The Creation by Franz Joseph Haydn Performers

Audra Scott is an award‑winning soprano, educator, and versatile performer based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. She holds degrees in vocal performance, including a Bachelor of Arts from Prairie View A&M University, a Master of Music from the University of Arizona, and an Artist Certificate from Southern Methodist University. Audra’s career has taken her around the globe. She performed for over ten years throughout Europe with the Munich-based New York Harlem Theater tour of Porgy and Bess and has appeared in notable opera houses and theaters such as Oper Leipzig, Bremen Music Theatre, Komische Oper Berlin, Grand Théâtre de Genève, and the National Theatre Mannheim. She has also been featured in concert engagements across Texas, Arizona, Minnesota, Utah, and California. In addition to her classical and operatic work, Audra’s artistry spans jazz, gospel, and crossover repertoire. Her deep musicality and rich voice have led her to merge classical technique with jazz and spiritual influences, presenting soulful arrangements and performances at events such as the Denton Jazz Festival and in the jazz series at the Sammons Center for the Arts. Audra is also committed to music education and mentorship. She serves as Head of Vocal Studies at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas and is recognized both for her performance achievements and her dedication to nurturing the next generation of singers.

Jay Gardner is a versatile and expressive tenor whose work spans opera, musical theater, and concert repertoire. Known for a bright, bold lyric tenor and praised for vocal clarity and dramatic presence, he has earned a reputation as a compelling singing actor capable of both lyrical nuance and character depth. Mr. Gardner’s operatic credits include roles with The Dallas Opera such as the Second Jew in Salome, Parpignol in La Bohème, and the Prince of Persia in Turandot. He has also performed significant roles with other companies, including Canio in Pagliacci with Kansas Concert Opera, Judge Danforth in The Crucible with Rimrock Opera, Sam Polk in Susannah, and Romeo in Roméo et Juliette with the Marjorie Lawrence Opera Theatre. On the concert stage, Mr. Gardner has been featured as a soloist in the Carnegie Hall premiere of Sing for the Cure and performed in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the University of North Texas Chamber Orchestra. He has also sung as a soloist in Haydn’s Paukenmesse and Mozart’s Requiem with the Turtle Creek Chorale at the Meyerson Symphony Center. In addition to classical performance, Jay’s repertoire includes musical theater and cabaret, with roles in Sweeney Todd, Spring Awakening, and Little Shop of Horrors, and appearances in festivals and concert series throughout North Texas. He is also Artistic Director of Front Line Cabaret, bringing the art of intimate vocal performance to venues across the region.

Joe Rattan is an accomplished bass vocalist active in the Dallas–Fort Worth music community. He has performed widely as a soloist and ensemble singer with respected ensembles including the Highland Park United Methodist Church Chorale, Orpheus Chamber Singers, The Orchestra of New Spain, Dallas Symphony Chorus, and Turtle Creek Chorale, and has been featured in significant oratorio and concert repertoire. He sang the role of Evangelist in the Texas premiere of the St. Matthew Passion by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev and was selected to perform the same work on its commercial recording. In addition to his concert work, Joe has appeared on stage in productions with The Lyric Opera of Dallas, the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston, and Dickens on the Strand. In the DFW region, he serves as a soloist at Highland Park United Methodist Church and has been heard in solo and ensemble performances at festivals in England, France, Greece, and Canada. Joe’s extensive performance experience, rich vocal depth, and commitment to both sacred and secular repertoire make him a valued artist in the local and international choral community.

We are thrilled to showcase John Wolf as accompanist for this performance of The Creation. John is a seasoned American church musician and pianist with over 40 years of experience accompanying choirs, leading worship music, and collaborating with ensembles. He holds a Bachelor of Church Music with a major in organ and minors in piano and harpsichord, and currently serves as organist at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Fort Worth. In addition, he is president and general manager of Wolf Pipe Organs, Inc., bringing expertise in organ maintenance and tuning to the North Texas region. John’s depth of experience, musical sensitivity, and long-standing commitment to choral music make him an inspiring and indispensable partner for our singers in this performance.

Adam Frame is the Founder and Artistic Director of Wedgwood Arts, as well as Director of Music Ministries at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Fort Worth and a music educator in Burleson ISD. An accomplished conductor and performer, Adam has led numerous major choral and choral-orchestral works, ranging from sacred masterpieces to celebrated concert repertoire. His dedication to musical excellence and community engagement brings both artistry and inspiration to every performance.