Soprano Meghan Kasanders was active at the Westchester Community Church throughout her childhood. Even though she is now an acclaimed opera singer, who has performed with numerous prestigious opera companies, she hasn’t forgotten her roots.
Every Christmas eve that she’s available, Kasanders returns to the church to sing. On March 28 at 2 p.m., she will perform “Coming Home — A Benefit Concert” at the church, 1840 Westchester Blvd., to raise funds for the Westchester Food Pantry. Tickets are $15 in advance; $20 at the door. Details are at 708-865-1282 or westchesterucc.org/events.
Kasanders will be accompanied by Lawrence Underwood III, who has been the music director at the church for around three years.
“This concert is going to be different than what a lot of people have heard me do,” Kasanders reported. “Because I’m classically trained, I’m coming from that world and Lawrence is coming from the world of jazz. So, we’re kind of meeting in the middle and choosing songs that we enjoy. Some songs are about our faith.”
Underwood described the program as “a wide gamut of songs from various genres. We have some showtunes, we have some jazz standards, we have some worship tunes. Hopefully, there will be an opportunity for the audience to participate a little bit.”
Selections will include, “Over the Rainbow,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “You Raise Me Up,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Blowing in the Wind,” among others.
Kasanders said that she wanted to be accompanied by Underwood because, “He accompanied me for the past couple years at the church when I’ve come back and I am always blown away by his improvisational skills and his jazz background.”
Underwood praised Kasanders, saying, “Meghan is one of the most accomplished singers that I’ve worked with. Her repertoire, as well as her versatility and the passion and the spirituality that she sings with has always been really striking. From the first time I worked with her at Westchester, it’s one of those musical experiences that you don’t come upon all the time.”
Both performers are pleased to be helping the Westchester Food Pantry.
“I remember being a kid and volunteering with my mom and probably my siblings,” Kasanders said. “Doing good for others, volunteering, and supporting our community has always been such an important part of my family.”
“Especially with the way that our nation is right now, there are so many things that can divide us,” Underwood said.
He appreciates this opportunity “to be able to do something good for people,” he said.
Barbara Mills, chair of the Music Board of Westchester Community Church, said they decided to produce this benefit because “the Food Pantry uses our building a lot so we know the needs are great. We do many mission projects throughout the year for them so when we were doing a concert we decided to do this for the Food Pantry as well.”
“The members of that church have seen the evolution of my voice over years, starting in junior high when I would do solos through now becoming a professional singer,” Kasanders said. “They’ve heard it all.”
It started when she performed with the Joyful Noises, the church’s musical group when she was young. It continues with those Christmas eve performances.
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In addition, Kasanders said she is often asked to sing at weddings and funerals for church members.
“And a lot of times my mom will ask if I’m around to consider singing for them because they are so gracious when I do come,” Kasanders said.
Throughout her school years, starting at Eisenhower Junior High, Kasanders performed.
During her years at Hinsdale South High School, she performed in the choir, plays and musicals. “A lot of church people came out to hear me,” she recalled.
“I found my passion through those schools and those programs,” she said.
Kasanders earned an undergraduate degree from Simpson College in Iowa, a master’s degree in opera performance from Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and an Artists’ Diploma in opera studies at Juilliard.
She has performed with the Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony Orchestra, Opera Omaha, Eugene Symphony, Arizona Opera, Opera Saratoga, New Mexico Philharmonic and other companies.
Her favorite role was Magda Sorel in “The Consul” at Opera Saratoga in New York.
Following the Westchester performance, Kasanders will sing Mahler’s Eighth Symphony with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
“Next year, I’ll be singing Strauss’ four last songs again in Eugene, Oregon,” she said. “I’m looking forward to that because it’s some of my most favorite music.”
Kasanders concluded that at “Coming Home — A Benefit Concert, “People are going to recognize the music. It’s going to be very casual; very intimate.”
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.