COSÌ FAN TUTTE - June 2011 Director: Sanford Sylvan Conductor: Bruce Stasyna photographer: Spencer Leonard Fiordiligi: Leila Bowie / Dorabella: Armine Kassabian / Despina: Margot Rood Ferrando: Sergio Ricardo Gonzalez / Guglielmo: Rodolfo Nieto / Don Alfonso: Cairan Ryan
ORLANDO  - June 2010 Director: Sanford Sylvan Conductor: Bruce Stasyna photographer: Spencer Leonard
Margot Rood as Dorinda	Cairan Ryan as Zoroastro		Gerrod Pagenkopf as Orlando, Greer Davis as Angelica
Shirin Eskandani (Medoro), Margot Rood (Dorinda), Greer Davis (Angelica)		Gerrod Pagenkopf & Greer Davis
ELIXIR OF LOVE  - June 2009 Stage Director: Allison Grant Musical Director: Bruce Stasyna production pictures - Joslyn Round Barn
Brian Wehrle as Dulcamara	Dustin Scott as Nemorino		Sharin Apostolou as Adina

Bruce Stasyna - Director of the Emerging Artist Program
For the 2011-2012 season, Bruce Stasyna returns to the Palm Beach Opera for his sixth season as Assistant Conductor, Principal Coach and Director of the Young Artists Program. Recent credits include chorus master and assistant conductor for Attila with Washington Concert Opera, chamber music with members of the Charlotte Symphony, recitals with Deborah Voigt and Marcello Giordani and conductor for Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte, Nozze di Figaro and Marc Adamo’s Little Women.

He has prepared over fifty productions for such diverse conductors as Harry Bicket, Marco Guidarini, Antony Walker and Albert Zedda, and worked with international directors Tim Albery, Stephen Lawless, Renata Scotto and Eric Simonson. He has collaborated with notable artists Bruce Ford, Vivica Genaux, Marcello Giordani, Suzanne Mentzer, James Morris, Sumi Jo, Ruth Ann Swenson and Deborah Voigt.

As Head of Music for the Minnesota Opera from 1999 to 2006, he served as chorus master, assistant conductor, director of the Resident Artists Program, and principal keyboard for Minnesota Opera Orchestra. Mr. Stasyna has amassed significant experience with the Bel Canto repertoire, preparing  performances of I Capuleti ed I Montecchi, Semiramide, chorus mastering Saverio Mercadante’s Orzai e Curiazi  and Donizetti’s rarely performed  Lucrezia Borgia and Maria Padilla, and has worked on several groundbreaking North American premieres including Paul Rouders’ The Handmaid’s Tale, and Laurent Petigirard’s Joseph Merrick dit ‘Elephant Man’.

Mr. Stasyna has been on the staff of the Wolf Trap Opera as chorus master, notably for the critically acclaimed production of Sweeney Todd and has appeared as guest artist on recital programs The Latest Word and Where the Boys Are featuring Steven Blier. He has conducted at the Green Mountain Opera Festival, Des Moines Metro Opera, the Lake George Opera Festival, Opera Roanoke, Sugar Creek Symphony and Song and has enjoyed associations with the American Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, the National Chorale and Washington Concert Opera.

As a chamber musician, Mr. Stasyna has performed at Avery Fisher Hall, the Dallas Art Museum, Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center, the Victoria International Festival, the St. Lawrence Center for the Arts and in Guatemala City. He has been Artist-in-Residence at University of Texas Butler Opera Center and Coca Cola Artist-in-Residence at Emory University.  

Taras Kulish - Bass & Artistic Director
Mr Kulish is the founding Artistic Director of the Green Mountain Opera Festival and has been singing internationally for 16 years with opera companies such as the Montreal Opera, Aspen Opera Theatre, Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera, Edmonton and Calgary Operas, Manitoba Opera, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Opera Saskatchewan, Orchestra London, Montreal Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, in the Czech Republic as well as touring France and Belgium. In France and Belgium, he sang the title role of Don Giovanni, directed by the famous film director Gérard Corbiau (FARINELLI). This production was subsequently broadcast worldwide on TV5 every year since 2003.

Taras' vast repertoire includes roles such as Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro), Leporello and the Don (Don Giovanni), Don Magnifico (Cenerentola), The King (Aida), Colline (La Bohème), Ferrando (Trovatore), Basilio (Barber of Seville), Sparafucile (Rigoletto) and many others. Mr Kulish is also a busy concert singer throughout North America in the oratorio and recital repertoire. American Festival performances include Ravinia’s Steans Institute, the Aspen Opera Theatre, and the Tanglewood Music Festival where Taras sang in the anniversary production of Peter Grimes under maestro Seiji Ozawa.

Having studied economics before pursuing his music studies, Mr. Kulish has a strong passion for the administrative side of the arts. For more information on Mr. Kulish's career please visit his personal website: www.TarasKulish.com

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2011 Emerging Artists: Leila Bowie - soprano Rachael Holzhausen - soprano Margot Rood - soprano Armine Kassabian - mezzo-soprano Irene Roberts - mezzo-soprano Sergio Ricardo Gonzalez - tenor Chris Oliveira - tenor Jonathan Christopher - baritone Todd Delaney - baritone Rodolfo Nieto - bass-baritone Cairan Ryan - baritone Jennifer Szeto, pianist

2010 Emerging Artists: Greer Davis, soprano Margot Rood, soprano Shirin Eskandani, mezzo Gerrod Pagenkopf, countertenor Cairan Ryan, bass-baritone Samantha Grenell-Zaidman, soprano Adam Caughey, tenor Cameron Schutza, tenor

2009 Emerging Artists:
Sharin Apostolou - soprano
Meagan Brus - soprano
Dustin Scott - tenor
Yoon Sang Lee - baritone
Brian Wehrle - bass

2008 Emerging Artists:
Julia Ebner - soprano
Erica Miller - soprano
Sarah Kraus - mezzo
Monique Pelletier - mezzo
David Menzies - tenor
Gary Kubert - baritone
Brian Wehrle - bass

2007 Emerging Artists:
Marc Antoine D'aragon - baritone
Rachel Helgeson - mezzo soprano
Krista Kiefski - soprano
Allison Leahey - soprano