Ashley Anderson
Apprentice Coach (Arizona)
Ashley Anderson recently completed a Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano at the University of Michigan under the direction of Martin Katz. She has served as a coach/ répétiteur for Ashlawn Opera Festival, Opera in the Ozarks, University of Michigan Opera Theater, Interlochen Center for the Arts, in addition to having spent two summers studying collaborative piano at Brevard Music Center. Ashley has also collaborated with Arizona Opera while completing her undergraduate degree in piano performance at Northern Arizona University. Ashley’s repertoire includes works such as La Bohème, Le Nozze di Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, Albert Herring, The Medium, The Old Maid & the Thief, and Die Fledermaus. She is also an avid choral accompanist, having rehearsed works including Mozart’s Mass in C minor, Carmina Burana, and Verdi’s Requiem. Her orchestral performances include I Pini di Roma (under the baton of Keith Lockhart) and Petrouchka.

David Bailey
Tenor
Beppe, Pagliacci; Arturo Bucklaw, Lucia di Lammermoor; El Remendado, Carmen
Upcoming events for tenor David Bailey include Beppe in Pagliacci, Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Remendado in Carmen for FGO. He recently completed an apprenticeship with the Skylight Opera, where he performed in the company’s outreach programs. Also this past season, he sang the role of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte with the Charlemagne Orchestra in Brugge, Belgium. Mr. Bailey has been a young artist for the Lyrique en Mer Festival (where he covered Alfredo in La Traviata), as well as for the Utah Festival Opera. He holds his Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where he performed l'Aumônier in Dialogues des Carmélites and appeared in the school's outreach programs. In past summers, he has attended the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Chiari and VOICExperience in Orlando, where he has sung scenes as Rodolfo/La Bohème, Orfeo/L’Orfeo, Alfredo/La Traviata, Edgardo/Lucia di Lammermoor, Fritz/L'Amico Fritz, Nemorino/L'elisir d'amore, and Ferrando/Così fan tutte.

Benjamin Clements
Bass-Baritone
Zuniga, Carmen
Benjamin Clements holds a Master of Music in Voice from The Juilliard School and a Bachelor of Music in Voice from Michigan State University. This coming season Mr. Clements will perform the role of Zuniga in Carmen with the Florida Grand Opera. Also for FGO, he will be covering Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor. Mr. Clements recently appeared as Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro at Juilliard where he also recently performed his solo graduation recital with Margo Garrett. He appeared as Blitch in the Chautauqua Institution's production of Carlisle Floyd's Susannah. In 2008 Mr. Clements debuted at Carnegie Hall as the bass soloist for Musica Sacra's production of Handel's Messiah. Mr. Clements previously appeared as Sprecher in Juilliard's production of Die Zauberflöte. He also appeared in Michigan State University Opera Theatre productions as Nick Shadow in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress, Colline in Puccini's La Bohème, and Mars in Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld.

Amanda Crider
Mezzo-Soprano (Pennsylvania)
The Monitor, Suor Angelica; Alisa, Lucia di Lammermoor; Berta, Il Barbiere di Svivglia; Mercedes, Carmen
Mezzo-soprano Amanda Crider has been praised for her “focused, golden toned voice.” She was heard last season with FGO as Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro and Mallika in Lakmé. Ms. Crider has also performed with such companies as New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, Opera Boston, Des Moines Metro Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Cincinnati Opera. Ms. Crider was a 2009 Finalist in the José Iturbi International Voice Competition, the 2nd Place winner in the 2008 Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year Competition, 2007 Recipient of the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition David and Ingrid Kosowsky Award, Finalist in the 2006 Oratorio Society of New York Vocal Competition and 2005 Center for Contemporary Opera Competition, and a 2003 recipient of the Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation.

Julia Ebner
Soprano (New York)
Sister Genevieve, Suor Angelica; Frasquita, Carmen
Soprano Julia Ebner has been praised for her “vocally and dramatically superb,” singing. She has performed with The Florida Grand Opera, Syracuse Opera, Opera North, Green Mountain Opera Festival, Tri-Cities Opera, Oswego Opera, and the International Institute of Vocal Arts. She has sung the title roles in The Merry Widow, Romeo et Juliette, L’incoronazione di Poppea, and Princess Ida, as well as Musetta in La Boheme, First Lady and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Micaela and Frasquita in Carmen, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Monica in The Medium, Rose in Lakmé, Serpina in La Serva Padrona, and Gianetta in The Gondoliers. A 2007 recipient of the Richard F. Gold Career Grant and the Helen Boatwright Award, she has also been a finalist for the Sara Tucker Awards in 2006 and 2009.

Jonathan G. Michie
Baritone (New York)
Normano, Lucia di Lammermoor; Fiorella, Il Barbiere di Siviglia; El Doncairo, Carmen
Upcoming engagements include Weill’s Mahagonny Songspiel with James Conlon, Bach’s Ich habe genug at Lincoln Center, and an apprenticeship with the Florida Grand Opera singing roles in Carmen, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Recent highlights include an apprenticeship with the Lake George Opera, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, and Kern & Hammerstein’s Music in the Air. Other appearances include Carnegie Hall, Spoleto Festival USA, Ravinia Festival, Chautauqua Opera, Ohio Light Opera and the Rochester Philharmonic. Favorite past roles include Danilo in The Merry Widow, Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Masetto in Don Giovanni, John Wilkes Booth in Assassins, Robert in Company, Pandolfe in Cendrillon, Strephon in Iolanthe, and Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd. Awards include: Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya competition, Licia Albanese/Puccini Foundation, Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges, Palm Beach Opera Competition, Regional Finalist: MET National Council Auditions.