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and German) recently graduated from the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, where he performed Sarastro in The Magic Flute, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Archibaldo in L’amore dei tre re, the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Méphistophélès in Faust, Colline in La bohème, and Des Grieux in Manon. Other recent highlights include singing part of Handel’s Messiah with the Philadelphia Orchestra, reaching the semifinals of the 2016 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and taking part in master classes with Joyce DiDonato at Carnegie Hall. In summer 2017, he joined Wolf Trap Opera as a Filene Young Artist, performing Fabrizio in Rossini’s La pietra del paragone and the Sacristan in Tosca. He will make his debut with Santa Fe Opera this summer, with roles in Ariadne auf Naxos and Candide. Schneider is a Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation Scholarship recipient. RICHARD TREY SMAGUR (UNITED STATES)
Michelle Beale and Dick Anderson Fellow Tenor—Young Servant Richard Trey Smagur, of Clarkesville, Georgia, is a first-year artist in the HGO Studio and was a 2012 participant in HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy. He was a Grand Finals winner in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2017 National Council Auditions. He made his HGO debut as Gastone de Letorières in La traviata this fall. Previous roles include Tsarevich Gvidon in The Golden Cockerel at Santa Fe Opera and Tamino in The Magic Flute with OK Mozart, and he covered Des Grieux in Manon at Des Moines Metro Opera. In concert, he performed in Elijah with the Tucson Desert Song Festival and as a tenor soloist with the Cincinnati Boy Choir. In summer 2016, he was a fellow at Steans Music Institute at Ravinia Music Festival. Smagur’s roles during his academic training include the title role in Peter Grimes, Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, Don José in Carmen, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore, and the Prince in Cendrillon. MANÉ GALOYAN (ARMENIA) Mr. and Mrs. Philip A. Bahr/ Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Nickson Fellow Soprano—Confidante This fall, Mané Galoyan began her third season in the HGO Studio by singing performances of Violetta Valéry in La traviata. Her previous roles at HGO include Adina in performances of The Elixir of Love, Kitchen Girl in Rusalka, and Forest Bird in Siegfried as well as two roles in world premieres: Margaret Hughes in Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players and
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Lucy in David Hanlon and Stephanie Fleischmann’s After the Storm. Major competition awards include first prize in HGO’s 2015 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias, third place in the women’s voice division of the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition, a 2014 prize in the Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition, and first prize in the Seventh Bibigul Tulegenova International Singing Competition in Kazakhstan. She participated in HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy in 2013. In summer 2016, she sang Smorfiosa in Gassmann’s L’opera seria with Wolf Trap Opera. KAITLYN STAVINOHA (UNITED STATES)
Soprano—Trainbearer Kaitlyn Stavinoha made her HGO mainstage debut in Carousel (2016). She has been active with the HGO Chorus and with HGOco, performing most recently as Gretel in over 70 performances of Opera to Go!’s Hansel and Gretel and HGOco’s Veterans Songbook initiative. She has recently made several debuts with Houston classical arts companies. Recent appearances include Elvira in The Italian Girl in Algiers with Operativo Houston and her company debut with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston singing Gianetta in The Gondoliers. Upcoming performances include a role and company debut with Opera in the Heights performing Oscar in A Masked Ball. Last year, she won an Encouragement Award in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Role highlights include Marie (The Daughter of the Regiment), Adina (The Elixir of Love), Pamina (The Magic Flute) and Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro). She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in vocal performance from Oklahoma City University and Baylor University.