Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Mezzo-Soprano Caitlyn Babcock is quickly becoming an up-and-coming young artist, and is thrilled to be working with FLO. Known for her rich lower register and attention to character, Caitlyn has performed multiple operatic roles including Mrs. Cripps in HMS Pinafore and Cornelia (Guilio Cesare) at Pacific Lutheran University, Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) with Northwest Sinfonietta, and was most recently seen as Geniviéve in Eastman Opera Theatre’s production of Impressions de Pélleas. In addition to opera, Caitlyn is an avid lover of chamber music, having recently performed at two chamber music festivals as their first vocal young artist. Outside of performing, Caitlyn is an avid teacher and baker, feeding her friends one loaf of sourdough at a time. Caitlyn is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Vocal Performance and Literature at Eastman School of Music. She is a student of Joshua Conyers.

Lora Bashmakian is an Armenian-American soprano from Los Angeles, California. She is a graduate student at the Eastman School of Music, where she studies under Kiera Duffy. She is a two-time Encouragement Award winner from The Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition and a recent Encouragement Award recipient from the Camille Coloratura Awards. At Eastman, Lora has appeared as the soprano soloist in Bach's Cantata's BWV 82 and 89, and Mendelssohn’s Lobgesang with Eastman Philharmonia. This Spring, she will sing Adele in Die Fledermaus with Eastman Opera Theater. Lora has worked with Lyric Opera of Orange County, and the Ted Atkatz Percussion Seminar. She graduated from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music (BCCM) at California State University, Long Beach, receiving her degrees in Vocal Performance, and Choral/Vocal Education. In 2023, she was named the BCCM Concerto Competition winner, and performed Gliere's Concerto for Coloratura Soprano with the Bob Cole Symphony Orchestra.

Hailed by Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times as “vocally robust” and “lyrically malevolent,” American bass-baritone Joseph Barron is sought after for his portrayals in both dramatic and comedic repertoire. Last season, Mr. Barron returned to The Metropolitan Opera to cover Monterone in Rigoletto and the First Nazarene in Salome, and he joined Columbus Symphony for their concert of Messiah. This season, he will be returning to the Met to cover Bonze in Madama Butterfly. Recently, Mr. Barron returned to San Francisco Opera to cover King Heinrich in Lohengrin and The Metropolitan Opera to cover Melitone in La forza del destino, and he joined Houston Symphony to sing the Fifth Jew in Salome. In addition, he returned to The Metropolitan Opera to sing Monterone in Rigoletto and cover Swallow in Peter Grimes, débuted with Dallas Opera and The Atlanta Opera as Donner in Das Rheingold, and débuted with the Cleveland Orchestra as Happy in La fanciulla del West. He also sang Ramfis in Aida with Finger Lakes Opera. Mr. Barron has previously joined The Metropolitan Opera for productions of Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Rigoletto, La fanciulla del West, Salome, Tannhäuser, The Nose, Boris Godunov, Turandot, and The Exterminating Angel. He appeared with San Francisco Opera in the world premiere of The Gospel of Mary Magdalene and covered Leporello in Don Giovanni. He has also performed Leporello in Don Giovanni with Opera Hong Kong, Opera Philadelphia, Arizona Opera, and New Orleans Opera.

 Beverly Bauman’s previous credits with FLO include serving as stage manager for Gianni Schicchi and assistant stage manager for Two Corners, Aida, and The Barber of Seville. Some of her favorite credits as a stage manager are Blackfriars Theatre's Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, and Imagination Station with Mrs. Kasha Davis. Other notable credits in Rochester include serving as stage manager of JCC Centerstage's production of School of Rock and assistant stage manager of An American in Paris, and stage manager/sound designer of The Company Theatre's Macbeth and co-creator of Great Expectations.

Mezzo-soprano Haley Boyd is a native of Moultrie, Georgia and a junior at the Eastman School of Music, where she studies with Katherine Ciesinski. Recent performances include Prince Orlofsky in EOT’s Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus and Serse in Handel’s Serse with the Halifax Summer Opera Festival. At Eastman, Haley has covered the role of the Witch in Hansel & Gretel: A Great and Terrible Story and performed as the alto soloist in Bruckner’s Mass in F Minor. 

Outside of music, Haley enjoys reading, hiking, and watching films.

Louisiana-born soprano who has recently made a star turn as Milada  in Smetana’s Dalibor at Bard Summerscape, where critics praised her  “radiant tone and nuanced singing” and “stage-commanding  performance.” Bryan’s 2025-2026 season includes covering the leading role of Sarah Kavalier in The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay at The Metropolitan Opera; Annchen in Der Freischütz with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, returns to Des Moines Metro Opera as Curley's Wife in Of Mice and Men, and The Atlanta Opera as Woglinde in Götterdämmerung; her role debut as Nedda in I Pagliacci with Piedmont  Opera; and Laurey in Oklahoma! with Pensacola Opera. She began the 2024-2025 season in a return to Atlanta Opera, singing  Musetta in the company site-specific production of La bohème. 

Italian-American soprano Daniella Brancato is from Great Neck, New York. She is currently in her second year of the Professional Voice Studies Program at the Mannes School of Music, studying under the tutelage of Amy Burton. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Vocal Performance with Honors from Carnegie Mellon University in 2023. At Mannes, Brancato recently appeared as Simone in Kaija Saariaho’s La Passion de Simone, following previous performances as Harriet Beecher Stowe in Kamala Sankaram’s The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace and Lauren in a workshop of Many Roads with composer and conductor Daniela Candillari. Her other favorite credits include: Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Arminda (La finta giardiniera), and multiple roles in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges. In past summers, Brancato participated in the Houston Grand Opera Young Artist Vocal Academy, Prague Summer Nights Festival, and Classic Lyric Arts programs.

BIO TO COME

Grant Crowson is excited to be working with Finger Lakes Opera this summer. Previous stage management credits include La Calisto, Pagliacci, and the world premiere of Rumpelstiltskin and the Unlovable Children at Glimmerglass Festival and Lucidity at Opera Ithaca. He is working toward his B.F.A. in Stage Management at Ithaca College. Grant would like to thank his family and partner, Riley, for always supporting him.

American soprano Kiera Duffy has appeared with many of the world’s major classical music institutions, including the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, London Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony, Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Philadelphia, Bergen Philharmonic (Norway), São Paulo Symphony, Simón Bolivar Symphony, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Marlboro Music Festival, Tanglewood Music Festival, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Spoleto Festival USA, Ongaku-Juku Festival, and the Wigmore Hall. She is highly regarded for her performances of modern and contemporary music, particularly contemporary American opera. She has collaborated with dozens of composers, including Andy Akiho, Lembit Beecher, Justine Chen, Derek Bermel, Ryan Francis, Sarah Kirkland Snyder, George Lewis, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, René Orth, Kamala Sankaram, Errolyn Wallen, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon, and John Zorn. Duffy is currently Associate Professor of Voice at the Eastman School of Music, where she teaches applied voice and Introduction to Vocology.

Shelby Dunning is excited to be back with Finger Lakes Opera this summer. Recent prop credits in the area include The White Chip, Souvenir, and The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes (Blackfriars Theatre), Great Expectations and Macbeth (The Company Theatre). Shelby is a current graduate student at Adelphi University studying Theatre Education. She would like to thank her family and friends for their continued support and the amazing team at FLO for such an amazing experience.

Ben Edquist is a baritone vocalist sought after for his work in contemporary opera and musical theatre. He recently portrayed the principal role of Gleb Vaganov in the Broadway National Tour of Anastasia. Ben originated numerous roles of major American composers, including Mayo Buckman in Tom Cipullo’s Mayo, Walter Raleigh in Gregory Spears’ O Columbia!, Manfred in Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Out of Darkness with Atlanta Opera, and the title role in Carlisle Floyd’s final opera, Prince of Players, with Houston Grand Opera. He has also been featured in premieres with Garsington Opera in the United Kingdom and at the Lincoln Center in New York City. Other notable performances include Georg Novak in She Loves Me and Hawkins Fuller in Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers with Madison Opera; Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd with Des Moines Metro Opera; Jigger Craigin in Carousel and Papageno in The Magic Flute with The Glimmerglass Festival; as well as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Older Thompson in Glory Denied, the Pilot in The Little Prince, and Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Houston Grand Opera.

Ben is currently an active-duty Sergeant in the United States Air Force Band.

Jonathan Ellwanger is a tenor from Baltimore, Maryland completing his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at the Eastman School of Music under Professor Anthony Dean Griffey. At Eastman, Ellwanger has appeared as Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Zacarias in the collegiate premiere of Silent Light by Paola Prestini, and the productions of Dido and Aeneas, and Ned Rorem’s Evidence of Things Not Seen. Jonathan previously performed in Finger Lakes Opera’s production of Rigoletto as a chorus member. He participated in the American Institute for Musical Study (AIMS) Lieder Studio under Linda Di Fiore and Coach Lyndsi Maus. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, and is a life long New York Jets fan.

Currently working as the costume shop manager at Nazareth University, Mary Farmer holds a BFA in costume technology from Wright State University. She worked as a stitcher and First Hand at Geva Theatre Center and as a draper for Rochester City Ballet, FLO, and Finger Lakes Music Festival. Farmer has designed for Garth Fagan Dance, Blackfriars Theatre, The Jewish Community Center, Roberts Wesleyan College Community Players, and Nazareth College. Design credits include A Few Good Men, Mary Poppins, West Side Story, Les Misérables, and Beauty and the Beast, as well as FLO’s prior productions of Die Fledermaus, La bohème, The Barber of Seville, Aida, Così fan tutte, and Gianni Schicchi.

Nicholas Figura is a tenor pursuing a B.M. in Vocal Performance at the Eastman School of Music. With a particular interest in Baroque and Classical period music, as well as German Lieder. He performed as the tenor soloist in Bach’s BWV 80 cantata, “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott”, as well as numerous concerts with the Eastman Chorale. Outside of music, hobbies of his include vinyl record collection, writing fiction, and visual art.

Alabama native Max Foreman is a baritone currently studying at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. At the Eastman Opera Theatre, they have performed roles including covering The Outlaw/Luther Harlowe in Christopher Cerrone’s In a Grove, covering Arkel in Debussy’s Impressions of Pelléas, and Lord Tirsi in the new opera 24 or, The Cure for Love by Tony Boutté, and as Dr. Falke in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. They participated in the Sewanee Summer Music Festival where they performed scenes from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and his Die Zauberflöte. They also won the vocal chamber music competition at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival. This summer, they will be attending the Rising Stars Performing Arts Summer Arts Intensive in Berlin, where they will perform scenes as the Count in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and as Frank in scenes from Strauss’s Die Fledermaus.

Zinnia Frank (they/them) is a Wisconsin-born baritone living and performing in the DC area.  Recent roles include Gazella/Don Alfonso in Lucrezia Borgia with Opera Baltimore and  Strephon in Iolanthe with the Houston Gilbert and Sullivan Society, The title role in Gianni Schicchi and George Seurat in Sunday in  the Park with George.

Cris Frisco is a collaborative musician equally at home in the worlds of classical and popular music. In recent seasons, he has worked as a conductor or pianist on Broadway and with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, McCarter Theatre Center, and Opera Delaware, among others. From 2021-2023, he was the Director of Music and Director of the Handorf Company Artist Program at Opera Memphis. Frisco is currently the Music Director of Mannes Opera and Assistant Professor of Music at Mannes, has held faculty roles at Westminster Choir College, Rutgers University, CUNY, the New School for Drama, and as he does with FLO, has served on staff with many festivals. To learn more, visit www.crisfrisco.com.

Mariah E. Graves is a soprano pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Kentucky, having previously earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.  Her training includes participation in the AIMS 2023 program, as well as numerous competitions and concerts that highlight her versatility in opera, art song, and musical theater.Recent roles include Mother in Hansel and Gretel, Mrs. Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, and Baba in The Medium, Cordelia Loney in Sanctuary Road, and Nurse 2 in Breath of Life.

Named FLO’s new Artistic Director in January 2025, Stephanie Havey is an award winning stage director who is consistently lauded for her eye-popping stage pictures, brisk dramatic pacing, and convincing theater that makes the most of every minute. Trained as a mezzo-soprano, she turned her attention to stage directing over twenty years ago and was the creative force behind FLO’s productions The Barber of Seville, Così fan tutte, Aida, and Gianni Schicchi. In 2024, she was named Director of Opera Theater at Oberlin College’s Conservatory of Music.

Havey has staged productions for Seattle Opera, Opéra de Montréal, Dallas Opera, Utah Opera, Arizona Opera, Opera Omaha, Madison Opera, New York City Opera, and Hawaii Opera Theatre, among others. She has created new productions for Boston Lyric Opera, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera, Atlanta Opera, Lyrique-en-mer International Festival de Belle-Ile, Curtis Institute of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and more. Havey has staged new works with OPERA America’s New Works Forum and spent three seasons as the Resident Stage Director for the North American New Opera Workshop. She is currently in development for a new work with Jennifer Jolley through the 2023 OPERA America Discovery Grants for Women Composers program.

2025 marks the third season Havey will join the Houston Grand Opera as a dramatic coach for the Butler Opera Studio and the Young Artists Vocal Academy. Prior to her appointment at Oberlin, she served as a guest instructor for professional and academic Young Artist training programs all over the country, including OPERA America’s Career Blueprints, Curtis Institute of Music, Mannes School of Music at The New School, Manhattan School of Music, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and, of course, was the Director of FLO’s Young Artist Program from 2022-2024.

Havey and her husband, bass-baritone Joseph Barron, live in Cleveland, OH. To learn more, visit www.stephaniehavey.com.

A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, Andrew Hunt is a multifaceted lighting designer who has crafted illumination for more than 100 performances and more than 70 architecture and installation projects. He has worked with the RPO, Pittsburgh Ballet, Pittsburgh Opera, Houston Met Dance, Elisa Monte Dance, Jon Lehrer, Karin Payson Design, WATG/Wimberly, Overland Partners, Streetsense, Handel Architects, Ethelind Coblin, Bero Architects, and Jeffrey Beers International, among others. Hunt is interested in tugging at the heart and mind through our emotions. He believes that theater should be beautiful – though not innocuous. He once designed a comedic romantic opera as a K-Pop music video. To learn more, visit www.adghunt.com.

BIO TO COME

Riley J. Israel is a stage manager currently residing in Ithaca, NY. This is his second season working with FLO. Recent credits include The Turnaway Play, Do You Feel Anger? (The Kitchen Theatre Company), Good People, Toliver & Wakeman (Franklin Stage Company), and Voices of Ukraine (The Cherry Artspace). Educational credits include Titanic: The Musical and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Ithaca College). He'd like to thank his family and his partner, Grant, for their continuing support and love. 

BIO TO COME

Rochester tenor Daniel Kamalić has been praised for his “big, stunning voice” (Berkshire Fine Arts). Recent engagements include the roles of Rodolfo in La bohème (Buffalo Opera Unlimited), the title role in Werther with Modern Vintage Opera, Sam in Susannah with Delaware Valley Opera, Danilo (cover) and St. Brioche in The Merry Widow (Geneva Light Opera), Anthony in Sweeney Todd with Opera51 in Boston, and new works by Ed Cionek, Calliope Tsoupaki, and Iris Karlin. To learn more, visit www.kamalic.com.

Lou Kerst is a tenor originally from Conway, Arkansas. He is a recent graduate of the University of Arkansas, where he earned a Bachelor of Music Education. Recent roles include the Sorceress from Dido and Aeneas, Gerardo in Gianni Schicchi, and Bastien in Mozart's singspiel Bastien und Bastienne, Jack in Into the Woods, Remendado in Carmen, and Viscount Cascada in The Merry Widow. In the summer of 2024 he was invited into the Emerging Artists program at Opera in the Ozarks where he performed Rev. Parris and Giles Corey in Ward's The Crucible, and Gastone in La Traviata. He was invited back in 2025 where he performed Jack in Into the Woods, Remendado in Carmen, and Viscount Cascada in The Merry Widow.

Kasi L. Krenzer Marshall has a degree in Stage Direction and works in all areas of opera, theater, and film. She first worked with FLO in 2019 as the YAP Costume Designer and joined FLO’s full-year staff in 2024 as the Community Engagement & Operations Director, where she is the Summer's Assistant Director of Production/Props Master, and the Fall Stage Director. Krenzer Marshall is the Artistic Director of Opera at Nazareth University, where she recently directed Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges. Additional Rochester credits include Pegasus Early Music (L'Orfeo), CenterStage (Austen's Pride), Blackfriars Theatre (Jerry's Girls), and Out of Pocket Inc. (Palace of the Moorish Kings). 

Nichole Khouzami is a Lebanese-American soprano from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She is a second-year master’s student at Eastman, studying under Kiera Duffy. This season, she performs Adele in Die Fledermaus, sings as the soprano soloist in Haydn’s Requiem in C minor at Eastman, and returns to the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana. In competition, Nicole recently won an Encouragement Award in the Camille Coloratura Competition and was selected as a Semi-Finalist in both the Houston Saengerbund and Annapolis Opera Competitions. At Eastman, she appeared as The Plaintiff in Trial by Jury and performed in a masterclass with Barbara Hannigan. Nicole earned her BFA with honors from Carnegie Mellon University, studying under Jennifer Aylmer. CMU performances included the Soprano Soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Maguelonne in Viardot’s Cendrillon, Bubikopf (Der Kaiser von Atlantis), Cleonilla in Vivaldi’s Ottone in Villa, scenes as Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), and covers of Ircano/Berenice in Broschi’s Idaspe with Pittsburgh’s Quantum Theatre.

Joshua Lau is a queer Chinese-American theatre person from Honolulu, HI. Punahou School alum and graduate of Nazareth University, Josh has been Production Stage Manager for Eastman Opera Theatre for over 10 years. He has worked with Bristol Valley Theatre, Meadow Brook Theatre, Geva Theatre, Pegasus Early Music, Ohio Light Opera, Rochester Fringe Festival, and Hawaii Shakespeare Festival. His backstage experience started when he volunteered for Hawaii Opera Theatre 20 years ago. Since then, Josh has performed onstage in countless productions and has directed one. He previously stage managed FLO’s 2019 La bohème and was on run crew for last summer’s Rigoletto.

BIO TO COME

Goitsemang O. Lehobye, soprano, is a South African artist born in Ga-Rankuwa, known for her radiant voice, dramatic presence, and versatile musicianship. She is a lecturer in the Music Department at Spelman College, where she mentors young singers while continuing an active international performance career. Her work has taken her to major stages across South Africa, Europe, and the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Finlandia Hall, Teatro Colón, and the Cape Town Opera. Her repertoire spans opera, oratorio, art song, and African American spirituals, reflecting both technical excellence and deep artistic sensitivity. Lehobye’s training began in the Black Tie Opera Ensemble’s “Incubator” Scheme and continued at the University of Cape Town and the University of Michigan, where she earned her Doctor of Voice Performance. Dedicated to artistry, education, and cultural representation, she brings the richness of her South African heritage to every performance and remains committed to inspiring the next generation of singers.

Adriana Lipomi has worked in theater since 2018 and is thrilled to be returning to FLO’s creative team for the 2026 Festival. Previous FLO projects include Aida, Two Corners, and Gianni Schicchi. Lipomi has worked on many shows at Geva Theatre Center, Blackfriars Theatre, the Eastman School of Music, the University of Rochester, and Syracuse Stage. Her passion for wigs was found entirely by accident while looking for ways to work as a makeup artist. Outside of theater, Lipomi works as an esthetician and makeup artist at Rock Paper Scissors, a locally-owned med-spa.

 Elizabeth G. Long, who became the first administrative professional hired by FLO, began her tenure in March of 2019. She has fifteen years of management and fundraising experience. Prior to her position with FLO, Long served as Resource Development Coordinator for Main Street Alabama (MSA, Birmingham, AL), where she was responsible for management of its fundraising program. Long also has served as Grants Management Specialist with the Alabama Network of Children’s Advocacy Centers (Montgomery, AL), Executive Director of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (OH) and Marketing/PR Manager of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra (DE). Long was born and raised in Emporia, KS, received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and went on to earn a graduate degree at the University of Cincinnati’s Conservatory of Music through their Arts Administration program.  She has been married to Curtis Long, currently the president of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, for 26 years.

BIO TO COME

Jonathan Michie returns to the Leipzig Opera as a guest artist this season, debuting the roles of Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. Concert debuts this season include the Nuremberg Symphony (Haydn’s Die Schöpfung), the Danish Philharmonic (Handel’s Messiah), the Hamburg Symphony Choir (Handel’s Saul), St. Nikolai zu Elmshorn (Mendelssohn's Paulus) and Leipzig’s Gewandhaus (Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel). He returns to Bach’s St. Thomas Church for Cantata BWV 127 and will be a featured soloist at American Lyric Theater’s 20th Anniversary Gala. Sought after as an interpreter of contemporary repertoire, Michie originated the role of Richard Loving in the world premiere of Loving v. Virginia at Virginia Opera. He also created the role of Alan Turing in The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing at Chicago Opera Theater. He was a soloist at the Leipzig Opera for more than a decade, where he sang the vast majority of the lyric baritone repertoire. He has sung leading roles with the Los Angeles Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, among others. Michie’s awards include honors from the Kurt Weill Foundation, the International Robert Schumann Competition, the William Matheus Sullivan Foundation, the Gerda Lissner Foundation and the George London Foundation. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music.

 Hannah Moreno is an American soprano equally at home on the recital and operatic stage. Hannah began the 25/26 season as a Cedar Rapids Opera Smith Young Artist, performing the role of Rusalka in their children’s opera tour The Littlest Mermaid. In the 24/25 season, Hannah  won the Second Place Prize at the Young Texas Artists Competition Vocal Division and an Encouragement Award at the Arkansas District of the Laffont Metropolitan Opera  Competition. Hannah’s past roles include Rosalba in Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas, Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen, the Baker’s Wife in Sondheim’s Into the Woods, and Linfea in Cavalli’s La Callisto. Hannah received her M.M in Vocal Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. 

Ashton Rapp is a baritone from Lawrence (KS) who recently graduated with a Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of Music. Some of his biggest accomplishments include singing in the world premiere of Kevin Walzyck’s Symphony No. 5, Freedom From Fear as a boy soprano (2018) at The Kennedy Center and singing at both Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Musikverein in Vienna with the Honors Performance Series choirs. Rapp made his FLO debut in 2024 as Marco in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and is excited to work with FLO again.

Garth Fagan Dance Executive Director Natalie Rogers-Cropper joined GFD in 1989. She received the prestigious Bessie Award in 1992, is a 1993 President’s Award recipient from her country of birth, Trinidad and Tobago, and was voted one of the top three female modern dancers in the world through Dance magazine’s 2004 Reader’s Choice awards. She served as one of Garth Fagan’s assistants for the Tony Award-winning The Lion King, Ellington Elation with the New York City Ballet, and Jukebox for Alvin and From Before with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Rogers-Cropper’s first choreographed work for GFD was Life Receding, which premiered in 2023. She was a recipient of the Women of Excellence Award from the Rochester Business Journal in 2021 and was appointed GFD Executive Director in late 2023. Rogers-Cropper leads movement classes for FLO’s Young Artists during the summer session and in 2025, choreographed the dances seen in last summer's The Anonymous Lover production.

She is a mezzo-soprano currently pursuing her Masters of Music in Voice Performance at the University of Michigan, studying with acclaimed tenor Stanford Olsen. Roles throughout her studies at Michigan include Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Carmen in La Tragédie de Carmen, and Juno/Ino in Semele. Grace received her undergraduate degrees from DePaul University in Voice Performance and Music Education in 2024, where she studied with tenor Scott Ramsay. Grace has been honored to be named the recipient of several awards, including the winner of the St. Louis District in the Metropolitan Laffont Competition in 2026, the  Jessie Walker Memorial Award from the 2025 Opera Index Awards, the winner of the 2026 University of Michigan Concerto Competition, first place in the University of Michigan Friends of Opera Competition, grand prize from the Opera Grand Rapids Vanderlaan Prize, and more. Grace was a 2025 Summer Studio Artist with Florentine Opera, where she sang Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsburg in Scalia/Ginsburg. This summer Grace covers the title role in Bertin’s Fausto, an American premiere at Opera Neo as a Studio Artist.

BIO TO COME

Crystal Sellers Battle, DMA (she/her) is the inaugural associate dean and director of the George Walker Center at Eastman School of Music of The University of Rochester. She previously served as the Dean of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA before coming to Eastman in June 2022. 

Sellers Battle holds a degree from The Ohio State University, where she earned her doctorate in voice performance, she was the first doctoral student to complete the Singing Health Specialist interdisciplinary graduate specialization. In that program, she studied medical tactics for repairing vocal injuries and rehabilitation of professional vocalists. Her DMA document is titled ‘I sing because I’m Free:’ Developing a Systematic Vocal Pedagogy for the Modern Gospel Singer. She served 11 years on the music faculty at Bluffton University where she also served as department chair for the last 3 years. She was the first African American in the university’s history to achieve tenure and promotion to full professor. 

Sellers Battle earned a postgraduate diploma from Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in voice performance from Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, Chicago, and Bowling Green State University, respectively. She is currently pursuing an Executive MBA from Simon Business School at the University of Rochester. She lives in the Rochester area with her husband Larry and daughter Carey.

BIO TO COME

 Lutin Tanner, from Mankato, MN, received a BA in Dance and Theatre from Western Michigan University. He danced with Garth Fagan Dance and then transitioned to resident Lighting Designer & PM for Dance New Amsterdam in NYC. Using his unique dance lighting perspective, Tanner has worked with Rasta Thomas, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, and Eglevsky Ballet to name a few. He is Garth Fagan Dance’s Resident Lighting Designer, TD & PSM. Recently he has been working with American Heart Association’s Impact with Heart through his production company It’s All In The Mix Productions. Tanner is happy to return as FLO’s Director of Production for the third season.

CAMILLA TASSI (Projection Design) is a NYC-based projection designer from Florence, Italy. Design credits include King Arthur (Juilliard415, Lincoln Center), Falling Out of Time (Carnegie Hall), Adoration (Beth Morrison Projects & LA Opera), L’Orfeo (Apollo’s Fire Tour), La Bohème (Music Academy of the West), Malhaar: A Requiem For Water (LA Master Chorale, Disney Concert Hall), Mansfield Park (IU Opera), SANDRA (TheaterWorks Hartford), Ariodante (Boston Baroque), Lady M & The Extinctionist (Heartbeat Opera), Carmina Burana (Debartolo Performing Arts Center), Fiddler on the Roof (ACT of CT), The Lehman Trilogy (Capital Rep), and Alcina (Yale Opera).  Tassi holds degrees in computer science, music, and projection design. She has sung for groups including the Yale Schola Cantorum and NY Phil Chorus. MFA in Design at Yale. Connecticut Critics Circle, Burry Fredrik Design, and Robert L. Tobin Opera Design Award recipient. camillatassi.com - IG: camtassi

BIO TO COME

In demand as both an instrumental and vocal collaborator, pianist Brock Tjosvold has performed throughout the United States with many up-and-coming musicians as well as established ensembles. In addition to his new position as Head of Music at FLO, he is an Assistant Professor of Vocal Coaching at the Eastman School of Music and Minister of Music at First Universalist Church in downtown Rochester.  Prior to his position at Eastman, Tjosvold was Music Director and Vocal Coach of the Crane Opera Ensemble at SUNY Potsdam’s Crane School of Music.

During his time as a DMA student at Eastman, Tjosvold won the Ann C. Fehn Memorial Award (1st Prize Pianist) at the 2021 Jessie Kneisel Lieder Competition. He was also awarded the 2020 Excellence in Accompanying Award. Tjosvold enjoys playing organ and directing the choir in addition to his work as a pianist. He has formerly been the organist at Liberty Christian Church (Martinsville, IN) and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Cathedral (Laramie, WY).

Tjosvold earned a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from the University of Wyoming, magna cum laude, under the tutelage of Dr. Theresa Bogard. He completed his master’s degree at the University of Michigan with Martin Katz and a Performer’s Certificate at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, studying with Anne Epperson and Kevin Murphy. He received his DMA in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music from the Eastman School of Music, studying with Dr. Jean Barr and Dr. Andrew Harley. In addition to his primary studies, he received a minor in sacred music and a minor in solo piano, studying with Dr. Douglas Humpherys. To learn more, visit www.esm.rochester.edu/directory/tjosvold-brock.

Currently in his eighth season as Artistic Director & Chief Conductor of Virginia Opera, Maestro Adam Turner garners critical acclaim for the breadth of his repertoire, artistic vision, and polished technique. In the 2025-2026 Season at Virginia Opera, Turner will be on the podium for productions of La Cenerentola, Aida, and the Commonwealth premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Intelligence. Additionally this season, Turner returns to Toledo Opera to conduct Carmen, the Pacific Symphony to conduct My Fair Lady, and he also leads the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s program “Classical Christmas” and Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra’s “The Nutcracker” with Virginia Regional Ballet.

In recent seasons at Virginia Opera, he has led productions of Carmen, Così fan tutte, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, Madama Butterfly, La bohème, Three Decembers, Le nozze di Figaro, The Pirates of Penzance, Fellow Travelers, and La Traviata, in addition to conducting the world premiere of Loving v. Virginia by Damien Geter and Jessica Murphy Moo. In the summer of 2025, Turner made his mainstage debut with Opera Saratoga conducting the Bock & Harnick musical She Loves Me, and he was also recently seen at the helm for Central City Opera’s productions of Street Scene, Kiss Me, Kate and The Light in the Piazza, Toledo Opera’s Roméo et Juliette and Il trovatore, as well as his début with the Pacific Symphony for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Holden James Turner, a baritone from Rochester (NY), was a 2024 Vocal Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Festival and has performed in numerous productions with Eastman Opera Theatre. In addition to his work with FLO over the past three seasons, he has been a frequent soloist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Rochester Oratorio Society, Eastman Philharmonia, Eastman-Rochester Chorus, and Ithaca College Symphony. Turner has worked with renowned artists such as Jon Batiste, Dawn Upshaw, and Andris Nelsons and is a recipient of the William Warfield and “Young Black & Gifted” Scholarships. 

Mezzo-soprano Maya Watters just completed her fourth year of undergraduate studies at the Eastman School of Music, studying under soprano Kiera Duffy. Maya has performed with the Eastman Opera Theatre as a member of the Niñas B chorus in Goliov’s Ainadamar as well as covering Milli in The Cure for Love. Also a passionate lover of German lieder, Maya has attended the AIMS lieder studio in Graz Austria under the tutelage of Timothy Hoekman and Gustav Halley. During her undergraduate studies, Maya has gained choral experience through her time in the Eastman Chorale as well as her participation in the Bach Cantata series. She has previously worked closely with director Patricia Weinmann, as well as coach William Hobbs and teacher Alison Bolshoi.

Dr. Chelsea Whitaker is a vocal coach at the Eastman School of Music. She has performed in venues such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, Merkin Hall in New York City, and Jordan Hall in Boston. Prior to her appointment at Eastman, Whitaker served on faculty at New England Conservatory. She graduated with a B.M. from the University of Missouri—Kansas City, an M.M. from the University of Southern California, and a D.M.A. from New England Conservatory. To learn more, visit https://www.esm.rochester.edu/directory/whitaker-chelsea.

Gu Hong Wu is a baritone and a sophomore at the Eastman School of Music, studying vocal performance under Professor Joshua Conyers. He recently made his stage debut at Eastman Opera Theatre in Cerrone’s In a Grove directed by Joelle Lachance and will be appearing as Dr. Blind in EOT’s production of Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus this spring. Gu Hong placed second in his category at the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition at Buffalo State University in 2024.