A Little Night Music

A noted interpreter of Mozart and bel canto repertoire as well as many of today’s prominent composers, Opera News has recently hailed Keith Phares as a "mainstay of contemporary opera" and " an authentic contemporary-American-opera divo" with "an impressive gallery of finely-drawn character portraits.”

This season he workshops the role of Tom in Matthew Boehler's Fat Pig with Victory Hall Opera, and sings the roles of Daddy Lowell and Mr. Floyd in the premiere of Clint Borzoni's The Copper Queen, to be released on film and produced by Arizona Opera. Highlights from last season include Brahms' Requiem with the Bucks County Choral Society, Messiah with Toledo Symphony, a reprise of Elder Tull in Riders of the Purple Sage with Arizona Opera. Phares was slated to appear as Mountjoy in Gloriana with Arts Centre in Ottawa; however both engagements were cancelled due to COVID-19 safety protocols.

Recently he appeared as Edward Kynaston in Carlisle Floyd's Prince of Players with Florentine Opera (recorded live for Reference Records), Sam in Trouble in Tahiti with Lexington Philharmonic, the premiere of Paul Salerni's opera, The Haunted at Zoellner Arts Center, Carol of Words - a song recital with Lyric Fest featuring texts by Walt Whitman and a return to Opera Saratoga as Dr. Ludwig Binswanger in the premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's Ellen West.

In the 2017/18 Season he made debuts with Los Angeles Opera as Roderick Usher and Hiram Otis in Gordon Getty's SCARE PAIR: Usher House/Canterville Ghost, Chicago Opera Theater as Gasparo in Donizetti's Rita, Opera Omaha as Ford in Falstaff, and Opera Maine as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro. Other highlights from last season include Viva Opera! at Florentine and the recording of Gregory Spears' critically acclaimed Paul's Case as the Father, which he sang in the opera's premiere at UrbanArias and PROTOYPE festival remount.

In the 2016/17 Season he sang Hurstwood in the world premiere and live recording of Robert Aldridge's Sister Carrie with Florentine (released on Naxos in Sept '17), Escamillo in Carmen with Opera Santa Barbara, Maximilian in Candide with New York City Opera, Elder Tull in the world premiere of Craig Bohmler's Riders of the Purple Sage with Arizona Opera, Charlie in Three Decembers with Hawaii Opera Theatre, Albert in Werther with Manitoba Opera, the American premiere of Philip Glass and Christopher Hampton's The Trial with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Belcore in L'elisir d'Amore with Boston Midsummer Opera.

Other recent engagements have included Zurga in Les pêcheurs des perles with Seattle Opera, Gaylord Ravenal in Showboat with Kentucky Opera, Charlie in Three Decembers with Florentine Opera, Carmina Burana with Madison Symphony and Fort Wayne Philharmonic, John Sorel in The Consul and Orin Mannon in Mourning Becomes Electra with Florida Grand Opera, Marcello in La bohème with Seattle Opera and Manitoba Opera, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with New Orleans Opera and Opera Saratoga, Paul's Case with UrbanArias and the PROTOTYPE festival, Dandini in La cenerentola and the title role in Elmer Gantry with Tulsa Opera and Maximilian and the Captain in Candide with São Paulo Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Marin Alsop. In previous seasons, the baritone sang the title role in Der Kaiser von Atlantis in a joint production with Central City Opera and Colorado Symphony, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Colorado, returned to Washington National Opera as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, joined Opera Hamilton as Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Portland Opera as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and Central City Opera as Charlie in Jake Heggie's Three Decembers. His has also appeared as the baritone soloist with San Francisco Symphony, Virginia Symphony and Columbus Symphony for performances of Carmina Burana.

For his debut with Florentine Opera, he portrayed the title role in Elmer Gantry, prompting Opera News to write that “Keith Phares's scrupulously rendered Elmer Gantry appears a strong contender for iconographic recognition. Beautifully vocalized and bursting with charismatic smarm (think Burt Lancaster with buttery legato), Phares's achievement will prove a difficult act to follow.” A live recording of this performance is available from Naxos records. Alongside Grammy awards for Best Contemporary Classical Composition and Best Engineering - Classical, it was named Opera News' #1 Opera Recording of 2011.

During the 2008/09 Season Phares made his San Francisco Opera debut in the company’s première of Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, singing opposite Frederica von Stade. His performance was praised for his “rich, accurate voice; good looks; and fine acting ability to the part of Charlie, making his performance the highlight of the production.” (San Francisco Classical Voice) Additional house debuts that season included the Opera Company of Philadelphia where he played the role of Haly in L’italiana in Algeri and Glimmerglass Opera where he played Dandini in a new production of La Cenerentola. In addition, he sang Falke in Opera New Jersey’s presentation of Die Fledermaus, Kaiser Overall in Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis at the Greenwich Music Festival, and Ned Keene in Peter Grimes with Washington National Opera. The Washington Post remarked of his performance that he “sang with a marvelous frank lyricism as Ned Keene.” He also offered a recital under the auspices of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.

Phares made his Houston Grand Opera debut during the 2007/08 Season under the direction of Patrick Summers in the world première of Jake Heggie’s Last Acts (Three Decembers) and returned to the stage of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in a new production of Martín y Soler’s Una cosa rara. Continuing his commitment to bring the works of living composers to the stage, he sang the title role in the première of Elmer Gantry, by Robert Aldridge, in a co-production with Nashville Opera and Montclair State University. Phares offered Five Movements for My Father in a program of chamber music by Susan Kander at Weill Hall in New York - his performance coinciding with the commercial release of this work on the Loose Cans Music label.

Phares made his Metropolitan Opera debut, under the baton of James Levine, in the French triple-bill Parade, sang The Pilot in the Francesca Zambello production of The Little Prince at New York City Opera and Boston Lyric Opera, Maurice Bendrix in Jake Heggie’s The End of the Affair with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Madison Opera, Harlequin in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Dallas Opera, Chou-En Lai in Portland Opera’s presentation of Nixon in China, Danilo in The Merry Widow in a return engagement at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Masetto in the acclaimed Günter Krämer production of Don Giovanni at the Spoleto Festival USA, and Sebastian in the North American premiere of Thomas Adès’ The Tempest presented by the Santa Fe Opera in a new production by Jonathan Kent and conducted by Alan Gilbert.

Additional credits of note include Donald in Billy Budd at Washington National Opera; Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd, Telemaco in Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, and Fritz in Die tote Stadt with New York City Opera; Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Dandini in La cenerentola, and Pish-Tush in The Mikado for Arizona Opera; Valentin in Faust and Clayton McCallister in Cold Sassy Tree with Utah Symphony & Opera; Claudio in Beatrice and Benedict at Santa Fe Opera; Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Boston Lyric Opera; and Charles Lindbergh in the premiere of Loss of Eden by Cary John Franklin as well as Pip in the premiere of the revised Miss Havisham’s Fire by Dominick Argento.

Other concert highlights include Claudio in Béatrice et Bénédict with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Sir Colin Davis, Maximilian in Candide with the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Patrick Summers, Gerald Barry’s The Triumph of Beauty and Deceit with Thomas Adès and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and a program of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. He also has been honored to have been affiliated for many seasons with the Marilyn Horne Foundation, under whose auspices he appeared in numerous recitals and master classes throughout the United States.

A graduate of the Juilliard Opera Center, he was a national winner of the 1998 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a finalist in the 1999 Eleanor McCollum Competition of the Houston Grand Opera. He also has been recognized with a Richard Gaddes Grant from the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the 2000 and 2001 Shouse Grants from Wolf Trap and the 2000 Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Juilliard School of Music.

Mezzo Soprano Beth Clayton led an active solo career for over twenty years, singing over fifty leading roles with companies both in the U.S. and abroad. Particularly known for her interpretation of the title role of Carmen, she also created a number of roles in world premieres, including John Adams’ Doctor Atomic, Thomas Adès’ America, Howard Shore’s The Fly, William Bolcom’s A Wedding, Carlisle Floyd’s Cold Sassy Tree, Deborah Drattell’s Lilith, and Lembit Beecher’s I have no stories to tell you. On the concert stage, she made appearances with leading orchestras ranging from the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra to The Israeli Philharmonic. Her discography includes the Grammy-nominated recording of The Glimmerglass Festival production of The Mines of Sulphur as well as Five Songs of Bernstein with The Minnesota Orchestra. She holds two Bachelors’ degrees in both Voice Performance and Music Education from Southern Methodist University, a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Manhattan School of Music, and most recently a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Antioch University. She currently combines her performance experience with the platform of total mental well-being in a private practice geared towards the specific needs of performing artists but also those in the LGBTQ community and beyond. Clayton was a finalist in the Metropolitan National Council Auditions in 1995 (and has now become an adjudicator for the MONC competition), a Sullivan Award Winner, and an alumna of the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program and the Houston Opera Studio. She is a native Arkansan but resides primarily in Santa Fe, New Mexico and secondarily in New York City.

The Oregonian praises soprano Katrina Galka for her recent performances of Adina in L’elisir d’amore, exclaiming that she “looked like a young Glenn Close, projecting power over Nemorino as she thrilled with fine coloratura filigree and pure high notes.” In the 2020/21 Season, she makes her role and company debut as Olympia in Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Opernhaus Zürich as well as sings a solo digital recital for Portland Opera. Her San Francisco Opera debut as Janine (Ofwarren) in Ruder’s The Handmaid’s Tale was unfortunately cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, as were the roles she added to her repertoire last season: Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos and the Charmeuse in Thais for performances at Arizona Opera and Utah Opera. In the first half of last season, she returned to the Wiener Staatsoper to reprise Fritzi in Staud’s Die Weiden following her debut with the company in the work’s world premiere in the season prior. She sang her first performances of the Controller in Dove’s Flight with Minnesota Opera and returned to the Las Vegas Philharmonic for Handel’s Messiah.

Galka recently role and company debuts as Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Atlanta Opera—followed by reprisals at New Orleans Opera and Opera San Jose, Atalanta in Xerxes at the Glimmerglass Festival, and Serpetta in La finta giardiniera with On Site Opera at the Caramoor International Music Festival, and Aithra in Die ägyptische Helena with Odyssey Opera. She sang her first performances of Gilda in Rigoletto in a return to Portland Opera, where she was previously a resident artist and host of role debuts that include Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Elvira in L’italiana in Algeri, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, and Frasquita in Carmen. With Arizona Opera Opera, she sang Cunegonde in Candide, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Woglinde in Das Rheingold, and a quartet of roles in Morganelli’s Hercules vs Vampires, the First Wood Nymph in Rusalka and Clorinda in La cenerentola as a resident artist. She joined the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy as a guest artist for Frasquita in Carmen and sang prior performances of Papagena in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis at which she has been both a Festival Artist and a Gerdine Young Artist. She joined the CoOperative Program as Marie in La fille du régiment and sang the Cat in Schuller’s The Fisherman and his Wife with Odyssey Opera and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. She also joined Dallas Opera as Voice I in Cuomo's Arjuna's Dilemma, presented as the company hosted the annual Opera America conference.

On the concert stage, she has joined the Rhode Island Civic Chorale for the Angel in Respighi's Laude to the Nativity and Handel's Messiah and returned to the latter previously with the Las Vegas Philharmonic. With the Florida Orchestra, she sang Bernstein favorites in a concert celebrating his work on Broadway. She sang Elvira in excerpts of L’italiana in Algeri with the Oregon Symphony and Violetta in excerpts of La traviata with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. With various Dallas-based chamber ensembles and orchestras, she has sung Fauré’s Requiem, Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, and Bach’s St. John Passion. In 2011, Katrina performed in the east coast premiere of Jake Heggie’s Pieces of 9/11 as the Girl Soprano, with Mr. Heggie at the piano.

Galka is a three-time regional award winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She is the first-place winner of the Mario Lanza Scholarship and has received further awards from the National Opera Association Vocal Competition, Marcello Giordani International Vocal Competition, and the Heida Hermanns International Vocal Competition.

She holds a Master of Music from Boston University, at which she sang Servilia in La clemenza di Tito, Carolina in Il matrimonio segreto, and Rosalba in Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas. She earned a Bachelor of Music from Southern Methodist University, from which she graduated summa cum laude.

Admired for her unique vocal prowess, "...easily switch-hitting from high coloratura to Broadway belt” (New York Post), mezzo-soprano Melanie Long is making her mark forging a truly modern operatic career. In 2019 Long created the role of Anna in Encompass New Opera Theater’s world premiere of ANNA CHRISTIE by Edward Thomas. The production and her performance received rave reviews and the cast album was up for Grammy Nomination in 2020.

Long made her New York City Opera debut in 2016 with a power-house portrayal of Ava (Gardner) in the East Coast premiere of Stewart Wallace’s HOPPER’S WIFE and returned to NYCO in 2017 to portray Amore/Cupid (PYGMALION, Rameau). Her 2017 season also included the very notable world premieres of Julian Wachner's REV 23 with White Snake Projects and Michael Gordon's ACQUANETTA for the PROTOTYPE Festival.

An exceptional singing actress, Long is an established performer of crossover, operetta and musical theater repertoire. She created the role of Pelegrino at the New York International Fringe Festival in the world premiere of THE PIG, THE FARMER AND THE ARTIST. Other notable crossover performances include Mrs. Segstrom (A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC) with The Gallery Players and frequent New York and International cabaret appearances.

Long was an Opera Works artist at English National Opera in 2013 and has performed throughout the United Kingdom. Her much-lauded Edinburgh Festival Fringe appearances include the title role in MARIA STUARDA, Rosina (IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA) and DORABELLA (COSÌ FAN TUTTE).

Long began her career as a soprano, making her professional debut at Des Moines Metro opera as a “buoyant Papagena” (DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE) (Opera News), and has performed some of her most beloved roles there, including OSCAR (UN BALLO IN MASCHERA), ÄNNCHEN (DER FREISCHÜTZ) and most recently Petra in the iconic Isaac Mizrahi production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC.

She earned her Master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music and makes her home in New York City.

Thomas W. Strawser, a native of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, enjoys an extensive and diverse career as a performing artist. His professional choral experience includes The Philadelphia Singers during the organization’s tenure with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Manhattan Chorale, a choral residency at St. Alban’s Cathedral in England, staff singer at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, the Grammy-Nominated True Concord Voices & Orchestra, and the Grammy-Award Winning Phoenix Chorale including their album Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil which received the 58th Grammy’s “Best Choral Performance” award.

Thomas is currently in his 9th season at Childsplay Theatre as a company actor. He has also acted in other Valley productions including Arizona Opera, Arizona Broadway Theatre, Detour Company Theatre, The Phoenix Theatre Company, and Showtune Productions.

Thomas holds a Master of Music in Opera/Musical Theatre Performance from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

Praised for her "full, focused soprano," Caitlin Gotimer, originally from Malverne, NY, recently completed her second year with the Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio. During the 2021/22 Season, Gotimer was seen as Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen, Mrs. Anderssen in Sondheim's A Little Night Music, and Fiordiligi in Mozart's Così fan tutte.

Gotimer performed a variety of scenes and arias during Arizona Opera's Reimagined 2020/21 Season, including highlights from Madame Butterfly, La Rondine, and Pagliacci. In the summer of 2020, Gotimer participated in The Glimmerglass Festival's virtual Young Artist Program, having been scheduled to sing Armida in Handel's Rinaldo prior to COVID-19.

Gotimer was a part of the Resident Artist program at Pittsburgh Opera from 2018/20. There Gotimer appeared as the title role in Handel's Alcina, Tink Enraught in Hilliard and Boresi's The Last American Hammer, Older Alyce in Cipullo's Glory Denied, Elettra in AfterWARds (Mozart's Idomeneo Reimagined), and Sandman/Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel. Gotimer also covered Mimì in the company's production of Puccini's La Bohème. In the 2017/18 Season, Gotimer was a part of the Artist Diploma in Opera program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she received a Masters of Music in Voice in 2017. During Gotimer's time at CCM, Gotimer sang Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica, Dalinda in Ariodante, and Anne Sexton in Conrad Sousa's Transformations. During the summer of 2017, Gotimer returned to the Crested Butte Opera Studio to sing Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi. Gotimer debuted at the company in the summer of 2016, singing Musetta in another Puccini favorite, La Bohème.

Gotimer has been the recipient of several awards and honors. In 2020, Gotimer was a semi-finalist in the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition, and a finalist in Pittsburgh Festival Opera's Mildred Miller Competition. In 2019, Gotimer won third prize in The Metropolitan Opera National Council Great Lakes Regionals, after receiving the Marianne Cornetti Award in the Pittsburgh District. In 2017, Gotimer was the recipient of one the top prizes in CCM's annual Corbett Competition, the Italo Tajo Award. Weeks later, Gotimer won the Audience Favorite Award and Second Prize in the Opera Guild of Dayton Competition. Gotimer was an Encouragement Award winner of the Cincinnati Metropolitan Opera National Councils in 2016. In 2015, Gotimer won first place in the National Biennial Collegiate Voice Competition run by NFMC. That summer, Gotimer was selected to be a Binghamton University Summer Scholar and Artist before attending the first of two summers at the Chautauqua Institute School of Music. At Binghamton University, Gotimer was the recipient of the Provost Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research, and the Stevenson Barrett Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Vocal Performance.

Having received her Bachelors of Music in Voice from Binghamton University, Gotimer performed roles with both the Binghamton University Opera Studio and the partnered TriCities Opera. During her undergraduate studies, Gotimer developed a passion for opera outreach, performing the role of the Mother in Hansel and Gretel in schools around the area with the Binghamton University Opera Studio. In 2017, she sang Pamina in a special children’s adaptation of The Magic Flute with ROKCincy.

On the concert stage, Gotimer has been a soloist in the Mozart Requiem in D minor at the Song d’été in Quebec, and in the Bach Missa Brevis in F with Binghamton University. In 2014, Gotimer was the first undergraduate vocalist to win Binghamton University's Concerto Competition.

Aaron Matthew Smith, is an accomplished musician who has performed widely throughout the valley. Aaron began his musical career as a classical violinist, something he still enjoys to this day. It was in pursuing this passion that he first encountered and fell in love with the operatic style and classical singing. Since embracing classical voice, he has enjoyed performing varied works throughout the southwest. He made his main stage debut with Utah Lyric Opera in 2019 as Remendado in Bizet’s Carmen. He has sung the role Duncan in the concert revival of Mountain Days by Arizona’s own Craig Bohmler and covered Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. Along with opera, Aaron enjoys performing both concert and recital works. Performing regularly as a recital artist, his most recent performances have included English Chamber Music, German Lied, and American Art Song. Highlights include solo works such as Ralph Vaughan Williams’ On Wenlock Edge, Gerald Finzi’s Farewell to Arms, Franz Liszt’s Wilhem Tell, various works by Josephine Lang, and as a featured soloist for Morten Lauridsen in a discussion and performance of his first song cycle, A Backyard Universe. In the 2021/2022 Season, Aaron is delighted to make his Arizona Opera debut as Mr. Erlanson in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. He can also be seen as the lead soloist in Joseph Julian Gonzalez’s ground breaking work Misa Azteca and as the 2nd tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. Aaron is a native of Arizona and proud alumna of Arizona State University holding degrees in both Vocal Performance and Violin Performance

STEPHEN SONDHEIM wrote the music and lyrics for Saturday Night (1954), A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (1962), ANYONE CAN WHISTLE (1964), COMPANY (1970), FOLLIES (1971), A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (1973), THE FROGS (1974), PACIFIC OVERTURES (1976), SWEENEY TODD (1979), MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (1981), SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (1984), INTO THE WOODS (1987), ASSASSINS (1991), PASSION (1994) and ROAD SHOW (2008) as well as lyrics for WEST SIDE STORY (1957), GYPSY (1959) and DO I HEAR A WALTZ? (1965) and additional lyrics for CANDIDE (1973). Anthologies of his work include SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM (1976), MARRY ME A LITTLE (1981), YOU'RE GONNA LOVE TOMORROW (1983), PUTTING IT TOGETHER (1993/99) and SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM (2010). He composed the scores of the films "Stavisky" (1974) and "Reds" (1981) and songs for "Dick Tracy" (1990) and the television production "Evening Primrose" (1966). His collected lyrics with attendant essays have been published in two volumes: "Finishing the Hat" (2010) and "Look, I Made A Hat" (2011). In 2010 the Broadway theater formerly known as Henry Miller's Theatre was renamed in his honor.

A versatile musician acknowledged for his passionate and commanding leadership from the podium, the exciting American conductor Andrew Bisantz is building an impressive roster of credits at leading national orchestras and opera companies throughout the country. As the Music Director at Eugene Opera, Bisantz has been responsible for the emergence of the company as one of the most noted and important performing arts organizations in the Pacific Northwest. In Eugene, he has conducted Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Faust, La bohème, The Mikado, Carmen, Nixon in China, Pirates of Penzance, Dead Man Walking, Offenbach’s Orphée aux Enfers, La fanciulla del West, L’elisir d’amore, Lucia di Lammermoor, Eugene Onegin, and La traviata. This season, Bisantz will continue his post at Eugene Opera and will conduct Madama Butterfly at Opera Tampa. Last season, Bisantz conducted Tosca with Tri-Cities Opera and Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Fallen Giant at American Lyric Theater. Upcoming engagements include New York Stories for Florida Grand Opera and Madama Butterfly for Opera Tampa.

In recent seasons, Bisantz conducted Opera Saratoga’s production of The Consul, a concert entitled “Mozart’s Operatic Favorites” with Buffalo Philharmonic, Albert Herring at McGill University, Le Nozze di Figaro for Florida Grand Opera, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Fallen Giant for American Lyric Theater, La fille du regiment with Opera Saratoga, Dialogues des Carmelites with Savannah Voice Festival, as well as his company’s productions of As One and H.M.S. Pinafore, La fanciulla del West with Virginia Opera, Macbeth for Opera Tampa, Don Giovanni with Northwestern University, and Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Eugene Opera. Notable engagements from the past few seasons include returns to Florida Grand Opera for Rigoletto, Menotti’s The Consul, and Die Zauberflöte; A Midsummer Night’s Dream at McGill University; Rigoletto at Opera Coeur d’Alene and Tri-Cities Opera; Verdi’s La traviata for Virginia Opera; Le nozze di Figaro at Opera San José; La faniciulla del West at Opera Omaha; and Don Giovanni at Savannah Voice Festival and in his début with Wolf Trap Opera. He also conducted Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 with the Boston Landmarks Orchestra under the famed Hatch Shell and sold-out performances of Rhapsody in Blue with Buffalo Philharmonic.

He made his European début conducting concerts with the Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto in Porto, Portugal and returned conducting a concert of Bomtempo’s Requiem with the OSP and the Coro Casa da Música. He also recently débuted at the Brevard Music Center, conducting Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore for the Janiec Opera Company.

For his début with Boston Lyric Opera leading The Turn of the Screw, The Boston Globe selected it as one of the ten top Boston classical music events of 2010, and The Boston Musical Intelligencer noted that “Conductor Andrew Bisantz led the small group of instrumentalists with skill and an impeccable ear for balance…in those instances when the players were the focal point, especially the interludes that fall between each scene, the musicianship was effective and inspired.” He subsequently returned for productions of Tosca and Madama Butterfly.

Bisantz previously served as Associate Conductor of Florida Grand Opera (FGO). He made his FGO main stage début conducting Bizet’s Carmen for the company’s historic final performances at Miami-Dade County Auditorium. With FGO, he also conducted Suor Angelica, Pagliacci, La Cenerentola, La bohème, Don Giovanni, and Manon Lescaut. At FGO General Director Robert Heuer’s 25th Anniversary Gala, Maestro Bisantz led the FGO Orchestra in performance with notable artists such as Elizabeth Futral, Katharine Goeldner, Kyle Pfortmiller, and David Pomeroy.

Additional positions held include Assistant Conductor at Glimmerglass Opera, where he conducted Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience and Massenet’s Le portrait de Manon; Apprentice Conductor and Associate Producer of the Buffalo Philharmonic National Public Radio broadcasts; Music Director of the Florida International University Opera Theatre; and faculty member of VOICExperience, a summer voice program created by legendary baritone Sherrill Milnes and soprano Maria Zouves.

Bisantz earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Fredonia State College, where he studied piano with Robert Jordan and conducting with Grant Cooper. He completed his Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with legendary conductors such as Carl Topilow, Louis Lane, and current Music Director of New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Alan Gilbert.

Isaac Mizrahi has worked extensively in the entertainment industry as a performer, host, writer, designer and producer for over 30 years. He has an annual residency at Café Carlyle in New York City and has performed at various venues across the country such as Joe’s Pub, The Regency Ballroom and several City Winery locations nationwide. He is the subject and co-creator of Unzipped, a documentary following the making of his Fall 1994 collection which received an award at the Sundance Film Festival. He hosted his own television talk show The Isaac Mizrahi Show for seven years, has written three books, and has made countless appearances in movies and on television. He served as a judge on Project Runway: All-Stars for the series’ entire seven-season run.

Joshua Reid is a sound & systems designer based in New York City, with extensive work on Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours, International Productions, & Sound Installations. Design selections include A Christmas Carol (Broadway, Geffen Playhouse, LA Drama Critics Circle Award, LA Ovation Award), Ragtime (Calgary Philharmonic), Million Dollar Quartet (Theatre Calgary), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Tour), Girlfriend (TheatreWorks Hartford, Connecticut Critics Circle Award), A Time Like This (Carnegie Hall). Additional Broadway credit selections include: Flying Over Sunset, The Ferryman, The Iceman Cometh, Falsettos, American Psycho, The Visit, & Act One.