Artist Biographies
Emily Margevich (Nedda) is “a star in the making” (Bachtrack). Proud to be the first Company Artist in OperaDelaware’s groundbreaking new employment model, this “poised and fearless prima donna” (Musical America) has been performing on stage since the age of two.
Be it opera, musical theatre, or The Great American Songbook, Margevich will always deliver a performance “as passionate as any Taylor Swift epic” (Theatermania). This “luminous soprano” (Wall Street Journal) has “a voice of liquid beauty” (Opera Magazine) that is “big and luxurious, with a cascading quality, like a bolt of silk dropped from a balcony.” (Parterre)
Emily recently starred as OperaDelaware’s Tosca, where her “gorgeous stage presence and voice… of amazing resonance… won the day” (Opera Today). The previous season, she made her OperaDelaware debut as Musetta in La bohème. A recent graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts, her repertoire there included Tatyana (Eugene Onegin), Female Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia), Violetta (La traviata), and Musetta. Her acclaimed Tatyana led to recent company debuts with Opera Baltimore and Heartbeat Opera. This past summer, she appeared as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni at the Music Academy of the West. Behind the scenes at OperaDelaware, Margevich is dedicating time to her new Music Education Outreach Initiative for the company, visiting schools to share opera in Wilmington where she lives happily with the love of her life, Dylan Gregg.
Next season, Emily makes role and house debuts as Roselinde (Die Fledermaus) with Knoxville Opera, and returns to OperaDelaware to sing Carolina (Fernanda), Anna (Le Villi), Eurydice (Orpheus and Eurydice), and premieres Jodi Goble’s Eurydice (a through-composed setting of Hilda Doolittle's Imagist poem that gives voice to the silent Eurydice) in its new version created specifically for her in Orpheus Retold.
Gerard Moon (Tonio), baritone, has been praised by OperaWire as “a singer with authority and command and incredible stage presence,” and by the Lexington Herald-Leader for his “strong voice, impeccable diction, and a huge sense of fun.” A native of South Korea, Moon is recognized for his rich, lyrical baritone and compelling dramatic presence.
Moon has studied and performed throughout the United States and internationally, with appearances in Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, and across Asia. He earned a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Kentucky, where he studied under Cynthia Lawrence, and pursued doctoral studies following his graduate work. His artistry has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Alltech Vocal Scholarship, National Society of Arts and Letters Award Scholarship, Outstanding Graduate Music Student Award, and the Tom Getchell Scholarship.
A versatile singing actor, Moon’s repertoire includes many of opera’s most demanding baritone roles, including Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Germont (La traviata), Ford (Falstaff), Don Giovanni and Leporello (Don Giovanni), Il Conte (Le nozze di Figaro), the title role in Rigoletto, Dr. Miracle/Coppélius (Les contes d’Hoffmann), Belcore (L’elisir d’amore), and Dr. Falke (Die Fledermaus).
Moon is a Company Artist with OperaDelaware, where his previous performances include the Mandarin in Turandot (spring 2024), Schaunard in La bohème (fall 2024), Angelotti in Tosca (fall 2025), and Gérard in Giordano’s Andrea Chénier.
Next season, he’ll be featured as Masetto (Don Giovanni), Vidal (Fernanda), King Melchior (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Guglielmo (Le Villi), and Jonathan Dove’s L’altra Euridice (Orpheus Retold).
Puerto-Rican American baritone Brian James Myer (Silvio) has earned accolades for his “richly detailed characterization (Opera Today) and “delightfully resonant” sound (Broadway World). Last season, Mr. Myer joined Brooklyn Art Song Society for recitals featuring selected sacred songs from Hugo Wolf’s Spanische Liederbuch. He also sang Youssef Biboldo in Llantos 1492 with Opera Southwest, the title role in Don Giovanni with the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Dandini in La Cenerentola with Wichita Grand Opera. In the 2025-2026 season, Mr. Myer sings Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Opera Modesto, Sacristan in Tosca with OperaDelaware and Opera Baltimore, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus with Cedar Rapids Opera, and Ponchel in Silent Night with Opera Orlando, where he recently sang in concert as part of The Three Baritones. He also returned to OperaDelaware as Mathieu in Andrea Chénier. In concert, he sang as a soloist for Lyric Fest featuring works by Ravel, Caplet, Fauré, Weill, Polignac, and Porter, joined Lima Symphony Orchestra as a soloist for Carmina Burana, returned to Brooklyn Art Song Society to sing Brahms’s Die schöne Magelone, and sang a Spanish version of Brahms’s Requiem with Opera Southwest. 2026-2027 engagements include returning to Eisenstein with Knoxville Opera, making his role debut as Charlie in Three Decembers at Opera Grand Rapids, and joining Brooklyn Art Song Society in recital.
New works include several collaborations with New York City Opera including Alberto in the workshop and world premiere of The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (Gordon/Korie). For Alberto, Theatre Criticism writes: “Myers possesses an impressive baritone that fits beautifully with Gordon’s more sumptuous passages.” He exhibited “vocal depth” (The Wall Street Journal) as Young Erich in Ted Rosenthal’s jazz opera, Dear Erich; and as Carlos in the world premiere of Stonewall by Iain Bell and Mark Campbell, he showed “a lush voice that never sounded strained, even in the tensest moments” (Parterre Box). He joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera as the cover of Marcellus/Player 4 in Brett Dean’s Hamlet, and has sung the leading role of Rey in Before Night Falls with Opera Southwest, David Miller in Approaching Ali and Leo Stein in Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27 with Opera Las Vegas, Milcom Negley in The Last American Hammer with Opera Grand Rapids, and the Minister in the US premiere of Alma Deutscher’s Cinderella, Alessandro/Enrico and Gino Carella in the world premiere of Mark Weiser's Where Angels Fear to Tread, and Ponchel in Kevin Puts' Silent Night with Opera San José.
Toni Marie Palmertree (Stage Director) is recognized as one of America’s most compelling interpreters of Puccini and Verdi heroines, praised for her vocal richness, dramatic commitment, and emotional immediacy. She has appeared on the stage of San Francisco Opera in the title role of Madama Butterfly, where San Francisco Classical Voice wrote that she “claimed her place among the finest vocal interpreters of the role heard here recently.” Additional roles with the company include Nedda (Pagliacci), Liù (Turandot), and covering Amelia (Un ballo in maschera).
Palmertree made her Lyric Opera of Chicago debut during the 2019/20 season, stepping into the title role of Luisa Miller for an indisposed colleague. She has also appeared with Palm Beach Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Arizona Opera, West Bay Opera, Festival Opera New Zealand, and Opera Baltimore, singing such roles as Tosca, Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Contessa Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), and Giorgetta (Il tabarro). Oratorio and symphonic highlights include Carmina Burana and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with orchestras across the United States.
A frequent collaborator with OperaDelaware, Palmertree is one of the company’s inaugural Company Artists. She sang Mimì in La bohème with the company last season and returned this season for a role debut as Maddalena di Coigny in Andrea Chénier, in addition to participating in recitals and special projects.
Her recent and upcoming engagements include a return to The Metropolitan Opera as Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly, soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth with the Seattle Symphony, and concerts with the Reading Symphony Orchestra.
A graduate of San Francisco Opera’s Adler Fellowship Program and a participant in the Merola Opera Program, Palmertree is a recipient of the Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation, a grant recipient from The Olga Forrai Foundation supporting emerging dramatic voices, and a winner and finalist in numerous national and international vocal competitions.
Next season she returns to The Metropolitan Opera and debuts Amelia/Maria (Simon Boccanegra) at San Francisco Opera.
Malcolm S. Richardson (Beppe) is an interdisciplinary vocal artist whose work spans opera, concert, sacred music, musical theater, and so much more. Malcolm holds a Doctorate and Master’s degree in Music Education from Liberty University School of Music, and a BA in Music Vocal Performance from Lincoln University, our nation’s first historically-black degree-granting institution of higher learning.
Malcolm has been a familiar presence on the OperaDelaware stage, appearing in Turandot and La bohème (also performed with Opera Baltimore), and portraying the role of Hexe, The Gingerbread Witch in Hänsel und Gretel with the Berlin OpernFest. Most recently he took on Spoletta in Tosca with OperaDelaware and Opera Baltimore, and has returned to the OperaDelaware stage, playing the role of Beppe/Harlequin in Pagliacci.
Looking ahead, Malcolm will bring his versatility to the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in concert this summer, followed by the role of Man One in Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World this September with Ovations Drama.
IG: @dr.malc_
Dane Suarez (Canio) is an American tenor celebrated for his “big, heroic voice” and deeply expressive performances that captivate audiences across the opera and concert stage. Lauded for his powerful emotions and vocal presence, Suarez has built a varied and dynamic career that spans major roles, world premieres, and international appearances.
Recent seasons have seen him make his international debut at the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland, where he brought rich character and vocal authority to the role of Don Ferolo Whiskerandos in the revival of Charles Villiers Stanford’s The Critic and delivered a solo recital on the National Opera House mainstage. Returning stateside, he performed signature roles including Don José in Carmen with Opera Memphis and originated dual roles in the world premiere flamenco opera Llantos 1492 with Opera Southwest. He also appeared as tenor soloist with ensembles such as the New Mexico Symphonic Chorus in Handel’s Mesías (Messiah en Español), the Erie Philharmonic in Verdi’s Requiem, and the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra in verismo repertoire.
An artist in high demand, Suarez’s 2025/26 season engagements included three major role debuts as Radamès (Aïda) with Opera Southwest, Giovanni (La hija de Rappaccini) with Opera Columbus, and the titular Andrea Chénier with OperaDelaware. This summer, he debuted Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre to sing Justice Scalia (Scalia/Ginsburg) and Richard Henry Lee (1776).
Beyond opera, Suarez has made notable appearances in contemporary theater and recital settings, including an Off-Broadway debut in the world premiere play Montag at Soho Rep. He is a grant recipient from The Olga Forrai Foundation supporting emerging dramatic voices. His career reflects a commitment to both classic repertoire and adventurous new works, brought to life through his commanding tenor and heartfelt musicianship. He resides in Wilmington with his wife, Kerriann Otaño, and their two perfect pups.
Next season, Dane debuts Dick Johnson (La fanciulla del West) with Opera Columbus, Javier (Fernanda) and Roberto (Le Villi) with OperaDelaware, and Ulises (Salsipuedes) with Opera Southwest. He also returns to Rodolfo (La bohème) with TBA, Tenor Soloist (Handel’s Messiah) with Sioux City Symphony, and Radamès (Aida) with Opera Las Vegas (debut). He’ll also present Janáček’s The Diary of One Who Vanished and Hagen’s Songs of Madness and Sorrow in Written in Secret with OperaDelaware in January.
Sarah Thune (Music Director, Pianist) is a pianist/vocal coach based in Philadelphia. She holds degrees in collaborative piano from the University of Michigan (DMA ‘24) and the University of Colorado Boulder (MM ‘20). Ms. Thune currently holds a position as a pianist at the Academy Vocal Arts, and the 25/26 season will see her on music staff for AVA’s productions of Le nozze di Figaro, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and Falstaff.
IG: @pianothune