Taylor-Alexis DuPont
Mezzo-soprano
Hailed by the Washington Post as a singer with a “beautifully rich and spirited” voice, Taylor-Alexis DuPont has performed internationally from China, to Italy, and in 2019, in NYC as a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s Grammy award winning production of Porgy and Bess. Soon after, Ms. DuPont joined Santa Fe Opera to perform the role of Moth in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and later debuted as a featured soloist with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. In spring of 2023, Taylor-Alexis was awarded first place at the 25th Lotte Lenya Competition. She then debuted with Washington National Opera as Phoebe in The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson. Taylor-Alexis has performed substantial roles with Virginia Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Heartbeat Opera, Opera Philadelphia and more. Ms. DuPont earned a Master’s Degree in Voice from Peabody Conservatory while studying with Denyce Graves. Taylor-Alexis is excited to make her Florida Grand Opera debut as Flora in La traviata and Musetta in La bohème.

Sara Kennedy
Soprano
Hailing from Austin, Texas, soprano Sara Kennedy, a specialist in both opera and musical theatre, is celebrated for her lush, colorful sound, her commanding stage presence, and her powerful interpretations of Mozart heroines. Ms. Kennedy joins Florida Grand Opera for the 2023-2024 season where she will perform Annina in La traviata, Musetta in La bohème, and cover the role of Nedda in I pagliacci. This past summer, Sara made company debuts with Shreveport Opera, Opera Arlington, Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy, and Painted Sky Opera. In the summer of 2022, she won the prestigious Jacqueline Avent Concerto Competition at Sewannee Summer Music Festival. Sara holds a Graduate Artist Certificate in Opera from the University of North Texas as well as a BM in Music Education and an MM in Vocal Performance. She currently studies with Soprano Jennifer Rowley.

Keith Klein
Bass-baritone
Bass-baritone Keith Klein, a native of Kanas City, MO, began his career by winning the 2014 KC Superstar competition and appearing on Season 10 of America's Got Talent. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music in 2018 and Florida State University in 2020, Keith’s wide musical background and rich singing voice led him to be a Studio Artist with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City in 2021. Then, in 2022, he accepted the position of Artist in Residence with Opera Colorado. The following year, he sang as a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Keith is the recipient of the Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition as well as the Barbara and Stanley Richman Memorial Award from Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Mr. Klein’s most recent engagements include performing the roles of Dr. Podsnap in Tobias Picker’s Awakenings and Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Opera Colorado. As a Studio Artist with Florida Grand Opera for the 23/24 season, Keith will be making debut appearances as Colline in La bohème and Dr. Grenvil in La traviata.

Joseoh Canuto Leon
Baritone
Praised for his “outstanding singing” and “big, bass-y baritone” by The Dallas Morning News, dramatic baritone and Des Moines native Joseph Canuto Leon is an emerging artist making major strides in the world of opera. Mr. Canuto Leon is a 2023/2024 Studio Artist with Florida Grand Opera where he will sing the roles of Barone Douphol in La traviata and Schaunard in La bohéme. In addition, he will cover the roles of Giorgio Germont, Silvio, and Marcello in La traviata, I pagliacci, and La bohème. Joseph has been featured with The Dallas Opera, Charlottesville Opera, American Baroque Opera Company, Painted Sky Opera, Opera on the James, and Opera in the Rock. Some of Joseph’s performance credits include the roles of Giorgio Germont in La traviata, Ford in Falstaff, Onegin in Eugene Onegin, Schaunard in La bohéme, Il conte d’Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, The Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Donner (Das Rheingold), The Father (Hansel and Gretel), Baron Zeta (The Merry Widow), and Belcore in L’elisir d’amore. Joseph is a student of dramatic baritone Michael Chioldi.

Joseph McBrayer
Tenor
Described as having a “voice like honey,” tenor, Joseph McBrayer, from Dallas, Georgia returns to Florida Grand Opera's Studio where he will perform the roles of Gastone in La traviata, and Beppe in I pagliacci. Mr. McBrayer made his FGO debut last year as Paolino in El Matrimonio Secreto.  Joseph has worked with several companies, including, The Atlanta Opera, Capitol City Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where he performed the roles of Alfredo in La traviata, Woz in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. As a Resident Artist with Indianapolis Opera, Mr. McBrayer performed the role of Goro in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Indianapolis Zoo. Joseph excels in performance of the works of Mozart, Verdi, Rossini, and Puccini, as well as many Broadway musical composers, like Sondheim and Bernstein. He earned his BM from Kennesaw State University and continued with his graduate studies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. In addition to operatic work, Mr. McBrayer performed in musicals such as Falsettos and She Loves Me. Joseph also enjoys the symphonic and orchestral works. He has performed as the tenor soloist in Britten’s War Requiem and in Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 9.