Meet the 2020 Young Artists: Tenors

2020 Young Artists (left to right): Tenors Jason Berger and Miles Herr

We're so excited to welcome our 2020 class of OperaDelaware Young Artists next month! In the weeks leading up to their Young Artists: Make a Scene performances (March 20-22), we'll introduce them all to you here.

Jason Berger was most recently seen at OperaDelaware in the choruses of last season's Trial by Jury and Dead Man Walking, but his first appearance with OD was at age 12, in the chorus of the 2004 Family Opera Theater production of The Hobbit! A graduate of the University of Michigan and the Peabody Conservatory, this Wilmington native was recently seen as Cinderella's Father in Into the Woods with Charlottesville Opera and as a soloist with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Recently, Jason has become a social media sensation since a video of him singing while working at a local Starbucks has gone viral, garnering thousands of views and national press. (Did you miss it? Watch the video and see the article links below.)

Miles Herr will be making his OperaDelaware debut this spring, playing Lucano in The Coronation of Poppea and covering the Servants in The Tales of Hoffmann. A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill and the UMD Maryland Opera Studio, this Lenox, MA native was recently seen as Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte with Fargo-Moorhead Opera. Welcome to OperaDelaware, Miles!

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Young artist Jason berger wows customers at a local wilmington starbucks. (video courtesy of Kaylan Wetzel.

Wilmington's opera-singing Starbucks barista joining OperaDelaware's Young Artist Program (The News Journal)

This opera-singing Starbucks barista is going viral for his incredible voice (The Today Show)

Opera singing barista performs for customers (News Journal)

A Delaware barista was filmed singing opera at Starbucks. He was trained in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun)

Video of opera singer at Del. Starbucks goes viral (NBC Philadelphia)

Meet the 2020 Young Artists: Sopranos & Mezzo

Left to right: corey Raquel Lovelace, robin steitz, marie engle

We're thrilled to welcome our 2020 class of OperaDelaware Young Artists next month!

In the weeks leading up to their Young Artists: Make a Scene performances, we'll introduce them all to you here. First up, three new faces to our OD audience: sopranos Corey Raquel Lovelace and Robin Steitz and mezzo Marie Engle.

Corey Raquel Lovelace will be making her OperaDelaware debut this spring, playing Drusilla in The Coronation of Poppea and covering Antonia and Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann. A graduate from North Park University and DePaul University, this Alexandria, VA, native was recently seen as Musetta in La Bohème with Opera Carolina and as Cendrillon with Little Opera Company of Charlotte.

Robin Steitz will also be making her OperaDelaware debut this spring, playing Amore and Valletto in The Coronation of Poppea and covering Olympia in The Tales of Hoffmann. A graduate from the Eastman School of Music, this Washington, D.C. native was recently seen as Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Baltimore Concert Opera. She is currently wrapping up a Studio Artist residency with Fort Worth Opera, performing Marianna in Frida Kahlo and the Bravest Girl in the World.

Mezzo Marie Engle will be making her OD debut this spring, playing Nutrice in The Coronation of Poppea. A graduate of Northwestern University and the Juilliard School, this Wauseon, OH, native was recently seen as Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi with Chautaqua School of Music and as Ramiro in La finta giardiniera with Juilliard Opera.

Welcome to OperaDelaware, Corey, Robin, and Marie

FALL 2020 OPERA

In celebration of our 75th season, we will offer expanded programming with a full-scale, staged opera at The Grand this fall! Don’t miss the full announcement at our Opera Jukebox performance.

UPDATE: We are thrilled to announce that we’ll present at fully-staged production of TOSCA at The Grand on Nov. 13 & 15! Tickets will go on sale soon. Join our email list for on-sale alerts, casting updates & more.

News from Behind the Curtain: OD welcomes new board members & Chief Advancement Officer

Please join OperaDelaware in welcoming five new board members: Dr. Jay Anderson, Paul Crawford, Dr. Carol Denson, Dr. Marguerite Thew, and Wayne Wilson began their first board term on September 1. We would also like to gratefully acknowledge Roberts W. Brokaw III, Cynthia du Pont Tobias, and Nina Worthington, whose board terms expired this past year. Thank you for your tireless dedication and support for the past eight wonderful years!

Also, please welcome Karen Uricoli, OperaDelaware’s new Chief Advancement Officer. Karen brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position, and we’re thrilled to have her on the team.

Congratulations to Aurelien Eulert, who has been promoted to Head of Music Staff. In addition to his roles of Principal Pianist and Chorus Master, Aurelien will assist with artist administration and scheduling. We also congratulate Jordan Barrett, who was recently promoted to Operations Manager. Jordan will now oversee facilities management and Studio rentals in addition to database administration. Finally, congratulations to Mary Wilcosky as she begins her new role as Events Manager and Board Liaison.

Save the dates! National radio broadcasts of Il trittico, Buoso's Ghost & Amleto coming this fall

AMLETO (2016)

IL TABARRO (2018)

SUOR ANGELICA (2018)

GIANNI SCHICCHI/BUOSO'S GHOST (2018)

Tune in to the WFMT Radio Network this fall for national broadcasts of our critically acclaimed Festival productions of Puccini's Il trittico and Michael Ching’s Buoso’s Ghost (2018), plus Franco Faccio's Amleto (2016). Full schedule below:

Il Tabarro & Suor Angelica (Oct. 26)
Gianni Schicchi & Buoso's Ghost (Nov. 2)
Amleto (Nov. 9)

Listen locally beginning at 1 pm on WRTI FM 90.1 FM or stream at WRTI.org. Watch for our Facebook listening parties (coming soon) for each broadcast to listen and comment along with the casts and members of the OD staff.