The Artists
Lighting Director
I love lamp.
Ida Aronson
Founder; Artistic Director; Producer; Vincent
With a passion for living, teaching and the undead, Nora Maynard is a force to be reckoned with. Starting WholeTone Opera late in 2015 with naught but a dream and a zombie score, this tour de force soprano recognizes that art and passion can influence society and it is armed with this recognition that she leads WTO forward in its mission to serve the queer and artistic communities of the Boston area.
Nora Maynard
Producer
Soprano Sara Haugland moved from Northern California to the Boston area four years ago. She has a passion for accessible opera and enjoys projects that bring a fresh and modern flavor to what is viewed by some an antiquated art form. She has dedicated her organizational skills and art to WholeTone Opera this season because of the company's commitment to featuring the female artists of opera and to be a part of WholeTone Opera's unconventional operatic flair.
Sara Haugland
Stage Director
J. Deschene feels blessed and validated to have been part of the WholeTone Opera family from the very beginning. The folks at WholeTone understand that to be seen and valued for who you really are is a basic right, and for that, J. is ever thankful. No stranger to being on or backstage, J. has performed such roles as "Teresa Salieri" in Amadeus, and "Lady Bracknell" in The Importance of Being Earnest, along with many of Gilbert and Sullivan's most beloved contralto characters. As a director, she has tackled classics like Lysistrata, The Trojan Women, and WTO's inaugural production, La Zombiata.
http://jdeschenearts.weebly.com
J. Deschene
Costume Designer
E. Rosser (Costume Designer) moonlights as a designer and technician in the Boston theater scene, saving daytime for mundane things like engineering and science writing. Among her favorite creations are 8-foot giraffe puppets, rococo zombies in WholeTone's own La Zombiata, drag queen metamorphoses, Victorian teenagers, and loads of Steampunkery.
Rosser
Librettist; Raimbaud
Teri Kowiak joined Wholetone Opera in late 2015 to fulfill her dream of performing the role of a zombie and stayed in the interest of promoting the inclusion of women in opera, not just as performers, but as composers, libretists, directors, designers, and producers. She is thrilled by the inclusion of non-straight and non-binary characters in WTO's productions. Teri is also the founder and director of Meravelha, a small chamber ensemble devoted to medieval music, and performs with a number of professional choirs and small groups in the Boston area. She is the lead singer and is a co-composer for Night's Blackbird, an ensemble who performs new music using ancient instruments. When not performing, Teri teaches voice privately and enjoys creative writing. She has written a number of short stories, and hopes to someday finish and publish the book she started in 2016. 70,000 words in and counting...
www.terikowiak.com
Teri Kowiak
Music Director; Vincent
Von Bringhurst (countertenor) completed his Master of Music in Vocal Performance degree in 2012 at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, MA. He is a native of Pocatello, Idaho, where he also attended Idaho State University, graduating with honors in 2009. In Idaho and now in New England, he has been frequently heard as a soloist and ensemble member with groups such as Força Chorus, Harvard Early Music Society, Iberica Early Music Festival, Metro Stage Company, Video Game Orchestra, Xerces Blue Ensemble, and others. He regularly sings with the choir of St. Paul’s Harvard Square, and is proud to be a founding member of Genesis Chamber Singers. Von has been Music Director for the Opera House Theater Company in Philipsburg, MT; The Virginia City Players of Virginia City, MT; and has been rehearsal accompanist, Assistant Music Director, and Music Director for WholeTone Opera. He is pleased to be involved in the production of The Werewolf, and honored to be able to co-create the role of Vincent. Von currently teaches at MJ’s Music School in Waltham, MA and at Wholetone Music Academy in Somerville, MA. He currently resides in Boston.
von bringhurst
Alice Cover; Narcisse
Nathalie Andrade is absolutely thrilled to be making her WholeTone Opera debut! She is a senior undergraduate at Tufts University double majoring in music and international relations, with a minor in forcing her scared friends to watch horror movies with her for her own amusement. Some past credits include university performances of The Old Maid and the Thief (Laetitia), Chicago (Velma Kelly), an original operatic adaptation of A Doll's House (Christine Linde), The Finishing School (Odillie), and she will be singing the role of Contessa in Tufts Opera Ensemble's performance of Le Nozze di Figaro in the spring. By night she transforms into a burlesque dancer with the Tufts Burlesque Troupe. She’d like to say “muchas gracias” to her vocal coach, Carol Mastrodomenico, all of The Werewolf team, and the looming shadowy figure currently reading this over your shoulder. Enjoy the show!
Nathalie Andrade
Alberic Cover; Chorus
Timothy Ayres-Kerr BM is a recent graduate of New England Conservatory of Music and a former student of Bradley Williams. While studying at the Conservatory he performed as a soloist in Opera, Oratorio, and discovered a particular love of British and American Operetta, performing several lead tenor roles in the works of Gilbert & Sullivan, Most notably Frederic in The Pirates Penzance. Of a recent performance of his, the Boston Musical Intelligencer noted that "He sang with purity and conviction, enunciating perfectly, and acting without a touch of guile." Timothy is currently studying for an MM in vocal pedagogy with Ian Howell at the New England Conservatory while continuing to Run his own miniature opera company, the Parlour Opera Players. Timothy has been writing vocal music almost as long as he has been singing, working primarily on short comic operas and Cantatas; A Game of Werewolf being his second completed work for stage. He is passionate about opera in English, whether it be new or old and is especially thrilled to joining Whole-tone Opera again—this time as a singer and a composer.
Timothy Ayres-Kerr
Raimbaud
Sara Bielanski is a multi-genre musician: as a jazz singer, she has performed and worked with Sheila Jordan, Ra-Kalam Bob Moses, Rufus Reid, and Tessa Souter. She has sung at Boston's Regattabar, Ryles, and other venues. Member of the Boston-based classical/jazz improvisation ensemble THE MELTDOWN INCENTIVE. In the classical idiom, she has sung with Opera Boston, Tuscia Opera Festival (Rome), Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Boston Pops, and more. Recording projects for BOSE, BMOP, WICN radio, and her debut jazz album, FROM THE HEART. Bielanski maintains a private voice studio in Cambridge, and teaches at the Longy School of Music of Bard College, as well as Tufts University through
their community music program. In her spare time, she and her husband chase after 10 nieces, big and small, and are proudly owned by two exquisite Chihuahuas.
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Sara Bielanski
Bertrand Cover; chorus
Shaoul Rick Chason is a Boston area actor-playwright, baritone, and dramaturg. Recent credits: Brutus in Julius Caesar (Praxis Stage); American Moor, J.A.S.O.N. (Office of War Information- Bureau of Theater, resident playwright-dramaturg); Shahnameh: The Tale of King Zahak, Blind Owl, The Apartment, Fish Trees (Boston Experimental Theater Company, resident member); The Cellos' Dialogues (Boston Conservatory); Macbeth (It's a Fiasco); Singing Bones (Fool's Journey); and Macbeth (Bay Colony Shakespeare Company). His new play Berlin; or, The Part of You That Wants It: A Musical Comedy Love Story (Written by Accident) will be performed this season at Office of War Information.
Shaoul Chason
Hilaire
Elizabeth Clutts, soprano is in her senior year at The New England Conservatory of Music studying with Bradley Williams. A native of Traverse City Michigan, she attended Interlochen Arts Academy as a classical voice major. Miss Clutts has performed the rolls of Virtu (L'incoronazione di Poppea), Proserpina (Orpheus in the Underworld) and The Wife (A Simple Sort of Affair). Partial roles include Damigella (L'incoronazione di Poppea), Mercédès (Carmen). Recent debut with WholeTone Opera in their Inhuman Voices Recital and Moonsong 1 and 2 recitals. Miss Clutts is a studio artist with Parlour Opera Players and will be premiering the role of Klara Schultz in the world premiere of A Game of Werewolf! She is so excited to be singing with WholeTone opera and all of her friends!
Elizabeth Clutts
Ondine
Brooke Dircks is a Masters student at New England Conservatory, where she studies with Jane Eaglen. She is a studio artist with Parlour Opera Players and is premiering the role of Gadruna in A Game of Werewolf. Her performance repertoire includes Lady Billows, [Albert Herring] Donna Anna, [Don Giovanni] Miss Jessel, [Turn of the Screw] First Witch, [Dido and Aeneas]and Waltraute [Die Walküre] and Madame As a young artist at the American Institute of Music in Graz, Austria, she won 3rd place in the prestigious Meistersinger competition. In 2017 she also received an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions in New Orleans. Ms. Dircks was awarded a presidential distinction scholarship as both an undergraduate and graduate at New England Conservatory. She loves Halloween and is very excited to celebrate by being part of her first WholeTone show!
Brooke Dircks
Alice
Jeila Irdmusa, once a member of WholeTone's zombie chorus, joins the cast of The Werewolf as Alice, a *secret* witch in a love triangle (with a weakness for hairy guys). Jeila daylights as the Communications Manager at Boston Lyric Opera. Passionate about new music, she has performed in several projects, including Deborah Henson-Conant's one-woman chamber opera "Mythic Women." Jeila is a firm believer that #operaissexy.
Jeila Irdmusa
Bertrand
Nick Stevens (Bertrand) is thrilled to be making his WholeTone Opera debut! Recent credits include Assassins (Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald), Chess (Walter de Courcey/u.s. Arbiter), The Pirates of Penzance (Samuel), Hellancholy (Max/Father Connor), Jesusness (Roger/Tal), Sunset Boulevard (Morino), GoreFest: The Thirteenth (Candleface/Stewart), and T: An MBTA Musical (Ensemble/u.s. Charlie).
In addition to his stage work, Nick is an accomplished singer-songwriter who performs locally under the pseudonym Hyde Park. His debut album Scenes from an Art Heist will be released next year.
Nick Stevens
Pauline
Rebecca Wright, soprano, is excited to be joining WholeTone Opera for the first time in The Werewolf! A graduate of the New England Conservatory, Rebecca has sung with various local groups, including the MIT G&S Players, MetroWest Opera, Opera del West, and the Brookline Symphony Orchestra. She has sung various roles as part of programs from the Crittenden Opera Studio in Brookline to FAVA in Austria, but this production is the most adventurous yet!
Rebecca Wright
Production TEam
Cast of the Werewolf
Alberic
Andy Troska is thrilled to be singing his first-ever subhuman role with the wonderful artists at WholeTone Opera. ANdy's recent roles include: Fronimo in Hasse's Alcide al bivio (Harvard Early Music Society), Don Curzio in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro (Harvard College Opera), Jesus in Carson Cooman's Thieves (Harvard Memorial Church), 1st Hermit in Stephen Paulus' The Three Hermits (Harvard Memorial Church), Artemidoro in the US Premiere of Salieri's La Grotta di Trofonio (Lowell House Opera), Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress (HCO), and Tenor Soloist in Handel's Alexander's Feast (Harvard Early Music Society). Andy is a recent graduate of Harvard University, where he studied Slavic Languages and Literatures and Italian. He is the Executive Assistant of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, except on days when the moon is full. Andy studies voice with Frank Kelley and sings weekly with Seraphim Singers and the choir of King's Chapel.
Andrew Troska
AliceSoprano Katie O’Reilly is a native of Connecticut and holds degrees from Oberlin and the Boston Conservatory. Recent credits include the American premiere of Sonic Blossom at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Franca in The Light in the Piazza and Mrs. Anderssen in A Little Night Music (Next Door Theater,) Prilepa in The Queen of Spades (Lowell House Opera) and Yum-Yum in The Mikado (MIT Gilbert & Sullivan Players,) as well as appearances with Moonbox Productions, Performing Fusion Theater, Theatre@First and the Hillyer Festival Orchestra. Other recent operatic roles: The Turn of the Screw (Opera Brittenica, Governess cover,) Little Women (MetroWest Opera, Ensemble/Beth cover,) Hansel and Gretel (MWO, Sandman,) Lakmé (Lowell House Opera, Rose,) HMS Pinafore (MITG&SP, Josephine.) Katie performs regularly with Opera on Tap, and is a member of the voice faculty at the Community Music Center of Boston. For more, please visit www.katieoreilly.com.
