Chorus

lives by a Swedish proverb, “Those who wish to sing, will always find a song”; being Swedish and Irish by birth and blessed to be Italian by marriage! Beginning with La Boheme, in 2014, Kathleen has been sharing her voice, her energy and her enthusiasm with Opera Naples.  Singing since she was a child, in musical theater and as a church soloist, her first opera was Aida with the Baltimore Civic Opera and has come full circle on the Artis stage with the 2019 Opera Naples production. Her favorite audience is her seven Grands, who applaud her return to White Plains, New York every summer.

is a founding member of the bass section. He has participated in every Opera Naples production since its inception.  He has studied voice, violin, piano, and viola and is a passionate frequenter of concerts and recitals as well as owner of a vast CD collection.

has been singing for years, but only came to opera in 2019. Living in Frankfurt, Germany for 13 years, David sang with Christ the King Episcopal Church and Dr. Hoch’s Conservatorium. In the U.S., David has sung with the Texas Bach Choir in San Antonio, the Loudoun County Mastersingers in Virginia, and First Presbyterian Church in Naples. David also sings 250+ songs from the Great American Songbook as a solo performer.

Opera News calls Director Jeffrey Buchman “a formidable talent.” Constantly pushing the limits of the performing arts, Mr. Buchman’s versatility leads him to a variety of venues to explore some of opera’s classics while also constantly premiering new works. His innovation puts him at the forefront of a new era in directing.

In recent seasons, he directed La Traviata, Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflöte for The Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA); As One for Hawaii Opera Theater; Ricky Ian Gordon’s 27 for Michigan Opera Theatre; Le nozze di Figaro, Carmen, and Madama Butterfly for Opera Naples; and the world premiere of TESLA for the SoBe Arts Festival.

He has led three productions for Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, Carmen, La bohème and La traviata; directed Die Zauberflöte for Opera Naples and Florida Grand Opera, where he also directed productions of Rigoletto and Eugene Onegin; Carmen at Atlanta Opera; a new production of Faust, Turandot, Don Pasquale, and Il trovatore for Opera Naples; Il barbiere di Siviglia for Baltimore Opera; and Tosca with Opera Tampa.

Previous engagements also include La tragédie de Carmen and Il barbiere di Siviglia for Syracuse Opera; Turandot and Manon Lescaut for Mobile Opera; a double-bill of Gianni Schicchi/Suor Angelica, Roméo et Juliette and La fille du régiment at Intermountain Opera Bozeman; Così fan tutte at Brevard Music Center; South Pacific for Anchorage Opera; Hänsel und Gretel for Sarasota Opera; Cold Sassy Tree for the Sugar Creek Music Festival; L’elisir d’amore for Toledo Opera; Il barbiere di Siviglia for the Orlando Philharmonic; and La Cenerentola at Green Mountain Opera Festival. Following his success directing the première of Madama Butterfly in his Nicaraguan début for the National Theater in Managua, Mr. Buchman returned to direct a critically acclaimed production of La bohème.

An innovative director, Mr. Buchman spends time working on new and groundbreaking material for the contemporary opera world. Some of these endeavors include his title as Artistic Director of a dynamic multimedia project entitled “Live Arts” at Grand Rapids Symphony, Andy Vores’ chamber opera No Exit based on the 1944 existentialist play with the same title at Florida Grand Opera, and a contemporary multimedia theatre project entitled Fairy Tales: Songs of the Dandelion Woman at Little Stage Theater in Miami Beach.

Buchman also directs at many universities throughout Florida and the U.S. Some of his university engagements include a double-bill of Gianni Schicchi/Suor Angelica at Miami University, Marva and Ainadamar at the University of Miami, The Bartered Bride for the New World School of the Arts, Don Giovanni at UCLA, and L’elisir d’amore for the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music

Mr. Buchman has a long history of fostering the artistic growth of young artists throughout the country. He was Resident Stage Director for Sarasota Opera’s Apprentice Artist Program. His work with Tulsa Opera includes directing productions for their Young Artist Studio such as Pirates of Penzance and Luisa Fernanda. From 2005-2010, Mr. Buchman served as stage director and coach for the Opera Department of the New World School of the Arts in Miami, where he created new productions of Die Zauberflöte, Hänsel und Gretel, Amelia Goes to the Ball, La Divina, Die Fledermaus, and Così fan Tutte.

Mr. Buchman studied German at the Goethe-Institut in Prien am Chiemsee, Germany and Spanish at the Instituto Cervantes in New York. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Opera from the Boston Conservatory of Music and a Master of Music degree in Voice from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in his native city of Baltimore, Maryland. He trained in the Young Artist Program of the Florida Grand Opera, where he later was honored with the company’s Evelyn P. Gilbert Award. He also trained in the Studio and Apprentice Artist Programs of Central City Opera, where he was awarded their Studio Artist of the Year award.

Tenor,  residing in Naples, Fl, is an avid chorister having had his beginnings singing in his church’s choir. Opera has been a passion for him, and he has sung in the choirs of such productions as: Giussepe Verdi’s Requiem(performed 3 times), Nabucco, La Traviata, Rigoletto and Aida, Elijah, an oratorio written by Felix Mendelssohn, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Puccini’s Tosca, and Turandot, Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado, and Rossini’s opera, Il Barbiere il Siviglia.  Also from Tchaikovsky, the very distinctive opera Eugene Onegin. He participated also in the production The Magic Flute by Mozart,  L’elisir d’amore, by Donizetti, Show Boat, as well as Gloria by John Rutter and his Requiem, Gloria by Antonio Vivaldi, The Requiem for the living by Dan Forest, Requiem by G. Faure and many more well know anthems.

Mark Danni (Director) is the Founding Artistic Director of TheatreZone, Naples’ professional Equity Theatre Company, where he has directed and produced over 75 plays and musicals. For Opera Naples, he has directed their productions of Scalia / Ginsburg,  L’Isola Disabitata, The Medium, The Telephone, and directed and conducted Show Boat, a joint production with TheatreZone.  Other Opera credits include Sweeney Todd (Opera Roanoke) and Brigadoon (Gulfshore Opera).

After starting his New York City career as a drummer/percussionist on Broadway for Chicago, Grand Hotel, Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Joseph…Dreamcoat, Annie Get Your Gun and Nunsense, he moved up to conduct the national tours of Les Misérables, Barnum, and A Little Night Music at the Tony Award winning Signature Theatre.  He also toured with The Phantom Of The Opera, 42^nd Street, Hair, Evita, Les Misérables, Fame, Sandy Duncan, Lucie Arnaz, Rich Little, Dennis DeYoung (Styx), The Crystals, The Duprees, The Four Lads, and The NY Tenors.  His Off-Broadway directing credits include Aggravation, and What Would Esther Williams Do In A Situation Like This?

Originally from Buffalo, NY, Mark attended Baldwin-Wallace University in Cleveland, OH.  He is a member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers, and the American Federation of Musicians.

Described as having “a gorgeously warm tone and deep resonance” (Opera News), Baritone Darren Drone is quickly making a name for himself in the opera world as an exciting up and comer. His 2020-21 season begins with his second year of residency with Michigan Opera Theatre. During his first year with the company, roles included covering Leporello in Don Giovanni, covering the title role of Sweeney Todd, performing both the title role of Gianni Schicchi as well as Buoso’s Ghost, covering Tonio in Pagliacci, and preparing the role of Young Man/Man in Bar in Champion (canceled due to COVID-19). In the spring of 2020, Mr. Drone was awarded as a semifinalist in the Lotte Lenya Competition, performed with the Detroit Youth Symphony Orchestra, and was scheduled to make his company debut with Opera Maine as William in The Fall of the House of Usher (canceled due to COVID-19). In 2021, Mr. Drone looks forward to making his company debut with Opera Naples as Riff in West Side Story and singing Baron Douphol while covering Germont in La traviata, as well as making a role debut as the title role in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera in the Heights. In the summer of 2021, Mr. Drone will join the Santa Fe Opera, covering the roles of the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the Captain in Eugene Onegin.

baritone, moved to Naples in 2013, from the San Luis Obispo area of the Central Coast of California. A California native, he spent 25 active years involved in chorales, soloist work and many musical theater productions. He was a member of the San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble, and traveled with that group on four international concert tours. He also performed with Pacific Repertory Opera and the Mozart Festival Chorus, both based in San Luis Obispo. Since moving to Naples, he has appeared in seven Opera Naples productions.

Speech Language Pathologist with pediatric specialty employed by Lee Health. Previous singing experience with Emerson College Chorus, Boston, Ma , Temple Israel choir Sharon MA and Temple Shalom choir Naples, Fl.

has recently moved to Naples and has enjoyed participating in the youth programs at The Naples Players, GulfShore Playhouse and Opera Naples.  She is originally from the Chicago area and has been studying classical voice as a soprano since she was eight years old. She currently is a student at Pine Ridge Middle School and will be attending Barron Collier High School this fall.

is a sophomore at Community School of Naples. Born in a Belgian family of opera lovers, she was delighted to make her opera debut in Opera Naples 2019 production of Carmen, in her native language. Her theater credits include: Showtime: Best of 50 Shows, Fame, Fools, Anything Goes, I Hate Shakespeare and Eurydice. Heloise further expresses her creativity and musical talents through playing guitar, ukulele and clarinet, songwriting and recording, and the Odyssey of the Mind competition.

grew up in Madrid, Spain and studied biology with a masters in genetics.  After marrying in Spain, she moved to Naples with her husband. She sang, played guitar, and always enjoyed music, especially Zarzuela, Spanish lyric opera.  She was lead to audition for Opera Naples after working with a vocal coach, and she debuted in Carmen eight years ago.  She is delighted to participate in Opera Naples and meet people who share similar interests.

is a graduate of The Professional Performing Arts School in New York City. She is proud to make her Opera Naples debut in Carmen! Since moving to Southwest Florida, she has performed with Gulfshore Opera (Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight), New Phoenix Theatre,(La Cage Aux Folles), Laboratory Theater (Body and Sold, In the Shadow of Queens), Cultural Park Theater(Sister Act, Pajama Game, All Shook Up,Seussical,Music Man)

graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a Bachelors in Music Education Instrumental Concentration and Minor in Voice . Karimi was awarded the Jeanie Queen 2018 from the Florida Federation of Music Club’s Stephen Foster State Awards and first place in the voice category for Jillian Prescott Competition in 2017. Karimi performed selected scenes from Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Cosi Fan Tutte playing the roles of Donna Anna and Fiordiligi in Verona, Italy with the Opera Viva 2018 summer program. She is working with Opera Naples for the 2018-2019 season as a section leader for the chorus. Karimi will be attending Westminster Choir College to study her Masters in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy in Fall 2019.

was born in Germany and is now living in York, Maine and Naples, FL. He studied chemical engineering in Darmstadt ( PHD ) and started chemical production for a German company in Hoboken NJ. He started his own tanning business in North Adams, MA and later sold the business to Prime Tanning and worked for them as International Sales Manager. He studied voice, piano, french horn, and staging in Darmstadt, and has sung in various opera companies in Germany. Musical involvements include: the Seacoast chorus from 1991 to 2010, Choral symposium in Ogontz with Sir David Wilcox, Richard Marlow and David Hill 2001 to 2018, The Bach Ensemble Naples and Opera Naples from 2010.

Multiple Grammy Award-winning Isabel Leonard continues to thrill audiences both in the opera house and on the concert stage. She has graced the stages of the Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, Salzburg Festival, Bavarian State Opera, Carnegie Hall, Glyndebourne Festival, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Aix-en-Provence Festival, Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera and appeared with some of the foremost conductors of her time: Valery Gergiev, Seiji Ozawa, Antonio Pappano, Charles Dutoit, Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Yannick Nézét-Seguin, Franz Welser-Möst, Plácido Domingo, Edward Gardner, James Levine, Edo de Waart, James Conlon, Marin Alsop, Sir Andrew Davis, Michele Mariotti, Harry Bicket, Andris Nelsons, and Michael Tilson Thomas with the Vienna Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and San Francisco Symphony, among others.

Called “Outstanding” and “Hilarious” by critics, tenor Alex Mansoori has been hailed as “solid and convincing” and “smartly characterized” by The New York Times. Specializing in character tenor roles, Mr. Mansoori’s varied repertoire runs the gamut from Handel and Mozart to Bernstein and Sondheim.

In the summer of 2018, Mr. Mansoori made his debut at The Tanglewood Festival in multiple roles in Bernstein’s Candide. The production was originally presented with Orlando Philharmonic under director Alison Moritz and was heard at Tanglewood with the Brooklyn-based chamber orchestra The Knights. In the 2018-19 season, Mr. Mansoori made his Dallas Opera debut as Bardolfo in Falstaff, joining an all-star cast led by Riccardo Frizza. He also returned to Opera Orlando for his role debuts as Beppe in Pagliacci and the Four Servants in Les contes d’Hoffmann.

Tenor Alex McKissick has been engaged in leading roles at Washington National Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Aspen Music Festival, and Des Moines Metro Opera in such wide-ranging repertoire as Roméo et Juliette, Silent Night, La bohème, Les mamelles de Tirésias, La Traviata, Der Kaiser von Atlantis, and Otello. He has appeared with the Richmond Symphony and Charleston Symphony, in addition to concerts with Georg Solti Accademia in Venice, Italy. Mr. McKissick has worked with conductors Eun Sun Kim, Daniele Callegari, Keri-Lynn Wilson, Nicole Paiement, as well as stage directors David Alden, Francesca Zambello, and Tomer Zvulun. He has coached with Richard Bonynge, Carmen Giannattasio, Angela Gheorghiu, and Anthony Legge, in addition to participating in master classes with Fabio Luisi and Emmanuel Villuame. A native of Connecticut, Mr. McKissick received his training at the Juilliard School of Music and is an alumnus of the Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera.

a Founding Member of Opera Naples, came to opera singing rather later in life, but now has sung with Opera Naples for over 12 years.  His debut was as Sciarrone in Tosca, the first O.N. production. He has also sung the Sergeant in La Boheme and the messenger in LaTraviata.  Once a second tenor, Nevaril now sings with the basses. He says if he lives long enough, he’ll become a Russian Bass. Nevaril doubles in the Chorus and as a member of the Board of Directors.

Singing has been part of Diane’s life since childhood.  She has performed for years with both musical theater and sacred choral groups in suburban Chicago. Diane received minimal formal vocal training focusing instead on her career as a clinical pharmacist. She has a broad vocal range, singing the low tenor notes as well as most of the high soprano. Diane is a full-time resident in Old Naples and has sung with Opera Naples since 2017.

(originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts) has been actively involved in community theater on and off for over 35 years. While in Massachusetts she was a chorus member in Guys and  Dolls, Fiddler on the Roof, The Pirates of Penzance, and The Gondoliers. During her four years in Puerto Rico she performed in several  productions with The Civic Theater of San Juan. Locally she has appeared in  over a dozen productions with The Marco Players and The Island Theater Company (favorite roles include Janet in Wally’s Cafe and Sheila in Jake’s Women). She has been a member of the Naples Philharmonic Chorus for the past eight years. This is her second year performing in the chorus with Opera Naples and has appeared in Madame Butterfly, L’elisir D’amore, A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein, and Aida. She is thrilled to be in Carmen!

Soprano Leah Partridge has performed world-wide to great acclaim in some of opera’s greatest roles. After her recent dazzling performances of Diana in the Mozart like comedy L’Arbore di Diana in 2017, The Minneapolis Star Tribune declared, “Leah Partridge actually stopped the show!” Most recently, she has performed HELENA in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy, ELLEN ORFORD in Peter Grimes at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Spain, MUSETTA in La Bohème with the Atlanta Opera and Washington National Opera, MIMI in La Bohème and NEDDA in Pagliacci with Opera Omaha, and the four HEROINES in Les Contes d’Hoffman with Seattle Opera. Highlights of her career include performances of VIOLETTA in La Traviata with Semper Oper Dresden, LUCIA in Lucia di Lammermoor with Teatro Colòn in Buenos Aires and her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2008 in Peter Grimes as the First Niece followed by several return engagements and live in HD broadcasts.

Dimitri Pittas has performed on leading opera stages throughout North America and Europe, including the Bavarian State Opera, the Vienna State Opera, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden, and the Canadian Opera Company. He is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and has been heard on the Met stage as Rodolfo in La bohème, Macduff in Macbeth, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. For his debut with Canadian Opera Company as the Duke in Rigoletto, the Toronto Star said, “Dimitri Pittas comes off the best as the Duke of Mantua, with a flexible voice that can express real love and shallow desire with equal conviction.” Recent engagements include his role debut as Don José in Carmen at Welsh National Opera directed by Jo Davies and conducted by Tomáš Hanus and he was heard as Pinkerton in Anthony Minghella’s iconic production of Madama Butterfly for his house debut at English National Opera conducted by Martyn Brabbins.

has sung professionally in South America, Europe and the United States.  She began studying under Mezzo-Soprano, Gene Kelly at the age of 15 and went on to study vocal performance at Carnegie Mellon University, with the late Beatrice Krebbs.  After the birth of her daughter in 2003, Katia took a hiatus from her singing career to raise three wonderful children, returning to the stage in 2014 in the role of Zia Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica with the Opera Orquestra Curitiba, Brazil.  She has been a soloist at the annual Christmas at the National Shrine concert in Washington, D.C., televised by EWTN, as well as with the Mendelssohn Choir in Pittsburgh, PA.  She has performed with various world renowned artists, such as Massimiliano Carrara, the recently retired Choir Master at La Scala, Milan and the great Italian bass, Carlo Colombara.  She is a private voice teacher and vocal coach; many of her students have gone on to study Vocal Performance at prominent universities and conservatories around the globe.  This is the third year in a row that Katia has worked with Opera Naples, both in secondary roles and as a chorister. She would like to give a special thanks to Ms. Robin Shuford Frank and Ms. Leah Summers for their constant dedication to the organization and for their tireless efforts to provide the Naples Community with high caliber musical programming throughout the year.

has sung in choirs since the early 1970es when he joined a youth choir in his homeland, Denmark. While pursuing a career in international development (he has a MA in Political Science & Economics) he sang with choirs in six other countries where he has been resident, including in occasional operetta performances. Resident in Naples since 2013, he has sung with multiple local choirs and joined Opera Naples in 2017. He also plays classical guitar.

Praised by Opera News for his “lovely timbre”, and “dramatic timing”, and by the Washington Post for his “rich and gleaming” voice, Trevor Scheunemann quickly established himself as one of opera’s leading baritones. Recent performances include Marcello in Florida Grand Opera’s production of La bohème, Handel’s Messiah with the National Philharmonic and Faure’s Requiem with The Choral Arts Society of Washington, both at the Kennedy Center. Scheunemann is in demand at revered houses around the world for his thoughtful, original portrayals. Highlights of his career include performances as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Théâtre du Capitol de Toulouse, Washington National Opera, and Teatro Municipal Santiago; Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with San Francisco Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, and Opéra National de Bordeaux; Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte with Oper Frankfurt and Washington National Opera; and the title role in Don Giovanni with Washington National Opera and L’Opéra de Monte Carlo.

Canadian mezzo-soprano Carolyn Sproule most recently returned to the Metropolitan Opera to sing Dorabella in Phelim McDermott’s production of Così fan Tutte conducted by Harry Bicket. Upcoming appearances include the title role in Carmen at Houston Grand Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Hong Kong Opera, and the Savonlinna Opera Festival, as well as Dorabellla in Così fan Tutte at English National Opera, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi and La Zelatrice in Suor Angelica with San Diego Opera, and Pauline in Pique Dame at Des Moines Metro Opera. Ms. Sproule’s recent performance highlights include Olga in Eugene Onegin at Opéra de Montréal; her European debut singing Erika in Samuel Barber’s Vanessa at the Wexford Festival; Maddalena in Rigoletto for her Canadian Opera Company debut in a Christopher Alden production. In 2019, she was the recipient of a George London Foundation award. Ms. Sproule received degrees from the Juilliard School of Music and Rice University.

M.A., CCC-SLP, lives in Naples, Florida and works as a Speech Language Pathologist at Naples Community Hospital with a specialty in advanced voice disorders. Benedikte performs oral- and naso-endoscopic videostroboscopy voice evaluations and therapy at NCH. Benedikte has sung with the Opera Naples Chorus since 2007. Benedikte also sings first Soprano with the Temple Shalom choir of Naples, FL (2007-present) and sings First and Mezzo Soprano with Gulf Shore Opera. She sang First and Mezzo Soprano with The Bach Ensemble Naples, FL 2013-2016; First Soprano with the St. Peters Latin Chant choir (2007-2013); First and Mezzo Soprano with The Church of the Redeemer Choir in Sarasota, FL (1993-2003); sang First and Mezzo Soprano with The New York Grand Opera Company-Central Park and Carnegie Hall, NYC, under the direction of Maestro Vincent La Selva; sang Mezzo Soprano with the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral Choir – NYC; sang Mezzo Soprano with the New York University Catholic Church choir; and sang Mezzo Soprano with the Mountain Lakes High School Choir, NJ.

Upon retirement to Naples in 2002 after life in New York and Chicago where she raised her family and sang with various groups, Roberta joined The Bach Ensemble known for concerts featuring masterworks including the Mass in B Minor, and its popular music touring group, Troubadours. She also sang with the community IslandWalk Chorus and appeared in a number of variety shows. More recently, Roberta has performed with Opera Naples and Gulfshore Opera in productions including Aida, La Boheme, La Traviata, Pagliacci, Nabucco, Rigoletto and Tosca.

Baritone Eric Luis Viñas is a Palm Beach County native with a Bachelors and Master degree in education of Opera Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music and The Thornton School of Music at University of Southern California. Now residing in Delray Beach, FL, Viñas finds synthesis in continuing studies on the craft of stage performance and educating the youth through a fully immersive and self reflective approach of music appreciation and performance.