Who’s Who

CANDACE EVANS (Stage Director & Choreographer) Internationally praised for “a flawless sense of timing” (Opera News), whose work is “genuine gripping drama” (Opera Now), Ms. Evans is known for incisive story-telling. Her Akhnaten was named ‘definitive’ by the Philip Glass organization, and her production of Florencia en el Amazonas for San Diego Opera was acclaimed as “best illustrating composer intent.” La Viuda Alegre, at the legendary Teatro Colón, was named in the top three operas of the entire Argentinian season. Her own performance career included dancing with the Wisconsin Ballet Company, singing with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, international tours in Shakespearean roles and national voice-over credits. This combination of talent and interest illustrate why her directorial style includes the integration of musical intent, dramatic text and the physical life of performers. Passionate about the future of opera education, Ms. Evans is happy to return to Yale University, and has also directed frequently at Indiana University, Carnegie Mellon and at various YAP programs nationally. Among past engagements: Dallas Opera, Santa Fe, Arizona, Palm Beach, San Diego, as well as international tours with the Montefeltro Festival.

GERALD MARTIN MOORE (Director of Yale Opera) is an internationally renowned singing teacher and a vocal consultant. He has worked in such houses as Covent Garden, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco and Opera de Bastille in Paris as well as the Aix-en-Provence, Edinburgh and Glyndebourne Festivals. Since moving to NYC in 2008 he has been on the teaching faculty of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann program and Curtis Institute of Music. He regularly gives masterclasses at Glyndebourne, Merola, Washington National Opera, and is on the regular teaching faculty at Music Academy of the West, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center and Ravinia Steanes. Mr. Moore joined the faculty of the Yale School of Music as Director of Yale Opera in 2020. A frequent recitalist, most notably with Renée Fleming, he has performed before such dignitaries as President Obama, President Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, HRH King Charles III, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Gerald was recently featured accompanying Renee Fleming in the soundtrack for the movie Bel Canto and also coached Julianne Moore who plays the role of Roxanne. Mr. Moore may currently be heard as a regular host of the Metropolitan Opera Quiz, and is a frequent judge for prestigious vocal competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions.

ALEJANDRO ROCA (Music Director & Pianist) Opera coach and conductor Alejandro Roca’s recent engagements include performances of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona, new productions with the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, performances with the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra of Falla’s Master Peter’s Puppet Show, and debuts with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Cláudio Santoro National Theater in Brasilia, Brazil. Rocahas collaborated with such renowned conductors as Rinaldo Alessandrini, Gustavo Dudamel, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Josep Caballé Domenech, Patrick Fournillier, Hilary Griffiths, Gérard Korsten, and Miguel Roa. Roca has appeared in recital with numerous vocalists around the world and has recorded music by several Latin American composers. Since 2006, Roca has served as a conductor and pianist at the Opera of Colombia, in Bogotá, and his repertoire includes more than 70 fully prepared operas and zarzuelas. Roca serves as Lecturer in Music/Opera Coach at the Yale School of Music. He previously served as Opera Coach and Director of the Opera Workshop at Central University, in Bogotá, and at Scuola Italia’s summer program for young opera singers in Sant’Angelo in Vado, Italy. He has also been a member of the faculty at the University of Antioquia, in Medellín, and at Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogotá, and has served as Director of the Cartagena International Music Festival’s academic program. Roca’s pedagogical experience includes the presentation of master classes at Indiana University and the University of Michigan in the United States, Nayang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore, Capela di Santa Maria in Curitiba, Brazil,and the University of Valle and the University of the North in Colombia, among other institutions. Roca earned his master of arts degree in orchestral conducting from the National University of Colombia and his bachelor of arts degree in piano performance from the Antonio Maria Valencia Conservatory in Cali. He also pursued postgraduate studies at Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona.

KIMKIM (Juhee Kim) (Scenic Designer) is a fourth-year M.F.A candidate in set design at David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. She received her B.F.A. in painting from Hongik University* in South Korea, where she also worked as a set designer for TV shows and events at CJ ENM*. Recent credits include Romeo and Juliet, directed by Leyla Levi (DGSD); #4 written and directed by Abigail C. Onwunali (Yale Cabaret); Art directed by Carson White (Yale Production); Brand promotion film for Torre in collaboration with PASOO*. Her interest in body and space led her to also explore choreography, as seen in her work on Over Easy (Yale Cabaret) and her upcoming choreography for The Winter’s Tale directed by Sammy Zeisel (DGSD). kimkimscenic.com

REBECCA WELLES (Costume Designer) DGSD ‘12 has been designing for Yale Opera since 2013 where her credits include, L’elisie d’amore, Florencia en el Amazonas, Eugene Onegin, The Magic Flute, Hansel and Gretel, Fall 2017- 2020 Opera Scenes, Le pauvre matelot, The Bear, Don Quichotte, La Cenerentola, Le nozze di Figaro, Gianni Schicci, Riders to the Sea, Bon Appitit and Iolanta. Rebecca is also an adjunct professor of performing arts at Eastern Connecticut state University, and the costume shop manager at The Mystic Seaport Museum. Other design credits include The Tempest, and Comedy of Errors Elm Shakespeare Company, Million Dollar Quartet and Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Story at Ivoryton Playhouse, Cenerentola, Gianni Schicci, The Trial, Magic Flute, and La Boheme, for Salt Marsh Opera; Il barbiere di Siviglia, Aspen Opera Center; Cavalleria Rusticana, I Pagliacci, Boheme Opera New Jersey.

CAMILLA TASSI (Projection Designer) is a projection/video designer, producer, and musician from Florence, Italy. Design credits include Falling Out of Time (Carnegie Hall), L’Orfeo (Apollo’s Fire), Stinney: An American Execution (PROTOTYPE, NYC), Cendrillon (Peabody Opera), Fires in the Mirror (Baltimore Center Stage & Long Wharf Theater), Magic Flute (Berlin Opera Academy), Alcina (Yale Opera), and Side by Side (Rep Theater of St. Louis). For video, she has directed and edited for the Washington Chorus, Les Délices Early Music, Princeton Festival, and Chicago Ear Taxi Festival. She has sung with groups including the Yale Schola Cantorum and Apollo’s Singers. Tassi holds degrees in computer science, music, and projection design. 2022 recipient of the Burry Fredrik design award and 2023 Robert L. Tobin Director-Designer opera prize. MFA in Design at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale, under Wendall Harrington. http://camillatassi.com

JAMIE BURNETT (Lighting Designer) is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, recipient of the 2005 New Haven Arts award, and Founding member of The Elm Shakespeare Company. Lighting Designer at Elm Shakespeare for 26 years and Set Designer until 2009. Lighting Design credits include International Festival of Arts and Ideas 2018, Requiem for an Electric Chair; Iseman Theater 2017, Never Stand Still. CCT: Skeleton Crew, Rasheeda Speaking, Jesus Hopped the A Train, Sunset Baby, Topdog/Underdog. SCSU: Stop Kiss, Much Ado About Nothing, The Boyfriend, and Our Country’s Good. SHU: In The Heights, Jesus Christ Superstar. Citywide Open Studios: New Haven Armory; Projects2k: Stamford Train Station Façade Lighting; Producer/Lighting Designer/Production Manager for Terra Tractus (The Earth Moves), (2005) Terra Mirabila, (2001) Terra Lumina and Terra Continuum (1999): performed in the Stony Creek Granite Quarry; PNM’s Branford Luminata (2010) lighting Branford Green Town Hall. His company, Luminous Environments, specializes in theater and TV studio renovations and public art installations involving specialized lighting. Recent projects: Branford HS Theater, Fairfield Community Theater, and Legacy Theatre.

KAREN ROOT (Properties Designer) is delighted to return to Yale Opera. Previously at Yale Opera she designed L’elisir d’amore. Theatre set design credits include: Gallathea (Southern Connecticut State University, upcoming), The Tempest (Elm Shakespeare), Taste of Fear (Elm Shakespeare), All About Image/We Are the Elite (NY International Fringe Festival), Great Catherine (Helen Gardiner Phalen Playhouse), Like Mamma Made You (Factory Theatre). Other theatre credits include: The Comedy of Errors, and Elm Shakespeare Youth Festival (Elm Shakespeare), La Ronde (Soulpepper Theatre Company), The Seagull (Stratford Festival), Pericles, Prince of Tyre (Helen Gardiner Phalen Playhouse). Karen is also Guest Designer and Adjunct Professor at Southern Connecticut State University and an Emmy nominated and Parent’s Choice Award winning production designer. Karen holds an Honors BA from University of Toronto. She is based in Westport, CT, where she lives with her husband, three children, and many pets. karenrootdesign.com

RICH BURKAM (Master Carpenter) came to Connecticut to study music and music recording at UNH. He played in bands such as 4:20, Space Cushion, and Over The Line. His studies continued, learning to be a luthier under Barry Lipman and Chris Tatalias, giving him a taste for fine woodworking. Richard now owns a woodshop that makes fine furniture, in a space which is shared with lighting designer Jamie Burnett. Together they have built sets for many production companies, including Elm Shakespeare, Yale Baroque Opera Project, and many small black box theater productions.

T. RICK JONES (Stage Manager) is delighted to be returning to Legacy, this time with Yale Opera. He was last here Stage Managing A Christmas Carol in 2022. His career spans 30 years, with other credits including Regional: White Heron Theatre Company (Resident SM/Production Manager); Lyric Stage Company of Boston (PSM); White Plains Performing Arts Center (PSM); Colonial Theatre – Shakespeare in the Park (PSM, Production Manager, Assistant Producer, Production Photographer); The Ivoryton Playhouse (PSM); Seven Angels Theatre; (PSM). Off-Broadway: Sessions: The Musical (PSM); A Night at the Carlyle (PSM); Yohen (PSM). T. Rick is also the Managing Editor of the online outlet Daily Star Trek News and a Contributing Writer for Sherlock Holmes Magazine.

ERICA PAJONAS (Assistant Stage Manager) Legacy Theater: A Christmas Carol (Female Swing), The Great Gatsby: A Live Radio Play (Props Coordinator), Deathtrap (Props Coordinator & Assistant Stage Manager), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hippolyta & Mustardseed). Quinnipiac University: Thebes: A New Musical (Laius), Proof (Catherine), Macbeth (Lennox & Doctor, Props Master), Thom Pain (based on nothing) (Producer), The Lifespan of a Fact (Props Master), Love & Information (Ensemble), Bad Jews (Set Designer), Seven Minutes in Heaven (Run Crew), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Fairy) New Play Festival 2019 (Stage Manager, Last Words). Education: Quinnipiac University, Psychology and Theater double major. Awards: Alpha Psi Omega Theater Honors Society, Psi Chi Psychology Honors Society.

JOHN HORZEN (Projection Assistant) is a third-year M.F.A candidate in projection design at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. He received his bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, and is constantly examining the connective tissue that binds his rhyming loves of producing, designing, and communal music-making in order to find new ways of storytelling. John’s selected projection credits include The Planets (Woolsey Hall, Co-Projection Designer), Cuatro Bailes (The Bushnell, Co-Developer and Set/Projections designer), and The Kite Runner (The Hayes Theater, 3D Animator). johnhorzen.com | @johnhorzen

LANE SHOEMAKER (Run Crew) is a shoreline local from Madison who is very excited to be working on their second production at Legacy Theatre! They graduated this past May with their BA in Theatre Tech and Design from WCSU where they had the chance to work on many productions in many different positions with their main focuses being props and scenic painting.

COLLEEN CALLAHAN (Run Crew) is thrilled to be returning to the Legacy Theatre Team! She is a recent graduate of Western Connecticut State University with a degree in Theatre Arts. Her previous work includes Legacy Theatre’s A Christmas Carol (Assistant Stage Manager & Wardrobe Assistant) WCSU’s Honey, I Shrunk the Plays (Stage Manager), and WCSU’s Hand To God (Assistant Costume Designer). Selected performance experience includes WCSU’s Noises Off (Dotty Otley), WCSU’s The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui (Betty Dullfeet), WCSU’s In the Open (Devon).

Singer Profiles

ELANA BELL (Female Chorus) Hometown: Baltimore, MD; Education: M.M. University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; B.M. & B.A. Oberlin Conservatory & College; Young Artist Programs: Des Moines Metro Opera; Music Academy of the West, Tanglewood Music Center.

ETHAN BURCK (Male Chorus) Hometown: Aurora, IL; Education: M.M. Curtis Institute of Music; B.M. Baldwin Wallace Conservatory; Young Artist Program: Santa Fe Opera.

AMALIA CREVANI (Lucia) Hometown: Milford, NJ; Education: B.M. DePauw University; Young Artist Program: Aspen Opera.

DANIEL ESPINAL (Male Chorus) Hometown: Sarasota, FL; Education: B.M. Manhattan School of Music; Young Artist Program: Merola Opera.

ALLISON FAHEY (Lucretia) Hometown: Sebastian, FL; Education: B.M. Stetson University; Young Artist Programs: Seagle Festival, Chautauqua Opera Conservatory.

SAMUEL KIDD (Tarquinius) Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI; Education: M.M. M.M. University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; B.M. The University of Michigan; Young Artist Programs: Wolf Trap Opera; Young Artist Vocal Academy Houston Grand Opera; Music Academy of the West.

ANNELIESE KLENETSKY (Female Chorus) Hometown: Edison, NJ; Education: M.M. & B.M. The Juilliard School; Young Artist Programs: Music Academy of the West; Chautauqua Voice Program; Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute.

SERGIO MARTÍNEZ (Collatinus) Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia; Education: M.M. University of Illinois Urbaba-Campaign; B.M. Juan N Corpas University, Bogotá, Colombia; Young Artist Program: Glimmerglass Opera.

ANA MORA (Bianca) Hometown: Venezuela; Education M.M. & G.D. New England Conservatory; B.M. Pontnnificia Universidad Javeriana; Young Artist Program: Santa Fe Opera.

KARA MORGAN (Lucretia) Hometown: Andover, MN; Education M.M. New England Conservatory; B.M. Drake University; Young Artist Programs: Santa Fe Opera; Sarasota Opera.

FINN SAGAL (Junius) Hometown: La Canada, CA; Education: B.M. UCLA; Young Artist Program: Aspen Music Festival; Curtis Summerfest.

ALEX SMITH (Junius) Hometown: Kalamazoo, MI; Education: B.M. Oberlin Conservatory of Music; Young Artist Program: SongFest; Oberlin in Italy.

JILLIAN TATE (Lucia) Hometown: Fairfax, VA; Education: B.M. University of Maryland, College Park.

KORIN THOMAS-SMITH (Tarquinius) Hometown: Toronto, Canada; Education: M.M. & B.M. University of Toronto; Young Artist Programs: Music Academy of the West; Aspen Music Festival; Ravinia Steans Music Institute.