Portland Opera Announces 2019/20 Resident Artists

Portland Opera is pleased to announce the artists joining the company's 2019/20 Resident Artist program: soprano Emilie Faiella, returning mezzo-soprano Camille Sherman, tenor Ricardo Garcia, and returning baritone Geoffrey Schellenberg. Portland Opera established the Resident Artist Program in 2005, providing a bridge from the conservatory world to the professional stage for talented emerging singers, who join the company for a two-year rigorous residency and training program.

"We are so proud to welcome the 2019/20 Portland Opera Resident Artists," says Sue Dixon, interim general director. "Now in its 15th year, this program has become a key part of Portland Opera's legacy in the community. We are thrilled to share the artistry of these amazing singers throughout this next year."

The Resident Artists will give a series of community performances and will be featured in roles in Portland Opera's productions throughout the season. They will also perform solo recitals at Portland Art Museum's Whitsell Auditorium in 2020.

2019/20 PORTLAND OPERA RESIDENT ARTISTS:
EMILIE FAIELLA, soprano, will make her Portland Opera debut in An American Quartet: Four One-act Operas. She will sing the roles of Lucy in Menotti's The Telephone, Geraldine in Barber's A Hand of Bridge, and Lola in Moore's Gallantry. She will also be featured as a soloist in Portland Opera's 2020 Big Night concert. Prior to joining the Resident Artist program, Faiella performed the roles of Yniold in in Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande at Boston University's Opera Institute. She was a 2016 participant in Houston Grand Opera's Young Artists Vocal Academy, and in 2017, she was a Young Artist at SongFest, an art song festival and training program. Faiella recently completed a master's degree in voice performance at Boston University.

CAMILLE SHERMAN, mezzo-soprano, made her Portland Opera debut last fall as Flora in Verdi's La Traviata. In her first season as a Portland Opera Resident Artist, she sang the role of Ramiro in Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera and was a soloist in the 2019 Big Night concert. She will begin the 2019/20 season singing the role of Kate Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, and continue with two roles in An American Quartet: Four One-act Operas -the Announcer in Moore's Gallantry and Sally in Barber's A Hand of Bridge. She'll also be seen as Asteria in Vivaldi's Bajazet in March. In February 2019, Sherman won the Northwest Regional Competition of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Prior to joining the Portland Opera Resident Artist program, Sherman was an Artist in Residence with the Pensacola Opera, where she performed the roles of María in Piazzolla's María de Buenos Aires and the Housekeeper in Wasserman's Man of La Mancha. She returned in 2019 to make her role debut as Stéphano in Gounod's Roméo and Juliette. Sherman holds a master's degree in vocal performance from The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Catherine Cook, and a bachelor's degree from The Boston Conservatory.

RICARDO GARCIA, tenor, will make his Portland Opera debut in An American Quartet: Four One-act Operas. He will sing the roles of Bill in Barber's A Hand of Bridge, and Donald Hopewell in Moore's Gallantry. Later in the season, he will be a featured soloist in the 2020 Big Night concert, and will sing the role of Beppe in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. Before joining Portland Opera's Resident Artist program, Garcia was a 2019 Apprentice Singer at the Santa Fe Opera, and a member of the young artist program at Wolf Trap Opera in 2017. He has recently sung the roles of the Drunkard/Lamplighter in Portman's The Little Prince at Tulsa Opera, as well as the role of Bajazet in Handel's Tamerlano at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Garcia received his bachelor's degree from the University of the Pacific and in 2019 received his master's degree from The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Cesar Ulloa.

GEOFFREY SCHELLENBERG, baritone, made his Portland Opera debut as the Marquis in Verdi's La Traviata last fall. As a first year Resident Artist, he sang the roles of Fiorello in Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Nardo in Mozart's La Finta Giardiniera, and was a soloist in the 2019 Big Night concert. Last season, he also sang the role of Schaunard in Puccini's La Bohème with Vancouver Opera. In 19/20, Geoffrey will sing multiple roles in An American Quartet - Ben in Menotti's The Telephone, David in Barber's A Hand of Bridge, and Doctor Gregg in Moore's Gallantry. In addition, he will sing the role of Charlie in the Portland Opera premiere of Jake Heggie's Three Decembers and be featured as a soloist in the 2020 Big Night concert. Prior to joining the Portland Opera Resident Artist program, Schellenberg was part of Calgary Opera's Emerging Artist Development Program, where he sang the roles of Sergeant in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Sciarrone in Puccini's Tosca, and Captain in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. Schellenberg completed his masters in opera performance in 2017 at the University of British Columbia.

The 2019/20 Portland Opera Resident Artist Recital Series schedule
Portland Opera Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor Nicholas Fox is the pianist for all recitals. These recitals are free and open to the public.

Tuesday, January 14: Mezzo-soprano Camille Sherman
Portland Art Museum-Whitsell Auditorium
1219 SW Park Ave
7pm, RSVP: eventsrsvp@portlandopera.org

Tuesday, March 31: Baritone Geoffrey Schellenberg
Portland Art Museum-Whitsell Auditorium
1219 SW Park Ave
7pm, RSVP: eventsrsvp@portlandopera.org

Tuesday, April 28: Tenor Ricardo Garcia
Portland Art Museum-Whitsell Auditorium
1219 SW Park Ave
7pm, RSVP: eventsrsvp@portlandopera.org

Tuesday, June 9: Soprano Emilie Faiella
Portland Art Museum-Whitsell Auditorium
1219 SW Park Ave
7pm, RSVP: eventsrsvp@portlandopera.org

Additional performances may be found online at portlandopera.org/recitals.