Abduction

BELMONTE: Ryan C. Connelly (tenor)

Ryan is a 2011 graduate from the Masters of Music in Voice Program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Since that time he has sung with companies all over the globe, including Kentucky Opera, where he made his professional debut in 2011 as Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro, followed by appearances as Remendado in Carmen and Njegus in The Merry Widow. Ryan debuted internationally in 2012 singing the role of Florville in Rossini’s Il Signor Bruschino in Spoleto, Italy. In that same year, Ryan performed in the inaugural production of the Queen City Opera, which included lead roles in a double bill of Mozart's Bastien und Bastienne and Der Schauspieldirektor.

Ryan recently sang with Virginia Opera for their 2013-14 season, where he played the roles of Dr. Cajus in Falstaff, Monostatos in The Magic Flute, and Scaramuccio in Ariadne auf Naxos.

Mr. Connelly’s performance is generously sponsored by Marilyn Z. Ott.

OSMIN: Timothy J. Bruno (bass)

Hailed as 'impressive' by Opera News and ‘a vocal triumph’ by KDHX, St. Louis, young bass Timothy J. Bruno has quickly become a sought after performer in the United States. Tim recently sang the role of The Wanderer in Queen City Opera’s production of Siegfried, act 1.

This season Timothy also sings the role of Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Columbus, Elder Ott in Susannah with Toledo Opera, and Kromonov in The Merry Widow with Michigan Opera Theater.

During the summer of 2015, Tim will attend Wolf Trap Opera’s prestigious Filene Young Artist program.

Mr. Bruno’s performance is generously sponsored by Emily Hodges.

PEDRILLO: M. Andrew Jones (tenor)

M. Andrew returns to Queen City Opera after singing the role of Mime in Siegfried, act 1. At Cincinnati Opera, he has performed the role of The Messenger in Aida as well as the Innkeeper in Der Rosenkavalier. Performances of other roles include The Banker in Jennifer Jolley's The Bubble, First Armored Man in Die Zauberflöte, Andrea Cipriani in Evan Mack's The Secret of Luca, Benny "Kid" Paret/Benny Jr. from Champion, Sellem from The Rake's Progress with Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Spoletta from Tosca with Cedar Rapids Opera Company, and Monastatos in The Magic Flute.

Mr. Jones holds an MM in Vocal performance from the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, where he performed the roles of Lennie in Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men and Bardolfo in Falstaff. He holds a BA in Music from Luther College.

Mr. Jones recently sang First Armored Man in Dayton Opera’s production of Die Zauberflöte.

Mr. Jones’ performance is generously sponsored by Tom and Judy Brody in memory of James Brody.

KONSTANZE: Danielle Messina (soprano)

Danielle Messina, soprano, hailed as “a fine actress with a big, bright voice” by Music in Cincinnati, and “limpid-voiced” by Classical Voice America, is looking toward an exciting season. Ms. Messina sang as an Apprentice Artist at Des Moines Metro Opera this past summer, and made her role debut as Zerlina in Opera Western Reserve’s Don Giovanni this fall. She returns to the Kentucky Opera Studio Artist Program for the 2014/2015 season, where she will sing the role of Margarita in Osvaldo Golijov’s Spanish opera Ainadamar with the Lexington Philharmonic, and Lizzy in Daron Hagen’s A Woman in Morocco. In January 2014, Ms. Messina made her main stage debut as Nella in Gianni Schicchi with Opera Carolina in Charlotte, NC. She was part of the 2013/14 Kentucky Opera Studio Artist Program, performing the roles of Mary in The King’s Man (world premiere) and Musetta in La Bohème for the run-out performances in Owensboro, KY and Lafayette, IN. Other performing experiences include Musetta in La Bohème with Opera Columbus, Lucy in The Telephone with Opera Saratoga, and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance with Cincinnati Opera’s Outbound Touring Program. Ms. Messina holds a M.M in Voice Performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), and is a native of Poughkeepsie, New York.

Danielle last sang with Queen City Opera in the company’s debut production, in which she sang leading roles in both Der Schauspieldirektor and Bastien und Bastienne.

Ms. Messina’s performance is generously sponsored by Marilyn Z. Ott.

BLONDE: Alison Scherzer (Soprano)

Minneapolis, Minnesota native Alison Scherzer has been praised for her “high, sweet coloratura” and "expressive countenance." She made her European debut last year as Zerlina in Don Giovanni with the Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Wernigerode. Other roles include Blonde in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Zerbinetta and Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos, Mrs. Nordstrom in A Little Night Music, Lucy in Menotti’s The Telephone, Curley’s Wife in Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men and Mabel in Pirates of Penzance.

Ms. Scherzer has performed the soprano solos in Fauré’s Requiem, Poulenc’s Gloria, Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate and Vesperae solennes de confessore, Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem and Liebeslieder Walzer, and as Lieschen in Bach’s Kaffee Kantate. She is currently a soloist in the international operatic ensemble The Cast.

Ms. Scherzer holds Bachelor’s degrees in German and Music from the University of Minnesota-Morris and attended the prestigious University of Cincinnati- College Conservatory of Music for her Master of Music and Artist Diploma studies. At CCM she received the Norman Treigle Memorial Award and a Dieterle Chair Scholarship, and was awarded a CCM Spoleto Fellowship, the Mercer Fund, and a University of Cincinnati International Grant for international music and linguistic studies in Spoleto and Lucca, Italy, and in Lyon, France. She has participated in the Wernigeröder Schloßfestspiele, Pine Mountain Music Festival, CCM Spoleto, the Grandin Vocal Chamber Music Festival, Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca, AIMS Music Festival in Graz, and the Wesley Balk Opera/Music-Theater Institute.

Ms. Scherzer’s performance is generously sponsored by Dr. George Loewenstein.

Creative Team

German stage director Daniel J Witzke works extensively in both opera and musical theatre in Europe and the United States. He was originally trained as a professional singer and actor in Vienna, Berlin and Hamburg. As staff director at the Wiener Staatsoper, he was responsible for directing, reviving and assisting on more than twenty productions including Nabucco, Tristan und Isolde, Tosca, Aida and Roméo et Juliette. Daniel was appointed artistic director for the original German production of Elton John’s Broadway-Hit Musical Aida in 2003 and he served as Resident Director for Seattle Opera's 2012/13 season. In 2013 he collaborated with renowned Scottish director Paul Curran on Baden-Baden 1927 for Gotham Chamber Opera. Daniel recently directed new productions of Don Giovanni for Opera San Jose and The Magic Flute for West Bay Opera in Palo Alto. More projects for 2014/15 include Verdi’s Aida for Opera San Luis Obispo, Cole Porter’s Something For the Boys with 42nd Street Moon, Peter Brook’s La Tragédie de Carmen with Opera on Tap, The Magic Flute for Opera Colorado and My Fair Lady with Ash Lawn Opera. He is the founding artistic director of The Opera Workshop in San Francisco and artistic director of Le Voci delle Montagne, a new summer vocal performance program in Highlands, NC.

Set designer Lizzy DuQuette is a multimedia artist and illustrator living in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has collaborated with artists, musicians, and filmmakers to create installations, animations, film projects, album art, and advertisements. In 2010, she received a BFA from the University of Cincinnati DAAP, with a concentration in printmaking. Lizzy recently teamed up with Lisa Tompkins to create WOBBLE, an interactive chair/sculpture that can be viewed and played with at the Contemporary Art Center's unMuseum.

Lighting designer Sally Stewart was born and raised in Cincinnati, and recently graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatrical Design and Technology. She has worked on several shows at NKU, including Moby Dick Rehearsed and Heart Attack with a Knife. She currently works with various theatres around the area such as the Fitton Center, Cincinnati Fringe Festival with the KNOW theatre, Contemporary Dance Theatre, and Cincinnati Landmark Productions. She has also had the opportunity to gain a recent internship at Utah Festival Opera in Logan, UT.

Sally has worked with Queen City Opera for their productions of L'amore dei tre re, Die Walküre, and Siegfried.

PASHA SELIM: Matt Tschimperle (Heldentenor)

Matt Tschimperle is an up-and-coming heldentenor from New Prague, Minnesota. Matt holds a Masters of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati: College Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Luther College. He has most recently sang the title role in Queen City Opera’s production of Siegfried, act 1.

At Cincinnati Opera, he has performed in Aida, La Traviata, I Pagliacci, Otello, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, and as the harmonica soloist in Kevin Puts' Silent Night. Later this season, Matt will sing the title role in Charles Parson's lecture presentation of Lohengrin with the Cincinnati Wagner Society.