The Magic Flute Cast
The Queen of the Night - Hein Jung
Acclaimed for her “superior vocal value” (Boston Globe), Soprano Hein Jung has performed in major cities throughout the US, Italy and South Korea including Tanglewood, Milwaukee Symphony, San Francisco Opera (Merola Young Artist), Madison Opera, Carnegie Hall, Bel Canto Chorus, The Florida Orchestra, Concert Artist Series of Sarasota, Kenosha-Recine Symphony, St. Petersburg Opera, Kumho Art Hall, Sejong Art Center, Bucheon Phillhamonic. Highlights of Jung’s 2021/22 season included performing Olympia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann) with Opera Tampa and as soloist in the concerto aria written for her and Lyum Orchestra, which was broadcast live on the Korean Arte TV channel. She also created the role of Princess Cocachin in the world premiere of The Red Silk Thread, an opera written by Stella Sung. Her recording of Songs of Franz Liszt, released by Centaur Records, was praised by American Record Guide: “Hein Jung has the perfect voice-terrific ease in her upper register and a silvery clear tone.” This season 2022/23, Ms. Jung will be featured in a number of concert series: Sarasota Concert Artist, Youngstown State University, Portohelo Music Festival, Greece and as featured soloist with InterHarmony Orchestra, Italy. She makes her debut with Indianapolis Opera as The Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute). Jung has won top prizes throughout her career, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition (WI district; Upper Midwest regional), Irma Cooper International Competition, Schubert Club Competition. Jung currently serves as Professor of Voice at The University of Tampa. |
Sarastro - Kofi Hayford
Kofi Hayford is a young, prize-winning Ghanaian-American bass, described as possessing an “impressive” (Brooklyn Discovery) “sonorous”, (Meet Me at the Opera) and “stentorian bass voice” (National Herald) also produces a distinct sound – easily identified for its unique timbre. With almost 40 different operatic roles under his belt, he is swiftly building his reputation as an accomplished artist by bringing an “exciting” and “stunning” sound to the stage. Kofi has performed with The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, New Amsterdam Opera, Connecticut Lyric Opera, NJ Verismo Opera, Bel Cantanti Opera, and more. Kofi created the role of Pedro in the World Premiere of The Andean Hope, with The U.N. Symphony Orchestra. His major opera roles have included Mephistopheles’ in Faust, Timur in Turandot and Bartolo in Le Nozze Di Figaro, Ramphis and Il Re in Aida with Gateway Classical Music Society and Connecticut Lyric Opera, La Roche in Capriccio, with Apotheosis Opera, Raimondo in Lucia di Lamermoor and Commendatore in Don Giovanni with Vocal Productions NYC, Sarastro in The Magic Flute with Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Rodolfo in La Sonnambula with West Side Opera Society, Sparafucile and Monterone in Rigoletto with New York Opera Theater and Amore Opera, and Gaveston in La Dame Blanche with New Amsterdam Opera. Kofi is the 2018 1st Place Winner of the Tchaikovsky Music Competition (Albany, NY); a 2017 NJ State Opera Guild Competition Finalist, and a Songfest Young Artist. He received his Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from SUNY Buffalo and is a founder of the DictionBuddy mobile app. |
Pamina - Rebecca Krynski Cox
Hailed by The New York Times as a “vibrant soprano...with a secure, appealing sound and eye-opening volume,” Rebecca Krynski Cox returned to the Fest Ensemble at the Luzerner Theater for the 2020 Season, where she performed the role of Raja in the world premiere of Dschungel and was slated to make her role debut as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin (COVID19). In the spring of 2021, Ms. Cox was slated to make her company and role debut with Florida Grand Opera, performing Marguerite in Faust (COVID19), covered Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte at Theater Basel and stepped in with six hours' notice to sing Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte at the Luzerner Theater. In the winter of 2022, Ms. Cox made her Florida Grand Opera debut as Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire and made debuts with Indianapolis Opera singing Julie Jordan in Carousel and with Dayton Opera in their “Epic Opera” concert. During the 2022-2023 season, Ms. Cox debuts the title role in Beethoven’s Fidelio with Opera Company of Middlebury, joins Charleston Opera Theater as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, returns to Dayton Opera to sing the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, as well as returning to Indianapolis Opera as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. |
Tamino - David Blalock
In the 2022-23 season, tenor David Blalock returns to the Metropolitan Opera to sing Gastone in La Traviata and cover L’Aumonier in Dialogues des Carmélites, sings Second Jew in Salome with Madison Opera, and debuts the role of the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto with Opera Columbus. Other recent highlights for Mr. Blalock include Turandot with the Metropolitan Opera, Die Zauberflöte with Pensacola Opera, Glory Denied and Silent Night with Atlanta Opera, La Traviata with Arizona Opera, and Don Giovanni with Opera Hong Kong and North Carolina Opera. On the concert stage, he has recently been seen with the San Francisco Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Firelands Symphony Orchestra, Richmond Symphony, and Virginia Symphony. His recording credits include Glory Denied with both the Fort Worth Opera and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming engagements include a return to the Metropolitan Opera, a reprisal of Ferrando in Cosí fan tutte with the Newport Music Festival, Macduff in Working for the Macbeths with American Lyric Theater, and Valcour in The Anonymous Lover with Madison Opera. |
Papageno - Jason Cox
Born in Dayton, OH baritone Jason Cox is excited to make his American debut with Indianapolis Opera. He received his Bachelor and Master degrees in vocal performance from Manhattan School of Music. Since his graduation in 2013 he has been singing in Europe. As a member of the fest ensemble at the Luzerner Theater notable roles include Jochanaan (Salome), Faninal (Der Rosenkavalier), Guglielmo (Così fan tutte), Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), Germont (La Traviata), Ford (Falstaff), Brétingy (Manon), Lord Cecil (Maria Stuarda), General Bumm (La Grande Duchesse de Gérolstein). At Theater Basel he sang Jochanaan (Salome), Frère Léon (St François d’Assise), Vater (Hänsel und Gretel), Junius (The Rape of Lucretia). Other guest appearances include Ned Keene (Peter Grimes) and Baritone soloist in a scenic realisation of Carmina Burana at Theater Bremen; The Stranger (Max Brand’s Stormy Interlude) Landestheater Salzburg; Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte) Theater Magdeburg. |
1st Lady - Anne Fuchs
Soprano Anne Fuchs has enjoyed an international performance career of operatic, contemporary, and musical theater repertoire. She jumped into her European debut on two days’ notice as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte and was then offered a guest contract with the Oldenburgisches Staatstheater, performing playful roles including Papagena, Ida, and Adele (cover) in Die Fledermaus in Oldenburg, Germany. Other European highlights include a televised production of Così fan tutte as Fiordiligi with the Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar, Germany, a sound project entitled Notte Splendida Notte in Rome, Italy, for the International Year of Astronomy, and performances as a featured artist with Palazzo Ricci opera studio in Tuscany. A Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Regional Finalist at the age of 20, Anne performed leading soprano roles including Lucia, Elvira, Adina, Pamina, Santuzza, and Rosalinde with South Bend Lyric Opera, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Queens Opera Association, Rising Star Singers, Lexington Opera Society, Westminster Opera Theater, and University of Kentucky Opera Theater. She was a featured soprano soloist with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, Delaware Valley Philharmonic Orchestra, Sinfonietta Nova, and the Grammy-award-winning contemporary choir, The Crossing, of which she was a featured performer and Artistic Board member. |
2nd Lady - Victoria Korovljev
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. |
3rd Lady - Katherine Kincaid
Katherine is a mezzo-soprano from Jacksonville, Florida. She is pleased be a resident artist with the Indianapolis Opera and is looking forward to singing 3rd lady in Die Zauberflöte. She recently performed as Sally in Die Fledermaus with the First Coast Opera. Katherine was a resident artist at the Toledo Opera where she made her professional debut as Flora in La Traviata. Also with the Toledo Opera, she performed as Dorabella in Così fan tutte, and Figara in the children's opera The Stylist of Seville. Katherine graduated from the University of Maryland with a Master of Music in Opera, and Florida State University with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. Her past roles include Kate Julian (Owen Wingrave), Ramiro (La finta giardiniera), Orphée (Orphée et Euridice), and Mrs. Lowe (The Manchurian Candidate). She also performed in the world premiere of Four Freedoms by Joseph C. Phillip Jr. Katherine has performed with the Maryland Opera Studio, the National Orchestral Institute, Seagle Music Colony, Oberlin in Italy, Classical singing and New York in June, and the CCM Opera Bootcamp. She is also a classically trained pianist and accomplished singer/songwriter. She has self-produced original music and performed at venues around Nashville, Jacksonville, and Toledo. Katherine currently studies with mezzo-soprano, Delores Ziegler. |
Speaker - Nathanael Hein
Nathanael Hein (tenor), a native of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, has appeared with many regional opera and performance ensembles. Most recently, Hein was seen in The Carmel Center for the Performing Art’s production of I’ll Be Seeing You: Stories of WWII. Locally, Mr. Hein's credits include The Indianapolis Opera's production of South Pacific as The Professor, Man of La Mancha as the Barber, and Resident Artist productions of The Stoned Guest by P.D.Q. Bach and Slow Dusk by Carlisle Floyd. Mr. Hein was featured by The Missouri Symphony, where he performed the role of Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus. Hein appeared as Azael in Debussy’s L’enfant Prodigue with the Duke Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Hein studied at The Jacobs School of Music and received his Master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In his time at IU, he performed the role of Gastone in IU Opera Theater’s production of La Traviata. While at CIM, Mr. Hein performed the role of Count Belfiore in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera and Prince Charmant in Massenet’s Cendrillon. Mr. Hein performed the title roles in Britten’s Albert Herring and Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld at Bowling Green State University. Mr. Hein spent three summers at the Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, Colorado where he performed in multiple scenes programs and events. |
|
Papagena/Chorus- Rachel Purvis
Rachel Purvis, soprano, is a native of Indianapolis, IN. She is pleased to be making her professional debut as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte with Indianapolis Opera. Most recently, Purvis was seen in Puccini’s Tosca (Chorus) with Indianapolis Opera, and sang the title role in Dvořák’s Rusalka under the direction of Luke Housner of the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Purvis has performed internationally with La Musica Lirica and the International Opera Performing Experience singing the title role of Suor Angelica, Mimì (La Bohème) and Alice Ford (Falstaff) as well as in choruses of Verdi’s La Traviata and Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites. Purvis earned her Performer Diploma (2021) and Master’s degree (2020) in Vocal Performance under the tutelage of Jane Dutton at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. At IU, she performed the role of Mrs. Grose (The Turn of the Screw) and appeared in the choruses of La Traviata and Wagner’s Parsifal. During this time, she also was the second prize winner with the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition. She earned her undergraduate degree in voice at Butler University, where she performed the roles of Edith (Pirates of Penzance), First Witch (Dido and Aeneas), Madame Pompous (Too Many Sopranos), and the title role in Suor Angelica. |
The Three Spirits
1st Spirit - Adrian Daeger
Adrian Daeger feels so grateful to be part of her first production with the Indianapolis Opera! Adrian is a recent 2021 graduate from Butler University where she received her Bachelor’s in music performance: Vocal Performance. In collegiate years, Adrian performed roles like “Lucy England” in The Telephone, “Beth” in scenes from Little Women, and “Clara” in scenes from The Light in the Piazza. |
|
Indianapolis Opera Chorus
Soprano:
Yolonda Carey Elizabeth Ewigleben Sophia Romaine Allison Williams Mezzo-Soprano: Rachel Bernhardt Aviva Marer Tayisha McGuire |
Tenor:
Larry Goens Sam Jones Benjamin St. John James Mannon Bass/Baritone: Dennis Bowling David Dulhanty Sean Manterfield Rick Purvis Steve Wrighton |
The Magic Flute Artistic Team
A. Scott Parry - Director
With over 125 productions spanning an enormous range of repertoire, from Così fan tutte to West Side Story, A. Scott Parry's direction has been hailed by Opera News as "marvelous," "lively," "imaginative," and "spot-on," working with such companies as New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Dallas Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Delaware, and Madison Opera to name only a few. He conceived of, directed, and designed the world premières of I lavori d’amore persi, a pastiche of music theatre fragments by Claudio Monteverdi for the Bloomington Early Music Festival, and the modern absurdist opera The Pig, the Farmer, and the Artist by David Chesky for the New York Fringe Festival at La Mama Off-Broadway. Mr. Parry spent almost a decade on the directing staff of New York City Opera at Lincoln Center, has served on the faculty of Indiana University in Bloomington, and has been a visiting professor at the New England Conservatory, Peabody Conservatory, and Amherst College, in addition to spending a decade as the Producing Artistic Director of The Ohio State Opera & Lyric Theatre in Columbus. He currently serves on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music and New York University and is the Stage Director and Acting Coach for Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices and the American Wagner Project. As a composer, he premiered his quartet theatre song-cycle "On the Impracticality... of Love" at NYC’s Singer's Forum and recently completed a libretto adaptation of La mère coupable (The Guilty Mother), the third "Figaro play" of Beaumarchais, which is being set to music. |
Maestro Scott Schoonover
Scott Schoonover is Founder and Artistic Director of the critically acclaimed Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis, Missouri, where he has served as conductor of more than seventy productions over the past 28 years. A few UAO highlights include: Kurt Weill's Lost in the Stars, Wagner’s complete Ring cycle (Dove reduction), Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking, La traviata, Turandot along with Albert Herring, Candide and Doubt starring world renowned soprano, Christine Brewer. Schoonover also has conducted for several other regional companies. Productions include West Side Story, Don Giovanni, and La traviata for Asheville Lyric Opera, Le nozze de Figaro, Rigoletto, I Pagliacci, Samson et Dalila, Werther, Don Pasquale, and Die Fledermaus for Winter Opera Saint Louis, and Le nozze de Figaro, L’elisir d’amore, The Merry Widow, world premiere of Abe, Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado for Muddy River Opera Company in Quincy, Illinois. He conducted the world premiere of Barbara Harbach’s opera, O Pioneers! at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and conducts the Webster Opera Studio performances at Webster University. Upcoming productions include Britten's Turn of the Screw and Ahrens and Flaherty's Ragtime. Also active as a choral conductor, Schoonover is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Missouri Women’s Chorus and has acted as a guest conductor and clinician for several midwestern choirs. He serves as Director of Music at Union Avenue Christian Church in St. Louis where he has led the Chancel Choir on three European concert tours. |
Pianist, Migeun Chung
Dr. Migeun Chung, collaborative pianist/coach, was named music director for Opera Scenes at MOSI in Winter 2021, répétiteur/pianist for A Midsummer Night's Dream at Opera NUOVA in summer 2019, coach/pianist at Opera in the Ozarks in 2018, and has participated in multiple opera and musical theatre productions at Bayview Music Festival. Her recent engagements include working with Marcello Cormio at the Opera Lucca (Puccini's Suor Angelica) and Gabriel Dobner at AIMS of 2022 as a lieder pianist. In the upcoming 2022 season at MOSI, Dr. Chung will return as a pianist-coach for Così fan tutte and a Music Director and Pianist-Coach for Opera Scenes Showcase. Past productions include George Frideric Handel’s Rinaldo, Johann Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Douglas Moore’s The Ballad of Baby Doe, Cinderella (a Pastiche) of Rossini and Massenet, Bizet’s Carmen, Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Gréty’s Zémire et Azor, Kurt Weill’s Berlin to Broadway, and Stephen Schwartz’s Pippin, and Dunean Sheik’s Spring Awakening. Dr. Chung frequently plays in master classes and continues to collaborate with internationally renowned artists, music directors, and coaches at NUOVA, the CoOperative program, and Classic Lyric Arts in Italy. Dr. Chung holds a Doctorate and Master's degree in piano performance, with focused studies in collaborative piano, from the University of North Texas, where she received the Eastman Piano Scholarship for International Students, Patsy C. & Fred W. Patterson Scholarship, Larry Walz Piano Scholarship, and a graduate assistantship under Adam Wodnicki. She recently earned a second Master's degree in collaborative piano from Carnegie Mellon University, where she also served as opera rehearsal/principal pianist. |
Dr. Jessica Burton - Resident Assistant Director
Jessica is excited to be working with Indianapolis Opera as Resident Assistant Opera Director. She has assistant directed at Austin Opera, Amarillo Opera, LOLA (Local Opera Local Artists), UT Austin, Spotlight on Opera, and FAVA France. Past directing credits include Little Women, At the Statue of Venus, Speed Dating Tonight, Das Lied von der Erde (UT Austin), Cendrillon, Pomme d’api (FAVA France), Angels in America, The Laramie Project and Bent (Avenue 10). She has a Doctor of Musical Arts in Opera Direction from UT Texas at Austin, as well as a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Technical Theatre from West Texas A&M University. Jessica’s passion is cultivating community engagement among the next generation of opera goers. |
Chorus Director - Dr. Cara Chowning
Dr. Cara Chowning is currently the vocal coach and voice area coordinator at Ball State University. She has served on faculties of the Cleveland Institute of Music, Simpson College, Oklahoma City University, and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Her students and private coaching studio singers can be heard in young artist programs, in opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Utah Opera. Chowning is in demand as coach, music director, and collaborative artist; she performs extensively throughout the US, South America, and Europe as duo partner and chamber musician. Internationally, Chowning has been guest coach for the American Institute of Music Studies in Graz, Austria and Teatro Bicentenario in San Juan, Argentina. She has lectured and performed for Road Scholars, Uniworld cruises and been broadcast on Public Television and Radio. Chowning has prepared opera and musical theater productions at the professional, young artist, and collegiate level. She is music director for the vocal series of the Bar Harbor Music Festival and has served on the music staff of Lyric Opera Cleveland, Opera Cleveland, Finger Lakes Opera, Kansas City Lyric Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Cleveland Opera where she created and prepared nationally recognized opera educational programs for performance in schools across Northeast Ohio. |
Assistant Conductor - Tamara Dworetz
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Tamara Dworetz is a dynamic and electric musical force on the podium. She has conducted the Paris Mozart Orchestra, Boston Pops, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Dallas Opera Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Amarillo Symphony, Mankato Symphony and Georgia Philharmonic. Next season, she will debut as a guest conductor of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, featuring world-renowned pianist, Conrad Tao. Tamara has served as assistant conductor for the Orchestre de Paris (Klaus Mäkelä), Gürzenich Orchestre Cologne (François-Xavier Roth) and BBC Concert Orchestra (Bramwell Tovey) at the London Proms. She has also served as Cover Conductor for the Sarasota Orchestra, Assistant Conductor for the Atlanta Opera and Austin Symphony. Tamara was recently selected as 1 of 14 candidates from a worldwide pool in the 2022 La Maestra Conducting Competition and Academy for Women Conductors in Paris, France. She was the only US-born conductor selected for the competition, and earned a spot as one of 6 semi-finalists. Tamara won 2nd prize in the Boston Pops' Leonard Bernstein Conducting Competition. She has been a recipient of the Bruno Walter Conducting Fellowship at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. |