Opera in the Park 2023

Opera in the Park 2023
Cancelled

Free

Due to an unexpected thunderstorm, we postponed Opera in the Park shortly before the program began. At that time, we thought we would be able to resume the program. For the safety of everyone involved, we then decided to cancel Opera in the Park altogether.

Unfortunately, we cannot perform tomorrow (Sunday), as we had passed the deadline to reschedule the concert.

It was amazing to see so many of you gathered in the park this evening. We wish we could have shared this wonderful music and all of the artists’ hard work. We look forward to seeing you in Overture Center this fall and again in the park next year.

Thank you for your support and understanding.

Opera in the Park

CANCELLED

Garner Park
FREE

Should inclement weather occur, we will decide by 5pm on Saturday, July 22 if we need to postpone the concert to Sunday evening. Notifications will be posted on our website, via social media, and through patron emails. If a postponement is necessary, the concert will take place at 8 pm on Sunday, July 23.

For patrons with limited mobility, there is a drop-off point on Rosa Road at the Garner Park walking path. Ask the traffic officer at Rosa Road for access to the drop-off point, and they will let you through.

There is accessible parking on Rosa Road, Driftwood Ave., and South Hill Drive west of Rosa Road. Golf carts are available to transport patrons with limited mobility from their vehicles to the park before and after the performance. Ask an Opera in the Park volunteer for golf cart transport.

Garner Park is accessible via Madison Metro Transit Route A at Stop ID 0898 on the corner of Mineral Point and South Rosa Road.

Double your gift!

Keep great music accessible to everyone by making a gift to Opera in the Park Fund. Any donation you make before August 31, 2023 will be matched by generous anonymous friends of Madison Opera, up to $10,000. This will double your gift’s impact and help ensure Opera in the Park delights generations.

1st Prize: $2,000
2nd Prize: $1,000
3rd Prize: Madison Opera Subscription for Two

Enter the Opera in the Park Raffle for a chance to win big prizes and support Opera in the Park.

At the concert, raffle tickets are available to purchase at program tables and from select volunteers. Tickets are just $10 each or 3 for $25. All proceeds go to support Opera in the Park. At the end of the night, three lucky winners will be drawn.

You need not be present to win. Lic# R0004750-A-72757

The closest you can get to the stars under the night sky! Support Opera in the Park by joining us for a special Prelude Dinner in Garner Park on Saturday, July 22, 2023 (rain date of July 23). Attendees receive a dinner catered by Upstairs Downstairs Catering, wine and beer, VIP seating at the concert, glow sticks, and an invitation to an artist’s reception following the concert.

Beverage service for the evening will begin at 6 pm in the white tent next to the stage, with dinner served promptly at 6:30 pm.

Seats are $170 per person or $1,300 for a table of eight. All proceeds benefit the Opera in the Park Fund.

Registration for the 2023 Prelude Dinner is closed. Please contact Beth Tolles at (608) 238-8085 or tolles@madisonopera.org with any questions.

Every year we rely on over 100 volunteers to help make Opera in the Park a success. Opera in the Park 2023 will be held on July 22, 2023 in Garner Park, and we would love to have you join us! We have a wide variety of tasks available, including set-up, clean-up, helping with parking, selling light sticks, and handing out programs.

At this time, all of our volunteer needs have been met. Thank you for your interest in supporting Opera in the Park. We look forward to seeing you at the park on July 22.

Frequently Asked Questions

Opera in the Park 2023 is Saturday, July 22 at 8pm. The rain date is Sunday, July 23 at 8pm.

No. Opera in the Park is free and open to the public – just come to the park.

Opera in the Park features a mix of arias and ensembles from a broad spectrum of opera and Broadway. Every summer’s concert features selections from Madison Opera’s upcoming season, famous operas, unusual operas, operettas, zarzuelas, Broadway musicals, and more. The repertoire for Opera in the Park 2023 can be found here.

The concert begins at 8pm and will end around 10:15pm. There is one 20-minute intermission.

We keep a close eye on the weather in the days leading up to Opera in the Park. If we think there is a likelihood of inclement weather, we will make an announcement no later than 5:45pm on the day of the concert and post it on our website and via social media. If we must postpone the Saturday performance, the concert will take place on Sunday at 8pm.

You may lay down a tarp or blanket to claim your spot beginning at 7am on the day of the concert – but you can also arrive shortly before the concert and still find a good spot, as there isn’t a bad seat in Garner Park. The concert starts promptly at 8pm; most people arrive an hour or two before the concert to socialize and picnic.

Garner Park is located at 333 S. Rosa Rd. If you choose to drive, there is free parking for your vehicle. Just follow the signs and pay attention to our wonderful volunteers.

Garner Park is accessible via Madison Metro Transit Route A at Stop ID 0898 on the corner of Mineral Point and South Rosa Road.

There is bicycle parking at various locations surrounding the park.

Follow the signs and friendly volunteers to FREE parking at TruStage (formerly CUNA) and University Research Park.

For patrons with limited mobility, there is a drop-off point on Rosa Road at the Garner Park walking path. Ask the traffic officer at Rosa Road for access to the drop-off point, and they will let you through.

There is accessible parking on Rosa Road, Driftwood Ave., and South Hill Drive west of Rosa Road.

Golf carts are available to transport patrons with limited mobility before and after the performance. Ask an Opera in the Park volunteer in a red t-shirt for golf cart transport.

Yes! Pack your favorite picnic, grab some carry out, and enjoy a musical feast. There will be soft drinks, water, and Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream for sale.

Yes, alcohol may be enjoyed responsibly at the event.

There will be soft drinks, water, and Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream for sale.

The Prelude Dinner is another way to support Opera in the Park. Sponsors of the concert as well as individuals who purchase a ticket receive a catered dinner, wine and beer, VIP seating at the concert, light sticks, and an invitation to a reception with the artists following the concert.

Opera in the Park is free to attend but requires generous support to produce. You can help make this concert possible by making a direct donation online or in the park, by purchasing a raffle ticket, or by purchasing light sticks and t-shirts

A favorite Opera in the Park tradition takes place when the audience conducts one of the songs with light sticks. The park comes alive with an illuminated rainbow swaying in time to the music. Light sticks start at just $1, and we have an array of other glow merchandise for sale, so you can really light up the hillside!

Service animals are always welcome; all other pets must be on-lead and kept on the walking path.

Lost and found is located at the Garner Park Shelter at the top of the hill. Items unclaimed after the concert will be brought back to the Madison Opera Center and kept for a month.

The Madison Police Department have requested that you do not fly or operate drones or quadcopters in the event area.

Multimedia

Cast

Katernina Burton in a black dress.
Katerina Burton
Soprano

Madison Opera Debut
Recently: Girlfriend 2, Blue; Micaëla, Carmen (Washington National Opera); Alice Ford, Falstaff (Aspen Music Festival); Verna/Young Lovely/Evelyn, Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis)

2324 Headshot - Emily Fons
Emily Fons
Mezzo-soprano

Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2012
Recently at MO: Rosina, The Barber of Seville

Recently: Rosina, The Barber of Seville (Cincinnati Opera, Santa Fe Opera); Woman, Ghosts (San Diego Opera); Cherubino, The Marriage of Figaro (Canadian Opera Company); Hansel, Hansel and Gretel (New Orleans Opera)

2324 Headshot Martin Luther Clark
Martin Luther Clark
Tenor

Madison Opera Debut
Recently: CJ, The Factotum; First Armed Man, Die Zauberflöte (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Rapunzel’s Prince, Into the Woods (Tulsa Opera)

2324 Headshot Weston Hurt
Weston Hurt
Baritone

Madison Opera Debut: Germont, La Traviata (2019)
Recently at MO: Digital Opera in the Park 2020

Recently: Scarpia, Tosca (Arizona Opera); Germont, La Traviata (Lyric Opera of Kansas City); Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (Alabama Symphony); Nabucco, Nabucco (Seattle Opera)

 

John DeMain
John DeMain
Conductor

Madison Opera Debut: The Magic Flute (1995)
Recently at MO: Trouble in Tahiti, The Seven Deadly Sins, Salome, Opera in the Park 2022, Orpheus in the Underworld, She Loves MeFellow Travelers, La Traviata
Recently: 
Blue (Glimmerglass Festival); Candide (Gran Teatre de Liceu); Porgy and Bess (Seattle Opera); Lost in the Stars (Washington National Opera)

The History of Opera in the Park

Opera in the Park 2022

Sunday, July 24, 2022 – 8pm
Garner Park


Michael Adams – baritone
Vanessa Becerra – soprano
John DeMain – conductor
Margaret Gawryziak – mezzo-soprano
Limmie Pulliam- tenor

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2021

Saturday, July 24, 2021 – 8pm
Garner Park


Kyle Ketelsen – bass/baritone
Amanda Majeski – soprano
Stephanie Rhodes Russell – conductor
Andrew Stenson – tenor
Rehanna Thelwell – mezzo-soprano

Suzanne Beia – violin
Xavier Pleindoux – violin
Christopher Dozoryst – viola
Karl Lavine – cello
David Scholl – bass
Stephanie Jutt – flute
Marc Fink – oboe
JJ Koh – clarinet
Cynthia Cameron – bassoon
Linda Kimball – French horn
Ricardo Almeida – French horn
Nick Bonaccio – percussion
Johanna Weinholts – harp
Scott Gendel – keyboard
Anthony Cao – keyboard

Digital Opera in the Park 2020

Saturday, July 25, 2020 – 8pm
Available Online


Andres Acosta- tenor
Jasmine Habersham – soprano
Weston Hurt – baritone
Karen Slack – soprano

Suzanne Beia – violin
John DeMain – piano
Scott Gendel – piano
Madison Opera Chorus
Anthony Cao – piano, chorusmaster

Guest Pianists:  Rolando Salazar, Bethany Self, Laura Ward, Marika Yasuda

Opera in the Park 2019

Sunday, July 21, 2019 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
David Blalock- tenor
Ben Edquist – baritone
Jeni Houser – soprano
Michele Johnson – soprano

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2018

Saturday, July 21, 2018 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by Gary Thor Wedow
Elizabeth Caballero – soprano
Levi Hernandez – baritone
John Lindsey – tenor
Brenda Rae – soprano

with
Anthony Cao – baritone
Anna Parks – mezzo-soprano

Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2017

Saturday, July 22, 2017 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by Joseph Mechavich
Will Liverman – baritone
Cecilia Violetta Lopez – soprano
David Walton – tenor
Adriana Zabala – mezzo-soprano

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2016

Sunday, July 24, 2016 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by Gary Thor Wedow
Emily Birsan – soprano
Angela Brown – soprano
Sidney Outlaw – baritone
Scott Quinn – tenor

with
Kelsey Parks – mezzo-soprano

Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2015

Saturday, July 25, 2015 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Meredith Arwady – contralto
Eleni Calenos – soprano
Kyle Ketelsen – bass-baritone
Anna Laurenzo – mezzo-soprano
Harold Meers – tenor

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2014

Saturday, July 26, 2014 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Wallis Giunta – mezzo-soprano
Jamie-Rose Guarrine – soprano
Kelly Markgraf – baritone
Sean Panikkar – tenor

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2013

Saturday, July 13, 2013 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Caitlin Cisler – soprano
Nmon Ford – baritone
Brian Jagde – tenor
Alexandra LoBianco – soprano

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Youth Choirs
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2012

Saturday, July 21, 2012 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by Gary Thor Wedow
Matt Boehler – bass
Emily Fons – mezzo-soprano
Caitlin Lynch – soprano
Russell Thomas – tenor

with
Caitlin Cisler –  soprano
Alan Dunbar – baritone
Heath Rush – tenor
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2011

Saturday, July 16, 2010 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Maria Kanyova – soprano
Daniela Mack – mezzo-soprano
Scott Ramsay – tenor
Hyung Yun – baritone

with
Gregory Brumfield – baritone
Saira Frank – soprano

Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2010

Saturday, July 17, 2010 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Roderick Dixon – tenor
Anya Matanovic – soprano
Barbara Shirvis – soprano
Stephen Powell – baritone

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Youth Choirs
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2009

Saturday, July 25, 2009 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Lisa Daltrius – soprano
Adam Diegel – tenor
Jennifer Holloway – mezzo-soprano
Timothy Kuhn – baritone

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2008

Saturday, July 26, 2008 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Kendall Gladen – mezzo-soprano
Bryan Hymel – tenor
Luis Ledesma – baritone
Melody Moore – soprano

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2007

Saturday, July 21, 2007 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Elizabeth Caballero – soprano
Stephen Costello – tenor
Lester Lynch – baritone
Leah Partridge – soprano

with
Heath Rush – tenor

Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2006

Saturday, July 22, 2006 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Kristin Chávez – mezzo-soprano
Eric Fennell – tenor
Dina Kuznetsova – soprano
Guido LeBron – baritone

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2005

Saturday, July 16, 2005 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Donnie Ray Albert – baritone
Elena Bocharova – mezzo-soprano
Kyle Ketelsen – bass-baritone
Ted Lee – tenor
Barbara Quintiliani – soprano

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2004

Saturday, July 17, 2004 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by Steven White
Elizabeth Futral – soprano
Kyle Ketelsen – bass-baritone
Malcolm MacKenzie – baritone
Scott Piper – tenor
Jennifer Rivera – mezzo-soprano

with
David Wallach – tenor

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2003

Saturday, July 19, 2003 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by Steven White
Thomas Barrett – baritone
Paula Delligatti – soprano
Angela Horn – mezzo-soprano
Andrew Richards – tenor

with
Bert Adams – bass
John Green – baritone

Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2002

Saturday, July 20, 2002 – 8pm
Garner Park


Conducted by John DeMain
Robin Follman – soprano
Sari Gruber – soprano
Angela Horn – mezzo-soprano
Kyle Ketelsen – bass-baritone
Malcom MacKenzie – baritone
Andrew Richards – tenor

with
Madison Opera Chorus
Madison Symphony Orchestra

Opera in the Park 2023 Sponsors

PRESENTING SPONSOR

SPONSORS

Kato & David Perlman

Carla & Fernando Alvarado

Vivian Ruth Brigham

Martha & Charles Casey

Patricia & Stephen Lucas

Lynn & Gary Mecklenburg

Raymond B. Preston Family Foundation. The Letter P surrounded by a brown circle

MEDIA SPONSORS

WKOW-logo_web2017
LaMovida_logo01jpg
WPRlogo_color
Madison-Magazine-Logo
magic98logo_200x100


Keely Futterer

Rosina, The Barber of Seville

Hometown: Dover, AR
Madison Opera Debut: Léontine, The Anonymous Lover (2024)

Recently: Anna Sørenson, Silent Night (Wolf Trap Opera); Musetta, La Bohème; Armida, Rinaldo; Charlene, Service Provider; Jazz Trio, Trouble in Tahiti (Minnesota Opera);
Armida, Rinaldo; Vanderdendur, Candide; Angostura, Tenor Overboard (Glimmerglass Festival);
Rodelinda, Rodelinda (Hudson Hall); Fiordiligi, Così fan tutte (Opera Memphis);

Upcoming: Marcellina, Leonora (Chicago Opera Theater);
Fiordiligi, Così fan tutte (Virginia Opera); Verdi Requiem (Erie Philharmonic)


Weston Hurt

Baritone, Opera in the Park

Hometown: Spring, TX
Madison Opera Debut: Germont, La Traviata (2019)

Recently: Sharpless, Madama Butterfly (Houston Grand Opera, New Orleans Opera);
Britten's War Requiem (Opera Roanoke); Scarpia, Tosca (Arizona Opera);
Germont, La Traviata (Lyric Opera of Kansas City); Nabucco, Nabucco (Seattle Opera)

Upcoming: Rigoletto, Rigoletto (English National Opera)

Joshua Sanders

Tenor, Opera in the Park

Hometown: Plain, WI
Madison Opera Debut: Giuseppe, La Traviata (2011)
Also at MO: Tobias Ragg, Sweeney Todd; Inmate, Dead Man Walking; Ensemble, Acis and Galatea

Recently: Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville; Romeo, Romeo and Juliet (Opera San José);
Tamino, The Magic Flute (Nashville Opera); Sam Clay, The Amazing Adventures of
Kavalier & Clay
workshop (Metropolitan Opera)

Upcoming:  Victorin, Die tote Stadt (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Sachie Ueshima, wearing black in front of a stone staircase.
Sachie Ueshima

Zerlina, Don Giovanni

Hometown: Wakayama City, Japan
Madison Opera Debut
Former Madison Opera Studio Artist

Recently: Cio-Cio-San, Madama Butterfly (Virginia Opera); Violetta, La Traviata;
Krystyna Zywulska, Two Remain (UW-Madison)

Upcoming: Cio-Cio-San, Madama Butterfly (Kentucky Opera)


David Walton

Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville

Hometown: Twin Cities, MN
Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2017
Also at MO: Belmonte, The Abduction from the Seraglio

Recently: Ferrando, Così fan tutte (Princeton Festival); Ramiro, La Cenerentola (Toledo Opera);
Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville (North Carolina Opera);
Frederic, The Pirates of Penzance (Opera San Antonio); Filippo, Deceit Outwitted (Sarasota Opera)

Upcoming: Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville (Minnesota Opera); Candide, Candide (South Florida Symphony);
Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni (Livermore Valley Opera)

Emily Fons

Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni

Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2012
Also at MO: Opera in the Park 2024; Rosina, The Barber of Seville (2015)

Recently: Nicklausse, The Tales of Hoffmann (Palm Beach Opera);
Rosina, The Barber of Seville (Cincinnati Opera, Santa Fe Opera);
Woman, Ghosts (San Diego Opera); Cherubino, The Marriage of Figaro (Canadian Opera Company);
Hansel, Hansel and Gretel (New Orleans Opera)

Upcoming: Princess Irene, Tamerlano (Haymarket Opera)


Kanopy Dance

María de Buenos Aires

Hometown: Madison, WI
Madison Opera Debut: Acis & Galatea (2013)
Recently at MO: Florencia en el Amazonas; Trouble in Tahiti / The Seven Deadly Sins


Lisa Thurrell

Choreographer, María de Buenos Aires

Hometown: Madison, WI
Madison Opera Debut: Florencia en el Amazonas (2018)
Recently at MO: The Anonymous Lover, Trouble in Tahiti / The Seven Deadly Sins
Co-Artistic Director of Kanopy Dance

Recently: Director and Choreographer, Winter Fantasia: Reimagined; Polaris + Revelations;
The Next Generation;
Confluence: A Prelude; Graham: In Her Voice; Shades of Light (Kanopy Dance);
Choreographer, Bluebeard's Castle (Des Moines Metro Opera)

Upcoming: Director and Choreographer, Inner Passages (Kanopy Dance);
Choreographer, The Cunning Little Vixen (Des Moines Metro Opera)


Kirstin Chávez

El Duende, María de Buenos Aires

Hometown: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Albuquerque, NM
Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2006

Recently: Glenda, We Shall Not Be Moved (Pittsburgh Opera); Verdi's Requiem (Pensacola Symphony);
Carlotta de Obragón, Zorro (Fort Worth Opera); Suzuki, Madama Butterfly (Dallas Opera);
Mozart's Requiem (Paducah Symphony); Carmen, Carmen (St. Barth's Music Festival)

Upcoming: Carmen, Carmen (Kentucky Symphony Orchestra); Carmen, Carmen Inside Out (the film)


Ryan Nash

Sergeant, The Barber of Seville

Hometown: Longmeadow, MA
Madison Opera Debut
Madison Opera Studio Artist

Recently: Gherardo, Gianni Schicchi (American Gothic Performing Arts Festival); Frederic, The Pirates of Penzance (Madison Savoyards);
Mercurio, La Calisto; Gastone, La Traviata; Albert Herring, Albert Herring (UW Madison Opera);
Rinuccio, Gianni Schicchi (La Musica Lirica USA); Alfred, Die Fledermaus; Monostatos, The Magic Flute (UMass Opera)

Upcoming: Tamino, The Magic Flute (Opera for the Young)


John DeMain

Conductor: Opera in the Park, The Barber of Seville, Don Giovanni

Hometown: Youngstown, OH
Madison Opera Debut: The Magic Flute (1995)
Recently at MO: Candide, Tosca, Trouble in Tahiti / The Seven Deadly Sins, Salome


Rebecca Herman

Stage Director, The Barber of Seville

Hometown: Austin, TX
Madison Opera Debut

Recently: Carmen (Austin Opera); Don Giovanni (Opera Colorado, Cincinnati Opera);
Un Cuento de Luces y Sonmbras
(LOLA); La Bohème (Glimmerglass Opera);
The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Utah Opera, Calgary Opera)

Upcoming: The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (Washington National Opera); New Opera Workshop, We Might be Struck by Lighting (LOLA)


Fenlon Lamb

Stage Director, Don Giovanni

Hometown: Princeton, NJ
Madison Opera Debut:
La Traviata (2019)
Recently at MO: Lucia di Lammermoor

Recently: La Fanciulla del West (Central City Opera); The Elixir of Love, Così fan tutte (Palm Beach Opera);
The Marriage of Figaro
(Portland Opera); Carmen (Opera Santa Barbara);
Charlie Parker's Yardbird (Dayton Opera); La Bohème (New Orleans Opera); Mozart and Salieri (Opera San Jose)


Kamna Gupta

Conductor, María de Buenos Aires

Hometown: St. Genis-de-Puilly, France
Madison Opera Debut

Recently: The Pearl Fishers (Vancouver Opera); In Our Daughter's Eyes (LA Opera / BMP);
Number Our Days (Perelman Performing Arts Center); Glory Denied (Cleveland Institute of Music);
Rocking Horse Winner (Tapestry Opera); The Rip Van Winkles (Glimmerglass Festival)

Upcoming: Ruinous Gods (Spoleto Festival USA)


Frances Rabalais

Stage Director, María de Buenos Aires

Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Madison Opera Debut: Tosca (2023)

Recently: Macbeth (Resonance Works); Hansel and Gretel (Opera Birmingham);
The Magic Flute (North Carolina Opera); The Barber of Seville (Pensacola Opera)


Charles Eaton

Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni

Hometown: Storrs, CT
Madison Opera Debut: Moralès, Carmen (2017)
Recently at MO: Count Malcolm, A Little Night Music

Recently: Ponchel, Silent Night; Brother, The Seven Deadly Sins (Wolf Trap Opera); Schaunard, La Bohème;
Sam, Trouble in Tahiti; Masetto, Don Giovanni; Argante, Rinaldo (Minnesota Opera);
Fedorov, The Christmas Spider (Opéra Louisiane, Marble City Opera);
English Ambassador, The Ghosts of Versailles (Royal Opera Versailles);
Marcello, La Bohème (Imperial Symphony Orchestra)

Upcoming: Mercutio, Romeo & Juliet (Minnesota Opera);
Silvio, Pagliacci (Pensacola Opera)


Jeremiah Sanders

Leporello, Don Giovanni

Hometown: Marian, IN
Madison Opera Debut

Recently: Marcello, La Bohème; Beau, Service Provider; Jazz Trio, Trouble in Tahiti;
Hortensius, The Daughter of the Regiment; Mago, Rinaldo;
Abilenes's Father / Bryce's Father, Edward Tulane (Minnesota Opera);
Colline, La Bohème (Lyric Opera of the North); Lackey, Ariadne auf Naxos (Lakes Area Music Festival);
Charlie, Three Decembers (South Bend Lyric Opera); The Villains, The Tales of Hoffmann (Union Avenue Opera)


Ashraf Sewailam

The Commendatore, Don Giovanni

Hometown: Cairo, Egypt / San Francisco, CA
Madison Opera Debut:
Captain, Florencia en el Amazonas (2018)

Recently: Dr. Bartolo, The Barber of Seville (Des Moines Metro Opera, Seattle Opera);
Dr. Bartolo, The Marriage of Figaro (New Orleans Opera); Sparafucile, Rigoletto (Opera San Jose);
Giove, La Calisto (Opera Memphis)

Upcoming: Dr. Bartolo, The Barber of Seville (Lyric Opera of Kansas City);
Dulcamara, The Elixir of Love (New Orleans Opera)


Andrew Stenson

Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni

Hometown: Rochester, MN
Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2021

Recently: Pong, Turandot (Metropolitan Opera); Bill, Flight; The Steersman, The Flying Dutchman (Dallas Opera);
Pang, Turandot (Houston Grand Opera); Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni (Seattle Opera);
Nemorino, The Elixir of Love (Seattle Opera, Minnesota Opera, Florentine Opera);
Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville (Opera Colorado, Garsington Opera);
Nikolaus Sprink, Silent Night; Tamino, The Magic Flute (Utah Opera);
Fadinard, The Italian Straw Hat (Minnesota Opera); Danny Chen, An American Soldier (Opera Theatre of St. Louis)

Headshot of Hailey Cohen
Hailey Cohen

Berta, The Barber of Seville

Hometown: Edgemont, NY
Madison Opera Debut: Dorothée, The Anonymous Lover (2024)
Also with MO: Paquette, Candide
Madison Opera Studio Artist

Recently: Zita, Gianni Schicchi (Finger Lakes Opera); Hattie, American Gothical (Cedar Rapids Opera);
Sally, The Boy Who Wanted to be a Robot; K., Would You Eat Me? (Thompson Street Opera)


Lifan Deng

Fiorello, The Barber of Seville
Masetto, Don Giovanni

Hometown: Shenzhen, China
Madison Opera Debut
Madison Opera Studio Artist

Recently: Voce 2, Il Nostro Posto nel Mondo (Thompson Street Opera Company);
The Police Agent / Mr. Kofner, The Consul (Third Eye Ensemble);
Don Alfonso, Così fan tutte; Kaiser Overall, Der Kaiser von Atlantis (Northwestern Opera Theater);
Old Adam Goodheart, Ruddigore; Carpenter's Mate, H.M.S. Pinafore (The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company);
Olin Brett, The Music Man (Metropolis Performing Arts Centre)

Upcoming: Papageno, The Magic Flute (Opera for the Young)


Laureano Quant

El Payador, María de Buenos Aires

Hometown: Barranquilla, Colombia
Madison Opera Debut

Recently: Schaunard, La Bohème (Wolf Trap Opera); Foreman, Jenufa; Dancaïre, Carmen;
Count of Lerma, Don Carlo (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Escamillo, Le tragedie de Carmen;
Guglielmo, Così fan tutte (The Opera Next Door); Betto, Gianni Schicchi (Ópera de Colombia);
Demetrius, A Midsummer Night's Dream; Captain / Ragotsky, Candide (Orquestra Filarmónica de Bogotà)

Upcoming: Belcore, The Elixir of Love (New Orleans Opera);
Bill, Aufsteig und Fall der Stadt Mahgonny (Staatsoper Stuttgart)


Kelly Guerra

María, María de Buenos Aires

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Madison Opera Debut

Recently: María, María de Buenos Aires (Kentucky Opera); Lupita, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna;
Carlotta de Obragón, Zorro (Opera Santa Barbara); Renata, Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (West Edge Opera);
Rosina, The Barber of Seville (Princeton Festival); Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Scalia/Ginsburg (Chautauqua Opera);
Luisa Fernanda, Luisa Fernanda (Opera Hispánica, Opera Williamsburg)

Upcoming: Una Niña, Ainadamar (Metropolitan Opera); Jo, Little Women (Fort Worth Opera);
Isabella, L'Italiana in Algeri (Opera in the Heights); Mrs. Fox, Fantastic Mr. Fox (Opera Omaha)


Alex Taylor

Don Basilio, The Barber of Seville

Hometown: Beloit, WI
Madison Opera Debut: Mother, The Seven Deadly Sins (2023)

Recently: Green Shirt Guy, Mel Rides the Bus Alone (Pittsburgh Opera);
Sarastro, The Magic Flute; Dr. Bartolo, The Marriage of Figaro (Carnegie Mellon University)


Levi Hernandez

Dr. Bartolo, The Barber of Seville

Hometown: El Paso, TX
Madison Opera Debut: Papageno, The Magic Flute (2006)
Recent at MO: Alvaro, Florencia en el Amazonas; Opera in the Park 2018

Recently: Diego Rivera, El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego (Opera Omaha);
Tonio, Pagliacci (Hawaii Opera Theatre); Dandini, La Cenerentola (Boston Lyric Opera);
Peter, Hansel and Gretel (Opera San Antonio); Lescaut, Manon Lescaut (North Carolina Opera)

Upcoming: Lescaut, Manon Lescaut (Washington National Opera); Benoit/Alcindoro, La Bohème (Lyric Opera of Chicago);
Alvaro, Florencia en el Amazonas (North Carolina Opera)


Benjamin Taylor

Figaro, The Barber of Seville

Hometown: Waldorf, MD
Madison Opera Debut:
Silvio, Pagliacci (2018)

Recently: Bello, La Fanciulla del West (Bayerische Staatsoper); Moralès, Carmen (Metropolitan Opera);
Guglielmo, Così fan tutte (Princeton Symphony); Jan Nyman, Breaking the Waves (Detroit Opera);
Silvio, Pagliacci (Austin Opera)

Upcoming: Marcello, La Bohème (Arizona Opera); Jake, Porgy and Bess (Washington National Opera);
Schaunard, La Bohème (Charleston Opera Theater)


Katerina Burton

Donna Anna, Don Giovanni

Hometown: Ocean City, MD
Madison Opera Debut: Opera in the Park 2024

Recently: Mimì, La Bohème; Verna/Young Lovely/Evelyn, Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis); JFK: The Last Speech
(National Symphony Orchestra); Britten’s War Requiem (Strathmore Music Center);
Russian Chamber Art Society; Postclassical Ensemble Concert (The Kennedy Center); Girlfriend 2, Blue;
Micaëla, Carmen (Washington National Opera); Alice Ford, Falstaff (Aspen Music Festival);