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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.