Uriel Segal, Conductor
In addition to his role as Principal Guest Conductor, Uriel Segal is also Music Director of the Chautauqua Festival and Conductor Laureate of the Century Orchestra in Osaka, Japan. In North America, recent and upcoming guest conducting engagements include the orchestras of Montreal, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Portland (ME), Dallas, Houston, Louisiana, Virginia, Rochester, Detroit, San Diego, Buffalo and New Jersey. Abroad, he has appeared with the Spanish National Orchestra (Madrid), Beethovenhalle Orchestra (Bonn), Hamburg Symphony, Israel Philharmonic and the symphonies of Tokyo, Basel and Quebec.

Born in Jerusalem, Uriel Segal's international career was launched after winning First Prize at the 1968 Dimitri Mitropoulos International Conducting Competition in New York. His European debut with the English Chamber Orchestra was soon followed by invitations to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, London Symphony, Orchestre de Paris and Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, among others. In 1972, Mr. Segal took the Stuttgart Radio Orchestra on a tour of Poland, the first West German orchestra to visit that country after World War II; he continued as Principal Guest Conductor of that orchestra for over fifteen years. Mr. Segal has also been Principal Conductor of Philharmonia Hungarica, the Bournemouth Symphony and the Israel Chamber Orchestra.

Since his operatic debut in Santa Fe in 1973, Uriel Segal has conducted opera extensively throughout Europe, Japan, Israel and the United States. Recent productions include "Madama Butterfly" with the New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, "Le Coq d'Or" with Opéra de Nice, and "The Magic Flute" at Chautauqua.

Mr. Segal has recorded for Decca and EMI with such orchestras as the London Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Bournemouth Symphony and the New Zealand Symphony. Toshiba EMI has recently released a CD of music by Robert Schumann made with the Century Orchestra Osaka in Japan. 

Vincent Liotta (Stage Director) — Vincent Liotta has been both a professional stage director and a dedicated educator for more than 15 years.  Recently appointed as a Fulbright Senior Scholar,  he is the head of the Opera Stage Directing program at Indiana University where he teaches stage directing, acting, and operatic literature.  Recent professional projects include  Madama Butterfly for the Hungarian State Opera in Romania and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, La Fanciulla 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, Mr. 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 premieres of Mollicone’s Coyote Tales, a new version of Frank Loesser’s Greenwillow, and Edwin Penhorwood’s Too Many Sopranos, and the American premiere 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 Guiseppe 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 premiere of Willie Stark.

Robert O’Hearn (Set and Costume Design) 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 Theater, 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. Professor O’Hearn has also given guest lectures and classes at Carnegie Mellon, Brandeis and Penn State University.

Jordan Bluth (Tamino)
Jordan Bluth, tenor, is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance. Previously at IU, he has been seen as Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden and the Old Miner/President Chester Arthur in The Ballad of Baby Doe. In the summer of 2004, he performed as a Young Artist with the Utah Festival Opera Company where he covered the role of Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden and played the role of Angus “the kilt” MacGuffie in the highly-acclaimed production of Brigadoon. This summer, he will be traveling to Glimmerglass Opera to cover the role of Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte and perform the role of Strolling Player in Britten’s Death in Venice. Jordan is the two-time winner of the Berta Autenrieth Most Promising Singer Award at the Arizona chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. He is from Gilbert, Arizona, and currently studying with Professor Dale Moore.

Creighton James (Tamino)
Creighton James, tenor, has performed professionally with La Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona as well as Opera Omaha, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Chautauqua Opera, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, the Anderson Symphony Orchestra, the Kokomo Symphony Orchestra, and Carmel Symphony Orchestra. Some of his more recent roles include Belmonte in The Abduction forom the Seraglio, Laurie in the University première of Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Nemorino in L’Elisir d’amore, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Truffaldino in Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges, and the Govenor in Candide. This summer, he will be singing with Cincinnati Opera as a member of the Young Artist Program, performing the role of Parpignol in La Bohème, covering roles in the newly-commissioned work Margaret Garner by Richard Danielpour, and featured in concert. Mr. James is from Houston, Texas, where he earned a Bachelor of Music from Rice University. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music with Costanza Cuccaro.

Rachel Fulton (First Lady)
Rachel Fulton, soprano, made her professional debut at the age of 16 when she toured the state of Florida with the Palm Beach Opera’s Education Outreach Program as Tilde in La Centerentola. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Florida State University, where she performed the role of Dorabella in Cos ì fan tutte, a role she repeated with the Opera Theatre of Lucca, Italy. In 2001, Ms. Fulton placed third in the Junior Division of Palm Beach Opera’s Vocal Competition and had her mainstage debut with them in several small roles. She was given the opportunity to tour Florida again in their Education Outreach Program, this time as Rosina from The Barber of Seville. Ms. Fulton is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree at Indiana University, where she has performed roles from The Tales of Hoffman, Merry Widow, and Secret Garden. She is a student of Dale Moore.

Jenny Searles (First Lady)
Jenny Searles, soprano, is working toward a Performer Diploma, studying with Patricia Stiles. This performance marks her IU Opera Theater debut. An Indiana native, Ms. Searles received her bachelor’s degree from Butler University, where she studied with her mother, Sharon Searles. While at Butler, she performed the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica. She acquired her Master of Music degree from Southern Methodist University under the tutelage of Virginia Dupuy. At SMU, Ms. Searles was seen as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro as well as Susannah in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. She was chosen, with her mother and sister, to represent the State of Indiana in the Millenium Concert Series at the Kennedy Center. She premiered the song cycle "Remembering the Yesterdays" by Samuel Adler last spring in Dallas with the Voices of Change recital series. Ms. Searles also attended the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where she performed Ravel’s Shéhérazade with orchestra. She has also been heard as the soprano soloist in Poulenc’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, and Rutter’s Requiem.

Courtney Crouse (Second Lady)
Courtney Crouse is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, currently pursuing her doctorate in Voice and Song Literature at Indiana University. Most recently, she was seen as Amalia in the IU summer musical She Loves Me and has performed in the IU Opera Theater production of Suor Angelica and as a soloist in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass. Ms. Crouse also performed the role of Anne in the Bloomington Music Works production of Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. She received her BA in Voice at Texas Wesleyan University and her MM in Voice at Indiana University. While at TWU, she performed the roles of Musetta in La Bohème and Susannah in the Carlysle Floyd opera of the same name. Ms. Crouse took a hiatus from IU in 2000 and performed with the Fort Worth Opera’s Educational Tour in La Cenerentola. She studies with Professor Paul Kiesgen.

Ann Sauder (Second Lady)

Sarah Mabary (Third Lady)
Sarah Mabary, mezzo-soprano, is a first-year master's student at Indiana University. Although this is her first appearance with IU Opera Theater, she has performed the roles of Carlotta in The Phantom by Kopit & Yeston and Peep- Bo in The Mikado. She has also performed scenes from Werther, Falstaff, and The Rape of Lucretia. Her oratorio repertoire includes Bach's Mass No. 1 in F Major and Magnificat, Vivaldi's Gloria, Mozart's Requiem, and Purcell's Come, Come Ye Sons of Art. In 2004, Mrs. Mabary represented IU in two recital performances at the Midwest Composer's Symposium at the University of Michigan and performed a solo recital as a Guest Artist at the St. Phillips Episcopal Church Concert Series in Jackson, Mississippi. Her BM in Voice Performance and BA in German were earned from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, her hometown. Her recent vocal coachings include sessions with Roger Vignoles, Louis Menendez, and Julian Kwok. Mrs. Mabary is a student of Patricia Havranek.

Jessica Vanderhoof (Third Lady)
As a full scholarship student, mezzo-soprano Jessica Vanderhoof received her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a minor in Theater Arts at the University of Miami. In the summer of 2002, Ms. Vanderhoof sang the role of Dame Quickly in Verdi’s Falstaff and the mezzo-soprano solo in Verdi’s Messa di Requiem under the direction of David Effron at the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, North Carolina. Ms. Vanderhoof is a graduate of the German Program for Singers at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. She made her IU Opera Theater debut as Mama Mc Court in The Ballad of Baby Doe . This summer marks her professional debut singing the roles of Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Giovanna in Rigoletto as a Young Artist with Cincinnati Opera. She is currently pursuing a Performer Diploma and studies with Dr. James McDonald.

Christopher Bolduc (Papageno)
Christopher Bolduc,baritone, originally from Albany, New York, recently completed his second apprenticeship with The Santa Fe Opera where he covered Masetto in Don Giovanni and Calchas in La belle Hélène. Each year, The Santa Fe Opera has awarded him for both his outstanding potential on the operatic stage and his committed hard work at the Opera with the Richard Tucker Music Foundation Award in 2003 and the Donald and Luke Graham Memorial Award in 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the Purchase College Conservatory of Music (SUNY) and is at IU as a first-year master’s student. This year, Mr. Bolduc was the second-place winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Tri-State Region and the winner of the Liederkranz Foundation Awards for Voice, for which he will make his Carnegie Hall debut later this month.

Chris Carducci (Papageno)
Chris Carducci recently appeared at Carnegie Hall where he presented selections from Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch for The Marilyn Horne Foundation’s THE SONG CONTINUES…2005. Acclaimed as a recitalist, Carducci is equally at home on the opera stage, having last performed with IU Opera Theater as Prosdocimo in The Turk in Italy. Other roles include Mozart’s Count Almaviva and Guglielmo as well as the title role in Gianni Schicchi, Malatesta in Don Pasqual, and Sid in Albert Herring. A two-time winner of the Dr. Marjorie Conrad Peatee Art Song Competition, he has worked with the Toledo Opera as a Resident Artist, Carmel Bach Festival, Michigan Opera Works, and the Perrysburg Symphony. The Monroe, Michigan, native began his vocal studies with Virginia Starr and Andreas Poulimenos at Bowling Green State University where he earned the degree of Bachelor of Music in Education with a choral emphasis. Currently in the master’s program at Indiana University, Carducci is a student of Distinguished Professor of Music Timothy Noble. Later this year, he will create the role of Pontius Pilate in Pilatus, a new opera by Robert Samels.

Karen Kness (Queen of the Night)
Karen Kenss, soprano, holds degrees in vocal performance from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and is currently a doctoral student at IU, studying with Mary Ann Hart. Ms. Kness’ opera roles include Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Monica in The Medium, Lucy Honeychurch in the Midwest premiere of A Room with a View, and Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor. In 2003, she was the soprano soloist for Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor at IU and also performed the same work with the Mozart Festival Orchestra in Indianapolis. She was the 2000 first-place winner of the Soli Deo Gloria Cantorum Vocal Competition in Omaha, Nebraska, and 2002 winner of the Crystal Award in the Vera Scammon Vocal Competition in Denver. Ms. Kness has been a first-place winner in the NATS Nebraska state and regional vocal competitions and took part in a Midwest tour as the featured soloist with the Bach chamber ensemble Collegium Musicum Concordia. Prior to beginning her studies at IU, she was a member of the applied faculty at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska.

Haggar Leibovich (Queen of the Night)
Originally from Israel, soprano Haggar Leibovich completed her undergraduate studies at the Tel-Aviv Rubin Music Academy. She has sung with The New Israeli Opera, The Tel-Aviv Chamber Orchestra, Ramat-Gan Chamber Orchestra, The Rubin Music Academy, and more. Among others, she covered the roles of Pamina, Susanna, Zerlina, Ilia, Echo, and First Flower Maiden. She also premiered the leading role of Naomi in the original Israeli Opera’s The Inn of Spirits. This summer, Ms. Leibovich will be joining the Utah Festival Opera as an Apprentice Artist, where she will be singing the part of Bridget Booth in The Crucible. A student of Andreas Poulimenos, this is her first roll with IU Opera Theater.

Seth Hobson (Monostatos, servant to Sarastro)
Seth Hobson is currently working on his Master of Music degree at IU where he studies with Alan Bennett. Originally from Yadkinville, North Carolina, Mr. Hobson received his Bachelor of Music degree from Appalachian State University. While there, he sang the roles of Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus. Last season, he covered the Desk Clerk, Stage Doorman, and Priest in IU’s production of The Ballad of Baby Doe. Mr. Hobson studied with Elly Ameling, Wolfgang Holzmair, and Christoph Prégardien while attending Austria’s Franz Schubert Institute where he studied the poetry and performance of the German Lied and singing recitals for the Austrian public.

Christopher Nelson (Monostatos, servant to Sarastro)
Christopher E. Nelson is a sophomore from California. He is studying vocal performance with Professor Paul Kiesgan. Chris also played Don Quixote in last Fall's Union Board production of "Man of La Mancha."

Alexis Lundy (Pamina, daughter of the Queen)
A native of Locust Grove, Georgia, soprano Alexis Lundy makes her Indiana University Opera Theater debut as Pamina. Ms. Lundy is a first-year Master of Music candidate in voice, studying with Dale Moore. She holds bachelor degrees in voice performance and music education from Shorter College in Rome, Georgia. Ms. Lundy has performed such roles as Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Angelina in Trial by Jury, and Emily Bronte in the chamber opera How Clear She Shines! She has also sung the soprano solos in Mozart's Requiem, Herbert Howell's Requiem, and Handel's Messiah. She was the 2002 second-place finalist in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Young Artist

Vera Savage (Pamina, daughter of the Queen)
Vera Savage, soprano, is a second-year master’s student studying with Professor Costanza Cuccaro. In her first semester at IU, fall 2003, Ms. Savage was seen as Anna Glawari under the direction of Tito Capobianco in Lehar’s The Merry Widow. Originally from Connecticut, she received her undergraduate degree from Oberlin Conservatory of Music where she was seen in many roles including Rosalinda in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Mařenka in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, the title role in Handel’s Alcina, and Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia. Ms. Savage has spent two summers at the Chautauqua Institute, where she performed Helena in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the title role in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias. She is an associate instructor of voice and plans to complete her degree in spring 2006.

Garth Eppley (Monostatos' Henchman and Man in Armor)

Matt Wells (Monostatos' Henchman)

Stephanie Harris (Papagena)
Stephanie Harris, soprano, is making her IU Opera Theater debut as Papagena. A native of Carmel, Indiana, Ms. Harris is a first-year master’s student studying with James McDonald. She received a BM in Vocal Performance from DePauw University where she performed many roles including Cousin Hebe in HMS Pinafore, Princess in L’enfant et les Sortilégès, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Jenny in Roman Fever. Ms. Harris has also been seen as Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro at La Musica Lirica in Italy and Despina in Cosi fan tutte at Bay View Music Festival. She was a featured artist in the premiere performance of the children’s opera Trio of Minuet performed with the Indianapolis Children’s Choir. In 2002, she was a semi-finalist in the National Orpheus Competition and in 2004, Ms. Harris received 3 rd place at the National MTNA competition in Kansas City.

Laura Stelman (Papagena), soprano, is a first-year master's student at IU studying with Patricia Wise. She received her undergraduate degree from Manhattan School of Music. Ms. Stelman’s past roles include Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls, Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, Yum Yum in The Mikado, Mrs. Peachum in Threepenny Opera, and Kristy in 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. While in New York, Ms. Stelman premiered Ralph Buxton's Bogan Songs at Columbia University. Last year, she toured with the Remarkable Theater Brigade, a New York-based company which brings short educational operas to special needs children at elementary schools and hospitals. This summer, Ms. Stelman will cover the role of Olympia in Basoti’s production of Les Contes d'Hoffmann.

Adam Cioffari (2nd Armored Man)
Adam Cioffari, bass-baritone, is a sophomore pursuing a BM in Vocal Performance. He made his IU Opera Theater debut as the Customs Guard in La Boheme last fall. This season, he has performed the roles of the Loudspeaker in The Emperor of Atlantis with IU Studio Opera, the Toymaker in The Toy Shop with Bloomington Music Works, and Papageno in The Magic Flute with Undergraduate Opera Workshop. Last summer, he was a member of the College Light Opera Company where he sang the roles of the Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe, Rapunzel's Prince in Into the Woods, and Enoch Snow in Carousel. Mr. Cioffari has taken private lessons on the piano and cello, and played in several student orchestras. He is a student of Giorgio Tozzi.