Opera in the Park 2024 Cast
ANGELA BROWN
Soprano ANGELA BROWN’s multi-genre career has been lauded on the front page of The New York Times, CNN, CBS, in Oprah Magazine and Reader's Digest. With classical and pops engagements spanning six continents, Angela has graced the leading opera and symphonic stages of the world. Her vocal artistry is featured on the two-time Grammy Award® winning recording “Ask Your Mama.” Her voice is the inspiration for new works including a symphonic song cycle and two principal opera roles. American composer Richard Danielpour set the poetry of Dr. Maya Angelou to create the work “A Woman’s Life” that Angela has performed with Pittsburgh Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestra and recorded for the Naxos label with Nashville Symphony Orchestra. The opera roles of Addie Parker in Daniel Schneider’s Charlie Parker’s Yardbird and Cilla in Richard Danielpour’s Margaret Garner were both written for, premiered by, and reprised many times by Angela. Angela’s most recent endeavor is the founding of Morning Brown, Inc., a nonprofit with the mission of bridging the gap between accessible, live-music programs and underserved individuals, schools, and communities. Drawing on the success of Angela’s groundbreaking show, Opera…from a Sistah’s Point of View©1997, Morning Brown, Inc., works to bring cultural experiences and awareness to cultural deserts. She is the co-host of Melanated Moments in Classical Music, an award-winning podcast from Classical Music Indy with an international subscriber base. She is featured in the 2022 PBS documentary on the life of Marian Anderson, The Whole World in Her Hands, produced by American Masters, and in the 2021 PBS documentary on the life of Marian Anderson, Voice of Freedom, a production of the most-watched documentary series American Experience. |
MAESTRO ALFRED SAVIA
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. |
GANSON SALMON
Noted by the New York Times as a "dashing lyric tenor", GANSON SALMON has gained recognition for his "powerful and nuanced" performances in New York City and abroad. Most recently, Mr. Salmon appeared as Rodolfo in La bohème with First Coast Opera in St. Augustine, Florida. Earlier this year, he returned to NYC to sing as Prince Karl Franz in Romberg’s The Student Prince with Regina Opera. Last summer, Salmon returned to Tel Aviv, Israel to sing Don José in Carmen with Tel Aviv Summer Opera, where he also jumped in as Rodolfo in La bohéme. In recent seasons with Indianapolis Opera, Salmon debuted as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, as Mr. Rushworth in the American premiere of Jonathan Dove's Mansfield Park, and sang in concerts previewing the world premiere of Richard Clark's Happy Birthday Wanda June. Also in Indiana, he appeared as Ernesto in Don Pasquale and soloist in Beethoven's 9th Symphony with the Ball State Symphony Orchestra, Recently, he was a fellow at Ravinia's Steans Music Institute and a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Other recent appearances include his role debut as Romeo in Romeo et Juliette, Pong in Turandot, First Armored Man and Second Priest in The Magic Flute, and covers of the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto and Beppe in Donizetti's Rita with Sarasota Opera; Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi with the Tel Aviv Summer Opera; and Rodolfo in La bohème with the Algonquin Arts Theatre in New Jersey and Pittsburgh Festival Opera. Salmon received his Master's in Music from Mannes School of Music, where he performed as Tom Rakewell in The Rake's Progress, Roderick Usher in Philip Glass' The Fall of the House of Usher, and Anatol in Vanessa. While at Mannes, he also performed Schumann's Dichterliebe at the Consulate of Germany in NYC. An Italian art song devotee, Salmon was a New York Finalist of the 2016 International Tosti Competition in Ortona, Italy. Summer of 2017 found him in Novafeltria, Italy where he appeared in concerts with Classic Lyric Arts, and returning to Ortona where he studied closely with Rolando Panerai. |
JEREMIAH SANDERS
JEREMIAH SANDERS started singing in church choir with their madea (great grandmother) in Marion, IN. Now an operatic baritone, Sanders has found success as an Indiana District Winner in the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, 1st place winner in the Opera Ebony Competition, 1st place with the Friends of the Symphony (Lima Symphony Orchestra) Young Artist Competition, 2nd place with the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Collegiate Scholarship Competition, as a finalist in the Opera Mississippi John Alexander Vocal Competition, as a finalist and Raphael Bundage Young Artist Award recipient in the Orpheus National Vocal Competition, and an Encouragement Award recipient from the Metropolitan Opera National Council. A budding Verdi Baritone, Sanders's training has centered on an Italianate, Bel canto style. Their/his repertoire includes 25 roles across the canon. Notable previous roles include: Falstaff and Ford in Falstaff, Father in Hänsel und Gretel, and the title role in in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. Jeremiah has a substantial interest in 20th and 21st century music, living composers, and composers of marginalized identities. They/he regularly participate in workshops and premieres for new operas and songs. Sanders recently sang the role of Bob in the historic IU Jacobs School of Music production of Highway 1, USA and appeared as the Four Villains in Union Avenue Opera's award-winning production of Les Contes d'Hoffmann. A native Hoosier, Sanders received their Performer's Diploma in Voice from Indiana University, Master's degree in Vocal Performance from Butler University, and Bachelor of Arts degree at Manchester University. Currently, they/he studies with Jane Dutton. Most recently, Sanders was a Resident Artist with Minnesota Opera for the 2023-2024 season. |
LYNDSAY MOY
Mezzo-soprano LYNDSAY MOY is an Indianapolis native and serves as the Director of Education & Community Engagement of Indianapolis Opera. Lyndsay is a leading artist with the company, an alumna of the IO Resident Artist Program, and has appeared in several IO productions, most recently as Netter Fowler in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel. With IO, she has also portrayed Bloody Mary in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific, Kate Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, the Housekeeper in Leigh’s Man of La Mancha, and has appeared in multiple large-scale concert presentations. An avid performer of new works, Lyndsay recently had the honor of presenting the world premiere of Lori Laitman's "Into Eternity" in partnership with Indianapolis Opera and in honor of dear friend and holocaust survivor, the late Frank Grunwald. Other operatic roles include Maurya (Vaughan-Williams' Riders to the Sea), Marcellina (Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro), Fidalma (Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto), Mère Marie (Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites), Zita (Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi), L’Architecture (Charpentier’s Les Arts Florissants), L’écureuil (Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges), and La Badessa (Puccini’s Suor Angelica), among others. Lyndsay holds a Master of Music in Voice from The Cleveland Institute of Music, as well as a Bachelor of Music in Voice and Bachelor of Arts in Painting from DePauw University. Regionally, Lyndsay has also regularly appeared as an alto soloist in concert works, including Handel’s Messiah, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Beethoven’s Mass in C Minor and Choral Fantasy, and most recently, Christopher Tin's The Drop That Contained the Sea. She currently serves as Education & Community Engagement Director for Indianapolis Opera, resides locally with her husband and two border terriers, and, also a sought-after painter in her other life, Lyndsay specializes in oil painting and portraiture. |