APPRENTICE PROGRAM - 2015

Mezzo-soprano Micaëla Aldridge was recently named a North Carolina District Winner of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions; later this year, she makes her Nashville Opera debut, appearing as Miss Jessel in their upcoming production of The Turn of the Screw. With MMF, Micaëla performed the role of Le Prince Charmant in the 2015 production of Cendrillon.

WAGNER INSTITUTE - 2017

Soprano Elizabeth Baldwin recently made her house and role debut with Municipal de Santiago Opera Nacional de Chile, singing the title role in Norma. Upcoming engagements include Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Sarasota Orchestra – Elizabeth will be featured as the Soprano soloist in this seminal work. With the MMF Wagner Institute in 2017, Elizabeth performed the role of Sieglinde in Die Walküre.

APPRENTICE PROGRAM - MMF 2017

Soprano Bizhou Chang spends the 2019-20 season as an Artist in Residence with Pensacola Opera, where she will perform the role of Zerlina in their production of Don Giovanni. In past seasons, Bizhou has performed a number of leading roles, including the titular role in Madama Butterfly with the Brevard Music Center. With MCMF, Bizhou appeared as the Countess in the festival’s 2017 production of Le nozze di Figaro.

APPRENTICE PROGRAM - 2018
WAGNER INSTITUTE - 2019

Tenor Patrick Cook makes his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2019-20 season, appearing as the Master of Ceremonies in Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame, and covering the role of Haushofmeister in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. Patrick made his European debut in 2019, singing François in Bernstein’s A Quiet Place at Theater Aachen in Aachen, Germany. In 2018, he debuted with Washington National Opera, performing the Kronprinz in Kevin Puts’ Silent Night. With MCMF, Patrick sang the role of Bacchus (Ariadne auf Naxos) and covered the roles of Siegmund (Die Walküre) and Lohengrin (Lohengrin) for the 2018 Festival.

APPRENTICE PROGRAM - 2015, 2016

Soprano Betsy Diaz has recently been heard as an Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera, covering the roles of Micaëla in Carmen and Leonora in Il Trovatore. In 2018, Betsy was a Finalist in the Deborah Voight International Vocal Competition, hosted by Vero Beach Opera. With MMF, Betsy performed the roles of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (2015) and Mimì in La bohème (2016).

APPRENTICE PROGRAM - 2014

Soprano Jessica Fishenfeld was recently named a Semi-Finalist in the 2019 Lotte Lenya Competition; earlier in the 18-19 season, she debuted with On Site Opera in their production of The Tale of the Silly Baby Mouse. Later this year, Jessica will join the Savannah VOICE Festival as a Festival Artist in Residence. With MMF, Jessica appeared as Susanna in the 2014 production of Le nozze di Figaro.

Apprentice Program - 2018

Soprano Kathryn Grumley won First Place in the 2019 National Opera Association Vocal Competition, Artist Division.  Most recently at MMF, Kathryn performed as Magda in Puccini’s La Rondine. 

Apprentice Program - 2017

Tenor Roy Hage is currently in residence at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, where he has performed as Alfredo in La Traviata and the Duke in Rigoletto, among other iconic roles.  In 2018, Roy sang the title role in The Tales of Hoffmann at the Aspen Music Festival; Roy brought his portrayal of Hoffmann to MMF in 2017.

Apprentice program - 2017

Bass Jeremy Harr has been named a Winner of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions – Capitol District; he will sing in the Regional finals in early 2020.  Jeremy spent the summer of 2019 as part of the Wolf Trap Opera Studio Artist Program, where he performed the role of the Lackey in Ariadne auf Naxos, and covered Basilio in The Barber of Seville.  In 2017, Jeremy performed the title role in Le nozze di Figaro with MCMF.

Wagner Institute - 2017

Bass Soloman Howard has upcoming performances on some of opera’s great stages, including The Metropolitan Opera (Aida) and Santa Fe Opera (La bohème).  A graduate of the Washington National Opera Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, Soloman has been seen in myriad roles at the Kennedy Center, including Frederick Douglass/Martin Luther King Jr. in the world premiere of the revised edition of Philip Glass’ Appomattox.  In 2017, Soloman performed as Hunding in excerpts from Die Walküre with the MMF Wagner Institute.

Apprentice Program - 2014

Baritone Aaron Keeney has been selected for the Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice Artist program and will perform with the company as part of their 2019 festival season.  He has recently appeared with Opera NEO (Guglielmo, Così fan tutte) and Opera Naples (Belcore, L’elisir d’amore).  With MMF, Aaron sang the role of Count Almaviva in the 2014 production of Le nozze di Figaro.

Apprentice Program - 2017

Mezzo-soprano Theresa Kesser has been selected for the Wolf Trap Opera Studio Artist Program, where she will cover the roles of the Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos, and Berta in The Barber of Seville.  In 2017, Theresa performed the role of Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with MMF.

Apprentice Program - 2014, 2015

Opera News hailed Ms. Latini “a generous performer [with] winning personality and a sound both luscious and supple, exuding charm.”

The 2018-2019 season and beyond includes her Canadian debut with Calgary Opera, appearances with Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Atlanta Opera as Teresita in Francesca Zambello’s production of West Side Story. She will then join the Benenson Young Artist Program at Palm Beach Opera where she will cover Violetta in La Traviata and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and sing Sally in Die Fledermaus. Also in 2018, Ms Latini was named a National Semi-Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In the summer of 2019, Ms. Latini will return to the Glimmerglass Festival where she will sing the role of Rosina in The Ghosts of Versailles as well as cover the roles of Magnolia in Show Boat and Violetta in La Traviata.

Apprentice Program - 2017

Bass Seunghee Lee has been selected for the Chautauqua Opera Young Artist Program this summer, where he will perform in all three of their festival productions.  In 2017, Seunghee performed the role of Dr. Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with MMF.

Apprentice Program - 2014

Soprano Laura León recently appeared in Frida with Florida Grand Opera; as a member of the FGO Resident Artist Program, Laura sang Frasquita in Carmen and covered principal roles in Don Pasquale and The Passenger.  Earlier this season, Laura performed all four heroines in Opera Orlando’s production of The Tales of Hoffmann – the Orlando Sentinel praised her performance as that of a “dynamo…she sparkles, seduces and languishes.”  With MMF, Laura appeared as The Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte as part of the 2014 festival.

Studio Program- 2018

Soprano Brea Marshall was recently accepted into the 2019 Glimmerglass Young Artist Program. Brea was a member of the MMF Studio Programin 2018, where she performed the role of Fraarte in Radamisto.

Apprentice Program - 2016, 2017

Bass Cory McGee joins the acclaimed Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for their 2019 season; he spent the summer of 2018 as a Studio Artist with Wolf Trap Opera, where he performed as La Voce in Idomeneo.  Cory is well known to MMF audiences, having appeared in many roles throughout the 2016 and 2017 seasons, including Colline in La bohème and Reverend Hale in The Crucible.

Apprentice Program - 2017

Mezzo-soprano Kaitlyn McMonigle is currently in residence with Shreveport Opera, where she performs the roles of Anita in West Side Story and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly during the 2018-2019 season.  Kaitlyn spent the summer of 2018 as a Santa Fe Young Artist, where she was seen as La Madre in Madama Butterfly.  In 2017, Kaitlyn performed the role of Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking with MMF.

Apprentice Program - 2017

Mezzo-soprano Megan Moore will appear as Mercédès in Carmen at Opera Naples as part of their 2018-19 season; in the fall of 2019, she is bound for the lauded Juilliard School, where she will pursue her Artist Diploma in Opera Studies.  With MMF, Megan performed the role of Niklausse in The Tales of Hoffmann for the 2017 festival season.

Wagner Institute - 2017, 2018

Soprano Megan Nielson is making her name singing opera’s iconic women – she has recently performed the title role in Tosca (Opera Ithaca, Regina Opera), Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly (Regina Opera) and has upcoming performances of Mimì in La bohème (Opera Ithaca, Symphony of the Mountains).  Megan appeared with the MMF Wagner Institute in 2017 and 2018, performing 3rd Norn in Götterdämmerung and Elsa in Lohengrin.

Apprentice Program - 2016

Mezzo-soprano Isabel Signoret joins Wolf Trap Opera’s Studio Artist program for their 2019 season – she will cover the roles of Rosina in The Barber of Seville and Concepcion in Ravel’s L’heure espagnole.  With MMF, Isabel performed the role of The Child in L’enfant et les sortilèges as part of the 2016 festival season.

Apprentice Program - 2014

Mezzo-soprano Marissa Simmons has been selected for the Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice Artist program and will perform with the company as part of their 2019 festival season.  In past seasons, Marissa has appeared as an Apprentice Artist with Charlottesville Opera and a Voice Fellow with Music Academy of the West.  With MMF, Marissa sang the role of La Zelatrice for the festival’s 2014 production of Suor Angelica.

Apprentice Program - 2014

Soprano Christine Suits returned to Miami this season, where she performed the iconic title role in Lucia di Lammermoor with Miami Lyric Opera – her performance was met with great critical acclaim.  South Florida Classical Review hails Christine as a “…tremendously gifted young soprano [who] may be headed for leading roles in major houses.”  With MMF, Christine performed the role of Pamina in Die Zauberflöte as part of the 2014 festival.

Apprentice Program - 2018

Mezzo-soprano Wan Zhao is headed to the Chautauqua Opera Young Artist Program this summer, where she will perform in ¡Figaro! (90210) and The Ghosts of Versailles.  In 2018, Wan performed the role of Cherubino in The Ghosts of Versailles with MMF.