Gregory Stapp, bass
Role of The Mikado
Featured as Sarastro on the 1987 Great Performances: LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER PBS telecast of New York City Opera’s Die Zauberflöte, and heard in fifteen NPR broadcasts with the San Francisco Opera, Gregory Stapp is a true basso profondo who has garnered acclaim across the United States, as well as in Europe, China, Mexico and Japan.His 30 roles under the auspices of San Francisco Opera include Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Achillas in Julius Caesar, Brander in La Damnation de Faust, Pluto in Il ballo dell’ingrate, Friar Lawrence in Roméo et Juliette, the Priest in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Lodovico in Otello, the Parson in The Cunning Little Vixen and Dansker in Billy Budd. Widely hailed for his spectacular Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio, he has also won accolades as Bluebeard in Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Kecal in The Bartered Bride, Nilakantha in Lakmé, Reverend Hale in The Crucible, Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville, Ferrando in Il Trovatore, the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlo, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Hunding in Die Walküre, Ramfis in Aïda, Timur in Turandot, the Commendatore in Don Giovanni and Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha.He was Fasolt in the François Rochaix production of Wagner’s Ring with Seattle Opera; the Emperor Altoum in the American stage premiere of Busoni’s Turandot with Connecticut Grand Opera; John Mackay in the world premiere of Herbolsheimer’s Mark Me Twain with Nevada Opera; Charlemagne in the American premiere of Schubert’s Fierrabras with Philadelphia’s AVA Opera Theatre; and the bass soloist in the American premiere of Garcia’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall with the Universidade de Brasilia Chorus.He has also performed with opera companies in Pittsburgh, Costa Mesa, Philadelphia, Miami, Baltimore, Saint Louis, Portland, Jackson, Detroit, Cincinnati, Hartford, Cleveland, New Orleans, Austin, Indianapolis, Fort Worth, Honolulu, Buffalo, Oakland, Eugene, Syracuse, Phoenix, Tucson, Columbus, Princeton, Cooperstown, Toledo, Memphis, Saratoga Springs, Birmingham and Colorado Springs, among others; and, toured America as Sparafucile in Rigoletto with New York City Opera’s National Company.
To learn more about Gregory, click here.
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Kyle Knapp, tenor
Role of Nanki-Poo
One of the most exciting young artists on today’s American opera scene, Kyle Erdos Knapp is rapidly becoming known as a riveting, virtuosic performer, hailed for his dynamism, intelligent musicianship, irreverent and energetic stage presence, and “shiny, sizable tenor” (Opera News). Though he is particularly at home in the florid lyric tenor roles of Mozart, Handel, and the bel cantocomposers, Kyle’s versatility allows for a resume that ranges from the psychological complexity of Britten to the comic baritone roles of Gilbert and Sullivan, from the under-performed masterpieces of early opera to world premieres of new works, and from romantic leading men to comic and character roles. He moves between the disciplines of opera, operetta, chamber music, musical theater, dance, contemporary and experimental music, straight theater, and popular music with ease and boundless enthusiasm.
Kyle actively pursues a special passion for early music, having performed extensively with Grammy-winning lutenist Paul O’Dette, including the title role of Lully’s Thésée and Testo in Monteverdi’s Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda. An actor of remarkable psychological and emotional depth, Kyle’s performances in both comic and serious opera are consistently noted not only for their vocal prowess, but also for the sensitivity and believability of their portrayals. He is “an exceptional dancer” (Cool Cleveland), and he brings deft physicality and nimble movement skills to every performance. A frequent and enthusiastic performer of oratorio, Kyle has also built an extensive concert repertoire, having performed leading roles in concert works by Mozart, Bach, Kodály, Monteverdi, Britten, Mendelssohn, and many others.Having received his formal vocal training at the Eastman School of Music (B.Mus ’08) under Karen Holvik and the University of Michigan (M.Mus ’11) under Freda Herseth, Kyle has extensive experience on the professional stage. He took part in the inaugural season of the Wolf Trap Opera Studio in 2007 before going on to play ten leading roles over three seasons with the Ohio Light Opera. In the summer of 2011, Kyle joined the companies of both the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where he will cover the role of Tonio in Donizetti’s La fille du régiment, and the Crested Butte Music Festival, where he will perform the roles of Tebaldo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Remendado in Carmen.Kyle is a winner of the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions (Michigan District) and the University of Michigan Concerto Competition (singing Britten’s Les Illuminations de Rimbaud). He has sung under the batons of Kenneth Kiesler, Martin Katz, Stephen Lord, Michael Borowitz, Benton Hess, Steven Byess, and many others. Among the directors he has worked with are Joshua Major, Steven Daigle, Ted Christopher, and Robin Guarino. He can be heard in leading roles on the Albany Records label on recordings of Sousa’s El Capitan and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience and The Mikado.
Outside of his performing, Kyle is an avid writer of both fiction and non-fiction, including essays and reviews on film and both classical and popular music, and is a follower and seeker-out of independent and underground music and film. He has written several of his own compositions in the genres of art song, popular, choral, and instrumental music. An accomplished pianist, Kyle also moonlights as an accompanist for other singers and instrumentalists.Born in Akron, Ohio, he grew up and attended school in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and has since travelled and hiked in dozens more. He also pursues interests in sub-Saharan African history and politics, poster and pop art, Latin American film, Shakespeare and early modern drama, Byzantine and Ethiopian sacred art, medieval studies, Hungarian culture, South Indian and Vietnamese cooking, and the history of advertising and propaganda.
To learn more about Kyle Knapp, click here.
_____________________________________________________________________________________ Donn Bradley,
baritone
Role of Ko-Ko
Currently living and teaching voice lessons in the Sacramento area, Donn has enjoyed a lifetime of stage performing. Donn has performed multiple major roles with Townsend Opera, and narrated five major works for the Modesto Symphony Orchestra including Facade by William Walton, New Horizons in Music Appreciation by Pete Schickele (PDQ Bach), and Sleepy Hollow by Steven Reineke.
Donn was most recently reviewed by the Modesto Bee getting “huge laughs” as ‘Major General Stanley’ in Pirates of Penzance with Modesto JC. Previously with Townsend, he was touted as getting “lots of laughs” as Njegus in The Merry Widow, and as Sir Joseph Porter in H.M.S. Pinafore, in which he was described as having “impeccable diction and an interpretive approach that successfully conveyed ridiculous humor without resorting to overacting.” As Monostatos in Townsend’s production of The Magic Flute, he was called “comically evil.”Other previous major roles include Papageno in The Magic Flute, Miles Gloriosus in A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors, MacHeath in Threepenny Opera, and The Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance.Donn has studied voice with Dr. Joe Miller, Dr. Ruth Christensen, Constance Weichert, and most recently with master vocal pedagogue, Dr. Joseph Wiggett.
To learn more about Donn, click here.
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David Cox, baritone
Role of Pooh-Bah
David Cox has received high praise for his performance of many of the leading baritone roles with opera companies in the United States and the Far East. He has appeared with Opera San Jose, Nevada Opera Association, Eugene Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Tulsa Opera, and Music from Bear Valley as well as many other regional opera companies and music festivals. Mr. Cox has appeared on both the operatic and concert stage in Japan, singing the title role in Rigoletto, as well as Alfio and The Emperor of China in the Cavalleria Rusticana/LeRossingnol double bill for Sakai City Opera. Mr. Cox returned to Japan to record Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle for Japan Polygram and Polygram of Belgium.Other significant performances include Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Marcello in La Bohème, Germont in La Traviata, and the title roles of Falstaff, Rigoletto, Eugene Onegin, Don Giovanni, Don Pasquale, Tartuffe, and Gianni Schicchi. He has been a featured performer in the premieres of four new operas, Hotel Eden, Phaedra, West of Washington Square and Our Town. Mr. Cox has sung in a dozen European countries, the highlight of which was as the soloist in Carmina Burana with the Lvov Philharmonic at the Krakow Philharmonic. Mr. Cox was baritone soloist in the West Coast premiere of Dave Brubeck’s Mass, conducted by Mr. Brubeck. In addition, Mr. Cox performed the role of Brother Leon in the West Cost premiere of Messiaen’s St. Francois d’Assisi conducted by Kent Nagano. He has performed the Requiems of Brahms, Faure, and Mozart, as well as the Magnificat, the St. John, the St. Matthew Passions, and numerous cantatas of J.S. Bach.
To learn more about David, click here.
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Guillermo Garcia, baritone
Role of Pish-Tush
Guillermo Garcia, Jr. is a junior at CSU Stanislaus majoring in Vocal Performance. He currently studies with Dr. Joseph Wiggett. Guillermo began his musical studies as a violinist, before discovering his love for singing during his senior year of high school when he participated in the San Joaquin County Honor Choir. He sings as a soloist for St. Bernard’s Catholic Church during the holidays. He made his opera debut in Townsend Opera’s January 2010 production of The Merry Widow, and was last seen as Gregorio in Townsend Opera’s Romeo and Juliet and Yakuside in Madama Butterfly.
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Elysa Nakajima, coloratura soprano
Role of Yum-Yum
During the 2011-12 season, Elyse Nakajima debuts with Townsend Opera as Yum-Yum in The Mikado, and returns to West Edge (formerly Berkeley) Opera as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute, where she previously performed Zerlina in Don Giovanni. A former young artist at San Diego Opera, she toured as Despina in Così fan tutte with the Education Ensemble. Recent credits also include Adina/Giannetta (L’elisir d’amore) with Montalto Musica Festival in Italy, Musetta cover (La bohème) with West Bay Opera, Feu/Princesse/Rossignol (L’enfant et les sortilèges) with Intermezzo Opera, and solo appearances with the Opera Company of Brooklyn, One World Symphony, Martina Arroyo Foundation, Golden State Pops Orchestra, Peninsula Symphony, Schola Cantorum, New Spectrum Ensemble, Art of Elan, and many others. Equally at home in concert repertoire, she is a frequent oratorio soloist and chamber music collaborator. Originally from Seattle, Elyse Nakajima graduated from Stanford University, and has studied with Carol and Nico Castel in New York and Edda Moser in Europe.
To learn more about Elysa, click here. _____________________________________________________________________________________
Sara Couden, mezzo/contralto
Role of Katisha
Sara Couden is excited to be singing her first Mikado with Townsend Opera. She has sung as a soloist around the greater Bay Area with musical institutions including Berkeley/West Edge Opera, Livermore Valley Opera, Oakland Opera, Martinez Opera, San Francisco Parlor Opera, Lamplighters, Monterey Symphony, and San Jose Symphonic Choir. She graduated with a Masters in Music from the San Francisco Conservatory in June 2011, where she played roles such as the Principessa (Suor Angelica), Cornelia (Giulio Cesare), Bradamante (Alcina), and Baba (The Medium). Roles for the 2011/12 season include Dryad (Ariadne auf Naxos), Mrs. Ott, and Ursule (Beatrice et Benedict). Sara recently attended Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices. She studies with Cesar Ulloa.
To learn more about Sara, click here. _____________________________________________________________________________________
Laura Jensen
Role of Pitti-Sing
Laura Jensen, 20, is a Vocal Performance major and sophomore at CSU Stanislaus. She currently studies with Dr. Joseph Wiggett. She made her official stage debut as Baby Louise in MPA’s 2004 production of Gypsy. She graduated from Modesto High School with four years of drama credits; favorite roles include Phyllis in Drop Dead!, Donna in Art Control and Hope Cladwell in Urinetown. Outside of school, Laura has appeared in MPA’s productions of My Fair Lady (Servant/Ensemble) and Meet Me in St. Louis (Lucille Ballard), as well as Townsend Opera’s productions of Miss Saigon (Ellen understudy), Romeo & Juliet, and Madama Butterfly. She was last seen as Tuptim in MPA’s The King and I.
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Holly Olsson, mezzo/contralto
Role of Peep-Bo
Holly Olsson, is a junior at CSU Stanislaus and is currently double majoring in Vocal Performance and Choral Education. This is her third year under the direction of Dr. Joseph Wiggett. Holly has had roles in other Townsend Opera productions such as “Clo-Clo” in “The Merry Widow” and was in the chorus of “Romeo and Juliet”. Holly previously starred in “Oklahoma!” with the role of “Laurey” in Beyer and Johansen High Schools’ collaborated production in 2009.
