PERFORM OPERA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director of the International Opera Performing Experience
Benita Ryan, Executive Director of the International Opera Performing Experience, brings a varied wealth of experience from her background in arts management.
She served as Program Administrator for the Professional Advantage Opera Workshop in Italy 2007 - 2011 and Aria Italiana's Conducting Masterclass in 2011, also in Italy. As Program Director for the James A. Michener Art Museum's Miles of Mules public art project in Bucks County involving four participating Pennsylvania counties (2001 - 2005), she directed the project for the museum as well as created fundraising events raising significant funding for the arts and the museum.
From 1992 -2002, Ms. Ryan served as Board President and then Executive Director of The Riverside Symphonia, one of New Jersey's premier musical arts organizations based in Lambertville. Under her helm, the Riverside Symphonia grew from a small budget orchestra of three concerts per year to 16 annual concerts and youth education and senior citizen outreach programs.
In addition to project management, arts administration, concert production and concert tour coordination she has also spearheaded special projects for the International Hotels Group in Washington D.C. and the Russell Byers Charter School in Philadelphia as well as fundraising initiatives for numerous organizations.
Ms. Ryan managed the United States tour of the Wroclaw Philharmonic in 2005, coordinating all logistics and on-site management. She currently manages a 110-acre agricultural farm (Jericho Mountain Orchards, New Hope, PA) whose gardens are often featured on tours and photo shoots, and where she still resides.
An experienced pianist and church organist, Ms. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Wheaton College, a Master of Arts in education from Bucknell University and Music Therapy certification from Montclair State University.
Opera conductor, James Caraher consistently continues to wow his audiences and critics with impressive productions. Critics set him apart with accolades for his deliberate attention to ensemble casting and collaboration between all performers - in the pit and on stage. Praise for his Flying Dutchman sums up the success of his collaborative philosophy: "The real stars of this production, however, were Caraher and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra…the Indianapolis Opera artistic director had his players and singers integrated and balanced to near perfection."
Often referred to as "the singers' conductor," Caraher is a master at holding all the reins of the many forces of grand opera while seemingly able to clearly communicate his musical desires with each performer. American Record Guide gave him this credit for The Ballad of Baby Doe: "Caraher led a gently, effective accompaniment, with careful regard for the needs of his singers." And, Opera News posted that "The Indianapolis Symphony responded to Caraher's every wish" in Indianapolis Opera's production of Macbeth.
Jane Dutton has sung in many of the top opera houses in the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, English National Opera (London), Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona, Spain), and New York City Opera-first as a mezzo-soprano and now as a dramatic soprano. Dutton made her European opera debut at Barcelona's Gran Teatre Del Liceu and was reengaged by the theater for 10 seasons. She has sung several seasons at London's English National Opera, most recently appearing as Kundry in Parsifal. That appearance marked the start of her career as a Wagnerian soprano, and she has since sung many of the major Wagnerian roles in the United States, Germany, and Hong Kong.
In the United States, she has sung Jordan Baker in John Harbison's The Great Gatsby and Stephano in Roméo et Juliette, as well as numerous other roles for the Metropolitan Opera. In addition to her appearances in major U.S. opera houses, she has sung with more than 25 U.S. regional opera houses, in more than 30 different major roles.
Dutton's orchestral work highlights include appearances with the New York Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, RTE National Symphony (Ireland), Prague Radio Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and the Korean Broadcast Symphony at the United Nations General Assembly. She has recorded under the Chandos and Albany Records labels. She has been awarded prizes in many competitions, including Placido Domingo's Operalia. She earned her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from Indiana University, where she studied with famed Wagnerian Margaret Harshaw. Dutton earned an Artist Diploma from Yale University.
She is an Associate Professor of Music (Voice) at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. Her students have been awarded prizes in numerous competitions, include the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions at the District and Regional levels and the Houston Grand Opera's Eleanor McCollum Competition. They have also appeared with Wolf Trap Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Long Beach Opera and College Light Opera
American Baritone Jeff Mattsey is known worldwide for the roles that have defined his international career. He made his operatic stage debut at the age of 21 as Marcello opposite Luciano Pavarotti in the Opera Company of Philadelphia production of La Boheme. Since that time he has made appearances with such companies as the Metropolitan Opera, the San Diego Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Vancouver Opera, Opera di Genova, Deutsche Oper Berlin, New York City Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and many more. A versatile actor, Mr Mattsey is at ease in both comic and dramatic works, from Figaro in the Barber and Marriage of Figaro to Sharpless in Butterfly or Papa Germont in La Traviata. Of a recent performance, the San Diego Tribune says…
Baritone Jeff Mattsey was an extraordinary Marcello: extraordinary because he created a character so rich and textured with so little apparent effort - and sang the role with such an outpouring of warm, burnished sound…
Job Titles:
- Director of Indianapolis Opera
Caraher first realized his fondness for opera while a rehearsal accompanist for Tri-Cities Opera in Binghamton, New York. From there he moved to The Syracuse Opera Company as assistant music director and chorus master, ending his first season at the podium with a performance of Rigoletto. With this showing of talent and poise, the young Caraher was promoted to music director and principal conductor. He held this position until 1988, when a partnership between Syracuse Opera and Indianapolis Opera enabled him to expand his horizons to include the title and duties of music director for Indianapolis Opera. For several seasons, he assumed the additional responsibility of music director for Opera Memphis. His tenure as artistic director and principal conductor of Indianapolis Opera has been one of growing success for the company and their audiences.
In 2001, Caraher participated in a joint production of Porgy and Bess for the Indianapolis Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia. The sold-out production was proclaimed by The Philadelphia Inquirer as "one of the Opera Company of Philadelphia's great triumphs of music and stagecraft."
Caraher frequently serves as guest conductor for other symphonies and opera companies and has lent his talents to Opera Company of Philadelphia, Kentucky Opera, Opera Memphis, Buffalo Opera and Nashville Opera. He devotes much of his time to the development of young singers by directing the Indianapolis Opera Ensemble, the Indianapolis Opera Young Artist Program. In addition to symphonic literature and opera, Caraher enjoys conducting musical theater and ballet, and is an active vocal coach and accompanist.
In 1988, Caraher was honored by his alma mater, Hamilton College, in Clinton, New York, with the Hamilton College Alumni Medal for significant contributions to the performing arts. In 2004, on the occasion of the 25 th anniversary of his conducting debut, he was given the honor of being declared a Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana's most prestigious civic award, by then Governor Joe Kernan, and made a Distinguished Citizen of the City of Indianapolis by Mayor Bart Peterson.
Caraher's recent seasons with the Indianapolis Opera include performances of The Barber of Seville, Madama Butterfly, The Crucible, Lucia di Lammermoor, The Pearl Fishers, The Merry Widow, The Marriage of Figaro, Turandot and Faust. Also, he has arranged and produced two audiotapes for children. The first was a collection of safety songs called Play It Safe, and the second, Peace Is For Everyone, was a commission by the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. He lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with his wife, Denise, and his two children, Paige and Patrick.
After 33 years as Music and Artistic Director of Indianapolis Opera, Maestro Caraher now spends his time as a free-lance conductor, recital accompanist, and vocal coach. Also, he is now on the faculty of the University of Indianapolis as adjunct professor of operatic studies, and is Visiting Music Director for the opera program at Butler University. He will return to Lakeland, Florida, in January for the 13th consecutive year to conduct the Imperial Symphony Orchestra's production of Verdi's La Traviata.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Program Director
As one of America's most accomplished tenors, Mark Thomsen enjoys a successful career in critically acclaimed performances throughout the world. Often working repetitively with major companies, Mr.Thomsen has performed to acclaim at the Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, La Scala (Milan), Wiener Staatsoper, Wiener Volksoper, New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, and the Santa Fe Opera among others.
Highlights of recent seasons include directing and singing in several productions with the Imperial Symphony Orchestra including J. Strauss' Die Fledermaus (in English); directing and singing the role of Alfredo in their production of Verdi's La Traviata and, most recently, directing their production of Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. Mr. Thomsen has performed the tenor solos with the Indianapolis Opera in their multi-media production of Opera Goes To The Movies and sang the role of Dick Johnson in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West.
Mr. Thomsen is the Program Director and co-founder of the vocal summer program IOPE (International Opera Performing Experience, https://performopera.com/), which is based in Mercatello, Italy. When performing, Mark Thomsen appears courtesy of Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL, where he is "Artist in Residence" and "Director of the Opera Theatre".
Job Titles:
- Italian Coach
- Professor of Italian Language
María Emilia Pandolfi is a professor of Italian Language graduated from "Joaquín V. González" Teacher Training College (Buenos Aires, Argentina).
She holds a Master's degree in Italian Didactics from Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia (Italia) and another in Teacher Training from the same University. She has specialized in Italian Phonetics and Phonology and has worked in training teachers, translators, interpreters, and artists in the field of Phonology.
As a tenured professor at Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Maria is the Italian language and diction coach for their courses in Singing, Opera Stage Direction, and Opera Music Direction. At the Institute of Advanced Studies in Art at Teatro Colón, she has served as the Italian pronunciation and language coach for numerous operas including La boheme, Le cantatrici villane, La finta giardiniera, and Gianni Schicchi.
She also serves as a professor of Italian Language and Phonology at the Universidad de Buenos Aires and has researched Phonology and Pragmatics for Universidad del Salvador (Buenos Aires).
Her extensive experience includes tutoring advanced degree candidates in Italian didactics at the Università di Venezia, heading the Italian Department at the "Joaquín V. González" Teacher Training College, translating texts for the Universidad de Moreno and Universidad Nacional de las Artes (Buenos Aires), and working for the Italian Embassy and the Argentinian Ministry of Education.
She is the author of Pronuncia e consapevolezza and co-author of Giostra di suoni. Fonetica per bambini.
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor of Music
- Stage Director
Michael Shell is an Associate Professor of Music in Voice at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
His "visionary" and "masterful storytelling" (Opera News) is steadily leading him to be one of the most sought-after directors in the United States. His "thoughtful and detailed score study" (Opera Today) is shown in character development and relationships onstage as well as the complete visual world he creates.
Shell has directed productions for Atlanta Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Opera Omaha, Opera San Jose, Opera Tampa, Opera North, Virginia Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Wexford Festival Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. He made his international directing debut at the Wexford Festival Opera in 2010 with a production of Winners, by American composer Richard Wargo and returned the next fall to direct Double Trouble - Trouble in Tahiti & The Telephone. He has written and directed three cabarets, including All About Love and The Glamorous Life - A group therapy session for Opera Singers, both for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
Shell was a faculty member of the Summer Opera Program at the Israeli Vocal Arts Institute, directing a production of Die Zauberflöte.
He has been a guest faculty member at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Florida State University, and Webster University, St. Louis, teaching Opera Workshop and directing Undergraduate Opera Workshop performances. In addition, he has served as guest director at the A. J. Fletcher Opera Institute, Oklahoma University, and is a frequent guest director at Indiana University.
Shell holds a B.M. and M.M. in Music/Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He was a Corbett Scholar at The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and was awarded a scholarship in Acting and Scene Study at the internationally renowned H. B. Studios in NYC.
Job Titles:
- Director of Music Ministries for Green Valley Presbyterian Church
Pianist, Spencer Baker is a Las Vegas musician, conductor, and teacher who completed Doctoral studies in piano performance at UNLV. Spencer has been a soloist with several regional orchestras. Most of Spencer's solo appearances have centered in the Southwest, but have also taken him to perform in Dallas, TX, Washington., D.C., Disneyland, CA, Niagara Falls, Montreal, Italy, Canada, and China. Dr. Baker is in his fifth season with the International Opera Performing Experience in Mercatello sul Matauro, Italy, as faculty collaborative pianist, teacher, and vocal coach.
Dr. Baker is the Director of Music Ministries for Green Valley Presbyterian Church and Concert Series Artistic Director, an adjunct instructor of piano at UNLV, principal pianist for Opera Las Vegas, and served as musical director for the Nevada Ballet Theater at the Smith Center. Spencer recently performed Schubert's song cycle, Winterreise, with internationally acclaimed tenor, Mark Thomsen; accompanied a solo recital with Diva, Denyce Graves; co-created an interactive children's Educational theater production entitled, "Mini Musical Masters". Dr. Baker held an artist in residency position at Truman State University this past year. Dr. Baker is in demand as an adjudicator for piano festivals and competitions and serves as President of the Las Vegas Music Teachers Association.