YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM
OCM’s Spring 2025 Young Artist Program presents…
Puccini’s GIANNI SCHICCHI
Hear the stars of tomorrow in the Opera Company of Middlebury’s Young Artists Program production of Puccini’s hilarious one-act Gianni Schicchi. Eastman Opera Theater’s Pat Diamond directs a cast of 10 up-and-coming professionals and five local talents in a uniquely staged production in Town Hall Theater’s new Doug & Debby Anderson Studio. Coached and conducted by Yale Opera faculty YAP Artistic Director Alejandro Roca, Young Artists also understudy principal roles in the mainstage production of La Bohème and appear in the ensemble.
The production is set mid-century in an upper middle class Italian-American immigrant family who is “living the dream” with cannoli, Dolce and Gabbana, Vespas, and negronis. Their world gets turned upside down when their patriarch Buoso Donati dies and his will is read. Gianni Schicchi, the provincial “country bumpkin” saves the day. . .or does he?
Tickets go on sale in mid-April!
ARTISTIC TEAM:
Sarah Cullins, Director of Education & Outreach, Director of Young Artist Program
Alejandro Roca, Young Artist Program Artistic Director
Pat Diamond, Young Artist Program Guest Stage Director
GIANNI SCHICCHI CAST:
Schicchi - Gregory Gropper
Lauretta - Hayley Fox
Zita - Melina Jaharis
Rinuccio - Héctor Camacho Salazar
Gherardo - Orlando Montalvo Avalo
Nella - Hayley Abramowitz
Betto - Wei Chen
Simone - Andrew Boisvert
Marco - Lifan Deng
Ciesca - Amanda Cabán
YAP Pianist - Hyemin Jeong
Local Cast:
Spinelloccio - Jon Isham
Notaro - Nathan Stefani
Gherardino - Soledad Pareja
Pinellino - John-Eric Robinson
Guccio - Isaiah Robinson
Pat Diamond
YAP Guest Stage Director
Stage Director Pat Diamond works on both plays and operas, ranging from established repertoire to new works. Productions include pieces by Shakespeare, Britten, Calderón, Mozart, Puccini, Janáček, Mayakovsky, Weill, and Verdi. He directed the American revivals of Moniuszko’s Halka and Wolf-Ferrari’s Le donne curiose. Pat has developed pieces with playwrights A. Rey Pamatmat, Eric Sanders, and Kathryn Walat. He is co-creator of a devised Music Theatre piece derived from the poetry of Nobel Laureate Tomas Tranströmer, with composer Ellen Lindquist. Pat produced and directed The Dido Project, a site-specific performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Sybarite 5, at the Samsung Experience in New York. Companies include Wolf Trap, Aspen Music Festival, West Edge Opera, 2G, Working Man’s Clothes, Trondheim Sinfonietta, and Västmanlandmusiken in Västerås, Sweden. He has led devising with music workshops in Sweden and Norway. Pat is also the Executive Producer of Unequal Temperament, a podcast of frank, open conversations with music artists of color hosted by frequent collaborator Timothy Long. Pat is Associate Professor of Opera, Stage Director of Production at Eastman School of Music.
Meet the Young Artists
Hayley Abramowitz
Gianni Schicchi: Nella
La Bohème: Musetta (cover)
Hayley Abramowitz (they/them/theirs) is based in Washington, DC. Recent roles include the Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte, Loudoun Lyric Opera), Frasquita (Carmen, Opera Western Reserve), and Carrie Pipperidge (Carousel, Pensacola Opera). They have also performed in scenes as Adina (L’elisir d’amore), Manon (Manon), Lucia (Lucia di Lammermoor), Giulietta (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), and Norina (Don Pasquale). Hayley holds degrees from Indiana University (MM '20, PD '21) and the University of Maryland (BM '18). hayleyabramowitz.com
Andrew Boisvert
Gianni Schicchi: Simone
La Bohème: Colline (cover)
Andrew Boisvert, Bass, has been hailed as “thundering” (San Diego Story) with a “deep warmth” (The Rutland Herald). Performance highlights in 2025 include singing as the Bass Soloist in the Verdi Requiem with the Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra as well as joining Sarasota Opera to cover Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia and covering Bartolo again in Le nozze di Figaro. Upcoming performances include making his Finger Lakes Opera debut as Sparafucile in Rigoletto. andrewboisvertbass.com
Amanda Cabán
Gianni Schicchi: Ciesca
La Bohème: Ensemble
Mezzo soprano Amanda Cabán is an accomplished performer based in Chicago, IL, known for her rich color and expressive voice. Some of her notable roles are Candela (El Amor Brujo), Ma Moss (The Tenderland), Old Lady (Candide), Meg (Falstaff), Carmen (Carmen), Dorabella (Così fan Tutte), and Cherubino (Marriage of Figaro). Cabán has also appeared as the soloist for works such as: the Ellingboe Requiem, Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, and the Mozart Requiem. Cabán maintains a private studio out of Chicago, IL, and serves on the board for the Chicago chapter of NATS. amandacaban.com
Héctor Camacho-Salazar
Gianni Schicchi: Rinuccio
La Bohème: Rodolfo (cover)
Héctor Camacho-Salazar, tenor, is a graduate student from Bogotá, Colombia pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Literature at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Recently, Héctor performed the roles of Ali Hakim (Oklahoma!), The Time Traveler (Black Square), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), and Burrs (The Wild Party). At the University of Illinois, he has performed in many productions in both opera and musical theatre, earning him several merit-based awards.
Wei Chen
Gianni Schicchi: Betto
La Bohème: Alcindoro-Benoit (cover)
Wei Chen Baritone. Mannes School of Music PDPL Full Scholarship. Manhattan School of Music MM. Xinghai Conservatory BM. Credits: Don Giovanni as Don Giovanni, Lysistrata as Kinesias (Mannes). Le Nozze di Figaro as Count Almaviva (Italy&Miami). Carmen as Escamillo (Miami). A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Peter Quince (Miami). Die Zauberflöte as Sprecher (China). A Quiet Place as Sam (MSM). Awards: 1st Prize China Vocal International Competition in Singapore. Premiere Opera Competition semi-finalist, China Golden Bell Award (National Level).
Lifan Deng
Gianni Schicchi: Marco
La Bohème: Schaunard (cover)
Chinese baritone Lifan Deng holds a Master of Music in Voice and Opera from Northwestern University and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Music from Case Western Reserve University. His 2024-2025 season includes Masetto in Don Giovanni and Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Madison Opera, and Papagano in The Magic Flute with Opera For The Young. Mr. Deng is excited to join Opera Company of Middlebury this summer. lifandeng.com
Hayley Fox
Gianni Schicchi: Lauretta
La Bohème: Mimí (cover)
Hayley Fox is a soprano marking waves in new and classic repertoire alike. Sung roles include Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi, Opera Company of Middlebury YAP, 2025), Elle (La Voix Humaine, CCPA, 2025), Colette (Le devin du village, CCPA, 2024), Micaëla (Carmen, CCPA, 2024), Mrs. Hayes (Susannah, Floyd, Wolf Trap, 2022) and Sagredo/Marie/Eos (Galieo/Galilei, Glass, CCM, 2022). Recent covers include Mimí (La Bohème, Opera Company of Middlebury, 2025), Cendrillon (Cendrillon in English translation, Cedar Rapids Opera, 2025). hayleyfoxmaloney.com
Gregory Gropper
Gianni Schicchi: Gianni Schicchi
La Bohème: Marcello (cover)
Gregory Gropper is an American baritone, based in NYC. A graduate of University of Michigan BM, and Manhattan School of Music MM, Gregory played the title role in Der Kaiser von Atlantis at MSM in ’24 as well as the title role in Gianni Schicchi at Berlin Opera Academy summer ’24. When he’s not singing or learning music, you can find him on the basketball court.
Melina Jaharis
Gianni Schicchi: Zita
La Bohème: Ensemble
Heralded by Opera News for their “lush” voice, Melina Jaharis is a Greek-American with a “rich, dark, resonant” mezzo soprano. This season includes world premieres, Beyond the Horizon and Tin Angel with Teatro Grattacielo, as well as Marcellina. Additionally, Melina will be joining Heartbeat Opera as the Page & Slave and Herodias cover. Previous companies and roles include Carmen, Madre di Butterfly (Sarasota Opera), Maddalena / Countess Ceprano (Wolf Trap), Donna Elvira, Santuzza, Amneris, Ortrud and Azucena. melinajaharis.com
Hyemin Jeong
YAP Pianist
Ms. Hyemin Jeong, a collaborative pianist, holds an MM in Collaborative Piano from the Manhattan School of Music. She has served as a pianist for City Lyric Opera, Opera Louisiana, and New Camerata Opera. Ms. Jeong has participated in prestigious programs such as the Merola Opera Program, Palm Beach Opera, and the Miami Music Festival as a Young Artist Pianist/Coach. She currently works as a staff pianist and coach at the Manhattan School of Music.
Orlando Montalvo Avalo
Gianni Schicchi: Gherardo
La Bohème: 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.
ABOUT
Our Young Artist Program (YAP) empowers emerging professionals with the refined skills, hands-on experience, and strategic guidance that lead to a successful opera career and a thriving future.
Participants are immersed in a comprehensive training regimen featuring individualized coaching, career advisory sessions, and enlightening master classes with eminent industry professionals, including voice instructors, conductors, directors, managers, and mainstage performers.
This enriching experience culminates in their contributions to the Ensemble and Comprimario roles in mainstage productions and their own curated concert, showcasing their individual talent, progress, and potential.
The YAP represents an investment in both the future of opera and the artists who will shape it, epitomizing the harmonious blend of artistic passion and professional acumen.
BACKGROUND
The Young Artist Program (YAP) emerged following a resonant letter from Patricia Pisanelli, who, in honor of her opera-loving mother Dorothea Ferger Pisanelli, generously contributed a substantial gift in 2015. Patricia's heartfelt narrative of her mother's passion for opera, encompassing her own singing, knowledge, and cherished recordings, breathed life into the YAP's inception. This legacy-driven gift stands as a guiding light, nurturing the education of emerging artists and bolstering the Opera Company of Middlebury's enduring success.
In addition to collaborating with singers, the YAP also offers avenues for emerging pianists and administrative professionals. All participants benefit from housing accommodations and a travel stipend, ensuring a practical and immersive experience.
At the helm of the Young Artist Program is Sarah Cullins, whose seasoned leadership, performance, and teaching experience bring a pragmatic and insightful direction to the initiative.
Explore the 2024/25 Season
We can’t wait to share our 2024/25 season with you!