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Miloslav Antonov (Figaro Cover) sang Don Alfonso in Prelude to Performance's production of Cosi fan tutte in 2011. He is an undergraduate student at Mannes College The New School for Music. He appeared as Masetto in Don Giovanni in May in the opera program there. Other appearances include tribute concerts to Bulgarian composer Petko Staynov in Carnegie’s Weill Hall and The Kennedy Center. He graduated as a piano major in his native Bulgaria.recently |
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Jacopo Buora (Bartolo) bass-baritone, is an Italian opera singer currently residing in New York City. He has recently performed as Bartolo and Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro with Regina Opera, Count Walter in Luisa Miller with dell'Arte Opera Ensemble, Pasquale in the American premier of Donizetti's Olivo e Pasquale and Schaunard in La bohème, both with Amore Opera. While he has studied music from an early age, he also holds Master degrees in Philosophy and Psychology. He is currently studying voice under Armen Boyajian. |
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Baritone Jonathan Callison (Marquise) graduated with his Master’s degree in vocal performance from Manhattan School of Music last spring. With the Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater he appeared in the choruses of Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny and Thaïs. Scene credits include Lady in the Dark (Charlie Johnson) and Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (Ulisse). John was a young artist with Ohio Light Opera from 2010 through 2012 and is currently performing with the USO Show Troupe. |
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A native of New Orleans, LA, Tyrone Chambers II (Gastone) roles include Philistine Messenger in Samson et Dalila, Governor/Gambler in Candide, Second Jew in Strauss’ Salome, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Crab Man in Porgy and Bess, Elder Gleaton in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, and Laërtes in Mignon at Music Academy of the West. He is a featured tenor in New Orleans' premier operatic ensemble, Opera Créole. Most recently at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France for A Creole Christmas (2013) for the second year. In April 2012 he returned to Natchez, MS for the fourth year in a series of concerts entitled “Romantic Songs of Natchez,” singing to great acclaim. Most recently, Chambers performed at LaMama and at BAM’s 21c Liederabend Festival. He was also featured in a variety of concerts this holiday season in the metropolitan area, including Händel’s Messiah at St. Matthew AME in Queens and Harlem Opera Theater’s Community Holiday Sing at Puffin Cultural Center in Teaneck, NJ. He can be heard across the northeast region with Harlem Opera Theater singing the role of King Nebuchadnezzar in Britten’s Three Parables. He earned a Bachelor’s in music from Morehouse College and a Master of Music degree in voice from the University of Oklahoma. |
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Mezzo-soprano Marisan Corsino (Flora) has captivated audiences with her deep and honeyed tone voice and alluring stage presence. She believes that music is the art of communication that unites people around the world and therefore a key instrument for life itself. Reason why she left her home at an early age to study music at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, graduating with a Bachelor and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance.
Her most recent operatic credits include the roles of Carmen from Bizet's Carmen with the Sherman Symphony. Florence Pike from Britten’s Albert Herring with the Meadows Opera Theatre. Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro) with the Amalfi Coast Music Festival, Gianetta in L’elisir d’amore with the Musica e Musica Festival in Italy, Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus with the Regal Opera . She has also preformed partial roles in Bellini’s Norma (Adalgisa) and Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeris (Isabella) with the Rossini orchestra in Italy. Verdi’s Rigoletto (Maddalena) with the Janiec Opera Company and with the New England Conservatory Opera, Cavalli’s La Calisto and Mozart’s The Magic Flute. |
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baritone Eric Delangrange (Dr. Grenvile (Traviata) Bartolo Cover (Barbiere)) is currently receiving his masters degree at DePaul University. Eric has recently opened the 2014 season with singing the self-entitled role of Falstaff by Verdi. The young Bass-Baritone made his operatic debut in 2013 singing Figaro in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro with D'Angelo Opera Theatre.
A native of Buffalo, New York, he discovered his passion for opera from his friend, and colleague Lousia Jonason. Eric is now in his second year of Vocal Performance masters program at DePaul University School of Music. He holds a Bachelors degree in Music Education from Mercyhurst University.
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Paul G. L. Grosvenor (Basilio) was born and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, N.Y. From the age of ten, Paul knew he wanted to sing. So he began his first piano and voice lessons at the Patricia F. Robinson Music Studio, which has had a legacy of enriching the Bedford-Stuyvesant community with high rquality musical instruction for more than 80 years. His excellent preparation gained him acceptance to the famed LaGuardia High School of the Arts in New York City. While there his repertoire expanded, ranging from oratorio to gospel, Negro Spirituals to Contemporary, and Opera. Recently, Paul received his Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan. His voice teacher is Prof. Daniel Washington, Associate Dean for Faculty and Multicultural Affairs. With the University of Michigan he performed, the roles of Massetto in “Don Giovanni”, and Lakai in “Ariadne auf Naxos.” In addition to his studies at U-M, he has studied at the “Music in the Marche Opera Program”, in Mondavio, Italy. He was recognized for his academic success by the University of Michigan at its 2012 Honors Convocation. He is a member of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Collegiate Division, and The University of Michigan Black Arts Council. |
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Paul Han (Alfredo) has performed with The Janiec Opera Company at Brevard, North Carolina, Opera Cleveland, and Cincinnati Opera. His roles include Tamino and 1st Armored Man in Die Zauberflöte, Bénédict in Béatrice et Bénédict, Alfredo in La traviata, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, and the title role in The Impresario. He has also appeared with the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Graz, Austria, as well as a featured soloist on NPR’s From the Top. He holds degrees in Performance and Music Theory from the Universities of Cincinnati, Indiana, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. |
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Australian baritone Paull-Anthony Keightley (Fiorello) is a first year Master's degree candidate at Manhattan School of Music studying with Joan Patenaude-Yarnell. He graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) with both a Bachelor of Music and Graduate Diploma of Music.
Mr. Keightley’s operatic credits at included Rev. Mr. Jones, Major Peter Labelliere, Alderman Birch, Mr. Worrall and Phillip Thicknesse in English Eccentrics, Frank in Die Fledermaus and Baptista in the Australian Premier of Goetz’s The Taming of the Shrew with WAAPA; Littore, Famigliari and Tribuno in L'incoronazione di Poppea at the Manhattan Summer Voice Festival, Gloster Heming in The Mother of us All with Manhattan School of Music Opera Theatre; Papageno in Die Zauberflöte with New York Opera Exchange. His scene work includes Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress and Marcello in La bohème.
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Chelsea Kelsay (Annina), recently completed his undergraduate studies at Mannes College the New School for Music (BM’13) and will be attending The Juilliard School (MM’15) in the fall. With an extensive background in theater and musical theater. He has performed the lead roles in Leonard Bernstein's Candide, West Side Story and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Last summer James participated in the Internationale Meistersinger Akademie, where he performed with the Bayerischer Rundfunk Orchester which was broadcast over Bavarian Radio in multiple recitals and concerts in Germany. Mr. Knight is a student of Mr. Dan Marek. |
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Alasdair Kent (Almaviva) holds a Bachelor of Music from WAAPA, and commenced a Master of Music Studies in Opera at the Queensland Conservatorium in 2012. Alasdair covered the role of Le remendado in Bizet’s Carmen for Opera Queensland that year, and will cover Don Ramiro in their 2013 season of La cenerentola.
Other credits include Sellem and covering Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress for the Queensland Conservatorium, Gabriel von Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus for WAAPA, as well as numerous concerts of operatic excerpts and art song. Alasdair has also performed in the chorus with WA Opera in recent seasons of Lucia di Lammermoor, Les contes d’Hoffmann, Die Fledermaus, La sonnambula, Cavalleria rusticana, I Pagliacci, The Mikado, Peter Grimes, La fanciulla del West, Aïda, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Die Zauberflöte and Rigoletto.
Alasdair studied at the Lisa Gasteen National Opera School in 2011 and 2012. In 2013, he is relocating to the USA to commence his first year as a resident artist at The Academy of Vocal Arts, Philadelphia. |
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Robert Kerr (Germont) returns to Prelude after having sung the title role of Falstaff in 2012. He recently sang in the Triumphal Scene from Verdi's Aida as Amonasro at The Kennedy Center in honor of the great Metropolitan Opera soprano Martina Arroyo. Then in 2005, Robert was selected to be a part of the San Francisco Opera Center’s Merola Opera Program.He began his
career in musical theater. He has appeared in summer stock with The Barn
Theater and Huron Playhouse, as well as in past productions with the
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s Opera Theater
and the Music Festival of Lucca, Italy. His past operatic roles include
Scarpia in Tosca, the Secret Police Agent in The Consul,
Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Germont in La Traviata, Ford in Falstaff, and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. Kerr has
worked with Toledo Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Baltimore Concert Opera,
Opera Columbus and Southern Ohio Light Opera. |
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Jennifer Lazarz (Berta), mezzo-soprano, is originally from the Chicago suburbs. She joined Opera Tampa as one of their New Artists for the 2010-2011 season and was thrilled to continue into 2012. She made her debut with Opera Tampa as Dodo in Maestro Anton Coppola’s adaptation of The Merry Widow. Other recent engagements include the “Night of Stars” program during which Opera Tampa paid tribute to Placido Domingo. Her recent roles include Isolier in a staged concert version of Le Comte Ory with Katydid Productions and Meg Brockie in Music by the Lake’s production of Brigadoon. She performed the roles of Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Ma Moss in The Tenderland, and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. She has also performed both Carmen and Mercedes in scenes from Carmen and die Dritte Dame in scenes from Die Zauberflote with the Colorado Vocal Arts Symposium. She also was a participant in the 2010 and 2011 V.O.I.C.Experience “Sherrill Milnes and Friends” Training programs and has had the fortunate opportunity to serve as an artistic administrator for both the summer and NYC V.O.I.C.Experience programs. Jennifer has sung with the Grant Park Music Festival Chorus, the Music of the Baroque Chorus, and the Chicago Symphony Chorus under the baton of Bernard Haitink and Ricardo Muti. |
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Korean born Mezzo-SopranoYooJin Lee (Flora Cover) has delighted audiences with her blend of a powerful voice and stage presence. Ms. Lee performed a wide range of roles from Handel, Mozart, Bel canto to Stravensky repertoires. She started to pursue her passion for singing at an all women’s college in South Korea. She was accepted to Sook Myung Women’s University for their acclaimed vocal program. She was accepted to Mannes College of The New School in 2009 for Master of Music. She entered Mannes’ Professional Studies diploma in autumn of 2011 and graduated in the summer of 2013. She studied under the wings of Ruth Falcon and Beth Roberts. She performed many various repertoires at Mannes. Her recent performances include, Charlotte from Werther by Massenet, Tisbe from La Cenerentola by Rossini, Melibea from Il viaggio a Reims by Rossini, Alisa from Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti, Dorabella from Cosi fan tutte by Mozart, and The Neighbor from Mavra by Stravensky. She recently performed in a full opera as Marcellina from Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart with the LoftOpera. |
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Born and raised in Rupert, Idaho to Mexican parents,Cecilia Lopez (Violetta) discovered her passion for music as a young child. Cecilia was first introduced to mariachi music by her mother and grew up occasionally performing with live mariachi bands in Idaho and Mexico from the tender age of 12. Classical training began at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she was mainly under the tutelage of Dr. Tod Fitzpatrick.
Ms. López made her company debut with Opera San José in their 2012-13 season appearing as Leïla in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Leonora in Il trovatore, and the title role in Suor Angelica. Other operatic highlights include Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Opera Las Vegas, her professional debut as Suor Angelica with Opera San Luis Obispo and the title role in Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea with the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival. Other roles the soprano has performed while obtaining her undergraduate degree include Pamina in The Magic Flute, Micaëla in Carmen and Gasparina in La Canterina. |
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Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Samuel McDonald (Barone) is a young artist recognized for his rich voice and powerful, multi-layered interpretations. His awards include The Jeanne Wade Heningburg Scholarship for the Performing Arts and the MSU College of the Arts Advisory Board Talent Award. He also received high markings at The American College Theater and Dance Festivals. In addition, he was the local and regional winner of the NANBPWC Vocal Arts Competition and was a finalist in The National Vocal Arts Competition, The Harlem Opera Theater Vocal Competition, The Alltech Opera Scholarship Competition and NATS.
No stranger to contemporary works, Samuel created the roles of The Spirit Robertson (4: A musical drama in response to the four little girls killed in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing) and Mayor Kenneth Gibson (The Three Mayors) with Trilogy Opera. In collaboration with Nashville Opera, he also sang the title role for the regional premiere of Dr. Robert Aldridge's Grammy Award winning opera, Elmer Gantry. Most recently he created the role of Vernon Baker in the world premiere of Buffalo Soldier in Città della Pieve and Rome Italy with the International Opera Theater. |
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Joseph Ryan (Germont Cover) graduated from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with a Masters in Vocal Performance in 2006. He participated in young artist programs with Sarasota Opera, Central City Opera, St. Petersburg Opera, and the Opera Theatre of Lucca, Italy. Most recently he performed as Alberich and Hagen with Opera Louisiane in The Ring, a reduced version of Wagner's Ring Cycle, and as Second Man in the Natchez Festival of Music's 2013 production of Kiss Me, Kate. Other recent roles include Scarpia (cover) in St. Petersburg Opera's production of Tosca this past February, the Sacristan in Tosca with Opera Naples in December 2012, and an outreach artist with Opera Tampa since 2012.
Mr. Ryan was a semi-finalist in the 2012 Opera Birmingham Competition, and currently resides in Florida, where he has sung the Father in Hansel und Gretel (Opera Naples, 2011), Monterone in Rigoletto (St. Petersburg Opera, 2011), and the baritone solo in Orff's Carmina Burana and Mozart's Requiem (Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, FL 2010 and 2011). Upcoming engagements include Morales in Opera Tampa's 2014 production of Carmen and Sacristan in Natchez Festival of Music's 2014 production of Tosca. |
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Jessica Sandidge (Violetta Cover) is rapidly gaining recognition for her captivating performances. Having started as a coloratura, she brings a silvery color and soaring top tones to a wide range of repertoire from Verismo to Verdi. Her recent NY performances include Musetta in La Bohème with New York Grand Opera, Violetta in La Traviata with Regina Opera, and Colette in The Reformed Drunkard with Little Opera Theater of New York, in which Steve Smith of the NY Times wrote: “…was an appealing Colette.” Other performed roles include Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro with Chelsea Opera, Freia in Das Rheingold and Janthe in Der Vampyr with the Liederkranz Opera Theater, in which she "...sang her one scene with lovely, gleaming sound, and fine agility." Upcoming performances include Nedda in I Pagliacci with Amore Opera, Tosca in Tosca with New York Grand Opera, and Alice Ford in Falstaff with Utopia Opera. |
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Kirsten Scott (Rosina) is a New York City based performer, originally hailing from Boston, MA. Earlier this 2013-2014 season, she debuted as Cherubino in LoftOpera’s (NYC) production of Le Nozze di Figaro. Her “superb” performance as Nicklausse in the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s 2013 production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann this past summer was hailed by both The New York Times and Opera News. Her other role credits include Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Stephano in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette and the Neighbour in Stravinsky’s Mavra.
In the United States she has performed at Jordan Hall (Boston, MA), Opera America (New York City), the Metropolitan Opera Guild (NYC), Harris Hall (Aspen, CO) and Wheeler Opera House (Aspen, CO). She performed as a soloist in the world premiere of the 9/11 Commemorative Oratorio, Illuminessence: Prayers for Peace, in Boston’s Jordan Hall in 2011. Internationally, she has performed as a soloist in Austria, France, and Italy. In May 2013 she performed as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Classic Lyric Arts gala hosted by Grammy award-winning violinist, Joshua Bell.
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Shanna Spiro (Berta Cover) graduated Summa Cum Laude from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music. Ms. Spiro has previously performed with the New York Lyric in the title role in Cendrillon, Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica, Dorothée in Cendrillon, Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel, and Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto. She performed with the Liederkranz Opera Theatre in Der Vampyr and covered the role of Emmy and she attended BASOTI in San Francisco, performing the role of Dido in Dido and Aeneas and Micaela in Carmen and Contessa Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro. |
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Samuel Thompson (Figaro) is currently a masters student at DePaul University School of Music. A St. Paul native, he began his studies at the Minnesota Opera Center before earning a Bachelor of Music from DePaul. Recently he has performed the roles of The Vicar in Britten’s Albert Herring, The Forester in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, the title role in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, and appeared with Haymarket Opera, Chicago’s new and exciting baroque opera company, in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Upcoming engagements include Mr. Peachum in Kurt Weill’s Three Penny Opera, and Schaunard in Puccini’s La Bohème with DePaul Opera Theatre. |
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Marcos Vigil (Almaviva Cover) has performed the role of Prunier in Puccini’s La Rondine with Prelude to Performance Summer Program, as well as the role of Beppe from Donizetti’s Rita, where Opera News hailed his performance as “a comedic and vocal tour de force”.will be performing the role of Don Eusebio in Little Opera Theater of New York’s production of Rossini’s Opportunity Makes the Thief. Other roles performed include Don Ramiro from La Cenerentola with Capital Heights Lyric Opera of New York, and Count Alma-viva from Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Company of Brooklyn. |
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A native of Boston,Wendy Wang (Flora Cover) has sung Mastrilla in LaPerichole and Moppet in Paul Bunyan with New EnglandConservatory’s Graduate Opera. As part of Lowell House Opera’sScenes Program, she has performed Carmen in Carmen, Zerlina inDon Giovanni, and Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Ms. Wang is agraduate of Harvard University and New England Conservatory’sDual-Degree Program.. |
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Originally from the Shenandoah Valley,Matthew White (Gastone Cover) is quickly gaining recognition as a promising young tenor. Roles he has studied and performed include the Beadle in Sweeney Todd, Tamino in Die Zauberflote, Laurie in Little Women, Younger Thompson in Glory Denied, and Alfred in Die Fledermaus. Starting his education at New England Conservatory he is now pursuing a bachelors in Virginia. During the summer of 2012, Mr. White participated as a Young Artist with Seagle Music Colony. In 2013 He was a featured soloist with the Longfellow Chorus. He has spent the better part of two years studying with renowned tenors Stephen O’Mara and his current teacher Rick Christman. |
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Katherine Wiswell (Annina Cover) has performed mainly in the New York Metropolitan area. Her repertoire includes: Dorabella in Così fan tutte by Mozart, Valetto and Nutrice in L’incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi, Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte by Mozart, Zita in Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, Annina in La Traviata by Verdi, and La Principessa in Suor Angelica by Puccini. Her scenes experience includes: Suzuki in “The Flower Duet” from Madama Butterfly by Puccini, Mallika in “The Flower Duet” from Lakme by Delibes, Alisa in scenes from Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti, and various scenes/pieces by Kurt Weill. Ms. Wiswell’s upcoming engagements include singing Mère Marie in Dialogues des carmélites by Poulenc with Queens College (March 2014), Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus by Strauss II with Nyack College (April 2014), and the Mezzo Solo in Mozart’s Requiem with Nyack College (April 2014), and Flora (Cover) with New York Opera Exchange (May 2014). Ms. Wiswell received her Bachelors Degree in Vocal Performance from Nyack College where she studied privately with Professor Shelley Jameson. She is currently finishing her Masters Degree in Classical Vocal Performance from Queens College where she studies privately with Bruce Norris.
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Ziwen Xiang (Alfredo Cover) a native of China; was born into a musical family and is a graduate of the the Central University for Nationalities Music College. Shortly thereafter he was asked to join The China National Opera House in Beijing and was selected to perform the role of Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Boheme, performed in Italian. Ziwen has sung concerts, and opera recitals in Italy, Turkey and Syria; having also toured several Chinese Provinces with orchestra.
He and his accompanist wife, an exchange student, are in the United States while she works on her Master’s degree in accompaniment. While here, Ziwen studies voice with Dr. Kevin Eckard and works with James de Blasis, Stage Director and Coach. |
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Kathleen Monson |
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Alicia Waller (Rosina) is a soprano from Northern Virginia, and a graduate of the University of Maryland at College Park. She currently resides in New York City. While at the University of Maryland, Ms. Waller earned her Bachelors of Music and minored in Spanish Language and Literature; she was also the recipient of academic honors and music scholarship. Since graduating, she has enjoyed the opportunity to pursue continued voice study and perform throughout the Washington, D.C. and New York metropolitan areas. Notable engagements have included Free to Sing with Strathmore Music Hall, Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Maryland Opera Studio, and Handel’s Messiah at the Kennedy Center. |
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