. Henderson, transc. Nyerges, ed. Tyzik
"New World A-Comin'"
Tammy L. Hall, piano

Duke Ellington / arr. Tyzik
"Come Sunday"
Bernard Holcomb, vocals

— intermission —

Alan Silvestri / orch. Lori
Theme from The Avengers

Danny Elfman / arr. Wasson
Music from Spider-Man

David Shire
"Manhattan Skyline" from Saturday Night Fever

Henry Mancini
"Moon River"

Bill Evans / arr. McKenzie
"Valse" (based on a theme by J.S. Bach)
Tammy L. Hall, piano

As performed by Shirley Horn. By Coates / Nero, arr. McKenzie
"Sunday in New York"
Malinda DeRouen, vocals
Tammy L. Hall, piano

Vernon Duke / arr. McKenzie
"Autumn in New York"
Malinda DeRouen, vocals

Billy Strayhorn
"Take the A Train"
Bernard Holcomb, vocals
Tammy L. Hall, piano

Isham Jones / Gus Kahn, arr. Pesavento
"It Had To Be You" from When Harry Met Sally
Malinda DeRouen, vocals
Tammy L. Hall, piano

Concert Sponsor

Tonya Antle

Concert Sponsors

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Malinda Derouen

Malinda Derouen

Malinda is thrilled and honored to celebrate another year of Love Letter with the incredible Monterey Symphony! She most recently was seen in the one-woman show Songs for Nobodies at The Western Stage and as Mama Rose in Gypsy here in Carmel at Pac Rep. Other notable shows include the title roles in Mary Poppins, Evita, and Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. She can also be seen singing jazz and soul in the local music scene as a solo artist or with the Sade tribute band, Diamond Life. Beyond the Peninsula, Malinda was a vocalist with Royal Caribbean Cruises and a cast member in San Francisco's Beach Blanket Babylon. To keep up with Malinda, visit www.malindaderouen.com

Bernard Holcomb

Bernard Holcomb

Tenor Bernard Holcomb has "already made a name for himself in the world of opera" with his "delicate and flexible" voice (OperaWire) and the "appealing sweetness and clarity [of] his tone" (The New York Times). Katy Walsh of Chicago Theater Beat said it best: "Although everyone [at Lyric Opera of Chicago] can sing, Holcomb reminds us why we come to the Lyric."

Last season, Mr. Holcomb returned to The Metropolitan Opera for both X: The Life and Times of Malcom X and Fire Shut Up in My Bones, and he joined On Site Opera to sing the Curator in Song of the Nightingale and the Narrator in their Bach pastiche Coffee Cantata. He sang Alfredo in La Traviata with Eugene Opera, workshopped the title role in The Pigeon Keeper with Santa Fe Opera, performed as Beadle Bamford in Pacific Symphony's Sweeney Todd produced by UIA Presents, and joined Central City Opera to perform as Henry Davis in Street Scene. He also made his network television début on the 25th season of Law and Order: SVU. This season, he returns to the Met to sing the Fourth Jew in Salome and to Eugene Opera to sing the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto. He also joins Opera Parallele in the title role of The Pigeon Keeper.

Recently, Mr. Holcomb made his Metropolitan Opera début in Terence Blanchard and Michael Cristofer's Champion, his house début at Opera Omaha in X: the Life and Times of Malcolm X, and he joined Central City Opera as Iago in Rossini's Otello. In addition, Holcomb performed with On Site Opera as Harlekin in Der Kaiser von Atlantis and took part in the workshop for The Pigeon Keeper, a new commission from Santa Fe Opera. In concert, he sang Elijah with Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Adolphus Hailstork's A Knee on the Neck with New York Choral Society, a holiday concert with the Cincinnati Pops under the baton of Mo. John Morris Russel, Jacksonville Symphony's concert Lush Life: Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, as well as Damien Geter's An African American Requiem with Fort Worth Opera, after having appeared in its world premiere in the 21-22 season.

Previously, Mr. Holcomb joined Opera Carolina for Douglas Tappin's opera I Dream and made his début with Portland Opera, reprising the role of Kevin Richardson in Central Park Five following the world premiere with Long Beach Opera. He also returned to the Dallas Symphony as a soloist in Lush Life: Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Detroit Opera for their production of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, and Lakes Area Music Festival as the Tanzmeister in Ariadne auf Naxos. In concert, Mr. Holcomb performed Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with St. John the Divine, Bach's Magnificat and Mozart's Mass in C Minor with Musica Sacra, and Damien Geter's An African American Requiem in its world premiere with both the Resonance Ensemble and the Oregon Symphony. He also toured Europe with the Harlem Gospel Choir and joined the New York Choral Society for their concert Love in Action. Holcomb also reprised his performance of Dancing in the Street: The Music of Motown for the Dallas Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and Greensboro Symphony.
Recent milestones include Captain Leadbetter in the world premiere of Emerson Eads and Dave Hunsaker's Princess Sophia with Project Orpheus, his long-awaited Carnegie Hall début, his title role début in Rossini's Otello, and his début at the Dresden Semperoper in Porgy and Bess. Other recent engagements include Rigoletto with Seattle Opera, Porgy and Bess in Italy with New York Harlem Productions, the role of Lechmere in Owen Wingrave with Little Opera Theater of NY, a soloist in Gershwin's Blue Monday with On Site Opera, a soloist in Lush Life: Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with Austin Symphony and The Florida Orchestra, and the role of Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess with Harrisburg Symphony. Mr. Holcomb performed with Sphinx Connect, as a soloist in Christian De Gré Cárdenas' Twisted Operettas at Joe's Pub, Poul Ruders' The Thirteenth Child with Santa Fe Opera at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, BMP: Next Generation with Beth Morrison Projects, Chicago Opera Theater as Tristan in Frank Martin's Le vin herbé, and he was featured as a soloist with Renée Fleming and Sir Patrick Stewart in Second City's Guide to the Opera.

New York theater credits include Thomas (lead) in Whiskey Pants: The Mayor of Williamsburg Off-Broadway and Tom Collins in Rent. He also performed as Sportin' Life in the international tour of Porgy and Bess and in productions of Company and Sweeney Todd.

An alumnus of the Lyric Opera of Chicago's Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Bernard performed such roles as Ernesto in Don Pasquale and Rodolfo in La bohème. During his Lyric tenure, Mr. Holcomb appeared in main stage performances of Elektra, Simon Boccanegra, Don Pasquale, and Les contes d'Hoffmann, and he covered major roles in Werther, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and Rigoletto. As part of the Young Artist program at Sarasota Opera, Bernard appeared in main stage performances of Pagliacci, The Crucible, L'amico Fritz, and I Lombardi. At the end of the program, he was awarded with the Anne O'Donnell Award, given to an outstanding apprentice.

Other notable engagements include Paolino in Cimarosa's Il matrimonio segreto and Alfredo in La Traviata with Pine Mountain Music Festival; the Crabman in Porgy and Bess, which led to an international tour through Russia, Poland, Greece, Latvia, Estonia, and Germany; and Gastone in La Traviata with Detroit Opera. Bernard also appeared on several themed song recitals as part of a collaboration between Lyric Opera of Chicago and Chicago's WFMT 98.7.

Mr. Holcomb has displayed tremendous musicianship and poise on concert and recital stages. These credits include a concert performance of La bohème with Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Holiday Pops Concerts with the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra, a concert performance of Die Zauberflöte with The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Augustus Hill's Exegesis with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with Macon Symphony Orchestra and the Illinois Philharmonic, and Mozart's Requiem with the DeKalb Festival Chorus.

A winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Michigan District), the Detroit native currently residing in NYC has earned a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music

Tammy L. Hall

Tammy L. Hall

Grammy award winning pianist, composer, arranger, lecturer and musical director Tammy L. Hall began playing the piano at age 4 and is still devoted to that instrument, Music and its calling. After attending Mills College (Oakland, CA), Hall's career now spans more than four decades, with no end in sight. In pursuit of the creation and development and performance of Good Music, Tammy has worked with and accompanied numerous vocalists and instrumentalists, including: Etta Jones, Ernestine Anderson, Melba Moore, Darlene Love, Linda Tillery, Holly Near, Alive!, Barbara Dane, Loretta Devine, Kim Nalley, Ph.D., Tiffany Austin, Renée Wilson, Queen Esther Marrow, Rhiannon, Mary Wilson, Denise Perrier, and the vocal trio of Brown, Sturgis & Brown; saxophonists Houston Person and David "Fathead" Newman, Noah Howard, Kristen Strom, Tia Fuller, James Carter; guitarists Greg Skaff and Mimi Fox, Grammy award winning violinists Regina Carter, Laurie Anderson and Mads Tolling, "Harpist from the Hood" Destiny Muhammad, NEA Jazz Master and three-time Grammy award winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, Drummer/Bandleader Allison Miller and Bassist/ Bandleader Marcus Shelby, three-time Grammy award winning Bassist Ruth Davies and Dr. Angela Davis and most recently has begun a new collaboration with the sublime classical vocalist, Leberta Lorál.

In 2022, the Monterey Jazz Festival celebrated its 65th anniversary and for the first time in its history, presented a set devoted to Spiritual and Gospel music. Tammy directed (and conducted) the Morgan State and Texas Southern University Gospel Choirs, along with Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area artists Brown, Sturgis & Brown, Valerie Joi Fiddmont and Leberta Lorál. In 2021, Tammy was part of a team of musicians and songwriters in collaboration with Indian vocalist and composer, Falu Shah and their effort resulted in a Grammy™ win for Best Children's Music Album: A Colorful World. 2021 was also the start of a current work in progress: Convergence, the story of an imagined meeting between musical giants Mary Lou Williams, Dorothy Donegan, Hazel Scott and Nina Simone, as well as an inaugural Artist-In-Residence honor conferred by the Healdsburg Jazz Festival and Marcus Shelby, Artistic Director. In early August of 2020, Tammy worked with the late Maestro Michael Morgan on his collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra on the podcast San Francisco Symphony Currents-Bay Area Blue Notes: Jazz As A State Of Mind.

In 2019, Tammy was one of recipients of the Human Right's Commission's inaugural Pleasant-Leidesdorff Community Stalwart awards for her work in the community. In 2017, the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle awarded Tammy the honor of Best Musical Direction for Blues Is A Woman, written by Pamela Rose. Other theatrical productions include Sister Act, produced by Theatre Rhinoceros (2017), Ella Fitzgerald: An American Story (Kim Nalley/Cinnabar Theater 2010); Bessie, Dinah and Denise (Denise Perrier 2005-2018), Black Odyssey (2017-Marcus Gardley/Linda Tillery- music director/Cal Shakes) and many other collaborative projects. Other highlights and venues of note include Carnegie Hall, Jazz At Lincoln Center, Sala Filarmonica (Trento, Italy), North Sea Jazz Festival, San Miguel De Allende Jazz Festival, Braine-Alleud (Jazz On The Farm), Brussels Jazz Club, Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival at Kennedy Center; performances in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uruguay and Japan.

Upcoming

APPALACHIAN SPRING + ALEXI KENNEY

APPALACHIAN SPRING + ALEXI KENNEY

Oct 17 & 18, 2026

SLAVONIC DANCES + TWO PIANOS

SLAVONIC DANCES + TWO PIANOS

Nov 21 & 22, 2026

TCHAIKOVSKY 5

Feb 20 & 21, 2027

BRAHMS: THE SYMPHONIES

BRAHMS: THE SYMPHONIES

March 20 & 21, 2027

BISS PLAYS BEETHOVEN

BISS PLAYS BEETHOVEN

April 17 & 18, 2027

MAHLER'S RESURRECTION

MAHLER'S RESURRECTION

May 22 & 23, 2027

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