Soprello, a musical collaboration between soprano Allison Pohl and cellist Alistair MacRae, explores the connections between vibrating strings and the human voice. In the interaction between these instruments, it aims to engage audiences with music new and old, both specific to its instrumentation and inventively repurposed. Building on live and radio performances in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington, and Ontario, Allison and Alistair have worked to create a new repertoire for their combination, spanning over 300 years of musical history. In addition to its own arrangements and compositions, Soprello has given premiere performances of new works by Stephen Gerber, David Dzubay, and Rick Sowash.
Allison Pohl has performed widely in the United States as well as in Italy and China, drawing positive reviews for her “sparkling voice” (outerstage.com) and “exuberant” performances (Opera News). Of her performance in L'elisir d'amore at Virginia Opera, The Washington Post wrote: “Allison Pohl stood out with a ripe, flavorful soprano and ample character". Allison is a 2016 Seattle Opera Guild career grant winner. This season, she performs Blanche in Dialogues des Carmelites at Vashon Opera and Tatyana in Eugene Onegin at Tacoma Opera. Her recent performances include Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel at Opera in the Heights, Yum-Yum in The Mikado at Opera Providence, Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore at New Rochelle Opera, and concerts with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and Richmond County Orchestra. Roles performed include Nannetta in Falstaff, Norina in Don Pasquale, Rosina in The Barber of Seville, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Adele in Die Fledermaus, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni. Allison holds degrees from Boston University and SUNY Purchase.
Alistair MacRae has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral principal throughout North America and in Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. His playing has been praised for its "rich sound and lyrical phrasing" (Palm Beach Daily News) and his performances have been featured in radio broadcasts across the United States. Alistair is the Cordelia Wikarski-Miedel Artist in Residence at the University of Puget Sound and the cellist of the Puget Sound Piano Trio. He is Principal Cello of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra and also a member of the Artist Faculty at the Brevard Music Center. A passionate advocate for new music, Mr. MacRae has commissioned and premiered new works for both solo cello and chamber ensembles, collaborating closely with composers and giving premiere performances of 21st-century pieces at Princeton, Yale, Columbia, and Harvard Universities. His eclectic collaborations have found him on stage with Paul Taylor Dance Company, the Westminster Choir, tap dancer Savion Glover, jazz bassist Ben Wolfe, the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, and the rock band The Scorpions.
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