Chaz’men Williams-Ali
Rodolfo
Chaz’men Williams-Ali’s 2024-25 Season includes First Prisoner/Florestan (c) Fidelio at Washington National Opera, soloist in a special project titled “My Brother’s Keeper” with New York Festival of Song, his Puccini recital with Chicago Opera Theatre, his debut in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Wisconsin Youth Symphony, and his debut as Raymond Santana Central Park Five at Detroit Opera. Recent highlights include Cavaradossi Tosca at Cedar Rapids Opera, Nate Highway 1 USA at Los Angeles Opera, Rodolfo La Bohème at Florentine Opera and at Kentucky Opera, his Metropolitan Opera debut as Zorn Die Meistersinger and Spinner (c) Fire Shut Up in My Bones, a role he inaugurated in the original production at Opera Theater of St Louis in 2019. He sang Narraboth Salome at Madison Opera, and Der Prinz Rusalka at Theater & Orchester Heidelberg in Germany where he also appeared as Pinkerton Madama Butterfly, Florestan, Canio Pagliacci, and Tebaldo I Capuleti e i Montecchi. chazmenwilliamsali.com
Emily Michiko Jensen
Mimí
Japanese-American soprano Emily Michiko Jensen has been praised for her “theatrical instincts and intriguingly versatile instrument.” Last season, she joined Hawai’i Opera Theatre as Mimi (La bohème) and Borderlands Arts Foundation as Musetta. Emily was a 2023-24 Emerging Artist at Boston Lyric Opera, where she covered Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly. She is a 2023 career grant recipient of the Olga Forrai Foundation. In 2022, she returned to Chautauqua Opera to cover the title role of Tosca. She also sang Angel More and covered Susan B. Anthony (The Mother of Us All). While a Resident Artist at Pensacola Opera, she sang First Lady and covered Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), and performed Wagner’s Die Wesendonck lieder at the Opera Center.
Emily is thrilled to return to OCM as an alumna of their Young Artist Program. She was last seen in their virtual opera “Completing the Picture” during the pandemic. EmilyMichikoJensen.com
Spencer Reichman
Marcello
Spencer Reichman is a talented baritone from Austin, Texas. In 2024, he joined the Florentine Opera as Biscroma Strappaviscere in Viva la Mamma, returned to New Orleans Opera as Sciarrone in Tosca, sang the title role in Zozobra: The Revenge at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, and was heard as Le Baron de Pictordu in Cendrillon at Knoxville Opera. In 2023, he covered Ophémon in The Anonymous Lover and Orpheus in Aucoin’s Eurydice at Boston Lyric Opera, sang the Huntsman in Rusalka and Sacristan in Tosca, with the Santa Fe Opera, Germont in La traviata with Shreveport Opera, made a debut as Mr. Ford in Falstaff with Salt Marsh Opera and sang Paris in Roméo et Juliette with Opera San Antonio. Role highlights include Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Central City and Shreveport Operas, Sprecher in Magic Flute with Pensacola Opera, Schaunard in La bohème with New Orleans Opera Association, and the title role in Gianni Schicchi with Loyola Opera Theatre. Spencer has also sung with Opera Saratoga, Nashville Opera, Central City Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and the Crested Butte Music Festival. spencerreichman.com
Chelsea Basler
Musetta
Grammy Award-nominated soprano Chelsea Basler continues to make her mark in an array of operatic roles and is praised for her “luminous voice” with its “easy soaring range” and “wonderful acting.” This season she will sing the role of Musetta in La bohème with Charleston Opera Theater and Opera Company of Middlebury, sing the soprano solo in Elijah with the AVM Singers and sing High Priestess in Aida and cover Julie Jordan in Carousel with Boston Lyric Opera. She most recently was a featured soloist in a concert with The Providence Singers, covered the title role in Aucoin’s Eurydice with Boston Lyric Opera, and made her role debut as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Newport Classical. Ms. Basler enjoys a strong relationship with Boston Lyric Opera, which she initially joined as an emerging artist during the 2013–2014 season. Recent roles include High Priestess in Aida, Musetta in La bohème, Lola in Cavalleria rusticana, and Moira in the East Coast premiere production of Poul Ruder’s The Handmaid’s Tale. chelseabasler.com
Max van Wyck
Schaunard
A native Vancouverite, Baritone Max van Wyck’s love for performing and his passion for music has led him across Canada, through Toronto to the L’Opéra de Montréal, where he was thrilled to continue maturing as an artist before moving to Europe. After singing non-stop for 18 months in numerous productions in Germany, he relocated back to the United States to be with his wife and puppy. Max is excited to be singing back in North America, with contracts across the United States for the 2024/25 season. He started off singing in Le Nozze de Figaro, with Buffalo Unlimited Opera, making his New York City debut in Carmen with Lighthouse Opera, before moving into the production of Gianni Schicchi with Opera West in New Mexico, and in Romeo et Juliette, with Bel Cantanti in Washington DC. He is excited to be finishing off his season here in beautiful Vermont and staging this amazingly popular opera in such a gorgeous setting! maxvanwyck.com
Younggwang Park
Colline
Younggwang Park is a talented young bass from South Korea, whose impressive vocal abilities have earned him numerous accolades. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University and a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School. In 2024, he sang Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte and Benoit/Colline in La bohème with Opera San Jose. Additional roles include Gianni Schicchi, Diarte in Erismena, and Pastore in Orfeo at the Santa Fe Opera and Mercurio in Atalanta and Joe in Later the Same Evening at The Juilliard School. Park’s competition successes include winning the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Georgia District) in 2022, 3rd in the Southeast Region of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition in 2023, an Encouragement Award at the Giulio Gari Vocal Competition and 2nd at the Opera at Florham International Vocal Competition. Most recently, he won the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (New York District) and the Opera Index Vocal Competition. insigniaartists.com/artist/younggwang-park
James Demler
Alcindoro & Benoit
Bass-baritone James Demler is known for his “versatile and tender” portrayals with “dark, imposing tones” in repertory spanning the operatic, oratorio, concert, and popular music genres (The New Criterion, Boston Musical Intelligencer). In the 2023-2024 season, Mr. Demler joined Boston Lyric Opera to sing Alidoro in La Cenerentola, showing “vocal gravitas…he gained audiences precisely through a charming clumsiness similar to Merlin in The Sword in the Stone” (Operawire). He made his Opera Orlando debut as Vodnik in Rusalka and joined the Rhode Island Civic Chorale & Orchestra in the title role in Elijah. In the current season, he returns to the Metropolitan Opera covering Benoit and Alcindoro in La bohème and appears in the foley chamber opera Silent Light with National Sawdust. He will debut the role of Morris in the West Coast premiere of Adoration with Los Angeles Opera, sing Monterone in Rigoletto with Pacific Opera Victoria, and sing Benoit and Alcindoro with Opera Company of Middlebury. Next season, he will sing Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro with Amarillo Opera. jamesdemler.com
Orlando Montalvo Avalo
Parpignol
Tenor Orlando Montalvo Avalo is elated to return to OCM! His diverse performance background spans opera, musical theater, and oratorio. Recent highlights include performing the role of Spoletta in Tosca with New Orleans Opera and a Messiah performance with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Last season at OCM, he portrayed Dormont in La Scala di Seta and a Peasant in La Fille du Regiment. He holds vocal performance degrees from LSU and Rhode Island College.
Orchestra list coming soon!