Mezzo
soprano
Maggie
Lofboom
is a Minnesota native with degrees in vocal
performance
from the University
of Minnesota
and Augsburg
College.
She has performed with the Minnesota
Opera
(including its world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordan's 'The
Grapes of Wrath'),
Skylark
Opera, the Kenwood Symphony, and The Gilbert
and Sullivan
Very Light Opera Company. When she isn't performing, Ms.
Lofboom enjoys gardening, beekeeping, and spending
time
with her family and their beautiful Hereford cattle.
Soprano
Carrie
Henneman Shaw,
is a recipient of the 2010-2011 McKnight Artist Fellowships for
Performing Musicians administered by the MacPhail Center for Music.
Shaw collaborates regularly with ensembles across the country,
including The Newberry Consort, LIBER, dal Niente, The Rose Ensemble
and the Bach Society of Minnesota. Carrie is co-artistic director and
a founding member of emerging ensemble Glorious Revolution Baroque,
which in May mounted a highly acclaimed production of Purcell’s
‘Dido and Aeneas’ with soprano Ellen Hargis. Carrie holds a
Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Minnesota.
Mezzo-Soprano
April
Hanson has
performed extensively with the University of Minnesota Opera Theater.
Roles include Arnalta (L’incornazione
di Poppea),
Principessa
(Suor Angelica),
Emma Jones
(Street Scene)
Marcellina
(Le Nozze di Figaro),
Mrs. Grose (Turn
of the Screw) and
Zita (Gianni
Schicchi). She
has also appeared with the Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera
Company in Iolanthe
as the Fairy Queen. Solo concert appearances include the Mozart
Requiem
with
the University of Minnesota’s Orchestra, and Handel’s Messiah
with the Dakota Valley Symphony.
As a
young artist with Pine Mountain Music Festival, Hanson covered the
role of Dame Quickly in Falstaff
and
performed the role of Mama Lucia in Cavelleria
Rusticana.
Tenor
Ben
Johnson
in his Opera Bob debut, lives in Minneapolis
with
wife Jennifer, and children Josiah and Lydia. Ben has worked as a
singer-actor since earning his degree in vocal performance from
UMD in 1998. Recent roles with Minnesota Opera: Alcindoro – La
Boheme,
1st
Inquisitor - Casanova’s
Homecoming,
Benvilio - Roméo
et Juliet,
Count Ludivic - Sondheim’s Passion.
Musical theater credits include: Marius in Les
Miserables
and Joseph in the Technicolor
Dreamcoat
with Chanhassen Theaters. And other favorites: West
Side Story (Tony),
Into
the Woods
(Baker) and Damn
Yankees (Joe).
Director
Tara
Marlena Laberge
has directed for Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera program, the
University of Minnesota Opera Theatre and Summer Music Theatre
intensive, Irene Besse Academy of Music and the Mount Royal Academy
among others. As a performer, favorite roles include Anna (The
King and I),
Elsa (The
Sound of Music),
and Antonia (Tales
of Hoffman).
She joins the faculty of the Saint Paul Conservatory of Performing
Arts in the fall of 2010 and will be on stage with the History
Theatre in November 2010 in “A Christmas Schooner”.
Pianist
Richard
Yates
has recently completed his Masters in Choral Conducting at the
University of Minnesota, and is currently working towards finishing a
Masters in Composition. He graduated in 2006 from the Boston
Conservatory with a degree in Composition. Being an advocate for
contemporary music, Richard is involved with the University’s New
Music Workshop. He also teaches undergraduate music theory courses.
Richard studies composition with James Dillon and conducting with
Kathy Romey and Matt Mehaffey.