Welcome to the Cobb Symphony Orchestra (CSO)

Benjamin Bailey is a native of Augusta, Georgia and was graduated from the University Of Georgia College Of Pharmacy in 1957. Although he spent 40 years in the field of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Research, his passion has always been singing. His early vocal studies were Byron H. Warner. He was a member of the Georgia Men’s Glee Club and appeared in concert as a soloist through his years at UGA His operatic experience during the college years included baritone roles in Mozart’s The Impressario, Menotti’s The Medium, and Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. He appeared with the Academy Theater of Music repertory productions of Massenet’s Manon, and Menotti’s The Consul.

He was featured soloist with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra in 1958 in a concert at the Fox Theater under the direction of Albert Coleman In 1967 he appeared in the title role of Purcell’s Dido and Aneaus with the Birmingham Symphony and Chorus. He has performed on two occasions as Melchior in Gian-Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors in the North Atlanta area.

He has performed lead roles in Brigadoon, Sound of Music, and Carousel in community theater productions.

He has been staff bass singer with many of the finest Atlanta church music programs including St. Mark Methodist, All Saint’s Episcopal, Druid Hills Baptist and Trinity Presbyterian. He was also staff soloist in the major churches of Birmingham and San Antonio.

In 2001 he began vocal studies with Naomi Farr and the late Lowell Farr. He performed in a Christmas Concert at the World Congress Center as a guest soloist with the U.S. Army Land Forces Band that same year.

He has been featured in five major vocal recitals since that time the first of which was in Den Haag, The Netherlands at the US ambassadorial residence as a benefit for Habitat For Humanity International. He continues his vocal studies with Mrs. Barbara Zellner, and in October was featured on her graduate recital at Georgia State University in the Kopleff Recital Hall.

He is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Harrower Opera Workshops at Georgia State University. Choral singing remains high among his priorities and he has been a member and often soloist with the Dunwoody United Methodist Church chancel choir for 32 years. He is alsol am member of an auditioned chamber group in that church. He has sung with the DeKalb Choral Guild for the past five seasons and is frequently heard as a soloist.

He was selected by the music faculty of Clayton State University to be the baritone participant in master classes with American soprano, Sylvia McNair in October of 2004.

In September 2005 he participated in a concert tour of Germany and the Czech Republic with this group, and was soloist in Prague at St. Nicholas Church. In May, 2006 he was bass soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass with the DeKalb Choral Guild. Most recently he appeared as Isador Straus in eight performances of Maury Yeston’s musical, Titanic with Two Stages Productions at Kingswood United Methodist Church and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Marietta.In November, 2007 he was heard in joint recital with Atlanta soprano, Barbara Zellner at Saint Mark Methodist Church in Atlanta as a tribute to the late Peter Harrower and Dr. Michael McDowell. Proceeds from the recital were given to the community outreach programs of this Atlanta church. In late August and early September he will be touring Italy with the DeKalb Choral Guild.