Giulio Cesare

Stage Director: Deborah Niezgoda, Costume Designer: Kathleen McGhee, Artistic Director, Producer: Katerina Souvorova

Nicholas Tamagna, countertenor, Giulio Cesare, made his professional debut as a countertenor in 2009 as Orpheus in Orfeo ed Euridice with Brooklyn Repertory Opera. Mr. Tamagna has since premiered roles in new operas, performed traditional roles for countertenor, and pushed the boundaries of countertenor repertoire. Performance highlights include: Game of Poker, by composer Richard Burke, DMA at the Danny Kaye Playhouse in New York City, Jeff Myers’ one-act opera adaptation of Franz Kafka’s The Hunger Art with Center City Opera, Melissa Dunphy’s professional premiere of her renowned Gonzales’ Cantata in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the role of Ulrica in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera with Brooklyn Repertory Opera and with Edgar & Friends in concert version, One World Symphony in Brooklyn, New York, for their season opener performing “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen” from Mahler's Rückert-Lieder, and will reprise his role as Orpheus with Opera Memphis in January 2010 and an All-Bach New Year's Concert as guest soloist with Amor Artis in New York City. Mr. Tamagna did his formal training at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and City University of New York at Hunter College. He would like to thank his teacher Alissa Grimaldi. For more information on Mr. Tamagna: www.nicholastamagna.com.

Biraj Barkakaty, English countertenor, Tolomeo, graduated with a Master of Music in vocal Performance Magna cum Laude from the Manhattan School of Music in 2008. Opera roles include Oberon with the International Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv,Joachim in Handel's Susanna with Manhattan School of Music, the title role in US Premiere of Handel's Silla at the Bay Area Opera Institute in Athamas with British Youth Opera in 2004 and Ottone with Trinity College of Music. Future performances include Arsace with new Baltimore based company Opera per Domani and the St John Passion with the Bach in Baltimore Festival next April. Biraj holds a Bachelor's Degree in History from the University of Manchester and a Postgraduate Advanced Diploma in Vocal Performance from Trinity College of Music in London.

Bridgid Eversole, soprano, Cleopatra. Described by the Washington Post as looking and sounding "stunning", soprano Bridgid Eversole's operatic roles include "Birdie" in Blitzstein's Regina, "Fiordiligi" in Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte, "Cleopatra" in Handel's Giulio Cesare, "Nerone" in Monteverdi's L'Icoronazione di Poppea, "Athena" in the world premiere of Andrew Simpson's The Furies and "Mrs. Gibbs" in the Washington, D.C. premier of Ned Rorem's Our Town. Additionally, she created the role of "Emily" in Gregg Martin's opera Life in Deathwhich she performed at The Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Eversole has had the opportunity to perform throughout Europe including Germany, Austria, Ireland, and most recently, she had the honor of singing with world renowned tenor Luigi Alva in Perugia, Italy.Comfortable in the concert hall as well, Eversole has appeared as soloist in venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, and Washington DC's Constitution Hall. She has been the featured soprano soloist for Vivaldi's Gloria, Fauré's Requiem, Mozart's Exsultate Jubilate and Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Handel's Messiah and numerous Bach works. She premiered A Crown of Stars, composed by Andrew Simpson, for which the Washington Post noted she "sang with intelligence and skill, floating even her highest notes effortlessly. In addition to maintaining an active performance schedule, Eversole is on the music faculty at Frostburg State University.

Anamer Castrello, mezzo-soprano, Cornelia. Praised by the Washington Post as "the richest and most expressive voice..." Castrello has enough wattage to light a small town," mezzo-soprano Anamer Castrello, a native of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, stands out as one of the most impressive and versatile artists and singers in the Washington, DC, area. Ms. Castrello was an award-winner at the Gulf Coast Regional Auditions for the Metropolitan Opera. Other awards include The Washington Area Music Awards (WAMA) - Latino Best Female Vocalist - and the 1997 Operatic Singing Artist of the Year Award from the Institute of Puerto Rico in New York. She has sung numerous opera and zarzuela roles as well as cabaret and popular shows abroad and in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Of her portrayal of Estrelda in Sousa's El Capitán, Sorab Modi of Opera News wrote: "Ana Castrello was pert and vivacious. her singing always refined, her phrasing accomplished with finesse." Anamer participated in the International Opera Festival in Rome, Italy on 1998 playing Marcellina in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. She has appeared with several opera companies and theaters including the Baltimore Opera, Opera Camerata of Washington, Shakespeare Theatre, Opera Americana, Maryland Opera Studio, Crittenden Opera Workshop, The Other Opera Company, GALA Hispanic Theater, Zarzuela Di Si, and the Singers Opera. She is one of the artists/singers of the IN Series, an innovative company that has been in Washington DC for twenty years offering high-quality, affordable productions of opera, cabaret and zarzuela, under the artistic and executive direction of Carla Hubner.

Mezzo-soprano Francesca Aguado, Sesto is a diverse performer whose past opera credits include Dorabella (Cosi fan tutte), Dinah (Trouble in Tahiti), Maurya (Riders to the Sea) and Captain Frands von Frauenliebe (The Beautiful Bridegroom), presented at the 2009 National Opera Association Conference). Recently Ms. Aguado portrayed Ma Joad in a suite version of Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, with Mr. Gordon narrating and accompanying. Ms. Aguado holds a Bachelor's degree in vocal performance and continued graduate studies in vocal performance at Towson University.

Mezzo-Soprano, Tammy Coil, Sesto, participated in the inaugural Chateauville Festival this past summer singing the role of Nancy in Albert Herring under the baton of Lorin Maazel. This past year she debuted as L'Ecureuil, La Bergere and La Chatte in L'enfant et les Sortileges as well as Zulma in L'Italiana in Algeri with the Opera Company of Philadelphia. Tammy recently graduated from The Curtis Institute with a Masters Degree where she sang numerous roles including Margaret in Wozzeck and Lorca in Golijov's Ainadamar in collaboration with the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Kimmel Center. She also sang Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Lady with a Hatbox in The Postcard From Morrocco, and Sicle in L'Ormindo. Ms. Coil holds a Bachelors degree from The Juilliard School where she sang Zwei Dame in Die Zauberflote with The Juilliard Opera Workshop and Tasse Chinoise and the Libellule in L'enfant et les Sortileges with Juilliard Opera Center.

Eric Black, baritone, Achilla created the role of Ronaldo Cabral in Later the Same Evening by John Musto while earning his Master's degree with the Maryland Opera Studio, garnering praise for his "strong singing" and "florid" character from Opera News. His repertoire is quite diverse, ranging from baroque to many 21st-century pieces, including Malatesta, Danilo, Guglielmo, Dr. Falke, Montauciel in Monsigny's Le Déserteur, Clausen's a new Creation, Duruflé's Requiem, Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, and several newly composed works. Mr. Black been invited to perform at major venues across the US and Italy, including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Teatro Duse in Asolo, Italy, the Opera Theater of Lucca, and the Naxos Label. More information can be found at his website: www.EricChristopherBlack.com.

Sean Pflueger, bass, Nireno is an active performer and noted for his comic portrayals has sung with many opera companies in the Washington area including Washington Savoyards, Bel Cantanti Opera, Loudoun Lyric Opera, and The In Series. Recently, the Washington Post praised his performance of Lord Mountararat in Washington Savoyards' production of Iolanthe saying "As [one of] the earls, Sean Pflueger engaged in sparkling repartee." Other roles performed this season include Il Comendatore (Mozart's Don Giovanni), Betto (Puccini's Gianni Schicchi), Pooh-Bah (G&S, The Mikado), Mars (Offenbach's Orpheus and the Underworld), Foreman (G&S Trial by Jury), and in Marchese d'Obigny (Verdi's La Traviata). Mr. Pflueger has also performed the roles of The Count in (Sousa Desiree), Bob (Menotti The Old Maid and the Thief), Sarastro (Mozart The Magic Flute), Chevalier in (Victor Herbert Madelein)e, Master Spinelloccio /Amatio di Nicolao in (Puccini Gianni Schicchi), Alcindoro/Benoit (Puccini La Boheme), and St. Peter in (Edwin Penhorwood Too Many Sopranos). He has studied with soprano Laurie Nelson in Northern Virginia and is currently coaching with Michael Parker and Gillian Cookson. Sean was previously a member of the Virginia Opera Chorus and will be performing as a member of the Washington National Opera Chorus in their production of Wagner's Gotterdammerung in November.