Justin Stolz

Tenor
Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music

Praised for his “effortlessly powerful” voice (The Chronicle Journal), Canadian tenor Justin Stolz is quickly establishing himself as an exciting operatic performer. Having recently completed his second season as a resident artist with The Atlanta Opera, he returns to the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers this summer, covering the role of Števa Buryja in Jenůfa. 

This season saw Justin make role debuts with The Atlanta Opera as Howard Boucher in Heggie's Dead Man Walking, Gastone in Verdi's La traviata, and a last minute step-in as Lensky in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. On the concert stage, he returned home to perform Handel’s Messiah with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and made his Okanagan Symphony Orchestra debut in Verdi’s Requiem. 

In the 2017-2018 season, Justin made a “rousing” (Opera News) professional debut as Der Steuermann in the The Atlanta Opera's production of Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer. Other highlights with the company include appearances as Tamino in Mozart's The Magic Flute as well as Le Remendado in Bizet's Carmen. 

In prior seasons, Mr. Stolz has appeared as Don José in Bizet's Carmen (Brott Music Festival, IU Opera Theater), B.F. Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly (IU Opera Theater), 

Mr. Owen in Postcard from Morocco (The Glenn Gould School), and Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni (The Glenn Gould School). 

A recent winner of The S. Livingston Mather Competition of Cleveland, Ohio, Justin is a graduate of Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and The Glenn Gould School (The Royal Conservatory of Music).

Derrell Acon

Bass
University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music

Fulbright scholar Dr. Derrell Acon is a dynamic performer/teacher/activist who has appeared in venues across the nation, Africa, and Europe. As an award-winning bass-baritone, Derrell Acon understands the level of passion and understanding that music can instill.

He is a uniquely accomplished performer whose repertoire ranges from the comic to the tragic and even the sensual. Mr. Acon has proven himself a persuasive advocate for American opera of the 20th and 21st centuries. His accomplishments in music have established Mr. Acon as a leader among the discussions that surround music across the world.

Dr. Acon is a 2013-2014 Fulbright scholar to Italy, where he researched the operas of Giuseppe Verdi and lectured on the Black American experience. He is also an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grantee for his work in Verdian scholarship and performance and a frequent presenter throughout the U.S. at such venues as conferences for the National Association for Ethnic Studies and National Association of Negro Musicians, and internationally at venues in Europe and Africa. He has also been seen as an opera lecturer at The Chautauqua Institution, Portland Opera, Long Beach Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, and Des Moines Metro Opera.

Dr. Acon’s most recent scholarship on Blacktivism and the power of performative education continues to be presented throughout the country. Drawing from literature, advocacy, story, and song to engage and energize audiences, Dr. Acon uses the power and immediacy of performance to educate and empower audiences.

An award-winning bass-baritone, well-known for his appearances with The Glimmerglass Festival, the LA Master Chorale and for his groundbreaking work as an activist on the subject matter of race and equity, Dr. Acon has reached the minds of audiences around the world and in his local community.

Andrew Manea

Baritone
University of Cincinnati
College Conservatory of Music

Lauded for his, "Charming...robust baritone…” Romanian-American baritone Andrew G. Manea has been continually rising to the top of the opera world at an impressively young age.

Andrew’s recent roles include Marcello, La Bohème; #7, Transformations; Forester, The Cunning Little Vixen; Escamillo, Carmen; Danilo, The Merry Widow, and the Father, Hansel and Gretel.

In a very successful 2016 season, Andrew was awarded 1st place and Audience Favorite in the Mary Jacobs Smith Singer of the Year Competition with Shreveport Opera, 2nd place and Audience Favorite in the Opera Columbus Cooper-Bing International Vocal Competition, Finalist in the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, and was a Career Grant recipient in the Giulio Gari Foundation Competition.

Continuing to rise to success, Andrew has begun the 2017 season by winning the Midwest Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and will be singing on the Metropolitan Opera stage in March for the Semi-Finals. Andrew has also been awarded a  position  as  new  member  of the San Francisco Opera’s Adler 

Fellowship program. This coming season at San  Francisco  Opera he  will be  performing Marullo in Rigoletto, covering Marcello in La Bohème, performing Marchese d’Obigny in La Traviata, performing in a world premiere of John Adams’ Girls of the Golden West, and will be performing a Schwabacher Debut Recital with esteemed pianist Warren Jones.

Andrew holds his Bachelors degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and his Masters degree from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, where he studied with the prolific Bill McGraw.

Pedro André Arroyo-Ojeda

Tenor
University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music

As a DMA student in Voice, I wish to continue working on my performance skills and aspire to be a performer, be it in opera, oratorio and song recitals.

Besides this, thanks to my cognate in Arts Administration, I wish to create a Young Artist Program in Puerto Rico in the near future, giving young Puertorican singers a chance to perform scenes and roles, preparing them for the future. I also wish to write a book on the History of Puerto Rican Art Song, and teach voice.