The Snowy Day

Soprano Flora Hawk has been hailed as “vocal standout” by Opera News and lauded for her “richly balanced” voice by OperaWire. A champion of new works, Flora had the honor of portraying Mildred Jeter Loving in the highly anticipated world premiere of Damien Geter’s Loving v. Virginia with Virginia Opera, in a performance that was described by OperaWire  as “captivating,” and will make her Minnesota Opera début as Beatrice in the world premiere of My Name Is Florence, Brittney B.E. Boykin’s new opera celebrating the life of composer Florence Price with libretto by Harrison David Rivers.  Ms. Hawk was also seen as Peter in the world premiere of The Snowy Day at Houston Grand Opera and Amelia in the world premiere of Quamino’s Map with Chicago Opera Theater.

The recent 2023-2024 saw her as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Rapides Symphony, her role and company début as Johanna in Sweeney Todd with Dayton Opera, her Portland Opera début as Peter in The Snowy Day, and a return to Knoxville Opera in the title role of Viardot’s Cendrillon.  Additional recent engagements include Musetta in La bohème with Nashville Opera and Pensacola Opera, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with Knoxville Opera, Dayo in Cook Shack with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, a company début as Ninette in The Love for Three Oranges with Des Moines Metro Opera, Poppea in Agrippina with Florida Grand Opera, her return to Kentucky Opera as Euridice in Orfeo, and performances of  excerpts of The Snowy Day in concert with New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

Flora completed her residency with Kentucky Opera’s Barbara and Halsey Sandford Studio Artist Program where she was originally scheduled to perform Musetta in La bohème, Sandman in Hansel and Gretel, and Euridice in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, but due to Covid-19 she instead appeared in multiple innovative productions with the company. Additionally, she performed Josephine in H.M.S Pinafore with Pensacola Opera, Sally in the premiere of Stone Soup with Fort Worth Opera, and leading role of Sara in the premiere of We Wear the Sea Like a Coat with Opera Ithaca. She was a returning artist with Shreveport Opera for the where she sang Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro and Antonia in Man of La Mancha. She was engaged as a returning artist with Opera Saratoga for their 2020 summer season where she would have performed Winnie in Sky on Swings and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, but due to Covid-19, these productions were to be scheduled for a later date.

Flora enthusiastically accepted her first engagements with Shreveport Opera where she performed Maria in West Side Story and Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. Additionally, she was invited to perform at the Fort Worth Opera Gala and sang Mother in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel with Opera Saratoga.

Flora received her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Houston where she performed Sarah Good in The Crucible, Carolina in Il matrimonio segreto, Princess Ninetta in The Love for Three Oranges, and Elvira in L’italiana in Algeri in addition to premiering the leading role of Lady Teazle in Nelson and Ross’s The School for Scandal. She also performed Corilla in Viva La Mama with Houston’s Lone Star Lyric Opera. She received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Flora was a District Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition, received top prize in the Mary Jacobs Smith Singer of the Year Competition, the Amore! Opera Lovers of East Texas Award for Outstanding Opera Performance, and was a finalist in the National Competition for Classical Singers.

Emily Thompson, soprano, is originally from South Florida but comes to Denver by way of Chicago, where she received a master’s degree from Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She attended Florida State University for her bachelor’s degree, studying voice with Marcy Stonikas. Currently, she studies with Alexandra Lobianco. Recent performances include several world premieres, such as Pale Courage by Kyong Mee Choi (Lady Jade Song), and Chicago premieres of The Last Word by Craig Carnahan (Dusty) and On Call: Covid-19 by David Shenton (Seoul Healthcare Worker). She has since sung the titular role in Suor Angelica, sang in Das Rheingold (Wellgunde), and participated in opera choruses for works by Verdi and Donizetti. In 2025, Emily received an Encouragement Award in the Indiana District Laffont Competition.

Outside of opera, Emily has found joy and success in being a part of several ensembles in the Chicagoland area. In the 2025-26 Season, she joined Consonance for their 50th season in which they performed various works including Here I Am, a multimedia symphony celebrating the centennial of the 19th amendment, by Jocelyn Hagen. She performed with Chicago-based treble ensemble La Caccina and was the Soprano Soloist in Illiana Oratorio Society’s performance of Handel’s Messiah. Emily also has experience as a crossover artist and discovered much of her lifelong love of singing through musical theatre.

Emily is excited to be a Resident Artist for Opera Colorado’s 2026-27 Season, during which she will be performing in Verdi’s Macbeth (2nd Apparition), Earth to Kenzie (Edwin/Eddie), The Snowy Day (Mama/Ensemble), and The School for Lovers (Così fan tutte) (Fiordiligi cover/Chorus). She is looking forward to building community and forging friendships as she finds a new musical home in Opera Colorado this season.

Mason Fontanilla O’Brien is a baritone from Memphis, Tennessee and a returning Artist in Residence with Opera Colorado for the 2026-27 Season. This season, he looks forward to performing the First Apparition in Macbeth, Daddy/Tim in The Snowy Day, Teacher/Space Kitty/Taxi Driver in the touring production of Earth to Kenzie and singing in the chorus of The School for Lovers (Così fan tutte). During the 2025-26 Season, he appeared on the Ellie Caulkins mainstage as Barone Douphol in La traviata and Prince Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, as well as in Opera Colorado’s touring productions of Roméo et Juliette (Mercutio) and The Pirates of Penzance (Major General). Mason holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Kentucky. Favorite recent roles include Count Gil in Il segreto di Susanna with Fort Collins Opera, Leporello in Don Giovanni at Prague Summer Nights, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the title role in Gianni Schicchi at Lamont Opera, and the Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly with the Colorado Springs Philharmonic. When he’s not on stage, he can usually be found searching for good coffee, a decent gym, or the one rehearsal room where the piano is actually in tune. Mason can usually be found exploring Colorado’s mountains, thrifting for vinyl records, or convincing friends to see another Rockies game.

Bridget Ravenscraft is thrilled to return to Opera Colorado as a soprano Resident Artist for a second season, where she will sing the roles of Kenzie (Earth to Kenzie), Amy/Soprano 1 (The Snowy Day), Apparition 3 (Macbeth), and in the chorus of and study cover Despina in The School for Lovers (Così fan tutte). During her first year of residency, she sang the roles of Annina (La traviata), Juliet (Romeo & Juliet), and Mabel (The Pirates of Penzance). In the spring, she will make her house and role debut with Boulder Opera Company, singing the role of Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust. This past summer, she reprised the role of Mabel in Quisisana Resort’s production of The Pirates of Penzance.

In May of 2025, Bridget graduated with her Artist Diploma from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she studied with Yvonne Redman. During her two years at UIUC, she performed in Oklahoma! (Aunt Eller), Monteverdi’s Orfeo (La Musica), was awarded second prize in the Krannert Debut Artist Competition and was a recipient of the Stotler Fellowship. The University partnered with the United States Embassy and the Centro Cultural in Costa Rica, where Bridget and three classmates travelled throughout rural Costa Rica performing concerts and masterclasses as a part of their Promising Young Artists Program. She was an apprentice artist with Des Moines Metro Opera where she sang in the choruses of Sweeney Todd and Pique Dame and spent two summers as a conservatory artist at the BayView Music Festival singing in Fiddler on the Roof (Hodel), La Cenerentola (Clorinda), and Carmen (Micaëla). She is forever grateful for the support of her family to pursue her dreams.

Dennis loves turning opera houses into community living rooms and stages into catalysts for change. When not championing the arts, you can find him cheering for Pittsburgh sports teams. As a Pittsburgh native, he’ll always be a Yinzer at heart.

Iranian conductor and pianist Sahar Nouri has been Music Director of Lamont Opera Theater at University of Denver since 2019. She has also served at Opera Colorado as Chorus Master & Assistant Conductor since 2016. Ms. Nouri is the founder/director of Dandelion Opera Institute.

At the University of Denver, Ms. Nouri has conducted productions of Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Magic Flute, Alcina, Cabildo, Les mamelles de Tirésias, and The Little Prince. Her work with Opera Colorado has included productions of Il trovatore, La fille du régiment, Samson and Delilah, The Flying Dutchman, Don Giovanni, Turandot, Die tote Stadt, Rigoletto, Carmen, The Shining, Tosca, Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci, The Marriage of Figaro, La traviata, Falstaff, The Barber of Seville, La bohème, La fanciulla del West, April in Paris, and the world premiere of Steal a Pencil for Me by Gerald Cohen.

As a guest conductor, Ms. Nouri’s 2025-26 Season includes La traviata at Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Die Zauberflöte at Prague Summer Nights Festival, and Le nozze di Figaro at the University of Michigan.

Previously, Ms. Nouri has been part of the music staff at San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra at Bravo! Vail, Opera Parallèle, North Carolina Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Utah Opera, Aspen Opera Theatre, Opera Steamboat, Merola Opera, Boston Conservatory of Music, and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. An active performer, she has given numerous recitals around the US including those alongside international stars Mane Galoyan, Heidi Melton, and Matthew Polenzani. A multi-lingual coach, she has studied in Czechia, Italy, and Austria and is frequently in demand as a language coach.

Ms. Nouri is a former violinist who has performed with the Tehran Philharmonic Orchestra and has won several prizes, for both violin and piano, in national music festivals and competitions in Iran.