2017 Fellows
Nickolas Carlson
Assistant Conductor
Nickolas Carlson is the founder and music director for Central Kansas Concert Opera, a non-profit opera company with the mission of providing opportunities to young musicians. He received his Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from Wichita State University under Dr. Mark Laycock in the Spring of 2016. Nickolas was assistant conductor for four WSU Opera Theater Productions (Die Fledermaus, Don Giovanni, Cold Sassy Tree, and The Light in the Piazza), and music director for WSU's production of J.P. Rameau's Les Indes Galantes in the Spring of 2016. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance from Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS under Dr. Melody Steed. He has also studied organ and folk music at Musikhögskolan Ingesund in Arvika, Sweden.
Yohan Kwon
Assistant Conductor
Yohan Kwon is a pianist and conductor from Greenwich, Connecticut, currently residing in Bloomington, IN as a student at the Jacobs School of Music. He studies piano with Norman Krieger and conducting with Arthur Fagen, and has organized several student orchestral performances there. Yohan is the assistant conductor of the 2017 Chicago Summer Opera program.
Kimun Kim
Assistant Director
Kimun Kim, a native of Seoul, South Korea, received his Bachelor of Music at New Jersey City University and Master’s in Opera Directing at The University of Texas at Austin.
He was stage manager and assistant director at the Korean National Opera, Japan Fujiwara Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, New Seoul Opera, Sejong Opera, Gloria Opera, Seoul Opera, Dae Gu Royal Opera, Incheon Opera, Martina Arroyo Prelude to Performance and Wolf Trap Opera. He has worked on many productions, including Madama Butterfly, Rigoletto, Turandot, Carmen, La Traviata, Cavalleria Rusticana, L’elisir D’amore, Gianni Schicchi, Le nozze di Figaro, Tosca, La Bohème and Suor Angelica. Past associations also include, Seoul Arts Center Opera House, The National Theatre of Korea, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, NJCU West Side Theater, La Mama ETC in New York, Butler Opera Center in Austin, The Barns and Filene Center in Virginia.
He directed Das Lied von der Erde, a theater project to focus on the plight in North Korea, Our Cool Leader at UT Austin, Dichterliebe, Frauenliebe und- leben and Die Fledermaus at NJCU and many other scenes at various places.
Currently, he is serving at New Jersey City University as Opera Workshop Director and his next engagement is Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti in November 2017.
He was stage manager and assistant director at the Korean National Opera, Japan Fujiwara Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, New Seoul Opera, Sejong Opera, Gloria Opera, Seoul Opera, Dae Gu Royal Opera, Incheon Opera, Martina Arroyo Prelude to Performance and Wolf Trap Opera. He has worked on many productions, including Madama Butterfly, Rigoletto, Turandot, Carmen, La Traviata, Cavalleria Rusticana, L’elisir D’amore, Gianni Schicchi, Le nozze di Figaro, Tosca, La Bohème and Suor Angelica. Past associations also include, Seoul Arts Center Opera House, The National Theatre of Korea, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, NJCU West Side Theater, La Mama ETC in New York, Butler Opera Center in Austin, The Barns and Filene Center in Virginia.
He directed Das Lied von der Erde, a theater project to focus on the plight in North Korea, Our Cool Leader at UT Austin, Dichterliebe, Frauenliebe und- leben and Die Fledermaus at NJCU and many other scenes at various places.
Currently, he is serving at New Jersey City University as Opera Workshop Director and his next engagement is Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti in November 2017.
Ian Silverman
Assistant Director
Ian Silverman (AD, La Clemenza di Tito/ Director, Scenes Program) is thrilled to be working with Chicago Summer Opera as an Assistant Stage Director. Ian just graduated from the University of Miami's Frost School of Music with B.M.s in both Classical Vocal Performance and Music Business. Previous credits include AD/SM The Rake's Progress (Frost Opera Theater), AD L'enfant et les sortileges/Gianni Schicchi (Miami Summer Music Festival), and has directed 13 the Musical (CaneStage Productions) and UM's Fall Scenes Program in Concert. He has worked with acclaimed directors Dean Anthony, Jeffrey Buchman, and David Toulson. Most recently, he served as the Stage Manager for a workshop of Beyond as part of the John Duffy Institute for New Works, working alongside Libby Larsen. After leaving Chicago Summer Opera, he is heading to Pittsburgh to AD a production of Sweeney Todd with Pittsburgh Festival Opera.