Jonathan Beyer, baritone
Katherine Drago, mezzo-soprano
Carlos Feliciano, tenor
Dean Kokanos, tenor
Audrey Elizabeth Luna, soprano
Liam Moran, bass
Deborah Selig, soprano

Jonathan Beyer, baritone
Baritone Jonathan Beyer has performed with Opera Santa Barbara, Chicago Opera Theater, Chautauqua Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and the Teatro Verdi. He has also appeared with the Indianapolis Symphony, Baton Rouge Symphony, Festival d’Aix en Provence and the Châteauville Foundation with Lorin Maazel. As a first-year resident artist with Pittsburgh Opera, he sang Prince Yamadori / Madama Butterfly, Belcore / The Elixir of Love Behind the Curtain, the Steward / Flight, and appears as Lorenzo / The Capulets & the Montagues in May. In November 2007 Mr. Beyer won the prestigious Marian Anderson Prize for Emerging Classical Artists. He was a national finalist in the 2006 Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition and has taken first prize in the American Opera Society, the Union Civic League Competition, and the grand prize of the Bel Canto Foundation. Prizes have also been awarded to him through the Anna Sosenko Foundation, Mario Lanza Foundation, Irma M. Cooper, Palm Beach Opera, and Neue Stimmen competitions. This summer he will sing in Kurt Weill’s Rise and Fall of Mahagonny under James Levine at the Tanglewood Music Center. He recently completed his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music and earned his Bachelors and Masters at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He is represented by Columbia Artists Management.

Mrs. J. William Futrell, Dr. Michael White and Mr. Rick LeBeau generously
sponsor Mr. Beyer’s residency.

Katherine Drago, mezzo-soprano
A first-year resident artist, mezzo-soprano Katherine Drago debuted with Pittsburgh Opera as Kate Pinkerton / Madama Butterfly and sang the Stewardess / Flight with the Opera Center. A Chicago native, Ms. Drago holds a Master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University. After a year with the Broadway National Tour of The Phantom of the Opera, she was a featured young artist with Chicago Opera Theater, appearing as Venere / L'incoronazione di Poppea and French Mother / Death in Venice. Other recent appearances include Marquise de Merteuil / The Dangerous Liaisons and Dinah / Trouble in Tahiti both at CCM, Ruth/Pirates of Penzance (Music by the Lake), Orlofsky/ Die Fledermaus (Rising Star Opera Theater), and Hansel / Hansel and Gretel (Milwaukee Opera Theater, Opera for the Young). She has also sung with the Lebanon Symphony (OH), Asheville Symphony, Peninsula Music Festivals, Cheyenne Symphony, and Berkshire Choral Festival. She has received awards from the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the Bel Canto Foundation, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Upcoming engagements include Romeo / The Capulets and the Montagues Student Matineeat Pittsburgh Opera as well appearing this summer in Le nozze di Figaro, Falstaff, and the world premiere of Adriana Mater as an apprentice artist with Santa Fe Opera.

The Hansen Foundation generously sponsors Ms. Drago’s residency.

Carlos Feliciano, tenor
A native of Puerto Rico, Carlos Feliciano is a first-year resident artist with Pittsburgh Opera. He makes his Pittsburgh debut this season as the Messenger / Aida and also covered Pinkerton / Madama Butterfly. Educated at the Manhattan School of Music (BM) and the Juilliard School (Graduate diploma), Mr. Feliciano won the Herbert Gold Award of the Five Towns Music & Art Foundation and was a finalist in the Violetta Dupont Competition. While at Juilliard he sang Pedrillo/The Abduction of Seraglio and Satirino / La Calisto. His professional credits include Don Ottavio in the New York Opera Society’s production of Don Giovanni in Castres, France, as well as Don Fernando in the zarzuela Doña Francisquita and the Christmas Oratorio by Saint-Saëns in Puerto Rico. With the Assisi Music Festival in Italy he sang in Handel’s Judas Maccabeus, Mozart’s “Coronation” Mass, and the role of St. Francis in the world premiere of Il poverello by Santini. Making a sweep of the Beaumarchais-inspired operas of Mozart and Rossini, he performed Count Almaviva / Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Little Opera Company of New Jersey and Project Opera of Manhattan, as well as Don Curzio / Le nozze di Figaro and Tamino / Die Zauberflöte with the same company.

Carmen and Jim Moore generously sponsor Mr. Feliciano’s residency.

Dean Kokanos, tenor
Pittsburgh native Dean Kokanos joins Pittsburgh Opera as a first-year resident artist. He appeared earlier this season as Nemorino / The Elixir of Love Behind the Curtain, as Bill / Flight, and in May sings Tebaldo / The Capulets & the Montagues Student Matinee. He first came to Pittsburgh Opera’s attention as a member of the chorus for Dead Man Walking. Educated at Duquesne University (BM) and Carnegie Mellon University (MM), Mr. Kokanos recently returned from Italy, where he sang the title role in L’amico Fritz with the Opera Theatre of Lucca. Previously he has appeared with Opera Memphis (Remendado / Carmen), Opera Theatre of St. Louis (Dr. Wilson / Street Scene and covered Devereux / Gloriana), Cleveland Opera on Tour (Almaviva / The Barber of Seville), and Sarasota Opera (Hadji / Lakmé). His concert repertoire includes Rossini’s Stabat mater, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St. John Passion, Haydn’s “Lord Nelson” Mass, Mozart’s Vesperae solenne de confessore, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.He has been in the young artist training programs of Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Sarasota Opera, and Opera Memphis. In 2006 he received an encouragement award from the Metropolitan Opera District Council Competition and was a finalist in the 2004 Palm Beach Opera Competition.

Dr. and Mrs. George White generously sponsor Mr. Kokanos’s residency.

Audrey Elizabeth Luna, soprano
As a resident artist with Pittsburgh Opera, soprano Audrey Elizabeth Luna stepped in last season as the Queen of the Night for the entire run of Die Zauberflöte. Her success with the role takes her to Opera Ontario next October. This season in Pittsburgh brings the Controller / Flight, the student matinee and cover of Giulietta / The Capulets & the Montagues, and cover of Adina / The Elixir of Love. Ms. Luna's current season includes her debut with Hawaii Opera as Juliette / Romeo et Juliette and Anne / A Little Night Music. Future seasons include Blonde / Abduction from the Seralio with Hawaii Opera, Cunegonde with Toledo Opera and the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana with National Philharmonic Orchestra in Bethesda, Maryland. Other roles include Rosina / Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Portland Opera Music Festival, Gilda with Aspen Opera, Adina with Bel Canto Northwest, Erisbe in Cavalli’s Ormindo with Pittsburgh Opera, and Gretel / Hänsel und Gretel with Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. In recent years Ms. Luna has been awarded first place in the Altamura / Caruso International Voice Competition and the Eleanor Lieber Awards, an encouragement grant from the George London Foundation, and prizes from the Giulio Gari Foundation, Elardo International Opera Competition, Liederkranz Foundation, Lee Schaenen Foundation, Gerda Lissner Foundation, and Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Audrey Elizabeth Luna is represented by Herbert Barrett Management.

Marilyn and Howard Bruschi generously sponsor Ms. Luna’s residency.

Liam Moran, bass
Liam Moran began as a first-year resident artist with Pittsburgh Opera after summer engagements with the National Symphony Orchestra (Zuniga/Carmen) and the Speaker / The Magic Flute and Siroco/L’étoile at Wolf Trap Opera. After his mainstage debut here as The Bonze/Madama Butterfly, he appeared as Dulcamara / The Elixir of Love Behind the Curtain and the Immigration Officer/Flight. Later this season he sings the King / Aida and Capellio / The Capulets & the Montagues Student Matinee. Mr. Moran returns to Wolf Trap this summer for Melisso / Alcina and Truffaldino / Ariadne auf Naxos. He has also performed with Florida Grand Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Glimmerglass Opera, San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program, and Opera Omaha. His concert work ranges from Monteverdi to Penderecki, and he has been featured with the Palm Beach Symphony, the New World Symphony’s “Concerts in Context” series, Los Angeles’ Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, and several recital series. For Glimmerglass in 2006 he created the role of M. Follenvie in the world premiere of Steven Hartke’s The Greater Good, recorded for Naxos Records. A prize winner in theFlorida Grand Opera Competition and Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions / New England region, Mr. Moran completed his studies at McGill University in Montreal and the Yale School of Music.

Pat and Michele Atkins generously sponsor Mr. Moran’s residency.

Deborah Selig, soprano
A native of Washington, DC, Deborah Selig joins Pittsburgh Opera as a first-year resident artist. She made her Pittsburgh Opera mainstage debut as Giannetta / The Elixir of Love and sang Tina / Flight for the Opera Center production. Upcoming engagements include the High Priestess / Aida with Pittsburgh Opera, Orff's Carmina Burana with the Bridgeport Symphony, and Rose/Street Scene with Chautauqua Opera. Ms. Selig was educated at the University of Michigan and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She trained as a young artist with Santa Fe Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and the Tanglewood Music Center. She has appeared with Central City Opera (Zerlina / Don Giovanni), Mobile Opera (Valencienne / The Merry Widow), Connecticut Lyric Opera (Susanna / The Marriage of Figaro), Dayton Opera (Adele / Die Fledermaus; Amy / Little Women),and Chautauqua Opera (Mary Warren / The Crucible). Her concert appearances include Messiah with the Dayton Philharmonic and Cincinnati Baroque; Górecki’s Symphony #3 with the Kentucky Symphony; Haydn’s “Lord Nelson” Mass with Harvard Pro Musica; selections from The Merry Widow with Cincinnati Symphony; and Ligeti’s Le grand macabre with the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music. She received the Richard F. Gold Career Grant of the Shoshana Foundation, was a winner of the Southern Ohio district Metropolitan Opera Competition, and won 2nd place in the National Opera Association Competition. Ms. Selig is represented by Wolverton Artists Management.

The Filstrup Foundation generously sponsors Ms. Selig’s residency.

Pittsburgh Opera Center Administration

Christopher Hahn, Artistic Director
William J. Powers, Director of Artistic Administration
Mark Trawka, Director of Musical Studies
Glenn Lewis, Head of Music
James Lesniak, Associate Coach / Pianist

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Ormindo
2007 Opera Center production

Xerxes
2006 Opera Center production

The Turn of the Screw
2005 Opera Center production