Sarah Beckham, Resident Artist, Soprano (Amarillo, TX) During the 2011 season has appears as Elena in Nino Rota’s The Italian Straw Hat with Amarillo Opera, Anna Gomez in Menotti’s The Consul with Opera New Jersey and Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte with Opera in the Heights. Sarah completed her Masters degree and Artist Diploma at Boston University in 2009 where she performed Musetta in La Bohème , Pamina in Die Zauberflote, and the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor. Following her masters, Ms Beckham performed with companies such as Sarasota Opera where she sang the role of the Dew Fairy in Hansel und Gretel and covered Nedda in I Paglicacci and Pamina in Die Zauberflote. At Lake George Opera in 2009, Sarah sang the title role in the world premiere of Persis Pershall Vehar’s Opera Eleanor Roosevelt.  At the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to a Performance, Ms Beckham performed Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro in 2008 and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi in 2010, which Opera News praised as being “winsome”. In 2009, Sarah had the great pleasure of having her hometown debut singing Fiordiligi in Cosi fan Tutte with Amarillo Opera. Other opera companies with which Ms Beckham has performed include: New York Lyric Opera, Opera North, Florida Opera Theater and Concert Opera Boston. A native of Texas, Ms Beckham received her Bachelors from Baylor University.

Jennifer Braun, Studio Artist, Soprano (Toledo, OH) returns to Center City Opera Theater as a studio artist for the 2011-2012 season. She has been a soloist with the Toledo and Westerville Symphonies and has performed with both Opera Columbus and the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra in Columbus, Ohio. Ms. Braun's operatic credits include Norina (Don Pasquale), Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte), Violetta (La Traviata), Cunegonde (Candide), and Rosalinda and Adele (Die Fledermaus). Most recently, Ms. Braun performed the role of Rosalinda at Opera in the Ozarks, for which she was awarded best performance in a female leading role by her colleagues. Ms. Braun is a graduate of Otterbein College and received her Master’s degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder. She has sung in masterclasses given by Suzanne Mentzer, Thomas Hampson, Mark Calkins and Libby Larsen. Upcoming roles include Bea (Three Decembers), Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Musetta (La Bohème) with Center City Opera Theater.

Paul Corujo, Studio Artist, Baritone (Los Angeles, CA) has appeared with the Baltimore Opera Company, Chesapeake Chamber Opera, Opera Lancaster, Center Stage Opera, among others. He has appeared as an oratorio soloist with the Baltimore Baroque Band, the San Francisco Early Music Society, and Apollo Arts, and has an affinity for the works of J.S. Bach. Recent performances include the Father in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel with Chesapeake Chamber Opera, the Count in The Marriage of Figaro, Marcello in La Bohème with Opera Lancaster, and the title role in Don Giovanni with Center Stage Opera. Last season he sange the roles of Roger Corboz in the North American premiere of Edward Rushton's The Shops with Center City Opera Theater. Mr. Corujo is a graduate of the University of California, Davis and received his Master’s degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music.

Robert Davidson, Resident Artist, Bass-Baritone (Springfield, VA)  has appeared with the Atlantic Coast Opera Festival, Amici Opera Company, Poor Richard’s Opera, and the Bel Canto Lyric Opera of Philadelphia, among others.  Recent performances include the dual role of Bartolo/Antonio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro,  Ferrando in Verdi’s Il Trovatore, Simone in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Pistola in Verdi’s Falstaff, and Basilio in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Upcoming engagements include Zuniga in Bizet’s Carmen with ConcertOPERA Philadelphia.  Robert is a graduate of George Mason University.

Norman Garrett, Studio Artist, Baritone (Lubbock, TX) has a BM in vocal performance from Texas Tech University. Most recently received his MM in voice from CCM, The College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Mr. Garrett was consistently cast in main stage roles at CCM. Those roles include Bertrand – from Dangerous Liaisons, Thoas – from Iphigénie en Tauride, Reporter 1 – Miss Lonelyhearts (Midwest Premiere), and Alcindoro – La Bohème. Norman is a former resident artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. He has studied voice with Gerald Dolter, Kenneth Shaw, and Ruth Golden. While at the Academy of Vocal Arts he performed the roles of Ford - from Falstaff, Der Graf in Strauss’s Capriccio, and Schaunard from La Bohème. Norman is an active participant in the Opera Fusion Program with Cincinnati Opera, Performing a leading role in the world premiere of the opera, The John P. Parker Story: We Rise to Freedom by Adolphus Hailstork, in addition to being an active participant in the Cincinnati Opera outreach program. Norman has performed solo concerts with the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra along with several others. Most recently, Norman won 2011 The Metropolitan National Council Auditions Philadelphia District, and won an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Regionals. Mr. Garrett is currently a 2^nd year studio artist at Center City Opera Theater in Philadelphia where he has performed multiple operatic roles. Upcoming roles 2011 -12 for CCOT include Marcello from La Bohème, and Count Almaviva from Le nozze di Figaro. Also upcoming is his Midwest debut as Escamillo and Morales from Carmen

Jennifer Hoffmann, Resident Artist, Soprano (New Rochelle, NY) completed her graduate studies at New England Conservatory, where she appeared as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Mrs. Gobineau in The Medium, and Leonora in Captain Lovelock. Other performance highlights include the title role of Tosca with Longwood Opera, Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with the Intermezzo Music Festival in Belgium, and Mimi in concert selections from La bohème with the AIMS Festival Orchestra in Austria. Last season, she sang the Mother in Hänsel & Gretel with Longwood Opera, Rusalka (cover) with the Diva Day Foundation, and presented a concert of Russian and Slavic Music with Boston Opera Collaborative. Most recently, she appeared with Opera in the Ozarks as Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro. This Fall, she will reprise the role of the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro with Amore Opera in New York City. Jennifer holds a BA in Music and Political Science from George Washington University.

David Koh, Resident Artist, Tenor (Busan, South Korea) has appeared with Aspen Opera Theater, Reading Opera Series, Philadelphia Opera Cooperative, and Poor Richard’s Opera, among others, and has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Youth Symphony and the Korean United Churches Chamber Orchestra.  Recent performances include Mr. Angel in Mozart’s The Impresario and Elder Gleaton in Floyd’s Susannah during the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.  David is a recent graduate of Temple University’s music program where he performed the roles of Ferrando, Arkady in A Month in the Country) the Schoolmaster in Cunning Little Vixen, and covered the role of Rodolfo.  One of David’s last performances this past spring at Temple was his “countertenor” debut in Poulenc’s Les mamelles de Tiresias as Le Grand Dame.  Prior to embarking on a singing career, David helped his father grow a local house painting business into one of the most successful commercial painting and general contracting businesses in the Orange County, CA region.  David is also an accomplished clarinetist and performed in the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games opening ceremonies.  Upcoming performances include the role of Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Opera Lancaster and Rodolfo in La Bohème with Center City Opera Theater.

Christopher Lorge, Resident Artist, Tenor (Galloway, NJ) has appeared as a soloist for numerous ensembles in the southern New Jersey area, as well as with the Ocean City Pops Orchestra. In 2009 he made his debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall as a finalist for the Accadia Foundation’s inaugural Competition for Operatic Voice. Previous roles for CCOT include Ferrando in Così Fan Tutte, and Stravinsky in the world premiere of Danse Russe. Upcoming engagements include Rodolfo in La Bohème with CCOT.

Brian K. Major, Resident Artist, Baritone (Neptune, NJ) opera credits include Enrico in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Creon in Merryman’s Antigone, Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, Sam in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti and Bartolo in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia. Last season, Major made debuts at the Chesapeake River Concert Series, St. Mary’s City, Maryland, and the Alba Music Festival, Alba, Italy. Mr. Major was a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, where he covered Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème and performed 1st Nazarene in Strauss’ Salome. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Morehouse College and Master of Music degree at Boston University. He was a Phyllis Curtin Scholar at Boston University’s Opera Institute were he received a Performance Certificate.

Siddhartha Misra, Studio Artist, Tenor(Cambridge, MA) recently made his house debut at the Opera Company of Philadelphia as Paris in a new production of Roméo et Juliette and has appeared as Nemorino (L’Elisir d’amore) and Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) with Center City Opera Theater and as Don Basilio (Le nozze di Figaro) and Spoletta (Tosca) with OperaDelaware.  Other summer festival credits include the Caramoor Festival, Tanglewood Music Center, Sarasota Opera, Opera North, and Lake George Opera.  Siddhartha holds a master’s degree from Temple University, where he performed Le pecheur (Le Rossignol), Le petit vielliard (L’Enfant et les sortileges) and Spalanzani (Les contes d’Hoffman) and holds undergraduate degrees in political science and vocal performance at Northwestern University, where he performed Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi) and Bardolfo (Falstaff).

Britania Redington, Resident Artist, Soprano (Bismarck, ND) has performed with Opera Omaha, La Musica Lirica, and Operafestival di Roma. Recently, she has been an active soloist in the Delaware area.  Britania received her masters in music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she appeared in productions of Cosi fan tutte, Dead Man Walking, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Later the Same Evening. Britania currently teaches voice at Wesley College in Dover, DE.

Alexandra Roth, Resident Artist, Mezzo-soprano is a recent graduate of Oberlin Conservatory. Her operatic credits include The Old Lady in Bernstein’s Candide , Elle in Poulenc’s La voix humaine, Dorothee in Massanet’s Cendrillon, and Sasha in the World Premiere of Our Own Lives. In scenes concerts she has portrayed Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier), Baba the Turk (The Rake’s Progress), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Liza (Pique Dame), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus) and Volupia (L’egisto). Alexandra spent the summer of 2010 in Malibu, California as a Young Artist at Songfest, a program focused on connecting young singers with established contemporary composers. There she was privileged to work with the New York based New Triad Collaborative for Arts and Lori Laitman on a retrospective of Laitman’s works. Equally comfortable in contemporary music and it’s stylistic predecessors, Alexandra spent this past summer in St. John’s, Newfoundland with Opera on the Avalon singing the 2nd Witch in Dido and Aeneas. Upcoming credits include Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro in addition to other roles with Center City Opera Theater.

David (Shu-Hao) Hsu, Studio Artist, Pianist-Coach (Taiwan) was born in Taiwan and began studying piano at the age 13. He was a student of Shu-Jong Shan in a special class for talented young musicians at the senior high school in Pingtung City. He continued his education at the Taipei National University of Arts in Taipei City. He received his Postgraduate Diploma in Performance and Master's degree from the Birmingham Conservatoire under the tutelage of Professors Malcolm Wilson and Simon Nicholls. While in the Conservatoire, he gave solo recitals at the Andrian Boult Hall and and various churches in Birmingham. Mr. Hsu also studied with Professors G. Serova and L. Tamoulevich at the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia. He has participated in numerous Master-classes with outstanding pianists, such as Andir Diev, Tatiana Pikazan, Carl Urquhart, Marina Maivani, Alexander Sandler, Richard McMahon, Bryce Morrison, Peter Donohoe, and Philip Martine. He won First Prize at the Pingtung City Piano Competition and Diplomas at the National Taiwan Piano Competition. As a chamber musician and accompanist, he collaborated with many outstanding chamber music groups and soloists in Taiwan and in UK. He has also performed in Taiwan, Malaysia, Canada, Russia, USA and United Kingdom. In 2009, he gave the recitals/concerts in Iowa and New York City's Carnegie Hall. In 2010, he was the staff accompanist in the Interlochen International summer Camp. He has also been the accompanist for the International Hans Gabor Belvedere Voice competition. David is currently A.B.D. in the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy with opera/song accompaniment at the University of Iowa. He is the student of Ksenia Nosikova in piano and Shari Rhoads in opera/song accompaniment.