About MassOpera

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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

HISTORY & FUTURE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF

CONTACT US

MassOpera is a proud member of

HISTORY AND FUTURE

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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:

  1. Provide paid performance opportunity emerging classical singers
  2. Produce fully staged opera with orchestra
  3. Produce standard repertoire so that singers could tackle roles they would need to know to flourish in this very competitive industry
  4. 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.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Carlos Aznarez - Board Member

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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. 

STAFF

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Brenda Huggins (she/her)

Brenda Huggins (she/her)

Executive Creative Producer

Brenda Huggins is a stage director, dramaturg, puppetry artist, and arts administrative leader with over 18 years of experience working at the intersection of opera, theatre, and community-engaged performance. She currently serves as the Director of the Center for Performing Arts at the Colleges of the Fenway, leading programs across five Boston institutions and expanding student participation through strategic partnerships and innovative artistic initiatives.

Huggins has directed and produced work as the Artistic Director of the NEMPAC Opera Project (2023–2024), directed numerous productions with Opera del West, and served as Resident Dramaturg and Director of Community Engagement with Guerilla Opera. She has also worked as an assistant director and dramaturg with White Snake Projects and served as an assistant director with Boston Lyric Opera during the 2023–2024 season. Her artistic practice integrates classical repertoire, new works, devised performance, and puppetry through a civically engaged lens. As an independent creative producer of community-based projects, she has received support from the Boston Foundation’s Live Arts Boston program, the Fellowes Athenaeum Trust Fund, the arts councils of Brookline, Worcester, Somerville, and Cambridge, and the City of Boston’s Office of Arts and Culture.

Previously, she served as Learning and Leadership Manager at OPERA America (2017-2019), launching national initiatives for arts leaders and teaching artists. She holds an M.F.A. and M.A. from Emerson College in Theater Education and Applied Theater, and dual B.A. degrees in music and theater from Western Connecticut State University.

Marcus Schenck

Marcus Schenck

Executive Creative Producer

Marcus Schenck is a Boston-based baritone, actor, music educator, and arts administrative leader with a decade of professional experience in opera, theatre, and community-oriented programming. While both on- and offstage, his work focuses on accessibility, creativity, and integrity.

As a performer, Schenck has collaborated with companies such as Odyssey Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Company of Middlebury, Raylynmor Opera, Sioux City Symphony, Lowell House Opera, Actors Ensemble of Berkeley, and Third Citizen Theatre Company. Behind the scenes, he co-founded and served on the leadership team for Promenade Opera Project, as the Executive & Artistic Director from 2019-2021 and previously as the General Director from 2017-2019. His music education experience spans teaching multiple cohorts at the Boston Conservatory Summer Vocal/Choral Institute, devising semester curricula for group musical theatre classes and private voice students at All Newton Music School, as well as maintaining a small private studio. He has also had the honor of Assistant Directing the 2018 production of Poulenc’s Les Dialogues des Carmélites at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

In his artistic practice, Schenck particularly enjoys the work of transforming canon works with innovative and imaginative settings, as well as the process of supporting and building new works alongside living composers and creators, long inspired by the work and mentorship from Catherine “Kay” Payn. He holds an M.M. from The Boston Conservatory in Voice Performance, a Post-Masters Fellowship in Accessibility Resources in Music from Berklee College of Music, and a B.M. in Voice Performance from Bucknell University.

Christie Gibson

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

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

William Neely

Former 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.
Dana Lynne Varga

Dana Lynne Varga

Founder & Former 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

CONTACT US

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MASSOPERA
16 1/2 HANCOCK ST., APT. 2
SALEM, MA 01970

INFO@MASSOPERA.ORG

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