Start: November 13, 2025 5:30 p.m.
End: November 13, 2025 7 p.m.
Location: Sursa Performance Hall
About
Current faculty members Mei Zhong (voice) and James Helton (piano) will perform with Professor Emerita of Voice Meryl Mantione and guest artists Loralee Songer, mezzo-soprano, Nathan Anton, bass-baritone, and Qihao Zhang, piano.
Dr. Mei Zhong, soprano, currently serves on faculty at Ball State University as Professor of Voice. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Master of Fine Arts in Vocal Performance and Practices from the University of California at Los Angeles, Bachelor of Arts in Piano Performance from Hunan Teachers’ University, and a Vocal Performance diploma for advanced study from Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Previously, Dr. Zhong taught at Idaho State University and Hunan Teachers’ University. She has served as Lecture Professor, Honorary Professor, and Guest Professor in many universities in China since 1999. Dr. Zhong is a member of the Committee on International Initiatives of the College Music Society.
James Caton Helton maintains an active schedule as a soloist, a collaborative performer and as an adjudicator and teacher of master classes. He has performed throughout most of the United States and in the Czech Republic, Spain, and Thailand. He has had the pleasure of working with Pulitzer Prize winning composers George Crumb, William Bolcom, Lucas Foss and Joseph Schwantner in concerts broadcast over public radio and television.
Meryl Mantione (lyric mezzo-soprano), Professor Emerita of Voice, came to Ball State University in 2006 and retired in 2021. Dr. Mantione served as Director of the School of Music from 2006-2010.
Dr. Loralee Songer, mezzo-soprano, is an active recitalist, opera and oratorio performer, and conductor. A champion of art song, Loralee’s recital work has led to working with some of today’s most prolific coaches and composers, including Jake Heggie, John Musto, Libby Larsen, William Bolcom, Margo Garrett, Graham Johnson, and Martin Katz. In 2014, Loralee was a vocal fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, and she made her Carnegie Hall recital debut in 2019.
Program
Presenting works of Beach, Bizet, Brahms, Faure, Gordan, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Offenbach, Puccini, and Tosti.
Free Admission
This recital is free and open to the public.
Parking
Parking is available in the McKinley Parking Garage (entrance on Ashland Avenue) located immediately south of Sursa Hall. Metered parking is available on the first floor of the garage until 7 p.m. at which time parking is free.