Photo by Kelly Kester Photography

FINGER LAKES OPERA ANNOUNCES NEW ARTISTIC TEAM & YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM EXPANSION

Rochester, NY - The Finger Lakes Opera (FLO) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephanie Havey as FLO’s new Artistic Director and Brock Tjosvold, who will serve as Head of Music. Both Havey and Tjosvold have been busy planning the 2025 Summer Festival (details which will be available in April) and revamping the company’s Young Artist Program. 

“FLO is thrilled to have Stephanie and Brock assume their new roles. They have played key roles for FLO's recent productions from behind the scenes and are well positioned to step into the top artistic leadership. I cannot wait for the Rochester and Finger Lakes community to see what they have planned for 2025 and beyond” FLO’s Board President Robert Shapiro stated. 

Havey will be responsible for curating seasons of world-class talent from both global stages and the local community. Tjosvold will oversee vocal coaching, rehearsal pianists and take on the roles of Chorus Master, and at times, Music Director. 

Stephanie Havey was the creative force behind FLO’s productions of Il Barbiere di Siviglia (2021), Così fan tutti (2022), Aida (2023), and Gianni Schicchi (2024). Since 2022, Havey also has served as FLO’s Young Artist Program (YAP) Director. She has staged productions for opera companies and orchestras all around the country as well as served as a member of the staging sta at San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and The Santa Fe Opera. She is consistently lauded for her eye-popping stage pictures, brisk dramatic pacing, and convincing theater that makes the most of every minute. Last fall, Havey was appointed Director of Opera Theater at Oberlin College and Conservatory (OH). 

Brock Tjosvold started working with FLO as part of its Out & About programs in 2019 and was awarded a Young Artist position in 2020. The past two seasons Tjovsold has worked with FLO as a vocal coach, rehearsal pianist, and cover conductor. During his time as a DMA student at The Eastman School of Music, Tjosvold won the 1st Prize Pianist at the 2021 Jessie Kneisel Lieder Competition. He was also awarded the 2020 Excellence in Accompanying Award. Upon earning his DMA from Eastman, Brock accepted the position of Music Director and Vocal Coach at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music. In 2023, he joined the faculty at Eastman as Assistant Professor of Vocal Coaching. 

Both Havey and Tjosvold have been working for months on revamping FLO’s Young Artist Program. Established in 2018, FLO’s Young Artist Program ran as pay-to-sing for two seasons. Following the 2019 season, a benefactor provided seed funding to facilitate the program’s transition to one where awardees are paid. Under Havey’s guidance, FLO’s Young Artist Program has grown in reputation and flourished into one of the company's greatest strengths wi applications for the summer session increasing annually (612% since 2019). This expansion has provided the catalyst to bring more opera to more people through community engagement events (performances at special community events like the Greater Rochester Chamber’s Athena Awards, elder care facilities, and in cafes) and an in-school presence. FLO is proud to be a launching point for these amazing musicians' careers. 

The 2025 program will now feature two levels - Studio and Apprentice Artists. “In recent years, FLO has been proud to bring Young Artists from all over the world to Rochester, many of whom are on the cusp of stardom. This will continue and these singers will be Studio Artists,” Executive Director Elizabeth Long explains. “Studio Artists will be assigned comprimario and even lead roles in FLO productions, perform in masterclasses with seasoned professionals from around the globe, receive weekly coachings, and be provided the opportunity to prepare professional audition materials that can be used after their time with FLO. Studio Artists receive weekly pay, a travel stipend, and have housing provided for the entirety of their stay in Rochester (5-6 weeks in the summer and 2-3 weeks in the fall). 

The new addition to FLO’s Young Artist Program will be the Apprentice level, which allows singers of significant potential who are either currently or recently enrolled in a university  conservatory voice programs to have the opportunity to perform alongside the Studio Artists in FLO productions. The key aspect of the Apprentice level is a local connection. Apprentice Artists will receive many of the training and educational benefits awarded to Studio Artist 

“Artist development has always been at the heart of my work”, says Havey. “I have been passionate about producing creative opera productions that engage the community and partner with local artists, art organizations, universities, and non-profit leaders to build impactful collaborations that benefit both our audiences and the artists we engage each season." Out of almost 550 applicants, Havey and Tjosvold have awarded six Studio and six Apprentice artists to join FLO for its 2025 Summer Festival, listed below: 

Studio Artists: 

● Soprano Georgia Belmont, a British-American currently based in New York City, made recent debuts with Opera Theatre of St. Louis and the Los Angeles Philharmonic as a soprano soloist. 

● Mezzo-soprano Karen Kelley has performed with Sarasota Opera and the Sante Fe Opera. Last season, she joined Opera Idaho as an Emerging Artist. Kelley is originally from Jefferson City, MO. 

● Mezzo-soprano Marieke de Koker is a South African multi-disciplinary artist based in New York City. Her operatic debuts include the title role of Iolanthe with Bronx Opera Company and Susan in The Marriage Counselor with Garden State Opera. 

● Tenor Jason Garcia-Kakuk, originally from Queenstown, MD, is a Masters candidate at the Eastman School of Music. Most recently he has performed the role of Mr. Angel in Mozart’s The Impresario (Baltimore Opera) and in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin as Triquet and the cover of Lensky. 

● Baritone Eunsung Lee, has most recently appeared as Escamillo in La Tragedie de Carmen. He spent a summer as a Lehrer Vocal Institute fellow at Music Academy of the West covering the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. 

● Bass Andrew Boisvert has performed with Cedar Rapids Opera, Bel Cantanti Opera, and was the Bass Soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra. 

The 2025 Apprentice Artists will include four students from the Eastman School of Music: Izabella Gozzo, Sofia Mains, Julia Tooker, and Caleb Meyerhoff; a recent graduate from Nazare University, Jonathan Sengupta, and finally Charles Bohrer, who is a vocal student at Baldwin Wallace University. 

These remarkably talented singers will be featured throughout FLO’s 2025 Summer Festival, which will be announced in April. They also will deliver community engagement programming throughout the year. 

Press Release February 4, 2025