Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen
Les nuits d'été
August 28 & 29, 2015
The Muse
Photos by Allison Stock
Well over 400 people, a startlingly youthful group by classical-music standards, had gathered for two song cycles. The appeal is clear: solid musical values, a relaxed yet attentive vibe, inexpensive tickets...and a sense of adventure. It was a show deserving of its big crowd.
—Zachary Woolfe, The New York Times
“It’s not easy to pin down exactly what makes LoftOpera so unlike the other small opera companies that dot New York, but whatever that disparity might be, it makes all the difference...You wouldn’t think that a loft full of 20-somethings swigging artisanal beer would sit still for a couple of 19th-century song cycles. And at the end of the hour-long program, their cheers were as thunderous as those for an Anna Netrebko opening night at the Met.”
—James Jorden, The New York Observer
CastMezzo-Soprano // Rebecca Ringle
Baritone // Joel Herold ProductionConductor // Dean Buck
Stage Director // John de los Santos Assistant Stage Director // Bruno Baker Music Director // Sean Kelly Assistant Music Director // Georgia Mills Company Manager // Melanie Milton Logo Designer // Doug Smith at Penmanships Brand Manager // Claudia Vitarelli General Manager // Brianna Maury Executive Producer // Daniel Ellis-Ferris |
OrchestraFlute // Michelle Stockman
Flute // Tristan Cooley Oboe // Cory Snoddy Oboe/English Horn // Ellen Hindson/Cat Cantrell Clarinet // Amy Wang Clarinet // Trenley Anderson Bassoon // Tilden Marbit Bassoon // Allison Nicotera Horn // Bert Hill Horn // Elizabeth Harraman Trumpet // Cody Rowlands Percussion // Mack Williamson Harp // Kathryn Sloat Violin I // Emily Vold Violin I // Amos Fayette Violin I // Kate Dreyfuss Violin I // Meghan Todt Violin II // Maya Bennardo Violin II // Mara Gerety Violin II // Catherine Lawlor Viola // Trevor New Viola // Laura Huey Cello // Susan Mandel Cello // Eric Allen Bass // Ben Murphy |

Rebecca Ringle
Mezzo-Soprano
"Her voice is focused, sure and attractively distinctive. She is currently assigned small parts at the Metropolitan Opera. She should be singing big ones.” — Los Angeles Times.
Rebecca Ringle debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2013 as Rossweisse in Wagner's Die Walküre and has been on the Met roster since 2010. She has performed opera, concert and art song repertoire by with New York City Opera, Washington National Opera, Cleveland Orchestra, the American Symphony, Boston Symphony, Oratorio Society of New York, Macau International Opera Festival, Bard, Ravinia, Tanglewood and Marlboro music festivals, and with Marlboro Musicians on Tour at Carnegie Hall in 2015. She loved collaborating on new music with American Opera Projects' Composers and the Voice workshop and VOX Contemporary Opera Lab. Rebecca has spoken at TEDxYale and Self Hackathon conferences. She is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and The Yale School of Music and is on Twitter and Instagram as @brrrring.
Mezzo-Soprano
"Her voice is focused, sure and attractively distinctive. She is currently assigned small parts at the Metropolitan Opera. She should be singing big ones.” — Los Angeles Times.
Rebecca Ringle debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2013 as Rossweisse in Wagner's Die Walküre and has been on the Met roster since 2010. She has performed opera, concert and art song repertoire by with New York City Opera, Washington National Opera, Cleveland Orchestra, the American Symphony, Boston Symphony, Oratorio Society of New York, Macau International Opera Festival, Bard, Ravinia, Tanglewood and Marlboro music festivals, and with Marlboro Musicians on Tour at Carnegie Hall in 2015. She loved collaborating on new music with American Opera Projects' Composers and the Voice workshop and VOX Contemporary Opera Lab. Rebecca has spoken at TEDxYale and Self Hackathon conferences. She is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and The Yale School of Music and is on Twitter and Instagram as @brrrring.

Joel Herold
Baritone
According to critics at Opera News and the New York Observer Joel Herold is praised for his “handsome, light baritone and polished stage presence” as well as “easy, pinging high notes.” Mr. Herold was a national semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and participated in The Audition documentary that highlighted the competition. A versatile artist, who feels equally at home singing the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein (Corpus Christi Symphony) and opera, Mr. Herold has been part of a number of new performance presentations. He played the role of Gubetta in Lucretia Borgia, as well as, Fiorello and Schaunard in previous productions with LoftOpera. He participated in Opera Memphis' one-of-a-kind opera tour called #30daysofopera, which received buzz for it’s innovative approach to reaching new audience. He has held a number of Young Artist positions at Fort Worth Opera, Saratoga Opera, and Connecticut Opera. Mr. Herold has sung additionally with the Santa Fe Concert Association, Opera Cleveland, Knoxville Opera, and Opera Theater of Pittsburgh.
Baritone
According to critics at Opera News and the New York Observer Joel Herold is praised for his “handsome, light baritone and polished stage presence” as well as “easy, pinging high notes.” Mr. Herold was a national semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and participated in The Audition documentary that highlighted the competition. A versatile artist, who feels equally at home singing the likes of Rodgers and Hammerstein (Corpus Christi Symphony) and opera, Mr. Herold has been part of a number of new performance presentations. He played the role of Gubetta in Lucretia Borgia, as well as, Fiorello and Schaunard in previous productions with LoftOpera. He participated in Opera Memphis' one-of-a-kind opera tour called #30daysofopera, which received buzz for it’s innovative approach to reaching new audience. He has held a number of Young Artist positions at Fort Worth Opera, Saratoga Opera, and Connecticut Opera. Mr. Herold has sung additionally with the Santa Fe Concert Association, Opera Cleveland, Knoxville Opera, and Opera Theater of Pittsburgh.

Dean Buck
Conductor
Dean Buck is a Brooklyn-based conductor, composer and saxophonist. Born and raised outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Dean moved to New York in 2008 to pursue musical studies. Dean co-founded LoftOpera in 2013 along
with Daniel Ellis-Ferris and Brianna Maury, and has recently led their critically acclaimed productions of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Puccini's La Boheme. Aside from his duties with LoftOpera, Dean works as an assistant conductor/chorus master with Chelsea Opera and performs regularly as a saxophonist. Dean is also active as a composer and his solo piano piece "Frequent Cohesion" was recently programed by
the Orchestra of Our Time.
Conductor
Dean Buck is a Brooklyn-based conductor, composer and saxophonist. Born and raised outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Dean moved to New York in 2008 to pursue musical studies. Dean co-founded LoftOpera in 2013 along
with Daniel Ellis-Ferris and Brianna Maury, and has recently led their critically acclaimed productions of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Puccini's La Boheme. Aside from his duties with LoftOpera, Dean works as an assistant conductor/chorus master with Chelsea Opera and performs regularly as a saxophonist. Dean is also active as a composer and his solo piano piece "Frequent Cohesion" was recently programed by
the Orchestra of Our Time.

Sean Kelly
Music Director
A Pittsburgh native, Sean Kelly has an active career as a pianist vocal coach in the US and Europe. Mr. Kelly has worked in many theaters throughout the world including The Metropolitan Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Wolftrap Opera, Seattle Opera,Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Comunale Francesco Cilea, The Istanbul Opera Festival and Accademia di Santa Cecilia. In 2011 he was invited to perform at the first Leyla Gencer Memorial Concert in Ankara. Mr. Kelly also has an active teaching career as a past faculty member of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, and currently the Lorenzo Malfatti Accademia Vocale.
Music Director
A Pittsburgh native, Sean Kelly has an active career as a pianist vocal coach in the US and Europe. Mr. Kelly has worked in many theaters throughout the world including The Metropolitan Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Wolftrap Opera, Seattle Opera,Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Comunale Francesco Cilea, The Istanbul Opera Festival and Accademia di Santa Cecilia. In 2011 he was invited to perform at the first Leyla Gencer Memorial Concert in Ankara. Mr. Kelly also has an active teaching career as a past faculty member of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, and currently the Lorenzo Malfatti Accademia Vocale.

John de los Santos
Stage Director
Director/choreographer John de los Santos has staged a range of productions including La Fille du Regiment for Arizona Opera, Carousel for Ashlawn Opera, María de Buenos Aires for Lexington Philharmonic, Green Sneakers for San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center, and The Pearl Fishers for Fort Worth Opera. His choreography has also been seen at the Washington National, Florida Grand, Dallas, Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Des Moines, and Austin Lyric Opera companies. Other productions include Orpheus & Euridice for Voices of Change, Spring Awakening and Dogfight for WaterTower Theatre, The Golden Apple for Lyric Stage, and Hello Again for Uptown Players. This fall, he will choreograph the world premiere of Jake Hagee and Terrence McNally’s Great Scott. As a librettist, John collaborated with Clint Borzoni on the operas When Adonis Calls (from the poetry of Gavin Geoffrey Dillard) and The Copper Queen. His new opera Service Provider, composed by Christopher Weiss, will premiere at American Opera Initiative in Washington D.C.
Stage Director
Director/choreographer John de los Santos has staged a range of productions including La Fille du Regiment for Arizona Opera, Carousel for Ashlawn Opera, María de Buenos Aires for Lexington Philharmonic, Green Sneakers for San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center, and The Pearl Fishers for Fort Worth Opera. His choreography has also been seen at the Washington National, Florida Grand, Dallas, Fort Worth, Philadelphia, Des Moines, and Austin Lyric Opera companies. Other productions include Orpheus & Euridice for Voices of Change, Spring Awakening and Dogfight for WaterTower Theatre, The Golden Apple for Lyric Stage, and Hello Again for Uptown Players. This fall, he will choreograph the world premiere of Jake Hagee and Terrence McNally’s Great Scott. As a librettist, John collaborated with Clint Borzoni on the operas When Adonis Calls (from the poetry of Gavin Geoffrey Dillard) and The Copper Queen. His new opera Service Provider, composed by Christopher Weiss, will premiere at American Opera Initiative in Washington D.C.