ARTIST & DONOR TESTIMONIAL

BECOME AN ARTIST SPONSOR

Your support of Opera Parallèle and artists is most appreciated. Help us ensure that we continue to hire, develop, and elevate the creative people who make our thrilling work possible. 

“Sponsoring Resident Pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi is not only fulfilling, it is fun to get to learn about him, his life, and especially the creative piano artist he is. I feel honored to be able to support Keisuke and OP.”  

Susan Anderson-Norby

Artist Sponsor

Benefits & Suggested Donor Levels

Artist Sponsors play a vital role in helping OP bring the very best talents to our stage by providing the resources necessary for OP to facilitate and subsidize travel, housing, and performance fees for our creators.

Sponsors also enjoy behind-the-scenes access and benefits like attending rehearsals, meet & greets, program recognition, post-production events, and more.

  • Collaborator $1,000 

Program recognition + invitation to a meet & greet at one dress rehearsal

  • Transformer $5,000 

All Changemaker-level benefits

+ Invitation to a full company meeting with the artists

  • Changemaker $2,500 

All Collaborator-level benefits

+ Observe artists in a working rehearsal

  • Game-Changer $10,000+

All Transformer-level benefits

+ Lunch with sponsored artist.

Artists of the 2021 | 2022 Season

Artists are listed alphabetically – click the + symbol to read more

Hadleigh Adams - 'La Bête / Le Prince' - Baritone

Baritone Hadleigh Adams is delighted to return to Opera Parallele. Born in New Zealand, Hadleigh relocated to the US in 2012 after studying at London’s Guildhall School of Music & Drama. He is a former merola artist and San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow. Among his extensive performance history he has performed as a principal baritone at London’s Royal National Theatre, the Nederlandse Reisopera, Lincoln Center Festival, the San Francisco Opera, and the LA Philharmonic. His performances centre around the baroque, and modern operatic repertoires.

Jon Altemus - Scenic Designer - 'Sophia's Forest'

For the last 30 years, Jon Altemus’ work has revolved around the intersection between natural and human history.  His career has ranged from art making to stage productions to creating museum exhibits at a broad range of museums ranging from the Yosemite Valley Visitors Center to the Smithsonian.  In the last several years, he has collaborated on stage productions with Opera Parallele in San Francisco and shown his work at various galleries in the Bay Area, including 2 solo shows and one group show at Canessa Gallery.  Altemus is particularly interested in the possibilities that emerge through collaboration with other artists, musicians, dancers and beyond.

Tiffany Austin - 'Harriet Tubman' - Soprano

Tiffany Austin, Mezzo-SopranoVocalist Tiffany Austin combines classic jazz tradition with a deep love for blues, spirituals, and contemporary soul. Hailed as a “fully formed masterpiece” by All About Jazz, Tiffany’s new album, “Unbroken” has earned rave reviews from both Downbeat and Jazziz, and has reached #16 on the Jazz Week chart.

Tiffany has performed with jazz luminaries (including pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and vibraphonist Roy Ayers), and continues to appear at illustrious engagements including the San Francisco and Oakland Symphonies, Birdland NYC, Dizzy’s NYC, SFJAZZ, and Walt Disney Music Hall in Los Angeles. A graduate of UC Berkeley’s Boalt School of Law, Austin decided to forgo a career as a lawyer to focus on music, her true passion, and she’s been raising the bar ever since.

Vanessa Becerra - 'La Belle' - Soprano

Peruvian & Mexican American Soprano Vanessa Becerra begins the 21/22 season with a role/house debut at Intermountain Opera Bozeman for Il barbiere di Siviglia (Rosina), a return to Washington National Opera for Sankaram’s Rise (Alicia Hernández), part of the world premiere tetralogy Written in Stone, and debuts with Austin Opera for Fidelio (Marzelline) and Opera Parallèle for La Belle et la Bête (Belle). In Concert, she will debut with Minnesota Opera for Opera in the Outfield and return to Fort Worth Opera for Entre Amigos.

Lembit Beecher - Sculpture Performer & Composer - 'Sophia's Forest'

Noted for his collaborative spirit and interdisciplinary projects, Estonian-American composer Lembit Beecher’s music deals with place, ecology, memory, and the many ways people tell stories. Lembit grew up under the redwoods in Santa Cruz, California, and now lives in New York City. His most recent opera, “Sky on Swings,” about the relationship of two women with Alzheimer’s disease, was premiered by Frederica von Stade and Marietta Simpson at Opera Philadelphia.

Jessica Bejarano - Assistant Conductor - 'Sophia's Forest & La Belle et la Bête'

Jessica Bejarano is the founder and music director of the San Francisco Philharmonic! She also serves as music director of ELM Youth Orchestra, assistant conductor of Opera Parallèle and music director at Escuela Bilingue Internationale. Jessica is a regular guest conductor with the Antonio Soler Orquestra in Spain and has guest conducted in the Czech Republic, Venezuela, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy and Russia. She has held conducting positions with numerous orchestras throughout the Bay Area and United States. Jessica was named KQED Arts’ Bay Brilliant Top 10 Artists of 2018, was featured by PBS NewsHour as an emerging female conductor to watch and recently featured on NBC’s The Today Show with Natalie Morales as the “Woman Breaking Barriers as a Trailblazing Symphony Conductor.”

Alina Bokovikova - Costume Designer - 'La Belle et la Bête'

Alina Bokovikova ( Costume Design) is excited to work with Opera Parallèle again where she had designed Flight and the world premiere of Today it Rains. Her recent credits include San Francisco Opera (Merola Program),  West Edge Opera, Minnesota. Bay Area opera lovers could see her costumes for La Boheme /OSJ exhibited in the Museum of Quilts & Textiles in 2019, also she was featured in “American Theatre Magazine” and “Costume Design at the Turn of Century” exhibition in Moscow.

L. Peter Callender - Director - 'Harriet's Spirit'

L. PETER CALLENDER is Artistic Director of African-American Shakespeare Company in San Francisco, Ca., resident director at American Stage Company in Saint Petersburg Florida (3 time Best Director Award), Westcoast Black Theater Troupe in Sarasota, Florida, and Associate Artist at N.Y. Classical Theater. Mr Callender is thrilled to work with this artistic team at Opera Parallèle on Harriet’s Spirit. As a playwright, his play Strange Courtesies will get its world premier at San Jose Stage in Spring 2022. On Broadway, he played in Prelude To A Kiss. He is a multi award-winning actor and director having performed in 23 Shakespeare plays and appeared at over 12 regional theaters, nationally. Mr Callender’s full bio and upcoming work can be viewed at www.lpetercallender.com.

Marisely Cortés Fonseca - Costume Designer - 'Sophia's Forest'

Marisely Cortés Fonseca is a freelance costume designer. She graduated from Academy of Art University in 2020 with an MFA in Costume Design. In 2014, she graduated from University of Puerto Rico with a BA in Psychology along with a minor in Art History. Theatre credits include Elliot a Soldier’s Fugue and Under Milk Wood for the Pear Theater, The Pirates of Penzance for UC Santa Cruz, Hot Mikado for 42nd Street Moon Theater, and Fahrenheit 451 for Quantum Dragon Theater. As a costume designer, she also has collaborated with other students across different majors such as motion picture, television and acting by taking part in short films.

Mextly Couzin - Lighting Designer - 'La Belle et la Bête'

Mextly Couzin is a Mexican Lighting Designer based in New York and Los Angeles. Credits include working for, NYC: Clubbed Thumb, Atlantic Theatre Company, Regionally: The Old Globe, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, San Diego Symphony, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, Kansas City Repertory Theatre. She holds a Pure Mathematics Bachelor’s degree from UC, San Diego and an MFA in Lighting Design also from UCSD.

Aaron Curry - Lighting Designer - 'Sophia's Forest'

Aaron Curry (he/him/his) is humbled to make his OP debut. Previous credits include work at the American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco Opera, Butler Opera, Merrimack College, and the Hangar Theatre. Aaron now serves as the Creative Director for World of Illumination, designing the world’s largest drive through and immersive lighting experiences in the world. MFA University of Texas at Austin. aaroncurrydesigns.com

Del Sol String Quartet - 'Sophia's Forest'

Del Sol began as a thought on the night shift at Fermilab. Charlton Lee loved the cutting edge of physics research – always looking for the next discovery, pushing boundaries. But he missed the way music connected people, building community by communicating in ways physics never would. What if he could bring that scientific passion for exploration to a string quartet? Twenty-six years later, Del Sol is still sharing music that brings out the endorphins. Music that asks why not? Fascinated by the feedback loop between social change, technology, and artistic innovation, the San Francisco-based ensemble is a leading force in 21st century chamber music – whether introducing Ben Johnston’s microtonal Americana at the Library of Congress, taking Aeryn Santillan’s gun-violence memorial to the streets of the Mission District, exploring Andean soundscapes with Gabriela Lena Frank and traditional musicians, or collaborating with Huang Ruo and the anonymous poets who carved their words into the walls of the Angel Island Immigration Station during the years of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The current Del Sol lineup, marked by the arrival of violinist Sam Weiser alongside mainstays Kathryn Bates and Ben Kreith, bring a fresh energy, freedom, and precision to the group. Read more at www.delsolquartet.com

“The Artist Sponsorship Campaign humanizes the financial challenges of launching a new musical production. As an artist, it is always heartwarming to receive such support and in a broader sense, it is inspiring to witness the wide web of enthusiastic music lovers committed to
a thriving and abundant arts community” 

Kindra Scharich

Mezzo-Soprano

Jacques Desjardins - Artistic Administrator

Jacques Desjardins served as the General Manager of Opera Parallèle from 2004 until 2013 when he became the company’s first Artistic Administrator. As a composer, Desjardins was responsible for the re-orchestration of John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby performed by OP at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and at the Aspen Music Festival in 2012. He has received commissions from BluePrint, the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra, the Ensemble Contemporain de Montréal, the Arthur-LeBlanc Quartet, the Québec Youth Orchestras Association, and the Musica Nova Ensemble.  Desjardins is on faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he teaches Conducting, Music Theory, and Musicianship. He received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree (DMA) in Composition at the University of Michigan.

Maggie Finnegan - 'Sophia' - Soprano

Returning to Opera Parallèle, Maggie Finnegan has collaborated in productions with: Boston Lyric Opera; Belgian National Orchestra; White Snake Projects; Portland Bach Experience; Boston Baroque; The Andriessen Festival (Netherlands); American Chamber Opera; National Sawdust; Vital Opera; Experiments in Opera; MIT Media Lab; PyeongChang Winter Music Festival; Handel and Haydn Society; Beth Morrison Projects; Capital Fringe Chamber Music; Center for Contemporary Opera; and, was recently was presented in a duo recital with Stephanie Blythe.

Charlotte Fanvu - 'Young Sophia' - Actor

Charlotte Fanvu is thrilled to return to Opera Parallele as Young Sophia in Sophia’s Forest! Last year, she performed the role of Meg Weathers in Opera Parallele’s Everest: A Graphic Novel Opera. The 12-year-old San Francisco native began her vocal training at 6 years old with the Young Women’s Choral Projects of San Francisco and enjoys singing, dancing, and acting. Charlotte is also an aspiring baker and hopes to find a way to combine her passions for the performing and culinary arts when she grows up.

Anders Fröhlich - 'Le Père / L'Usurier' - Baritone

A current tenured member of the opera chorus at San Francisco Opera, baritone, Anders Fröhlich, began his musical pursuits as a pianist. A native of Connecticut, Mr. Fröhlich attended the Connecticut Conservatory for the Arts where he also trained in ballet and theater.  After attending Indiana University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles he began his professional career at Los Angeles Opera, as a chorister and comprimario. Mr. Fröhlich has performed with various companies including San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Opera San Jose and West Edge Opera, among others.

Samantha Fung-Lee - 'Emma' - Girl Soprano

Samantha Fung-Lee, soprano, has been a member of the San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC) for eleven years. As part of SFGC’s Premier Ensemble, she has performed on many stages including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. Her time as a soloist confirms a deep interest in the pursuit of music in college and beyond. While singing is her passion, she also balances challenging academics as a junior at Lowell High School.

Harriet's Spirit Instrumental Ensemble

Specially formed to perform Marcus Shelby’s new orchestration for Harriet’s Spirit – the ensemble consists of:

Flute (Piccolo) Amy Likar
Oboe Andrew Port
Clarinet Ann Lavin
Bass Clarinet Peter Josheff
Percussion Mark Clifford
Violin 1 Dan Flanagan
Violin 2 Ilana Blumberg Thomas
Viola Ellen Ruth Rose
Cello Douglas Machiz
Double Bass Curtis Aikens

Rachael Heiman - Set & Costume Designer - 'Harriet's Spirit'

Rachael Heiman is a Bay Area Production Designer and Fabricator as well as a graduate of the California College of the Arts. They received an “individualized” BFA from CCA that melded textiles, sculpture, and fashion together. This is their sixth time working with Opera Parallele and is excited to be returning to the team. Rachael Heiman has been working in Bay Area as an actor as well as a costume, prop, and set designer for almost 10 years. In that time, they have also worked with the Great Dickens Christmas Fair, African American Shakespeare Company, San Francisco Speakeasy, YMTC, SF Playhouse, etc. To see more of Rachael’s work, check out their blog at www.instagram.com/rachaelheimanproductions

Yayoi Kambara - Assistant Director & Choreographer - 'La Belle et la Bête'

Yayoi Kambara has been a Bay Area artist since 2000. Kambara was a company member with ODC/Dance 2003–2015 and danced as a freelance artist with numerous Bay Area Dance Companies including Sara Shelton Mann Contraband, Scott Wells and Dancers, Flyaway Productions, Deborah Slater Dance Theater, STEAMROLLER, and Pearl Ubungen Dancers and Musicians. She was the Rehearsal Director for AXIS Dance Company during Judith Smith’s sabbatical in 2015 and continues to teach company class for AXIS. Kambara currently choreographs and creates staging for Opera Parallèle, and Center for Contemporary Opera integrating visual design, including film, with voice and physical storytelling. Read more at www.kambaraplus.org/about

Divesh Karamchandani - Percussion - 'Sophia's Forest'

Divesh Karamchandani is a San Francisco-based percussionist and educator. He is a co-founder of Prism Percussion. His notable performances include One Found Sound, New Century Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, San Francisco Symphony, and many others. Karamchandani earned a Bachelor of Music from California State University, Stanislaus, and a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He serves as the Lecturer of Percussion at both CSU Stanislaus and CSU East Bay.

Jaymes Kirksey - Assistant Conductor - 'Harriet's Spirit'

A native of the great state of Oklahoma, Jaymes Kirksey has become a national presence as a violinist, pianist and conductor. The Music Director of Young Musicians Choral Orchestra, Solano Youth Chamber Orchestra and frequent guest soloist and conductor of Golden Gate Symphony, Kirksey brings with him versatility, precision, and an exciting stage presence. As a conductor and educator, Jaymes has created high quality musical interpretations ranging from Baroque to modern symphonic repertoire. He has performed in venues across Europe and the US and remains a steadfast performer in the Bay Area. He holds a Master’s Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in Violin Performance.

Victoria Ko - 'Emma' - Girl Soprano

Victoria Ko, soprano, joined the San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC) at age four and has been a soprano in SFGC’s Premier Ensemble for six seasons. She is currently a senior at Stanford Online High School. Victoria has performed at The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, London’s Windsor Castle, the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, and many more. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, snorkeling, and playing games with friends.

Bradley Kynard - 'Montgomery' & 'Wes' - Baritone

Bradley Kynard, no stranger to Bay Area audiences has performed the baritone solos in Carmina Burana with GG Symphony and the role of Tamerlano (Tamerlano) with Handel Opera Project. He recorded multiple roles in Wold’s (Little Girl Dreams of Taking the Veil).  He created the role of Don Ramiro in (Xochitl and the Flowers) Opera Parallele and performed in the company’s production of (Trouble in Tahiti). He’s sung with the SFO chorus for 14 seasons.

“It means so much as an artist to connect and have your work elevated by a sponsor. Especially in these challenging times, where the human connection that opera affords is more crucial than ever, patronage to the arts is a vital gift to our community. I count Opera Parallèle as my most cherished collaborator, boldly pushing Opera into new territory, and the sponsors who have helped me bring my art to life with them have my utmost gratitude.”

David Murakami

Media Designer

La Belle et la Bête Instrumental Ensemble

Formed specially to perform for OP’s new production, the ensemble consists of members of the MANA Saxophone Quartet on Flute and Saxophone, as well as OP’s Resident Pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi, Kevin Korth and Jaymes Kirksey on keyboard.

  

David Murakami - Media Designer - 'La Belle et la Bête'

David Murakami is a projection designer and film director focused on the union between the cinematic and theatrical. Past designs include Opera Parallèle’s Everest, Dead Man Walking, Champion, Flight, Les Enfants Terribles, and Little Prince; Minnesota Opera’s Das Rheingold and Elektra; Sun Valley Summer Symphony’s Daphnis et Chloé, the American premieres of Anya 17 and Heart of Darkness; and the world premieres of Luis Valdez’ Valley of the Heart and Jake Heggie’s Out of Darkness. Other companies include Opéra de Montréal, San Jose Repertory Theater, Skylight Theatre, SFJazz, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Arizona Opera, and LA Opera. Recent credits include the revival of Zoot Suit at the Mark Taper Forum, the sci-fi musical revue “5-SK1-E-S” aboard Princess Cruises, Singin’ in the Rain with McCoy Rigby, and Gordon Getty’s Scare Pair at the Kaye Playhouse in New York. David also teaches projection design at the University of California, Irvine. www.davidmurakami.com

Kevin Myrick - Lighting Designer - 'Harriet's Spirit'

Kevin Myrick is an Artist and Technologist. Kevin was one of the first to combine video projection and personal computers, stream video online, and was a pioneer in community television. Myrick has designed for African- American Shakespeare Company (Black Eagles, Othello), TheatreFirst (The Last Sermon of Sister Imani), Ray of Light Theatre (Caroline or Change), Youth Musical Theatre Company (Batboy, Rent), Lorraine Hansberry Theatre Company (Urban Retreat, Single Black Female), and San Francisco Playhouse (Hieroglyph).

Keisuke Nakagoshi - Resident Pianist

Keisuke Nakagoshi began his piano studies at the age of ten, arriving in the United States from Japan at the age of 18. Mr. Nakagoshi earned his Bachelor’s degree in Composition and Master’s degree in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied composition with David Conte and piano with Paul Hersh. Graduating as the recipient of multiple top awards, Keisuke was selected to represent the SFCM for the Kennedy Center’s Conservatory Project, a program featuring young musicians from major conservatories across the United States. Read more at zofoduet.com/keisuke

Christabel Nunoo - 'Modesty' - Soprano

Soprano, Christabel Nunoo is a University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance graduate. She first sang with Opera Parallèle in 2018. Throughout her career, she has sung in master classes led by esteemed artists such as Martin Katz, Evelyn Lear, Jake Heggie, Roderick Dixon, Jesse Blumberg, and Reri Grist. Christabel most recently appeared as a young artist with the Vocal Academy of Orvieto singing Donna Anna at their Summer Festival in Bodrum, Turkey and was a featured soloist at Classical Tahoe Music Festival’s 10th Anniversary Season. Christabel owes her passion and dedication for the arts to her mother who always encouraged her to find her niche in life.

Nicole Paiement - General & Artistic Director, Conductor

Conductor, Nicole Paiement is widely acclaimed for her interpretations of contemporary operas. As Founder and Artistic Director of Opera Parallèle (OP) in San Francisco, Mo. Paiement has conducted many new productions, commissions and world premieres including Laura Kaminsky’s Today it Rains; John Harbison’s The Great Gatsby; Blanchard’s Champion; Dove’s Flight; Tarik O’Regan’s Heart of Darkness; Osvaldo Goljov’s Ainadamar and John Rea’s reorchestration of Wozzeck. Most recently Paiement conducted OP’s new film production Everest – A Graphic Novel Opera by Joby Talbot, a work she originally premiered on stage at The Dallas Opera. An active guest conductor, Mo. Paiement made her debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago in 2019 with Heggie’s Dead Man Walking and at Opéra de Montréal with the Canadian premiere of Benjamin’s Written on Skin in 2020. Other guest conducting engagements have brought her to Fort Worth Symphony, Atlanta Opera, Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Monterey Jazz Festival, and the Hollywood Bowl. Upcoming engagements include a concert performance with the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana in January 2022, followed by her UK premiere in November 2022 at the English National Opera. Paiement will return to London in June 2023 to conduct Talbot’s Everest with the BBC Symphony at the Barbican Center. Mo. Paiement will also return to the Dallas Opera, where she is Principal Guest Conductor in April 2022 and to Opéra de Montréal in 2023. In addition to being a leader in contemporary opera, Paiement is also a specialist in early 20th Century French music and regularly conducts music from the Baroque and Classical repertoire.

San Francisco Girls Chorus - 'Say Nothing & Bully Chorus' - Harriet's Spirit

Established in 1978, the mission of the San Francisco Girls Chorus is to create outstanding performances featuring the unique and compelling sound of young women’s voices through an exemplary program committed to education and visionary leadership in the development of this art form. Under the direction of Artistic Director Valérie Sainte-Agathe, the San Francisco Girls Chorus has achieved an incomparable sound that underscores the unique clarity and force of impeccably trained treble voices fused with expressiveness and drama. As a result, the Chorus vibrantly performs 1,000 years of choral masterworks from plainchant to the most challenging and nuanced contemporary works created expressly for them in programs that are as intelligently designed as they are enjoyable and revelatory to experience. Read more at www.sfgirlschorus.org/about

Kindra Scharich - 'Anna' - Mezzo-Soprano

Mezzo-soprano Kindra Scharich has been praised by The San Francisco Chronicle for her “exuberant vitality”, “fearless technical precision”, “deep-rooted pathos” and “irrepressible musical splendor.” Ms. Scharich has performed more than 250 art songs in 13 languages and 40 roles in the operatic repertoire. In 2019 she sang in three premières: The world première of Laura Kaminsky’s Today it Rains (Opera Parallèle), the West Coast première of Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves (West Edge Opera) and the modern day premiere of Domenico Freschi’s 1680 opera Ermelinda (ArsMinerva.) Scharich’s recordings include: In meinem Himmel: The Mahler Song Cycles (2018), To my Distant Beloved, with pianist Jeffrey LaDeur (2020), Nepomuceno Overseas, with pianist Ricardo Ballestero (2021) and David Conte’s Everyone Sang (2018) kindrascharich.com

Tony Shayne - Director of Production

Tony has formerly toured with and served in the roles of PM/TD for ODC, REDCAT, and Rosanna Gamson/Worldwide, and worked at some of California’s best colleges including UCLA, CalArts, Berkeley & UC Davis. Recently he helped Music Academy of the West with the West Coast premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain. When not working on a new production Tony has the pleasure of being a Lecturer at Stanford University where he endeavors to promote new and passionate advocates for dance, opera, and performance art. Now in his third year there, he enjoys teaching Hands-on Technical Theater, Lighting Design, and Producing, as well as working with student designers and technicians.

Brian Staufenbiel - Creative Director & Stage Director

As Creative Director and Stage Director for Opera Parallèle, Brian Staufenbiel has directed and spearheaded the conceptual designs of the company’s productions since its founding in 2010. Specializing in multimedia, immersive, and interdisciplinary productions, he actively works across a wide range of artistic disciplines collaborating with film and media designers, choreographers and dancers, circus and fabric artists, and designer fabricators. His progressive approach to stagecraft has garnered critical acclaim for many of the company’s productions, including Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, Glass’ Orphée and Les Enfant Terribles, Golijov’s Ainadamar, Berg’s Wozzeck, Davies’ The Lighthouse, Blanchard’s Champion and Dove’s Flight. Mr. Staufenbiel ‘s recent productions include Elektra with Minnesota Opera, a new film of Dove’s Flight with Seattle Opera, and productions for the online festival season of the Sun Valley Music Festival. His 2016 production of Das Rheingold with Minnesota Opera was named a Star Tribune Classical Music pick of the decade and was reprised at Arizona Opera and at L’Opéra de Montréal. Upcoming projects include the creation of a new work for Fort Worth Opera, and directing a documentary about the life of Frederica Von Stade with Paper Wings Films.

Shawnette Sulker - 'Félicie / Adelaïde' - Soprano

Shawnette Sulker, SopranoSoprano Shawnette Sulker is acclaimed for her “beautifully tuned soprano” (SF Chronicle) and for her “enchanting vocal splendor” (Leipziger Volkszeitung). Recent roles include Atilia (Eliogabalo), Pip (Moby Dick), Clitennestra (Ifigenia in Aulide), and Carolina (Il matrimonio segreto). Internationally, she has performed in Holland, Belgium, Leipzig’s Gewandhaus, and Prague’s Smetana Hall. Ms. Sulker has sung with the San Francisco Opera, American Bach Soloists, Mark Morris Dance Group, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Opera Memphis, Eugene Symphony, Opera Fairbanks, West Edge Opera, and Festival Opera to name a few.

BECOME AN ARTIST SPONSOR

Your support of Opera Parallèle and artists is most appreciated. Help us ensure that we continue to hire, develop, and elevate the creative people who make our thrilling work possible.