2022 | 2023 Season
Opera Parallèle presents

Miles from where anyone can hear you scream
A Co-Production by Opera Parallèle, hawai’i opera theatre and Portland opera
COMPOSER & LiBRETTIST
Composer - Paul Moravec
Paul Moravec, recipient of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Music, has composed over 200 orchestral, chamber, lyric, choral and operatic works. Frequently commissioned by notable ensembles and music institutions, Mr. Moravec’s next premiere is A Nation of Others, an oratorio about Ellis Island to a libretto by Mark Campbell for Oratorio Society of New York at Carnegie Hall in November. Other recent premieres include The Shining for Minnesota Opera, and Sanctuary Road for North Carolina Opera. A graduate of Harvard and Columbia universities, he holds the distinguished rank of University Professor at Adelphi University, and has served as Artist-in-Residence at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton as well as Composer-in-Residence at the American Academy in Rome. His website is www.paulmoravec.com and his works are published by www.subitomusic.com.
Librettist - Mark Campbell

Creative & Production Team
Conductor - Nicole Paiement
Conductor, Nicole Paiement is the Founder and General & Artistic Director of Opera Parallèle (OP). Recently for OP, Paiement conducted Glass’ La Belle et la Bête and Everest: An Immersive Experience by Talbot, a work she originally premiered on stage at The Dallas Opera, where she is Principal Guest Conductor. An active guest conductor, Paiement has performed with companies including the Washington National Opera, Seattle Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and The Atlanta Opera. In 2020 Paiement made her debut with L’Opéra de Montréal with Benjamin’s Written on Skin, returning in 2023 to conduct Golijov’s Ainadamar. This season Paiement also made her UK debut with the English National Opera conducting Heggie’s It’s a Wonderful Life, and conducted a series of concerts with the Orchestra Sinfonica Siciliana in Palermo, Italy. Upcoming engagements include a return to London to conduct Talbot’s Everest with the BBC Symphony at the Barbican Center. The 2023/2024 season will include 2 world premieres with OP, a return to The Dallas Opera, followed by a debut with the Volksoper Vienna conducting both a symphonic concert and an opera by John Adams. Photo Credit: Cory Weaver
Director & Creator - Brian Staufenbiel
Brian Staufenbiel is the creative director for Opera Parallèle where he has directed and spearheaded the conceptual designs of the company’s productions since it was founded in 2010. Specializing in multimedia, immersive, and interdisciplinary productions, he actively works across a wide range of artistic disciplines collaborating in film and with 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 Wozzeck, Orphée, Champion and Dead Man Walking. Most recently he finished the Cocteau Trilogy with Opera Parallèle’s acclaimed production of La Belle et la Bête, and the first fully immersive opera experience of Talbot and Scheer’s Everest. On film Staufenbiel recently directed pieces for the online festival season of the Sun Valley Music Festival, a film of Dove/Angelis’ Flight for Seattle Opera, a graphic novel opera film of Talbot/Scheer’s Everest with Opera Parallèle, and a feature length film of Gordon Getty’s opera Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Upcoming film projects include a documentary about the life of Frederica von Stade with Paper Wings Films, and Out of the Darkness, a dance film about Japanese incarceration camps in the United States during World War II. Staufenbiel recently directed Golijov/Hwang’s Ainadamar at L’Opéra de Montréal which will be reprised at Victoria Opera next season. Other upcoming directing engagements include Das Rheingold for Seattle Opera and Calgary Opera and The Shining for Atlanta opera. Photo Credit: Cory Weaver.
Scenic & Props Designer - Jacquelyn Scott
Jacquelyn Scott works as a production designer, art director, scenic designer and props designer for theater and film across the Bay Area. Her work has been seen at American Conservatory Theater, San Francisco Playhouse, Magic Theatre, Shotgun Players, The Cutting Ball Theater, Word for Word, and Z Space. Past favorite credits include Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret and Nia Vardalos’ Tiny Beautiful Things at the SF Playhouse, Lloyd Suh’s The Chinese Lady at the Magic Theatre, Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabbler at The Cutting Ball Theater, and Talbot’s Everest with Opera Parallèle.
Costume Designer - Alina Bokovikova
Alina Bokovikova is an artistically diverse costume designer with more than seventy professional productions for live performances in her portfolio. She has several regional Best Costume Design awards and presented her works at the “Costume Design at the Turn of Century” exhibition in Moscow in 2015, Prague Quadrennial in 2012, and was featured in American Theatre Magazine in 2016. Bay Area audiences have seen her works at San Francisco Opera, Opera Parallele, Opera San Jose, West Edge Opera, California Shakespeare Company, TheatreWorks, Cutting Ball Theatre… Her regional credits include The Old Globe Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, North Coast Repertory Theatre… Alina Bokovikova has a Master’s Degree in Education from Russia and MFA in Costume Design from UC San Diego. She is a Costume Design Coordinator at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, and a resident costume designer for a panto at the Presidio Theatre.
Projection Designer - David Murakami
David Murakami is a projection designer and film director focused on the union between the cinematic and theatrical. Past productions with OP include Dead Man Walking, Heart of Darkness, Champion, Flight, Les Enfants Terribles, and Little Prince. Additional credits include Minnesota Opera’s Das Rheingold and Elektra, and Luis Valdez’ Zoot Suit and Valley of the Heart. Others include Princess Cruises, Opéra de Montréal, and Arizona Opera. David also teaches at the University of California, Irvine. https://davidmurakami.com/projects
Lighting Designer - Jim French
Jim French designs lighting for the performing arts and live events, with work seen in twenty-five countries around the globe. Highlights of Jim’s work in dance include over fifteen world premieres for San Francisco Ballet, nine seasons as resident designer for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, premiere works for Finnish National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and long-running collaborations with the choreographers Val Caniparoli, Pascal Rioult, and Amy Seiwert. At home in the San Francisco Bay Area, he has collaborated with Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Merola Opera Program, Shotgun Players, Kronos Quartet, Joe Goode Performance Group, Bandaloop, ODC Dance, Post: Ballet, SF Danceworks, Imagery, Sacramento Ballet, Marin Theater Company, West Edge Opera, Smuin Contemporary Ballet, and has been house LD at SFJazz. Jim designed lighting for the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit, and volunteers for Dancers Responding to AIDS and Bike East Bay.
Hair & Make Up Designer -Y. Sharon Peng
Y. Sharon Peng is pleased to be reprising at Opera Parallèle after its tremendous run of La Belle et La Bête. A member of IATSE 706, her works range from stage to editorial to film & television. Recent stage productions include Into the Woods (Foothill Musical Theatre), Failure: A Love Story (Castilleja School), and The Producers (Hillbarn Theatre). She can also be found at San Francisco Opera, both in the wig shop and as a show foreperson, as well as heading Wigs & Makeup for the Merola Opera Program. She stewards the Wig & Makeup Department at Opera San José. For more of her work, visit her online portfolio at ysharonpeng.net.
Assistant Conductor - Jaymes Kirksey
A native of the great state of Oklahoma, Jaymes Kirksey has become a national presence as a violinist, pianist, and conductor. He serves as Conductor of Orchestras and is the Director of Classical Music Studies at Oakland School for the Arts, while also a faculty member of the string and piano department. 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 where he brings versatility, precision, and an exciting stage presence to audiences. Continuing as Music Director/Conductor of the Young Musicians Choral Orchestra for his seventh season, Kirksey continues to strive for exposure with young musicians and create access to classical music for communities of color.
Assistant Director - David Toro
Latino American director, David Radamés Toro, applies his backgrounds in music and mime to create innovative opera productions. He has worked at companies such as Minnesota Opera, the Wexford Opera Festival, Opera Colorado, and Cincinnati Opera. An admirer of modern era opera, David has had the privilege of directing 21st century works including Dead Man Walking (Opera Idaho, 2022), The Shining (Opera Colorado), Glory Denied, (Opera Fayetteville, 2020) and Flight (Minnesota Opera, 2020). In 2015, He directed the premiere of Rose Made Man: An Inside Out Opera for the Cohen New Works Festival in Austin, TX. Future productions include: Das Rheingold (assistant director, Seattle Opera), Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (director, Minneapolis Opera & Austin Opera), and The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me (assistant director, Washington National Opera). In addition to directing, David teaches movement and acting for singers using his extensive background in physical theatre and Gestural Mechanics.
Production Manager - Jack Beuttler
Jack Beuttler is an Oakland based producer and designer. He’s the Director of Production for ODC and the Production Manager for the Sun Valley Music Festival in Idaho. He’s toured nationally and internationally with Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, Van Anh Vo, and Flyaway Productions and is thrilled to have been a part of bringing The Forgotten Empress to Pakistan in 2017. Jack is honored to have received a 2019 Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Visual Design for Flyaway’s The Wait Room. Jack recently produced the feature length opera film Goodbye, Mr Chips. www.jackb.info
Cast
Jack Torrance - Robert Wesley Mason
Hailed as a “gifted and fiercely committed baritone whose voice is spacious and reverberant” (Opera News), Mason has been recognized nationwide as one of today’s most versatile performers. An acclaimed interpreter of a variety of repertoire, some highlights include Thomas’s Hamlet, Guillaume Tell, Escamillo in Carmen, Billy Bigelow in Carousel, Hannah Before in As One, Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, Jan in Breaking the Waves, Dax/Larry in the world premiere of Three Way, Rey in the world premiere Before Night Falls, Ping in Turandot, and Marcello in La bohème. He has appeared with the Glimmerglass Festival, Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Kentucky Opera, Pensacola Opera, West Edge Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Detroit Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Opera Hong Kong, On Site Opera, and many more. Wes has also received awards from the Sullivan Foundation, the Loren L. Zachary Society, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council.
Wendy Torrance - Kearstin Piper Brown
Soprano Kearstin Piper Brown is thrilled to make her company and role debut with Opera Parallèle in The Shining. This season, she has delighted audiences at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, the National Philharmonic, the Cecilia Chorus of New York at Carnegie Hall, the Rochester Philharmonic, and other appearances. Ms. Brown gave the world premiere performance of Lynn Nottage and Ricky Ian Gordon’s Intimate Apparel at the Lincoln Center Theater earning her a World Theater Award. Her performance was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award, Lucille Lortel Award, and Critic’s Outer Circle Award. Other operatic career highlights include San Francisco Opera (It’s a Wonderful Life), New Orleans Opera (La Bohème), Opera Colorado (Le Nozze di Figaro), Opera Memphis (Orpheus), Cape Town Opera (Porgy and Bess), Utah Festival Opera (Ragtime), Utah Lyric Opera (La Traviata), Opera in Williamsburg (The Magic Flute), Arbor Opera Theater (Carmen), and Rigoletto (Opera Southern).
Danny Torrance - Tenzin Forder
Tenzin Forder (they/them) is new to the stage and has found a real passion for performing. Tenzin’s roles include Young Lola/Simon In Ray of Light Theater’s production of Kinky Boots by Harvey Fierstein and music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, Gingy in Tesori and Lindsay-Abaire’s Shrek the Musical, Bruce in Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly’s Matilda, the Pharaoh in Rice and Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Little John in the first ever production of Laura Marlin and Phil Gorman’s Becoming Robin Hood at the Berkeley Playhouse Theater and will be doing Monty Python’s Spamalot there this summer. When not performing or rehearsing, Tenzin likes to play D&D with their awesome friends and draw characters for their many imaginative stories.
Danny Torrance - Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson is a 13 years old Black African American and lives in San Francisco, California with his mother, Samarra Taylor. He has an older brother and a little sister and a Great Grandmother, Delores Lee, who supports Thompson’s dreams. He has wanted to be an actor since he was 6 years old and now he is finally able to pursue his dreams of acting. Thompson’s favorite color is blue and his favorite movie is Black Phone. Thompson is a smart, fun, and creative person.
Dick Hallorann - Kevin Deas
Deas has gained international renown as one of America’s leading bass-baritones. He is most acclaimed for his signature portrayal of Porgy in Porgy and Bess, performed with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and at the Ravinia, Vail, and Saratoga festivals. Recent performances include Mozart’s Requiem with the Florida Orchestra, Handel’s Messiah with the National Cathedral, Boston Baroque, and New York Philharmonic. Other performances include Nathaniel Dett’s The Ordering of Moses with the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Las Vegas Philharmonic and Phoenix Symphony, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Portland Symphony Orchestra; and reprising Porgy with the Des Moines Metro Opera. For Opera Colorado, Deas sang the role of Dick Hallorann in The Shining, a role he reprises with Opera Parallèle. This season, Deas has also performed with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Handel & Haydn Society, Toronto Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, North Carolina Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and Rhode Island Philharmonic.
Delbert Grady / Stuart Ullman - David Walton
Praised for his “clean, clear voice,” David Walton dazzles stages across the country to critical acclaim. Recent roles include Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte with Opera Delaware, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance with Cincinnati Opera, and Ramiro in Rossini’s Cenerentola with Kentucky Opera. Other appearances include Glimmerglass Festival, Minnesota Opera, Virginia Opera, and Fort Worth Opera. David has performed multiple new works including The Shining by Paul Moravec and Mark Campbell, Proving Up by Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek, and Dinner at Eight by William Bolcom. He has also performed with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and the Reno Philharmonic while collaborating with other groups like Minnesota Bach Ensemble, National Lutheran Choir, and Cantus Vocal Ensemble. David is a Sullivan Foundation Grant Winner in addition to awards with Rochester Oratorio Society, Opera Birmingham Competition, Marcello Giordani Competition, and Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Bill Watson / Lloyd the Bartender - Nathan Granner
Tenor Nathan Granner has enjoyed a unique and diverse performing career which has allowed him to leverage his distinctive timbre and impressive range in a multitude of projects and productions. Granner’s early studies included training with Utah Festival Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Tulsa Opera, and Pittsburgh Opera Center. Granner was also a semifinalist at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in New York City. Most recently, Mr. Granner has achieved critical success in a challenging and unique mix of roles and works including Korey Wise in Pulitzer Prize-winning The Central Park Five by Anthony Davis, Verdi’s Alfredo with both Fort Worth Opera and Opera Santa Barbara, an on-film and studio soundtrack recording of the title role in Gordon Getty’s Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Rob Hall in the award-winning animated film Everest, produced by Opera Parallèle and presented by The Dallas Opera, and Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with the Charleston Opera.
Mark Torrance - Daniel Cilli
Baritone Daniel Cilli debuted in 2016 at the San Francisco Opera and has since returned for multiple engagements, and performed previously with Opera Parallèle as Le Directeur in Poulenc/Apollinaire’s Les mamelles de Tirésias, Thames Captain in Tarik O’Regan/Tom Phillips/Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and the title role in Dante De Silva/Mitchell Morris’ Gesualdo, Prince of Madness graphic opera. Highlighted projects elsewhere include Pa Zegner in Mazzoli & Vavrek’s Proving Up (Pasadena Opera), Burton in the premiere of Hiroya Miura’s Sharaku Unframed (Left Coast Chamber Ensemble), Captain Ladoux in Marks & Peers’s Mata Hari (West Edge Opera), the title role in Sweeney Todd, Cervantes/Quixote in Man of La Mancha, and Javert in Les Miserables. He was a principal artist 2006-2010 at Opera San José. Daniel has also performed with Earplay Ensemble, Livermore, Utah, Central City opera companies, the Houston Grand Opera Studio, and the Tanglewood and Aspen music festivals.
Horace Derwent - Timothy Murray
This season, Tim brings his “firm, flexible baritone” (New York Times) and “swaggering, rakish” stage presence (Opera News) to North Carolina Opera for his debut as Don Giovanni and to San Francisco Opera as Marcello in Bohème Out of the Box. He recently concluded time as an Adler Fellow with San Francisco Opera singing Billy Budd under Eun Sun Kim in a performance praised by the SF Chronicle as “tender and sonorous”. While an Adler Fellow, Tim had the privilege to cover title roles in The Barber of Seville, Eugene Onegin, and Don Giovanni, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Jailor in Dialogues des Carmélites, as well as sing Scarus in the world premiere of John Adams’ Antony and Cleopatra, Marchese d’Obigny in La Traviata, and Sciarrone in Tosca. Among other awards, Tim is a 2022 George London Foundation award winner and was a Grand Finalist in the 2021 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.
Cast
Mrs Massey / Vocal Ensemble - Molly Mary Mahoney
Molly Mary Mahoney’s sublime singing, memorable humor, and heartfelt portrayals have charmed audiences and critics alike. A stylistically diverse performer, she sings opera, musical theater, and jazz with equal aplomb. She championed the Great American Songbook with her debut album, Two for the Road. Molly performed her first one-woman show, Mischief!, in San Francisco, New York City, and London. Molly’s second cabaret show honors the music of her distant cousin Cole Porter. She combines her spellbinding Big Band and classical sounds in her new album and show, My Cousin Cole. Past operatic appearances include Philip Glass’ Hydrogen Jukebox with West Edge Opera, lauded by the San Francisco Chronicle for the “sheer beauty” of her voice. Other appearances include Livermore Valley Opera, West Bay Opera, Ars Minerva, San Francisco Opera Guild, and Lamplighters Music Theatre, praised by Opera News for the “simplicity and eloquence” of Molly’s performance as Iolanthe.
Mrs Grady / Vocal Ensemble - Christabel Nunoo
Christabel Nunoo is a first-generation Nigerian/Ghanaian-American soprano and Oakland creative. She first discovered her love for music in her youth and went on to study at The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance. She made her solo debut with the Oakland Symphony under the baton of late maestro Michael Morgan and has been invited to perform on several occasions with mezzo-soprano, Frederica von Stade. Christabel first appeared with Opera Parallèle in 2018, resurrecting her role as Modesty in Marcus Shelby’s children’s opera Harriet’s Spirit. She has made appearances with Quadre Horn Quartet, Volti SF, San Francisco Girl’s Chorus and most recently premiered Michael Abels work At War With Ourselves – 100 Years Of You with poetry by Nikky Finney alongside Kronos Quartet. Christabel is currently exploring the intersection of healing and sound through the classical canon and creative storytelling in hopes of facilitating healing within her community. Christabel owes her dedicated passion for the arts to her late mother.
Grady Girls - Meher Arvind*
Meher Arvind loves singing and performing. She has been with the San Francisco Girls Chorus for over 4 years where she got amazing opportunities to sing with her choir. She is also learning Indian Hindustani music and has performed classical Ragas for the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center, Indian Independence Day, Diwali, and other occasions. Meher’s first theater experience was at the SF International Arts Festival as part of The Dance Animals. She is excited to be part of The Shining and is thankful to her SFGC teachers and The Shining team for this exciting opportunity! *Member of the San Francisco Girls Chorus
Grady Girls - Gitanjali Menon*
Gitanjali Menon has been passionate about music and singing throughout her young life. Though new to theater, she has been training and performing with the San Francisco Girls Chorus since she was five years old. She has performed with the SFGC at several iconic venues in San Francisco like the Davies Symphony Hall, Herbst Theater, and the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater. When she is not singing, she may be found reading or writing fiction, improvising tunes on her piano, or cavorting with her dog. *Member of the San Francisco Girls Chorus
Grady Girls - Perri So*
Perri So is a 9 years old girl with a passion for performing arts, particularly singing. She began her vocal training at the age of four and has been under the tutelage of Kayla Wilfong since 2019. Perri recently won first place in the American Protege International Vocal Competition and performed at Carnegie Hall in March 2023. Moreover, in 2020-2021, Perri attained first place in the 8th Hong Kong International Youth Performance Arts Festival and the Young Artist Music Contest. Perri has been invited to perform as a guest soloist at the Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Saratoga, CA. Perri is also a chorister at the San Francisco Girls Chorus, where she continues to hone her skills. *Member of the San Francisco Girls Chorus
Grady Girls - Kiyomi Treanor*
Kiyomi is in her third year with the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Prior to joining SFGC, she performed in two productions with the 42nd Street Moon School — she played Golda in Frozen and The Mayor of Munchkinland in Webber’s The Wizard of Oz. She is excited to be a part of Opera Parallele’s production of The Shining! *Member of the San Francisco Girls Chorus
Vocal Ensemble / Mafia Guy 1 - Caleb Alexander
Caleb McKenzie Alexander is a light lyric tenor based in San Francisco. He will be graduating with his Masters in Voice from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM). Caleb received his undergraduate degree in music from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). While there, some of his favorite roles were Tamino in Der Zauberflöte, Don Basilio in Le nozze di Figaro and The School Master in The Cunning Little Vixen. He also enjoyed the roles of the Sorcerer in Dido and Aeneas and Frederick in The Pirates of Penzance as well as covering Mr Splinters in The Tender Land with Connecticut’s Light Lyric Opera. Caleb sang the roles of The King of the East and The Moon in SFCM’s production of The Enchanted Pig. This past season Caleb performed roles in La Traviata, and debuted as Agenore in Il Re Pastore with the SF Black Box Opera.
Vocal Ensemble / Mafia Guy 2 - Ryan Bradford
Hailed as an “outstanding baritone” (Oregon Music News) Ryan Bradford recently made his Lincoln Center debut in the world premier opera A Song by Mahler and this past season he was a Stern Fellow with LA Opera/Songfest. He made his debut with Opera Colorado singing Happy in La Fanciulla del West and covering Hannah Before in Kaminsky and Campbell’s As One. Further roles include Belcore in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore and Figaro in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. As a Mosher Studio Artist with Opera Santa Barbara, he sang Masetto in Don Giovanni as well as covering the title role. An alumnus from Opera Colorado, Opera Santa Barbara, Shreveport Opera, he’s received distinction from Fort Worth McCammon Competition, Gerda Lissner Competition, and Loren. L. Zachary Competition.
Vocal Ensemble / Senator - Chung-Wai Soong
Bass-baritone Chung-Wai Soong has sung with companies in Australia and the US, including Hawai’i Opera Theatre, West Edge Opera, West Bay Opera, Victoria State Opera, Cappella SF, American Bach Soloists, and Philharmonia Baroque. His extensive repertoire includes world premieres: David Chesworth’s Sabat Jesus, Lisa Bielawa’s Vireo, and the title role in Meira Warshauer’s Elijah’s Violin. He has been a featured soloist in works by Bach, Fauré, Mozart, Dvořák, Berlioz and Handel. He sang Schumann’s Dichterliebe at the Melbourne International Festival, broadcast live nationally on ABC. Chung-Wai has sung with the San Francisco Symphony as Mityukha (Boris Godunov), and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy under Kurt Masur, and performed at Ojai Festival under Jeremy Denk. Roles include Erster Nazarener (Salome), Sadistic Sailor (Missy Mazolli’s Breaking the Waves), High Priest of Baal (Nabucco), Melchior (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Kuligin (Katya Kabanova), Un vieux paysan (Dukas’ Ariane et Barbe-Bleue) with West Edge Opera, and Marco (Gianni Schicchi) with Hawai’i Opera Theatre.
Vocal Ensemble / Crooner - J. Raymond Meyers
Tenor Joseph Meyers has sung with the opera companies of San Francisco, Portland, Anchorage, Grand Rapids, Tampa, Utah Festival, Toledo, and many others. He played the opera singer in the Oscar-winning movie Milk, and appeared as Andres in Wozzeck, Howard Boucher in Dead Man Walking and Vain Man/Snake in The Little Prince with Opera Parallèle, as tenor soloist in West Side Story Suite with SF Ballet Orch, sung Carmina Burana with the Kalamazoo and Silicon Valley symphonies, the Gov. in Candide, Nicely Nicely in Guys and Dolls with Oakland Symphony, the Prince/Marquis in Lulu, Bobo in Coraline and Little Victor in Elizabeth Cree with West Edge Opera, Canio in Pagliacci, Hoffmann in The Tales of Hoffmann, and Rodolfo in La Boheme with SF Pocket Opera. Recently, Meyers was Uriel in The Creation with SJ Symphonic Choir. In October you can see him as Carlisle in Of Mice and Men with Livermore Valley Opera.
Vocal Ensemble - Aisha Campbell
Jamaican-American Soprano Aisha Campbell is a podcast-addicted mac and cheese enthusiast and copywriter moonlighting as an opera singer. Her accolades include a semi-finalist slot in the New York Lyric Opera Theater Competition, and an Encouragement Award from The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Performance highlights include Cousin Blanche in Terence Blanchard’s Champion: An Opera in Jazz with Opera Parallèle, Miss Clancy in Lee Hoiby’s Italian Lesson and Miss Pinkerton in Menotti’s Old Maid and the Thief with Opera on the Spot, Lieutenant Uhura in Ben Carson’s Menagerie: The Trial of Spock, and on local R&B artist Xiomara’s debut album, Seven Nineteen. You can find her writing or singing in the Bay Area. Also comes in clutch at pub trivia.
Vocal Ensemble - Maya Goell
Maya Goell is beyond excited to be singing in her first professional production! She began her operatic training at the San Francisco School of the Arts where she studied voice with Rhoslyn Jones. There, she became a National Youngarts Foundation winner and California State Art Scholar. Past roles include Yvette in Mieczysław Weinberg’s Pasażerka, La Contessa di Folleville in Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims, Maria Rushworth in Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park, and Le Feu in L’enfant et les Sortilèges. She was most recently seen at the Herbst theater graduating with her masters in music performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Vocal Ensemble - Rachel Rush
Rachel Rush, mezzo-soprano, is a Bay Area native and completed her B.A. in music at UC Santa Cruz in 2013, where she appeared as a soloist with several ensembles and sang the roles of Jo in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutti, and others in the UCSC opera program. Recently she has appeared with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s New Music Ensemble, served as faculty for Volti’s Choral Institute for high school singers, and participated in the American Bach Soloists Academy. She currently performs regularly with Volti.
Vocal Ensemble - Michelle Pavlova
Michelle Pavlova has immersed herself in the world of music ever since she was young. In 2008, she sang with the San Francisco Girls Chorus, being able to tour in Germany and perform for notable figures such as Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Ed Lee. At San Francisco State University, she sang with the University’s Chamber Singers, embarking on a local tour in 2018 with them as well as performing with The Eagles at the Chase Center in 2022. Additionally, she sang in the University’s opera productions, such as Menotti’s Amelia al ballo and The Consul, Johnathan Dove’s Flight, and as the lead role in Handel’s Ariodante. Today, she is proud to have been part of West Bay Opera for Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Lamplighters for the world premiere operetta By Georges!, composed and written by Charles Vincent Burwell and James D Sasser, and most importantly, Opera Parallèle’s production of The Shining.
Vocal Ensemble - Kurt Winterhalter
Kurt Winterhalter is an opera singer/performer currently based in San Francisco and Los Angeles. He is a recent graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied with Matthew Worth. His recent engagements include performing as a soloist with the Sacramento Choral Society, singing Il Conte Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with Prague Summer Nights, and Bizet’s Le Docteur Miracle.