Classical Voice and Piano
Recent Performance
St. Andrew Scenes Spectacular! 2019
The Opera
Role of a Lifetime
I fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2017 when UNT Opera invited me to perform a role I’ve always coveted in one of my favorite operas, Francis Poulenc’s Les dialogues des Carmélites: the role of the guillotine!
The macabre ending of this opera, which is based on a true story, is also inexpressibly profound; in working the guillotine (via the sound board, of course), I sought the perfect precision in timing that would help listeners experience both the beauty of the Carmelite nuns’ inextinguishable faith and the many human tragedies of the French Revolution.
Study in Sicilia
Istituto Superiore di Studi V. Bellini, 2009-2010
Can there be any better place to learn the musical style of Vincenzo Bellini than a conservatory near his hometown that bears his name? During my year and a half abroad in Caltanissetta, I was honored to study opera, art song, and piano with exceptional instructors at the Istituto Superiore di Studi. In addition to outstanding educational opportunities, the instructors organized a busy schedule of magnificent performance opportunities for the classe di canto. I am forever grateful for the professional relationships and deep friendships I developed with my instructors and fellow participants.
My time in Sicily was supported by a grant funding my first opera edition publication project: Pietro Platania's La vendetta slava. This opera, Verdian in chronology and style, was thought to be lost until my mentor, Dr. Letizia Colajanni, discovered a manuscript copy. Under her direction and editorship, I transcribed the opera into Finale from the copyist's beautiful nineteenth-century handwriting to create a functional and elegant vocal performance score.
Study in Paris
Conservatoire Régionale de Rayonnement Boulogne-Billancourt
Study in Türkiye
State Conservatory, Dokuz Eylül University
I was honored to be selected as a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar to İzmir, Türkiye! During my scholarship year, I became part of the Balcı family: some of the kindest, brightest people I have ever known. With them, I explored Turkish culture from an insider’s perspective, from the art of the seaside summer weekend to the deeply personal religious practices of Ramazan to the dizzying array of eggplant recipes, each more delicious than the last. I am eternally grateful to my Turkish family, and I still watch the many accomplishments of my host-sister and host-brother with great admiration and pride.
At Dokuz Eylül University, I studied voice and operatic acting under the supervision of soprano Aytül Büyüksaraç and coach extraordinaire Özlem Ebesek. These remarkable performer-educators helped me to expand my European opera and art song repertory, but also introduced me to classic Turkish repertoire. Favorites include the haunting art song “Bülbülüm altın” and the action-aria “Ninni” from the opera Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves.
My time in Turkey was particularly valuable because Rotary International offered me intensive language study opportunities in French and Italian as well as Turkish. Many of my Italian language classmates were Turkish twenty-somethings who were simultaneously studying English, and it was easy for us to mix up our languages within the same sentence by mistake. On one occasion, my friend’s enthusiastic “Let’s go, time to learn!” came out in three languages: “Haydi, let’s andiamo!”
Highlights: University of Minnesota Duluth Opera
La bohème, Rigoletto, Il trovatore, Lucia di Lammermoor, Falstaff,
Le nozze di Figaro, L’elisir d’amore, Carmen, Samson et Dalila
Coming soon:
Upcoming performances
Photos and video