WILLIAM FRED SCOTT, Guest Conductor
Artistic Director of the Atlanta Opera, William Fred Scott has become as known for its vitality and variety as for his own personal commitment to the arts and the community. Scott came to The Atlanta Opera in 1985, and under his artistic direction the company became one of the fastest-growing opera companies in the United States. By the completion of the 2003 season, The Atlanta Opera will have produced more than 60 productions and well over 200 performances under his direction. Maestro Scott made his European debut conducting The Marriage of Figaro at The Theatre of the Estates in Prague. Last season, he appeared as guest conductor with the Hawaii Opera Theatre for Tchaikovsky's Eugene Oneghin, in a co-production which was presented to Atlanta Opera audiences this February, 2004.

Mr. Scott has received high honors from the Atlanta community. The Arts and Business Council, part of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, named The Atlanta Opera as "Arts Organization of the Year" in 1999 and in 1998 named Mr. Scott "Artist of the Year," through its annual Abby Awards, which recognize excellence and innovation in art in Atlanta. Public Broadcasting Atlanta selected Mr. Scott and Alfred Kennedy, the Opera's executive director, as the "Lexus Leaders of the Arts" for the month of August, 1999. Atlanta CityMag also honored the pair in their November, 1999 Hall of Fame issue. Creative Loafing honored Mr. Scott in January, 1999 with its annual "CL Award," recognizing an individual who has made significant contributions to Atlanta's culture. Mr. Scott also served as Honorary Chairman for First Night Atlanta 1999.A cum laude graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, Maestro Scott moved to Boston to become associate conductor and artistic administrator of the Opera Company of Boston, where he also served as principal coach and chorus master. He remained with the company from 1975 to 1981 and made his conducting debut with the company at 22 when he stepped in on short notice to conduct Beverly Sills and Tatiana Troyanos in The Capulets and the Montagues. The Atlanta Opera's 1999 performances of this opera with Brenda Harris and Delores Ziegler assuming the principal roles, marked the 25th anniversary of Mr. Scott's conducting debut. He made his official debut in March, 1977, when he conducted the company's subscription performances of La bohème. While with The Opera Company of Boston, Mr. Scott led almost 200 performances in the city and throughout the Northeast as principal conductor of Opera New England, the company's touring arm. He has collaborated with some of the world's most eminent operatic singers, from Kiri te Kanawa, Shirley Verrett, Magda Olivero, Gwyneth Jones and Helen Donath to Donald Gramm, James McCracken and Jon Vickers.

During his tenure in Boston, Mr. Scott was invited by Robert Shaw to serve as associate conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. From 1981 to 1988, he conducted in Symphony Hall, on tour and for the Symphony's Summer Pops series at Chastain Park. In 1990, Maestro Scott conducted the American premiere of Philip Glass's Canyon with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In addition to returning to the ASO as a guest conductor, he also created and conducted their popular " Champagne and Coffee" concert series, which ran from 1985 through 1998. In December, 1999, Mr. Scott conducted the inaugural season of "Christmas with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra," a holiday concert event he continues to conduct annually in the tradition of "Christmas with Robert Shaw."

Maestro Scott has made guest appearances with opera companies and symphony orchestras throughout the country including: New York City Opera, Wolf Trap Opera Company, Opera Company of Boston, Opera Carolina, Sarasota Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and Greenville Symphony Orchestra. He has also conducted the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for their weekly Sunday morning radio and television broadcast of "Music and the Spoken Word." In addition to a long list of credits in the traditional repertoire, Mr. Scott has conducted a number of rarely seen operas. Among these are Blitzstein's Regina, Offenbach's Voyage to the Moon, Prokofiev's War and Peace, Schuller's The Fisherman and His Wife and Paulus' The Postman Always Rings Twice. He also has directed Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, John Gay's TheBeggar's Opera, Shakespeare's Macbeth, as well as the Atlanta Opera Studio's productions of Mozart's The Impresario and Bizet's Doctor Miracle.A sought after speaker and authority on opera and vocal performance, Mr. Scott is a frequent lecturer for the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta History Center and Baltimore's Walters Art Gallery. He also led two productions during the 1996 Olympic Arts Festival, Gershwin's Of Thee I Sing and an International Opera Gala concert with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

LAURA ALLEY, Guest Stage Director
Laura Alley enjoys a distinguished career in opera direction. She has a current repertoire of over fifty operas, which she has directed throughout the United States. Highlights include the European premiere of THE GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES in Hannover, Germany, and the American premieres of KINKAKUJI and THE DREYFUS AFFAIR for the New York City Opera. Among the opera companies for which she has directed much of the standard repertoire are New York City Opera, Syracuse, Kansas City, San Francisco, Austin, Cleveland, El Paso, Chautauqua and Connecticut Opera and most recently The MARRIAGE OF FIGARO for the New Orleans Opera.

Miss Alley has taught and directed opera workshop productions at Louisiana State University, the Kansas City Conservatory, Temple University, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Converse College, Rutgers University and New York University. She is currently associated with the Mannes College of Music. Future engagements include a return for the third season of Martina Arroyo’s summer program, Prelude to Performance.

Hansel (mezzo-soprano)

Kathryn Leemhuis , mezzo-soprano, is a graduate student studying with Costanza Cuccaro. Earlier this year, Ms. Leemhuis performed at Carnegie Hall as a soloist in The Marilyn Horne Foundation's The Song Continues ... 2006 Festival. She then performed in Schumann’s Faust with the Cleveland Orchestra, was a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and performed in the Carmel Bach Festival. Ms. Leemhuis was recently the first place winner in the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition and was also a recent regional winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Her operatic roles include Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Dritte Magd in Strauss’ Elektra with the Cleveland Orchestra; Hermia in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Tanglewood Music Center; Mrs. Hildebrand in Weill’s Street Scene at Opera Theatre of St. Louis; Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, and Nancy in Britten’s Albert Herring at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Future engagements will find Ms. Leemhuis performing at Opera Theatre of St. Louis as Flora in Verdi’s La Traviata in 2007, and Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in 2008. She completed her bachelor of music degree at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music.

Ann Sauder, originally from Peoria, IL, received her Bachelor of Music in Voice from the IU Jacobs School of Music in December 2005, and is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Voice. Previous appearances with IU Opera Theater include Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, Second Lady in The Magic Flute, and Praskovia/Do-do in The Merry Widow. Last spring, she appeared as a soloist with the IU New Music Ensemble in Richard Wernick's Kaddish-Requiem, performed the alto solo in Beethoven's 9 th Symphony with the IU Philharmonic Orchestra, and was a finalist in the American Bach Society Biennial Vocal Competition. In the summer of 2006 she appeared as Dorabella in the Brevard Music Center production of Cosi fan tutte. Ann is a student of Patricia Stiles.

Gretel (soprano)

Marie Masters (Gretel) is a second year Master’s candidate at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where she studies with Distinguished Professor of Voice Timothy Noble. She made her debut at Indiana University’s 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, Ms. 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 of 2004, Ms. Masters sang the role of the Trainbearer (Elektra) with the Cleveland Orchestra, and appeared with the Cleveland Youth Orchestra in March of 2005 as the Soprano Soloist in Faure’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.

Ms. 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 (Hansel 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.

Megan Radder, soprano, is a graduate student studying with Patricia Stiles. This summer, she performed the role of Yum-Yum in Gilbert & Sullivan's Mikado at the Indiana University Jacob's School of Music under the direction of Raymond Harvey. Ms. Radder's operatic credits include the roles of Adina in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore and Despina in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte in the Oberlin in Italy program; the Shepherd Boy in Puccini's Tosca at Opera North; Belinda in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina (cover)and at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music; Cupid in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, Cis in Britten's Albert Herring, and Barbarina in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro at the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. Ms. Radder is a native of Brookfield, Wisconsin and recently recieved her Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College.

Soprano Noelle Jacquez is a third year Master’s Degree candidate in voice at Indiana University. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music in Nashville, TN. Previous roles include Mimi in La Boheme, Zita and Nella in Gianni Schicci, Laurey in OKLAHOMA and Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance. Her performances at Vanderbilt earned her the Delene Laubenheim McClure award for excellence in opera performance. Ms. Jacquez is a student of Scharmal Schrock.

Mezzo-soprano Meghann Vaughn is currently pursuing her Master of Music degree in Voice Performance at IU Jacobs SOM. A native of North Carolina, Vaughn received her bachelor’s degree from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While at UNCG, she performed the role of The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Mrs. McClean in Susannah, and Third Lady in The Magic Flute. This summer, Vaughn participated in her first professional opera venue, performing the role of Marcellina in Union Avenue Opera's production of Le Nozze di Figaro. She made her IU Opera Theatre debut last year in the role of Hippolyta in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Her oratorio credits include alto soloist in Handel’s Dixit Dominus, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Bruckner’s Te Deum, and Mozart’s Vespers. Vaughn is a student of Patricia Stiles.

Adonis Duque Abuyen, baritone, is a native of Bakersfield, California and is completing his Master of Music degree in Voice. Abuyen completed his Bachelor of Music degree at Chapman University under the tutelage of Dr. Peter Atherton. At Chapman, he was seen in many opera productions including Die Zauberflöte as Papageno and in Gianni Schicchi as Simone. Other roles performed in Southern California include Figaro in 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 Theatre 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.

Jeremiah Johnson is beginging his second year of graduate work here at Indiana Univeristy where he studies with Prof. Dale Moore. This role marks Jeremiah's debut with IU Opera Theatre. In Febuary he will perform the role of Graf Waldner in Strauss' Arabella. Mr. Johnson graduated from Texas Tech University in 2005. While at Texas Tech he performed the roles of Papageno in Magic Flute, Baron Douphol in La Traviata and created the role of Sgt. Quigly in the world premiere opera Belinni's War. Mr Johnson has also sung multiple productions with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre where he recently finished covering the role of Sharpless in  Madama Butterfly.

Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, a third year Masters student in voice performance from Rome, GA, is very excited to portray the Witch in Hänsel und Gretel. Jamie has been seen on the Indiana University Opera Theatre stage as Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Buttercup in HMS Pinafore , and Mrs. Soames in the 2006 world premiere of Ned Rorem's Our Town. She worked with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis this past summer covering the roles of Olga Olsen in Street Scene and Mrs. Rochester in the American premiere of Michael Berkeley's Jane Eyre. Jamie also attended Tanglewood Music Center this past summer as a Fellow in vocal studies and worked with artists such as Dawn Upshaw, Alan Smith, Kayo Iwama, Susan Graham, and James Lavine. Jamie will return to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in the summer of 2007 to cover Katisha in The Mikado and make her professional operatic debut as Annina in La Traviata, and she has also been invited to attend Tanglewood Music Center once again for the summer of 2007.  Jamie has recently been invited to participate in The Song Continues…2007, a master class series sponsored by The Marilyn Horne Foundation where she will work one on one with Marilyn Horne before an audience at Carnegie Hall. Jamie is a voice student of Mary Ann Hart.

Michael Match is currently completing the Doctor of Music degree, studying with Patricia Havranek. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State University in Ohio where he was a student of Wade Raridon and was seen in the title role of Handel’s Serse in 2001. Match received his Master of Music degree from IU in 2004 and has been seen on the IU Opera stage as Sesto in the 2002 production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare and the Shepherd Boy in Tosca in 2004. Recent performances have included the Sorceress in Dido & Aeneas for Cleveland Opera Circle and the role of Mirze in the company’s world premiere of Thamos, King of Egypt by Halim El-Dabh. Match was a winner of the Indiana District NATS Artist Award and the Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2006.  He was also the 1 st place winner of the 2004 Wilfred Bain Opera Fellowship and is currently an Associate Instructor of voice and the president of IU Student NATS. 

Caryn Kerstetter, a native of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, is currently pursuing her Master of Voice at IU. This is her debut with the IU Opera Theater. She is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and was a student of Dale Moore and Rita Shane. Following her undergraduate studies, she moved to London where she received a graduate diploma in opera from the Royal College of Music. She was seen on the stage in a revival of Handel’s Sosarme and was a soprano soloist for Bach’s Mass in A. While at IU, she participated in a master class with Virginia Zeani and performed the role of Susanna in the summer opera workshop. Kerstetter is a student of Patricia Stiles.

Heather Youngquist, a native of Washington, Iowa, is a first-year Master of Music student at IU. This is her debut with IU Opera Theater. Youngquist graduated magna cum laude from The University of Iowa with a BM in Vocal Performance and Music Education. While an undergraduate, she performed several roles with U of I’s Martha-Ellen Tye Opera Theater including Mary Warren in The Crucible, Nella in Gianni Schicchi, Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia, and Clorinda in La Cenerentola. In 2004, she studied the role of Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the European Academy of Performing Arts in Montepulciano, Italy, under the direction of Georges Delnon and Shari Rhoads. Youngquist has served as a soloist in Bach’s B-Minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion, Handel’s Dixit Dominus, and Barber’s Prayers of Kirkegaard. Last summer, she was a Young Artist with the Cedar Rapids Opera Theater of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She is currently a student of Robert Harrison.

Sandman (soprano)

A native of Indiana, Erin Houghton will be completing her Bachelor of Music at the Jacobs School of Music this spring. This past summer marked her IU Opera Theatre debut as Pitti Sing in The Mikado. This summer she was also nominated by the Jacobs School of Music to sing the Alma Mater for the Indiana University freshman induction ceremony of 2006. She is a recipient of two faculty scholarships, and has appeared in numerous IU Opera Theatre choruses and a children’s production of The Magic Flute. Erin is a student of Dale Moore.