Voices Raised for Vets

Athena Mertes, Soprano, is one of the Valley’s most celebrated sopranos, whose opera and concert credits include Marie (The Daughter of the Regiment), Mimi (La Bohème), Musetta (La Bohème), Despina (Cosi Fan Tutte), Gretel (Hansel and Gretel), Lucy (The Telephone), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Gianetta (L’Elisir d’Amore), Morgana (Alcina), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Abigail (The Crucible), Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Waldvogel (Siegfried) and soprano soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, Brahms Requiem, Mozart Requiem, Beethoven's 9th and Honegger’s King David. She has performed as a guest soloist with the Burbank Philharmonic, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Henderson Symphony, Opera Las Vegas, Vegas City Opera, Lexington Opera Outreach and the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society. Some of her recent credits include Sylvia in the World Premiere of Behold the Man, Zelda in the West Coast Premiere of Ghosts of Gatsby and Alice B. Toklas in the West Coast premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon and Royce Vavrek’s 27 with Opera Las Vegas and she portrayed Mimi in Vegas City Opera’s La BoDead.

She is also the Chorus Master of the Opera Las Vegas Youth Chorus and the Director of Choirs at Thurman White Academy of the Performing Arts where she has 400 students. In 2020, she received the Teacher of the Year Award from Magnet Schools of America and is also a National Board-Certified Teacher. In March of 2024, her Choir was  featured at the American Choral Directors Association Regional Conference in Pasadena, California and in April of 2024, her contemporary a cappella group was featured at the National Magnet Schools of America Conference in New York City.

Praised for her \"sterling soprano that is a pleasure in and of itself\" (Springfield News-Leader) and described as “a powerhouse of talent, ” (Chris’ Corner, Travel and Theatre), Genevieve Fulks has established herself as a multifaceted soprano excelling in opera, musical theatre, pop, and contemporary classical music. Born and raised in Arkansas, she is a new resident of Vegas, where she made her opera role debuts with Vegas City Opera as Lucy Brown in Threepenny Opera and Ortlinde in Die Walküre. She is the former lead soprano of Spirit Productions’ international sensation Dublin’s Irish Tenors and The Celtic Ladies and has performed regionally (southern and midwest US) with numerous opera companies and theaters, most notably, Ozarks Lyric Opera, Springfield Little Theatre, Knoxville Opera, Opera in the Ozarks, King’s Castle Theatre, Andy Williams Moon River Theatre, Virginia Baroque Performance Academy, and the Delta Symphony Orchestra. Internationally, she has performed with the Sankt Goar International Music Festival, the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra of Czechia, and the Krakow Forum Sinfonia of Poland. Genevieve currently sings full time in Streetmosphere at the Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip. Her favorite professional credits include Cunegonde in Candide, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Lily in The Secret Garden, and Serpina in La serva padrona. You can find her first studio album, Passages, on Spotify, where she sings the chamber and orchestral music of composer Michael F. Murray with the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra of the Czech Republic.

Ashley Stone received her Doctorate of Music in Vocal Performance from Indiana University where she studied with Costanza Cuccaro. During her time at IU, she taught studio and class voice as well as performing in Falstaff (Mistress Quickly), Candide (Old Lady), Suor Angelica (Principessa), Mark Adamo's Little Women (Meg). She received her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. While in Rochester, NY, she was in Eastman Opera Theater's Suor Angelica (Principesa) and was soloist with the Voices Choral Ensemble, the Gregory Kunde Choral, and the Eastman Chorale.  Ms. Stone has appeared with Opera Las Vegas in Voices Raised for Vets, Holiday on Broadway, Bravo Bernstein!, and The House Without a Christmas Tree.

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.

Baritone, Chase Orlando Gutierrez, a native of Las Vegas, is a talented and charismatic young artist whose expressive voice and engaging stage presence has earned him opportunities to perform across the globe. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he studied under Dr. Alfonse Anderson. Chase has appeared as Le Gouverneur in Le Comte Ory, Jupiter in Orpheus in the Underworld (English version), The Notary in Don Pasquale, The Jailer in Tosca, and Marchese D'Obigny in La Traviata. He has also participated in a variety of outreach performances throughout Las Vegas. In concert, Chase has performed internationally, performing with La Strada in Graz, as well as with American Spirituals ensembles in Austria, Spain, and Portugal.

Dr. Spencer Baker is a distinguished Las Vegas pianist, conductor and teacher.   Spencer has been a soloist with several regional orchestras. While most of Spencer's solo appearances have centered in the Southwest, new engagements have taken him to Dallas, Washington DC, Disneyland, Niagara Falls, Montreal, Italy and China. Dr. Baker is in his seventh season with the International Opera Performing Experience in Mercatello sul Metauro, Italy as Pianist/Apprentice Tier Director.

Dr. Baker is currently Assistant Professor of Music at the UNLV School of Music.  In addition, he is the Director of Music for Saint Timothy’s Episcopal church and frequent pianist for Opera Las Vegas and Opera On Tap, Las Vegas.

Dr. Baker recently served as guest conductor and pianist for Vegas City Opera’s production of Gianni Schicchi at Art Square Theater and The Face on the Barroom Floor at the Artisan.  He is a Liberace scholar and professional competition winner and on the State Board of the Nevada Music Teachers Association. Dr. Baker recently held an artist in residency position at Truman State University (Missouri) and maintains an active teaching studio and solo performing career. For more information, please visit his website at www.spencerbakerpiano.com