Artistic Staff
Ryan Murray
Ryan Murray, Principal Pops Conductor
Ryan Murray, Principal Pops Conductor
Guest Artists
Ashlyn Einhell
Terron Brooks, guest vocalist
Terron Brooks, guest vocalist
Guest Artists
Ashlyn Einhell
Shayna Steele, guest vocalist
Shayna Steele, guest vocalist
Guest Artists
Ashlyn Einhell
Chester Gregory, guest vocalist
Chester Gregory, guest vocalist
Guest Artists
Ashlyn Einhell
Audrey Wright, violin
Audrey Wright, violin

Mozart Requiem

Jennifer Lindsay, soprano

Lyric soprano Jennifer Lindsay has been widely praised for her gorgeous tone and musical intelligence.

As Mimì in La Bohème with Opera Connecticut, she was lauded for her “plummy voice” by the Connecticut Town Times, and VOICE Magazine called her a “standout singer” for her portrayal of the pivotal character Mary Warren in Robert Ward’s The Crucible with Opera Santa Barbara.  Ms Lindsay joined the Metropolitan Opera as a member of the ensemble in a new and wildly popular production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, which received a GRAMMY Award for Best Opera Recording. Equally at home in the contemporary music scene, Ms Lindsay has appeared with the LA Philharmonic in conjunction with Beth Morrison Projects to perform excerpts from John Adams’ I Was Looking At The Ceiling And Then I Saw The Sky, conducted by the composer. She debuted the role of Lucha in the world premiere of HOPSCOTCH with The Industry, directed by Pulitzer Prize-nominee Yuval Sharon, and performed the role of Tasha in excerpts from Dylan Mattingly’s modern opera Stranger Love at the biannual FIRST TAKE contemporary music festival co-hosted by The Industry and wildUp, Christopher Roundtree’s acclaimed new music ensemble. Ms Lindsay has also been a featured soloist with the San Diego Symphony, the Pacific Symphony, and the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. She currently resides in Orange County.

Upcoming Performances

Maria Dominique Lopez, mezzo soprano

Praised as “a rich-voiced mezzo” (Operawire) and “a real tour-de-force” (Splash Magazine), Mexican-American mezzo soprano Maria Dominique Lopez has sung operatic roles and symphonic works throughout the United States and Europe for over a decade. Additionally, Maria has recorded vocals for independent films and major motion pictures, including Golden Globe and Academy Award-Winning Disney/Pixar film, “Coco,” and New Line Cinema’s horror film, “The Curse of La Llorona.” Recent stage appearances include Houston Grand Opera: Opera to Go! (Madrina/Madrastra, Cinderella in Spain), Arizona Opera (Dritte Dame, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; Bonita, Arizona Lady), Phoenix Symphony (mezzo soloist, Vaughan Williams’ Magnificat), Resonance Works / Pittsburgh (Candelas, de Falla’s El Amor Brujo), Opera Memphis (Third Lady, Mozart’s The Magic Flute), Pacific Opera Project (Madam Flora, Menotti’s The Medium; Mercédes, Bizet’s Carmen; Musetta, Puccini’s La bohème), the world premiere at The Kennedy Center and the Polish premiere at the Teatr Muzycznys Poznaniu of Jenni Brandon’s 3 Paderewskis (Ignace), the LA premiere of Mark Weiser’s The Place Where You Started (Samantha), New Opera West (Cybil, Celka Ojakangas’ Mirror Game; Jenny, Ben Stevenson’s Recovered; Sara, Jeremy Rapaport-Stein’s The Moose), Southeast Symphony (mezzo soloist, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2), Angels Vocal Art (Principessa, Puccini’s Suor Angelica), Tustin Area Council for the Fine Arts (“Somewhere” soloist, Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story), Long Beach Opera (mezzo soloist, Ungala Series), and LA Opera’s education outreach company, LA Opera Connects (Waitress/Angela, the world premiere of GG Gallegos’ Another Perfect Day; Rosina, Eli and LeRoy Vilanueva’s Figaro’s American Adventure). Dreams, and Cincinnati Opera (Third Wood Nymph, Dvorak’s Rusalka), but these performances were postponed to a future date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemic performances include “From Darkness to Light,” a livestream concert in which Maria joined other instrumentalists and vocalists from the Los Angeles area to benefit the SoCal Vocalist Relief Fund, and two online fundraisers for Resonance Works / Pittsburgh. In the Fall of 2020, Maria performed the world premiere of her first collaboration as a lyricist, “The COVID Dance” composed by Celka Ojakangas as part of a concert honoring the Women’s March produced by Resonance Works/Pittsburgh. Upcoming 2022 performances will see a fulfillment of the original contract to return to Resonance Works / Pittsburgh (Rosa, I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams), and as a soloist in LA Opera’s collaboration with The Huntington Library. A native Arizonan, Maria received her Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Music degrees from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. She now lives in the Los Angeles area and owns her own energy healing and reiki practice, Ascending Arts. In addition to energy healing sessions, Maria uses her healing gifts to enhance her music performance in a program called “Sing the Light.” Through “Sing the Light,” Maria offers group Reiki during every live performance to all audience members who are open to receiving. It is her mission to help audience members tap into the transcendental healing that music can offer by creating a quantum connection between the heart of the performer and the heart of the audience member. She is a Senior Fellow in the Eric Fütterer Vocal Studio of Academy of Advanced Vocal Technique, and studies shamanic and energy practices with Shaman and Reiki Master, Jamie Jones.

More on Maria Dominique Lopez at: https://www.ascendingarts.exchange/voice

Upcoming Performances

Orson Van Gay II, tenor

Operatic Tenor, Orson Van Gay II, possesses a unique voice that captivates the audience with his charisma and command of the stage for a singer of his generation. His performances showcase vocal talents that have brought him constant recognition in Southern California and across the United States.

Recent and Upcoming: In the 2019-20 season, he created the role of Raymond Santana in the world première of Anthony Davis’s Central Park Five (Pulitzer Winning Opera 2021) with Long Beach Opera and made his role debut as Rodolfo in La bohème with Pacific Opera Project. He was Nemorino with the Phoenicia Int. Festival of the Voice and sang the romantic lead of the Young Man in Last Romance with Kansas New Theater. Equally at home as a recitalist, Mr. Van Gay has appeared in the Portsmouth Community Concert, Inc. (VA), the Rio Hondo College and at Carnegie Hall in a recital with Wang Wei. This season included working with Maestro Conlon in a supporting role at LA Opera in their production of Il trovatore and with the LA Philharmonic in their preparation of Fidelio. He debuted as Danilo in Pocket Opera’s The Merry Widow, followed by his debut as The Athlete in the West Coast premiere of, I Can’t Breathe with Pacific Opera Project. He was Vitaliano in Long Beach Opera’s Guistino with James Darrah directing; and reprised his role in The Central Park Five with Long Beach Opera in 2022. He reprised the role of Alfredo in La traviata with Piedmont Opera. Mr. Van Gay is the proud recipient of 2022 inaugural Hurst Artist of the year award.

“Orson Van Gay II was an ardent Alfredo...his sound was fluent and his high notes golden.”
— Broadway World

Mr. Van Gay has sung extensively with the Los Angeles Opera in many venues including their “Connects”, “City of Hope” “IAMLA, series. He debuted the role of Bernard Curson in the world première of Figaro 90210 with the company and was Ramerrez in The Prospector in two different seasons. Other operatic roles include Alfredo (La traviata), Ben (The Night of the Living Dead) and the title roles of Candide and Orpheus.

He joined the Cal Philharmonic Orchestra in celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s 100th anniversary and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 as tenor soloist at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Reviewed by George van Wagner he stated, “beautifully sung and strongly acted...audience members were visibly moved.” He has sung the haunting role of Orlando in The Industry’s nationally acclaimed production of Hopscotch. In addition to performing in the romantic and Germanic languages of opera, Mr. Van Gay was selected to perform in Mandarin last season making his debut with SINO U.S. Performing Arts Organization as tenor soloist for their concert series with performances in Los Angeles and Phoenix, Arizona.

He premiered Golden; a composition based on the life of Polish composer, Igancy Paderewski by Nathan Wang in Los Angeles and sang the role of Prince in the world première of Ricky Ian Gordon’s Morning Star.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Vocal Performance from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and has been honored by the NATS organization in first place on several occasions.

As a native of southern California, Mr. Van Gay is also an actor in several nationally recognized television series. He has been featured in major television commercials and starred on a variety of shows for Netflix; including foreign film and television. He co- starred on the Disney series Coop & Cami Ask the World.

More on Orson Van Gay ll at: http://www.orsonvangay.com

Colors of a Lyric by Orson Van Gay II

releases May 14, 2023

“After performing for nearly two decades, I was often asked, "do you have a record available?" I often referred fans to my website or YouTube where they could find highlights from operatic performances. The pandemic gave me the time to reflect and curate some of my favorite arias. I wanted to give the world a sneak peak into the pieces that have helped shape and inspire my journey, as an artist. As a budding musician, I remember listening to the iconic opera singers and thinking, 'this is how I want to connect to humanity!" This has been a labor of love brought to fruition through years of performances. I hope you enjoy.”

Upcoming Performances

Zachary Gordin, baritone

Praised for his “arresting musical insights”, Zachary Gordin has been active in many facets of the Classical Music industry. He has established himself as a leading baritone soloist, collaborative pianist, conductor, organizational consultant, and artist mentor; training singers who perform in the world's great opera houses and concert halls. 

His debut disc: Amour sans ailes - Songs of Reynaldo Hahn on the MSR Classics label was named "Best Lieder Recording of 2017" by Voix des Arts. On the operatic stage Gordin is well known for his performances of Joseph De Rocher in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, a role that won him critical acclaim when he premiered it at Dayton Opera in 2015. Other major roles include Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Escamillo in Carmen, Silvio in Pagliacci, Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Germont in La traviata. A veteran of the concert and recital stage, Gordin’s recent engagements include performances with San Francisco Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic, YOSA Philharmonic, Bay Area Rainbow Symphony, Olympic Music Festival, and many others.

“A voice that is commanding and intense without ever descending into coarseness”
— The Seattle Times

During his early childhood, he was inspired by his Great-Grandfather, an organist, and began training as a pianist at a young age. His commitment to education and access to the arts reinforces his work as General and Artistic Director of Festival Opera. He has served on the voice faculty of Sonoma State University and Santa Clara University, as a judge for regional and national voice competitions, and has given master classes at some of the country’s most renowned opera companies and schools. Gordin is also widely recognized as a frequent presence on Barihunks, a site dedicated to physically fit and vocally gifted operatic baritones from around the globe.

Upcoming Performances

Anthony Parnther, conductor

American conductor, Anthony Parnther, is the Music Director and Conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra and the Southeast Symphony & Chorus in Los Angeles.

Recent guest conducting engagements include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Chineke! Orchestra, Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, Jacaranda - Music at the Edge, Hear Now Music Festival, Mann Center Festival Orchestra, Pittsburgh Microtonal Festival, Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, Brightwork NewMusic, and the World Opera Forum in Madrid, Spain. 

Over the next season, Anthony will premiere Kris Bower’s Concerto for Horn with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Tamar-kali Brown’s Oratorio “We Hold These Truths” with the Los Angeles Opera, work alongside composer Anthony Davis on his Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Central Park Five with the Long Beach Opera, and premiere a new work for narrator and orchestra by Oscar-winning, GRAMMY-nominated Jon Batiste, host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with the Gateways Festival Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

Anthony has led the Hollywood Studio Symphony in recording sessions for many international feature film and television projects including Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Tenet, Star Wars: Book of Boba Fett, Little, American Dad, The Hunt, Fargo, The Way Back, The Night Of, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Encanto,  and Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild. His live orchestral concert appearances for e-sports titan League of Legends in Barcelona, Beijing, Seoul, and Los Angeles are among the most widely viewed symphonic concerts in the world, with live audiences of 50,000-75,000 spectators and a viewership that outpaces the World Series with approximately 100 million live streaming each League of Legends Finals Opening Ceremony concert.

Anthony has restored and performed orchestral works by Florence Price, Zenobia Powell Perry, Margaret Bonds, William Grant Still, Duke Ellington, and Samuel Coleridge Taylor. He has premiered and recorded works by Anthony Davis, George Walker, Errollyn Wallen, John Wineglass, Gary Powell Nash, Marian Harrison, Renee Baker, James Wilson, Phillip Herbert, Daniel Kidane, Chanda Dancy, and James Newton. In 2015, Anthony was profiled by Los Angeles' KCET/TV as a "Local Hero" for his extensive community outreach and advocacy for the performance of works by Black, Latino, and Women artists. 

Anthony studied music performance at Northwestern University and continued his musical studies at Yale University where he studied orchestral conducting with Lawrence Leighton Smith and Otto Werner Mueller.  He resides in Los Angeles.

Upcoming Performances

Calendar
May 12 & 13 / Mozart Requiem
May 12 & 13 / Mozart Requiem

Anthony Parnther, conductor
MSO Chorus; Daniel R. Afonso Jr., chorus director

Fri. May 12, 2023 at 7:30 pm
Sat. May 13, 2023 at 7:30 pm

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