OPERA ARTISTIC STAFF
OPERA ARTISTIC STAFF DEAN ANTHONY Director of Opera Enjoying a 25-plus year career as a stage performer, Dean Anthony - often referred to as “The Tumbling Tenor” - created over 100 roles and was highly praised as a character artist for his vocal, dramatic, physical and acrobatic abilities. Mr. Anthony has quickly established himself as a dynamic Stage Director and teacher on the operatic scene with his energetic, gritty and physical style of work. In the summer of 2013 Mr. Anthony began his new appointment as Director of Opera with the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Music Center. A member of the faculty at Brevard since 2008, his productions include The Ballad of Baby Doe, Rigoletto, the Merry Widow, Falstaff, Albert Herring, Sweeney Todd, The Threepenny Opera, Elixir of Love, Suor Angelica, Tintypes, HMS Pinafore, a workshop of Robert Aldridge’s new opera Sister Carrie, a workshop of J. Mark Scearce’s Falling Angel in collaboration with the Center for Contemporary Opera to premiere in full this season, and the world premiere of the new opera, Speed Dating Tonight! conceived by Mr. Anthony, with words and music by Michael Ching. Mr. Anthony recently directed La Traviata and The Merry Widow for Pensacola Opera, HMS Pinafore and Dead Man Walking for Shreveport Opera, Glory Denied by Tom Cipullo with Ft. Worth Opera Festival, Elixir of Love with Opera Delaware, Barber of Seville with Opera Naples, Falstaff with Winter Opera of St. Louis, Sweeney Todd with St. Petersburg Opera, I Pagliacci with Shreveport Opera, The Magic Flute with Opera on the James, Trouble in Tahiti & Arias and Barcarolles at the University of Kansas, Pirates of Penzance with Nashville Opera, La Bohéme at Pensacola Opera, The Marriage of Figaro and Speed Dating Tonight! at the University of Memphis, as well as Carmen for Opera on the James, the Pacific Symphony, Tulsa Opera, Florentine Opera, and Pensacola Opera. Mr. Anthony’s unique Master Class series based on Movement and Acting for Singers has lead him to opera companies and universities across the country. In the 2016-2017 season, Mr. Anthony will direct Dead Man Walking, Glory Denied and Aida with Pensacola Opera, Falstaff with Opera on the James, The Merry Widow with Winter Opera Saint Louis, and The Marriage of Figaro with Amarillo Opera.
JEROME SHANNON Conductor / Vocal Coach Praised for his “skill and verve” (New York Times), Jerome Shannon celebrates nearly 30 years as a professional operatic pianist, vocal coach, conductor and administrator. During this time, Maestro Shannon has held leadership positions with Sarah Caldwell’s Opera Company of Boston (Artistic Administrator, Assistant Conductor, Conductor), Virginia Opera (Artistic Administrator, Associate Artistic Director, Conductor), Pensacola Opera (Executive Director, Music Director, Principal Conductor), Shreveport Opera (Music Director, Principal Conductor), Mobile Opera (General & Artistic Director, Principal Conductor) and the
Janiec Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center (Conductor, Vocal Coach). In addition, Jerome Shannon has enjoyed successful and repeated engagements as guest conductor with Washington National Opera, Nashville Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera Delaware, San Antonio Opera, Shreveport Opera, Anchorage Opera, Baltimore Concert Opera, Fresno Grand Opera, Opera Naples, Opera Roanoke, Lake George Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and the Ash Lawn-Highland Festival. Jerome Shannon has conducted more than 500 performances of 50+ operatic and musical theater titles encompassing the traditional repertoire operas of Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini with works by Sondheim, Gilbert & Sullivan, and the contemporary operas of Robert Ward, Mark Adamo, and Jake Heggie. Jerome Shannon has also served as a judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and numerous regional opera voice competitions, an On-Site Evaluator and Reporter for the National Endowment for the Arts, and is the recipient of OPERA America’s BRAVO Service award for dynamic leadership in the industry. Maestro Shannon’s 2016/2017 season includes productions of Glory Denied, Aida and Dead Man Walking for Pensacola Opera, Fiddler on the Roof and Marriage of Figaro for Shreveport Opera, and a return to Dayton Opera for Pagliacci.
ANDREW WENTZEL Voice Instructor Having been one of the most requested bassbaritones in the U.S. during his most active years, Mr. Wentzel has performed with a number of the country’s top opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera. A popular concert singer and recitalist, he appeared regularly with major symphony orchestras including the Boston Symphony and the National Symphony. Mr. Wentzel is Professor of Voice at the University of Tennessee, Administrator of the Knoxville Opera Studio, and sits on the Board of Directors of the Knoxville Opera.
SUSANNE MARSEE Guest Lecturer Susanne Marsee (B.A., UCLA; advanced studies, The Juilliard School), was one of New York City Opera’s leading mezzos for over twenty years and had the honor of partnering with Beverly Sills for ten of those years. Ms. Marsee taught voice at Carnegie Mellon University, Catholic University, and as an associate professor at LSU. Nationally, Ms. Marsee sang extensively throughout the United States at such opera companies as San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand, Washington Opera, Philadelphia Grand, San Diego Opera, New York City Opera, and many others. Her concert repertoire is extensive and she has performed with the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Handel Society at Kennedy Center, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic, among many others.
2016 Summer Institute & Festival
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