Sing Us a Song: The Music of Billy Joel

Kevin Fitzgerald, Conductor

Kevin Fitzgerald won the Special Prize for Best Performance of the Contemporary Piece at The Mahler Competition in 2023. He is the first conductor to win this award, sponsored by the Mahler Foundation, which led to his conducting the world premiere of Bernd Richard Deutsch's Con Moto with the Bamberger Symphoniker. Kevin was a 2021 Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellow, and has been awarded Career Assistance Grants by the Solti Foundation U.S. for four consecutive years.

Kevin has been Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony since 2022, conducting over one hundred performances, including a fully-staged production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. He recorded Sean Shepherd's Concerto for Ensemble with the University of Chicago's Grossman Ensemble. This season, Kevin has also conducted subscription concerts with the Oregon Mozart Players and the Baton Rouge Symphony, debuted at the Nashville Symphony, and returned as a guest conductor to the Cape Symphony and North Carolina Symphony. He will also return to the New York Philharmonic as a cover conductor for three programs and assist Stéphane Denève at the St. Louis Symphony.

Jean Meilleur, Vocals

Jean Meilleur has been a headliner with Jeans ’n Classics for over 20 years. In that time he has performed with scores of major North American orchestras, lending his distinctive voice to some of the greatest popular music of our time.

Originally from Madison WI, Jean was born and remains a Green Bay Packer fanatic! He moved to Detroit MI at a young age. Living in the Motor City helped shape his penchant for the Motown, Soul and R&B sounds of the early ’70s.

Jean is a prolific songwriter who has been performing professionally for over thirty years. His singing voice can best be described as passionate and provocative, with a robust timbre that is immediately recognizable. His voice stands as a true original. Jean’s voice has been heard over the years on many national radio and television jingles and advertisements. He was recently chosen as the Canadian voice of Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

John Regan, Piano

John Regan has been a member of Jeans ’n Classics since the early 1990’s. Classically trained but conditioned by rock, pop and folk music, John’s repertoire is vast. Prior to joining Jeans ’n Classics he worked with Second City in London, Ontario and did solo work across southwestern Ontario. John cites Joe Jackson, Tom Waits, Elton John and Roy Bittan as influences.

Since becoming a Jeans ’n Classics regular performer, John has shared the piano with such notables as Roger Hodgson (Supertramp), Lawrence Gowan (Styx), as well as his good friend Don Paulton (Lighthouse, Jeans ’n Classics). He has performed with more than 50 orchestras across North America. In addition to the piano, John often plays host and emcee in J’nC concerts, offering insight and whimsy to the musical selections.

A high school teacher and football coach by day, John lives in London with his wife and two small children.