The Barber of Seville

A rising star in the younger generation of conductors, Francesco Milioto is forging a unique career as a versatile interpreter of both the operatic and orchestral repertoire. Praised for his energy and integrity on the podium, The Chicago Tribune has said, “Milioto presided with Bernsteinesque bravura”.

Mr. Milioto enjoys relationships with a wide variety of ensembles, and cover/assistant conductor positions with several distinguished organizations. This season marked his successful debut with the Illinois Philharmonic, to which he will return this spring with an innovative student program featuring Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. In November, Mr. Milioto stepped in at the last moment to conduct five education performances of Mozart’s Bastein and Bastienne with the Dallas Opera. He will also conduct the finals of the Emilio del Rosario International Piano Competition in Chicago this May. The 2017/18 season will see Mr. Milioto make his debut with the Arizona Opera conducting The Barber of Seville.

As a music director and guest conductor Mr. Milioto has thrived in Chicago and beyond. Over his fifteen years in Chicago he has claimed the title of Music Director to the New Millennium Orchestra, the Skokie Valley Symphony, the Highland Park Strings, Access Contemporary Music, and the Chicago Cultural Center Summer Opera. As a guest conductor he has amassed several critically acclaimed productions with Chicago Opera Theater and has collaborated with many professional local orchestras. His work with the New Millennium Orchestra and Chicago Opera Theater were each named to the Chicago Sun-Times list of the “10 best performances of the year”. Mr. Milioto is particularly proud of his work with the New Millennium Orchestra of Chicago, which he co-found in 2005. The NMO had an incredible range of repertoire, playing everything from classical music and opera to collaborations with jazz and hip-hop artists. His highly acclaimed work over ten seasons with both the Highland Park Strings and Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra ranged from early music to the most contemporary works, and often featured world-renowned soloists. As Artistic Director/Conductor of Access Contemporary Music, Mr. Milioto led the brilliantly vibrant ensemble Palomar, which has been featured on the radio and in performances throughout the city and abroad. He has also conducted successful productions with Opera Santa Barbara, Opera Southwest, Elgin Opera, and Opera on the James.

As a cover/assistant conductor, Mr. Milioto has flourished under world-class mentorship. He is currently in his fourth season at Lyric Opera of Chicago where he will work on productions of The Magic Flute and Eugene Onegin. Mr. Milioto has been fortunate enough to work closely with Sir Andrew Davis, and other luminaries, on several operas and concerts. Later this season Mr. Milioto returns to his hometown of Toronto where he will assist on a production of Tosca with the Canadian Opera Company. This summer will mark his third with The Santa Fe Opera, where he will work closely with Emmanuel Villaume on Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel. Following last summer’s success in Santa Fe with La Fanciulla del West, Maestro Villaume invited Mr. Milioto to assist him on the Dallas Opera’s revival of Moby Dick earlier this season. For 10 seasons Mr. Milioto worked with the Ravinia Festival as an assistant conductor, pianist, vocal coach and prompter being involved in over a dozen operas, and many concerts with such artists as Daniel Barenboim and James Conlon.

South Korean baritone Joo Won Kang continues to establish himself as one of the most talented baritones today, popular both with audience and critics.

As the 2017/18 season commences, Kang returns to San Francisco Opera, as Ping in the company’s opening-night production of Turandot. A member of the 2011 Merola Opera Program, he was later an Adler Fellow and appeared onstage at SFO in various roles, including Captain Gardiner in Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick, which was televised nationally on PBS and released on DVD. Later this season will mark Mr. Kang’s company debuts with Arizona Opera (Figaro in The Barber of Seville) and Opera Theatre of St. Louis (Germont in La Traviata).

Highlights of Kang’s 2016/17 season included his debut at Ireland’s Wexford Festival, where he sang the leading role of Corrado in Donizetti’s Maria de Rudenz, with great success. Opera News called his “the standout voice of this year’s festival.” He performed the role of Chou En-lai in John Adam’s Nixon in China with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by the composer, and appeared with Opera Maine as Germont.

Kang sang the title role in Eugene Onegin with North Carolina Opera in 2015-2016, a season during which he also performed the Barbiere Figaro with Fort Worth Opera, and made his debut in Les Pêcheurs de Perles with Seattle Opera. In addition, Mr. Kang returned to Wolf Trap Opera to sing Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with the National Symphony Orchestra.

He was the first-prize winner of Fort Worth Opera’s 2014 McCammon Voice Competition, which led to recital appearances both in Fort Worth and New York City. He has also garnered top prizes in such important vocal competitions as the Gerda Lissner International Competition, Opera Index Vocal Competition, Giulio Gari International Competition, Palm Beach International Competition, and the Ades Vocal Competition at Manhattan School of Music, as well as a Semi-Finalist placement in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

In the 2017/18 season, Stephanie Lauricella makes her debut with Arizona Opera in The Barber of Seville. also returned to the Opéra National de Paris for a revival of Dorabella in Così fan tutte and will make her house debut with Glyndebourne Festival this summer as Annina in Der Rosenkavalier.

During the 2016/17 season, Stephanie made debuts with Seattle Opera, Madison Opera, Opéra National de Paris, El Paso Opera, and Opera Hong Kong. She will also return to the Deutsche Oper Berlin for her role debut of Dorabella in Così fan tutte.

Last season, Stephanie returned to the Grand Théâtre de Genève to make her role debut as Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream and also returned to the Deutsche Oper Berlin in various roles. 

Past seasons include performances at Minnesota Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Virginia Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Royal Opera House in Muscat, Oman, Glimmerglass Festival, New Jersey State Opera, and Pittsburgh Opera. During her time with the Pittsburgh Opera as a Resident Artist, Ms. Lauricella performed the roles of Flora in La Traviata, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, the title role in Handel's Rinaldo, Soeur Mathilde in Dialogues des Carmélites, and Rosina in the student performance of The Barber of Seville, all to great acclaim.

Stephanie's most recent concert works include, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis with the Atlanta Symphony and BBC Scottish Symphony under the baton of Maestro Runnicles, Lili Boulanger's Psalm 130: Du fond de l'abime with Manfred Honeck conducting the Pittsburgh Symphony, Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Erie Philharmonic, and Handel's Messiah with the Rochester Philharmonic.

In the summer of 2010 Ms. Lauricella was one of the few to be chosen to attend the prestigious Santa Fe Opera Young Artist program. While there, she had the chance to cover the Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, and Estrella in Lewis Spratlan's World Premier of Life is a Dream. She also performed on the main stage with the apprentice scenes as Angelina in La Cenerentola. Stephanie has also spent many seasons with both Central City Opera and Sarasota Opera.

Awards and recognitions include:  Violetta Dupont Competition Award Winner, Engagement Award from the Marcello Giordani International Competition, Finalist in the Belvedere Competition and an Engagement Award from the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gerda Lissner Foundation Encouragement Award, St. Bonaventure Performance Prize (Liederkranz Competition), the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Encouragement Award, Connecticut Concert Opera's Artistic Director's Award, Connecticut Opera Guild's People's Choice Award, Judith Bardi Rosenthal Award, and Catherine Martin Award, Rochester's Classical Idol Finalist, Great Lakes Regional Second Place Winner of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, William Matheus Sullivan Foundation Award, the Santa Fe Opera Campbell Wachter Memorial Award, and the Central City Opera McGlone Award.

Ms. Lauricella holds a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Ithaca College and a Master of Music degree in vocal performance from Manhattan School of Music.

Tenor David Margulis has established himself as a strong lyrical singer and actor on domestic and international opera stages alike. He has been called “radiant voiced,” and been praised for his “clear, pleasing tenor.” Of his portrayal of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte in his mainstage début at Arizona Opera, Opera Today raved: “David Margulis was an energetic Tamino who was only momentarily laid low by Pollard’s iconic monster. He sang with sumptuous lyrical sounds conveyed on a well-honed legato.”

In 2022, Margulis will make his Carnegie Hall debut in a program with the National Opera Chorus. He also features in A Streetcar Named Desire in his house debut with Florida Grand Opera, and returns to Arizona Opera as Brighella in Ariadne auf Naxos. In 2020, he was scheduled to perform as Almaviva with Opera on the James (COVID-19), and was featured as Alfred in Opera Orlando’s innovative production of Die Fledermaus. During the 2019-20 Season, Mr. Margulis covered the role of Timothy Laughlin in Fellow Travelers, reprised his signature role of Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Vero Beach Opera and Opera on the James, and rejoined the Carolina Philharmonic for their annual Gala Concert. In the 2018-19 Season, Margulis made several company and role debuts, portraying Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Cleveland Opera Theater, Kronprinz in Silent Night with Austin Opera, and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Palm Beach Opera. He also appeared twice with the Carolina Philharmonic, joining them as the tenor soloist in Messiah and in their annual Gala Concert.

In the summer of 2018, Margulis debuted with Teatro Nuovo in their inaugural season as Argirio in Tancredi rifatto. Earlier in the season, Margulis also sang in Ballet Tucson’s concert, Bernstein and Ballet, as part of the Tucson Desert Song Festival, performed as the tenor soloist with Buffalo Philharmonic in selections from Cosí fan tutte, Don Giovanni, and Le Nozze di Figaro and returned to Arizona Opera as Almaviva for Il Barbiere di Siviglia. During the 2016-17 season, Mr. Margulis appeared as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland, Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Grand Rapids, Will in Middlemarch in Spring with Charlottesville Opera, Florville in Il signor Bruschino with Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi and Torquemada in L’heure espagnole in a double-bill for Opéra National de Lorraine in Nancy, France.

During the 2015/16 Season, Margulis joined the prestigious Internationales Opernstudio at Opernhaus Zürich where he demonstrated his refined dramatic sensibilities in a variety of operas including Jonathan Dove’s musical fairy tale The Enchanted Pig, Rossini’s colorful comic opera Le comte Ory, Haydn’s rarely seen “heroic-comic drama” Orlando paladino, Mozart’s hilarious comic singspiel Der Schauspieldirektor, and Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame. Additional engagements include the role of Borsa in Rigoletto in his main stage debut with Opera Santa Barbara; the inaugural New York Festival Song at North Fork program, led by Steven Blier; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Phoenix Symphony. He also was seen at Tuscon Desert Song Festival performing on a program for the Ravinia Steans Music Institute on Tour with Kevin Murphy.

Margulis has earned a reputation as a champion of new works after being a part of numerous workshops including Theodore Morrison’s first opera, Oscar, at The Santa Fe Opera, the workshop performance of The Gospel According to Nana by Liliya Ugay and Lorene Cary with American Lyric Theater, and the workshop première of Bohmler's Riders of the Purple Sage at Arizona Opera. He has also premièred several new works including the tenor solo in Robert Kyr's Pacific Sanctus.

Additionally, Margulis has been engaged by some of the finest training programs in the country, where his assignments have included: Goro in Madama Butterfly and Léon in The Ghosts of Versailles at Wolf Trap Opera; Third Japanese Envoy/Stagehand in Le Rossignol/Der Schauspieldirektor with Santa Fe Opera; Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Alfredo in La traviata, Steuermann in Die fliegende Holländer, Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore, Basilio/Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro, and Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor at Arizona Opera; Young Servant in Elektra at Des Moines Metro Opera; Selimo in Maometto II at Santa Fe Opera; Molqi in The Death of Klinghoffer at Opera Theatre St. Louis; and Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette at Seagle Music Colony. While a fellow at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, he was privileged to work with some of the most respected coaches and conductors in the world, including Kevin Murphy, Malcolm Martineau, and James Conlon.

Margulis holds degrees from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, The University of Washington, and Florida State University. David is a three-time Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and was a finalist in the Giulio Gari 2017 International Vocal Competition.

Calvin Griffin, a native of Columbus, Ohio, joined the Florida Grand Opera studio in the 2016-2017 season. Mr. Griffin made his debut with the company stepping in as a cover to sing the role of Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen. In addition, he sang Zaretsky and covered Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Victor in Before Night Falls, and Samuel in Un ballo in mascherawith the company. Mr. Griffin recently finished a stint with the Arizona Opera Studio where he performed the roles of the Captain in Florencia en el Amazonas, Zuniga in Carmen, Pistola in Falstaff, Count Ceprano in Rigoletto, Zaretsky in Eugene Onegin, Speaker/2nd Armored Man in Die Zauberflöte, Hortensius in La fille du régiment, Colline in La bohème, and Dr. Grenville in La traviata. In 2016, he made his Opera Columbus debut as Colline in La bohème. 

In a busy 2017 -2018 season, Mr. Griffin makes exciting debuts with Atlanta Opera as Mother in The Seven Deadly Sins and Morales in Carmen, Opera Birmingham singing Escamillo in Carmen, Opera on the James as Leporello in Don Govanni, Opera Orlando singing Alidoro in La cenerentola, and will return to Arizona Opera to sing Dr. Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia. In concert, he sings Handel’s Messiah with the Richmond Symphony and Bach’s Mass in B minor with Gloria Musicae in Sarasota, Florida.

Stephanie Sánchez has been praised by Opera News for her “polished, Italianate mezzo” and by ReviewSTL for her “exquisite singing.”

Sánchez opens her 2023/24 Season in her debut with Kentucky Opera performing the role of the Witch in Hansel and Gretel. She also makes debuts with the Phoenix Symphony, where she will sing as a soloist in Handel’s Mesías [Spanish Messiah], Nettie Fowler in Carousel with Intermountain Opera Bozeman, and with Opera Omaha in the role of Frida Kahlo in Gabriela Lena Frank’s El ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego. She returns to Arizona Opera to reprise the role of Carlotta de Obragón in abbreviated performances of Zorro for the company’s New Works Festival.

Sánchez made several notable house debuts in the 2022/23 Season, including as Third Spirit in The Magic Flute at Ravinia under the baton of Marin Alsop; as Chief Officer’s Wife in The Knock with Cincinnati Opera, and as Passenger #3 and Chief’s Daughter #2 in the World Premiere of Proximity: Four Portraits at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

As a resident principal artist with Opera San José for two seasons, she performed the roles of Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, and Azucena in Il Trovatore. She returned to perform the role of Mercedes while covering the title role in Carmen in 2022. She was selected as a Marion Roose Pullin Studio Artist with Arizona Opera where she sang the roles of Persephone in Hercules vs. Vampires, Paquette in Candide, Berta in The Barber of Seville, and Flosshilde in Das Rheingold, and returned to the company to cover the title role in Maria de Buenos Aires and sing Baroness Nica in Charlie Parker’s Yardbird.

Sánchez counts among her notable engagements singing the role of Ines while covering Azucena in Francesca Zambello’s 90-minute adaptation of Il Trovatore at The Glimmerglass Festival; and singing the roles of Carlotta in Zorro with Opera Southwest, Abuela in En mis palabras at Atlanta Opera, Maddalena in Rigoletto and Olga in Eugene Onegin with Intermountain Opera Bozeman, and Dryade in Ariadne auf Naxos with Arizona Opera. She also has been seen in roles with Brava Opera Theater, St. Petersburg Opera, Teatro Nuovo, Sarasota Opera, and Opera Maine. With Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Sánchez performed the role of Third Lady in The Magic Flute, and as a Digital Studio Artist in 2020 played Ruth in Pirates of Penzance, for which KDHX cited her “impressive combination of vocal power and comic flair.”

Sánchez has been the recipient of several prizes, including the “Audience Choice Award” at the 2021 Jensen Foundation Competition. She was the recipient of the 2018 Igor Gorin Memorial Award, took first place in the Young Texas Artist Music Competition and second place in Opera Connecticut’s Opera Idol Competition, was a finalist in the Brava Opera Theater Competition, and has received grants from the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust and the Hispanic Scholarship Association.

Born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Sánchez received her Artist Diploma from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University and her master’s degree in vocal performance from New Mexico State University.