MARTIN ELDRED – A founding member, Martin brings his talented and beautiful bass-baritone voice to our group. In addition to singing with Bel Canto, Martin has performed with Anchorage Opera, soloed in productions of Messiah, performed for Anchorage Opera Guild and has been a guest performer with the University of Alaska Opera Workshop and the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.

NANCY GUILEY – Nancy is another talented founding member of Bel Canto and as a teacher, has shared her musical gift with hundreds of elementary school children in Mat-Su and as a performer, with such groups at Anchorage Community Chorus, Alaska Chamber Singers, Anchorage Opera, Cantora Arctica and Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. Nancy has been a finalist in the Alaska Metropolitan Opera Auditions and a past winner in the Alaska NATS competition.

DOROTHY HIGHT – Dorothy is a Bel Canto founding member and has been sharing her delightful and versatile voice with audiences for many years. She has sung with Anchorage Community Chorus, Alaska Chamber Singers, Mat-Su Community Chorus and soloed in productions of Messiah in Anchorage and Mat-Su as well as with the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.

GUNNAR KNAPP – Gunnar joined our group shortly after its founding. A baritone, Gunnar speaks most of the languages in which we sing. He has also performed with the Anchorage Community Chorus, Anchorage Chamber Singers, Anchorage Opera, Avé, and the Russian American Colony Singers, and has soloed in productions of Messiah. For his day job, he’s an economics professor at UAA and a specialist on Alaska’s seafood industry.

LIZ MILLIKAN – Although Liz is a classically trained violinist, she began studying voice a few short years ago and has been delighting audiences since with her beautiful singing. Liz is a founding member of Bel Canto, an educator in the Anchorage School District and has sung with Anchorage Opera and soloed in productions of Messiah.

CAROLYN MORRIS – Carolyn Morris grew up in Idaho, graduating from the College of Idaho (C of I) with a B.A. in Music Education. She was a soloist with the C of I concert and tour choirs as well as the C of I and Boise Operas. Carolyn had roles in The Telephone, The Medium, The Consul, The Saint of Bleecker Street, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Cosi fon Tutte and Rachel. Carolyn taught in the Boise School system and directed several youth, women’s, opera and church choirs. In 1977, she with her husband and sons moved to Anchorage. After an 11 year hiatus from singing, Carolyn joined the Anchorage Concert Chorus (ACC) in 1988. With the ACC, Carolyn has been a concert, tour choir and Messiah soloist. In 1998, Carolyn began singing with the Anchorage Opera Chorus and has performed in 21 of their past 33 productions and in 2007, became the AO’s Opera ‘Diva’. Currently, Carolyn is the ACC Soprano Section Leader; the ACC Vocal Scholarship, Winners’ Recital and Mentorship Award Coordinator. Carolyn has been a winner in the Alaska state N.A.T.S. Competition and is a founding member of Bel Canto.

ANNIE NILSSON – Annie joined Bel Canto in 2004, and has been a music teacher in the Anchorage School District since 1998. In 2003, she was First Alternate for the Alaska Met Competition. She has appeared as a soprano soloist with the Alaska Chamber Singers, the Messiah, Anchorage Opera Dark Night and Opera Guild productions, and in the Fairbanks Summer Fine Arts Festival. Her greatest achievement is mothering her adorable twin boys.

LINDA PORTER, a mezzo-soprano, was born and raised in Anchorage and holds a degree of vocal performance and elementary education from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She has taught elementary music in private school setting and loves singing for various community events such as weddings, funerals, and commencement ceremonies. Her musical background involves Anchorage Opera, Anchorage Festival of Music, Anchorage Concert Chorus where she enjoyed performing and recording a solo on their Holiday Pops CD, and has been involved with the National Association of Teachers of Singing since 2006. As a new member, she looks forward to performing with Bel Canto this season!

MARY BUSTAMANTE - Mary shares her love of singing and music with the students of the Anchorage School District as classroom music teacher and choir director of twenty years.  She has been a soloist with the UAA Singers, UAA Theatre, the Anchorage Concert Chorus, Winds of Time Consort, Anchorage Opera, and the 2007 Anchorage Messiah Performance.  Mary was the Maestra for the Second Stage Anchorage Opera production of “Trial By Jury” by Gilbert and Sullivan.  Mary is director of the Winds of Time Consort, a historical instrument ensemble, and a music director at Saint Anthony Catholic Church.  She holds two degrees in music education from UAA.