Introducing Lucia di Lammermoor wonderful cast!

Lucia - Brooke Iva Lohman

Hailed as “witty, adorable, and one to watch” (Singerpreneur), soprano Brooke Iva Lohman is an active recitalist and performer throughout California. Lauded for her clear, high range, crisp, clean fioritura, and moving character portrayals, she is quickly gaining attention as an adept interpreter of some of the most demanding coloratura repertoire for soprano. Ms. Lohman has sung with many Southern California opera companies, including LA Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Pacific Opera Project, Glendale Opera, Orange County Opera, Mission Opera, Independent Opera, and Pacific Lyric Association. Notable performances include Brigitta (Iolanta), Dew Fairy (Hansel and Gretel), Frasquita (Carmen), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Monica (The Medium), the title role in the West Coast premiere of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snow Maiden (Snegúrochka), Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte), Olympia (Les contes d’Hoffmann), Atalanta (Serse), and Madame Goldentrill (Der Schauspieldirektor). No stranger to the modern repertoire, Brooke has performed the works of local composers. Most recently, she performed the role of Ticie Pruett in Nathan Wang's On Gold Mountain with LA Opera Connects at the Huntington Library's Chinese Gardens. In Winter of 2020, she sang "Activist One" in the premiere of Andrew Leggett's opera scene, "You may forget but let me tell you this: someone in some future time will think of [...]" an opera in stolen quotations, inspired by the life and work of Valerie Solanas. She was also set to premiere the lead role in Peter Wing Healey's The Tree, with Mesopotamian Opera (COVID cancellation). Ms. Lohman’s upcoming performances include Gilda (Rigoletto), her international operatic debut in Berlin singing Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), Servilia (La clemenza di Tito), and returning to LA Opera Connects to sing in their community outreach performance of Who Wants to Be an Opera Singer? at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Brooke was named a finalist in the Music International Grand Prix for 2022 and was the CalWestern Region Winner for the 2020 NATS Artist Awards competition, receiving the Irvin Bushman Award. She is a recipient of the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust grant, the Opera Buffs grant, the Opera Guild of Southern California scholarship, the Northridge Arts Council scholarship, and is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda. She received a MM in Vocal Performance from California State University, Northridge, a BM in Vocal Performance from California Baptist University. She lives in beautiful Pasadena, CA with her husband and three cats (Freddie, Felix, and Lili). For more information, please visit www.BrookeIvaLohman.com

Brooke would like to dedicate this performance to her Dad, Barry Lohman.

Edgardo - Xavier Prado

Xavier Prado is a Chilean-born tenor who has received numerous accolades for his exceptional singing. He was a finalist and grant winner at the2023 Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition, finalist at the 2023 Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition, and has won numerous awards including the Audience Choice Award and one of the top three prizes at the 2022 Palms Springs Opera Guild Vocal Competition. He has also been recognized as a finalist at the 2023 Pasadena Vocal Competition, and as a finalist and Robinson award winner at the 2023 Mary Jacobs Singers of the Year Competition. In 2019-20, he won the Beverly Hills National Auditions.

Mr. Prado's performances have been described as possessing "truly stunning acting and vocals." He has starred in leading roles in various new works and world premiers such as Don Quixote in the opera Dulcinea XL by Juan Colomer, which was performed in January of 2019 with the Los Angeles Grand Ensemble under the direction of maestro Ignazio Terrasi. He made his film debut in 2018 with the lead role in an American television miniseries, and performed the role of Ruodi in Guillaume Tell with Opera Southwest, which was broadcast across the United States.

 As a Studio Artist in Sarasota Opera during their 2016-17season, he performed dozens of concerts and lead role covers as well as the role of Le Premier Commissaire in Poulenc’s Les Dialogues des Carmélites. At Opera San Jose he sang roles in Le Nozze di Figaro and Streetcar Named Desire, as well as the role of Lindoro in L’Italiana in Algeri.

 Mr. Prado has performed as a soloist in a wide range of repertoire with various opera companies and orchestras including the Palms Springs Opera Guild, Opera Buffs, California Philharmonic, The Lyric Opera of Orange County, Golden State Pops Orchestra, Pocket Opera, The Rousse Philharmonic in Bulgaria, Livermore Valley Opera, Santa Barbara Choral Society, Cameretta of Los Angeles, Mission Opera, The Valley Opera and Performing Arts, The Huntington Beach Symphony, Antelope Valley Symphony and Master Chorale, Ridgecrest Opera Guild, Pacific Palisades Symphony, Opera en Castellano, Independent Opera Company, and the Pacific Lyric Association.

 In 2020, through the Consortium of Music Presenters of Southern California, he presented a recital series throughout Southern California. His last public appearance in 2020 was in March, as the tenor soloist for Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at The Soraya Hall with the CSUN Symphony and a grand union of chorales. In late 2021 he made his return to the post-pandemic opera stage in Il Barbiere di Siviglia as Count Almaviva with the Huntington Beach Symphony & in the title role in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Kaschey The Deathless with Independent Opera Company.

 Recent performances include the title role in Gounod's Faust with Huntington Beach Symphony, Romeo in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette in several productions, including those by Mission Opera, Valley Opera and Performing Arts, and the Lyric Opera of Orange County. Some upcoming performances include his participation in the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Italy, in the opera Il Viaggio a Reims as part of the Academia Rossiniana “Alberto Zedda” in the Summer of 2023, and as the title character in the opera Zorro by Hector Armienta with Opera Santa Barbara in 2024.

Enrico - Edward Tavalin

Edward Tavalin is a baritone from the Santa Cruz Mountains in California. He's now based in Los Angeles after pursuing his graduate studies at CSU Northridge under the tutelage of Shigemi Matsumoto. While at CSUN, Edward performed roles including Guglielmo in Così Fan Tutte, Marcello in La Bohème, and Frank Maurrant in Street Scene, among others. Concurrently while at CSUN, he performed with Opera Modesto as Schaunard in La Bohème, the Cabrillo Stage Summer Musical Festival as the Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance, and the Ensemble Monterey Chamber Orchestra as King Melchior in a new work called Befana: a Christmas Fable, among others. Since leaving CSUN, he has again sung Marcello with the Macbeth Summer Concert Series in Maine, Alidoro in Cenerentolla (English) in a three month education tour with Portland Opera, and Sharpless (Cover) in Madama Butterfly with Lakeland Opera in Lakeland, Florida. After Lucia di Lammermoor, Edward will return to Portland Opera for a new opera workshop, followed by a return to Opera Modesto as Angelotti and a Jailor in Tosca, and closes the 23/24 season with the Santa Cruz Opera Project as Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus. 

Alisa - Julia Powers

Mezzo-Soprano, Julia Powers, is an adaptive artist of opera, oratorio, and choral repertoire. She is returning to Independent Opera Company after debuting Countess Ceprano in Verdi’s Rigoletto and Princess Nicoletta in Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges during their 2022-2023 season. 

Since relocating to the West Coast, she has appeared as the Alto Soloist with I Cantori di Carmel in their productions of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Mozart’s Requiem. She joined the LA Master Chorale in collaboration with the LA Philharmonic for Salonen’s Karawane and Ravel’s Daphnis et Cloé in December 2023. Her online performance credits include Opera Cecilia’s virtual Crossover Cabaret YouTube series, Rossini’s La Regata Veneziana in Mousaverse’s Young Artist Recital series, and recording Dryad in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos for release in Mousaverse’s virtual reality platform.

Ms. Powers holds a bachelor's degree in Music Education from Stephen F. Austin State University and a master’s degree in Vocal Performance from Baylor University. She has been an Emerging Artist with I Cantori di Carmel, Seagle Festival, Opera in the Ozarks, Chicago Summer Opera, Red River Lyric Opera, and Utah Vocal Arts Academy.

Arturo - Alex Perkins

Alex Perkins, tenor, has always had a passion for music. Alex studied voice at El Camino College in their Applied Music Program under the tutelage of Rhona Klinghofer, M.M., Julliard, and was a featured soloist with the El Camino College Orchestra. It was also there where he debuted his first opera role, King Kaspar in Ahmal and the Night Visitors. Alex continues to study voice with Ms. Klinghofer and has since performed with Long Beach Opera in their productions of The Death of Klinghofer and Difficulty of Crossing a Field. He is also an alumnus of the Angel Vocal Arts program under the baton of Kristof Van Grysperre, performing in several of their arts and oratorio recitals. For the past 11 years, Alex has performed with The Ensemble, a South Bay based group of classical singers who produce an annual concert series of opera favorites. In 2023, Alex had the pleasure of working with Source/Filter Music Collective in the Los Angeles debut of Doggone! A Micro Opera by Gary Carpenter, text by Simon Nicholson. Since 2020, Alex has had the pleasure of working with Independent Opera Company in their productions of Die Fledermaus, Puss in Boots, and The Love For Three Oranges.

Raimondo - Michael Payne

Michael Payne is a classically trained bass, based in Los Angeles. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance degree from Lee University (Cleveland, TN) and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance degree from Missouri State University (Springfield, MO). 

He made his Carnegie Hall solo debut with Manhattan Opera Studio in 2017 and was a part of the inaugural Teatro Nuovo (formerly Bel Canto at Caramoor) in 2018. He was an avid performer with Ozark Lyric Opera while living in Springfield, Missouri. 

Memorable roles include Chelio (The Love for Three Oranges), Sparafucile (Rigoletto), Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Bartolo (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Timur (Turandot). Michael currently performs as the bass section leader at Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church and is an adjunct voice faculty member at Cal State University Dominguez Hills. 

Normano - Jacob Walters 

Jacob Walters is a multi-genre vocalist whose youthful, but powerful voice touches the Heart as much as it does the Ear. Having begun training in music at 8 years old, taking lessons in both voice and piano, Walters has developed and refined his musical flexibility and passion for the art form. Throughout his life, he has performed in productions that span the entirety of the classical/contemporary spectrum, including his own compositions and arrangements. In addition to singing and songwriting, he has served as Music Director and Piano Accompanist for several youth theatre companies, including Troubadour Theatre and Gaslight Youth Theatre in Tucson, and Sierra Canyon Dance Studio in Los Angeles. An Arizona native, he received his Bachelor of Music in Voice from The University of Arizona, and recently earned his Master of Music in Voice from California State University, Northridge. He is currently teaching voice and performing in the Los Angeles area. When not partaking in musical projects, you’ll probably find him enjoying a big helping of pasta! Visit him on instagram at @khakijake

Stage Director - Christina Jensen 

Christina Jensen has directed throughout Southern California and North Carolina. She has been a guest director for the University of California, Riverside, stage director for Westmont College, the Resident Stage Director of Redlands Opera Theatre, and stage director/playwright for FCC Players. Lucia di Lammermoor will be her ninth collaboration with Independent Opera Company. Her credits include Rigoletto, Don Giovanni, Snow Maiden, Die Fledermaus, The Gipsy Princess, Roméo et Juliet, Eugene Onegin, Carmen, Gianni Schicchi, La Scala di Seta, Faust, Gallantry, The Telephone, HMS Pinafore, Apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Così Fan Tutte, Aleko, Pygmalion, The Tempest, As You Like It, Trial By Jury, and The Secret Garden. She earned her M.F.A. in Dramaturgy from the American Repertory Theater/MXAT Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University. She has studied under worldrenowned directors and worked with professional and student actors. She has participated in several world premieres, as well as new productions of classic literature. Christina is committed to staying true to opera plots and elevating facets imbedded in the original story. In this manner, she brings a new voice to the production history and upholds her dramaturgical roots.

Lucia cover - Hagar Sara Adam

Hagar Sara Adam, Soprano, is a native of Jerusalem, and has recently moved to Los Angeles. She holds a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance from Binghamton University in New York and a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

This season, Hagar will be singing with Tonality.

Hagar sang leading and supporting roles such as Pamina (Mozart), Adina (Donizetti), Clorinda (Rossini), Suor Genovieffa (Puccini), Noémie (Massenet), Anne Trulove (Stravinsky) and Fata Morgana (Prokofiev), with Tri-Cities Opera, Independent Opera Company, Binghamton University, Harvard Opera, IVAI Tel-Aviv and Boston Conservatory.

Her concert experience includes the Soprano Solo parts in Mozart’s Exsultate, Jubilate and Coronation Mass, Bach’s Magnificat, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, performed in California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York and Israel.

Hagar has recorded voices for several films, including the Israeli Film Academy Award winner for Best Music and Best Sound film ‘Legend of Destruction’.

Upcoming performances include performing with Tonality in their current season, Justice, performing in a choir directed by the award-winner composer, Sharon Farber, and singing with Independent Opera Company.

Michelle Matsumune (Flute)

Hailed as “possessing rich, mellow flute playing, lovely lyrical style, and excellent breath control” by ClassicsToday.com, flutist Michelle Matsumune is a fourth generation Californian and an avid solo and chamber music performer. In addition to concertizing regularly as a soloist, she has released 4 chamber music CDs: Postcards, with the woodwind trio Ceora Winds, two CDs with the Resonance Flute Consort (Flute Tootin’ Yule and Lights, Camera, Flutes!), and Duo Arioso’s flute and harp CD of Medieval music entitled Cantico. Michelle performs as a singer and flautist for both the choral group Wagner Ensemble and the Independent Opera Company. As a soloist, Michelle has performed flute recitals in Europe, Mexico, and throughout the United States, and at music festivals in Mexico City and Geneva, Switzerland. With a strong interest in World Music, she toured as the featured soloist with the Southern California Balinese Gamalan Group as well as with Persian pop singer Moein, and performs as principal flute with VASCAM (Vietnamese American Society for Creative Arts and Music). Michelle has worked closely with many contemporary composers including James Tenney, Eugene Kurtz, Adrienne Albert, Peter Wing Healey, P.Q. Phan and Nancy Bloomer-Deussen. She is married to composer Mat Matsumune, and has premiered all of his flute works. In 2020, Michelle created FluteWave, a YouTube channel dedicated to relaxing flute music, which she composes and records herself. Michelle studied flute with Peter Lloyd at Indiana University and received her MFA at California Institute of the Arts. She is on the faculty at Claremont Community School of Music, coaches flute sectionals in both the Upland and Corona-Norco School Districts and teaches privately.

Chorus: 

Cathy Cagle

Cathy began singing at the age of five and soloing at the age of fourteen. She studied Music, voice, musical theatre, theatre arts, and dance at Fullerton College, where she was twice honored for outstanding voice and received an Associate Arts degree in Liberal Studies. Cathy also studied at South Coast Repertory and Professional Conservatory Theatre. She studied classical voice with Sarah McFerrin and sang in the Fullerton College Master Chorale.  She’s a second place winner of The National Association of Teachers’ Singing, Voice Competition 1996.

She has performed as a soloist with Fullerton Civic Light Opera in Big River, Man of La Mancha and Ragtime; with Yorba Linda Civic Light Opera in THE WIZ; with Downey Civic Light Opera in Showboat; and with Pacific Coast Civic Light Opera in MY FAIR LADY.  She has also performed in productions of Working, Guys & Dolls, Anything Goes, The Death of Bessie Smith, The Robber Bridegroom and Hair.  The famed Gospel Musical Theatre production Don't Get God Started starring actor Torean Black and Gospel singer Vanessa Bell Armstrong at the Beverly Theater.

Miss Cagle’s accomplishments include La Traviata studied the role of Flora/ Chorus with Center Stage Opera. La Boheme, Tosca, at the Redlands Community Summer Musical Festival,  Aida with Opera Pacific, and Orange County Pacific Chorale, Repertory Opera Co. Amelia Goes to the Ball Independent Opera Co. Chorus, the 27th Annual Classical Music Festival, Eisenstadt, Austria, Hayden’s Die Schopfung and Nelsonmesse.  Other projects include the national anthem for the L. A. Rams and appearances in episodes of the television production of Amen starring Sherman Hemsley.

Kyrian Corona

Kyrian Corona performs with and serves as Vice President on the Executive Board of Independent Opera Company. Kyrian began her musical career as co-founder, multi-keyboardist and lead singer in the award winning band Rocky Road. She advanced her music education at Cal State Long Beach and UCLA Extension studying piano performance, film scoring and composition. She later developed and performed in multimedia projects at LACE, Museum of Art Downtown Los Angeles and the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. Kyrian sings with and is President of the Burbank Chorale, one of the oldest musical organizations in the state of California. She also sings with and is on the Executive Board of Wagner Ensemble. She has performed with Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians' Association, Southern California Combined Choirs, and LA Opera’s The the Zarzuela Project, with concerts at Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Zipper Hall, Royce Hall, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, and First Congregational Church of Los Angeles.

Lynn Wang

Lynn Wang is an emerging soprano based in Los Angeles, CA. Previously she has sung in chorus for IOC’s Love for Three Oranges. She has been a soloist with The Opera Ensemble since 2013 under the direction of Rhona Klinghofer. Additionally, she has performed the roles of Cendrillon (Viardot) and Adele (Fledermaus) with Santa Monica College Opera Theater under the direction of Janelle DeStefano and Mercedes Juan Musotto. She is a MM candidate at the California State University of Northridge in the studio of Diane Ketchie, and has sung roles of Musetta and Pamina. Lynn would like to thank all of the generous and brilliant mentors who have opened their hearts and worlds to her over the years. They have all been beautiful catalysts in a journey that at one time seemed impossible.

Rachel Yeo

Rachel Yeo is a classically trained high soprano. A Los Angeles native, she has been an active member of the local performance arts industry since a young age. Past engagements include On Gold Mountain with LA Opera at The Huntington, Puss in Boots, Rigoletto, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Independent Opera Company, and Madama Butterfly with Pasadena Schubertiade. Ms. Yeo is an experienced choral singer and recitalist.

She recently performed as a soloist with Artes Vocales and made her international solo debut as part of the Roger Wagner Chorale’s 2022 Japan Tour. She was a featured artist in the LA Korean Cultural Center’s 2022 Ari Project and in the St. Andrew Catholic Church’s 26-28 th Annual Bach to Broadway Concert series. She is the soprano section leader and soloist at St. Edmund's Episcopal Church. Rachel received her Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Mount Saint Mary’s University where she attended with a full merit scholarship.

Janise Batzdorff

Janice Batzdorff, mezzo soprano, has sung with the chorus for all of the Russian operas presented by Independent Opera Company: The Tsar’s Bride, Aleko, Queen of Spades, Eugene Onegin, The Snow Maiden, and now The Love for Three Oranges. Other productions include Rigoletto, Goyescas, The Bartered Bride, Orfeo, Romeo and Juliet, Don Giovanni, and The Cossack Beyond the Danube. She has also performed with Pacific Opera Project, Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera, and Celestial Opera.

Rae Shrum

Arkansan mezzo-soprano Rae Shrum moved to Southern California in 2015 to pursue her performance career. Since then, she has appeared in productions throughout California, performing for Lyric Opera of Orange County and Pacific Symphony among others. Notable roles include Hansel (Hansel & Gretel), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), Armelinde (Cendrillon), Mercédes (Carmen) and Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus). This year, Rae was selected as a semi-finalist in the Palm Springs Opera Guild competition. Previously she was featured as a principal soloist in Opera Theatre Unlimited 48-Hour Opera Festival. Rae looks forward to upcoming performances with Landmark Opera and Long Beach Camerata Singers. Beyond her vocal artistry, she is also a skilled pianist, actress, and dancer, having been featured in non-singing roles in numerous local productions.In recent years, Rae has sought to use her voice both on and off-stage to connect more audiences with the world of opera and classical music. Outside of performing, Rae also teaches music lessons and serves as Digital Content Manager for Pacific Opera Project. Rae received her Bachelor's of  Music in Performance from Chapman University.

Misha Barsky

Mikhail (Misha) Barsky was born at Kiev, Ukraine. He studied cello and piano.

Also he has degree in choral conducting. He has sung with different kind of choirs(from small to big choirs) and vocal ensembles(classical, jazz, arrange of instrumental music). Presently he sings at Wagner Ensemble(Director: Jeannine Wagner) and choir of St.Mary of the Angels Church(Bass section leader). Mr. Barsky has sung several principal roles with IOC including Sobakin in "Tsar's Bride" and Old Gypsy in "Aleko".

Eli Katz

Eli Katz was born into a family of musicians. He studied violin and piano along with his two sisters, and sang with his Dad. In high school he played Drums and sang in a Rock Band, and even schlepped his drums to cover for his teacher on a wedding gig! His computer and art skill, along with his attention to detail landed him in a coveted position as Artist at Exceptional Minds Studio, where he does post production graphic editing for award winning Major Motion Pictures. However, Eli’s love to perform keeps tugging him back into music. He had the great fortune of being mentored by Jeannine Wagner, who invited him to sing in the Wagner Ensemble which has taken him to Japan, Korea, France and the Czech Republic. 2019 opened up new singing opportunities with Galina Barskaya, and the Independent Opera Company. He has been in Romeo & Juliet, The Gipsy Princess, The Snow Maiden, as Toby in the Medium, The Commendatore in Don Giovanni and The Cook at LA premiere of The Love for Three Oranges.

Greg Moringand

Greg hails from Northern California, where he began studying music and acting in high school. When he’s not working his day job as a Tax Coordinator, he now performs throughout the Los Angeles area with various choral and theatrical organizations, including Pacific Opera Project, LaTiDo Productions, and the new community choir Our Religion Is Music (ORIM). Greg is also an avid swing dancer and has entered numerous competitive events. Lucia di Lammermoor is his first production with Independent Opera Company.

IG: mcgreggy84

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