PORTVILLE, N.Y. — The members of Keynote Chorus announced that Dawn Pierce, a nationally recognized mezzo-soprano, and Jenna Heaney, a first-year music student at SUNY Fredonia, will be performing at the spring Keynote Chorus concerts.

The concerts will be held June 7 at the Harriett B. Wick Chapel at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Pa., and June 8 at Allegany Baptist Church. Both concerts begin at 3 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Donations are accepted.

Pierce, a native of Olean, is an assistant professor of music (voice) at Penn State and director of the Penn State Opera Theatre. She will be singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “Wade in the Water.” Pierce is celebrated for her vibrant approach to performance. Her performance repertoire includes roles such as Charlotte in “Werther” and “Carmen.”

Pierce is the daughter of a longtime Keynote Chorus member Diana Dunbar. As a child, Pierce sat next to her aunt, Peg Dunbar, on the piano bench turning pages, while her uncle, Dave Dunbar, conducted the choir during Keynote Chorus rehearsals until, several years later, she was old enough to officially sing with the group. “I am excited about coming back to my hometown to perform with Keynote Chorus,” Pierce said. “It is the place where my musical roots began to take shape. I learned so much from my aunt and uncle and the incredible passion they had for music and community.

Keynote Chorus is an important part of their legacy and my journey to a career as a musician.”

In tribute to David Dunbar, the founder of the chorus, and Pierce’s family chorus history in Olean, Keynote Chorus will be performing his original arrangement of “My Lord, What A Mornin.”

Heaney, from Filmore, N.Y., is the 2024-2025 recipient of the Dunbar Scholarship from Keynote Chorus. Heaney is a firstyear student at SUNY Fredonia with a double major in woodwind instrumental education and vocal music performance.

“It is a pleasure to sing with Keynote Chorus,” she said. “The Dunbar Scholarship is helping me to pursue my musical dreams.”

The title of the concert is “TOP 10+”. The chorus will perform some of its favorite pieces since its founding. The choices reflect the tastes of newer and older members and feature works such as “Puttin on the Ritz,” “I Believe,” “A Beautiful City,” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.” Come and enjoy our favorites with us. Keynote Chorus is a community chorus of volunteer singers from the greater Olean-Bradford region that has been in existence for 38 years. Under the musical guidance of Shelley Wright and Laurie Sledge, pianist, the members rehearse and perform for 13 weeks in the fall and spring. Besides the annual concerts in December and June, the choir performs for various organizations in the region. The chorus is always seeking new members.