Don Giovanni

Soprano Carson Hardigree is a first year Master’s Student at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She studies with Professor Michelle DeYoung and is perusing a Master of Music in Voice. She is a recent graduate from Furman University (2023), where she received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and Music Education. While studying at Furman, she proved herself to be an extremely versatile artist. She has performed a wide variety of roles, such as the Edith in The Pirates of Penzance, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Romilda (cover) in Xerxes, Jack’s Mother in Into the Woods, Meg March in Little Women, and she was also slated to sing as a Spirit in Cendrillon (Massenet) in the spring of 2020. In the fall of 2021, Carson also directed a full musical production of Jekyll and Hyde. This past summer, Carson attended Chicago Summer Opera, where she played the role of Armida in Handel’s Rinaldo. Carson looks forward to the summer of 2024, when she will return to Chicago Summer Opera’s Young Artist Program and portray the role of Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

Julia Scannell, soprano, is a native of Plymouth, Michigan, and completed her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance at Indiana University. Roles and partial roles at Indiana University include Giulia, Zerlina, 2nd Lady, 1st Lady, and Mercedes. She graduated with her Master of Music in Voice Performance and Literature program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in May 2024. Performances at the University of Illinois include performing as a soprano soloist with The Illinois Bach Academy, the roles of Fiordiligi and Donna Anna in Opera Scenes Class, Marcia (cover) for Met the Musical, and performing as a soloist with Concerto Urbano, the university’s premiere Baroque Ensemble. Julia is no stranger to new music, and has premiered two chamber opera, starring as Maria/Opera Diva in The Sneeze by Jiwon Hahn and Jude O’Dell, and as 1st Rusalka in Rusalka, a Ukrainian Opera by Mykola Leontovych. Additionally, this past fall, she performed the role of Donna Elvira in University of Illinois Voice Area Opera’s production of Don Giovanni, and in the spring performed the role of Fiordiligi in Voice Area Opera's production of Cosi Fan Tutte. Most recent awards include winning the Jaqueline Avent Concerto Competition this past summer at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, where she was an Emerging Artist.

Jamie Woodhull, soprano, has performed extensively on the operatic and concert stage. A native, and current resident, of Chicago, Jamie has most recently performed as Mabel (Pirates of Penzance) with the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, and as Alma Hicks (The Music Man) with North Riverside Players. Other performance highlights include: Sandman (Hansel and Gretel) with Opera San Jose, Barbara (A Night in Venice), La Ciesca (Gianni Schicci), and Mrs. Nordstrom (A Little Night Music), with Lyric Theatre of San Jose, Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) with Verismo Opera, and Marie (Daughter of the Regiment) and Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) in her two seasons with West Bay Opera’s Opera in the Schools. Jamie has performed internationally as soloist with the Aims Festival Orchestra, Theater Rudolstadt Orchester, and as Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Vancouver Summer Opera, and Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte) and Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar. She completed her Masters of Music degree in vocal performance from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Bachelors of Music degree in vocal performance from the Eastman School of Music.

Xijin Chen is a soprano currently advancing her studies in vocal performance at the New England Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Carole Haber. She has performed notable roles in operas and scenes, including Giunone in "La Calisto" and Susanna in "Le nozze di Figaro" , along with performing scenes as Juliette in "Roméo et Juliette" and Suzel in "L'amico Fritz." etc.

Jana Dinkeloo is a lyric soprano who wholeheartedly believes in the power of stylistic vocal versatility and compelling storytelling. She recently graduated from Butler University where she studied with Dr. Dana Zenobi. In her time at Butler, she performed numerous supporting and lead operatic roles, including the First Lady in The Magic Flute and Lady Billows in Albert Herring. She will be attending grad school in the fall.

Tara Malabug Kitchelt is an emerging Filipino-American soprano, from the Washington D.C./Maryland area. She is excited to return to Chicago Summer Opera this season! She has had memorable performances there as Flora in Britten’s “Turn of the Screw” and as Noémie in Massenet's "Cendrillon." Other recent performance include Zweite Dame in Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte" Marianne in Romberg’s "The New Moon” and Mrs. Fiorentino in Kurt Weill’s "Street Scene.”

Tara completed her Master of Music in Vocal Performance at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2022 where she studied with Carmen Balthrop and Jennifer Casey-Cabot. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where she studied with Janice Jackson. Tara continues to study voice with Danielle Talamantes.

Award-winning soprano, GAYLE RHODES, hails from Greenville, SC. Performance highlights include Eurydice in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, Audrey Fulquard in Little Shop of Horrors, Queen Aggravain in Once Upon a Mattress, and scenes by Mozart, Bellini, Rossini, and Gounod. A graduate of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities where she studied Vocal Performance, Gayle is currently a junior Vocal Performance major at Furman University and is a student of Dr. Bronwen Forbay. Special thanks to the cast and creative team of Don Giovanni, as well as to the board and artistic directors of the CSO for the opportunity to sing one of her dream roles. Gayle also wants to thank her family for supporting her love of music.

Eleanor Barbour is a rising senior in her undergraduate studies at Michigan State University, in past summers she has studied abroad in Italy with her program and has done many opera choruses in her hometown. She has performed as La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi and Sally in Die Fledermaus.

From community singing groups and state choirs to world premiere operas and masterworks, Tenor Logan Williams has rooted himself in the musical industry. Logan has a degree in Music Education from Wingate University, a M.M. for Vocal performance at Carnegie Mellon University, and is plans to continue his studies at Carnegie Mellon University to receive an AMS certificate in voice.

Beyond the stage, Logan possesses a wide range of related musical skills including as a music minister, music librarian, and music teacher. In addition to world premiere operas, Logan has showcased his skills in mainstage operas as a cover in Così Fan Tutte and as a character role in Der Kaiser von Atlantis and Ottone in Villa as Decio. Most recently, Logan has performed the role of Rinuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi in Puccini's hometown of Lucca, Italy on the centennial of his death.

With several masterworks under Logan’s belt, especially masterworks from Bach, the range of his experience is clearly depicted. Logan believes that experiences are key to success and without unique experiences to push someone to improve, they will be limited in their growth to potential greatness. Logan continues to explore the outlets presented to him in the operatic and classical genre. Logan actively engages in community outreach initiatives with groups such as Aria412, sharing his passion for music with diverse audiences and inspiring the next generation of performers. His commitment to artistic excellence and holistic musical education sets him apart as a multifaceted talent in the industry.

Shuo Wang is a tenor from China, currently pursing a DMA and serving as a graduate assistant at the University of Florida, His previous educational background includes a Master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor's degree from the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, China. He has excelled in roles such as Tamino in "Die Zauberflöte," Nerone in "L’incoronazione di Poppea," and Ferrando in "Così fan tutte", Dorvil in “La Scala di Seta”, Prologue in “The Turn of The Screw”, Martin in “The Tender Land”, Tenor Solo in Puccini’s “Messa di Gloria”. Shuo has won top prizes in competitions like the Vivaldi Voice Competition, the Quebec Music Competition. His dedication to musical excellence is reflected in his ongoing training, performances, and academic pursuits in music.

Matthew Hilberts (baritone) is currently an opera Masters student studying with Dr Simon Lobelson at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. Matthew completed his Bachelors of Music performance in 2022, also ath the Sydney Conservatorium.

Performing arts have always been a part of Matthew’s life. Learning piano from his mother, and studying ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary dance throughout most of his school years. He began studying voice formally in 2012 with Patricia Woods, and completed his A.mus.A. in 2022.

Matthew will be performing John Sorel (The Consul, Menotti), and Don Giovanni (Mozart) with Chicago Summer Opera program, and will be premiering new roles in Sydney Conservatorium’s collaboration with NIDA to create four new miniature operas.

Yilin Chen is a Doctor of Music degree student at Michigan State University under the guidance of Richard Fracker. He holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance, and a Bachelor of Law degree from Shandong University. Mr. Chen has an impressive performance repertoire, including Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), Don Pasquale (Dr.Malatesta), Così fan tutte (Guglielmo), La Cenerentola(Dandini), Cendrillon (Pantoulfe). In addition, Mr. Chen has performed many pieces by Chinese composers.

Since winning “First Place Male Soloist” in his home state of Georgia’s high school voice competition, baritone Noah Nussbaum has found much early success. A junior double-majoring in pre-medicine and vocal-performance at Furman University in the studio of Dr. Bronwen Forbay, he advanced to the 2024 Mid-Atlantic NATS student auditions in the Classical category and was a National Qualifier for the 2024 NATS Hall Johnson Spiritual Competition. Considered an honor, he was selected as one of the baritone soloists in Furman’s Oratorio Chorus and Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Handel’s Messiah in 2023 and has also appeared with the Sarah Reese Lyric Theater at Furman as Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance and Mars in Orpheus in the Underworld. Last summer, Noah participated in Songfest, where he performed in their opera scenes program under the direction of Mark Trawka and Grant Knox. World-renowned coach and collaborative artist, Martin Katz, having worked with Nussbaum in a masterclass recently, described him as a “fun guy” to watch perform. Noah Nussbaum is a member of the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society and serves as president of the renowned collegiate choir Furman Singers. He is an active researcher in both molecular biology and the intersection of post-tonal music theory and mathematics.

Originally from New York, Baritone Theodore Chang recently earned his B.M. in Vocal Performance at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, studying under Kim Josephson. While a member of Frost Opera Theatre, he performed roles such as Mr. Jones in Street Scene and Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro. Other operatic roles include Papageno in The Magic Flute, as well as Alcindoro in La Boheme in Concert.