Biographies

Marci Morrell
Marci Morrell has a passion for sharing her vocal talent, and although she has spent the last 6 years dedicated to raising her beautiful children and supporting the family business, she has continued to sing for her church and other churches special holiday performances.

As a soprano and mezzo soprano, Marci has performed in many operatic roles such as Mme. Lindoine in Les Dialogues des Carmelites, Countess Maritza in Countess Maritza, Rosalinda and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Mimi in La Boheme, The Mother in Hansel and Gretel, Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, and in opera scenes as the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, Sesto in Clemenza di Tito, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte, Charlotte in Werther, Orpheo in Orpheo et Euridice, Marguerite in Faust, and Regina in Regina. Her concert and oratorio works include Handel’s Messiah, Ramirez’s Misa Criolla, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Spatzen Messe and Litaniae Lauretanae, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Faure’s Requiem, to name a few, not to mention extensive concerts and collaborations here and throughout Spain.

She has won many awards including a 3 year full tuition and monthly stipend as a teacher’s assistant in The Vocal Department at the University of Washington Seattle. While there, she taught class voice to a broad student base and private voice to graduate and undergraduate students training in the area of vocal performance and choral conducting. Other awards include Woman of the Year, Performing Arts Division at BYU-Idaho; Matriculates Honor, highest honor, at the Conservatorio de Zaragoza, Spain; Sara B. Jenkins Scholarship, Seattle Opera; Luis Mariano International Competition, Spain; Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside, Seattle Civic Opera Association; and Idaho Civic Opera.

Marci graduated with a Master in Music from the University of Washington, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Washington. She holds a Singers Certificate from the Conservatorio de Zaragoza in Spain and an Associates degree from BYU-Idaho.


Erin Guinup
Soprano Erin Guinup has been teaching and performing in the Tacoma area for 10 years. Originally from Southern California, she graduated from the University of Puget Sound with degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education. She is the President of the Tahoma Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and also is a member of the Music Teachers National Association.

As a performer, she has sung a wide range of operatic and musical theatre roles including Dido in Dido and Aeneas, Sandrina in La Finta Giardiniera, Laetitia in The Old Maid and the Thief, First Harlot in Handel’s Solomon, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Mary in Savior of the World, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, and Christine in a concert performance of The Phantom of the Opera. Awards include 1st place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition, winner of the UPS Concerto/Aria Contest and a performance of Samuel Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" with the University Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with many organizations including Tacoma Opera, Northwest Repertory Singers, and the Tacoma Symphony Chorale. She has conducted the Metropolitan Community Chorus and works freelance as a musical director and soloist.

Ms. Guinup teaches private voice in Tacoma. Her students regularly receive superior ratings and have won numerous awards including the Presidential Scholar National Fine Art Award, State Solo/Ensemble, MTNA and NATS Vocal Competitions, 5th Avenue Theatre High School Musical Theatre Awards for Best Actress and Best Featured Actress and been admitted to summer programs such as the Bel Canto Northwest Vocal Institute, Oberlin Summer Vocal Academy and Oregon Bach Festival. Her students have performed in American and European opera houses, cruise ships, musical tours and coffee shops.


Angela Owen
Angela Owen delivers heartfelt performances and is known for her rich and resonant voice. Having grown up in a musical family, Angela has been singing and performing all of her life. She has performed in such musicals as The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, Hello Dolly, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, and Little Mary Sunshine. Her most recent role was Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ in The Savior of the World. She has performed extensively as a soloist in Arizona, Utah, and Washington. Angela’s vocal flexibility has allowed her to sing both in choral ensembles and as a fantastic soloist of classical, opera, jazz and show tunes.

She graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music. During her musical studies, Angela was accepted into the most elite and demanding choir, BYU Singers, at an unusually young age. During her three years with the choir they toured Italy, Ghana, Benin, Togo, and Hawaii. They also recorded 4 CD’s, one of which was nominated for a Grammy award: Eric Whitacre: The Complete A Cappella Works. Since graduating, she has performed as a soloist at the Marcato Singing Guild, with the Sonoran Desert Chorale, and for the Western ACDA Convention in Salt Lake City.

Angela now dedicates her time to her husband Ken Owen, music instructor at Pierce College, and children Thomas and Suzette. She also enjoys singing with her church choir, stake choir, and multi stake choir and teaching a few students on the side.


Jennifer Ceresa
Soprano, Jennifer Ceresa is a native of Boise, Idaho. She began singing as a young child, and held her first on-stage role at the age of five. Jennifer was heavily involved in choir and orchestra as a teenager, and eventually went on to study Music Education and Vocal Performance in Idaho and Washington. She spent several years conducting choirs, teaching piano, and voice classes at Edmonds Community College, and has been a sought after clinician at various jazz and vocal festivals in the area. At present, Jennifer successfully runs a full piano and voice studio, directs her church choir, and composes and arranges choral music.

Jennifer has sung extensively as an oratorio soloist in the Northwest, with performances of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion, Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, and Handel’s Messiah, as well as works by Stravinsky, Honneger, Faure, Poulenc, Rutter, and Dvorak, among her numerous credits. She has also sung various operatic roles, including Baby in the Ballad of Baby Doe, Laurie, in the Tender Land, Leila, in the Pearl Fishers, and Rosalinda, in Die Fledermaus.

Currently, Jennifer is Artist in Residence with the Seattle Choral Company, directed by Fred Coleman, and is scheduled to sing “Pie Jesu” for their performance of Faure’s Requiem in Benaroya Hall this spring.