La Bohème Artist Biographies

Rochelle Bard (Musetta), soprano, was recently awarded First Place and Audience Choice in the Classical Singer Competition. She was also a winner in the George London Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Awards in San Francisco, the Gerda Lissner Competition, and the Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition. Ms. Bard’s current season includes Micaëla in Carmen with Ash Lawn Opera, thetitle role in Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera Idaho, the Foreign Princess in Rusalka with Boston Lyric Opera, and the title role in The Merry Widow with St. Petersburg Opera, Florida. She completed her Artist Residencywith Opera San José last season with much acclaimed performances of Lucia di Lammermoor, Gilda in Rigoletto, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Violetta in La Traviata, and Juliette in Roméo et Juliette. In 2005, Ms. Bard was engaged as a Studio Artist with the Baltimore Opera Company. Other credits include Gilda in Rigoletto in concert with Cape Cod Opera, Mrs. Maurant in Street Scene with Maine Grand Opera, the title role in The Merry Widow with New England Light Opera, Louise in La Vie Parisienne with Opera Boston, and Antonia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Longwood Opera. Ms. Bard is originally from Worcester, MA, where she received a BA in Biology Premed from the College of the Holy Cross. She was trained as a pianist and accompanied singers before finding her own classical voice. She received her Master's Degree in Vocal Performance with Academic Honors from the New England Conservatory of Music.

 

Christopher Clayton (Schaunard), baritone. A native of Utah, Mr. Clayton has recently returned to Utah after spending two years in Portland as a member of the Portland Opera Studio. Mr. Clayton’s operatic roles include Ulysses in Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, Mr. Gedge in Albert Herring, El Dancaire in Carmen, Wagner in Faust, Mr. Gedge in Albert Herring and the First Priest in Die Zauberflöte (Portland Opera), Prince Yamadori in Madama Butterfly (Utah Opera), Betto in Gianni Schicchi, and Oliver Hix in The Music Man (Chautauqua Opera), Sharpless in Madama Butterfly (Stockton Opera), Jon Sorel in The Consul (Bronx Opera), Don Giovanni and Somarone in Beatrice et Benedict (Manhattan School of Music). His interests in German Lieder and other types of art song as well as concert music have led him to be an active recitalist and concert singer. He has performed as the soloist in Händel’s Messiah (Utah Symphony), Cimarosa’s Maestro di Cappella (Walla Walla Symphony) and has performed as a recitalist in various venues throughout the United States. Mr. Clayton received a Master’s Degree and Professional Studies Certificate at the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Maitland Peters. Mr. Clayton has participated in numerous masterclasses with artists such as Lauren Flanigan, Catherine Malfitano, Bo Skovus, and Martin Katz. Prior to his studies at the Manhattan School, he received Bachelor’s degrees in Vocal Performance and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah.

 

Tom Corbeil (Colline), bass-baritone, has recently garnered attention across North America for his vocal presence and stagecraft. The San Diego native is an alumnus of studio programs at such companies as Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Opera, and the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera, where he created the role of Tom Carter in the world premiere of Thomas Pasatieri's The Hotel Casablanca. Other roles include Colline (La Bohème), Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), Mustafa (L'Italiana in Algeri), Angelotti (Tosca), Superintendent Budd (Albert Herring), Crespel (Les Contes d'Hoffmann), Sprecher (Die Zauberflöte), and Captain Corcoran (H.M.S. Pinafore). Mr. Corbeil has also won several prizes from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, The Liederkranz Foundation, and the Musical Merit Foundation. Mr. Corbeil started the 2009 Season at Gotham Chamber Opera as Enrico in Haydn's rarely performed opera L'isola disabitata. Other engagements include Colline in La Bohème at Opera Omaha, Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Florida Grand Opera, Faraone in Rossini's Mose in Egitto at Chicago Opera Theater, Leporello in Don Giovanni at Fort Worth Opera Festival, and a return to Santa Fe Opera this summer, where he will perform as the Marquis in La Traviata and the Oracle and Infernal god in Gluck's Alceste.

 

Adam Flowers (Rodolfo) tenor, is a Northern California native. He recently made his company debut for Houston’s Opera in the Heights as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly in October of 2008. Mr. Flowers performed the role of Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata at the Musashino Kokkaido in Tokyo, Japan. He made his company debut with Hawaii Opera Theatre in the role of Tybalt in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette in February of 2008. Mr. Flowers reprised the role of Rodolfo in Opera Idaho’s production of La Bohème in October 2007. He performed the role of Camille de Rosillon in Lehar’s The Merry Widow at West Bay Opera in May and June of 2007. Mr. Flowers was also one of ten finalists in the first annual Irene Dalis Vocal Competition in San Jose, CA in June of 2007. In March of 2007 he performed his second Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte at Rimrock Opera in Billings, Montana. Critics and audiences alike praised his successful portrayal of Gherman in Tchaikovsky’s Pikovaya Dama at West Bay Opera in February 2007. In October 2006, he performed Macduff in Verdi’s Macbeth at West Bay Opera. In June of 2006 he performed the roles of Lord Lechery, Interpreter, and Mr. By-Ends and made his directorial debut in the West Coast premiere of Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Pilgrim's Progress with Trinity Lyric Opera in Walnut Creek, CA. Mr. Flowers completed his musical training at San Jose State University where he received his Bachelor of Arts.

 

Pamila Gray (Lighting Designer) has previously designed lighting for the Sacramento Opera’s productions of Aida, Die Fledermaus, Otello, Tosca, and The Pirates of Penzance. She designs for several companies in the San Francisco Bay area including Opera San Jose, American Musical Theatre, TheatreWorks, and Marin Theatre Company. Her work has been seen in Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Sacramento, Ft. Lauderdale, Colorado Springs, and Washington D.C. Before moving to California, she spent time in Houston, where she designed for The Alley Theatre, Houston Grand Opera, and Theatre Under The Stars, among others. Her recent work has won her Drama-Logue Awards in both San Francisco and Los Angeles, six Bay Area Critic’s Circle Awards and numerous nominations, and four Dean Goodman Choice Awards. Ms. Gray is a graduate of Northwestern University.

 

Robin Gray, (Production Stage Manager) is in her sixth season for the Sacramento Opera. Her credits here include Carmen, La Boheme, Faust, La Traviata, Tales of Hoffman, Hansel and Gretel, Don Giovanni, La Cenerentola, Madama Butterfly, The Barber of Seville, Die Fledermaus, Turandot, Cosi fan tutte, Aida, Otello, The Turn of the Screw, Tosca, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Marriage of Figaro. Ms. Gray’s other opera credits include The Aspern Papers at Dallas Opera (starring Frederika von Stade and filmed for Great Performances) and Dead Man Walking (both at Cincinnati and Pittsburgh Operas and radio broadcast on NPR). She has stage managed operas also in West Palm Beach, Raleigh, Atlanta, and New Jersey. Her musical theatre credits are many and include Broadway and national tours of Man of LaMancha, Jesus Christ Superstar, Annie, The Magic of David Copperfield, Tap Dogs, Phantom of the Opera, and Hello Dolly. She recently stage managed a Motown revue at Bally’s in Atlantic City, and The Sound of Music in Minneapolis.

 

Chuck Hudson (Stage Director). Based in New York City, he has directed opera productions at major international companies including Minnesota Opera, Cape Town Opera (South Africa), Florida Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, San Francisco Opera Center, Wolf Trap Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Sacramento Opera, Opera Cleveland, Opera Santa Barbara, Caramoor Opera, Berkshire Opera, Piedmont Opera, Connecticut Opera, and Shreveport Opera, among others. He is a co-creator of Seattle Opera’s Young Artist Program, a national Post-Conservatory Level Training Program, where he directed productions as well as created and instructed specialized classes on Acting and Movement for singers. He was a professor at the University of Houston School of Theatre, at Cornish College of the Arts and is an annual Adjunct Faculty Artist at North Carolina School of the Arts Theatre Department and Fletcher Opera Institute. In 2008, Mr. Hudson was a guest professor of Advanced Acting at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and will be a Guest Stage Director at Indiana University Opera Theatre in 2009. For 7 years Mr. Hudson was Artistic Director of Seattle's The Immediate Theatre. Mr. Hudson’s specialty in movement comes from a background in gymnastics as well as being one of three Americans to have received a diploma from the Marcel Marceau International School of Mimedrama in Paris. He is the only American to be appointed to teach at Marceau's School, and he performed with Marceau on his 1991 European Tour and in Klaus Kinski’s film Paganini. Mr. Hudson also studied at the Paris School for Theatrical Fencing and was awarded an Honorary Diploma from the French Academy of Arms.

Nicolai Janitzky (Marcello), baritone, is a native of California. He recently appeared with San Diego Opera in their productions of Boris Godunov, La Traviata, and Katya Kabanova; and Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Opera Santa Barbara. As an apprentice artist with Santa Fe Opera, he took on the title role in Eugene Onegin on short notice to high critical acclaim. Other roles he has sung include the title role in Pélleas et Mélisande, Valentin in Faust, Papageno in The Magic Flute, Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, and Marcello in La Boheme. He is also an active recitalist, and has performed in such venues as Carnegie (Weill) Hall in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Cleveland Institute of Music Art Song Festival. He is the winner of several competitions including the George London Foundation, Sullivan Foundation, and Opera Index Foundation. He has also been a finalist in the Operalia (Placido Domingo) Vocal Competition. He has studied at the Yale University Opera Program and the Music Academy of the West. This Season, Mr. Janitzky makes his debuts with the San Francisco Opera as Shchelkalov in Boris Godunov and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte with Opera Idaho. He will return to San Diego Opera in the spring of 2010.

 

Ming Luke (Chorus Master). Conductor and Pianist Ming Luke is the Director and Conductor for the Berkeley Symphony education programs, the Chorus Master for the Sacramento Opera, the Assistant Conductor for the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director of the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the General Director of the Napa Valley Youth Symphony. Prior to his appointments in Northern California, he was a staff conductor for the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and helped prepare the choir for such conductors as Charles Dutoit, André Previn, Mariss Jansons, Michael Stern and Lucas Richman. As a pianist, he has been described as "passionate" and "intelligently sensitive" and made his debut at Carnegie Hall's recital hall at age 18. He has been in constant demand as a coach, collaborative pianist and concert pianist. He recently performed as piano soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony and has performed as a keyboardist with many ensembles around Pittsburgh. Recognized nationally for his work in music education, Mr. Luke has been involved with numerous youth ensembles during his career and was President of the largest collegiate Music Educators National Conference (MENC). He has served as a panelist for the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA). Mr. Luke holds a Master of Fine Arts in Conducting from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Piano Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Mr. Luke studied at the Pierre Monteux School and serves on the Grants and Cultural Committee of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission.

 

NaGuanda Nobles (Mimì), soprano, began singing within the supportive walls of her home church. As a member of the Georgia Mass Choir, she performed in the film The Preacher's Wife. Although she was born in Tallahassee, Florida, Mrs. Nobles attended high school in Thomasville, Georgia, where she began her classical training. A Florida State University (FSU) graduate, she received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in voice performance. Mrs. Nobles was a member of the Austin Lyric Opera’s (ALO) Young Artist program for the 2002-2003 Season and made her ALO debut performing the role of Sister Rose in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking. In Fall 2003, Mrs. Nobles made her professional debut on the Austin Lyric Opera’s stage in the role of Liú in Turandot, under the baton of Maestro Peter Bay. In the spring of 2005, Mrs. Nobles made her Pensacola Opera debut performing Clara in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. She joined the Pittsburgh Opera Center in Fall 2005 and performed in performances of Rigoletto and Ariadne auf Naxos. Later in the season, she performed the role of Atlanta in the Opera Center’s production of Handel’s Xerxes. In 2007, she performed Papagena in the Pittsburgh Opera’s Die Zauberflöte. In 2008, Mrs. Nobles was awarded first place in the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition, the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition in its inaugural year, and was also named the 2008 Shreveport Opera’s Singer of the Year. Also in 2008, she made her Dayton Opera debut, performing the role of Liu in Puccini’s Turandot.

 

Burr Phillips (Bartolo), baritone, made his Sacramento Opera debut in this Season’s The Marriage of Figaro. Two notable headings in Mr. Phillips’s operatic career include his 1988 debut with the Santa Fe Opera in the U.S. stage premiere of Richard Strauss’s Friedenstag as the Musketeer and his debut with the Houston Grand Opera in the world premiere of Sir Michael Tippett’s New Year in 1990. In December of 2004, Mr. Phillips joined The Dallas Opera as Alidoro in student performances of Rossini’s La Cenerentola under the baton of Edoardo Müller, and again in 2006 as Ein Lakai in Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos. Additional operatic projects include performances as Benoit and Alcindoro in Puccini’s La Bohème with the Tulsa Opera under conductor Robert Spano and with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra under the baton of David Itkin. He sang the role of Ariodate in Handel’s Xerxes with the Carmel Bach Festival under the baton of Bruno Weil. Mr. Phillips has also appeared with The Dallas Opera, The Fort Worth Opera, San Antonio Opera Theater, and Chautauqua Opera. He performed Peter/Father in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel and the dual roles of Sciarrone/Il carceriere in Puccini’s Tosca, both with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Phillips currently is an Associate Professor at the Conservatory of Music at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California as Associate Professor. He holds the Master of Music degree in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance from Texas Christian University and the Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of North Texas.

 

Timm Rolek, (Conductor) The 2008-2009 Season marks Mr. Rolek’s eleventh season as Artistic Director of the Sacramento Opera and sixth as Artistic Director and Conductor of the prestigious Lake Tahoe Music Festival. Formerly he was Music Director of the Grand Forks Symphony (1995–2005) and Heartland Symphony (1993–1998) and a member of the conducting staff at the Metropolitan Opera. He is a busy guest conductor on both the concert and operatic stages, having led performances with Nevada Opera, Fargo-Moorhead Opera, Skylight Opera Theatre, Chatauqua Opera, Opera Delaware, Rimrock Opera, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Minneapolis Civic, and Glacier Symphonies, as well as the Ravinia Festival. He has recorded Jerre Tanner’s The Kona Coffee Cantata with the Prague Chamber Orchestra, and Joseph Fennimore’s Eventide (both on the Albany/Troy label). He conducted the American premiere of Ernst Krenek’s Das Geheime Koenigreich and has participated in the Pierre Boulez / IRCAM composers and conductors workshop at Carnegie Hall. Twin Cities Public Television KTCA-2 has featured Maestro Rolek on their two-time Emmy Award-winning program Arts on 2, and, in conjunction with Northern Lights Public Radio, he produced a nine-part radio-program called Music In Our Century. He has been a frequent judge for competitions including the National Council Auditions for the Metropolitan Opera. Under his tenure, the Grand Forks Symphony secured awards from ‘Meet The Composer’ and ‘Chamber Music America.’ After studying composition at the University of Minnesota, Maestro Rolek studied conducting with Herbert Blomstedt, Sir Neville Marriner, Klaus Tennstedt, and James Levine.