Enriching our communities by promoting
The Erwin H. Johnson
Memorial Fund, Inc. for Opera
and supporting Opera from WNY to Toronto
2026 Season
Celebrate World Opera Day 2026
Our Fall Celebrate World Opera Day Concert
Sunday, October 25th, 3:00 PM
Ciminelli Recital Hall, Rockwell Hall, SUNY Buffalo State
1300 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY
Come join the celebration as EHJ and SUNY Buffalo State University present their World Opera Day Concert. An exceptional program is in store, featuring masterworks by Mozart, Puccini, Bach, Handel and more. Beautifully sung arias and duets from Don Giovanni, Madama Butterfly,
The Merry Widow, Marriage of Figaro, and more await!
Featuring
Dr. Holly Bewlay, soprano
Ky VerHoef, baritone
Katie Weissman, cello
Karen Schmid, piano
EHJ's Scholarship Winners, Brooke Hunter, soprano and Kirsten Groats, mezzo-soprano,
will also perform.
General Admission $20; Seniors (65+) $16; Students $10
Meet Our Performers
Dr. Holly Bewlay, soprano
Korean American soprano Dr. Ho Eui Holly Bewlay has appeared as a soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic, New Haven Symphony, Hartford Symphony, Opera Rochester, and the Assisi Festival Orchestra in Italy.
Her operatic roles include Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly),
Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), Despina (Così fan tutte), and Laetitia (The Old Maid and the Thief). She has performed major works as a soloist such as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Bach’s B Minor Mass, and Handel’s Messiah.
A frequent recitalist in the U.S., Italy, and South Korea, Dr. Bewlay is Professor of Music at Buffalo State University, where she leads the voice program.
Ky VerHoef, baritone
Ky VerHoef is a Buffalo based baritone. Praised for his "light and lyric" tone, Ky has appeared as a soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Buffalo Chamber Players, Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, Amherst Symphony Orchestra, and most recently appeared as Young Turgenev in Buffalo Opera Unlimited's production of Notes on Viardo. Notable solo credits include Fauré's Requiem, Durufle's Requiem, Haydn's Requiem, Beethoven's Mass in C, Dan Forest's Requiem and, most notably, premiering Lee Hoiby's Whitman Symphony
with the BPC and BPO Chamber players.
Katie Weissman, cello
Katie Weissman began playing the cello at the age of three at Buffalo Suzuki Strings after seeing Yo-Yo Ma appear on Sesame Street and holds a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from Boston University. When at home in Buffalo, Katie is a cellist and vocalist in art song band Little cake and the contemporary music ensemble Wooden Cities, and is a substitute for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Shea’s Performing Arts Center. She also plays with the composition think-tank Evolution of the Arm, free jazz group Root Cellar, folk-rock band TEOA, and various other chamber music outfits in
the Western New York area.
She has toured at home and abroad and has lent her playing to many recording projects in the studio, including multiple albums and stage performances by Buffalo's own Goo Goo Dolls. She teaches privately in her own studio and currently lives in Williamsville with her dogs, rabbits,
and birds.
Karen Swietlik-Schmid, piano
Pianist Karen Swietlik-Schmid performs nationally and internationally on the modern piano, and on her specialty, the early piano, or fortepiano.
Her performances include fortepiano recitals at Buffalo State University, Canisius University, SUNY at Buffalo, Friends of Vienna, the Boston Early Music Festival, the deYoung Museum Series in San Francisco, and the Early Keyboard Series in Los Angeles, where she has been a frequent guest artist. She has performed numerous solo and chamber/ vocal recitals on the modern piano for many years. Karen holds a B.M. in Piano from Oberlin Conservatory, and a M.M. in Piano from The Juilliard School.
Formerly on the faculty at Buffalo State University as vocal coach , accompanist, and class piano instructor, and Canisius University, she now focuses on her private piano studio, and performing. She is active in Wednesday Morning Musicale, Music Forum for Piano Teachers of Western New York, and Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity, alumnae chapter.
Our Scholarship Winners
Kirsten Groats, mezzo-soprano
Kirsten Groats is a music education student at Buffalo State University. After graduating with an associate’s degree from a small community college in Binghamton, NY, they transferred to Buffalo State to further their studies, particularly in vocal teaching. They have competed in NATS Eastern Region and National, as well as performed as a ward in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. Kirsten is incredibly grateful for the opportunity this scholarship has granted them and is eager to continue their education under Dr. Ho Eui Holly Bewlay.
Brooke Hunter, soprano
Brooke is so beyond grateful and honored to be one of the recipients of the 2026 EHJ Opera Scholarship. Brooke is a sophomore at Buffalo State University in the process of obtaining a bachelor's degree in Music Education with a vocal concentration. Brooke currently studies under Dr. Mario Martinez and has performed various works by renowned composers such as Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, and more! Recently, Brooke was given the opportunity to compete in the auditions for the National Association of Teachers of Singing, placing 1st locally, and 3rd regionally in her respective categories. Though Brooke is new to the art form, she looks forward to continuing her education and expanding her knowledge on the genre.
