Songbird
Meet the Artists that make up Kentucky Opera’s production of Songbird.
Eric Sean Fogel
James Lowe
He recently collaborated with Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, re-imagining, orchestrating and arranging the Pumpkins’ 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness for a series of sold out performances with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Songbird, his adaptation of Offenbach’s La Périchole in the style of 1920’s New Orleans jazz was commissioned by the Glimmerglass Festival and revived by the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center with a cast that included Isabel Leonard and Ramin Karimloo. The Wall Street Journal called the
work “an ingenious creation…something completely new…Songbird is its own thing.”
His arrangements and orchestrations have been performed by the Sir Elton John (Houston Grand Opera), Joyce DiDonato (Lincoln Center and Wigmore Hall), Isabel Leonard, Ailyn Pérez and Nadine Sierra (Metropolitan Opera’s “Three Divas at Versailles” concert), and John Holiday (Minnesota Orchestra and the Amsterdam Sinfonietta). He is currently composing an opera entitled Poppea, a new work based on themes of Monteverdi’s seminal opera, reimagined with
electric guitars and industrial electronics.
As a conductor he has appeared at Lyric Opera of Chicago (West Side Story), Houston Grand Opera (La bohéme), San Francisco Opera (Sweeney Todd), as well as the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari, Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse, Opéra National de Bordeaux, and many others. He recently led the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s opera The Garden of the Finzi-Continis at New York City Opera.
On Broadway, Mr. Lowe was the Music Director and Conductor of the Tony Award-winning revival of Anything Goes, starring Sutton Foster and Joel Grey, as well as the recent revival of Les Misérables. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his work on the Anything Goes cast album, which he conducted and co-produced, and he conducted the First National Tour of The Light in the Piazza. Mr. Lowe served as US Music Supervisor of the recent North American Tour of The Phantom of the Opera, and made his Broadway debut conducting performances of Gypsy, starring Patti LuPone
Kelley Rourke
Andrew Nienabar
His other directing credits include Tosca for l’Opera de Montreal, Opera Idaho, Opera Birmingham and Permian Basin Opera, Rusalka for Resonance Works Pittsburgh, The Magic Flute for Piedmont Opera and The Elixir of Love for Opera Idaho and Hubbard Hall Opera. He served as the first Artistic Director in Permian Basin Opera’s history, helping to guide the company’s artistic vision as they ventured into the business of producing opera.
As an Assistant Director he has been on the directing staff of several major opera companies around the nation, including Detroit Opera, The Dallas Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Ft. Worth Opera and Central City Opera. He was the stage director for Opera Pacific’s acclaimed Opera Camp program, including the world premiere of Das Püppet, a pastiche of Wagner and Beethoven with a story written by children, and the United States premiere of The Star Child, for which he wrote the English libretto.
Casey Robards
In 2024-2025, Robards makes conducting debuts with Kentucky Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Opera Columbus, Soo Opera, El Paso Opera; presents song recital programs with Kenneth Overton, Karen Slack, Latoya Lain, Jennifer Lien and piano duo concerts with Anthony Patterson. Dedicated to the performance, research and promotion of music by African Americancomposers, her recent recording release “What Dreams We Have” with Kenneth Overton (Lexicon Classics) debuted at #10 on the Billboard Chart for Top Classical Album. Her latest CD release is “Contemplations” (Navona Records) with Bernhard Scully, formerly with the Canadian Brass. A sought-after recitalist, she has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Central and South America and Asia.
Robards is Music Director of Ensemble Concept 21 a chamber group in South Bend, IN devoted to the performance of contemporary music and the mentorship of young and emerging composers and Chair of the Sacred in Opera Initiative (National Opera Association). An experienced pedagogue, Dr. Robards is currently Asst. Prof. of Lyric Theatre at the University of Illinois. Over 17 seasons at the Bay View Music Festival, she served as Head of Collaborative Piano, co-directed an opera scenes and art song intensive, the American Spiritual Intensive, and played hundreds of concerts. She has been on the faculty of Indiana University, Oberlin Conservatory and Central Michigan University, given workshops and masterclasses at several colleges and worked as repetiteur for Santa Fe Opera and New Orleans Opera. www.caseyrobards.com
Hannah Jones Thomas
Hannah Jones Thomas (choreographer) grew up within the Louisville Ballet Company and danced as a member of the Louisville Ballet Civic Company for 6 years. After moving to East Tennessee, she performed with the Appalachian Ballet Company as a Soloist and Principal for 12 years dancing lead roles in The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Snow White, Swan Lake and Don Quixote as well as numerous works created for ABC. Hannah also danced for 8 years with Circle Modern Dance as a Core Member performing all original works choreographed by the company members. During her last 4 years in Tennessee, Hannah joined the Knoxville Swing Dance Association and performed for 2 years as part of their Exhibition Team. Although she has retired from dancing, these days you might catch her on stage with one of the area’s many community theatres.
Emily Albrink
Lauded by the New York Times as “delightful and vocally strong and versatile”, Emily Albrink has been heard in a wide array of operatic roles and concert works. She has appeared in leading roles with Kentucky Opera, Charlottesville Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Opera Boston, Indianapolis Opera and Chicago Opera Theater and has been a featured soloist with orchestras including the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the Phoenix Symphony, and the Louisville Orchestra.
A champion of new music, Ms. Albrink’s first solo album Force of Nature debuted at #1 on the Classical Billboard charts with pianist Kathleen Kelly featuring world premiere commissions by Jake Heggie, Nailah Nombeko, Rene Orth, and Steve Rouse. She has performed the role of Tatiana Bakst in Cincinnati Opera’s workshop performance of Jake Heggie’s Great Scott and performed the West Coast premiere of Heggie’s song cycle Rise and Fall with the composer at the piano. She played Evvy in the US premiere of Tod Machover’s Death and the Powers: The Robots’ Opera with the American Repertory Theater and Chicago Opera Theater. She has performed at Carnegie Hall in John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music, the role of Nuria in Osvaldo Golijov’s opera Ainadamar (with Dawn Upshaw and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s under the baton of Robert Spano), and in the world premiere of Clarice Assad’s Confessions, which served as her Carnegie debut. Ms. Albrink went on to perform Ainadamar with the Colorado Music Festival, Opera Boston, the Phoenix Symphony, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Early in her career, Ms. Albrink fulfilled a residency with the Washington National Opera (WNO) as a member of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program and has since then returned often to the company’s roster. She performed in WNO’s special gala concert featuring Nathan Gunn, the role of Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, Sophie in Werther,Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, Frasquita in Carmen, Second Niece in Peter Grimes, Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos, and Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro.
Ms. Albrink’s performances of works from the classical canon include her Alice Tully Hall debut performance of Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with the Baltimore Symphony conducted by Marin Alsop, Despina in Così fan tutte and die Vertraute in Elektra, both under the baton of James Levine. A native of Louisville, KY, she has sung seven leading roles with the Kentucky Opera over the past ten years. Ms. Albrink made her international debut with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir on a ten-day tour of China as the soprano soloist in performances of Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem.
In addition to her operatic and concert experience, Ms. Albrink has a deep affinity for the American musical theatre tradition and has appeared as Magnolia in Show Boat (Kentucky Opera), Julie Jordan in Carousel (Charlottesville Opera), and Marian Paroo in The Music Man (Charlottesville Opera). She has also collaborated with pianist and composer, Rob Kapilow on his What Makes it Great? series devoted to songs from the American Songbook at The Celebrity Series of Boston, Stanford Lively Arts, and at the University of Louisville.
Ms. Albrink holds a Master of Music degree and a Professional Diploma from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan. She currently resides in Louisville, KY where she is an Associate Professor of voice at the University of Louisville School of Music. She and her husband, David, have two boys.
Michael Kuhn
Michael Kuhn is a versatile singer and actor, praised for his “clear and robust” tenor (Opera News) and described as “an artist of almost terrifying magnetism” (The Observer). His genre-defying career has brought him to the stages of Broadway, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and more. Michael made his Broadway debut in the 2023 revival of Sweeney Todd, where he understudied the role of Adolfo Pirelli and performed in the ensemble. This season, he makes his David Geffen Hall debut as Police Buddy 2 in Jeanine Tesori/Tazewell Thompson’s Blue, and joins the company of Masquerade – Off-Broadway’s immersive adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera – asUbaldo Piangi. Other Off-Broadway/NYC appearances include The Dead, 1904 with Irish Rep, ¡Figaro! 90210 at the Duke on 42nd Street, and the world premiere of Stonewall with New York City Opera at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Michael has performed regionally at opera houses across the US, including Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Des Moines Metro Opera, Central City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Omaha, Virginia Opera, Opera Montana, The Princeton Festival, and Syracuse Opera. As a concert soloist, he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, as well as with the Omaha Symphony, Pacific Symphony, New York Choral Society, Atlantic Symphony, Carolina Philharmonic, Cape Symphony, and more. Later this season, Michael will originate the role of Paul Maclean in the world premiere of Zach Redler and Kelley Rourke’s A River Runs Through It atOpera Montana. @michaelrkuhn
Armando Contreras
Praised for “the easy caramel syrup of his voice” (Opera Today), Mexican-American baritone Armando Contreras is quickly becoming a standout in the world of opera. In the 2024-2025 season, he returned to Pacific Opera Project in the title role of Antonio Cagnoni’s Don Bucefalo, appeared as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Las Vegas, and sang as the baritone soloist in Brahms’ Ein deutches Requiem with the Larimer Chorale. He also joined Central City Opera as Lt. Roberto Gonzalez in The Knock and the Crested Butte Center for the Arts for concerts as Guglielmo in an abridged version of Così fan tutte. In the 2025-2026 season, Mr. Contreras will join Opera Columbus to reprise his role as Hemingway/Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea and sing Sergeant José María Gomez and cover Moncada in Zorro with Arizona Opera, later reprising the role of Sergeant José María Gomez with Pacific Opera Project. He will also return to Kentucky Opera to sing Don Andres in Songbird.
Mr. Contreras recently made his company debut with Cincinnati Opera as Lt. Roberto Gonzalez in the stage premiere of The Knock, a role he first performed with the Glimmerglass Festival in 2021 and will also sing this season with Art Song Colorado. He also sang Hemingway/Santiago in the world premiere of The Old Man and the Sea with Beth Morrison Projects at Carolina Performing Arts and ASU Gammage. His recent portrayal of Older Thompson in Glory Denied with the Cleveland Institute of Music met glowing reviews – Cleveland Classical writes: “Contreras’s gripping performance fully realized Older Jim’s pain and confusion.” He sang the roles of Zazueta and Moncada in excerpts from Zorro with Arizona Opera as well as Cesar Chavez in a workshop of Dolores with West Edge Opera. He also sang a series of “tight and perfect” Dandinis in La Cenerentola with Kentucky Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Syracuse Opera and Salt Marsh Opera (Arts-Louisville).
In 2022, Mr. Contreras sang a lead role in the world premiere of the Rossini pastiche Tenor Overboard with the Glimmerglass Festival. Highlights of recent seasons include his company debut as Moralès in Carmen and Papageno in The Magic Flute with Salt Marsh Opera, both of which he covered during his time with the Glimmerglass Festival, Diego Rivera in Frida and the Bravest Girl in the World (Central City Opera, Opera Steamboat), The King/Rat in The Three Feathers (Opera Steamboat), and his Denver Philharmonic debut as Belcore in L’elisir d’amore. Mr. Contreras also sang Ernesto in the US premiere of Bizet’s Don Procopio and Filippo in Rossini’s La gazzetta with Pacific Opera Project, Il Conte in Le nozze di Figaro and Marcello in La bohème (Boulder Opera), Ben in The Telephone (Opera Fort Collins), and Estaban in En Mis Palabras and Le Dancaïre in Carmen (Central City Opera). With Lyric Opera of Kansas City, he sang Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly, the Herald in Rigoletto, and Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and he covered Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and Doug Hansen in Everest.
Equally comfortable in concert repertoire as on the opera stage, he performed as the baritone soloist in Brahms’ Requiem with Omaha Symphony last season and recently appeared in recital with Colorado State and Pikes Peak Opera League. He has performed as the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Missouri Oratorio Society and as the baritone soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Kansas City Ballet, and appeared as Papageno in a concert featuring operatic selections by Mozart with The Cleveland Orchestra and the Colorado Symphony.
Mr. Contreras has had training at The Glimmerglass Festival, Des Moines Metro Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Central City Opera. Accolades from the vocal competition circuit include the Top Prize after completion of the Central City Young Artist Program, being named a finalist in the 2020 Kyrenia Opera Vocal Competition and regional winner in the 2019 Dorothy Lincoln Smith Voice Competition.
Mr. Contreras holds a Bachelor’s degree in Voice Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Master’s degree in Voice Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Zack Morris
Zackery Morris, tenor, is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina and now based in Paris, Kentucky. Zackery is thrilled to collaborate with the incredible team at Kentucky Opera once again during this upcoming 2025-2026 season. At home on the oratorio, opera and musical theatre stages, Zack has worked with a wide array of organizations focusing on vocal music. Most recently, Zackery was featured in Kentucky Opera’s 2024 production of Amahl and the Night Visitors (2024) and as a chorister in This Little Light of Mine (2025). In addition to Kentucky Opera, Zackery has worked with several opera companies nationally including Opera Saratoga, American Lyric Theatre, Opera Maine, Bayview Music Festival, The Ohio Light Opera, University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, Gulf Shore Opera and Carolina Opera. Some of his favorite performance credits include Alamaviva (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Jonathan Dale (Silent Night), Tobias (The Medium), The Four Servants (Les Contes d’Hoffmann), Anthony (Sweeney Todd) and Tateh (Ragtime). Dr. Morris is in-demand as an oratorio/choral performer and a frequent collaborator with Louisville’s own Artefact ensemble. Specializing in baroque, classical and modern vocal literature, Zackery has performed alongside the Bach Akademie Charlotte, Kentucky Bach Choir, Fort Wayne Bach Collegium, Alchemy Viols, North Carolina Baroque Orchestra, Bourbon Baroque and many regional church music festivals and programs. In addition to his performance engagements, Zackery is an Academic Advisor for the amazing music students of the University of Kentucky College of Fine Arts.
Chad Sloan
Chad Sloan, baritone and Professor of Voice at the University of Louisville, has performed with Kentucky Opera, Utah Opera, Dayton Opera, Tanglewood Music Center, Anchorage Opera, Arizona Opera, Opera Memphis, New York City Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Atlanta Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Bar Harbor Music Festival, BOP of Montréal, Atlanta Opera, Aspen Opera Theater, and Tacoma Opera.
His recent opera roles include Ponchel in Puts’ Silent Night and the Father in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Upcoming performances feature appearances in Kentucky Opera’s production of All is Calm and as Don Pedro in Songbird.
As a concert soloist, he has been featured in Handel’s Messiah with the Louisville Orchestra, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, and Utah Symphony; Orff’s Carmina Burana with the South Bend Symphony, Columbia Pro Cantare, and Flagstaff Symphony; and Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with the Lexington Philharmonic. He has also appeared with the Twickenham Music Festival, Bach Festival of Winter Park, Ensemble for the Romantic Century, and Chicago’s CONTEMPO series alongside eighthblackbird and the Pacifica Quartet.
Maria Palombo Costa
Maria Palombo Costa is a versatile soprano whose artistry bridges opera, concert, and stage performance with equal passion and finesse. Praised for her expressive presence and vocal clarity, she has appeared with major companies and orchestras across the United States, bringing to life both classical repertoire and contemporary works.
She has performed extensively with the Philadelphia Orchestra, where she has sung in productions ranging from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Messiah, Candide, and Tosca to the critically acclaimed premiere of The Hours (Puts). Her collaborations with the orchestra under conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin have included Daphnis et Chloé and multiple performances of Handel’s Messiah. She has also been featured in productions with Kentucky Opera, New York City Opera, North Carolina Opera, and the Opera Theater of Pittsburgh. Her favorite roles have included Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Monica in The Medium, Servilia in La clemenza di Tito, and the title role in Massenet’s Cendrillon.
On the concert stage Maria has been a featured soprano soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, and Alice Parker’s Melodious Accord. She has also dedicated part of her career to educational and outreach initiatives, notably with North Carolina Opera, sharing the joy of opera with new audiences and young students.
Her early training included performances at international festivals such as the Oberlin in Italy Emerging Artist Program in Arezzo and the Amalfi Coast Festival in Maiori, where she performed in fully staged operas and concert tours throughout Italy.
A committed musician and educator, Maria earned her Master of Music in Voice and a Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy from New York University. She holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Musicand Drama from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she first stepped into leading operatic roles. She is the owner of Finely Tuned Voice Lessons, a private voice studio based in Louisville, KY.
With a voice described as both radiant and communicative, Maria continues to bring vivid storytelling and heartfelt musicianship to every performance—whether in the opera house, on the concert stage, or in community settings where music can inspire and connect.
She would like to thank her wonderful family for their unwavering support.
Rachel Kobernick
Rachel Kobernick is a versatile soprano praised for her “power and sweetness” (The Observer), “seamless coloratura sparkle” (Seen and Heard International), and “captivating performance” (The New York Times). In 2025, Rachel premiered three exciting roles singing La Statue Animée in Kentucky Opera’s production of Rameau’s Pygmalion, Marguerite in Heartbeat Opera’s production of Faust, as well as Tzeitel in a new production of Fiddler on the Roof with Cincinnati Opera. She is also a 2025 George and Nora London Foundation Competition Finalist.
Rachel’s 2024 season included performing Papagena and covering Pamina in Queen City Opera’s video game inspired production of The Magic Flute, and covering and singing with the chorus in Cincinnati Opera’s summer season. Additionally, Rachel was an apprentice artist with Sarasota Opera for their winter season, and made her role and company debut as Anne in A Little Night Music with Indianapolis Opera. In concert, Rachel sang Beethoven 9th’s Symphony with both the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra as well as Queen City Opera, was a soloist in Rebecca Dale’s Materna Requiem with The Breath Collective ensemble, and premiered a new opera based on the life of Auguste Rodin at the Cincinnati Art Museum.
In 2023, Rachel sang the role of Nella in Opera on the James’ production of Gianni Schicchi, as well as workshopped Gregory Spears’ newest opera, The Righteous, with Cincinnati Opera. Rachel sang in the choruses of Lucia di Lammermoor and Madame Butterfly in Cincinnati Opera’s summer season, and returned in the fall to workshop the role of Willie alongside Christine Goerke in Lincoln in the Bardo, a new Missy Mazzoli work commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. Additionally, she covered the title role in Tchaikovsky’s Undina with Queen City Opera and premiered two new roles in Nathan Felix’s immersive opera series in Albuquerque, NM and Louisville, KY.
In 21/22, Rachel joined Opera on the James as a young artist, performing Pamina and The Queen of the Night in a touring version of Magic Flute, and the Shepherd Boy in Tosca. That summer, she joined Cincinnati Opera as a chorus member in Aida and La Boheme and joined Queen City Opera in their production of Fidelio. In the Spring, she premiered the role of Radcliffe in Nathan Felix’s Immersive Opera “The Great Flood”, as well as sang the soprano solo in Joseph Shwantner’s orchestral work, Sparrows, with Musica Nova at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music.
Rachel is passionate about introducing opera to new audiences, and works frequently in outreach initiatives with Cincinnati Opera, Opera on the James, and more. Rachel enjoys performing in all areas of the genre, singing as a soloist and ensemble member with local arts organizations such as Cincinnati Song Initiative, Ensemble Con Fuoco, Kol Reyna and most recently, Trevor Kroeger’s The Union within The Breath Collective Ensemble. Additionally, Rachel is passionate about straight theater, performing in Ghostlight Stage Company’s workshop of Esther Made Me Do It at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and prior, Lindsay Partain’s one woman play “The Way You Made Me” last September.
Aside from performing, Rachel has gained experience in stage management and opera direction, working professionally with the Ohio Light Opera Company during the summer of 2018 and with the Eastman Opera Theatre for over six productions. Rachel is currently a cantorial soloist at Isaac. M Wise Temple in Cincinnati, where she regularly cantors shabbat and high holiday services. Additionally, Rachel works as the Music Assistant for both contemporary and traditional worship at Epiphany United Methodist Church in Loveland, OH.
Rachel graduated with a master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music where she studied with Gwen Coleman. In the spring of 2020, she graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a BM in vocal performance, where she studied with Robert Swensen. Rachel currently has a private studio where she teaches voice, piano, and music theory to students of all ages, and is always welcoming new students! In addition to her focus on opera, production, and outreach, Rachel has a love for languages and graduated with an Italian minor as well as a certificate in art’s leadership.
Rebekah Bortz Hardin
Rebekah Bortz Hardin, mezzo-soprano, is a Louisville native and longtime associate of Kentucky Opera. Her most recent roles with Kentucky Opera include Kate in The Pirates of Penzance and Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro. In recent years she has appeared as a soloist in Caroline Shaw’s Brush and Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians with the Louisville Orchestra. Rebekah has also performed with the Louisville Civic Orchestra, Palm Beach Opera, and Cincinnati Opera.
A graduate of the University of Louisville, she studied with the late MET soprano Gail Robinson and baritone Donn Everette-Graham. She is a three-time winner of the Metropolitan Opera Kentucky Auditions, a Tri-State Regional MET Encouragement Award recipient, and winner of the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition.
Rebekah calls Oldham County home and treasures the opportunity to make music in her hometown.
Katherine Calcamuggio Donner
Katherine Calcamuggio Donner is an award-winning mezzo-soprano who has been featured in important role and company debuts across the United States, eliciting kudos for her “soaring, rich voice” (The Miami Herald), her “polished musical and dramatic characterizations” (Kurt Weill Newsletter) and her “fine coloratura technique” (Philadelphia Inquirer).
Equally at home on the operatic, concert and recitals stages, she has a diversified performing portfolio, however, favorite roles and works include the comic and light-hearted operatic roles of Ruth in Pirates of Penzance (Kentucky Opera), Buttercup in HMS Pinafore (Union Avenue Opera), Julia Child in Bon Appetit! (Opera Lynchburg), Hansel in Hansel and Gretl (Syracuse Opera) to the more serious concert roles of the mezzo-soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and performing the soprano soloist in John Corigliano’s Mr. Tambourine with eighth blackbird. As an active recitalist, she has travelled across the United States with the Piatigorsky Foundation, performing over one-hundred and fifty recitals over the last ten years.
Dr. Calcamuggio Donner holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from University of Michigan, a Master of Music from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Music from Bowling Green State University. She is currently an Associate Professor of Voice at the University of Louisville.
Alexander Gushrowski
Through his journey as a young artist, Alex Gushrowski has been praised for his warm vocal timbre as a lyric tenor, his captivating stage presence as an actor, as well as his dedication and commitment as an artist. Currently based in Cincinnati, Alex has recently finished his engagements with Cincinnati Opera’s 2025 season. Both in the chorus of Tosca but also his principal artist debut as Matteo Borsa in Rigoletto. He is not only excited to be returning to the role of Borsa, but is thrilled to be covering for the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto with Indianapolis Opera. He has made several other appearances with opera companies both in solo and opera chorus work in the Midwest. Of which included his chorus involvement with Cincinnati Opera, Kentucky Opera, and his Young Artist/Principal Artist debut with Cedar Rapids Opera. January of 2025 found him as the Master of Ceremonies in Cedar Rapids Opera’s production of Massenet’s Cendrillon. During his time as a masters student with the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, Alex has been fortunate to have had a wide array performance opportunities. Of which included his debut as the Chaplain of the Convent in the CCM Opera Theatre’s production of The Dialogues of the Carmelites, as well as his soloist engagements in masterworks such as Bach’s Magnificat and Saint Matthew Passion. All through that time, has thrived under the tutelage of Grammy Award Winning baritone, Elliot Madore. He has also been recognized for his performances in roles such as Tamino in Die Zauberflote, and the title role of Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring during his undergraduate degree at Ball State University.
Ryan Henry
Lauded for his commanding stage presence and rich, expressive baritone, Ryan Henry is emerging as a compelling voice in opera. The 2024–2025 season saw Mr. Henry make significant role debuts and return to esteemed companies across the Midwest. He joined Indianapolis Opera as their Resident Artist Baritone, debuting as Bernardo in West Side Story and appearing as a featured soloist in their 50th Anniversary Gala. This past summer, he joined Cincinnati Opera, making his company debut as Sciarrone in Tosca. Earlier engagements included role debuts as Yamadori and Yakuside in Madama Butterfly with Kentucky Opera, where he also covered the role of Sharpless.
A baritone of Mexican-American heritage, Mr. Henry is a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he earned his master’s degree in vocal performance under the tutelage of Dr. Quinn Patrick Ankrum. While at CCM, he performed leading roles including Dr. Rappaccini in Rappaccini’s Daughter, Junius in The Rape of Lucretia, and Tommy McIntyre in Fellow Travelers, earning praise for his dramatic intensity and vocal prowess.
Mr. Henry’s concert repertoire includes Haydn’s Creation, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Handel’s Messiah, Duruflé’s Requiem, Fauré’s Requiem, and Saint-Saëns’s Oratorio de Noël. A versatile artist, he has also toured as both vocalist and instrumentalist with the professional mariachi ensemble Mariachi Búhos de Oro.
Cory Spalding
Cory Spalding is a Louisville-born baritone with credits in opera, musical theatre, and concert performance. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Louisville, where he is now pursuing his Master’s degree. Cory has performed with UofL Opera Theatre, Kentucky Opera, and other regional companies, with roles including Ophemon in The Anonymous Lover, Quinn the Bartender in Speed Dating Tonight!, Bobby Strong in Urinetown, and Ko-Ko in The Mikado. Beyond the stage, Cory has appeared twice at Carnegie Hall in New York City—most recently as soloist in the world premiere of Michael John Trotta’s Veni, Veni Emmanuel with the UofL Singing Cardsmen. He was also a featured vocalist in Mammothby Teddy Abrams, in collaboration with world renowned celloist Yo-Yo Ma. With the internationally acclaimed UofL Cardinal Singers, Cory has toured South Africa, China, and Germany, and he has also performed at Carnegie Hall with the ensemble. In 2023, he was awarded 1st Place in both Classical and Musical Theatre at the NATS Murray State Regional Competition. Now in his third year with Kentucky Opera, Cory is grateful to share his love of music with the Louisville community that has shaped his artistic journey.