Alice Ryley + Big Deaths Cast

Emily Gallagher’s 2024-2025 season included Chloé in Daphnis et Chloé, First Wood Sprite in Rusalka; Sandman/Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel, Lucy in The Telephone, Susanna in Il Segreto di Susanna, Chester in Meow and Forever, John F. Kennedy in the world premiere of Minute to Midnight, and Opal Burrows in The Mighty Casey. Passionate about performing contemporary music, Emily has originated seven roles with companies around the United States. In 2022, Emily was a Fulbright Scholar to Austria where she worked with the company Talesprin–Musical Tales for Big and Small to create an original concert series and children's book. Emily is the creator and star of the one woman opera, Enchanted Melodies: An Interactive Fairytale Opera which she has performed with nearly a dozen companies around the United States. Upcoming, she will perform the role of Maguelonne in Pauline Viardot’s Cendrillon with Opera Modesto.

Praised for her warmth and vulnerability, Taiwanese-American mezzo-soprano Christine Marie Li captivates audiences with a stage presence that blends sincerity and charisma. Guided by her favorite quote, “when words fail, music speaks,” she approaches every role as an act of storytelling. Christine’s versatility spans the lyric and comedic repertoire, with performances as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel (Pacific Opera Project), Dorabella in Così fan tutte (Vineyard Touring Opera), Baba in The Medium (Lyric Opera of Orange County), Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, and Counsel in Trial by Jury (Pacific Opera Project). She has also brought depth to notable roles such as Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice (USC) and Ottone in Handel’s Agrippina (CU Boulder). Equally at home in contemporary opera, Christine has workshopped pieces by Jake Heggie, Gene Scheer and Tom Cipullo, and created the role of Allura in the Finnish and American premieres of Uljas Pulkkis’s All the Truths We Cannot See. Offstage, she teaches in her private studio and at Pasadena City College and University of La Verne, guiding students with a focus on awareness, autonomy, and individualized instruction. She is firmly committed to mentoring young singers and sharing the experience of music-making as a source of empathy and resilience.

Kirk Garner, tenor, is a classically-trained singer and actor with broad-ranging experience, including both stage and concert work and both musical theater and opera. Some of Kirk's opera roles include Tamino in The Magic Flute, Ferrando in Così fan tutte, and Camille in The Merry Widow. His musical theater roles include Will Parker in Oklahoma! and Prince Dauntless in Once Upon a Mattress, and operetta roles include Ernest Dummkopf in The Grand Duke, Colonel Fairfax in Yeoman of the Guard, Alexis in The Sorcerer, and Marco in The Gondoliers. Kirk holds a Master's Degree in Vocal Performance from California State University, Northridge. Learn more at www.kirkgarner.net

Baritone Adrian Melendrez comes from Las Vegas, NV and holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California. He currently studies with baritone Derrick Lawrence. He has sung with groups throughout Southern California such as Pacific Opera Project, Opera Buffs, Opera Santa Barbara, Lyric Opera of Orange County, and Source/Filter Collective. Most recently, he has sung with Opera Buffs in their opening season concert in September and their New Opera Pop-Up concert in May. Other past highlights include singing as Nardo in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera with USC Opera, Schicchi in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with Berlin Opera Academy, The King in Ethel Smyth’s Fête Galante with Lyric Opera of Orange County, and Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the Miami Music Festival.

Mezzo-soprano Rae Shrum is gaining recognition on both operatic and concert stages for her “agile and enticing” voice and dynamic stage presence. Recent role debuts include Giovanna (Anna Bolena), L’Opinion Publique (Orphée aux enfers), Charlotte (Werther), Prince Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Mercédès (Carmen), and Hansel (Hansel & Gretel). A versatile artist, Shrum has appeared in recitals and concert series across Southern California and abroad, performing with Pacific Symphony Outreach, Pacific Opera Project, Leipziger Kammerchor, Long Beach Camerata Singers, and more. She spent a formative year in Leipzig, Germany, studying and performing under the mentorship of internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Elvira Dreßen, and currently continues her training with L.A.-based pedagogues Sunjoo Yeo and Reid Bruton. Offstage, Rae serves as Executive Director of Source/Filter Music Collective and cofounder of NorthStar Studios Marketing Solutions. She is also active behind the scenes as a stage director and stage manager, with credits including productions at Independent Opera Company and Wilshire Ebell Theatre.

Savannah Greene is earning acclaim for her versatility across opera, concert, and contemporary repertoire. This fall, she performs the roles of The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Opera Italia and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi with Genesis Opera Theatre. This summer she sang scenes as Almirena in Rinaldo with Art Haus Berlin. Recent performances of scenes and full roles in Europe include Hanna Glawari (Die lustige Witwe), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), and La Contessa (Le Nozze di Figaro). A frequent concert soloist in Europe and the U.S., she has performed works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Pergolesi at venues from Wrocław’s Aula Leopoldina to California’s St. Andrew Church. As a recent finalist in competitions in Vienna and Vilnius, she holds degrees from USC and UC Santa Barbara and trained at programs such as Teatro Nuovo, Aspen Music Festival, and Middlebury’s German for Singers program.

Praised for his “wonderful lyric tenor” (BizJournal Reviews) and “standout” performances (Parterre Box), tenor Manfred Anaya is quickly gaining recognition for his versatile performances. As a young artist, he trained with Des Moines Metro Opera and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Mr. Anaya has appeared as Gastone in La Traviata with Dayton Opera and Telamone in Ercole su’l Termodonte with Pacific Opera Project. Additionally, he was the tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the South Bay Wind Ensemble. An alumnus of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, he portrayed Doctor Caius in Falstaff and the Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues of the Carmelites. Most recently, he made his mainstage debut with Opera Santa Barbara as Don Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro.

Chun “Kelvin” Li (He/They), 29, is an emerging bass-baritone from Hopkins, Minnesota, originally from Hong Kong. Kelvin attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, for his B.A. in music management. While at Luther College, Kelvin studied under Eric Ashcraft, Carol Kreuscher, and Nicholas Shaneyfelt and was the bass section leader of the nationally renowned, Nordic Choir. Prior to moving to California, Kelvin was a member and featured soloist for the National Lutheran Choir, based out of Minnesota. Kelvin continues to dive into his choral roots singing bass with numerous choirs around the Los Angeles metro. Kelvin currently studies under Hugo Vera, and is pursuing his M.M. in vocal performance from California State University, Northridge. He has sung various roles for operas such as Marquis De La Force (Dialogues des Carmélites), JJ peachum (Threepenny Opera), Don Alfonso (Cosi Fan Tutte), and Dr. Rudi (Path to Heaven). Kelvin is also a featured oratorio soloist at CSUN, having performed solos in Bach’s “Magnificat” and Faure’s “Requiem” for the CSUN Choirs. Kelvin has a passion for promoting community health and wellness, consistently striving for just treatment of his community. In the future, Kelvin hopes to provide outreach to disadvantaged musicians, focusing on regions in the upper-midwest. Kelvin’s upcoming performances include Bartolo (Le nozze di figaro) with CSUN Opera, and Dulcamara (L’elisir d’amore) with Independent Opera Company.

Alex has always had a passion for music. Alex studied voice at El Camino College in their Applied Music Program under the tutelage of Rhona Klinghofer, M.M., Julliard, and was a featured soloist with the El Camino College Orchestra. It was also there where he debuted his first opera role, King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors. Alex continues to study voice with Ms. Klinghofer and has since performed with Long Beach Opera in their productions of The Death of Klinghofer and Difficulty of Crossing a Field. He is also an alumnus of the Angel Vocal Arts program under the baton of Kristof Van Grysperre, performing in several of their arts and oratorio recitals. For the past 11 years, Alex has performed with The Ensemble, a South Bay based group of classical singers who produce an annual concert series of opera favorites. In 2023, Alex had the pleasure of working with Source/Filter in the U.S. premiere of Doggone! A Micro Opera by Gary Carpenter. Alex is also a regular performer with Independent Opera Company in LA, appearing in their productions of Die Fledermaus, Puss in Boots, Love For Three Oranges, The Stone Guest, and more.

LA-based soprano Chandler E. Cummings (she/her) grew up in northern Michigan and received her BA in music & psychology from Wellesley College. A passionate student of opera, Chandler has studied and performed in Europe, Asia, and across North America. She has been featured as the soprano soloist in Fauré’s Requiem and won the Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra Concerto Competition, performing Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the acclaimed orchestra. Some of Chandler’s favorite roles include Mimi in La bohème, the title role in Gilbert & Sullivan's Patience, and Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods. Chandler is interested in all things art, nature, and sustainability, and is a passionate animal rights advocate. chandlerecummings.com

Amanda Mello is an emerging operatic soprano and voice instructor, with her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Vocal Performance from CSU Northridge and CSU Long Beach respectively. Amanda has performed with many reputable Los Angeles opera companies, including Lyric Opera of Orange Company, Landmark Opera Company, and Independent Opera Company. Amanda has previously sung as a soprano and soloist for the Los Angeles based professional choir Tonality, and has participated in the widely renowned Seraphic Fire Professional Choral Institute in Aspen, Colorado. Amanda’s most recent opera roles include Second Lady in the Magic Flute, Mrs. Fiorentino in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, and Kaylee in Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight. Amanda is absolutely thrilled to be making her return to Source/Filter after her company debut last fall in Sancta Susanna.

Marissa Plati (she/her) is an LA based soprano. Recent roles and projects include: Elle in Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine and Harrison Birtwistle’s Three Settings of Celan in concert. She’s performed as a soloist with Ithaca Contemporary Music Ensemble and Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra among others. She loves singing contemporary art song and competed in Sparks and Wiry Cries’ SongSLAM in New York City in 2020 and 2021. When she’s not singing, Marissa is a music librarian at Pomona College and the LA Phil’s YOLA and an editorial assistant at the Journal of Musicology.

Dramatic soprano Melina Summer Adragna brings her powerful voice and magnetic stage presence to audiences across Los Angeles and beyond. She earned her vocal performance degree from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at CSULB, studying with renowned teachers Donald Brinegar and Suzan Hanson. Known for captivating performances, she has performed in solo and duo recitals with soprano twin sister Madeleine throughout Southern California, expanded her artistic horizons with a vocal improv tour across Southern Italy (2022), and performed with Pacific Opera Project's education department (2025). She currently sings as a mezzo-soprano soloist at Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church while serving as principal voice and music theory instructor at LA MusArt, where she also conducts the Youth and Advanced Choirs. Additionally, she teaches voice at CS Arts School. Her notable operatic roles include the Countess from "Le Nozze di Figaro" and Mother Marie from "Dialogues of the Carmelites," plus scenes from Madame Butterfly, Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Die Zauberflöte, and Don Giovanni, showcasing her versatile repertoire.

Alexei has been a mainstay of several choral groups in the Los Angeles area, singing in various genres both sacred and secular. Born and raised in Boston, Alexei has been a lifelong musician who has shown repeated flexibility in the roles he has undertaken, including both tenor and bass section leader. Alexei has enjoyed singing music as varied as oratorio, opera, and bluegrass.

Iranian-American mezzo-soprano Shannon Delijani is a dynamic performer and interdisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles. A native Angeleno with roots in the Persian Jewish community, she brings a unique cultural voice to her storytelling on stage and screen. Shannon has performed with companies and festivals including Opera Steamboat, Heartbeat Opera, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, and the Trentino Music Festival in Italy. Recent highlights include Charlotte Perry in Welcome to the Madness (world premiere), Larina in Eugene Onegin, Eleni in Richard Danielpour’s The Grand Hotel Tartarus (world premiere), and Dido in Dido and Aeneas. She has recently appeared as a soloist with the Charleston Symphony and Taylor Festival Choir, and premiered Elliot Menard’s UMBRA. Shannon is also the Founding Artistic Director of Mad Scene Productions, dedicated to bold, genre-blending opera experiences. Learn more at Shannondelijani.com

Lyric coloratura soprano and Los Angeles native Megan Shoaf refuses to be defined by any one genre. After spending the first several years of her performance career as a belter singing musical theatre roles such as Penny in Hairspray and Vivienne in Legally Blonde, Megan went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in classical voice performance from CSU Northridge in 2023 where she studied under Diane Ketchie. As an operatic soprano, she has performed major roles including The Queen of the Night in Mozart’s The Magic Flute as well as Eurydice in Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld. She is also a regular cast member in Guild Opera Company’s elementary school outreach productions of Alice in Wonderland and Little Red Riding Hood, and has performed with groups such as Pacific Opera Project, The Other Reindeer Carolers and Source/Filter Music Collective. She currently studies voice privately with Jessica Tivens-Schneiderman.

Grace Stewart is a mezzo-soprano who performs opera, musical theater, and choral repertoire throughout the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, and Orange County regions. She received her M.M. in Opera Performance from the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at Cal State Long Beach. Opera credits include Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro at CSULB and chorus in numerous Pacific Opera Project productions including Elixir of Love, Pirates of Penzance, Trial by Jury, Die Fledermaus, Don Bucefalo, HMS Pinafore, and Pagliacci. Favorite theater credits include featured dancer in Something Rotten at Rialto Community Players and Legendary Productions’ Beauty and the Beast as Madame de la Grande Bouche and Into the Woods as Lucinda. Grace sings with Pacific Chorale, and she has also sung as a member and soloist of Inland Master Chorale, including as Mother in a concert performance of Ragtime. She is thrilled to be making her debut with Source/Filter Music Collective!