MEET THE ARTISTS: 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
Michelle Johnson|SOPRANO
Soprano Michelle Johnson, a Grand Prize Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions where she was described as “a clear audience favorite” (New York Times), has been lavished with praise for her “extraordinary breath control and flawless articulation… Her voice is velvety and pliant – a dulcet dream.” in the 2022-2023 season, she makes her Nashville Opera debut as Mimi in La bohème, debuts the role of Serena in Porgy and Bess with North Carolina Opera and Opera Carolina, reprises the title role of Aida with Opera Grand Rapids, makes a role debut as the title role in Puccini’s Turandot with Opera Southwest and sings as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Allentown Symphony. She also joins Opera in the Heights for their 25th Anniversary Concert. In the 2023-2024 season, Ms. Johnson will sing the title role in Tosca with Madison Opera, and makes her debut with Florentine Opera singing Mimì in La bohème.
Other recent engagements include Ms. Johnson’s house and role debut with Chicago Opera Theater as Zemfira in Aleko, a featured soloist performance with Madison Symphony Orchestra, a debut with Waterbury Symphony for their Holiday Pops and a return to Chautauqua to perform Strauss’ Vier letzte Lieder with Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. During the 2020-2021 season, Ms. Johnson was slated to make her Allentown Symphony, Florentine Opera, Opera on the James and Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia debuts (COVID19). Instead, she joined Opera Tampa as Leonora in Il trovatore, and Opera Delaware for a concert of Shakespeare selections.
A favorite of many houses, Ms. Johnson made recent returns to Lyric Fest for “I Hear America Singing”, Sarasota Opera as Madame Lidoine in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, and Boston Landmark Orchestra as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Ms. Johnson has also made a name for herself as one of the most in demand Aidas in the opera world today, performing Verdi’s tragic heroine with Glimmerglass Music Festival, Opera Santa Barbara, Opera Columbus, Knoxville Opera, Opera Idaho, and Sarasota Opera, among others. Ms. Johnson’s debut with Columbus Symphony as soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem was highly praised, and her collaboration with Madison Opera as Santuzza in their most recent production of Cavalleria Rusticana was given rave reviews.
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Ta’u Pupu’a | TENOR
Unique in the opera world, operatic tenor Ta’u Pupu’a was first known to the public as an outstanding NFL Defensive End. Pupu’a attended Weber State University on a football scholarship while pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree, during which time he was drafted to the NFL by Coach Bill Belichick of the Cleveland Browns, and later the Baltimore Ravens. A career-ending injury changed his life and led him to a new career - opera.
Pupu’a has appeared across the USA and internationally in opera and in concert. The New York Times compliments Pupu’a’s “limitless power,” noting his voice “has real gold in its best moments.” Pupu’a has appeared for the San Fransico Opera, La Scala - Milan, Tanglewood Music Festival, Danish Radio Orchestra, and Hong Kong Opera. He has sung in opera and concert in the United Kingdom, and the Greek Isles, and China, as well as across the USA, in Baltimore, Cedar Rapids, Connecticut, Fairbanks, Hawaii, Colorado, Knoxville, and Santa Barbara.
Pupu'a has collaborated with Dame Kiri the Kanawa, Jose Carerras, and James Levine. He is a Juilliard Opera Center (ADOS) graduate and a native of the Polynesian Kingdom of Tonga.
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Claudia Chapa |MEZZO-SOPRANO
Mexican mezzo-soprano Claudia Chapa received her training from the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas-Austin, where she performed Beatriz LA HIJA DE RAPPACCINI in the world premiere of the late Daniel Catán’s revised version. Her other roles included La Zia Principessa SUOR ANGELICA, the title-role of Rodriguez LA CURANDERA, Gertrude HÄNSEL UND GRETEL and Mrs Herring ALBERT HERRING. She is an alumnus of the prestigious young artist programs at the International Vocal Arts Institute (both in Blacksburg, VA and Tel Aviv, Israel), Des Moines Metro Opera, and the Glimmerglass Festival for which she was chosen as a young artist for two consecutive seasons.
Recent engagements include Zita GIANNI SCHICCHI and the Abbess SUOR ANGELICA for San Diego Opera, Filipjevna EUGENE ONEGIN with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fabio Luisi, Gertrude ROMEO ET JULIETTE with Opera San Antonio, the title-role LA CASA DE BERNARDA ALBA with Cleveland Opera Theatre, Berta IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA for Austin Opera, Josefina EL MILAGRO DEL RECUERDO with Houston Grand Opera and Arizona Opera, Fenena NABUCCO with West Bay Opera, Marcellina LE NOZZE DI FIGARO and Mother Abbess THE SOUND OF MUSIC with Charlottesville Opera, Marcellina LE NOZZE DI FIGARO with Opera Delaware, Ortrud LOHENGRIN with Opera Southwest, Fairy Godmother in Alma Deutscher's CINDERELLA with Opera San Jose and Berta IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA and Alisa LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR with Opera San Antonio.
Other operatic engagements include Azucena IL TROVATORE with St. Petersburg Opera Company, La Zia Principessa SUOR ANGELICA and Zita GIANNI SCHICCHI with St. Petersburg Opera, Ulrica UN BALLO IN MASCHERA, Madame Flora THE MEDIUM and the Witch HÄNSEL UND GRETEL with Opera in the Heights, Mary THE FLYING DUTCHMAN and Dryade ARIADNE AUF NAXOS with Austin Opera, Zita in both GIANNI SCHICCHI and BUOSO'S GHOST with Opera Delaware and Baltimore Concert Opera, Bloody Mary SOUTH PACIFIC with Gulf Coast Symphony, Hedwige WILLIAM TELL with Opera Southwest, Mistress Quickly FALSTAFF with Winter Opera St. Louis and Opera in the Heights, Dame Marthe FAUST with Indianapolis Opera and Third Lady DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE with the Glimmerglass Festival.
On the concert platform recent engagements include Beethoven Missa Solemnis with the National Philharmonic (USA), Lieberson Neruda Songs and El Amor Brujo with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Handel Messiah with DCINY and Evansville Philharmonic, Beethoven Symphony No.9 with both DCINY and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra Verdi Requiem with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, DCINY, and Gulf Coast Symphony, Bruckner Te Deum with the Austin Symphony and Mahler Symphony No.2 with the Florida Orchestra.
Upcoming engagements include Gertrude ROMEO ET JULIETTE for her debut with Dallas Opera, Witch HANSEL UND GRETEL also with Opera San Antonio and Dame Marthe FAUST and concerts with Austin Opera.
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Octavio Moreno | baritone
Mexican-American baritone Octavio Moreno received his Doctorate degree in Music by the University of Arizona. Dr. Moreno participated in the young artist program at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, followed by the Houston Grand Opera Studio. Mr. Moreno won first place in the Linus Lerner international opera competition in 2018, third place in the 2008 Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers and represented Mexico in the 2009 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition and the 2010 Paris International competition, as well as third place in the Carlo Morelli Competition in Mexico City. Mr. Moreno Made first place in both 2001 Mariana de Gonitch competition in Cuba and 2004 Premio Ciudad Trujillo in Peru. Dr. Moreno participated with the Chicago Lyric Opera, New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, San Diego Opera, Arizona Opera, Bellas Artes Opera in Mexico City, and the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, France among others. Mr. Moreno has premiered the role of Moncada in Zorro, Xihuitl in the second Mariachi Opera El Pasado Nunca Se Termina, and the Role of Laurentino in the first mariachi opera Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. He has also sung Marcello in La Boheme, Tonio in Pagliacci, Zurga in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, Vronsky in Anna Karenina, John Proctor in The Crucible, Germont in La Traviata followed by Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor and the title role in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Sourin in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades, and Belcore in Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, to name just a few. Dr. Moreno made his Symphonic debut performing with the San Antonio Symphony in the ‘Estancia’ Ballet, singing the Baritone Solo. Future engagements include Opera gala with Opera in the heights and Laurentino with Minessota Opera for the 2023-24 seasson.