introducing Die Kluge wonderful creative team!

Stage director and mezzo-soprano Rae Shrum (Stage Director) brings a singer-centered, musically driven approach to operatic storytelling. Her directing credits include The Stone Guest (Independent Opera Company, 2024) and Werther (NELA Opera Collective, 2022), where she has been recognized for her collaborative, performer-empowering rehearsal process.

Praised for her “agile and enticing” voice and dynamic stage presence, Shrum maintains an active performance career with recent role debuts including Giovanna in Anna Bolena, L’Opinion Publique in Orphée aux enfers, Charlotte in Werther, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Mercédès in Carmen, and Hänsel in Hansel and Gretel. She has performed with Pacific Opera Project, Opera San Luis Obispo, Long Beach Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Bellflower Symphony, Leipziger Kammerchor, and the Long Beach Camerata Singers among others. She spent a formative year in Leipzig, Germany, studying under internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Elvira Dreßen and currently continues her training with L.A.-based pedagogues Sunjoo Yeo and Reid Bruton.

Offstage, Rae serves as Executive Director of Source/Filter Music Collective and cofounder of NorthStar Studios Marketing Solutions. 

As a classical singer, Omar Alejandro (The King) has performed as a soloist at The Vatican,

The Emperor’s Residenz Palast in Salzburg, El Escorial in Spain, and Carnegie Hall.

His operatic highlights include the roles of The Pirate King, Le Dancaïre, and Sergeant

Gomez (Zorro) with Opera Santa Barbara. With Pacific Opera Project, The

Lamplighters, and Santa Cruz Opera Project, he has sung the roles of Count Almaviva,

Sir Despard, and Gabriel Eisenstein, among others.

Omar’s viral mariachi career has led him to perform for UNESCO, the Giants

stadium, and the Día de Muertos Festival of Jiquílpan, Michoacán. His development of a

new genre of mariachi-fusion has garnered Omar Alejandro over 1 million streams of his

music, and over 170 thousand followers. omaralejandrorodriguez.com

Michael Payne ( The Peasant) is a bass whose performances are rooted in Bel Canto clarity, bringing a commanding presence and expressive musicianship to operatic and concert repertoire. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2017 and has appeared with companies including Ozark Lyric Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Manhattan Opera Studio, and ndependent Opera Company.

Recent roles highlight the breadth of his artistry, from the grounded authority of Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte) and Raimondo (Lucia di Lammermoor), to the dark intensity of Sparafucile (Rigoletto), and the vivid character work of Tchélio (The Love for Three Oranges). He has also appeared as Peneios (Daphne) and Leporello (The Stone Guest), showcasing his versatility

across styles and dramatic worlds.

In addition to his stage work, Payne serves as bass section leader at Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica, where he brings the same musical leadership and commitment to sacred repertoire. He holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in vocal performance and is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Vocal Performance at Claremont Graduate University (CGU).

Elise Walters (The Clever Maiden - peasant's daughter) is a soprano whose work spans opera, operetta, and music theater. She recently performed the title role in Cendrillon with Opera Modesto as part of a Central Valley children’s tour and literacy initiative. She is currently appearing with Storybook Theatre, where she performs through June. This summer, Elise joins Utah Musical Festival as a cover for Ginsburg in Scalia/Ginsburg and appears in Gilbert and Sullivan favorites including The Pirates of Penzance and Trial by Jury. In October, she will join Opera San Luis Obispo as Yum-Yum in The Mikado.

Ethan Miller (The Jailer), bass-baritone, is a Missouri native and current graduate student at

California State University Northridge. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Missouri Columbia. Mr. Miller currently studies under Dr. Hugo Vera, previously studying under Christina Ray. Most recently Mr. Miller took part in Lawrence Opera Theatre’s (LOT) production of Don Giovanni as the understudy for Masetto. During his time with LOT he also took part of the regional premiere of The Path to Heaven playing Kapo. Ethan has played

and understudied for many roles such as Antonio, Bartolo, Le Count and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Don Magnifico from La Cenerentola, and Demetrious from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Kirk Garner (The Man with the Donkey) is a singer and actor in the Los Angeles area. His diverse experience in opera, musical theater, voice acting, and chamber music allows him to present his gifts in a wide range of outlets.

Outside of music and acting, Kirk loves adventure, gaming, and meditation. His favorite place in the world is the coastal redwood forests of Northern California.

Jamie Sanderson (The Man with the Mule), baritone, possesses a voice that critics have described as “mellifluous” and “commanding.” He is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area but now resides in Los Angeles and performs with many local opera companies. He recently premiered the role of Administrator Taylor in Daniel Kessner’s The Camp. He also recently performed the role of Count Gil in Wolf-Ferrari’s Il Segreto di Susanna, as well as Ben in Menotti’s The Telephone. Other roles include Marullo in Verdi’s Rigoletto, The Wolf in Cesar Cui’s Little Red Ridinghood, and Leadre in Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges. Jamie is also a Fox singer in the Verdi Chorus of Santa Monica and has gone on tour to Japan with the Roger Wagner Chorale. Jamie earned a Master of Music from the Peabody Institute in 2019 and a Bachelor of Music from the University of California, Irvine in 2016.

First Vagabond LA-based soprano Chandler E. Cummings (she/her) grew up in northern Michigan and received her BA in music & psychology from Wellesley College. A passionate student of opera, Chandler has studied and performed in Europe, Asia, and across North America. Recent concert highlights include performances with Source/Filter Music Collective, featuring works by Bernstein, Shostakovich, Puccini, Bizet, and more. Some of Chandler's favorite previous roles

include Mimi in La bohème, the title role in Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience, and Baker's Wife in Into the Woods. Chandler is interested in all things art, nature, and sustainability, and is a passionate animal rights advocate.

Second Vagabond Britta Sterling is an LA based zwischenfach soprano, who has performed in operas and operettas with various companies around Los Angeles, including with Independent Opera Company, Mesopotiaman Opera, Mission Opera, Glendale Centre Theater, Opera en Castellano, Cal State Los Angeles Opera Theater, Celestial Opera Company, Opera Ala Mode and CSU Northridge Opera Theater. She has performed as a featured soprano soloist and chorister with the Roger Wagner Chorale on their Goodwill Heritage Tour of Japan and South Korea.

Third Vagand Kristin McGinnis is a graduate student at California State University Northridge and is excited to be performing with Independent Opera Company again! Through her time at California State University Northridge she has been able to sing roles such as Cherubino in Le Nozze Di Figaro, Miss Todd in Old Maid and the Thief, Mrs. Peachum in The Three Penny Opera, and Madame la Croissy in Dialogues of the Carmelites. She has also been in the US premiers of Cenicientaaa...! playing the Stepmother and Marea Roja playing Kassandra Aucencia. Outside of her education, Kristin teaches voice and piano privately and performs in ensembles across the LA area including Independent Opera Company and Guild Opera where she was in the world premiere of Luke and Sarah as Ma McBeam.