Classical Wedding Singers

MARIA ELENA ALTANY is an operatic soprano specializing in contemporary opera in Los Angeles. She has performed in every production with the ground-breaking opera company The Industry LA, and has been praised as "excellent" by the Los Angeles Times. Experienced in traditional repertoire as well, she has performed the lead roles in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Yeomen of the Guard and Ruddigore, as well as the title role in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Mrs, Hildebrand in Street Scene, Gasparina in La Canterina, Cupidon in Orpheus in the Underworld and Adina in L'Elisir D'Amore. She teaches private voice in Los Angeles and Diamond Bar, California.

SARAH BEATY is a mezzo-soprano based in Los Angeles where she has sung with many of the local opera companies, including Pacific Opera Project and The Industry. Sarah has been a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Camerata of Los Angeles, as well as with the National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall, NYC. She spent 6 months in Macao, China as a featured singer at the Venetian. Hailed as “the model of bel canto clarity and brilliance” by Cleveland Classical, operatic roles include Mozart’s Serpetta, Second Lady and Cherubino, Maddalena in Rigoletto, among others. Sarah is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and also teaches private voice lessons in LA.

Notes from the Singers:

"The vocal repertoire for weddings is so beautiful, and there is so much more out there than most people have any idea of! At our own wedding in May of 2014, my husband, a trumpet player, and I picked the music: two trumpet voluntaries, Handel's "Eternal Source of Light Divine" with trumpet, organ and soprano, Clausen's "Set Me as a Seal" for a capella choir, and my processional was Parry's "I Was Glad," with organ, trumpet, and choir all together. It was absolutely incredible! Our families and guests could not stop talking about the music, and even the church's own coordinator said she had never heard such wonderful, original repertoire in 20 years of weddings! It really made me want to create that magical, unique experience for other brides, and fortunately, I knew the perfect musicians with which to make it happen!" - Maria Elena

"In high school I played violin and I used to play at weddings with a string quartet. I always loved playing at the ceremonies and getting ideas and admiring the gowns. But we always played the same repertoire for every ceremony, Pachelbel's "Canon," Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," etc. These are all lovely pieces, but every other aspect of your wedding is very personal, so I think the music should be as well. There are so many beautiful love songs that would be perfect for a wedding ceremony, yet you rarely hear them performed in that setting. I look forward to the opportunity to introduce you to vocal repertoire that will be meaningful and personal on your special day." - Sarah