It’s your world, but I make my way in it.
Regarded as one of the greatest operas ever written, The Marriage of Figaro is a screwball comedy complete with disguises, surprises, and compromises, and comes to life with an impressive cast of singers.
The barber of Seville is getting hitched today! The passions and perils of love and marriage collide in one uproarious day as Figaro struggles to get his bride, Susanna, to the altar unscathed. Identities are concealed, manners upended, plots foiled … Soon, everyone’s involved in the farcical antics, from a vengeful doctor and his matronly housekeeper to a bumbling teenage page!
Mozart’s breathlessly paced comic masterpiece–one of the world’s all-time favorites based on French playwright Beaumarchais’s “sequel” to The Barber of Seville–comes to vibrant life through enchanting music marked by glorious arias, tender duets, and of course the celebrated effervescent overture. Clever disguises and absurd mix-ups keep the laughs and surprises coming in this charming exploration of the perils of temptation, the grace of forgiveness, and the triumph of love.
#FigaroOC
This production will be performed in Italian with English captions.
This production contains moments of intimacy.
Columbus Symphony Orchestra is our 2024-25 Season orchestra.
What’s Interesting About This Opera…
- The Marriage of Figaro is based on a French play by the name of La Folle Journée, ou Le Mariage de Figaro written by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais in 1778.
- The Marriage of Figaro is a sequel to The Barber of Seville
- Mozart’s most famous opera
- Music from The Marriage of Figaro has been featured in movies and TV shows, such as “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Buggs Bunny”
- This show is perfect for families!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Wear?
There is no dress code for the opera! Some patrons choose to dress for a special occasion and others prefer to keep it casual.
Where Should I Park?
Parking is available at the Columbus Commons Parking Garage located off of Rich or Main Street.
When Should I Arrive?
Plan on arriving about 30-40 minutes early. This gives you plenty of time to park, get your tickets from will call if you need to and find your seats without feeling rushed. Latecomers are seated (or stand) in the rear of the theatre until ushers take them to their seats at an appropriate point in the production.
CBUSArts All-In Ticket Pricing
CAST
Charismatic baritone Brian Major consistently garners praise from critics, celebrated for his enchanting “velvety voice” and commanding stage presence. Major’s 2023-2024 season has his return to the Metropolitan Opera covering the role of Malcolm X in X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X. His schedule includes debuts with Opera Roanoke as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Marcello in La bohème with Florentine Opera, a concert debut with the esteemed Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Amonasro in Aida with Opera Maine. Last season, he made a role debut as Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff with Maryland Lyric Opera and made a significant impact at The Metropolitan Opera, making his house debut as Baron Douphol in La traviata and covering Benny “Kid” Paret in Champion and Scarpia in Tosca with The Santa Fe Opera. Mr. Major debuted as Scarpia in Tosca with Opera Columbus, Taylor in the world premiere of Undying Love with Hearing in Color in Chicago. His return to Sarasota Opera as Ezio in Atilla and Boston Lyric Opera debut as Emile Griffith in Champion further solidified his reputation as a versatile and accomplished artist. The season unfolded with a return to Opera Carolina as Amonasro in Aida and the Columbus Symphony for the role of Schaunard in La bohème. He debuted with the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra as the titular character in Don Giovanni, and noteworthy appearances at Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica Productions. He also joined Cincinnati Opera as the cover of Castor in the world premiere of Castor and Patience by Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith. Additional appearances included the Princeton Festival for an Opera Gala and Opera Delaware for a concert of Shakespeare selections and a Studio Recital. He returned to Opera Grand Rapids as Gary in Douglas Pew’s Penny and participated in a filmed recital of Kurt Weill songs with Lyric Fest. Mr. Major has performed with Madison Opera for their production of La traviata as Baron Douphol and covered the role of Germont. The subsequent year saw his return to Toledo Opera as Marcello in La bohème, a South American debut as Amonasro in Aida with Teatro Municipal de São Paulo, and a slated Princeton Festival debut as Germont in La traviata (COVID19). Closing out that season was a memorable turn in the title role of Gianni Schicchi, a recital for the Shivers Concert Series, and a performance of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem with The Colorado College Summer Music Festival. Noteworthy past season credits include Mr. Major’s debut with Opera Columbus and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in a collaborative production of Aida as Amonasro. Kirke Mechem’s Songs of the Slave in Boston Symphony Hall and a reprise of the role Amonasro in a debut with Opera Theatre of the Rockies in their twentieth-year celebration, where his voice was lauded as “honey-filled and capable of organic, dramatic expression.” In addition to his operatic accomplishments, Mr. Major is an accomplished recitalist and concert artist. He has served as the baritone soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah to name a few. Major’s excellence has been recognized on the competition circuit, earning him prestigious awards such as the 2022 Sullivan Foundation Award, 2nd Prize at the Harold Haugh Opera Vocal Competition, 1st prize at the Opera Ebony Vocal Competition, 3rd prize at the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition, 2nd prize at the Opera at San Nicola Vocal Competition, 1st prize at Harlem Opera Theater’s Vocal Competition, 1st prize at the Atlanta Music Club Vocal Competition, and an Encouragement Prize at the Palm Beach Atlantic Vocal Competition. Mr. Major holds degrees from Morehouse College, Boston University, and Michigan State University.
Brian Major
Chinese-American soprano Bizhou Chang is quickly becoming known for her warmth of tone and thrilling interpretations of opera’s most beloved roles. This season, she returns to Opera Columbus, singing Pamina in the world premiere of The Temple: A Magic Flute Experience—an immersive production based on Mozart’s The Magic Flute—and she appears as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Pensacola Opera. In the 2022-23 season, Ms. Chang performed Mimì in La bohème with Pensacola Opera and made her company debuts as Liù in Turandot with Opera Southwest and Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Knoxville Opera. She returned to Guerilla Opera for the concert presentation and theatrical workshop of Emily Koh’s Her: Alive|un|dead, and she appeared as a featured soloist in Pensacola Opera’s 40th anniversary gala concert Forty Forward, along with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. During the 2021-22 season, Ms. Chang made her role debut as Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with Pensacola Opera, performed the role of Maria in the world premiere of Island of Hope, Island of Tears by Gabriele Vanoni with Guerilla Opera, and appeared as Violetta in an immersive production of La Traviata with Opera Columbus and Out of the Box Opera. During the Covid-19 impacted 2020-21 season, Ms. Chang made her art film debut as Mimì in an innovative film version of La bohème directed by Laine Rettmer with More than Musical (Hong Kong), a co-production of Opera Omaha, Tri-Cities Opera, and Opera Columbus. She also performed Mimì in a new production of La bohème with Opera Columbus and returned to Pensacola Opera as Micaëla in Carmen. American Baritone Jorell Williams, known for having “a solid vocal core and easy, natural production” (Opera News), and “a deliciously resonant baritone voice” (Broadway World) has been heralded as “a rock-solid singer with a keen understanding of his own expressive depths” (The Washington Post), is gracing the world’s most prominent concert and opera stages. The 2023-2024 season showcases Mr. Williams in debut engagements with Opera Omaha, Greek National Opera, Catapult Opera, Symphony Nova Scotia, The Ottawa Choral Society, and The Canadian Art Song Project, with returns to the National Philharmonic Orchestra, Brooklyn Art Song Society, and Tapestry Opera. A Native of Brentwood, NY, Jorell made his Lincoln Center Theater Off-Broadway debut in Lynn Nottage and Ricky Ian Gordon’s critically acclaimed Intimate Apparel in January 2022 (co-production with The Metropolitan Opera / filmed for PBS Great Performances). His career has brought him on tour with the Mark Morris Dance Company, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Chorale Le Chateau, American Modern Ensemble, and Essential Voices USA. He had the honor to perform with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in A Celebration of America at the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater on the occasion of the first Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama, as well as the European premiere of Marsalis’ Abyssinian Mass at the Barbican during the 2012 Olympics in London. Mr. Williams has also worked alongside some of today’s most versatile artists, including Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Damien Sneed, Jon Batiste, David Lang, and most recently, Jennifer Higdon for her 2017 Grammy nominated World Premiere Opera Cold Mountain with the Santa Fe Opera. Jorell has won awards from organizations such as The Jensen Foundation, The Gerda Lissner International Competition, The Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges, The Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation, The American Traditions Competition, Harlem Opera Theater Competition, The National Association of Negro Musicians [NAMN], The Liberace Foundation, The Serge & Olga Koussevitzky Competition, Civic Morning Musicals Competition, David Adams Art Song Competition, and the Rochester Classical Idol XII Prize. He is an advocate for artist rights and serves as chair of the artistic arts council of Finger Lakes Opera, is a member of the artistic council advisor for The Denyce Graves Foundation, On-Site Opera, and currently on the New Music Board for the Brooklyn Art Song Society, using his experience to consult with arts organizations on their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives. 
Bizhou Chang
Jorell Williams
Jessica Bayne, soprano, is a versatile singing actress comfortable in a wide range of repertoire. Recognized for her artistic honesty and effortless vocal production, she is dedicated to creating an experience through music. This intentionality shines through each performance, whether it be Schumann’s tender “Mondnacht,” Violetta’s fiery “Sempre Libera,” or the heartbreaking “She Used to Be Mine” from Waitress. Ms. Bayne’s interpretation of the soprano solo in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 was described as “transcendent,” and her rendition of Fantine’s “I Dreamed a Dream” from the hit musical Les Misérables was noted for its “piercing delivery.” She has been part of numerous programs and companies including UK Opera Theatre, Opera Maine, Lyric Opera Studio Weimar, Bay View Music Festival, and The Lexington Theatre Company. Performance credits include the title role in Susannah, La Traviata (Violetta), Die Zauberflöte (Pamina), La Bohème (Mimì), Sondheim on Sondheim, and Songs for a New World. Ms. Bayne is also a member of prestigious touring company The American Spiritual Ensemble. In October 2023, she made her debut with the Lexington Philharmonic as soprano soloist for Carmina Burana. Jessica is a two-time winner of the Alltech Vocal Scholarship Competition, and was awarded the Louis T. Nicholas prize at the 2024 NATSAA semifinals. Off the stage, Ms. Bayne maintains a regular teaching schedule and continues academic pursuits in research. As a teacher, she works with children, teens, and adults, focusing on building a strong technique based on efficient use of breath and the body as an instrument. Research interests include a particular concentration on the subjects of sexual violence in music theatre, and practices regarding artist care during productions. She is co-author with Dr. Jennifer Campbell on a paper entitled “Staging Susannah on a University Campus in the Post-Covid-19 and #MeToo Era: A Case Study.” The paper was presented in March 2024 at the conference “Exploring Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in Twentieth and Twenty-First Century Music Theatre.”
Jessica Bayne
Praised as “hilarious” and “vocally charming”, Canadian Mezzo Soprano, Tessa Fackelmann has been seen performing the works of Handel, Mozart, and Rossini. This season, Tessa made her Dayton Ballet & Philharmonic debut as Lilith in Austin Jaquith’s Dracula: Bloodlines and as the Alto Soloist in Handel’s Messiah. In March, she had the opportunity to sing on the Metropolitan Opera stage as a National Semifinalist in the 2024 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Tessa recently premiered Songs of Solemn Dreaming by composer Daniel Knaggs in Houston, Texas. Shortly after, she made her way to Edmonton, Alberta to perform in a workshop for Silence by Leslie Uyida, a commission by Opera NUOVA for their 25th anniversary. Tessa will be returning to the Santa Fe Opera to perform the roles of Woman/Woman 3/Ruth in the world premiere of Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith’s The Righteous. In November, Tessa will make a hometown return to Ottawa, Ontario, where she will be the Mezzo Soloist in Duruflé’s Requiem with the Ottawa Choral Society. In March of 2025, Tessa will make her role and house debut as Cherubino in Sarasota Opera’s production of Le Nozze di Figaro, conducted by Louis Lohraseb. In the 2022-2023 season, she competed in the Talent Gala with the Opéra de Montréal’s Atelier Lyrique at the Maison Symphonique in Montréal, Québec. Later that year, Tessa made her debut at the Santa Fe Opera under the baton of Lidiya Yankovskaya singing the role of The Kitchen Girl in Dvorak’s Rusalka. In addition, Tessa was also seen as Maria Stuarda in Donizetti’s infamous “Confrontation Scene” in the apprentice scenes program. Previously, as a studio artist at Wolf Trap Opera, she made her mainstage debut as The Bridesmaid in their 2022 production of Der Freischütz. Tessa is an alumnus of Manitoba Opera’s Digital Emerging Artist Program (2021) and Opera NUOVA (2019). She received a Master of Music (2023) from Rice University under the tutelage of Nova Thomas and her Bachelor of Fine Arts (2019) and Artist Diploma (2020) from the University of Ottawa with Professor Christiane Riel. Known for his stage savvy, Robert Kerr’s foundation in opera began in musical theater. Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times wrote of his Falstaff: “He made words matter and conveyed the self-delusion of this likable laughingstock… “. Known to Opera Columbus audiences, Robert Kerr returns this season in Tosca and Fellow Travelers. His past performances with the company include the King in Aida; the world première of The Flood by Korine Fujiwara with libretto by Stephen Wadsworth; the title role of Gianni Schicchi; and, Tonio in Pagliacci. Notable credits include a return to Rose Theater with Atsushi Yamada conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra of New York in an all-Verdi concert; he was Pooh-Bah in The Mikado with Performance Santa Fe!; the title role of Rigoletto with Opera Projects Columbus in addition to the title role in Gianni Schicchi with the company. He has been heard as Germont in La traviata with the Philharmonia Orchestra of New York at Lincoln Center and as soloist in Mozart’s Requiem; and, has appeared with the local symphonies on numerous occasions. In prior seasons, Mr. Kerr returned to Japan for engagements in performances of Requiem by Minoru Miki in Natori and reprising the work at Rose Theater at Lincoln Center; he has covered the role of the King in El Gato con Botas with Gotham Chamber Opera; and, was soloist with the New York City Opera Orchestra in a Japan tour of Carmina Burana. Other engagements include his appearance at the Kennedy Center Honors with Sondra Radvanovsky and Joseph Calleja in an Aida tribute to honoree, Martina Arroyo. Equally at home in musical theater, Mr. Kerr has sung King Hildebrand in Princess Ida with So. Ohio Light Opera; the role of Peachum in The Threepenny Opera with Amarillo Opera; and Pooh-Bah in The Mikado.
Tessa Fackelmann
Robert Kerr
Upcoming engagements include a return to one of her signature roles, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Virginia Opera in November 2023, a third role debut and her second foray into the Donizetti Queen operas, Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena with Musica Viva Hong Kong in December, revisiting Olga in Rosetta Cucchi’s production of Eugene Onegin in February/March 2024 and the role creation of Sara (reimagined Sarastro) in A Magic Flute Experience: The Temple, both with Opera Columbus where she has become an audience favorite. The season concludes with Ms. Ginther’s return to Central City Opera as Emma Jones in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene in Summer of 2024. The 2022-2023 season marked Ms. Ginther’s return to Musica Viva Hong Kong in her role debut as Elisabetta in Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda following her triumph as Adalgisa in Bellini’s Norma with the company in 2021. She joined Opera Omaha in concert scenes from Cavalleria rusticana as Santuzza and Don Carlos as Éboli for ‘Opera Outdoors’, and later returned as La maestra delle novizie in their production of Suor Angelica. In Spring of 2023 Ms. Ginther made her company debut with Opera Columbus as Maddalena in Rigoletto as well as being a guest performer for the annual Opera Columbus Gala. The season closed with her debut with Central City Opera as Emilia in Rossini’s rarely performed Otello. Other recent engagements include Ms. Ginther’s role debut as Olga in Eugene Onegin with Opera Omaha, a return to the role of Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera on the James and Fargo-Moorhead Opera, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in Santa Fe with Maestro Joe Illick. In February 2020, Ms. Ginther made her New Orleans Opera debut as Joan of Arc in a rare production of Tchaikovsky’s massive grand opera The Maid of Orléans. That spring, she was scheduled to make her role debut as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana, but that production was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout 2019 Ms. Ginther made a variety of successful role and company debuts, starting with the title role of Carmen for her return to Fargo-Moorhead Opera, an interpretation acclaimed as “effortlessly powerful and richly emotive”. Ms. Ginther subsequently made her Fort Worth Opera debut as Judy Sinclair in the world premiere of Rachel Peters’ Companionship, receiving praise for her “gorgeously rich, textured timbre”. Finally, Ms. Ginther took her initial bow with Odyssey Opera as Anne Boleyn in Saint-Saëns’ grand opera Henry VIII, earning plaudits for her “darkly projected voice” and “melting lyricism” (Boston Classical Review). The recording of this production led by Maestro Gil Rose was released in April of 2022. Recent seasons have witnessed Ms. Ginther’s auspicious debuts on both coasts. During the 2017–2018 season, she made her Carnegie Hall debut as a guest artist with MidAmerica Productions, followed by her critically lauded New York City Opera debut as Lureen in the US premiere of Charles Wuorinen’s Brokeback Mountain, and concluding with her Los Angeles Opera debut performing a double bill of Gordon Getty’s operas Usher House and The Canterville Ghost. During the 2016–2017 season, Ms. Ginther made her Center for Contemporary Opera debut in a double bill of Louis Andriessen’s Odysseus’ Women and Anaïs Nin and created the buffa role of Lady Meresvale in the New York premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players. Throughout the 2015–2016 season, Ms. Ginther displayed the range of her artistry as both Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia and the prisoner Vlasta in Mieczysław Weinberg’s The Passenger, both with Florida Grand Opera. Additionally, with Florida Grand Opera she covered the leading role of Liese in The Passenger and Adalgisa in Norma. Ms. Ginther has also created the role of Bobachino in the world premiere of John Musto’s opera buffa, The Inspector with Wolf Trap Opera and is featured on the original cast recording. Ms. Ginther has been a grantee of the Olga Forrai Foundation for Dramatic Voices since 2019. She has fulfilled young artist residences with Florida Grand Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Virginia Opera, The Crested Butte Music Festival, and Opera Saratoga, in addition to gaining her early professional experience with Cincinnati Opera and Mississippi Opera. An alumna of the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, Ms. Ginther is represented worldwide by Piper Artists Management (http://piperartists.com/portfolio/hilary-ginther/).
Hilary Ginther
Matthew Mac Manus, tenor, received his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with American baritone Jesse Blumberg. The summer of 2022 saw Mr. Mac Manus make his international debut in the roles of Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Bardolfo in Falstaff, and Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro as part of the Festival of International Opera Italia. Other recent engagements include singing in the chorus of Opera Project Columbus’ production of Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera as well as numerous performances of opera scenes at CIM, including: Gabriel von Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Ferrando in Così fan tutte, Jaquino in Fidelio, and Banquo in Ernest Bloch’s MacBeth. In the spring of 2022, he created the role of the Tenor in Arseny Gusev’s The Blind as part of a collaboration between CIM’s Vocal and Composition Departments. Mr. Mac Manus completed his undergraduate studies at Miami University, where he studied with Dr. Alison Acord and Dr. Christina Haan. Samantha Goette is a soprano from the rural mountain community of Summersville, West Virginia. She is completing her Master of Music in Voice Performance at the University of Kentucky and received her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from West Virginia University in 2023. Samantha’s recent competition highlights include being a semifinalist in the NATS National Student Auditions, first-place finalist in the NATS Mid-South Regionals, and a 2023 All-Tech Scholarship finalist. Her performance highlights include opera roles as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro at the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre (2024), a featured soloist in “It’s A Grand Night for Singing!” with UKOT (2024), covering as Zerlina in Don Giovanni with UKOT (2024), as well as her performance as La Princesse and Nightingale in L’enfant et le Sortilèges at West Virginia University Opera (2022). Samantha was a featured soloist in the WVU Chamber Singers main stage production of Considering Matthew Shepard and as the featured soloist in “Aspen Jubilee” with the WVU Wind Symphony. Samantha’s main career goal is to perform opera internationally. After having a successful performance career, she hopes to indulge in her love for teaching by being a professor of voice.
Matthew Mac Manus
Samantha Goette
Joshua Crooks
Anabella Petronsi, is a 3rd year DMA student in Voice Performance with the Singing Health Specialization at OSU under the tutelage of Dr. Blosser, where she serves as a Graduate Teaching Associate. She graduated from the National University of Arts in Argentina with a BM in Voice Performance and from The Ohio State University with an MA in Music Education. She has sung L’ Enfant (Ravel), Barbarina (Mozart), Dame 2 (Mozart), Serpetta (Mozart), Papagena (Mozart), Despina (Mozart), Poesie (Charpentier), Berenice (Rossini), Mrs. Webster (Candey), Mirror 1 (Albinarrate), Mariquita Sanchez (Scher), and Heraldo (Lambertini), Sorceress (Purcell), Giovanna (Verdi). She worked as an Artistic Administrator, Director of Operations and Special Projects and Events for the Department of Musical Arts at the National University of Arts in Argentina. She also sang with Enhorabuena Company, Ensemble Tempus, and Opera of Columbus. She is a member of the Columbus Symphony Choir. Cynthia López-Olaya is a Xicana soprano originally from Los Angeles, California and based in Columbus, Ohio. She received her training from The Ohio State University and Boston Conservatory of Music at Berklee. As an emerging artist she has had the pleasure of combining her work in advocacy through her performance career, lectures, panel discussions and philanthropy with leading companies in the industry. Mrs. López-Olaya’s 2023-2024 season included Natalia (Caravana de Mujeres), a comedic opera about a Colombian immigrant family, where she sang the world premiere at Opera America’s New Works Forum with MassOpera and OperaHub, and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) with the Boston Festival Orchestra and NEMPAC Opera Project. She then completed a residency with Hogfish Opera where she sang the role of Frasquita and covered Micaëla (Carmen) in a reimagined production that highlights conditions at the border between El Paso, Texas and Mexico. During her residency she also completed a recital highlighting Nahuatl songs, the most prevalent Indigenous language in Mexico. She then premiered the work Soul Echoes with Concertia HTX as the soprano soloist, a vocal drama elevating narratives of children detained at the US-Mexico border. Other credits include: Maria (West Side Story), and Mimì (La bohème) with MassOpera; Despina (Così fan tutte) and Blanche (Dialogues des Carmélites) with Boston Conservatory Opera; Nannetta (Falstaff) with Martina Arroyo Prelude to Performance; and Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro) with The Ohio State University Lyric and Opera Theater. In addition to her classical music career she is also the vocalist for a professional contemporary Latin trio in Columbus, OH and she is the co-founder of Latina Women in Opera.
Anabella Petronsi
Cynthia López-Olaya
CREATIVES
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Lorenzo Da Ponte
Bruno Baker is a Latinx NYC based American/Brazilian multidisciplinary stage director. Mr. Baker has worked as an assistant director at The Atlanta Opera, Boston Lyric Opera and Madison Opera, as a stage manager at the Park Avenue Armory, and on the staging staff for Santa Fe Opera. Previous work on the staging staff includes Guerilla Opera, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and LoftOpera. In the past year of the COVID-19 crisis, Mr. Baker associate directed a new filmed version of La bohème for Hong Kong-based opera company More Than Musical, co-produced with Opera Omaha and Tri-Cities opera. He spent a few months back home in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil developing an anthology of short operas, inspired by different Brazilian musical genres. He is a recipient of the 2021 OPERA America Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize.
Bruno Baker
Korean adoptee, Dr. Casey Robards is a music director, pianist and coach possessing sensitive musicality, collaborative leadership, and stylistic versatility. Since 2019, she has music directed Three Decembers, (South Bend Lyric Opera), Carmen (Wichita, KS), Die Zauberflöte, La Boheme, La Traviata, Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica (Bay View), Afro-surrealist cyberpunk Water Riot in Beta: (Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago); and was pianist for productions with Santa Fe, New Orleans Opera, Opera Columbus). As recitalist, Robards has partnered with singers for the last decade including Karen Slack, LaToya Lain, and Ollie Watts Davis in programs centering music by Black composers. She co-directs the American Spiritual Intensive with Dr. Everett McCorvey, frequently lecturing on spirituals. Currently Asst. Professor at the University of Illinois and Music Director of Ensemble Concept 21, previous appointments include Indiana University, Oberlin (postdoc), Central Michigan Univ. Robards chairs the Sacred in Opera Initiative (National Opera Association). www.caseyrobards.com Brandon Shaw McKnight passionately believes that art has the power to inspire, reflect, educate, and empower. Well-versed in multiple genres of the performing arts, they most recently served as the assistant director for Le Nozze di Figaro, Annapolis Opera and Dreamgirls, Morgan State University. In 2019, Shaw McKnight produced and directed a staged version of Handel’s Messiah, which they have since performed annually. An exceptional artist who can be found on and behind the stage, Shaw McKnight has been a part of productions on Broadway, Jazz at Lincoln Center with Teatro Nuovo, The Kennedy Center, Toledo Opera, Annapolis Opera, Opera Baltimore and in Italy. They are often seen performing in his hometown of Baltimore, MD. In addition to joining Opera Columbus as the Crane Directing Fellow, Shaw McKnight is currently a directing resident artist with Opera North.
Casey Robards
Brandon Shaw McKnight
Shaw McKnight has been a young artist with programs such as La Musica Lirica, New York City Lyric Opera Theatre, and Utopia Arts. Their love of opera began as a student at Morgan State University.
Neil is a graduate of Boston University with an MFA in Costume Production, and additionally holds a Bachelors degree in History from Providence College. Fortin is returning to Opera Columbus after designing Tosca in December of 2021. He has most recently designed Opera Omaha’s production of Eugene Onegin in April of 2022 and has constructed historical millinery for a variety of West end Shows in England as well as the BBC’s Sanditon. As an ongoing project Fortin has collaborated with his husband and formed Thomas Fortin Menswear an English silk accessories company. Fortin has also worked with the American Repertory Theater, the Huntington Theater Company, The Boston Conservatory Pegasus Early Music Festival, Commonwealth Shakespeare, Actors Shakespeare Project, The Walnut Hill School, and the Metro Stage Company. 
Neil Fortin
Ronell Oliveri has been designing wigs and makeup for opera, theater, ballet, and film for the past 20 years for such companies as Minnesota Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Central City Opera, and The American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. Currently she is the resident wig and makeup designer for Opera Colorado and Opera Omaha. As a wig and makeup artist her professional credits include engagements with Chicago Lyric Opera, LA Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, and Boston Ballet. She was a Prime Time Emmy nominee as key makeup artist for her work in television. Her work can also be seen in several Broadway shows including Wicked, All The Way, and Waitress. Recent engagements include Boston Lyric Opera’s Cavalleria Rusticana, Opera Omaha’s Don Pasquale, and Central City Opera’s 2023 summer festival. Upcoming engagements include Opera Omaha’s The Last Dream of Frida and Diego, Pacific Symphony’s LaBoheme, and Opera Colorado’s Sampson and Deliah Lonelle Yoder has been working in the Columbus theatre scene for years and is happy to join the Opera Columbus team again. Recent props credits: Witch (Available Light Theatre), Indecent, 9 to 5: The Musical, and But You Could’ve Held My Hand (CATCO). When not building props, Lonelle does wildlife rehab, tends her garden, and makes jam out of foraged wild fruits.
Ronell Oliveri
Lonelle Yoder
Cynthia Hennon Marino has sixteen years of experience as a Stage Manager, Production Manager, and Director of Production. She has made a career working in non-traditional and found venues, on new works and, with helping to revive unknown bel canto operas. She has worked at Opera North Carolina, Opera Philadelphia (as Production Supervisor for 3 years for their Festival), Boston Lyric Opera (where she did a world premiere and a US premiere), San Diego Opera, Long Beach Opera (for 7 seasons) and Opera Omaha. Cindy has been the Director of Production at Teatro Nuovo, an opera company and training program devoted to cutting-edge interpretations of classic Italian operas with an emphasis on historically informed performance practice, since its inception in 2018 and has accepted the position of General Manager with the beginning of the 2024 season. She is also the Production Manager at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn and Death of Classical in NYC where she helps to produce concerts and events at catacombs and crypts.
Cynthia Hennon Marino
A 2021-22 Resident Artist with Opera Columbus, Nate Ben-Horin divides his work as a pianist and vocal coach between the United States and Canada. A former solo student of Jeremy Denk, he recently completed a master’s degree in collaborative piano at McGill University with Michael McMahon and Stephen Hargreaves, and has received additional training from Highlands Opera Studio, Lachine Vocal Academy, and the CoOperative Program. As an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, he won the 2014 Austin F. William Prize in piano performance and was subsequently hired as a staff pianist and assistant choral director. He has worked widely with local singers and instrumentalists in the San Francisco area, including the Jewish Folk Choirs of San Francisco and Berkeley, and several consecutive seasons with West Edge Opera variously as repetiteur, harpsichordist, choirmaster, and promotional recitalist. He is currently a proud co-curator, arranger, and pianist of The Shoah Songbook, a digital recital series which highlights rare music from the Holocaust.
Nate Ben-Horin
Christian Libonati
