2008 - 2009 Artists

2008-2009 Season Artists.
	Soprano Andrea Bellissimo's favorite past roles include Musetta (Brooklyn Conservatory Summer Opera Workshop), Mlle. Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor, New York Opera Forum), La Princesse (L'enfant et les Sortilèges, Opera McGill), and Olympia (Opera Nuova.) Andrea graduated with High Distinction and Outstanding Performance in Voice from McGill University's Schulich School of Music, where her interpretation of Beethoven's Ah Perfido received 1st place in the vocal division of the university's Classical Concerto Competition. Andrea is a member of the Opera Singers' Initiative.
	Laura Bohn, recognized by the San Francisco Chronicle as “... an amazing blend of vocal splendor and physical virtuosity” was recently heard as Juliette in Romeo et Juliette as a resident artist with New York Lyric Opera. Other roles include Micaela in La Tragedie de Carmen at Syracuse Opera, where she was the soprano of the 2008 Resident Artist Program. This season at Syracuse she was also heard as The Second Lady in The Magic Flute and Mimi in Barrio Boheme.
	Soprano Jacqueline Goldgorin was born in L.A. She received her masters degree from Boston University where she performed the role of Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi and Maguelone in Viardot's Cendrillon.Jacqueline received an opera fellowship under the direction of Sarah Caldwell, where she performed Musetta, the title role in Charpentier's Louise and the Composer in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos. She has also performed the Mozart Requiem internationally as soloist in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. Recent projects include Nella (Gianni Schicci) with Empire and Chelsea Opera, soprano soloist (Beethoven 9th) with Gateway Classical Orchestra, Grimgerda (Die Walkure) with New Jersey Concert Opera and the Cousin (Madama Butterfly) with the Connecticut Grand Opera and Orchestra and the title role in Sour Angelica with Queens Opera Association.
	Adam Menninga is a graduate of Indiana University and the New England Conservatory in Boston. While in Boston, Mr. Menninga worked with Opera Boston as well as the New England Conservatory, Opera Theatre singing lead roles in Cosi fan Tutte, Little Women, Poulenc’s Les Mamelle de Tirésias and others. In addition, Mr. Menninga has performed several new music concerts at Boston’s Jordan Hall notably Schoenberg’s Ode to Napoleon. This is his New York debut.
	Contralto, Heather Petrie, holds a B.A. in Voice from Bard College and a M.M. in Opera from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music. She has performed as a soloist with The American Symphony Orchestra, Westchester Philharmonic, CT Master Chorale (Karl Jenkins Stabat Mater), CONCORA (Mendelssohn's Drei geistliches Lieder), and sings with CT Lyric Opera. Ms. Petrie's past roles include Baba (The Medium), Flora (La Traviata), Larina (Eugene Onegin) and Arnalta (L'Incoronazione di Poppea). Currently, Ms. Petrie is a finalist in the 2009 CT Opera Guild Competition.
	Christine Reimer, mezzo-soprano, is happy to be making her debut with NYMVAE. Her international career has taken her to the Wexford Opera Festival in Ireland, as well as to Austria, Switzerland, Spoleto and across the United States. Her varied repertoire includes "Dorabella" in Cosi Fan Tutte, the title role in Carmen, and “Marian’” in Music Man. Ms. Reimer is also a professional coach/accompanist and is on the faculty at NYU as a voice teacher.
	Kamala Sankaram has performed with such diverse artists as the Philip Glass Ensemble (Einstein on the Beach), The Wooster Group (La Didone), and the Albany Symphony Orchestra. Her compositions have been featured in the Music with a View festival at the Flea Theater, in New Music Box magazine, and as part of the Serial Underground series. She is a member of Anti-Social Music, as well as a resident artist at HERE, developing a chamber operetta for production in late 2010.
	Baritone David Schmidt has performed a broad range of opera, concert, and musical theater repertoire on stages across the US and in Italy. At the Spoleto Festival, he gave the premiere performance of an aria composed for a new production of The Telephone directed by Gian Carlo Menotti. Other favorite roles include: Marcello, Nick Shadow, Guglielmo, Belcore: and Melchior with Nashville Opera, Anchorage Opera, National Opera Company and Treasure Coast Opera.