MEET THE CAST: Rigoletto
Nathan Matticks (baritone) | RIGOLETTO
American baritone Nathan Matticks is rapidly establishing himself as one of opera’s brightest hopefuls. 2019 was punctuated by a Carnegie Hall main stage debut in Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem and Rutter’s Mass of the Children. Matticks joined Florida Grand Opera for their 2019/2020 season covering the title roles in Rigoletto and Don Giovanni. Acclaimed for his “suave baritone” (Broadway World) and the “sonorous, full-voiced” (Parterre) quality of his singing. Career highlights include the principal baritone roles in Il Trovatore, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Un Ballo in Maschera, Don Giovanni, Lucia di Lammermoor, Carmen, Faust, Manon Lescaut, I Pagliacci, and The Merry Widow.
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Alex Boyer (tenor) | THE DUKE
Tenor Alex Boyer is known for his commanding voice and dramatic portrayals of the lyric and spinto tenor repertoire. In the 2023 season, Cavaradossi in Tosca with Livermore Valley Opera, Pocket Opera and Opera San Jose, and Dolores, with West Edge Opera. Other recent credits: Cassio in Otello, Tichon in Janáček's Káťa Kabanová, Captain Ahab in Jake Heggie's Moby Dick, Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut, Pollione in Norma, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Canio in Pagliacci, Rodolfo in La bohème, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor and Manrico in Il Trovatore, amongst others.
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Catherine Goode (soprano) | GILDA
Coloratura soprano Catherine Goode’s 2022-2023 season includes debuts with Central City Opera and Salt Marsh Opera, as well as returns to Kentucky Opera and Opera in the Heights. Previously, she has appeared in young artist and training programs with Merola Opera Program, Virginia Opera, Opera Columbus, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Seagle Festival. Favorite roles performed include Controller, Adele, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Cunegonde. In concert, Catherine has sung soprano solos in numerous masterworks and is an avid recitalist. A Houston native, she holds degrees from the University of Houston and Michigan State University. For more, please visit www.catherinegoode.com
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Aidan Smerud (BASS-BARITONE) |SPARAFUCILE
Originally from La Crosse, Wisconsin, Aidan Smerud is concluding his Doctor of Musical Arts study at the University of Houston in vocal performance with an emphasis in stage direction. While attending school, Aidan has remained an active artist: collaborating with secular and sacred ensembles as well as performing with opera companies locally and nationally. His other performing credits include Amarillo Opera: Marquis d’Obigni - La Traviata; Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro. Opera Saratoga: Innkeeper – The Man of La Mancha; Bartolo - Le nozze di Figaro. Opera Iowa: Alidoro - La cenerentola. University of Houston: Oliver Jordan – Dinner at Eight; Gianni Schicchi - Gianni Schicchi; Dr. Dulcamara - L’elisir d’amore; Dr. Miracle - Les contes d’Hoffmann; Rucker Lattimore - Cold Sassy Tree; Don Basilio - Il barbiere di Siviglia; Nonancourt - Il cappello di paglia di Firenze. Ohio Light Opera: Pirate King - Pirates of Penzance; Emile deBecque – South Pacific.
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Aviana Burkepile (MEZZO-SOPRANO) |MADDALENA
Mezzo-Soprano Aviana Burkepile hails from outside of Austin, Texas. She completed her undergraduate degree at Oberlin Conservatory and has recently acquired her Master’s degree at Rice University under the tutelage of Professor Nova Thomas. While at Rice University she performed the role of Nerone with Shepherd School of Music in Agrippina by Handel. While at Oberlin Conservatory Aviana performed the role of Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sœur Felicity in Dialogues des Carmélites, Ruth, and Anita in a musical revue of Bernstein’s works, “A Salute to Leonard Bernstein” and Arsamene in Serse at Oberlin in Italy. Aviana will begin her DMA in Opera Performance in the fall at the Butler School of Music the University of Texas.
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BLAS CANEDO-GONZÁLEZ (BARITONE) |COUNT MONTERRONE
Baritone Dr. Blas Canedo-González is internationally recognized as a deeply musical, persuasive singing actor whose rich, sensual sound and strong, secure, brilliant instrument connect memorably with both repertoire and audience. His repertoire includes over thirty major roles performed in the United States, South America and Europe, including Don Giovanni, Germont (La traviata), the Count di Luna (Il trovatore), Escamillo (Carmen), and the Count (Le nozze di Figaro). Most recently, he has appeared as Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia in Texas) in a film production by the Houston Grand Opera to Go; Dr. Rappacini in Rappacini’s Daughter with Alamo City Opera; Angel in Hagar and Ishmael, and Gene Austin in Companionship, both with Fort Worth Opera; Everybody (Lucinda y las Flores de Noche Buena) with Glens Falls Symphony and Opera in the Heights; El Duende (Maria de Buenos Aires) with, Opera San Antonio, Opera in the Heights, and Alamo City Opera; Kommissarius (Der Rosenkavalier) with the Opera de Colombia, and Marcello (La bohème) with the Teatro Colón de Bogotá. Critic Mike Greenberg of the Incident Light blog found Mr. Canedo-González “…so deeply musical, so flat-out beautiful, that after a while I found myself wallowing in the sheer sensuality of that sound and not bothering to look at the projected English translations." On the concert stage, Dr. Canedo González has been heard in Orff’s Carmina Burana with Victoria Symphony (Texas) and the Sinfónica de Colombia; Faure’s Requiem and Dvorak’s Te Deum with the Corpas Symphony and Manizales Symphony respectively. A favorite in his hometown of Houston, TX, he has offered more than ten concerts with the Houston Symphony.” Future engagements includes baritone soloist for Mozart’s Requiem and Carmina Burana with South East Texas Symphony; and Mozart’s Vespers with the Woodlands Chorale. Dr. Canedo González is an assistant professor at Lamar State College-PA.
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Siwei Zhang (SOPRANO) | GIOVANNA
Lauded for her “commanding and regal” voice (Houston Press), Chinese soprano Siwei Zhang is gaining recognition as a captivating performer on the operatic stage. She appeared as Giannetta in the production of The Elixir of Love with Opera in the Heights in 2022. Recent performances include Magda in La Rondine (Puccini), The Lady in Good Country (Keith Allegretti), Donna Anna in Don Giovanni (Mozart), Diana in Orpheus in the Underworld (Offenbach), Contessa Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) with Opera in the Ozarks at the Inspration Point, Opera LOLA and Moores Opera Center, among others. She has been the recipient of many awards and honors, such as First Place in the voice division of the Moores School of Music Concerto Competition in 2020 and Finalist in John Alexander National Vocal Competition of Opera Mississippi in 2021. Zhang is also performing the role of "Francine" in Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers in the 2022-2023 season with Houston Grand Opera's Opera to Go! touring show.
Zhang holds a Certificate in Music Performance from the University of Houston Moores School of Music, a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Xi’an Conservatory of Music, where she specialized in both voice and piano. She is currently based in Houston, TX.
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Kellen Schrimper (BARITONE) | MARULLO
Mr. Schrimper is a dramatic baritone based in Houston, Texas. As an emerging artist, he has studied and performed a wide range of roles within the operatic repertoire. He recently joined Des Moines Metro Opera for their 50th anniversary season, covering numerous roles including Snug in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Jimmy in Geter/Palmer's American Apollo. In the spring of 2022, Mr. Schrimper received a District Encouragement award from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and was a finalist in the Houston Saengerbund Awards. This summer for Opera Theatre of St. Louis’ festival season, he will be featured as Sciarrone in Tosca, while covering the role of Scarpia, as well as covering the role of Blitch in Susannah as a Gerdine Young Artist.
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Calvin Maurecé Harris (TENOR) | BORSA
Tenor Calvin Maurecé Harris is a native of Hampton, Virginia and a proud alumnus of Virginia State University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music. In 2013, he made his operatic debut playing the role of Il Commissionario in La Traviata. In addition to his broad professional experience with ecclesiastical and secular music, Mr. Harris has also performed in roles for numerous operatic productions, including First Armoured Man in Mozart's Die Zaubeflöte, Parpignol in Puccini's La Boheme, and Ruiz in Verdi's Il Trovatore.
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Jarrell D. Comeaux (BASS-BARITONE) | CEPRANO
JARRELL COMEAUX (Ceprano) is a graduate of the University of Houston Moores School of Music. Jarrell has performed roles and chorus with Moores School of Music, Operativo and Opera in the Heights, and is excited to perform with Opera in the Heights production of Rigoletto. When he is not performing he enjoys teaching and mentoring students, drawing, bowling, playing D&D and making plans with friends. Jarrell is excited to perform for you today and hopes you enjoy the show.
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Melissa Krueger (MEZZO-SOPRANO) | COUNTESS CEPRANO
Melissa Krueger makes her Opera in the Heights debut as Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto. This season she is has also performed in the chorus of Houston Grand Opera’s Wreckers and Le Nozze di Figaro. She has been an active chorus member with HGO since her return to her hometown of Houston, having previously performed with the Minnesota Opera and Austin Opera and with Cedar Rapids Opera for the premiere of Strokes of Genius: The Grant Wood Operas. Past roles include Lazuli in Chabrier’s L’étoile, Unulfo in Handel’s Rodelinda, Jo in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, and Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro.
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Meghana Krish, MEZZO-SOPRANO | THE PAGE
Meghana Krish is an up-and-coming mezzo-soprano based in Houston, Texas. She recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in vocal performance at the University of Houston, where she studied voice with Professor Melanie Sonnenberg. During her time at the Moores School of Music, she performed several roles in addition to being an active member of the internationally acclaimed University of Houston Concert Chorale, under the direction of Betsy Cook Weber. She has appeared in the Moores Opera Center production of Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld (chorus) and Menotti’s Amelia al Ballo. Despite the rigid covid restrictions in 2021, she performed as a trio member in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, which was a socially distanced, virtual opera. Other roles include Mrs. Herring in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring and Hata in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride. Last year, Meghana joined the chorus for Ars Lyrica Houston’s production of Dido and Aeneas, in collaboration with the New York Baroque Dance Company. That same year she performed the role of Gianetta in Operativo Houston’s production of L’elisir D’amore. This production of Rigoletto is Meghana’s second time performing with Opera in the Heights.