Amplifying Voices: Intersect Opera
Don Giovanni
April 30th 7:00 PM and May 1st 5:30 PMMozart's masterpiece will come to life in this concert featuring world class artists from all over the United States. Under the leadership of San Diego Opera conductor, Bruce Stasyna, this special presentation will feature Ted Pickell in the title role, Colin Ramsey (Leporello), Tasha Koontz (Donna Anna), Sarah Tucker (Donna Elvira), David Margulis (Don Ottavio), Brandon Morales (Masetto), and Shelby Condray (Commendatore). These artists have sung in major opera houses and concert halls all over the world and they are joining us right here in San Diego to bring you an intimate and thrilling musical experience.
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Meet the Artists
Bruce Stasyna, Conductor & Pianist
Bruce Stasyna has been on the conducting rosters of the San Diego Opera, New York City Opera and Boston Lyric Opera, has served as Chorus Master for the San Diego, New York City, Minnesota, Wolf Trap and Des Moines Operas, and as Artistic Director for the Green Mountain Opera Festival.
He recently made conducting debuts with San Diego Opera, Intermountain Opera, and at the Amalfi Coast Music & Arts Festival (Italy). Previously, Mr. Stasyna served for four seasons as Music Director of the Vero Beach Opera, and seven seasons as Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor of the Washington Concert Opera.
Mr. Stasyna has recently conducted Così fan tutte, L’ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego, As One, Maria de Buenos Aires, One Amazing Night, Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, The Falling & The Rising, Kiss Me Kate, La Bohème, The Grapes of Wrath, Die Fledermaus, Il Tabarro, Die Zauberflöte, Albert Herring, The Rape of Lucretia, Così Fan Tutte, Don Pasquale, Le Nozze di Figaro, Little Women, and Orlando. As pianist, he has performed concerts with Deborah Voigt, Marcello Giordani, Ellie Dehn, Marina Costa-Jackson, Sarah Joy Miller, André Courville, J’nai Bridges, and members of Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts.
For Così fan tutte, San Diego Story declared that “conductor Bruce Stasyna gives these singers vibrant, well-paced support throughout this three-hour-plus opera, and under Stasyna’s confident direction, the San Diego Symphony gave a polished and vibrant account of Mozart’s rich score—especially those luxuriant wind obbligatos the composer lavished on his arias. For Il Barbiere di Siviglia, KPBS wrote “under conductor Bruce Stasyna, the San Diego Symphony's orchestral accompaniment is gorgeous and bright”. In One Amazing Night with Stephen Costello and Stephen Powell, San Diego Story wrote that “Bruce Stasyna, conducting the San Diego Symphony gave luxurious orchestral support.” Opera Today wrote of his conducting debut for San Diego Opera’s As One “Conductor Bruce Stasyna wrought a demonstrative performance from his small band of mighty performers. The Hausmann String Quartet played superbly under Maestro Stasyna’s assured baton, and their ensemble with the singers was musically and dramatically flawless” and for Maria de Buenos Aires “Conductor Bruce Stasyna led an assured reading, full of color and undulating fire. He not only coaxed beautifully authentic ensemble playing from his accomplished ensemble, but also allowed the skilled bandoneon, piano, and guitar soloists all the room they needed to perfume the instrumentation with a heady individuality
For 2022 - 23, Mr. Stasyna will conduct Gianni Schicchi for the IOPE Festival in Urbino, Italy, as well as The Falling and the Rising, Ghosts (World Premiere by Nic Reveles) and Chorus Master the world premiere of El ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego (Gabriela Frank), Suor Angelica, and Tosca for San Diego Opera.
Bruce Stasyna has been on the conducting rosters of the San Diego Opera, New York City Opera and Boston Lyric Opera, has served as Chorus Master for the San Diego, New York City, Minnesota, Wolf Trap and Des Moines Operas, and as Artistic Director for the Green Mountain Opera Festival.
He recently made conducting debuts with San Diego Opera, Intermountain Opera, and at the Amalfi Coast Music & Arts Festival (Italy). Previously, Mr. Stasyna served for four seasons as Music Director of the Vero Beach Opera, and seven seasons as Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor of the Washington Concert Opera.
Mr. Stasyna has recently conducted Così fan tutte, L’ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego, As One, Maria de Buenos Aires, One Amazing Night, Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, The Falling & The Rising, Kiss Me Kate, La Bohème, The Grapes of Wrath, Die Fledermaus, Il Tabarro, Die Zauberflöte, Albert Herring, The Rape of Lucretia, Così Fan Tutte, Don Pasquale, Le Nozze di Figaro, Little Women, and Orlando. As pianist, he has performed concerts with Deborah Voigt, Marcello Giordani, Ellie Dehn, Marina Costa-Jackson, Sarah Joy Miller, André Courville, J’nai Bridges, and members of Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts.
For Così fan tutte, San Diego Story declared that “conductor Bruce Stasyna gives these singers vibrant, well-paced support throughout this three-hour-plus opera, and under Stasyna’s confident direction, the San Diego Symphony gave a polished and vibrant account of Mozart’s rich score—especially those luxuriant wind obbligatos the composer lavished on his arias. For Il Barbiere di Siviglia, KPBS wrote “under conductor Bruce Stasyna, the San Diego Symphony's orchestral accompaniment is gorgeous and bright”. In One Amazing Night with Stephen Costello and Stephen Powell, San Diego Story wrote that “Bruce Stasyna, conducting the San Diego Symphony gave luxurious orchestral support.” Opera Today wrote of his conducting debut for San Diego Opera’s As One “Conductor Bruce Stasyna wrought a demonstrative performance from his small band of mighty performers. The Hausmann String Quartet played superbly under Maestro Stasyna’s assured baton, and their ensemble with the singers was musically and dramatically flawless” and for Maria de Buenos Aires “Conductor Bruce Stasyna led an assured reading, full of color and undulating fire. He not only coaxed beautifully authentic ensemble playing from his accomplished ensemble, but also allowed the skilled bandoneon, piano, and guitar soloists all the room they needed to perfume the instrumentation with a heady individuality
For 2022 - 23, Mr. Stasyna will conduct Gianni Schicchi for the IOPE Festival in Urbino, Italy, as well as The Falling and the Rising, Ghosts (World Premiere by Nic Reveles) and Chorus Master the world premiere of El ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego (Gabriela Frank), Suor Angelica, and Tosca for San Diego Opera.
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Hailed for his “powerful voice” (CASA Magazine) and “tremendous” singing (San Diego Reader), Baritone Ted Allen Pickell (Don Giovanni) is a distinguished and accomplished young artist on the rise. Most recently Ted has appeared in San Diego Opera’s “Romeo et Juliette” as the Duke of Verona, and was 3rd time Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition San Diego District Winner. In the 2019/20 season, Mr. Pickell returned for a second year in the Palm Beach Opera Benenson Young Artist Program, where he performed the Father in Hansel and Gretel, Don Basilio in the family performance of The Barber of Seville, Zaretsky in Eugene Onegin, and cover the role of the Mandarin in Turandot. In the 2018/19 season, Mr. Pickell joined the Palm Beach Opera Benenson Young Artist Program, where he covered the role of Leporello in Don Giovanni, as well as performed the roles of the Marquis in Verdi's La Traviata and Frank in the family performance of Die Fledermaus. Additional engagements included a return to the title
role in The Mikado with Bodhi Tree Concerts. He was the 2019 winner of the Musical Merit Foundation Award, as well as the first place winner of the 2019 Opera NEO Vocal Competition. Other notable operatic performances include Blitch in Susannah, Sam in Trouble in Tahiti, The Warden in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking and the title role in Mozart's The Impresario with the Northwestern University Opera Theatre, covering Zuniga in Carmen and singing Micha in The Bartered Bride with Music Academy of the West, Leporello in Don Giovanni with Point Loma Opera Theatre, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Opera Academy of California, and Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor with the University of the Pacific Opera Theatre |
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Native Hawaiian soprano Tasha Hokuao Koontz (Donna Anna) has been recognized by Parterre Box for her “sumptuous, gleaming lyric instrument” and by Opera Wire for her “secure silvery high notes,” In San Diego Opera’s 2021 concert One Amazing Night “Soprano Tasha Koontz wowed with a knockout performance of “Dieu quel frisson” from Gounod’s opera, “Romeo et Juliette,”(San Diego Union Tribune) and performed the soprano solos in Bach Cantata 106 with the La Jolla Symphony. Upcoming engagements include appearances with the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, and the Helena Symphony.
Ms. Koontz recently had the pleasure of being invited to sing in a masterclass led by Maestro Riccardo Muti and also sang the roles of Frida 1 and Acaricia Ponti in an orchestra workshop of El último sueño de Frida y Diego, set to premiere this fall at San Diego Opera. Ms. Koontz most recently represented San Diego Opera in Ascension, a site specific, two-woman show about women’s rights that was performed for the WOW Festival held by the La Jolla Playhouse. In the 2019/20 season, engagements included the soprano solos in Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the San Diego Symphony, the role of the High Priestess in Verdi's Aïda with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and again with San Diego Opera, the soprano soloist in Vivaldi's Gloria with the San Diego Festival Chorus & Orchestra, and Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the California Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Koontz was also heard on the WFMT radio broadcast of the 2019 performance of Aïda with Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In October 2020 she had the pleasure of covering Ana Maria Martinez in the role of Mimì in La Boheme in a drive-in opera production by San Diego Opera. Ms. Koontz is represented by Athlone Artists. www.Tasha koontz.com IG: @TishTashKoontz |
Described as “vocally glorious” (San Diego Story) and a standout with “impeccable pitch and phrasing”
(Opera News), acclaimed soprano Sarah Tucker (Donna Elvira) is a must-see performer in leading opera houses across the United States and beyond. Her 2021-22 season includes a role debut with San Diego Opera as Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte; a return to the role of Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Dayton Opera; a house debut with North Carolina Opera as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte and with Virginia Opera as Freia in Das Rheingold. In recent seasons, she has performed roles on the stages of San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Utah Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera Philadelphia, the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy in Japan, and
more. Equally passionate about concert repertoire, Ms. Tucker has performed with the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic, the Crystal Cathedral in Orange, CA, Las Colinas Symphony, and will appear with the Dayton Philharmonic in Fall, 2022 [work TBA]. Ms. Tucker was a National Semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was an Arizona Opera Young Artist. She holds a Master of Music degree in Voice from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (CCM) and currently resides in Houston, Texas.
(Opera News), acclaimed soprano Sarah Tucker (Donna Elvira) is a must-see performer in leading opera houses across the United States and beyond. Her 2021-22 season includes a role debut with San Diego Opera as Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte; a return to the role of Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Dayton Opera; a house debut with North Carolina Opera as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte and with Virginia Opera as Freia in Das Rheingold. In recent seasons, she has performed roles on the stages of San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Utah Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera Philadelphia, the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy in Japan, and
more. Equally passionate about concert repertoire, Ms. Tucker has performed with the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic, the Crystal Cathedral in Orange, CA, Las Colinas Symphony, and will appear with the Dayton Philharmonic in Fall, 2022 [work TBA]. Ms. Tucker was a National Semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was an Arizona Opera Young Artist. She holds a Master of Music degree in Voice from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (CCM) and currently resides in Houston, Texas.
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David Margulis (Don Ottavio)
Tenor David Margulis has established himself as a strong lyrical singer and actor on domestic and international opera stages alike. He has been called “radiant voiced,” and been praised for his “clear, pleasing tenor.” Of his portrayal of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte in his mainstage début at Arizona Opera, Opera Today raved: “David Margulis was an energetic Tamino who was only momentarily laid low by Pollard’s iconic monster. He sang with sumptuous lyrical sounds conveyed on a well-honed legato.” In 2022, David will make his Carnegie Hall debut in a program with the National Opera Chorus. He also features in A Streetcar Named Desire in his house debut with Florida Grand Opera, revisits Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with The FF Collective in San Diego, and returns to Arizona Opera as Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos. In 2020, he was scheduled to perform as Almaviva with Opera on the James (COVID-19), and was featured as Alfred in Opera Orlando’s innovative production of Die Fledermaus. David has performed leading roles both domestically and abroad, including Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Arizona Opera, Opera Grand Rapids, Cleveland Opera Theater), Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (Arizona Opera), Ernesto in Don Pasquale (Opernhaus Zürich, Arizona Opera), and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni (Verbier Festival, Palm Beach Opera). David is a former member of the prestigious Internationales Opernstudio with Opernhaus Zürich. In addition, he is an alumnus of some of the finest training programs in the country, including Santa Fe Opera, the Wolf Trap Opera Filene Young Artist Program, and the Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio. |
Colin Ramsey (Leporello)
Asian-American Bass (Leporello), Colin Ramsey, has become known for his “majestic, rotund, ravishing bass” (OperaToday). This year, he returned to San Diego Opera for his role debut as Capulet in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet as well as to Opera Santa Barbara to reprise Cadmus/Somnus in Handel’s Semele. During the 2020-21 season, Mr. Ramsey performed with San Diego Opera as Colline in La bohème, Opera Santa Barbara as Fafner in Das Rheingold (Dove Orchestration), Pacific Opera Project as Guglielmo, and the Festival Lyrique en Mer as Leporello in Don Giovanni. Other recent engagements include Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Alidoro in La Cenerentola, and Reverend Hale in Robert Ward’s The Crucible at companies including Opera San Jose, Seattle Opera, Austin Opera, Sarasota Opera, Pensacola Opera and Santa Fe Opera. Mr Ramsey’s oratorio and concert work has brought him on as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and La Jolla Symphony. Performing as soloist in Verdi’s Requiem, Dvorâk’s Stabat Mater, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Handel’s Messiah, Faurè’s Requiem, and Brahms Requiem. Mr. Ramsey has completed residencies with Santa Fe Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and others. He is a winner of the Pasadena Opera Guild Competition, 3rd Prize winner in the Rocky Mountain Region of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and an Encouragement Award winner in the George London Foundation Competition. Mr. Ramsey currently resides in Irvine, CA.
Asian-American Bass (Leporello), Colin Ramsey, has become known for his “majestic, rotund, ravishing bass” (OperaToday). This year, he returned to San Diego Opera for his role debut as Capulet in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet as well as to Opera Santa Barbara to reprise Cadmus/Somnus in Handel’s Semele. During the 2020-21 season, Mr. Ramsey performed with San Diego Opera as Colline in La bohème, Opera Santa Barbara as Fafner in Das Rheingold (Dove Orchestration), Pacific Opera Project as Guglielmo, and the Festival Lyrique en Mer as Leporello in Don Giovanni. Other recent engagements include Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Alidoro in La Cenerentola, and Reverend Hale in Robert Ward’s The Crucible at companies including Opera San Jose, Seattle Opera, Austin Opera, Sarasota Opera, Pensacola Opera and Santa Fe Opera. Mr Ramsey’s oratorio and concert work has brought him on as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and La Jolla Symphony. Performing as soloist in Verdi’s Requiem, Dvorâk’s Stabat Mater, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Handel’s Messiah, Faurè’s Requiem, and Brahms Requiem. Mr. Ramsey has completed residencies with Santa Fe Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and others. He is a winner of the Pasadena Opera Guild Competition, 3rd Prize winner in the Rocky Mountain Region of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and an Encouragement Award winner in the George London Foundation Competition. Mr. Ramsey currently resides in Irvine, CA.
Brandon Morales (Masetto)
Brandon Morales, Bass-Baritone, has performed with companies all over the US - stretching from Portland Opera to Opera Orlando. Most recently Morales has performed Count Carl-Magnus in Arizona Opera's production of Sondheim's A Little Night Music and has upcoming performaces with Queen City Opera and Bar Harbor Music Festival. Morales has completed artist residencies with Arizona Opera, Virginia Opera, and Toledo Opera, as well has received a Master's in Voice from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he was active in performing with Dayton Opera, Toledo Opera, and Cincinnati Opera among others. From San Antonio, TX, Morales is currently enjoying a return to performing and the vagabond life while also pursuing medical school admission within Texas. |
Shelby Condray (Commendatore)
Shelby Condray is known for his mercurial career choices, bacchanalian hospitality, jovial personality, and singing really low notes that sound pretty. After decades in school studying chemical engineering, neuroscience, opera, and theology, he holds masters degrees from Yale and Boston University. He escaped his bucolic childhood spent in Texas and Kansas homes lacking plumbing when his father’s military career took the family to exciting places such as rural Kentucky; Ansbach, Germany; Utica, New York; and Broomfield, Colorado. Since moving to San Diego — for the weather — he has appeared regularly with the San Diego Opera (Count Ceprano, and chorus) and other local companies. Previous engagements include jazz and gospel concerts in Mongolia, Russia, and Cuba, Don Alfonso in Barbados, Colline in France, and Beethoven 9th after the Boston Marathon bombing. He is most proud of his volunteer work with children and post-Katrina gospel performances in Biloxi, Mississippi. Mr. Condray is also a NY Times published writer and visual artist (onelineink.com). He pays the bills as a technical writer for an advanced mathematics software development company. |
Sopranos
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Soprano Abla Lynn Hamza has been described as having “a genuinely beautiful (voice), warm, liquescent and nimble” (Dallas Morning News). She performed Musetta in La Bohéme with New Camerata Opera and “excelled as Ofelia” (London Financial Times) in Opera Southwest’s Amleto (Franco Faccio). She performed roles by Verdi to critical acclaim, including Giselda in Sarasota Opera’s I Lombardi where “her coloratura…brought down the house” (Opera News), and Violetta in St. Petersburg Opera’s La Traviata.
Abla also appeared in the title role in Suor Angelica (Opera Southwest), Bianca in La Rondine (Dallas Opera), Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte and Clorinda in La Cenerentola (Sarasota Opera), the title role in Manon and Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro (dell’Arte Opera Ensemble), along with covers for Giovanna in Giovanna D’Arco and Adina in L’elisir d’amore (Sarasota Opera). Her experience also includes recitals (Voces Intimae and Artist Series of Sarasota) and oratorio (soprano soloist in The Armed Man with DCINY). Upcoming performances include a recital alongside mezzo-soprano Maria Caughey and accompanist Dr. Yewon Lee. |
Sara Holmes is a lyric coloratura soprano who performs frequently in Southern California. She studied Romance Languages at Point Loma Nazarene University on a vocal scholarship. After college, Sara pursued a career in the corporate world. Once settled with a family, Sara resumed the pursuit of classical singing opportunities. Now she brings life experience as well as a matured instrument to her dynamic and thoughtful performances. Recent roles include Ida in Die Fledermaus (Pacific Lyric Association), and Annina in La Traviata (FF Collective) and her own recital as part of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church’s Unity Concert Series, as well as choral engagements with SACRA/PROFANA. Sara is honored to be performing with FF Collective again!
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Altos
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Sandra Camarena is a professional singer who has sung in the San Diego Opera Chorus for the past 28 years. Past performances include, María de Buenos Aires, Pirates of Penzance, The King and I, Princess Ida, Turandot, and The Marriage of Figaro. Camarena holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from San Diego State University. She is a credentialed elementary school teacher with 30 years of teaching experience.
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Maria Caughey, Mezzo-Soprano, is a versatile artist, performer and
teacher. She is especially noted for her “rich, telling voice”, “musical sensitivity and expression” and as a “fearless performer”. Most recently she performed the role of Flora in La Traviata with Annapolis Opera, Frida #2 with San Diego Opera and in recital on the Encinitas Concert Series. Some of her favorite roles performed have been Hansel, Hansel und Gretel, the title role in Cendrillon, Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos, Carmen, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Schwertleite in Die Walküre. Maria has appeared with The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Camerata, Atlantic Opera Festival, to name a few. She received a GPD in Vocal Performance from Peabody Institute of Music, with additional vocal training in Vienna, Austria and Frankfurt, Germany. Upcoming engagements include outreach concerts with San Diego Opera. |
Steph Ishihara, Mezzo-Soprano, is a San Diego native and has studied at MiraCosta Community College and San Diego State University. During her time at SDSU, Steph performed with both the choral and opera programs, roles including Dido (Dido and Aeneas) and The Friend (Amelia Goes to the Ball). Concert appearances include Durufle‘s Requiem (Alto Soloist), Mozart’s Requiem (Alto Soloist), Mozart’s Coronation Mass (Alto Soloist), and Handel’s Messiah (Alto Soloist). Steph currently performs with the San Diego Master Chorale and has sung with other vocal ensembles in San Diego. An advocate for diversity, equality, and mental health, Steph is so excited to be part of The FF Collective and to be singing among friends. @thestephish
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Tenors
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Hello:) My name is Alexis Alfaro and I am a big fan of Don Giovanni. We have a stellar cast and I am honored to be in my first concert opera with FF Collective. I look forward to being a part of one of the world’s best operas. Enjoy the show!
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Victor Morris has had the honor of gracing the stages of La Jolla Playhouse (His Girl Friday), Moxie Theatre (Trouble In Mind), San Diego Rep (Storyville), and the title role of Othello at Artist Rep in Portland. Film credits include Nora Ephron’s Sleepless in Seattle, Gus Van Sant’s Restless, and Ernest Dickerson’s Surviving the Game. Television credits include roles in American Vandal, Grimm, Criminal Minds, and Leverage. As an instrumentalist, Victor is proficient in piccolo trumpet, euphonium, and Lakota flute. He has studied voice with maestri Franco Corelli, Grace Bumbry, George Shirley, Franco Iglesias, and George Peckham. Victor is presently a member of the San Diego Opera ensemble. His biggest Life Achievement Award is papa to Anaka and Raina.
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Tenor Dennis Williams comes to San Diego from New York City where he was a full-time member of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus in a career that spanned over 20 years. He made his solo MET debut as Giuseppe in La Traviata starring Edita Gruberova as Violetta. Other notable Violettas in his subsequent performances included Renee Fleming, Krassimira Stoyanova, June Anderson and Diana Soviero. In total, Mr. Williams appeared in 200 solo performances in such roles as Parpignol in La Bohéme starring Hei Kyung Hong and Marcello Giordani and in featured roles in La Fille du Regiment, Der Rosenkavalier, Madama Butterfly, Die Zauberflöte, and Kát’a Kabanová under the batons of James Levine, Roberto Abbado, Patrick Summers, Carlo Rizzi, Valery Gergiev, Edoardo Müller, Marco Armiliato and Maurizio Benini, to name a few. His solo performances are regularly streamed on Sirius XM and was seen in telecasts of Madama Butterfly starring Catherine Malfitano on PBS Great Performances and Die Zauberflöte starring Kathleen Battle, available on Met Opera on Demand. Since moving to San Diego, Mr. Williams has appeared as King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Genesis Opera Theater and with the San Diego Opera chorus.
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Bass
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Eric Carter, baritone, received his Master of Music from San Francisco Conservatory and his Bachelor of Music from DePauw University. He is currently a choral section leader at the San Juan Capistrano Mission Basilica. Past roles include Papageno, the Major General, and Count Almaviva. While pursuing his singing career, Eric's side gig of video game production blew up and has been going strong for the past 15 years. While he has lived all across the US, he has been in Southern California for the past 7 years with no intention of leaving. Eric is extremely proud of his wife, Sarah-Nicole, for being one of the founding members of the FF Collective! Together they raise two young daughters, and Eric loves helping them find and explore their own talents. Other interests include resin crafts, water colors, reading books, watching football and F1, and making holes in his house with power tools.
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Kevin Martin has been a professional musician since his first job in high school as a section leader at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana, through 40 years of vocalist positions at Episcopalian, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist and Unitarian churches. He has sung with Long Beach Civic Light Opera, the L.A. Master Chorale, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and numerous other organizations.
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Ben Read is a San Diego based actor, writer, and musician who loves music and theater in all their forms. W.A. Mozart is (currently) his favorite composer which is why he is so thrilled to be making his vocal operatic debut as a chorus member in Don Giovanni with the FF Collective. Other recent credits include musically directing and performing in 1940's Radio Hour at Lamplighters theatre, working as a pianist for the F.F. Collective’s production of La Traviata, as an understudy and swing for Cygnet Theatre’s annual production of A Christmas Carol,and as Cord Elam in Welk Theatre Resorts production of Oklahoma!. Ben's limited but invaluable directing experiences involve creating productions in backyards with talented friends, including an intimate production of The Fantasticks for which he also served as a pianist, and Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing in which he played Hero. A graduate of CSU Northridge’s music composition for film and media program, Ben also loves orchestral music composition and the art of pairing music with visual stories. Upcoming: he is very excited for his original musical that he has written and composed with his sister, which they will be producing in San Diego this summer.
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