The Resident Artist program focuses on developing young artists through a complete training experience. IO Resident Artists present operatic performances and education experiences throughout Indiana and in neighboring states.
VICTORIA KOROVLJEV soprano
Victoria Korovljev is a rising young soprano with a warm lyrical timbre. She is the Resident Artist Soprano for Indianapolis Opera this Spring of 2023, where she is debuting as Zweite Dame and covering Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Victoria celebrated her Caribbean heritage with a debut as Elsa in the world premiere of The Pirate’s Daughter, commissioned by Romanza Lyric Opera. In the Fall of 2022, she was featured as Siren in Minnesota Opera’s production of Rinaldo. Also in 2022, she made her debut with Opera Grand Rapids as Female Soloist 2 in the world premiere of Stinney: An American Execution, which was recorded for PBS. In addition, Victoria made her role debut of Countess Almaviva with Trentino Music Festival. At TMF, she placed as a Finalist in their Young Artist Competition. Most recently, Victoria qualified as an alternate finalist with the Opera Birmingham Voice Competition. Furthermore, with much acclaim from the judges, Victoria qualified as a Semi-Finalist in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition and Jacques Offenbach Grand Prix. In the upcoming 2022-2023 season, Thursday Musical of Minneapolis selected Victoria as a featured solo artist in their Artist Series. During the pandemic, Victoria recorded two episodes introducing children to opera for Minnesota Public Radio and Minnesota Opera. Shortly thereafter, she was a visiting artist with Northern Light Opera Company, where she sung the character Catherine in Pippin. Other recent engagements include singing the role of Frasquita, as well as being a Finalist in the American Prize Competition for Women in Opera. Before the shutdown, Victoria took part in the workshops and premiering ensemble for Minnesota Opera’s newest commission, Edward Tulane. |
LIZ CULPEPPER mezzo-soprano
Liz Culpepper, mezzo-soprano, is thrilled to be joining Indianapolis Opera as a Resident Artist this season. She was educated at the University of Texas (B.A. Music - Voice; 2015) and received her Master’s in Voice from Indiana University in 2017. While she was at IU, Liz sang the following roles: Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Mrs. Sedley (Peter Grimes), Madame de Croissy (Dialogues des Carmélites), La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica), and Serse (Serse). She has also appeared at a number of summer music festivals. Notable appearances include Brevard in 2018, where she reprised the role of Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, in 2019 at the Princeton Festival in Nixon in China as the First Secretary, and with Teatro Nuovo in the 2022 season. Most recently, Liz made her solo debut at Lincoln Center with Teatro Nuovo as La Comare in Crispino e la Comare and was an Apprentice Artist at Sarasota Opera for their 2023 Winter Season. Liz is based in New York City where she is a core singer with Teatro Nuovo and she studies with Will Crutchfield. Prior to her Master’s degree, Liz specialized as an Early Music soprano with a special emphasis on the works of Bach. Through her work with Will Crutchfield and Teatro Nuovo, Liz has shifted her focus to historically informed performances of the Bel Canto repertoire with a special interest in Rossini. One of her long-term career goals is to sing all of his heroines. Coming up, Liz will perform with Teatro Nuovo in their 2024 season. |
COURTNEY PORTER mezzo-soprano
Courtney Porter— a native of Uniondale, New York— began her musical journey with her father in church. Since then, Courtney has continued to minister in churches and schools throughout the United States with specially curated recital programs; Hold On! A Celebration of African American History (2019 and 2023), The Embrace recital series (2023), with special collaborations with Trio Noire (2021 - present), a group of two sopranos and one mezzo soprano who champion the music of African American composers. Courtney Porter is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Kentucky (UK) under the tutelage of Dr. Everett McCorvey. Her most recent presentations include the Mezzo Soprano soloist in Gustav Mahler’s Second Symphony with the University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra (2023), Carmen (Carmen scenes, 2023) and Third Lady (The Magic Flute, 2022) with the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, and the Mezzo Soprano soloist in Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra (2021). Courtney beams at the achievement of collaborating with local and regional professional theater companies since her arrival to Kentucky— Voices Amplified, in her role of Angie Dickinson in The Prom (2023) and with the Lexington Theatre Company in their production of The Sound of Music (2023). Courtney Porter’s current residency with the Indianapolis Opera (Spring 2024) offers a unique training opportunity that inspires and nurtures her aspirations to share her light. |
GAVIN HUGHES tenor
Gavin Hughes is a native of Jackson, Mississippi where he sang in churches throughout the region from childhood through college. He began his classical journey in 2015. In 2017, Hughes debuted his first role as “Cephus” at the Thalia Mara Hall with the Mississippi Symphony orchestra in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha. In 2021, Hughes graduated from Jackson State University with his Bachelor’s of Music Education and began the pursuit of his masters degree under Russell Thomas at IU Jacobs where he debuted his first lead opera role as Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with the IU Jacobs Opera Theater. In February 2023, he sang his first flamenco role with the IU Jacobs Opera Theater as Ruiz Alonso in Ainadamar. That following May, Hughes made his professional title role debut in Charles Lloyd, Jr.’s Emmett Till with Opera Southern Company. In the following month, he was featured in a video and audio recording presenting Kenyan folk songs for Carnegie Hall’s “Musical Explorers” program. In October, Hughes will sing the role of the Count Belfiore in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera, in his final show with the IU Jacobs Opera Theater, and in the Spring of 2024, Hughes will serve as tenor resident artist with Indianapolis Opera for their 49th season. |
MORGAN HUNKELE collaborative pianist
Morgan Hunkele is an active collaborative pianist, vocal coach, and conductor in the United States and Europe. Currently the Resident Artist Pianist and Vocal Coach at Indianapolis Opera, Ms. Hunkele began working as a staff vocal pianist at Wake Forest University at the age of nineteen. Her engagements for the 2023-2024 season include Principal Pianist and Coach for Indianapolis Opera's productions of Carmen and A Little Night Music, Music Director and Pianist for Virginia Opera's production of Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World, Musical Preparation of Indianapolis Opera's production of Charlie Parker's Yardbird, and Apprentice Assistant Conductor for Le nozze di Figaro at the Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar. In the summer of 2023, Ms. Hunkele was a Collaborative Piano Fellow at Musiktheater Bavaria and Conducting Fellow of Markand Thaker with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. As a pianist, Ms. Hunkele has appeared as a guest artist in the Music for a Great Space concert series (Greensboro, NC), as a soloist with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, as a returning guest artist of the North Carolina Bach Festival, and as a featured pianist alongside the Winston-Salem Festival Ballet for the performance of three Rakowski etudes. She has been a finalist and prize winner in several piano competitions, including the Ronald Sachs International Music Competition and the Charlotte Steinway Piano Competition. Ms. Hunkele holds degrees in piano performance as a full-scholarship student from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (MM) and as a recipient of the Chancellor's Excellence Award from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (BM and High-School Diploma). Additionally, she has studied and performed at Meadowmount School of Music, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, Brevard Music Center, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, Baltimore International Piano Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and Vivace International Music Festival. |