Jonathan Field – Stage Director

Jonathon Field has become one of America’s more versatile and popular stage directors, having directed over one hundred productions throughout the United States. His productions for Lyric Opera of Chicago include Trouble in Tahiti, Gianni Schicchi, The Old Maid and the Thief and The Spanish Hour. For San Francisco Opera’s Western Opera Theatre he directed productions of La Cenerentola. Die Fledermaus, and La Boheme. In addition to Italian and German repertoire, he had great critical success with original Russian repertoire directing Eugene Onegin, Boris Godunov, and Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges in San Francisco.  Mr. Field has directed ten productions with the Arizona Opera, being deemed by the press “their most perceptive stage director”. He is currently Artistic Director of Lyric Opera Cleveland, where he has presented the operas of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti and Ohio premieres by John Adams, Mark Adamo and Philip Glass.

Ekhart Wycik – Conductor

The Assistant Music Director of Pfalz Theater in Kaiserslautern, Germany, he has served as musical director of Puccini’s La Bohème, Prokofiew’s Romeo and Julia, Verdi’s Rigoletto, Mozart’s Magic Flute, Rossini’s Barber of Seville, Schoenberg’s Pierrot lunaire and Glass’s House of Usher, among others. Maestro Wycik graduated summa cum laude from Düsseldorf’s Robert Schumann University of Music majoring in conducting, accompaniment, musicology and philosophy. He has also been a guest conductor in Germany, Austria, Slowenia, Hungary and Italy.

Svetlana Trifonova – Queen of the Night

Born in Kaliningrad, she graduated from the Moscow Conservatory. She debuted in 1999 in The Golden Rooster at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. In 2001, she debuted with The Mariinsky Theatre as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, and sang the role of Olympia in The Tales of Hoffman, a new production directed by Marta Domingo. Other roles she has sung at the Mariinsky Theatre are Alina in Sonambula and Oscar in Masked Ball. She has performed as a guest artist in England, China, Austria, Germany and Holland, and is debuting with Wichita Grand Opera in the role of The Queen of The Night.

Christina Martos – Pamina

She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Performance from Carnegie Mellon University and a Master of Music from the Yale School of Music Opera Program. She is currently in the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program with Washington National Opera, and her performance credits include Nedda in I Pagliacci and numerous concert soloist appearances.

Matthew Chellis – Tamino

His career highlights have included Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Baron Lummer in Intermezzo, and the Duke in Rigoletto with the Teatro Colón de Bogotá (Colombia). In addition, he has made concert appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra and The Masterwork Chorus at Carnegie Hall, among others.

Stefano De Peppo – Papageno

A native Italian, Stefano De Peppo has performed around the world, including the stages of American Opera Center at Lincoln Center, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Los Angeles Opera and the Royal Festival Hall in London. He made his first appearance with Wichita Grand Opera as Leporello in last year's performance of Don Giovanni.

John Stephens – Sarastro

He is currently Professor of Voice at the University of Kansas.  An internationally renowned bass, he has performed in all major opera houses through the United States, including Los Angeles Opera, Washington Opera, and Houston Grand Opera.

Amanda Squitieri – Papagena

Now in her second season with the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, she has performed along side Placído Domingo as Rosita in Luisa Fernanda, along with performing Papagena in Die Zauberflöte and Tisbe in La Cenerentola. In 2004, Ms. Squitieri was voted Artist of the Year by the Washington National Opera. 

Hugo Vera – Monostatos

In 2002, he made his debut at the New York City Opera and Tanglewood under the baton of Seiji Ozawa.  He has degrees from the University of Utah and the University of Kansas and has performed the roles of Don Ottavio, Alfredo, and Raffaele among many others. 

Lindsee Wilson – First Lady

After graduating from Fort Hays State University with an undergraduate degree in music, this is her first year with the Young Artist program.  She has performed many recitals, served as director of multiple choirs, and received numerous honors and awards.  Her past roles include Mimi from La Boheme and First Lady from The Magic Flute.