C A S T

A S H L E Y E M E R S O N

With her sparkling voice and stage presence, soprano Ashley Emerson has been described as a “vocal and dramatic delight.” She has been seen in over 200 Metropolitan Opera performances, including several “ Met Live in HD” broadcasts, in roles such as Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore, Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro, Brigitte in Iolanta, and the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel, among many others.

In the 2019-2020 season, Ms. Emerson returned to The Metropolitan Opera for her acclaimed portrayal of Papagena in The Magic Flute, and made two company debuts in familiar roles: Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Opera Omaha, and Flora in The Turn of the Screw with On Site Opera. On the concert stage she sang part one of Handel’s Messiah with the New Choral Society. Engagements that were cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic include the world premiere of Omar, a new opera by Rhiannon Giddens at the Spoleto Festival USA, a debut with Kentucky Opera as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, and Papagena in a new production of Die Zauberflöte at The Metropolitan Opera conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. In the 2020-2021 season, Ashley created and curated a web series for Kentucky Opera entitled “Hoops and High Notes”, and recorded a recital, “Wife, Children and Friends” for the Kohlenberg Lyceum Series at Truman State University with her husband, tenor Dominic Armstrong. Ashley will return to Opera Omaha as Johanna in Sweeney Todd in 2022 and will also return to the Met in upcoming seasons.

In addition to numerous recent engagements at her artistic home in New York City, Ms. Emerson toured Russia in concerts celebrating the centennial of Leonard Bernstein’s birth with numerous orchestras, including the Russian State Symphony Orchestra (Svetlanov) at Tchaikovsky Hall, and appeared in chamber music concerts at The Twickenham Festival. In the 2016-2017 season, she was heard as Gretel in Hansel und Gretel with the Seattle Opera, made her professional European debut as Cunegonde in Candide with Opéra National de Bordeaux and the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, and debuted at The Dallas Opera as Flora in The Turn of the Screw. Additional credits include Sister Constance in Dialogues of the Carmelites at Washington National Opera, Tebaldo in Don Carlo in a new production for Opera Philadelphia, and Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Des Moines Metro Opera. She has also appeared in major roles at the Atlanta Opera, Central City Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and The Tanglewood Festival.

Ms. Emerson received highest critical praise for her debut performances of Sister Constance in Dialogues of the Carmelites at Opera Theater of St. Louis, lauded as “definitive” (Opera Today), “exquisite” (Wall Street Journal), and “glorious” (The Washington Post). Other acclaimed and favorite roles include Marie in La Fille du Régiment (Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Maine, Greensboro Opera), The Maid in Thomas Ades’s Powder Her Face (Opera Philadelphia), and Olympia in Les contes d’Hoffmann (Palm Beach Opera).

Ashley is a proud native of Bangor, Maine, and is also a proud graduate of the University of Southern Maine School of Music, the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera, and the Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. 

A B I L E V I S

Named "Debut Artist of the Year" by the Joy in Singing Foundation, mezzo-soprano Abi Levis has appeared as a soloist with the Toronto Symphony, the Handel and Haydn Society, Florida Symphony, Philharmonia Baroque, Portland Baroque, Utah Opera and Symphony, Opera Parallele, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Philadelphia, and The Dallas Opera. She is also a prize winner of several competitions both at home and abroad, including the Klaudia Taev Competition, the William Mattheus Sullivan Foundation, the McCammon Competition, and the Classical Singer Competition. She enjoys exploring all genres of music from popular to ancient, is an avid knitter, and an excellent cook. A native of Portland, Maine, Ms. Levis holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, the University of Houston, and Bard College. She currently resides in Southern California with her husband and celebrated author, David Treuer. She is a stepmom to three children, owns a small zoo of animals, and is the Alto section leader at a local church. Her hobbies include arguing, beer tasting, wandering aimlessly through foreign cities, all things food, knitting/hoarding yarn, and True Crime. She is an obnoxious Red Sox fan and will fight you. Favorite Maine things include Kennebunk beaches, The Old Port, and the local music scene (Shout out to Tom Dyhrberg and the Don Campbell Band!).  Follow her on Instagram @tessitourist!

A A R E N R I V A R D

Aaren Rivard, tenor, is a Maine native praised for a "full and clear" sound. He has appeared with prominent companies such as Pensacola Opera, Opera Colorado, Chautauqua Opera, Central City Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera. He sang with Opera Maine as a Studio Artist in this summer’s L’elisir d’amore. His favorite roles performed include Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Tito in La clemenza di Tito, and Bénédict in Béatrice et Bénédict. Mr. Rivard has a growing list of concert credits as well, including Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Requiem, various Bach Cantatas, Whitbourn's Magnificat, and Orff's Carmina Burana. He received his degrees from the University of Southern Maine School of Music and Wichita State University. His musical work has been recognized by various organizations, such as the Naftzger Association's Vocal Prize and Central City Opera's prestigious Moriarty Award. Despite closures due to COVID-19, Aaren has stayed busy with Social Distance Opera as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with the Wichita Grand Opera, and judging and educational programs with young singers, as well as engaging with the community with virtual concerts and competitions. Aaren makes his mainstage debut as Alfredo with MassOpera in Verdi’s La Traviata in October of 2021. 

N A T E M E N I F I E L D

A Maine native, lyric baritone Nate Menifield is earning high praise, particularly for his performances on the concert stage. Most recently, he was a featured soloist in Amazing Grace: An American Spiritual and in G.F. Händel’s Israel in Egypt, both with the Maine-based Oratorio Chorale; and serves as a regular member of the newly founded Amethyst Chamber Ensemble. The 2016-2017 season included solo work in Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem in collaboration with the Stanford Symphonic Chorus and the Peninsula Symphony (CA), and again with the St. Andrew’s Choir of Saratoga, CA. In 2017, he was named the winner of the competitive Polk Prize in Music Performance from Stanford University. His frequent collaborations with both the Portland (ME) Choral Art Society and the Portland Symphony Orchestra have led to additional solo performances in W.A. Mozart’s Requiem; Beethoven’s Choral Fantasia; Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms; the New England premiere of Robert Cohen’s Alzheimer’s Stories; and in Carl Rütti’s striking 21st-century work, In Paradisum. Of the latter, the Portland Press Herald claimed, “the rendition by [...] baritone Nate Menifield could not have been better.” 

Equally at home in operatic repertoire, Mr. Menifield can often be seen on the stage of Portland’s Merrill Auditorium. Its 2015-2016 season saw him in the roles of Guglielmo in scenes from Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte, and Le médecin in Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites. 

Frequently in demand as a teacher, guest conductor, adjudicator, and performer, Mr. Menifield attended Harvard College, where he studied French & Francophone Studies and sang with the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum and the Kuumba Singers. In 2009, he earned the Bachelor of Music degree in music education from the University of Southern Maine School of Music, and has since been a high school music educator, choral director, and arts advocate in Southern and Midcoast Maine. He also holds the Master of Arts degree in Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies from the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

E M I L Y B A L T Z E R

Minneapolis-based pianist Emily Baltzer makes her New England debut for the grand opening of Opera in the Pines. Her 2020 appearances with In Series Opera in Washington D.C. included leading a tango ensemble through Tim Nelson’s acclaimed Le Cabaret du Carmen and leading a trio in Ana y su sombra by Gabriella Ortiz. In the 2020 season, she also appeared on Dallas Opera’s Virtual Sunday Recital Series, and as a featured artist for Art Fest Online, a virtual art festival experience. Her most recent work was with Stevens Dramatic Society as music director for their virtual “Godspell,” and creator and writer of the MIDI band used in the final performances. Her previous work includes having taken two Pacific Northwest tours with Portland Opera, based out of Portland, OR, performing La Bohème and The Barber of Seville.  She has been assistant conductor with Red River Lyric Opera for three seasons, working on their early music productions. Emily has worked extensively in Dallas, coaching and rehearsing singers with the Dallas Opera and Fort Worth Opera Festival. She has also worked in the Twin Cities area as a music director and keys player for several theater companies, including Old Log Dinner Theater, and has held staff accompanist positions with University of Northwestern--St. Paul, Texas Woman’s University, Maplewood First Evangelical Free Church, and Grace Chapel. Emily holds a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from the University of North Texas, where she served as the teaching assistant to the opera department for three years, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from University of Northwestern--St. Paul.