Don Giovanni 2024

Hailed by critics as a singer with “commendable stage presence,” and “personal sparkle,” soprano Roseanne Ackerley has recently performed the title role in Tosca, in NY and NJ. Roseanne has also performed leading roles with Connecticut Grand Opera, Opera in the Heights (TX), New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera, Teatro Grattacielo, Miami Lyric Opera, Garden State Opera, New Rochelle Opera and Bronx Opera (NY), in Die Fledermaus, La bohème, and The Merry Widow, among many others. Future engagements include Helmwige in Die Walküre with New Jersey Opera Theater, Freia in Das Rheingold, and Third Norn in Götterdämmerung with Tundi Productions, August 2024, Brattleboro, VT.

Jason Adamo, bass-baritone, is delighted to return to Amore Opera, where he sang the role of Colline in La bohème last year. He has performed a wide variety of repertoire by composers from Monteverdi to Milhaud and has appeared frequently with the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey in roles such as Schlendrian in J.S. Bach’s Coffee Cantata, Falke in Die Fledermaus, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, the title roles in Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro, Most recently, Jason was seen and heard as Colas in Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne. Jason is a graduate of Mannes School of Music at The New School.

Rick Agster is excited to be working again with Amore! Rick provides “excellent comic relief” and a “warm basso voice and persona.” Rick most recently appeared as Aruspice (La vestale) with Teatro Grattacielo; Zuniga (Carmen) in Crete; Captain Corcoran (Utopia Limited) with Utopia Opera; Commendatore (Don Giovanni) in several locations in the US and Europe; Bernabo (Giulietta e Romeo) with Teatro Grattacielo; and Police Chief Bimson (The Silk City) with Garden State Opera. For up-to-date information, visit www.RickAgster.com. Other notable roles include Benoit and Alcindoro (La bohème); Doctor Grenvil (La traviata); Antonio and Bartolo (Le nozze di Figaro); and Simone (Gianni Schicchi).

Brian J. Alvarado’s ‘liquid baritone of great charm,’ ‘precise patter elocution,’ and ‘highly attractive legato’ (Parterre Box) has been featured as Leporello with Bronx Opera, Long Island Lyric Opera, Lighthouse Opera, and Light Opera of New Jersey (cover). Other recent credits include Eugene Johnson in Blind Injustice (Opera Theatre of the Rockies), Tom in Un ballo in maschera (Opera Project Columbus), and Frank in Die Fledermaus (New Rochelle Opera). The Bronx native appears this season as Angelotti in Tosca (Opera Vermont), Simone and Filiberto in Gianni Schicchi/Il Signor Bruschino (Bronx Opera), and the Boatswain/Captain Corcoran cover in H.M.S. Pinafore (Opera Kansas).

Ting-Yi, a bass-baritone hailing from Hsinchu, Taiwan, is a graduate of the National Tsing Hua University, Department of Music. In 2023 Ting-Yi Chen was the Bass soloist in Beethoven's Choral Fantasy at the Tsinghua Anniversary Concert; in Singing for the Thirties Concert in Taipei; and with the Taichung Chamber Choir at the Taichung National Opera House. In 2021, he was heard as the bass soloist in Mozart's Coronation Mass. Ting-Yi’s operatic credits include Hale The Salem Storm, Customs Sergeant (La bohème, National Taichung Theatre Opera), and Jackie "Tiger" Brown (The Three-Penny Opera)

Daniel Chiu is a Chinese-American baritone from East Setauket, NY. He completed his Master's in Opera & Voice at Manhattan School of Music in 2021. Daniel recently performed as Bass of "The House" in Gareth Williams' Rocking Horse Winner (Opera Maine). He last performed with Amore Opera as Schaunard in La bohème. He sang the roles of Bob and The Thief (The Old Maid and The Thief), Von Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), and Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas). Daniel also sang in La Cenerentola (Opera Maine), Attila, Le Pêcheur de Perle, La fille du régiment, and Tosca (Sarasota Opera).

American-Chinese Soprano YuShin Chow’s season highlights include Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at Amore Opera, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi at Miami Music Festival, and Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro at SAS Performing Arts.  As a former member of the Butler Opera Center, YuShin performed Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Nannetta in Falstaff, Servillia in La Clemenza di Tito, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and Flora in The Turn of the Screw. YuShin has been awarded by Mimas Music Competition and SAS Performing Arts Competition, finalist in the Mitch & Robin Piper Young Artist Competition.

Tenor Woo Jin Dong completed his master’s degree studying with Dimitri Pittas at the Manhattan School of Music. He received his bachelor’s degree in Seoul National University under the tutelage of tenor Yonghoon Lee. Previous credits include Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), with Prague Summer Night, Ferrando (Così fan tutte), with UVAA, Basilio (Le nozze di Figaro), Schoolmaster/Mosquito (The Cunning Little Vixen), and tenor soloist in Stabat Mater by Nunes Garcia with Manhattan School of Music. Along with his work in the standard repertoire, Mr. Dong has performed the first half of Winterreise by Schubert in a collaborative pianist’s recital at Manhattan School of Music coached by Kenneth Merrill.

Allegra Durante last performed with Amore as Oscar in Un ballo in maschera, and is thrilled to return to debut Zerlina. Other favorite roles have included Olympia (Les contes d’Hoffmann), Morgana (Alcina), and Amore (Orfeo ed Euridice). In 2023 she portrayed Hippolyte in a filming of Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie, set to premiere in winter 2024. She has performed and studied opera in Germany and Italy, worked as a director and movement coach, often acts in immersive theater experiences, and is a Psychology BA & MA candidate at CCNY. Find her online as @allegratura.

Bass-Baritone Ziliang Hao is a third-year doctoral student in Voice and Opera at Rutgers University under the tutelage of Eduardo Chama. He earned his Master of Music degree in Voice and Opera from the Mannes School of Music, studying with Arthur Levy and Lucy Arner. Prior to that, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Acting and Opera from the Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, China. Ziliang's recent opera credits include Masetto (Don Giovanni), Crespel, Luther, and Schlémil (The Tales of Hoffmann), Colline (La bohème), Theseus (A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Zuniga (Carmen).

Kofi Hayford is a young, prize-winning Ghanaian-American bass, described as possessing an “impressive”, “sonorous”, and “stentorian bass voice”. He produces a distinct sound – easily identified for its unique timbre. With almost 40 different operatic roles under his belt, he is swiftly building his reputation as an accomplished artist. Kofi has performed with The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Fort Worth Opera, Indianapolis Opera, New Amsterdam Opera, and many more. He received a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from SUNY Buffalo and is a founder of the DictionBuddy mobile app. Future engagements: Opera Philadelphia film project, Colline (La bohème) with Fort Worth Opera, and a Multi-City Tour in Canada in 2024.

Rachel Hippert has impressed audiences internationally with her warm and expressive voice. Her recent performances include Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Mimì (Puccini’s La bohème), Violetta (La traviata), Micaëla (Carmen), Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus), Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), and Nedda (Pagliacci). She also recorded two albums under the Irreverence Group Music label, bringing the works of composer Julian De La Chica to life. Rachel is excited to be making this opera and role debut, which will be her eighth production with the Amore Opera. She wishes to thank Connie, Richard, and the entire creative team for their efforts to bring this wonderful project together.

Recent appearances include Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Marcello (La bohème), Belcore (L'elisir d'amore), Bob (The Old Maid and the Thief), Musiklehrer and Truffaldino (Ariadne auf Naxos), Alidoro (Cenerentola), Marco (Gianni Schicchi), and Kendall Nesbitt (The Lady in the Dark). He has also appeared as a soloist in various Oratorios and sacred works, including Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Faure's Requiem, and Mozart's Requiem. Muir will appear in March with SAS Performing Arts' double bill of The Old Maid and the Thief and Trouble in Tahiti, and in May with Bronx Opera as Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe.

Lyric coloratura soprano Yeawon Jun was born in Seoul, South Korea, and is now based in New York City. She sang the Mother in Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors; both Mimì and Musetta in La bohème, and Luigia in Donizetti’s Viva la mamma. Yeawon also sang Sophie in Werther, and Tytania in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Yeawon earned both a Bachelor and Master of Music at Yonsei University and studied under Tenor Moolim Kang. She received a PDPL at Mannes School of Music under soprano Diana Soviero. Currently, she is pursuing a DMA in voice performance at Rutgers University under Professor Judith Nicosia.

Peter Hakjoon Kim attended the Juilliard School, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and became a recipient of the Lucrezia Bori Grant. He has performed as a leading baritone; the title roles of Don Giovanni, Nabucco, and Rigoletto, as well as the roles of Amonasro (Aida), Tonio (Pagliacci), Germont (La traviata), Conte di Luna (Il trovatore), Iago (Otello), Renato (Un ballo in maschera), and Sharpless (Madama Butterfly) with Tulsa Opera, Union Avenue Opera, New Rochelle Opera, Opera in the Heights, Regina Opera, Chelsea Opera, and the Martina Arroyo Foundation.

Ms. Kwon earned her master’s degree at Mannes College of Performing Arts at The New School under the tutelage of Diana Soviero and Ted Taylor and completed her bachelor’s degree at Yonsei University. She recently performed the role of Sara in Matteo Neri’s Escobar, and Amahl in Amahl and the Night Visitors. In 2020, she was awarded the Grand Award from the Metropolitan International Vocal Competition and performed at Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center in New York as a Grand Winner. In 2019 she was awarded the Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan National Opera Council Audition (New York District).

Julio Mascaro was born in Guatemala into a musical family and is the oldest of five brothers. With them, he has had an extensive career since childhood as a musician, dancer, and actor. As a lyric tenor he works and learns from different coaches, directors, and conductors performing Opera, Oratorio, and Choral works in the New York metro area. He studied at Mannes the New School for Music and has studied with Arthur J. Levy since 2010. Currently, he trains at the Broadway Dance Center in ballet and with the Barrow Group for acting.

Mariah Muehler is excited to be making her company and role debut with Amore Opera as Donna Elvira. Upcoming performances include a return to the stage with VHRP Live! for their production of Babes in Toyland. This past season, Mariah was named a finalist in Houston’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s Career Grant Competition and a semi-finalist in Mississippi Opera’s John Alexander Vocal Competition. Previous performances include Carnegie Hall, Bronx Opera, Utopia Opera, and San Diego Opera. For more information on future performances visit www.mariahmuehler.com

Nina Mutalifu, a Uyghur soprano, has been hailed by Opera News as “a real find, with a shimmering lyric soprano voice of fine quality”. Ms. Mutalifu has appeared in various concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center, Kaufman Music Center, and Carnegie Hall. She made her professional debut as the Countess (The Marriage of Figaro) with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. Nina has appeared as Alice Ford in Falstaff with Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance. She was a Young Artist with both Chicago Opera Theater and Aspen Music Festival. Ms. Mutalifu was the 2019 Michigan District and 2020 Illinois District winner of the Metropolitan Opera Competition.

Samuel Ng completed his M.M. at the Mannes School of Music and his B.A. at the National University of Singapore and is currently in the vocal studio of Arthur Levy. Sam performed the roles of Normanno in New York City Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Teatro Grattacielo, Tito in La clemenza di Tito with Bronx Opera, and Hoffmann in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Canto Vocal Programs. At Mannes, he performed the role of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and Mercurio in La Calisto, as well as participating in Santa Fe Opera’s workshop of Gregory Spears’ and Tracy K. Smith’s The Righteous.

Colin Safley is a baritone from Kansas City, Missouri. He enjoys performing a variety of opera, musical theatre, and operetta repertoire. Colin is making his debut both at Amore Opera and in the role of Don Giovanni. Please note: he does not condone Don Giovanni’s actions. Colin’s recent credits in New York include performing as Le chat in L’enfant et les sortilèges at Mannes Opera, The Governor of Zealand in The Red Mill at the Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE!, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte with Mannes Opera, covering Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos with Taconic Opera, and competing twice in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition.

South Korean soprano, Jihye Seo performs throughout the USA and South Korea. She made her NY debut in 2022  as Diana in Francesco Cavalli’s La Calisto. She performed Lydia in Girl from Ipanema, and Antonia in Les contes d’Hoffmann. Jihye performed a concert of Zdeněk Fibich and his World, CLA benefit Gala, La Bella Grand Gala, and opera highlights concert. Her awards include winner of the 2023 Vienna Summer Music Festival and 2nd prize in the Euterpe awards. She currently studies with Arthur Levy and Glenn Morton and has worked with Mihae Park, Ted Taylor, and Susan Caldwell.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Elizaveta studied at St. Petersburg State Conservatory where she graduated summa cum laude. Before graduation, Elizaveta was accepted into the YAP (Bolshoi Theatre) where she won many competitions and sang in the world premieres of several operas. She also performed in Beethoven Hall, Philharmonic Hall, and Mariinsky Concert Hall. In NYC, Elizaveta was the recipient of Third Prize in the Giulio Gari competition. In 2022 she made her debut with NYC Opera and has performed multiple times in Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium) with maestro Constantine Orbelian. She thanks her voice teacher Michael Paul, her many artistic mentors, and her family for all their support.

A native of Odesa, Ukraine, Bass-Baritone Gennadiy Vysotskiy, specializes in both the standard operatic repertoire and folk songs of the Ukrainian, Neapolitan, and Yiddish traditions. Before emigrating to the United States, Gennadiy graduated from the Odesa School of Music. Operatic roles in New York include Méphistophélès (Faust), Leporello (Don Giovanni), Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), King Rene (Iolanta), and Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte). Future American engagements include Don Giovanni in Ann Arbor and Boris Godunov in San Francisco. You can enjoy Gennadiy’s singing anytime by subscribing to his YouTube channel, 2000gv, where he hosts a monthly live-stream concert. https://www.youtube.com/@2000gv.

Baritone Bo Joseph Wang earned a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Mark Schnaible and Neil Rosenshein. Mr. Wang won the Gold Award in the “National art students Evaluation” in China in 2016, and the Second-Class Award in the “8th International Vocal Competition” in 2020 in Malaysia. Previous roles include Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro, Shenzhen), Antonio (Le nozze di Figaro, Manhattan School of Music), Guglielmo (Così fan tutte, Chicago Summer Opera) and Dottore Grenvil (La traviata, City Lyric Opera). Scene work includes Leporello (Don Giovanni) and Hérode (Hérodiade).

Drew Watson is a Brooklyn-based tenor. At Amore Opera, he sang Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Remendado (Carmen), and Spoletto (Tosca). Drew has also sung Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi, NOIO Chicago) and Vogelsang (Der Schauspieldirektor, Immersion Repertory), as well as scenes as Alfredo (La Traviata), the Duke (Rigoletto), and the title role in Werther (Golden Rose Opera). Drew has a BA in French and Art History from Columbia University where he participated in a joint program with The Juilliard School. When not singing, Drew is an executive at Bank of America and a busy father of two boys Andrew (4) and Sylvan (1)

Virdell’s recent roles include Charles Babbage (The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace, New Camerata Opera), The King (The Little Prince, Opera Players), and Old Major (Animal Farm, Theatre Now). He has performed throughout the U.S. and internationally, including Wotan (Die Walküre, Dramatic Voices Berlin) and Fasolt (Das Rheingold, Miami Music Festival). Virdell also appeared with Amore Opera as Colline in La bohème, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Other engagements include Wotan (New York Lyric Opera), Zuniga (Carmen, Capitol Heights Lyric Opera), Scarpia (Tosca), and the title role of Rigoletto with Zwei Gröschen Oper in Germany.

New York City-based soprano Yingjie Zhou recently debuted as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro at Estates Theatre in Prague. Previous roles include Noémie in Cendrillon conducted by Aaron Breid, Miss Wordsworth in Britten’s Albert Herring conducted by Kenneth Merrill; Elf/Ensemble in Respighi’s La Campana Sommersa with New York City Opera under the baton of Ira Levin. Ms. Zhou sang the leading role of Maria in the world premiere of Stefania Kenessey’s Bonfire of the Vanities (opera movie featured on IMDb) conducted by Daniela Candillari in NYC, Phénice in Lully’s Armide, and LaMu in Opera: Encounter at Beijing Modern Music Festival at National Center for Performing Arts.