SUMMER SCENES featuring the 2023 Young Artists

Soprano Anna Donnelly has performed with Chicago Opera Theater, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Miami Music Festival, and Bloomington Chamber Opera. Recent credits include Pamina in Die Zauberflöte and Gianetta in L’elisir d’amore. In January 2023, Anna was granted an Encouragement Award from the St. Louis District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. She recently completed a Master of Music degree at Indiana University.

Soprano Goitsemang Lehobye was born in Ga-Rankuwa, South Africa, and followed her dreams by joining the South African Black Tie Opera Ensemble. In 2011, Goitsemang won a scholarship to study at the University of Cape Town, then moved to the US at the beginning of 2017, studying at the University of Michigan. Her career highlights include touring to Argentina as Serena in Porgy and Bess and premiering a new work with the Minnesota Orchestra.

Soprano Ellen Robertson is now active in the Chicago area. Most recently, she appeared as an Apprentice Artist with Sarasota Opera, where sang the role of La Zia (Puccini’s Madama Butterfly). She sang the roles of Mimì (Puccini’s La bohème) and Diana (Jake Heggie’s If I Were You) with Northwestern Opera Theater and Euridice (Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice) and Virtù (Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea) with Eastman Opera Theatre.

Mezzo-soprano Kaswanna Kanyinda has been praised for her dramatic presence and as a “talent to keep a sharp lookout for.” Previously, she portrayed Flosshilde in Michigan Opera Theatre’s Twilight: Gods and lead roles in Opera MODO’s productions of La Gioconda and Dialogues of the Carmelites. Kaswanna earned her masters degree in 2016 from the University of Michigan, where she performed several leading roles. 

Praised for her colorful voice and sparkling stage presence, mezzo-soprano Alexandra Sanchez has been dazzling audiences in her hometown of San Antonio and across the United States. This season, Alexandra joins Pensacola Opera as a studio artist singing Alisa (Lucia di Lammermoor) and covering Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus). Last season, she made her San Francisco Opera debut singing Sister Claire in Dialogues of the Carmelites.

Tenor Conor Brereton is from Las Vegas, Nevada. He has performed a wide variety of roles on the operatic stage, such as Ouf I in L’Étoile (Indiana University), Sroufe in Adolphus Hailstork’s Rise for Freedom (University of Michigan), Gabriel von Einsenstein in Die Fledermaus (University of Michigan), Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (Miami Music Festival), L’imperatore in Turandot (Opera Grand Rapids), and Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi (Festival Napa Valley).

Tenor Michael Celentano is a former young artist at Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance and Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, NY. Recent appearances include Stony Brook Opera Theater’s production of Britten’s Albert Herring as Albert and Gustav Holst's Savitri as Satyavan, Max in Bronx Opera’s production of Der Freischütz, Miner in La fanciulla del West and Ensemble in L’Amore dei tre re, both with New York City Opera.

Tenor Pedro Valdez is gaining attention for his effortless lyrical range. Pedro was a Madison Opera Studio Artist singing Don Curzio in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. Pedro apprenticed with Northern Lights Music Festival in 2021, singing Don Ramiro in Rossini’s La cenerentola. Other roles include Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Alberto in La Curandera, First Sailor in Dido and Æneas, and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte.

Baritone Steven M. Warnock, of Glasgow, Scotland, is completing his performance diploma at the Jacobs School of Music. Steven’s operatic roles include Dr. Pangloss in Bernstein’s Candide, Captain Corcoran in Gilbert & Sullivan's HMS Pinafore, Sam in The Pirates of Penzance, Friedrich Bhaer in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Marco in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and Steve Sankey in Kurt Weill's Street Scene. 

Bass Casey Germain has appeared in operas with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, University of Maryland, New England Conservatory, and Bel Cantanti Opera. Casey has performed the roles of Capellio in Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte, Gus O’Neil in Later the Same Evening, King Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Littore in L'incoronazione di Poppea, the Jailer in Tosca, and Colline in La bohème.

Jason Alexander Holmes is a music educator and performer from Ridgeway, VA. Before stepping into the role of Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Boychoir, he was Director of Educational Programming at the Boston Children’s Chorus. As a bass-baritone, Jason has performed a varied repertoire from Jason Robert Brown’s Parade to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with community and professional companies. ​At the core of Jason’s teaching and performing is the belief that we are all expressive and musical beings who deserve to witness and create moments of truth and beauty. 

Award winning stage director Stephanie Havey is consistently lauded for her eye-popping stage pictures, brisk dramatic pacing, and convincing theatre that makes the most of every minute. Ms. Havey has staged productions for Seattle Opera, Opera de Montreal, The Dallas Opera, Utah Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Arizona Opera, Opera Omaha, Madison Opera, New York City Opera, and Hawai’i Opera Theatre, among others, and has created new productions for Boston Lyric Opera, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera, The Atlanta Opera, Lyrique-en-mer International Festival de Belle-Ile, The Curtis Institute of Music, and Manhattan School of Music, among others.

Lutin Tanner, from Mankato, Minnesota, received a BA in Dance and Theatre from Western Michigan University. He danced with Garth Fagan Dance from 1995-2000, and then transitioned to resident Lighting Designer & Production Manager for Dance New Amsterdam in NYC. Using his unique dance lighting perspective Lutin has worked with a wide range of artists from Rasta Thomas, Nathan Trice, Ronald K. Brown Evidence, and Eglevsky Ballet to name a few. Lutin is Garth Fagan Dance’s Resident Lighting Designer & Production Stage Manager.

Kasi Krenzer Marshall holds her BA in Theatre Directing and returns to FLO for her 4th season. Recent credits include costume designs for two high school productions of Little Shop of Horrors, The Impresario, and Daphnis & Chloe (Nazareth College Opera), Calendar Girls (Blackfriars Theatre), as well as Into The Woods (The Gatesinger Company Ltd.) which earned a TANYS Award for Excellence in Costume Design. Kasi’s recent directing credits include Urinetown, Company, Oklahoma, The Second Coming of Joan of Arc, and the US premier of Belonging(s).