Tap dancer Yuka Kameda is thrilled to be making her One World Symphony debut. Yuka began tapping at the age of 10 in her native city of Osaka, Japan. In 2003, she saw the film, TAP and the musical, Bring in Da Noise Bring in Da Funk, which introduced her to her passion, Rhythm Tap. She joined the funk tap dance company, “Beis Crew,” in 2004 and performed throughout Japan. In 2005, Yuka moved to New York City, where she has furthered her tap career by performing at Lincoln Center, Joe’s Pub, Symphony Space, Aaron Davis Hall, The Knitting Factory among other venues. Yuka is also a member of Mable Lee’s Dancing Ladies and has performed in the New York Tap Extravaganza and the New York City Tap Festival. Yuka performs every Monday night at the world famous Cotton Club as a part of Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards’ “Sophisticated Ladies”.

Making her debut with One World Symphony, Kara Klenk is a stand up comic, writer, improviser and actor based in New York City. Recently named by Time Out New York as one of the Top 10 Funniest Women in NYC, Kara has appeared on Comedy Central, TruTV, Oxygen, SpikeTV, Nickelodeon, Hallmark Channel, Food Network, TVGuide Network, Current TV, Biography, HLN, Comedy Central's Atom.com, CollegeHumor.com, AdultSwim.com, and MTV.com. She has contributed writing to Broad City, Girl Code, and TVLand's Younger.

Sharon Cheng made her US professional debut with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in 2009. Recently starred in two sold-out performances of Lucia di Lammermoor for Baltimore Concert Opera, she also successfully portrayed a wide variety of operatic roles, including La Musica, Proserpina (L’Orfeo), Atalanta (Serse), Alcina, Konstanze, Madame Goldentrill, Miss Silverpeal, Servilia, Königin der Nacht, Rosina, Adina, Gilda, Olympia, Gretel, Sandman, Dew Fairy, La Fée and Lucy (The Telephone), and was raved for her “comic talent and dazzling high notes” (Taminophile, 2011). Her “buoyant and lustrous soprano voice” (Opera Pulse, 2012) has brought her first prizes at the Liszt International Competition, NTD International Vocal Competition, Civic Morning Musicals Vocal Competition, Taiwan National Theater Concert Hall Young Star Audition, Chimei Arts Award, among others. She has given several collaborative recitals on various programs throughout Asia, America and Europe. Her latest CD album of Liszt songs is released by Blue Griffin Recording. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Pennsylvania State University, a Master’s degree in Music Performance from Syracuse University, and an Artist Diploma from Queens College, CUNY. She made her debut with One World Symphony in Spring Break in March and most recently as Jane Margolis in Sung Jin Hong's critically-acclaimed Breaking Bad - Ozymandias.

Laura Farmer, soprano, is delighted to be performing with One World Symphony again. Most recently she performed as Adele in the its sold-out Operasodes opener New Girls, Cleopatra from Giulio Cesare in One World Symphony’s Baroque[n] Hearts program. Also with One World, she has performed as Giulietta in Shakespeare Scandals, Lulu in Return of Mad Women, Solveig in Peer Gynt, Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos, Cleopatra in Gulio Cesare, and Frasquita in Carmen. She has sung a wide range of roles including Norina (Don Pasquale), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Josephine (HMS Pinafore), Monica (The Medium), Gretel (Hansel & Gretel), Yum Yum (Mikado), and Despina (Così fan Tutte) with companies including Des Moines Metro Opera, Natchez Music Festival, Tulsa Opera, and Liederkranz Opera. Internationally, Ms. Farmer performed Giulietta (I Capuleti ed I Montecchi) in a tour of the Czech Republic and Giulia (La Scala di Seta) in Teatro di Pacini (Tuscany). Ms. Farmer was also a finalist in the National Opera Association competition. Following graduation from Yale University, Ms. Farmer appeared as a jazz vocalist with Whim’n Rhythm in a nine-country tour of the Far East; the group was featured at the U.S. Embassy in Thailand and Club Med Bali, as well as on Korean national television and radio.

Making her debut with One World Symphony, soprano Kathryn Papa has been praised for her warm sound and sparkling timbre, as well as her magnetic stage presence. She has been performing in regional and professional theaters since a young age, notably performing lead roles at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she received her Bachelors degree. Kathryn recently completed her Masters degree at Mannes College: The New School for music. Ms. Papa has been a Young Artist with Songfest, as well as with CCM Spoleto and was most recently seen at Opera in the Ozarks as Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Cinderella in Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. An avid recitalist, Ms. Papa has sung recitals in California, Cincinnati and New York, most recently in the DiMenna Center for Classical Music. She recently made her debut with One World Symphony as Contessa Almaviva in its sold-out Operasodes opener: New Girls.

Monday, December 22, 2014
Holy Apostles Church
296 Ninth Avenue at West 28th Street
Manhattan

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