


Tyler Lee
Benvolio & Tenor Montague & Tenor Peasant
At age 6, Long Island native Tyler Lee wrote and voiced the 50th episode of Cartoon
Network’s “Dexter’s Laboratory.” At age 8, he co-starred on Disney’s “Out of the Box.” Tyler also co-starred in “Feasting On Cardigans,” an Off Off Broadway production with the Oberon Theater. He has studied with Nico Castel and Sharon Sweet in various summer programs, highlighted with a summer singing in Spoleto, Italy. Tyler's freshman year at the Peabody Conservatory landed him several roles, including the Mosquito in Yanacek’s “Cunning Little Vixen” and Linfea in Cavalli’s “La Calisto.” Both roles were greatly appreciated and positively reviewed. In his sophomore year he played Plaisir in the Baroque production “Adonis” and Eric
in the premier performance of Jon Carter’s “Missed Connections.” Tyler is currently working on Handel’s “Messiah.” He is studying with Steven Rainbolt.
Soprano Montague
Lydia Beasley
Baritone Jason Buckwalter is a frequent performer in the Baltimore, Annapolis, and Washington, DC areas having recently graduated from the Peabody Conservatory. A native of Landenberg, Pennsylvania, Mr. Buckwalter moved to Baltimore to attend graduate school. At Peabody, he performed the role of Papageno in the Spring 2008 production of Die Zauberflöte. He was also seen as Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with both the Loudoun Lyric Opera and at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and as Count Almaviva in The Figaro Projects performance of Le Nozze di Figaro. Most recently, Mr. Buckwalter sang the role of Masetto in Don Giovanni with the Loudoun Lyric Opera and the Bethesda Summer Music Festival. Currently, Mr. Buckwalter is on the roster of the Washington National Opera Chorus and sings with the Choir of Men and Boys at St. Stephen’s Traditional Episcopal Church in Timonium, Maryland.
Baritone Paul Corujo made his opera debut playing the role of Zuniga in a joint production of Bizet’s Carmen with the University of California-Davis and the San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows, and has since performed roles including Ramiro in the Baltimore Opera Company’s summer Artscape production of Ravel’s L’heure Espagnole, as Don Giovanni, and Sharpless with Center Stage Opera in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as well as roles in the Peabody Conservatory’s modern chamber opera productions. Most recently he has appeared as Marcello with Opera Lancaster. In 2009 Mr. Corujo appeared as a studio artist in the Central City Opera summer festival. He has been establishing himself as an oratorio soloist with works such as J.S. Bach’s Saint John Passion with the Baltimore Baroque Band, Halt im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ with Apollo Arts, and Charpentier’s Judicium Salomonis with the UC Davis Chamber Singers. Mr. Corujo currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland and studies voice with Dr. Steven Rainbolt.
Hailed by the New York Times as "a voice with considerable warmth," and the Boston
Globe as “elusive, delicate, silvery and persuasive," lyric-soprano, Sarah Davis has
been recognized as a gifted performer both on the recital and operatic stage. Ms. Davis debuted with the Cleveland Orchestra this year, singing under the baton of composer/conductor Matthias Pintscher and most recently premiered Elliott Carter's song cycle for soprano and chamber orchestra, "What are years" at the Tanglewood Music Festival, under the baton of Oliver Knussen. Opera credits include: Gilda (Rigoletto) and Pamina (Magic Flute) with Center City Opera Theater, Anne Trulove (Rake’s Progress) and Echo (Ariadne auf Naxos) with the Chautauqua Institution and Cendrillon (Massenet’s Cinderella) and Nannetta (Falstaff) with Peabody Opera Theater. She made her professional recital debut with the “Trinity at One Concert Series” in New York City, appeared in the Joy in Singing series at the Lincoln Center Library and premiered John Harbison's grand aria for soprano and piano, Vocalism, at SongFest in Malibu,CA.
A native of Pittsburgh, pianist Tessa Hartle has recently served as rehearsal pianist for productions of Don Giovanni (Aspen Opera Theater Center), L'heure espagnole (Opera Theater of Northern Virginia), and John Musto's Later the Same Evening (world premiere, Maryland Opera Studio); as rehearsal pianist and continuo for Inscape Opera Theater's production of La serva padrona; and performance pianist for Los Gavilanes (Zarzuela Di Si) and selections from Robert Chumbley's Ordinary People (world premiere, Maryland Opera Studio). As chamber musician, Tessa frequently partners in recital with members of the Naval Academy band, and is the pianist for the Inscape Chamber Orchestra. She has her Master's degree in Collaborative Piano from the University of Maryland, where she studied with Rita Sloan, and her Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from the University of Michigan, where she studied with Louis Nagel and Katherine Collier. Tessa is a staff pianist/coach in the vocal division at Duke Ellington School for the Arts and is on the piano faculty of Musical Expressions in Bethesda, MD.
Daniel Seigel’s operatic roles include Ford, Macheath, and Frederik Egerman in A Little Night Music. Mr. Seigel has appeared with Opera Birmingham, Mobile (AL) Opera and was in the Young Artist Programs for Opera North (New Hampshire) and New Jersey Opera Theatre. He has appeared as soloist in Carmina Burana, Mahler‟s Lieder eines Fahrenden gesellen, Vaughan-Williams‟ Dona Nobis Pacem, and the Fauré Requiem. Currently, he is a member of the choral group Sursum Corda in Birmingham, works as Marketing Associate and Chorus Master for Opera Birmingham, and teaches voice for Birmingham-Southern Conservatory of Fine & Performing Arts. The Baltimore Sun music critic Tim Smith has written…“(Carmen) provided a showcase for Daniel Seigel, who sang the heck out of the „Toreador Song‟ in excellent French and with what few baritones bother trying to achieve in this aria, nuance.” The New Jersey Star-Ledger wrote “Daniel Seigel sings marvelously…” and the Rutland Times-Argus called his Vicar Gedge “another big success…convincing and nuanced, and very funny.”
Concertonet.com raves: Ms. Roberts is “…riveting…she has an enormous and powerful voice…truly thrilling”. Her most recent operatic performances in Philadelphia with the Amici Opera Company include Anne Boleyn in Henry VIII and Carmela in Jewels of The Madonna. Other operatic roles include Tigrana (Edgar, 4-Act Lucca version, United States world premiere), Rose (The Promise, world premiere, Portland, Oregon), Suzuki, Florence (Albert Herring), Mother (Amahl and The Night Visitors), Cherubino, Giannetta (L’Elisir D’Amore), Flora (La Traviata), Stephano (Romeo and Juliette), Witch (Hansel and Gretel), and the title role in Carmen. In addition to Ms. Roberts’ roles with the CCO this season, she will sing Tigrana again with the Amici Opera Company in October 2010 and Adalgisa (Norma) for the Washington Repertory Opera Theater of Washington in May 2011. Upcoming concert performances include east coast regional soloing and benefit recitals to help promote pediatric cancer research. Ms. Roberts’ first album, Perspectives, with Melodic Dog Productions, was released in May 2010.
Alexandra Boulé-Buckley
Terrance Brown
Jason Buckwalter
Patricia Mckewen Amato
Patricia McKewen Amato’s extensive operatic experience includes duties as conductor, coach, and accompanist at the AIMS Institute in Graz, Austria, Brevard Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and the Peabody Institute. She served as assistant music director of the Baltimore Opera Company; music director/conductor for Annapolis Opera, Maryland Lyric Opera, Brevard Music Festival, Opera Americana, Washington Savoyards, Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, and Rep Stage; and assistant conductor/chorus master for Washington Summer Opera. A versatile pianist, Ms. Amato frequently performs with the Children’s Chorus of Maryland, Annapolis Opera, Annapolis Chorale, Baltimore Choral Arts, Baltimore Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Baltimore Opera, Prince George’s Opera and Philharmonic, and Metropolitan Opera regional competitions. She made her Lincoln Center conducting debut in 1999 in an all-Charles Loeffler program recorded on Koch International. Ms. Amato is a coach/accompanist at Towson University, AIMS Institute in Graz, Austria, and the Children’s Chorus of Maryland.
Sandman
Count Capulet
Gregorio
Father & Masetto
William Davenport
Roméo
Sarah Davis
Donna Anna
Juliette & Donna Elvira
JacobFeldman
Stage Director
Maggie Finnegan
Soprano Peasant
Tessa Hartle
Pianist
Megan Ihnen
Mezzo Montague
Valerie Kopinski
Mother
Jarrod Lee
Duke & Bass Montague
Jessica Lennick
Zerlina
Stéphano
Pianist
Heather Roberts
Witch & Gertrude
Stephanie Sadownik
Mezzo Capulet
Rolando Sanz
Conductor
Daniel Seigel
Don Giovanni
Beth Stewart
Narrator/Narrator/Narrator
Simeone Tartaglione
Conductor/Conductor
Jocelyn Thomas
Soprano Capulet
Gretchen Windt
Hansel
Paul Corujo
American Baritone Terrance Brown possesses a strikingly rich sound. A native of West Blocton, AL, his opera performance credits include: Peter in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Sarastro in Mozart’s Die Zauber Floete, Collatinus in Britten’s Rape of Lucretia, Boaz in Jame’s Niblock’s Ruth and Naomi, Germont in La Traviata, Voltaire in Candide, Salieri in Rimsky-Korakov’s Mozart and Salieri, Jake/Robbins in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, Le Baili in Massenet's Werther, Le Marquis in Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites, and Dashwood in Mark Adamo's Little Women. As an active recitalist and concert artist Terrance has traveled extensively throughout the southeast working with such fine conductors and coaches as John Keene, Dennis Jesse, Rufus Mueller, Frank Nemhauser, Duaine Wolfe, Kyle Marrero, Jerome Shannon, and Donald McCullough. His concert repertoire includes works by Beethoven, Haydn and he recently appeared as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and the Brahm’s Requiem with Louisiana State University Symphony.
Alexandra Boulé-Buckley has been performing in the opera since the age of 8, when she convinced the Portland Opera that it was sexist to only cast boys in the boys choir in Tosca. Since then she has pursued her love of singing, performing the roles of Emmie and Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring and Sophie in Werther. After a short stint in New York, singing with Cantiamo Opera in a Gilbert and Sullivan review, she moved to Washington, DC in 2006 where she was met with critical acclaim by the Washington Post, which published "Alexandra Boule-Buckley radiates ethereal grace with a transcendent soprano that is simultaneously poignant and powerful". Some of her favorite roles include Julia in The Grand Duke and Marietta in Naughty Marietta with Victorian Lyric Opera Company, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, and Mary in Babes in Toyland with The Washington Savoyards, and Annina in La traviata with Bel Cantanti Opera. She recently made her debut with Loudoun Lyric Opera as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.
Tenor Jacob Feldman has been repeatedly praised for his superb stage presence, musical sensitivity, and compelling characterizations. Recent roles include Fayvl (Frederic) in the National Yiddish Theater-Folksbiene's off-Broadway production of Di Yam Gazlonim (The Pirates of Penzance), Monostatos with Opera New Jersey and Harrisburg Opera, Aeneas with Empire Opera, King Kaspar with Opera Company of the Highlands (OCH), and as Beppe with OCH and Bronx Opera. As a stage director, Jake’s production of Madame Butterfly with OCH received great acclaim; the Times-Herald Record called it “splendidly sung and acted” and remarked: “Particularly enhancing for the action and setting was [the] lighting design with its sky-blues and ruby sunsets”. Jake also directed Hänsel and Gretel with OCH and Don Giovanni with Amsterdam Concert Opera, and Assistant Directed Il barbiere di Siviglia for Opera Theater of Lakeland. Also an accomplished pianist, Jake has acted as vocal coach and accompanist for many opera and theater productions.
Hailed for her ‘admirable tonal purity and textural clarity’ (Tim Smith, Baltimore Sun,) Soprano Maggie Finnegan is just as comfortable singing standard classical opera repertoire as she is singing contemporary music and cabaret. Ms. Finnegan earned her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Edith Bers. While pursuing her Bachelors degree, Ms. Finnegan spent her summers studying at several music festivals including The Daniel Ferro Vocal program, Bay Area Summer Opera Theatre (BASOTI) in San Francisco, L’Académie International d’Eté de Nice in France, the Festival de Musica Classica de Puigcerda in Spain, and the Duxbury Summer Festival and Institute. Upon graduation, Ms. Finnegan continued to reside and work in New York City for two years and studied voice privately with Juilliard professor, tenor Robert White. Before moving to Baltimore to pursue her Master of Music degree, Ms. Finnegan performed with New Jersey Opera’s Summerfest, covering Edith in The Pirates of Penzance and singing First Spirit in Die Zauberflöte.
Megan brought imaginative life to Hansel in Peabody Opera Outreach’s Hansel and Gretel and has given emotional performances as Romeo in Bellini’s I Capuleti E I Montecchi, L’enfant et les Sortilèges and in the world premiere of The Yellow Wallpaper. In collaboration with Great Noise Ensemble, Megan gave the Washington D.C. premiere of Andrew E. Simpson’s “Lotus and Poppy” in December, 2009. Also in 2009, Megan was a soloist with the Mid Atlantic Symphony Orchestra and performed as the Alto Soloist for Mozart’s Vespers of the Solemn Confessor with the Loyola Chorale. She made her D.C. debut in Handel’s Messiah with the CHANDOS Orchestra in 2007. In August ’07, Megan returned from a successful experience in the lieder studio of Harold Heiberg at AIMS in Graz, Austria. She sang in celebrated performances of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Augustana Orchesta; and Mozart’s Requiem with South Dakota Chamber Symphony. Megan also had the honor of singing as a soloist on the Augustana Choir tour of Tanzania, Africa.
Bass Baritone Jarrod Lee hails from Sylacauga, Alabama. A graduate of the
Maryland Opera Studio, Jarrod studies voice under Dominic Cossa. Operatic roles include: Joe Louis in the world premier of Shadowboxer , and Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore with the Maryland Opera Studio, Samuel in Pirates of Penzance with Young Victorian Opera, Custom House Sergeant in La Boheme with Opera Birmingham, Jailer in Tosca with Summer Opera Theatre Company, Giuseppi in Gondoliers, Sergeant in Pirates of Penzance, Falstaff in Merry Wives, Mikado in Mikado with Jacksonville Opera Theatre. His roles for the season will include Basilio in Barber of Seville with the Maryland Opera Studio. Jarrod earned a B.A. in Music Education from Jacksonville State University, Alabama and studied voice under Dr. Richard Armstrong.
German-born mezzo-soprano Kala Maxym recently returned from a year as Principal Artist with Diva Opera, the UK’s foremost chamber opera company, where she sang over 40 performances of Cherubino, Hänsel, and Loena (La belle Hélène) in venues throughout the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and France. During the 2007 season, Kala was a Young Artist with Opera Santa Barbara where she appeared as Giovanna and covered the role of Maddalena in Rigoletto; she also returned to Chicago Opera Theater for a second season as a Young Artist to cover the title role in Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict. Other recent roles include the covers of Nancy T’ang in Nixon in China and Ursula in The Padlock for Chicago Opera Theater; Flora and Alisa with the Aspen Opera Theater Center; and Nancy in Albert Herring, Nefertiti in Akhnaten, and Sor Rosa in With Blood, With Ink with the The Boston Conservatory Opera. Kala is the Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer of TOI: The Opera Insider, an online networking community for opera lovers and opera professionals from both sides of the curtain: www.theoperainsider.com.
A native of Frederick, MD, mezzo-soprano, Stephanie Sadownik recently earned a Masters of Music from the Maryland Opera Studio and is an active singer, recitalist and teacher in the Baltimore/ DC area. While at the studio she performed the roles of Hermia and Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Amastre in Xerxes, and Olga in Eugene Onegin as well as covered Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte and Thelma in the world premiere in John Musto's Later the Same Evening. Ms. Sadownik's opeartic roles include: the Monitor and the Abbess, Suor Angelica; Marcellina, Le Nozze di Figaro; the Sorceress, Dido & Aeneas. For the past two summers Ms. Sadownik has attended the Aspen Music Festival to perform numerous scenes and cover Tisbe in La Cerentola and Bianca in Rape of Lucretia and this June she returns to reprive Bertha and sing Samira in Ghosts of Versailles. Ms. Sadownik holds a Bachelor of Music from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music and studies with baritone, Dominic Cossa.
When tenor Rolando Sanz is not performing leading roles with major opera companies, he is thrilled to share his expertise on the other side of the stage, returning to his roots on the podium. Mr. Sanz has appeared as conductor with various organizations across the country, including Centerstage Theatre Company, as former music director of the Greater New Haven Chorus, and most recently acting as rehearsal conductor for Long Beach Opera's production of Richard Strauss' Die Schweisame Frau. He studied conducting under Leo Nestor of The Catholic University of America and Shinik Hahm at Yale University. Mr. Sanz has had the privilege of singing under many esteemed conductors, including James Conlon, Julius Rudel, Stephen Lord, Michael Stern, George Manahan, Antony Walker and Warren Jones, to name a few. His close collaborations with such elite masters of the classical repertoire allow Rolando a keen insight into the stylistic and musical demands of the classical vocal repertoire. His experience both on the stage and on the podium allow him to fully understand and nurture the needs of singers.
Simeone Tartaglione is a versatile conductor whose passion for music in many forms keeps him busy. His training was in the European tradition, covering conducting, opera, composition and chamber music in Rome at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory and piano performance at the V. Bellini Institute. Mr. Tartaglione has had extensive conducting experience in symphonic and operatic repertoires with orchestras from Italy, Spain, the United States, Russia, Romania, Mexico, Ukraine and Bulgaria. He has won numerous competitions and prizes along the way. In Rome he worked as the Artistic Director of the Theatre Fusillo and the MUSA Cultural Association for five years. While Adjunct Professor of Conducting at the University of Denver, he worked with Central City Opera, the Marilyn Horne Foundation, Colorado Symphony Orchestra Education and Outreach Programs, DYAO, CYSO, Musica Sacra Orchestra, and the Broadway Music School. He has served as cover conductor and assistant for the London Symphony Chorus (Denver tour), Colorado Symphony, Baltimore Opera, Baltimore Symphony, Peabody Symphony, Peabody Opera, MidAtlantic Symphony, Peabody Singers and Hopkins Chorus. Invited by Maestro Meier, Tartaglione refined his craft at the Peabody Conservatory with a conducting assistantship. Since 2008 he has served as Adjunct Faculty for the Peabody Opera Department, coaching and conducting several performances. In Baltimore he serves as the Music Director of the BE Orchestra and the St. Leo Choir. In Italy he is the Artistic Director of the Symphonia Association.
Ms. Thomas is a first year Graduate Performance Diploma student at the Peabody Conservatory, in the studio of Steven Rainbolt. She received her Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory in 2007, where she studied with Gerald Crawford. Ms. Thomas also holds a Master's Degree in Voice from the Peabody Conservatory (2009). Roles sung by Ms. Thomas thus far at Peabody include “La Soeur Jumelle” in Milhaud's Les Malheurs d'Orphee, “2nd Knaben” in Mozart's The Magic Flute, and “Frau K.” in Dora. Recently she was the soprano soloist in Bach's Magnificat, performed with the Peabody Concert Orchestra and Peabody-Hopkins Chorus. She is also the recipient of the George Woodhead Prize in Voice (2009). In her spare time, Ms. Thomas enjoys yoga and loves to travel!
William Davenport is rapidly garnering attention for his strong lyric tenor and Italianate style. Of his performance in La Traviata, the Baltimore Sun remarked, “He already knows how to shape a Verdi melody quite elegantly.” A native of Maryland, he is currently in his fourth year at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, studying with Dr. Stanley Cornett. A frequent performer on the Peabody stage, in both opera and concert, Mr. Davenport has been heard most recently as tenor soloist in Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle with the Peabody Singers. Previous concert credits include Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, also with Peabody, Mozart by Candlelight with Annapolis Opera, and a Messiah with the Frederick Chamber Singers and Orchestra. On the operatic stage at Peabody, Mr. Davenport has been seen as “Alfredo” in La Traviata, “Tamino” in Die Zauberflöte, “Le théière/La rainette,” in L’enfant et les Sortilèges, and in the spring will tackle “Alfred” in Die Fledermaus. In addition to his Peabody training, Mr. Davenport has recently finished apprenticeships with Glimmerglass Opera and Chautauqua Opera.
Valerie Kopinski, soprano, is a native of Germantown, Maryland where she graduated as a Pressor scholar in Voice from the University of Maryland. She completed her Master’s degree at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, under the tutelage of Rita Shane. While at Eastman she appeared in the roles of Mme. Lidoine in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Mrs. Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. Ms. Kopinski has sung as an apprentice artist with Centro Studi Italiani and the Des Moines Metro Opera. In February, 2009, she was named a National Semi-Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. Most recently,
Ms. Kopinski joined Sarasota Opera as a studio artist for their 2010 winter season, performing the roles of the Mother and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel.
Soprano Jessica Lennick is in great demand for her silvery voice and sensitive musicianship. She has just finished a season as an Apprentice Artists for Center City Opera Theater in Philadelphia. An accomplished musician, Ms. Lennick counts among her specialties an affinity for new music. She has recently premiered the role of Patrick Leahy in The Gonzales Cantata (which received attention from The Rachel Maddow Show and Fox News), sang Pierrot Lunaire with the Peabody Camerata, and was Anna Freud in the Maryland premiere of Dora. Jessica also specializes in pyrotechnic displays of coloratura as seen in her triumph as the Queen of the Night. Local blog Operatically Inclined described her as “Magnificent… a true star-blazing monarch” while Tim Smith of the Baltimore Sun praised her for “landing firmly on the stratospheric notes and putting sufficient bite into the delivery.” When she’s not traveling or singing Ms. Lennick attempts to sate a prodigious reading addiction with fantasy novels, non-fiction of all stripes, and most especially comic books (her collection of which is 3,000 strong and growing.)
Kathryn Guthrie Demos
Gretel
Victoria Crutchfield
Victoria Crutchfield is at the beginning of her career as a stage director. She graduated in May 2010 magna cum laude from Harvard University, where she staged full productions of The Rake’s Progress and John Eccles’ Semele and co-founded an opera scenes program for undergraduates while earning her Bachelor’s degree in Literature. She also completed a Secondary Degree in Dramatic Arts, studying acting with Thomas Derrah and Scott Zigler, and appeared on stage in Georg Büchner’s Danton’s Death, Jean-Paul Sartre’s Les Mains Sales, and Purcell and Dryden’s King Arthur. Her assistant directing credits include Il barbiere di Siviglia for Bel Canto at Caramoor, and Turandot and Der Rosenkavalier for the Lowell House Opera; she will assistant direct Bronx Opera’s Fra Diavolo this winter.
Director
Nola Richardson
Dew Fairy
Jeffrey Tarr
Frère Laurent
Possessing a rich, warm voice with "rock-solid vocalism and powerful projection" (The Capital), bass Jeffrey Tarr is equally in demand for opera and concert work. He has appeared with the Washington National Opera, Opera Bel Cantanti, Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and Maryland Concert Opera. Mr. Tarr’s portrayal of Basilio in Annapolis Opera's production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia was described by The Washington Post as "fervent [&] robust." Other operatic credits include Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Father Trulove in The Rake’s Progress, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Benoit in La Boheme, Ceprano in Rigoletto, the Parson/Badger in The Cunning Little Vixen, Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, Superintendent Budd in Albert Herring and Collatinus in Rape of Lucretia. He most recently appeared as the Coroner in Washington National Opera’s critically-acclaimed Porgy and Bess. He has been lauded by The Washington Post as "outstanding...a large, resonant voice, filled with both power and clarity." Mr. Tarr received a Masters of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University and is a former prize winner in the Annapolis Opera Competition, the Orpheus Vocal Competition, the Marie Crump Vocal Competition, the Gretchen Hood Vocal Competition, and the Vocal Arts Society's Art Song Discovery Series. He presently serves as an adjunct faculty member in the voice department at American University.
Jennifer Edwards
Soprano Jennifer Edwards has recently garnered notice for her dynamic stage presence, warm, shimmering voice and musical intelligence. In the fall of 2009, she was named a District winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions. Recent performances include Echo with Seattle Opera in Ariadne auf Naxos, Fiordiligi with Peabody Opera, Despina with CCO, and scenes from Bellini’s Norma with Maryland Concert Opera. As a recitalist, Jennifer will present four art song recitals as part of the 2010 Art Song Discovery Series. In 2009 Jennifer sang as soprano soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Violetta in La traviata, and The Woman in The Yellow Wallpaper at the Peabody Institute of Music. Of that performance the Baltimore Sun remarked on her ability to “inhabit the role with communicative power” as well as her “sunny, flexible voice [which] filled the space vividly” and her “astute acting.” Jennifer has been recipient of prizes in numerous competitions, including the 2009 Russell C. Wonderlic Voice Competition, the 2008 Rhode Island Bel Canto Competition, and the 2008 Sylvia Green Competition.
Acclaimed by the Washington Post for his “sterling performances”, baritone Brian Ming Chu has established himself onstage and in recital as a dynamic interpreter of music from the Baroque to the 21st century. Hailed for his “rich and resonant [voice]…an impressive performer of wide range, agility, and expressive storytelling ability” [Monterey Herald], he has has sung numerous roles with opera companies in Philadelphia, Washington, and Baltimore, including repeat appearances as Marcello in La Bohème and the title role in The Barber of Seville. An established oratorio soloist, he has performed with The King’s Noyse, Washington’s Cathedral Choral Society, Orchestra of the 17th Century, the Dryden Ensemble, Piffaro, Hesperus, the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, Brandywine Baroque, as well as the Caramoor and Carmel Bach Festivals.His interpretations encompass the repertory, with repeat appearances in the title role of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, the Bach Passions, the Brahms, Fauré and Mozart Requiems, Orff’s Carmina Burana, and performances of Handel’s Messiah on three continents.
Brian Ming Chu
Leporello
Matthew Ganong began his musical studies in Columbia, South Carolina, at the age of six, and studied piano with John T. Ervin and Prof. John Williams from the University of South Carolina. He earned a Bachelor's in piano performance and a minor in harpsichord from the Peabody Conservatory in 1997. Ever since he has made a living as a pianist/freelancer/music teacher, in Baltimore, then Chicago, and now Baltimore again. Mr. Ganong has worked with musicians from all levels, from complete beginners to concert artists and musicians from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and others. He has performed concerti by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven with orchestra, as well as numerous solo recitals, duo recitals, chamber music performances, operas, musical theatre, and along the way has collaborated with every major orchestral instrument. He also plays the harspsichord and is fluent in Baroque style ornamentation and improvisation. Mr. Ganong has been an avid composer for most of his life.
Matthew Ganong
Pianist
Alex Rosen made his solo debut as Gherardino in the LA Opera production of Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at age 9, and subsequently sang the role of Harry in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring with The Music Academy of the West and Cal State Northridge. Alex sang in LA Opera productions of Turandot, Le Damnation de Faust, Die Frau Ohne Schatten, Der Rosenkavalier, Carmen, Pagliacci, Tosca and Parsifal. In addition, he sang with the LA Philharmonic and the LA Master Chorale in performances of John Adams’ El Nino, Carmina Burana, and Mahler’s 3rd Symphony, and at the Hollywood Bowl in Tosca and Bernstein’s Mass. Alex is a freshman at Peabody Conservatory as a double major in piano performance and vocal performance. In his first semester, he sang the role of Le Comte des Grieux in Peabody Opera Theater’s production of Manon by Jules Massenet. In the spring he will sing in two more Peabody productions: as the Tree in L’enfant et les Sortileges by Maurice Ravel and as the Bearded Man in Les Mamelles des Tiresias by Francis Poulenc. Alex studies piano with Ellen Mack and voice with William Sharp.
Alex Rosen
Bass Capulet
Peter Tomaszewski
Commendatore
Brent Reilly Turner
Mercutio
Hailed as “ the next generation of opera singer,” American baritone Brent Reilly Turner keeps an active schedule in both concert and the operatic stage and has performed throughout the United States and Italy. In the 2009-‘ 10 season, Turner appeared with the Utah Opera as the “ Medico” in Verdi’ s Macbeth, “ Dancairo” in Bizet’ s Carmen, “ Haly” in Rossini’ s L’ italiana in Algeri, and “ Marco” in Puccini’ s Gianni Schicchi. He also appeared with the Utah Symphony in their annual presentation of Handel’ s Messiah, Holiday Pops, and as “ Papageno” in an abridged version of The Magic Flute. This past summer, Turner attended the prestigious Apprentice Program at the Santa Fe Opera. His 2010-‘ 11 engagements include “ Schuanard” in Puccini’ s La Boheme and the featured soloist in Utah Symphony’ s presentation of Chris van Allsburg’ s The Polar Express. Turner has participated in young artist programs with Tulsa Opera, Ash Lawn Opera, Opera North, Brevard Music Center, and Utah Opera.
Michael Rainbow
Tybalt
Jisoo Kim
Paris
Born in South Korea, Jisoo Kim is garnering notice for his powerful and lyrical baritone. He went to high school at Kickapoo High school in Springfield, Missouri, where he became introduced to classical music by his choir department. There he participated as a Boatswain in H.M.S. Pinafore, Alexis in 'The Sorcerer', and Nanki-poo in 'The Mikado'. At Peabody Conservatory of Music he has performed as a chorus in 'Die Fledermaus' and De Brétigny in Massanet's 'Manon'. This past winter, Jisoo was the bass soloist for the Beethoven Mass in C major with Peabody Concert Orchestra, Peabody Singers and Peabody-Hopkins Chorus. Upcoming engagements include Gendarme in Les Mamelles de Tiresias by Francais Poulenc and Clock in L'enfant et les sortileges by Maurice Ravel from Peabody Opera department. He is currently a sophomore at Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, studying under the internationally acclaimed Bass-baritone John Shirley-Quirk.
The 2009 recipient of the Gulen F. Tangoren, M.D. Award for Vocal Excellence in Opera, soprano Beth Stewart has been praised by the Baltimore Sun for a “tonal sheen that carries her expressive phrasing” and a “bright, agile voice” that is “intoxicating…delivered with considerable flair”. Ms. Stewart has recently performed with the Bethesda Summer Music Festival as Lucia; Peabody Opera Theatre as Violetta and Giulietta (Les Contes d'Hoffman); and with Maryland Opera Society as The Merry Widow. In December 2007, Ms. Stewart performed “O mio babbino caro” as cover for Anna Netrebko in the Kennedy Center Honors rehearsals. After successful recital programs “Sounds of Spain” and “Secret Loves of Song and Stage”, Ms. Stewart thrilled audiences with an incandescent “O Holy Night” at the 2009 Catholic Charities’ Christmas Festival at the Basilica. This March, she is the featured soloist for “From Italy to the New World with Love” concert with Newark Symphony Orchestra in Delaware. Ms. Stewart is honored to be presented in recital this April by the Peggy and Yale Gordon Trust, debuting a new duo program “Around the World in 80 Minutes: A Journey through the Many Lands of Italian Opera”.
Joshua Kohl
Ottavio
Exciting American tenor Joshua Kohl was called a “tenor to watch” by The Boston Herald and was recently singled out for his “glorious, relaxed performance” by Opera News. He has performed with Dallas Opera as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly for student matinee performances, Sarasota Opera as Tamino, Lake George Opera as Don José, Commonwealth Opera as Ferrando and Utah Opera as Macduff in Macbeth. The Salt Lake Tribune wrote “Joshua Kohl nearly steals the show with his impassioned portrayal of Macduff. The young tenor brings a jolt of urgency to every scene he’s in, and the aria in which Macduff expresses his grief over his family’s murder is arguably the emotional high point of the evening.” During the 2008 - 09 season, the tenor sang Rodolfo in La Boheme with the Pittsburgh Opera, and made debuts with Opera Theatre of St. Louis as First Jew in Salome and with the Virginia Opera as Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore. His Nemorino was praised for his “sincere and touching performance. The young tenor displayed a bright voice of great size, yet capable of movement and nuance.” (Portfolio Weekly)


