Così

FiordiligiAlea Louise Vernon

Coloratura soprano Alea Louise Vernon is quickly emerging as one of the most compelling young coloratura voices of her generation, celebrated for her radiant upper extension, incisive musicality, and vivid dramatic presence. Her performances have garnered enthusiastic critical acclaim, with reviewers praising her “plush and bright sound,” “captivating storytelling,” and “spectacular” stage charisma.

In the 2025–2026 season, Ms. Vernon appeared throughout the greater Ohio region as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Handel’s Israel in Egypt, and in concert with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Pops, where she performed the Queen of the Night’s Vengeance Aria to resounding ovation. She also continued her deep commitment to recital work, presenting The Distance Between Who I Was and Who I Am with Marie-France Lefebvre, Longing with pianist Samuel Martin for the Orange Recital Series in Connecticut, and Romance with Queen City Opera and Continuo.

Upcoming, she will be debuting the role of Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Queen City Opera. Previous engagements include her role debut as La Fée in Massenet’s Cendrillon at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where she has also recently appeared as Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld, and Die Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte. This past season, she made her professional operatic debut with Queen City Opera, singing the Queen of the Night in Josh Shaw’s reimagined video-game production of The Magic Flute.

Ms. Vernon has appeared as a featured soloist in renowned venues including Carnegie Hall, Music Hall, Paul Hall, The Bushnell Theater, Peter J. Sharp Auditorium, Seiji Ozawa Hall, and The New World Center. Her concert repertoire includes the Lord Nelson Mass, the Nunes Garcia Requiem, Messiah, and Mozart’s Requiem, among others.

A passionate advocate for twenty-first-century music, Ms. Vernon made her first world premiere in 2018 at the Midwest Composers Symposium and has since premiered multiple new works. In 2022, she debuted Evan Mack’s Take This Job and… with Cincinnati Song Initiative, and she continues to collaborate on new operatic and song repertoire, including recent workshops of Revenants by Eli Lucas with the Scandinavian Society.

Ms. Vernon’s training includes summers at the Casentino Voice Festival in Poppi, Italy, the New York Summer Music Festival, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. In 2019, she became one of the youngest artists ever to hold residency with the Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center. She earned her Bachelor of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Elliot Madore and William McGraw, and obtained her Master of Music in Vocal Performance. She is an alumna of The Juilliard School Pre-College Division and the Ensign-Darling Vocal Fellowship at The Bushnell Theater.

Ms. Vernon is a National YoungArts Winner, a two-time George London Scholarship Recipient, First Place Winner in both The American Prize Women in Song and Women in Opera (Pre-College Division), a 3Arts Scholarship Winner, and Second Place Winner in SongSlam, a competition commissioning new works. Above all, Ms. Vernon is devoted to expanding access to classical music. She regularly partners with public schools to create educational performances, masterclasses, and outreach programs, believing deeply that opera belongs to every community and every listener. When not performing, Ms. Vernon can be found with her dogs Guy and Sophie — her beloved running partners.

DorabellaLauren McAllister

Cincinnati-based mezzo-soprano Lauren McAllister recently performed the role of Marta in Queen City Opera’s production of Iolanta, Madame de Volanges in Susa’s The Dangerous Liaisons with Vegas City Opera, and sang the mezzo solo in Corigliano’s Fern Hill with the Akron Symphony Orchestra. Lauren appeared as the Alto Soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Queen City Opera. With Conspirare, she premiered and recorded Joby Talbot’s Piedra de Sol and Mark Buller’s Requiem in the Light. Lauren also premiered composer Ben Owen’s reimagined 24 Italian Art Songs and Arias this past year. Upcoming performances include appearances with Conspirare, Alto soloist in Bach’s Mass in B Minor, and a premiere recording of two song cycles by Stanley Hoffman.

Lauren performs regularly with a variety of choral and chamber music ensembles, including Conspirare, Evergreen Ensemble, New Downbeat, the Bach Ensemble at Saint Thomas, and Ensemble con Fuoco. Lauren is an artist on four Grammy®-nominated recordings for Best Choral Performance: Conspirare’s House of Belonging, The Singing Guitar, The Hope of Loving, and the PaTRAM Institute Singers’ Sander: The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

Operatic highlights include Vesta in the world premiere of Fierce by William Menefield and librettist Sheila Williams (Cincinnati Opera), Queen of the Virtues in Hildegard von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum (Collegium Cincinnati), Marta/Laura (Iolanta, Queen City Opera), Lazuli (L’étoile, Sin City Opera), Melanto (Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, Opera Louisiane), Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus, Undercroft Opera), Courtier and Maid cover (The Witches of Venice, Opera Saratoga), and La Périchole (title role, Sin City Opera). As a soloist, Lauren has performed a variety of Bach cantatas with the Bach Ensemble of Saint Thomas and the Bach Society of Dayton, appeared in staged productions of the Pergolesi Stabat Mater and Bach’s Saint John Passion, and debuted with the Lubbock Symphony for their Chamber Sound! Series with works by Jennifer Jolley and David T. Little. Other notable appearances as a soloist include the Bach Easter Oratorio and Ascension Oratorio, BWV 1083, and Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, Fern Hill (Corigliano), A Child of Our Time (Tippett), Ode to Common Things (Ratcliff), Considering Matthew Shepard by Craig Hella Johnson, and the US premiere of the Telemann Brockes Passion.

Lauren earned her Master of Music degree in Voice Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Voice Performance from the Eastman School of Music. Lauren was the 2015 Nebraska District winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, was a finalist in the 2012 Jessie Kneisel Lieder Competition, and won first place in the 2011 Syracuse Civic Morning Musicals Competition.

DespinaRachel Kobernick

Rachel Kobernick is a versatile soprano praised for her “power and sweetness” (The Observer), “seamless coloratura sparkle” (Seen and Heard International), and “captivating performance” (The New York Times). This season, Rachel makes her concert debut as a soloist with the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, returns to Kentucky Opera to sing Berginella in Songbird, makes her role debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro (Indianapolis Opera), debuts with Park City Opera singing Laurie in The Tender Land, and returns to Queen City Opera singing Despina in Così fan tutte.

In 2025, Rachel premiered four exciting roles singing La Statue Animée in Rameau’s Pygmalion (Kentucky Opera), Marguerite in Faust (Heartbeat Opera), Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof (Cincinnati Opera), as well as Norina in Don Pasquale (Opera Magnifico). She is also a 2025 George and Nora London Foundation Competition Finalist. Additional performance credits include appearances with Sarasota Opera, Opera on the James, Queen City Opera, the NF Opera Collective, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Cincinnati Song Initiative.

In competition, Rachel has been a finalist of the National Opera Association, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, and Corbett Foundation, and has won multiple awards from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, the Kyrenia Opera Competition, the National Society of Arts and Letters, and the Three Arts Scholarship Fund. Rachel graduated with a master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor’s of Music from the Eastman School of Music.

FerrandoCarlos Ahrens

Tenor Carlos Ahrens, praised for his vibrant stage presence and clear, expressive sound, is a rising talent on the American opera stage. He starred as Justice Antonin Scalia in the title role of Scalia/Ginsburg with Charlottesville Opera in 2025. Additional role credits include the Baron and King of Eldorado in Candide at the Glimmerglass Festival and Tommy Djilas in The Music Man with Charlottesville Opera. In 2025, he joined The Opera Theatre of St. Louis as a Gerdine Young Artist, covering Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and sang Bevins in the Metropolitan Opera–partnered orchestral workshop of Lincoln in the Bardo with Chautauqua Opera. Recently, Carlos returned to the role of Pietro Baglioni in La hija de Rappaccini, making his house debut with Opera Columbus.

Carlos has recently completed his Artist Diploma at the College-Conservatory of Music, where he also completed his Master of Music. This summer, Carlos returned to the Glimmerglass Festival to cover the lead role of Timothy Laughlin in Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers, and to play the role of Mike in Oklahoma! This upcoming season, Carlos will be the Virginia Opera Tenor Emerging Artist, singing Beppe in Pagliacci and Pang in Turandot. Carlos is very excited to be singing Ferrando at Queen City Opera, a role he has conquered once before at his alma mater, Vanderbilt University.

GuglielmoMark Hockenberry

Mark Hockenberry, baritone, is a native of Hanover, Pennsylvania and is based in Cincinnati. He was most recently featured as “the third Jew” in Richard Strauss’ opera Salome with Cincinnati Opera. Mark has been working as a singer in Cincinnati for five years, performing with Cincinnati Opera, The May Festival Chorus, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and numerous ensembles throughout the tri-state area. He sings regularly with the schola at St. Francis Xavier Church. He earned his Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at The University of Arizona, and his bachelor’s degree at Westminster College.

When not making music, Mark can be found mowing greens at Maketewah Country Club, bartending in Music Hall, or playing with his dog, Bubby.

Don AlfonsoSeoyong Lee

Bass-baritone from South Korea, Seoyong Lee is a candidate for Doctor of Musical Arts at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. Lee received his Bachelor of Music degree with distinction at Eastman School of Music under Dr. Jonathan Retzlaff and a Master of Music degree at Northwestern University under W. Stephen Smith.

Lee was an Apprentice Artist of Chautauqua Opera in 2024 and 2025, under Director Steven Osgood, where he performed Colline in Puccini’s La bohème, Vollman in Missy Mazzoli’s Lincoln in the Bardo, the title role of Pepito, and the bass solo of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Rossen Milanov, and covered Father in Hansel and Gretel.

Other opera roles Lee has performed include the title role of Le nozze di Figaro, Marcello in Puccini’s La bohème, Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Der Tod in Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Harašta in Příhody lišky Bystroušky, and Puppet Master in Postcard from Morocco.

One of Lee’s greatest passions is advocating for operas by living composers. He gave voice to Ginger Chap in Lincoln in the Bardo by Missy Mazzoli at the Cincinnati Opera Workshop, then Vollman at Chautauqua Opera, and Woodcutter in In a Grove by Christopher Cerrone for its Midwest premiere at Northwestern.

FiordiligiNia Spaulding

California-native soprano Nia Spaulding is a 2025–26 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition Encouragement Award winner (Indiana District). Most recently, she was a 2026 Resident Artist at the Glimmerglass Festival, where she covered the role of Lucy in Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers and performed in the ensembles of Madama Butterfly and Kelley Rourke’s English adaptation of Così fan tutte. She is excited to make both her role and company debuts as the Sandman and Dew Fairy in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel with Virginia Opera in early 2027.

During the 2025 season, Nia appeared as the stepsister Noémie in Massenet’s Cendrillon at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where she and her fellow stepsister “provided delightful comic relief…with bright, clear voices and impish charm” (Cincinnati Concert Reviews). She also performed the role of Arminda in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera and was the soprano soloist in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with CCM Choirs and Orchestra.

Passionate about contemporary opera and amplifying underrepresented voices within the operatic canon, Nia has collaborated with Cincinnati Opera’s Opera Fusion: New Works program. Through OF:NW, she participated in workshops of In the Rush by Carlos Simon, commissioned in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera, and Lalovavi by Kevin Day, where she workshopped the role of Niamara prior to the opera’s 2026 Cincinnati Opera premiere.

A proud alumna of the Lehrer Vocal Institute at the Music Academy of the West, Nia holds both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Voice Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

DorabellaJunyue Gong

Junyue Gong is a Chinese mezzo-soprano. In October 2026, she will cover the role of Dorabella in Mozart’s Così fan tutte with Queen City Opera. The following spring, she will make her Washington, D.C. debut as the leading role of Isabella in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri with Bel Cantanti Opera in May 2027.

Her 2026 season also includes a house debut with Regina Opera in the title role of Carmen. She has recently captivated audiences as Carmen with Cincinnati Opera outreach and as the alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. Her versatile repertoire includes Ramiro in La finta giardiniera, Madame de la Haltière in Cendrillon, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, and Bianca in The Rape of Lucretia.

A prizewinner of the 2025 Third Prize (Tuesday Musical), 2024 Special Award (Laffont Competition, Nebraska District), and 2023 First Prize (Career Bridges), she holds both her Master of Music and Artist Diploma from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).

DespinaCandace Williams

American soprano Candace Williams has performed and studied a variety of operatic roles, including Norina (Don Pasquale), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Constance (Dialogues des Carmélites), Musetta (La bohème), and more. She frequently appears as a chorus member with the Cincinnati Opera and currently joins them for their 2026 Festival.

With a specific passion for community engagement efforts, Candace has also performed with Cincinnati Opera on a variety of outreach performances aimed towards young audiences, including the title role of César Cui’s Little Red as a part of their collaboration with Roundabout Opera for Kids. Ms. Williams is a decorated competitor, holding multiple awards from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, the George Shirley Vocal Competition, and the Pasadena Vocal Competition.

As an avid lover of choral traditions, Candace recently joined the 2026 Spoleto Festival as a Vocal Fellow and regularly performs with several Cincinnati-based professional vocal chamber ensembles. She holds an Artist Diploma in Opera Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Kentucky, and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance & Pedagogy from Oakwood University.

FerrandoGrant Shields

Grant Buchanan Shields is a tenor from Morrow, Ohio. He is pursuing a Master of Music in Opera at Binghamton University with Thomas Goodheart. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he studied with Kenneth Shaw. At Binghamton, he has performed scenes and roles including Lyric Tenor in Postcard from Morocco, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Pablo in How Nanita Learned to Make Flan, and scenes from Verdi’s Falstaff, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Bizet’s Carmen, and Massenet’s Werther. He has also collaborated extensively with student composers on songs, song cycles, chamber pieces, and concert works, giving several world premieres.

While at CCM, Mr. Shields made his debut as Don Basilio and Don Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro, Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi, Sailor in Dido and Aeneas, and Mercury in Orpheus in the Underworld. He sang in the choruses of CCM and local opera houses, including Dido and Aeneas, Le dialogue des Carmélites, and Die Zauberflöte at CCM; Lucia di Lammermoor, Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Madama Butterfly at Cincinnati Opera; and Super Flute at Queen City Opera (QCO). He covered Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi at CCM, Monostatos in Super Flute at QCO, and Sid in Sid the Serpent, Who Wanted to Sing at Binghamton. His oratorio credits include Tenor Soloist in Nunes Garcia’s Requiem and Jephté in Carissimi’s Historia di Jephte.

GuglielmoKade Bennett

Praised for his striking presence and storytelling, baritone Kade Bennett is a multidisciplinary artist in opera, musical theatre, and dance. His recent and upcoming engagements include performing as Pandolfe in Massenet’s Cendrillon with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Opera Theatre, as well as covering the role of Judge Turpin in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. This production is a collaboration between CCM’s nationally recognized Musical Theatre and Opera Programs.

Last season, he debuted the role of Demetrius in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and joined Cincinnati Opera for its 2025 Summer Chorus, including Verdi’s Rigoletto, Puccini’s Tosca, Bock’s Fiddler on the Roof, and Opera Chorus Cabaret.

For the 2022–24 seasons, Kade performed as The Four Villains in Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann with Utah Valley University (UVU), Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan tutte with Utah Vocal Arts Academy (UVAA), and Vater in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel with UVU. He was then invited by Utah Valley Opera Fest to perform Mercutio in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

Other notable credits include Marcello and Schaunard in La bohème, Monterone in Rigoletto, and Il Notaio in Gianni Schicchi with Mediterranean Opera Festival; Bonzo in Madama Butterfly with Lyrical Opera Theatre, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Jack Worthing in L’importanza di essere Onesto, and Barone Douphol in La traviata with UVU; and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte and Truffaldino in Ariadne auf Naxos with UVAA.

Aside from the operatic repertoire, Kade is a trained dancer in tap, jazz, ballet, and ballroom. He was also recognized with multiple acting awards, including two “Best Actor in a Musical” Zarf Awards and top honors at regional drama festivals and national competitions. Kade Bennett received a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from UVU and is pursuing a Master of Music at CCM under the tutelage of Elliot Madore. When not performing, he works behind the scenes in live technical production, bringing over a decade of experience.

Don AlfonsoBen Flanders

Baritone Ben Flanders is the Founder and Artistic Director of the art song collective “Slavic Voices,” which specializes in the song repertoire of Russia, Ukraine, Poland and the Czech Republic. The ensemble performs regularly in the Cincinnati area, as well as bringing concerts of Slavic Voices to the University of Vermont, Idaho State University, the University of Saint Thomas in Minnesota and many other venues.

Also an active performer in opera, oratorio and choral settings, Mr. Flanders was a member of Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson from 2013–2025, and has performed roles with Dayton Opera and Queen City Opera as well as singing as a member of the Cincinnati Opera Chorus. Recent projects include “American Voices,” a concert of art songs and spirituals curated as part of Slavic Voices’ residency at Ascension and Holy Trinity Church in Wyoming, Ohio, and a recording of the art songs of Ostap Bobykevych for the Ukrainian Art Song Project.

Stage DirectorBrian Robertson

Coming to Cincinnati from Los Angeles, Brian has spent the past 30 years working in film and television in the area of cinematography, as well as working as a director, fight choreographer, scriptwriter, and stage manager in theatre and opera. He is on faculty as a directing professor at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has worked for Opera Southwest, Reduced Shakespeare Company, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, The Know Theatre, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Sarasota Opera, Bay View Music Festival, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Pones Inc. Laboratory of Movement, Oberlin Conservatory of Music Vocal Academy, University of Kentucky, The Carnegie Arts Center, Opera Project Columbus, Opera North, and Des Moines Metro Opera, among others.