Meet the Team

FOUNDING FACULTY

Corinn Fulton, General & Theatrical Director

Co-Founder Corinn Fulton has served as Theatrical Director since the inception of Stafford Opera Troupe in 2016. Her natural leadership, passion for education, and sensitive interpretive abilities are supplemented by her performance experience to enrich her prowess as a director. With Stafford Opera Troupe, she has directed Night At The Opera (2016), Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (2017), Viardot's Cinderella (2018), Evan Keene's Much Ado About Nothing (2019) and Strauss's Die Fledermaus, synthesizing the forces of soloists, chorus, dancers, and special effects to great dramatic effect.

Mrs. Fulton currently teaches drama and English at Shirley Heim Middle School in Stafford County. She performs with Lake of the Woods Players, Fredericksburg's Rude Mechanicals and Fredericksburg Theater Ensemble, where she particularly shines in Shakespearean roles. Recent roles include Hero and Beatrice in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Ophelia in Hamlet, Rosalind in As You Like It, Lydia Languish in The Rivals, and Molly Ralston in The Mousetrap. Mrs. Fulton graduated from the New York Film Academy in 2012 and from Liberty University in 2017, where she studied voice with soprano Adelaide Muir Trombetta and frequently performed with Liberty University Opera. On the opera stage, she has performed the roles of Prince Orlofsky in Strauss' Die Fledermaus and Mabel in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. Other productions include The Marriage of Figaro, Pagliacci, and multiple scenes concerts.

Mrs. Fulton resides in Stafford, Virginia with her husband, Sam. They enjoy teaching at the same school and frequently performing together in community theater.

Mrs. Bonita Keene, Administrative Coordinator

Mrs. Bonita Keene recently retired from Stafford County Schools where she taught chorus from 2000 - 2022. Most recently the Director of Choirs at Mountain View High School, she hosted Stafford Opera Troupe for its first four years. She has been an integral part of the program since its beginning.
Upon her retirement from SCPS in 2022, she traveled to Nicaragua where she taught music for one semester at the International Bible Institute of Nicaragua. Once she returned home, she joined the faculty of the University of Mary Washington as an adjunct professor of both Private and Class Voice.
In addition to her involvement with choral programs, Mrs. Keene has also been very committed to theater arts in the area, either directing or performing in many crowd-favorite local shows. Each year, her choral program would perform John Rutter’s The Reluctant Dragon, taking the show to young theatergoers in the local elementary schools. She played in the pit orchestra for performances of Into the Woods at UMW, and numerous shows at NSHS, BPHS and MVHS. She was the musical director for Oliver!, Guys and Dolls, Little Shop of Horrors, Wizard of Oz (twice!), Crazy for You, Once Upon A Mattress, Anything Goes, In the Heights, Pippin, Beauty and the Beast, and Mamma Mia. She has also been the Music Director for CYT’s Aladdin and Singin’ in the Rain. She has directed various All-County and District choral events, and is also very involved in the music program at her church. She is happy to continue as the Administrative Coordinator for SOT, and is excited to see how the program continues to grow, sharing the beautiful world of opera with artists from our community and beyond.
Mrs. Keene is a lifelong resident of Stafford County, where she resides with her husband, Greg. She has two adult children, Evan Keene, and Corinn Fulton, married to Sam Fulton. All three are teachers in Stafford County.

Bree Nichols, Co-Founder & Former General Director

Bree Nichols, Co-Founder of Stafford Opera Troupe, is an operatic soprano, vocal educator, an innovator in community opera advocacy. Last season, she traveled to the Czech Republic to perform Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater before touring the state of Texas as the Fox in Janáček’s Příhody lišky Bystroušky, igniting a passion for Czech opera and art song that began with her 2016 performance as Mařenka in Prodaná nevěsta. Bree recently debuted as Gilda in Rigoletto with Capitol City Opera and is also an avid interpreter of song repertoire, performing Strauss’ Brentano Lieder and Milhaud’s Quatre Chansons de Ronsard in the past season. Her career has taken her to the stages of Symphony of the Mountains, Capitol City Opera, Opera Roanoke, Opera on the James, Appalachian Opera Theatre, and more. Recent roles include Béatrice in Roussel’s rarely performed comic opera Le testament de la tante Caroline, Nedda in Pagliacci, Jennie in Kurt Weill’s Down in the Valley, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Despina in Così fan tutte, and Valencienne in The Merry Widow.

Bree Nichols is a passionate advocate for community opera, where her performance expertise informs her leadership in shaping the next generation of musicians. She is a Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas College of Music, where she teaches a studio of undergraduate voice and music majors. She earned her Master of Music degree from University of Georgia and her Bachelor of Music from Liberty University, whose School of Music noted her as an outstanding alumna in 2018 (Liberty News). During her graduate studies, Bree has taught voice lessons at three universities (Appalachian State University, University of Georgia, and University of North Texas) as well as voice classes and vocal diction for music education majors. She currently calls the state of Texas home, where she lives and frequently performs with her husband, Jason Nichols. Visit Bree's website

2024 FACULTY

Jordan Davidson - Tenor

Dr. Jordan Davidson is excited to bring his musical expertise and professional experience to the SOT team and support the enrichment of Stafford, Fredericksburg, and surrounding communities with opera performance! Stafford, VA holds a special place in his heart having started his public school teaching career here at Brooke Point High School (2017-2022).

A second prize winner of the International Lotte Lenya Competition and other renown honors, Dr. Davidson pursues performance opportunities in opera, operetta, musical theater, concert, and recital while maintaining a full-time teaching position as Director of Choirs, Piano, and Musical Technology at Spotswood High School in the Shenandoah Valley. He has held teaching positions at the University of Mary Washington, University of Virginia, James Madison University, and was Artistic Director and Conductor of the Rappahannock Choral Society from 2018-2022. Jordan holds degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance from SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music (BM ‘12) and James Madison University (MM ‘15 and DMA ‘17).

Dr. Davidson has performed a variety of repertoire with the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the Oratorio Society of Virginia, Opera Saratoga, Fall Island Vocal Arts Seminar, and Charlottesville Opera (formerly Ash Lawn Opera), College Light Opera Company, JMU’s Opera Theatre, and the Crane Opera Ensemble.

Notable stage performances include the title role in Leonard Berstein’s Candide and Gabby in On the Town; Albert in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring and Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream; Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte; Florville in Rossini’s Il signor Bruschino; Dema in Cavalli’s baroque opera, L’Egisto; King Kaspar/Magi in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors and Conte’s The Gift of the Magi; Harrison Howell in Kiss Me, Kate; and two of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most famous tenor roles, Ralph in HMS Pinafore and Nanki-Poo in The Mikado.

Notable concert performances include tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Bach’s Magnificat, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity, Dubois’s The Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ, Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, and Barber’s Prayers of Kierkegaard.

Evan Keene, Bass-Baritone and Composer

Bass-baritone Evan Keene completed his B.S in Music Education at Liberty University in 2018 studying voice with Dr. Wayne Kompelien. While at Liberty Mr. Keene was active in the Opera Workshop program, performing in scenes as Franck in Die Fledermaus, Grandpa in The Tender Land, and Don Bartolo in Barber of Seville. He has performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra and also performed several works with the Roanoke Symphony, including Haydn’s Creation. He is also an accomplished instrumentalist, performing in the Pit Orchestras for the Alluvion Stage Company, MasterWorx Theater, and Academy Center for the Arts Encore Youth Theatre’s Summer Program. Mr. Keene also served as Music Director with the Fredericksburg area’s Rude Mechanicals Shakespeare on the Lawn program, where he arranged, orchestrated and performed with various musical ensembles, both vocal and instrumental. He is a frequent performer with Fredericksburg Theater Ensemble, most recently playing the role of Puck in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream. He is a member of the Chamber Chorale of Fredericksburg, where he sings bass and is a frequent soloist. In 2019, Mr. Keene composed an original opera based on William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was performed by the faculty and students of SOT.

Mr. Keene has been a participant in Stafford Opera Troupe since its inception, both performing in scenes and later teaching voice lessons. He is currently in his sixth year as a music educator in Stafford County Public Schools, and also is a frequent Music Director with Aspire Theater, a local children's community group. He recently received his MA in Professional Media Composition from Thinkspace Education, a part of the University of Chichester in West Sussex, United Kingdom. He is excited to continue as a faculty member with Stafford Opera Troupe.

Mollie Nesaw, Soprano

Mollie Nesaw is excited to join the Stafford Opera Troupe for the 2024 season. She holds a BA in Vocal Performance and Music Education from Virginia Tech, where she studied under Robert Chafin and Brian Thorsett, and a Master's in Education with a focus in music.

While at Virginia Tech, she participated in Opera Workshop classes throughout her undergraduate degree. She also performed in several opera productions including Susanna in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and Gilda in the world premiere of Lori Laitman's The Three Feathers. Mollie taught chorus at AG Wright Middle School in Stafford County for 5 years and currently teaches private voice and piano lessons.

Katherine Preseren, Soprano

Katherine has been teaching choral music for the past 8 years. She earned her BA in music (vocal performance) in 2013 and a Masters of Education from the University of Mary Washington in 2014. She has performed solo and with various groups in the area. She can be seen performing locally in the 90s tribute band Waney Edges.

Bethany James, Collaborative Pianist

At the age of 5, Bethany fell in love with the piano. Her mother was her first piano teacher, and she knew from an early age that music would always be a part of her life. She started playing piano regularly at church at age 13, and it was there that she discovered the joy of serving others through music.

Bethany holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Music Education from Bob Jones University. She has taught high school band, choir, handbells, private piano lessons, and elementary general music. She currently works in the music business industry and serves as an accompanist for local school districts. She is also the accompanist for Chamber Chorale of Fredericksburg. Helping people of all ages develop a lifelong appreciation and understanding of music is her passion!

In addition to piano, Bethany plays the alto saxophone, violin, cello, trombone, flute, and trumpet. Her husband plays the French horn, and their home is always filled with music.

Bethany has a website about her piano work here.

Sam Fulton - Technical Director

Since the first production, Sam Fulton has proven an invaluable asset to the program in multiple capacities. He has built sets, facilitated light and sound design, operated the sound and light boards, assisted with staging, and taught educational seminars for Stafford Opera Troupe. A true jack of all trades, Mr. Fulton's personal resume contains credits for singing, acting, sound and lighting design, and set building. In addition to his work with SOT, he has performed with the Rude Mechanicals, Lake of the Woods Players and Fredericksburg Theater Ensemble. Notable roles include the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, Usnavi in In the Heights Jack Absolute in The Rivals, Giles Ralston in The Mousetrap, and various roles in the annual Shakespeare on the Lawn series at Kenmore. He currently teaches at Shirley Heim Middle School in Stafford, Virginia.

Lauren Terrill, Photographer

Lauren holds a B.A. in Spanish as well as M.A.T in Spanish from Christopher Newport University. Currently, Lauren teaches Spanish I, III, and IV at Mountain View High School. While attending CNU, she sang Alto I and II with CNU’s premier chamber a cappella ensemble, CNU Voices. When Lauren is not teaching or singing, she enjoys both digital and film photography, and is excited to be the official photographer for the SOT 2024 season.

Visit Lauren's website here.

PAST FACULTY

Gabriel Kirby- Tenor

A native of Baltimore, tenor Gabriel Kirby received his bachelors for voice in 2017 from Liberty University. While studying at LU, Gabe was blessed to perform such roles as; Martin in Copland’s Tenderland, El Dancairo in Bizet’s Carmen, Samuel in Pirates of Penzance, and Silvio in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, among others. Currently, he is finishing up his master’s degree in conducting to be completed this fall. In the near future, Gabriel plans to pursue several performance opportunities with hopes to eventually inspire others to do the same. He would like to thank his family for guidance and support and God for instilling a desire to show the beauty of music to others.

Mrs. Kathlyn Kulp, Collaborative Pianist

Kathlyn Kulp is a local music educator and has been privileged to work with students in a variety of choral and musical activities from kindergarten through college. Miss Kulp received a Master of Music degree in Kodaly from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, and has specialized training in organ, voice and biblical studies. Throughout her career she has earned awards in the areas of academic excellence, philosophy and service, including Walmart Teacher of the Year and Delta Epsilon Chi. Her professional experiences have included convention presentations, music festival coordination, service on accreditation and curriculum review teams, and four years of teaching in Honduras, Central America.

When she is not enjoying time with her students, Miss Kulp relaxes with classic mysteries, worship songs, gardening and cooking. Her favorite musicals are “Les Miserables” and “Newsies”. Her life mission is to train young people in musical excellence to glorify God and encourage others. Miss Katie Kulp currently serves as an elementary music specialist and choral director at Fredericksburg Christian Lower School.

Miss Kulp has been a part of the Stafford Opera Troupe team since its founding in 2016, performing as the collaborative pianist in the Summer Opera Program's first ever production, A Night at the Opera. Since then, she has continued to lend her skill at the piano by serving as a rehearsal pianist.

Nicholas Pallesen, Visiting Lecturer

Nicholas Pallesen is a Transformative Coach and Mental Performance Specialist. He has gained respect throughout the performing arts community as the "Coach for the Soul", helping artists thrive on both the biggest performance stages and in their lives offstage. As a performer himself, Nicholas sang at the Metropolitan Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the English National Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, and Oper Köln, among other companies. He is also a winner of many of the major opera competitions in the United States, including the Richard Tucker, George London, and Sullivan Competitions. He is also a former Grand Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, where he was featured in the documentary, “The Audition”.

As a coach, Nicholas is honored to work with a large, international spectrum of clients from high school students to Hollywood and TV actors, Broadway performers, and artists at the top classical music institutions in the world. He regularly presents at many of the top conservatories and young artist programs in the US and UK. He has worked with the Houston Grand Opera Studio Artists and serves as a faculty member for both the New World Symphony and the Wolf Trap Opera Company. To learn more, visit www.nicholaspallesen.com.

Josh Swezey, Tenor

Josh Swezey has been singing and performing from the age of 14. He made his professional debut in musical theater at 17 with Virginia Musical Theatre in Virginia Beach. It wasn't until his junior year at Liberty University that he got roped into doing opera. While at Liberty, he was a part of nine shows in the theater department and two operas with the school of music. This past year, he worked as Co-Music Director with his wife, Katie, at St. John's College in Brantford, Ontario. Now settled back in America, Josh continues to audition and work in the central Virginia area.

Katie Swezey, Soprano

Katie has been studying voice since the age of four, and has sung competitively since the age of seven. This past May she had the honour of winning the Donna Chapin Rosebowl at the Brantford Music Festival in Ontario, Canada. Despite being primarily coached in opera, Katie spent the majority of her teen years being involved in musical theatre. While still in high school, Katie wrote and directed her own theatrical production called "Wonderland". It wasn't until her freshman year at Liberty University that she became involved in opera actively. For the past nine months, Katie has been working as a vocal coach in her home town of Brantford, Ontario, as well as directing vocals for a community production of Bring it On.

Monica Oquendo-Alvarez, Mezzo-Soprano

Monica Oquendo-Alvarez has been performing in classical, contemporary and theater productions since the age of 11. She was a finalist in the Classical Singer Vocal Competition, Top 3 at NATS and was an Irene Ryan Award nominee for her role as “Bloody Mary” in Liberty University's production of South Pacific. Some of her favorite past roles include "Marcellina" in Le Nozze di Figaro and "Annie" in Annie Get Your Gun. Monica is thrilled and grateful to be joining the Stafford Opera Troupe this summer and working alongside so many talented artists.

Ashley Alden, Soprano

Ashley Alden made her New York City role debut as Barbarina in dell’Arte Opera Ensemble’s Le nozze di Figaro as part of their critically acclaimed Beaumarchais Trilogy. Other favorite roles include a Menotti double bill as Monica (The Medium) and Lucy (The Telephone), as well as Tolomeo, under the baton of J. David Jackson, in Giulio Ceasare directed by David Gately through Music Academy International. Ms. Alden recently completed a Professional Studies certificate at Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Marlena Malas. There she performed with the Manhattan School Opera Theater as Julie in their performance of Susa’s Dangerous Liaisons in addition to many performances with the Baroque Aria Ensemble. Ms. Alden received both her Master’s and Bachelor’s from The Catholic University of America where she was honored with the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music Performance Award in recognition of her work as Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus) and Musetta (la bohème) to name a few. While in Washington, DC, she performed with Bel Cantanti Opera as Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Adina (Elixer of Love) and Der Konnigen der Nacht (Die Zauberflote). Recently, Ms. Alden worked closely with Joan Dornemann in her International Vocal Arts Institute held in New York City. In addition to her opera performance, Ms. Alden has performed great vocal works such as Schubert’s Mass in G, The Coffee Cantata, and Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasilieras at Chautauqua Institute with Maestro Arie Lipsky. As a core member of The Mendelsohn Club of Philadelphia she debuted the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning Anthracite Fields by Julia Wolf. She looks forward to performing Mozart’s Laudate Dominum from Vesperae Solemnness di Domenica K321 with Maestro Giovanni Reggioli and the Wintergreen Festival Orchestra.

Christopher Apfelbach, Baritone and Voice Scientist

Christopher Apfelbach has been active in classical singing since 2007, when he joined the Madison Opera chorus, a company he would continue to work with for the next eight years. While earning his bachelor's degree in vocal performance, he also performed with Opera for the Young, the University of Wisconsin Opera, the Madison Choral Project, and Four Seasons Theatre. Later performance credits include shows with the University of Georgia Opera in Athens, GA, and with Capitol City Opera in Atlanta.

Although Mr. Apfelbach continues to perform as opportunities arise, his true passion lies with voice pathology, voice science, and the world of clinical research. After attending the University of Iowa's prestigious Summer Vocology Institute in 2012, Christopher earned a master's degree in speech-language pathology, enabling him to work independently as a voice and speech-language therapist in schools, hospitals, and private practice. Ever eager to keep in touch with the musical world, Mr. Apfelbach has also maintained a private voice studio since 2015 that specializes in working with singers recovering from vocal injuries. He currently attends the University of Delaware as a doctoral student in communication sciences and disorders; clinical and research interests include fluency disorders, paradoxical vocal fold motion, vocal fatigue, muscle tension dysphonia, and the contributions of endocrine pathology to the development and maintenance of voice disorders.

Oleg Bellini, Collaborative Pianist

Oleg Bellini, pianist, was born in Alessandria, Italy. He grew up surrounded by classic music, playing his first concerts as an accompanist to his mother, who is an opera singer. In 2007, Oleg graduated with honors from the Vivaldi Conservatory of Alessandria, where he studied piano; there he was honored with the Ghislieri Award as the conservatory’s preeminent graduate. His studies continued at the Romano Romanini Academy in Brescia, where he studied with Maestro Sergio Marengoni. Oleg performed in masterclasses for Professor Elisso Virsaladze at the Fiesole School of Music and with Maestro Oleg Marshev at the Milano Music Master School. He has attended lectures by Maestro Paolo Restani in La Spezia and Professor Sulamita Aronovsky in London.

Also a decorated competitor, Oleg has been invited to prestigious national and international piano competitions; first place victories include international piano competitions at Oviglio, Rocchetta Tanaro, Terzo d'Acqui, and many more.

Oleg Bellini has performed in concert in several Italian cities including Brescia, Milan, Terzo d'Acqui, Bosco Marengo, and Turin. He taught piano at the Academy of Music in Alessandria from 2010-2012 before relocating to Sweden to study harpsichord at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, where his teacher was Mayumi Kamata.

Bellini is currently earning his Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano at the University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Recent accomplishments include a collaboration with countertenor Rodrigo Sosa Dal Pozzo, with whom he recorded pieces from various musical eras, and playing as the rehearsal pianist for UGA Opera Theatre’s productions of Don Giovanni and Le nozze di Figaro. Oleg joined the SOT team in 2017, performing Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, and returns in 2018 to rehearse and perform Viardot's virtuosic Cinderella (Cendrillon).

Andrew Ellis, Tenor

Lyric tenor Andrew Ellis completed his B.M. at Liberty University in 2013 studying voice with Dr. Wayne Kompelien. While at Liberty Andrew placed first in the 2012 Virginia NATS voice competition, and in 2013 was awarded the distinction of Liberty University Vocalist of the Year. Following graduation, Mr. Ellis sang supporting roles with Opera on the James, Hub Opera Maryland, and Opera Roanoke. He also toured Sicily singing with the Mediterranean Opera Studio and coaching under tenors Salvatore Fisichella and Marcello Giordani.

From 2014 to 2017, Andrew continued his training with acclaimed tenor Rockwell Blake. During this time, Mr. Ellis was featured as the tenor soloist in performances of Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Magnificat, and Schubert’s Mass in G. Returning to the operatic stage last Fall, Andrew debuted as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with Bel Cantanti Opera. Engagements in 2018 have included Tebaldo in I Capuletti E I Montecchi, Sopel in Sadko, and Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor. This year, Andrew will begin his tenure as the tenor-in-residence at UGA Opera Theatre.

Dr. Isaiah Feken, Baritone

Dr. Isaiah Feken, native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, earned his DMA in vocal performance at UGA where he served as a graduate assistant to the UGA Opera dept. since 2014. He completed his MM in vocal performance at UGA in 2016. Before attending UGA, Isaiah received his B.M. in vocal performance from the University of Tulsa in 2014, Magna Cum Laude. Isaiah made his professional debut in 2016 singing Fred Graham in Pittsburgh Festival Opera's production of Kiss me Kate! to critical acclaim. Other roles include the title roles in Gianni Schicchi, Don Giovanni, Sweeney Todd, and The Impresario as well as Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutté, and Count Danilo in The Merry Widow. This summer Isaiah will be giving his debut as Ford in Crested Butte Summer Festival's production of Verdi's Falstaff.

Dr. Rachel Eve Holmes, Soprano

Dr. Rachel Eve Holmes is an American soprano, recently described as “expressive and subtle, with a stunning instrument.” (Capital Times) A Georgia native, Holmes’performing career has taken her to Belgium, China, Italy, Austria, Canada, and the Czech Republic, as well as all over the United States.

Dr. Holmes has performed over twenty-five leading operatic and musical theater roles with many companies and orchestras, including the Arapahoe Philharmonic, Natchez Festival of Music, Opera Lancaster, the Kenwood Symphony Orchestra, Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, Opera Fort Collins, Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, Intermezzo Festival, Opera for the Young, La Musica Lirica, Loveland Opera Theatre, Fort Collins Symphony, St. George Opera, Capitol City Opera, Fresco Opera Theatre, Four Seasons Theatre, Children’s Theater of Madison, the Ralph Opera Center, the Atlanta Community Symphony Orchestra, University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra, and New England Conservatory.

A highly decorated soprano, she is the 2018 First Runner Up of the Orchestra Noir International Golden Medallion Competition, the 2018 Third Place Winner of The American Prize, Women's Art Song and Oratorio, Collegiate Division, winner of the 2017 ACSO Ruth Kern Concerto Competition, the 2016 American Fine Arts Festival Golden Era of Romantic Music International Competition, the 2016 University of Georgia Concerto Competition, the 2016 Atlanta Music Clubs Competition, the 2015 American Protégé International Vocal Competition, the 2015 Roschel Vocal Competition, 2015 Schubert Club Competition, the 2014 Kenwood Symphony Orchestra Concerto and Aria Competition, the 2012 Wisconsin Public Radio Neale-Silva Young Artists Competition, the 2011 Carnegie Hall Weill Hall Young Musicians Concert Competition, the 2010 NATS Graduate Division Competition (Colorado, Wyoming District), and the 2009-2012 Schuyler Grant for Career Bridges, NYC.

Dr. Holmes is the previous student of the late James McDonald, and currently studies with Frederick Burchinal and Kathy Wright. She is a proud member of the Musica Grande Artists Roster. Her career is managed by Samuele Liadi. In addition to performing, Rachel Eve maintains a large voice studio, and is passionate about working with young voices! Many of Rachel's students have gone on to enter Conservatories and state college music programs around the country. Rachel Eve Holmes first joined the SOT faculty in 2017, teaching private lessons, masterclasses, and workshop sessions in addition to starring as Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.

Brett Pardue, Tenor (Visiting)

Since 2016, Brett Pardue has served on the Music Faculty of Lehigh University as the Sametz Artist-in-Residence, acting as Lecturer of Voice Pedagogy and Introductory Voice Seminar classes, instructor of private voice study, and resident tenor soloist for the Department of Music. In 2017, Pardue was invited to join Rowan University’s Department of Music Theatre and Dance as a Collaborative Pianist and Vocal Coach. During his time in the Northeast, Pardue has also performed as a Guest Artist of the National Endowment of the Arts and has served as an Adjudicator for the 2018 New Jersey National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition, hosted at Rowan University.

As a performer, Pardue has been praised by Opera Lively as "a name to be followed," and by D.C. Metro Theater Arts for having "matinee-idol looks and personality, and [singing] equally attractively." Solo performances have included venues such as Carnegie Hall (New York Lyric Opera, 2017), Lincoln Center (Philharmonia of New York, 2018), and Cincinnati Opera, as well as internationally in Italy, Canada, and Japan. In 2019, Pardue will be featured as the leading tenor in a recording project sponsored by the National Opera of Bulgaria in partnership with NAXOS, featuring previously unrecorded works by Johann Strauss.

Pardue has appeared as a guest artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts (Concert Operetta Theatre), Westminster Choir College, Mannes School of Music (International Vocal Arts Institute), and Rutgers University. Pardue has performed as a soloist for the historic Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, and has appeared in concert with the Philharmonia of New York, the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and in recital with Metropolitan Opera’s Jane Klaviter. He holds the following degrees:

Ph.D. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2021 (forthcoming)
Voice Pedagogy Institute; Westminster Choir College, 2018
M.M. Voice Performance; Hugh Hodgson School of Music (UGA), 2016
B.M. Voice Performance & Keyboard Studies; Mars Hill Baptist College, 2014

Rebecca Sacks, Mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Rebecca Sacks is known for her dynamic stage presence, smart musicality, and stylistic versatility. She performs opera and concert repertoire in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Roles have included Medoro in Orlando (Handel), Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni (Mozart), Laura in Iolanta (Tchaikovsky), Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito, Dorabella in Così fan Tutte (Mozart), Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart), Zweite and Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart), the title role in El Gato con Botas (Montsalvatge), Sesto in Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Händel), and Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck). Equally comfortable in concert repertoire, Ms. Sacks has performed as an alto soloist in the Mozart Requiem , Monteverdi's Vespro della beata Vergine, Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, The Messiah, and the Vivaldi Gloria.

In 2017, Ms. Sacks was a semi-finalist in the Orpheus, Jensen, and Giulio Gari competitions. In 2016, she competed in the National Finals of the NATS Artist Awards in 2016, where she received the Herald Stark Award. She additionally won second place in the National Finals of the NATS Student Auditions.. Ms. Sacks was also honored to receive an encouragement award winner at the 2014 Oregon District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. While completing post-baccalaureate work at the University of Oregon, she was a member of the small ensemble that won second place at the National Opera Association’s collegiate scenes competition (graduate division).

Ms. Sacks is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Opera at the University of Georgia under the instruction of Frederick Burchinal and Kathryn Wright.

Gyuyeon Shim, Soprano

For the 2018 engagement, Gyuyeon Shim appears operas as the role of La Fée in P. Viardot’s Cendrillon at the Cambridge Chamber Ensemble in Boston and Stafford Opera Troupe in Virginia, Fiakermilli in Arabella at Pittsburgh Festival Opera as a resident artist and concerts as a soloist in Mozart’s Exultate, jubilate at the Westchester Korean Choral Society in New York and winner recital at Opera Susquehanna in Pennsylvania.

Ms. Shim’s 2016–2017 seasons, her performances included the role of Morgana in Handel’s Alcina at Lyra New York Opera , Poppea in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea at the National Opera Center in New York, La Fée in Massenet’s Cendrillon at the Curtler Majestic hall in Boston, Adele in J. Strauss’ Die Fledermaus at Daegu Opera House in South Korea, and Königin der Nacht in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at the Chautauqua Music Festival. She is also a guest faculty of Stafford Opera Troupe from 2017.

During the 2015-16 seasons featured the role of Dalinda in Handel’s Ariodante, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos at the Chautauqua Music Festival and AIMS, Nella in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at New England Conservatory, Lakmé in Delibes Lakmé at the Opera Delaware and Manhattan School of Music.

Ms. Shim was winner at Connecticut district and got 3rd prize at The Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition, New England Regional Finals in 2016. She previously has winner at Opera Susquehanna Voice Competition, won 1st-prize at The American Protégé International Vocal Competition in 2017, 1st-prize & the Platinum award in 2015 at the Forte International Competition held at Carnegie Hall, and she has also won 2nd-prize in 2014 at an Austrian competition called Meistersinger-Gesangwettbewerb. Ms. Shim received her Bachelor of Music from Korea National University of Arts, Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, and Graduate Diploma from the the New England Conservatory.

Zarah Brock, Soprano

Zarah Brock, soprano, is a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Zarah graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance. While attending VCU, Zarah sang several roles, including Hanna Glawari/The Merry Widow, Casilda/The Gondoliers and First Spirit/Die Zauberflöte. Along with her education at VCU, Zarah has studied at various music festivals. She trained at the late Lorin Maazel’s Castleton Festival and also had the privilege to travel to Oman with the Castleton Festival to sing in La Bohème at the Royal Opera House in Muscat. In addition, she has attended the Atlantic Music Festival and Harrower Summer Opera Workshop. She recently portrayed Lucy/The Telephone and Don Ettore/La Canterina with Old Towne Opera. Zarah is excited to return as a performer and faculty member with SOT this summer. Prior to SOT, Zarah will travel to the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival to sing the role of Zerlina in Don Giovanni this summer. Ms. Brock is pursuing her Master of Music in Opera Performance as a member of the Opera Studio at the University of Maryland under the tutelage of Delores Ziegler. Zarah will perform the roles of Annio/La Clemenza di Tito and Soeur Constance/Dialogues des Carmélites with the Maryland Opera Studio this coming season.

Zarah Brock has been a part of Stafford Opera Troupe since its founding in 2016.