Who is who in The Medium
German-Indian American mezzo-soprano Nandani Sinha (Madame Flora-Baba) has been praised for her commanding stage presence, rich vocal color, and deeply expressive artistry. Her international career has taken her to the stages of LA Opera, New York City Opera, Opéra-Comique in Paris, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, South African National Opera, Dublin Opera, and the No. 1 Ladies’ Opera Festival, with appearances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Pasadena Playhouse, Broadway, Of- Broadway, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. She is an International Liszt Competition prize winner, Metropolitan Opera Regional Finalist, and Opera Buffs Competition Award recipient.
Beyond the stage, Nandani served as a Senior Artist with LA Opera’s Community and Education Department and has worked as a vocal coach for Disney and Disney on Broadway. She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Music Heals Minds, a nonprofit harnessing the restorative power of singing to support individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury, and chronic illness.
Nandani earned her Bachelor of Music, cum laude, from Cornell University and her Master of Music from California State University, Los Angeles. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education at Johns Hopkins University, where her research explores music, memory, identity, and quality of life. She is delighted to take on the haunting and dramatically formidable role of Madame Flora—Baba—in Menotti’s The Medium.
Kristin McGinnis (Madame Flora-Baba cover) 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.
New Jerseyan soprano Samantha Rosenberg (Monica) is praised for her “rounded tone” and natural acting ability. A winner of the 2026 CSUN Aria Competition, she received Honorable Mention at the 2026 Gwendolyn Roberts Young Artist Auditions, presented by the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS-LA). She is also a two-time Village Voices Chorale scholarship recipient (2025, 2026) and a member of The Opera Buffs, Inc.
This past summer, Rosenberg made her international debut at the prestigious American Institute for Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria, where she was awarded one of the program’s top scholarships. During her time in Graz, she performed selections from Mozart and Beethoven with full orchestra. Her performance credits span both soprano and mezzo-soprano repertoire, including Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Jenny Diver (The Threepenny Opera), Mathurine (L’ivrogne corrigé), First Maiden (Daphne), and The Wife (The Juniper Tree). Active in the Los Angeles opera scene, she has performed with LA Opera Connects, Independent Opera Company, Valley Opera and
Performing Arts, and Guild Opera Company. Rosenberg specializes in 20th-century American art song and Golden Age musical theatre, frequently performing selections from the Great American Songbook. Raised by a bandleader and a dancer, she developed an early passion for the performing arts, which continues to inspire her work as a singer,
songwriter, and dancer. Rosenberg holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from California State University, Northridge, where she is currently completing her Master of Music under the guidance of Broadway veteran Diane
Ketchie-Saar.
SONNY LIRA (TOBY) is honored to join Independent Opera Company. A Los Angeles-based actor and producer, his stage credits include Richard III, Iago, Hamlet, and most recently, Friar Lawrence in Romeo + Juliet at The Hanover Repertory Theatre in Massachusetts. He is the founder of Hyperactive Studios, where he has produced numerous films and Shakespeare productions. His work as a choreographer includes serving as a guest choreographer at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica. As a dancer, Sonny is a member of Keshet Dance Ensemble and has trained extensively in modern, tap, and ballet. He is deeply passionate about Opera and the enduring tradition of stagecraft, and is incredibly grateful to Liza Barskaya and Independent Opera Company for the opportunity to be part of this production. IG@sonnylira
Laura Barrows (Mrs. Gobineau/Monica cover) is thrilled to be joining Independent opera company once again. She has received her Bachelors of Music from Cal State University Northridge. She has most recently appeared as the Wardrobe in Beauty and the beast with Actors Repertory Theater of Simi Valley and Papagena in Landmark Opera’s production of The Magic Flute. Laura has played many roles with VCGSRC including Utopia (Zara) , The Pirates of Penzance(Mabel), Patience(Patience), The Sorcerer(Aline) and Yeoman of the Guard (Elsie). With The Musician Club she performed in Dido and Aeneas (Belinda). She has been a part of Riverside lyric opera in Amahl and the night visitors, Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, and HMS Pinafore. She has performed in many musicals including A Little Night Music, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Cabaret, Gypsy, Pippin and Into the Woods. She is excited to be joining this cast and crew and is grateful for this wonderful opportunity.
Frederic Lee (Mr. Gobineau) is a veteran performer in the classical arts world, specializing in both voice and piano. As an operatic baritone he has performed the title role of Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, villains Lindorf and Coppelius in The Tales of Hoffmann, Samuel in Un Ballo in Maschera, Hosie in Cold Sassy Tree, and both JJ Peachum and Tiger Brown in The Threepenny Opera. He has also covered the roles of Tonio in Pagliacci, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, and Don Giovanni. Frederic holds a M.M. in vocal performance from Cal State Northridge and a B.A. from Rice University where he double-majored in piano performance and Asian studies. As a chorister and collaborative pianist, he has had the opportunity to perform at several prolific venues in the US including Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in New York, and the Music Center at Strathmore in Maryland. International engagements include performances in Salzburg, Vienna, Berlin, Padua, Shanghai, Taipei, and Tokyo.
Amanda Laughlin Merritt (Mrs. Nolan) is a soprano from Cleveland, Ohio. In 2020, she graduated with honors from Barnard College of Columbia University where she focused her studies on 20th century and contemporary Irish language opera and art song. Her most recent operatic roles include The Narrator (cover) in The Tell-Tale Heart (Jarrar), Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, L’enfant in L’enfant et les sortilèges (Ravel), Eithne in Eithne (O’Dwyer), and La Fée in Cendrillon (Viardot). Offstage, Amanda is a stage manager and has worked on productions for organizations including Huntington Middle School and Modern Opera Company. She also serves her community as an interpretive volunteer at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and as a USA Archery certified instructor with Woodley Park Archers.
Liza Barskaya (Stage Director) is a Los Angeles-based stage director, choreographer, and dancer. She trained in Southern California and attended summer programs with American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, and Ballet Austin before joining Ballet Austin’s Professional Division as a trainee in 2010. She later spent several years living and performing in New York City before returning to Los Angeles.
As a performer, she has worked with companies including Benita Bike’s DanceArt, American Swiss Ballet, Dances Patrelle, and Los Angeles Choreographers and Dancers. Her background in dance strongly informs her work in opera and theater, shaping movement, storytelling, and visual rhythm on stage.
Barskaya has been involved with Independent Opera Company since 2015 and currently serves as its Resident Stage Director and Choreographer. Her directing and choreography credits with the company include The Love for Three Oranges, Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Anna Bolena, and other productions spanning the company’s recent seasons.
Most recently, she made her Off-Broadway directorial debut as choreographer and co-director of Gunfight at the Not-So-OK Saloon with Brooke deRosa and Trial Run Productions in New York City. She previously collaborated with Trial Run Productions on Alice in Wonderland as choreographer and co-director.
She is thrilled to direct The Medium once more which is one of her favorite operas
Salette Corpuz is a costume designer and stylist whose work spans television, opera, and international commercial projects. Her design approach seamlessly blends her fashion and styling background to create expressive, character-driven costumes while establishing a cohesive palette across the stage picture. Committed to circularity and sustainable practices, she brings depth of experience paired with openness to fresh, futuristic ideas. For Independent Opera Company she has designed costumes for multiple seasons, including the recent productions of Die Kluge and L'elisir D'Amore. Other theatrical credits include: Cassatt currently at Theater West and Die Fledermaus with Pacific Opera Project (POP). She has also styled major live fashion events with luxury brands such as St. John, Range Rover, and Porsche.
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