Avery Bargasse, Guest Artist

Avery Bargassé displays an impressive command over many contemporary vocal styles;
including jazz, gospel, pop, soul, R&B, Motown, folk, country and musical theater. Some of his
notable performances include singing the theme song for HBO series The Wire, being a musical
guest for then senator Barack Obama, singing as an opening act for R&B singer Gladys Knight,
singing as an invited guest at the U.S. Department of Justice alongside gospel artists Sandi Patty,
Rance Allen and the Winans family, not excluding singing background vocals for both Andy
Williams and Josh Groban. In addition, he has made musical appearances with the Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra, the Soulful Symphony, and is an active member of the Cincinnati May
festival Chorus, where he is also a voice instructor. Avery has enjoyed a continued professional
relationship with Cincinnati Opera as core chorister.
Bargassé is a graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory, with both a Master’s of Music in
Contemporary-commercial voice pedagogy and a Bachelor’s of Music in voice performance. He
is currently on faculty at Xavier University as an adjunct professor of Voice.

Brian Cheung, Student Guest Artist

Brian Cheung is a junior musical theater student currently at CCM. He is from Suzhou, China. At CCM: Male Swing in She Loves Me, Otto in Spring Awakening, Ensemble (Understudy Oscar) in Sweet Charity,  John Brooke in Little Women, Swing in Once on This Island. Elsewhere: Label•less at Playhouse in the Park (Cincinnati, Ohio).

Sarah Folsom

(she/her) is a Founding Artistic Director and Principal Artist with Queen City
Cabaret. A professional vocalist based in Cincinnati, Sarah is a sought-after performer in clubs
and theaters across the country. Hailed as a “masterful performer” of vintage jazz, pop, and cabaret, Sarah has recently appeared as a featured soloist with The Cincinnati Pops, The Cincinnati Opera, The Union, and
The May Festival Chorus, as well as on Cincinnati Educational Television and TVHamilton. In
2021, she competed as a quarterfinalist in the American Traditions Vocal Competition. A native
of Tallahassee FL, Sarah completed her Master’s degree at UC’s College-Conservatory of
Music in 2015 and returned to her alma mater in 2022 as an Assistant Professor of Musical
Theatre Voice.

Annalese Fusaro, Student Guest Artist

Annalese Fusaro is so thrilled to be returning to The Carnegie with Queen City Cabaret! She is a rising senior Musical Theatre major at CCM where she most recently performed in Sweet Charity (Frug dancer, dance captain) and sang alongside Aaron Lazar as a guest artist in his Cabaret at Werner Recital Hall. Some other favorite performance credits include Miss Adelaide in Guys & Dolls (The Carnegie), Maggie Winslow in A Chorus Line (Riverside CPA), and singing for The Cincinnati Bengals’ Halftime Show. Big thanks to her family, teachers, and friends for the constant love and support!

Zach Gutman, Bass

Zach Gutman is a recent CCM Jazz Studies Masters grad who plays the upright bass, bass guitar, and guitar professionally in the Greater Cincinnati area and beyond. He started playing bass as an elementary schooler in West Bloomfield Michigan, and attained a degree in Music Education at Central Michigan University with a specialization in Classical Double Bass. He plays classical, jazz, rock, pop, and many other kinds of music, and teaches as well.

Sara Mackie, Guest Artist

Just had the greatest honor of her lofe playing Dolly Levi and can now retire on a secluded island herding cats – Except, she really loves performing with these two QCC MPVs, so she’ll have to stay! Selected Credits: Fun Home, Hands on a Hardbody, all Wonderettes iterations, Mauritius, Fiona (ETC);This is Tom Jones!, An Act of God, Family Ties, (HRTC); Hello Dolly, Pump Boys and Dinettes; (Carnegie); Wrecking Ball, The Taming of the Shrew, Pride and Prejudice, (Cincy Shakes); and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune (NET). You can also catch her briefly in some of the great feature films shot in Cincinnati, such as The Bikeriders, The Public and Dark Waters. Thank you for supporting live performance!

Brian Malone, Drums

Brian is a freelance percussionist and has performed from Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center to South America, Europe, and Japan and with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Don Rickles, The Beach Boys, Joe Piscopo, The Skivvies, Bootsy Collins, xylophone virtuoso Ian Finkel, and the rock groups Over the Rhine and Blessid Union of Souls. He can be found in the pit at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and at regional theaters and in tours around the country. Brian has performed with the Kentucky Symphony, Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, Butler Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and with the Cincinnati Opera. Brian also leads the Caribbean ensemble Bacchanal Steel Band and performs in the modern rock group Flying Underground. He has music degrees from CCM and Miami University. Visit www.brianmalone.com

Matthew Umphreys

Matthew Umphreys (him/him) is a Cincinnati-based musician who loves working with great
singers, regardless of genre. He can often be found working as a coach, pianist and music
director with organizations such as a Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Song Initiative, The Children’s
Theatre of Cincinnati, the American Traditions Competition, the Skivvies, and the Schmidt Vocal
Institute. Matthew currently serves as Director of Music at Columbia Baptist and Linwood Baptist
churches in Cincinnati, teaches piano lessons at Musicologie Anderson, and is a sought-after
collaborator for recordings and recitals. He holds degrees from Luther College and the
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In his free time (lol), Matthew enjoys
riding roller coasters, practicing yoga, watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, and watering his many
houseplants.