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ANGELA BROWN soprano
Angela Brown personifies the ideal soprano: sheer vocal power; luxurious finesse; and shimmering, high pianissimos. She has graced the leading opera and symphonic stages on six continents including Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, National Opera of Paris, Vienna State Opera, Capetown (South Africa) Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Edmonton Opera, Calgary Philharmonic, Shanghai World Expo, Moscow Performing Arts Center, The Metropolitan Opera, Bilbao Opera, Teatro La Fenice, Hamburg Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and more. She has been presented in solo recital throughout the United States, Canada, Spain, New Zealand, China, and Africa. She is a featured artist on the two-time Grammy Award® winning recording “Ask Your Mama” and is the original voice of the contemporary opera roles of Addie Parker (Charlie Parker’s Yardbird) and Cilla (Margaret Garner). Her repertoire includes the time-honored roles of Tosca, Aida, Amelia (Un ballo in Maschera), Elisabetta (Don Carlo), and Leonora (Il Trovatore). Angela’s leadership in opera extends as the founder of Morning Brown, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to the development of multicultural role models and audiences in the performing arts. (www.morningbrown.org) She received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the Coalition for African Americans in the Performing Arts and The Willson Center for Humanities and the Arts of the University of Georgia named Angela the 2023 Delta Visiting Chair for Global Understanding. Angela is the Artistic and Educational Ambassador of Indianapolis Opera and a voting member of The Recording Academy. |
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MAESTRO ALFRED SAVIA conductor
Recently appointed Artistic Advisor and Principal Guest Conductor of the Indianapolis Opera, Alfred Savia is no stranger to the Indianapolis musical scene. Savia served as Associate Conductor of the ISO and Artistic Director of Symphony On the Prairie from 1990 to 1996. In 2019-20, Maestro Savia celebrated his 31st and final season as Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra. Under his leadership the Orchestra added a Youth Orchestra program, Philharmonic Chorus, and Eykamp String Quartet. He initiated many new programs including Messiah, Nutcracker, Music Alive residencies, and fully staged opera presentations. Savia’s American guest conducting appearances include the Orchestras of Saint Louis, Detroit, Phoenix, Columbus, Memphis, San Antonio, Louisville, New Orleans and Naples (FL). Internationally, he has conducted orchestras extensively in Europe (Florence, Belgrade), Central and South America (Santiago, Montevideo, Quito; Toluca, and Jalapa in Mexico), and Asia (Korea Philharmonic). Festival appearances include Chicago’s Grant Park Symphony and the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival. He recorded Russell Peck’s The Thrill of the Orchestra with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and, with pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi and the Evansville Philharmonic, Respighi’s Piano Concerto. A native of Livingston, New Jersey, Savia graduated from Butler University. Conducting studies at the ASOL Institute of Orchestral Studies and the Tanglewood Music Center led to his first professional appointment as Assistant Conductor of The Omaha Symphony. Subsequently, he served as Resident Conductor of the Florida Philharmonic and New Orleans Symphony Orchestra, Associate Conductor of the Florida Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Orlando Opera. |
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RON DUKES bass
Bass Ron Dukes, praised by the Chicago Tribune for his “bountiful, arresting voice,” is emerging as a major contender on the international operatic stage. A recent graduate of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center, he returns this season to Pensacola Opera as Jud Fry in Oklahoma!, joins Kentucky Opera as the Commentator in Scalia/Ginsburg, and attends Cincinnati Opera’s summer festival, covering Titan in Lalovavi and singing the Fifth Jew in Salome. Future engagements include creating the role of Jim Forman in the world premiere of Good Trouble with Cincinnati Opera, a debut with Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Ramfis in Aida, and a role debut as Dr. Grenvil in La traviata with Indianapolis Opera. In the 2024–2025 season, Mr. Dukes debuted with Houston Grand Opera as The Bonze in Madama Butterfly, Pittsburgh Opera as John Henry in We Shall Not Be Moved, and Kentucky Opera as Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors. At Lyric Opera of Chicago, he appeared as Jago in Ernani, the Corporal in La fille du régiment, and created the role of Sam in The Factotum. A commanding interpreter of the core bass repertoire, his roles include Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Bartolo (Le nozze di Figaro), Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Simone (Gianni Schicchi), and Oroveso (Norma), performed with companies including Wolf Trap Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Pensacola Opera, and Washington Opera Society. |
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JOSEPH McBRAYER tenor
Praised by critics as a “polished lyric tenor,” Joseph McBrayer has quickly emerged as an exciting young artist to watch. Originally from Dallas, Georgia, Mr. McBrayer recently completed a two-season residency as a Studio Artist with Florida Grand Opera, where he appeared as Beppe in Pagliacci, a role he recently reprised with Amarillo Opera, Gastone in La Traviata, Paolino in Il Matrimonio Segreto, and Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi. He also traveled to Santa Fe to create the role of the Mayor of Santa Fe in the world premiere of Joe Illick’s Zozobra’s Revenge. Previously, Mr. McBrayer served as Indianapolis Opera’s Resident Artist Tenor during the 2020–21 season, performing in virtual recitals and appearing as Goro in the company’s first live production following the COVID-19 shutdown. He later returned to Indianapolis Opera for productions including an innovative pairing of Hans Krása’s Brundibár and Lori Laitman’s Vedem. A winner of the 2019 Georgia District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Mr. McBrayer was invited to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as a Gerdine Young Artist for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Internationally, he spent the summer of 2018 in Tel Aviv with the Joshi International Fellowship Summer Opera Program, performing Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and other roles. |
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ELIZABETH FISHER soprano
Chicago based lyric coloratura Elizabeth Fisher has been praised for her "unique timbre and depth". She is making her Nashville Opera debut as Berta in Il barbiere di siviglia and Little Red in Little Red’ s Most Unusual Day. During the 2025-2026 season, she played the role of Sally in The Day the Dogs Began to Talk with Thompson Street Opera and has the soprano soloist in Mozart’s “Missa Brevis” and Alex Berko’s “Sacred Place” with the Umeri Choir. Her season also included company debuts with the Lyric Opera of Chicago as a chorister in Orff’s Carmina Burana and Cavalleria rusticana and Chicago Opera Theater’s production of Salieri’s Falstaff. Earlier this year, she played the role of Mabel in Pirates of Penzance with the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company of Chicago and Titania in A Midsummer Night’ s Dream with Bellissima Opera. Ms. Fisher has been a semi-finalist in the Pasadena Vocal Competition, recipient of an Encouragement Award from the Laffont Competition, and a winner of MiOpera’s Vocal Competition. |
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ASHLEY TROESTER mezzo-soprano
Ashley Troester, mezzo-soprano, is an internationally performing artist recognized for her warm timbre, vocal richness, and compelling stage presence. She has brought her expressive musicianship and deeply empathetic storytelling to audiences across the United States and abroad, performing a versatile repertoire of dramatic arias from the European operatic canon. A versatile performer, Troester has appeared in leading and supporting roles including the title role in Bizet's Carmen, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Meg in Little Women, Miss Todd in The Old Maid and the Thief, Vera Boronel in The Consul, and Teodata in Handel's Flavio. Equally at home in ensemble and concert repertoire, she performs regularly with the Opera Colorado Chorus and as a soloist with Boulder Symphony. A returning artist with the Vienna Summer Music Festival in both 2024 and 2026, Troester performed at the historic Palais Ehrbar, collaborating with internationally recognized conductors, coaches, and directors while continuing to refine her artistry. In 2026, she appeared as Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte and covered the title role in Carmen, further developing her dramatic mezzo-soprano repertoire. She has also performed with Opera in the Ozarks, and her growing body of work reflects a commitment to expressive storytelling, vocal richness, and stylistic versatility. Troester holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Catherine Cook, and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Colorado Mesa University, where she studied with Dr. Stefanie Anduri. |
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ANTONIO DOMINO tenor
Antonio Domino, tenor, returns as Resident Artist with Indianapolis opera, where he recently portrayed Don Curzio/Don Basilio (Le Nozze di Figaro), and was previously a Studio Artist with the Chautauqua Opera Company, where he performed the role of Doodling Pennsylvanian in Lincoln in the Bardo and as a soloist in a recital. In 2025, Mr. Domino joined Opera Créole as the cover of Ali in their world premiere of Morgiane. In 2024, Mr. Domino participated in Des Moines Metro Opera’s Apprentice Artist program and was featured as Walter in the world premiere of American Apollo. While in Iowa, he also covered the role of Second Jew in Salome and performed in a scenes program as Tonio from La fille du régiment and Ramiro in La Cenerentola. In the Spring, he finished his time as a Resident Artist at Portland Opera, where he performed the roles of Don Curzio in The Marriage of Figaro and Jasper in The Snowy Day. In 2023, Mr. Domino received his Master’s degree at Rice University where he studied with Dr. Robin Rice. At the Shepherd School of Music, he performed the role of Dick McGann in Street Scene and in a scenes program as Count Almaviva from The Barber of Seville, Tonio from La fille du régiment and Ramendado from Carmen. As a proud native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Mr. Domino received his Bachelor of Music from Loyola University where he studied with Dreux Montegut. He is also an alum of Houston Grand Opera's Young Artist Vocal Academy. |
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ERIK TOFTE baritone
Erik Tofte is a rising baritone from Binghamton, NY. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Mannes School of Music, and Binghamton University. Most recently, Erik performed with the Puddingstone Festival, along with pianist Angela Kim, for Schubertiade - performing popular Schubert lieder. This year, Erik began his work with Curtis On Tour, making appearances with the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra as the Baritone Soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9, and with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra as the Bass soloist in Mozart’s Requiem in D minor. Erik was an Apprentice Artist with Palm Beach Opera ('25-'26). Here, Erik made his role debut as Marullo in Rigoletto. Erik performed with the Chautauqua Opera Company in 2025, as Schaunard in La Boheme, and covered the role of Marcello. In the same year, Erik covered the role of Luther Hargrove for the NYC premiere of In a Grove (Prototype Festival 2025). Other credits include: a Vassal with Boston Symphony Orchestra (Wagner’s Götterdämmerung Act III), Bass soloist in Handel's Messiah, and Baritone soloist in John Rutter’s Mass of the Children with the Tri-State Chorale. At the Curtis Institute, Erik performed as Le Mari in Les Mamelles de Tirésias, Harlekin in excerpts from Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, and Belcore in L’Elisir d’amore (2023). He has appeared with: Opera Saratoga, Delaware Valley Opera, Tri-Cities Opera, Beth Morrison Projects, Mannes Opera, Arcadia Chorale and Binghamton University. Erik is an Encouragement Award Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. |
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BENJAMIN WATKINS pianist/coach
Benjamin Taylor Watkins is a versatile musician who believes in the power of artistic collaboration to transform lives and communities. He was educated at Northwestern University (B.M. in Piano, cum laude) and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music (M.M. and D.M in Piano). Through his extensive work with the late Dr. Karen Shaw, he traces his musical lineage directly to Franz Liszt, Carl Czerny, and Ludwig van Beethoven, and has conducted Beethoven’s 2nd, 3rd, and 5th piano concerti from the keyboard. In praise of a performance of Joseph Schwanter's In evening's stillness, Peter Jacobi of the Herald-Times wrote that Watkins “conquered the Steinway.” In the summer of 2022, he studied conducting in Paris at La Schola Cantorum under the auspices of the European American Musical Alliance, and participated in the Juilliard School’s recitative conducting workshop in New York City. The previous summer, he participated in Juilliard’s Advanced Conducting Intensive, where he worked with Mark Shapiro, whose teaching continues to guide him. His first experience on the podium was as Assistant Conductor for Northwestern University’s production of Bernstein’s Mass. While at Northwestern, he was also assistant conductor and continuo player for the Baroque Music Ensemble’s performance of Handel’s Alexander’s Feast and Schutz’s Weihnachtshistorie. He debuted on harpsichord with this group in a performance of Bach’s F minor concerto. While at Indiana University he performed regularly as a pianist with the IU Wind Ensemble, and toured with this group in the spring of 2015. His recordings of the Brahms Sonatas for Clarinet and Piano with clarinetist Roy Park have received widespread acclaim and have garnered over 100,000 views. He worked closely with composer Matthew Baber to develop a neo-romantic virtuoso piano part for the stage work Black, and in the summer of 2019, he worked with director Steve Heise to present Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream outdoors in a rare production featuring the complete incidental music by Felix Mendelssohn. This collaboration led him to partner with Annaka Grismer to form Bloomington Chamber Opera in the fall of 2019. As president and music director of this group he brought six productions to the operatic stage: The Magic Flute, The Human Voice, Love’s Separation (An die ferblne Geliebte), The Elixir of Love, Treemonisha, and The Medium. Originally from South Carolina, he attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, and is a recipient of the Blocker Award and the South Carolina Governor’s Citizenship Medal. In 2008 he received 2nd prize at the Aloha International Piano Competition in Honolulu, Hawaii. His doctoral dissertation, “Cryptology and Hidden Meanings in the Late Piano Works of Johannes Brahms,” brings to light new hidden messages in the composer’s intimate late works. He is the music director at Bloomington’s United Presbyterian Church, where he performed and conducted Bach’s D Minor Concerto with the Eroica Chamber Players in the fall of 2025. |
