The Santa Fe Opera Names 39 Apprentice Singers for the 2025 Season

Emily Doyle Moore | media@santafeopera.org | 505-986-5908

The Santa Fe Opera Names 39 Apprentice Singers for the 2025 Season

Santa Fe, NM — The Santa Fe Opera is pleased to announce the 39 members of its 2025 Apprentice Program for Singers. The roster includes promising young vocalists from across the USA and extends to include participants from Canada, Italy and South Korea. The class of 2025 was selected from a pool of more than 1,000 applicants by Program Director Chandler Johnson, Chief Artistic Advisor David Lomelí and Chorus Director Susanne Sheston through a competitive pre-screening and audition process. Says Mr. Johnson, “Welcoming new and familiar faces to our enchanting campus every summer is a thrill. We are excited to offer the class of 2025 unique performance opportunities and watch them blossom during their 13 weeks here in Santa Fe.”

Each season, the Apprentice Singers comprise the chorus in mainstage productions and stand ready as covers for principal artists. This year, 16 Apprentice Singers will make Santa Fe Opera debuts and 20 will sing named roles in four of the five productions. The popular Apprentice Scenes featuring the opera’s singing and technical apprentices are reimagined to provide a wider range of performance and training opportunities for tomorrow’s stars. The first performance on August 10 honors the longtime tradition of staged scenes from the repertoire. The second performance on August 17 will feature the singers in a concert alongside the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra conducted by Iván López Reynoso, with lighting and technical support by the Apprentice Technicians. During their time at the Santa Fe Opera, each Apprentice Singer also has the opportunity to work with renowned voice faculty, participate in masterclasses with notable artists and audition for industry leaders from major companies both domestically and internationally.

2025 APPRENTICE PROGRAM FOR SINGERS

SOPRANOS

Isobel Anthony^, Los Angeles, CA
Moriah Berry, Atlanta, GA
Malone Blaich, Kansas City, MO
Lauryn Davis, Atlanta, GA
Alissa Goretsky, Los Angeles, CA
Elizabeth Hanje, Vestavia Hills, AL
Emma Marhefka^, Allentown, PA
Alexis Seminario, Levittown, NY
Jasmin Ward, Richmond, VA

MEZZO-SOPRANOS

Rebekah Daly^, Sharon, MA
Allison Fahey, Sebastian, FL
Simona Genga, Toronto, Canada
Anna Kelly, Decatur, GA
Kayla Nanto^, Loveland, CO
Mary Beth Nelson, New York City, NY
Aubrey Odle^, Portland, OR
Lauren Randolph, Chicago, IL
Deanna Ray Eberhart, Kansas City, MO

TENORS

Jacob Abrahamse^, Toronto, Canada
Andrew Bearden Brown, Washington D.C.
Ryan Bryce Johnson^, Muleshoe, TX
Ilhee Lee, Seoul, South Korea
Kameron Lopreore^, New Orleans, LA
Michael McDermott, Orange County, CA
Aaron McKone, Rock Hill, SC
Benjamin Ruiz, Harlingen, TX
Ángel Vargas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Logan Wagner, Villa Hills, KY

BARITONES

Rick Hale, Sharon, PA
Randell McGee^, St. Louis, MO
Korin Thomas-Smith, Toronto, Canada
Kyle White, Berkley, MI
Ryan Wolfe, Arlington Heights, IL

BASS-BARITONES

Evan Lazdowski, Moultonbourough, NH
Mattia Venni, Brescia, Italy

BASS

Drew Comer^, Brownsburg, IN
Theo Harrah, Louisville, KY
William Ryan, Brentwood, TN
Alan Williams, San Bernardino, CA

^Denotes second-year Apprentice Singer

MAINSTAGE ROLE ASSIGNMENTS

La bohème

Street Vendor Jacob Abrahamshe^*
Musetta (August 14, 19, 23) Emma Marhefka^*
Officer Randall McGee^*
Schaunard (August 14, 19, 23) Korin Thomas-Smith*
Parpignol Ángel Vargas*

The Marriage of Figaro

Barbarina Isobel Anthony^
Bridesmaid 1 Moriah Berry*
Bridesmaid 2 Mary Beth Nelson*
Antonio Mattia Venni*

Rigoletto

Giovanna Simona Genga*
Borsa Ryan Bryce Johnson^
Usher Evan Lazdowski*
Countess Ceprano Kayla Nanto^*
Page Mary Beth Nelson
Count Ceprano Korin Thomas-Smith
Marullo Ryan Wolfe*

Die Walküre

Gerhilde Jasmin Ward*
Siegrune Aubrey Odle^*
Grimgerde Lauren Randolph*
Rossweisse Deanna Von Fange*

^Denotes second-year Apprentice Singer

Apprentice Scenes

August 10
Sung in various languages with opera titles in English and Spanish
Tickets from $5 to $25

Featuring:
The Apprentice Program for Singers
The Apprentice Program for Theater Technicians

Apprentices in Concert with the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra

August 17
Sung in various languages with opera titles in English and Spanish
Tickets from $5 to $25

Featuring:
The Apprentice Program for Singers
The Apprentice Program for Theater Technicians
The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra led by Iván López Reynoso

^Denotes second-year Apprentice Singer
*Denotes Santa Fe Opera debut

Explore the Apprentice Singer bios on SFO’s website at
https://www.santafeopera.org/company/singers/2025-apprentice-singers

About the Apprentice Program for Singers — For nearly 70 years, the Apprentice Program for Singers has provided training, performance opportunities and international exposure to young singers transitioning from academic to professional life. The first of its kind in America, more than 1,500 aspiring singers have participated in the internationally recognized program. Former singing apprentices have gone on to careers as professional performers and include Joyce DiDonato, John Holiday, Michael Fabiano, Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Sylvia D’Eramo, Jonah Hoskins, Will Liverman, Brandon Jovanovich, Kate Lindsey, Zachary Nelson and 2024 Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition winners Lydia Grindatto, Meridian Prall and Emily Richter, as well as 2024 Operalia winners Le Bu, Angel Romero and Meridian Prall. Others are now teachers, coaches and administrators at major opera companies and universities.

The 2025 Season — Scheduled in the Santa Fe Opera’s 68th Festival Season are 38 performances of five operas and two special evenings highlighting the work of the singing and technical apprentices. The company holds to its mission and time-tested programming model: a balanced and varied repertory of new, lesser-performed and standard works. Opening on June 27 is a new production of Puccini’s La bohème directed by James Robinson. Returning to the stage on June 28 is Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro directed by Laurent Pelly. On July 12, the opera will present an international co-production with the Irish National Opera and Opera Zuid of Verdi’s Rigoletto directed by Julien Chavez. Next, opening July 19, is Britten’s The Turn of the Screw directed by Louisa Muller. Rounding out the festival from July 26 is the opera’s first-ever production of Wagner’s Die Walküre, directed by Melly Still. Tickets are on sale at santafeopera.org, with the best pricing available now.

About the Santa Fe Opera — Recognized in 2022 as “Festival of the Year” at the International Opera Awards, the Santa Fe Opera annually draws 85,000 people from New Mexico and around the globe. Nestled atop a mountain vista in northern New Mexico, the company’s iconic Crosby Theatre is open on three sides, allowing visitors to enjoy performances complemented by the elements. Since 1957 the company has presented over 2,000 performances of 180 operas by 92 composers spanning five centuries of opera, creating a legacy of 45 American premieres and 19 world premieres.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility at the Santa Fe Opera — Opera has the power to speak truth, broaden perspectives and invite empathy. The Santa Fe Opera is committed to the continuous work of becoming an antiracist and anti-oppressive organization and incorporating the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility. Our goal is to create a joyful and engaging environment in which a diverse community of artists, staff, volunteers and audiences alike belong.

The mission of the Santa Fe Opera is to advance the operatic art form by presenting ensemble performances of the highest quality in a unique setting with a varied repertory of new, rarely performed, and standard works; to ensure the excellence of opera’s future through apprentice programs for singers, technicians and arts administrators; and to foster an understanding and appreciation of opera among a diverse public.

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