Steven White – Conductor
Maestro Steven White is highly regarded for his work primarily in operatic literature, and has conducted with New York City Opera, Opera Colorado, Arizona Opera, New World Symphony Orchestra, Florida Philharmonic, Vancouver Opera and New Orleans Opera, to name a few. In addition, White was the founding conductor and music director of the highly acclaimed Southeastern Bach Choral Ensemble.
Guidalberto Torlonia – Stage Director
Italian Guidalberto Torlonia has more than 15 years experience planning and staging events in both the theater and fashion industries. For the last three years, he has been the Head of Protocol for the Venice International Film Festival in Italy. He also works as Theatre Director at Todifestival and the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, the Teatro Due in Rome and San Babila in Milan. In addition to his directing experience, he has worked as an artistic director and event coordinator. Mr. Torlonia is making his American debut with the Wichita Grand Opera in this production.
Larisa Yudina – Lucia
Larisa Yudina was born in Perme, Russia. She has been a member of the Marinsky Opera since 1998. She has performed the roles of Gilda in Rigoletto, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute and Ophelia in Hamlet. Ms. Yudina has performed with the Marinsky Opera as a guest artist in England, France, Austria, Germany, the U.S., Denmark and Canada. She has participated in the Festival of White Nights in Petersburg with the Marinsky Opera under the baton of Maestro Gergiev. She is making her debut with the Wichita Grand Opera in this production, and is working with Maestro White and Stage Director Torlonia for the first time.
Evgeny Akimov – Edgardo
Tenor Evgeny Akimov was born in 1967 in St. Petersburg and graduated from that city’s Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory in 1991. He has been a regular soloist with the Kirov Opera since 1996, and has performed at the Met, Covent Garden, Washington Opera, and San Fransisco Opera. He made his debut with WGO last season as the role of Rodolfo in La Boheme. His other roles include the Fisherman in Stravinsky’s The Nightingale, Bayan in Glinka’s Russian and Ludmilla, Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville, and Ottavio in Don Giovanni, among others.
Ivaylo Dzhurov – Enrico Ashton
Bass Ivaylo Dzhurov has led a vibrant international career in Austria, Holland, Spain, Greece, Germany, France and the United States. In addition to live opera performances, he has recorded several arias by Mozart, Rossini and Verdi for MMO Company New York with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra.
Richard Novak – Normanno
He has performed with the University of Louisiana-Monroe, San Antonio Symphony, and Stephen F. Austin State University. He is the winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and has performed the roles of Alfredo, Tamino, and Rodolfo. Mr. Novak is making his debut with Wichita Grand Opera.
Reginald Pittman – Arturo Bucklaw
He is an Associate Professor and Director of Opera Theatre at Kansas State University. Performing experience includes work with opera companies in Des Moines, San Diego, Arizona, New Orleans, Shreveport, Dallas, and Wichita. His past roles with WGO include Don Jose in Carmen and Parpignol in La Boheme
Evereich Sutter – Raimondo
He received a Master’s degree from University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, where he performed operatic roles including Figaro, Sarastro, Leporello, and Osmin. He is an award winning heavy metal guitarist, accomplished graphic artist, actor, magician, and karate black belt. He appeared with WGO last year in the role of Colline in La Boheme.
April Golliver – Alisa
She has performed with Des Moines Metro Opera, Indiana University Opera Theatre, and Oklahoma City University Opera Theatre. A winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions, she has performed the roles of Carmen, Cherubino, and Rosina. She holds a B.M. from Oklahoma City University, and a Master’s degree from Indiana University. She is making her debut with Wichita Grand Opera. |
