From humble, mid-western roots, dramatic bass Brian Haase began the journey to professional classical singer with passion, determination, and a prodigious vocal talent. During his college years, he pursued singing as a talented baritone and received accolades from teachers and coaches alike for his operatic performances in supporting and leading roles.
Joel Matthias is a Minnesota-based baritone. Recent highlights include the Sergeant in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (Minnesota Opera), the Notary in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale and Baritone Vocal Fellow with Lakes Area Music Festival, the title role in Verdi’s Falstaff (Opera Reading Project), Pa Zegner in Mazzoli’s Proving Up (Journey North Opera Company), and Junius in Britten’s Lucretia (AOT Opera Theatre).
Sonomento was a premiere adult choral ensemble, performing complete and major works of classical choral literature, often collaborating with instrumentalists and other musical ensembles and appearing in many venues around the Twin Cities.
Tenor, Robert P. Banks, is a singer and actor who is equally at home on the operatic and musical theater stages. Banks has established himself a strong asset to the Minnesota performing arts community as an ensemble member and New Works Initiative participant at Minnesota Opera.
Bryon Wilson is a freelance pianist based in Minneapolis. Bryon divides his time between teaching, coaching, and performing. He has appeared with numerous artistic organizations including Schubert Club, Source Song Festival, Thursday Musical, NATS, Mill City Opera, Out of the Box Opera, and River Sounds in Ft. Lauderdale.
Lara Bolton is a pianist, vocal coach, conductor, and arranger. A multi-faceted artist, the majority of her work centers vocal collaborations across many genres. Operatic affiliations include San Francisco Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Diego Opera, Seattle Opera, Minnesota Opera, Nashville Opera, Washington Concert Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Florentine Opera, Opera San Antonio, and Opera Santa Barbara, among others.
Brian A. Schmidt is a GRAMMY©-nominated conductor focused on developing powerful musical experiences for audiences and artists alike. Schmidt has a passion for championing unsung musical heroes past and present, presenting rarely heard and expansive choral repertoire, and is known for his ability to draw from singers a luminous, deeply expressive choral sound of distinctive warmth and depth.
Soprano Riley Cardona was raised in a small farming community on the mid-western plains of South Dakota. Critics have described her voice as “most promising” and “a florid high soprano, with flirtatious charm, and tension-free lyricism.” She began working with Orpheus Music Project in 2019 when she was cast as the Angel of Mercy in “Requiem for Frankie Silver,”
Jess Felton (she/her/hers) is a Minneapolis-based soprano. Recent engagements include Tosca for Voices in Motion: Opera Scenes, Nedda in Pagliacci, Carla in Ofrenda, and Nella in Gianni Schicci with Opera Reading Project and chorus in Puccini’s Edgar and Gounoud’s Romeo and Juliet with MN Opera.
Wesley Frye is an in-demand music director, collaborative pianist, singer, and vocal coach throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. He has served in these capacities with the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, Theater Latté Da, History Theatre, Park Square Theatre, the University of Minnesota, Chelsea Opera, Opera Naples, to name a few.