Colleen Daly

Hailed for her “mezzo-tinted lower register rising to a wonderful warm top," (The Washington Post) American soprano Colleen Daly carefully balances her engagements on the concert and opera stages.  Her 2019-2020 season was highlighted by Micaëla in Carmen for Tulsa Opera, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for the Carmel Symphony, and a remount of Wachner’s Rev. 23 for the Prototype Festival. Floyd’s Susannah for the Annapolis Opera and Antonia in Les contes d’Hoffmann for Delaware Opera are postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Her 2018-2019 season included Dvořák’s Stabat Mater with the Vancouver Symphony, Musetta in La bohème for the Fairfax Symphony and the Charlottesville Opera, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni for Baltimore Concert Opera, and Verdi’s Requiem with Santa Barbara Symphony.

Recent credits include the World Premiere of Julian Wachner’s opera Rev.23 with White Snake Projects in Boston, the title role in Floyd’s Susannah for Baltimore Concert Opera, Martin’s In Terra Pax with the Grant Park Festival, Dvorak’s Te Deum with the Washington Cathedral Choral Society and Carmina Burana with the Washington Chorus at the Kennedy Center. She joined the Windsor Symphony as Countess Almaviva in a concert version of Le nozze di Figaro and the Annapolis Opera for Violetta in La Traviata. She also sang Mahler’s Symphony no. 2 with the Bozeman Symphony, Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 for the Williamsburg Symphony and covered the role of Cunégonde in Candide for the Washington National Opera.

Ms. Daly debuted internationally with the Calgary Philharmonic as Madeline in Philip Glass’ setting of The Fall of the House of Usher, and was immediately reengaged for Mahler’s Symphony No. VIII. She returned to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall as a soloist in the Washington Chorus’s presentation of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony and first appeared with the Bozeman Symphony in Verdi’s Requiem. Notable roles include Musetta in La bohème with Annapolis Opera, Lyric Opera of Baltimore and Des Moines Metro Opera; Violetta in Opera Delaware’s production of La traviata, which she also covered at New York City Opera; Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Intermountain Opera; Micaëla in both La Tragédie de Carmen with Syracuse Opera and in Carmen with Baltimore Concert Opera; the Countess in Annapolis Opera’s production of Le nozze di Figaro; and the title role of Thaïs at Opera Company of Middlebury. In the winter of 2016, Ms. Daly returned to one of her signature roles, Micaëla in the Maryland Symphony Orchestra’s presentation of Carmen, and was later presented in her role debut as Fidelia in Puccini’s rarely heard Edgar with the Baltimore Concert Opera.

Her work as a concert and recital soloist has been widely recognized in performing such works as Mozart, Brahms, Fauré, and Rutter Requiem Masses, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Händel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, Lord Nelson Mass, and Missa Solemnis, Poulenc’s Gloria, Mozart’s Davide penitente, and Stravinsky’s Les Noces. Colleen has appeared with the Columbus Symphony, the Mid-Atlantic Symphony, the Master Chorale of Washington in her Kennedy Center debut, Washington Concert Opera, the Post-Classical Ensemble, the New Dominion Chorale, the Maryland Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Händel Society of Dartmouth, among others. On the recital stage, she presented a program of art song inspired by works in the permanent collection at the Phillips Gallery, and reprised a portion of her program at the Kennedy Center, which was streamed live worldwide.

Charles Higgs

Charles Higgs, organist, is a native of Clarksville, Maryland. He holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Organ Performance from Westminster Choir College in Princeton. He holds a Master’s of Sacred Music from Mercer University in Macon, GA. His major professors were Ken Cowan, Diane Meredith Belcher, and Robert Parris. Upon graduation he was appointed Associate Organist at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta where he served for nine years. Mr. Higgs was responsible for accompanying the chancel choir, directing the Junior Chorister Choir, collaborating on weekly liturgy planning with the music staff and clergy as well as planning and playing funerals, weddings, and organ demonstrations for groups touring St. Luke’s historic sanctuary. In addition, he was primary organist of the 2000-member congregation. At present he serves as Director of Music and Organist at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Milton, GA, where is involved in an active and dynamic music ministry. Charles also serves as organist for Saturday evening Vigil Masses at St. Jude the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Sandy Springs, GA.

Rolando Sanz

Tenor Rolando Sanz enjoys a distinguished and diverse career as a performer, producer, and educator.  In opera, concert, and oratorio performances, Mr. Sanz thrills audiences with his impeccable technique, musical depth, and heartfelt vocal interpretations. He has appeared with opera companies and major ensembles regionally and across the United States and on stages at Spoleto Festival USA, The Princeton Festival, and Aspen Music Festival. Recent opera credits include his Metropolitan Opera debut in Mozart's Idomeneo, and Rodolfo in Fairfax Symphony Orchestra’s La bohème. Mr. Sanz has won prizes in vocal competitions and for the last eight years has performed the national anthem for the Baltimore Orioles opening home series.

Mr. Sanz is passionately involved with the musical landscape of the Mid-Atlantic region as an educator and producer. He co-founded and serves as Artistic Director of Young Artists of America, now the mid-Atlantic's premiere training organization for collaborative musicians.

Mr. Sanz is a proud graduate of the Yale University School of Music. 

Trevor Scheunemann

Praised by Opera News for his “lovely timbre”, and “dramatic timing”, and by the Washington Post for his “rich and gleaming” voice, Trevor Scheunemann quickly established himself as one of opera’s leading baritones. Recent performances include Marcello in Florida Grand Opera’s production of La bohème, Handel’s Messiah with the National Philharmonic and Faure’s Requiem with The Choral Arts Society of Washington, both at the Kennedy Center. Scheunemann is in demand at revered houses around the world for his thoughtful, original portrayals. Highlights of his career include performances as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Théâtre du Capitol de Toulouse, Washington National Opera, and Teatro Municipal Santiago; Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with San Francisco Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, and Opéra National de Bordeaux; Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte with Oper Frankfurt and Washington National Opera; the title role in Don Giovanni with Washington National Opera and  L’Opéra de Monte Carlo; Escamillo in Carmen with Ópera de Puerto Rico; and Marcello in La bohème at Atlanta Opera and Washington National Opera. 

In the 2019-20 season, Scheunemann returns to The Metropolitan Opera in productions of Manon, Le nozze di Figaro, La traviata, and La bohème. After joining the roster of The Metropolitan Opera as Curio in Giulio Cesare, Scheunemann enjoyed several return engagements including a new production of Un ballo in maschera under Fabio Luisi, which was also broadcast as part of the Metropolitan Live in HD series; Morales in the new production of Carmen conducted by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Schaunard in La bohème; a new production of Guillaume Tell;  and Sid in La fanciulla del West. Additionally, he headlined The Met’s Rising Stars Tour in concert across the United States. 

In recent seasons, he made his San Francisco Opera début as Jake Wallace in La fanciulla del West conducted by Nicola Luisotti; appeared at L’Opéra de Monte Carlo as Donner in Das Rheingold;  performed Rameau’s Dardanus with Emmanuelle Haïm at Opéra de Lille; and joined the Glyndebourne Festival as Mercurio in L’incoronazione di Poppea conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm, in Graham Vick’s Eugene Onegin under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski, and as Melot in Tristan und Isolde, which was commercially released on CD. 

Mr. Scheunemann has also been actively involved in the emergence of new, American opera. He originated roles in several productions including: Joe in Christopher Theofanidis’s Heart of a Soldier, inspired by the events of 9/11 and under the direction of Francesca Zambello at San Francisco Opera; der Graf F in René Koering’s adaptation of Heinrich von Kleist’s novella Der Marquise von O with L’Opéra de Monte Carlo; as well as Sgt. Marcum in Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang’s An American Soldier and Gary Tate in Douglas Pew and Dara Weinberg’s Penny, both as part of the American Opera Initiative at Washington National Opera.

Rebecca Vanover

Rebecca Vanover is a soprano, pianist, and choral educator, born and raised in Gaithersburg, MD. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a BM in Voice and a BME in Choral Music Education. During her time at UMD, she performed regularly with the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center and the Baltimore Symphony at the Meyerhoff and Strathmore as a member of the UMD Chamber Singers. In 2014, she traveled to Seoul to represent the United States at the 10th World Symposium of Choral Music. In addition to her love of choral music, Rebecca thoroughly enjoys opera and musical theater, and has performed both genres locally in D.C./MD area. She performed in Show Boat, Beauty and the Beast, and Joseph at Toby's of Columbia. Currently, she is the director of Vocal Music at St. Francis of Assisi in Fulton, and the Choral Director at Centennial High School in Ellicott City, MD.

Chrystal E. Williams

Acclaimed as “a singer of rare power and clarity” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Chrystal E. Williams is “fiery” (Opera News); “a joy to listen to and watch – the complete package” (Operatoonity).

Recently, Ms. Williams returned to the Birmingham Opera Company (UK) in a critically acclaimed performance in the role of Katerina in Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, and sang under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Williams made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the fall of 2019 as Maketaten in Philip Glass’ Akhnaten.

The current and upcoming season sees Ms. Williams in a number of debuts, including Minnesota Opera as the Stewardess in Jonathan Dove’s Flight, Seattle Opera as Rebecca Parker in Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD, performances with New York’s On Site Opera (canceled-COVID), performances as soloist in Bernstein’s Songfest with the Seattle Symphony (canceled-COVID), a Southern-U.S. tour as soloist in George Crumb’s The River of Life with Orchestra 2001 (canceled-COVID), and recitals in Michigan, Idaho, and Pennsylvania. Ms. Williams makes her company debut with Pittsburgh Opera performing Rebecca Parker in Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD, a role she created with Opera Philadelphia and has since sung with numerous companies both in the US and the UK; her company and role debut of Carmen with Opera North (UK); her role debut of Fricka in Das Rheingold with Birmingham Opera Company (UK)-Sir Graham Vick directing, and a return to The Metropolitan Opera.

This season also sees the premiere of the Forrópera Experiência, in collaboration with Astral Artists and the Esperanza Arts Center. The Forrópera Experiência, premiering digitally May 2021, came out of Forrópera, the duo/musical style Ms. Williams and Brazilian accordionist Felipe Hostins created in 2016 as a way to foster unity, peace and understanding through music. It combines elements of classical music with those of traditional Brazilian folk music. The joyful, genre-bending musical experience of the husband/wife duo has been featured with Astral Artists, Baltimore Concert Opera, Opera Delaware, as well as the Kaufman Music Center. Forró means for all, and Forrópera seeks to create music that is indeed just that- for all.

Ms. Williams has sung Charlotte in Werther with both Opera Delaware and Baltimore Concert Opera. For the Birmingham Opera Company, she has sung Dido in Dido and Aeneas and Hannah in Michael Tippett’s The Ice Break, under the direction of Graham Vick. She debuted with the Washington National Opera as Elizabeth Keckley/Coretta Scott King in Philip Glass’ Appomattox, created the role of Yvette in the world premiere of Eric Sawyer’s The Garden of Martyrs, debuted as Linda in Kurt Weill’s Lost in the Stars with the Glimmerglass Festival, and portrayed Mary in Ricky Ian Gordon’s Morning Star with On Site Opera. She has also sung Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Sarasota Opera, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel with Knoxville Opera, and Olga in Eugene Onegin with the Northern Lights Music Festival. 

As a concert soloist, Ms. Williams has appeared with the Cairo Symphony Orchestra (Egypt), the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra (Sweden), Springfield Symphony, Carolina Philharmonic, Boston Modern Orchestra Projects, Virginia Symphony, the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, and made her Philadelphia Orchestra debut under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, in Bach’s Nach dir, Herr, verlanget mich, BWV 150.

Lauded as a ‘mezzo-soprano of conscious’, Ms. Williams' ingenuity and gifts have been acknowledged by numerous organizations; including the Classical Post (Classical Post Awards Most Innovative Singer-Mezzo 2019), the Musical Fund Society (Career Grant Award 2020), International Opera Awards 2020 (Young Singer Nominee), The First Prize and Audience Choice Award winner at the 2014 Wilhelm Stenhammar International Music Competition in Sweden, among others. She is a winner of Astral Artists’ 2014 National Auditions.

The Chrystal E. Williams Scholarship was founded by Ms. Williams in 2004 to help students wishing to pursue a career in the performing arts, and is funded in part by her annual concert, “An Evening with Chrystal E.”; held each June in Norfolk, Virginia. Ms. Williams is an alumna of the Academy of Vocal Arts. She holds a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance from the Yale School of Music, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Voice Performance from Carnegie Mellon University.