FREE Courtroom Concert: A Thousand Tongues – “Music from the Philippines” Isabella Dawis, soprano; Paolo Debuque, tenor; Walter Tambor, piano

Hosted by composer Abbie Betinis, our popular Courtroom Concerts take place at noon most Thursdays in the Landmark Center in downtown Saint Paul. This series features accomplished musicians and composers from the Twin Cities and surrounding area, as well as occasional musical newcomers to the area. These one-hour concerts are free and open to the public.

About the Artists:

Isabella Dawis is a Filipina-American writer and performer from Minneapolis. Her wide array of creative roles includes playwright, actor, singer, librettist, lyricist, composer, music director, pianist, director, and dramaturg. Equally active in musical theater, plays, and opera, Isabella works to thread global traditions and feminist perspectives into American theater and music. A 2023 Loghaven Artist-in-Residence, Isabella is the recipient of the Kleban Prize in Musical Theatre for librettists, the Fred Ebb Award for musical theater songwriting, the Weston-Ghostlight New Musical Award, and the American Opera Project’s Composers and the Voice Fellowship. As bookwriter/lyricist, Isabella’s musicals with composer Tidtaya Sinutoke include Sunwatcher, based on the life of Japanese astronomer and “hidden figure” Hisako Koyama – and Half the Sky, the story of an Asian American woman climbing Mount Everest. Isabella’s work has been presented and supported by the 5th Avenue Theatre, Musical Theatre Factory, Ten Thousand Things, Theater Mu, the Kurt Weill Foundation, Berkeley Repertory Theater, the Atlanta Opera, Weston Theater Company, Tofte Lake Center, Ancram Center for the Arts, Rhinebeck Writers Retreat, the O’Neill Center, Theater Latté Da, Goodspeed Musicals, the Civilians, and Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, among others. She has appeared onstage with the Guthrie Theater, the Center for Contemporary Opera, the Minnesota Opera, Theater Mu, the Jungle Theatre, New Ohio Theatre, and many more. Currently, Isabella holds a 2023-25 Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship with the Jerome Foundation.

Paolo Debuque (he/him) is a Filipino- and Chinese-American conductor based in Minneapolis, MN noted for his innovative programming and commitment to grassroots, community-centered art. He currently serves as conductor of St. Olaf Chapel Choir and Viking Chorus.

Passionate about the advancement of Asian-American voices, Paolo is the Founding Artistic Director of A Thousand Tongues, an arts organization dedicated to uplifting Asian-American experiences through music and stories. Past and upcoming engagements include a weekend residency at Luther College and a choral program presented in collaboration with the Minnesota Chorale. A proud citizen of the Twin Cities’ vibrant choral scene, Paolo is Artistic Director of Caritas Vocal Ensemble, an ensemble singer with Border Crossing, and section leader, board member, and guest conductor with the Minnesota Chorale.

Paolo studied music at Swarthmore College and earned the MM in Conducting (Choral) at the University of Michigan with Jerry Blackstone. He is currently a DMA student at the University of Minnesota. He has also studied with Simon Carrington, Victor Yampolsky, and Dale Warland.

Walter Tambor joined LeagueAires as Music Director in 2016. In addition to leading this 60-voice women’s ensemble, he is the Director of Contemporary and World Music at The Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis, MN. He directs Mundus, contemporary and world music ensemble; Juventus, the instrumental and choral ensemble for youth grades 8-12; and assembles various liturgical music ensembles from world cultures with the goal of authentically sharing a part of the world church with the local Basilica community. He is also Accompanist/Assistant Director of the Minneapolis Youth Chorus, the Children’s Choir of the Minnesota Chorale. Before coming to Minneapolis in 2004, Walter was Assistant Organist and Chapel Choir director at Saint Clement Church in Chicago, IL; on staff at the Chicago Children’s Choir Academy, an interracial and multicultural choral music education organization promoting musical excellence for children grades 4-8; and DePaul University Community Music Division, where he provided private piano instruction to mostly African-American and Hispanic foster children ages 8-12, mentoring children and promoting increased confidence and self-worth through weekly lessons and periodic performance opportunities. Mr. Tambor is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and DePaul University.