A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Elijah English is pleased to join Chicago Summer Opera from Denver, CO. Elijah most recently appeared as Sorceress (Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas), Le Prince Charmant (Massenet’s Cendrillon), Joan of the Real (workshop of Kamala Sankaram’s Joan of the City), and Ottone (Handel’s Agrippina). He has also appeared as a concert soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra and is on the roster of the Colorado Bach Ensemble. This year, Elijah was awarded both First Place and “Singer of the Year” for the Colorado-Wyoming Regional NATS competition and was a District Winner and Regional Competitor in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

Sergio Raùl Savala, countertenor, graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s in Vocal Performance in the spring of 2022. Sergio will continue to pursue a MM in Vocal Performance at CCPA at Roosevelt University. While at TTU, Sergio had the opportunity to perform the roles of the Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Annio in Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, and Prince Orlofsky in Strauss’ II Die Fledermaus. While in his first year at CCPA Sergio had the opportunity to cover the role of Ralphael in Dove’s Tobias and the Angel.

Cassandra Dixon, soprano

Coloratura soprano Cassandra Dixon aims to present opera and musical theater repertoire in a text-motivated fashion.

Cassandra performed as Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring with Chicago Summer Opera in 2021. Her other roles include the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel, Mrs. Nordstrom and Fredrika Armfeldt in A Little Night Music, Snake in The Apple Tree, and Ella Peterson in Bells are Ringing, as well as partial opera roles.

Awarded several honors for her work, Cassandra received an Artistic Excellence Award from Peabody Institute for 2022-2023. In 2018, she was selected to be a participant at the “The Jimmy Awards,” after being awarded Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role by The 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards Program in Seattle, Washington.

Invited to perform as a soloist with the Walla Walla Symphony Orchestra in 2021, Cassandra also attended and performed at Opera in the Ozarks and the Bel Canto Institute in Florence, Italy, among other esteemed institutions.

Currently pursuing her M.M. in Voice Performance at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, Cassandra studies with Elizabeth Futral. She received her B.M. in Vocal Performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with Susanne Mentzer.

Ericka Barloon, soprano, makes her second appearance at the Chicago Summer Opera in the role of Tytania in Bitten's Midsummer Night's Dream. She has previously performed with CSO as Lepido in Handel's Lucio Cornelio Silla. Ericka's other roles include Lauretta in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi and Suor Genovieffa in Puccini's Suor Angelica with International Lyric Academy, and Elizabeth "Beth March in Mark Adamo's Little Women, Clara Johnson in Guettel's Light in the Piazza, and Dorabella in Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte with the University of Iowa Opera Program. Notably, Ericka performed the Soprano II solos in Mozart's Great Mass in C Minor with the University of Iowa Mass choir.

Soprano, Casey Morris, is a native of Hockessin, Delaware and holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance and Music Education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Casey’s most notable recent role was Papagena in die Zauberflöte. She has served as both a private voice instructor and middle school music educator. Casey currently studies with Dr. Noël Archambeault, and is pursuing a masters degree in vocal performance at the University of Delaware.

Tess Levine has a background in musical theater training and discovered her love for classical voice at age 15. She grew up spending her summers at Interlochen Center for the Arts, and continued her high school education there. During this time, she made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2019 with the Interlochen Youth Orchestra. She has spent summers in France, Italy, and New York furthering her classical education. She currently studies at The Manhattan School of Music with Ms. Cynthia Hoffmann and coaches with Kanae Matsumoto. She is a lover of Shakespeare and some of her favorite performances have been scene work on Thomas’s Hamlet as Ophelia and being a chorus member in Birmingham Opera’s production of Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette. She is a 2021 winner of the Lotte Lenya Emerging Young Artist Award.

After winning a choral scholarship to Clare College, Juliet pursued another path, holding various senior positions in financial services in the City of London. She saw the light and now holds a postgraduate diploma from Trinity Laban Conservatoire, where she played "Madge" in the premiere of McNeff's "Banished" and Arnalta in L'incoronazione di Poppea. Subsequent roles were Orfeo (Orfeo Ed Euridice), Miss Todd (The Old Maid and the Thief) and Sorceress (Dido and Aeneas) for Handmade Opera; Suzy/Lolette (La Rondine) and Carmen for Mediterranean Opera Festival; Florence Pike (Albert Herring) for Miami Music Festival; Maddalena (Rigoletto) and Zita (Gianni Schicchi) for Camerata de Bardi, First Norn (Götterdämmerung) and Klytemenaestra (Elektra) for New York Dramatic Voices and La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica) for Varna Festival. She enjoys playing horrible old women, suspiciously small men and ladies of questionable morals, which is just as well.

"Heralded by the Brooklyn Discovery, Michaela Larsen is “visually and vocally another bright ray”. Ms. Larsen’s voice is “plangent [and] coupled with excellent stagecraft”.

In 2021, Ms. Larsen began her Master’s in Vocal Performance at Stony Brook University, where she has enjoyed bold new roles and daring repertoire. Highlights include Venus in Blow’s Venus and Adonis and Nancy in Britten’s Albert Herring with Stony Brook Opera Theatre, and Cherubino in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with Vienna Summer Music Festival. Upcoming roles: Sāvitri (Holst’s Sāvitri); Lillas Pastia (La Tragédie de Carmen). Her work as a concert soloist includes Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Mozart’s Requiem.

An avid recitalist, Ms. Larsen will sing Kurtag’s Kafka Fragmente, Scelsi’s Khoom, Schönberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, as well as recitals of limitless variety. Ms. Larsen is a member of the New York Philharmonic Chorus, where she recently sang the world premiere of Angélica Negron’s You are the Prelude, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, and Adolphus Hailstork's Done Made my Vow at Lincoln Center."

Bethany Brewer is a native of the Chicagoland area and is thrilled to be working with the talented musicians and faculty at Chicago Summer Opera as she appears as Hippolyta in Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Bethany holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance from the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, where she performed roles such as the 2nd Witch (Dido and Aeneas) and 3rd Lady (Die Zauberflöte). In 2017, she made her way to Denver, Colorado to pursue her Master’s at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she studied with Abigail Nims. Before graduating in 2020 from the University of Colorado Boulder, Bethany explored a variety of opportunities, performing with CU Boulder’s Early Music Ensemble, the Boulder Bach Festival, and singing Filippyevna (Eugene Onegin) with Ecklund Opera. Most recently, Bethany appeared as Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro) with the Miami Beach Classic Music Festival and has been establishing herself as a performer since moving back to the greater Chicagoland area in 2021, performing with with Chicago’s Music of the Baroque and Cor Cantiamo ensembles as well as various solo concerts around Chicago.

Elyse Coty is thrilled to be joining Chicago Summer Opera as Hippolyta. Since finishing her undergraduate studies, she has been teaching and performing in her hometown in California. Her recent appearances include: opera chorus in Tosca (Opera San Jose); alto soloist for Kuhnau’s Magnificat in C Major (Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus); chorus member in Candide (Cabrillo Stage); Mrs. Peachum in The ThreePenny Opera (UOP Opera Theater); and Isabel and Edith (understudy) in Pirates of Penzance (Cabrillo Stage). She has appeared in concerts, recitals, masterclasses and competitions with: Opera Modesto; the Stockton Opera Guild; the Italian-American Heritage Foundation; the Conservatory of Music at UoP; and Cabrillo College. Elyse received her bachelors degree from University of the Pacific (“UoP”).

Laura Gibert was born in 1997 in Barcelona, Spain. She studied voice at the Conservatori Superior del Liceu while she completed her Psychology Degree in Barcelona. She is currently studying her second year Master at the Royal Academy of Music and living in London. She has participated in Royal Academy Opera Scenes, and she has performed in prestigious halls in London such as the Royal Festival Hall, Wigmore Hall, and Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona. Her future engagements include performances as Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) in Barcelona and Festival 100% classique in France.

Juney Li is a New York City-based vocalist, band leader, and music educator. She first gained recognition as a female front vocalist with her rock band “Juney” in 2016. Since then, the band has performed in music venues around New York City and has shared stages with celebrated artists like Michael Angelo Batio and John 5.

As a singer, Juney participates in competitions, festivals, and concerts in the United States and has received numerous awards. She sings different genres of music in Chinese and English, and other Germanic languages, such as classical, jazz, pop, and rock music. As an educator, Juney tailors her teaching to students at different levels. She believes that learning music is for everyone at any age and should be an enjoyable process. Juney is currently studying with soprano Dr. Sherry Overholt along with pianist Donna Gill. She is pursuing her Master of Music at the Aaron Copland School of Music of Queens College, and holds a Bachelor of Music Diploma from the City College, where she studied Classical Voice Performance.

Emily Gregonis, mezzo soprano, is a native of Columbia, Connecticut. She is so excited to be joining the Chicago Summer Opera community! Favorite roles include La Novizia (Sour Anglica), Reza (Once), Ruth (Pirates of Penzance), The Auditionee (The Impresario), Rona (Spelling Bee), and Cardoza (Titanic). This past May, she received her Master’s Degree from Ithaca College in Vocal Performance.

Known for her cross-over work in both classical and music theatre, Ruth Peart has studied voice for fifteen years with various teachers and has been a part of many choral organizations. She has performed with the Columbus Children's Choir, New World Singers touring many European countries and Carnegie Hall. Ruth is a first-year masters student at Indiana University’s Jacobs school of music studying vocal performance with Professor Kimberly Gill. Ruth has had many successes; including winning 1st place for the Best Mozart Performance, was a finalist for the Ohio State University School of Music’s concerto Competition (2021) and was a recipient of the Margaret Speaks Vocal Scholarship. Ruth has performed in many productions with the Madison County Arts Council of Ohio and most recently won third place in the Women in Music in Columbus Memorial Scholarship Competition for advanced musical study.

Chloe Thomas-Green is a soprano based in New York, New York, originally from Northfield, Minnesota. Chloe is currently a rising senior pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Classical Voice at New York University, where she studies privately with Jamilyn Manning-White. She is pursuing a minor in Africana studies, which she routinely incorporates into her studies in Vocal Performance as well.

Her opera career began in 2015, at Lakes Area Music Festival in Brainerd, Minnesota. After several years working with the festival, she has performed in the chorus of Carmen, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, La Boheme, and most recently played the Third Spirit in their 2018 production of The Magic Flute. She participated in Minnesota Opera’s Young Artist Program in 2019. Previous awards include a superior and excellent rating as a soloist in the Minnesota High School League Music Festival.

In her free time, she enjoys exploring music by composers of color, attending Met productions, doing jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with her 2-year-old cat, Malibu.

This year, Chloe is beyond excited to return to the opera stage in the role of Moth in Chicago Summer Opera’s production of A MIdsummer Night’s Dream!

Kayla Fisher is a young soprano based in St. Louis, MO. This is Kayla's first time performing with Chicago Summer Opera and she is very excited!

Most recently, Kayla performed the role of Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Despina in W.A. Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte with Millikin University’s Opera Production. During her time at Millikin University she has also performed in Dido and Aeneas as witch one and Trial by Jury as Foreman of the Jury.

Kayla recently graduated from Millikin University receiving her bachelor’s in music and a theatre minor. She would like to thank her family and friends for all their support!

I am a soprano. I am currently studying at Jacobs School of Music. And I am a first-year master student.

Spencer VanDellen’s voice has been described as youthful, bright, and filled with colour. Originally from Alberta, Canada, he studied with Benjamin Butterfield at the University of Victoria and received a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. He is currently attending the University of Michigan for a Master of Music, studying under Stanford Olsen. Spencer has performed many Opera, Operetta, and Musical Theatre roles around Alberta and British Columbia, such as Nerone in The Coronation of Poppea (Opera NUOVA), Nanki-Poo in The Mikado (Victoria Gilbert & Sullivan Society) , and Seymour Krelborn in Little Shop of Horrors (Claresholm Arts Society). Most recently he was involved in the University of Michigan's production of The Cunning Little Vixen. He also performs concert repertoire regularly and has performed as the tenor soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony (UVIC Orchestra), Bach's Magnificat (Victoria Philharmonic Choir & the University of Michigan) and in Wynton Marsalis’s All Rise (University Musical Society).

From Kennett Square Pennsylvania, tenor Jeremy Do is performing Lysander as his first role in Chicago Summer Opera. His previous operatic roles include Peter in the world premiere of Shulamit Ran’s Anne Frank at Indiana University, Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro (Harrower Summer Opera Workshop), Petrucci in Lucrezia Borgia (University of Delaware Opera Theatre), and Barigoule in Cendrillon (University of Delaware Opera Theatre). Do earned a bachelor’s degree in music at the University of Delaware under the tutelage of Blake Smith. He is currently pursuing a master’s in music at the Jacobs School of Music in the studio of Brian Horne.

André Ferguson is a senior at Mississippi State University (MSU) studying Music Education as a tenor and countertenor. While at MSU, André has been a member and featured soloist of the following gospel, choral, opera ensembles, and companies: Black Voices, Vessels of Worship (V.O.W), Men of State, Chamber Singers, State Singers, Opera Production, and Ballet Columbus. His most recent performance was with Music On Site Inc. in Wichita, KS where he held the role of Page in Amahl and the Night Visitors and participated in an Opera Scenes Showcase. He has performed with MSU’s Opera Production where he held the roles of Kaspar and Shepherd in Amahl and the Night Visitors. He has also performed with the Golden Triangle Theatre where he held the role of Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, and the role of Page in Amahl and the Night Visitors. André has competed at the Mississippi Chapter of the Southern Region National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) where he placed third in the Junior TBB Classical Category in Spring 2022. He has also placed second in the 4th/5th Year Classical TBB Category and first in the American Negro Spiritual category at the Southern Region NATS in Spring 2023. Utilizing his experience and aspiration to further his career in Opera, André plans to attend graduate school to continue his studies in Opera Performance.

Jacob King is a Tenor singer from Roanoke Texas, who is incredibly excited to be making his debut with Chicago Summer Opera. Jacob is currently attending Mississippi State University with a BA in voice. He currently studies under Dr. Garrett Torbert. Some past roles include, King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors at MSU's opera program and in the ensemble of Così fan tutte with Music on Site in Wichita KS. Jacob would also like to thank his parents for all their support in music.

Caleb Haselhuhn is thrilled to be making his Chicago debut in this production. Caleb holds degrees from Truman State University (BA in Music, MAE in Music Education) and The University of Iowa (MA in Voice Performance). Some of his past opera roles include Germont in La Traviata and Geronimo in Il Matrimonio Segreto. Also active as a musical theatre performer, Caleb has enjoyed roles in The Secret Garden, The Drowsy Chaperone, Cinderella, and Bright Star.

Originally from Lodi, California, Caden Webb, Baritone, is a sophomore in the Vocal Performance program at Utah State University. He has covered Valens in Theodora and played Beadle Bamford in Sweeney Todd at Utah State. He has also premiered many new works such as Lori Laitman’s opera Uncovered and Dawn Norfleet’s Song cycle “Song Settings of two poems by Jean Toomer (1894-1967)” He has performed and recorded with the American Festival Chorus conducted by Dr Craig Jessop and performed as an ensemble member with Utah Festival Opera. Caden is a member of the Utah State Opera Outreach Quartet and has won various awards with The National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions. In his spare time, Caden loves to write music, as well as spending time with his colleagues. Caden currently studies with Dr. Cindy Dewey and has previously studied with Daniel Ebbers at the University of the Pacific. He will also be performing as Mr. Gedge in Albert Herring at Harrower Summer Opera Workshop in Atlanta, Georgia.

Zachary Mendenhall is a Chicago-based Opera Singer and Film Composer, and is excited to be debuting the role of Bartolo in Chicago Summer Opera’s Le Nozze di Figaro, as well as covering the role of Figaro. In the 2023 Season, he will also be singing with the Opera Festival of Chicago as a Young Artist, and will be playing the role of Mr. Kofner in Menotti’s The Consul with Third Eye Theater Ensemble later this Summer. Earlier this year, he played Masetto in Don Giovanni with Ouroborus Opera Company, under conductor Alexis Enyart. Other roles Zachary has worked on include Silvio (I Pagliacci), Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas), as well as Phoebus (The Hunchback of Notre Dame).

Kevin Wheatle focuses mostly on the repertoire of Mozart and Italian bel canto composers. Having participated as a semifinalist in the 2022 Premiere Opera Foundation International Competition and winning the Encouragement Award for the Laffont Competition (formerly the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions) (2019), Kevin has maintained a productive schedule.

Recently, he has performed Guglielmo in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte as well as Figaro and Count Almaviva from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with Florida Opera Prima, and he's performed Schaunard from Puccini’s La Boheme with Florida L’Opera & Zarzuela.

A recent graduate of Depaul University, Kevin has sung as Count Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro with Depaul Opera Theater directed by Harry Silverstein, and he sang the baritone solo of Theodore Dubois’ Seven Last Words of Christ with the Depaul Concert Choir. He has performed with the Depaul Opera theater in their production of Cavalli’s L’egisto as Hipparco, Lockit in Britten’s The Beggar’s Opera, and their “Unveiled” festival concert series to honor their new Holtschneider Performance center, singing the title role in Don Giovanni with Internationally- Acclaimed soprano Ana Maria Martinez as Donna Elivra in excerpts of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

A Graduate of the University of Florida, he has played Dr. Bartolo in UF’s opera theater’s production of Il barbiere di siviglia and collaborated with the Gainesville Civic Chorus/chamber opera to perform Death from Holst’s Savitri, The 1st sailor in Dido and Aeneas, and King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors.

Filipino baritone Carlo Miguel C. Bunyi is a Boston-based soloist and educator whose dedication to his craft and stylistic versatility has led him to explore a diversified range of musical activities both domestically and internationally. Carlo is a founding member of the Filipino vocal ensemble Pasipo with whom he performed as a featured soloist in the Philippine premiere of Bach’s Cantata BWV 131, Aus der tiefen ruf ich Herr zu dir.

A versatile artist, Carlo has essayed the roles of Cesare Angelotti in Puccini's "Tosca", Count Almaviva in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro", Timur in Puccini's "Turandot", Baron de Pictordu in Viardot’s "Cendrillon", and Simone in Puccini’s "Gianni Schicchi". He is a member-artist of the Lyric Opera of the Philippines and was also featured in Philippine Opera Company’s Young Artist Series. He also took part in the Boston Opera Collaborative Artist training program.

Carlo finished his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance and Music Education at the Longy School of Music of Bard College under the tutelage of Metropolitan Opera artist Jeff Mattsey. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice from the University of Santo Tomas.

Carlo is the music teacher at South Boston Catholic Academy and is currently a cantor at the Divine Mercy Parish in Quincy, MA.

Currently an undergraduate vocal performance student at Utah State University, Emma has participated in many performances and premiers of works. These include performing the principal role of Didymus in Utah State Opera Theatre's production of "Theodora," being in the chorus of the world premiere of Lori Laitman's opera "Uncovered," and also helping to put on the premiere of a student-composed musical this past year. She hopes to continue to have these performance opportunities and to support and put on more new works in the future.

Madelaine Ringo Stauble is a mezzo-soprano from Toronto, Canada. A long-time member of the Canadian Children’s Opera Company, she made her solo debut at age 14 in Rufus Wainwright’s world premiere opera Hadrian at the Canadian Opera Company, appearing in many other COC productions including Mozart’s The Magic Flute. She is now pursuing a degree in Voice Performance at the University of Michigan.