OUR MISSION
MassOpera cultivates experiences for artists and audiences that challenge the status quo and reflect our diverse community.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
- To produce the highest quality artistic product possible
- To ensure singers and all artists are compensated for their work and technical skills
- To produce at least one fully staged opera OR musical with orchestra per season
- To ensure gender parity both on-stage and off
- To educate singers to be great artists and great business people
- To engage the public both as audience members and life-long learners
- To support new work and tell new stories
- To ensure representation of all kinds of races, religions, genders and gender identities, sexual orientations, cultures, and body types on stage both with the characters we present and the artists who portray them
MassOpera is a proud member of
HISTORY
MassOpera was founded in 2007, as MetroWest Opera, by Artistic Director Dana Varga, to provide young classical singers performance opportunity to fill the gap between conservatory and a flourishing professional career. When MetroWest Opera was founded, there were only a few small opera companies in the Boston area, and the time was ripe to create more opportunity for these emerging singers.
The main tenets of MetroWest Opera’s mission were to:
- Provide paid performance opportunity emerging classical singers
- Produce fully staged opera with orchestra
- Produce standard repertoire so that singers could tackle roles they would need to know to flourish in this very competitive industry
- Choose repertoire that ensures gender parity in casting
In 2010 MetroWest Opera introduced its first Annual Vocal Competition for Emerging Artists, in which singers compete for cash prizes, and has held this program annually (and now bi-annually) ever since. In addition to our Annual Production and Vocal Competition, MetroWest Opera created several programs to help with professional development of singers (Artist Development), including Audition Preparation Evenings, The Business of Singing Workshop, and other educational programs.
FUTURE
The future IS MassOpera. During our 10th Anniversary Season in 2017 and 2018, both the board and staff of MetroWest Opera felt that we had successfully fulfilled our mission for ten years, but that the landscape of opera in Boston had shifted, and so too should our mission and values.
We were now one of several small opera companies, each with a slightly different mission and approach to opera. Through a series of group exercises, countless conversations, and much soul-searching we decided we wanted to:
- Have the opportunity to produce musical theatre and other performance mediums, alongside that of opera
- Support and encourage all the various and talented artists and designers who make opera so powerful and entertaining
- Produce original works that have never been told, alongside venerable standard repertoire
- Commit to serving and inspiring our audience. An opera company is nothing without its audience!
Therefore, looking to our audience, we—MassOpera—will:
- Be forward thinking and ever-responsive
- Strive to push the operatic art-form forward to tell diverse and compelling stories
- Advocate for artists and the art we produce
- Contribute to the quality of life and cultural landscape of Greater Boston
- Act as an engine of economic activity that has ripple effects throughout the region
- Look to you, our audience, for stories that need to be told and heard, that reflect your accomplishments and struggles and the immense diversity of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
MassOpera will create a place for everyone at the table.
Carlos Aznarez - Board Member
Composer, Film Scorer, and Singer
Bio
Carlos is a multifaceted artist from Montevideo, Uruguay. His artistic journey as an opera singer began at a very young age, making his soloist debut when he was 19 years old. In 2007, as aclassical composer, Carlos achieved a milestone in his composition career with the premiere of his Requiem at Montevideo's Cathedral. After moving to Spain, Carlos continued with his singing carrier, singing at Spain’s most prestigious Opera Houses including The Liceu Theater in Barcelona, and the Royal Opera House in Madrid. He also continued his career as a composer with the premier of his opera “Caperucita Roja” (Little Red Riding Hood) at the Bellas Artes Theater in Madrid in 2013. After moving to Boston, Carlos graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music with a dual degree in Composition and Film Scoring. As a Film Composer, many of the films that Carlos scored were awarded and featured at prestigious festivals such as Festival de San Sebastian, Palm Springs International Film Society, and Hamptons Film, among others. Carlos was invited to perform at the opening ceremony of the Second World Congress on Global Warming and Climate Change, held at the National Auditorium of Montevideo, Uruguay. His dedication to music and the arts has earned him numerous awards, including recognition from organizations such as Jeunesse Musicale International in Belgium, FONAM (National Music Fund) in Uruguay, and the Mabel Veleris Musical Theater Contest in Argentina. Carlos remains actively singing, and is currently engaged in classical and film scoring projects.
Jeff Candiello - Chair
Engineering Leader, Cisco
Bio
Jeff Candiello, a graduate of UMass Amherst and Brandeis University, runs the Agile Enablement practice for the Network Threat Defense group at Cisco. He loves problem solving and is driven by operational excellence. He is also a 13 year member of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus. Jeff was introduced to opera through the company and has since become passionate about opera as well as MassOpera’s mission.
Amanda Goodrum - Clerk
Law Student, Loyola University
Bio
Amanda is a Diversity Consultant for Diversity@Workplace. Amanda has 12 years’ experience in Operations and Compliance but has been passionate about diversity and inclusion since high school. During her time at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., Amanda participated in the firm’s LEAD program, the Associates Program at The Partnership, and numerous volunteer activities including the United Way’s Women United Executive Committee. Amanda, who currently resides in Lynn, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Trinity College.
Ian Kemp - Treasurer
Co-Founder, Berrijam
Bio
Ian Kemp is a Naval officer and an Afghan war veteran. He has spent the past several years as a technology consultant for a range of clients, including McKinsey, NYU, and Infosys. Ian holds an MBA from NYU Stern, an MSF from Suffolk University, and a history degree from the University of Chicago. He previously worked for Gramercy Labs as an Entrepreneur in Residence, is the co-founder of the AI company Berrijam. Originally from Boston, he has lived in Chicago and NYC before returning home at the beginning of the pandemic. He lives with his wife in downtown Boston and gets to as much art and music as he possibly can.
Sharon Jusczak - Board Member
Outside Sales Representative, Boston Granite Exchange
Bio
Sharon is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and is a MBA graduate student at the University of Southern New Hampshire. She is currently working in sales for a stone and granite company. She was previously a District Design Manager at Ethan Allen. Sharon is passionate about the arts and interior design. She especially loves performance art and musical theatre. Sharon is committed to advancing MassOpera’s mission through community involvement and artist advocacy.
Yan Lian - Board Member
Soprano & Music Educator
Bio
Yan Lian, a soprano from Hebei, China, has captivated audiences both on television and in live performances before moving to the United States. She earned her Master’s degree at the Longy School of Music of Bard College. In 2023, Yan signed with MassOpera, performing the role of the Queen of the Night in the English version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. She also portrayed Ashima in the world premiere of the Chinese Ashima Suit Concert at Cary Hall, presented by the Boston Chinese Musicians Association. In 2024, she performed as a soprano soloist at Carnegie Hall, participating in a concert featuring composer Andrew Safioleas’s works, and also appeared in the Voices of Spring concert at Jordan Hall. Yan is a prominent figure in the Chinese arts community, with performances at prestigious venues like Sanders Theater and invitations to represent the Asian community at state government events.
Wayne Malloy
Senior Project Manager for the Office of the President at Berklee College of Music
Bio
Wayne Malloy serves as the Senior Project Manager for the Office of the President at Berklee. Malloy is a seasoned academic administrator with a robust background in higher education operations. A native of Maine, Malloy studied trumpet and music education at the University of Southern Maine. He is a performing member of the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus.
Andrea Olmstead - Vice Chair
Author, Professor, & Librettist
Bio
Andrea Olmstead is the author of seven books and five book chapters, including four books about the modernist American composer Roger Sessions: Roger Sessions: A Biography (Routledge, 2007), Roger Sessions and His Music (UMI Research Press, 1985), Conversations with Roger Sessions (Northeastern University Press, 1987), The Correspondence of Roger Sessions (Northeastern, 1992) as well as the Revised New Grove Dictionary (2001) and New Grove Dictionary of American Music (2013) Sessions entries. She is also the author of Juilliard: A History (University of Illinois Press, 1999) and of numerous articles in The Journal of Musicology, Perspectives of New Music, The Journal of the Arnold Schoenberg Institute, Tempo, Musical America, and The Musical Quarterly.
Her Who was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Daisy? (2012) is available as an eBook. Olmstead’s most recent book, Vincent Persichetti; Grazioso, Grit, and Gold (Rowman & Littlefield, 2018), won the 2019 ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for Outstanding Musical Biography.
The recipient of three national Endowment for the Humanities Awards, she has also been a Visiting Scholar at the American Academy in Rome ten times and a Fellow at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts on six occasions. She taught Music History at The Juilliard School, the Boston Conservatory, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and at the New England Conservatory of Music. Olmstead was the Christopher Hogwood Research Fellow for the Handel & Haydn Society Orchestra and Chorus. She wrote the libretto and produced the opera HolyGhosts, music by Larry Bell based on the play by Romulus Linney. She is also a CD producer.
Alison Trainer - Board Member
Assistant Professor of Voice, Boston University
Bio
Coloratura Soprano Alison Trainer has mesmerized audiences with her exceptional musicianship, compelling stage presence, and radiant voice. She has performed on opera and concert stages throughout the U.S.A. and Europe. Alison was a young artist at Glimmerglass Opera, San Francisco Opera’s Merola program, and a vocal fellow at Tanglewood and Aspen Music Festivals. She has won national vocal competitions, such as the Liederkranz Competition, the Sullivan Awards, and the Northeast regional Metropolitan Opera competition. The New York Times named her, “a talent to watch,” and the Neue Zurcher Zeitung called her, “The Coloratura Wonder.” Dr. Trainer earned her B.A. in Vocal Performance at Indiana University, her M.M. from CCM, a Performer’s Certificate from the Opera Institute at Boston University, and a D.M.A. from SUNY Stony Brook. A certified yoga instructor and Harvard-trained wellness coach, Dr Trainer is passionate about vocal health. She is currently researching the impact of spinal alignment on vocal resonance. Dr. Trainer is committed to helping young singers reach their vocal and artistic potential, while maintaining mental and physical well-being. Dr. Trainer is currently an Assistant Professor of Voice at Boston University, and is on the guest artist faculty at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Vienna Summer Music Festival, and Opera Seme in Arezzo, Italy.
Jessica Bloch-Moisand
Artistic Director
Bio
. Committed to music production, education, and performance, Jessica Bloch-Moisand is honored to be the new Interim Artistic Director for MassOpera’s 2024-2025 season. Additionally, she is the Founder and Creative Producer of both Bloch Performing Arts music studios and its collaborative musical company, West End Lyric; and she is on the Voice Faculty of New England Conservatory’s Expanded Education program. A new member of The Society for Performance and Visual Art, the Gena Branscombe Project, and NATS Boston, Jessica’s reputation as a passionate arts administrator, educator, and performer is widely known amongst her community in Boston, the Greater Boston area, and beyond.
Select past engagements in the Boston area include her position as the Scheduling & Logistics coordinator at Longy School of Music, formerly teaching voice lessons with the Arlington After School Private Lessons program, and performing as Lola in Opera 51’s recent production of Cavalleria Rusticana.
Laura Beth Couch
Director of Digital and Social Media
Bio
Laura Beth Couch, lauded by The Boston Musical Intelligencer for singing with “deep pathos” and “radiant affection,” is a mezzo-soprano living in Boston. She earned her Performance Diploma from Boston University where she performed Julia Child in Bon Appétit, Dorothée in Cendrillon, Alice 2 in Alice Tierney, and Friedrich Bhaer in Little Women. Other favorite roles include Tisbe in La Cenerentola, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, and Babette in Beauty and the Beast. Laura has been a soloist for Bononcini’s Stabat Mater, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and Marianna Martines’s Dixit Dominus. A dedicated music teacher of over 10 years, she earned her M.M. in Voice Performance from Shenandoah University and her B.M. in Music Education from Rutgers University.
Ari Epstein
Director of Graphic Design & Content Marketing
Bio
. Born in Boston, Ari is a designer who specializes in Marketing and Communications. She holds an MFA in Graphic Design. Previously, Ari worked for The Boston Synagogue for three years, spearheading marketing and branding for cultural events, including three music programs. Ari is also an oil painter, illustrator, bronze sculpture, puppet maker and dabbles in other mediums.
Akela Franklin
Community & Youth Ensemble Manager
Bio
Hailing from the California Bay Area, Akela Franklin is a soprano, voice teacher, and arts administrator. She currently serves as the soprano section leader and soloist at Park Avenue Congregational Church in Arlington. Last season, Akela directed the Women of Tin Pan Alley cabaret, appeared as Clarice in Caldara’s The Card Game, and covered Suzel in Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz, all with West End Lyric. Past operatic roles include Quatrième Esprit and Surintendant des Plaisirs in Cendrillon, Ghita in Der Zwerg, Alice in Le Comte Ory, and more. Akela is a faculty member and voice department chair at Brookline Music School and teaches for The Franklin Studio with Bloch Performing Arts. She also serves as the Director of Education on the board of West End Lyric.
Christie Gibson
Program Director of New Opera Workshop
Bio
Christie Gibson, New Opera Workshop Program Director, is a multidimensional producer, performing artist, and director. In addition to running OperaHub in Boston for ten years, she has worked for film company Ebb Pod Productions, Opera Providence, the USS Saratoga Museum Foundation, the Brown University Music Department, and the Atelier Lyrique of the Opéra National de Paris. She has held many production positions including production manager, stage manager, costume designer, hair and makeup designer, technical director, master electrician, vocal coach, choreographer, dramaturg, and sound designer. Her producing work has been honored with grants from Opera America, New England Foundation for the Arts, Boston Cultural Council, the Bob Jolly Charitable Trust, and the Harvard Musical Association. Producing credits include DIVAS, El Gato con Botas, La Hija de Rappaccini, Der Vampyr, Socrate, The Long Christmas Dinner, and Michael Ching’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, along with MassOpera’s current NOW project:Caravana de mujeres.
Wen Gu
Director of Community Engagement
Bio
Wen Gu is a China-born soprano and voice/piano teacher based in Massachusetts. She holds an MM in Vocal Performance from Longy School of music of Bard College. Wen won the second prize of Best Debussy Performance 2019 and the third prize of Best Mozart Performance 2020 in the Great Composer Competitions. Wen has performed several roles and concerts with Longy School of Music, Chicago Summer Opera and Cremona International Music Festival.
William Neely
Executive Director
Bio
William Neely has been the Executive Director of MassOpera for five years. He also is a freelance marketing and development consultant with non-profits and small businesses. He has a background as a theatre and film actor, and now frequently performs in cabaret settings and sings with the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus. He serves on the Board of Directors of the North Shore Alliance of LGBTQ Youth.
Brynne Pulver
Director of Operations and Administration
Bio
Brynne Pulver is a Boston based Soprano, Paralegal, and Administrator. She holds an MM and GPD in Voice Performance from The Boston Conservatory, and both a BM in Voice Performance and a BM in Music Education from Appalachian State University. Brynne has performed in various roles and ensembles with many of Boston’s major opera companies including MassOpera, Odyssey Opera, NEMPAC, Promenade Opera Project, and Boston Opera Collaborative. In addition to singing, she works as an Administrative Assistant and Paralegal at Kara Law Offices in downtown Boston. She is excited to join the MassOpera team as Director of PR & Social Media Curation!
Dana Lynne Varga
Founder & Artistic Advisor
Bio
Dana Lynne Varga is the Founder and Artistic Director of MassOpera. She is an accomplished soprano, voice teacher, entrepreneur and career coach, and presently on the voice and opera faculty of the Longy School of Music. Dana won first place in the 2016 Classical Singer National Competition. She has sung with numerous organizations including Boston Lyric Opera, Odyssey Opera, the Caramoor International Music Festival, Opera Maine, the Cantata Singers, the Metropolitan Chorale, the Springfield Symphony, Coro Allegro, and the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra. Favorite operatic roles performed include Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Musetta in La Boheme, Micaëla in Carmen, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus and the title roles in Alcina and The Merry Widow. An avid concert soloist, recent highlights include Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, the Brahms Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Handel’s Israel in Egypt and Messiah, and the Bach Magnificat and B Minor Mass. Dana holds the DMA degree from Boston University and the MM degree from the New England Conservatory. Visit Dana’s performance website at www.danavarga.com and her career coaching site/blog at www.theempoweredmusician.com
MASSOPERA
16 1/2 HANCOCK ST., APT. 2
SALEM, MA 01970
978 210 2709
INFO@MASSOPERA.ORG