MARK RUCKER     Rigoletto (FRI/SUN)
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From the time of his debut as Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera with Luciano Pavarotti for the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Mark Rucker, American baritone, has been in demand in opera houses and on concert stages throughout the world. Rucker made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Amonasro in Aida and has since been heard at the Met as Don Carlo in La Forza del Destino, Tonio in I Pagliacci, as Rigoletto for the Met in the Parks, and continues to be part of the Met roster. He has sung major baritone roles in Rigoletto, Macbeth, Nabucco, Un Ballo in Maschera, La Traviata, Stiffelio, Aida, Il Trovatore, Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci, Samson et Dalila, and Die Fliegende Holländer for companies such as Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Arena di Verona, Wiener Staatsoper, Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Teatro Comunale, Bologna,  Netherlands Opera, Greek National Opera, Opéra de Wallonie, Bregenz, Savonlinna, Santander and Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires; New York City Opera, Florida Grand, L’Opera Montreal and numerous other North American companies. Mr. Rucker made his Carnegie Hall debut to great acclaim as Don Carlo in La Forza del Destino. His other concert credits include Linda di Chamounix and Jerusalem with the Concertgebouw, and Rigoletto with the Israel and Rotterdam Philharmonics. Recently he has performed Balshazzar’s Feast, Elijah and was the soloist for the Shostakovich’s Symphony #13, "Babi Yar.” He has worked with celebrated Maestri, including, Richard Bonynge, Riccardo Chailly, Fabio Luisi, Daniele Gatti, Carlo Rizzi, Gianandrea Noseda, Bruno Campanella, and Paolo Arrivabeni. Recordings include Mark Rucker Sings Lena Mclin's Songs for Voice and Piano; Amonasro in Aida for Naxos and Cambro in Opera Ebony's recording of Fosca by A. Carlos Gomes. Mr. Rucker is currently a Professor of Voice at Michigan State University and, in addition to an active teaching and performing career, he has been the Administrative Director for the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s celebrated Young Artist Program, Prelude to Performance, since its inception in 2005 and Artistic Director since 2015. Mark is happy to be returning to Indianapolis Opera where he sang Rigoletto earlier in his career.
JOSÉ LUIS MALDONADO     ​Rigoletto (SAT)

Hailed by Opera News as a “seemingly unlimited baritone,” international vocalist Dr. Josè Luis Maldonado, from Los Angeles, California attended Cal State Fullerton (BM), and Manhattan School of Music (MM); he recently received his doctorate degree from Michigan State University (DMA)  in music, vocal performance under the tutelage of Dr. Mark Rucker.  He is a career grant recipient from the Opera Buffs Inc. and Richard F. Gold Career Grant recipient from the Shoshana Foundation. Maldonado’s  roles include Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Don Magnifico (La Cenerentola),  Escamillo (Carmen), Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni) and the title role of Falstaff. He has performed in contemporary operas such as Anthony Davis’ Central Park Five and in the Bel Canto by Jimmy López (as Father Arguedas). In Aspen, he covered Sir Bryn Terfel in Falstaff, performed a Zarzuela concert with world-renowned Metropolitan Opera Star Ana Maria Martinez, and studied with legendary sopranos, Carol Vaness and Renee Fleming. Last season, Maldonado debuted the title role in Don Giovanni in Michigan, before returning to Los Angeles to debut with Lyric Opera of Orange County as Falstaff and the Father in Hansel y Gretel. He then made his Pacific Opera Project (POP) debut as the Hunter in Dvorak's Rusalka. He also sang and rapped in Opera Grand Rapid's “Hip Opera” tour, blending opera and hip-hop, which ended the season in May. Maldonado made his Lincoln Center debut as Escamillo in La Carmencita, an Argentinian adaptation in Spanish of Bizet’s Carmen, and returned to New York in May to sing in Carnegie Hall’s Nuestros Sonidos celebration.  He made his San Bernardino Symphony debut with Maestro Anthony Parnther in March 2025. Dr. Maldonado makes his title role and company debut in Rigoletto with Indianapolis Opera. For more information, visit www.BaritoneJoe.com
BRANDIE INEZ SUTTON    ​Gilda

Hailed by Opera News for her “sumptuous, mid-weight soprano,” and The New York Times for her “warm, ample voice,” “ravishing performance” and “distinctive earthy coloring,” Brandie Inez Sutton has appeared in concert halls and on opera stages around the country, including The Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, Detroit Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, and New York City Opera to name a few. The versatile vocalist is sought after in many genres, appearing as a guest soloist with Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. She has appeared several times at Carnegie Hall with artists from Cyrus Chestnut to the Cecilia Chorus of New York. More than once has she participated in events for EJI (Equal Justice Initiative) appearing in concert with Andra Day, Bebe Winans, Jean Batiste and John Legend. She has also been immortalized as a hologram in The Legacy Museum: From Slavery to Mass Incarceration, erected by EJI located in Montgomery, AL. This upcoming season she returns to Seattle Opera, Opera Theatre St. Louis and makes her house debut with Boston Lyric Opera as Julie Jordan in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, celebrating the 80th anniversary of its premiere.
GANSON SALMON     ​Duke of Mantua

“Dashing lyric tenor,” (The New York Times) Ganson Salmon has gained recognition for his “powerful and nuanced” performances. (Opera News) Most recently he performed as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Opera in Williamsburg and as Ernesto in Don Pasquale with Opera Tampa. He also made his last-minute Kennedy Center debut jumping in as Anatol in Vanessa with the National Symphony Orchestra. Last season he performed Roméo in Roméo et Juliette with Arizona Opera and Alfredo in La Traviata with Muddy River Opera. Ganson is an alumnus of Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute’s Program for Singers and the Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. He received his Master’s in Voice/Opera from Mannes School of Music. An Indianapolis native, Ganson was a Resident Artist with Indianapolis Opera in 2016 and has since appeared in numerous events with the company.
PETER VOLPE     Sparafucile

Praised for his “stentorian” and “robust bass” by The New York Times, venerable American bass Peter Volpe continually receives critical and popular acclaim across four continents for his powerful command and the rich texture of his timbre. Possessing a vast and ever-expanding repertoire encompassing more than 90 roles in six languages over the course of his 45+ year career, his captivating style and interpretive skill embraces the depth of every historical and fictional character he embodies. Of his recent portrayal of Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin for the Spoleto Festival USA, Opera News applauded his ability “to create in his single aria and scene an impressive dignity. His full-bodied bass and great candor of tone, together with his intelligent interpretation, won him a well-deserved ovation.” Last season, Mr. Volpe made his début with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in their production of Der fliegende Holländer, and recently, Mr. Volpe performed Zaccaria in Washington Concert Opera’s production of Nabucco, sang Sparafucile in Pacific Symphony’s Rigoletto, and was seen in Pittsburgh Opera’s production of Der fliegende Holländer as Daland. In addition, Volpe performed the roles of Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila, Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, and King Philip in Don Carlo with Washington National Opera, Sparafucile in Rigoletto and Daland in Der fliegende Holländer with Austin Opera, Judge Turpin in Christopher Alden’s production of Sweeney Todd at the Glimmerglass Festival, a role he also performed with New Orleans Opera, and Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Florentine Opera. In a wide-ranging repertoire spanning Mozart to Verdi and Rossini to Britten, he has graced the stages of many of the great opera houses throughout the U.S. and abroad, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Oper Stuttgart, New York City Opera, and many more. Mr. Volpe made his memorable Metropolitan Opera début in the company’s new production of Prokofiev’s War and Peace and subsequently returned for 13 seasons with the company for new productions of Les Troyens, Salome, and Boris Godunov, as well as Falstaff, Gianni Schicchi, Roméo et Juliette, Aïda, I vespri siciliani, Cyrano de Bergerac, Andrea Chenier, Carmen, and most recently as Idraote in Armida, Angelotti in Tosca, and Dr. Grenvil in La Traviata.
LAURA ZAHN     Maddalena

A rising dramatic mezzo-soprano, Laura Zahn has been praised for her “warm, voluptuous voice” “captivating with her powerful delivery.” The current season will see Ms. Zahn sing Sea Pictures with the Adelphi Orchestra, return to the Emory Symphony to sing the Alto solos in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, and debut the role of Fenena in a TBA production. Other notable roles include Dalila (Samson et Dalila), Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), Carmen (Carmen), Romeo (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), La frugola (Il Tabarro), Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Secretary (The Consul), Giulietta di Kelbar (Un giorno di regno), Maddalena (Rigoletto), Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), and Mamma Lucia (Cavalleria Rusticana). An accomplished concert performer, Laura has sung the Alto Solos in The Verdi Requiem and The Messiah numerous times and in 2019 she made her Carnegie Hall debut in a concert singing Amneris (Aida) and Suzuki (Madama Butterfly). In competition, she finaled in the 2021 John Alexander National Vocal competition and semi-finaled in the 2020 NYIOP/Premiere Opera Foundation Competition and the 2016 Mildred Miller International Voice Competition. Ms. Zahn holds degrees from The Boston Conservatory and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.
DANIEL NARUDUCCI     Count Monterone

Daniel Narducci has appeared on opera, concert, and musical theatre stages from New York’s Lincoln Center to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. He has performed with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Pops, Chicago Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Houston Symphony, and the Detroit Symphony. Mr. Narducci appeared in principal operatic roles with the Washington National Opera, New Orleans Opera, Central City Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Kentucky Opera, Nashville Opera, and Opera Santa Barbara. On two national tours of Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot, he played Lancelot, including performances opposite Robert Goulet’s Arthur. Roles with the Indianapolis Opera include Marcello in La Bohème, Arthur in Camelot, Fredrick in A Little Night Music and Escamillo in Carmen. Daniel co-starred with Frederica von Stade and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra in a program broadcast internationally by PBS entitled Pops at the Phil: A Century of Broadway. He created the role of Captain Hook on the world premiere complete recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Peter Pan, co-starring Linda Eder and was featured on the BBC television documentary Kurt Weill in America: I’m a Stranger Here Myself. Having received his Doctor of Music in Voice from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Daniel is currently Assistant Professor of Voice Performance at Ball State University.
IAN MICHAEL     Count Ceprano

Ian Micheal (he/him) is a versatile singing actor who resides in South Bend, IN. An Indianapolis native, Ian has performed as a soloist in various concerts throughout Northern Indiana, including Handel’s Messiah, the Mozart Requiem, and Holiday Pops with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. His theatrical credits include Ragtime: The Musical (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.) with Art 4, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Drifter/Ensemble) with Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts, Tosca (The Jailer) with South Bend Lyric Opera, and Gianni Schicchi (Simone) with Purdue Fort Wayne. He recently was a soloist and coordinator for the South Bend Lyric Opera production of Songs in Flight by Shawn E. Okpebholo. He is also a 2022, 2023, and 2025 finalist of the Lotte Lenya Competition, and won the “Outstanding Performance of a Lenya Competition Songbook Selection” prize in 2024. Ian is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a BMA in Voice Performance and Bachelor of Theatre Arts. He has studied the principles of Levels I/II/III of the LoVetri Institute of Somatic Voicework™, and is a 200-hour Certified Yoga Teacher. In addition to performing, he has a passion for education and community outreach. He is currently the chair of the Community Engagement and Education committee for South Bend Lyric Opera and the owner of the Ian Michael Vocal Studio.
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ASHLEY RUCKMAN     Countess Ceprano/Gilda Cover/RA Soprano​
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Originally from Overland Park, Kansas, soprano Ashley Ruckman recently earned a Master of Music at the Jacobs School of Music under the instruction of Carol Vaness, and is the proud recipient of the 2024-25 Georgina Joshi Graduate Fellowship. Her notable roles with Indiana University Opera Theater include the title role in Suor Angelica and Tatiana in Eugene Onegin. Her professional credits include the roles of Musetta in La bohème and Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, both at Wichita Grand Opera. This past year, Ashley was the Soprano Soloist in Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors Showcase, and sang the role of Karolina in Martin Hennessy’s Swimming in the Dark at The Studios of Key West. She earned a Bachelor of Music from Wichita State University where she performed roles including Hester in Lori Laitman’s The Scarlet Letter, Arminda in La finta giardiniera, Esther in The Path to Heaven, and Despina in Così fan tutte. Her 2025 awards include winner of the St. Louis District Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and 1st place in the Indiana Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters Competition. She won 2 nd place in the 2023 Naftzger Young Artist Competition, 1st place and selected soloist for the 2023 Wichita State Concerto-Aria Concert, and 1st place of the 2022 Rondelli Vocal Competition soprano division.
​LUISANA RIVAS     Giovanna/Maddalena Cover/RA Mezzo-soprano
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Mezzo-soprano Luisana Rivas has been praised for her “heart-rending expression” (Music City Review) and her dedication to championing the music of Latinx composers, which she regularly showcases in recitals and festivals across the United States. During the 2024-2025 season, Luisana portrayed Consuela and covered Anita in West Side Story with Indianapolis Opera and appeared in the company's 50th Anniversary Gala. She has appeared with Houston Grand Opera, OPERA San Antonio, Opera Steamboat, Ópera Panamá, and others. Some of the roles in her repertoire include Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Dido in Dido and Aeneas, La Zelatrice in Suor Angelica, and L’enfant in L’enfant et les sortilèges. She frequently performs contemporary works for young audiences and has toured extensively throughout the Houston metropolitan area and other Texas cities, presenting operas by Kamala Sankaram, Carlos Simon, and Faye Chiao. Luisana holds dual citizenship in Venezuela and France and has pursued studies in Panama and the United States. In addition to her work as a performer, she is a seasoned community arts educator who finds joy in uplifting communities through opera, theater, and the visual arts.

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WILL UPHAM     Matteo Borsa/Duke Cover/RA Tenor
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Will Upham, a native Hoosier, is an emerging tenor whose voice has been described as “clear and precise” (St. Louis Arts Scene), “full-bodied” (Opera Today), and possessing “just the right edge” (Broadway World). In the 2024–2025 season, he made a series of notable professional debuts, including Herod in Salome with Union Avenue Opera—a role he first covered at Des Moines Metro Opera, where he also sang First Jew and later covered Steuermann in Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. With Indianapolis Opera, he performed Action and covered Tony in West Side Story, continuing a growing relationship that has included appearances in Tosca, The Magic Flute, Gallantry, Veteran Journeys, and the company’s 50th Anniversary Concert with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. On the concert stage, Will has recently appeared as tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Christ on the Mount of Olives, Mass in C major, and Symphony No. 9, as well as Haydn’s The Creation and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria. He currently serves as an Adjunct Voice Instructor at Anderson University and Taylor University. Will recently earned his Performer Diploma in Voice from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the tutelage of Peter Volpe. He is currently based in the Indianapolis area.
RYAN HENRY     Marullo/Rigoletto Cover/RA Baritone
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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.
MARK FREIMAN     stage director

Mark Freiman makes his Indianapolis Opera debut directing Rigoletto after having sung the roles of Sparafucile, Monterone, Ceprano, and Marullo. Recent directing credits include Lucia di Lammermoor for Sarasota Opera, Carmen and Salome for Union Avenue Opera (St. Louis), and The Barber of Seville for First Coast Opera (Florida). A recipient of the prestigious Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation, he has performed with opera companies and orchestras throughout the country, including two national tours with N.Y. City Opera. He is featured as William Jennings Bryan on the Sony Newport Classics CD of The Ballad of Baby Doe, and spent a year in Hamburg in the German-language production of The Phantom of the Opera. A child soloist for three seasons with the Metropolitan Opera, he sang a solo in their very first live telecast, La Bohème starring Luciano Pavarotti. He trained at New York City’s venerable Amato Opera. Next month he returns to First Coast Opera to direct Carmen. www.markfreiman.com
MAESTRO ALFRED SAVIA     ​conductor

Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Alfred Savia is in his seventh season with Indianapolis Opera. No stranger to the Indianapolis musical scene, Maestro Savia served as Associate Conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony and Artistic Director of Symphony On the Prairie for six seasons. As Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra for 31 seasons he initiated many new programs including Messiah, Nutcracker, Music Alive residencies, and fully staged opera presentations. Under his leadership the Orchestra added a Youth Orchestra program, Philharmonic Chorus, and Eykamp String Quartet. He continues there as Conductor Laureate, and returns each summer to conduct the ISO in their Star Spangled Symphony concerts.
 
Savia’s American guest conducting appearances include the Orchestras of Saint Louis, Detroit, Phoenix, Columbus, Memphis, San Antonio, Louisville, New Orleans and Naples. 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 Juilliard 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. He returned to conduct Opera Orlando’s Cavalleria Rusticana last season. Savia studied operatic conducting in Milan, Italy with Enrico Pessina, a conductor at La Scala, who himself had been an assistant conductor under Arturo Toscanini, Pietro Mascagni and Giacomo Puccini. In 2013 he conducted La Traviata on the island of Giglio in Tuscany as part of Italy’s commemoration of the 200th anniversary Verdi’s birth.

In 2013 Savia was made a Sagamore of the Wabash.
CARA CHOWNING   coro master
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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.
AMY HELMS     assistant director

Amy Helms is an intuitive, dynamic, and joyfully collaborative stage director hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio. She recently graduated from Florida State University with a Master of Music in Opera Production, having directed Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice as her culminating thesis project. During her studies with directors Matthew Lata and James Marvel, Amy also directed two Outreach projects: Abrazo de Oso and an adaptation she created of The Magic Flute, in addition to assistant directing mainstage productions. She joins Indianapolis Opera as the Resident Assistant Director this season, where she will serve as the Stage Director for the children’s outreach series and Opera Cabaret events in addition to duties as Production Coordinator and Assistant Director.
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RACHEL BENNETT   ​rehearsal pianist/coach

Rachel S. Bennett, pianist, is a versatile collaborative artist, educator, and vocal coach, originally from Asheville, North Carolina. Currently based in Tallahassee, Florida, she is a faculty vocal coach in the Opera Department at Florida State University, working with graduate and undergraduate singers and graduate assistant pianists. In January 2025, Rachel will serve as music director for outreach performances of Cinderella and The Magic Flute with the Florida State Opera. Rachel comes to Tallahassee from Greensboro, North Carolina, where she was on faculty at High Point University working in musical theater, accompanying, and piano instruction. Highlights from this appointment include receiving the student-voted ‘Adjunct Professor of the Year’ Award in 2019-2020 and co-leading a musical theater exchange program to Costa Rica. While in Costa Rica, Rachel led masterclasses for students and faculty at La Colmena, the country’s only musical theater training program. In recent years, Rachel has premiered numerous new works, including a concertino with baritone saxophone at the National American Saxophone Alliance convention, and several vocal chamber works at the 2023 Operation Opera Festival in Sacramento. Her recording of Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe is currently airing on PBS’s “Thomasville: Live from the Center.” Rachel holds a BM in Piano Performance and an MM in Collaborative Piano from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she studied with Paul Stewart and Jim Douglass. She holds a DM in Collaborative Piano from Florida State University, where she studied with Valerie Trujillo. Rachel is excited to join Indianapolis Opera as a Resident Artist for their spring 2025 season.