Amy Cofield is an American Soprano who brings passion and experience to the stage and studio. A highly sought-after performer and teacher, Amy was praised by the New York Times for her “lovely, rich tone.” She has performed to critical acclaim across the U.S. and in Italy, France, Croatia, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, England, Santo Domingo, Guam, Taiwan and Japan. Highly regarded for her technical facility, beauty of interpretation and an arresting presence, her operatic roles have included Violetta, Cleopatra, Micaela, Lucia di Lammermoor, Elcia (Rossini’s Moses in Egypt), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Mimi, Rosalinda, Cunegonde, Susannah, Musetta, Pamina, Adina, Gilda, Norina, Konstanze, Belinda in the opera/oratorio, The Rape of the Lock (Alexander Pope), by NY composer Deborah Mason, and, most recently Minnie in The Girl of the Golden West. Credits include performances with Houston Grand Opera where she covered Renee Fleming’s Traviata, New York City Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Lyric Opera San Antonio, Pro Cantus Lyric Opera (TX), Indiana Opera North, Annapolis Chamber Orchestra and Chorale, Teatro Lirico D'Europa, Knoxville Opera, Nevada Opera, Greensboro Light Opera, Opera Roanoke and Opera Orlando.

In concert repertoire, Ms. Cofield has appeared with Festival Chamber Music in recital at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall and with The Masterwork Chorus (NJ) at Carnegie Hall, the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis Chorale and Chamber Orchestra, Tucson Masterworks Chorale, Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society, Garden State Philharmonic, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Virginia Symphony, Virginia Arts Festival, Norfolk Chamber Consort, Opera Camerata of Washington, Washington and Lee University, Tulsa Symphony, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Brevard Community Chorus, Brevard Symphony Orchestra and Space Coast Symphony Orchestra.

The 2021-22 season includes performances with Brevard Symphony Orchestra for their Sounds of the Season annual holiday concert, Annapolis Chorale and Chamber Orchestra for Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light and Handel’s Messiah, Space Coast Symphony Orchestra for Handel’s Messiah and the debut of Christopher Marshall’s Cançó del Mar, Roanoke Symphony Orchestra for Mozart’s Requiem, and Opera Roanoke for Verdi’s Requiem.

Dana Beth Miller’s recent successes include La Badessa Suor Angelica and Grimgerde Die Walküre both with Boston Symphony Orchestra; the Metropolitan Opera’s acclaimed Ring Cycle as Grimgerde (c), and Offred’s Mother The Handmaid’s Tale with Boston Lyric Opera.

A former principal in Germany’s Deutsche Oper Berlin ensemble, her appearances include Erda in two complete Ring Cycles with Simon Rattle and Donald Runnicles, Dame Quickly Falstaff, La Cieca La Gioconda, Mrs. Sedley in David Alden's Peter Grimes, Ulrica Un Ballo in Maschera and Azucena Il Trovatore.

‍Past season highlights include the artist’s UK debut with English National Opera as Amneris Aïda, Erda Das Rheingold at Arizona Opera, Dame Quickly with Opera Colorado, Ulrica at Florida Grand Opera and as Margaret in David McVicar’s celebrated new production of Wozzeck at Grand Theatre du Geneve in Switzerland, where she also sang Anna Les Troyens under the baton of Charles Dutoit.

Kevin Thompson possesses a voice with extraordinary range, depth, and color, combined with a commanding stage presence.

Upcoming engagements include Il Re in Aida for Ft. Worth Opera, January in Zaid Jabri’s Southern Crossings for Barnard College, the First Nazarene in Salome for Tulsa Opera, Sparafucile in Rigoletto for Nashville Opera, the Old Hebrew in Samson et Dalila for Bob Jones University, Oroveso in Norma for the Walnut Creek Festival, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for The Florida Orchestra.

Recent engagements include Sparafucile in Shreveport Opera’s Rigoletto, Polonius in Ruse Opera’s Hamlet, Monterone in Tulsa Opera’s Rigoletto, the Old Gypsy in Aleko for the New York City Opera and Opera Carolina as, Sparafucile in Rigoletto and Thibault in Maid of Orleans both with the New Orleans Opera, the American debut of Bottesini’s Ali Baba with Southwest Opera, Solomon in Gounod’s La Reine de Saba with Odyssey Opera, Korngold’s Das Wunder der Heliane with Maestro Leon Botstein at the Bard Festival, Wagner’s Rienzi at the Kennedy Center, Osmin in Die Entfuhrung as dem Serail at the Walnut Creek Festival, Basilio in The Barber of Seville with Opera Hong Kong, Angelotti in Tosca with Opera Tampa, Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor for Bob Jones University, and Ramphis in Aida with Knoxville Opera, and the role of Captain in Daniel Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas with the New York City Opera.

In concert he has performed Thy Will be Done and the Verdi’s Requiem with the National Chorale at Avery Fisher Hall, Mozart’s Requiem with the St. Louis Symphony, the Verdi Requiem with the Chautauqua Institute and with the Talahasee Symphony, and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass at Carnegie Hall. For the National Symphony he has performed Handel’s Messiah, Wagner’s Rienzi, Stravinsky’s Les Noces, and Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis.

Mr. Thompson has appeared internationally with the Hannover Staatsoper, Teatro Verdi Trieste, Teatro Regio Parma, Opera Kiel, the Gasteig in Munich, Wexford Opera, and La Folle Journee under such noted conductors as Edoardo Muller, Andreas Delfs, Julian Wachner, Christopher Allen, Grant Gershon, Leon Botstien, Joel Revzen, Alexander Kalajdzic, Mark Flint, Dean Williams, David Zinmin, and the late Julius Rudel.

World-premieres include Johannes Wulff-Woesten’s Die Weisse Furstin at the Munich Beinnale, Paul Dessau’s Haggadah shel Pesah with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, and Ahmed Sumani in Tony Small’s Qadar at the Kennedy Center. As a permanent part of the Smithsonian Institute's Hirschorn Gallery in Washington, D.C., Mr. Thompson is featured singing “Old Man River” in occurring audio walk artwork exhibit entitled “Words Drawn in Water” by artist Janet Cardiff.

Dinyar Vania has recently emerged as one of the country’s most exciting young tenors. With a voice which combines both power and beauty, he has earned critical acclaim portraying several of the most beloved roles in opera. Recent engagements include Don José in Carmen with Opera Coeur d’Alene, Cavardossi in Tosca with Opera Roanoke, and Lieutenant Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Syracuse Opera.  

Recent performances include the Duke in Rigoletto (Opera Omaha), Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut (Minnesota Opera), Cavaradossi (Opera Grand Rapids, Lyric Opera Baltimore, Pensacola Opera), Don José (Virginia Opera), Pinkerton (Glimmerglass Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Colorado), Roberto in Puccini’s Le Villi (Spoleto Festival USA), Cassio in Otello (Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra under Fabio Mechetti), Rodolfo (Pensacola Opera, Opera Birmingham, Dayton Opera), and he joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera for its production of La bohème.

Mr. Vania’s previous highlights include singing Ettore in the world premiere of Kimmo Hakola’s La Fenice with Savolinna Festival, Don José with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Duke with Opera Grand Rapids and Knoxville Opera, Bach’s Mass in B minor with Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana with Utica Symphony Orchestra, an opera gala with Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and concert performances of Cavalleria Rusticana with Schenectady Symphony Orchestra and Tosca with Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra.  

He has performed as Rodolfo with New York City Opera, Madison Opera, and Knoxville Opera; Cavaradossi with Dallas Opera, and Toledo Opera; Alfredo with Opera Cleveland; Pinkerton with Knoxville Opera; and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Syracuse Opera, Knoxville Opera, and Mobile Opera.  

He made his Carnegie Hall debut as soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, which he has also sung with Harrisburg Symphony. Other concert appearances include singing as soloist with Naples Philharmonic in a gala holiday series, and with Jacksonville Symphony in an all-Verdi evening.  

In 2015, Mr. Vania was honored as a distinguished alumni by Onondaga Community College, naming him as one their 'Alumni Faces' for his professional achievements and contributions to the college and community.  He has also been awarded Syracuse Opera's 'Artist of the Year' award, First Place in the Giulio Gari Vocal Competition, Second Prize in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Competition and was a semi-finalist in Placido Domingo's Operalia in Madrid, Spain.

Praised by Opera News as a conductor who “squeezes every drop of excitement and pathos from the score,” Steven White is one of North America’s premiere operatic and symphonic conductors. He made his acclaimed Metropolitan Opera debut in 2010, conducting performances of La traviata starring Angela Gheorghiu. Since then he has conducted a number of Metropolitan Opera performances of La traviata, with such stars as Natalie Dessay, Hei-Kyung Hong, Plácido Domingo, Thomas Hampson, Dmitri Hvorostovksy and Matthew Polenzani. In the past several seasons he has returned to the Met to participate in critically fêted productions of Don Carlo, Billy Budd, The Rake’s Progress and Elektra.

With a vibrant repertoire of over sixty-five titles, Maestro White’s extensive operatic engagements have included performances with New York City Opera, L’Opera de Montréal, Vancouver Opera, Opera Colorado, Pittsburgh Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Baltimore Opera, New Orleans Opera, and many others. In recent seasons he has conducted Rigoletto with San Diego Opera, Otello and La traviata with Austin Opera, La traviata with Utah Opera, and a world premiere staged production of a brand-new Bärenreiter edition of Gounod’s Faust with Opera Omaha.

In the 2021-2022 season, he returns to the Metropolitan Opera for their production of Tosca, which he also conducts for Utah Opera. He continues his close collaboration with Opera Omaha, conducting Eugene Onegin, joins Peabody Opera Theatre as guest conductor for Dominick Argento’s Postcard from Morocco, and returns to Opera Roanoke for Bluebeard’s Castle in the fall and Verdi’s Requiem in the spring.

Lawrence Brownlee is a leading figure in opera, both as a singer on the world's top stages, and as a voice for activism and diversity in the industry. Captivating audiences and critics around the globe, he has been hailed as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory” (The New York Times), “one of the world’s leading bel canto stars” (The Guardian), and “one of the most in-demand opera singers in the world today” (NPR).

Brownlee’s 21-22 season includes his role debut in the title role of Rameau’s Platée with Opéra National de Paris and Lindoro in L’italiana in Algeri with Opernhaus Zürich. Brownlee’s concert appearances include his participation in Washington National Opera’s “Come Home: A Celebration of a Return” concert to open The Kennedy Center’s 50th Anniversary Season. He performs in several duo recitals including his “Amici e Rivali” album program with Michael Spyres for Opera Philadelphia, 92Y; in recital with tenor Levy Sekgapane in Toulouse and Paris; and in concert with sopranos Pretty Yende and Jessica Pratt in Germany. He is featured in solo recitals in Seattle, WA, Cleveland, OH, and Roanoake, VA. In the 2022-23 season, Brownlee returns to The Metropolitan Opera as Tamino in a new production of Die Zauberflöte, and he sings Le Comte Ory with the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

In spring 2021, Brownlee joined The Juilliard School as a Distinguished Visiting Faculty Member. He serves as artistic advisor for Opera Philadelphia, where his responsibilities include increasing and expanding audience diversity, advocating for new works, and liaising with the General Director from the perspective of a performing artist. Mr. Brownlee also serves as an Ambassador for Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Lyric Unlimited, and is an Ambassador for Opera for Peace. Highlights of Brownlee’s most recent past seasons include role debuts as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor at New National Theatre Tokyo and Fernand in a new production of Donizetti’s La Favorite with Houston Grand Opera.

Amidst the challenges of COVID-19, Brownlee emerged as a pivotal voice in classical music’s shift toward digital programming and the resurgence of conversations around racial justice.

A passionate advocate for diversity initiatives, Mr. Brownlee works with companies and engages civic organizations in the cities he visits to create programs and experiences seeking to expand opera audiences. In May 2020, Brownlee launched “The Sitdown with LB,” a weekly Facebook Live series exploring the experience of being an African-American opera singer. In 2021 Brownlee expanded the series to include a segment titled “Inside the Industry” where he shifted the focus to a behind-the-scenes look at the opera industry.

He is a Grand Prize Winner of the 2001 Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. Brownlee is a winner of numerous awards and distinctions including “Male Singer of the Year” (2017 International Opera Awards), the Kennedy Center’s Marian Anderson Award, and the Opera News Award (2021). In October 2019, he had the distinct honor of singing at Jessye Norman’s funeral in her hometown of Augusta, Georgia.

American pianist and collaborator Kevin J. Miller is acclaimed for his dynamically artful performances. Recent collaborations include recitals with international tenor Lawrence Browlee at Carnegie Hall, countertenor John Holiday at the Kennedy Center, Joseph Calleja and Nadine Sierra at the Supreme Court of the United States, as well as an appearance with Mr. Calleja on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. Mr. Miller prepared soprano Jessye Norman for performances of Laura Karpman’s production of Ask Your Mama, which was performed at Carnegie Hall. He also collaborated with the acclaimed countertenors, David Daniels, in a recital at the Glimmerglass Festival. He can be heard on piano on the recording Been in da Storm So Long, which features baritone Kenneth Overton.

This New York native has been on the fast track to success since his days as a student at the Boys Choir of Harlem. Beginning his musical studies at the age of 8, Mr. Miller was frequently a featured soprano soloist - most notably in Vivaldi’s Gloria and Lake George Opera Association’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While studying in the Boys Choir, he studied piano with the late conductor and pianist Warren Wilson. It was during these years that Mr. Miller also began his work as an accompanist, playing for the choir on its tours of Europe, Israel, Austria, and Japan.

Mr. Miller studied at the Mannes College of Music, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano. He continued his studies at the University of Michigan School of Music where he received both a Master of Music degree and the Artist Diploma in Collaborative Piano under the tutelage of Martin Katz. 

In addition to his formal studies, Mr Miller has been a participant in some of the country’s most prestigious festivals and young artist apprenticeships, including The Tanglewood Institute of Music, Aspen Summer Music Festival, The Cleveland Art Song Festival, San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program, Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program and the Glimmerglass Festival. Upon completion of his apprenticeship at the Glimmerglass Festival, he was invited to join the music staff as a vocal coach. He currently serves on music staff at Houston Grand Opera and is Head of music at Opera Theatre St. Louis.

Mr. Albertson made his European début at Opera Köln in Germany as Frank Murrant in Street Scene and will return to Europe in 2022 to perform the title role in Der fliegende Holländer and Wotan in Loriot’s Der Ring an einem Abend for Opera Graz.  In addition, he will return to the Metropolitan as Angelotti in Tosca.

He first joined The Metropolitan Opera roster for Don Giovanni and returned for five consecutive seasons in their productions of Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, Dialogues des carmélites, The Merry Widow, and Manon. 2020 and 2021 Metropolitan Opera engagements were to include covering the roles of the Dutchman in Der fliegende Holländer, Claggart in Billy Budd, and Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde. He recently stepped back onto the stage as Scarpia in Tosca for the Phoenicia Festival and performed Wotan in Das Rheingold for Opera Santa Barbara and Virginia Opera.

A naturally gifted singer noted for her commanding stage presence and profound artistry, Jennifer Johnson Cano has garnered critical acclaim for committed performances of both new and standard repertoire. For her performance as Offred in Poul Ruders’s The Handmaid’s Tale she was lauded as “towering…restless, powerful, profound, she is as formidable as this astonishingly demanding role deserves” (New York Times). With more than 100 performances on the stage at The Metropolitan Opera, her most recent roles have included Nicklausse, Emilia, Hansel and Meg Page.

Highlights this season include the premiere of Kevin Puts’s The Hours with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Beethoven 9 with the Chicago and San Francisco Symphonies, and the New York premiere of Marc Neikrug’s A Song By Mahler at CMS Lincoln Center. She performs Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites (Mother Marie) with Houston Grand Opera; the world premiere of Gregory Spear’s Castor and Patience (Celeste) with Cincinnati Opera; and Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle (Judith) with Roanoke Opera.