All material found in the Press Releases section is provided by parties entirely independent of Musical America, which is not responsible for content.
Press Releases
Washington National Opera Announces the 2015-2016 Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program
(WASHINGTON)—Washington National Opera (WNO) today announced the roster of emerging artists and renowned teaching artists engaged for the 14th season of its Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Under the leadership of program director Michael Heaston, the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program continues to increase its number of performances throughout the season and expand its training regimen, including mentorship by Artist in Residence Alan Held, the acclaimed bass-baritone who will star as Wotan in WNO’s Ring cycles next season. Additional faculty members include voice teachers Diana Soviero and William Stone; guest vocal coaches John Churchwell, Bénédicte Jourdois, Kathleen Kelly, and Yelena Kurdina; guest drama and movement coaches Karma Camp, Jay Lesenger, and Alan Paul; and career consultant Matthew Epstein, among others. The new class of young artists will participate in several world premiere productions during the 2015-2016 season as part of WNO’s American Opera Initiative and will star in a special performance of Carmen on October 2, 2015 and in the annual Stars of Tomorrow concert on May 21, 2016, featuring the WNO Orchestra conducted by James Gaffigan.
The 2015-2016 Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists are: Joel Ayau, Woodstock, Connecticut, U.S. (pianist/coach, second season) Michael Brandenburg, Austin, Indiana, U.S. (tenor, second season) Timothy J. Bruno, Toledo, Ohio, U.S. (bass, first season) Hunter Enoch, Paris, Tennessee, U.S. (baritone, first season) Raquel González, Lawrence, Kansas, U.S. (soprano, second season) Leah Hawkins, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (mezzo-soprano, first season) Daryl Freedman, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (mezzo-soprano, first season) Kerriann Otaño, Wading River, New York, U.S. (soprano, second season) Aleksandra Romano, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. (mezzo-soprano, second season) Michael Sherman, Los Angeles, California, U.S. (pianist/coach, first season) Rexford Tester, Tazewell, Virginia, U.S. (tenor, first season) Ariana Wehr, Batesville, Indiana, U.S. (soprano, first season) Wei Wu, Beijing, China (bass, third season) “The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is a vital part of Washington National Opera’s mission, and I’m proud of the steps we’ve taken to revitalize the program and increase the young artists’ involvement in both our artistic programming and our community engagement,” said WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello. “Michael Heaston has selected an excellent group of singers and pianists for next season, and I look forward to introducing our new WNO ‘home team’ to Washington audiences.”
Complete biographies of the 2015-2016 Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists appear later in this release.
A world-class coaching roster
Leading the coaching roster for the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program’s 2015-2016 season is Alan Held, the acclaimed American bass-baritone who has appeared in more than 20 WNO productions and will soon star in WNO’s 2016 Ring cycles. He will work with the young artists by leading individual coaching sessions, presenting group classes on a variety of repertoire, and hosting career roundtable discussions.
“No other opera company has meant more to me in my career than the Washington National Opera, which gave me my start nearly 30 years ago, and I am thrilled to be named the Artist in Residence for its Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program,” said Mr. Held. “I look forward to giving back to a company that has helped me and so many young artists at this most critical stage of their careers. Just as Ed Purrington and many others assisted me so long ago, I am happy to be a resource and guide to the very talented young artists in this exciting program.”
The young artists will work with voice teachers Diana Soviero, one of the foremost interpreters of the verismo repertoire and now one of the most in-demand voice teachers in New York, and William Stone, esteemed baritone and member of the voice faculty at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. The roster of guest vocal coaches includes John Churchwell, the Head of Music Staff at San Francisco Opera and a longtime member of the faculty at the Music Academy of the West; Bénédicte Jourdois, a member of the faculty at The Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music; Kathleen Kelly, who has led the music staffs of the Vienna State Opera and Houston Grand Opera and is now the first Coach/Conductor of Opera at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance; and Yelena Kurdina, one of the most in-demand vocal coaches who is particularly acclaimed for her work in the Russian repertory.
Choreographer Karma Camp and directors Jay Lesenger and Alan Paul will work with the young artists on drama and movement. Veteran artist manager Matthew Epstein will advise the young artists on the business side of opera and serve as a career development mentor.
The young artists will continue their work with principal coach Ken Weiss and resident coach Louis Salemno. WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin will also work with the young artists during the season.
Performance opportunities at the Kennedy Center and beyond
An essential component of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center as well as various community concerts, recitals, and events throughout the Washington, D.C. area.
Young artists gain significant performance experience on the stages of the Kennedy Center. A highlight of the program is the annual Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance, featuring young artists performing leading roles in the Kennedy Center Opera House as part of the WNO season. In the 2015-2016 season, the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance will be the October 2, 2015 performance of Bizet’s classic Carmen, conducted by Evan Rogister. The young artists will also appear in leading roles in WNO’s holiday production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, which will be performed in the Terrace Theater December 12-20, 2015.
The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program also engages young artists to study and perform supporting roles in WNO productions. As members of the cast, young artists participate in all scheduled rehearsals and receive direction and guidance from the opera’s key artists. In WNO’s 2015-2016 season, young artists will perform and cover supporting roles in Carmen, Appomattox, Lost in the Stars, and the Ring cycle.
The 2015-2016 season will provide the young artists with extraordinary opportunities to work with living composers and librettists on several world premiere productions. Under the auspices of WNO’s American Opera Initiative, the young artists will work with new composer-librettist teams on three 20-minute operas which will premiere on December 2, 2015, as well as with a more experienced composer-librettist team on a new hour-long opera, Better Gods, which will be presented on January 8 and 9, 2016. Composers, librettists, and casting for these new works, which will be performed in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, will be announced soon.
The young artists will perform in a special annual showcase—Stars of Tomorrow: The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists in Concert—in the Kennedy Center Opera House on May 21, 2016. Supported by the WNO Orchestra conducted by James Gaffigan, the young artists will highlight their talents and celebrate their seasons in Washington. The young artists will continue to perform in one-hour free performances on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage to highlight upcoming productions, preview the productions of the coming season, and for other special performances. These appearances are streamed live on the Kennedy Center’s website and archived for future viewing. More information on these and other events will be announced in the coming months.
The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists will also collaborate with several local and regional music organizations on special performances in the coming season, including:
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: “Off the Cuff: Don Giovanni,” October 2-3, 2015 The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation and The Freeman Stage: December 4, 2015 Smithsonian Institution: February 7, 2016 Alexandria Symphony Orchestra: “The Dramatic,” February 13-14, 2016 Dolce Suono Ensemble: April 17, 2016
A complete schedule of performances will be announced in the coming months.
Exchange with Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre continues
Next season will mark the fifth year of a professional exchange between members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program and participants in the Bolshoi Theatre Young Artists Opera Program of Moscow. This summer, the Bolshoi is hosting Yi Li, Ariana Wehr, and Joel Ayau for a 10-day residency July 7-17, 2015, culminating in a joint concert, Young Voices of Moscow and Washington, at the Bolshoi’s Beethoven Hall on July 17.
In the 2015-2106 season, WNO will host several young artists from Russia; these artists will train for two weeks alongside their WNO counterparts, and the exchange will conclude with a joint WNO/Bolshoi young artist recital. This ongoing partnership with the Bolshoi program presents an extraordinary opportunity for the young artists to share their ideas, culture, and technical expertise with their peers from overseas and to connect with foreign artistic agents for future career opportunities.
Biographies of the 2015-2016 Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists
American pianist, coach, and teacher Joel Ayau returns for his second season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Last season he was Assistant Conductor for WNO’s production of Cinderella. As a coach and répétiteur, he has worked with companies including the Toledo Opera, Aspen Opera Theater Center, and Music Academy of the West. He is currently on the music staff of the Castleton Festival as chorus master and opera scenes coach. From 2011-2014, he served as pianist for the United States Army Chorus, performing for foreign dignitaries and audiences around the country. He has performed instrumental recitals with such artists as Ian Bousfield, David Halen, and Charles Neidich, and his work accompanying singers has taken him to Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress, and the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. He holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Michigan in Collaborative Piano. He earned a Masters in Collaborative Piano from The Juilliard School and an undergraduate degree from New York University in Piano Performance and Computer Science.
A native of Austin, Indiana, American tenor Michael Brandenburg returns for his second season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Next season he will sing the role of Don José in the Domingo-Cafitz Young Artist Performance of Carmen, and last season he appeared as the Steersman in WNO’s production of The Flying Dutchman. In the summer of 2015 he sings the role of Macduff in Macbeth at The Glimmerglass Festival, where he will return in 2016 in the leading role of Rodolfo in a new production of La bohème. A 2013 national grand finals winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, his recent performances include the title role in Werther and Le Prince Charmant in Cendrillon at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. In the summer of 2014 he covered the roles of Alfredo in La traviata and Don José in La tragèdie de Carmen at Des Moines Metro Opera. He is a recent winner of the George London Foundation Competition, a recipient of the Emerging Artist Award from the Opera Index Vocal Competition, and a winner of the Bel Canto Competition in Chicago. He began studying voice while pursuing a master’s degree in aquatic biology at Ball State University.
Originally from Toledo, Ohio, bass Timothy J. Bruno joins the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for his first season in the fall of 2015. In the 2015-2016 season, he will appear as General Howell Cobb and James Fowler in WNO’s world premiere of the revised version of Appomattox. In the summer of 2015, he is a Filene Young Artist at Wolf Trap Opera, where he sings the role of Louis XVI in Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles. He recently performed with Atlanta Symphony as Abimélech in Samson et Dalila and also appeared as Kromov in The Merry Widow (Michigan Opera Theatre), Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Der Wanderer in Siegfried (Queen City Chamber Opera), and Elder Ott in Susannah (Toledo Opera). His previous seasons included Méphistophélès in Faust and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Winter Opera Saint Louis, Colline in La bohème with El Paso Opera, and Dr. Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro and The Bonze in Madama Butterfly with Opera Columbus. An alumnus of University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (Master of Music) and Bowling Green State University (Bachelor of Music), he also completed training programs at Central City Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, and Opera Saratoga.
A native of Tennessee, baritone Hunter Enoch joins WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program in the fall of 2015. Next season with WNO he will be seen as Moralès in Carmen. In the summer of 2015, he returns to The Glimmerglass Festival to cover the title role in Macbeth; he made his Glimmerglass debut as Sharpless in Madame Butterfly (Young Artists performance) in 2014. He was a Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts during the 2014-2015 season and appeared as Taddeo in The Italian Girl in Algiers, Marcello in La bohème, and Valentin in Faust. A graduate of Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program, he was also an Emerging Artist at Virginia Opera where he sang the roles of Moralès in Carmen and Wig Maker in Ariadne auf Naxos in 2014. Previously, he trained at Chautauqua Opera (Studio Artist, 2012) and Wolf Trap Opera (Studio Artist, 2010 and 2011). He earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.
Originally from Lawrence, Kansas, American soprano Raquel González returns for her second season of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Next season she will sing the role of Micaëla in the Young Artist Performance of Carmen and The Sandman in Hansel and Gretel; last season she appeared as Mimì in La bohème (Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance) and as Sister Claire in Dialogues of the Carmelites. In the summer of 2015 she sings the role of First Lady in The Magic Flute at The Glimmerglass Festival, where she will return in 2016 in the leading role of Mimì in a new production of La bohème. She recently received her master’s degree from The Juilliard School. At Juilliard, she appeared as Tatiana (Eugene Onegin), Arminda (La finta giardiniera), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), and Mélisse (Armide). She has spent several summers at The Chautauqua Institution, singing such roles as Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), and Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi). As a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL), she appeared in the world premiere of Terence Blanchard’s Champion and returned to OTSL in the summer of 2014 as a Festival Artist in the role of First Lady in The Magic Flute and also covered Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites. In concert, she has appeared with the New York Festival of Song at Alice Tully Hall. With William Christie and Juilliard415, she has sung Iphise in Rameau’s Les fêtes d’Hébé, appeared in Handel’s Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno, and performed as Diane in Charpentier’s Actéon. She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Avery Fisher Hall. A 2014 Eastern District winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she has also been awarded prizes from The Liederkranz Foundation and the Gerda Lissner Foundation.
A native of Philadelphia, mezzo-soprano Leah Hawkins joins WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for her first season in the fall of 2015. Next season she will appear with WNO as Mrs. Dorsey and Viola Lee in the world premiere of the revised version of Appomattox. Her roles include Julia Child in the one-woman opera Bon Appétit, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, La Badessa in Suor Angelica, Giulietta in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, and Maria in Porgy and Bess. On the concert stage, she has appeared with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony, Black Pearl Orchestra, Chesapeake Youth Symphony, Yale Philharmonia, and the New Haven Symphony. She has been a young artist with the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to Performance Program, Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artist Vocal Academy, and Central City Opera. In the summer of 2015 she is a Studio Artist with Chautauqua Opera, covering the role of Madame Larina in Eugene Onegin. Awards include an Encouragement Award at the 2015 George London Competition, second place at the 2015 New England Region finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Hope Clark award at the 2014 Opera Ebony Competition, Finalist and Encouragement Award at the 2014 Marcello Giordani International Vocal Competition, first place at the 2013 National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging Artists, and an Encouragement Award at the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Region finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Morgan State University and her Master of Music from Yale School of Music.
A native of Philadelphia, mezzo-soprano Daryl Freedman joins WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for her first season in the fall of 2015. She will be seen as Gertrude in Hansel and Gretel and as Rossweisse in the Ring cycle. In the 2014-2015 season she sang the role of Amelfa in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Le coq d’or at Sarasota Opera and in the summer of 2015 is an Apprentice Artist at Santa Fe Opera, where she is covering the role of Herodias in Salome. Her 2013-2014 season included her Carnegie Hall debut singing Handel’s Messiah with The Cecilia Chorus of New York and her Wagner debut singing Mary in Der fliegende Holländer with Sarasota Opera, where she also covered Azucena in Il trovatore. She was seen at Santa Fe Opera as a first-year apprentice covering the roles of Fraulein Krone in The Impresario and Death in Le rossignol. Recent seasons have included Zotico in Cavalli’s Eliogabalo with Gotham Chamber Opera, Mozart’s Requiem with The Florida Orchestra, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro with the Merola Opera Program, Ascalax in Telemann’s Orpheus with New York City Opera, and both Federica in Luisa Miller and Third Lady in The Magic Flute with Chautauqua Opera. Additional engagements have included Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor with Sarasota Opera, and covering Ruth in the world premiere production of Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters at both Gotham Chamber Opera and Opera Philadelphia. She performed Alan Smith’s Vignettes: Covered Wagon Woman and covered Baba the Turk in The Rake’s Progress with Music Academy of the West, and has sung with Central City Opera and the Caramoor Festival. She was a member of the Studio Artist Program at Portland Opera from 2009-2011, singing Concepción (L’heure espagnol), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), Venere (Monteverdi’s Il ballo delle ingrate), Sandman (Hansel and Gretel), Maman (L’enfant et les sortilèges), and Aglaonice in Philip Glass’s Orphée, the last of which was recorded and released on Orange Mountain Music. She holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music and Temple University.
Originally from Long Island, New York, American soprano Kerriann Otaño returns for her second season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Next season she appears with WNO as Mary Custis Lee in the world premiere of the revised version of Appomattox and as The Witch in Hansel and Gretel; last season with WNO she sang the role of Katherine in the world premiere of Penny and appeared as Sister Valentine in Dialogues of the Carmelites. In the summer of 2015 she sang the leading role of The Countess in Wolf Trap Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro. She is an alumnus of the Fort Worth Opera studio, where she made her festival debut as Despina in Così fan tutte. In the summer of 2014 she joined The Glimmerglass Festival Young Artists Program, covering the role of Roberta Alden in An American Tragedy. She advanced to the regional level of the 2014 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was awarded second place in the Mid-South region. In the 2013-2014 season she was seen as an apprentice artist with Sarasota Opera and Central City Opera, where she covered Queenie in Show Boat and was heard as Berta in the family performance of Il barbiere di Siviglia. In 2012, she received acclaim for her Donna Elvira as a young artist in Seagle Music Colony’s production of Don Giovanni. She holds a master’s degree in vocal performance from Mannes College, where she sang Maria Corona in The Saint of Bleecker Street under the baton of Joseph Colaneri. She completed her Bachelor of Music at Indiana University.
A native of New Haven, Connecticut, mezzo-soprano Aleksandra Romano returns for her second season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Next season with WNO she will sing the roles of Mercedes in Carmen and Hansel in Hansel and Gretel; last season with WNO she appeared as The Fox in The Little Prince and as Sister Mathilde in Dialogues of the Carmelites. In the summer of 2015, she returns to The Glimmerglass Festival to sing Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti (performed as a part of the Meet Me at the Pavilion series), and to cover the role of Marzia in Vivaldi’s Cato in Utica. Previous seasons’ highlights include Angelina in La Cenerentola (2014), Laura in Iolanta (2014), and Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi (2013), all with Yale Opera; and Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Central City Opera (family performance, 2013). A Mid-Atlantic Regional Finalist and Encouragement Award Winner in the 2014 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she was also awarded the Phyllis Curtin Career Entry Prize from Yale School of Music. In the summer of 2014, she covered Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and Sondra Finchley in An American Tragedy at The Glimmerglass Festival. She is also an alumna of the Wolf Trap Opera Studio (2011 and 2012). She has been seen in solo recital at Yale University and Bard College and presented a joint recital at the National Opera Center with other Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists in the spring of 2015. She has been seen with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Yale Philharmonia (Woolsey Concerto Competition Winner, 2014), Voices of Cooperstown, Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, and American Symphony Orchestra. She has received further prizes from Opera Theater of Connecticut (First Place, Amici Vocal Competition, 2014), Yale University (Lotte Lenya Scholarship, 2013), Central City Opera (John and Ginny Starkey award, 2013), the Bard College Concerto Competition (2009, 2010), the Classical Singer University Competition (national semifinalist, 2010), and the Presser Foundation (2009).
A native of Los Angeles, Michael Sherman, joins the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for his first season as a pianist/coach in the fall of 2015. In the summer of 2015 he is a Young Artist at The Glimmerglass Festival, where he is preparing The Magic Flute, Candide, and the world premiere youth opera Odyssey. In the summer of 2014, he worked on Les mamelles de Tirésias as a Coaching Fellow at Wolf Trap Opera. He has been on the music staff at the Curtis Institute of Music and Westminster Choir College and has worked as a coach and répétiteur for the University of Michigan Opera Theatre and Lowell House Opera. In 2012 he served as a pianist for the Metropolitan Opera Urban Voices Initiative. He holds a master’s degree in Collaborative Piano from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Boston University.
A native of Virginia, tenor Rexford Tester is in his first season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. He will make his WNO debut as Le Remendado in next season’s Carmen. He was the second prize winner of the 2015 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. In 2014, he was a finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a Sarah Tucker Grant nominee, as well as an Apprentice Singer with Santa Fe Opera. At Santa Fe he covered Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and performed in a scene from Mozart’s La finta giardiniera. Other recent credits include Lindoro in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri (Tri-Cities Opera), Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore and Tonio in Donizetti’s La fille du régiment (CoOPERAtive Program), and Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Hoffmann in Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann (Westminster Choir College). His concert credits include tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, and Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht. He was also the tenor soloist for The Dallas Opera’s production of Mozart & Company in collaboration with The Dallas Opera Orchestra. He has sung under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel, Daniel Barenboim, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin at The Kimmel Center, Carnegie Hall, and Avery Fisher Hall. In the summer of 2015 he joins The Glimmerglass Festival, where he will cover Tamino and First Priest in The Magic Flute as well as perform the role of Tamino in the Young Artists performance. He attended James Madison University (B.M.) and Westminster Choir College (M.M.).
Born in Brazil and raised in Batesville, Indiana, soprano Ariana Wehr joins WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for her first season in the fall of 2015. She will be seen at WNO as Frasquita in Carmen and as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. She was the third prize winner of the 2015 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. She was a 2014-2015 Artist in Residence for Pensacola Opera, where she performed the roles of Monica in The Medium, Musetta in La bohe`me, and Edith in The Pirates of Penzance. In 2014 she made her debut with DC Public Opera in their production of Don Giovanni as Zerlina, with the Nashville Opera as Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and with the Princeton Festival in Porgy and Bess. She was an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera in the summer of 2013, where she covered Niece I in Peter Grimes. She was also a Young Artist with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre in early 2013 for their productions of La bohe`me and Frankenboy! A Monsteropera, their touring outreach opera. She made her operatic debut as Gretel in Opera Louisiane’s production of Hansel and Gretel and was the soloist in the Louisiana premiere of Zelenka’s Magnificat in C with the Baton Rouge Early Vocal Ensemble. She sang several roles with LSU Opera, including Marianne in Romberg’s The New Moon, Musetta in La bohe`me, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Le feu and Le rossignol in L’enfant et les sortilèges, Giunone in La Calisto, Papagena in Die Zauberflo¨te, and Mrs. Nordstrom in A Little Night Music. Other roles include Zerlina in Don Giovanni with FestivalSouth Opera, First Sheep in Candide with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, and Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar in Weimar, Germany. She studied with Patricia O’Neill at Louisiana State University, where she received her B.M. in Vocal Performance in 2011 and her M.M. in Vocal Performance in 2013. She currently studies with Jennifer Casey Cabot in Washington, D.C. She was an Encouragement Award Winner from the Portland District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in October 2013 and won the 2nd Place Marie E. Crump Memorial Award in the 26th annual Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition in May 2014.
Chinese bass Wei Wu returns for his third season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Last season with WNO he appeared as Colline in La bohème (Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance), as the King in The Little Prince, as Mr. Shaw in the world premiere of Penny, and as Dr. Javelinot in Dialogues of the Carmelites. Previously with WNO he was a member of the ensemble in the world premiere of The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me and was also seen as Second Armored Man in The Magic Flute. In 2015 he won second prize at the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition. He has appeared as the Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing in a production by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello. He has also recently performed Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte with Opera Arkansas and appeared in concert as bass soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Grand Junction Symphony and in Verdi’s Requiem with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. He made his Alice Tully Hall debut singing in concert with performers from China’s I Sing Beijing opera program. He has appeared on stage as Ferrando in Il trovatore and Tom in Un ballo in maschera with China National Opera; and as Leporello in Don Giovanni, Doctor Grenvil/Marchese in La traviata, Olin Blitch in Susannah, Colline in La bohème, Jigger in Carousel, Dr. Gibbs in Our Town, and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with University of Colorado Opera. He has also appeared as Colline in La bohème in concert performances with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Other past performances include appearances at the China National Opera House, Roma Auditorium Symphony, and with Opera Hong Kong. In 2010 and 2012, he was a district finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
ABOUT WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA
Washington National Opera (WNO) is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, the company presents a diverse season of grand opera—including both classics from the repertory and more contemporary pieces—plus an annual holiday family opera, several newly commissioned American works, and a variety of special concerts and events. The WNO Orchestra is led by Music Director Philippe Auguin. Founded in 1956 and an affiliate of the Kennedy Center since 2011, WNO has a storied legacy of world premieres, new productions, international tours, live recordings and radio broadcasts, and innovative education and community-engagement programs. Throughout its history WNO has been led by titans in the opera field, including the legendary Plácido Domingo, who headed the company from 1996 to 2011.
WNO contributes to the future of opera through two signature artist-development programs. The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, now in its 14th season, has become one of the nation’s most competitive and comprehensive professional training programs for young singers and collaborative pianists. Alumni of the program have won major competitions and gone on to successful careers at major operas houses in the U.S. and abroad. The WNO Opera Institute nurtures the ambitions of high-school-age singers from across the nation during an intensive three-week summer program held at American University in Washington.
Among the company’s most successful recent programs is the 2012 launch of the American Opera Initiative, a comprehensive commissioning program that works to expand the American operatic repertory, to give WNO’s young artists the chance to collaborate with living composers and librettists on new works, and to make American opera more relevant to 21st- century audiences. The most popular of WNO’s community-engagement programs is M&M’S® Opera in the Outfield, during which an opera is broadcast live from the Kennedy Center Opera House stage to the high-definition scoreboard at Nationals Park. Last season’s simulcast drew more than 10,000 spectators to the ballpark. The company’s other education programs include the Kids Create Opera program at local elementary schools, Look-In performances for students in grades 4-8, and the Student Dress Rehearsal Program for middle and high school students. The company also offers free Opera Insights programs before every performance in the Opera House.
To celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary, Washington National Opera will present three complete cycles of Wagner’s Ring in spring 2016. These performances, featuring an acclaimed production by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and conducted by Music Director Philippe Auguin, will be the first time the company has presented The Ring in complete cycles in its history.
ABOUT THE DOMINGO-CAFRITZ YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM
Founded by Plácido Domingo and soon to begin its 14th season, the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program guides young singers and pianists/coaches on the verge of international careers. The program provides intensive study with renowned vocal and drama coaches and offers voice lessons, language classes, career guidance, and master classes with Washington National Opera staff and guest artists. The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists also have the opportunity to perform and cover roles in WNO productions.
In addition to many performances on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists have performed at the White House, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, the United States Senate, the Supreme Court, the Music Center at Strathmore, the Smithsonian Institution, the Mexican Cultural Institute, with the Baltimore and Charleston Symphony Orchestras, and at numerous embassies. They have also appeared in concert with Maestro Domingo at the Reignwood Theatre in Beijing.
Each season, the Young Artists sing a fully staged performance with orchestra in the Kennedy Center Opera House as part of the WNO season. Past productions have included La traviata, The Marriage of Figaro, and Madama Butterfly conducted by Maestro Domingo; and Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, and La bohème conducted by WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin. Next season’s production will be Carmen, which will be performed on Friday, October 2, 2015.
Graduates of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program have gone on to successful careers including performances at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, LA Opera, New York City Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Santa Fe Opera, National Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Bayreuth Festival, Glyndebourne Festival, Berlin State Opera, Teatro Real in Madrid, and Opéra de Monte-Carlo.
Auditions for places in the program’s 2016-2017 season will be held in a series of national auditions throughout the fall of 2015 in Washington, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia. More details will be announced in the coming months.
The 2015-2016 Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists are: Joel Ayau, Woodstock, Connecticut, U.S. (pianist/coach, second season) Michael Brandenburg, Austin, Indiana, U.S. (tenor, second season) Timothy J. Bruno, Toledo, Ohio, U.S. (bass, first season) Hunter Enoch, Paris, Tennessee, U.S. (baritone, first season) Raquel González, Lawrence, Kansas, U.S. (soprano, second season) Leah Hawkins, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (mezzo-soprano, first season) Daryl Freedman, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (mezzo-soprano, first season) Kerriann Otaño, Wading River, New York, U.S. (soprano, second season) Aleksandra Romano, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. (mezzo-soprano, second season) Michael Sherman, Los Angeles, California, U.S. (pianist/coach, first season) Rexford Tester, Tazewell, Virginia, U.S. (tenor, first season) Ariana Wehr, Batesville, Indiana, U.S. (soprano, first season) Wei Wu, Beijing, China (bass, third season) “The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is a vital part of Washington National Opera’s mission, and I’m proud of the steps we’ve taken to revitalize the program and increase the young artists’ involvement in both our artistic programming and our community engagement,” said WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello. “Michael Heaston has selected an excellent group of singers and pianists for next season, and I look forward to introducing our new WNO ‘home team’ to Washington audiences.”
Complete biographies of the 2015-2016 Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists appear later in this release.
A world-class coaching roster
Leading the coaching roster for the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program’s 2015-2016 season is Alan Held, the acclaimed American bass-baritone who has appeared in more than 20 WNO productions and will soon star in WNO’s 2016 Ring cycles. He will work with the young artists by leading individual coaching sessions, presenting group classes on a variety of repertoire, and hosting career roundtable discussions.
“No other opera company has meant more to me in my career than the Washington National Opera, which gave me my start nearly 30 years ago, and I am thrilled to be named the Artist in Residence for its Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program,” said Mr. Held. “I look forward to giving back to a company that has helped me and so many young artists at this most critical stage of their careers. Just as Ed Purrington and many others assisted me so long ago, I am happy to be a resource and guide to the very talented young artists in this exciting program.”
The young artists will work with voice teachers Diana Soviero, one of the foremost interpreters of the verismo repertoire and now one of the most in-demand voice teachers in New York, and William Stone, esteemed baritone and member of the voice faculty at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. The roster of guest vocal coaches includes John Churchwell, the Head of Music Staff at San Francisco Opera and a longtime member of the faculty at the Music Academy of the West; Bénédicte Jourdois, a member of the faculty at The Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music; Kathleen Kelly, who has led the music staffs of the Vienna State Opera and Houston Grand Opera and is now the first Coach/Conductor of Opera at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance; and Yelena Kurdina, one of the most in-demand vocal coaches who is particularly acclaimed for her work in the Russian repertory.
Choreographer Karma Camp and directors Jay Lesenger and Alan Paul will work with the young artists on drama and movement. Veteran artist manager Matthew Epstein will advise the young artists on the business side of opera and serve as a career development mentor.
The young artists will continue their work with principal coach Ken Weiss and resident coach Louis Salemno. WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin will also work with the young artists during the season.
Performance opportunities at the Kennedy Center and beyond
An essential component of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center as well as various community concerts, recitals, and events throughout the Washington, D.C. area.
Young artists gain significant performance experience on the stages of the Kennedy Center. A highlight of the program is the annual Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance, featuring young artists performing leading roles in the Kennedy Center Opera House as part of the WNO season. In the 2015-2016 season, the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance will be the October 2, 2015 performance of Bizet’s classic Carmen, conducted by Evan Rogister. The young artists will also appear in leading roles in WNO’s holiday production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, which will be performed in the Terrace Theater December 12-20, 2015.
The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program also engages young artists to study and perform supporting roles in WNO productions. As members of the cast, young artists participate in all scheduled rehearsals and receive direction and guidance from the opera’s key artists. In WNO’s 2015-2016 season, young artists will perform and cover supporting roles in Carmen, Appomattox, Lost in the Stars, and the Ring cycle.
The 2015-2016 season will provide the young artists with extraordinary opportunities to work with living composers and librettists on several world premiere productions. Under the auspices of WNO’s American Opera Initiative, the young artists will work with new composer-librettist teams on three 20-minute operas which will premiere on December 2, 2015, as well as with a more experienced composer-librettist team on a new hour-long opera, Better Gods, which will be presented on January 8 and 9, 2016. Composers, librettists, and casting for these new works, which will be performed in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater, will be announced soon.
The young artists will perform in a special annual showcase—Stars of Tomorrow: The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists in Concert—in the Kennedy Center Opera House on May 21, 2016. Supported by the WNO Orchestra conducted by James Gaffigan, the young artists will highlight their talents and celebrate their seasons in Washington. The young artists will continue to perform in one-hour free performances on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage to highlight upcoming productions, preview the productions of the coming season, and for other special performances. These appearances are streamed live on the Kennedy Center’s website and archived for future viewing. More information on these and other events will be announced in the coming months.
The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists will also collaborate with several local and regional music organizations on special performances in the coming season, including:
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra: “Off the Cuff: Don Giovanni,” October 2-3, 2015 The Joshua M. Freeman Foundation and The Freeman Stage: December 4, 2015 Smithsonian Institution: February 7, 2016 Alexandria Symphony Orchestra: “The Dramatic,” February 13-14, 2016 Dolce Suono Ensemble: April 17, 2016
A complete schedule of performances will be announced in the coming months.
Exchange with Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre continues
Next season will mark the fifth year of a professional exchange between members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program and participants in the Bolshoi Theatre Young Artists Opera Program of Moscow. This summer, the Bolshoi is hosting Yi Li, Ariana Wehr, and Joel Ayau for a 10-day residency July 7-17, 2015, culminating in a joint concert, Young Voices of Moscow and Washington, at the Bolshoi’s Beethoven Hall on July 17.
In the 2015-2106 season, WNO will host several young artists from Russia; these artists will train for two weeks alongside their WNO counterparts, and the exchange will conclude with a joint WNO/Bolshoi young artist recital. This ongoing partnership with the Bolshoi program presents an extraordinary opportunity for the young artists to share their ideas, culture, and technical expertise with their peers from overseas and to connect with foreign artistic agents for future career opportunities.
Biographies of the 2015-2016 Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists
American pianist, coach, and teacher Joel Ayau returns for his second season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Last season he was Assistant Conductor for WNO’s production of Cinderella. As a coach and répétiteur, he has worked with companies including the Toledo Opera, Aspen Opera Theater Center, and Music Academy of the West. He is currently on the music staff of the Castleton Festival as chorus master and opera scenes coach. From 2011-2014, he served as pianist for the United States Army Chorus, performing for foreign dignitaries and audiences around the country. He has performed instrumental recitals with such artists as Ian Bousfield, David Halen, and Charles Neidich, and his work accompanying singers has taken him to Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress, and the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan. He holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts from the University of Michigan in Collaborative Piano. He earned a Masters in Collaborative Piano from The Juilliard School and an undergraduate degree from New York University in Piano Performance and Computer Science.
A native of Austin, Indiana, American tenor Michael Brandenburg returns for his second season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Next season he will sing the role of Don José in the Domingo-Cafitz Young Artist Performance of Carmen, and last season he appeared as the Steersman in WNO’s production of The Flying Dutchman. In the summer of 2015 he sings the role of Macduff in Macbeth at The Glimmerglass Festival, where he will return in 2016 in the leading role of Rodolfo in a new production of La bohème. A 2013 national grand finals winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, his recent performances include the title role in Werther and Le Prince Charmant in Cendrillon at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. In the summer of 2014 he covered the roles of Alfredo in La traviata and Don José in La tragèdie de Carmen at Des Moines Metro Opera. He is a recent winner of the George London Foundation Competition, a recipient of the Emerging Artist Award from the Opera Index Vocal Competition, and a winner of the Bel Canto Competition in Chicago. He began studying voice while pursuing a master’s degree in aquatic biology at Ball State University.
Originally from Toledo, Ohio, bass Timothy J. Bruno joins the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for his first season in the fall of 2015. In the 2015-2016 season, he will appear as General Howell Cobb and James Fowler in WNO’s world premiere of the revised version of Appomattox. In the summer of 2015, he is a Filene Young Artist at Wolf Trap Opera, where he sings the role of Louis XVI in Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles. He recently performed with Atlanta Symphony as Abimélech in Samson et Dalila and also appeared as Kromov in The Merry Widow (Michigan Opera Theatre), Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Der Wanderer in Siegfried (Queen City Chamber Opera), and Elder Ott in Susannah (Toledo Opera). His previous seasons included Méphistophélès in Faust and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Winter Opera Saint Louis, Colline in La bohème with El Paso Opera, and Dr. Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro and The Bonze in Madama Butterfly with Opera Columbus. An alumnus of University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (Master of Music) and Bowling Green State University (Bachelor of Music), he also completed training programs at Central City Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, and Opera Saratoga.
A native of Tennessee, baritone Hunter Enoch joins WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program in the fall of 2015. Next season with WNO he will be seen as Moralès in Carmen. In the summer of 2015, he returns to The Glimmerglass Festival to cover the title role in Macbeth; he made his Glimmerglass debut as Sharpless in Madame Butterfly (Young Artists performance) in 2014. He was a Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts during the 2014-2015 season and appeared as Taddeo in The Italian Girl in Algiers, Marcello in La bohème, and Valentin in Faust. A graduate of Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program, he was also an Emerging Artist at Virginia Opera where he sang the roles of Moralès in Carmen and Wig Maker in Ariadne auf Naxos in 2014. Previously, he trained at Chautauqua Opera (Studio Artist, 2012) and Wolf Trap Opera (Studio Artist, 2010 and 2011). He earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.
Originally from Lawrence, Kansas, American soprano Raquel González returns for her second season of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Next season she will sing the role of Micaëla in the Young Artist Performance of Carmen and The Sandman in Hansel and Gretel; last season she appeared as Mimì in La bohème (Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance) and as Sister Claire in Dialogues of the Carmelites. In the summer of 2015 she sings the role of First Lady in The Magic Flute at The Glimmerglass Festival, where she will return in 2016 in the leading role of Mimì in a new production of La bohème. She recently received her master’s degree from The Juilliard School. At Juilliard, she appeared as Tatiana (Eugene Onegin), Arminda (La finta giardiniera), Dido (Dido and Aeneas), and Mélisse (Armide). She has spent several summers at The Chautauqua Institution, singing such roles as Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Adina (L’elisir d’amore), and Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi). As a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL), she appeared in the world premiere of Terence Blanchard’s Champion and returned to OTSL in the summer of 2014 as a Festival Artist in the role of First Lady in The Magic Flute and also covered Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites. In concert, she has appeared with the New York Festival of Song at Alice Tully Hall. With William Christie and Juilliard415, she has sung Iphise in Rameau’s Les fêtes d’Hébé, appeared in Handel’s Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno, and performed as Diane in Charpentier’s Actéon. She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at Avery Fisher Hall. A 2014 Eastern District winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she has also been awarded prizes from The Liederkranz Foundation and the Gerda Lissner Foundation.
A native of Philadelphia, mezzo-soprano Leah Hawkins joins WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for her first season in the fall of 2015. Next season she will appear with WNO as Mrs. Dorsey and Viola Lee in the world premiere of the revised version of Appomattox. Her roles include Julia Child in the one-woman opera Bon Appétit, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, La Badessa in Suor Angelica, Giulietta in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, and Maria in Porgy and Bess. On the concert stage, she has appeared with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony, Black Pearl Orchestra, Chesapeake Youth Symphony, Yale Philharmonia, and the New Haven Symphony. She has been a young artist with the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to Performance Program, Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artist Vocal Academy, and Central City Opera. In the summer of 2015 she is a Studio Artist with Chautauqua Opera, covering the role of Madame Larina in Eugene Onegin. Awards include an Encouragement Award at the 2015 George London Competition, second place at the 2015 New England Region finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Hope Clark award at the 2014 Opera Ebony Competition, Finalist and Encouragement Award at the 2014 Marcello Giordani International Vocal Competition, first place at the 2013 National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. Vocal Arts Competition for Emerging Artists, and an Encouragement Award at the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Region finals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Morgan State University and her Master of Music from Yale School of Music.
A native of Philadelphia, mezzo-soprano Daryl Freedman joins WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for her first season in the fall of 2015. She will be seen as Gertrude in Hansel and Gretel and as Rossweisse in the Ring cycle. In the 2014-2015 season she sang the role of Amelfa in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Le coq d’or at Sarasota Opera and in the summer of 2015 is an Apprentice Artist at Santa Fe Opera, where she is covering the role of Herodias in Salome. Her 2013-2014 season included her Carnegie Hall debut singing Handel’s Messiah with The Cecilia Chorus of New York and her Wagner debut singing Mary in Der fliegende Holländer with Sarasota Opera, where she also covered Azucena in Il trovatore. She was seen at Santa Fe Opera as a first-year apprentice covering the roles of Fraulein Krone in The Impresario and Death in Le rossignol. Recent seasons have included Zotico in Cavalli’s Eliogabalo with Gotham Chamber Opera, Mozart’s Requiem with The Florida Orchestra, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro with the Merola Opera Program, Ascalax in Telemann’s Orpheus with New York City Opera, and both Federica in Luisa Miller and Third Lady in The Magic Flute with Chautauqua Opera. Additional engagements have included Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor with Sarasota Opera, and covering Ruth in the world premiere production of Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters at both Gotham Chamber Opera and Opera Philadelphia. She performed Alan Smith’s Vignettes: Covered Wagon Woman and covered Baba the Turk in The Rake’s Progress with Music Academy of the West, and has sung with Central City Opera and the Caramoor Festival. She was a member of the Studio Artist Program at Portland Opera from 2009-2011, singing Concepción (L’heure espagnol), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), Venere (Monteverdi’s Il ballo delle ingrate), Sandman (Hansel and Gretel), Maman (L’enfant et les sortilèges), and Aglaonice in Philip Glass’s Orphée, the last of which was recorded and released on Orange Mountain Music. She holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music and Temple University.
Originally from Long Island, New York, American soprano Kerriann Otaño returns for her second season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Next season she appears with WNO as Mary Custis Lee in the world premiere of the revised version of Appomattox and as The Witch in Hansel and Gretel; last season with WNO she sang the role of Katherine in the world premiere of Penny and appeared as Sister Valentine in Dialogues of the Carmelites. In the summer of 2015 she sang the leading role of The Countess in Wolf Trap Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro. She is an alumnus of the Fort Worth Opera studio, where she made her festival debut as Despina in Così fan tutte. In the summer of 2014 she joined The Glimmerglass Festival Young Artists Program, covering the role of Roberta Alden in An American Tragedy. She advanced to the regional level of the 2014 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was awarded second place in the Mid-South region. In the 2013-2014 season she was seen as an apprentice artist with Sarasota Opera and Central City Opera, where she covered Queenie in Show Boat and was heard as Berta in the family performance of Il barbiere di Siviglia. In 2012, she received acclaim for her Donna Elvira as a young artist in Seagle Music Colony’s production of Don Giovanni. She holds a master’s degree in vocal performance from Mannes College, where she sang Maria Corona in The Saint of Bleecker Street under the baton of Joseph Colaneri. She completed her Bachelor of Music at Indiana University.
A native of New Haven, Connecticut, mezzo-soprano Aleksandra Romano returns for her second season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Next season with WNO she will sing the roles of Mercedes in Carmen and Hansel in Hansel and Gretel; last season with WNO she appeared as The Fox in The Little Prince and as Sister Mathilde in Dialogues of the Carmelites. In the summer of 2015, she returns to The Glimmerglass Festival to sing Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti (performed as a part of the Meet Me at the Pavilion series), and to cover the role of Marzia in Vivaldi’s Cato in Utica. Previous seasons’ highlights include Angelina in La Cenerentola (2014), Laura in Iolanta (2014), and Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi (2013), all with Yale Opera; and Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Central City Opera (family performance, 2013). A Mid-Atlantic Regional Finalist and Encouragement Award Winner in the 2014 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, she was also awarded the Phyllis Curtin Career Entry Prize from Yale School of Music. In the summer of 2014, she covered Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and Sondra Finchley in An American Tragedy at The Glimmerglass Festival. She is also an alumna of the Wolf Trap Opera Studio (2011 and 2012). She has been seen in solo recital at Yale University and Bard College and presented a joint recital at the National Opera Center with other Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists in the spring of 2015. She has been seen with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Yale Philharmonia (Woolsey Concerto Competition Winner, 2014), Voices of Cooperstown, Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, and American Symphony Orchestra. She has received further prizes from Opera Theater of Connecticut (First Place, Amici Vocal Competition, 2014), Yale University (Lotte Lenya Scholarship, 2013), Central City Opera (John and Ginny Starkey award, 2013), the Bard College Concerto Competition (2009, 2010), the Classical Singer University Competition (national semifinalist, 2010), and the Presser Foundation (2009).
A native of Los Angeles, Michael Sherman, joins the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for his first season as a pianist/coach in the fall of 2015. In the summer of 2015 he is a Young Artist at The Glimmerglass Festival, where he is preparing The Magic Flute, Candide, and the world premiere youth opera Odyssey. In the summer of 2014, he worked on Les mamelles de Tirésias as a Coaching Fellow at Wolf Trap Opera. He has been on the music staff at the Curtis Institute of Music and Westminster Choir College and has worked as a coach and répétiteur for the University of Michigan Opera Theatre and Lowell House Opera. In 2012 he served as a pianist for the Metropolitan Opera Urban Voices Initiative. He holds a master’s degree in Collaborative Piano from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from Boston University.
A native of Virginia, tenor Rexford Tester is in his first season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. He will make his WNO debut as Le Remendado in next season’s Carmen. He was the second prize winner of the 2015 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. In 2014, he was a finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a Sarah Tucker Grant nominee, as well as an Apprentice Singer with Santa Fe Opera. At Santa Fe he covered Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and performed in a scene from Mozart’s La finta giardiniera. Other recent credits include Lindoro in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri (Tri-Cities Opera), Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore and Tonio in Donizetti’s La fille du régiment (CoOPERAtive Program), and Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Hoffmann in Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann (Westminster Choir College). His concert credits include tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, and Mendelssohn’s Die erste Walpurgisnacht. He was also the tenor soloist for The Dallas Opera’s production of Mozart & Company in collaboration with The Dallas Opera Orchestra. He has sung under the baton of Esa-Pekka Salonen, Gustavo Dudamel, Daniel Barenboim, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin at The Kimmel Center, Carnegie Hall, and Avery Fisher Hall. In the summer of 2015 he joins The Glimmerglass Festival, where he will cover Tamino and First Priest in The Magic Flute as well as perform the role of Tamino in the Young Artists performance. He attended James Madison University (B.M.) and Westminster Choir College (M.M.).
Born in Brazil and raised in Batesville, Indiana, soprano Ariana Wehr joins WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for her first season in the fall of 2015. She will be seen at WNO as Frasquita in Carmen and as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. She was the third prize winner of the 2015 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. She was a 2014-2015 Artist in Residence for Pensacola Opera, where she performed the roles of Monica in The Medium, Musetta in La bohe`me, and Edith in The Pirates of Penzance. In 2014 she made her debut with DC Public Opera in their production of Don Giovanni as Zerlina, with the Nashville Opera as Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and with the Princeton Festival in Porgy and Bess. She was an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera in the summer of 2013, where she covered Niece I in Peter Grimes. She was also a Young Artist with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre in early 2013 for their productions of La bohe`me and Frankenboy! A Monsteropera, their touring outreach opera. She made her operatic debut as Gretel in Opera Louisiane’s production of Hansel and Gretel and was the soloist in the Louisiana premiere of Zelenka’s Magnificat in C with the Baton Rouge Early Vocal Ensemble. She sang several roles with LSU Opera, including Marianne in Romberg’s The New Moon, Musetta in La bohe`me, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Le feu and Le rossignol in L’enfant et les sortilèges, Giunone in La Calisto, Papagena in Die Zauberflo¨te, and Mrs. Nordstrom in A Little Night Music. Other roles include Zerlina in Don Giovanni with FestivalSouth Opera, First Sheep in Candide with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, and Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro with Lyric Opera Studio Weimar in Weimar, Germany. She studied with Patricia O’Neill at Louisiana State University, where she received her B.M. in Vocal Performance in 2011 and her M.M. in Vocal Performance in 2013. She currently studies with Jennifer Casey Cabot in Washington, D.C. She was an Encouragement Award Winner from the Portland District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in October 2013 and won the 2nd Place Marie E. Crump Memorial Award in the 26th annual Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition in May 2014.
Chinese bass Wei Wu returns for his third season of WNO’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program. Last season with WNO he appeared as Colline in La bohème (Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Performance), as the King in The Little Prince, as Mr. Shaw in the world premiere of Penny, and as Dr. Javelinot in Dialogues of the Carmelites. Previously with WNO he was a member of the ensemble in the world premiere of The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me and was also seen as Second Armored Man in The Magic Flute. In 2015 he won second prize at the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition. He has appeared as the Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing in a production by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello. He has also recently performed Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte with Opera Arkansas and appeared in concert as bass soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Grand Junction Symphony and in Verdi’s Requiem with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. He made his Alice Tully Hall debut singing in concert with performers from China’s I Sing Beijing opera program. He has appeared on stage as Ferrando in Il trovatore and Tom in Un ballo in maschera with China National Opera; and as Leporello in Don Giovanni, Doctor Grenvil/Marchese in La traviata, Olin Blitch in Susannah, Colline in La bohème, Jigger in Carousel, Dr. Gibbs in Our Town, and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with University of Colorado Opera. He has also appeared as Colline in La bohème in concert performances with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. Other past performances include appearances at the China National Opera House, Roma Auditorium Symphony, and with Opera Hong Kong. In 2010 and 2012, he was a district finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
ABOUT WASHINGTON NATIONAL OPERA
Washington National Opera (WNO) is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, the company presents a diverse season of grand opera—including both classics from the repertory and more contemporary pieces—plus an annual holiday family opera, several newly commissioned American works, and a variety of special concerts and events. The WNO Orchestra is led by Music Director Philippe Auguin. Founded in 1956 and an affiliate of the Kennedy Center since 2011, WNO has a storied legacy of world premieres, new productions, international tours, live recordings and radio broadcasts, and innovative education and community-engagement programs. Throughout its history WNO has been led by titans in the opera field, including the legendary Plácido Domingo, who headed the company from 1996 to 2011.
WNO contributes to the future of opera through two signature artist-development programs. The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, now in its 14th season, has become one of the nation’s most competitive and comprehensive professional training programs for young singers and collaborative pianists. Alumni of the program have won major competitions and gone on to successful careers at major operas houses in the U.S. and abroad. The WNO Opera Institute nurtures the ambitions of high-school-age singers from across the nation during an intensive three-week summer program held at American University in Washington.
Among the company’s most successful recent programs is the 2012 launch of the American Opera Initiative, a comprehensive commissioning program that works to expand the American operatic repertory, to give WNO’s young artists the chance to collaborate with living composers and librettists on new works, and to make American opera more relevant to 21st- century audiences. The most popular of WNO’s community-engagement programs is M&M’S® Opera in the Outfield, during which an opera is broadcast live from the Kennedy Center Opera House stage to the high-definition scoreboard at Nationals Park. Last season’s simulcast drew more than 10,000 spectators to the ballpark. The company’s other education programs include the Kids Create Opera program at local elementary schools, Look-In performances for students in grades 4-8, and the Student Dress Rehearsal Program for middle and high school students. The company also offers free Opera Insights programs before every performance in the Opera House.
To celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary, Washington National Opera will present three complete cycles of Wagner’s Ring in spring 2016. These performances, featuring an acclaimed production by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and conducted by Music Director Philippe Auguin, will be the first time the company has presented The Ring in complete cycles in its history.
ABOUT THE DOMINGO-CAFRITZ YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM
Founded by Plácido Domingo and soon to begin its 14th season, the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program guides young singers and pianists/coaches on the verge of international careers. The program provides intensive study with renowned vocal and drama coaches and offers voice lessons, language classes, career guidance, and master classes with Washington National Opera staff and guest artists. The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists also have the opportunity to perform and cover roles in WNO productions.
In addition to many performances on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists have performed at the White House, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Opéra de Monte-Carlo, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, the United States Senate, the Supreme Court, the Music Center at Strathmore, the Smithsonian Institution, the Mexican Cultural Institute, with the Baltimore and Charleston Symphony Orchestras, and at numerous embassies. They have also appeared in concert with Maestro Domingo at the Reignwood Theatre in Beijing.
Each season, the Young Artists sing a fully staged performance with orchestra in the Kennedy Center Opera House as part of the WNO season. Past productions have included La traviata, The Marriage of Figaro, and Madama Butterfly conducted by Maestro Domingo; and Così fan tutte, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, and La bohème conducted by WNO Music Director Philippe Auguin. Next season’s production will be Carmen, which will be performed on Friday, October 2, 2015.
Graduates of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program have gone on to successful careers including performances at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, LA Opera, New York City Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Santa Fe Opera, National Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Bayreuth Festival, Glyndebourne Festival, Berlin State Opera, Teatro Real in Madrid, and Opéra de Monte-Carlo.
Auditions for places in the program’s 2016-2017 season will be held in a series of national auditions throughout the fall of 2015 in Washington, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia. More details will be announced in the coming months.
WHO'S BLOGGING
Law and Disorder by GG Arts Law
Career Advice by Legendary Manager Edna Landau
An American in Paris by Frank Cadenhead
FEATURED JOBS
RENT A PHOTO
