Karen Bojti Mezzo Soprano     Before entering the realm of Opera and Operetta, Karen spent many years studying and performing theatrical clown and improvised productions at the Theatre Resource Centre. Karen has a Specialist BA in Drama from the University of Toronto. She has sung a variety of roles running the gamut from Buttercup in HMS Pinafore, Katisha in the Mikado, Ruth in The Pirates of Pensance, Bertha in the Barber of Seville, and the Witch in Into the Woods. More recently, Ms Bojti has appeared as Mamma Lucia in Cavallieria Rusticana, the Third Lady in the Magic Flute, Figaro’s mum Marcellina, Lakme’s Miss Benson, the Baroness in Vanessa, The Queen of the Fairies in Iolanthe, Dame Quickly in Falstaff, La Cieca in La Gioconda and Abuela in La Vida Breve. Karen is thrilled to be returning to Opera Kitchener to sing the role of Berta in The Barber of Seville.     James Ciantar Tenor     "A real find" - Joseph So, Opera Canada Magazine. Canadian born tenor James Ciantar is a fresh and exciting young new talent to watch. He has a very impressive, Italianate tenor sound with an easy top register. A warm graceful voice with a bright, full timbre that is heavy enough to reach those dramatic climaxes. James is an accomplished artist and performer, his engagements include performances with the Brampton Lyric Opera Orchestra, Cambridge Community Orchestra, Symphony Hamilton and Opera York Orchestra. James is developing and interpreted numerous roles including: Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Alfredo (La Traviata), Canio (I Pagliacci), Rodolfo (La Bohème), Cavardossi (Tosca). He received the Award for “Most Outstanding Performance in a Lead Role” by the Brampton Arts Council. In 2009 James sang the role of "Cavaradossi" in the March sold-out Opera York performance of Tosca at the new Richmond Hill Centre for the performing arts where he received glorious reviews. In October, James has been invited to sing for Opera Hamilton. In December 2010 he will be the tenor soloist with the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra. James has sung, studied and auditioned throughout Ontario, Québec, the United States and Italy.     Jennifer Elisabetta Fina Mezzo Soprano     Jennifer Elisabetta Fina is a graduate of the Honours Bachelor in Opera Performance Degree from the University of Toronto. She has appeared in numerous professional musicals, operas, oratorios, concerts with such companies as Theatre Orangeville, Opera Western, Resurgence Theatre, The Brampton Symphony Orchestra, The University of Toronto Opera School, The Toronto Festival Orchestra, The Headwaters Symphony Orchestra, Brampton Lyric Opera, Opera Lirica Italiana, Opera York and the new Opera Kitchener, which she and her husband tenor Emilio Fina founded in 2008. Her dynamic performances have all received glowing reviews, including "Jennifer Fina’s lush mezzo soprano voice is one of the most exquisite sounds you’ll hear..." Memorable performances include Rosina (Barber of Seville), Lola (Cavalleria Rusticana), Dorabella (Cosi fan Tutte), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Zelatrice (Suor Angelica), Julia (The Drunkard), The Ayah (The Secret Garden), Amy (Charlie’s Aunt), Anne (Anne of Green Gables), Nanette (No No, Nanette!), L’Écureuil (Les Enfants et les Sortilèges), Polly (The Boyfriend), Madame Rosa (Il Campanello di Notte), Second Spirit (The Magic Flute), The Mother (Hansel and Gretel). and Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro). This season she recently performed the title role of Rossini’s Cinderella, and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel. Presently, Jennifer can most often be found singing in the kitchen while baking organic confections with daughters Alessia and Paris Isabella.     Shane Glabb Tenor     Tenor Shane Glabb is very excited to return to Opera Kitchener this season. Past performances with the company include the role of Alfred in Die Fledermaus and Goro in Madama Butterfly. Shane has appeared as Licinio Mureno in the Canadian Premiere of Mercadate's La Vestale and as Letelier in the world premiere of Charles Wilson's Kamouraska with Opera In Concert. With Toronto Operetta Theatre he has appeared in Carl Zeller's The Birdseller, Gilbert and Sullivan's Iolanthe, and also played General Poffenburgh in the Canadian premier of Kurt Weill's Knickerbocker Holiday. With Summer Opera Lyric Theatre he appeared in the role of Gerald in Lakme. This season sees the tenor singing such diverse roles as Parpignol in La Boheme, Kaspar in Amahl And The Night Visitors and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni.     Rachelle Kelly Soprano     Canadian soprano Rachelle Kelly holds a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from Texas Tech University, a B.A. in Vocal Performance from Minot State University, and a B.Ed from Brock University. While in Texas, Rachelle was heard in productions of La Traviata as Flora, in Too Many Sopranos as Madam Pompous, and as a frequent soloist at First Chrisitian Church. Rachelle has also performed the roles of Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Venus in Orpheus in the Underworld, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, and Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto. Musical Theatre works include Oklahoma, The World Goes 'Round, and Fiddler on the Roof. Rachelle has worked as a choral conductor and music adjudicator and currently teaches private vocal instruction in Brampton. www.rachellekelly.com     Jeremy Ludwig Baritone     Baritone Jeremy Ludwig is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto’s (UofT) Opera School. Jeremy has appeared many times on the stage of the University's MacMillan Theatre, most recently as Don Inigo Gomez in Ravel's L'heure espagnol. In 2008, he appeared as Count Robinson in their production of Cimarosa’s Il Matrimonio Segreto. In the summer of the same year, Jeremy traveled to Sulmona, Italy to take part in the Center for Opera Studies in Italy (COSI) summer training program’s production of Puccini’s La Bohème in the role of Schaunard. Other recent opera credits include Guglielmo in Mozart's Così fan tutte (Opera Kitchener), Harlekin in scenes from Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos, The King of Scotland in Handel’s Ariodante, Belcore in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (UofT Opera), Marullo in Verdi’s Rigoletto (Brampton Lyric Opera), Achilla in Handel’s Giulio Cesare (Halifax Summer Opera Workshop) and Krušina in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride (Opera NUOVA). Jeremy is as comfortable in the world of oratorio and recital as he is on the operatic stage. Recent engagements also include a recital with The Aldeburgh Connection which featured songs by Gerald Finzi, R. Strauss and Mahler. Jeremy has appeared numerous times with the Handel Society choir and orchestra in White Rock, British Columbia, most recently as the baritone soloist in Saint-Saens’s Oratorio de Noël and Charpentier's Messe de Minuit pour Noël. Jeremy has performed arias from Handel’s Messiah with the East York Choir and the Talisker Players as well as with the Tryptych Ensemble in Toronto. Past recitals have included works by Vaughan Williams, Shostakovitch, Mussorgsky, Brahms, Schubert, and Barber. Jeremy began his musical training in his native British Columbia at Kwantlen University College and soon thereafter moved to Ontario to complete his undergraduate degree at the University of Western Ontario under the tutelage of Alvin Reimer. At the University of Toronto he earned a Masters of Music, studying with Darryl Edwards.     Kyle Macdonald Bass-Baritone     Kyle Macdonald, bass-baritone, hails from Whitehorse, Yukon. While living in the Great White North, he performed many roles in both dramatic and musical theatre. Highlights include: Bobby Strong in Urinetown and Rev. David Marshall Lee in The Foreigner with the Guild Theatre; Vince Fontaine in Grease with MAD Theatre; and Fenris Ulf in Narnia with Goldenhorn Musical Theatre. His jazz quartet 4 Below Normal was featured at the Canada Winter Games in 2007. In 2008 Kyle made the trek to Ontario and turned his talents towards classical singing with eight months of intensive study with internationally renowned bass, Gary Relyea. Kyle made his operatic debut with Opera By Request in 2010 singing the role of Colline in La Boheme. He is thrilled to reprise this role with Opera Kitchener.     Anne-Marie Ramos Soprano     While studying voice at the University of Western Ontario, Anne-Marie performed such roles with UWOpera as Angelique in Ibert's Angelique, Suor Genovieffa in Puccini's Suor Angelica and Adele in Johann Stauss's Die Fledermaus. Upon graduating, Ms. Ramos was awarded first place in The Canadian Opera Company Competition London division. Anne-Marie was a recipient of the prestigous Board of Governor's Award for three consecutive years. Also a graduate of the University of Toronto Vocal Music Performance Program, she participated in productions with the Opera School Division. She has gained noteriety in the musical theatre and operetta world with such roles as Mabel in Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance, Elsie in Gilbert and Sullivan's Yeomen of the Guard and Maria in Leonard Bersnstein's West Side Story. During her graduating year Anne-Marie joined The Stratford Festival of Canada where she performed the role of Princess Tuptim in Roger's and Hammerstein's The King and I as well as Goddess Diana in Shakespeare's Pericles. Anne-Marie's most recent roles were Julie Jordan in Edmonton's Mayfield Theatre and Cosette in Les Miserables with 1000 Islands Playhouse.     Timothy Richard Baritone     Mr. Richard received his formal training in voice in both the United States and in Canada, most notably at the University of Western Ontario under the tutelage of Theodore Baerg. Graduating with a Bachelors of Music Honours Vocal Performance in 2008, he continued his study of opera into graduate studies, and received a Masters of Music in Literature and Performance in 2010. In the summer of 2010, Mr. Richard attended the prestigious Opera NUOVA program in Edmonton, Alberta, where he performed the role of Ford in Verdi's Falstaff. He has also made numerous appearances with Opera Kitchener, performing in the spring of 2010 as the L'Imperial Commissario in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, and Peter, the Father, in Humperdink's Hansel und Gretel in 2009. He anticipates performing the role of Schaunard in Puccini's La Bohème with Opera Kitchener in the fall of 2010. While studying at UWO, Mr. Richard performed several roles, including Frank in Kurt Weill's Street Scene, St. Peter in Edwin Penhorwood's Too Many Sopranos, and even flexed his musical theatre and dance muscles in Smokey Joe's Café. As an avid performer of art song and oratorio as well as opera, he has performed Copland's Old American Songs, Vaughan Williams' House of Life and Five Mystical Songs, and several other song cycles. He has also performed solos with chamber orchestra on a number of occasions, including works by Bach. Additionally, he is regularly employed as a church musician, directs a children's choir, and frequently performs sacred works in a service or concert setting. Mr. Richard also frequently performs for charitable causes, and maintains a small private studio in London, Ontario.     Douglas Tranquada Baritone     This warm and charming Canadian baritone is abundantly talented with a natural affinity for stage work. He started formal music and voice training as a young choirboy at St. Michael's Choir School and later studied with Giuseppe Macina and the late Louis Quilico, who described him as having a voice of 'exceptional beauty'. Douglas has performed numerous roles with Opera Mississauga, Opera York, Brampton Lyric Opera, Opera Kitchener, Tryptych Productions and Toronto Opera Repertoire including title roles in Don Giovanni and Rigoletto, Monterone in Rigoletto, the Count in the Marriage of Figaro, Dandini in La Cenerentola, Schaunard and the dual roles of Benoit/Alcindoro in La Boheme, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, Germont in La Traviata, Escamillo in Carmen, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus and Fiorello in the Barber of Seville among others. He also includes Gilbert and Sullivan in his repertoire and has been a featured artist with the Scarborough Gilbert and Sullivan society as Major General Stanley in Pirates of Penzance, Jack Point in Yeomen of the Guard and Ko-Ko in the Mikado. In 2009, he sang the roles of Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus and Papageno in Die Zauberflote with Opera Kitchener. Opera Canada described his Sacristan in Opera York's 2009 Tosca as 'scene stealing' and in Kitchener, his Dr. Falke 'showcased his rich voice.' He has also collaborated with Toronto Operetta Theater in concert performances of Gilbert and Sullivan highlights as well as contemporary opera works. In the area of oratorio music, his performances include Handel's Messiah, Requiems by Mozart, Faure and Durufle as well as sacred works by Bach, Vaughan Williams and others. He has been featured with the Northumberland Symphony Orchestra, McMaster University Choir, Etobicoke Symphony, and others. In June of 2006, he was a principal artist in the workshop review of a contemporary opera about Pierre Trudeau and in May of 2007, he performed his multiple roles in a concert performance of the opera at the Harborfront Theatre. Mr. Tranquada is also a performer of national anthems and is well known to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Rock. In addition to his work on the classical and theatrical stage, he is a member of the Mistletones - a male acappella singing group that brings a special sound to Christmas music in and around the GTA and also directs a church choir.     Sabatino Vacca Conductor     Sabatino is the Music Director for the Cambridge Community Orchestra. He has also been recently appointed the Music Director of the Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra. The CCO led by Sabatino accompanied tenor Ben Heppner in a special benefit concert in Cambridge. Sabatino has conducted orchestras in the Czech Republic, Symphony Hamilton, the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony, and the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra. For Opera York he has served as Artistic Director for productions of Carmen, Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi, La Traviata, The Barber of Seville, Tosca, Rigoletto, and La Bohème this season. For Brampton Lyric Opera he has conducted Pagliacci and Rigoletto. For Opera Kitchener he has conducted Madama Butterfly. He is also currently on staff with Opera Hamilton and Wilfrid Laurier University, and has worked as an opera coach for the University of Toronto, as well as the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Last season he performed the Totentanz by Liszt as piano soloist with Symphony Hamilton in their opening concert. Sabatino is the recipient of the Spirit of Ontario Award for the Arts by the National Congress of Italian Canadians.     Tina Winter Soprano     Lyric soprano Tina Winter has had an extensive performance career which has included performances at Alice Tully Hall, Music Festivals at Tanglewood, Bowdoin, and Orford, with such groups as the New York Symphonic Ensemble, Brampton Lyric Opera, Opera Kitchener, and Opera Barrie. She was also a member of the distinguished Elmer Iseler Singers. A winner of the Panasonic Harmony Fund Scholarship, she was trained at the Manhattan School of Music, as well as the University of Toronto Opera School. She has performed a diverse repertoire including works of opera, oratorio, choral and art song. She currently sings with the Canadian Opera Company Chorus.