Get your tickets now for Porgy & Bess featuring Rhiannon Giddens!
David Pershall (Silvio):
Hailed by the New York Times as “passionate and resonant” and by Der Neue Merker for his “cultured singing,” American baritone David Pershall is quickly establishing himself as an exciting and vibrant artist. This season, his engagements ranged from a return to The Metropolitan Opera for Bizet’s Carmen, to his role debut as Silvio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci for which he was praised for his “deft performance” by the San Francisco Chronicle. His future engagements include his company debut at San Diego Opera as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, a return to Greensboro Opera for Silvio in Pagliacci, his North American debut as Marcello in La Bohème, along with various concerts and recitals including his debut with the La Jolla Music Society. CLICK TO READ MORE
Richard Zeller (Tonio):
American baritone Richard Zeller has consistently received high acclaim. For his portrayal of Scarpia, the Calgary Herald wrote “His performance was entirely authentic and wholly dominating”, and commended his “flawless vocal mastery.” A frequent performer on concert stages, Oregon Music News praised him as “a commanding presence housing a brilliant vocal instrument.” Since making his Metropolitan Opera debut, he has appeared with the Met in such roles as Marcello in La bohème, Ernesto in Il Pirata, Eddie in A View from the Bridge, Coroebus in Les Troyens, and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor. His other opera appearances include Germont in La Traviata with Scottish Opera, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Deutsche Opera am Rhein, Portland Opera, and San Diego Opera; productions of Boris Godunov and Andrea Chénier with the Lyric Opera of Chicago; Athanaël in Thaïs with English National Opera at the Barbican in London; and in the title role in Verdi’s Macbeth with Opera de Bordeaux, Opera de Vichy and Portland Opera. CLICK TO READ MORE
Suzanne Kantorski (Nedda):
Praised by the New York Times for her “lively and engaging work,” Suzanne Kantorski has a career that spans multiple genres and platforms. With a passion for new, and site-specific opera, she regularly debuts compositions for companies worldwide. Recently, her work as Euridice in Ricky Ian Gordon’s Orpheus and Euridice (produced inside the Washington National Gallery of Art) was praised by the Washington Post for her “grace, and generously smooth vocal production.” Other productions this season have included Nedda in Pagliacci with both Opera Orlando and Savannah Opera, Pulcinella with Orlando Opera, Musetta in La bohème for Vermont’s Barn Opera, and the title role in Tosca with Opera Company of Middlebury.
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Brandon Scott Russell (Canio):
Tenor Brandon Scott Russell is a 2018 National Semi-Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has been noted to have a “Strong, ringing tenor capable of both power and feeling” whose “sweet tenor soared above the orchestra in a passionate and operatic performance” (KC Metropolis). In his 2018-2019 season, Russell was a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, covering Alfredo in La traviata, Mr. Marshall in Regina, and performing in the Stars of Tomorrow Concert. Immediately following, he returned to Cincinnati Opera where he performed as The Teacher in Julien Bilodeau’s U.S. Premiere of Another Brick in the Wall where he was “one of the evening’s standouts… (who) wielded a big voice and stick to match” (Cincinnati Biz Journal). He made his company and role debut with Winter Opera Saint Louis as Alfred in Die Fledermaus and was a Resident Artist with Knoxville Opera performing as Edgardo in a touring production of Lucia di Lammermoor. CLICK TO READ MORE
Joel Sorensen (Beppe):
Joel Sorensen is recognized as one of the finest tenors to specialize in character repertoire, regularly praised for the clarion quality of his voice and a superlative vocal technique that supports his consummate musicality and impeccable diction. In recent seasons, he excelled in German repertoire in performances worldwide as Andres in Wozzeck, Herod in Salome, and Loge and Mime in Der Ring des Nibelungen. The Independent (London) said, “Joel Sorensen, well known to both New York City and Metropolitan Opera audiences, is a beautifully expressive tenor, gifted at characterization, who made Mime rise above caricature to emerge as a surprisingly lyrical, put-upon creature.” CLICK TO READ MORE
Steven White (Conductor)
Music critics are effusive in their praise of conductor Steven White’s ability to elicit inspired music-making from orchestras. Of his 2016 performances with the Omaha Symphony, the Omaha World-Herald asserts that, “it would be hard to imagine a more complete performance of the Symphonie Fantastique. Highly nuanced, tightly controlled and crisp, Steven White asked everything from orchestra members and they were flawless. He led them out of serene beauty into disturbing dissonance and even to the terrifying point of musical madness without ever losing control. It was insanely good.” Opera News declares, “White is amazing: he consistently demands and gets the absolute best playing from the orchestra.”
David Holley: Stage Director
Jim Bumgardner: Chorus Master