Shakespeare Settings of Elizabeth Rudolph

Commended for her “fire and conviction” (Chicago Classical Review), Angela Born is an opera theatre artist committed to artistic integrity and authenticity. A passionate advocate for new music, Ms. Born is frequently sought out as an interpreter of new works. Favorite roles include Patience in Paula Kimper’s Patience and Sarah and Lucinda in Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters. Recently, Ms. Born received critical acclaim for “offering powerful symbolism” (Hyde Park Herald) in Juliet Palmer’s Stitch, an a cappella opera written for 3 voices and sewing machines which sheds light on the lives of those who create our clothes.

Chicago native David Govertsen has been active as a professional singer for nearly twenty years, portraying a wide variety of opera’s low-voiced heroes, villains, and buffoons.  Mr. Govertsen has appeared as a soloist with numerous local and regional opera companies, including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, Tulsa Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, and the Haymarket Opera Company.  He is a member of the vocal chamber quartet Fourth Coast Ensemble, performing art song in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. 

As a concert soloist Mr. Govertsen has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Grant Park Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival among many others.  He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2011 as the Herald in Otello with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti.  He is an alumnus of the Ryan Opera Center and the Santa Fe Opera and Central City Opera apprentice programs and holds degrees from Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University and the College of DuPage.  Mr. Govertsen is currently on faculty at North Park University, Valparaiso University, Lewis University and the College of DuPage. 

Chicago-based mezzo-soprano Mallory Harding most recently covered the role of Maxualinda and sang in the chorus in The Dragon of Wantley by John Frederick Lampe with Haymarket Opera Company. Other roles with New Moon Opera include Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Armelinde in Pauline Viardot’s Cendrillon, Croûte-au-Pot in Mesdames de la Halle by Offenbach, Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti, and Hansel in Hansel and Gretel.

Ms. Harding performed with Evanston Chamber Opera in the world premiere of Joseph's Gift by Francis Lynch as Alto Narrator and was hailed as "simply fantastic" (Aaron Hunt, Chicago Theatre Review).  She frequently performs with Vox 3 Collective and has sung the roles of Line and Agathe in their Chicago premiere of Carl Nielsen's Maskerade, in addition to appearing in numerous Vox 3 cabarets and recitals all over the city of Chicago. She also is the alto section leader and cantor at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Wilmette.

Mallory Harding received her Master of Music degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2012, where she performed the roles of Tisbe in La Cenerentola and Valencienne in The Merry Widow.   

Rebecca Hass is an active freelance accompanist and performer in multiple genres in the Bay Area, CA. She has extensive experience collaborating with classical performers, groups, and movement artists, most recently for Opera on Tap SF, Diablo Women’s Chorale, and the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training. 

Rebecca's interests extend to many types of music, including jazz, classical, and pop, but her biggest passion is Brazilian music. Her compositions span a variety of topics, from samba grooves to crime-fighting manatees, which you can hear on her debut album of original compositions and arrangements in Brazilian styles, Florescer (Bloom). She was also a longtime member of the Minneapolis Brazilian percussion group Batucada do Norte, and a founding member of the Modern Spark Trio, a piano trio with diverse repertoire. 

In addition, Rebecca is a creative wellness coach who helps other ambitious creative people self-compassionately reduce overwhelm, so they have more energy to focus on the work that matters most, with space to enjoy life. She also hosts the podcast Being a Whole Person, full of inspiration, encouragement, and tangible tips to help you self-compassionately grow your creative practice from a supportive foundation of wellness.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano with a concentration in art history and anthropology from Ithaca College, and is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music through MTNA.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and recently moved back after 12 years in Chicago, tenor Joachim Luis was last seen on stage in March 2020 as Don José (Carmen) and La théière/La rainette (L'enfant et les sortilèges) with Opera on Tap SF. In April 2019 he made his Chicago Opera Theater debut as Tashtego in Moby Dick. Past roles include: Ernesto (Don Pasquale), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Count Almaviva (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Don Basilio/Don Curzio (Le nozze di Figaro), Morales/Remendado (Carmen), Prince Ramiro (Cenerentola), Frederick (Pirates of Penzance), Ralph Rackstraw (HMS Pinafore), Jack (Into the Woods), and Big Deal (West Side Story). Midwest/Chicago premiers include: Don Filipo in the Tagalog opera "Noli me tangere"; Zhang Junrui in the Mandarin operetta "Romance of the Western Chamber”; Kanako Hilo/ Prince Lilo-Taro (cover) in Abraham’s “Flower of Hawaii.”On the concert stage, solo credits include: Carmina Burana (Orff), Mozart's Requiem, Christmas Oratorio (Saint-Saëns), Hodie (Vaughan Williams), Der Stern von Bethlehem (Rheinberger), and Handel's Messiah. A sought after choral singer, Joachim has performed and soloed with numerous Chicago groups: Bella Voce, Chicago Choral Artists, William Ferris Chorale, Chicago Bach Ensemble, Cantate, Constellation Men's Ensemble, Vocality, and Hot Commodity.As an arranger, Joachim received his first professional orchestral credit for the Floating Opera Company's production of Don Giovanni in February 2016. His choral a cappella arrangements have been sung by Constellation Men's Ensemble and the Santa Fe Desert Chorale.Joachim received a Bachelor of Music Education from San Francisco State University in 2009, and a Master of Music in Classical Voice at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University in 2009.

Dorian McCall, baritone, has been recognized for his magnetic stage personality and
emphatic musicality in both buffo and serious roles. Noted for his vibrant and robust timbre,
the dexterity of McCall’s instrument also lends itself well to Baroque and Bel Canto.
Upcoming engagements include scenes and arias with Pittsburgh Festival Opera in June
2021, Leonidas in a filmed production of Adamo’s Lysistrata to be released Fall 2021, and
Sulpice in Donizetti’s Le fille du regiment with Kenosha Opera Festival in August 2021. In
September 2021, McCall will debut the role of Doctor in the world premiere of Young’s Death
of Ivan Ilych with Thompson Street Opera Company. In December 2021, Dorian will return as
the bass soloist for Handel’s Messiah with the First Congregational Baptist Church of
Chicago. 2020 - 2021 season appearances include Masetto in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and
Zurga in Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles in virtual performances with /kor/ Productions. McCall
was also engaged as a cover for Haymarket Opera in their productions of Handel’s Acis and
Galatea (Polyphemus) and Apollo e Dafne (Apollo).
Dorian is a 2020 SAS Performing Arts Incentive Grant and 2018 and 2019 MONCA
Encouragement Award recipient, 2018 Naftzger Vocal Division winner, 2017 Career Bridges
Encouragement Grant recipient as well as 2nd alternate Texoma region representative at the
2018 NATSAA competition. He has performed for several seasons with the Chicago
Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Grant Park Music Festival choruses.
McCall received his Bachelor of Music Education from Lamar University where he studied
with bass-baritone Dr. Serdar Ilban; he has since become certified to teach secondary
education in Illinois, Texas, and Oklahoma. McCall also received his Master of Music in Voice
& Opera Performance from the University of Oklahoma where he studied with baritone Kim
Josephson. McCall currently studies with mezzo-soprano Victoria Livengood.

Dorian is raring to return to the ballroom, where you can easily find him exploring the slinky
saunter of Latin dance or the strong framing of a promenade.

Victoria Offutt is a Chicago-based mezzo-soprano currently pursuing a degree in vocal performance at Central Michigan University. Victoria's large, flexible voice lends itself to baroque opera and concert music as well as romantic era opera and art song, African American spirituals, contemporary classical music, and jazz. Her repertoire includes several Handel roles--Cornelia and Cesare (Giulio Cesare), Dejanira (Hercules), and the title role in Serse. She has also performed Melanto in Monteverdi's L'Incorazione di Poppea, Ursule in Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict, and both the alto and soprano solos in Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert.

Victoria is a founding member of Ring Shout, an African American artistic collective whose mission is to uplift the contributions of Black artists-- past and especially present-- across the African diaspora. She is also a co-founder of the 8th Generation Alliance, an advocacy group for North Eastern American Indigenous nations.

Alex Salas is a Chicago based soprano with a focus on new works. Alex was most recently seen in Chicago Fringe Opera’s “City of Works,” featured in Lincoln Square with music composed by Elizabeth Rudolph and text by Laura Stratford. Previous engagements with Chicago Fringe Opera include “Love Wounds'' showcasing music composed by Christopher Cerrone in 2019, where Chicago Classical Review described Alex’s voice as “pure and lovely in tone.” Alex is a founding member of Forte Chicago, an operatic improv ensemble, last seen at the 2019 Chicago International Puppet Festival, performing “Distant Flight of Birds”. Since Forte’s inception in 2015, Alex has been seen devising, directing, and performing in every show.  Alex holds a BA in Music Education from Florida Atlantic University, and an MM in Voice Performance from Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where operatic credits include Contessa di Folleville in  Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims, Novice in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, and Daughter in Torke’s Strawberry Fields.  Alex is a soprano section leader at Church of the Holy Comforter in Kenilworth, IL.

Soprano Alannah Spencer first fell in love with new music as an undergraduate, after discovering that she could actually get performance opportunities by volunteering to sing for the composition students.  She has since premiered over a dozen new songs and chamber pieces, attended both the Fresh Inc. festival and zFestival for new music, and performed as a member of the second place team at Chicago SongSlam 2019. 

Not one to forsake the classics, Alannah is also passionate about performing old opera and song repertoire as well. In 2020, she sang the role of Luise in “The Departure” with Evanston Chamber Opera. Other favorite roles include Bagatelle in “Bagatelle” (Roosevelt Opera) and Antonia in “Les contes d’Hoffmann” (MIOpera). She also sang with the Madison Opera Chorus for five seasons before relocating to Chicago. 

Alannah is the second-soprano section leader for St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Evanston and sings regularly with the Chicago Bar Association Choir. She holds music degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Roosevelt University. When not singing, Alannah enjoys reading, traveling, and attempting to create the perfect cheese plate.

Baritone Nicholas Ward has been hailed as a performer of “effortless voice and agile presence” (Houston Press). He has performed in opera across the country with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater, Florida Grand Opera, Union Avenue Opera, Opera Fayetteville, Opera in the Heights, Central City Opera, and many more. Recent concert and recital highlights include Chicago’s LYNX Project, CCPA’s PianoFest, Opera Birmingham’s Catch a Rising Star series, and with the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. He is a three-time Regional Finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and an award winner from the Opera Birmingham Competition, the Opera Guild of Dayton Competition, and FAVA’s Grand Concours de Chant. He received his degrees from the University of Michigan and the University of Cincinnati-CCM. He grew up in Pontiac, Michigan, and currently resides in Chicago.

Josh Quinn is a Chicago-based coach, pianist, and conductor. He recently completed his second year as the young artist pianist, coach, and assistant conductor with Chicago Opera Theater. He serves as the Music Director for the Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center. As an advocate for new works, he has been a conductor, coach, singer, and collaborator on the development of many new operas, and song cycles. He transitioned into coaching and conducting after several seasons singing with various companies: Merola Opera Program, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Prototype Festival, American Symphony Orchestra, Beth Morrison Projects, New Haven Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, Opera Maine, Left Coast Ensemble, and West Edge Opera. He holds degrees in opera performance from the New England Conservatory, and a performance diploma in collaborative piano from Roosevelt University. He is also an artist member of Music for Food, a musician-led initiative to fight hunger in our home communities.

Elizabeth Rudolph is a Chicago-based composer whose music "takes advantage of the rhythmic complexity of minimalism to emphasize thoughtfully composed melodic storytelling.” according to contralto Katherine Dalin. Rudolph’s music has been performed and/or recorded by VOX3, Third Eye Theater, New Moon Opera, Chicago Fringe Opera, Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, Interlochen Arts Academy Chorale, and Opera on Tap-Chicago. Her most recent evening-length opera, Imogen, had its debut with New Moon Opera in 2019. Here, Rudolph shed convention and voiced and scripted roles to be genderless, smartly designing a work that gives more singers an opportunity to be heard. Rudolph is an established classical soprano in her own right, and enjoys collaborating with working artists to create new classical music in all formats, especially art-songs. “Singing her music is always immensely musically and dramatically fulfilling.” says soprano Mary Govertsen.​

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She attended Roosevelt University and St. Olaf College where she studied composition with Dr. Peter Hamlin and Dr. Timothy Mahr, but began composing at the age of 14 under the tutelage of Dr. Alan Hirsch, then finished high school at Interlochen Arts Academy where she advanced her composition and music theory study with Dr. Elaine Broad-Ginsberg.  

Our team member at PianoForte Studios, Jeremy Whetstone is a graduate of DePaul University (B.S. Sound Recording Technology). Jeremy is well versed in various aspects of the recording arts and music. An accomplished trumpet player, Jeremy can be seen and heard on both sides of the microphone throughout the Chicagoland area.

Known for her work in modern music, opera and musical theatre, Emily has firmly established herself as an active producer in the Chicagoland area since 2014. Most recently, she returned to Elizabeth Rudolph Productions to help world-premiere new vocal and instrumental works in Litany2020. In 2018, she served as the Managing Director for Underscore Theatre Company, assisting with the development and production of original musicals in Chicago. Their production of Haymarket: The Musical was nominated for three 2019 Jeff Awards, and was extended twice during its run.

Other production credits include the upcoming Eclectic Full Contact Theatre’s Audio Series, ”D:Activate”” concert series with the City of Chicago, the Scapigliatura Music Festival, and multiple cabarets with Davenport’s Piano Bar. Emily is an active member of Opera on Tap, Chicago Cabaret Professionals, Chicago Opera Theatre’s Educational Subcommittee, the Illinois Theatre Professionals, and the Chicago Vocal Arts Consortium. She was honored to be selected as a 2020 Chicagoland Stratera Artist Mentorship Mentee. Emily is currently the Artistic Director of Acting Out, a nonprofit organization that produces social justice and political works and events. She currently writes and directs new musical works throughout the Chicagoland area.