There are some Highlands traditions that feel less like dates on a calendar and more like homecomings. Bel Canto is one of them.
On Sunday, September 13, the 34th annual Bel Canto Recital returns to the Highlands Performing Arts Center at 4:00 P.M., bringing with it the soaring voices, gracious spirit, and joyful generosity that have made this afternoon a beloved part of life on the Plateau.
Founded in 1993 as a benefit for The Bascom, Bel Canto has grown into something even broader and more meaningful. Its support now reaches The Bascom, music programs at Highlands School, and local preschools, helping ensure that the arts continue to flourish for residents of every age. Through the generosity of patrons and benefactors, Bel Canto has contributed just under $1 million to the Highlands community over the past 16 years.
This year’s recital carries a special sense of continuity, as the 2026 program welcomes back the same extraordinary artists who delighted audiences in 2025.
Together, they offer a program that promises the best of Bel Canto: beloved operatic arias, treasured songs from Broadway, and the kind of musical storytelling that feels both grand and warmly personal.
Soprano Ashley Milanese brings a radiant lyric voice praised for its velvet tone and heart‑stopping delicacy. A graduate of The Juilliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, she has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, Sarasota Opera, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, among many others around the globe, offering a musical presence as luminous as it is refined.
Mezzo‑soprano Abi Levis adds brilliance, warmth, and fearless artistry to the ensemble. Her performances have taken her from Berlin to Toronto, from Opera Philadelphia to the Mirror Visions Ensemble, and her training at Eastman, Houston, and Bard reflects the depth and intelligence she brings to every phrase.
Tenor Christopher Bozeka, admired for his beautiful, piercing tone, brings a bright and expressive sound that has carried him to stages from New York to Houston, including a Metropolitan Opera debut. He is just now returning from a leading role in the national touring company of The Phantom of the Opera.
Baritone Brian James Myer offers richly detailed characterization and a delightfully resonant voice, with recent work spanning Opera Southwest, Opera Las Vegas, Brooklyn Art Song Society, and leading roles nationwide.
Bass Matthew Anchel completes the 2026 roster, adding depth and resonance to a lineup already rich with color and character. He has been a noted performer at the Metropolitan Opera for over a decade.
At the center of it all is Dr. Stephen Dubberly, Bel Canto’s longtime guiding maestro, whose musical leadership has become inseparable from the heart of the recital itself. His steady hand and generous artistry help shape an afternoon that is elegant without being distant and impressive without ever losing its warmth.
Following the performance, guests will gather with the artists for a gala dinner at Highlands Country Club, a fitting finale to an afternoon devoted not only to music, but to community.
Bel Canto reminds us that beauty can echo far beyond the stage, reaching classrooms, galleries, young musicians, and neighbors throughout Highlands.
For information about the recital series, please call The Bascom at (828) 526‑4949.
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