Viva Verdi!

Christina Mancheni, soprano, is a current doctoral student at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Christina was recently a featured artist in the 34th St.Bart’s Music Festival, under the direction of Maestro Steven Mercurio. Recent roles include Fanchette (The Sea Cadet), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Salomea (Frederica) and Nichette (Madeleine) all with the Concert Operetta Theater. She also was featured as the soprano soloist in the Brahms' Requiem, with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. During her studies at Miami University, she performed the roles of Sister Genovieffa (Suor Angelica), Nella (Gianni Schicchi) and The Fairy God Mother (Cendrillon). Christina also performed the title role in Alcina, as well as Despina (Così Fan Tutte) and Papagena (The Magic Flute) with the UNLV Opera Theater. Christina won first place in the prestigious New Jersey State Opera Alfredo Silipigni Vocal Competition. She has also won awards from the Gerda Lissner Foundation as well as from The National Association of Teachers Singing.

Italian-American Baritone, Joe Lodato, “an artist the world is excited to see,” is a top contender for the Verdi Baritone repertoire in the international marketplace. Having sung the title role of Rigoletto, Amonasro in Aida, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, Giorgio Germont in La Traviata, and Peter in Hansel und Gretel to great acclaim, he has diligently prepared many of the core roles in the fach with the world's top maestri. Upcoming engagements in 2022 include appearances with Boheme OperaNJ, Opera at Florham, and Dikson in New Amsterdam Opera’s production of Boïdelieu’s La Dame Blanche. His voice has been described as possessing a “stunningly beautiful timbre, Italianate snarl, mixed with a controlled passion and deep understanding of the repertoire”, proving further that this is an artist poised to breakthrough in a major way.

Mr. Lodato was educated at Westminster Choir College, the University of Miami, and Salzburg College, and subsequently completed Young Artist training under the auspices of the Metropolitan Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Aspen Music Festival. He has been awarded top prizes by the Metropolitan Opera National Council, Los Angeles Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Aspen Music Festival, and Premiere Opera Foundation. Equally adept and attuned to the musical theater and jazz idioms, Mr. Lodato has been seen in performance with world-renowned artists such as Tony Award winner Betty Buckley, jazz icon Lea DeLaria, and award-winning composer and pianist John Musto.

An aggressive champion of song and new works, Joe has premiered many works including the cycle Dear Theo based on the letters of Vincent Van Gogh, composed by Ben Moore; he has also appeared in concert performance with composers Jake Heggie and Ricky Ian Gordon, presenting their works to great acclaim.

Claudia Affan is pursuing an MM in vocal performance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She holds her BM in vocal performance from Auburn University, where she studied with Dr. Matthew Hoch. Her operatic roles include Jenny Slade in Roman Fever, Sam in Emily Clements’s Letters to Lily, The Daughter in Strawberry Fields, Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, Sophie in Werther, Kitty Hart in Dead Man Walking, Clorinda in La Cenerentola, Violetta in La traviata, Rosie in Royal Flush, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Adina/Giannetta in L'elisir d'amore, Norina in Don Pasquale, L'Eternità in La Calisto, Carolina in Il matrimonio segreto, and Lady Saphir in Patience. 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.

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.

Stephanie Weiss, mezzo-soprano, has performed at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin Philharmonic, Oper Frankfurt, Oper Köln, Oper Leipzig, Opera Orchestra of New York, and San Diego Opera. Her roles include Komponist (Ariadne auf Naxos), Mrs. DeRocher (Dead Man Walking) Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Grimgerde (Die Walküre), Leitmetzerin (Der Rosenkavalier), Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana), and Venus (Tannhäuser). Concert appearances include Mozart Requiem, Beethoven Symphony 9, Wesendonck Lieder, Mahler Symphony 4, and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.

An avid performer of art song and new music, Ms. Weiss has performed recitals in the US, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia. With her ‘duo au courant’ partner, pianist Christina Wright-Ivanova, she has premiered several song cycles and in 2019, released their debut CD of the songs of Daron Hagen on Albany Records. Ms. Weiss is currently an Associate Professor of Voice at Arizona State University and serves on the faculty at AIMS in Graz (Austria).

Grammy winner Maestro Dennis Doubin enjoys an international opera career as conductor, chorus master, vocal collaborator and coach. Dennis began his musical journey with Moscow Choral Academy Boys Chorus and the Bolshoi Theatre Children's Chorus in Moscow, Russia. He excelled as a pianist and completed his formal training with the famed Ukrainian pianist Vitaly Margulis. Mo Doubin matriculated at UCLA where he received a Master's degree in conducting. His first professional credits were as assistant conductor of Los Angeles Opera and vocal pianist for Los Angeles Philharmonic. Later, Dennis auditioned for and was accepted into Merola Opera Program and subsequently became an Adler Fellow, both at San Francisco Opera. Mo Doubin has had a long collaboration with SFO where he made his conducting debut in 2014 with Giacomo Puccini's "La bohème". Further professional appearances include Seattle Opera, San Diego Opera, Opera San José, among others. Locally, Dennis has graced the podium or performed as pianist with Opera Las Vegas, Henderson Symphony, Vegas City Opera, Las Vegas Academy, and Renaissance Music Academy. Most recently Mo Doubin was music director for Pentatone Records release of composer Gordon Getty's opera "Goodbye Mr. Chips" and was assistant to music director of Komische Oper Berlin, Germany. Past festival appearances include Santa Fe Opera. Dennis is a sought-after opera coach collaborating with current opera luminaries that include Angela Meade, Ailyn Perez, Ellie Dehn, Amina Edris, Leah Crocetto, Luana DeVol, J’Nai Bridges, Brian Asawa, Pene Pati, Stephen Costello, John Matthew Myers, Dominik Chenes, Alexey Markov, George Gagnidze, Jared Bybee, Ildar Abdrazakov, Soloman Howard and others. He resides in Henderson with his family and Kiki the dog.