2009 CAST

Principal Singers  

CHRISTOPHER BURCHETT , baritone, gained notice as the Foreman ( Jenufa ) with Glimmerglass Opera; Leuthold ( Guglielmo Tell) with Opera Orchestra of New York; Yamadori ( Madama Butterfly ) with Opera Omaha; Bello ( La fanciulla del West ) with New York City Opera; and Bill Bobstay (H.M.S. Pinafore ) with Chattanooga Symphony and Opera. At Glimmerglass Opera, he also performed roles in The Good Soldier Schweik , Hartke's The Greater Good, and in Patience. He has returned to Opera Omaha for Restless Mourning ; and to Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre as Belcore ( L'Elisir d'amore ). Engagements this season include Falke ( Die Fledermaus ) with Piedmont Opera; Willy Wonka ( The Golden Ticket ) with American Lyric Theatre; and “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” at Carnegie Hall.*

PETER CLARK , baritone, returns to Ash Lawn Opera, having previously performed the roles of Henry Higgins ( My Fair Lady ) and Frank Butler ( Annie Get Your Gun ). Recent performances include Papageno ( Die Zauberflöte ) with Caramoor Opera; Don Giovanni with One World Symphony; and Guglielmo ( Così fan tutte ), Silvio ( Pagliacci ), Escamillo ( Carmen ), and Top ( The Tender Land ) with Bronx Opera, receiving a rave review from The NY Times. He has sung several world premieres with Elysium, both concert and opera, at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Bernried Festival , Germany , and Carnegie's Weill Hall. He debuts at Skylight Opera in 2009 as the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance . Education: B.A. Music, summa cum laude, Amherst College .

GREGORY GERBRANDT , baritone, returns for a second season with ALO having performed the role of Marcello in La Bohème in the 2007 Season. Mr. Gerbrandt recently sang the title role of Il barbiere di Siviglia wi th Opera Theater of Lakeland; Anthony ( Sweeney Todd ) with Augusta Opera; Manfred in For a Look or a Touch , by Jake Heggie, in West Hollywood, CA; and Marcello ( La bohème ) with Opera Fort Collins. Last season he performed Rossini's Figaro ( Il barbiere di Siviglia ) with Asheville Lyric Opera, Opera Fort Collins, and the Mansfield Symphony. He also appeared as Belcore ( L'Elisir d'amore ) with Opera Fort Collins and the Revival Singer in Nashville Opera's world premiere production of Elmer Gantry , the title role of which he also covered.

 ELIZABETH CABALLERO, soprano, appeared this season with Seattle Opera as Susanna ( Le nozze di Figaro) and the Nashville Opera as Donna Elvira ( Don Giovanna) , and returned to Florida Grand Opera as Contessa Almaviva ( Le nozze di Figaro) where she performed Mimi (La bohème) last season. She has performed many roles with New York City Opera, most notably Nedda (I Pagliacci ) and Musetta ( La bohème ).  Other recent performances were with the Opera Orchestra of New York, Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Trieste , San Antonio Opera, Opera New Jersey, Florentine Opera, Mobile Opera, Palm Beach Opera, the Merola Opera Program of the San Francisco Opera, and as Musetta in ( La bohème with The Metropolitan Opera's Met in the Park Series. Future engagements include her house debut in the Metropolitan Opera as Frasquita in their new production of Carmen .*

ASHLEY LOGAN , soprano, most recently appeared as Adina in Santa Fe Opera's Spring Tour of Elixir of Love. This season, Ms. Logan was featured as Suzanne Michaud in Tobias Picker's Thérèse Rauquin with Boston University Opera, soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah with Trinity Church in Boston and performed John Harbison's Chorale Cantata with Emmanuel Music. As a Tanglewood Vocal Fellow in 2008, Ms. Logan sang the role of Anne Egerman in A Little Night Music with the Boston Pops performing both at Symphony Hall and at the Tanglewood Festival. Ms. Logan participated in San Francisco Opera's Merola Program and made her European debut as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy.*

KATHERINE PRACHT,mezzo-soprano, recently sang the world premiere of John Tavener's "Tu ne sais pas" for mezzo and chamber orchestra in her debut with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia conducted by Ignat Solzhenitsyn. Other recent performances include the role of Der Trommler in Der Kaiser von Atlantis with Greenwich Music Festival; the role of Mrs. Teavee in a workshop of Peter Ash's The Golden Ticket with American Lyric Theater; her Florentine Opera debut as Der Page der Herodias in Salome ; the title role in David Carlson's The Midnight Angel with Skylight Opera Theatre; and Constance in The Sorcerer , marking her Bard SummerScape Festival debut. Ms. Pracht has been a Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Finalist in San Antonio, Memphis, and twice in Minneapolis, where, in 2006, she won the Outstanding Mezzo Award.* 

ANDREW WILKOWSKE , baritone, recently performed the title role in The Marriage of Figaro with Minnesota Opera where he also performed the roles of Noah in the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath, Henry Kissinger (Nixon in China ) and Papageno ( Die Zauberflöte). Other recent engagements include as Papageno ( Die Zauberflöte ) with Indianapolis Opera and Eugene Opera; Germont ( La traviata ) with Skylight Opera; Major-General Stanley ( Pirates of Penzance ) with Eugene Opera; and Leporello ( Don Giovanni ) with Skylight Opera Theatre. Future engagements include reprises of Noah ( Grapes of Wrath ) with Pittsburgh Opera and Opera Pacific; Ford ( Falstaff ) with Opera Roanoke; and Gepetto in the U.S. premiere of Jonathan Dove's The Adventures of Pinocchio with Minnesota Opera.*

MAGDALENA WÓR , mezzo-soprano, is a First Place Winner of the Heinz Rehfuss Vocal Competition, a Metropolitan Opera Competition National Finalist, and an alumna of several prestigious training programs including the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Washington National Opera, the San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program, and Opera Theatre of St. Louis' Gerdine Young Artist Program. Recent roles include Tisbe ( La Cenerentola ) with Atlanta Opera, Enrichetta ( I Puritani ) with Washington Concert Opera, and Zita ( Gianni Schicchi ), Grimgerde ( Die Walkure ), Herdswoman ( Jenufa ) Witch ( Hansel and Gretel ) Third Maid ( Elektra ) and Giovanna ( Rigoletto ) for Washington National Opera's mainstage.*

Apprentice Singers

Lynne Abeles , soprano, is quickly establishing herself as a new and exciting presence on the stage.  She spent last summer in Tel Aviv attending the Israeli Vocal Arts Institute. She began the fall season in New York as Mary in Ward's The Crucible with Dicapo Opera Theatre. She has also performed with the Jacksonville Lyric Opera and will make her Carnegie Hall debut in May of 2009 as a soloist with the Musical Explorers program. She received her B.A. in Theatre from the University of Southern California and her B.M. in Vocal Performance with a minor in Theatre from the University of Miami. * 

Christian Bester , baritone, is currently completing his M.M. in voice at SMU, studying under Prof. Barbara Hill Moore. He completed his undergraduate degree at Tshwane University of Technology in South Africa . Mr. Bester made his professional debut as Schaunard in La Boheme for Pro Musica Theater in South Africa in 2005, and in 2004 he was part of the South African Premiere of The Four Note Opera for New Music Productions. In July 2007 he was invited by the Amalfi Coast Festival in Italy to participate in their production of Die Zauberflöte , singing Papageno and the Armed Man.*

Abigail Brown , soprano, will be performing for the first time at the Ash Lawn Opera Festival this year as a member of the ensemble in both The Marriage of Figaro and Camelot .  She received her B.A. in 2007 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her M.M. in 2009 from the Manhattan School of Music studying under Mignon Dunn.  Ms. Brown also minored in American History and loves to travel.*

Wendy Buzby , mezzo soprano, is currently pursuing her Master's Degree at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the studio of Margaret Lattimore. Ms. Buzby received her Bachelor's Degree from Northwestern University , Evanston . This spring, Ms. Buzby placed fourth in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Vocal Competition. Recent roles include Tisbe from Rossini's La Cenerentola , Mrs. Patrick DeRocher and Jade Boucher from Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking , the title role in Glück's Orfeo ed Euridice , and Dritte Dame from Die Zauberflöte .*

Elizabeth Hartnett ,soprano, returns to Ash Lawn Opera Festival after covering Eliza in last year’s My Fair Lady. Other favorites include the title role in Les Mamelles de Tiresias, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Venus in Orpheus in the Underworld, and Rose in Street Scene. Elizabeth also sang Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with the Mae Z. Orvis Opera Studio at Hawaii Opera Theatre. As a concert artist, she has been a featured soloist in Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, as well as Handel’s Messiah and Dixit Dominus. Elizabeth received her Master of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music.

Nicholas R. Laroche , graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2007. Some of his many soloist performances include the Bach B Minor Mass, Beethoven's Mass in C, Händel's Messiah, Monteverdi's L'Orfeo (Orfeo), Mozart's Cosi fan tutte (Guglielmo) and, most recently, Britten's The Rape of Lucretia (Tarquinias), Puccini's La Rondine (Rambaldo) and Poulenc's Les Dialogues des Carmélites (The Jailor) this season with Opera McGill. Nicholas is currently finishing his studies at McGill University as a Schulich Scholar, pursuing a Master of Music in Solo Voice Performance.

Jennie Litster , soprano, has performed with Opera San Jose, the San Francisco Lyric Opera, and the Livermore Valley Opera. Of particular note is her performances as Despina and Susanna.  Ms. Lister was also a finalist for the Regional Met and finalist for the HGO competition. She received her M.M. in Vocal Performance in 2007 from the San Francisco Conservatory and her B.M. in Vocal Performance in 2005 from Brigham Young University.*

Amber Opheim , soprano, sang First Lady ( The Magic Flute ) with Prince William Opera and will return in December as Gretel ( Hansel and Gretel ). Other roles include Musetta ( La bohème ) at Music Academy of the West, and the title role in Susannah at Chautauqua Institute School of Music. As a member of the Portland Opera Studio Artist Program, Ms. Opheim performed with Portland Opera the roles of Papagena ( The Magic Flute ), Zerlina ( Don Giovanni ), The Female Chorus ( The Rape of Lucretia ) and several roles in Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in patria . She holds a Master's of Music from DePaul University.*

Jonathan Smucker , tenor, has performed with companies including Opera Santa Barbara, San Francisco Opera Guild, Oakland Opera Theater, Livermore Valley Opera, and Festival Opera of Walnut Creek. His most celebrated roles include Simon Stimson in the Western US Premiere of Ned Rorem's Our Town for the Aspen Opera Theater Center , Tom Rakewell in The Rake's Progress , Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola, Beppe, Nanki-Poo, and Flute in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Recipient of the Baroque Ensemble Award for his portrayal of Bach's St. John Evangelist, he earned his B.M., M.M., and a postgraduate diploma at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.*

Samuel Spade , baritone, was a Resident Artist at San Diego Opera where he sang the roles of Count Ceprano ( Rigoletto ) and Jailer ( Tosca ). As a Resident Artist at Indianapolis Opera, he appeared as Moralès ( Carmen ). He was an Apprentice at Central City Opera where he covered several major roles and performed as First Crony ( Paul Bunyan). While pursuing degrees at Indiana University, he sang seven roles, most notably Mr. Webb in the world premiere of Our Town , Schaunard ( La bohème ) Achilla ( Giulio Cesare ) and Friedrich Bhaer in the collegiate premiere of Little Women .*

Ryan Stoudt , bass-baritone, is a graduate of Mannes College of Music and the Indiana University School of Music. While in training, he performed the roles of Antonio ( Le Nozze di Figaro ), Polyphemus (Acis and Galatea) , Simone (Gianni Schicchi ), Barone Douphol ( La traviata ), and Moose ( West Side Story) . He has also been heard in Avery Fisher Hall and the Metropolitan Opera House performing with Cantors' World. Mr. Stoudt is a Teaching Artist of the New York Metropolitan Opera Guild.*

Corey Trahan , tenor, with over 50 roles in his repertoire, is an active performer in opera, oratorio, music theatre, operetta and recital venues. Mr. Trahan recently transitioned from singing lyric baritone roles to character tenor repertoire. In the past few seasons, he made his Bass Hall debut with the Fort Worth Opera in a critically acclaimed performance as Taddeo in Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri , his recital debut at Los Angeles' Madrid Theatre, and his debut with Cumberland Theatre in Shenandoah. Mr. Trahan has soloed with the Akron Symphony, Lake Charles Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, Brazos Symphony, Monroe Symphony, and Houston Masterworks.*

Victoria Vargas, mezzo-soprano, is pursuing a Master's degree at Manhattan School of Music. Her roles to date include Marcellina ( Le Nozze di Figaro ) with Prelude to Performance, Witch ( Hansel and Gretel ), Dorabella ( Così fan tutte ), the title role of Carmen with Hillman Opera, Mme. Armfeldt ( A Little Night Music ) with Lyric Arts International, and Ms. Todd ( The Old Maid and the Thief ). Ms. Vargas was a finalist of NATS-NYFL competition, winner of the Erwin Johnson Encouragement award at the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions, and a recipient of the Arthur and Mae Orvis Scholarship in Opera studies at Manhattan School of Music.*

Michael Ventura , bass, has performed with the Sarasota Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Tulsa Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Opera North and Teatro Graitacielo. Some of Mr. Ventura's more celebrated roles include Il Ro in Aida , Basilio, Il Bonze in Butterfly , Don Alliambra in Gondoliers and Simone in Gianni Schicci . He has competed in the CT Opera Competition, the Heinz Rehfuss Competition and has received the Chautauqua Studio Artist Award. Mr. Ventura received his A.A. in 2005 from the New World School of the Arts.*

*Ash Lawn Opera debut