A native of Northern California, George Benton England resides in New York City where he performs and teaches classical and modern guitar. His concerts span several style periods and highlight rare works as well as established favorites. He is regularly engaged as an ensemble player, most recently with the New York-based Ensemble Musica Humana, on vihuela and lute; on baroque guitar and theorbo with Sinfonia Spirituosa; and with soprano, Dr. Kathleen O'Rourke, in Duo Raccontare. While Dr. England performs music from the Medieval through Modern eras, his teaching is continually renewed and draws from multiple approaches. Dr. England has lectured at California State University Northridge, Yuba Community College in California, and instructs guitar throughout New York City and Long Island. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University, and a Master’s and Bachelor of Music from California State University, Sacramento and Northridge, respectively. He has studied with Jerry Willard, Richard Savino, Steven Thachuk, and Ronald Purcell.
Nacido en el norte de California, George Benton England reside en la ciudad de Nueva York, donde interpreta y enseña guitarra clásica y moderna. Sus conciertos abarcan varios períodos de estilo y resaltan obras raras, así como los favoritos establecidos. Participa regularmente como musico de conjunto, más recientemente con el Ensemble Musica Humana con sede en Nueva York, en vihuela y lauda; en guitarra barroca y teorbo con Sinfonia Spirituosa; y con la soprano, la Dra. Kathleen O'Rourke, en Duo Raccontare. Mientras que el Dr. England interpreta música desde la Medival hasta la Musica Moderna, su enseñanza se renueva continuamente y se basa en múltiples enfoques. El Dr. England ha dado conferencias en la Universidad Estatal de California en Northridge, Yuba Community College en California, e imparte clases de guitarra en toda la ciudad de Nueva York y Long Island. Tiene un doctorado en artes musicales, de la Universidad de Stony Brook, y una maestría y licenciatura en música de la Universidad del Estado de California, Sacramento y Northridge, respectivamente. Ha estudiado con Jerry Willard, Richard Savino, Steven Thachuk y Ronald Purcell.
Read moreMezzo-Soprano Kirsti Esch is a versatile musician garnering notice for her interpretations of Baroque and Wagnerian repertoire. Roles include: Arnalta (L'Incoronazione di Poppea, Trentino Music Festival), Gerhilde (Opera Company of Brooklyn) and Waltraute (NYLOT) in Die Walkure, The Mother (Hansel and Gretel, Opera Oggi), Nireno (Giulio Cesare, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival), Laura (Iolanta, Opera Slavica), King Ajax I (La Belle Hélène, Opéra du Périgord), Mae Jones (Street Scene, Mittelsächisches Theater). Miss Esch has also been seen in concert in NYC (with Lauren Flanigan), Minneapolis (Minnesota Opera), London (Royal College of Music), Boston (Symphony Hall), Germany, France, and Iceland. Miss Esch is a graduate of Boston University. She currently studies with Bill Neill, and resides in Brooklyn.
Read moreAri Evan is a recent Masters graduate of the Juilliard School, where he studied with Timothy Eddy. His studies were made possible by Juilliard’s generous J. Victor Monke Scholarship and the Irene Diamond Graduate Fellowship. As a member of the Bordone Quartet, Ari performed recitals at WQXR's Greene Space, Alice Tully Hall, and the Harvard Club of New York. A versatile chamber musician, Ari has also performed with Atar Arad, Colin Carr, Ara Gregorian, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Ani Kavafian, and Itzhak Perlman. Festivals attended include Ravinia's Steans Music Institute, the Olympic Music Festival, IMS’ Prussia Cove, the Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop, East Carolina University’s Four Seasons festival, Kneisel Hall, and the Sarasota Music Festival. Recent notable performances include a premiere of Sean Shepherd’s new work for cello, violin and clarinet, and a collaboration with Esa-Pekka Salonen and performance of his string quartet “Homunculus,” as part of the Rolex Mentors and Protégé program.
Read morePraised for her "agile and stylish" coloratura (Entertainment Hour), Allison Gish is a mezzo-soprano based in NYC. She has made a number of role and company debuts this season, including Zita in Gianni Schicchi with ARE Opera and as Kathleen O’Fallin in Ricky Ian Gordon’s Morning Star with Onsite Opera, and she will join Cantanti Project for a second season as Mrs. Prin/Wine Mom in the world premiere of Felix Jarrar’s Tabula Rasa. She will also debut with Ars Musica as alto soloist in Rachmaninov’s All Night Vigil and Bach’s Mass in B Minor. This summer, she will sing Lisotta in the American premiere of Salieri’s La Cifra (dell’Arte Opera Ensemble), the title role in Cavalli’s La Didone (Haymarket Opera Company) and Junon in Lully’s Cadmus et Hermione (Amherst Early Music Festival). Ms. Gish is a recent graduate of the Professional Studies Diploma program at Mannes College and completed her Bachelor of Music at Louisiana State University.
Read moreAlexandria Hoffman has been the Millinery Assistant to Corrina Griffin for Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular since 2011, and the Costume Administrator at Glimmerglass Theater Festival since 2012. Alex hold an MA from NYU in Visual Culture: Costume Studies and a BA from UCSB in History and Theater, emphasis Costume Design. The Seafarer, (Floriday Repertory Theater); Anoush, Roudolf Kharatian (Ballet 2021); The Grass is Greenest at the Houston Astrodome, Brandon Stock (Outside Inside at NYCFringe); “Cross”, Gerry Maravilla (Isosceles Media). Assistant Costume Design- Off Broadway: That Poor Dream, Kate Fry (The Assemly); The Architecture of Becoming, Kate Fry (Women’s Project Theater); Philosophy for Gangsters, Sarah Cogan (Rotten Apples Theatrical); One Night, Jessica Jahn (Rattlestick at Cherry Lane Productions); F#%ng Up Everything, Melissa Trn; Totally Tubular Time Machine, Sarah Cogan. Other: “The Story of Vice”, Kama Royz (National Geographic Productions); “Cop Show”, Michael Bevins (M.E.G.A. Films); “How You Look at It”, Stefanie Genda (How You Look at It LLC); Marry Harry, Stefanie Genda (American Theater Group); The Cripple of Inishmaan, Stefanie Genda (Hartt School). www.ahcostumedesign.com
Read moreHailed as a "triumphant tenor" by Broadway World, Marques Hollie’s operatic repertoire spans a diverse range of comedic and dramatic roles including: Don Jose, Cavaradossi, Pinkerton, Beppe, and Donald Hopewell (Gallantry). Highlights of Marques' concert repertoire include: Handel's Messiah, the Requiem masses of Mozart and Verdi, and Haydn's Missa Salve Regina. A passionate performer of contemporary music, Marques made his debut with the Center for Contemporary Opera in their 2015 production of The Sorrows of Frederick and recently participated in the Sparks and Wiry Cries SongSlam, where he presented We are the Music Makers from Kevin Joest’s Somnium-Recursum. Outside of opera and art song, Marques has a vested interest in Jewish intersectionality and is a member of the inaugural cohort of the Union for Reform Judaism’s JewV’Nation Fellowship. His fellowship project, a one-man show called Go Down Moshe, explores the themes of Passover through Negro spirituals and slave narratives.
Read moreBea (Brittány) Goodwin made her opera stage directing debut in 2015 with Jarrar’s Fall of the House of Usher at the DiMenna Center for Classical Music. Since then, she has been fortunate enough to work with dell’Arte Opera Ensemble as a stage director (La Rondine, 2016; La Calisto, 2017) and Gramery Opera as a librettist and stage director (The Fairy Queen, 2017; A Christmas Carol, 2017). Goodwin’s lyrics are featured in Jarrar’s newest song cycle, Songs of the Soul Beams, with premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 2017, and her play, The Wonders of Alice, has been nominated for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. For more on this artist: begoodwin.com, on media: @be_goodwin.
Read moreMichael David Gray is currently a Doctoral Candidate at the University of South Carolina and a resident company member of Opera Carolina (NC). Michael has appeared as a mainstage artist with Charlottesville Opera (VA), Opera Omaha (NE), Opera Southwest (NM), Tidewater Opera (VA), Capitol Opera Richmond (VA), South Carolina Bach Choir, Spoleto Festival (SC), and Palmetto Opera (SC). This season, Michael is schedule to perform with Capitol City Opera (GA), Palisades Opera (NJ), and the Florence Symphony Orchestra (SC).
Read moreMezzo-soprano Tara Gruszkiewicz has been praised for her “dusky, haunting timbre” and “magisterial delivery.” This season, Tara debuted as Schwertleite in Wagner's Die Walküre with the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra. During the past two years, Tara has expanded her opera and concert career to China, at venues including the NCPA in Beijing, the Shanghai Symphony Hall, the Tianjin Concert Hall, the Jiangsu Grand Theatre in Nanjing, and the Suzhou Arts & Culture center, as well as on CCTV and Jiangsu TV. Stateside and abroad, Tara’s has performed Zita (Gianni Schicchi), Bradamante (Alcina), La zia principessa (Suor Angelica), Sesto (La clemenza di Tito), Erste Norn (Götterdämmerung), Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel), Le prince charmant (Cendrillon), La tasse chinoise (L’enfant et les sortilèges), Miss Todd (The Old Maid and the Thief) and Nettie Fowler (Carousel) at venues including Carnegie Hall, The Dimenna Center, Lincoln Center, and Symphony Space. Tara holds a Masters Degree from the Manhattan School of Music.
Read moreMezzo soprano Emily Hughes is an active performer of opera, art song, oratorio, and musical theater in the New England region. Recent roles include the Shepherdess inVenus and Adonis with New Camerata Opera, Lola in Cavalleria rusticana with Taconic Opera, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with Panopera, and Second Lady in The Magic Flute with The Nahant Music Festival. This past summer, she was an apprentice artist at Teatro Nuovo. The previous summer she performed the title role of Cavalli's La Calisto with dell'Arte Opera Ensemble and was a recipient of their Jeiven Emerging Artist Award. In concert, she has been a soloist for The Messiah, Carmina Burana, and Vivaldi's Gloria, and has premiered works by many living composers. Additionally, Emily has a special interest in performing early music and has sung with the New York Continuo Collective, the Baroque Academy at Amherst Early Music Festival, and Haymarket Opera Company. For upcoming performances, please visit www.emily-hughes.com.
Read morePraised for her “brilliant sound” (San Francisco Classical Voice), and “silver tone” (The Reading Eagle), soprano Fiona Gillespie Jackson has appeared as a soloist and chorister with such ensembles as Apollo’s Fire, Skylark Ensemble, Mountainside Baroque, Kinnara Ensemble, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, The Crossing, Ensemble VIII, The Reading Symphony Orchestra, the Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity Lutheran, AMPERSAND, Inwood Consort, The Denton Bach Society, the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, and Bricolage Project (founder). Recent on- and off-stage credits include Miles in Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and AD/Sound Technician/Props for Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief with Opera Modo in Detroit, MI; the title role in Lully’s Armide with EnsembleOrquesta in the UK; Director of Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel at Lycoming College. Fiona teaches voice at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, and has presented workshops on Early Music and small ensemble singing at The Conservatory of Puerto Rico in San Juan, and at the University of Hawa’ii in Honolulu.
Read moreFelix Jarrar is a 23-year-old composer, pianist, and music director whose list of accomplishments includes performances at diverse venues such as Symphony Space, (le) poisson rouge, BAM's Fisher Hillman Studio and Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. His works have been performed internationally by members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra and the duo Unassisted Fold. He is currently working on his fifth opera, Mother Goose.
Read moreKnown for her "hook-drenched, danceable, optimistic pop songs," Petra Jarrar has taken the music world by storm. The "Glamour Girl" singer has performed with "swagger" all over the world including sold out shows such at Knitting Factory, Webster Hall, The Cutting Room, Hard Rock Cafe (Osaka), and Mint LA. On top of fronting her own band and opening for pop stars such as Drake Bell, she's well known for staying true to her classical roots and embracing her love for opera on the stage. Since beginning work with her brother, Felix, and collaborative partner Brittany Goodwin, Petra has appeared in every world premiere of Jarrar/Goodwin's productions including The Fall of the House of Usher (Marlboro College, Dimenna Center, Jazz Gallery), A Christmas Carol (Montauk Club), and Songs of the Soul Beams (BAM Fisher Hillman Studio, (le) Poisson Rouge). Currently, Petra is in the process of recording her debut album and will be touring the USA throughout the summer.
Read moreHeather Jones is an American mezzo who blends seamless technique with “mischievous freshness and enthusiasm” to create vulnerable and relatable characters across languages and eras. To that end, Heather recently performed contemporary works in collaboration with Opera Fayetteville (2018 Contemporary Opera Festival), the Albany Symphony (“Preach Sister, Preach” by Evan Mack), Sign & Sing ASL (world premiere of “Universal Drum” by Brad Balliet for singers, 27-piece percussion, and Deaf Actors), and American Lyric Theatre (opera workshops facilitated by Mark Adamo); and brought new life to old favorites with Opera Company of Middlebury (L’elisir d’amore set in a 1920s speakeasy), Opera Philadelphia (Carmen), and Opera Louisiane (The Magic Flute). Heather has received training from Opera Saratoga, Seagle Music Colony, Bel Canto at Caramoor, The CoOPERAtive Program, Westminster Choir College, and Mannes School of Music, and is thrilled to work with Cantanti Project again after joining them for their 2018 summer retreat.
Heather Jones es una mezzo estadounidense que combina una técnica perfecta con "frescura y entusiasmo traviesos" para crear personajes vulnerables y contables en todos los idiomas y épocas. Con ese fin, Heather realizó recientemente obras contemporáneas en colaboración con Opera Fayetteville (2018 Contemporary Opera Festival), Albany Symphony ("Preach Sister, Preach" de Evan Mack), Sign & Sing ASL (estreno mundial de "Universal Drum" de Brad Balliet para cantantes, percusión de 27 piezas y actores sordos, y American Lyric Theatre (talleres de ópera facilitados por Mark Adamo); y trajo una nueva vida a los viejos favoritos con la Opera Company of Middlebury (L'elisir d'amore ambientada en 1920), Opera Philadelphia (Carmen) y Opera Louisiane (The Magic Flute). Heather recibió capacitación de Opera Saratoga, Seagle Music Colony, Bel Canto en Caramoor, The CoOPERAtive Programme, Westminster Choir College y Mannes School of Music, y está encantada de trabajar nuevamente con Cantanti Project después de unirse a ellos en su retiro de verano de el 2018.
Read moreArtist and Entrepreneur Aumna Iqbal premieres the role of Clara Schumann in Ghost Variations with OperaRox this August. She also co-directs the premiere of new microopera The Times are Nightfall, opening July 1st. The intrepid mezzo has performed with The Industry, the LA Philharmonic, Pacific Opera Project, and Pacific Symphony.
Read moreElyse Anne Kakacek is an award-winning soprano said to be “a stand out performer”(OperaNews) with a “sparkling soprano voice” (ChicagoHerald). She has performed over 30 operatic roles, some favorites including Norina in Don Pasquale, Gretel in Hansel und Gretel, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro and Pamina in Die Zauberflote. An advocate of new works, Ms. Kakacek premiered 6 Flash Operas with Experiments in Opera last year, working closely with composers and librettists (from THE NEW YORKER and Saturday Night Live). She has sung in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Symphony Space, Preston Bradley Hall, La Mama Experimental Theatre, and Cornelia Street Café. In May, she will rejoin Experiments in Opera to premiere Matthew Welch’s new opera And Here we Are at National Sawdust. She is a proud recipient of The Lynne Harvey Foundation Scholarship from the Musician's Club of Women. Please “like” her on Facebook for schedules and updates!
Read moreWilliam Lewis, pianist/accompanist, vocal coach, arranger, and performer is beginning his fiftieth year as a professional musician. In 2014, he earned two nominations in the Charleston Theater Awards for his performances in “The Piano Man and the Diva” (Best Musical Director and Best Actor in a Musical) for the 2013-2014 season. In Savannah, Georgia, he won the People’s Choice Award during the American Traditions Competition. Mr. Lewis regularly appears with Irish tenor Ronan Tynan in concert and also plays for Marcello Giordano and violinist Gregory Harrington. He has served as vocal coach for the Santa Fe Opera, Lake George Opera Festival, Opera Omaha, Texas Opera, Opera Music Theater International with Jerome Hines, Central City Opera House Festival and Natchez Opera Festival. As a teacher, Mr. Lewis has served on the faculties of both the Boston and New England Conservatories and at Rutgers University. He has taught master classes across the U.S. and is presently an Artist in Residence at the University of Kentucky with Dr. Tynan.
Principal Music Advisor
William Lewis, pianista / acompañante, entrenador vocal, arreglista y artista está comenzando su quincuagésimo año como músico profesional. En 2014, ganó dos nominaciones en los Premios de Teatro de Charleston por sus actuaciones en "El hombre y la diva del piano" (Mejor director musical y Mejor actor en un musical) para la temporada 2013-2014. En Savannah, Georgia, ganó el Premio People´s Choice durante la competencia American Traditions. El Sr. Lewis aparece regularmente con el tenor irlandés Ronan Tynan en conciertos y también toca para Marcello Giordano y el violinista Gregory Harrington. Se ha desempeñado como entrenador vocal para la Ópera de Santa Fe, el Festival de la Ópera de Lake George, la Ópera de Omaha, la Ópera de Texas, el Teatro Internacional de Música de Ópera con Jerome Hines, el Festival de la Ópera de la Ciudad Central y el Festival de la Ópera de Natchez. Como profesor, el Sr. Lewis ha servido en las facultades de los conservatorios de Boston y Nueva Inglaterra y en la Universidad de Rutgers. Ha impartido clases magistrales en los EE. UU. Y actualmente es Artista Residente en la Universidad de Kentucky con el Dr. Tynan.
Read moreOriginally from Paris, Texas, and now a resident of New York, Alaina Logee has sung with several companies city-wide performing roles such as the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro and the title role of Suor Angelica with New York Lyric Opera. She has been seen in Des Moines Metro Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Siena Summer Music Festival. Miss Logee is a graduate of Texas Tech University and is currently a student of Mark Oswald. Upcoming performances include Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with the Cornerstone Chorale as the Alto soloist and as Third Lady in Mozart’s Magic Flute in Weimar. This is her fourth appearance with Cantanti Project.
Read moreSoprano Sangying Li is originally from Hunan, China. Li completed a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Central China Normal University and a Master's Degree in vocal performance from Temple University in Philadelphia. After seeing her perform in Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts Russian Opera Workshop, classical music critic Marakay Rogers remarked that Li "demonstrated magnificent voice and a controlled vibrato along with a clear understanding of what she was singing." Since moving to New York City, she has performed operatic roles such as Olympia (Tales of Hoffman), the Sandman and the Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretel), and Barbarina (The Marriage of Figaro). Through her participation in New York Lyric Opera Theatre's Summer Program, she performed on three of New York's most distinguished stages, including the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and National Opera Center. When not working her technique and repertoire, she enjoys cooking, fashion and heavy metal.
Read more]Grant Mech has appeared in numerous operatic productions, including Alcina (Melisso) with Cantanti Project, La Clemenza di Tito (Publio) and Le Nozze di Figaro (Bartolo) with dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, the titles role in Don Giovanni and Gianni Schicchi with Delaware Valley Opera, Turandot (Mandarin) with New Rochelle Opera, La Serva Padrona (Uberto) and The Pirates of Penzance (Police Sergeant) with Boheme Opera NJ, and La Cambiale di matrimonio (Tobias Mill) with Garden State Opera. He has appeared in concerts and recitals, singing works such as Brahms’ Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Schubert’s Schwanengesang. He has appeared in concerts with the early music ensemble La Fiocco from Bucks County Pennsylvania. Grant is the director of music at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in New York and the choral director at Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly, NJ. He is also the conductor of the Down Town Glee Club in New York and has been a faculty member for the Performing Arts Institute of Wyoming Seminary in Kingston, PA. During the summer of 2018, Grant will lead a concert tour of both choral and solo vocal repertoire in Poland and Germany.
Read more
