Vermonter Sally Olson will appear in concert on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 7:00pm at Grace Congregational Church in Rutland, VT. Presented by Bill Reed Voice Studio & Grace Congregational UCC and benefiting Project Vision, with Bill Reed as accompanist, the show will include signature covers and hits by the Carpenters, such as “We’ve Only Just Begun”, “(They Long To Be) Close To You”, “Rainy Days And Mondays”, “Superstar” and more. Sally also offers commentary on the history behind the Carpenters’ music, as well as Karen Carpenter’s rise to fame and her sudden and tragic death at the age of thirty-two, due to complications of anorexia nervosa. A Song For You, part one of the Carpenters Tribute Concert, debuted in January 2015 and was conceived by Bill Reed (musical director & piano) and Sally Olson (artistic director & vocals). Sally Olson, who has been lauded by Dennis Delaney, Vermont Public Radio Commentator and former Republican State Senator, as “absolutely delightful,” is a native of Rutland and currently resides in South Burlington. Sally is a singer, actress and artist. She has been told that her voice, appearance and stage-presence bear an uncanny resemblance to that of Karen Carpenter. Sally has a strong affinity for the music of the Carpenters and relates to Karen and her soulful voice quality and sincerity. Sally is deeply honored to be able to pay tribute to the Carpenters with her singing. Through her tribute concert, Sally desires to honor Richard Carpenter's musical genius and Karen Carpenter, one of the greatest female singers of all time. Sally is unsurpassed in her uncanny representation of Karen Carpenter. Her stunning vocals combined with state of the art video projection, vintage costumes, historical commentary and lovely arrangements, will take the audience on an incredible journey that is the world of the Carpenters. Sally has studied voice with Bill Reed since 2009 and is the managing director at Bill Reed Voice Studio. She is a graduate of Rutland High School and Middlebury College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Studio Art and French. Sally also attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Florence Academy of Art in Italy and the acclaimed Circle in the Square Theatre School in NYC. She has been acting and singing since childhood and can be seen in local/regional commercials, film, theatre, and cabaret performances. Sally starred in the commercial
“Emily’s Bridge” for Heritage Automotive Group, written and produced by Mt. Mansfield Media, which was awarded “Television Agency Produced Most Creative Commercial” of 2011. Bill Reed has dedicated his professional life to guiding singers in their quest to realize their potential as performing artists. Bill was born into a show business family, the son of Vernon Reed of the Buffalo Bills (the acclaimed barbershop quartet). He began his vocal music education at the University of Wisconsin (Madison), where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree. (Bill is a proud member of the Badger Ice Hockey Hall of Fame). He completed his studies at Columbia University, where he earned a doctorate in vocal music education. After a busy and rewarding career as a college choral director, studio voice teacher and concert singer, Bill established a private voice studio in New York City near Lincoln Center, and began his twenty-five year career as singing teacher at the renowned Circle in the Square Theatre School. For over thirty years, he was privileged to work with singers from all over the world, whose specialties ranged from opera to pop and rock, and Broadway to folk and country. He has consulted on a number of Hollywood movies and commercial recordings, and his students have performed at the Metropolitan Opera, City Opera, many European opera houses, and in hundreds of Broadway shows and national tours. Bill’s students have won Oscar Hammerstein, MAC, Drama Desk, Emmy and Tony awards. In Vermont, Bill’s adult students have had leading roles in numerous local community and professional musical theater productions. His college and school-aged students have performed extensively in school productions and have gone on to study singing and musical theater at many of the most prestigious colleges, universities, and conservatories in the country. A number of Bill’s Vermont students are working professionals and have recently performed in leading roles at the New York City Opera and on Broadway. Bill is in demand nationally as a clinician, and has been invited to give workshops at many colleges, universities, and meetings of professional organizations.
Admission: $10 suggested donation. For more information, please contact Diane Chartrand, Interim Minister of Music at Grace Congregational Church: [email protected]; 802-775-4301; www.gracechurchvt.org/music.php OR Sally Olson, Managing Director at Bill Reed Voice Studio: [email protected].