LA TRAVIATA Cast
Violetta Valéry - Avery Boettcher
Alfredo Germont - Jared Esguerra
Giorgio Germont - Andrew Manea
Baron Douphol - Nicholas Tocci
Doctor Grenvil - Matthew Soibelman, YAP
Annina - Alexandra Wiebe, YAP
Flora Bervoix - Luisana Rivas, YAP
Gastone de Letorières - Dylan Schang, YAP
Marquis d'Obigny - Will Kim, YAP
Giuseppe - Cameron Steinmetz
Flora's servant - Nessa Rabin
Messenger - Neil Wacek
Avery Boettcher Violetta
Avery Boettcher makes several exciting role and company debuts in her 2025/26 season: as Violetta Valéry in Verdi’s La Traviata in her role and company debut with Livermore Valley Opera, followed by her international debut of the same role with the Festival Internacional Santa Lucía in Monterrey, Mexico. She will take on another role debut in her return to Gulfshore Opera, performing Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen, followed by joining Jacksonville Symphony in the spring to cover the title role in Puccini’s Tosca. Ms. Boettcher is a three-time district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition, a first-place winner of the MIOpera Vocal Competition, and a winner of both the Opera Birmingham Competition and the Premiere Opera Found International Vocal Competition. She attended Viterbo University for her Bachelors and Indiana University for her Masters where she studied with world renowned soprano Carol Vaness. averyboettcher.com
Jared Esguerra Alfredo
This season, Filipino-American tenor Jared V. Esguerra reprises his role as Yakuside in Matthew Ozawa’s production of Madama Butterfly at Lyric Opera of Chicago and debuts with the Bellingham Chamber Chorale as the tenor soloist in Mozart’svVesperae solennes de confessore and Great Mass in C Minor. The previous season included his solo debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago singing the role of Vince in Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s The Listeners and a return to the Madison Symphony Orchestra as the tenor soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. In recent seasons, he joined Lyric Opera of Chicago in the world premiere of Will Liverman and DJ King Rico’s The Factotum as Bootleg Joe (cover) and made his Cincinnati Opera debut singing the role of Yakuside and covering the role of Goro in Matthew Ozawa’s production of Madama Butterfly. jaredvesguerra.com
Andrew Manea Germont
Lauded for his "charming...robust baritone...” rising Romanian American baritone Andrew Manea recently embarked upon a foray into larger repertoire with four house débuts: Nashville Opera as Tonio in Pagliacci; North Carolina Opera as Germont in La Traviata; Sarasota Opera as Escamillo in Carmen; and The Grange Festival in Hampshire, U.K. as Scarpia in Tosca. Last season, he returned to the Lyric Opera of Chicago to sing Monterone and cover the title role in Rigoletto, North Carolina Opera to sing Don Carlo in Ernani, and The Metropolitan Opera to cover Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Gardiner in Moby Dick. He also participated in The Metropolitan Opera’s workshop of Mason Bates’ The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. Opera. andrewmanea.com
Nicholas Tocci Baron
Baritone Nicholas Tocci is currently based in Pittsford, VT. He teaches at Clark University in Worcester, MA, and is the former associate director of Opera Vermont. Nicholas’ most recent roles include Timur in Puccini’s Turandot, Don Magnifico in Rossini’s Cenerentola, Schaunard in Puccini’s La Bohème, Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata, and Don Pasquale in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Recent stage directing credits include Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon with Longy School of Music, and Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World with Clark University. nicholastocci.com
Matthew Soibelman Doctor Grenvil
Matthew Soibelman, Bass, age 29, has been praised for his “steadily resonant, rich and pleasing voice.” During his time as a Young Artist, he has performed with Pittsburgh Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Opera Memphis, and Palm Beach Opera, among others. He most recently performed the roles of The Abbot in Britten’s Curlew River; and Potter’s Assistant, Party Guest, Technician, and French Priest in Spears’ Fellow Travelers.
Alexandra Wiebe Aninna
Soprano Alexandra Wiebe’s most recent roles include the title role in Susannah, Hanna Glawari (The Merry Widow), Witch (Hansel and Gretel), Großmutter (Baruch’s Schweigen), Gutrune (Götterdämmerung), Wife 1 (The Knock), Matilde (Matilde), and Nedda (Pagliacci). She has performed with Cedar Rapids Opera, Central City Opera, Opera Southwest, and Sarasota Opera, among others. Alexandra holds awards from the John Alexander National Vocal Competition, The American Prize, Musicians Club of Women, Music Grand Prix International, the National Opera Association, and Classical Singer International. As a recitalist Alexandra has been featured with The Cleveland Opera, Boston Singers’ Resource, Sewanee Summer Music Festival, the Musicians Club of Women, and Opera Mississippi.
Luisana Rivas Flora
Mezzo-soprano Luisana Rivas is praised for her heart-rending expression on stage and in recital. She recently appeared as Giovanna in Rigoletto and Consuelo in West Side Story with Indianapolis Opera. Career highlights include four seasons with Houston Grand Opera’s Opera to Go! and featured appearances in Golijov’s La Pasión según San Marcos with Gateway Chamber Orchestra. Additional credits include OPERA San Antonio, Opera Steamboat, and Austin Opera. Some of her roles include Cherubino, Suzuki, Hänsel, and Dido.
Dylan Schang Gastone
Dylan Schang is a tenor from Appleton, WI, and is a graduate of Luther College and Louisiana State University. He has recently sung with such companies as Central City Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opéra Louisiane and Sarasota Opera. His career highlights include Candide, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Rodolfo in La bohème, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin, Liszt’s Wilhelm Tell lieder, and Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte.
Will Kim Marquis
Korean-American Baritone Will (June Young) Kim (1996) received his BM from IU Bloomington (composition, voice minor). He holds a Masters (Composition) from Munich, and a CAS (Composition) and Masters (Voice) from Stuttgart. He has worked with conductors such as Jos van Veldhoven, Hans-Christoph Rademann and Harry Christophers. He is a Tanglewood fellow, Carnegie Hall SongStudio fellow and a Caramoor Schwab Vocal Rising Star. From 2026-2028, he will be an Artist Diploma student at Juilliard.
Cameron Steinmetz Giuseppe
Cameron Steinmetz has composed for children’s theater, toured internationally as a chorister and sung 15 seasons with the OCM, where he was seen most recently as Mercure in Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers and as Prisoner in Fidelio. He recently made his Lyric Theater debut with the VSO as Will Parker in Oklahoma! Currently residing in Essex with wife Allison and their wonderfully precocious 5-year-old son, Cameron is sole proprietor and piano technician at Steinmetz Pianos.
Nessa Rabin Flora’s Servant
Nessa Rabin (mezzo-soprano) has performed in numerous theaters over the last 50 years. Favorite appearances include singing Bach, Rachmaninoff and Gluck in Bread & Puppet shows in New York and Chicago, performing in the first run of Hadestown in Vermont and Boston, and originating the role of Maritza in Doug Anderson’s musical Welcome to Paradise at The Town Hall Theater. This spring, Nessa was the alto soloist in Handel’s Dixit Dominus, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore. Later this summer, Nessa will be singing Lady Jane in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience at the Unadilla Theater. nessarabin.com
Neil Wacek Messenger
Neil Wacek appeared in the ensemble of eleven OCM productions from 2008 to 2025: La Bohème (‘08 & ’25), Thais, L’Italiana in Algeri, Turandot, Macbeth, Cendrillon, Candide, Orphée aux enfers, Fidelio and La fille du régiment. Neil is a frequent vocal soloist with many professional and community ensembles around Vermont and a member of Counterpoint. An accomplished trumpet player, Neil performs regularly with numerous instrumental ensembles. He is Director of the University of Vermont Pep Band and resides in Shelburne.
LA TRAVIATA Chorus
Chorus Master: Nathaniel Lew
Soprano
Hayley Abramowitz, YAP
Inga Maevskaya
Zoë Mickle
Shikta Mukherjee, YAP
Wanda Sullivan
Bre Valdez
Mezzo-Soprano
Estefani Lopez, YAP
Francesca Napolitano
Nessa Rabin
Tenor
Brian Clancy
Matt DeDiana
Ajit Persaud, YAP
Cameron Steinmetz
Basses
Yuri Alekhin
Bryan Bennet, YAP
Neil Wacek
Orchestra to be announced soon!