Meet the Cast of Rigoletto!

Constantinos Yiannoudes as Rigoletto

Praised for “a fascinating combination of charm and menace”, “a creamy, noble sound”, and “an exceptional voice”, baritone Constantinos Yiannoudes maintains an active performance schedule in both opera and concert.

Past seasons have found him at San Francisco Opera covering Germont in La traviata; Sarasota Opera for the Count in Le nozze di Figaro; Eugene Opera for Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Germont in La traviata; Boheme Opera of New Jersey in the title roles of Rigoletto, Don Giovanni and Il barbiere; San Antonio Lyric Opera for Escamillo in Carmen; Fargo Moorhead Opera for Scarpia in Tosca, and New York’s Central Park with New York Grand Opera for a dual bill of Bohèmes, as Marcello in Puccini’s score and Rodolfo in Leoncavallo’s version of the story.

Mr. Yiannoudes has also appeared with Opera San José, Nevada Opera, Annapolis Opera, Taconic Opera, Teatro Grattacielo, Little Orchestra Society and Opera Orchestra of New York. He has appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and the Bruno Walter Auditorium.

His current operatic repertoire also includes Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Belcore in L’Elisir d’Amore, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Ford in Falstaff, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera and Rodrigo in Don Carlo.

Equally at home in contemporary works, Mr. Yiannoudes has been heard in Kurt Weill’s Mahagonny-Songspiel, Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts, and Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. World premiere performances have included the role of Drosselmeir in Craig Bohmler’s The Tale of the Nutcracker and the baritone in Roger Trefousse’s Found Objects. Mr. Yiannoudes also sang the role of Marius in the New York premiere of composer Robert Starer’s Apollonia.

On the concert stage the baritone has performed Rossini’s Ermione, Fauré’s Requiem, John Rutter’s Mass of the Children, and the world premiere of Stephen Walters’ Requiem at Carnegie Hall. He was the soloist in Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with the Eugene Concert Choir, as well as in Handel’s Utrecht Jubilate, Dvořák’s Mass in D, and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs.

Recent operatic engagements have brought Mr. Yiannoudes to Syracuse Opera, where he made his company debut in the title role of Rigoletto. He returned to New York’s Central Park, this time as Germont in La traviata with the New York Grand Opera, and to Taconic Opera as Conte di Luna in Il trovatore.

Sarah Jane McMahon as Gilda

Sarah Jane McMahon is swiftly gaining recognition for her beautiful "vocal sophistication" and sparkling stage presence. In 2008, she opened the New York City Opera's spring season in Purcell's King Arthur and was lauded for her "silvery-voiced soprano" and "real star presence." In 2007, she performed Mabel in a new production of The Pirates of Penzance with N.Y.C.O. for which the The New York Times described her as a "deft comic actress" while also praising her vocal polish and flexibility. Sarah Jane made her debut with the New York City Opera in April 2006 as Galatea in Handel's Acis and Galatea. For this production, The New York Times described her as "bright, active, and fastidiously musical," and the New York City Opera bestowed upon her the coveted Kolozsvar Award.
Shortly after earning a Master's degree in Music from Yale University, Sarah Jane was selected by Maestro Placido Domingo to join the Los Angeles Opera, where she sang with the celebrated tenor as the Fifth Flower Maiden in Parsifal. Other roles with L.A. Opera include Naiad in Ariadne auf Naxos and The Milliner in Der Rosenkavalier. Sarah Jane also performed Donna Clara, the Infanta, in Zemlinsky's Der Zwerg at Bard SummerScape Festival for which Opera News wrote: "Sarah Jane McMahon laughed and danced as the glamorous Infanta, making a golden sound with an alluring light vibrato that evoked the young Pilar Lorengar."
Sarah Jane has performed frequently with New Orleans Opera as Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Musetta in La Bohème, Monica in The Medium, and Maria in West Side Story. She has also sung with Opera Grand Rapids as Maria in West Side Story and Micaela in Carmen, the Washington Concert Opera as Dorinda in Handel's Orlando, with Opera Theater of Connecticut as Cleopatra in Handel's Giulio Cesare, and with Des Moines Metro Opera as Abigail Williams in The Crucible.
Recent concert appearances have included Carmina Burana at Avery Fisher Hall, The Rutter Requiem at Carnegie Hall, a New Year's Eve Gala with the New Orleans Opera, and Yum-Yum in The Mikado and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance with the Colorado Symphony. Broadway audiences have enjoyed her participation in Scott Seigel's Broadway by the Year 1959, Broadway Unplugged, and A Night at the Operetta at Town Hall, NYC. For this latter appearance Opera News praised her beauty pageant looks and "superb, stylish rendition" of "One Kiss."
A summa cum laude graduate of Loyola University New Orleans and Yale University, Sarah Jane is the Recipient of the Blake Stern Scholarship for Academic and Vocal Excellence at Yale University and a Theodore Presser Scholar. Sarah Jane has recorded the title role in the premiere recording of Emmerich Kalman's Sari, which is available on Albany Records. Opera News described her singing as having "a bright, pleasing sheen that recalls the young Barbara Hendricks." She also has recorded an album of sacred music dedicated to New Orleans and the survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
Upcoming engagements include appearances with the Central City Opera as Lucia in Britten's Rape of Lucretia and Maria in West Side Story, a return to New Orleans Opera as Micaela, Knoxville Summer of 1915 with the Ridgefield Symphony, and a Gala Concert with Placido Domingo.

Michael Wade Lee as The Duke

The San Francisco Classical Voice hails tenor Michael Wade Lee as a singer "most impressive...with a well-articulated voice of clarity and remarkable color". A seasoned performer on the operatic stage, he has sung with some of the most respected companies in the world, including the Greek National Opera, New York City Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and the San Francisco Opera Center. Most recently, Mr. Lee performed B F Pinkerton MADAMA BUTTERFLY with Midland Symphony as well as Charles Clayton in the premier reading of Stephen Schwartz's new opera, SÉANCE ON A WET AFTERNOON. Last year, he made his international debut in an engagement with the Greek National Opera, performing the role of Don José CARMEN opposite Denyce Graves. In quick succession, Mr. Lee reprised the role of Don José CARMEN with both Chautauqua Opera and for Opera in the Heights. Finally in 2008, Mr Lee sang Nemorino L'ELISIR D'AMORE with St Petersburg, conducted by Mark Sforzini. Mr. Lee looks forward to performing the roles of Don José CARMEN with San Antonio Opera directed by Paul Sorvino, the Duke RIGOLETTO with Mississippi Opera, and Tamino DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE with El Paso Opera.

This season he adds the roles of Cavaradossi TOSCA, Nemorino L'ELISIR D'AMORE and Froh DAS RHEINGOLD to his performed repertoire, adding to a wide variety of roles which include Der Hauptmann WOZZECK which was performed with Indiana Opera Theatre, Nanki-Poo THE MIKADO with Nashville Opera, and Raymond Pocket MISS HAVISHAM'S FIRE with Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Mr. Lee has performed the Duke RIGOLETTO at Connecticut Lyric Opera and Opera In The Heights and Turiddu CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA at Chelsea Opera, and in 2004 he performed the Male Chorus RAPE OF LUCRETIA to great acclaim with San Francisco Opera's Merola Opera Program. Of his performance the San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "The best singing came from...tenor Michael Wade Lee, who combined heroism and honeyed tenderness in equal measure".

Gaining a reputation for his vivid characterizations, Mr. Lee created the role of The Actor in the world premiere of Kitty Brazelton's opera FIREWORKS! at American Opera Projects and he has additionally been a member of Pacific Opera's roster since 2002. In 2006, Mr. Lee sang the 1^st Guest in Dargomyzhsky's THE STONE GUEST with the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leon Botstein at Avery Fisher Hall.

In January 2008, Mr Lee performed the tenor solo in the North American Premier of Scherbachyov's Symphony Blokovskaya with Leon Botstien and the American Symphony Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall. the New York Times said, "[Mr Lee] sang with attractive tone and stamina in the final movement, a lurid Dantean fantasy..."He also sang the tenor solo in the Mozart Requiem and Jenkins The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace at Carnegie Hall and has appeared in concert with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, and on the stages of Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall and Merkin Hall in New York City. He was a finalist in the Texoma region's NATS competition and won the Metropolitan Opera National Council encouragement award in Indiana in 2000. Additional awards include a prestigious Merola Career Grant and the Pacific Opera Career Grant.

Hilary Ginther as Maddalena

Ms. Ginther is a recent graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, and a native of Bristol, Va. With the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company she performed in many shows including the The Magic Flute (2^nd Lady), Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah (Mrs. McLean), Bernstein’s West Side Story (Maria), and the title role in Bizet’s Carmen. Her previous roles with the Mississppi Opera include Verdi’s La Traviata (Annina), Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde (Mrs. Jaffett), covered the title role in Carmen and recently performed The Marriage of Figaro (Cherubino). Ginther was selected to sing in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (3^rd Lady) with the Opera Festival di Roma this summer in Rome, Italy. Ginther has attended summer young artist programs such as the Daniel Ferro Vocal Program in 2005 and was a Lake George Opera Studio Artist in 2007 where she performed in Offenbach’s La Vie Parisienne (Leonié). She was also the soloist cover for Schubert’s Mass in G at the Hurricane Katrina Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall in 2005. In 2006, Ginther was a finalist in the Charles A. Lynam Vocal Competition, and was a semi-finalist in 2007. She was also a semi-finalist in the 2007 Opera Birmingham Vocal Competition, and has won both the state and regional NATS competition in 2006-2007. She has coached with Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music faculty member Robert Kopelson, Juilliard School voice teacher, Daniel Ferro, the director of LA Opera Works, Ann Baltz, Ronaldo Russo of Lucca, Italy, Italian coach and conductor, Bruno Ragacci, and world-renowned conductor and coach, Fiora Contino. Ginther’s previous voice teachers include Mark Owen Davis; she currently studies with Dr. Maryann Kyle.