Julian Kuerti, Music Director
With a strong international reputation for his orchestral and operatic music interpretations, Canadian conductor Julian Kuerti combines a confident style, artistic integrity, and passion for collaboration, bringing him to the forefront of the music scene. Kuerti has led major symphony orchestras and, has appeared in renowned opera houses and concert halls on five continents, and enjoys close working relationships with many of the leading soloists and singers of today.
In 2018, Kuerti was named Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Mo Zhou, Stage Director
Originally from China, Mo Zhou is a stage director and educator whose international career spans all artistic disciplines, including opera, theater, musical theater, dance, and film. She joined the faculty of the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theater, & Dance in the fall of 2022.
Equally passionate about invigorating classical canons and spearheading new works, Zhou's productions have been seen at Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie and Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, National Centre for the Performing Arts in China, Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, the Juilliard School, and WP Theatre, to name a few. She has worked on the directing staff at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Houston Grand Opera, the Dallas Opera, and the Des Moines Metro Opera, among others.
The Cast
Rochelle Bard, Soprano | Floria Tosca, Renowned Singer
Soprano Rochelle Bard has been described as an "exquisite singing actress" specializing in bel canto and Verdi repertoire. Her performances include the title roles of Tosca, Norma, Aida, Maria Stuarda, and Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as Odabella in Attila, Violetta in La traviata, Leonora in Il trovatore, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, at companies such as Opera Tampa, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Sarasota Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Knoxville Opera, and Utah Festival Opera.
Described as "absolutely magical" for her portrayal of Tosca in Hawaii, critics also acclaimed her performance in La traviata: "Bard became Violetta by not only convincing acting, she incorporated the character and her joys and woes into her vocal delivery, much in the way that made Maria Callas a legend."
Yongzhao Yu, Tenor | Mario Cavaradossi, Painter
Yongzhao Yu won the Audience Choice Award and the Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award in Houston Grand Opera's 2015 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. In 2023, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Flavio in Norma, earning praise for his "clear, penetrating voice and ease on stage" (New York Classical Review). He later joined their productions of La bohème and La traviata. He performed in an Eternal Verdi concert in Shanghai in honor of the bicentenary of Verdi's birth. In the 23-24 season, he will perform the role of Lieutenant Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly at Houston Grand Opera, join the Irish National Opera as Alfredo in La traviata, return to New Orleans Opera to perform the role of Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, and continue his relationship with the Metropolitan Opera, covering Rodolfo in La bohème.
Aleksey Bogdanov, Baritone | Baron Scarpia, Police Chief
Ukrainian-born American baritone Aleksey Bogdanov continues to establish himself as one of the most compelling performers of his generation. His 23-24 season engagements include a debut with Palm Beach Opera in Tosca (Scarpia), returns to San Francisco Opera for Lohengrin (Telramund cover), and Chicago Opera Theater for a new Francesca Zambello production of Shostakovich's The Nose (Kovalyov). Concert appearances include Scarpia in Tosca with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and a Rachmaninoff recital with the Clarion Society in NYC.
Wilbur Pauley, Bass | Cesare Angelotti, Fugitive
Bass Wilbur Pauley is thrilled to be making his debut with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra as a recently minted Michigander and now a new Kalamazoo resident!
In four decades as a professional entertainer, Pauley has accumulated credits in a variety of musical and theatrical disciplines. His work in classical music extends from medieval liturgical dramas to contemporary operatic premieres, including roles in The Ghosts of Versailles at The Met, McTeague and Amistad at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Atlas and Where's Dick? at Houston Grand Opera, and Haroun and the Sea of Stories at New York City Opera.
Outside the classical music world, Pauley has appeared twice on Broadway: in the Peter Hall production of The Merchant of Venice (with Dustin Hoffman) and in the musical Band In Berlin. His voice can be heard on 11 Disney film soundtracks, including the original Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Tangled.
Stephen West, Bass-baritone | Sagrestano, Church Caretaker
In a long and distinguished career, bass-baritone Stephen West has appeared with many of the finest opera companies in the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Bayreuth Festival, New York City Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago, among many others. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Philadelphia and Cleveland orchestras in Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood, and the Hollywood Bowl. He has starred in over 35 musicals and received the Drama-Logue Magazine Critic's Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He is currently a professor of music in voice in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance at the University of Michigan. He resides in Dexter, MI, with his lovely wife, Amy, and three wonderful young adult children.
Yinghui He, Tenor | Spoletta, Police Officer
Tenor Yinghui He made his professional debut in 2022, performing the role of Frederick in Cedar Rapids Opera's production of The Pirates of Penzance, staged by Gregory Keller. With versatile vocalism and flexibility in dynamics, Yinghui He has performed a variety of leading tenor roles, including Rinuccio from Gianni Schicchi, Tamino from The Magic Flute, Don Ottavio from Don Giovanni, and Aeneas from Dido and Aeneas.
He was recently selected as a Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist at Virginia Opera to perform the role of Prince Yamadori and cover the role of Goro in Virginia Opera's production of Madama Butterfly, led by Maestro Adam Turner and Director Mo Zhou.
Carl Ratner, Bass | Jailer
Carl Ratner, baritone, has performed the title roles in Verdi’s Falstaff and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, as well as Papageno in The Magic Flute and John Proctor in The Crucible. With the Kalamazoo Symphony, he previously appeared in the roles of the Marchese in La Traviata, Benoit in La Bohème, and Ping in Turandot. A frequent recitalist and oratorio soloist, he has sung in 14 languages, and performed in 10 states and 6 European countries.
Ratner began his career as an opera director/stage manager and learned his craft assisting directors, including eminent composer Gian Carlo Menotti, at the world’s major opera houses, including the Royal Opera (Covent Garden) in London, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Munich Opera, the Spoleto Festival in Italy, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, among others.
Ryan Henry, Baritone | Cover for Baron Scarpia
Mexican American baritone Ryan Henry has found a home onstage, portraying bold characters with a dedication to a strong stage presence and vocal dramatism. He is a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he earned his master’s degree in vocal performance under the tutelage of Dr. Quinn Patrick Ankrum. Henry will be continuing his studies at CCM in the fall of 2024 to earn his Artist Diploma in Vocal Performance. While studying at CCM, he has performed the roles of Dr. Rappaccinni in Rappaccini’s Daughter by Daniel Catán, Junius in Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, and Tommy McIntyre in Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers.
Tyler Middleton, Bass | Sciarrone, Police Officer
Siya Gupta, Soprano | Shepherd
The Ensembles
Christopher Ludwa, Chorusmaster
As Director of College Singers, Lux Esto Chamber Choir, and Kalamazoo Choral Arts, Dr. Christopher Ludwa is an advocate for all types of singing, be it contemporary a cappella, musical theatre, opera, oratorio, or pop music. Named artistic director of the Bay View Music Festival in 2007, Ludwa also conducts the 100-voice festival choir and musical theatre productions. In addition, he oversees over 30 faculty artists, 150 college musicians, 10 theatre technicians, and over 100 volunteers as the festival produces nearly 50 performances over two months each summer. He also directs Kaleidosong, a professional vocal ensemble he founded in 2014, which specializes in a vast range of styles such as Palestrina, R&B, jazz, American songbook, and spirituals. He is known for innovative productions and musical performances that strive for a more informed, inclusive world.
Taylor Gudbrandson, Artistic Director for Kalamazoo Children's Chorus
Taylor Gudbrandson is the past director of Choirs at Otsego Public Schools, where her peers recognized her as Educator of the Year in 2019. Her public school choirs participated in the Michigan School Vocal Music choral and ensemble festivals with great success. She was also the director of the Bella Voce Choir of The Kalamazoo Children's Chorus. A graduate of Central Michigan University, Gudbrandson studied vocal music education with a choral focus. She brings a well-rounded skill set, being both a strong conductor and a passionate advocate for children's choruses.
Kalamazoo Children's Chorus
It started in 1980 when local teacher Jeanne Frey saw a need for choral education. She filled that need by giving Kalamazoo-area children an opportunity to explore and develop choral music when she formed the Kalamazoo Children's Chorus.
Each year, about 150 children, ages eight to 18, learn and perform in an atmosphere of artistic excellence, enriching the artistic life of our community.
