Douglas Ladnier is an EMMY® Nominated songwriter, Broadway performer and critically-acclaimed, award-winning singer who has appeared in more than 65 countries around the world. He performed 11 roles in the original Broadway production of Jekyll & Hyde. 

Currently living in Los Angeles, his solo concerts won the Backstage Bistro Award for Outstanding Vocalist in NYC where he appears regularly in concert at The Town Hall, 54 Below and Merkin Concert Hall in addition to past performances at Iridium Jazz Club, The Firebird, Eighty-Eight’s and The Metropolitan Room. While his recent performances as Sweeney Todd have been thrilling audiences and critics alike coast to coast, Douglas is also singing on the high seas presenting concerts on Silversea, Seabourn, Viking and many more.

The New York Times calls him, simply, “The best,” and Rex Reed raves in The New York Observer, “This guy’s melting baritone could single-handedly revive the art of the ballad, the love song and the heartbreaker.” Some additional favorite theatre credits include The Fantasticks (El Gallo) Jesus Christ Superstar (Pontius Pilate), Aladdin (Jafar), Gigi (Gaston), Into The Woods (Cinderella’s Prince), Dracula (Dracula), Chess (Molokov), and Phantom (Count).

Douglas also writes, directs and produces original musicals which The Washington Times calls “Spectacular throughout!” His original musical Home for the Holidays, for which he wrote the book, music and lyrics, had its world premiere at The Grand Theater at Six Flags America and was also produced in New York.

www.douglasladnier.com

Sylvia Ferguson is a gospel jazz artist who has been singing for audiences in the area and aboard for over 40 years. Her talent has taken her overseas to entertain the troops in Europe, Okinawa, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. she has appeared in concert with such acts as Bob Hope, Sister Sledge, BB King, Cameo, and Tower of Power.

She was featured at the University of Missouri 2022 and recognized for her musical talents and mentoring by Zonta's Woman of Achievement Award. She was the winner of Mid Missouri's Got Talent in 2015.

Her discography features 5 music projects: Simplicity, Love Songs for the Soul, The Best of Sylvia Ferguson, SOLIDARITY, and In the Garden, Songs for My Mother where a portion of the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society in honor of her mom and dad.

Sylvia is currently the founder of Sylmomusic, a music business that provides a platform for her to launch her creative pieces of work both written and produced

www.sylmomusic.com

L. Amelia Lufkin, soprano, is from Knoxville, Tennessee. She has completed a dual Masters in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance from the University of Missouri. Her previous studies were done at Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelors in Voice Performance. Her collegiate voice instructors include Dr. Christine Isley-Farmer from 2015-2019 at MTSU and studied with Dr. Steven Jepson at the University of Missouri from 2020-2022.

Amelia worked and studied as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Missouri under Dr. R. Paul Crabb and Professor Emily Edgington-Andrews. With their support, she rehearsed and directed the University Singers, University Treble choir, Concert Chorale, Opera Chorus, and Choral Union. While in school, Lufkin found an opportunity in working with Choral Arts Alliance of Missouri (CAAM) through the Columbia Youth Choir (CYC). Under the direction of Artistic Director, Dr. Emily Edgington-Andrews and CYC Coordinator, Kara Smith, Amelia was able to gain experience working with music administration and youth choirs. She continued to work with CAAM as an Adult Choir Coordinator during their 2023-2024 season and now is a hired soprano Section Leader and official concert cover.

Ms. Lufkin is the Traditional Music Director at First United Methodist Church in Jefferson City. Here she is the director of the Adult, Youth, Bell, and Children’s choirs. Amelia, along with colleague Professor Jeremy Wagner, opened their own Voice/Music studio in January 2023, Lufner Studio. Their studio aspires to educate students of all ages on their unique musical journey. Lufner Studio offers lessons in voice, piano, and music theory or a combination of all three.
As a professional singer some of her previous operatic roles include: Phyllis in Iolanthe, Susanna in Lenozze di Figaro, and sang the role of Micäela in Carmen with the Vocal Academy of Opera in Bodrum Turkey Summer 2022. Lufkin’s love and talent in the choral arts placed her as Choral Union’s soprano understudy in their Verdi’s Requiem Concert in Fall 2022 and was the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Columbia’s Civic Orchestra in Winter 2022. Amelia performed in the Children’s Concert in November 2023 with the Missouri Symphony (MOSY), where she sang “Goodnight Moon” by Eric Whitacre.

In 2023, Amelia was accepted as Landlocked Opera’s Soprano Young Artist. She has performed the role of Julianne in the world premiere of The Murderess, an opera composed by Allie McIntosh in the Summer of 2023. Amelia also reprised the role of Susanna and sang the role of Barbarina in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro in Landlock’s production in Fall 2023. She was most recently a member of their opera choir for their Fall 2024 production of Donizetti’s Elixir of Love and an understudy for Haydn’s Creation.

Most recently, Amelia has accepted an Adjunct position to teach Music History at Moberly Area
Community College (MACC) Columbia campus. Amelia aims to continue her musicianship by directing, teaching, and performing locally and worldwide.

Jimmy Kay Sanders, a Jefferson City native, received her bachelor of music education and master’s of music education degrees from the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music. She also studied at the Academy of Music, Vienna, Austria.

She taught elementary vocal music (K-6) in the North Kansas City School District and served as organist for Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Kansas City before returning to Jefferson City. She served as organist at First United Methodist Church for many years before joining the staff at First Presbyterian in 2008.

Sanders is a member and has served as Dean of the Central Missouri Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society and has served as state President of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women. She is active in many musical, as well as community, organizations.