Artists in Residence
Every year, Opera Colorado auditions over 400 emerging artists from the nation’s top graduate schools for its Artist in Residence Program. During their eight-month residency, the selected artists bring opera to schools across the Rocky Mountain region, giving Colorado students a chance to meet opera’s future stars! The 2025-26 Season’s talented troupe will perform The Pirates of Penzance and Romeo & Juliet on tour, as well as feature in the two mainstage productions, La traviata and Madama Butterfly on the Ellie Caulkins Opera House stage.
For more information, please contact our Education team at education@operacolorado.org.
Discover resources about applying for the Opera Colorado Artist in Residence Program here.
The Opera Colorado Artist in Residence Program is supported by Patrick Spieles and Susan Rae Jensen, MD & Tom A. Trainer.
2025-26 ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

Bridget Ravenscraft
sopranoBridget Ravenscraft, soprano, is thrilled to join the Artists in Residence at Opera Colorado for the 2025-26 Season. Recently, she was an apprentice artist with Des Moines Metro Opera, where she sang in Sweeney Todd and Pique Dame (chorus). She spent two summers as a conservatory artist at the Bay View Music Festival, singing in Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), La Cenerentola (Clorinda), and Carmen (Micaëla). In May 2025, Bridget graduated with her Artist Diploma from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During her two years at UIUC with Lyric Theatre @ Illinois, she performed in Oklahoma! (Aunt Eller), Monteverdi’s Orfeo (La Musica), and was awarded second prize in the Krannert Debut Artist Competition. During her residency at Opera Colorado, Bridget will sing in the touring productions of Romeo and Juliet (Juliet) and The Pirates of Penzance (Mabel). On the Ellie Caulkins mainstage, she will perform in La traviata (Annina, Violetta study cover).

Jordan McCready
mezzo-sopranoJordan McCready is a mezzo-soprano originally from Anchorage, AK. She completed her master’s degree in voice at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with Catherine Cook. There, she performed in Riders to the Sea (Maurya), Così fan tutte (Dorabella), Serse (Serse), Zanetto (Zanetto), The Marriage of Figaro (Cherubino), and Hansel and Gretel (Hansel). She has performed chorus and cover roles at companies such as Des Moines Metro Opera (The Magic Flute chorus), Opera Parallèle (Harvey Milk Reimagined chorus), Anchorage Opera (chorus 2016-2018), and Pocket Opera (Fox cover in The Cunning Little Vixen). Jordan received a Metropolitan Opera Laffont Encouragement Award in 2024, was the winner of the Shirley Rabb Winston Scholarship through the National Society of Arts and Letters, received second place in the James Toland Young Artist Competition, and was the winner of the Anchorage Festival of Music Young Artist award in 2023. During the 2025-26 Season, Jordan is thrilled to be joining Opera Colorado as one of their Artists in Residence. She will sing in the touring productions of Romeo and Juliet (Stephano) and The Pirates of Penzance (Ruth). On the Ellie Caulkins mainstage, she will perform in La traviata (Flora) and Madama Butterfly (Kate Pinkerton). When Jordan is not performing, you can find her hiking, trail running, mountain biking, skiing, or doing anything that gets her outside.

Daniel Miller
tenorTenor Daniel Miller, a native of Arvada, CO, is thrilled to return to Opera Colorado’s roster of talented Artists in Residence for the 2025-26 Season. Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University. This season, he will perform in La traviata (Gastone) on the Ellie Caulkins mainstage, as well as in Opera Colorado’s touring productions of Romeo and Juliet (Romeo) and The Pirates of Penzance (Frederic). In 2025, he was an Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera’s Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists, where he covered the role of Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville. He has previously appeared in a wide range of opera and musical theater productions, including Les Misérables (Jean Valjean), The Magic Flute (Tamino), Albert Herring (The Mayor), and Little Women (Laurie).
Mason O'Brien
baritone | BioSponsored by Arline Echandia, Lynn Harrington, and Larry & Cynthia Chan

Mason O'Brien
baritoneMason Fontanilla O’Brien is a baritone from Memphis, Tennessee, and is thrilled to join Opera Colorado’s Artist in Residence program for the 2025-26 Season. This year, he will appear on the Ellie Caulkins mainstage in La traviata (Baron Douphol) and Madama Butterfly (Prince Yamadori), and will perform in the touring productions of Romeo and Juliet (Mercutio) and The Pirates of Penzance (Major General). Mason holds a master’s degree from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky. Favorite past performances include Don Giovanni (Leporello) at Prague Summer Nights, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bottom) and Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi) at Lamont Opera, and Madama Butterfly (Imperial Commissioner) with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic.

Oliver Poveda Zavala
bass-baritoneBass-baritone Oliver Poveda Zavala, originally from the highland country of Ecuador, is a graduate of the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. Oliver is a returning Artist in Residence for Opera Colorado’s 2025-26 Season. Last season, Oliver sang in the touring productions of The Barber of Seville (Bartolo) and Hansel and Gretel (Father), and appeared in the mainstage production of La bohème (Benoit). This season, Oliver will perform in the touring productions of The Pirates of Penzance (Samuel and Sergeant of Police) and Romeo and Juliet (Friar Lawrence), and will make a role debut in La traviata (Dr. Grenvil). Oliver made his debut in La fanciulla del West (José Castro) as an Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera for their 2024 summer festival season, where he also covered the role of Ashby in La fanciulla del West and Mr. Olsen in Street Scene. In 2023, Oliver appeared in Opera Colorado’s Student Matinee performance of Don Giovanni (Masetto), sang in Die Fledermaus (Dr. Falke) with Opera in Williamsburg, and participated in Central City Opera’s apprenticeship program, where he sang in the Emerging Artists Matinee of Romeo and Juliet (Frère Laurent) and in Otello (Elmiro cover). Oliver has worked with multiple companies in Colorado, including Opera Steamboat, Boulder Opera, and Denver Immersive Opera, where he performed in La bohème (Colline), the abridged version of Lori Laitman’s The Three Feathers (Frog King), Xavier Montsalvatge’s El gato con botas (El ogro), and Bluebeard’s Castle (Duke Bluebeard). In November 2022, he sang in Don Giovanni (Leporello) with the Vincerò Academy in Mazatlán, Mexico, and in 2021, he made his company debut with Opera in Williamsburg in The Elixir of Love (Dr. Dulcamara). In August 2021, he performed in ISOFOM’s production of The Marriage of Figaro (Bartolo and Antonio) in Morelia, Mexico. Other recent roles include Les Mamelles de Tirésias (Monsieur Presto), L’Enfant et les sortilèges (Le Fauteuil and L’Arbre), Cabildo (Gaoler), The Magic Flute (Sarastro), Gianni Schicchi (Simone), and Il tabarro (Talpa) with the Lamont Opera Theatre during his studies at the University of Denver. Oliver is the 2021 and 2022 winner of the Ann Logan Craft Vocal Competition, a 2021 finalist at the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition, and a recipient of the Sherry Shepherd Sargent Memorial Award.

Kevin Spooner
bass-baritoneHailing from Oneida, NY, bass-baritone Kevin Spooner has performed on stages throughout the United States. During the 2025-26 Season, Kevin will be an Artist in Residence with Opera Colorado, where he will perform in La traviata (Marquis d’Obigny) on the Ellie Caulkins mainstage and in the touring productions of Romeo and Juliet (Lord Capulet) and The Pirates of Penzance (The Pirate King). This season, Kevin will make his debut with the Charlottesville Symphony in Dvořák’s Mass in D Major (bass soloist) and perform at the Savannah VOICE Festival (guest recitalist).
Recent performances include Die Fledermaus (Dr. Falke) and Ballymore (The Ballad Singer, Andy Tracey) with the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute; Joan of Arc: The Trial at Rouen (The Jailor) with Piedmont Opera; Macbeth (Medico; Banco cover) with Teatro Nuovo at New York City Center; The Music Man (Mayor Shinn) and The Elixir of Love (Dr. Dulcamara cover) with Charlottesville Opera; La Bohème (Schaunard) and The Marriage of Figaro (Figaro cover, Antonio) with Opera Steamboat; and concert appearances as bass soloist in Messiah, Five Mystical Songs, and several Bach cantatas with the Choral Society of Greensboro and the Salem Bach Festival. Kevin received a 2024 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition Encouragement Award in the New York City District. Kevin completed his Professional Artist Certificate at the UNCSA A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, where he also received his Master of Music degree, and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music.

John Morefield
collaborative pianistA student of the renowned pianist and pedagogue Martin Katz, John Morefield has been in the business of musical collaboration since childhood, playing lead guitar, bass and piano in rock bands, jazz groups and pit orchestras. Before earning his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Northern Illinois University in 2018, he studied voice, composition, jazz piano and choral conducting. His original composition for piano trio won first prize in the Northern Illinois University Chamber Music Competition, and his playing has been featured on radio stations including WNIJ and Iowa Public Radio.
John completed his doctoral studies in Collaborative Piano at the University of Michigan in May 2025, where his dissertation recitals featured Schubert’s Winterreise and Amy Beach’s Violin Sonata. While working on his degree, he developed a deep passion for opera and served as coach and pianist for numerous productions including Elizabeth Cree, The Turn of the Screw, Gianni Schicchi and Cendrillon. John was awarded the inaugural Collaborative Pianist Prize in the George Shirley Vocal Competition, and his recent projects include multiple world premiere performances, a lecture performance of Magnus Lindberg’s Violin Concerto No. 2, and Brahms’ Liebeslieder-Walzer with Martin Katz and members of the University of Michigan voice faculty.
Besides his fondness for reading, birdwatching and plane-spotting, John loves to join his wife in conspiring to dress their pets in silly costumes, perfecting their at-home barista skills, and miniature golfing.
2024-25 Artists in Residence
- Hallie Schmidt+, soprano
- Melanie Dubil^, mezzo-soprano
- Daniel Miller, tenor
- Alex Granito*, baritone
- Oliver Poveda Zavala, bass-baritone
- James Eder+, bass
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
+Recipient of the Dr. Steven Dilts Artistic Excellence Award
^Recipient of the Marcia Ragonetti Mezzo Soprano Award
2023-24 Artists in Residence
- Kerby Baier*, soprano
- Saane Halaholo, soprano
- Melanie Dubil, mezzo-soprano
- Randy Ho, tenor
- Alex Granito+, baritone
- Turner Staton, bass-baritone
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
+Recipient of the Dr. Steven Dilts Artistic Excellence Award
2022-23 Artists in Residence
- Francesca Mehrotra, Soprano
- Joanne Evans, Mezzo-Soprano
- David Soto Zambrana, Tenor
- Dante Mireles, Baritone
- Michael Leyte-Vidal, Bass-Baritone
- Turner Staton*, Bass-Baritone
- Oleg Bellini+, Coach Accompanist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
+Recipient of the Dr. Steven Dilts Artistic Excellence Award
2021-22 Artists in Residence
- Catherine Swindle, Soprano
- Kendra Broom, Mezzo-Soprano
- Spencer Lawrence Boyd, Tenor
- Joseph Goodale, Baritone
- Thomas Lynch*, Baritone
- Phillip Lopez, Bass-Baritone
- Oleg Bellini*, Coach Accompanist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2020-21 Artists in Residence
- Catherine Swindle, Soprano
- Kendra Broom, Mezzo-Soprano
- Devin Eatmon, Tenor
- Isaiah Feken*, Baritone
- Thomas Lynch, Baritone
- Timothy Madden, Bass-Baritone
- Stephen Variames, Coach Accompanist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2019-20 Artists in Residence
- Laura Soto-Bayomi*, Soprano
- Kira Dills-DeSurra, Mezzo-Soprano
- Thomas Cilluffo, Tenor
- Isaiah Feken, Baritone
- Eric McConnell, Bass-Baritone
- Joshua South, Bass
- Tyler Tucker, coach accompanist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2018-19 Artists in Residence
- Rebekah Howell, Soprano
- Kira Dills-DeSurra, Mezzo-Soprano
- Aaren Rivard, Tenor
- Nicholas Kreider*, Baritone
- Edward Laurenson, Baritone
- Eric McConnell, Bass-Baritone
- Tyler Tucker, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2017-18
- Nicole Keeling, Soprano
- Vanessa Naghdi, Soprano
- Katherine Beck, Mezzo-Soprano
- Nathan Ward, Tenor
- Nicholas Kreider, Baritone
- Heath Martin, Baritone
- Andrew Hiers*, Bass-Baritone
- Jordan Ortman, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2016-17
- Allison Nicholas, Soprano
- Danielle Lombardi, Mezzo-Soprano
- Omar Najmi*, Tenor
- Charles Eaton, Baritone
- Ryan Bradford, Baritone
- Parisa Zaeri, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2015-16
- Emily Robinson, Soprano
- Danielle Lombardi, Mezzo-Soprano
- Benjamin Werley, Tenor
- Charles Eaton*, Baritone
- William Bryan, Baritone
- Alaina DeBellevue, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2014-15
- Leah Bobbey, Soprano
- Katherine Sanford, Mezzo-Soprano
- Brett Sprague*, Tenor
- Andrew Paulson, Baritone
- Daniel DeVicente, Bass-Baritone
- Allan Armstrong, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2014
- Coleen Jackson, Soprano
- Louise Rogan, Mezzo-Soprano
- Brett Sprague, Tenor
- Jared Guest*, Baritone
- Benjamin Sieverding, Bass
- Taylor Baldwin, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2012-13
- Morgan Harmison, Soprano
- Cassidy Smith*, Mezzo-Soprano
- Joshua Bouillon, Tenor
- Alexander DeSocio, Baritone
- Jared Guest, Baritone
- Steven Aguilo-Arbues, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2011-12
- Amy Maples, Soprano
- Danielle Greiner, Mezzo-Soprano
- Dustin Peterson, Tenor
- John Allen Nelson, Baritone
- Christopher Besch*, Bass-Baritone
- Steven Aguilo-Arbues, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2010-11
- Christie Hageman, Soprano
- Julia Tobiska, Mezzo-Soprano
- Adam Ulrich, Tenor
- Benjamin Moore*, Baritone
- Ryan Speedo Green, Bass-Baritone
- Steven Aguilo-Arbues, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2009-10
- Donata Cucinotta*, Soprano
- Julia Tobiska*, Mezzo-Soprano
- Brendan Daly*, Tenor
- Lukas Graf*, Baritone
- Jeffrey Seppala*, Baritone
- Alexander Scopino*, Bass
- Steven Aguilo-Arbues*, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2008-2009
- Anna Noggle*, Soprano
- Donata Cucinotta*, Soprano
- Wendy Buzby*, Mezzo-Soprano
- Brendan Daly*, Tenor
- Lucas Goodrich*, Tenor
- Jeffrey Seppala*, Baritone
- Rodolfo Nieto*, Bass-Baritone
- Steven Aguilo-Arbues*, Pianist
*Joint recipients of the Norblom Award
2007-2008
- Michelle Trovato*, Soprano
- Kristin Berhmann*, Mezzo-Soprano
- Eve Orenstein*, Mezzo-Soprano
- Hak Soo Kim*, Tenor
- Carlos Aguirre*, Baritone
- Rodolfo Nieto*, Bass-Baritone
- Steven Aguilo-Arbues*, Pianist
*Joint recipients of the Norblom Award
2007
- Lianne Coble, Soprano
- Sangeetha Appavoo, Soprano
- Christina Rosas, Mezzo-Soprano
- Chester Pidduck, Tenor
- Gregory Bruce, Baritone
- Christopher Job, Bass
- Christopher Thompson, Pianist
2006
- Mary Ellen Assue, Soprano
- Heather Hill, Soprano
- Leslie Remmert Soich, Mezzo-Soprano
- Andy Truex, Tenor
- Adam Sattley, Tenor
- Jonathan Morales, Baritone
- Michael Tilley, Pianist
2005
- Kearstin Piper Brown*, Soprano
- Sharon Eisert, Soprano
- Julie Baron, Mezzo-Soprano
- Eapen Leubner, Tenor
- Jeremy Aye, Baritone
- Colin Brady, Bass-Baritone
- Michael Mastronicola, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
2004
- Elizabeth Brooks, Soprano
- Veronica Chapman-Smith, Soprano
- Jennifer DeDominici, Mezzo-Soprano
- Andrew Ranson, Tenor
- John Fulton, Baritone
- Marc Heeg, Pianist
2003
- Stacey Canterbury, Soprano
- Emily Sinclair, Soprano
- Jennifer Herzig*, Mezzo-Soprano
- John Tiranno, Tenor
- Bradley Thompson, Baritone
- Glen Denis, Pianist
*Recipient of the Norblom Award
*Prior to the 2018-19 season, the Artist in Residence Program was known as the Young Artist Program.