ROBERT GRAYSON –
CONDUCTOR, OPÉRA LOUISIANE GENERAL DIRECTOR
Robert Grayson is the General Director of Opéra Louisiane and Kirkpatrick Professor and Chair of the Voice/Opera Division at the LSU School of Music. A leading tenor at the New York City Opera for more than a decade, Grayson has sung throughout the USA with many opera houses including Chicago Lyric, Cleveland, Miami, Tulsa, and Spoleto. Professor Grayson has been cited as a "Rising Star" by the LSU Alumni Magazine. He has been the recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi award for "Outstanding Creativity in the Arts" and has received commendation from the Student Government Association for "Outstanding Teaching." He can be heard as "Caesar" on New World Records' Grammy-winning recording of Antony and Cleopatra.

From 1998 to 2002 Professor Grayson served as Artistic Director of the LSU Opera, during which time productions were increased from two to four per year, two state-wide tours were undertaken, and budgets were quadrupled and the LSU Opera Endowment and 75Voices were formed. Grayson directed productions of La Traviata, La Boheme, and Carmen. He founded the Patrons of the LSU Opera, and coordinated efforts with the Baton Rouge Opera Guild, and BRAVO (Baton Rouge Area Volunteers for Opera).

Robert Grayson has produced a number of outstanding professional singers. Foremost among these artists are tenor Paul Groves, soprano Lisette Oropesa; soprano Kimla Beasley character tenor Edward Dacus, tenor Matt Morgan, heldentenor Andrew Zimmerman, baritone Kenneth Brundage, tenor Robert Swenson, mezzo soprano Kathleen Clawson and soprano Dawn Harris.

ELIZABETH FUTRAL
Soprano
Elizabeth Futral is one of the foremost sopranos in the country, having performed with all the major opera companies in America. Her Metropolitan Opera debut in Lucia di Lammermoor was praised by the New York Times.
“Her singing was sure, virtuoso and yet still lighted by humanity.”

A native of Covington, Ms. Futral has dazzled audiences at the Washington National Opera, New York City Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the San Francisco Opera and the Los Angeles Opera. She recently appeared in the PBS specials Great Performers at Lincoln Center and Great Performances and A&E’s Breakfast with the Arts.

http://www.funkhouserartists.com/ElizabethFutral/


SUSAN GRAHAM
Mezzo Soprano
Grammy-winner Susan Graham has performed in all of the world’s great opera venues including La Scala in Milan, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Vienna State Opera, Opera de Paris and the Salzburg Festival in Austria.
Born in New Mexico, she graduated from Texas Tech University and the Manhattan School of Music. She was the recipient of a career grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation and was named Musical America’s Vocalist of the Year in 2004.

"Susan Graham just keeps getting better...Graham's voice is a marvel, enveloping in its warmth, perfectly even throughout its entire range, and amazingly supple in the music's often elaborate ornamentation...Not to be missed!" - Barnes and Noble.com

http://www.susangraham.com

PAUL GROVES
Tenor
International opera star Paul Groves burst on to the opera scene in 1991 when he won the Metropolitan Opera’s Council Auditions in 1991. He made his Met debut in 1992 and recently performed in the Merry Widow opposite Placido Domingo and Frederica von Stade. Other performances have included the title role in La damnation de Faust, Don Giovanni and Candide.

The Lake Charles native made his debut at La Scala in 1996 and has performed at the Opera de Paris, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden and the Vienna State Opera along with every major opera company in the United States. A gifted soloist, he has also performed with the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and at Carnegie Hall.

“Paul Groves summoned ardor and energy—virile-voiced and physically agile..." - New York Times.

http://www.imgartists.com/?page=artist&id=359

JEFFREY WELLS
Baritone-Bass
Jeffrey Wells’ powerful voice and commanding stage presence has allowed him to perform in many of the world’s great operas such as La Boheme, Carmen, Turnadot, Aida and Romeo et Juliette opposite opera legends like Luciano Pavarotti. He has sung with every major opera company in the country including more than 350 performances at the Metropolitan Opera where he will perform Carmen and War and Peace during the 2007-2008 season.

The Baton Rouge-native attended LSU and Southeastern before successfully auditioning for a touring company of the New York City Opera.

“Whenever he occupied it, Jeffrey Wells dominated the stage both through his supremely physical bearing and his equally confident, dark-toned baritone.” - The Toronto Star

http://www.jeffreywellsmusic.com

LISETTE OROPESA
Soprano
Rising star Lisette Oropesa recently was honored at the Placido Domingo Operalia World Opera Competition, the world’s most prestigious competition for young opera performers. The youngest performer in the competition, she took third place in the Best Female Singer category and fell one vote short of winning Audience Favorite.

Oropesa, 23, is a native of Baton Rouge and a graduate from the LSU School of Music. She is in the third year at the Lindeman Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and will be auditioning for major opera companies around the country this fall. .

http://www.camihall.com


MATT MORGAN
Tenor
Lake Charles native Matt Morgan is appearing nationwide on PBS stations around the country in his new DVD Matt Morgan In Concert with Vito DiSalvo and We Three.

Matt joined the roster of the New York City Opera in the 2004-2005 season and is continuing to perform with this legendary opera company. He is scheduled to appear this year at Avery Fisher Hall in Carmina Burana and the New York City Opera’s production of Pirates of Penzance.

http://www.funkhouserartists.com/mattmorgan



LUCAS MEACHEM
Baritone
Lucas Meachem made his debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago last season in Iphogenie en Tauride and is one of the rising young baritones in the country. He has performed in The Magic Flute, The Barber of Seville, The Merry Widow, La Boheme and Carmen.

“A marvelous Lyric Opera debut by American Lucas Meachem.” -The Daily Herald

http://www.cami.com