Soprano Emily Duncan-Brown is thrilling audiences with her “warm, rich middle, a shimmering, flexible top, excellent control… and her exquisitely beautiful delivery.” In the 2010-2011 season she covered Ellie Dehn in the role of Inez in L’Africaine with Opera Orchestra of New York and performs Alice Ford in Falstaff with Mannes Opera. Other upcoming engagements include Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore with International Vocal Arts Institute and the role of Phaedra in Chistopher Park’s opera Phaedra and Hippolytus to be performed at the Palacio das Artes in Brazil in 2012. Emily recently performed the role of Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos at Tanglewood Music Center, under the baton of Maestro Christoph von Dohnanyi. Miss Duncan-Brown holds a Bachelor of Music degree from McGill University, a Masters degree from Mannes College and is presently completing a Professional Studies Diploma at Mannes. Visit website…
Alexandra Rafalo, is a Polish-American soprano. She has sung with Opera Fresca, DuPage Opera Theatre, Opera Tampa, and the Lyric Orchestra. Her roles have included Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Micaela in Carmen, Tosca, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Yvette, and Magda in La Rondine. Alexandra was awarded Grand Prize of the Elgin Opera competition (2008), and First Prize of the Sherrill Milnes Opera Idol competition (2008). Her solo concert performances have included: A Night of Kern and Romberg, Saint-Saens Christmas Oratorio, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Handel’s Messiah. Ms. Rafalo was an apprentice artist at Sarasota Opera, receiving the Leo M.Rogers award, and Opera Tampa. In those programs, she performed scenes as Tosca, Donna Elvira, Fiordiligi, Marguerite (Faust), Anna Bolena, Madama Butterfly. Ms. Rafalo has coached with opera greats: Sherrill Milnes, Tito Capobianco, Fabrizio Melano, and Dame Kiri Te Kanawa.Recently Alexandra was a Resident Artist at the Lyric Orchestra, singing excerpts from Ernani (Elvira), I Vespri Siciliani (Elena), Manon Lescaut, Un Ballo in Maschera (Amelia) and more.
Iranian Canadian mezzo soprano Shirin Eskandani is an avid performer on both the operatic and recital stage. Recent roles include Medoro in Handel’s Orlando, Carmen in La Tragedie de Carmen, Ruggiero in Alcina, and Mercedes in Carmen. As a soloist she has performed in numerous works including Bach’s Matthaus-Passion, Handel’s Messiah, and Durufle’s Requiem. She has premiered several works including The Oratorio to End all Oratorios with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s performance of Handel’s Messiah. A frequent recitalist, Ms. Eskandani has performed in numerous concerts in Canada, the United States, Europe and the Middle East. In 2005, she had the honor of performing as a featured soloist for the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi. Ms. Eskandani has worked as a young artist with Syracuse Opera, the Ash Lawn Opera Festival, Green Mountain Opera and the Banff Centre. This past summer she covered the role of Geneviève in Pelléas and Mélisande at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Visit website…
Originally from Mexico City, Evanivaldo Correa Serrano began his studies in 1998 at The College of Music. From 2002 to 2005 he participated in the SIVAM workshop with Professor Cesar Ulloa. In 2005 he entered into AVA (Academy of Vocal Arts) in Philadelphia and finished participation in January 2007. He has been presented in concerts The Palace of Fine Arts in Mexico City. In 2010, he won First Place in the competition “Young Voices of the Bel Canto” in Mexico City, and a scholarship in La Scuola dell´Opera Italiana in Bologna Italia. Last season at Palm Beach Opera he played the roles of Abdallo in Nabucco, Spoletta in Tosca, and Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte Family Performance. In his second year in the Palm Beach Opera Young Artist Program, he will be seen in the roles of Romeo in Romeo et Juliette Family performance and Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as cover BF Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.
Baritone R. Kenneth Stavert, a native of Southern California, has been hailed for his strong sense of theatrics as well as commanding vocal prowess. Kenneth has performed with companies such as Glimmerglass Opera, Opera North, Center City Opera Theater, Cincinnati Symphony, Pasadena Pops Orchestra and the Northwest Young Recitalist Association. This season at Palm Beach Kenneth will sing Yamadori in Madama Butterfly and Gregorio in Roméo et Juliette. Recent roles include Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Schaunard in La bohemé, Dancaïro in Carmen and Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte. Kenneth has been a Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Finalist, a Houston Grand Opera Semi-Finalist, and a Finalist in the Jensen Competition. He has twice been a Prize Winner in the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition, the first Place winner in the Opera Birmingham Vocal Competition and the Grand Prize Winner of the Florida Grand Opera Young Patronesses of the Opera Vocal Competition. Mr. Stavert’s Young Artist residency is sponsored by the Palm Beach Opera Guild. Visit website…
Baritone Jesse Enderle, originally from Fargo, ND, enjoys performing as concert soloist as well as on the operatic stage, and has recently completed his tenure as a Tulsa Opera Studio Artist. Performing with companies such as Central City Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Tulsa Opera, Arbor Opera Theatre, and others, his roles have included the grand Pooh-Bah in The Mikado, Baron Douphol in La Traviata, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Escamillo in Carmen, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, and Sid in Albert Herring. Concert work has included works such as Brahms’ Requiem, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, and Ralph Vaughan-Williams Five Mystical Songs. This season at Palm Beach, Jesse will sing the role of the Imperial Commissioner as well as Paris in Romeo and Juliette. He will also sing the role of Mercutio in this season’s family performance of Romeo and Juliette and cover the role of Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. He has twice been a district winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and has been a finalist for the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center.
Benjamin Clements holds a Master of Music in Voice from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor of Music in Voice from Michigan State University. Mr. Clements returned this summer to the Santa Fe opera as a member of the young artist’s program. For the SFO he performed the role of the First Apprentice in Alban Berg’s Wozzeck, and the role of the Catholic Priest in Menotti’s The Last Savage. Last year Mr. Clements performed the role of Zuniga in Bizet’s Carmen with the Florida Grand Opera. In 2009 at the Music Academy of the West he sang the role of Lothario in Thomas’ Mignon. In the same year Mr. Clements appeared as Figaro in Juilliard’s production of Le Nozze di Figaro. At Juilliard he also performed a recital with pianist and coach Margo Garrett. In the summer of 2008 he appeared as Blitch in the Chautauqua Institution’s production of Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. During that year Mr. Clements made his Carnegie Hall debut as the bass soloist for Musica Sacra’s production of Handel’s Messiah. Visit website…
Connect With Us!