Olivia Donnel, Creative Assistant and Connoisseur Series Project Director is a professional opera singer and budding arts administrator with a love of performing and a passion for making the performing arts accessible to her community. She aims to bring exceptional music to all audiences through educational and inspiring performances. Olivia performed with the DCC as a Gordon Nelson Scholar (21’-23’) and currently serves as the Creative Assistant for the choir. She is excited to expand her administrative responsibilities and act as the Program Director of the Connoisseur Series.
Olivia holds a bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and a master's degree in vocal performance from Oakland University. Some of her favorite performed roles include Fiordiligi from Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Chrysothemis from Strauss’ Elektra, Inez from Verdi’s Il trovatore, Dido from Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, and Galatea from Handel’s Acis & Galatea. Olivia has performed as a young artist for the Dramatic Voices Program of Berlin and the Southern Illinois Music Festival, and in 2020 was awarded an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council district auditions. She is regularly featured as a choral soloist in ensembles across the metro Detroit area and serves as a section leader for the First Presbyterian Church of Royal Oak. When not performing, Olivia can be found teaching at the Rochester Conservatory of Music.
Olivia Donnel, Creative Assistant
Volunteers
Olivia Donnel
Creative Assistant & Coordinator
Olivia assists with many creative aspects of the DCC, including design work, audition scheduling, and promotions. She is developing a DCC young leader council and a 2023-2024 opera artist series. Olivia is a church musician and voice instructor who received her Master of Music in Voice Performance at Oakland University. Olivia was the 2019 Stars of Altgeld Concerto Competition winner and received an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council district auditions in 2020. She would like to go into opera performance and arts administration.
Dawn Surma
Website and Technology Coordinator
Dawn volunteers her expertise with all technology aspects of the choir, providing training, consulting, and design work. She joined DCC in 1999 as a soprano and developed our website, which she still manages today. Dawn is the Information Technology Technician at Harbor Oaks Hospital and an IT/Marketing Manager at Stonescape Supply. Dawn has a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Music from Oakland University.
Bob Weig
Concert Logistics Coordinator
Bob Weig leads the concert set-up team and transports and stores the choir's risers and production equipment. He joins the staff in assessing potential concert venues that accommodate our choir and audience needs. Bob joined DCC in 1988 and sings in the tenor section. Bob is a software engineer. He has many years of experience in DCC concert logistics.
Watch a video from "Grant us Peace: Music to heal the world."
Watch and enjoy "The Parting Glass" sung by the Detroit Concert Choir - March 2022. Directed by Michael A. Mitchell, Artistic Director. Presented In loving memory of Russell Yamazaki (1942-2022).
Thank you to our DCC@ Ford House Annual Auction Gala sponsors!
Thank you to all who made our 2023 Gala such a success! The setting was perfect and fun was had by all. Special thanks to our Event Sponsors.
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