Ms. Ellison makes her Opera Southwest debut with Gianni Schicchi.

Cori Ellison is best known as a leading creative figure in the opera world. Staff dramaturg at New York City Opera from 1997-2010, she currently serves on the faculty of American Lyric Theatre, writes on music for The New York Times, lectures on opera and teaches master classes for singers nationwide, appears as commentator on the Metropolitan Opera’s radio broadcasts, and writes opera singing translations and supertitles.

She has worked with the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and the operas of Virginia, Des Moines, Lake George and the Opera Company of the Highlands. Roles include Dorabella, Prince Orlofsky, Marcellina, the Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Flora in La traviata, Martha in Faust, Suzi in La rondine, Giovanna in Rigoletto and Miss Todd in The Old Maid and the Thief.

Andrea Kiesling has appeared regularly with Opera Southwest, most recently as Flora in La traviata in 2011. Other roles have included Tisbe in La Cenerentola in 2009, Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor in 2009 and The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors in 2004 and 2005.

Ms. Kiesling has been an apprentice at the Sarasota Opera, an Artist in Residence at Amarillo Opera and has appeared with the Teatro Nuevo Mexico, UNM Opera and at the Opera Academy of Rome.

Her roles include Lolette in La rondine, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, Dorabella in Cosi fan Tutte, Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, Nancy in Martha, Cherubino, Dame Quickly, Orlofsky, Buttercup, The Mother in Mavra, and Candelas in El Amor Brujo.

Jeremy Paul Milner – Bass

Jeremy Paul Milner makes his Opera Southwest debut with this production.

He has worked with the opera companies of Sarasota, Central City, San Francisco, Arizona, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Des Moines, Tulsa and Philadelphia.  Roles Mr. Milner has performed include Crebillon in La rondine, Gandalf and Smaug the Dragon in The Hobbit, Elder Ott in Susannah, the Fifth Jew in Salome, Dr. Bartolo in The Barber of Seville, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Padre Guardiano in La forza del destino, Sam and Tom in Un ballo in maschera, Loredano in I due Foscari, Crespel in The Tales of Hoffman and Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Jeff Keele made his Opera Southwest debut in 2007 as Dr. Bartolo in The Marriage of Figaro.  Subsequent appearances have included the Sacristan in Tosca in 2008 and Dr. Grenvil in La traviata in 2011.

Mr. Keele has appeared with the Fargo-Moorhead Opera and Opera Omaha, as well as being Resident Opera Artist at the Pine Mountain Music Festival.   His roles include Dulcamara, Masetto, Colline, Don Pasquale, Gianni Schicchi, Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, the Jailor in Tosca, Olin Blitch in Susannah, Don Magnifico in La cenerentola, Achilles in Julius Caesar, Sergeant Merrill in Yeomen of the Guard and Superintendant Budd in Albert Herring.  He created the roles of The Bass in Randall Snyder’s Divine Madness and Frank in Tyler White’s O’ Pioneers.

Jeff Keele has been a regional finalist for the Met Opera National Council Auditions.  He teaches as Doane College and Concordia University.   Jeff is also a courier for FedEx Express.

Seth Hartwell – Tenor

Seth Hartwell made his Opera Southwest debut in 2009 as a Courtier in La cenerentola.  He has appeared with the Santa Fe Opera, Royal Norwegian Opera, Santa Fe Pro Musica, the Valparaiso University Chorale, and Vocal Essence.  He possesses a Masters degree in Music from the University of New Mexico.

Mr. Hartwell’s roles include Tamino, Lenski, Rodolfo, a Sailor in Billy Budd, Chester Arthur in The Ballad of Baby Doe, and Uriel in Haydn’s Creation.

Mr. Groves has previously appeared with Opera Southwest as El Remendado in Carmen in 2010 and as Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor in 2009.  He is rapidly gaining notoriety for his versatile singing and expressive performances around the United States.

He has appeared with the Santa Fe Opera, Breckenridge Music Festival, Natchez Festival of Music, Ash Lawn Opera, Opera Carolina, Chautauqua Opera, Sarasota Opera, Lyric Opera of Cleveland, El Paso Opera, Manhattan Opera Theatre, Pocket Opera New York, Castleton Festival of Virginia, and the Acapulco Symphony Orchestra.

Roles have included Oronte in Alcina, Filtch in The Beggar’s Opera, Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi, Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte, and Sesto in Guilio Cesare in Egitto.

Cammy Cook has appeared with Opera Southwest as The Page in Rigoletto in 2006, as the Aquifer Queen in H2Opus in 2007 and as Madeleine/Isabelle in The Face on the Barroom Floor.

She received her Masters Degree in Music (Voice) at the University of Colorado at Boulder and has taught both at the University of Colorado and at the University of New Mexico Opera Theatre.  Her operatic roles have included Lady Billows in Albert Herring, Mimi, Rita in Donizetti’s Rita, Norina in Don Pasquale, and Martha in Flotow’s Martha.

With Albuquerque’s Adobe Theatre, Cy Hoffman has appeared in Sundown and My Name is Alice as well as co-directing Laughter on the 23rd Floor, The Cemetery Club, No Way to Treat a Lady, Gigi, The Apple Tree, Sullivan and Gilbert, The Hatpin and Lucky Stiff.

He has appeared with Opera Unlimited as The Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood.  He also serves as President of that organization’s Board of Directors and Co-Director of the Summer Youth Opera Camp.

Paul Bower has appeared regularly with Opera Southwest in recent years.  Roles have included The Marquis in La traviata in 2011, Dancairo in Carmen in 2010, Angelotti and The Jailer in Tosca in 2008 and 2002, Schaunard in La Boheme in 2006 as well as many others.

He has appeared with the Amarillo Opera as Pistola in Verdi’s Falstaff, as Dancairo in Carmen and as The Baron in La traviata.  With the San Diego Opera Ensemble, Paul has taken on the roles of Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte and Figaro in The Barber of Seville.  Other companies with which Paul Bowers has appeared include the Des Moines Metro Opera, Santa Fe Opera outreach, Pittsburgh Opera, as well as the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, East Mountain Artist Series, the Placitas Artist Series, UNM Opera and New Mexico Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of Miguel del Aguila’s Time and Again Barelas.

Paul Bower is the Chorus Master for Opera Southwest.

John Malolepsy, Lighting and Scenic Designer

John Malolepsy ]]> http://www.operasouthwest.org/artists/john-malolepsy/feed 0