Francesca Mondanaro as Santuzza
Most recently named a 2007 Grant Winner from the Olga Forrai Foundation and reviewed in Opera News as being "destined for bigger houses," Francesca performed the role Isabella in La Grazie di Isabella for Teatro Peroglesi in Italy for the 2007 Spontini Festival and Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana for New Jersey State Opera, as well as being featured in scenes from Norma for the Richard Tucker Music Foundation concert series. Upcoming events for the 2008-2009 season include singing the title role of Norma in concert for the Calvary Music Recital series, covering the title role of Norma for Baltimore Opera under Maestro Christian Badea, performing Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with the Baltimore Concert Opera and featured in concert with the Bach Society of New York. [ read more ]

Kevin Courtemanche as Turridu and Canio
Tenor Kevin Courtemanche thanks Baltimore Concert Opera for the opportunity to make several firsts: his first public Turiddu, his first Canio in Italian and his professional operatic début in Baltimore and Maryland. Now a resident of New York City, Kevin hails from New Hampshire and spent several years honing his craft in such far off lands as Boston, St. Petersburg, Florida, Los Angeles and San Francisco and such local opera hotbeds as France and the Czech Republic. Kevin created the role of the Brigadier General in Philip Glass' Appomatox at San Francisco Opera in 2007. Elsewhere Kevin has also played Verdi’s Otello, Gounod’s Faust, Offenbach’s Hoffmann, Radamès in Aida, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Calaf in Turandot, Canio in Pagliacci, Don José in Carmen, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Macduff in Macbeth, the Mother (!) in The Seven Deadly Sins, Tamino in The Magic Flute, The Witch(!) in Hansel and Gretel, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Judge Danforth in The Crucible, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and Rodolfo in La bohème.

Sara Stewart as Nedda
Sara Stewart’s distinct artistry, presence and rich vocal quality are leading the young soprano to an important operatic career. She performed several roles with the Baltimore Opera including the High Priestess in Aïda, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Sister Catherine in Dead Man Walking, Lauretta in James Harp's adaptation of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Just Jeanette in Too Many Sopranos. Next, she will appear as Lucy in Menotti’s comic opera The Telephone with Opera AACC, and as the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio (music of Rossini) with the Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia. In January she will debut at Dicapo Opera Theatre in New York as Lucy Perez in Thomas Pasatieri's Hotel Casablanca.

Ms. Stewart received her Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory in 2003, under the tutelage of Stanley Cornett, where she performed the roles of Micaëla in La Tragédie de Carmen, the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas and Cathleen in Vaughn Williams' Riders to the Sea. Additional recent operatic engagements include Mimì in La bohème with the A.A.M.S. Opera Ensemble, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore with the Young Victorian Theatre Company, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro with the Frederick Camerata, and in the Annapolis Opera's productions of Romantic Divas and Amorous Dons and Vienna Dreams.
[ read more ]

Jimi James as Alfio & Tonio 
Jimi James (Alfio, Tonio) is excited to add another Baltimore area company to his performance venues. The busy baritone has maintained a steady performance schedule, appearing again as Dr. Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, a reprise of his 9 foot tall stilt-walking Papageno in The Magic Flute, Germont in La Traviata, Messiah, Capulet in Romeo et Juliette, the Requiem of Verdi, The Pirate King, and a recital of John Ireland songs. These performances were with Mercury Opera, Syracuse Opera, Granite State Opera, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and Springfield Symphony Orchestra and Young Victorian Theatre. Last season marked the artist’s directorial debut with Mermaid Music Productions, in which capacity he not only directed Amahl and the Night Visitors, but also performed the role of King Melchior, and acted as set designer, builder and decorator. Having leaped at a professional performance career just six years ago, Jimi is considered a performer of unusual versatility and equally unusual pedigree. In this brief time, the artist has amassed a varied and extensive repertoire, now counting 20 staged roles: Escamillo, Dr. Bartolo, Tonio, Figaro, Papageno, Schaunard, Gianni Schicchi, Giuseppe, Thomas Garret, Masetto, Enrico Ashton, Mustafa, Rigoletto, Germont, Plunkett, Billy Bigelow, Emile de Becque, Monterone, Capulet and The Pirate King. Born in Hawaii, raised on Cape Cod, and settled in Syracuse, Jimi’s repertoire is as varied as his travels. The baritone’s concert credits include Carmina Burana, the requiem settings of Brahms, Fauré, Mozart and Verdi, Bach cantatas 211, 145, 78 and 68, Songs of Love and War (Moravec), Mefistofele in Boito’s prelude and conclusion, Elijah, Pizzaro, Schubert Mass in G, Messiah, Polar Express and The Wolf in Peter vs. the Wolf and Songs of Travel. The artist’s performance venues include Syracuse Opera, Opera Memphis, Opera Vivente, West Virginia Symphony, Annapolis Opera, Mercury Opera, Granite State Opera, Annapolis Chorale, Finger Lakes Chorale, Tri-Cities Opera, Connecticut Concert Opera, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. Jimi is particularly fond of his outreach performances, in which he has appeared in over 900! These include The Three Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Little Red’s Most Unusual Day, Never Tickle a Mule and Love Cabaret – Love Songs of the Gershwin Brothers. The baritone was a finalist in the Chester Ludgin Verdi Competition, winner of the JDAF Vocal Competition and recipient of the Manfred Meyer Artist of the Year award. Jimi’s upcoming performances include Rutter’s Mass of the Children, Messiah and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Michael Mayes as Silvio
With a strong voice and even stronger sense of drama, baritone Michael Mayes is making waves in the opera world for his command of the stage and attractive masculine presence. Originally from Conroe, Texas, Michael has performed with several opera companies across the United States including Madison Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Skylight Opera, Opera Theatre Highland Park, Central City Opera, Union Avenue Opera Theatre, and Fort Worth Opera. In the 2008-2009 season Mr. Mayes sang the title role in Don Giovanni with Connecticut Opera, Marcello in La bohème with Skylight Opera Theater, Conte di Luna in Il trovatore with Eugene Opera, and Morales in Carmen and Motorcycle Cop in Dead Man Walking with Fort Worth Opera. Mr. Mayes will join the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in the 2009-2010 season. Additionally he performs Conte Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Des Moines Metro Opera, Marcello in La bohème with Duluth Festival Opera, Shreveport Opera, and New Brittain Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Oklaholma Ballet and San Antonio Symphony, and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte with Arizona Opera. Additional upcoming engagements include Marcello in La bohème with Eugene Opera, Danilo in The Merry Widow with Opera on the James, Valentin in Faust with Opera Birmingham and Kinesias in Lysistrata with Ft. Worth Opera. [ read more ]

Jeremy Blossey as Beppe/Harlequin
Hawaiian tenor Jeremy Blossey has spent the past few seasons on various concert and opera stages in both Europe and the U.S. and is happy to be making his first appearance with Baltimore Concert Opera. His other operatic appearances include leading roles with Hawaii Opera Theater, Opera Cleveland, Shreveport Opera, New Jersey State Opera, Natchez Opera, Washington Summer Opera Theater and several others. He has also appeared as a soloist with the Honolulu Symphony, Annapolis Symphony and with the Theater Chamber Players at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

Maria Kathleen Barnet as Mamma Lucia
Mezzo-soprano, Maria Kathleen Barnet, is scheduled to sing the role of Ulrica in New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera's production of Un Ballo in Maschera. Maria was most recently seen at Hudson Opera Theatre as Madame de Croissy in Dialogues des Carmelites. Previously, she returned to Opera Delaware as The Duchess in The Gondoliers. Since her debut with Opera Delaware as Ruth (Pirates of Penzance), Maria made her Carnegie Hall debut with Opera Orchestra of New York as La Vecchia in L’amore dei tre Re under the direction of Eve Queler. She also covered the role of Mistress Bentson for Opera Orchestra of New York’s production of Lakmé.  Other recent roles include Azucena with Opera in the Heights and Antonia's Mother (Tales of Hoffmann).

Maria has moved audiences with her riveting portrayals of Gertrude (Hamlet) and Madame de Croissy (Dialogues of the Carmelites), as well as entertained with her hilarious interpretations of Katisha, Little Buttercup and Marcellina.  Other credits include appearances with the Natchez Opera Festival (Third Lady, Gertrude in Romeo et Juliette), as well as appearances as Federica (Luisa Miller) and The Mother Abbess (Sound of Music).  She apprenticed for two seasons with Des Moines Metro Opera, singing the role of Maurya in Riders to the Sea, Marion Hackett in Argento’s Christopher Sly, and covered the role of The Mother in Menotti’s The Consul.

Jessica Renfro as Lola
Jessica Renfro has been described as “alert and quick in her acting and superb as a singer” with “deliciously playful comic timing” and a “sparkling voice”. “At times Renfro left her audience almost breathless with admiration as she breathed life into her character and spun melodies into charismatic suggestion” (Stephen Neal Dennis www.allartsreview4u.com, Mark J. Estren The Washington Post, T.L. Ponick The Washington Times). She holds a Master's Degree and Graduate Performance Diploma in Opera from the Peabody Conservatory, and has studied with world renowned singers such as François Loup and Phyllis Bryn-Julson. Some of her opera credits include Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Cenerentola in La Cenerentola, Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Concepcion in L'heure Espagnole with such companies as Baltimore Opera Center, Opera Vivente, Bel Cantanti Opera, and many more. She has also enjoyed a busy schedule of concert work with Baltimore Symphony, Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Southern Delaware Choral Society, Chesapeake Youth Orchestra and others.

Ms. Renfro will debut this season with Opera Seabrook as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Baltimore Concert Opera as Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana and with Anne Arundel Opera as Dido in Dido and Aeneas.

Anthony Barrese - Conductor
Anthony Barrese has earned accolades as both a composer and a conductor, winning numerous awards for his original works, and being engaged by a number of opera companies in the United States and Italy.

He began studying composition with Robert Ceely of the New England Conservatory of Music, and received his bachelor’s degree under the tutelage of Dr. Timothy Kramer at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. In 1996 he studied in Milan, Italy with Maestro Roberto Andreoni. That summer he attended the prestigious Darmstadt summer courses in composition in Darmstadt Germany. After completing his Master’s degree in composition from the New England Conservatory, Mr. Barrese returned to Milan as a Frank Huntington Beebe Award winner. During this sojourn Mr. Barrese studied composition with Maestri Roberto Andreoni, Luca Francesconi, and Paolo Perezzani. [ read more ]

Doug Han - Pianist
Pianist Doug Han makes his Baltimore Concert Opera debut in the present production of Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci.  He began his operatic coaching career in earnest after initially receiving a varied training in languages, theatre, composition, and orchestral flute studies.

Doug has served as répétiteur for the Knowlton Festival, a groundbreaking collaboration between the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Rome's historic Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, since its inaugural edition in 2008.  Under the aegis of the festival, he has collaborated with such preeminent artists such as June Anderson, Jennifer Larmore, Sumi Jo, and Maestro Kent Nagano.  Doug is a frequent guest répétiteur for the Evelyn Lear/Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers Program and also serves as musical consultant for Ottocento Opera of New York, dedicated to the research and revival of forgotten bel canto operas.

A 2008 finalist for the prestigious Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Doug has also served as répétiteur-in-residence for Opera Africa's 2007 winter season and as a 2005 Resident-Artist-in-Education at San Francisco Opera.