Annual Celebration of American Song

Catherine Swindle (soprano) is from Lubbock, Texas, and is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music with a master’s degree in Classical Voice. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Vocal Performance and French from Texas Tech University. She was recently awarded second place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions New England Regional competition after winning the Connecticut District competition. Some concert highlights include performing Respighi’s Il Tramonto with the American String Quartet and participating in artist Lee Mingwei’s Sonic Blossom installation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other previous credits include Die Zauberflöte (First Lady), Bloch’s Macbeth (Première sorcière), Mozart’s Così fan tutte (Fiordiligi), and Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea (Poppea). She is delighted to be part of the Opera Colorado Artist in Residence program for the 2020-21 Season. She will perform in the touring productions of The Barber of Seville (Berta) and The Pirates of Penzance (Mabel), and in the mainstage productions of Cavalleria Rusticana (chorus), Carmen (Frasquita), and The Shining (Mrs. Grady).

Catherine Swindle is sponsored by Ken & Barbara Laff, Laurence & Cynthia Chan, and Agatha Kessler & Curtis Fentress.

Kendra Broom (mezzo-soprano) grew up in the California Bay Area and studied at Manhattan School of Music on the Birgit Nilsson Scholarship and the Curtis Institute of Music as a Shaun F. O’ Malley Fellow. She is a recipient of the Shoshana Foundation’s Richard F. Gold Career Grant. Her recent appearances include title roles in Pelléas et Mélisande, L’enfant et les sortilèges, and The Rape of Lucretia, with other credits in Le nozze di Figaro (Cherubino), Hänsel und Gretel (Hänsel), and Lakme (Mallika). She was a featured guest with Curtis Institute’s 20/21 Ensemble, OPERA America’s New Works Forum, WWFM’s Celebrating Our Musical Future, and Opera Philadelphia’s Double Exposure. This season, she will perform in the touring productions of The Barber of Seville (Rosina) and The Pirates of Penzance (Ruth), in the mainstage production (Mercedes) and student matinee performance (Carmen) of Carmen, and the mainstage production of The Shining (Mrs. Massey).

Devin Eatmon (tenor) is from Ocala, Florida. His performance history includes summers at Opera in the Ozarks (2015) and Aspen Music Festival (2018 and 2019). He holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Florida State University, where he studied with bass-baritone David Okerlund and performed in Bolcom’s Lucrezia (Lorenzo), Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players (George Villiers), Puccini’s La bohème (Rodolfo), Floyd’s Of Mice and Men (Curley), and Heinrich Marschner’s Der Vampyr (Edgar Aubrey). Having just completed his master’s degree as a graduate teaching assistant, Devin is excited to be one of Opera Colorado’s 2020-21 Artists in Residence. He will perform in the touring productions of The Barber of Seville (Count Almaviva) and The Pirates of Penzance (Frederic), in the mainstage production (Dancaïre) and student matinee performance (Don José) of Carmen, and the mainstage production of The Shining (Lloyd the Bartender and Bill Watson).

Isaiah Feken, a former Patricia and Dr. Carl S. Hoveland opera fellow, recently finished his graduate studies at the University of Georgia, where he served as the principal baritone for UGA Opera Theatre. Roles with UGA Opera Theatre include Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte, and the title role of Don Giovanni. Other credits include Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff with Crested Butte Music Festival and Fred Graham in Kiss Me Kate!, and Harry Stritch in the world premiere of A New Kind of Fallout with Opera Theatre Pittsburgh. As an Artist in Residence for Opera Colorado’s 2019-2020 season, Isaiah will perform the mainstage role of The Jailer in Tosca and sing the role of Figaro in the student matinee performance of The Barber of Seville. As a part of the touring productions, he will perform the Father in Hansel and Gretel and Escamillo in Carmen. Isaiah is a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and received his Bachelors of Music from University of Tulsa.

Thomas Lynch (baritone) is from Long Island. He received his bachelor’s degree from Westminster Choir College at Rider University and his master’s degree from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee. He has participated in young artists programs such as Bel Canto at Caramoor, Seagle Music Colony, and Hawaii Opera Theater. His recent performances include The Great Gatsby (Nick Caraway), Cosi fan tutte (Guglielmo), Eugene Onegin (Commander/Officer), Dialogues of the Carmelites (Marquis de la Force), The Consul (John Sorel), The Manchurian Candidate (Sgt. Raymond Shaw), and Salome (2nd Soldier/John the Baptist cover). Other performances include soloist for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra under Rossen Milanov and baritone soloist for Goodall’s Eternal Light: Requiem with the MIT Cambridge Chinese Choral Society. Tom is excited to be joining the Opera Colorado Artist in Residence Program, during which he will perform in the touring productions of The Barber of Seville (Ambrogio/ Figaro cover) and The Pirates of Penzance (The Major General), and in the mainstage productions of Cavalleria Rusticana (chorus), Carmen (Morales), and The Shining (Crooner).

Timothy Madden (bass-baritone) is from Kosciusko, Mississippi, and studied at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received acclaim for performances in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Nick Bottom), Gilbert and Sullivan’s Ruddigore (Despard), and Gianni Schicchi (Simone) and was recently seen in Forever Plaid (Smudge) with Musical Theater Heritage. In 2020, he was scheduled to perform in Britten’s Albert Herring (Superintendent Budd) as a guest artist with the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Other scheduled performances included The Pirates of Penzance (Samuel) and Sky on Swings (Elder 4/Administrator cover) with Opera Saratoga and Platée (Jupiter) with Opera NEO. Timothy joins Opera Colorado as an Artist in Residence for the 2020-21 Season, during which he will perform in the touring productions of The Barber of Seville (Dr. Bartolo) and The Pirates of Penzance (The Sergeant of Police), and the mainstage productions of Carmen (Zuniga) and The Shining (The Senator).

Stephen Variames (coach accompanist) is a freelance pianist and composer from Allen, Texas. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Composition from Baylor University, a master’s degree in Vocal Coaching from Oklahoma City University, and an Artist Diploma in Opera Coaching from the Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. Former companies include Cincinnati Opera, Nashville Opera (Young Artist), Pensacola (Young Artist), Roundabout Opera for Kids in Cincinnati, Opera in the Ozarks, and Pittsburgh Festival Opera. His opera, Leaving Vaughan Behind, is the recipient of multiple grants. Other works have been premiered with Cincinnati Soundbox, The Lynx Project, and Salon 21. This season, Stephen will act as the primary coach and accompanist for the company’s touring productions of The Barber of Seville and The Pirates of Penzance. He will also work on additional repertoire throughout the season, including mainstage works of Cavalleria Rusticana, Carmen, and The Shining, and serve as featured pianist for school and community performances across Colorado.

Ms. Koepke comes from a diverse performance background ranging from musical theater to stage plays to opera to cabaret. Ms. Koepke attended the University of New Mexico, where she earned a double Master’s degree in Vocal Performance and Child Psychology & Behavioral Studies. After receiving her degrees, she continued to study theatre, becoming a Shakespearian trained actress through the Addison program, a partner program of the Royal Shakespeare Academy. She has performed such classical roles as Katherine (Taming of the Shrew), Ophelia (Hamlet), Juliet (Romeo and Juliet) and Beatrice (Much Ado About Nothing). Her professional operatic career began in 1999 with the Santa Fe Opera, first as a young artist and later a Resident Artist. Her operatic performance credits include Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel), Liu (Turandot), Musetta (La bohème), La Contessa (Le nozze di Figaro), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) and Norma (Norma).

A full lyric soprano, she has performed such iconic musical theater roles as Maria (The Sound of Music), both Eponine and Fantine (Les Misérables), Guinevere (Camelot), Adelaide (Guys and Dolls) and The Baker’s Wife (Into the Woods). In 2001, Ms. Koepke won the prestigious Thespian Tribute award for her performance of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. In 2004 she received critical acclaim for her performance of the role of Claudia Draper in Tom Topor’s stage play, Nuts.

In 2005, Ms. Koepke began to focus her career in stage directing. Well-versed in multiple genres of theater, Ms. Koepke has directed productions such as The Cunning Little Vixen, Madama Butterfly, A Little Night Music, The Pirates of Penzance, Inherit the Wind, The Tempest and A Lion in Winter.

Ms. Koepke began working with Opera Colorado in 2007, where she serves as the Director of the Opera Colorado Artist in Residence Program and the Director of Education & Community Engagement. She creates the abridged scores for the company’s Touring Productions, translating the text and adapting the music as well as designing each production. She also serves as the lead dramatic coach and stage director for the program. She has directed Opera Colorado’s touring productions of Rossini’s Cinderella and The Barber of Seville, Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet, Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Bizet’s Carmen and Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love.

She is the creator of the American Song program for Opera Colorado which is now in its sixth season.