ASSOCIATES AND ARTISTS
paige gilmar
mitch marois
raquel ahlquist
wayne berman
associate music and improv instructor
rose west
heather good
carol ann johnson
associate producer
& public relations
a. paul johnson
executive producer
Composer, conductor, writer and director A. Paul Johnson has appeared as a guest artist for regional theatres and music organizations throughout the United States. His art has graced the stages of Indiana Repertory Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Arkansas Repertory Theatre and the Manhattan Plaza. In his home state of Florida, Mr. Johnson has worked for the Hippodrome State Theatre, American Stage, Asolo Theatre Festival, Caldwell Theatre and Florida Studio Theatre. Last season he was a finalist in the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s Fresh Ink Florida Composers Competition. Other ensembles that have performed his works include Argentina’s Ensamble Rosario, Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Philharmonic, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Warsaw National Philharmonic, Prague Symphony Orchestra and the Sofia Philharmonic.
As producing/artistic director of the Apollo Project, Mr. Johnson has taken the company through unprecedented growth with hundreds of concerts, publications, recordings and theatre presentations. His creative work has been recognized by fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Institute for Music Theatre at the Kennedy Center and two Individual Artist Fellowships from the Florida Arts Council. His operas & libretti have been commissioned by the Virginia Opera, Florida Opera and Sarasota Opera.Wayne Berman is our premiere consultant in Elementary and Young Childhood education with certification from NAECE and Tri-County Coordinated Child Care. His own work as a composer and writer has led to collaborative projects with such luminaries as Spike Lee and Allen Ginsberg. Mr. Berman earned his bachelor degree at Bard College in Music Composition and Performance, and his Masters at Bowling Green State University in Composition and Theory. He was awarded the Peter R. Stone Music Prize at Bard for versatility in music composition, the Multi-Cultural Perspectives in Art Award at Bowling Green in memory of Harry Partch, and is a past president of the Tampa Bay Composers Forum. In addition to his outstanding artistry as a composer and pianist he also works as an improvisational actor, stage director and creator of eclectic performance art.
Raquel Ahlquist is a student at Lutheran Church of the Cross Day School. She quickly rose to be a star of our voice studio there and recorded “It’s all so Beautiful” for XTREME CLASSICAL II when she was only 8 years old! Raquel has gone on to sing as a soloist at some of our other sites and contribute to our concert programs. She is an avid fan of both Celine Dion and Kelly Clarkson and has her eye on both TV and movies down the road. Raquel can be heard performing "It's All So Beautiful" on XCII on the soon to be released XCV singing "Dare to Grow".
Mitch attends high school at Shorecrest Prep in St. Petersburg, FL. He enjoys playing the guitar, running, riding his bike and going to movies. He has an appreciation for art and likes the work of Goya. He alson enjoys acting. Marlon Brando and Al Pacino are his favorite actors. Mitch wants to be a musical theatre actor because in his words, "It's the marraige of both worlds, singing and acting.Mitch is one of the Apollo Project's newest young artists and is the featured vocalist on "Free My Freedom" on XCIII and "My Eyes Are Full of Grace "on XC IV.
Rose has an international reputation having performed in London, Brussels, Edinburgh and Sydney along with recitals and shows closer to home in Florida with the Florida Composers Forum and the Ruth Eckerd Hall Singers. Rose participates energetically through board service, costuming skills and as an actor with the St. Petersburg Little Theatre. In 2002, her talents were chosen to sing the National Anthems of the US, Canada, Australia, and Japan for the Women's World Series of Baseball. She has shared the stage with diverse luminaries as Mickey Rooney and Jamie Farr and has recorded with the great ensembles the Sofia Philharmonic and Argentina's Ensemble Rosario. Rose can be heard in her CD's Rose West Sings and her Holiday CD The Dancing Giraffes Danced at Christmastime.
Heather attended East Tennessee University as well as the University of South Florida. She is a Top 40 singer and has performed in numerous venues. This singer-songwriter is also an accomplished studio artist having recorded her own original material, as well as performing in musical theatre productions. This lovely and talented young star's sultry voice can be heard performing "Dancing in the Wind" on XCII and "Dissolved" on XCIII.
Don't let this little girl fool you, Paige can belt out a tune with the best of them. She has studied music at Ruth Eckerd Hall as well as Patel Conservatory at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Paige can be heard singing "Teach Me Out There" on XCIII. Check her out!!!!!
Ten year old Ali Appelbaum is fiery and fun, and as sweet as she is talented. She is a triple threat..she sings, dances and acts. She has many theatre and dance performance credits to her name including Annie Jr; Bye Bye Birdie; Cinderella and Chicago (as Velma Kelley). Ali stars in a currently running TV commercial for Indulgence Medical DaySpa and has an extra part in a soon to be released movie, a spin of the Prince and the Pauper. For the Apollo Project, she is going to be making her CD debut on XC IV singing "Scats and Blogs".
ali appelbaum
in native Mongolian costume.
sundui chimidkhorloo
A native of Mongolia, Sundui is a master of Mongolian Traditional Musical Instruments,a music instructor, composer, music producer and arranger and a jazz performer. This award winning artist is not only a gifted musician but also a storyteller and entertains audiences with the folklore of his native land as well as the Horse-Head Violin. He has worked as an instructor at The Mongolian Music Teacher's College and has received awards for composing, accordian and national instruments. He performed in the Asian Youth Festival in Korea. His CD "Sound of Earth" is featured on Apollo Project Broadcasting.
Carol Ann Johnson is an actress, writer, and radio personality who has performed at many theatres across Florida; has worked on Fox Network's "Fortune Hunter", Discovery Health Channel's "Dr. G., Medical Examiner" and was featured in TV and radio commercials. She is the the voice of the Apollo Project interviewing local celebrities, Broadway stars, and soap stars, as well as creating news updates and special announcements for broadcast. She has been an acting coach for groups as diverse as Barbizon School of Modeling to middle and high school students. As an author and lyricist, she has a catalogue of published and recorded songs, and her libretti have been commissioned for the opening of the Pike Auditorium in Indianapolis and the holiday cantata "A December Song" for the the Central Florida Symphony among others.
andrei cheine
Andrei Cheine was born and raised in the Ural mountains of Russia and graduated from Leningrad Conservatory in 1988. He is an all-around performer whose talents include piano, vocals, keyboards, accordion, drum programming, band leader, musical director and songwriter. Andrei sings in English, Russian, German, Italian, French and Spanish. His discography includes: "The Shore of the Night", "Salut, Moscow", "Nobody Knows", and his newest "Two Days in August".
One of API's dearest friends, but one our newest professional associates. Judy Peterson is an actress, vocalist, performer, whose credits many musical theatre productions in most local venues.
Judy will be featured on XC V performing "Fall", a song commissioned especially for her. XC V is currently in production and is looking at a release later 2008. We are thrilled to look forward to hearing Judy's beautiful and poweful soprano voice on many more productions.
judy peterson
Laura Sullivan has been a friend of A. Paul and Carol Ann's for years, first meeting when she performed in FRACTURED FOLKTALES at St. Petesburg Little Theatre. Laura, a former beauty queen, actress, vocalist, and new mom (has a baby boy Jordan) made her debut on XC II singing "Paradox". Not only is Laura a musical theatre performer who has appeared in many productions locally, she is also an entrepreneur, owning the Tampa Bay area's premiere scrapbooking and craft store SCRAPBOOKING IN PARADISE, with her husband, the equally talented John Sullivan. You can read more about SCRAPBOOKING IN PARADISE by going to the website www.scrapbookinginparadise.com., and listen for more from Laura and John in future productions.
laura sullivan
tsidii
As talented as she is beautiful, Tsidii came from Lesotho in Southern Africa to the United States in her mid teens. From singing for change for friends and passers-by to singing for thousands on the Broadway stage, Tsidii has a voice that is truly a gift from a higher power. She has been an award nominee and winner of several top industry awards including the Tony Award, the Drama Desk Award, and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Performance in a musical (orginating the role of Rafiki) for THE LION KING on Broadway. Her movie and TV credits include Rose Red and The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer and Law and Order. Her television special CAUGHT IN THE ACT on WGBY won the Iris Award for best local program, and her TV special TSIDII LE LOKA IN CONCERT aired on major networks. She is the only performer invited to perform for Nelson Mandela's first International Press Conference in Johannesburg after his release from prison.
Her original composition Rafiki Mourns is on the Grammy Award winning LION KING ON BROADWAY recording. Many of her other compositions including Beyond the Isle, Here's To The Night, Mo'Clicks and covers of Nothing Compares 2 U and I Am Singing can be heard on Apollo Project Broadcasting. She will be launching her own radio show with us in the next few months.
ACHIEVE MANAGEMENT/ ALLENDALE UMC
ALLENDALE UMCChildren’s Future Hillsborough AMERICAN STAGEARTS GARDEN ASOLO THEATRE FESTIVAL
ASOLO THEATRE FESTIVALBRAVO Children’s Theatre CANTERBURY SCHOOL
CANTERBURY SCHOOLCARROLLWOOD PLAYERS/Tampa EMPOWERMENT THEATRE/
EMPOWERMENT THEATRE/ENSAMBLE ROSARIO/Argentina Orlando
OrlandoGAINESVILLE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA GALAXY Theatre and Studios
GALAXY Theatre and StudiosGARDEN OF PEACE/ The ISLAND PLAYERS
The ISLAND PLAYERS (Paradise Lutheran Church) JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY
JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONYINDIANAPOLIS PHILHARMONIC JAX IRISH FEST
JAX IRISH FESTLIGHTHOUSE of PINELLAS LAKEWOOD UMC
LAKEWOOD UMCLUTHERAN CHURCH of the CROSS/ MMC Records/Boston
MMC Records/BostonDay School NEW GATE SCHOOL/SarasotaThe ORANGE FACTORY/Sofia ORIGINAL CAST RECORDS
ORIGINAL CAST RECORDSThe PALLADIUM THEATRE The PLAYERS/Sarasota
The PLAYERS/SarasotaPATEL CONSERVATORY/TBPAC PRAGUE SYMPHONY
PRAGUE SYMPHONY ST. PETE LITTLE THEATRE SHORECREST PREP SCHOOL
SHORECREST PREP SCHOOLST. NICHOLAS ORTHODOX SYLVAN ABBEY UMC
SYLVAN ABBEY UMCChristian School SOFIA PHILHARMONICSLOVAK RADIO SYMPHONY VSA Arts of FLORIDA
VSA Arts of FLORIDA WARSAW NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC
apollo project featured artists
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