Edwin Penhorwood, a native of Toledo, OH and a graduate of the University of Iowa, is a pianist, composer, organist, and vocal coach. He has taught in the International School of Zurich, Switzerland, at the Church Music Conservatory in Berlin, the University of Missouri, and Indiana University, and has accompanied singers and instrumentalists in North America and in Europe for many years.
Penhorwood’s songs have been broadcast by NPR, the Paris and Berlin radio networks and have been featured at Glimmerglass Opera, The Chautauqua Opera, the National NATS Convention, and Marilyn Horne’s 70th Birthday Celebration. Penhorwood’s compositions are published by Carl Fischer, Abingdon, Hinshaw Music, and T.I.S. Publications.
In 2000, T.I.S., Inc. published his songs and song cycles. T.I.S. also published Penhorwood’s comic opera Too Many Sopranos commissioned by the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre and premiered in June 2000. Too Many Sopranos, now in its fourth printing, has been presented at the NATS Convention and The National Opera Association National Convention in New York City. The opera has received over 30 productions, most recently at The Baltimore Opera and Light Opera Oklahoma.
Penhorwood has edited two volumes of Vincenzo Righini’s vocal works for Southern Music. Many of these compositions received their American premières at the 2nd International Congress of Voice Teachers held in Philadelphia.
In 1999, the Indianapolis Symphonic Chorus, through the Lilly Foundation, presented Penhorwood with a commission for a choral work, The Christmas Story.
Penhorwood joined the faculty of Indiana University in 1993. He is the musical director of the Graduate Opera Workshop and has taught Accompanying. He is married to soprano Costanza Cuccaro.
ARTISTIC STAFF BIOGRAPHIES (See Cast Biographies below)
KEVIN NOE - Conductor
Conductor Kevin Noe is currently the artistic director and conductor of the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble. A passionate supporter and promoter of composers, creators, and the arts of our time, Noe has commissioned and premiered over 30 new works written for new music ensembles and orchestras, in the last five years alone. He has a particular interest in works which employ a variety of art forms, including music, dance, theater, film, and visual arts, and he serves regularly as conductor, stage director, actor, and filmmaker for a variety of mixed-media, operatic, and theatrical productions. Noe is a co-founder of the newly formed company Now Here This, which creates and performs new works in a variety of forms, and is currently in creation of its first multi-disciplinary work Glass Witness.
Noe has held conducting posts at the University of Texas at Austin, Duquesne University, the National Repertory Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Opera Center, and he works regularly as a guest conductor with a variety of professional and academic ensembles. Noe completed his graduate studies at Rice University in Houston, Texas where he received the prestigious Sally Shepherd Perkins Prize in Music and was awarded the Maurice Abravanel Fellowship as a conductor at the Tanglewood Festival. Noe’s principal conducting teacher was Larry Rachleff, and he also studied conducting with Robert Spano, Gunther Schuller, and Seiji Ozawa.
VINCENT LIOTTA - Stage Director
Stage Director Vincent Liotta has been both a professional stage director and a dedicated educator for more than 15 years. He is the head of the Opera Stage Directing program at Indiana University, where he teaches stage directing, acting, and operatic literature. Past professional projects include La fanciulia del West at the Canadian Opera Company (Toronto), Turandot at the El Paso Opera, and a new production of Die Fledermaus at the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. In 1993, Liotta co-founded the Utah Festival Opera. His professional productions have covered the entire history of operatic repertory from Cavalli to John Corigliano. Notable works include directing the world premières of Mollicone’s Coyote Tales, a new version of Frank Loesser’s Greenwillow, Edwin Penhorwood’s Too Many Sopranos, and the American première of Dragon of Wantley. In addition, his works with the musical theater include a new libretto for Victor Herbert’s operetta Naughty Marietta and Viva Verdi, an original biographical evening about the life and work of Giuseppe Verdi. He has created productions at major American companies including San Francisco, Houston, and Santa Fe, and has collaborated with Harold Prince on productions of Turandot, Don Giovanni, and the world première of Willie Stark. In 2005, he directed William Bolcom’s A View from the Bridge and, in 2006, the world première of Ned Rorem’s Our Town.
ROBERT O'HEARN - Set and Costume Designer
Set and Costume Designer Robert O’Hearn earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1943. He has been a scenic and costume designer for the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Vienna Volksoper, Hamburg Staatsoper, New York City Opera, Greater Miami Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Ballet West. He served as professor for the Studio and Forum of Stage Design in New York from 1968 to 1988. O’Hearn has also given guest lectures and classes at Carnegie Mellon, Brandeis, and Penn State University.
CAST BIOGRAPHIES
ARLECCHINO
Arlecchino (Harlequin)
Christopher Nelson, in his last year of study for the B.M. in Voice Performance, has performed with IU Opera Theater on multiple occasions, including Ralph in H.M.S. Pinafore, Monostatos in The Magic Flute, and El Remandato in Carmen. He is actively involved in theater in and around the community of Bloomington. Nelson, who graduates this spring, will continue his studies in graduate school. He studies with Paul Kiesgen.
Tenor Nicholas Nesbitt is working on his Master of Music in Voice and studies with Costanza Cuccaro. Nesbitt received his bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from DePauw University in 2006. This is the first role he has performed with IU Opera Theater. Some of his previous roles include Orpheus in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, Rinnuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and Tamino in W. A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Nesbitt has won first place at NATS Indiana state and regional competitions. He was also a winner of Opera Columbus's Irma M. Cooper international vocal competition in 2006.
Ser Matteo del Sarto, a tailor
Baritone Ferris Allen, a Barbara and David Jacobs Fellowship Scholar, is pursuing a Doctor of Music degree under the study of Dale Moore. Allen received a master’s degree from The Juilliard School after undergraduate study at Oberlin Conservatory. His repertoire includes numerous operatic and oratorio roles with such diverse ensembles as Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s Baroque Orchestra; Juilliard Opera Theater; Juilliard Opera Center; Oberlin Opera Theater; The Oberlin Orchestra; The Oberlin Baroque Orchestra; and the Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón, the rigorous training institution at Buenos Aires’ historic opera house. Allen has been a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and, in 2005, was a recipient of a Lucrezia Bori Grant, awarded to Juilliard vocalists to provide immersion language study in Europe.
Howard Swyers is completing his doctoral degree in voice and has a performance background in both opera and contemporary music. Swyers has performed over 12 opera roles, most recently as Scarpia in the IU Opera Theater production of Tosca. Other roles have included Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, and the title character in Falstaff. In 2002, he sang with the Chicago Chamber Players at the eightieth-birthday celebration of MacArthur Fellow composer Ralph Shapey. Swyers has performed as a soloist in numerous new music performances under conductors Jon Washburn and Carmen Helena Téllez. He pursued his undergraduate degree in music education at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he was given the Thomas Annett Award for Outstanding Musician in 1998. He received his master’s in voice performance from IU in 2003. Swyers studies with Patricia Stiles.
Annunziata, Matteo’s wife (Silent)
Abbate Cospicuo
Adonis Duque Abuyen, baritone, a native of Bakersfield, CA, is completing his Master of Music in Voice. Abuyen completed his Bachelor of Music degree at Chapman University, under the tutelage of Peter Atherton. At Chapman, he was seen in many opera productions, including Die Zauberflöte as Papageno and Gianni Schicchi as Simone. Other roles performed in southern California include Figaro in W. A. Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors. A former student of Giorgio Tozzi, Abuyen made his IU Opera Theater debut in 2005 as Javelinot in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. Later that year, he traveled to Italy, where he was seen as Bartolo in Operafestival di Roma’s production of Le nozze di Figaro. Abuyen is a student of Patricia Stiles and was recently seen with IU Opera Theater as Peter, the father, in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.
Aleksey Bogdanov, baritone, is a first-year master’s student at the IU Jacobs School of Music. This marks his debut with IU Opera Theater. A native of Odessa, Ukraine, Bogdanov moved to San Francisco, CA, at the age of nine. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of California Santa Cruz. With UCSC Opera Theater, Bogdanov performed the title roles in W. A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro, Bottom in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Frank Maurrant in Weill’s Street Scene, and King Melchior in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. Other roles include Don Giovanni (Operafestival di Roma), Bonze in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (Bayshore Lyric Opera), and Alidoro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola (BASOTI). Recent oratorio engagements include Fauré’s Requiem, Poulenc’s Le Bal Masqué, and a staged production of J. S. Bach’s Kaffee Kantata, BWV 211. Bogdanov is a student of Andreas Poulimenos.
Dottor Bombasto
Steven Hrycelak, bass, is a second-year master's student studying with Timothy Noble. This past summer, Hrycelak sang Sir Joseph in H.M.S. Pinafore and Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis. Previously at IU, Hrycelak sang Fiorello in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Zuniga in Carmen. Hrycelak received a B.A. in Music from Yale University, where he performed several operatic and musical theater roles and sang with the Yale Whiffenpoofs. Before attending IU, he was a freelance vocalist in New York, where he performed choral, oratorio, and opera chorus repertoire with many of the city's premier ensembles. He sang solos in Handel's Messiah and Haydn's Heiligmesse at Trinity Church Wall Street and was a soloist with Musica Sacra, the NY Collegium, the Waverly Consort, and the Collegiate Chorale, with whom he made his Lincoln Center debut. Hrycelak has also been active as a musical director, pianist, and conductor at Yale, in NY, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Originally from Round Rock, TX, David Swain, baritone, holds a Bachelor in Vocal Performance from Texas Tech University, where he studied with voice teacher and stage director Gerald Dolter. He is pursuing a Master of Music from IU, where he studies under Timothy Noble. Swain has performed with Cedar Rapids Opera Theater, Central City Opera, and, most recently, Opera Theater of Saint Louis. His theatrical engagements have included Masetto in Don Giovanni, El Gallo in The Fantasticks, Cesare Angelotti in Tosca, Colline in La bohème, Alidoro in La Cenerentola, Lord Capulet in Roméo et Juliette, and, recently, Dr. Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. His orchestral engagements have included performances with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Philharmonic, Anderson Symphony, and Texas Tech University Orchestras.
Colombina (Columbine), Arlecchino’s wife
Courtney Crouse, a native of Fort Worth, TX, is pursuing her doctorate in voice and song literature. Most recently, Crouse was seen as Mrs. Gibbs in the IU world première performance of Ned Rorem’s Our Town. During her time at IU, she has also performed the roles of Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Second Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and the role of Amalia in She Loves Me. Crouse received her Bachelor of Arts in Voice at Texas Wesleyan University, and her Master of Music in Voice at IU. While at TWU, she performed the roles of Musetta in La bohème and the title role in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. She took a hiatus from IU from 2000 to 2003 and performed with the Fort Worth Opera’s Educational Tour. She was also adjunct faculty at Tarrant County College. She studied with Paul Kiesgen for five years and is currently with Carol Vaness.
Johanna Nordhorn, mezzo-soprano, is a first-year graduate student of Costanza Cuccaro and celebrates her première on the IU Opera stage as Colombina. Her previous roles include Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, the old prioress in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Public Opinion in Orpheus in the Underworld, Charlotte in How Clear She Shines, and Alma Mahler in Your True Calling. She has been the recipient of several standard-of-excellence awards throughout her undergraduate years, as well as a frequent winner at NATS competitions and is a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, the honors music fraternity.
Leandro
Jonathan Matthews, tenor, is pursuing a Master of Music in Voice under the tutelage of Timothy Noble. A native of Salt Lake City, UT, he received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at The University of Utah, where he received the Pike Scholarship, the highest award given to the most improved male singer in the school of music. A performer in many different genres, his operatic roles include the title role in W. A. Mozart’s Idomeneo, Lippo Fiorentino in Weill’s Street Scene, Gastone in Verdi’s La traviata, Don Ottavio in W. A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni, El Remandado in Bizet’s Carmen, and The Circus Director in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride. With the Utah Opera Chorus, he appeared in several operas and has numerous chamber and oratorio solos, including Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, W. A. Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Handel‘s Messiah, and Argento’s The Tomb of Edgar Poe.
John Rodger, tenor, is a native of Miami Beach and has performed numerous operatic roles, including Rodolfo (La bohème), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Ruggiero (La Rondine), Tybalt (Roméo et Juliette), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Beppe (Rita), “The Magician” Nika Magadoff (The Consul), Eduardo (La cambiale di matrimonio), Sellem (The Rake’s Progress), and Marco (The Gondoliers). He has also performed in concerts and recitals. Rodger previously trained with Richard Miller at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and with Metropolitan Opera baritone Mark Oswald in New York City, where he lived for three years. He is in the studio of Timothy Noble at the IU Jacobs School of Music, where he is also an associate instructor of music theory.
Zanni
Chris Cheung, tenor, a native of Hong Kong, is a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Voice and Bachelor of Arts in Economics. This performance marks his IU Opera Theater debut. He is a student of Paul Kiesgen.
Tenor Brian Daniels, from Fort Wayne, IN, is pursuing a Master of Music in Voice. Daniels completed his Bachelor of Arts in Music at Butler University in Indianapolis. While at Butler, he performed the roles of Nanki-Poo in The Mikado and Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas, as well as being a member of the Trio in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti. He was also a featured soloist in Handel’s Messiah and in W. A. Mozart’s Requiem. Daniels is a student of Brian Horne.
A native of Indiana, Kris Simmons is a junior pursuing his Bachelor of Music degree at the Jacobs School of Music. While at IU, he has been involved in several community productions of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors through Bloomington Music Works. This past summer, he was involved in the IU Opera Workshop production of scenes from The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, and The Old Maid and the Thief. Simmons is the recipient of the Mendel faculty scholarship and has appeared in numerous IU Opera Theater choruses. He is a student of Patricia Stiles.
TOO MANY SOPRANOS
St. Peter
Bass-baritone Alan Dunbar is working on his master’s degree in vocal performance and studies with Costanza Cuccaro. Dunbar did his undergraduate study in music theory and composition at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. He debuted with IU Opera Theater in the 2004-2005 season as Alcindoro in La bohéme, also appearing as Louis in William Bolcom’s A View from the Bridge, Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Dr. Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Pish Tush in The Mikado, and, most recently, as Leporello in Don Giovanni. His other roles include Pangloss/Voltaire in Bernstein’s Candide, Prince Gremin in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with Opera Twin Cities, and he created the role of the Abbot in the new opera Sicut Erat by New England composer Brian Griffeath-Loeb. From 1998 to 2004, Dunbar performed throughout North America and Europe with the male chamber vocal ensemble Cantus.
Hailing from Beulah, CO, Cody Medina, bass, is a first-year Master of Music student. Medina holds a Bachelor of Music degree in voice from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, where he studied with basso Kenneth Cox. While there, Medina was awarded the Frank Toth Memorial Award for outstanding service to the community of music and the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Award for outstanding student of opera studies. For the past three years, he has been a guest artist at the Maud Powell Music Festival in the Illinois Valley. Making his European debut in Rome, Italy, in 1999, singing the role of Antonio and understudying the role of Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Medina returned to Rome to perform Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte. His operatic performances include Antonio and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Betto in Gianni Schicchi, the Colonel in Patience, Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Uberto in La Serva Padrona, and Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore. Medina has also been involved in the world premières of Marylin Monroe, Maud Powell: Queen of the Violinists, and the oratorio Prophecy, creating the roles of Arthur Miller, Bram Powell, and God, respectively. Medina made his debut with IU Opera Theater in October 2006 as the Count des Grieux in Manon. He is in the studio of Timothy Noble.
Gabriel
Michael Cummings is a vocal performance major in his third year at IU. He has been in the choruses of 2005's The Magic Flute and last summer's The Mikado. A native of Des Moines, IA, Cummings was last seen in Patricia Stiles' Summer Opera Workshop, performing scenes from Die Fledermaus and The Magic Flute. At home on the musical theatre stage as well, Cummings has performed in many musicals, including the role of Gordo in A New Brain at Iowa State University and The Priest/Father in The Who's Tommy last year, here at IU. An active member of IU's campus life, Cummings is vice president of Pi Kappa Alpha, a tour guide, and a Jacobs School of Music Ambassador, as well as student manager at the IU Auditorium. He is the winner of the David E. Eisler Memorial Scholarship, as well as the Dean's Award. Cummings is a student of Carlos Montane.
Jacob Sentgeorge has performed often on the IU Opera Theater stage in the tenor roles of Don Ottavio in W. A. Mozart's Don Giovanni, Vasek in Smetana's The Bartered Bride, Ladislav Sipos in Harnick & Bock's She Loves Me, the Rev. Adams in Britten's Peter Grimes, and Ko-Ko in The Mikado. Completing his Master of Music in Voice in 2004 with James McDonald, Sentgeorge also gained much from his study with Andreas Poulimenos and Timothy Noble. He is pursuing his Doctor of Music in Voice, studying with Mary Ann Hart. In 2000, he received his Bachelor's in Music/ with emphasis in Digital Arts from Stetson University (DeLand, FL), where he studied as a baritone with Lloyd Linney and Craig Maddox.
Dame Doleful
Lindsay Ammann, mezzo-soprano, is a first-year master’s student in the studio of Costanza Cuccaro. She completed her undergraduate work at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, where she was a student of Cheryl Koch. Most recently, she won the Regional Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions in Minnesota. Other notable wins include MTNA, Thursday Musical, and the Concerto/Aria Competition at Augustana all 4 years of her undergraduate career. This past summer, she attended the Aspen Music Festival, where she sang for Reneé Fleming, Jane Eaglen, and James Conlon. Some of her roles include Little Red Ridinghood (Into the Woods), Third Lady (The Magic Flute), and Charlotte (Werther) at Opera in the Ozarks; Gertrude (Hansel and Gretel) at the Black Hills Opera Institute; Ruth (Pirates of Penzance) at Augustana; Kate Pinkerton (Madame Butterfly) with the South Dakota Symphony; and Dame Quickly (Falstaff) at the Aspen Music Festival.
Jennifer Feinstein, mezzo-soprano from Cranston, RI, received her Master of Music and Bachelor of Music from the IU Jacobs School of Music. She has appeared with IU Opera Theater as Flora in La traviata, Martha in The Secret Garden, Mama McCourt in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Ilona Ritter in She Loves Me, the title role in La Cenerentola, Rosina in The Barber of Seville, and Katisha in The Mikado. She returned to the Opera Theatre of St. Louis this past summer, where she debuted as 2nd Salvation Army Girl in Street Scene and covered Rosina in The Barber of Seville. She has previously participated in the Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium, Brevard Music Center, and the Charley Creek Vocal Workshop. Feinstein is the recipient of an Encouragement Award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She studies with Costanza Cuccaro.
Madame Pompous
Soprano Siân Davies is pursuing her Master of Music in Voice at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. This fall she debuted with IU Opera Theater as Donna Anna in W. A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Last year at IU, Davies appeared as a soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Robert D. Levin’s completion of W. A. Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, K.427, and J. S. Bach’s Magnificat in D Minor, BWV 243. Davies has been seen on the stage in Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle (Bel Canto Northwest), Puccini’s La bohème (Michigan State Opera Theatre), and Maury Yeston’s Nine (Michigan State Opera Theatre). Past oratorio engagements include performances of W. A. Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K.339; W. A. Mozart’s Requiem, K.626; and Vivaldi’s Gloria in D Major, RV 588. Davies graduated from Michigan State University with Bachelor of Music degrees in voice performance and music education. In 2006, Davies participated in her first young artists program as a Studio Artist with Central City Opera. She is a student of Costanza Cuccaro.
Marie Masters is a second-year master’s student at the IU Jacobs School of Music, where she studies with Timothy Noble. She made her debut with IU Opera Theater last spring as Mercédès (Carmen). She was also selected, last year, to work with Roger Vignoles in a recital of Schubert songs. In 2005, Masters sang the role of Ännchen (Der Freischütz) with Opera Orchestra of New York, and she performed with The Cleveland Orchestra, under the baton of Pierre Boulez, as the soprano soloist in Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol and Four Russian Peasant Songs. In May 2004, Masters sang the role of the Trainbearer (Elektra) with The Cleveland Orchestra and appeared with the Cleveland Youth Orchestra, in March 2005, as the soprano soloist in Fauré’s Requiem. She also participated in the Cleveland Opera’s community outreach lecture series, performing the roles of Antonia and Giulietta in scenes from Les contes d’Hoffmann. Masters received her Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. The Ohio-born soprano’s operatic roles with the Oberlin Opera Theater include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Cupid (Orpheus in the Underworld), Emmie (Albert Herring), and Esmeralda (The Bartered Bride). With the Oberlin in Italy program, she performed the role of Zerlina (Don Giovanni) in Urbania and Urbino, Italy.
Miss Titmouse
Karen Kness is a doctoral student at IU, studying with Mary Ann Hart. Kness’s opera roles include Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Monica in The Medium, Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, and Lucy Honeychurch in the Midwest premiere of A Room with a View. She has been the first-place winner of the Soli Deo Gloria Cantorum Vocal Competition in Omaha, NE, was the 2002 winner of the Crystal Award in the Vera Scammon Vocal Competition in Denver, CO, and has been first-place winner in the NATS Nebraska state and regional vocal competitions. Prior to beginning her studies at IU, she was a member of the voice faculty at Doane College in Crete, NE, and was the soprano soloist for the Bach aria chamber ensemble, Collegium Musicum Concordi.
Angela Mannino is a graduate student at Indiana University. In the summers of 2005 and 2006, Mannino was an apprentice artist with the Central City Opera and the Santa Fe Opera. While at IU, she has performed the roles of Blonde in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Musetta in La bohème, and Despina in Così fan tutte. Most recently, she performed with the New Orleans Opera as Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro. Mannino is a student of Costanza Cuccaro.
Just Jeanette
Jacqueline Brecheen, soprano, is a first-year master’s student at the IU Jacobs School of Music. This is her debut role with IU Opera Theater. Brecheen recently sang in the chorus for Opera Theater’s production of Manon. She received a Bachelor of Music from Southeastern Louisiana University, where she studied with Scharmal Schrock. During her undergraduate years, she performed the roles of Laurie in The Tender Land, Monica in The Medium, and Dorine in Tartuffe. She also appeared as a soloist in Barber’s Prayers of Kierkegaard, Respighi’s Lauda per la natività del Signore, Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio, and Vivaldi's Magnificat. Brecheen's awards include 2000 and 2001 first places at the Gulf Coast Region of National Association of Teachers of Singing. She is studying with Costanza Cuccaro.
Anna Steenerson, a native of South Carolina, is a doctoral student in voice at Indiana University. Steenerson is a three-time district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council competition in South Carolina. She has sung with the Indianapolis Symphony and has been a member of the Brevard Janiec Opera Company. With IU Opera Theater, she has performed the title role in The Ballade of Baby Doe, Blanche in Dialogue des Carmélites, and Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore. Last fall, she played Juliette in Roméo et Juliette. Steenerson also portrayed Emily in the world première of Ned Rorem's Our Town. This summer, she will cover the role of Tytania in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream as a young artist in the Des Moines Metro Opera Company. She is a student of Costanza Cuccaro.
Enrico Carouse
Tenor Joe Diehl, a native of Zoar, OH, is at home while performing on the operatic stage. He has sung 13 tenor roles thus far. His credits include Ferrando in W. A. Mozart's Così fan tutte, Sam from Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, Prince Charming in Massenet's Cendrillion, and the title role in Britten's Albert Herring. A past member of Toledo Opera's Young Artist program, Diehl is also at home singing oratorio. He is a four-time returning soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Toledo symphony. Diehl was last heard as Tony in the IU production of A View from the Bridge. Diehl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University and a Performer Diploma from IU. He is a master's student, studying with Carol Vaness.
A native of Jackson, MS, Daniel Shirley is pursuing a Master of Music in Voice. The tenor's previous appearances with IU Opera Theater include Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette, Joe Crowell in the world première of Our Town, No. 6 in Transformations, and Guillot de Morfontaine in Manon. His concert experience includes Handel's Messiah,J. S. Bach's Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott, W. A. Mozart's Vesperae solennes de Domenica, and Haydn's Missa in tempore belli. In summer 2006, Shirley was a Young Artist with the Chautauqua Opera, where he performed the role of Don Curzio in The Marriage of Figaro. He is a student of Patricia Stiles.
Unnamed Bass
Bass-baritone Aubrey Allicock’s operatic roles include Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Ping in Turandot, the Old Doctor in Vanessa, and King Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors. Allicock has also performed as the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah with members of the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and the GCU Chorale. He has won many vocal competitions, such as Arizona’s National Association of Teachers of Singing Award in 2003, 2004, and 2005. He recently made his European debut as bass soloist in W. A. Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, and will soon perform opposite Academy Award-winner Louis Gossett Jr., in Dvořák’s A New World Symphony: A Portrait of H. T. Burleigh. Allicock studies with Andreas Poulimenos.
Austin Kness, baritone, originally from Cedar Rapids, IA, came to the IU Jacobs School of Music after receving his B.A. in Music from the University of Northern Iowa. He most recently participated in the Des Moines Metropolitan Opera apprentice program (Summer 2006), where he performed the role of Count Ceprano in Rigoletto, in addition to performing in many scenes recitals and mainstage choruses. His past credits with the IU Jacobs School of Music include the roles of Don Giovanni (Fall 2006), Escamillo in Carmen (Spring 2006), and Eddie Carbone in William Bolcom’s A View From the Bridge(Spring 2005). In the summer of 2005, Kness performed with the Cedar Rapids Opera Theater in the role of Morales in Carmen and has been asked back to sing the role of Fiorello in its January 2007 production of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. A third-year master’s student, Kness studies with Patricia Stiles.
Nelson Deadly
Brian Arreola is working on his Master of Music in Voice and studies with Brian Horne. Arreola did his undergraduate studies at St. Olaf College, where he studied cello and voice. As co-founder and co-artistic director of the professional touring ensemble Cantus, he has spent the last seven years concertizing and directing workshops/clinics at schools and universities throughout the United States. On the opera stage, he has sung for Opera Twin Cities and Ex Machina Opera. Recent roles include Tamino in The Magic Flute and Jenik in scenes from The Bartered Bride. Arreola appeared as Romeo in Roméo et Juliette and sang Alexander in the BLEMF production of Il re pastore. Last fall, Arreola performed Chevalier des Grieux in Manon.
Marc Schapman is completing a Doctor of Music at the IU Jacobs School of Music. A native of Iowa, Schapman received his Bachelor of Arts from Luther College and his Master of Music from Indiana University. Schapman has recently appeared as Des Grieux in Manon, Bardolpho in Falstaff, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Spoletta in Tosca, Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore, Pheron in Cleveland’s Opera Circle world premiere of Thamos, King of Egypt, andas George Gibbs in the world premiere of Ned Rorem's Our Town. Future engagements include Carlo in Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix with Cleveland’s Opera Circle. Schapman has recently won awards from the City Opera Company of the Quad Cities and the National Society of Arts and Letters. An active voice teacher, he is a member of the IU Chapter of Student NATS and The College Music Society. He coaches with Gary Arvin and is a student of Costanza Cuccaro.
Sandman
Laura Stelman, soprano, is pursuing a Performer Diploma. Stelman has been seen on the IU Opera Theater stage as Papagena in The Magic Flute, and Frasquita in Carmen. Her past roles include Amor (Gluck’s Orfeo), Olympia (Les contes d’Hoffmann), Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), Mrs. Peachum (Threepenny Opera), and Kristy (House). She has been soprano soloist for Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb, Festival Te Deum, and Ceremony of Carols, as well as Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. Stelman is constantly promoting new music, and this past year has premiered three works by fellow IU students: 5 Songs by David Farrell, A Stone the Size of a Dream by Iddo Aharony, and Songs of Angel by Mutsuhito Ogino. Stelman is a student of Patricia Wise.
Valerie Vinzant, soprano, is a first-year master’s student from Spring, TX. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. This year, Vinzant won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the St. Louis district. Her recent roles include Polly Peachum in Kurt Weill's Die Dreigroschenoper and Lucy in Menotti's The Telephone. She has been a featured concert soloist in W. A. Mozart's Regina Coeli, Requiem Mass, and Coronation Mass, Handel's oratorio Saul, and Vivaldi's Gloria. This past spring, she performed under Graeme Jenkins with the Dallas Opera Symphony in a Mozart Birthday Celebration Concert. She studies with Carol Vaness.
Orson
Adam Cioffari, bass-baritone, received his Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance at IU in December 2006 and is pursuing a Master of Music in Voice. Previous roles at IU Opera Theater have included Masetto in Don Giovanni, Snug the Joiner in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the 2nd Armored Man in The Magic Flute. This summer, he was a member of the Janiec Opera Company (JOC) at the Brevard Music Center, where he performed the role of Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Also a member of the JOC in 2005, he sang the roles of Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore and Count Ceprano in Rigoletto. In October 2006, he received an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions in Bloomington. He is a student of Andreas Poulimenos.
Bass-baritone Carl Kanowsky, from Santa Clarita, CA, is a senior majoring in voice with a minor in Italian. A recipient of the Jacobs School of Music Faculty Award and the Jean Sinor Memorial Scholarship, Kanowsky interned the past two summers at the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony and the LA Opera. A sampling of his musicological work was chosen for publication in the 2005 issue of the Undergraduate Scholar. He has given recitals at the Palais Corbelli in Vienna and at Milan’s Casa di Riposo Giuseppe Verdi. Too Many Sopranos marks Carl’s IU Opera Theater debut. He is a student of Patricia Havranek.
Edwin Penhorwood, a native of Toledo, OH and a graduate of the University of Iowa, is a pianist, composer, organist, and vocal coach. He has taught in the International School of Zurich, Switzerland, at the Church Music Conservatory in Berlin, the University of Missouri, and Indiana University, and has accompanied singers and instrumentalists in North America and in Europe for many years. 
KEVIN NOE - Conductor 
VINCENT LIOTTA - Stage Director
ROBERT O'HEARN - Set and Costume Designer 
Christopher Nelson, in his last year of study for the B.M. in Voice Performance, has performed with IU Opera Theater on multiple occasions, including Ralph in H.M.S. Pinafore, Monostatos in The Magic Flute, and El Remandato in Carmen. He is actively involved in theater in and around the community of Bloomington. Nelson, who graduates this spring, will continue his studies in graduate school. He studies with Paul Kiesgen.
Tenor Nicholas Nesbitt is working on his Master of Music in Voice and studies with Costanza Cuccaro. Nesbitt received his bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from DePauw University in 2006. This is the first role he has performed with IU Opera Theater. Some of his previous roles include Orpheus in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, Rinnuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, and Tamino in W. A. Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Nesbitt has won first place at NATS Indiana state and regional competitions. He was also a winner of Opera Columbus's Irma M. Cooper international vocal competition in 2006. 
Baritone Ferris Allen, a Barbara and David Jacobs Fellowship Scholar, is pursuing a Doctor of Music degree under the study of Dale Moore. Allen received a master’s degree from The Juilliard School after undergraduate study at Oberlin Conservatory. His repertoire includes numerous operatic and oratorio roles with such diverse ensembles as Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s Baroque Orchestra; Juilliard Opera Theater; Juilliard Opera Center; Oberlin Opera Theater; The Oberlin Orchestra; The Oberlin Baroque Orchestra; and the Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colón, the rigorous training institution at Buenos Aires’ historic opera house. Allen has been a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and, in 2005, was a recipient of a Lucrezia Bori Grant, awarded to Juilliard vocalists to provide immersion language study in Europe. 
Howard Swyers is completing his doctoral degree in voice and has a performance background in both opera and contemporary music. Swyers has performed over 12 opera roles, most recently as Scarpia in the IU Opera Theater production of Tosca. Other roles have included Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, and the title character in Falstaff. In 2002, he sang with the Chicago Chamber Players at the eightieth-birthday celebration of MacArthur Fellow composer Ralph Shapey. Swyers has performed as a soloist in numerous new music performances under conductors Jon Washburn and Carmen Helena Téllez. He pursued his undergraduate degree in music education at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, where he was given the Thomas Annett Award for Outstanding Musician in 1998. He received his master’s in voice performance from IU in 2003. Swyers studies with Patricia Stiles.
Adonis Duque Abuyen, baritone, a native of Bakersfield, CA, is completing his Master of Music in Voice. Abuyen completed his Bachelor of Music degree at Chapman University, under the tutelage of Peter Atherton. At Chapman, he was seen in many opera productions, including Die Zauberflöte as Papageno and Gianni Schicchi as Simone. Other roles performed in southern California include Figaro in W. A. Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors. A former student of Giorgio Tozzi, Abuyen made his IU Opera Theater debut in 2005 as Javelinot in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. Later that year, he traveled to Italy, where he was seen as Bartolo in Operafestival di Roma’s production of Le nozze di Figaro. Abuyen is a student of Patricia Stiles and was recently seen with IU Opera Theater as Peter, the father, in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel.
Aleksey Bogdanov, baritone, is a first-year master’s student at the IU Jacobs School of Music. This marks his debut with IU Opera Theater. A native of Odessa, Ukraine, Bogdanov moved to San Francisco, CA, at the age of nine. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of California Santa Cruz. With UCSC Opera Theater, Bogdanov performed the title roles in W. A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro, Bottom in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Frank Maurrant in Weill’s Street Scene, and King Melchior in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. Other roles include Don Giovanni (Operafestival di Roma), Bonze in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (Bayshore Lyric Opera), and Alidoro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola (BASOTI). Recent oratorio engagements include Fauré’s Requiem, Poulenc’s Le Bal Masqué, and a staged production of J. S. Bach’s Kaffee Kantata, BWV 211. Bogdanov is a student of Andreas Poulimenos. 
Steven Hrycelak, bass, is a second-year master's student studying with Timothy Noble. This past summer, Hrycelak sang Sir Joseph in H.M.S. Pinafore and Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis. Previously at IU, Hrycelak sang Fiorello in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Zuniga in Carmen. Hrycelak received a B.A. in Music from Yale University, where he performed several operatic and musical theater roles and sang with the Yale Whiffenpoofs. Before attending IU, he was a freelance vocalist in New York, where he performed choral, oratorio, and opera chorus repertoire with many of the city's premier ensembles. He sang solos in Handel's Messiah and Haydn's Heiligmesse at Trinity Church Wall Street and was a soloist with Musica Sacra, the NY Collegium, the Waverly Consort, and the Collegiate Chorale, with whom he made his Lincoln Center debut. Hrycelak has also been active as a musical director, pianist, and conductor at Yale, in NY, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Originally from Round Rock, TX, David Swain, baritone, holds a Bachelor in Vocal Performance from Texas Tech University, where he studied with voice teacher and stage director Gerald Dolter. He is pursuing a Master of Music from IU, where he studies under Timothy Noble. Swain has performed with Cedar Rapids Opera Theater, Central City Opera, and, most recently, Opera Theater of Saint Louis. His theatrical engagements have included Masetto in Don Giovanni, El Gallo in The Fantasticks, Cesare Angelotti in Tosca, Colline in La bohème, Alidoro in La Cenerentola, Lord Capulet in Roméo et Juliette, and, recently, Dr. Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. His orchestral engagements have included performances with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Philharmonic, Anderson Symphony, and Texas Tech University Orchestras. 
Courtney Crouse, a native of Fort Worth, TX, is pursuing her doctorate in voice and song literature. Most recently, Crouse was seen as Mrs. Gibbs in the IU world première performance of Ned Rorem’s Our Town. During her time at IU, she has also performed the roles of Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Second Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and the role of Amalia in She Loves Me. Crouse received her Bachelor of Arts in Voice at Texas Wesleyan University, and her Master of Music in Voice at IU. While at TWU, she performed the roles of Musetta in La bohème and the title role in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. She took a hiatus from IU from 2000 to 2003 and performed with the Fort Worth Opera’s Educational Tour. She was also adjunct faculty at Tarrant County College. She studied with Paul Kiesgen for five years and is currently with Carol Vaness.
Johanna Nordhorn, mezzo-soprano, is a first-year graduate student of Costanza Cuccaro and celebrates her première on the IU Opera stage as Colombina. Her previous roles include Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, the old prioress in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Public Opinion in Orpheus in the Underworld, Charlotte in How Clear She Shines, and Alma Mahler in Your True Calling. She has been the recipient of several standard-of-excellence awards throughout her undergraduate years, as well as a frequent winner at NATS competitions and is a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, the honors music fraternity.
Jonathan Matthews, tenor, is pursuing a Master of Music in Voice under the tutelage of Timothy Noble. A native of Salt Lake City, UT, he received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at The University of Utah, where he received the Pike Scholarship, the highest award given to the most improved male singer in the school of music. A performer in many different genres, his operatic roles include the title role in W. A. Mozart’s Idomeneo, Lippo Fiorentino in Weill’s Street Scene, Gastone in Verdi’s La traviata, Don Ottavio in W. A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni, El Remandado in Bizet’s Carmen, and The Circus Director in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride. With the Utah Opera Chorus, he appeared in several operas and has numerous chamber and oratorio solos, including Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, W. A. Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Handel‘s Messiah, and Argento’s The Tomb of Edgar Poe. 
John Rodger, tenor, is a native of Miami Beach and has performed numerous operatic roles, including Rodolfo (La bohème), Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor), Ruggiero (La Rondine), Tybalt (Roméo et Juliette), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Beppe (Rita), “The Magician” Nika Magadoff (The Consul), Eduardo (La cambiale di matrimonio), Sellem (The Rake’s Progress), and Marco (The Gondoliers). He has also performed in concerts and recitals. Rodger previously trained with Richard Miller at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and with Metropolitan Opera baritone Mark Oswald in New York City, where he lived for three years. He is in the studio of Timothy Noble at the IU Jacobs School of Music, where he is also an associate instructor of music theory.
Chris Cheung, tenor, a native of Hong Kong, is a sophomore pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Voice and Bachelor of Arts in Economics. This performance marks his IU Opera Theater debut. He is a student of Paul Kiesgen. 
Tenor Brian Daniels, from Fort Wayne, IN, is pursuing a Master of Music in Voice. Daniels completed his Bachelor of Arts in Music at Butler University in Indianapolis. While at Butler, he performed the roles of Nanki-Poo in The Mikado and Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas, as well as being a member of the Trio in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti. He was also a featured soloist in Handel’s Messiah and in W. A. Mozart’s Requiem. Daniels is a student of Brian Horne.
A native of Indiana, Kris Simmons is a junior pursuing his Bachelor of Music degree at the Jacobs School of Music. While at IU, he has been involved in several community productions of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors through Bloomington Music Works. This past summer, he was involved in the IU Opera Workshop production of scenes from The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, and The Old Maid and the Thief. Simmons is the recipient of the Mendel faculty scholarship and has appeared in numerous IU Opera Theater choruses. He is a student of Patricia Stiles. 
Bass-baritone Alan Dunbar is working on his master’s degree in vocal performance and studies with Costanza Cuccaro. Dunbar did his undergraduate study in music theory and composition at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. He debuted with IU Opera Theater in the 2004-2005 season as Alcindoro in La bohéme, also appearing as Louis in William Bolcom’s A View from the Bridge, Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, Dr. Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Pish Tush in The Mikado, and, most recently, as Leporello in Don Giovanni. His other roles include Pangloss/Voltaire in Bernstein’s Candide, Prince Gremin in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with Opera Twin Cities, and he created the role of the Abbot in the new opera Sicut Erat by New England composer Brian Griffeath-Loeb. From 1998 to 2004, Dunbar performed throughout North America and Europe with the male chamber vocal ensemble Cantus.
Hailing from Beulah, CO, Cody Medina, bass, is a first-year Master of Music student. Medina holds a Bachelor of Music degree in voice from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, where he studied with basso Kenneth Cox. While there, Medina was awarded the Frank Toth Memorial Award for outstanding service to the community of music and the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Award for outstanding student of opera studies. For the past three years, he has been a guest artist at the Maud Powell Music Festival in the Illinois Valley. Making his European debut in Rome, Italy, in 1999, singing the role of Antonio and understudying the role of Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Medina returned to Rome to perform Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte. His operatic performances include Antonio and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Betto in Gianni Schicchi, the Colonel in Patience, Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Uberto in La Serva Padrona, and Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore. Medina has also been involved in the world premières of Marylin Monroe, Maud Powell: Queen of the Violinists, and the oratorio Prophecy, creating the roles of Arthur Miller, Bram Powell, and God, respectively. Medina made his debut with IU Opera Theater in October 2006 as the Count des Grieux in Manon. He is in the studio of Timothy Noble.
Michael Cummings is a vocal performance major in his third year at IU. He has been in the choruses of 2005's The Magic Flute and last summer's The Mikado. A native of Des Moines, IA, Cummings was last seen in Patricia Stiles' Summer Opera Workshop, performing scenes from Die Fledermaus and The Magic Flute. At home on the musical theatre stage as well, Cummings has performed in many musicals, including the role of Gordo in A New Brain at Iowa State University and The Priest/Father in The Who's Tommy last year, here at IU. An active member of IU's campus life, Cummings is vice president of Pi Kappa Alpha, a tour guide, and a Jacobs School of Music Ambassador, as well as student manager at the IU Auditorium. He is the winner of the David E. Eisler Memorial Scholarship, as well as the Dean's Award. Cummings is a student of Carlos Montane.
Jacob Sentgeorge has performed often on the IU Opera Theater stage in the tenor roles of Don Ottavio in W. A. Mozart's Don Giovanni, Vasek in Smetana's The Bartered Bride, Ladislav Sipos in Harnick & Bock's She Loves Me, the Rev. Adams in Britten's Peter Grimes, and Ko-Ko in The Mikado. Completing his Master of Music in Voice in 2004 with James McDonald, Sentgeorge also gained much from his study with Andreas Poulimenos and Timothy Noble. He is pursuing his Doctor of Music in Voice, studying with Mary Ann Hart. In 2000, he received his Bachelor's in Music/ with emphasis in Digital Arts from Stetson University (DeLand, FL), where he studied as a baritone with Lloyd Linney and Craig Maddox. 
Lindsay Ammann, mezzo-soprano, is a first-year master’s student in the studio of Costanza Cuccaro. She completed her undergraduate work at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, where she was a student of Cheryl Koch. Most recently, she won the Regional Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions in Minnesota. Other notable wins include MTNA, Thursday Musical, and the Concerto/Aria Competition at Augustana all 4 years of her undergraduate career. This past summer, she attended the Aspen Music Festival, where she sang for Reneé Fleming, Jane Eaglen, and James Conlon. Some of her roles include Little Red Ridinghood (Into the Woods), Third Lady (The Magic Flute), and Charlotte (Werther) at Opera in the Ozarks; Gertrude (Hansel and Gretel) at the Black Hills Opera Institute; Ruth (Pirates of Penzance) at Augustana; Kate Pinkerton (Madame Butterfly) with the South Dakota Symphony; and Dame Quickly (Falstaff) at the Aspen Music Festival.
Jennifer Feinstein, mezzo-soprano from Cranston, RI, received her Master of Music and Bachelor of Music from the IU Jacobs School of Music. She has appeared with IU Opera Theater as Flora in La traviata, Martha in The Secret Garden, Mama McCourt in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Ilona Ritter in She Loves Me, the title role in La Cenerentola, Rosina in The Barber of Seville, and Katisha in The Mikado. She returned to the Opera Theatre of St. Louis this past summer, where she debuted as 2nd Salvation Army Girl in Street Scene and covered Rosina in The Barber of Seville. She has previously participated in the Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium, Brevard Music Center, and the Charley Creek Vocal Workshop. Feinstein is the recipient of an Encouragement Award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She studies with Costanza Cuccaro. 
Soprano Siân Davies is pursuing her Master of Music in Voice at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. This fall she debuted with IU Opera Theater as Donna Anna in W. A. Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Last year at IU, Davies appeared as a soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Robert D. Levin’s completion of W. A. Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, K.427, and J. S. Bach’s Magnificat in D Minor, BWV 243. Davies has been seen on the stage in Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle (Bel Canto Northwest), Puccini’s La bohème (Michigan State Opera Theatre), and Maury Yeston’s Nine (Michigan State Opera Theatre). Past oratorio engagements include performances of W. A. Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, K.339; W. A. Mozart’s Requiem, K.626; and Vivaldi’s Gloria in D Major, RV 588. Davies graduated from Michigan State University with Bachelor of Music degrees in voice performance and music education. In 2006, Davies participated in her first young artists program as a Studio Artist with Central City Opera. She is a student of Costanza Cuccaro.
Marie Masters is a second-year master’s student at the IU Jacobs School of Music, where she studies with Timothy Noble. She made her debut with IU Opera Theater last spring as Mercédès (Carmen). She was also selected, last year, to work with Roger Vignoles in a recital of Schubert songs. In 2005, Masters sang the role of Ännchen (Der Freischütz) with Opera Orchestra of New York, and she performed with The Cleveland Orchestra, under the baton of Pierre Boulez, as the soprano soloist in Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol and Four Russian Peasant Songs. In May 2004, Masters sang the role of the Trainbearer (Elektra) with The Cleveland Orchestra and appeared with the Cleveland Youth Orchestra, in March 2005, as the soprano soloist in Fauré’s Requiem. She also participated in the Cleveland Opera’s community outreach lecture series, performing the roles of Antonia and Giulietta in scenes from Les contes d’Hoffmann. Masters received her Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. The Ohio-born soprano’s operatic roles with the Oberlin Opera Theater include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Cupid (Orpheus in the Underworld), Emmie (Albert Herring), and Esmeralda (The Bartered Bride). With the Oberlin in Italy program, she performed the role of Zerlina (Don Giovanni) in Urbania and Urbino, Italy.
Karen Kness is a doctoral student at IU, studying with Mary Ann Hart. Kness’s opera roles include Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Monica in The Medium, Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, and Lucy Honeychurch in the Midwest premiere of A Room with a View. She has been the first-place winner of the Soli Deo Gloria Cantorum Vocal Competition in Omaha, NE, was the 2002 winner of the Crystal Award in the Vera Scammon Vocal Competition in Denver, CO, and has been first-place winner in the NATS Nebraska state and regional vocal competitions. Prior to beginning her studies at IU, she was a member of the voice faculty at Doane College in Crete, NE, and was the soprano soloist for the Bach aria chamber ensemble, Collegium Musicum Concordi. 
Angela Mannino is a graduate student at Indiana University. In the summers of 2005 and 2006, Mannino was an apprentice artist with the Central City Opera and the Santa Fe Opera. While at IU, she has performed the roles of Blonde in The Abduction from the Seraglio, Musetta in La bohème, and Despina in Così fan tutte. Most recently, she performed with the New Orleans Opera as Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro. Mannino is a student of Costanza Cuccaro.
Jacqueline Brecheen, soprano, is a first-year master’s student at the IU Jacobs School of Music. This is her debut role with IU Opera Theater. Brecheen recently sang in the chorus for Opera Theater’s production of Manon. She received a Bachelor of Music from Southeastern Louisiana University, where she studied with Scharmal Schrock. During her undergraduate years, she performed the roles of Laurie in The Tender Land, Monica in The Medium, and Dorine in Tartuffe. She also appeared as a soloist in Barber’s Prayers of Kierkegaard, Respighi’s Lauda per la natività del Signore, Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio, and Vivaldi's Magnificat. Brecheen's awards include 2000 and 2001 first places at the Gulf Coast Region of National Association of Teachers of Singing. She is studying with Costanza Cuccaro.
Anna Steenerson, a native of South Carolina, is a doctoral student in voice at Indiana University. Steenerson is a three-time district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council competition in South Carolina. She has sung with the Indianapolis Symphony and has been a member of the Brevard Janiec Opera Company. With IU Opera Theater, she has performed the title role in The Ballade of Baby Doe, Blanche in Dialogue des Carmélites, and Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore. Last fall, she played Juliette in Roméo et Juliette. Steenerson also portrayed Emily in the world première of Ned Rorem's Our Town. This summer, she will cover the role of Tytania in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream as a young artist in the Des Moines Metro Opera Company. She is a student of Costanza Cuccaro.
Tenor Joe Diehl, a native of Zoar, OH, is at home while performing on the operatic stage. He has sung 13 tenor roles thus far. His credits include Ferrando in W. A. Mozart's Così fan tutte, Sam from Carlisle Floyd's Susannah, Prince Charming in Massenet's Cendrillion, and the title role in Britten's Albert Herring. A past member of Toledo Opera's Young Artist program, Diehl is also at home singing oratorio. He is a four-time returning soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Toledo symphony. Diehl was last heard as Tony in the IU production of A View from the Bridge. Diehl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University and a Performer Diploma from IU. He is a master's student, studying with Carol Vaness.
A native of Jackson, MS, Daniel Shirley is pursuing a Master of Music in Voice. The tenor's previous appearances with IU Opera Theater include Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette, Joe Crowell in the world première of Our Town, No. 6 in Transformations, and Guillot de Morfontaine in Manon. His concert experience includes Handel's Messiah,J. S. Bach's Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott, W. A. Mozart's Vesperae solennes de Domenica, and Haydn's Missa in tempore belli. In summer 2006, Shirley was a Young Artist with the Chautauqua Opera, where he performed the role of Don Curzio in The Marriage of Figaro. He is a student of Patricia Stiles.
Bass-baritone Aubrey Allicock’s operatic roles include Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Ping in Turandot, the Old Doctor in Vanessa, and King Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors. Allicock has also performed as the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah with members of the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and the GCU Chorale. He has won many vocal competitions, such as Arizona’s National Association of Teachers of Singing Award in 2003, 2004, and 2005. He recently made his European debut as bass soloist in W. A. Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, and will soon perform opposite Academy Award-winner Louis Gossett Jr., in Dvořák’s A New World Symphony: A Portrait of H. T. Burleigh. Allicock studies with Andreas Poulimenos.
Austin Kness, baritone, originally from Cedar Rapids, IA, came to the IU Jacobs School of Music after receving his B.A. in Music from the University of Northern Iowa. He most recently participated in the Des Moines Metropolitan Opera apprentice program (Summer 2006), where he performed the role of Count Ceprano in Rigoletto, in addition to performing in many scenes recitals and mainstage choruses. His past credits with the IU Jacobs School of Music include the roles of Don Giovanni (Fall 2006), Escamillo in Carmen (Spring 2006), and Eddie Carbone in William Bolcom’s A View From the Bridge(Spring 2005). In the summer of 2005, Kness performed with the Cedar Rapids Opera Theater in the role of Morales in Carmen and has been asked back to sing the role of Fiorello in its January 2007 production of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. A third-year master’s student, Kness studies with Patricia Stiles.
Brian Arreola is working on his Master of Music in Voice and studies with Brian Horne. Arreola did his undergraduate studies at St. Olaf College, where he studied cello and voice. As co-founder and co-artistic director of the professional touring ensemble Cantus, he has spent the last seven years concertizing and directing workshops/clinics at schools and universities throughout the United States. On the opera stage, he has sung for Opera Twin Cities and Ex Machina Opera. Recent roles include Tamino in The Magic Flute and Jenik in scenes from The Bartered Bride. Arreola appeared as Romeo in Roméo et Juliette and sang Alexander in the BLEMF production of Il re pastore. Last fall, Arreola performed Chevalier des Grieux in Manon.
Marc Schapman is completing a Doctor of Music at the IU Jacobs School of Music. A native of Iowa, Schapman received his Bachelor of Arts from Luther College and his Master of Music from Indiana University. Schapman has recently appeared as Des Grieux in Manon, Bardolpho in Falstaff, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, Spoletta in Tosca, Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore, Pheron in Cleveland’s Opera Circle world premiere of Thamos, King of Egypt, andas George Gibbs in the world premiere of Ned Rorem's Our Town. Future engagements include Carlo in Donizetti’s Linda di Chamounix with Cleveland’s Opera Circle. Schapman has recently won awards from the City Opera Company of the Quad Cities and the National Society of Arts and Letters. An active voice teacher, he is a member of the IU Chapter of Student NATS and The College Music Society. He coaches with Gary Arvin and is a student of Costanza Cuccaro.
Laura Stelman, soprano, is pursuing a Performer Diploma. Stelman has been seen on the IU Opera Theater stage as Papagena in The Magic Flute, and Frasquita in Carmen. Her past roles include Amor (Gluck’s Orfeo), Olympia (Les contes d’Hoffmann), Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), Mrs. Peachum (Threepenny Opera), and Kristy (House). She has been soprano soloist for Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb, Festival Te Deum, and Ceremony of Carols, as well as Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. Stelman is constantly promoting new music, and this past year has premiered three works by fellow IU students: 5 Songs by David Farrell, A Stone the Size of a Dream by Iddo Aharony, and Songs of Angel by Mutsuhito Ogino. Stelman is a student of Patricia Wise.
Valerie Vinzant, soprano, is a first-year master’s student from Spring, TX. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. This year, Vinzant won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the St. Louis district. Her recent roles include Polly Peachum in Kurt Weill's Die Dreigroschenoper and Lucy in Menotti's The Telephone. She has been a featured concert soloist in W. A. Mozart's Regina Coeli,
Adam Cioffari, bass-baritone, received his Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance at IU in December 2006 and is pursuing a Master of Music in Voice. Previous roles at IU Opera Theater have included Masetto in Don Giovanni, Snug the Joiner in A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the 2nd Armored Man in The Magic Flute. This summer, he was a member of the Janiec Opera Company (JOC) at the Brevard Music Center, where he performed the role of Captain von Trapp in The Sound of Music. Also a member of the JOC in 2005, he sang the roles of Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore and Count Ceprano in Rigoletto. In October 2006, he received an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions in Bloomington. He is a student of Andreas Poulimenos.
Bass-baritone Carl Kanowsky, from Santa Clarita, CA, is a senior majoring in voice with a minor in Italian. A recipient of the Jacobs School of Music Faculty Award and the Jean Sinor Memorial Scholarship, Kanowsky interned the past two summers at the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony and the LA Opera. A sampling of his musicological work was chosen for publication in the 2005 issue of the Undergraduate Scholar. He has given recitals at the Palais Corbelli in Vienna and at Milan’s Casa di Riposo Giuseppe Verdi. Too Many Sopranos marks Carl’s IU Opera Theater debut. He is a student of Patricia Havranek. 