Resident Artists Program

With her “ringing and expressive” voice, soprano Hannah Cho is a force in new works and art songs, lauded for her emotional depth, technical precision, and sheer beauty of sound. 
 
In the 2024/2025 season, Ms. Cho makes her Opera Naples debut as soprano soloist in in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony,  followed by appearances as the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte and Yum Yum in The Mikado.

Hannah Cho made a successful debut with great reviews at Perelman Arts Center NYC in the New York premiere of Huang Ruo’s An American Soldier as Josephine Young. “Hannah Cho’s lucid soprano soared as Josephine” (New York Times). “Soprano Hannah Cho relished Josephine’s high-flying vocal lines and exuded warmth” (Wall street Journal). She also makes her debut with Daejeon Opera in I Pagliacci (as Nedda). Recently, she appeared in collaboration with pianists Youngmo Na and Jonathan Mamora at WQXR in their “Young Artists Showcase” hosted by Simone Dinnerstein in works by Debussy, Fauré, Berg, Grieg, and Schubert. With On Site Opera, she sang the title role in the world premiere of  Song of the Nightingale. In the summer of 2024, she joined the Merola Opera Program in San Francisco, where she was featured as Marzellina in Fidelio , and Musetta in La bohème. in the Schwabacher Summer Concert and Merola Grand Finale.
 
Ms. Cho has sung leading roles in Die Zauberflöte (Pamina) and La Calisto (Calisto) with Mannes Opera, and covered the role of Violetta La traviata with Korea National Opera. She has taken on many roles in world premiere operas, such as Nightingale in A Song of Nightingale, Little Madame Shoes in Red Shoes, and Nanako in Dong Ju Yun. 

In concert, Ms. Cho has performed in prestigious venues worldwide including the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the Beijing Grand Theater, the Seoul Arts Center Opera House, Harbin Grand Theater, Heidelberg Theater, Concert Hall in Linz at Bruckner University, Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Goyang Aram Nuri Theater, Bohemia National Hall, and the German Consulate in New York. 
 
Ms. Cho has received numerous accolades for her performances, including first prize at the Beijing International Opera Competition, Korea National Opera Competition, Daejeon Opera Competition, and the German Lieder Association Competition (Korea). She was a grant recipient at the Gerda Lissner Competition and received the Gold Smith Foundation Award and Michael Sisca Opera Award.

Scott Hetz Clark, a baritone from Leesburg, Virginia, has captivated audiences with his
versatile vocal talent and showmanship. A James Madison University School of Music
alumnus, Scott’s operatic journey began at the Prague Summer Nights Young Artist Festival
in 2019, where he debuted as Figaro in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the historic Estates
Theater. Since then, he has continued to perform on some of the top stages across the
United States and Europe. Some of his notable performances include Don Giovanni,
Sweeney Todd, Papageno, The Pirate King, and Méphistophélès.
One of Scott’s most recent highlights was in 2023 when he made his Lincoln Center debut
with Teatro Nuovo, where he performed the role of Don Asdrubale in the rarely performed
Ricci Brothers’ comedic opera “Crispino e la comare”. He has collaborated with the
Sarasota Opera, Opera Baltimore, The Seagle Festival, Bel Cantanti Opera, The Castleton
Festival, and the Lyric Opera Studio Weimar. He’s twice competed in the Metropolitan
Opera Laffont Competition, winning an Encouragement Award in the DMV District in 2023.
Scott has a distinct affinity for Jazz music and performs frequently in the DMV, where he
often headlines at major clubs and festivals. Beyond the stage, Scott has many unwonted
interests including snowboarding, home-brewing, and fishing. Scott is thankful for his family,
his mentors, and all who have supported him along his musical journey

Praised for their “rich sound” and “remarkable agility” (Brooklyn Daily Eagle), mezzo-soprano Cornelia
Lotito enjoyed a vibrant 2023/24 season including Stephano (Romeo et Juliette) with Opera Idaho, The
Announcer (Gallantry) and Sorceress (Dido and Aeneas), and the alto solos in Haydn’s The Creation and
Handel’s Messiah.
Previously, Cornelia was a resident artist with Opera Idaho, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Indianapolis
Opera, and Knoxville Opera. They have sung lead and supporting roles with the New Jersey Symphony
Orchestra, Marble City Opera, Light Opera of New Jersey, Druid City Opera, Black Sheep Contemporary
Ensemble, Opera Theatre of Montclair, and several others.
A frequent vocal competitor, Cornelia is a two-time Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition regional
nalist, winning the Idaho-Montana District in 2023, and the Indiana District in 2022. Previously, they
won an Encouragement Award from the 2021 Tennessee District of the Metropolitan Opera National
Council Auditions, as well as an encouragement award from the Gerda Lissner Foundation and several
others.

Tenor Nathan Schafer has been revered by critics for his “strong clear tenor voice” (Ladue News) Upcoming engagements include covering the roles of Macduff in Macbeth at Teatro Nuovo in New York City and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly at Austin Opera. Mr. Schafer will perform the tenor solo in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Southwest Florida Symphony and will be a resident artist at Opera Naples this winter. He recently made his New York debut as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi at Finger Lakes Opera. Mr. Schafer performed Rodolfo in La bohème, Alfredo in La traviata and Ferrando in Così fan tutte at Shreveport Opera. He made his professional debut at Winter Opera of St. Louis as Ruggero in La rondine. Mr. Schafer has performed with prominent opera houses such as The Dallas Opera, Central City Opera, Tulsa Opera, and Fort Worth Opera.