Candide at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

Tenor Duke Kim is a grand finals winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (2021), and a recent graduate of the Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Washington National Opera. Highlights of the 2025/26 season include a return to LA Opera as Tony in West Side Story, debuts at Semperoper Dresden and Teatro dell’Opera di Roma in Roméo et Juliette (Roméo), Teatro de la Maestranza in Lucrezia Borgia (Genaro) and Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in a staged production of the Mozart Requiem. On the concert stage, he debuts with Washington Concert Opera in The Pearl Fishers (Nadir) and at the Philharmonie de Paris with Le Cercle de l’Harmonie under Jérémie Rhorer in Rigoletto (Duke of Mantua). Future engagements include debuts with Opéra National de Lyon and Canadian Opera Company and returns to LA Opera and The Metropolitan Opera.

Internationally acclaimed opera and Broadway star, Meghan Picerno has captivated audiences worldwide. From Broadway’s Majestic Theatre, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center to London’s Royal Albert Hall, to stages across the globe spanning from Japan to Spain to Brazil, she is celebrated as one of the most dynamic sopranos of her generation, hailed by the New York Times as “dazzling.”

Patti LuPone, who recently received critical acclaim for her performances in Agatha All Along on Disney+ and opposite Joaquin Phoenix in Ari Aster’s film Beau is Afraid, is a three-time Tony Award winner for her performances as Joanne in Company, Madame Rose in Gypsy and the title role in the original Broadway production of Evita. Her New York stage credits include War Paint (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations), Shows for Days, The Seven Deadly Sins (New York City Ballet), Company (New York Philharmonic), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC Award nominations), Sweeney Todd (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), Noises Off, The Old Neighborhood, Master Class, Anything Goes (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award), Oliver!, Accidental Death of An Anarchist, The Water Engine and The Robber Bridegroom (Tony and Drama Desk nominations).

Recognized for his “booming baritone voice” and “particularly beautiful tone”, Mario Manzo is quickly becoming an exciting talent to hear and watch on the stage. Previous training includes two summers (2023 and 2024) as a Studio Artist at Wolf Trap Opera, where he performed the role of Wagner in Faust. He also covered the roles of Don Giovanni, Marcello in La Bohème, and both Father Palmer and the British Major in Silent Night by Kevin Puts, and he participated in the company’s Studio Spotlight performances.

Her most recent engagements include a role and house debut with the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance as Bloody Mary in South Pacific, and her debut with the Boise Philharmonic as the alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem. In the 2024/25 season, Ms. Choi also joined Florentine Opera, Kentucky Opera, Austin Opera, and Opera San Antonio in her signature role of Suzuki. Described as “steadfast…solidly empathetic and ferocious” (KCStudio); “warm and lovely” (Washington Post); and “theatrically potent” (Opera News), she has performed the role with 11 different companies since her debut with the Glimmerglass Festival in 2014, including Opera Philadelphia, Virginia Opera, Detroit Opera, the Lubbock Symphony, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and her Kennedy Center debut with the Washington National Opera.

Mezzo-soprano Katie Trigg is dedicated to exploring the ways music connects with communities and society. Her mission is to contribute to the accessibility of classical music and to create opportunities for audiences to engage deeply and genuinely with her performances. Katie completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Waikato and completed her Master of Music at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she studied with Julia Faulkner.

Bass Vinícius Costa has been a Renée Fleming Artist at the Aspen Music Festival, singing the title role in The Marriage of Figaro and the role of Victor Fyodorov in Jimmy Lopez's Bel Canto. In the summer of 2026, he will be a Gaddes Festival Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where he will appear as Count Capulet in Roméo et Juliette. He sang the roles of Amaral and the Father in a recently released recording of Brazilian composer André Mehmari's 2023 opera O Machete. Winner of the Ralph Vaughan Williams award for best performance of an English song at the 2022 Wigmore Hall Song Competition, he and his collaborator Pierre Nicolas-Colombat were among the 10 semi-finalists out of more than 120 entries in the most important song competition in the United Kingdom and one of the biggest competitions on the European continent. He was also a first place winner in the Brazilian and Latin American Linus Lerner Singing Competitions.

Brazilian tenor Samuel Wallace, a member of the Internationales Opernstudio at Opernhaus Zürich. He receives the vital support of the Ibáñez Atkinson Foundation, an institution dedicated to fostering his professional trajectory and development. Recently, in 2024 Samuel Wallace won second place in both the Joaquina Lapinha Vocal Competition and the Natércia Lopes Vocal Competition, in addition to reaching the semifinals of the Paris Opera Competition (2025) in France and being a finalist in the Maria Callas Vocal Competition in Brazil (2024).

Tenor Bernard Holcomb has “already made a name for himself in the world of opera” with his “delicate and flexible” voice (OperaWire) and the “appealing sweetness and clarity [of] his tone” (The New York Times). Katy Walsh of Chicago Theater Beat said it best: “Although everyone [at Lyric Opera of Chicago] can sing, Holcomb reminds us why we come to the Lyric.” In the 2025/26 season, Mr. Holcomb joined the Monterey Symphony for their 80th anniversary season-opening concert, Opera Southwest for Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, and Richmond Symphony for Damien Geter’s African American Requiem. He also joined the Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Robbins and Crab Man in Porgy and Bess and as Carlson and Lennie (cover) in Of Mice and Men.

First prize winner of the 2024 Pasadena Vocal Competition, mezzo-soprano Erin Alford is quickly making a name for herself on the operatic, concert and recital stage. Her appearances in the 2025/26 season included her principal debut at LA Opera as Neferneferuaten in the arresting Phelim McDermott production of Philip Glass's Akhnaten, her Carnegie Hall debut as a soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, a reprise of Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro with The Muses Project, her role debut as Romeo in Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi with Opera Italia, and a return to the Glimmerglass Festival as Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and to cover Aunt Eller in Oklahoma!

Andrea Beasom’s work has been hailed as “visually stimulating” by OperaWire, “ethereal and intimate” by Broadway World, and “sexy” by the Los Angeles Times, and has graced the stages of opera houses nationwide. Her direction and award winning choreography has been seen at the Washington National Opera, the Kennedy Center, LA Opera, Seattle Opera, Atlanta Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Austin Opera, Detroit Opera, Opera San Antonio, Glimmerglass Festival, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and Bard Summerscape.

Recent stage credits include Guys and Dolls at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Chicago at the Fulton Theatre in Chicago and Cabaret at the Barrington Stage Company in the Berkshires. film and television appearances include Billions, The Other Two, Power, Schmigadoon, In the Heights and FBI.

Baritone Jawan Jenkins received his training early as a member of the Boys Choir of Harlem. Premiered roles include Asku in Stomping Grounds with the Glimmerglass Festival, Mr. Delgado in Jake Heggie’s It’s a Wonderful Life, and Ricky Ian Gordon’s A Coffin in Egypt, both with Houston Grand Opera. Roles with the Butler Opera Center include Ford in Falstaff, Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia, Papageno in The Magic Flute, Marquis de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites, Charlie in Three Decembers and the Father in Hansel and Gretel. With Houston Grand Opera, Opera to Go, he premiered three roles by Mary Carol Warwick. As a 2018 and 2019 Young Artist with the Glimmerglass Festival, he was seen in West Side Story, Silent Night, ShowBoat, Porgy and Bess, Blue, and The Ghost of Versailles. Jenkins has had recent debuts with Vegas City Opera as Marcello in La Bohème, as Action in West Side Story with Opera San José, and a guest soloist with Albany Symphony Orchestra and Georgia Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared in Champion at Lyric Opera Chicago.

Joanna Kim, a Korean-American lyric coloratura soprano, is praised for her “crystal-clear” voice and compelling stage presence (Stage Scene LA). She has earned top honors in numerous competitions, including first place in the Gwendolyn Roberts Young Artist Auditions of NATS-Los Angeles (NATS-LA), one of the district winners in the NATSAA Artist Award Competition (Cal-Western Division), and first place in the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Young Artist Competition (2026).

Baritone Nicholas LaGesse has been hailed by The Huffington Post as "wonderful eye and ear candy." In 2025, Nicholas made his mainstage debut with Washington National Opera as Jim in Porgy and Bess, also covering the role of Jake. He returned to that company in 2026 as Parson Alltalk in Treemonisha. He also recently appeared with Bronx Opera as the Father in Hansel and Gretel, Bruschino Sr. in Il Signor Bruschino, and Betto in Gianni Schicchi. In 2023, he appeared with Boston Lyric Opera in the roles of Abdul and Abe in the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Omar by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels.

Tenor Gibran Mahmud was a Resident Artist at Toledo Opera, where he performed the role of Father Chapelle in The Ballad of Baby Doe. At home in opera, concert, and music theater, he has earned acclaim for his musical performances in the Los Angeles area. Credits include the West Coast premiere of Frank Martin's The Love Potion (Kaherdin), Pacific Overtures (Fisherman/Dutch Admiral), and the world premiere of Hail Poetry! (George Power).

Madison Manning, a New York City-based artist, is a recent graduate of Syracuse University’s drama department, with a BFA in Musical Theatre. As an African-American biracial woman, Madison is dedicated to telling stories that celebrate and teach about black history. She is steadfast in exploring what it means to come from different cultural backgrounds. Madison’s passions about these narratives are expressed across the various artistic mediums that speak to her. Those mediums include the stage, screen, and her own choreographic work. Her recent acting credits include Cinderella in Cinderella: Enchanted Edition (Syracuse Stage LORT C), directed by Melissa Rain Anderson, and Bernarda Alba in Bernarda Alba (Syracuse University Department of Drama), directed and choreographed by William Carlos Angulo.

Past projects include Candide at the Glimmerglass Festival and Piano Men at the Palace Theatre (Manchester, New Hampshire). He thanks his mentors, family and friends for their love and support.

Elliot Peterson recently made his Opera Montana debut as Harry Houdini in Ragtime. Elliot’s past performances include The Flying Dutchman with Virginia Opera, White Christmas at the Arvada Center, and Chuck Baxter in Promises, Promises at Broward Stage Door. Elliot was a part of the Elf: The Musical national tour and performed as Ned in School of Rock at the Tuacahn Amphitheatre.

After graduating from Toronto's National Ballet School with the Christopher Ondaatje Ballet Prize, David spent 10 years with the New York City Ballet before making his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning revival of Carousel (dir. Jack O'Brian).

Praised as a “beautifully trained soprano with a pleasing touch of metal” (Opera Today), Alicia Russell Tagert begins 2026 with a return to Richmond, Virginia, for her debut with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra singing Copland’s Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson and Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915. In summer 2026, Alicia returns to upstate New York to debut with The REV Theater as Nettie in Carousel. Alicia ended the 2024/25 season by creating the role of Rafaela in the world premiere of The House of Mango Street at the Glimmerglass Festival. In her second season as a Resident Artist at GGF, she also sang in the ensemble of Eric Sean Fogel’s new production of The Rake’s Progress, and as a solo artist in a Midday Music concert and a collaborative concert.

From: Cali, Colombia. LA Opera: Lucia di Lammermoor (2022, debut); The Rape of Lucretia (2023); The Last Dream of Frida and Diego (2023); Fire and Blue Sky (2025); Dracula: The Spanish Version (2024); Romeo and Juliet (2024); Angel Blue concert (2025); Ainadamar (2025); La Bohème (2025). She became Resident Conductor in 2022. "A show of raw power, an aural force to glue you to your seat.” – Los Angeles Times Praised for her “rich, heartfelt orchestral sound” (Chicago Sun-Times), “rhythmic vitality” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “raw power” (LA Times), Colombian American conductor Lina González-Granados has distinguished herself nationally and internationally as a singular talent. Her spectacular interpretations of the symphonic and operatic repertoire, as well as her dedication to highlighting new and unknown works by Latin American composers, have earned her international recognition. She was named one of Bloomberg Línea’s 100 Influential Latinos of 2022. She is also the recipient of the 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the Third Prize and ECHO Special Award (European Concert Hall Organization) of La Maestra Competition, and the 2020 and 2021 Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Award.

Francesca Zambello is an internationally recognized director of opera and theater whose work has been seen at the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Munich’s Bavarian State Opera, Paris Opera, New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and English National Opera, among many others. She has staged plays and musicals on Broadway, at the Royal National Theatre, BAM, the Guthrie Theater, Vienna's Raimund Theater, the Bregenz Festival, Sydney Festival, Disneyland, Berlin's Theater des Westens and at the Kennedy Center. She is the Artistic Director of Washington National Opera.

Eric Sean Fogel has been at the Glimmerglass Festival for 14 seasons as the Head of Stage Movement and Choreography. He has created over 30 new productions for the festival. He is also a guest stage director at the Metropolitan Opera, where he has been revival director for Norma and The Magic Flute. He has choreographed world premieres including Klangwolke ‘24 for the Brucknerhaus; The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me by Jeanine Tesori; Artus! Excalibur by Frank Wildhorn; Odyssey and Wilde Tales for the Glimmerglass Festival; Princess Butterfly for XSBN in China; and Songbird, co-created with Jim Lowe and Kelley Rourke.

James Noone has been working as a scenic designer since 1983. His work has been presented on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in major regional theaters and opera companies across America, as well as in national tours and on television. Broadway credits include Sunset Boulevard, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, A Time to Kill, A Class Act, the original production of Jekyll and Hyde, A Bronx Tale, Judgment at Nuremberg, The Gin Game, Come Back Little Sheba, and many others. Off-Broadway credits include the original productions of Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women, Full Gallop, Fully Committed, A Bronx Tale, The Persians, In Masks Outrageous and Austere, work at Lincoln Center Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre Company, Playwrights Horizons, Irish Repertory Theatre, Signature Theatre, and countless others. Some of the theaters regionally include the Guthrie Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Shakespeare Theatre D.C., Arena Stage, Ford’s Theatre, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Goodspeed Musicals, Old Globe Theatre, Seattle Rep, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, and Center Stage.

Jennifer Moeller has designed costumes for Broadway productions including All In: Comedy About Love, McNeal, Camelot (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), Clyde's (Tony nomination, Drama Desk Award), Pictures from Home and Sweat. Off-Broadway credits include Bat Boy: The Musical (City Center), The Apiary (Second Stage), Comeuppance (Signature), Mlima's Tale (Lortel nomination), Tiny Beautiful Things (The Public) and Love's Labour's Lost (Shakespeare in the Park). She has worked with regional companies including the Guthrie Theater, Goodman Theatre, Kennedy Center, Shakespeare Theatre Company, the Old Globe, Williamstown Theatre Festival, McCarter Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

From: Charlotte, North Carolina. LA Opera: Porgy and Bess (2007, debut), Lohengrin (2010), Rigoletto (2010), Florencia en el Amazonas (2014), Nabucco (2017), Candide (2018), Aida (2022). Lighting designer Mark McCullough has illuminated the stages of the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Bolshoi Theater, Covent Garden, Washington National Opera, Dallas Opera, Opéra de Montréal as well as productions for the Glimmerglass Festival, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera and Seattle Opera.

Since joining LA Opera in 2007, he has served as associate chorus director (since 2011) and assistant conductor, and he has worked closely with the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. Before becoming Chorus Director, he previously directed the LA Opera Chorus for the Plácido Domingo 50th Anniversary Concert (2017) and for The Clemency of Titus (2019). One of his generation’s most respected pianists and vocal coaches, he has collaborated with major opera houses throughout the United States. He has assisted in the preparation of operas and vocal chamber music at the LA Philharmonic. As a pianist, he has partnered with Sondra Radvanovsky, J'Nai Bridges, Eric Owens, Brandon Jovanovich, Rodell Rosel, Dolora Zajick, Kate Lindsey and Susan Graham. He accompanied Joyce DiDonato at the 54th Grammy Awards, the first time the ceremony featured a performance by a classical singer.