Noted for her inventive staging, Dorothy Danner has directed nearly 200 productions of operettas, musicals and plays throughout the United States, Canada and Belgium, including operas for the companies of Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Virginia, Cincinnati and San Francisco Merola. A dedicated teacher, she has served on the faculties of both the Juilliard Opera Center and the Curtis Institute of Music and has been a frequent guest director at Academy of Vocal Arts, NYU and Carnegie Mellon. She is part of the theatrical Danner/Paltrow family and as a young performer appeared in nine Broadway shows from the original Once Upon A Mattress to Michael Bennett’s Ballroom.
DIANE ALEXANDER Voice Instructor Diane Alexander is a critically acclaimed soprano who has appeared with major opera companies and orchestras, including Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, New World Symphony, New Orleans Opera, San Diego Opera, and Central City Opera, to name a few. Diane’s versatility caught the eye of Broadway Director Hal Prince, who cast her as Carlotta in Phantom of the Opera. She has received multiple awards including Metropolitan Opera National Finalist, Sullivan Foundation Career Grant, and Bel Canto Scholarship in Sienna, Italy. Diane is a Certified Professional Life Coach and master voice teacher mentoring and teaching rising stars of today.
ANDREW WENTZEL Voice Instructor One of the most requested bass-baritones in the U.S. during his most active years, Mr. Wentzel has performed with the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, Theatre of St. Louis, Florida Grand Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Central City Opera, San Diego Opera, and Washington Opera, in such roles as Don Giovanni, Leporello, Figaro, Basilio, Colline, Méphistophélès, Escamillo, Olin Blitch, and Banquo. A popular concert singer and recitalist, he appeared regularly with major symphony orchestras including the Boston Symphony and the National Symphony. Mr. Wentzel has been recorded on Decca, Koss, Nuova Era, and Naxos Era labels. He is Professor of Voice at the University of Tennessee, serves as the Administrator of the Knoxville Opera Studio, and is the chair of the Artistic Committee of the Knoxville Opera where he sits on the Board of Directors. He has regularly served as an adjudicator for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Mr. Wentzel has served on the artistic staff as the vocal instructor of the Janiec Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center since 2013.
CAROLINE WORRA Voice Instructor
OPERA ARTISTIC STAFF
DOROTHY DANNER Guest Director
Caroline Worra has been hailed by Opera News as “one of the finest singing actresses around.” She has sung over 90 different operatic roles including more than 20 World, American, and Regional Premieres. Ms. Worra has worked at over 30 opera companies across the United States and abroad, as well as two National tours as Violetta and Rosalinda. She was internationally acclaimed for her performances and recordings of The Mines of Sulphur, (Grammy nominated for Best Opera Recording), The Greater Good, Glory Denied, and Amleto, each being recognized by Opera News as one of the best opera recordings of the year.
ADRIANA ZABALA Voice Instructor Mezzo-soprano Adriana Zabala has created roles in operatic world premieres including Sister Carrie, Doubt (recently broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances), Dinner at Eight, The Manchurian Candidate, Volpone, and Steal a Pencil for Me. Recent credits include Florencia en el Amazonas with San Diego Opera (debut) and Madison Opera, the new opera Fellow Travelers, a reprisal of Cherubino, her signature role, and her debut with the Berkshire Opera Festival as Composer in Ariadne Auf Naxos. Ms. Zabala has been a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the New Jersey, Jerusalem, Virginia, and Jacksonville Symphonies, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and has appeared in recital at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Wolf Trap, with the Source Song Festival, The New York Festival of Song, the Salzburg Chamber Music Series, and many others. She is an alumna of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Louisiana State University, had apprenticeships at Santa Fe and Wolf Trap, and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. She is a proud member of the voice faculty at the University of Minnesota.
SUSANNE MARSEE Guest Lecturer Susanne Marsee (BA, UCLA; Advanced Studies, The Juilliard School), was one of New York City Opera’s leading mezzos for over twenty years and had the honor of partnering with Beverly Sills for ten of those years. Ms. Marsee taught voice at Carnegie Mellon University, Catholic University, and as an associate professor at LSU. Ms. Marsee has sung extensively throughout the United States at such opera companies as San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand, Washington Opera, Philadelphia Grand, San Diego Opera, New York City Opera, and many others. Her concert repertoire is extensive and she has performed with the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Handel Society at Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic, among many others.
2019 Summer Institute & Festival
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