American Showcase Soloists
Peter J. Fiegel (trumpet), a native of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, is a music education major at The University of Hartford’s Hartt School, where he studies trumpet with Phil Snedecor. As a member of the Hartt trumpet studio, he has performed with the Hartt School’s Symphony Band, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and Foot in the Door ensemble. Peter is also a member of Hartt’s guitar studio where he studies classical guitar with the legendary Christopher Ladd, and makes frequent appearances in Hartt’s Evening With Guitar concert series.
During the summer season, Peter performs regularly with the Stockbridge Sinfonia and the Eagles Community Band. He also teaches music during the summer months at St. Agnes Academy.
Active in sacred music performance and ministry, Peter serves as co-director of the Choristers at the University of Hartford’s Catholic Center and performs regularly for liturgical services in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. Prior to his studies at Hartt, Peter studied trumpet with Paul Sundberg at the Berkshire Music School and performed with the Southern Vermont Sinfonia.
Peter has participated in the world premieres of several contemporary works, including Dreams of Distant Sundays by John “Rusty” Koenig, Berkshire Triptych by Alice Spatz, And music echoes eternal tones by Joseph Turrin, and Pictures of A Sunset by Ethan Perez. He has also participated in recording projects for the Advancement of Secondary and Primary Instrumental Repertoire Excellence (ASPIRE) Consortium, commissioned by Glen Adsit and managed by Dr. Koenig.
Robin Steitz (soprano) is a Burmese-American soprano based in the Berkshires, Massachusetts, recognized for her versatility across opera, chamber music, and contemporary repertoire. Recent highlights include the roles of Cunegonde in Candide with Northern Lights Music Festival, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro with OperaDelaware, and Giulia in Rossini's La scala di seta with Opera Southwest. Engagements this season include a reprisal of the role of Madame Herz in Mozart's The Impresario with Opera Baltimore, Zerlina in Don Giovanni with OperaDelaware, and an art song recital with Concerts in the Village alongside pianist Bob Logan in Kinderhook, NY. A committed advocate for new music, she has premiered works by composers including Matthew Ricketts, Reena Esmail, and Michael Gandolfi, and recently toured Norway premiering John Andrew Wilhite's Bristol Silence with vocalist Sofia Jernberg and contemporary jazz ensemble. A Tanglewood Voice Fellow in 2018 and 2019, she holds an MM from the Eastman School of Music and a BA in Linguistics from Reed College.
Alec Hicks is a classically trained tenor and Music Director at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Albany, New York. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from The College of Saint Rose and performs regularly throughout the Capital Region and the Berkshires.
Alec has sung with the Excelsior Vocal Ensemble since its founding in 2024 and is frequently featured as a soloist. Recent appearances include the role of the Sailor in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, a countertenor soloist in Blow’s Ode on the Death of Mr. Henry Purcell, and the role of Peter in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Berkshire Lyric. He has also appeared in the chorus at Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood.
A longtime participant in Concerts in the Village in Kinderhook, New York, Alec has appeared as a featured tenor soloist and in the trio for Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. A member of the Cantilena Chamber Choir from 2017 to 2023, he continues to appear with the ensemble as opportunities arise. Alec has performed professionally throughout the region for nearly a decade and regularly serves as a tenor section leader for choral ensembles.