Girondines West Coast Video Premiere Contributors

Sarah Melnick née Van Sciver (Composer; Music Director; Technical Director; Pianist-Conductor; Graphic, Projection, Prop, Sound, and Supertitle Designer; Supertitle Translator) is thrilled to be making her Mission Opera debut with Girondines. In addition to performing as a vocalist, pianist, harpist, and ukulele player, Sarah composes and produces songs, scores, sound, video, graphics, and designs for film, stage, and studio productions. Past credits include producing, music and technical directing, performing, designing, and writing music and lyrics for hundreds of concert, album, cinema, and theater productions. Past projects include composing for theater and opera productions Shadow House (Philadelphia Opera Collective), People That Love Move Mountains and RUBBISH (CalArts New Works Festival), the Magnus Effect and Fifty Days at Iliam (Greenfield Collective), Pay2Play (VoiceMakeDown Productions) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (Stimulus Childrens Theater); arranging choir music for Anna (EgoPo) and dozens of a cappella, glee club, choral, and band ensembles around the world; and music directing The Many Delays of Charlie Greene (CalArts New Works Festival), Little Shop of Horrors (Quadramics), and Schoolhouse Rock Live and A Year with Frog and Toad (Stimulus Childrens Theater). Sarah received her B.A. in Music from the University of Pennsylvania, her Professional Certificate in General Music Studies from the Berklee College of Music, and her Performer-Composer M.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Sarah proudly serves CalArts on its staff as Career Advisor in the Patty Disney Center for Life and Work helping performing, visual, literary, digital, and multimedia artists discover and design professional paths to success. Her most recent recording was with Wilmington Concert Opera for the 'in-concert' world premiere of Girondines, a collaboration with librettist Kirsten C. Kunkle. The Girondines Wilmington Concert Opera Original Cast Recording album and Sarah's prior solo releases (EPs Ophelia's Song, Overture to an Adventure, and Puzzle Pieces and single Canon in D - Harp Trio) are available on all streaming services. Upcoming projects by Sarah include a song cycle, a rock-popera, and an LP of new songs. With love and thanks to my friends, my teachers, and my family, especially to my leading men, Jeffrey and Bruce. www.sarahvansciver.com

Dr. Kirsten C. Kunkle (Librettist; Stage Director; Choreographer; Charlotte Corday) is a voting citizen of the Mvskoke (Muscogee) Nation lauded as the leading Native American soprano in today’s classical music world. She has been hailed as an outstanding singing actress with a voice that has been described as beautiful, ethereal, powerful, fiery, and bewitching. Kirsten commissioned and premiered sixteen original compositions, including one of her own, based upon the poetry of her ancestor and highly-acclaimed poet of the Native American Muscogee Nation, Alexander Posey. Her recordings are collected at the Library of Congress, the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institution (NMAI), and the Merkel Area Museum in Merkel, TX. Kirsten is included on the list of Classical Native American Artists and Musicians at the Smithsonian Institution’s NMAI and on the Molto Native Music list of performers. She was featured as a composer and soloist for the Circle of Resilience concert, with Intermountain Opera Bozeman, in May, 2021. In 2022, she was commissioned and premiered her new art song “Reclaim the Land” at Yellowstone National Park’s 150th anniversary, which has been featured on Yellowstone Public Radio (a branch of NPR) and BBC Radio. In 2023, she was commissioned to write the monodrama for voice, piano, and violin, “Witch of November in the White City” for “Chicago Currents: Celebrating Chicago’s Waterways,” which served as her performance, dramaturgy, poetry, and composition debut with Chicago Fringe Opera. Among her favorite roles in the standard operatic repertoire are Agathe in Der Freischütz, the title role in Suor Angelica, Magda and the Foreign Woman in The Consul, Mimì in La bohème, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro, Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Iolanta and Brigitta in Iolanta, Zemfira in Aleko, Lisa in Pique Dame, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Laetitia in The Old Maid and the Thief, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, and Dido in Dido and Aeneas. She has an Honorable Mention for The American Prize in Voice – Professional Art Song and Oratorio Division (Women), as well as being a two-time semi-finalist for The American Prize in Opera (Women). She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2014, and in the same year she was the Pennsylvania District National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Award winner. Kirsten won second place in the Roschel Vocal Competition in 2015. She made her solo European debut with the Sofia Philharmonic in the role of Arabella in Johann Strauss II’s Blindekuh. She is also a NAXOS recording artist for the world premiere recording of Blindekuh, which was released in March 2020 to extraordinary reviews. Her most recent recording was debuting the role of Charlotte Corday in the world premiere of “Girondines,” which is a collaboration between Kirsten (libretto) and Sarah Van Sciver (music), available on all streaming services. Kirsten will be premiering the role of Ipp’osi’ in the first opera written entirely in the Chickasaw language, “Shell Shaker” by Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. With the Philadelphia Opera Collective, she created leading roles in numerous world premieres, including Edith Standen in Shadow House, Annie Jump Cannon in Jump the Moon, Edgar Allan Poe/The Poet in Opera Macabre: Edgar Allan Poe, and Dr. Frankenstein in By You That Made Me, Frankenstein. She also created the role of Space Mad Woman in Toowhopera by Sorrell Hayes. She has recorded extensively through the Comic Opera Guild, specializing in the works of Victor Herbert. Kirsten served as opera stage director for four years at Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting HBCU. Prior to her time at Lincoln, she directed opera scenes at Shorter University, for which she commissioned the work “The Tribunal” by composer Bradley Harris. Favorite productions directed include Treemonisha, Hansel and Gretel, Man of La Mancha, The Telephone, The Medium, and Kismet. Kirsten is the proud Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Wilmington Concert Opera, a women and minority led opera company in Wilmington, Delaware. She is a proud graduate of Bowling Green State University and University of Michigan. www.kirstenckunkle.com

Baritone Dr. Joshua R. Wentz (Producer & Mission Opera Artistic Director & Founder) has had the privilege of singing nationally and internationally in nine countries and many states throughout the US. He has worked with Cleveland Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Carolina, Dayton Opera (Ohio), Harrower Opera, Festival Internaccional d’Opera Americas, Rome Festival Opera, Darmstadt Festspiel, and various other venues. Recent engagements included Lindorf/Crespel in Tales of Hoffmann and Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow, both in São Paolo, Brazil with the Festival Internacional de Opera Americas. In 2013, Wentz debuted the role of Sam in the world premiere of Bambino by Richard Maltz. He performed Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro and Pistola in Falstaff with the Rome Festival Orchestra in Rome, Italy, and Papageno in Die Zauberflote in Darmstadt, Germany. Favorite roles include Giovanni, Figaro, Top in Copland’s The Tender Land, and Pangloss in Bernstein’s Candide. Dr. Wentz serves as Artistic Director and President of Mission Opera. Launched in 2019, Mission Opera strives to produce high-quality, accessible opera and musical theater, to provide members of the community the opportunity to participate at all levels of these productions, and to afford both participants and audiences enjoyment and a deeper appreciation of opera and musical theater. Additionally, he serves as the Director of Music at Santa Clarita United Methodist Church and Consultant for Landmark Opera. In addition to opera, Wentz has sung many oratorio and musical theater roles at various levels throughout the United States. He began his orchestra conducting career with the SBOCES Orchestra in Wyoming, debuting large-scale works such as Handel’s Messiah. As a musicologist, Wentz’s published research on American Opera, and in particular, Carlisle Floyd, is becoming one of the leading sources in the world on Floyd’s works of the 1960s. “Dr. J” is an Associate Professor of Music at Los Angeles Mission College, where he oversees the choral and vocal area. Wentz holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of South Carolina, and Master's of Music from Winthrop University, and a Master's of Science in College Student Affairs from Nova Southeastern University, where he specialized in Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

Nelya Coomans is a lyric soprano studying Vocal Performance and Music Education at California State University, Northridge. Raised in British Columbia, Canada, her passion for music and performance brought her to the University of Utah, where she studied Vocal Performance under Julie Wright-Costa. Ms. Coomans has been cast in numerous musicals, plays, and operas. Some of her most notable roles include Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Ruth in Pirates of Penzance, Gertrude in Seussical, and Diana in Anne of Green Gables. She was also awarded “Best Classical Performance” and “Best Comedic Performance” through the Royal Conservatory of Music Vocal Festival for three consecutive years. Although Ms. Coomans has primarily focused on the performing side of productions, she has enjoyed branching out into the tech and administrative side as of late. This is Ms. Coomans’ first production with Mission Opera as their Assistant Stage Manager, and she is so excited to be behind the scenes, watching and participating in all the theater magic!

Caroline Morgan (Stage Manager) has performed in theatre and musical theatre in Hong Kong, London and here in Southern California where she has been particularly active with the Canyon Theatre Guild in Santa Clarita, performing and working as either stage manager, lighting or sound technician in numerous productions. Recently she has focused on stage managing, working for a number of theatres in North Hollywood and Burbank, including The Banshee Theatre, The Road Theatre, The Michael Checkhov Theatre, The Andak Theatre Company, Theatre Unlimited Studios, and the Los Angeles Shakespeare Company. Caroline has recently retired from a 42 year career as a Chemistry and Physics high school teacher.

Jason Vincent is a bass-baritone based in the greater Los Angeles area. Praised for his warm, rich tone, and thoughtful interpretation and musicality, Jason excels in oratorio, lieder, choral, and concert work. A versatile artist, Jason is as comfortable performing vocal jazz and musical theater as he is classical repertoire. While studying vocal performance and music education at San Jose State University, he was a founding member of their jazz choir. He has been a featured soloist for Peninsula Cantare, St. Thomas Aquinas Church and many other Silicon Valley Ensembles. He worked as a chorister and cover artist with Opera San Jose from 2016 until the Covid-19 shutdown. Since returning to the stage, he has been working with Edna Garabedian and Fresno's California Opera Association, making his debut as the cover for Oroveso in their summer 2021 production of Norma, and as Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors. In January of 2022 Jason premiered the role of Ahmad/Shah in Paradise for Beginners. This season, Jason returns to the stage as Sharpless in Madame Butterfly, and The Father in Hänsel und Gretel. Jason is grateful to his family, in particular his amazing and genius, patient, kind, gorgeous, unparalleled partner Emma, for their support. He is looking forward to many great seasons to come!

Robert Dunlap has earned his Masters of Music degrees from Syracuse University in Vocal Pedagogy, as well as a Bachelors of Music degree from State University of New York at Fredonia. Mr. Dunlap made his operatic debut as Gherardo in Hillman Operas production of Gianni Schicchi. Robert has also been blessed to be able to perform with his now wife, Kirstin Ariel, most notably as Guest Artists at Brenau University, Soloists for the Lancaster Community Orchestra, and now as members of Mission Opera. Originally from Central New York, Robert is now a long way from home but is incredibly grateful for his new found family in Mission Opera!

Kirstin Ariel has earned two Masters of Music degrees from Syracuse University in Voice Performance and Voice Pedagogy. There she studied with Janet Brown. Ms. Ariel received her Bachelor’s of Music degree in Vocal performance at Brenau University, in Gainesville, Georgia. At Syracuse University, Ms. Ariel performed in Dido and Aeneas as First Witch, The Bat as Rosalinde, and Speed Dating Tonight as Talkative Dater. Kirstin also performed a Graduate I recital as well as a lecture recital titled Spiritual Feminism in Vocal Literature. In the Fall of 2017, Ms. Ariel Performed at Brenau University as an Invitational Guest Artist. Kirstin performed in 2018 with Angels Vocal Arts in Candide, additionally being featured in many other performance events. Kirstin performed as a soloist for Lancaster Community Orchestra’s Concert from Opera to Broadway, in 2019 under the baton of Ryan Reeson. Being from Southern California, Kirstin is glad to perform in her home community once again as she sings with Mission Opera.

Baritone Juan Antonio Rivera obtained his Bachelor of Music degree in flute performance from Baylor University School of Music in Waco, Texas; and an MFA in flute performance from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia, California. His involvement with opera includes being part of the chorus for La Cenerentola for Center Stage Opera in 2016; cast as the Registrar in Madame Butterfly in 2016 and cast as a high priest in Aida in 2017 for the Marina Del Rey Summer Concert Series; cast as the Registrar in Madame Butterfly for the Redlands Bowl Summer Concert Series in 2016; cast as the Sacristan in Landmark Opera’s production of Tosca in 2017 and cast as Frank in their production of Die Fledermaus in 2018. Mr. Rivera has also been a bass section leader and soloist for The Wild Beats at CalArts 2015-2016; soloist and bass section member of the West Coast Singers 2012-13. He currently sings as a featured soloist for multiple Church Chorales since 2016. Mr. Rivera’s teachers include Natalia Ospina at Baylor University, Paul Berkolds and Maria Dean at CalArts, and Tim DeLeon.

Constanze Bonelli (Costume Coordinator) is thrilled to be the costume coordinator for Girondines. Having a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from CalArts and a Masters of Vocal Performance, Ms. Bonelli is used to being on stage as a singer but has done costumes for Mission Opera before. Constanze grew up learning how to sew from her mom. During her time pursuing her Masters Degree at the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana, Ms. Bonelli had an assistantship in the opera costume shop. There she learned about theater costuming. Her love for costumes and sewing has continued and she is happy to be able to share her love for costuming and singing with everyone. Ms Bonelli is originally from Germany but has been a long time resident of Santa Clarita where she resides with her husband. Besides singing and costuming Ms. Bonelli loves skiing, Yoga, baking, and is a nature enthusiast. Thank you, Tonya Nelson from No Strings Attached Costume Rentals for the beautiful costumes!

Shawn Taylor (Set Design & Construction) earned his Music Master’s from Cal State Long Beach. He has performed as a chorister with the Long Beach Opera and played numerous roles with Mission Opera, Landmark Opera, Riverside Lyric Opera, Pacific Lyric Opera Association, Repertory Opera Theatre, Celestial Opera, Capitol Opera, and Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera. He has performed in many musicals and Gilbert and Sullivan Shows, sings in several churches throughout Southern California, and is a staff singer for the Santa Clarita Master Chorale, California Philharmonic, and Golden State Pops Orchestra. Shawn has been a Choral Teacher since 1986 in Elementary, Junior High, High School, and was a Vocal Instructor at California Baptist University. He has also taught theatre, and is the vocal coach for the All American Boys Choir. He is a founding member of the Board of Directors of Mission Opera.