Voice

Soprano and pedagogue Lori McCann holds a DMA and Artist Diploma in Opera from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She has performed extensively in Europe and the United States appearing in opera, oratorio and concert performances. Roles include: Mozart’s Pamina, Countess, Fiordiligi and Second Lady, Mimi, The Governess (Turn of the Screw, Britten), Fulvia (Ezio, Händel), The Fox (The Cunning Little Vixen, Janáček), Giulia (La scala di seta, Rossini), Iphigénie (Iphigénie en Tauride, , Gluck), and Mary Warren (The Crucible, Ward). Orchestral repertoire includes Brahms, Mozart, Händel, Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Mahler, Canteloube, Monteverdi, Bernstein, and Zarzuela repertoire. Ms. McCann has received many awards and prizes for her singing including National Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Dr. Lori McCann has been a vocal pedagogue for over 30 years. Academically she teaches the lyric diction sequence, various performance classes and applied voice to freshman through Artist’s Diploma candidates in the Cali School, and all levels of student in the highly competitive BFA Musical Theater Program. She has also maintained private voice studios in New York City, Berlin, Mannheim, Cincinnati, San Diego, and Montclair, NJ. She has been Faculty Artist at the prestigious American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS), in Graz, Austria for more than a decade and is in demand as a mentor teacher, masterclass clinician and adjudicator. Dr. McCann’s research interests include lyric diction, developmental pedagogy, zarzuela and university voice and choral faculty collaboration. In conjunction with co-author Elizabeth Brodovitch, Lori McCann recently published Chant’s d’Auvergne, A Singer’s Guide to Auvergnat Pronunciation, Bailero Publishing, Vancouver, BC, 2022. Dr. McCann has presented her research at national and international conferences, including the International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) the International Society for Music Education (ISME) World Conference, The Voice Foundation, National Collegiate Choral Organization (NCCO), and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) National Conferences and Workshops. In addition to these presentations, Dr. McCann is quite active in leadership roles locally, regionally, and nationally with the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the primary professional organization for voice teachers in the country. She served 2 terms as the NATS Eastern Region Governor, 2 terms as New York City Chapter President, is a member of New Jersey NATS and is currently serving as past president and board member of the NYC chapter. Dr. McCann is especially active in Mentor Teacher programs both in the NYC Chapter and as a NATS National Mentor.

Beth Roberts has been a dedicated and accomplished voice teacher and music educator for over 25 years. Ms Roberts is pleased to join the Full Time Faculty at Montclair State University. Previously she was on the faculty of Mannes College The New School for Music since 1996 and served as Coordinator of the Vocal Department since 2001. Her voice studio has produced principal artists in many national and international professional venues, including the Metropolitan Opera, Munich Opera, Zurich Opera, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Saint Louis Opera, Covent Garden and La Scala. Students of Ms. Roberts have been finalists and winners of such major vocal competitions as the Metropolitan Opera National Finals, the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, the Giuseppe di Stefano Competition, the Jenny Lind Competition, the Gerda Lissner Competition, the Giulio Gari Competition and the Joy of Singing Competition. Others have entered young artist programs at Merola, Wolf Trap, Glimmerglass, Santa Fe, Tanglewood and Chautauqua. Ms. Roberts has been a vocal instructor for the Washington National Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca (with the University of Cincinnati), a guest lecturer at the Classical Singer Convention, and an adjunct faculty member at the Westminster Choir College. She has served as an adjudicator for numerous competitions, including the Schmidt Vocal Competition, Fulbright Scholarship and the Finals of the Concours de Musique du Canada. She is a current faculty member of Voice Experience with the Savannah Voice Festival. A lyric soprano, Ms. Roberts has sung with many opera companies throughout the United States, including the Santa Fe Opera and the Washington Opera, and performed numerous concerts at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall. She was a Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Winner and a Liederkranz Foundation Competition Winner. She has also recorded for radio and television. Ms. Roberts earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Screen Actors Guild.

Karen Driscoll’s numerous performances throughout North America have included the title role in Massenet’s Manon for Florida Grand Opera and Florentine Opera, Mimi in La Bohème, Susannah, and Despina in Cosi fan tutte for L’Opéra de Montréal, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin for the Seattle Opera, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte for the Baltimore Opera, Nedda in I Pagliacci and Micaëla in Carmen for the Hawaii Opera Theater, Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffman for Palm Beach Opera, and her debut with Long Beach Opera as Sieglinde and Gutrune in Jonathan Dove’s Ring Saga. She has won many prestigious awards including the Grand Prize in the Lee Schaenen Foundation competition and the Gilbert Artist of the Year Award from the Florida Grand Opera. In addition, she was a competition winner with Opera Columbus, Connecticut Opera, Young Patronesses of the Opera in Miami, Florida, and a regional runner-up in the National Society of Arts and Letters competition. Ms. Driscoll is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance.

Jeffrey Gall made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1988, the first countertenor ever to sing at the Met. He sang Tolomeo in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, and in 1994 returned to the Met for Britten’s Death in Venice. He studied voice at the Yale School of Music with Blake Stern, and holds degrees in Slavic languages from Princeton and Yale Universities. He sang with such early music ensembles as the Waverly Consort and Pomerium Musices early in his career and then moved on to solo roles in Baroque and contemporary opera. He has sung principal roles at La Scala, Teatro San Carlo (Naples) and La Fenice in Italy; the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées and the Salle Garnier in France; the Monnaie in Brussels; the Netherlands Opera; the Cologne and Frankfurt Operas in Germany; the Canadian Opera, as well as the Spoleto, Edinburgh, Innsbruck, Halle, Schwetzingen, and Bordeaux Festivals. In the United States he has sung at the San Francisco, Chicago Lyric, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia and Boston Operas, and has made many concert appearances at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York, as well as at the Kennedy Center in Washington. He has recorded for CBS, Harmonia Mundi, Erato, Nonesuch, Titanic and Smithsonian Records, and appears in the title role on the London video of Peter Sellars’ production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare. Prof. Gall has conducted clinics and master classes in both standard repertory and early-music techniques at music schools across the United States. In addition, he is a founding member of the Italian vocal ensemble Il Terzo Suono.

Since her sensational debut as Amneris in Aida at the Metropolitan Opera in 1994, Barbara Dever has performed internationally as a dramatic mezzo-soprano. She has sung Dalila opposite Plácido Domingo’s Samson in Mexico City and Amneris for the grand re-opening of the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy. Over 24 seasons with the Metropolitan Opera she has sung as Eboli (Don Carlo), Azucena (Il trovatore), Amneris (Aida), Ulrica (Un ballo in maschera) and Herodias (Salome). She sang with Luciano Pavarotti on the stage of the Met and appeared with him on Pavarotti Plus, Great Performances at Lincoln Center. She has sung Handel’s Messiah and Verdi’s Requiem with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic, Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the Louisville Orchestra, and appeared with the Florida Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony and the National Orchestra of Mexico. She made her debut with the Canadian Opera Company as Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin and Geneviève in Pelléas et Mélisande. Ms. Dever received critical acclaim for the role of Baba in The Medium with the Spoleto Festival. Recordings include: Amneris in Aida (Naxos), Azucena in Il trovatore (Fone live from Parma) and Adalgisa in Norma (Teatro Bellini in Catania), and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony under the baton of Seiji Ozawa (Phillips). Barbara Dever was recently inducted into the South Jersey Hall of Fame and received an honorary doctorate from Rowan University.

William Amory is known for his range of repertoire, from Lied and Mélodie to operatic roles, comic and dramatic: His roles include Renato, Germont, Frank, Enrico, Don Alfonso, and he was heard as King in American Symphony Orchestra’s production of Strauss’s Die Liebe der Danae under Leon Botstein. He made his European opera debut as Ford in the Britten-Verdi Aldeburgh Festival’s Falstaff under Steuart Bedford, and was then invited back by the Maestro to sing the role of Leporello. Mr. Amory performed as Eurymaque in Fauré’s Pénélope in Sydney and has toured Austria in recital. In San Francisco he appeared in a workshop production of Billy Budd as First Lieutenant under maestro Kent Nagano, and sang in the baritone section of the San Francisco Opera Chorus for six years under Maestro Ian Robertson. He has appeared as bass soloist in Messiah, The Creation, Brahms’ Requiem, and Bach’s Mass in B Minor, and in recital, having had the honor of working closely with composers Martin Halpern, Ernst Bacon and Matthew Owens in preparing and performing their works. Mr. Amory received his master’s degree in vocal performance at Montclair State University, studying voice with Professors Jeffrey Gall and Stephen Oosting.

Mary Saunders Barton is a Penn State Professor Emeritus in Musical Theatre Voice and Voice Pedagogy. She currently resides in NY where she maintains a professional voice studio. Her students have been seen on Broadway in Wicked, Mamma Mia, Lion King, Book of Mormon, Newsies, Kinky Boots, Beautiful, Pretty Woman, and A Bronx Tale among others, as well as in national tours and regional productions. Mary is frequently invited to present her workshop “Bel Canto/Can Belto” in the U.S and abroad. She has produced two well-received DVD tutorials for teachers of singing, Teaching Women to Sing Musical Theatre and its sequel What about the Boys? and is co-author of a book with colleague Norman Spivey, Cross Training in the Voice Studio: A Balancing Act. She is chair of the American Academy of Teachers of Singing. (AATS) Mary is a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient from Shenandoah Conservatory’s CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute.

Michael S. Caldwell has degrees in Piano and Vocal Performance from Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA) and Hartt School of Music (Hartford, CT), where he performed in leading roles in The Rape of Lucretia, La Traviata, Cosí fan tutte, and The Rake’s Progress. He appeared with Central City Opera as Angelotti (Tosca), Mercutio (Roméo et Juliette), and Tom/John (Face on the Barroom Floor). At Virginia Opera, he performed as Antonio (Le Nozze di Figaro), Mr. Gobineau (The Medium), and Michael in the world premiere of Michael Ching’s opera Cue 67. A featured baritone at the Steans Institute at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, Michael also has extensive background in art song and lieder, both as pianist and singer. As a pianist, he enjoyed collaborating with the artists at the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Chiari, Italy. Michael has appeared with the Metropolitan Opera extra chorus in Fidelio, Die Meistersinger, Moses und Aron, Lohengrin, Orfeo and Samson et Dalila.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Ms. Chen graduated from the National Academy of Art with highest honors in 1990, where she performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. In 1992, she entered Mannes College of Music, where in 1994 she performed Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on the theme of Paganini under the baton of Maestro Michael Charry. Shortly after her graduation from Mannes with a special piano award, Ms. Chen made her Carnegie Hall debut at Weill Recital Hall as a winner of the 1995 New York Concert Artists Competition. Frequently performing as a piano due with her husband Alexander Paley, Ms. Chen performs annually as part of the Alexander Paley Music Festival in Richmond, Virginia, as well as Moulin d’Ande, France. In December 2001, Ms. Chen made her Paris debut playing Liszt’s Concerto Pathetique for two pianos in Salle O. Messiaen, Maison de Radio France. Following in 2003, she performed Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade in the composer’s own one piano, four hands version, which was broadcast live worldwide from Seattle, USA on kings.org. In March 2004, Ms. Chen performed both Mozart and Mendelssohn Piano Concertos for two pianos with the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra in Vilnius, Lithuania.In the summer of 2009, Ms. Chen returned to Taiwan and gave a gala concert in the National Concert Hall in Taipei to benefit young musicians there. In 2011, she performed Mozart Concertos for two and three pianos in Klaipeda, Lithuania. As a collaborative artist, Ms. Chen has worked with artists including Licia Abanese, Elly Ameling, Regina Resnik, Jon Vickers, Evelyn Lear, Diane Soviero, Deborah Voigt, Ruth Falcon, Mignon Dunn, Sherril Milnes, and Olga Peretyako, among others. In 1998, she joined the production of Fedora for Washington Opera. In addition, Ms. Chen served as a pianist for the Metropolitan Opera Guild as well as Amato Opera,New York Lyric Opera Theatre ,Regina Opera in NYC for many seasons. She has been a member of the music faculty for IVAI in both Virginia and NYC, CVAI in Canada, as well as a faculty member for VOICExperience in Florida, CoOperative at Rider University and Savannah Voice Festival . Highlights of Ms. Chen’s past engagements include concerts in Washington, D.C. as well as in Virginia and Maine, piano duo concerts in France, and Bach Concerti in Lithuania. Additionally, she has served as coach and conductor for operas including Der Schauspieldirektor by Mozart, The Telephone by Menotti, Incoronazione di Poppea by Monteverdi, and Alcina and Ariodante by Handel in concert version with New York Lyric Opera ;Czerny piano Concerto for one piano, four hands in Modolva and complete Rachmaninoff music for two pianos in France. In the spring of 2017, Ms. Chen was the official pianist of the Classical Singers Magazine Competition in Shanghai.In 2020,Ms Chen served as a jury member for many international online voice competitions in Russia,China and US. Since 2021,Ms.Chen has joined New Camerata Opera in New York City for their productions both in operas and concerts.In spring,2022,Ms Chen played a series of concerts in the project of complete Brahms chamber music for piano duets,including Brahms liebeslieder waltzs and Neue liebeslieder walzes with the soloists from the Lithuanian State Opera in Vilnius.In April 2022,Ms Chen premiered “Hommage a Rachmaninoff für 2 Klaviere“ with husband Alexander Paley by reknown German composer Thomas Böttger in France.In August 2022,Ms Chen joined the Savannah Voice Festival in the production of Menotti’s Medium. Ms Chen has recorded complete Saint-Saens symphonies in the version for piano duo in season 2022-23 which will be soon released.In addition,she has served as a rehearsal pianist for productions like Ravel’s “L’Heure Espangnole” ,Lili Boulanger’s” Faust et Helene” ,Mozart’s “Don Giovanni “ during the season. Ms Chen is a member of faculty at Mannes college of Music and Cali School at Montclair University.

Tenor Darian Clonts, a native of Atlanta, Ga., joined the Voice faculty at Montclair State University in the Fall of 2021. He has been seen performing with companies across the U.S. such as Cincinnati Opera, The Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater, The Princeton Festival, and The Atlanta Opera. Some of his operatic roles include The Witch (Hansel and Gretel), Mingo (Porgy and Bess), Hérrison (L’Étoile), Goro (Madama Butterfly), and El Remendado (Carmen). He holds a B.A. in Music from Morehouse College, where was a member of and an accompanist for the world-renowned Morehouse College Glee Club. Dr. Clonts holds both an M.M. and D.M. in Voice from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He holds a certificate in Vocology, which is the science and practice of voice habilitation and, if necessary, rehabilitation. He is currently on the Voice faculty at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ and the University of Evansville in Evansville, IN. The main focus of his musical research includes opera and African American music, and he has lectured on his research at schools and institutions across the United States.

Soprano Anya Fidelia has established a dynamic multi-faceted career as an international Voice Teacher, Russian Lyric Diction and Repertoire Coach, and an Opera Singer.

Ms. Fidelia’s extensive teaching affiliations include, but are not limited to: John J. Calì School of Music, Montclair State University; Mannes School of Music; Mannes Prep; Metropolitan Opera Guild Education Department; AIM-PARIS International Music Academy and Festival (Paris, France); InterHarmony International Festival (Italy); Art November International Festival (Moscow, Russia); Queens College Prep; International Vocal Arts Institute; 92Y School of Music, and Church Street School for Music and Art (TribeCa, New York City).

As a Russian Lyric Diction, Language and Repertoire specialist, Ms. Fidelia’s affiliations include: The Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Program, Mannes Opera, Caramoor Festival Apprentice Program amongst other.

Ms. Fidelia maintains a thriving private Voice Studio in New York City, enjoying work with professional and pre- professional singers. She is the founder of “College-bound: Conservatory Admissions for Singers” consulting studio, focusing on preparing and guiding her clients through all aspects of competitive conservatory admission process while aiding in identifying the optimal conservatory program to bridge the highly individual needs of each aspiring young artist with their future professional success. Ms. Fidelia is deeply committed to the core principles of diversity and inclusion, and strongly believes in equal opportunity and access to training and education for all.

Ms. Fidelia has been fortunate to train with the world renown mentors of classical vocal arts: Joan Dornemann, Beth Roberts, Renata Scotto, Regina Resnik, Vladimir Chernov, Olga Chernov, Will Crutchfield, and Nico Castel. She received intensive training with the International Vocal Arts Institute (IVAI) in Israel, Puerto-Rico, Canada and France, and was honored to be a scholarship recipient there.

A recipient of multiple awards, Ms. Fidelia is the Chicago Lyric Opera National Auditions Finalist, winner of Liederkranz Foundation Competition, the Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges Competition, Blue Print Fellow, and a COJECO Fellowship Grant recipient amongst numerous other awards and mentions.

Degrees Held:
PSD, Mannes School of Music
MM, Mannes School of Music
Post-BA studies, Registration and Certification in Music Therapy (CMT, RMT) – SUNY at Fredonia
BA in Choral Conducting, Schnidtke College of Music-Moscow, Russia
Piano Performance, Sergei Prokofiev School of Music- Moscow, Russia
Various body work and breathing technique modalities training
Dalcroze Method training
Certified Life Coach in training, Accomplishment Coaching, New York City (08/2023-08/2024)

A voice the Ottawa Citizen has called “golden,” Canadian tenor Peter Gillis holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Juilliard School. His performance history is extensive, including regular engagements at Italy’s Festival Dei Due Mondi, his Carnegie Hall debut with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and appearances at the Kennedy Center with the Washington Opera. Among other venues have been the Opera Company of Boston, the Opera Orchestra of New York, the Lenox (MA) Music Theatre Group, Milwaukee’s Skylight Opera Theater, and the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, SC. Canadian performances have included several Celtic Colours International Festival appearances, concerts with Symphony Nova Scotia, and a national tour of Canada with folk luminary Rita MacNeil. He has sung Tom Rakewell in Opera Nova Scotia’s The Rake’s Progress. Dr. Gillis also holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and Indiana University at Bloomington. Part of the Montclair State faculty since 2004, his students have appeared in principal roles on Broadway, off-Broadway and with regional opera companies. Adjudicating activities have included the Nova Scotia Music Festival, the New Glasgow Music Festival, the New York Singing Teachers Association’s Young Professional Competition at Steinway Hall, and the Master Teachers Series at Dalhousie University and Acadia University.

Pianist William Hobbs has been featured with orchestras and performed recitals in over a dozen countries, including the United States, England, Korea, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Malta, and Poland. As chamber musician, he has collaborated with many of today’s top performers, including Yo-Yo Ma, Ida Kavafian, and James Galway. As collaborative pianist and conductor, Mr. Hobbs works at many of the world’s major opera houses, including the Opéra National de Paris, the Salzburg Festival, San Francisco Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Seattle Opera, Washington Opera and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Opera Slavica, which is devoted to presenting full productions of masterworks from Russian, Czech and Polish composers. He can be heard in recordings of music by Lowell Liebermann, Xavier Montsalvage, and Dave Soldier. He was Music Director for the Opera America Songbook. He recently produced a recording of songs by Ricky Ian Gordon, with soprano Jennifer Zetlan and the composer at the piano. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance summa cum laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Master of Music in Piano Performance, Research and Literature from the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY).

Hailed by the Maine Classical Beat for “a voice to die for (combined) with acting ability, beauty, and stage presence,” Israeli mezzo-soprano Maya Lahyani is quickly becoming one of today’s most sought-after international singers.

This season, Ms. Lahyani makes her Detroit Opera debut in Yuval Sharon’s high-tech acclaimed production of The Valkyries. She then joins Portland Opera for her company debut as the title role in Carmen in a production by Denyce Graves. Lahyani will perform Handle’s Messiah with the New Jersey Symphony conducted by Maestra Xian Zhang. Later in the season, she returns to her signature role as Carmen with Opera Naples.

In the 2020-21 season, Maya Lahyani returned to the Metropolitan Opera for a charming holiday production of Massenet’s Cendrillon directed by Laurent Pelly. She then made two house debuts in the title role of Carmenby Bizet, at Arizona Opera and with The Minnesota Opera in new production by star Mezzo Denyce Graves. She also appeared at Bard Music Festival as a soloist in Scriabin’s Symphony no. 1.

In the 2019-20 season, Lahyani returned to The Metropolitan Opera to sing Rosette in Manon and Tisbe in La Cenerentola. She also returned to the Israeli Opera to sing Sister Helen Prejean in Heggie’s Dead Man Walking. In concert, she was scheduled to join The Philadelphia Orchestra for Elektra and to make her London Symphony Orchestra debut in Tippett’s A Child of Our Time under the baton of Alan Gilbert, both concerts were cancelled due to COVID 19. Other cancelled engagements were her debuts at Chicago Opera Theater, and Theater Dortmund, and her return to Canadian Opera Company.

Ms. Lahyani sang over 90 performances at The Metropolitan Opera, making her debut during the 2013-2014 season in Anthony Minghella’s production of Madam Butterfly as the first Israeli born to ever sing on their stage. Other appearances at the Met including Grimgerde in Robert Lepage’s Ring, Massenet’s Werther, Cendrillon, and Manon, Rusalka under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Elektra conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen (all productions were seen live in HD), the role of the Palestinian Woman in John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer, Flora in Willy Decker’s iconic production of La Traviata. As well as covering Maddalena in Michael Mayer’s production of Rigoletto, Lola in Sir David McVicar’s production of Cavalleria Rusticana, Altichiara in Francesca da Rimini, and Fiona in the Met premiere of Nico Muhly’s Two Boys.

Recent career highlights including her Latin America debut as Charlotte in Werther with Ópera De Nuevo León in Monterrey, Mexico. Her Israeli Opera debut as Charlotte in Massenet’s Werther conducted by Alan Guingal and directed by Paul Emile Fourny. The title role of Carmen with Opera Maine, Opera Las Vegas and Wolf Trap Opera. Her Seattle Opera appearances as Varvara in Janáček’s Katya Kabanova, Flora in Peter Konwitschny’s production of La Traviata, and Dryad in Ariadne auf Naxos. Maddalena in Rigoletto at the Berkshire Opera Festival, Hansel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel With Opera Fairbanks, the Page in Atom Egoyan’s production of Salome with The Canadian Opera Company, and Third Lady in The Magic Flute with The Dallas Opera. Lahyani was also featured as the vocal soloist in numerous works by the renowned choreographer Alonzo King and his acclaimed Alonzo King LINES Ballet.

Ms. Lahyani’s concert work portfolio includes performances as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus under the baton of Nicola Luisotti, Mahler’s Second Symphony with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Bernstein’s Jeremiah Symphony with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Ravel’s Sheherazade with the Jerusalem Symphony, Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody with the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, and the alto soloist in Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream with conductor Kurt Masur and the San Francisco Symphony. Lahyani also appeared in concert of Verdi’s Rigoletto with The Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel.

Lahyani is an alumna of the prestigious Adler Fellowship of the San Francisco Opera, where she made her debut in 2010 as Wowkle in La Fanciulla del West under conductor Nicola Luisotti. Other roles and productions with the company include Siegrune in Die Walküre, Sister Marta and The Duenna in Cyrano de Bergerac, the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’s Heart of a Soldier under conductor Patrick Summers, Janáček’s The Makropulos Case, Maffio Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia, and the title role of Carmen. With the International Vocal Art institute in Tel Aviv Lahyani performed the roles of Charlotte in Werther, Mather Marie in The Dialogues of the Carmelites, and the title role in Mascagni’s Zanetto.

Lahyani holds a Bachelor and a master’s degrees from Mannes College of Music in NYC.

Samuel McDonald has been praised for his singing and artistry which is “warm, expressive [and] first rate…” (Nino Pantano.) Credits include title role in Don Giovanni, Marcello (La bohème), Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Alidoro (Cenerentola), Belcore (L’elisir d’Amore), Pandolfe (Cendrillon), King Arthur (Camelot), and Jake (Porgy and Bess). Crossover repertoire includes Dreamgirls, Ragtime, Miss Saigon, Aida and Showboat. He has made appearances with the NY Philharmonic, NJSO and The National Chorale. He has performed at Teatro Valle, Royal Danish Theater, Bucks County Playhouse, West Virginia Public Theater, and Carnegie Hall. He is a graduate of The John J. Cali School of Music and did his graduate studies at Miami University of Ohio. He was a young artist at The Brevard Music Festival, Castleton Music Festival, Prelude to Performance and The Music Academy of the West. He has also served on the voice faculty of Bucknell University. This season includes a recital at the Cathedral Basilica (Newark,NJ), soloist in Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis with the Susquehanna Valley Chorale and Ben in Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Telephone with the Adirondacks Long Lake Festival.

Dr. Mory Ortman works as a Music Director and freelance musician in New York City, where his work includes accompanying and performing in the most prestigious venues with the highest-level music professionals. He frequently accompanies and coaches main stage auditioners and professional and graduate voice lessons. Dr. Ortman is a principal accompanist for Manhattan Concert Productions, a company dedicated to excellence in music for the most qualified arts organizations in the US. Dr. Ortman also sings in and accompanies the Manhattan Chorale, a professional choral ensemble affiliated with the organization. Mory has a strong knowledge of musical styles and is equally comfortable in the classical, cabaret, and musical theatre realms. His versatility keeps him in high demand as a recitalist and accompanist throughout the greater New York City area and beyond. Summer finds Dr, Ortman working at Quisisana Resort in Maine where he serves as the Music Director of the classical program and accompanist to the musical theatre programs. The resort produces a combination of opera, musical theatre, cabaret and chamber music and is renowned for the high caliber performances presented.

Performer and pedagogue LeAnn Overton currently serves on the faculties of the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University and the Manhattan School of Music in NYC. Ms Overton has also taught on the faculties of Long Island University CW Post campus, Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Chautauqua Voice School, New York Actor’s Studio and Mannes School of Music. Summer festivals and opera companies as music director/vocal coach include Oberlin in Italy, Midsummermusique Songe D’Été in Canada, Vocal Arts Symposium in Colorado Springs, Cincinnati Opera and Tulsa Opera. In 2014 Ms Overton established “Respiro Opera, NYC” a program built on the basics of singing: breath (yoga), body alignment (Alexander Technique and body mapping), text study, and musical style. An enthusiastic proponent of the Alexander Technique, Ms Overton continues her collaboration with AT instructor Bill Connington, author of the popular book “Physical Expression on Stage and Screen: Using the Alexander Technique to Create Unforgettable Performances.” In 2005 Ms Overton recorded “Race for the Sky” with soprano Lisa Holsberg featuring the music of Richard Pearson Thomas. In addition to her teaching, Ms Overton works at the Metropolitan Opera as surtitle caller.

Mary Pinto, an acclaimed accompanist and vocal coach, has worked with international opera singers and major American opera companies for the past 25 years. She serves as musical and artistic director at Opera at Florham. In 2012, Ms. Pinto coached and served as rehearsal pianist for Metropolitan Opera star and international soprano Deborah Voigt as she prepared for the three Brünhilde roles for the Met’s production of Wagner’s ​Ring Cycle. In 2014, she performed with Opera Noire’s Ensemble in the American Embassy in Moscow and St. Petersburg and spent the past 3 summers coaching at Masterclass and Ischia in Italy. In March 2018 she was the official accompanist for the Deborah Voigt International Competition in Vero Beach. ​Ms. Pinto has been a private coach and accompanist on the faculty of Montclair State University since 2007. In Fall 2018, she joined the adjunct faculty at SUNY Purchase College teaching Italian and French lyric diction, operatic styles, and coaching.

Jan Prokop is Associate Music Theater Voice Coordinator and Adjunct Professor of Voice at Montclair State University – Cali School of Music NJ, and Body Mapping educator for Respiro Opera NYC. She was a founding member of the voice faculty for the Actors Studio MFA Program at the New School and taught at CAP21/Tisch @ NYU. Prokop is the author of the Body Mapping chapter for So You Want to Sing with Awareness, part of the NATS book series So You Want To Sing… A licensed Body Mapping Educator she offers Body Mapping workshops, seminars and private coachings in the New York area and throughout the U.S. She has presented workshops for NATS, NATS-NYC, NYSTA, MTEA as well as the University of Nashville, University of Utah, University of Brasilia and many other schools. She was a Master Teacher for the NATS Summer Intern program, is a mentor teacher with the NATS-NYC Mentor program, a member of AATS (The American Academy of Teachers of Singing) and a past president of NATS-NYC. She maintains a private Voice and Body Mapping studio in New York City and her students appear on and off Broadway, regional theater and national tours. As a performer, she has appeared throughout the United States, Europe, South America and the Middle East. Prokop received her MM in performance from the University of Illinois and her DM in performance with a minor in Speech Pathology and Voice Science from Indiana University.

Award-winning dramatic soprano Julia Rolwing has been hailed for both her lyricism and dramatic vocal thrust, in opera, oratorio, and recital. Her operatic roles have included Sieglinde in Wagner’s Die Walküre, Senta (Der Fliegende Holländer) and Freia (Das Rheingold), the title roles of Verdi’s Aida, Puccini’s Tosca, Massenet’s Cendrillon, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and Elisabetta (Don Carlos), Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), Mozart’s Donna Anna and Countess Almaviva, Lady Billows (Albert Herring), the Mothers in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel and Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, and the Straussian heroines Ariadne, Arabella, Chrysothemis and Elektra. Her varied concert repertoire includes Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Missa Solemnis, Requiems of Verdi and Duruflé, and the Dvorak and Rossini Stabat Maters. Julia holds top prizes from the Leiderkranz Foundation, the Wagner Societies of New York, Washington DC, Boston, and Northern California, the Kilpinen Foundation, Jüssi Björling Society, and many others. She is a member of NATS, Opera America, and the VoiceCare Network, and has held previous appointments at the University of Miami, Florida International University, New World School of the Arts and Reynoldsburg Ohio City Schools. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education and a Master of Arts degree in Vocal Pedagogy from Ohio State University, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Miami.

Mark Schnaible joins the John J. Cali School of Montclair State University in the Fall of 2021 as an adjunct professor of voice. He has given numerous masterclasses throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East. His students continue to excel in many of the young artist programs in the United States as well as the opera studios in Europe. He currently serves on the voice faculties of the Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music, The Curtis Institute of Music, the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, The Arizona Opera Marion Roose Pullin Opera Studio, Ravinia-Steans Voice program as well as serving as the artistic administrator of the Summer Opera Tel-Aviv program.

Bass-baritone Mark Schnaible has sung over 75 principal opera roles with Oper Leipzig, Bergen National Opera, Polish National Opera, Athens Megaron Theater, Israeli Opera, Wien Modern, Zürich Opera, Choregies d’Orange Festival, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Glimmerglass Opera, as well as many other regional opera houses throughout Europe and the United States.

He holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, a Master of Music in Voice Performance and in 2005 was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree for his contributions to voice teaching and vocal performance.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, pianist Victoria Schwartzman has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. She has performed at the Music Mountain Festival with members of the St. Petersburg String Quartet, in the New York Philharmonic Ensembles series at Merkin Hall, at Bargemusic, and the Nicolas Roerich Museum concert series in New York City. As a member of the Yanvar Trio, she was a prizewinner in the Val-Tidone Chamber Music Competition and a finalist in the Zinotti International Chamber Music competition, both in Italy. She is a member of the Brahms Piano Quartet. She has performed as soloist with the Jerusalem Chamber Orchestra and the Riverside Orchestra. She has participated in the Tel-Hai International Piano Festival in Israel and the Lyrica Chamber Music Festival in New Jersey. She was vocal coach and accompanist at Boston Lyric Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, the Brevard Music Center, and the American Institute of Musical Studies Festival in Graz, Austria. She graduated from Jerusalem Conservatory, and studied at the Longy School of Music and New England Conservatory. She has performed in masterclasses given by Menahem Pressler and Richard Goode, among others. Her principal teachers include Irina Kivaiko, Issak Kossov, Victor Rosenbaum, Sally Pinkas and Eda Shlyam.

Ereni Sevasti is a singer, actor, musician and singing teacher whose performance highlights include The Visitor with Mandy Patinkin (Public Theater); The Bacchae(Shakespeare in the Park); Lili in Carnival! (Kennedy Center); The Sound of Music(Papermill Playhouse); Zorba the Greek (staged reading) with Antonio Banderas and Chita Rivera; Joan Baez in Search: Paul Clayton (Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse). Variety calls Sevasti “a real catch” who “never stops charming the audience,” while Broadwayworld writes that she grips you with her “strong belt and expressive phrasing.” Ereni holds the Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University where she studied with Christopher Arneson and Taina Kataja. She has studied with Broadway veteran and musical theater singing specialist Adrienne Angel. She is a student of singing teacher and voice researcher, Richard Lissemore, and has provided pedagogical demonstrations for his presentations for NATS, the Voice Foundation and the Singing Voice Science Workshop. She has completed the two-year Meisner Training program with William Esper. In addition to her busy performance schedule, Ereni also teaches piano and guitar.