George Abbott, tenor

Curtis Bannister, tenor

In the 2012-13 season, Mr. Bannister makes his professional ballet debut as an ensemble member (Ravel’s Bolero) with the Paris Opera Ballet as part of their 2012 U.S. Tour, returns to the St. John Cantius Resurrection Choir & Orchestra to sing both Mozart’s Missa brevis [F Major] and Schubert’s Mass No. 2 [G Major], makes his role debut as Lt. B.F. Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with the American Chamber Opera, and makes his debut with Utah Festival Opera as the soloist in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Steuermann in Der fliegende Höllander and covering the title role in Verdi’s Otello. Mr. Bannister is an award recipient of the 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the 2008 Charles Lynam Vocal Competition, and the Jack Tolbert Music Trust.

Nicholas Brighty, bass

Daniel J. Brylow, tenor

Aspiring opera and theater director, dramaturg, performer, and arts administrator Daniel J. Brylow is a recent graduate of Bennington College, where he studied Music and Drama, with a particular emphasis on the creation of new works and adaptations of classics.  While at Bennington, Danny developed and performed an original theater piece based on Schumann’s Dichterliebe, sang the role of Charlie in the Brecht/Weill collaboration Mahagonny-Songspiel, and performed in Time and Motion Study and Border Towns—two world premiere experimental music-theater pieces by New York-based composer Nicholas Brooke.  In 2011, Danny took part in the premiere of Kocho, a new opera by Seattle-based composer Garrett Fisher in both the Seattle and New York productions of the piece.  Danny’s interest in arts administration has led him to pursue internships with The Skylight Music Theatre, The Fisher Ensemble, and the California-based theater group, The Independent Eye, as well as serving as a co-artistic director of the Seattle-based arts non-profit, The Heroes (www.heroeseverywhere.com).  In Milwaukee, Danny has performed with the Florentine Opera Chorus (including the world premiere of Don Davis’s Río de Sangre in 2010), as well as with Milwaukee Opera Theatre, where he looks forward to performing in their upcoming production of Candide.

Jessica Louise Coe, soprano

Chicago-based soprano Jessica Louise Coe is an active performer throughout the Midwest. While a graduate student at Roosevelt University, (Chicago College of Performing Arts), she recently sang the role of Pamina in Die Zauberflöte as well as Maguelonne in Pauline Viardot's Cinderella. Other appearances include Belinda and Second Woman in Dido & Aeneas with Elgin Opera where she placed second in the Fourth-Annual Vocal Competition, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, (Opera Grand Rapids) Cousin in Madama Butterfly (Opera Grand Rapids), soloist with the Chicago Chorale (Fauré: Requiem) and member of the Grant Park Chorus and frequent soloist at St. Gregory the Great Church in Andersonville. Also an accomplished pianist, Ms. Coe frequently accompanies auditions and performances, most recently working as accompanist for The Lyric Opera of Chicago's "OperaKids" outreach program. She is on the board of the Chicago Chapter of The National Association of Teachers of Singing and a full-time faculty member at the Old Town School of Folk Music where she teaches voice and piano to students of all ages. Ms. Coe holds a B.M. from DePaul University a M.M. from Roosevelt University, CCPA and studies with counter-tenor Mark Crayton.

Kristen DiNinno, mezzo-soprano

Kristen DiNinno is a promising up and coming mezzo-soprano. She most recently was Suzy in La Rondine with The Des Moines Metro Opera. This coming year she will be doing the role of Mercedes in Carmen and Mrs. Herring in Albert Herring, both with The Florentine Opera Company. Last year with The Florentine Opera Company, she was in Turandot, Susannah as Mrs. Ott, and Idomeneo as a Cretan woman. Kristen was also a Gerdine Young Artist with The Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 2011 where she covered the three roles of Swiss Grandmother, Austrian Woman, and British Dancing Girl in John Adam’s The Death of Klinghoffer. With the Shreveport Opera Company, she performed in Don Giovanni as Zerlina, The Fantasticks as The Mute, and covered The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors.  Ms. DiNinno received Third Prize in the Mary Jacobs Smith Singer of the Year Competition in 2010. While obtaining her Masters Degree at The Manhattan School of Music in New York City, Ms. DiNinno was involved in a new contemporary chamber opera through American Opera Projects called Love/Hate where she debuted the role of Laura.

Duncan Doherty, bass-baritone

Duncan Doherty, Bass-Baritone, hails from the small village of Cascade.  He graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, where he studied vocal performance under the tutelage of Brygida Bziukiewicz-Kulig.  While attending Whitewater, he had the opportunity to perform in many workshops and various shows, some of which includeThe Pirates of Penzance, as "Mr. Bluff" in Mozart's The Impresario, Simone in Puccini's Gianni Schicci, and as Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro.  He also had the opportunity to travel to Italy in 2007, where he played the title role in Gianni Schicci as part of the La Musica Lirica summer program.  An equal opportunity musician and thespian, some other favorite non-opera roles include Mr. Peachum in The Threepenny Opera, Constant Coquelin in The Ladies of the Camellias, and Fagin in Oliver! the Musical.  Though absent from the stage in recent months, he hopes to change that quite soon, and aspires to be a main stage singer/actor.

Bryan M. Elsesser, baritone

American baritone, Bryan Elsesser, holds a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam. Bryan has coached opera and studied voice in New York with Kathleen Miller, David Pittman-Jennings, Garth Bardsley and Kirk Severtson and in Salzburg, Austria with Stephen Rainbolt and Mary Dibbern under the auspices of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music. In Milwaukee Bryan has met with tremendous success under the tutelage of his current teacher and mentor, baritone, Kurt Ollmann. Elsesser has also been heard in recitals, concerts and oratorio throughout the metro Milwaukee area. He is on staff with the Florentine Opera Chorus, has performed with Present Music-Milwaukee, and is a frequent soloist of the Fond du Lac Symphonic Band. Bryan has also been seen as a soloist for the Florentine Opera’s production of “Florentine on the Lake”. He has sung the role of Ben in Menotti’s The Telephone, Bob in Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief and Micah in Carlisle Floyd's Slow Dusk at UW-Milwaukee, where the latter two productions were later featured in a southern Wisconsin tour. In New York City he has performed scenes from The Pearl Fishers, L'Elisir d'Amore and The Old Maid and the Thief for Shetler Studios in Manhattan. Bryan has competed in and won many vocal competitions, including the Wisconsin State NATS Auditions, the UW-Milwaukee Concerto and Aria Competition and the Classical Singer Magazine University Competition preliminary. He also received a stipend from the UWM Graduate School for thesis research on the life and works of current American composer, Stephen Lias of Nacogdoches, Texas. Bryan is a proud member of the National Association for Music Education (MENC), the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity and founder of the award-winning Potsdam Pitches (the only mixed a cappella choir on the SUNY-Potsdam campus).

Toni Esker, soprano

Toni Esker, soprano, recently finished her Masters Degree in Voice Performance from Northwestern University where she studied with Sunny Joy Langton.  While at Northwestern, Toni was seen as Zemfira in Aleko, First Gossip in The Ghosts of Versailles, First Spirit in The Magic Flute and was a finalist in the 2010 Concerto Competition.  Other roles and concert appearances include Micaëla in Carmen, Schubert’s Mass in C Major, and Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate.  Toni also holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music Education from Eastern Illinois University.

Holly Flack, soprano

Holly Flack is a coloratura soprano with a tessitura that extends to the A flat (A6) above high C. Originally from Portland, Oregon, she holds a Bachelors degree in Vocal Performance from St. Olaf College, and a Masters degree in Vocal Performance from The University of Kentucky. Holly has been performing in productions from a young age. Her roles include Serpetta in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera, Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen, Despina in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, Gretel in Offenbach’s Christopher Columbus, and cover for Adele in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. In addition to roles performed while attending school, Holly has also participated in productions presented by programs such as the Bel Canto Opera Festival, Astoria Opera Festival, and Operafestival di Roma. Her roles in these programs include Sister Victoria in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, a Demon Girl in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Ida in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. She has won numerous NATS awards, 2nd place her freshmen and sophomore years of college and 1st place her senior year, as well as 2nd place her first year of graduate study and 1st place in the Mid-South Region her second graduate year. She is also a recipient of the Encouragement Award in 2009 and a Winner of the 2010 Kentucky District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Ms. Flack currently lives in Chicago.

Saira Frank, soprano

“With her strong, silvery soprano, Frank shines”  Madison’s Capitol Times writes of Saira Frank, a frequent Madison performer.  Frank most recently sang the Duchess Christina in Philip Glass’ Galileo Galilei with Madison Opera.  Other recent local performances include Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Adina in The Elixir of Love, and Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte with Candid Concert Opera as well as the Bello Rose in Fresco Opera’s original ballad opera The Good, the Bad, and the Divas.  A favorite of Madison’s Opera for the Young, Frank has performed in their past four productions and is currently Cinderella in the 2012/13 tour.  She holds a master’s degree in opera from UW-Madison and two bachelor’s degrees, one in vocal performance and one in French from Northwestern University. Other roles in Frank’s repertory include Tatiana in Eugene Onegin, the title roles in The Merry Widow and Alcina, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, and Armidoro in La Buona Figliuola.  Saira lives in Delafield and teaches at Carroll Academy.

Cassie Glaeser, soprano

Cassie Glaeser, soprano, is pursuing her Master of Music degree in Opera Performance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studies with Julia Faulkner.  This past summer Cassie was an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera where she performed in scenes from Aïda, Der Freischütz, Don Carlo, Elektra, and Norma. She will return to Des Moines Metro Opera again as an Apprentice Artist to perform the mainstage role of 4^th Maid in Strauss’s Elektra, as well as cover the role of Chrysothemis in the same production. This year at UW-Madison Cassie will perform the roles of Medea in Cherubini’s Medea, and Suzel in Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz. Her recent performances at UW-Madison include Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, as well as in scenes from La Gioconda, and Andrea Chénier. As a Young Artist at Seagle Music Colony in 2011, Cassie performed the roles of Antonia and Giulietta in Les contes d’Hoffmann. In 2010 Cassie covered the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni as a Young Arist at Sieur Du Luth Opera Training Program. A native of Manitowoc, WI, Cassie received her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Lawrence University, where she studied with Dr. Karen Leigh-Post.

Jonas Marcel Hacker, tenor

Jonas Marcel Hacker is a tenor from Lake Delton, Wisconsin. He attended the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire for college where he studied voice with Professor Daniel Newman and Professor Mark Mowry. During his time there, he sang the roles of Mayor Upfold in “Albert Herring” and Tamino in “Die Zauberflöte.” He is currently attending the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor where he is studying voice with Professor Stephen Lusmann. During his time in Ann Arbor, he has portrayed Bardolpho in “Falstaff,” Tom Rakewell in “The Rake’s Progress” under the musical direction of Martin Katz, and will be performing Don Ottavio in “Don Giovanni” this semester. The last two summers he has attended Seagle Music Colony in upstate New York, where he sang Nathaniel in “The Tales of Hoffman,” Don Ottavio in “Don Giovanni,” Pirelli in “Sweeney Todd,” and covered Frederic in “The Pirates of Penzance.”

Dustin Hertzog, Bass-Baritone

Bethany Hickman, mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Bethany Hickman is currently pursuing her Master of Music degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, under the instruction of Ms. Julia Faulkner. Performances with the School of Music include scenes from Norma, L'Italiana in Algeri, Così fan tutte, and upcoming productions of Cherubini’s Medea and Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz. In 2012, Bethany was a young artist with Central City Opera. As a Studio Artist she covered Mrs. Nolan in The Medium and performed scenes from Idomeneo and Rigoletto. Originally from Clarinda, Iowa, Bethany received her Bachelor of Music degree from Simpson College. During her time at Simpson she performed roles in Albert Herring, Die Zauberflöte, The Mikado, Le nozze di Figaro, Falstaff, and Prima Donna.

Kelley Hollis, soprano

Kelley Hollis is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in vocal performance, and also performed the role of the First Lady in The Magic Flute. Recently Kelley was a studio artist at Chautauqua Opera in Chautauqua, NY and before that, spent two summers at the Castleton Festival, where she covered the roles of Une Amante in Il Tabarro and Musetta in La Boheme. In October, Kelley will be heading to Muscat, Oman with the Castleton Festival to perform La Boheme at the new Royal Opera House in Muscat.

Alisa Suzanne Jordheim, soprano

Regarding Alisa Suzanne Jordheim’s recent portrayal of Flora in Central City Opera’s production of The Turn of the Screw, Opera Lively states, “Alisa Suzanne Jordheim has a gorgeous soprano voice and the looks to match and is magnetic on stage, every bit as comfortable acting as singing.”  Also with Central City Opera, she has performed as Sirena (Rinaldo), Fredrika (A Little Night Music), and Ellen (Oklahoma!), and performed the roles of 2^nd Knabe  (Die Zauberflöte) and the Page (Rigoletto) with Cincinnati Opera.  Ms. Jordheim holds B. Mus. And M. Mus. degrees from the University of Cincinnati CCM, where she recently completed all coursework for the DMA, specializing in Scandinavian song and diction.  Her roles at CCM include Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Lucia (The Rape of Lucretia), Echo (Ariadne auf Naxos), Pamina  (Die Zauberflöte), and Une Pâstourelle (L’enfant et les sortilèges).  Ms. Jordheim has performed as soloist with the Columbus Symphony, Dayton Philharmonic, Hilton Head Symphony, and Fox Valley Symphony.  She was the recipient of the 2012 Central City Opera Young Artist Award and an American Scandinavian Foundation Fellowship, winner of the 2011 Wisconsin District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and finalist in the Kurt Weill Foundation’s 2011 Lotte Lenya International Competition. Most recently, Ms. Jordheim began her residency as the soprano Studio Artist with the Florentine Opera for the 2012-2013 season. Her engagements with Florentine Opera include the mainstage roles of Frasquita in Carmen, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, and Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, as well as eight performances of Händel’s Messiah with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. More information regarding Ms. Jordheim and her performances can be found at her official website, www.alisasuzannejordheim.com.

Alexandra Kassouf, soprano

Alexandra Kassouf, soprano, balances an interest in new works with a commitment to early music.  Recently, Ms. Kassouf sang the role of Barbarina in the CCM “Making Mozart” production of Le nozze di Figaro.  In 2011, she was the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah for the second annual “Sing for a Cause” (a Cincinnati-based benefit concert), participated in a workshop of the new opera Doubt by Douglas Cuomo and John Patrick Shanley, and performed as Musetta in scenes from La Boheme with Kalliope Vocal Arts.  While earning a BFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Ms. Kassouf sang the role of Polly in The Threepenny Opera and of Drusilla in L’incoronazione di Poppea.  She is a two-time winner of the Wisconsin District NATS Auditions and recently earned a master’s degree from the College-Conservatory of Music.

Kangmin Justin Kim, countertenor

Kangmin Justin Kim is a Korean-American countertenor from Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, USA, with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance and the Musical Theatre Certificate, and he received both academic (cum laude) and departmental honors upon graduation. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music degree (Concert Project) at the Royal Academy of Music, London, studying with Nicholas Clapton and Ian Partridge. A recipient of Rhoda Jones Roberts Scholarship, he was named the winner of 2011 Michael Head Song Prize and a finalist for the prestigious Richard Lewis Award at RAM. In the summer of 2012, he participated in the Verbier Festival Academy in Verbier, Switzerland, and received the 2012 Prix Mermod for Voice. Most recently, he was a semi-finalist in Concurso Internacional de Canto 2012, Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, and the winner of the 2012 Stuart Burrows International Voice Award held in Carmarthen, Wales.

CatieLeigh Laszewski, soprano

CatieLeigh Laszewski, Soprano, is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Voice Performance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying with tenor James Doing. After completing her undergraduate studies in Chicago at Roosevelt University, CatieLeigh traveled to Italy where she performed in recitals and opera scenes and competitions in Montecatini Terme, Modena, and Urbania. When she is not traveling abroad, CatieLeigh is active in the opera community in the Midwest; she made her Fresco Opera Theatre debut in 2011 where she was a finalist in Dueling Divas II and most recently played a Saloon Girl in “The Good, The Bad, and The Divas.” She has been an invited guest recitalist with the Lyric Opera Chapter of Flossmoor, Illinois and she can also be seen in performances with the American Chamber Opera Company in Chicago, and in recitals in Wisconsin and Illinois.

Bejamin Li, baritone

Benjamin Li, baritone, is in his final year of study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He will be receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance and Computer Science. Benjamin has had the privilege of singing several roles at the UW, including: The Secret Police Agent in Menotti's The Consul, Betto in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Schaunard in Puccini's La Boheme, and Masetto in Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Brittany Loewen, soprano

Soprano Brittany Loewen's dramatic voice has earned a variety of honors including  the title role in Tuscia Opera Festival’s production of Suor Angelica as well as 1^st place in the Laila S. Conlin  Vocal Competition. She recently pioneered “Casual Opera Tuesdays” at GiltBar in Chicago where she performed opera favorites for unsuspecting customers. She is looking forward to singing the role of Jenny in the Chicago College of Performing Arts’s production of Three Sisters Who are not Sisters by Ned Rorem. She also is looking forward to performing the role of Suor Angelica again at CCPA this spring.

Katherine McGookey, mezzo-soprano

Katherine McGookey, mezzo-soprano, lives in Chicago and is a native of Columbus, Ohio. This fall, Katherine made her Chicago Opera Theater debut as Third Lady in The Magic Flute under the baton of Steuart Bedford. Katherine spent the last two summers at Chautauqua Opera, where she was featured as an Apprentice Artist in 2012 and a Studio Artist in 2011. As an Apprentice Artist, Katherine covered the role of Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor, performed the role of the Madrigal Singer in Manon Lescaut, and was featured with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in two concerts. During these two seasons, Katherine was awarded with two Opera Guild Encouragement Awards. In June of 2012, Katherine received her MM in Opera Performance with honors from Northwestern University, where she studied under Sunny Joy Langton and Alan Darling. While attending Northwestern, Katherine performed the role of Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Florence Pike in Albert Herring, Emma Jones in Street Scene, and Third Lady in The Magic Flute. Prior to Northwestern, Katherine received her BM in Vocal Performance from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, where she performed the role of Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte and the Fairy Queen in Iolanthe.

Ashley Mispagel, soprano

Shannon Prickett, soprano

Hailed as a soprano with "a vocalism that is rich and unforced, equally capable of a sudden drop to a sustained whisper or being ratcheted up to a thrilling forte without a hint of strain" by Greg Hettmansberger of Madison Magazine, Shannon Prickett is becoming a well-known performer in the Madison, WI area. Currently, Shannon is in her final year of her Masters of Music degree in Opera, studying with Julia Faulkner and Bill Farlow.This past summer, Shannon performed the title role of Suor Angelica with the Opera Siena program in Italy. In the spring of 2012, Shannon won 1st place at the Iowa District Metropolitan National Council Opera Audtions, advancing to the regional competition in St. Paul, MN, in which she received 3rd place. This past year, at the University of Wisconsin, Shannon was the soprano soloist in the UW Production of Verdi's Requiem as well as Mimi in La Boheme and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. In 2010 at age 22, Shannon made her debut at the Des Moines Metro Opera singing the role of Lady in Waiting in Verdi’s Macbeth onstage with soprano, Brenda Harris and baritone, Todd Thomas. In her last year of her undergraduate degree in 2009, Shannon received the Kawaler Encouragement Award from the Iowa District Metropolitan National Opera Audtiions in Ames, Iowa. Shannon participated in the Des Moines Metro Opera Young Artist Program for three consecutive years where she sang scenes from La Gioconda, Un Ballo in maschera, Faust, La Traviata, and Don Giovanni. At Simpson College, where Shannon received her undergraduate degree in Vocal Performance, she studied with Kimberly Roberts under the direction of the esteemed Dr. Robert L. Larsen. At Simpson College, Shannon sang the roles of Nedda in I Pagliacci, Alice Ford in Falstaff, and The Foreign Woman in The Consul. This year at UW-Madison, Shannon will be performing the title role in Cherubini's Medea and Suzel in Mascagn's L'amico Fritz.

Daniel Rakita, tenor

Tim Rebers, baritone

Baritone Tim Rebers is a Milwaukee native who has performed with many local performing companies, including Milwaukee Opera Theater, Music by the Lake, Florentine Opera, Skylight Music Theatre, and the Concord Chamber Orchestra. This past March he also debuted with Empire State Lyric Theatre in Rochester, NY as Norton (La Cambiale di Matrimonio). Other recent roles include Karl Reder (Music in the Air), Tommy Albright (Brigadoon), Melchior (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Boatswain (HMS Pinafore) and Aeneas (Dido & Aeneas). Future performances include singing Pangloss/Voltaire (Candide) with Milwaukee Opera Theatre, an Opera Cabaret at Skylight Music Theatre, and chorus roles in Florentine Opera's Carmen and Le Nozze di Figaro. Tim holds a Masters in vocal performance from Truman State University, and a B.A. in music from Wisconsin Lutheran College. He is an Encouragement Award winner from the WI District Met Auditions. An active recitalist, Tim performs regularly with his wife (and pianist) Maggie. Tim currently studies voice with Dr. Connie Haas.

Melanie Riley, soprano

Michael Roemer, baritone

Michael Roemer is a current student of Julia Faulkner and recently finished his MM degree at the University of Wisoncin-Madison.  He completed his BM degree at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and studied voice with Brian Leeper.  Mr. Roemer traveled to Italy in 2008 and 2009 and again in 2012 to attend La Musica Lirica, where he performed the roles of Gasparo in Donizetti’s Rita (2008), Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff (2009), and Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème (2012).  Mr. Roemer has performed with Candid Concert Opera in performances of Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and Don Pasquale.  Mr. Roemer performed in Madison University Opera in the Fall 2010 as Marco in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, in Spring 2011 as John Sorel in Menotti’s The Consul, in Fall 2011 as Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème, and in Spring 2012, the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.  Mr. Roemer attended the Des Moines Metro Opera as a Collier Apprentice Artist last summer.  This Spring 2012 semester, he won the UW – Madison School of Music Concerto Competition, and performed the recitativo and aria, “Hai già vinta la causa! - Vedrò mentre io sospiro.”

Chelsey Rogers, soprano

Alexandra Schiano, soprano

Miss Schiano is completing a Master of Music program at the Cleveland Institute of Music where she is a student of Mary Schiller.  Having performed throughout the U.S. and in Europe, Ms. Schiano was cited in the Cleveland Plain Dealer for her “charm and fine grasp of phrasing” when she sang Sandrina, the title character in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera.  Her other roles include Cendrillon, Massanet’s opera of the same name, Despina in Cosi fan tutte, Serpetta in La finta giardiniera, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Angelina in Trial by Jury and Edith in The Pirates of Penzance. Her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance was earned at the University of Iowa.

Stephanie Schoenhofer, mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano, Stephanie Schoenhofer, is a 2nd year Masters Student at the University of Michigan. Hailing from Lima, Ohio, she completed her Bachelors Degree in June of 2011 at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Stephanie has enjoyed many wonderful performance opportunities both at the Graduate and Undergraduate level. While at CCM, notable performances include Lapàk the Dog in The Cunning Little Vixen by Leos Janácek and the Mezzo soloist in Le Petite Messe Sollenelle by Rossini. During the summers of 2010 and 2011, Stephanie was a Young Artist at the Seagle Music Colony in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains in Upstate, New York. There, Stephanie performed the roles of Mrs. Irene Malloy in Hello Dolly, and Meg Brockie in Brigadoon. In September of 2011 at UM, Stephanie had the great fortune to work with renowned counter-tenor, David Daniels, in a Masterclass he gave at the School of Music. In March of 2012, Stephanie made her University of Michigan Opera début as Baba the Turk in The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky.

Benjanmin Schultz, bass-baritone

Benjamin Schultz (Bass-Baritone) is a native of Green Bay and is a doctoral candidate in vocal performance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying with Mimmi Fulmer and William Farlow.  Mr. Schultz received his BFA in vocal performance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and his Master of Music degree in vocal performance from Belmont University in Nashville.  Mr. Schultz has appeared in numerous opera and oratorio roles including Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Colline in La Bohème, Don Alfonso in Cosí fan tutte, Simone in Gianni Schicchi, Sid in Albert Herring, and Raphael in Haydn’s Creation.  Mr. Schultz has sung with both the Florentine and Nashville Opera Companies and recently performed as the baritone soloist for the Duruflé Requiem with Edgewood College.  Mr. Schultz is currently serving as the interim Assistant Director of the School of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  He has taught as a Lecturer of Voice at UW-Platteville and is the Bass section leader, cantor and soloist for St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison.  Mr. Schultz has recently gained national recognition from Polish institutions for his research and compilation of a Polish Art Song Anthology for his doctoral project.  He is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA).  Mr. Schultz was also inducted into the prestigious musicological society Pi Kappa Lambda in 2010.

Aidan Smerud, bass-baritone

Aidan Smerud recently graduated with his Bachelors in Vocal Performance at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin.  He is a La Crosse native and a graduate of Aquinas High School.  Aidan has won awards at the Wisconsin NATS Student Auditions the past four years. In 2011, he won the Advanced Voice Division in the Bruce Carlson Scholarship Audition of the Schubert Club.  Aidan was selected to participate in the Supporter’s of Singers Young Artists Program.  Active in both Music Theater and Opera, Aidan has most recently sung roles of Gianni Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi, Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro and Sam in Trouble in Tahiti. He performed the bass solos in Handel’s Messiah on Viterbo University’s Bright Star Season and in London at Southwark Cathedral as part of the commemoration concert of the death of Handel. 

Corrie Stallings, mezzo-soprano

Corrie Stallings, lyric mezzo-soprano, lives in Chicago and is a native of San Francisco. She is a regular member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra chorus as well as the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In December of 2012, Corrie will be performing as a soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Colorado Symphony in Denver. In the Spring and Fall of 2012, Corrie was a young artist with the Chicago Opera Theater and covered the role of Medea in Handel's Teseo, Third Lady in Mozart's The Magic Flute and was also a part of the chorus in  Shostakovich's Moscow, Cheryomushki. Corrie was a young artist with Chautauqua Opera in 2011 where she performed in Verdi's Luisa Miller and Mozart's Die Zauberflote. In June of 2011, Corrie received her MM in Opera Performance from Northwestern University where she studied under Pamela Hinchman and Alan Darling. At Northwestern, Corrie performed the role of Samira in Corigliano's The Ghosts of Versailles, Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Second Lady in Die Zauberflote, and Olga Olsen in Weill's Street Scene. Prior to Northwestern, Corrie received her BA in Vocal Performance and Art History from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA. Corrie is currently a student of Stephen Smith.

Jesslyn Thomas, soprano

From rural Rindge, NH, Jesslyn Thomas is a recent graduate from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she received her MM.  While there she sang the role of Sister Aloysius in the new opera Doubt with music by Douglas Cuomo in the first Opera Fusion: New Works collaboration between CCM and Cincinnati Opera.  This past summer she sang Despina in CCM "Making Mozart"'s production of Cosi fan tutte.  Jesslyn also holds a BM from the University of Southern Maine.  During her time there she sang the role of Carolina in PORTopera Young Artist Program's production of Il Matrimonio Segreto.  Her USM production credits also include the roles of Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, First Knitter in A Game of Chance, and Don Ettore in La Cantarina.

Kylie Toomer, soprano

Hailed by D Magazine as  “continually captivating, sensitive, and vocally magnificent,” Kylie Toomer’s operatic roles include Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Violetta in La Traviata, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte,  Mařenka in Prodaná nevěsta, Governess in Turn of the Screw, and Birdie in Blitzstein’s Regina.  Ms. Toomer received her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of North Texas, where she studied with renowned American tenor Richard Croft.  She also holds the Bachelor of Arts in Music from Luther College.  As an active performer, Ms. Toomer has performed throughout the United States, most recently with the Crested Butte Music Festival, Puccini Society of Dallas, and other various organizations.  In 2011, Ms. Toomer won the American semifinals of the Czech and Slovak Voice International Competition and placed at the international finals in Montreal, Quebec.

Rachel Traughber, soprano

Soprano Rachel Traughber is an active opera singer and recitalist in the Boston area. A graduate of both St. Olaf College and Boston University, she has won awards from the Metropolitan Opera's National Council auditions, the Minnesota NATS competition and was a finalist in the St. Paul Schubert Club’s annual scholarship competition. Ms. Traughber has performed a broad range of operatic roles, from Bellini’s Giulietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi) with Cambridge Summer Opera to the Mother in Opera del West's production of Hansel und Gretel. A strong proponent of art song, she was invited to participate in the Songfest festival as a Sterns Fellow, performing in recitals and singing in master classes with Graham Johnson, Martin Katz, John Harbison and John Musto, among others. Ms. Traughber currently studies with mezzo-soprano Sondra Kelly.

Dana Vetter, soprano

Dana Vetter, coloratura soprano, is a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago, where she received her bachelor's degree in vocal performance.  While there she performed in a variety of recitals and concerts, and in The Mikado.  Now living in her hometown Hartland, WI, she is studying intensively with her long-time teacher Maria Hansen, and planning to audition for graduate schools and other programs this fall.  In preparation for this next endeavor, she is studying various roles in the coloratura repertoire, including Olympia from Les contes d'Hoffmann and Blonde from Die Entführung aus dem Serail.  Meanwhile, she has created her own opportunities to perform by organizing a concert this past summer and doing performances and talks at the local schools.