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Accomplished Soprano Cecilia Violetta López Named General Director and CEO of Opera Las Vegas
May 6, 2025 • Download →
Est. 1999
May 6, 2025 • Download →
Est. 1999
Composer
Painting attr. Johann Nepomuk della Croce
Composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart[a][b] (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age resulted in more than 800 works representing virtually every Western classical genre of his time. Many of these compositions are acknowledged as pinnacles of the symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic, and choral repertoires. Mozart is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music,[1] with his music admired for its "melodic beauty, its formal elegance and its richness of harmony and texture".[2]
Born in Salzburg, Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood. At age five, he was already competent on keyboard and violin, had begun to compose, and performed before European royalty. His father, Leopold Mozart, took him on a grand tour of Europe and then three trips to Italy. At 17, he was a musician at the Salzburg court but grew restless and travelled in search of a better position. Mozart's search for employment led to positions in Paris, Mannheim, Munich, and again in Salzburg, during which he wrote his five violin concertos, Sinfonia Concertante, and Concerto for Flute and Harp, as well as sacred pieces and masses, the motet Exsultate Jubilate, and the opera Idomeneo, among other works.
(read more at Wikipedia)
Librettist
19th century engraving by Michele Pekenino, public domain.
Librettist
Lorenzo Da Ponte (né Emanuele Conegliano; 10 March 1749 – 17 August 1838) was an Italian, later American, opera librettist, poet and Roman Catholic priest. He wrote the libretti for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Mozart's most celebrated operas: The Marriage of Figaro (1786), Don Giovanni (1787), and Così fan tutte (1790).
He was the first professor of Italian literature at Columbia University, and with Manuel Garcia, the first to introduce Italian opera to America. Besides Mozart, Da Ponte was also a close friend of Casanova.
(read more at Wikipedia)
Conductor
Conductor
Praised for conducting with "steady acumen and considerable aplomb" and "awesome control” (Opera Today), Joshua Horsch is an extremely versatile operatic and symphonic conductor. A two-time winner of the American Prize in Opera Conducting, Joshua serves as Music Director and Principal Conductor of Opera Las Vegas. Joshua’s recent and upcoming conducting engagements include appearances with Washington National Opera, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Orlando, Opera Idaho, Opera Baltimore, Greensboro Opera, Mobile Opera, Pacific Opera Project, and Tri-Cities Opera. With a diverse repertoire of over sixty operas and a broad spectrum of orchestral and choral works, Joshua has recently held positions as a conductor and pianist/coach on the music staff of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera, Detroit Opera, Florida Grand Opera, North Carolina Opera, Opera Saratoga, Pensacola Opera, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Newport Music Festival. Joshua studied conducting and piano at the University of Colorado Boulder, the Pennsylvania State University, and Ithaca College.
Director
Director
Follow Marc
Marc Callahan is a multi-award-winning director and designer, having won both the Charles Nelson Reilly Award for directing and multiple first prize awards for opera production from the National Opera Association. He has received critical acclaim from The Guardian for his production of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes, saying it was “designed and directed with jaw-dropping invention.” His work has taken him around the world with productions at the Royal Opera House, the Aldeburgh Festival, the Holland Festival, Scottish Opera, Miami Music Festival, the New World Center, Théâtre du Châtelet, the Théâtre du Capitole, and Opera Las Vegas. Recent productions include: From the towers of the Moon, Approaching Ali, The Marriage of Figaro, Cendrillon, The Blue Forest, Help, Help, the Globolinks!, Der Jasager, Lohengrin, Alcina, Die Walküre, Il Sogno di Scipione, Atlas, and L’incoronazione di Poppea, for which he was praised in reviews for “…devising a brilliant production of remarkable dramatic intimacy.”).
Bass
Figaro
Bass
Follow Colin
Chinese-American Bass, Colin Ramsey, has become known for his “majestic, rotund, ravishing bass” (Opera Today). This year, Mr. Ramsey will feature as Alidoro in Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s La Cenerentola, the title role in Opera Santa Barbara’s Giulio Cesare, Timur in both Pacific Opera Project and Orchestre Philharmonique et Choeur des Mélomanes’ productions of Turandot, and joins the Metropolitan Opera roster to cover Dumas in Andrea Chénier. Last season, he returned to Opera Santa Barbara for the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Amarillo Opera for Escamillo in Carmen, the title role in Polifemo in its US premiere, and sang Messiah with The Pacific Chamber Orchestra and Santa Barbara Choral Society. Mr. Ramsey has been a soloist at myriad opera houses including the Santa Fe Opera, San Diego Opera, Opera San Jose, Seattle Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, and Sarasota Opera. His repertoire encompasses a wide range of roles and styles, including Colline in La bohème, Hunding in Die Walküre, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor.
Soprano
Susanna
Soprano
Follow Tori
Tori Tedeschi Adams is an exciting young soprano who is quickly gaining the attention of the opera world. In the 2025-2026 season, Ms. Adams will join The Metropolitan Opera roster, covering Student #3 in Kaija Saariaho’s Innocence. She will also originate the role of Elva Heaster Shue in the world premiere of Everlasting Faint with Madison Opera and make her Opera Las Vegas debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro. This season, she made her role debut as Frasquita in Carmen with the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. In the 2023-2024 season, Ms. Adams made an exciting house debut with the Houston Grand Opera as Liesl von Trapp in their production of The Sound of Music, after a successful run in the same role with the Glimmerglass Festival, in which she was praised as a “lovely, sonorous Liesl” (Opera News). Passionate about new music, Ms. Adams performed in the world premiere productions of Douglas Cuomo’s Doubt with Minnesota Opera and Susan Kander’s The Giver with Project Opera, originating the role of Jonas. She has also participated in the workshops of acclaimed operas, including Paul Moravec’s The Shining with Minnesota Opera and Kevin Puts’ The Hours with Cincinnati Opera/Opera Fusion, which saw its premiere at The Metropolitan Opera.
Soprano
Countess Rosina Almaviva
Soprano
Follow Katherine
Katherine Whyte has delighted audiences and critics alike on opera and concert stages across her native Canada, the United States and Europe. Opera Today has praised her “keen artistic sensibility” while the San Francisco Classical Voice singled out “her glamorous, vibrato-rich voice”. Following her Metropolitan Opera debut in DIE ÄGYPTISCHE HELENA, she has returned to the company as Brigitta IOLANTA, Countess Ceprano RIGOLETTO and Blumenmadchen PARSIFAL
Recent and upcoming engagements for Ms. Whyte include Countess Almaviva LE NOZZE DI FIGARO with Intermountain Opera Bozeman, her debut with Syracuse’s Symphoria performing Poulenc Gloria; a return to New Choral Society as the Soprano soloist Carmina Burana, a solo recital at Gordon College, her debut with Heartbeat Opera as Agathe DER FREISCHÜTZ, and Fiordiligi COSÌ FAN TUTTEwith Opera Grand Rapids. Whyte performed a solo recital with Djordje Nesic at the celebrated Kolarac hall in Belgrade Serbia and was the soprano soloist for Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Santa Rosa Symphony and Eugene Symphony. Katherine will sing the Poulenc Gloria with the Greensboro Symphony, a Sibelius Concert with the Vallejo Festival Orchestra and On this Island with Cameron Stowe for Music for Food. Upcoming roles include Aminta IL RE PASTORE with Orpheus PDX (Portland)
Other recent operatic engagements include the title role IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE and Iris SEMELE with Canadian Opera Company, Gilda RIGOLETTO with English National Opera, Donna Anna DON GIOVANNI with Vancouver Opera and Opera Hong Kong, Pousette MANON for Dallas Opera, Pamina in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE with Michigan Opera Theatre, Euridice ORFEO ED EURIDICE with Atlanta Opera, Adina L’ELISIR D’AMOREwith Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, the Countess LE NOZZE DI FIGARO with Charlottesville Opera, Opera Saratoga, Princeton Festival, the Norwalk Symphony, Virginia Opera and Opera Hamilton andIphis JEPHTA with Opéra National de Bordeaux. At the Metropolitan Opera Katherine has covered the roles of Karolka (cover) JENUFA, Rebecca (cover), TWOBOYS, Zerlina (cover) DON GIOVANNI, Despina (cover) COSÌ FAN TUTTE, and Novice (cover) SUOR ANGELICA.
Concert engagements include Beethoven Symphony No. 9 with the Louisiana Symphony, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, National Chorale and the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional,Handel Messiah with Edmonton Symphony, Houston Symphony, the New Choral Society and the National Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Colorado Symphony, Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica, Mozart Requiem with the Houston Symphony and the Alabama Symphony, Mozart Mass in C-minor with the Vancouver Symphony, Neilsen Symphony No. 3 with the San Francisco Symphony, Beethoven Mass in C Major and Stravinsky Pulcinella with the Houston Symphony, Fauré Requiem with Manhattan Concert Productions at Carnegie Hall and Orff Carmina Burana with the National Chorale. Katherine has given concerts with the Qingdao Symphony Orchestra in China, the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of China’s National Opera at the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival and at the Mountain View International Festival of Song. The winner of the 2007 Alice Tully Recital Competition, Ms. Whyte made her Carnegie Hall debut in Solo recital at Weill Hall in 2008.
Baritone
Count Almaviva
Baritone
Follow Matthew
Praised by the Colorado Spring's Gazette for his "stunning" singing with "power and beauty", Matthew Peterson is a baritone acclaimed for his rich voice and expressive acting ability. His career highlights are the leading baritone roles in Don Giovanni, Cosí fan tutte, and Le Nozze di Figaro, as well the Novice in Billy Budd, Silvio from Pagliacci, and the title role of Gianni Schicchi. As a sought-after concert soloist he's performed many of the most demanding works for baritone including Carmina Burana with the Colorado Ballet, Poulenc's Le Bal Masque with the New England Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem, Five Mystical Songs by Vaughen-Williams, Haydn's Creation, and premiered the dance oratorio Ode to Nature that was recorded and released by Albion Records. Matthew is a first place winner of the Denver Lyric Opera Guild competition, a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera's Laffont competition, and was recently the highest placing male singer with the Palm Springs Opera Guild. He is a graduate of the prestigious Yale School of Music and University of Denver. He currently lives in Santa Barbara, CA and teaches private voice lessons.
Mezzo-Soprano
Cherubino
Mezzo-Soprano
Follow Christina
Christina Pezzarossi Ramsey, mezzo-soprano, has been praised for her “smoky mezzo” and expressive stage presence. A native of Miles City, Montana, she has performed a wide range of operatic roles with companies across the country. Recent highlights include Carmen (Carmen), Ino (Semele), Margaret (The Light in the Piazza), Flora (La traviata), and Dorabella (Così fan tutte), as well as comedic turns in El Gato con Botas and COVID fan tutte with Pacific Opera Project. This season, Christina returns to Opera Santa Barbara in two featured roles: Cornelia in Handel’s Giulio Cesare and Sharon Falconer in Aldridge’s Elmer Gantry. She is currently completing her Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice at UC Santa Barbara.
Baritone
Doctor Bartolo
Baritone
Follow Adelmo
GRAMMY & MAC Award winning Baritone Adelmo Guidarelli is excited to return to Opera Las Vegas for his 6th production! He is one of opera’s busiest singing actors sought after for the Italian character parts in operas by Donizetti, Rossini, and Mozart such as the title role in Don Pasquale, Dulcamara in The Elixir of Love, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, Bartolo in The Barber of Seville and Le Nozze di Figaro, Leporello in Don Giovanni and Don Alfonso in Così Fan Tutte. Other notable roles include Falstaff in Falstaff, Gianni Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi, the Sacristan in Tosca, Benoit and Alcindoro in La Bohème, and Sulpice in The Daughter of the Regiment.
In addition to opera, Mr. Guidarelli landed two national TV commercials for SONY’s PS4 Pro “Opera Campaign,” one of which debuted during the 2018 Super Bowl game day coverage on NBC. He is also part of the SONY MBA (Music Business Association) catalog singing the seasonal hits “A Christmas Toast” and “Sing Your Song.” His debut solo album titled “Treasured Songs of Italy & Germany” spawned an International Association of Independent Recording Artists (IAIRA) certified International #1 hit for his dual language version of “Funiculi, Funicula”, and he is a voting member of The Recording Academy.
Soprano
Marcellina
Soprano
Follow Claudia
Claudia Affan is an emerging soprano residing in Las Vegas. She holds her BM in vocal performance from Auburn University, where she studied with Dr. Matthew Hoch. She has an MM from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she continues her studies. Affan was a studio artist with Opera Las Vegas for their 2024-2025 season, and is pleased to return this season. Her operatic roles include Jenny Slade in Robert Ward’sRoman Fever, Sam in Emily Clements’sLetters to Lily, The Daughter in Michael Torke’sStrawberry Fields, Kitty Hart inDead Man Walking, Clorinda inLa Cenerentola, and Berta inIl barbiere di Siviglia. Her concert work includes Handel’sMessiah and Mozart’sRegina coeli, K. 108. Affan has received awards at the state, regional, and national level from NATS, the Vann Vocal Institute, MTNA, and Alabama Federation of Music Clubs. She studies voice with Dr. Linda Lister.
Baritone
Don Curzio
Baritone
Follow Chase
Baritone, Chase Orlando Gutierrez, a Las Vegas native young artist whose personable and charismatic singing has taken him from Las Vegas to Spain. Mr. Gutierrez has performed in numerous operas throughout the years: Don Alfonso in Così fan Tutte, Jupiter in Orpheus in the Underworld (English), The Notary in Don Pasquale, The Notary/Buoso Donati in Gianni Schicchi, Thierry in Dialogues of the Carmelites (English), Quartet Chorus of Dido and Aenaeus, Chorus of Pirates of Penzance, and Chorus of La Cenerentola. In concert Chase has performed as the baritone soloist in Charpentier’s Te Deum, and has sung spirituals throughout Spain and Portugal. Chase is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at UNLV under the supervision of Dr. Alfonse Anderson. Outside of the world of opera Chase is a multimedia specialist as the onsite audio engineer and photographer in his studio.
Baritone
Antonio
Baritone
Follow Aaron
Aaron Oberlander is a baritone who received his Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance with a focus in Pedagogy at the University of Houston. Recently he has performed works with Moores Opera Center, Mercury Early Music Chamber Ensemble, Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus, and Operativo Houston. Currently he plans to continue his graduate work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to receive his Master of Music. Mr. Oberlander believes strongly in a personal connection to music and maintains that the art form should remain as free and unhindered as possible while still remaining fun for all ages. He has taught voices of all ages since 2018 in operatic, choral, musical theater, and more casual genres.
Regional Premiere (Santas)
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Composer & Librettist (Amahl)
Photo by Carl Van Vechten in 1944, public domain.
Composer & Librettist (Amahl)
Gian Carlo Menotti (July 7, 1911 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian-American composer, librettist, director, and playwright who is primarily known for his output of 25 operas. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept his Italian citizenship. One of the most frequently performed opera composers of the 20th century, he wrote his most successful works in the 1940s and 1950s. Highly influenced by Giacomo Puccini and Modest Mussorgsky, Menotti further developed the verismo tradition of opera in the post-World War II era. Rejecting atonality and the aesthetic of the Second Viennese School, Menotti's music is characterized by expressive lyricism which carefully sets language to natural rhythms in ways that highlight textual meaning and underscore dramatic intent.
(read more at Wikipedia)
Baritone
King Melchior (Amahl) / Santa Gary (Santas)
Baritone
JAWAN JENKINS, Baritone and native of New York City. Jawan received his training early as a member of The Boys Choir of Harlem. Premiered roles include Asku in Stomping Grounds with The Glimmerglass Festival, Mr. Delgado in Jake Heggie’s It’s A Wonderful Life, and Ricky Ian Gordon’s A Coffin in Egypt, both with Houston Grand Opera. Roles with the Butler Opera Center include; Ford in Falstaff, Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Maquis de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites, Charlie in Three Decembers and, Vater in Hänsel und Gretel. With Houston Grand Opera, Opera to Go, he premiered three roles by Mary Carol Warwick. As a 2018 and 2019 Young Artist with The Glimmerglass Festival, he was seen in West Side Story, Silent Night, ShowBoat, Porgy & Bess, Blue, and The Ghost of Versailles. Jawan has had recent debuts with Vegas City Opera as Marcello in La Bohème, as Action in West Side Story with Opera San José, Asku in Stomping Grounds at Seattle Opera for a workshop performance, Bill Bobstay in H.M.S. Pinafore with Opera Las Vegas, and a guest soloist with Albany Symphony Orchestra and Georgia Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared in Champion at Lyric Opera Chicago.
Jawan obtained his Bachelor’s from Prairie View A&M University, Master’s in Opera Performance and Doctorate of Musical Arts in Voice Performance and Vocal Pedagogy from The University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Voice at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Bass-Baritone
King Balthazar (Amahl) / Santa Barry (Santas)
Bass-Baritone
Follow Joshua
Joshua Hughes, lauded for his “full-voiced, highly expressive, bass-baritone pipes” (Theatre Eddy’s), \\\"powerful lyricism” (Texas Classical Review), and \\\"brilliant vocal range” (DC Metro Theater Arts), has performed in opera, operetta, theatre, cabarets, and concerts ranging from Gilbert and Sullivan to Mozart to Verdi. A recent Vegas transplant, Joshua made his Opera Las Vegas debut as Don Basilio in Rossini\\\'s Il barbiere di Siviglia and has appeared as the bass soloist in J.S. Bach’s Ich habe genug, Cantata BWV 82 and Purcell’s The Fairy Queen with Las Vegas Sinfonietta. Previous credits include the U.S. premiere of Carlo Coccia’s Matilde (Pantarotto) with Opera Southwest, La Traviata (Dottore Grenvil), Don Giovanni (Masetto & Commendatore), and Der fliegende Holländer (Daland) with West Bay Opera, The Pirates of Penzance (Major-General Stanley) and Iolanthe (Lord Chancellor) with Lamplighters Music Theatre, and Il barbiere di Siviglia (Fiorello), Tosca (Sciarrone), Alma Deutscher’s Cinderella (Minister), and West Side Story (Baby John) with Opera San José. He has performed internationally at Hong Kong Disneyland and across the United States with San Francisco Opera, American Baroque Opera Company, Dallas Bach Society, Young Victorian Theatre Company, Victorian Lyric Opera Company, Opera in Concert, Orchestra of New Spain, and Lyric Opera Baltimore.
Tenor
King Kaspar (Amahl) / Santa Larry (Santas)
Tenor
William is an emerging artist with an expressive, clarion sound. Frequently sought after as a soloist and collaborator, he has performed leading roles ranging from Bacchus in Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos to Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème. Most recently heard as Marcos in Behold the Man with Opera Las Vegas, William has interpreted Froh in Das Rheingold with the Miami Music Festival, as well as Erik in Der Fliegende Höllander and Canio in I Pagliacci with Vegas City Opera. Happy to be returning to Opera Las Vegas, William has previously performed the roles of Jaffet in Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde and Geppetto in John Davies’ Pinocchio.
Baritone
The Page (Amahl) / Santa Terry (Santas)
Baritone
Follow Aaron
Aaron Oberlander is a baritone who received his Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance with a focus in Pedagogy at the University of Houston. Recently he has performed works with Moores Opera Center, Mercury Early Music Chamber Ensemble, Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus, and Operativo Houston. Currently he plans to continue his graduate work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to receive his Master of Music. Mr. Oberlander believes strongly in a personal connection to music and maintains that the art form should remain as free and unhindered as possible while still remaining fun for all ages. He has taught voices of all ages since 2018 in operatic, choral, musical theater, and more casual genres.
Production Pianist
Production Pianist
Follow Nathan
Pianist Nathan Carterette recently moved to Las Vegas after completing his Doctorate in piano from the University of Iowa. There, he was also on the board of the Cedar Rapids Opera and with founder Daniel Kleinknecht established the first Liederabend, featuring the company's Young Artists. Nathan has toured the US extensively both as piano soloist and with organist Edward Alan Moore as the Arsenal Duo.
A Mariachi Fiesta
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Soprano
Soprano
Follow Cecilia Violetta
Celebrated soprano, Cecilia Violetta López, has been named one of “Idaho’s Top 10 Most Influential Women of the Century” by USA Today and has been named one of opera’s “25 Rising Stars” by Opera News. The singing actress is constantly praised for her “alluring voice and incredible range” (Washington Post).
She has received accolades for her signature role of Violetta in La traviata, which she has performed countless times throughout North America. Critic, James Jorden, exclaimed “she is a Violetta fully- formed and, I think, ready for the great stages of the world.” She has now performed the role with Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Tampa, Opera Idaho, Ash Lawn Opera, The Northern Lights Music Festival, Madison Opera, Pacific Symphony and Virginia Opera. Ms. López made her European début as Norina in Don Pasquale with Zomeropera in Belgium, for which Klassiek Centraal exclaimed: “She turns out to be the revelation of the show and wins over the audience with her funny rendition, irresistible charm, and [she is] natural in the different vocals.”
From her performance as Adina in The Elixir of Love with Virginia Opera, The Virginian- Pilot hailed, “Cecilia Violetta López is showing local audiences why Opera News named her one of its ’25 Rising Stars.’ In the lead role of Adina, she hit the highest notes with ringing clarity, performed the vocal runs with precision and grace and showed a particular charm and humanity in the softest passages and lowest ranges.” In her recent performance as Marguerite in Faust with Opera Omaha, the Omaha World-Herald claimed “...López sang Marguerite’s seduction, madness and salvation with an other wordly wisdom and artistry.”
Despite the halting effects of COVID-19 in the opera industry, Ms. López’ 2020-2021 has included both virtual and live recitals with Opera Idaho, Opera Las Vegas, Austin Opera, Opera Southwest, Chatter ABQ, and Madison Opera. Ms. López made her company debut with Pacific Symphony as Violetta in their 90 minute version of La traviata, and Ms. López will also be the featured soprano soloist in the world premier of Mi Camino, a virtual project with Opera Cultura. Cecilia will also return to Opera Colorado as a soprano soloist in Canciones de Nuestras Tierras: a live, outdoor performance.
Composer
Public domain. Photo by A. Dupont.
Composer
Giacomo Puccini[n 1] (22 December 1858 – 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest[1] and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, stemming to the late-Baroque era. Though his early work was firmly rooted in traditional late-19th-century Romantic Italian opera he later developed his work in the realistic verismo style, of which he became one of the leading exponents.
His most renowned works are La bohème (1896), Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904), and Turandot (1924), all of which are among the most frequently performed and recorded of all operas.
Soprano
Soprano
Follow Jessica
Praised for her “luminous strands of silver vocalism” (Parterre Box) and her “voice of both power and beauty” (Operawire), soprano Jessica Sandidge will appear as an opera singer on Apple TV’s The Morning Show Season 4. Her recent performance in the title role of Tosca in Los Angeles will be screened at a movie theater in North Hollywood. Other credits include the role of Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, with Musica Viva in Hong Kong. Last season she debuted in title roles, including Susannah with Delaware Valley Opera and Manon Lescaut with Opera Festival of Chicago. Last year, she also sang the role of Eva Peròn in the US premiere of Corpus Evita, by Carlos Franzetti, and reprised the role of Micaëla in Carmen: The Traveller with Pensacola Opera.
Ms. Sandidge has given several concert performances, such as the world premiere of Ivo Antognini’s A Prayer for Mother Earth, at Carnegie Hall. This concert also included solos in Requiem for the Living by Dan Forrest. She was also a solo artist in the National Chorale\\\'s Messiah Sing-in at David Geffen Hall and performed Violetta’s Aria \\\"Sempre libera\\\" at Rose Hall.
Upcoming events include reprising the role of Susannah with St Petersburg Opera and a role debut as the Foreign Princess in Rusalka with Opera Modesto. Ms. Sandidge has performed roles and concerts with The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Sarasota Opera, St Pete Opera, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Gulf Shore Opera, American Opera Project, Heartbeat Opera, among others.
Tenor
Tenor
“Money-notes worth every penny,” “powerful singing,” “wonderful acting,” “movie star good looks,”and “passionate elegance” are just a few of the phrases used by critics to describe spinto tenor Isaac Hurtado. Critically acclaimed for portrayals of Don José in Carmen, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Werther in Werther, Alfredo in La Traviata, and Roméo in Roméo et Juliette, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Duca in Rigoletto, and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Mr. Hurtado is “the complete package.”
Mr. Hurtado’s 2025-26 engagements include Alfredo in La Traviata with Orquesta Filarmónica del Estado de Chihuahua, Mexico, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Tampa, Don José in Carmen on tour with Teatro Lirico D’Europa, and Werther (Amelia Island Opera), and a concert debut with Opera Las Vegas: “A Passion for Puccini.”
The 2024-25 season included appearances as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly in Palm Desert, CA (Teatro Lirico d’Europa), and Alfredo in La traviata (Opera Idaho), a debut with Orquesta Filarmónica del Estado de Chihuahua, Mexico in the gala “Tutto Verdi,” a return to Opera Idaho in “Opera in the Park,” and “Deborah Voigt and Friends Gala’ (Utah Valley Operafest).
In the 2023-24 season Mr. Hurtado starred as The Prince in Dvorak's Rusalka (Opera Orlando), and as Don José in Carmen (Opera Southwest). He made his Carnegie Hall debut as tenor soloist in Nunes-Garcia’s Missa de Requiem for MidAmerica Productions and performed the tenor solos on the award-winning recording of Dwight Bigler’s Mosaic for the Earth, released on the Tonsehen label. He also appeared in recital with Opera Orlando, as tenor soloist in Verdi’s Requiem (Salt Lake Choral Artists), Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, (Brigham Young University), and "Opera Gems" (Opera Roanoke). Other recent appearances include the role of Don José in both Carmen and La Tragèdie de Carmen (Utah Festival Opera) and (Utah Opera).
Baritone
Baritone
Follow Aaron
Aaron Oberlander is a baritone who received his Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance with a focus in Pedagogy at the University of Houston. Recently he has performed works with Moores Opera Center, Mercury Early Music Chamber Ensemble, Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus, and Operativo Houston. Currently he plans to continue his graduate work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to receive his Master of Music. Mr. Oberlander believes strongly in a personal connection to music and maintains that the art form should remain as free and unhindered as possible while still remaining fun for all ages. He has taught voices of all ages since 2018 in operatic, choral, musical theater, and more casual genres.
Soprano
Soprano
Follow Claudia
Claudia Affan is an emerging soprano residing in Las Vegas. She holds her BM in vocal performance from Auburn University, where she studied with Dr. Matthew Hoch. She has an MM from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she continues her studies. Affan was a studio artist with Opera Las Vegas for their 2024-2025 season, and is pleased to return this season. Her operatic roles include Jenny Slade in Robert Ward’sRoman Fever, Sam in Emily Clements’sLetters to Lily, The Daughter in Michael Torke’sStrawberry Fields, Kitty Hart inDead Man Walking, Clorinda inLa Cenerentola, and Berta inIl barbiere di Siviglia. Her concert work includes Handel’sMessiah and Mozart’sRegina coeli, K. 108. Affan has received awards at the state, regional, and national level from NATS, the Vann Vocal Institute, MTNA, and Alabama Federation of Music Clubs. She studies voice with Dr. Linda Lister.
Baritone
Baritone
Follow Jeff
Internationally acclaimed for his compelling portrayals of signature baritone roles, Jeff Mattsey made his operatic debut at just 21, singing Marcello in La Bohème opposite Luciano Pavarotti with the Opera Company of Philadelphia. He went on to make his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1998 and has since returned regularly to its stage.
A sought-after performer across North America, Mattsey has appeared with leading companies such as Vancouver Opera, Opera Idaho, and San Diego Opera. Of one standout performance, the San Diego Tribune praised:
“Baritone Jeff Mattsey was an extraordinary Marcello: extraordinary because he created a character so rich and textured with so little apparent effort – and sang the role with such an outpouring of warm, burnished sound…”
In addition to his operatic acclaim, Mattsey also made a memorable appearance on The Real Housewives of New York City, performing an excerpt from The Barber of Seville at a charity event—bringing opera into the pop culture spotlight with style and flair.
Opera Las Vegas audiences may remember Jeff from his company debut in 2012, when he took on the title role in Don Giovanni. We’re thrilled to welcome him back for our debut fundraising event, Auction of Arias.
Soprano
Soprano
Follow Claudia
Claudia Affan is an emerging soprano residing in Las Vegas. She holds her BM in vocal performance from Auburn University, where she studied with Dr. Matthew Hoch. She has an MM from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she continues her studies. Affan was a studio artist with Opera Las Vegas for their 2024-2025 season, and is pleased to return this season. Her operatic roles include Jenny Slade in Robert Ward’sRoman Fever, Sam in Emily Clements’sLetters to Lily, The Daughter in Michael Torke’sStrawberry Fields, Kitty Hart inDead Man Walking, Clorinda inLa Cenerentola, and Berta inIl barbiere di Siviglia. Her concert work includes Handel’sMessiah and Mozart’sRegina coeli, K. 108. Affan has received awards at the state, regional, and national level from NATS, the Vann Vocal Institute, MTNA, and Alabama Federation of Music Clubs. She studies voice with Dr. Linda Lister.
Baritone
Baritone
Follow Aaron
Aaron Oberlander is a baritone who received his Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance with a focus in Pedagogy at the University of Houston. Recently he has performed works with Moores Opera Center, Mercury Early Music Chamber Ensemble, Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus, and Operativo Houston. Currently he plans to continue his graduate work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to receive his Master of Music. Mr. Oberlander believes strongly in a personal connection to music and maintains that the art form should remain as free and unhindered as possible while still remaining fun for all ages. He has taught voices of all ages since 2018 in operatic, choral, musical theater, and more casual genres.
Tenor
Tenor
Christian Shelton, Tenor is a student at UNLV. He is currently a senior at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he is majoring in Vocal Performance and studies with voice teacher Dr. Alfonse Anderson. He won 1st place at the National Classical Singer competition 2023 in the Classical University Divison. Christian also won 1st place for local NATS in 2023. He gained international attention with his powerhouse rendition of Andra Day’s "Rise Up" for the Indeed 2021 Super Bowl commercial. He has garnered the praise of many celebrities including, Sam Smith, Meghan Trainor, Lizzo, Billie Eilish, and Jennifer Hudson.
Composer & Librettist
Unknown origin, public domain.
Composer & Librettist
Ruggero (or Ruggiero) Leoncavallo (23 April 1857 – 9 August 1919) was an Italian opera composer and librettist. Throughout his career, Leoncavallo produced numerous operas and songs but it is his 1892 opera Pagliacci that remained his lasting contribution, despite attempts to escape the shadow of his greatest success.
Today Pagliacci continues to be his most famous opera and one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the operatic repertory. His other notable compositions include the song "Mattinata", popularized by Enrico Caruso, and, to a lesser extent, his version of La bohème which, however, was overshadowed by Puccini's highly successful opera of the same name.
(read more on Wikipedia)
Conductor
Conductor
Praised for conducting with "steady acumen and considerable aplomb" and "awesome control” (Opera Today), Joshua Horsch is an extremely versatile operatic and symphonic conductor. A two-time winner of the American Prize in Opera Conducting, Joshua serves as Music Director and Principal Conductor of Opera Las Vegas. Joshua’s recent and upcoming conducting engagements include appearances with Washington National Opera, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Orlando, Opera Idaho, Opera Baltimore, Greensboro Opera, Mobile Opera, Pacific Opera Project, and Tri-Cities Opera. With a diverse repertoire of over sixty operas and a broad spectrum of orchestral and choral works, Joshua has recently held positions as a conductor and pianist/coach on the music staff of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Austin Opera, Detroit Opera, Florida Grand Opera, North Carolina Opera, Opera Saratoga, Pensacola Opera, the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Newport Music Festival. Joshua studied conducting and piano at the University of Colorado Boulder, the Pennsylvania State University, and Ithaca College.
Tenor
Canio
Tenor
Follow Ben
American tenor Ben Gulley has been hailed as “outstanding" (Opera News) and "startlingly gifted" (San Francisco Classical Voice). The award-winning artist’s recent seasons have included feature roles in opera, solo engagements, concert, film work, touring and important appearances abroad. Gulley’s engagements for the 2024-2025 season include an exciting variety of fully staged productions including Rodolfo in La bohème with Knoxville Opera, as well as concert engagements such as a holiday program with Orchestra Iowa, Carmina Burana with the Grand Rapids Symphony, and highlights from Bizet’s Carmen with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.
Recent artistic and critical triumphs include his debut as Romeo in the rave-reviewed Roméo et Juliette with Opera Idaho (2024), headlining “An Evening with Sir Tim Rice” alongside the EGOT legend himself (2024), winning Broadway World’s “Best Actor In A Musical” award for his debut as Quasimodo in Dennis DeYoung's Hunchback of Notre Dame with Skylight Music Theatre (2022), a debut as Cavaradossi in Tosca with Sarasota Opera (2022), Tenor Soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with Orchestra Iowa (2023) and international engagements as Tenor Soloist in Bruckner’s Te Deum with Maestro Hartmut Haenchen and as Tenor Soloist in Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde opposite renowned mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung with the Belgian National Orchestra in Brussels and Namur, Belgium under Maestro Hugh Wolff (2021).
Soprano
Nedda
Soprano
Follow Cecilia Violetta
Celebrated soprano, Cecilia Violetta López, has been named one of “Idaho’s Top 10 Most Influential Women of the Century” by USA Today and has been named one of opera’s “25 Rising Stars” by Opera News. The singing actress is constantly praised for her “alluring voice and incredible range” (Washington Post).
She has received accolades for her signature role of Violetta in La traviata, which she has performed countless times throughout North America. Critic, James Jorden, exclaimed “she is a Violetta fully- formed and, I think, ready for the great stages of the world.” She has now performed the role with Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Tampa, Opera Idaho, Ash Lawn Opera, The Northern Lights Music Festival, Madison Opera, Pacific Symphony and Virginia Opera. Ms. López made her European début as Norina in Don Pasquale with Zomeropera in Belgium, for which Klassiek Centraal exclaimed: “She turns out to be the revelation of the show and wins over the audience with her funny rendition, irresistible charm, and [she is] natural in the different vocals.”
From her performance as Adina in The Elixir of Love with Virginia Opera, The Virginian- Pilot hailed, “Cecilia Violetta López is showing local audiences why Opera News named her one of its ’25 Rising Stars.’ In the lead role of Adina, she hit the highest notes with ringing clarity, performed the vocal runs with precision and grace and showed a particular charm and humanity in the softest passages and lowest ranges.” In her recent performance as Marguerite in Faust with Opera Omaha, the Omaha World-Herald claimed “...López sang Marguerite’s seduction, madness and salvation with an other wordly wisdom and artistry.”
Despite the halting effects of COVID-19 in the opera industry, Ms. López’ 2020-2021 has included both virtual and live recitals with Opera Idaho, Opera Las Vegas, Austin Opera, Opera Southwest, Chatter ABQ, and Madison Opera. Ms. López made her company debut with Pacific Symphony as Violetta in their 90 minute version of La traviata, and Ms. López will also be the featured soprano soloist in the world premier of Mi Camino, a virtual project with Opera Cultura. Cecilia will also return to Opera Colorado as a soprano soloist in Canciones de Nuestras Tierras: a live, outdoor performance.
Baritone
Tonio
Baritone
Follow Daniel
In the beginnings of an exciting international career, Daniel Scofield’s “burnished tone marks him as a name to keep an eye on – surely a future Verdian of note (Bachtrack)”. Recent engagements include new and classic productions with the Glyndebourne Festival Opera (La bohéme), Prague State Opera (Der fliegende Holländer), Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester (Les Naufrageurs), Staatsoper Hannover (Pagliacci), with additional engagements with the Teatro San Carlo in Napoli (Die Walküre), Lyric Opera of Chicago (Macbeth, Don Carlos, Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci), and the Houston Symphony (Salome).
In 2025/2026 Daniel makes several important debuts. To begin the season he appears in St. Louis as Jochanaan in Salome, a role he previously covered with the Houston Symphony, he returns to North Dakota as Don Giovanni before ending the year at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in Elijah Moshinsky’s original production of Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci. In the Spring he returns to the Prague State Opera to reprise Tonio/Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, and later will bring his experienced interpretation of Tonio in Pagliacci to Oslo and Las Vegas. He makes his final debut in April as Golaud in Debussy\'s symbolist masterpiece Pelleas et Melisande with Opera Baltimore.
Baritone
Silvio
Baritone
Follow Gabriel
Grammy Award winning baritone Gabriel Preisser has been praised by Opera News for his “handsome voice, charismatic energy, and timbral allure” and The New York Times called his performance as Lt. Gordon “wonderful.” His resume includes over 40 operatic and musical theater roles including Danilo in The Merry Widow with Utah Festival Opera, Billy Bigelow in Carousel with Minnesota Orchestra, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with St Petersburg Opera, Dandini in Cenerentola with Opera Tampa, Escamillo in Carmen with Lyric Opera of the North, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Shreveport Opera, Le Mari in LesMamelles de Tiresias with Opera Parallele, Albert in Werther with Minnesota Opera, Mercutio in Romeo et Juliette with Opera Tampa and St. Petersburg Opera, Tommy in Brigadoon with Gulfshore Opera, Silvio in Pagliacci with Opera Naples, Harold Hill in The Music Man with Colorado Symphony, and Bob Baker in Wonderful Town with Skylark Opera to name a few. He has been praised for having a “matinee idol’s charm and charisma,” “a beautiful, luscious baritone,” and “a compelling, commanding stage presence.”
Tenor
Beppe
Tenor
Collin Salmon received his degree in vocal music education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Many semesters in UNLV’s scenes program led to his collegiate debut as Peter Quint in Benjamin Britten’s Turn of the Screw. He was invited this past summer to participate in two summer programs in Europe, one with UNLV Choirs touring Northern Europe, and the second participating in the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. He looks forward to pursuing a master’s degree in vocal performance leading to a professional career in performing.