Cast/Production Team

Audrey Babcock, mezzo-soprano, (Carmen)
Ms. Babcock is a highly versatile singer who feels equally comfortable in tragedy or comedy. Recent performances include the title role in the Tobias Picker opera Therese Raquin with Dicapo Opera and Maddalena in Rigoletto with Florida Grand Opera. With the Westfield Symphony Orchestra she performed the title role of Carmen. Past productions include Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd and Tisbe in La Cenerentola at Wolf Trap Opera, Carmen in The Tragedy of Carmen with Florida Grand Opera and the title role in Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia at Santa Fe Opera in their apprentice artist showcase performance. Her symphony engagements include Murder and other Operatic Mayhem with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., and an all-Verdi concert with Mobile Opera. A winner of numerous awards and competitions including the George London Award, the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Award, an Opera Index Encouragement Award, and regional finalist with the Metropolitan Opera. Upcoming engagements include Aldonza/Dulcinea in Man of La Mancha with Lyric Opera of San Diego, The Third Lady in The Magic Flute with Opera Pacific and the title role in Carmen with Intermountain Opera.

Adam Klein, tenor (Don José)
Career highlights have included appearances with the Metropolitan Opera as Steva in Jenufa, the Chevalier in Les Dialogues des Carmélites, Elemer in Arabella, Tchekalinsky in Pique Dame with San Francisco Opera, and Iskra in a new production of Tchaikovsky’s Mazeppa. Other recent performances include  Don José in Carmen with Atlanta Opera, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Quint in The Turn of the Screw with New York City Opera, the title role in Otello with Opera Delaware, Erik in Der Fliegende Holländer with Spoleto Festival (USA) and Atlanta Opera, the Duke in Rigoletto with Central City Opera, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Dallas Opera and the title role in Les Contes d’Hoffman with Opera Pacific. His discography includes Mime in Siegfried with the State Symphony of Russia on the Naxos label, and the Doctor in Robert Ashley’s Improvement: Don Leaves Linda on the Elektra/Nonesuch label.

Adrian Gans, baritone, (Escamillo)
Baritone Adrian Gans made his New York City Opera debut in the fall of 2006 as Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen. This was followed by his European debut as Tonio in Pagliacci at L’Opéra de Nancy de Lorraine, and his debut with Palm Beach Opera as Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida. Adrian completed his musical studies at the Manhattan School of Music. He is the recipient of awards and career grants from several international competitions including the Operalia World Competition, the Oratorio Society of New York, the George London Foundation, The Richard and Sara Tucker Foundation and the Heinz Rehfuss competition. 

JiYoung Lee, soprano (Micaëla)
Ms. Lee most recently received critical acclaim for her performances with Washington National Opera in the role of Servilia in La Clemenza di Tito by Mozart. She will return to Washington National Opera to sing the role of Marie in La Fille du Régiment and make her debut with the Master Chorale at the Kennedy Center in Mozart’s C minor Mass. She recently completed the Domingo Cafritz Young Artist Program under the direction of General Director Placido Domingo. Born in South Korea, Ms. Lee has appeared throughout the United and Korea as a soloist in numerous recitals and concert programs. She is a regional finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a winner of the NATS Song and Aria Competition in Boston. In 2005, she returned to Korea to perform the role of Pamina in the National Opera of Korea’s production of Die Zauberflöte.

Andrew Nolen, bass-baritone (Morales)
Andrew Nolen has performed for the Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, American Symphony Orchestra, Eos Orchestra, Juilliard Opera Center, Seattle Opera Young Artists program, Aspen Music Festival and the Music Academy of the West. He recently sang the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro with Modus Opera (NYC), Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Allentown Concert Opera, the title role in Don Giovanni with Opera in the Heights in Houston, Texas, and Der Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte with Gotham Chamber Opera. A frequent performer with orchestra, in 2006 he sang the bass solos in Arvo Pärt’s Passio at the Tribeca Film Festival and the bass solos in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass in Chiari, Italy. Mr. Nolen was a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Jenny Meggitt, soprano (Frasquita)
A native of Toledo, soprano Jenny Meggitt started singing in the Toledo Opera Children's Chorus at the age of 11. She went on to study at the Mannes College of Music, Manhattan School of Music and Bowling Green State University, where she is currently a student of Myra Merritt. While in school, her roles have included Blanche Dubois in Andre Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire, Anna Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, and most recently Blanche de la Force in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites. In 2006, she was recognized by the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in Detroit, and was the winner of the Bowling Green State University Concerto Competition.

Vanessa Conlin, mezzo-soprano (Mercédès)
Young American singer Vanessa Conlin has been acclaimed for the beauty of her voice, her exciting stage presence and her superb musicianship in both soprano and high mezzo-soprano repertoire. Recent performances include Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Lyrique-en-Mer in Belle-Ile, France, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi with Amarillo Opera, Diana in the world premiere of The Song of Eddie at Bard Festival, Zerlina in Don Giovanni at the Bardavon Opera House and Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera with Opera Columbus. Equally at home in the concert repertoire, Ms. Conlin was recently heard in an All-Mozart concert with the Northwest Sinfonietta in Tacoma, WA, and Les nuits d’été with the Amarillo Symphony. Upcoming performances include a return with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and a debut at Bard SummerScape in the role of Die Dritte Zofe in Zemlinsky’s Der Zwerg.

Jin Hwan Byun, tenor (Remendado)
Jin Hwan Byun received his Performer’s Diploma in Professional Opera Studies from Indiana University where he was the recipient of the Indiana University Music Merit Award. His Bachelor of Music degree is in Vocal Performance from the Seoul National University College of Music, South Korea. Recent performances include Nemorino in L’Elisir d’amore with Florida Grand Opera in its Young Artist Showcase performance. He made his main stage debut with Florida Grand Opera in the roles of Trin in La fanciulla del West, Borsa in Rigoletto and Remendado in Carmen. With Indianapolis Opera he has been heard as Borsa in Rigoletto, and with Nashville Opera he performed the role of Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor. In 2003, Mr. Byun was a semi-finalist in the Washington National Opera’s International Vocal Competition

Todd Boyce, baritone (Dancaïro)
Young baritone Todd Boyce recently performed the role of the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance with Cleveland Opera on Tour, Marullo in Rigoletto with Madison Opera, Fiorello in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and the 2nd Priest and Armored Guard in Die Zauberflöte with Madison Opera. In 2007, he was 2nd Place winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Midwest Regional Finals. Mr. Boyce has participated in the prestigious Gerdine Young Artist Program with Opera Theatre of St. Louis and the Glimmerglass Young American Artist Program. He has been heard as baritone soloist in excerpts from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Vaughan Williams and Stravinsky’s Requiem Canticles with the Cleveland Orchestra. A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory, he currently resides in Ohio.

Micah Graber, bass (Zuniga)
Bass singer Micah Graber’s operatic roles include Blitch in Susannah at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, First Priest in The Magic Flute at Toledo Opera, Starveling in Midsummer Night’s Dream with San Francisco Opera, Zuniga in Carmen with Western Opera Theater, and Osmin in Die Ehtführung aus dem Serail with Skylight Opera. Mr. Graber received his Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University and his Artist Diploma in Opera from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. He was a Resident Artist with Toledo Opera and had an Adler Fellowship with the San Francisco Opera. Mr. Graber has recently appeared in Toledo Opera productions of Madama Butterfly, Roméo et Juliette and Tosca. He is currently a resident of Toledo where he has a private vocal studio.

Lawrence Edelson, Stage Director
Lawrence Edelson enjoyed a performing career in both Ballet and Opera before focusing his attention on directing. He originally studied voice and musicology at The University of Ottawa in Canada, and dance at The Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. As a dancer he performed diverse repertoire with Boston Ballet, Ballet West, and BalletMet Columbus, including world premieres by Merce Cunningham, Donald Byrd and André Prokovsky.

He founded the New Choreographer’s Workshop in 1991 at The Joffrey Ballet School which continues to flourish today. He has choreographed for ballet and opera companies internationally including Bedtime Stories for BalletMet Columbus, Bright Blue for Boston Ballet’s DRF Gala, Symphonic Etudes for the Joffrey Concert Dancers, Carmen for Opera Columbus, and productions of Cherubin and Le Coq d’Or in Tel Aviv.

Mr. Edelson is an accomplished stage director. His artistic credits include directing and choreographing for New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Sarasota Opera, The New York New Music Ensemble, Opera Columbus and Des Moines Metro Opera. His directing has been hailed as “stunningly touching and entertaining” (The Washington Post), and he has been recognized for “doing a splendid job of making opera relevant and understandable.” (Opera Now)

Lawrence received his Bachelors Degree in Stage Direction (with a concentration in Opera) from the Gallatin School of New York University. He has served as a staff director for Glimmerglass Opera, where he taught for the Young American Artists Program, and was the Assistant Director on productions of Little Women and Orlando. He is a guest member on the directing staff of New York City Opera, where he continues to work on special productions, and where he has restaged Little Women twice; for the work’s Lincoln Center premiere, and most recently, for New York City Opera’s tour to Japan.

Thomas Conlin, Conductor
Thomas Conlin is a regular guest conductor with symphony orchestras, ballet companies and opera companies on five continents, most recently in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Turkey and throughout the United States. Many of Conlin’s programs feature works by Barber, Bernstein, Copland, Gershwin and other fellow Americans, and he is a champion of music of our time, but his international career includes conducting Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov in Russia, Beethoven and Brahms in Germany, Mozart and Mahler in Austria, Debussy and Ravel in France, Verdi and Puccini in Italy, Grieg in Norway and Sibelius in Finland. Last season he led the Eastern European premiere of Bernstein’s West Side Story at the National Opera of Croatia, in Zagreb.  

Maestro Conlin’s recording of George Crumb’s Star-Child, on which he conducts the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition. His music video, Symphonic Wonderworks, won the Gold Award (1st Prize) at the 1992 Houston International Film Festival and was nominated for a Telly Award. His CD of Crumb’s A Haunted Landscape was nominated for an Indie Award as Best Orchestral Recording of 2002, and his latest CD on the Bridge label, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Echoes of Time and the River, was released in 2004 to great acclaim. The first in a series of recordings of works by the Brazilian composer Camargo Guarnieri was released on the Naxos label last Year.

Conlin has collaborated in opera and concert with renowned vocalists Kathleen Battle, Marilyn Horne, Robert Merrill, Sherrill Milnes, Roberta Peters, Giorgio Tozzi and Frederica von Stade, in ballet with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Edward Villella and Violette Verdi, and with instrumentalists Emanuel Ax, Alicia de Larrocha, James Galway, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and Isaac Stern. For Toledo Opera he has conducted recent productions of Romeo and Juliet, Don Pasquale, The Turn of the Screw, La traviata, Sweeney Todd, Don Giovanni, La bohème, The Crucible, The Barber of Seville, Faust, Madama Butterfly, Pagliacci, Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Marriage of Figaro, Tosca and Così fan tutte and six of TO’s Opera Galas: Three Tenors! – the Next Generation, A Night in Old Vienna, The Greatest Wagner Concert Ever!, Opera Goes to the Movies, From Russia with Love and From Broadway to the Met.