MELISSA GERSTEIN

Strategic Development Manager

Strategic Development Manager Melissa Gerstein specializes in program management, marketing, and artistic administration. In addition to her work at The Conference Board, a nonprofit organization that specializes in global, independent business membership and research, she previously curated and managed public programs at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery. Currently, she serves on the Board-of-Trustees for the New York City Museum Educators Roundtable (NYCMER). This past June she produced MAKE MUSIC NEW YORK MASS APPEAL: MIDSUMMER MOZART’S REQUIEM, the first event of its kind, working with partners including WQXR, Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), and the 9/11 Memorial Museum.

Ms. Gerstein most recently served as the Public Relations and Marketing Director for the Art Song Preservation Society, a company where she helped produce concerts, masterclasses and special events. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Underworld Productions Opera Company (2012-2015) and the Amore Opera Company (2009-2011).

Ms. Gerstein received her B.M. from SUNY Purchase Conservatory and her M.M. from Manhattan School of Music (Classical vocal performance). Her background includes training and performance at the American Singers’ Opera Project in New York City, Académie Internationale d’Eté de Nice in France, University of Miami’s Summer in Salzburgand the Spoleto Vocal Arts Symposium in Italy. She has also performed with such opera groups as the dell’arte Opera Ensemble, the Little Opera Company of New York, Amato Opera, Chelsea Opera, and One World Symphony Orchestra.

Read more

BRITTANY FOWLER

Human Capital Manager

Human Capital Manager Brittany Fowler advises on people programs and volunteer strategy at Cantanti Project.

As a mezzo-soprano, her recent and upcoming engagements include Dorothy Hindman’s Pillowbook with Fresh Squeezed Opera, Venere in the Cantanti Project’s Euridice, the alto soloist in Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostra in Pennsylvania, La Beata Vergine in Sances’ Le Lachrime di San Pietro with the New York Continuo Collective, and First Lover/Evil Tongue 2 in a workshop of Kate Soper’s The Romance of the Rose. Her operatic roles include Larina (Eugene Onegin), Ottavia (L’incoronazione di Poppea), Meg (Little Women), The Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), and La Musica (L’Orfeo). She received her BA in Music and Italian Studies from Wesleyan University; her training includes young artist residencies with the Boston Early Music Festival and Opera North as well as studies at the University of Bologna in Italy.

Outside of opera, Brittany is an internal recruiter at Kickstarter. She was a Senior Strategist for several years at Team Theory, where she helped build teams for early stage seed and Series-A start-ups. Prior employers also include Napa Group, where she was an Assistant Vice President in Product Development, and Crimson Hexagon, where she advised on Italian social media analyses.

Read more

LAURA MITCHELL

Core Artist, Co-Founder & Operations Director

Operations Director Laura Mitchell holds a B.A. in Music and minor in Mathematics from UC San Diego and an Artist Diploma from the prestigious University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music. Her administrative background includes IT Project Management, Business Analysis and Systems Analysis & Integration. Her personal mission as an administrator of an arts organization is to create a space that celebrates the singer as much as the company; to create a space where singer’s opinions matter and where they can learn to make their own decisions as musicians. Laura is passionate about leveraging the booming market of free technologies to enhance the experience for both singers and productions in a cost-effective way.

At CCM, she performed the roles of Fiordiligi, Musetta, Susanna, and the title roles in Alcina and Manon. Laura has worked with Lyric Opera Virginia, Sarasota Opera, San Diego Opera, New York Lyric Opera Theater, along with programs in several other countries. Her performances are often praised for “captivating” performances (Classical Singer Magazine), and “nuanced delivery” (Oberon’s Grove).

Read more

JOYCE YIN

Core Artist, Co-Founder & Artistic Director

Joyce Yin received her M.M. in Opera Performance from Arizona State University, where she was the recipient of a two-year teaching assistantship and Choral and Lyric Opera Theatre talent scholarships. She has over six year of experience in higher education as a teacher and administrator and is an enthusiastic proponent of the power of engagement and innovation. Her vision is that every performer has the tools and knowledge to participate as a complete artist, educator, contributor, and community-builder; her mission in founding Cantanti Project is to provide the environment and the opportunities to support such development.

A lyric coloratura soprano praised by New York Concert Review for singing with an “otherworldly quality,” Joyce enjoys an active schedule of opera and concert engagements showcasing the flexibility and versatility of her voice. This season, Joyce makes her solo debut with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in Handel’s Messiah, performs as Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, and adds the roles of Gilda (Rigoletto) and Giulietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi) to her repertoire. Recent highlights include her Lincoln Center debut singing Adele (Die Fledermaus), role debuts as Morgana (Alcina) and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), and Vivaldi's Nulla in mundo pax sincera. She is a winner of the Musical Merit Foundation of San Diego, a first place winner of NATS Student Auditions (Arizona), and a recipient of the MONC Auditions Audience Choice Award (San Diego). 

Joyce currently lives and sings in New York.

Read more

SAM FUJII

Co-Founder

Sam Fujii, a San Francisco native, is an active performer and educator in the Tri-City area. Recent roles include Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Harlequin (Ariadne auf Naxos), and Masetto with the Manhattan Opera Studio, Marco (Gianni Schicchi), and Fiorello (Il barbiere di Siviglia). He has also appeared with NY Lyric Opera Theater, Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater, Opera Oggi NY, and New Jersey-based Opera GoLightly.

Sam maintains a private voice studio and works regularly with private and public schools. As a collaborative pianist, he has accompanied choirs throughout the Upper Midwest and Northeastern United States and Canada. In 2015, he returns for his third consecutive year as Music Director of Lamp Camp, a youth drama camp produced by Lamplighters Community Theatre in Minnesota, which instructs students ages 7-18 in improv theater, singing, and dance. 

Sam holds a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor’s degree in Choral Music Education and Vocal Performance from Saint John’s University in Collegeville, MN. He currently studies with Bill Lewis.

Read more

WILLIAM LEWIS

Principal Music Advisor

William 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.

Read more

DANTE

Office Dog

Dante spends his days lounging, playing with toys, and researching repertoire. He is partial to Mozart and Schumann and has begun developing an interest in Strauss. Dante dabbles in character tenor repertoire with occasional ventures into countertenor roles. His favorite aria is "O mio babbino." Dante received his musical training in New York City and via YouTube.

Read more