April 25 | 7:30pm | Get tickets
April 26 | 2:00pm | Get tickets
Audio Description, Touch Tour, and Braille Programs are available at the Sunday performance.
In a co-production with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, CAPA, and Opera Columbus. Composed by Giuseppe Verdi and inspired by Alexandre Dumas Fils’s play La Dame aux camélias, La traviata unfolds as a poignant tragedy. Officially the most performed opera worldwide, La traviata is Verdi’s twisting love story that explores class, reputation, and devotion, with heartbreaking consequences. The story centers on Violetta Valéry, a celebrated courtesan who discovers true love in the arms of Alfredo Germont. However, social pressures and Alfredo’s disapproving father compel her to renounce their love for the sake of his family’s reputation. Overcome by heartbreak and illness, Violetta ultimately finds her way back to Alfredo, but their reconciliation comes too late—she dies in his arms, underscoring the opera’s powerful themes of love, sacrifice, and societal judgment.
#TraviataOC
This production will be performed in Italian with English captions.
In a Co-Production with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and CAPA
What’s Interesting About This Opera…
- La traviata is based on the play “La Dame aux Camélias” by Alexandre Dumas
- During OC’s 40 Days of Opera, we performed an immersive version of the show at the Residence Inn Hotel Columbus Downtown
- Pop culture’s favorite opera! La Traviata’s music and plot are used in many famous movies and TV shows – Pretty Woman, The Godfather, Moulin Rouge, and more…
Synopsis
ACT II
Alfredo and Violetta have lived together for three months in a country house outside Paris. Alfredo’s satisfaction comes from Violetta’s abandonment of her former life to devote herself to him. Violetta’s maid, Annina, greets Alfredo, and he asks where she has been. Though she has been sworn to silence, she tells him she has been to Paris selling Violetta’s possessions. Alfredo resolves to fix the situation. He leaves, ordering Annina not to reveal his departure to her mistress. Violetta returns and receives an invitation from Flora to a party. Giuseppe then announces there is a gentleman to see her. The visitor reveals himself as Germont, Alfredo’s father. He is concerned that his daughter cannot marry into the family she has chosen unless Alfredo gives up his current life. Germont wants her to give up Alfredo completely. She refuses, explaining that she has no friends and no relatives. She doesn’t have a lot of time left. Eventually, she gives in and asks Germont not to allow Alfredo to curse her memory and to tell him of her sufferings.
Violetta is writing a note as Alfredo enters. She hides the letter, and Alfredo reveals that he is concerned that his father will visit them. Violetta confirms Alfredo’s love for her and runs out. Alfredo’s contentment is later disturbed when it is announced that Violetta has left for Paris, and a letter is given to him that Violetta wrote earlier. He reads the letter and learns of Violetta’s abandonment. As he turns to leave, he runs into his father. Germont tries to comfort his son, who is now full of vengeance. He sees Flora’s invitation and realizes where Violetta has gone.
Later, at a party in Flora’s salon, the Marquis informs the Doctor and Flora that Alfredo and Violetta have split and that Violetta will be coming to the party with the Baron. A group of party ladies enter disguised as gypsies, singing about telling the future. A group of men enter, led by Gastone, disguised as matadors and picadors. They sing of a brave matador who faced five bulls in a single day to win the heart of a young lady. All are surprised as Alfredo enters. He starts to gamble at cards. Violetta enters with the Baron. The Baron sees Alfredo, points him out to Violetta, and warns her not to talk to him. Violetta agrees. Alfredo keeps winning at cards and recklessly announces that with his winnings, he will go back to the country, but not alone. The Baron challenges Alfredo to a card game. Alfredo wins. As supper is served, Violetta stays behind and asks Alfredo to slip away with her. She begs him to go away because he is in danger — the Baron might challenge him to a duel. He refuses unless she comes with him. She refuses, answering that she loves the Baron. Alfredo calls all the guests and humiliates Violetta by throwing the money he has won at her. The guests turn on him. Germont, who has arrived at the party and seen this display, asks if this is his son. Alfredo feels remorse immediately. Finally, the Baron challenges Alfredo to a duel for the offense as the other guests comfort Violetta.
ACT III
Violetta is ill in her deserted home. When she awakens, she calls Annina, who apologizes for sleeping. Violetta wants to rise, but she doesn’t have the strength. The Doctor enters in time to help Violetta back to bed. He confides to Annina that Violetta has only hours to live. Violetta rereads a letter from Germont, which reveals that the Baron was wounded in a duel with Alfredo and that Germont has told his son everything about the departure of Violetta. Annina, hurrying into the room, prepares Violetta for a surprise. Violetta guesses the secret as Alfredo enters. He is ready to take her to the country. She gets up and starts to dress, but is too weak. The Doctor enters, followed by Germont. Violetta tells Germont and his son that they have come too late. She then gives a miniature to Alfredo in order that he will remember her. Violetta has a moment of remission — no pain, no heaviness, and a resurgence of strength. She collapses, and as Alfredo holds her, she dies
Synopsis Credit: OPERA America
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Wear?
There is no dress code for the opera! Some patrons choose to dress for a special occasion and others prefer to keep it casual.
Where Should I Park?
Parking is available at the Columbus Commons Parking Garage located off of Rich or Main Street.
When Should I Arrive?
Plan on arriving about 30-40 minutes early. This gives you plenty of time to park, get your tickets from will call if you need to and find your seats without feeling rushed. Latecomers are seated (or stand) in the rear of the theatre until ushers take them to their seats at an appropriate point in the production.
CAPA Ticket Center All-In Ticket Pricing
CAST
Quickly gaining attention as a singer possessing a lyric and dramatic voice with good bel canto technique (Indie Opera/Town Topics New Jersey), soprano Aubry Ballarò recently made her international debut as the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor with State Opera Stara Zagora. Soon after, Ms. Ballarò joined The Princeton Festival to sing the role of Madame Herz in their 2022 production of The Impresario. Under the baton of Steven Mercurio, she has appeared twice at the Festival de Musique de Saint Barthélemy, singing Micaëla in their 2020 production of Carmen and popular operatic selections in their 2021 concert with orchestra. Ms. Ballarò was a Finalist in the 2021 Vincerò World Singing Competition in Napoli, a winner of the 2019 Bologna International Vocal Competition, as well as a District Winner of the 2022 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Ms. Ballarò is a recent graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts, where she was seen performing roles such as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Musetta in La bohème, Juliet in Roméo et Juliette, and Oscar in Un ballo in maschera. In 2023, Ms. Ballarò will be returning to State Opera Stara Zagora to debut the role of Violetta Valéry in Verdi’s La Traviata, and will be joining Opera Columbus to debut the role of Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto
Aubry Ballaro
Possessed of a voice the New York Times calls “clarion-toned”, the American tenor John Bellemer has gained a reputation for his strong portrayals in a wide range of repertoire. Bellemer has appeared in leading roles at opera houses across North America and Europe and was featured as Gounod’s Faust in the Academy Award-nominated film Lincoln. In the 2024-2025 season, Bellemer returns to Teatro Grattacielo to sing the role of Robert Mayo in Nicolas Flagello’s Beyond the Horizon. He also makes his debut with the Missoula Symphony Orchestra as the tenor soloist in performances of Verdi’s Requiem. Last season, Bellemer reprised his signature role of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Opera Colorado. Bellemer also took the stage with Onsite Opera as the Soldier in Kaiser von Atlantis at Carnegie Hall and joined Idaho Falls Symphony as the tenor soloist in a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Bellemer recently made his role debut as Fritz in L’amico Fritz with Teatro Grattacielo to great acclaim: “John Bellemer sang gracefully, able to let his tenor ring…” – Opera (London). In the 2020-2021 season, Bellemer was to have made his debut with Teatro Communale di Bologna in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung; and with the Atlanta Master Chorale in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis which were either canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. Engagements in recent seasons have included Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles with North Carolina Opera; Duca in Rigoletto with Michigan Opera Theater; featured artist with the Salt Bay Chamber Festival, and concert performances of Beethoven’s Mass in C and Verdi’s Requiem. Bellemer made debuts with Teatro Reggio Torino as both the tenor soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana and the Evangelist in the world premiere of Newton’s St. Matthew Passion. He was Lysander in Hawaii Opera’s production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Peter Quint in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw in China (Beijing); and Steuermann in Der fliegende Holländer with Austin Opera. He returned to Wexford Festival Opera as Gabriele in Foroni’s Cristina, Regina di Svezia; and to the Berkshire Choral Festival as Gerontius in Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius and Britten’s Spring Symphony; and performed Toni in Henze’s Elegy for Young Lovers at Venice’s Teatro la Fenice. Bellemer has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center works by Schubert, Schumann and Brahms; at Florence’s Maggio Musicale in the The Rape of Lucretia; with Florida Grand Opera as Alfredo in La Traviata; as Nebuchadnezzar in Britten’s The Burning Fiery Furnace and as Herold in the world premiere of Grassl’s Tassilo with Festival Mattseer Diabelli Sommer in Austria; at the Buxton Festival as Riccardo in Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan; and with Boston Lyric Opera as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni as well as Sandy/Officer One in Davies’ The Lighthouse. Other international appearances include Opéra National de Bordeaux, Opéra National de Lorraine, Opéra de Rouen, Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Teatro delle Muse, Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, Opéra de Rennes, Theater Erfurt, Stadttheater Giessen, Opéra Royal de Wallonie, Estonian National Opera, and Teatro Arriaga among others. Mr. Bellemer’s extensive North American credits also include performances with New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, San Diego Opera, Madison Opera, Cleveland Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Vancouver Opera, Arizona Opera, Calgary Opera, Minnesota Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Dayton Opera, Opera Omaha, Opera Grand Rapids, Opera Ontario, Opera Birmingham, Opera San José, and the Berkshire Opera. As concert artist, Mr. Bellemer has appeared with the Columbus Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Pacific Symphony, L’orchestre de Bretagne, Orchestra de Leonardo da Vinci, Toledo Symphony, New York Choral Society, Calgary Philharmonic, Bangor Symphony, American Symphony Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, Choral Arts Society of Washington DC, Oratorio Society of New York, and concerts in Paris and New York City sponsored by UNESCO. In addition to his appearance in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, Bellemer has appeared on stage in productions led by film directors Werner Herzog and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Bellemer began choral singing as a young child and continued throughout his school years, eventually choosing to study voice over medicine at James Madison University where he received his Bachelor of Music degree. He went on to complete his master’s degree in music at the University of Illinois. Bellemer has always derived a joy from singing that is evident to his audiences around the world for whom he has sung throughout his distinguished career. “As long as I continue to grow as a performer and a person and as long as the joy continues,” Bellemer says, “I hope to be singing for a very long time.” Bellemer lives in New York with his wife, Sarah Blaze and their two Parson Russell Terriers. Known for his stage savvy, Robert Kerr’s foundation in opera began in musical theater. Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times wrote of his Falstaff: “He made words matter and conveyed the self-delusion of this likable laughingstock… “. Known to Opera Columbus audiences, Robert Kerr returns this season in Tosca and Fellow Travelers. His past performances with the company include the King in Aida; the world première of The Flood by Korine Fujiwara with libretto by Stephen Wadsworth; the title role of Gianni Schicchi; and, Tonio in Pagliacci. Notable credits include a return to Rose Theater with Atsushi Yamada conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra of New York in an all-Verdi concert; he was Pooh-Bah in The Mikado with Performance Santa Fe!; the title role of Rigoletto with Opera Projects Columbus in addition to the title role in Gianni Schicchi with the company. He has been heard as Germont in La traviata with the Philharmonia Orchestra of New York at Lincoln Center and as soloist in Mozart’s Requiem; and, has appeared with the local symphonies on numerous occasions. In prior seasons, Mr. Kerr returned to Japan for engagements in performances of Requiem by Minoru Miki in Natori and reprising the work at Rose Theater at Lincoln Center; he has covered the role of the King in El Gato con Botas with Gotham Chamber Opera; and, was soloist with the New York City Opera Orchestra in a Japan tour of Carmina Burana. Other engagements include his appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors with Sondra Radvanovsky and Joseph Calleja in an Aida tribute to honoree, Martina Arroyo. Equally at home in musical theater, Mr. Kerr has sung King Hildebrand in Princess Ida with So. Ohio Light Opera; the role of Peachum in The Threepenny Opera with Amarillo Opera; and Pooh-Bah in The Mikado.
John Bellemer
Robert Kerr
Benjamin Bunsold has sung a wide variety of operatic and concert engagements. Performances include Roméo (Roméo et Juliette) for Center Stage Opera in California, in which his portrayal was described as “one of the highlights of the performance” (Lydeen, Tolucan Times), Emperor Altoum (Turandot) with the Fairbanks Symphony in Alaska, Rinnucio (Gianni Schicchi) for Winter Opera St. Louis, Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) for Ohio State Opera Theater, and Ralph Rackstraw (HMS Pinafore) for Cleveland Opera Theater. Other notable roles include Fenton (Falstaff) with Opera Idaho and Forth Worth Opera, Alfredo (La Traviata) with Asheville Lyric Opera, Ferrando (Cosi fan tutte) with Shreveport Opera, Alfred (Die Fledermaus) with St Petersburg Opera, Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore) with Opera in the Heights (TX), Frederick (Pirates of Penzance) and Camille (Merry Widow) for Opera New Jersey, and Count Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Sevilla) with Center Stage Opera. He created the role of Emil Bergson in the world premiere of Philip Westin’s Marie’s Orchard and recently portrayed the role of Captain Dick Warrington (Naughty Marietta) for Opera Project Columbus. He has also performed leading roles with Opera Memphis, Ash Lawn Opera, Opera Delaware, Opera North Carolina, and for Drei Groschen Oper in Munich, Germany. He has been a Young Artist with Fort Worth Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Utah Festival Opera, and Opera Tampa. An active concert soloist, Benjamin has performed with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Kalamazoo Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. He’s been tenor soloist in Carmina Burana with the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem at Virginia Tech University, and has performed numerous recitals such as Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin and Britten’s Serenade Op. 31 for Tenor, Horn, and Strings. He was selected as the tenor soloist in the ‘Great American Voices’ Concert Tour sponsored by the National Endowment of the Arts. Concerts include tenor soloist in Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Beethoven Mass in C with the Knox County Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem for the Fairbanks Symphony in Alaska and the Paducah Symphony, Handel’s Messiah at Bluffton University, and returning guest artist at Heidelberg University’s Christmas Concert. His recent concerts include Mozart’s Vespers at Ohio Wesleyan University, Handel’s Messiah at Virginia Tech University, and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Lima Symphony Orchestra. He holds a BM from Ohio Wesleyan University, an MM from the University of Illinois, and has completed additional graduate work at Ohio State University.
Benjamin Bunsold
Brandon Whitish, baritone and Wisconsin native, studied vocal performance at Luther College (2018) and later earned his master’s degree at the University of Northern Iowa (2022). Most recently, originated the role of Connor in the world operatic premiere of A Nation of Others by Mark Campbell and Paul Moravec and is a current member of the American Spiritual Ensemble. Whitish has performed with Kentucky Opera, Cedar Rapids Opera, and the Sherrill Milnes Voice Program. Some of Whitish’s notable opera performance credits include Father in Hansel and Gretel, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Elder McLean in Susannah, Betto in Gianni Schicchi, Barone Douphol in La Traviata, Moralès in Carmen, The Duke of Plaza-Toro in The Gondoliers, Baron Mirko Zeta in The Merry Widow, and Tommy Albright in Brigadoon. He currently resides in Lexington, Kentucky, where he studies with Dr. Everett McCorvey while pursuing his DMA at the University of Kentucky. According to Opera Today, Bass-Baritone Artega Wright has excited audiences with his vibrant, mellifluous, and authoritative tone. Singing a range of works, including classic early Baroque to more contemporary urban music, Wright has the unique charisma of a “beautiful, deep voice, and a smile all the more charming”, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Originally hailing from Dallas, Texas, Wright is now based in the Midwest, where he has performed with some of Chicago’s most notable ensembles and storefront opera companies, including Chicago Opera Theatre. During his time, he has had the honor to premier in new works commissioned by the playhouse, such as Quamino’s Map and Freedom Ride. Wright is also active with Opera Columbus, most recently singing Spurton and Nat Turner in Leslie S. Burrs’ Vanqui and the Cardinal in Puccini’s Tosca. In 2022, Wright was named a participant of the Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist program at Des Moines Metro Opera. When COVID compromised the cast of Des Moines’ Porgy and Bess, Wright stepped in as the lead role of Porgy, “saving the show” according to Opera Today and receiving “an ovation from the audience and cast members the likes of which [they had] rarely heard.” This was a highlight of Wright’s career thus far, helping to send off the world-renowned bass-baritone Simon Estes’ 60-year opera career. Wright earned his master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University and a bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from Wayland Baptist University.
Brandon Whitish
Artega Wright
Upcoming engagements include a return to one of her signature roles, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Virginia Opera in November 2023, a third role debut and her second foray into the Donizetti Queen operas, Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena with Musica Viva Hong Kong in December, revisiting Olga in Rosetta Cucchi’s production of Eugene Onegin in February/March 2024 and the role creation of Sara (reimagined Sarastro) in A Magic Flute Experience: The Temple, both with Opera Columbus where she has become an audience favorite. The season concludes with Ms. Ginther’s return to Central City Opera as Emma Jones in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene in the Summer of 2024. The 2022-2023 season marked Ms. Ginther’s return to Musica Viva Hong Kong in her role debut as Elisabetta in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda following her triumph as Adalgisa in Bellini’s Norma with the company in 2021. She joined Opera Omaha in concert scenes from Cavalleria rusticana as Santuzza and Don Carlos as Éboli for ‘Opera Outdoors’, and later returned as La maestra delle novizie in their production of Suor Angelica. In the Spring of 2023, Ms. Ginther made her company debut with Opera Columbus as Maddalena in Rigoletto, as well as being a guest performer for the annual Opera Columbus Gala. The season closed with her debut with Central City Opera as Emilia in Rossini’s rarely performed Otello. Other recent engagements include Ms. Ginther’s role debut as Olga in Eugene Onegin with Opera Omaha, a return to the role of Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera on the James and Fargo-Moorhead Opera, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in Santa Fe with Maestro Joe Illick. In February 2020, Ms. Ginther made her New Orleans Opera debut as Joan of Arc in a rare production of Tchaikovsky’s massive grand opera The Maid of Orléans. That spring, she was scheduled to make her role debut as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana, but that production was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout 2019, Ms. Ginther made a variety of successful role and company debuts, starting with the title role of Carmen for her return to Fargo-Moorhead Opera, an interpretation acclaimed as “effortlessly powerful and richly emotive”. Ms. Ginther subsequently made her Fort Worth Opera debut as Judy Sinclair in the world premiere of Rachel Peters’ Companionship, receiving praise for her “gorgeously rich, textured timbre”. Finally, Ms. Ginther took her initial bow with Odyssey Opera as Anne Boleyn in Saint-Saëns’ grand opera Henry VIII, earning plaudits for her “darkly projected voice” and “melting lyricism” (Boston Classical Review). The recording of this production led by Maestro Gil Rose was released in April 2022. Recent seasons have witnessed Ms. Ginther’s auspicious debuts on both coasts. During the 2017–2018 season, she made her Carnegie Hall debut as a guest artist with MidAmerica Productions, followed by her critically lauded New York City Opera debut as Lureen in the US premiere of Charles Wuorinen’s Brokeback Mountain, and concluding with her Los Angeles Opera debut performing a double bill of Gordon Getty’s operas Usher House and The Canterville Ghost. During the 2016–2017 season, Ms. Ginther made her Center for Contemporary Opera debut in a double bill of Louis Andriessen’s Odysseus’ Women and Anaïs Nin and created the buffa role of Lady Meresvale in the New York premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players. Throughout the 2015–2016 season, Ms. Ginther displayed the range of her artistry as both Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia and the prisoner Vlasta in Mieczysław Weinberg’s The Passenger, both with Florida Grand Opera. Additionally, with Florida Grand Opera, she covered the leading role of Liese in The Passenger and Adalgisa in Norma. Ms. Ginther has also created the role of Bobachino in the world premiere of John Musto’s opera buffa, The Inspector, with Wolf Trap Opera and is featured on the original cast recording. Ms. Ginther has been a grantee of the Olga Forrai Foundation for Dramatic Voices since 2019. She has fulfilled young artist residences with Florida Grand Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Virginia Opera, The Crested Butte Music Festival, and Opera Saratoga, in addition to gaining her early professional experience with Cincinnati Opera and Mississippi Opera. An alumna of the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, Ms. Ginther is represented worldwide by Piper Artists Management (http://piperartists.com/portfolio/hilary-ginther/).
Hilary Ginther
Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Hannah Marie Bullock is an exciting artist making her footprint in the opera world. In the 2024-25, Ms. Bullock made three exciting debuts: LucyBrown in The Threepenny Opera (Opera Columbus), Rosalia in West Side Story (Opera Columbus), and a Featured Artist position with the Havana Biennial festival. The 2023-2024 season brought Ms. Bullock’s debuts as Second Lady in The Magic Flute (Opera Columbus) and the Soprano Soloist in Faure’s Requiem. She also reprised the role of Micaela in Opera Columbus’ new production of Carmen. During this season, Ms. Bullock was also a finalist in the James Toland Foundation Elizabeth Greenfield Award Competition. In the 2022-2023 season, Ms. Bullock made her debut performance of Micaela (Carmen) in a co-production between Camerata Bardi and Teatro Grattacielo in Heraklion, Crete. She also performed the role of Countess Ceprano in Opera Columbus’ Rigoletto. Previous season engagements include a young artist position with the inaugural Opera for Peace Academy in Rome, Italy in Summer 2022. Spring 2022 also brought Ms. Bullock’s debut in contemporary opera with the role of Moremi in Vanqui (Opera Columbus). In Summer 2021 Ms. Bullock had the pleasure of performing Contessa Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro) with the International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia. Ms. Bullock is a graduate of Capital University with a Bachelor of Music in Music Technology and of Ohio University with a Master of Music in Vocal Performance. In addition to performing, Ms. Bullock is the founder and Creative Director of SimplySing Studios, whose mission is to support the young artist community by providing recording services with a specialty in recording the operatic voice.
Hannah Bullock
ENSEMBLE
Danielle Aldach
Beaux Baldwin, tenor, hails from Columbus, Ohio, and is pursuing a B.M. in Vocal Performance at Capital University’s Conservatory of Music. Mr. Baldwin has performed both nationally and internationally, including venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Basílica de la Sagrada Familia. Some of his recent roles include Ralph Rackstraw (HMS Pinafore), Man 1 (Songs for a New World), Roger (A New Brain), and Giuseppe (The Light in the Piazza). Baldwin has frequently placed in state and local voice competitions, including second place in the MT 8 category at NATS Ohio Chapter. He serves as a tenor section leader in the Capital University Chapel Choir and co-founded the vocal chamber ensemble, Luces Stellarum, which recently coached with The King’s Singers. Additionally, Beaux serves as the tenor choral scholar at Christ Anglican Church. Post graduation, Beaux hopes to sing in professional choirs across the country as well as continue his engagement with the Columbus arts scene. Mr. Baldwin studies with Dr. Chad Payton. Erin Fasone is thrilled to be joining Opera Columbus. Recent credits include soprano soloist in both Fauré’s Requiem with the Bach Society of Dayton and Vivaldi’s Gloria with Collegium Cincinnati, and a summer tour of Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate motet. Career highlights include the title role in Herbert’s Mademoiselle Modiste, Adele (Die fledermaus), Natalie Zeta (The Merry Widow), Nellie Forbush (South Pacific), Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance), Pamina (Die zauberflöte), Musetta (La bohème), and soprano soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah, and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater.
Beaux Baldwin
Erin Fasone
Que (said just like the letter) Jones is a Columbus, OH based renaissance artist. Any medium is fair game! From costume design and fabrication, to music, painting, sculpture, makeup, design, and anything else you can imagine. A graduate of Capital University and The Ohio State University, Que also spent a year abroad studying at the Liszt Academy and Kodály School in Hungary. Que has worked with almost every arts organization in Columbus, and OC’s A Magic Flute Experience: The Temple was his first “original” large-scale work to be produced.
Que Jones
Tenor Michael Kirkman is well known to Columbus audiences as both a soloist and ensemble singer. He has performed with Opera/Columbus since 1991 and has also worked with Columbus Light Opera and several professional choral ensembles, including Lancaster Chorale, Cantari Singers, and Cecilian Singers. His work includes several performances as soloist in the Messiah and the Mozart Requiem, as well as Britten’s Agnus Dei; Saint-Saen Requiem; Bach Magnificat; Dubois Seven Last Words of Christ; and Bernstein Chichester Psalms. He is in his twenty-fourth year as tenor soloist and section leader with the BroadStreet Choir at Broad Street Presbyterian Church. Michael studied with Robin Rice at Ohio State and more recently with Jason Heister at Ohio Wesleyan University. He is a co-founder of Converging Arts Columbus, a new arts organization that seeks to create opportunities for professional singers through multi-disciplinary, collaborative performances. Max Kramer, baritone, comes from Dayton, OH, and is a student at the Capital University Conservatory of Music. Recent productions include The Crucible (Thomas Putnam) and Falstaff (Robin/Chorus) with Harrower Summer Opera, and Songs for a New World (Man 2) at Capital University. He is an active performer in many genres around Ohio and is the founding baritone of Luces Stellarum, a premier chamber vocal ensemble. Max is the recipient of the 2023 Agnes Fowler Award from the Ohio Federation of Music Club Awards and received an honorable mention in the 2025 Mirabell Competition in Salzburg, Austria. Max is currently auditioning for graduate schools across the country and aspires to be a professional opera singer.
Michael Kirkman
Max Kramer
Xiao Liu, a soprano from China, is currently pursuing her doctor of musical arts degree in vocal performance at Ohio State. In 2025, she appeared as Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro) and Miss Jessel (Turn of the Screw). Previous highlights include the Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretel), Clara (Signor Deluso), Young Vixen (The Cunning Little Vixen), and Cinderella (Cinderella). Liu is passionate about bridging classical and contemporary music and has performed at the Wexner Center for the Arts and the NOW Festival at Capital University. She also joined the Ohio premiere of Steve Reich’s Drumming.
Xiao Liu
Anabella Petronsi, Argentinian mezzo-soprano, graduated from the National University of Arts in Argentina and The Ohio State University. Ms. Petronsi has sung Barbarina (Mozart), Serpetta (Mozart), Papagena (Mozart), Despina (Mozart), Rosita (Torroba), Poèsié (Charpentier), Berenice (Rossini), Mrs. Webster (Candey), Flora (Charpentier), Mirror 1 (Albinarrate), Mariquita Sánchez (Scher), Heraldo (Lambertini), Sorceress (Purcell), Rosine (Pasatieri), Giovanna (Verdi), Hansel (Humperdinck), Mercèdés (Bizet), Pillar 3 (The Temple), and Kate (Pirates of Penzance), Francisca (Bernstein), Bridesmaid (Mozart), and Primavera (Scarlatti), and Flower 3 (Catán). Recently, Ms. Petronsi sang with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, performing El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla under the baton of guest conductor Josep Vicent. Ms. Petronsi worked as an Artistic Administrator, Director of Operations and Special Projects, and Events Director for the College of Musical Arts at the National University of Arts in Argentina. Ms. Petronsi sang with Enhorabuena Company, Opera Joven, Ensemble Tempus, Worthigton Chamber Orchestra, The Cardinal Ensemble, Opera Project Columbus, Opera Columbus, and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Petronsi is the Music Director of St. John the Baptist and Sacred Heart Catholic Churches, Marketing Associate for Opera Columbus, and Voice Instructor. Michelle Kin Stoneburner, soprano, has appeared with several Ohio-based companies in both ensemble and character roles. She has performed with Opera Columbus, Opera Project Columbus, Mid Ohio Opera, and Metauro Opera, contributing to productions across a range of operatic repertoire. Her stage experience includes the role of Il Notaio in Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini with Mid Ohio Opera. This fall, she will appear as Ms. Angel in The Impresario by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with Metauro Opera. Michelle studied at the New England Conservatory and is a proud student of tenor Jon Fredric West. 
Anabella Petronsi
Michelle Stoneburner
Will Schott
Catherine “Cassie” Wilson is a mezzo-soprano. She graduated with an MM Vocal Pedagogy from BGSU where she studied with Katherine Pracht Phares and Sarah Luebke for voice and Ronald Scherer for voice science. Cassie earned her BM in vocal performance from Capital University Conservatory of Music, having studied with the late Sharon Bennett. She currently studies privately with Eileen Davis. She performs regularly with regional opera and theatre companies and teaches private voice lessons. A few favorite roles include Sally Bowles in “Cabaret,” The Narrator in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Hope Langdon in “Something’s Afoot,” The Witch in “Into the Woods” and Carmen in “Carmen.” Credits include Detroit Opera, Opera Columbus, Opera Project Columbus, Toledo Opera, Metauro Opera, The Three Mezzos, Stage5Rep, Columbus Children’s Theatre, Park Playhouse, and Ohio Valley Summer Theatre. Cassie also holds an MFA in art history from Ohio University. When not singing, she teaches yoga and pilates, and she enjoys playing french horn and riding dressage.
Catherine “Cassie” Wilson
Melody Wojno
CREATIVES
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (Italian: [dʒuˈzɛppe ˈverdi]; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian opera composer. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the help of a local patron. Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini, whose works significantly influenced him.
In his early operas, Verdi demonstrated a sympathy with the Risorgimento movement which sought the unification of Italy. He also participated briefly as an elected politician. The chorus “Va, pensiero” from his early opera Nabucco (1842), and similar choruses in later operas, were much in the spirit of the unification movement, and the composer himself became esteemed as a representative of these ideals. An intensely private person, Verdi did not seek to ingratiate himself with popular movements . As he became professionally successful he was able to reduce his operatic workload and sought to establish himself as a landowner in his native region. He surprised the musical world by returning, after his success with the opera Aida (1871), with three late masterpieces: his Requiem (1874), and the operas Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893).
His operas remain extremely popular, especially the three peaks of his ‘middle period’: Rigoletto, Il trovatore and La traviata. The bicentenary of his birth in 2013 was widely celebrated in broadcasts and performances.
Francesco Maria Piave
Rossen Milanov
Respected and admired by audiences and musicians alike, Rossen Milanov is currently the music director of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and newly appointed chief conductor of the Slovenian RTV Orchestra in Ljubljana.
Milanov has established himself as a conductor with considerable national and international presence. He recently completed a seven-year tenure as music director of the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias (OSPA) in Spain. Nationally, he has appeared with the Colorado, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Baltimore, Seattle, and Fort Worth symphonies, National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, Link-Up education projects with Carnegie Hall and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and with the Civic Orchestra in Chicago.
Internationally, he has collaborated with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra de la Suisse Romand, Rotterdam Philharmonic, Aalborg, Latvian, and Hungarian National Symphony Orchestras and the orchestras in Toronto, Vancouver, KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic (South Africa), Mexico, Colombia, Sao Paolo, Belo Horizonte, and New Zealand. In the Far East, he has appeared with NHK, Sapporo, Tokyo, and Singapore symphonies, Hyogo Performing Arts Center, and Malaysian and Hong Kong Philharmonics.
Milanov has collaborated with some of the world’s preeminent artists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Midori, Christian Tetzlaff, and André Watts. During his 11-year tenure with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Milanov conducted more than 200 performances. In 2015, he completed a 15-year tenure as music director of the nationally recognized training orchestra Symphony in C in New Jersey, and in 2013, a 17-year tenure with the New Symphony Orchestra in his native city of Sofia, Bulgaria. His passion for new music has resulted in numerous world premieres of works by composers such as Derek Bermel, Mason Bates, Caroline Shaw, Phillip Glass, Richard Danielpour, Nicolas Maw, and Gabriel Prokofiev, among others.
Noted for his versatility, Milanov is also a welcomed presence in the worlds of opera and ballet. He has collaborated with Komische Oper Berlin (Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtzensk), Opera Oviedo (Spanish premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Mazzepa and Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle – awarded best Spanish production for 2015), and Opera Columbus (Verdi’s La Traviata).
An experienced ballet conductor, he has been seen at New York City Ballet and collaborated with some of the best known choreographers of our time such Mats Ek, Benjamin Millepied, and most recently, Alexei Ratmansky in the critically acclaimed revival of Swan Lake in Zurich with the Zurich Ballet and in Paris with La Scala Ballet.
Milanov was recipient of an Arts Prize by The Columbus Foundation. Under his leadership, the Columbus Symphony has expanded its reach by connecting original programing with community-wide initiatives such as focusing on women composers, nature conservancy, presenting original festivals, and supporting and commissioning new music.
In Princeton, he celebrated his tenth anniversary as music director, and under his leadership, the orchestra has established an excellent artistic reputation and has been recognized for its innovation and vital role in the community.
Milanov studied conducting at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School, where he received the Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship.
A passionate chef, he often dedicates his culinary talents to various charities.
Eve Summer
Hailed “a rising star of stage directing [whose] approach to directing refreshes hope for the future of opera,” Eve Summer is a director, producer, and choreographer. She has been described as having “a gift for translating classic symbolism into familiar detail with just enough flippancy to bring out the fun of the opera without skewing the emotional equation.” Recent directing credits include The Glimmerglass Festival, Trouble in Tahiti; Opera Columbus, Tosca, Don Giovanni; Curtis Opera Theatre, Così fan tutte, Albert Herring; Opera Saratoga, The Barber of Seville; Opera Grand Rapids, Così fan tutte, The Mikado, Don Giovanni; Tulsa Opera, The Little Prince; Opera Orlando, The Tales of Hoffmann, Lizbeth; Opera Carolina, Don Giovanni; Connecticut Early Music Festival, Xerxes; A.J.Fletcher Opera Institute at UNCSA, Volpone; Opera Tampa & Opera in Williamsburg, The Pearl Fishers; MassOpera, Carmen; Boheme Opera New Jersey, Aida, Lucia di Lammermoor; and the world premiere of Larry Bell’s opera Holy Ghosts at the Berklee Performance Center.
Eve’s work has been called “eye-poppingly contemporary,” “a riveting, glorious production from beginning to end,” and “can only be described as brilliant.” Critics raved that her production of Xerxes was “a delight, and a testament to Summer’s gift for banishing stodginess from an art form too often seen as fossilized and elitist”. Critics hailed her recent Albert Herring at Curtis as “exuberant and delightful,” “a drawing room tour de force,” and declared “It is hard to imagine how the performance could have been improved. It was sensational.” Her style is naturalistic, modern, and rooted in the visceral truthfulness of stage plays where she started her directing career. Her theater productions have included The Merry Wives of Windsor, Extremities, A Midsummer night’s Dream, The Woolgatherer, ‘Art,’ Two Gentlemen of Verona and her own play Neighbors, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Thomas Berger.
A former professional ballet dancer and choreographer, Eve’s choreography credits include a commission to choreograph a new ballet, Jeanne’s Fantasy, by composer Mark Warhol for the premiere with Contrapose Dance and Fort Point Theatre Channel, Elektra at Des Moines Metro Opera, Falstaff at Opera Colorado, and Don Giovanni at Boston Opera Collaborative. She recently collaborated with renowned choreographer Karole Armitage on the critically acclaimed American premiere of Philip Glass’ Opera-Ballet The Witches of Venice at Opera Saratoga. Eve has served as staff director and choreographer at many opera companies including Boston Lyric Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Colorado, Tulsa Opera, Opera Saratoga, and Opera Boston. www.EveSummerDirector.com
Vanessa Ogbuehi
Vanessa is a director for new and contemporary theatre and opera. Through a maximalist aesthetic and cross-disciplinary collaboration, Vanessa pushes everyday stories to mythic proportions. Past projects include an immersive take on “Fefu and her Friends” at Sweet Briar College, and assistant directing Heartbeat Opera’s “Lady M”, which the NYT called “Flat-out brilliant.” University direction includes “Orlando” (Boston University) and Metamorphoses (Villanova). Vanessa is a proud alum of the Drama League and holds a Graduate Certificate in Devised Performance from Pig Iron/University of the Arts.
Alan Tyson
Alan Tyson is a Columbus, Ohio native whose journey into the arts began at age nine with Columbus Children’s Theatre. By ten, he signed with CAM Talent, quickly building a resume of commercials, print ads, and educational videos. He honed his craft in high school with The Black Box Theatre Company and later earned his BFA in Drama from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. After a decade in New York City, Alan returned home to reconnect with his roots, rediscover his passion, and find deeper meaning in his work. He co-founded Inspire2Teach1, whose mission is to ensure that vulnerable and at-risk student populations have access to critical information and resources that could increase their opportunities in the fields of education, the arts, finance, health and wellness. Now represented by Docherty Talent Agency, Alan continues to act, write, film, and teach. For him, creativity is spiritual—a way to grow, connect, and give back. Each role is a chance to learn more about others, and more about himself.
Elias Miller
Assistant Conductor of the Columbus Symphony, Music Director of the Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestra, and Music Director of the Apollo Ensemble of Boston, Elias Miller has established a reputation as a leading young conductor and orchestra builder. He has worked with numerous orchestras across the United States including the New York Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Nashville Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Albany Symphony, assisting notable conductors such as Giancarlo Guerrero, Thomas Wilkins, Juanjo Mena, JoAnn Falletta, Scott Yoo, Carlos Miguel Prieto, and Eun Sun Kim. As theColumbus Symphony‘s assistant conductor, Miller regularly conducts education, pops, and community concerts with the esteemed orchestra including in-school concerts, young people’s concerts, family concerts, holiday pops, popcorn pops, and picnic with the pops programs, “Summer Night” concerts, and the symphony’s annual concert in Ash Cave.
Together with flutist Michael Tabak, Miller co-founded the Apollo Ensemble of Boston in 2018. Under Miller’s leadership, Apollo evolved quickly from a small chamber orchestra into a full orchestra with extensive programming. Miller has since conducted Apollo in over 30 concert cycles in venues throughout the Greater Boston Area, collaborating with world-class soloists and living composers. From 2022 until 2024, Miller served as the Principal Conductor of Upbeat New Hampshire, an El Sistema USA member program. While there, Miller established an honors chamber music program and an annual week-long conducting workshop with a professional ensemble.
An active conductor of opera and oratorio, Miller conducted Festival Theater Hudson‘s inaugural performance: a staged production of Wagner’s Die Walküre (Act I) in 2021 and co-conducted a production of Philip Glass’ La Belle et la Bête, at the University of Houston’s Moores Opera Center in 2022. Between 2016 and 2019, Miller led the Harvard Early Music Society in several premieres of operatic works including the Boston premiere of J.A. Hasse’s Alcide al Bivio, the North American premiere of Telemann’s 1745 Johannespassion, and the North American premiere of J.A. Hasse’s Sanctus Petrus et Sancta Maria Magdalena. Miller has also conducted performances of operas by Gluck, Stravinsky, William Grant Still, and Gilbert & Sullivan. Miller served as Assistant Conductor on a staged production of West Side Story – a collaboration between Opera Columbus, BalletMet, CAPA, and the Columbus Symphony – in 2025 and as the Assistant Conductor of Opera Saratoga in summer 2020.
A distinguished pianist and cellist, Miller has performed solo recitals in the United States and in Europe on both instruments and has served as a vocal coach and rehearsal pianist for many operatic productions. He holds degrees from Harvard University (A.B. in Music, summa cum laude) and the University of Michigan (M.M. in Orchestral Conducting) and completed his postgraduate studies at the University for Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. Miller’s teachers and mentors include Mark Stringer, Scott Yoo, Kenneth Kiesler, Federico Cortese, and his father, David Alan Miller.
Austin Blake Conlee
Austin Blake Conlee is a freelance costume designer based in New Jersey / New York City, who designs productions all over the country. He is also the Professor of Costume Design at Ramapo College of New Jersey.
As a Queer artist, Austin enjoys designing innovative works created by or featuring underrepresented groups as well as revamping conventional classics to make them fresh, new, and exciting. He always appreciates the opportunity to work on projects that push artistic boundaries. Skilled in the art of digital rendering, Austin uses innovative programs like Procreate and Photoshop alongside traditional media to create fresh & unique costume designs.
Austin graduated with his MFA in Costume Design from the University of Maryland mentored by Costume Designer Helen Q. Huang. He received his BFA in Technical Theatre & Design from the University of Memphis. Austin recently received a Broadway World Award for his Costume Design of “Cinderella”. He also won the Costume Industry Coalition’s Design Challenge for his work on “Hamlet: Replayed”. Select costume renderings of his will soon be featured in the upcoming textbook “Digital Painting and Rendering for Theatrical Design” by Jen Gillette, to be published in 2024.
Austin has worked at a variety of theatrical venues in various capacities such as costume designer, associate/assistant costume designer, wig designer, wig master, fabric shopper, and artistic collaborator on new works. These credits include The Kennedy Center, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Signature Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Northern Stage, Opera Columbus, Cumberland County Playhouse, Arena Stage, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Ohio Light Opera, Studio Theatre, Folger Shakespeare Theatre, Imagination Stage, Constellation Stage, Urban Arias, Maryland Opera Studio, Willamette University, Stagedoor Manor, Emory & Henry College, St. Louis Repertory Theatre, Playhouse on the Square, Opera Memphis, Porthouse Theatre, Memphis School of Music, Hattiloo Theatre, Germantown Theatre Company, New Moon Theatre Company, and the Tennessee Shakespeare Company.
Marcella Barbeau
Marcella Barbeau (she/her) is a New York City based lighting designer. Recent credits include Maria de Buenos Aires (Opera San Antonio), Cabaret and As One, The Threepenny Opera, The Threepenny Carmen (world premiere) (The Atlanta Opera), You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown (Village Theatre), The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (co-design, Austin Opera), Five Guys Named Moe (Playhouse on Park), Murder on the Orient Express, Meet Me in St. Louis: A Live Radio Play (Sierra Repertory Theatre), Trayf (New Repertory Theatre). Upcoming projects: Lucy and Charlie’s Honeymoon (Lookingglass Theatre, world premiere), Ainadamar (University of Houston), and Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s 2023 Season. She received her Master of Fine Arts at Boston University. As a Chinese-American lighting designer, Marcella actively seeks to collaborate with and amplify the voices of fellow BIPOC artists of all intersectionalities.
Candace Leyland
Candace is a wig master and makeup artist whose work spans opera, theatre, ballet, film, and commercial media. She holds a BFA in Theatre Technology and Design with an emphasis in Hair and Makeup and has built a strong reputation for her artistry, technical precision, and collaborative spirit within the performing arts industry. She has worked with a range of respected companies, including Opera Omaha and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, contributing to productions that require both historical authenticity and creative transformation. Candace has frequently collaborated with acclaimed wig and makeup designer Ronell Oliveri, gaining valuable experience on large-scale opera productions and working alongside leading creative teams. Known for her meticulous attention to detail and calm, solutions-oriented approach backstage, Candace approaches each project with a deep respect for storytelling and the artists who bring it to life. Whether designing intricate period wigs, executing complex quick changes, or crafting character-driven makeup looks, she is dedicated to supporting the visual world of each production.
Lonelle Yoder
Lonelle Yoder has been working in the Columbus theatre scene for years and is happy to join the Opera Columbus team again. Recent props credits: Witch (Available Light Theatre), Indecent, 9 to 5: The Musical, and But You Could’ve Held My Hand (CATCO). When not building props, Lonelle does wildlife rehab, tends her garden, and makes jam out of foraged wild fruits.
