Life is Short, Live it Fully

Hailed as a “true artist” (Opera News), soprano Raquel González is a winner of the prestigious Sphinx Organization’s Medal of Excellence Award. Her 2023-24 Season highlights include debuts with Houston Grand Opera for the title role in Madama Butterfly, Austin Opera for Carmen (Micaëla), Berkshire Opera Festival for Faust (Marguerite), and a return to the roster of The Metropolitan Opera for the company premiere of Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas. Additional performances include a return to the New York Festival of Song for a concert of Latin music. In the 2022-23 Season, Raquel made house debuts at Inland Opera Northwest in La traviata (Violetta) and Sarasota Opera in Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San) in addition to joining the roster of The Metropolitan Opera for La bohème. On the concert stage, she debuted with the St. Louis Symphony and Music Director Stéphane Denève singing “Vissi d’arte” from Tosca and the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park for the Verdi Requiem.

In the 2021-22 Season, Raquel debuted with Opera San Antonio in Don Giovanni (Donna Anna), performed for Virginia Opera in La bohème (Mimì), and returned to Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for Harvey Milk (Dianne Feinstein). Additional appearances included Queen City Opera in a concert of scenes from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Iolanta, New York Festival of Song for Buenos Aires, Then and Now, and a solo recital at the University of Lynchburg.

Recent engagements include a role and house debut at Chicago Opera Theater in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Kashchej the Immortal (Princess) conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya. Additionally, Raquel returned to Lyric Opera of Kansas City for La bohème (Mimì), joined the roster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago for Madama Butterfly, made her role and house debut at New Orleans Opera in Turandot (Liù), and returned to WNO for a role debut in Silent Night (Anna Sørensen). She debuted at North Carolina Opera in Carmen (Micaëla), Atlanta Opera to reprise the Zvulun production of Eugene Onegin (Tatyana), Opera Tampa in La bohème (Mimì), Opera on the James in La traviata (Violetta), and Central City Opera in Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San).

Raquel made her hometown debut with Lyric Opera of Kansas City in a new production of Eugene Onegin (Tatyana) directed by Tomer Zvulun, performed with the National Symphony Orchestra in Bernstein’s Songfest, and returned to WNO for The Little Prince (Water). She sang her first Verdi Requiem with the West Virginia Symphony and Syracuse Symphoria.

Raquel debuted with Syracuse Opera in Eugene Onegin in the 2016-17 Season and returned the following season for La traviata. She sang her first Iolanta at Queen City Opera in Cincinnati and Carmen with the Washington Chorus at the Kennedy Center. Raquel debuted at The Glimmerglass Festival in their production of The Magic Flute (First Lady) before returning as a guest artist for La bohème. Raquel recently completed three seasons as a Young Artist with the Washington National Opera where she appeared in Madama Butterfly (Cio-Cio-San), Le nozze di Figaro (Contessa Almaviva), Don Giovanni (Donna Anna), Carmen (Micaëla), and La bohème (Mimì). Additional assignments as a Young Artist at WNO included Hansel and Gretel (Sandman) and Dialogues of the Carmelites (Blanche, cover). She also debuted with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra in Otello (Desdemona).

Kathryn Lewek has established herself as one of this generation’s most thrilling coloratura sopranos. Last season reached the remarkable milestone of Kathryn’s fiftieth performance in The Magic Flute (The Queen of the Night) at The Metropolitan Opera, surpassing The Met’s record for the most performances of a role by a single artist. The New York Times declared her performance “utterly enthralling.” Ms. Lewek has brought her Queen to more than twenty-five companies in over 300 performances to date.

This season includes two highly anticipated role débuts: the title role in Lakmé at Opéra de Nice and Roméo et Juliette (Juliette) with Toledo Opera, alongside her husband, tenor Zach Borichevsky, as Roméo. Additional performances include Les contes d’Hoffmann (Olympia) at Semperoper Dresden and a debut in Der Schauspieldirektor (Madame Herz/Tonina) with the Vienna Philharmonic. Ms. Lewek performs the Queen with Semperoper Dresden, The Metropolitan Opera, the Cleveland Orchestra, and at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia. She will also perform in the world premiere of Matthew Aucoin and Peter Sellars’ Unsilent Spring, presented by DACAMERA.

Last season included role débuts in Rossini’s Le comte Ory (Countess Adèle) with Lyric Opera of Chicago and Les contes d’Hoffmann (the Heroines) with Deutsche Oper Berlin, as well as a reprisal of the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor for Opéra de Nice. Recent seasons have also included Benvenuto Cellini (Teresa) with Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona; Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Konstanze) with Deutsche Oper Berlin and subsequently in her house début with the Bayerische Staatsoper; Ariodante (Ginevra) with Opera Monte Carlo; the title role in Maria Stuarda with Edmonton Opera; and Handel’s Orlando (Angelica) on tour throughout Europe.

Tenor Zach Borichevsky is “equipped with a flexible, bright voice that already has made him one of the most sought-after singers of his generation.” Mr. Borichevsky is known as a “star-level tenor” with “precise, nuanced high-register singing and agile acting,” paired with a “magical sense of complete spontaneity that comes from being in total command of the instrument.” A series of significant débuts has established Mr. Borichevsky as one of the most thrilling vocal talents to appear on the international stage. He has created widely celebrated international performances in La bohème (Rodolfo) with Finnish National Opera, Roméo et Juliette (Romeo) for Teatro Municipal de Santiago in Chile, and La traviata (Alfredo) for the Glyndebourne Festival. Early in the 2022-23 Season, Mr. Borichevsky stepped into the lead role in Faust for Detroit Opera. He recently expanded his repertoire to include this role, having joined the Lyric Opera of Chicago to cover the role in their 2022 production, in addition to performing in Salome (Narraboth) with the Spoleto Festival, USA. In the 2021-22 Season, he also performed in Die Fledermaus (Eisenstein) for Palm Beach Opera, reprised his role in La traviata (Alfredo) for Opera Grand Rapids, Otello (Cassio) for Washington National Opera, and La bohème (Rodolfo) with Toledo Opera. In concert, he sang the tenor solo in Verdi’s Requiem for the National Philharmonic at the Kennedy Center and recorded a virtual Messiah with New Choral Society. Last season, Mr. Borichevsky reprised his performance in La bohème (Rodolfo) for Nashville Opera and returned to Aspen Music Festival as a soloist in Berlioz’s Requiem. In April of 2022, Mr. Borichevsky sang La traviata (Alfredo) for Toledo Opera with his wife Kathryn Lewek as Violetta.

Finnish American baritone Timothy Mix’s recent successes include his debut as Alberich at Opera Santa Barbara in the Jonathan Dove adaptation of Wagner’s Das Rheingold, his return to Dead Man Walking (Joseph de Rocher) at Opera Idaho, and a role debut in The Barber of Seville (Bartolo) at Opera Delaware. Other recent appearances include Le Comte Ory (Tutor) at Opera Southwest, Romeo et Juliette (Count Capulet) at San Antonio Opera, and the title role in Sweeney Todd at Opera Tampa. Appearing at the prestigious summer festival Santa Fe Opera, Tim’s debut in 2016 in Romeo et Juliette (Count Capulet) under the direction of Stephen Lawless was followed by Paul Curran’s Le Coq d’Or (Tsar Dodon), and, most recently, he sang in a new production of Dr Atomic (Jack Hubbard). His San Francisco Opera appearances include Cyrano de Bergerac (Le Bret), Susannah (Elder Ott/Blitch, cover), Manon (de Brétigny), and Romeo et Juliette (Count Capulet). At Opera Colorado, he sang in Lucia di Lammermoor (Enrico), The Elixir of Love (Belcore), and Carmen (Escamillo). Well-known by Opera Theatre of St Louis audiences, Tim made his role and house debut in La bohème (Marcello)–a role he also sang at Arizona Opera and Palm Beach Opera–and later in The Elixir of Love (Belcore). Future engagements include Il trovatore (Luna) at Santa Barbara Opera, The Elixir of Love (Dulcamara) at Annapolis Opera, and the title role in Gianni Schicchi at Amarillo Opera.

Bass-baritone Matthew Burns is celebrated for his musical and comedic capabilities in equal measure. Engagements last season included Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Delaware Symphony, The Pirates of Penzance (Sergeant of Police) with Nashville Opera, Daughter of the Regiment (Sulpice) with Utah Opera, and The Hours (Richard, cover) at The Metropolitan Opera. In the 2023-24 Season, he sings The Marriage of Figaro (Bartolo) with Portland Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor (Raimondo) with Pensacola Opera, and returns to The Hours (Richard, cover) with The Metropolitan Opera. Burns recently made his Seattle Opera debut in Tosca (Sacristan). Other recent highlights include the title role in Don Pasquale at Inland Northwest Opera, Don Giovanni (Leporello) at Detroit Opera, La Cenerentola

(Don Magnifico) with Annapolis Opera, Daughter of the Regiment (Sulpice) with Opera Carolina, The Elixir of Love (Dulcamara) with Virginia Opera, and Billy Budd (Dansker) with Central City Opera. A master interpreter of comedic roles, Mr. Burns is highly sought after in Don Giovanni (Leporello), which he has performed with Detroit Opera, Utah Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Opera Memphis, Opera Cleveland, and Opera Omaha. He is also well-known for his performances of Doctor Bartolo (Pensacola Opera, Opera Roanoke, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Virginia Opera, Opera Omaha, Orlando Philharmonic) and Don Basilio (Dayton Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Sarasota Opera), both in The Barber of Seville, and Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro (Virginia Opera, Opera Grand Rapids).

Alexander Granito is a baritone from Orange County, California. Alex earned his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in vocal performance at San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he studied under voice teacher Cesar Ulloa. While studying at the conservatory, Alex’s notable performances include Die Fledermaus (Dr. Eisenstein, Dr. Falke), L’amant anonym (Valcour), Ariadne auf Naxos (Music Master), and Mamelles de Tiresias (Le Gendarme, Le Directeur). Alex is honored and excited to be an Opera Colorado Artist in Residence for the 2023-24 Season where he has the opportunity to work with a company committed to growing the audience of opera and investing in the growth of its artists. In the 2023-24 Season, Alex will sing in the mainstage productions of Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni, cover/Student Matinee) and Samson and Delilah (Second Philistine). Alex will also perform in the company’s touring productions of The Elixir of Love (Belcore) and Cinderella (Dandini).

The wide-ranging and versatile George Manahan has had an esteemed career, embracing everything from opera to the concert stage, the traditional to the contemporary. In addition, he continues his commitment to working with young musicians as Director of Orchestral Activities at the Manhattan School of Music as well as guest conductor at the Curtis Institute of Music and Merola Opera Program. Mr. Manahan is the 2012 winner of the Ditson Conductor’s Award, established in 1945 by the Alice M. Ditson Fund of Columbia University. It is the oldest award honoring conductors for their support of American music. Previous recipients include James Levine, Christopher Keene, Leopold Stowkowsky, Leonard Bernstein, Eugene Ormandy, and Alan Gilbert. He also served as Music Director of New York City Opera, Portland Opera, and American Composers’ Orchestra.

Mr. Manahan was honored by the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) for his “career-long advocacy for American composers and the music of our time has enriched and enabled Concert Music both at home and abroad.” His recent Carnegie Hall performance of Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra was hailed by audiences and critics alike. “What a difference it makes to hear the piece performed by an opera conductor who palpably believes in it,” said The New York Times. “The fervent and sensitive performance that Mr. Manahan presided over made the best case for this opera that I have encountered.”

Mr. Manahan’s guest appearances include the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, as well as the symphonies of Atlanta, San Francisco, Hollywood Bowl, and New Jersey, where he served as acting Music Director for four seasons. He is a regular guest with the Music Academy of the West and the Aspen Music Festival and has also appeared with the opera companies of San Francisco, Philadelphia, Seattle, Chicago, Santa Fe, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Opera National du Paris, Teatro de Communale de Bologna, the Bergen Festival (Norway), and the Casals Festival (Puerto Rico).

His many television appearances include productions of La bohème, Lizzie Borden, and Tosca on PBS. Live from Lincoln Center’s telecast of New York City Opera’s production of Madame Butterfly under his direction won a 2007 Emmy Award. George’s wide-ranging recording activities include the premiere recording of Steve Reich’s Tehillim for ECM; recordings of Edward Thomas’s Desire Under the Elms, which was nominated for a Grammy; Joe Jackson’s Will Power; and Tobias Picker’s Emmeline. His enthusiasm for contemporary music continues today; he has conducted numerous world premieres, including Tobias Picker’s Dolores Claiborne, Charles Wuorinen’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories, David Lang’s Modern Painters, Hans Werner Henze’s The English Cat, and Terence Blanchard’s Champion. As Music Director of the Richmond Symphony for twelve years, he was honored four times by the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) for his commitment to new music.

He received his formal musical training at the Manhattan School of Music, studying conducting with Anton Coppola and George Schick, and was appointed to the faculty of the school upon his graduation, at which time The Juilliard School awarded him a fellowship as Assistant Conductor with the American Opera Center. Mr. Manahan was chosen as the Exxon Arts Endowment Conductor of the New Jersey Symphony and he made his opera debut with the Santa Fe Opera, conducting the American premiere of Arnold Schoenberg’s Von Heute Auf Morgen.

Iranian pianist and conductor, Sahar Nouri, returns to Opera Colorado for a sixth season, serving as the company’s chorus master, assistant conductor, and pianist coach. Ms. Nouri is the newly appointed music director of the Lamont Opera Theatre at Denver University. While being based in Denver, she continues to serve as guest coach/faculty with various organizations including San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Opera North Carolina, Opera Steamboat and more.

Previously, Ms. Nouri has been a member of the music staff at Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Utah Opera, Aspen Opera Center, Opera Parallèle, and Opera in the Heights. Her repertoire includes numerous classic operas as well as many world premieres such as: Prince of Players (Carlisle Floyd), O Columbia! (Gregory Spears), Steal a Pencil for Me (Gerald Cohen), and Today It Rains (Laura Kaminsky). A multi-lingual, Nouri has done studies in the Czech Republic, Italy, and Austria, and is frequently in demand as a language coach and recitalist.