Oziel Garza-Ornelas’ (baritone) career already includes appearances with many opera companies in Europe and North America, including The Washington Opera (Belcore in L’Elisir d’Amore and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte), Frankfurt Opera (Belcore), Grand Théâtre de L’Opera de Limoges (Marcello in La Bohème), San Diego Opera (Schaunard in La Boheme), Orlando Opera (Schaunard), Sarasota Opera (Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Lescaut in Massenet’s Manon), Opera Theater of Connecticut (Escamillo in Carmen), Piedmont Opera (Lescaut and Marcello), Grand Théâtre de Genève, L’Opera de Nancy and the Neues Festspielhaus, St Pölten (Emuke in Tania Leon’s Scourge of Hyacinths produced by Robert Wilson), and Di Capo Opera Theater in New York (Silvio in I Pagliacci).
Recent engagements include debuts with the Santa Fe Opera as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Opéra Royal de Wallonie, in Liège, Belgium as Germont in La Traviata, New Israeli Opera as Dandini in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Teatro Bellas Artes in Mexico City as Taddeo, Opera Carolina as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Kentucky Opera as the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro, Shreveport Opera as Germont, and Rigoletto for Nevada Opera.
For American mezzo-soprano Fenlon Lamb’s debut Sacramento Opera as Rosina IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, the Sacramento Bee raved, “…every inch the saucy rebel [who] navigated the highly ornamented passages with creamy ease.” Described as “deliciously vulnerable” her Dorabella COSÌ FAN TUTTE was hailed by the Santa Barbara News-Press as “a charismatic characterization supported by a dynamic, rich vocal sound.” The
Recently Ms. Lamb sang the roles of Stephano ROMÉO ET JULIETTE at Cleveland Opera, Maddalena RIGOLETTO for Opera Vivente and Flora LA TRAVIATA with Opera Grand Rapids. Highlights from recent seasons include Rosina IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA with Sacramento Opera, Dorabella COSÌ FAN TUTTE for both the Caramoor International Music Festival and Opera Santa Barbara, Charlotte WERTHER for Opera Vivente, the title role of IOLANTHE for Cleveland Opera where she also sang the world premiere of COME TO ME IN DREAMS with baritone Sanford Sylvan.
American tenor Daniel Holmes has been praised as a "confident and passionate Roméo" in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette with Opera North, and enthusiastically lauded as Alfredo in La Traviata, "his voice was smooth and controlled, and he sang with unpretentious confidence."
Other opera roles include Rodolfo in La Bohème at
This year, Mr. Holmes returned to Sarasota Opera to sing Rodolfo and as cover for Carlo in Verdi's I Masnadieri.
Hilary Ginther, a Bristol, VA native, is a senior voice performance major at USM. She has performed roles with SOMTC in Susannah, The Magic Flute, and A Grand Night for Singing. She performed as Maria in the USM production of West Side Story in Geb. 2006. Ginther studies with Dr. Maryann Kyle, who also directs the SOMTC.
Greetings from the Mississippi Opera (MOA) office! I would like to thank you for being a part of our ever-growing mailing list and take a moment to update you on some of the incredible happenings so far this season.
The opening opera, Benjamin Britten’s Noye’s Fludde, was an enormous success artistically, financially and educationally. Alan Mann, Artistic Director, and I offer our utmost thanks to everyone involved on every level. Please view pictures from the opera online at www.blaylockphoto.com. It truly was a fantastic experience with a wonderfully receptive audience.
The company is not only artistically excellent but financially sound as well. In the last year alone, the accounts payable balance was reduced by almost $70,000. Other achievements this season include: the implementation of a new Long-Range Plan, a Document Retention and Destruction Policy and a Conflict of Interest Policy. Coupled with the introduction of a new Whistle Blower Policy and a new handbook outlining Personnel Policies, MOA continually increases the company’s administrative transparency.
On the technological frontier, MOA has made a number of advancements. With the generosity of Kite Networks of Ridgeland, we are now a wireless internet zone! Updating from dial-up has vastly improved day to day operations. Also, thanks to an anonymous donor, computer software and hardware upgrades have contributed to our ability to operate more efficiently in the twenty-first century. In fact, please subscribe to the MOA blog to recieve an email notification when new posts are made. Easily accessed through our informative website, the MOA blog will allow you to read updates pertaining to the company from both an administrative and artistic perspective. When you're done here, please continue your tour of MOA's website which features company history, ticket form downloads, raffle information, the option to donate online and more!
As you can tell, we are extremely busy here in the office. As the MS Museum of Art prepares to move, the reallocation of office space and the addition of other arts organizations to the arts center as well as a splendid green space are all actively being discussed among the arts groups, the Downtown Partners and the City of Jackson Department of Human and Cultural Services. It is proving to be an extremely exciting season.
So, if you’re downtown, stop by to see us – meaning Nell, me and our exquisite Eric McDonald portrait of Metropolitan Opera tenor, John Alexander. Thank you for supporting MOA!
See you at the shows,
Elizabeth Stevens
Administrative Director
