Featured Soloists - Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera

Soloists

Jeremy Denk

Jeremy Denk is one of America’s foremost pianists, proclaimed by the New York Times as "a pianist you want to hear no matter what he performs". Also a New York Times bestselling author, Jeremy is the recipient of both the MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowship and the Avery Fisher Prize, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In the 2024/25 season, Jeremy continues his collaboration with longtime musical…

Zlatomir Fung

Cellist Zlatomir Fung burst onto the scene as the first American in four decades (and youngest musician ever) to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division. Subsequent accolades, critical acclaim and standing ovations at performances around the world have established him as one of the preeminent cellists of our time. Astounding audiences with his boundless virtuosity and exquisite sensitivity,…

Rhoslyn Jones

Described as a “superb singer and artistic presence,” Rhoslyn Jones has established herself as an important presence on the operatic and concert stages of the world. Equally at home on the stage and in the teaching studio, Rhoslyn is the newly appointed voice teacher for the San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows. She is also on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Francisco Opera Merola Program,…

Catherine Martin

Praised by The Washington Post for her “gorgeous, warm voice that you want to keep listening to,” American mezzo-soprano Catherine Martin continues to make an impact in repertoire ranging from Verdi and Wagner to Strauss and Bellini. Last season, she returned to The Metropolitan Opera to cover Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking and Preziosilla in La forza del destino. She made her Atlanta Opera début as Waltraute…

Roberto de Biasio

After winning prestigious musical competitions, Roberto made his debut singing Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor at the Teatro Donizetti of Bergamo and has been soon catapulted to the forefront of today’s Belcanto tenors. His ‘virile, glistening voice’ (The New York Times), ‘appealingly natural sense of Italianate phrasing!’ (The Boston Globe), ‘fluid phrasing and an exciting, ringing top’ (San Francisco Chronicle),…

Reginald Smith, Jr.

In the 2024-25 season, GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. takes on the roles of Scarpia in Tosca at the New Orleans Opera, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana with the Sacramento Philharmonic, and returns to Washington National Opera as the title character Porgy in Porgy and Bess. He performs as a featured soloist in concerts with the New Jersey Symphony led by Xian Zhang, the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra…

Catherine Cook

American mezzo-soprano Catherine Cook has excelled in a wide range of roles with leading companies throughout the United States. Of her performance as the title character in Tobias Picker’s Dolores Claiborne, Opera Today wrote that “to say that Ms. Cook was a revelation is an understatement, since she stamped the part as her own, and experienced a triumph for her sensational performance….Ms. Cook is possessed of…

Nikola Printz

Nikola, a versatile artist making waves in opera, recently starred as the titular role in Carmen with San Francisco Opera in their “Carmen Encounter” performance, a role Printz recently conquered to great acclaim with Festival Opera in 2023. SF Classicsl Voice said of the performance-“Printz has a rich, dark, and focused mezzo that carried the power of Carmen’s passion across the orchestra pit and into the heart.…

Parker Van Ostrand

Parker Van Ostrand currently studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with Garrick Ohlsson and Yoshikazu Nagai. He recently won the 2023 PianoTexas Academy Concerto Competition and performed with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra this past June. In 2022, he won the Gold Medal in the 71st Wideman International Piano Competition and in November, collaborated with Yuja Wang for a two-piano performance at the…

Augustin Hadelich

Known for his phenomenal technique, insightful and persuasive interpretations, and ravishing tone, he appears extensively around the world’s foremost concert stages. He has performed with all the major American orchestras as well as the Berliner Philharmoniker, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Concertgebouworkest, London Philharmonic Orchestra, NHK Symphony Orchestra Tokyo, and many other eminent ensembles. In…

Awadagin Pratt

Among his generation of concert artists, pianist Awadagin Pratt is acclaimed for his musical insight and intensely involving performances in recital and with symphony orchestras. Born in Pittsburgh, Awadagin Pratt began studying piano and violin at an early age. At the age of 16 he entered the University of Illinois where he studied piano, violin, and conducting. He subsequently enrolled at the Peabody Conservatory of…

Richard Ollarsaba

Mexican-American bass-baritone, Richard Ollarsaba, praised by The Washington Post for his “meltingly smooth bass-baritone” and for “evoking a young Ruggero Raimondi in looks and manner”, represented the USA in the 2019 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, was a member of the prestigious Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago for three seasons, and a grand finalist in the 2013 Metropolitan Opera…

Vanessa Becerra

Peruvian & Mexican American Soprano Vanessa Becerra’s 24/25 season is highlighted by her return to LA Opera for Ainadamar (Nuria). Additional engagements include her house and titular role debut in Paër’s Leonora at Chicago Opera Theater, debuts at UC Davis in Don Pasquale (Norina), Berkshire Opera Festival in La traviata (Violetta) and Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera in Le nozze di Figaro (Susanna). On the…

Kyle Pfortmiller

Kyle Pfortmiller made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Marquis d’Obigny in a new production of La traviata directed by Willy Decker. Since his debut he has also been heard in Capriccio, Andre Chenier, Faust, La fanciulla del West, The Magic Flute, and as Brian's father in the New York Premiere of Nico Muhly's Two Boys. Some of his most recent roles include a reprise of the role of Mr. XE in the Pulitzer Prize…

Rena Harms

Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for a “winningly liquid” voice as well as for her “dramatic vividness and vocal flourish,” Santa Fe native Rena Harms recently brought her signature role of Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly to productions at English National Opera, Arizona Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Upcoming engagements in 2024 include Mrs. Ford in the Pocket Opera production of The Merry…

Ilanna Starr

Praised for her “lovely mezzo voice” (Berkshire Fine Arts) and “dramatically incisive” stage presence (Parterre Box), American-Canadian Ilanna Starr is currently an artist-in-residence with l’Atelier lyrique at l’Opéra de Montréal. She began her 2023/24 season with a “stand out” performance (l’Opéra) as Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea with l’Atelier lyrique and l’Orchestre de l’Agora under…

Dale Travis

Dale Travis is among the most sought-after bass-baritones in America today. With a repertoire encompassing over 50 roles in a wide variety of styles from Mozart, Donizetti and Rossini to Strauss, Puccini and Wagner, Mr. Travis has been a frequent guest artist at the most prestigious opera companies in the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera,…

Courtney Miller

Opera News aptly praised Courtney Miller’s “fluent musicality.” Known for her “captivating stage presence” and “excellent sense of comic timing,” she excels across genres. In 2022, she made her San Francisco Opera solo debut as Sister St. Charles in DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES and returns this fall as Warren's Wife in THE HANDMAID’S TALE. Also this season, she makes company debuts with Sacramento…

Jason Ferrante

American tenor and voice teacher JASON FERRANTE has been praised by Opera News for "singing up a stylish storm" and by the Sarasota Herald Tribune as "one of the best voices I have heard in a very long time." In the past two seasons, Ferrante appeared as Beadle Bamford in a new production of Sweeney Todd with Opera Omaha, Don Basilio and Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro in his debut with both Virginia Opera and Knoxville…

Charles Calotta

Tenor Charles Calotta is a gifted artist renowned for his luminous voice, refined musicality, and compelling stage presence. With a versatility that spans repertoire from Baroque to contemporary, he has established himself as a dynamic and engaging performer. In the 2024 season he returns to Opera Neo as Grimoaldo in Rinaldo and Ferrando in Così fan tutte, and Opera Ithaca as Ferrando in Così fan tutte. He debuts with…

Michelle Cann

Lauded as “technically fearless with…an enormous, rich sound” (La Scena Musicale), pianist Michelle Cann made her orchestral debut at age fourteen and has since performed as a soloist with prominent orchestras such as the Atlanta and Cincinnati symphony orchestras, The Cleveland Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Ms. Cann’s 2022-23 season includes an appearance with the Los…

Charlie Baad

Sacramento-native Baritone, Charlie Baad, spent his childhood absorbing much of the Gilbert and Sullivan catalog via his parents and the Light Opera Theatre of Sacramento (LOTS). He went on to graduate from The Boston Conservatory of Music and has performed with Sacramento Opera, Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, Sarasota Opera, Virginia Opera, Anchorage Opera, Dayton Opera, Opera North, Quincy Symphony Orchestra,…

Stefano de Peppo

Stefano de Peppo was born in Italy and began his career as a boy soprano in the Children Chorus of La Scala in Milan. After graduating at Civica Scuola di Musica in Milano, thanks to a scholarship he moved to London and studied at Royal College of Music and with private teachers. He then moved to Mexico City and made his debut as a very young bass-baritone at Bellas Artes Opera House in 1990. In the year 2000…

Sara Gartland

A passionate interpreter of opera, concert repertoire, and song, soprano Sara Gartland has firmly established herself as an Artist to watch displaying a talent for dramatic storytelling and comedy. Highlights of her 23/24 season include her European debuts with Semperoper Dresden and Oldenburgisches Staatstheater in Die tote Stadt (Marie/Marietta), Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera in Don Giovanni (Donna Elvira), and…

Aubrey Allicock

Making his debut with the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Aubrey Allicock has been hailed by the New York Times as "sturdy", "dynamic", and "excellent" and continues to make his mark among important opera companies and symphonies both at home and abroad. A Grammy nominee for his participation in John Adams's Doctor Atomic as General Groves, Mr. Allicock adds to that nominee list a BBC Music Magazine Award for Opera. Notable…

Edward Graves

Praised by Opera News as a tenor of “stunningly sweet tone,” Edward Graves is a recent graduate of the Adler Fellowship at San Francisco Opera. Bay Area performances included a workshop of Jake Heggie’s opera Intelligence with Houston Grand Opera, as well as Stone/Eunuch in Bright Sheng’s Dreams of the Red Chamber and Gastone in La Traviata at San Francisco Opera. Other San Francisco Opera assignments included…

Zulimar López-Hernández

A native of Puerto Rico, soprano Zulimar López-Hernández has been seen on the stages of Royal Albert Hall in London, Utah Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Nashville Opera, Virginia Opera, and Opera de Puerto Rico, among others. She was a National Semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera Vocal Competition, Third Place winner in the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition and was awarded Radio Choice Audience Favorite in the Giargiari…

Tim Murray

Heralded for his “firm, flexible baritone” (New York Times) and “swaggering, rakish” stage presence (Opera News), baritone Timothy Murray has won recognition in such competitions as the Loren. L. Zachary competition, The Sullivan Foundation, Glyndebourne Opera Cup, and the Mario Lanza competition, and was a Grand Finalist in the Laffont Competition at the Metropolitan Opera. Most recently, he performed in the…

Anthony Reed

American bass, Anthony Reed, makes his debut this season in the title role Le Nozze di Figaro at New Orleans Opera. He recently joined Pacific Symphony under the baton of Carl St. Clair for the role of Ceprano Rigoletto and this summer made a great success of the role of Tchelio The Love for Three Oranges at Des Moines Metro Opera. This season also takes him to France, where he sings the role of Masetto Don Giovanni at…

Kaaron Briscoe

Kaaron Briscoe is a classically trained actor with a background in experimental theater. She has performed on stages in London and Moscow, as well as on screen. She often works with Little Lord and the Working Theater. As a playwright her work has been featured by Project Y, Classical Theater of Harlem, InViolet Theater, and others. She is a former member of Project Y's Playwriting Group. Her play, “Tallahassee”…

Hadleigh Adams

New Zealand baritone Hadleigh Adams has amassed a body of work remarkable in its breadth. Committed to both the concert and opera stage, he has collaborated with some of the world’s finest artists. On the concert stage he has performed as a soloist with the London Philharmonia Orchestra under Esa Pekka Salonen, the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas,…

Jana McIntyre

Soprano Jana McIntyre is a George and Nora London Foundation Competition Award Winner as well as a Finalist in The Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. She begins the 23/24 season with a return to Opera Santa Barbara for La Divina: The Art of Maria Callas. Additional season engagements include debuts with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra for Carmina Burana, and Sacramento Choral Society…

Christian Sanders

Christian Sanders has been hailed as a “…voice whose color belies his age. Someone to watch!” (Bill Eadie, SanDiego.com). His operatic repertoire encompasses Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress, the title character in Albert Herring, Fenton in Falstaff, Laurie in Little Women, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, and Prince Charmant in Cendrillon, as well as a broad range of modern opera and…

Inna Dukach

Russian-American soprano Inna Dukach has been praised for “an immediately appealing, youthfully rich and velvety voice." Most recently, Ms. Dukach made her house and role debut as Matilde Neruda in Virginia Opera’s Il Postino, gave her role debut as Antonia/Giulietta/Stella in Les contes d’Hoffmann with Nashville Opera, sang Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Inland Northwest Opera, and appeared on…

Ronny Michael Greenberg

Ronny Michael Greenberg is a Pianist and Producer whose virtuosic talents have graced the stages of esteemed venues across the globe. As founder and CEO of Taste of Talent, a non-profit that showcases the transformative power of Music and Art through innovative cultural programs and promotes entrepreneurial empowerment of Artists, he has established himself as a leading figure in the world of performing arts. Among…

Daniel Klein

Daniel Klein has been hailed by the New York Times for his “stentorian bassbaritone” with a “dark and steely voice.” Audiences and critics alike have found his performances imaginative, adventurous, and occasionally even downright terrifying. 2023 proved to be a busy year for Daniel, with his debut at Seattle Opera in June singing the roles of Judge Moriarty and Stanley in Huang Ruo’s Bound; a role and company…

Sophia Silvers

Sophia Silvers, a coloratura soprano originally from Fair Oaks, California, recently completed her studies in Vocal Performance at CSU Sacramento, earning her Bachelor's degree in December. Before transferring to Sacramento State, Sophia pursued her musical education at American River College. During her time at CSU Sacramento, Sophia captivated audiences as the Königin der Nacht in Mozart’s Die Zauberflӧte, performed…

Jonathan Saatman

Sacramento-based tenor Jonathan Saatman, hailed for his powerful voice, acting prowess, and uncanny ability to save the day at the 11th hour, performs prolifically with opera companies throughout the Bay Area and Central Valley. Recent operatic highlights include the roles of Sherlock Holmes from Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Fallen Giant by Evan Meier with Opera Modesto, Valentin from Gounod's Faust with…

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