Barriers

About Barriers

Feel your way through obstacles and impediments to movement with music from 1995 inspired by Amelia Earhart, the flinty, political and progressive works of Fred Rzewski that offer a space to be angry and reflective, and humanist, downtown composer Eve Beglarian’s idealistic rebellious episode Landscaping for Privacy.

Performers:

Kathlene Ritch, soprano
Gail Springer, vocalist
Yi-heng Yang, piano

Music of:

Leslie Wildman, Conrad Cummings, Fred Rzewski and Eve Beglarian

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Cecelia Violetta López

Vocals

USA Today has named Cecilia Violetta López one of “Idaho’s Top 10 Most Influential Women of the Century” and has been named one of opera’s “25 Rising Stars” by Opera News. The singing actress is constantly praised for her “alluring voice and incredible range” (Washington Post).

She has received accolades for her signature role of Violetta in La traviata, which she has performed countless times throughout North America. Critic, James Jorden, exclaimed “she is a Violetta fully- formed and, I think, ready for the great stages of the world.” She has now performed the role with, Opera Orlando, Pacific Symphony, Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Tampa, Opera Idaho, Ash Lawn Opera, The Northern Lights Music Festival, Madison Opera and Virginia Opera. Ms. López made her European début as Norina in Don Pasquale with Zomeropera in Belgium, for which Klassiek Centraal exclaimed: “She turns out to be the revelation of the show and wins over the audience with her funny rendition, irresistible charm, and [she is] natural in the different vocals.”

From her performance as Adina in The Elixir of Love with Virginia Opera, The Virginian-Pilot hailed, “Cecilia Violetta López is showing local audiences why Opera News named her one of its ’25 Rising Stars.’ In the lead role of Adina, she hit the highest notes with ringing clarity, performed the vocal runs with precision and grace and showed a particular charm and humanity in the softest passages and lowest ranges.” In her recent performance as Marguerite in Faust with Opera Omaha, the Omaha World-Herald claimed “...López sang Marguerite’s seduction, madness and salvation with an other wordly wisdom and artistry.”

Ms. López’ 2021-2022 season includes several engagements ranging from opera performances to keynote speaking. She will appear as Hanna Glawari in Opera Idaho’s production of The Merry Widow and will be a soprano soloist in Opera Idaho’s “Opera in the Park” concert. Cecilia will be the soprano soloist for Handel’s Messiah with the Boise Philharmonic and will make her to return to Zomeropera in Belgium singing Cio-Cio San in their production of Madama Butterfly as well as Virginia Opera where she will début the role of Beatrice in Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers. Additionally, Ms. López will be an Artist in Residence at the University of Central Arkansas, and will present recitals for Opera Orlando, Sun Valley Opera, New Mexico Performing Arts Society, JUMP Center in Boise, Idaho and Chamber Music Silicon Valley. Cecilia will be a keynote speaker for the Migrant Student Leadership Institute as well as the 9th Annual Women and Leadership Conference where previous speakers have included Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Conner and Interior Secretary, Sally Jewell.

Despite the halting effects of COVID-19 in the opera industry, Ms. López’ 2020-2021 season included both virtual and live recitals with Opera Idaho, Opera Las Vegas, Austin Opera, Opera Southwest, Chatter ABQ, Opera America, Madison Opera and Opera Colorado. Ms. López was also a featured soprano soloist in the world premier of Mi Camino, a virtual project with Opera Cultura, and made her company début with Pacific Symphony singing Violetta in their virtual production of La traviata. Ms. López also presented virtual Masterclasses with UC Boulder and The University of Montana.

In past seasons, Ms. López has made several role débuts including her now critically acclaimed role of Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Opera Idaho, Virginia Opera and Opera Las Vegas, the title role in Massenet’s Manon with Opera Idaho, Nedda in I pagliacci with Opera Colorado, Desdemona in Rossini’s Otello with LoftOpera, Maria in West Side Story with Opera Idaho, Marguerite in Faust with Opera Omaha, Mimì in La bohème with Opera Orlando, Rosalba in Florencia en el Amazonas with Florida Grand Opera, Beatrice Russo in Il Postino with Opera Southwest and Opera Saratoga, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Tampa, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow with Opera Saratoga, Lucy in Fellow Travelers with Prototype Opera Festival, the title role of Suor Angelica with Opera San Luis Obispo, Magda in La rondine with Skylark Opera Theatre, Gilda in Rigoletto with Opera Idaho, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Opera Tampa and Opera Las Vegas. In addition to these débuts, she reprised the role of Micaëla in Carmen with Madison Opera and joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in their 2015 production of The Merry Widow.

Solo concert performances include Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and selections from Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra, and Rutter’s Mass of the Children with the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society. Additionally, Ms. López has performed as a soloist at the reopening of the Idaho Museum of Natural History gala, various Christmas concerts with Madison Symphony, and as a featured soloist in concerts with the Boise Philharmonic, Austin Opera, and the prestigious Bard SummerScape Music Festival.

Ms. López also completed a two-year-tenure as a Soprano Resident Artist at Opera San José where she performed Leïla in Les pêcheurs de perles, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Leonora in Il trovatore, the title role in Suor Angelica, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Nannetta in Falstaff, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, and Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly.

Additionally, Ms. López is an alum of the Caramoor Music Festival where she covered the role of Hélène in Les vêpres siciliennes. She is also an alum of the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival where she sang the title role in their production of L’incoronazione di Poppea. Her début of the role of Violetta in La traviata, was with Martina Arroyo Foundation’s prestigious summer festival, Prelude to Performance.

In January 2021, Opera Idaho appointed Ms. López as the company’s first Artistic Advisor. “Known to Opera Idaho audiences primarily through her appearances in operas over the last six-plus years, Cecilia takes on added responsibilities to advise and advocate for expanded repertoire, provide insights on diversity in artistic practices and community initiatives, and collaborate with senior management in identifying and securing financial support for the company. Cecilia will work closely with General Director Mark Junkert in helping shape the future of Opera Idaho.”

‘When I think of someone, active in the field as a performer who both knows what’s happening in the field nationally and internationally and knows our state, Cecilia is the perfect fit for the position. Many opera companies have similar positions, and it is a sign of Opera Idaho’s growth that we’re able at this point in our history to add an Artistic Advisor.’
—Mark Junkert, General Director, Opera Idaho

Recently, Ms. López became the recipient of an Idaho State Concurrent Resolution honoring her life as an Idahoan and her work in the world of opera.

“We should be so very proud of Cecilia Violetta López. She exemplifies all that is what America is about: apply yourself, work hard, dream big, and you can achieve those dreams. She tells every Idaho girl and boy that they, too, can succeed ... no matter where they came from, no matter how small they may start out, no matter how long their journey may appear to be. Idaho should be so very proud of this young lady and should hold her up as an example of what all Idaho children might achieve.”
—Senator Cherie Buckner-Webb.

Ms. López, “The Daughter of Idaho,” a Mexican-American native of Rupert, Idaho, is featured in two Idaho state museums and got her musical start at a young age singing mariachi music that she learned from her mother.

Nathan Salazar

Piano

Nathan Salazar is a native of Santa Cruz, New Mexico, and holds a master's degree in collaborative piano from the University of Michigan, where he studied with Martin Katz. He received his vocal and piano performance degrees from the University of Kansas, where he studied with Julia Broxholm and Jack Winerock. Salazar has performed in England, Scotland, Italy, Russia, and in major performance venues throughout the United States. He performed in the International Festival of Spanish and Latin American Music with renowned mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza and has been featured at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Boston’s Symphony Hall, and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

He received a fellowship to Songfest in Los Angeles where he studied with pianists Margo Garrett and Graham Johnson. Salazar has worked with composers Jake Heggie, John Musto, Libby Larsen, and William Bolcom. In 2014, he was invited to be part of Marilyn Horne’s 80th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall, where he worked with Ms. Horne, Martin Katz, and the legendary Christa Ludwig. Salazar has worked with such singers and teachers as Julia Faulkner, Maria Zifchak, Stephen King, Susanne Mentzer, Luis Ledesma, Wolfgang Brendel, Joyce Castle, Neil Shicoff, Stanford Olsen, George Shirley, Angela Meade, Jennifer Johnson Cano, and Susan Graham. He has worked and performed with Serenata of Santa Fe, New Mexico Performing Arts Society, Skylark Vocal Ensemble, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Santa Fe Opera, The Handel and Haydn Society, The Boston Symphony, and the Boston Lyric Opera, where he most recently worked on the company’s monumental 2019 production of Poul Ruders’ “The Handmaid’s Tale”.

Most recently, Salazar performed with soprano Cecilia Violetta Lopez in recital for Austin Opera, Opera Idaho, Orlando Opera, Opera Las Vegas, Opera Southwest, Opera America, Madison Opera, and Opera Colorado, where he was recently appointed Principal Repertoire Coach for the company’s distinguished Artist in Residence program.

Salazar has also served as a voice faculty member at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and at the University of New Mexico. Nathan is currently based in Santa Fe, where he enjoys taking care of several chickens and goats.

Sterling Elliott

Cello

Sterling Elliott began his cello studies at the age of three and made his solo debut at the age of 7. Sterling’s recent accomplishments include being awarded 1st prize in the Senior Division of the 2019 22nd Annual Sphinx Competition in 2019. In October of 2018 Sterling had his solo debut at Carnegie Hall where Frank Daykin of New York Concert Review wrote: “The very fine young cellist Sterling Elliott played two movements from Cassadó’s Suite for Solo Cello with perfect intonation, style, and total involvement.”

Sterling has attended The Taos School of Music, Kneisel Hall, Perlman Music Program, Aspen Music Festival, and will participate in Music@Menlo, Chamberfest Cleveland, and Perlman Music Program.

Additionally, he has soloed with the New York Philharmonic, The Cleveland Orchestra, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, as well as a performance at the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Sterling currently studies with Joel Krosnick at the Juilliard School working towards an undergraduate degree in Cello Performance where he is a recipient of a Kovner Fellowship.

Sam Rosenthal

Viola

Sam Rosenthal, viola is from Shaker Heights, OH. He is in the studios of Heidi Castleman and Hsin-Yun Huang at the Juilliard School where he is a recipient of the Kovener Fellowship award.

Oliver Neubauer

Violin

Praised for his sensitive and uniquely beautiful playing, violinist Oliver Neubauer is establishing himself as an artist of great emotional depth and maturity beyond his years.

This past season, Oliver appeared with the Jupiter Chamber Players, performed as guest concertmaster with the Adelphi Orchestra (as winner of their 2020 competition), and performed virtual concerts for Music@Menlo and String Theory at the Hunter. Oliver has been invited to attend the Perlman Music Program Chamber Workshop as well as the Verbier Festival Academy in the summer of 2021. He will also give numerous performances at Bravo! Vail Music Festival and Music from Angel Fire.

Katherine Leidlein

Vocalist

Katherine Leidlein is a New York based singer and actor originally from Texas where she received a Degree in Vocal Performance from The University of Texas in San Antonio. Her favorite roles include playing Laurie in “The Tenderland” at Seattle Opera Academy, Lily in “The Secret Garden” at The San Antonio Playhouse, Papagena in “Die Zauberflöte” with Manhattan Opera Studio, Adele in “Die Fledermaus” at UTSA Lyric Theatre, and Meg in “Little Women” at The Public Theatre of San Antonio. Her most recent credits include Lena in “One Starry Night” tour of China, Becky US/Ensemble in “It Came From Beyond” at St. Luke’s Off-Broadway Theatre, and The Grand Dame in “Fate Still Rests with Vox Lumiere. She also sang on National Public Radio’s “From The Top” and appeared in the TV show “Evil Lives Here” and the podcast “Last Stop” by Multitude. As well as an industrial for Oxford University Press and other National Commercials.

Lucian Avalon

Oboe

Oboist Lucian Avalon, 23, has enjoyed an eclectic musical career beginning at age 6, which has taken him from Zimbabwean marimba, to Santa Fe Opera vocalist, to classical oboist. He is currently completing his Masters of Music degree at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Elaine Douvas, with additional instruction from Nathan Hughes and Linda Strommen (Oboe), Richard Dallessio and Scott Hostetler (English Horn), and is a proud recipient of both the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship and the Michael S. Currier Scholarship. For two years he attended high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy where he studied with Daniel Stolper. Upon graduation he received the Academy’s highest honor, the IAA Young Artist Award, and was named a National YoungArts Foundation Honorable Mention winner. Previously he studied with Pamela Epple, Artistic Director of Serenata of Santa Fe, for seven years.

Lucian has played under the baton of many influential conductors including Alan Gilbert, David Robertson, Jeffrey Milarsky, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Gary Wedow, Edward Gardner, Robert Spano, and Hugh Wolff, and has performed with the Juilliard Orchestras, New York String Orchestra, New World Symphony (FL), Montclair (NJ) Orchestra, Boulder (CO) Symphony, Music and Medicine Orchestra (NY), New York Youth Symphony, and all of the Aspen Music Festival and School orchestras. His chamber performances include the New Juilliard Ensemble, AXIOM, and Aspen Contemporary Ensemble for new music, and Juilliard Chamberfest 2018, Cantori New York, Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, and the Juilliard Chamber Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall.

Recently, Lucian was recognized as a National Finalist and the Texas Regional Winner of the National Society of Arts & Letters 2018 Woodwind Competition, a Juilliard 2018 Concerto Competition Finalist, a finalist for the Pittsburgh (PA) Symphony and for the New World Symphony (FL).

His summer studies have included the Aspen Music Festival and School, Brevard Music Center, Sewanee Music Center, Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, and National Orchestral Institute. He has played side-by-side with leading oboists, including Elaine Douvas, Alex Klein, Mingjia Liu, and Elizabeth Koch-Tiscione; and has performed in Master Classes with Francois Leleux, Olivier Stankiewicz, Stefan Schilli, and John Ferrillo.

Born and raised in the small, rural village of Coyote, New Mexico, Lucian recognizes the value of community. Since middle school he has organized concerts to fund local farmers markets, homeless shelters, and the Santa Fe Food Depot. In NYC, he mentors students from the NY Youth Symphony, Juilliard Pre-College and the Music Advancement Program, (serving underprivileged and underrepresented students), and regularly performs in the Juilliard Lab Orchestra with student conductors.

In addition to oboe, Lucian was trained as a competitive figure skater and became a USFS Moves Gold Medalist in 2013.

Kathleen McIntosh

Harpsichord

Like most musicians, Kathleen McIntosh found most of her 2020 engagements cancelled. The Postcard project has been a delightful respite, and she was also invited to “layer in” a continuo part for a production of the Havana based group, Conjunto de Musica Antigua Ars Longa. Another such project awaits with Cuban recorder virtuoso, Raul Zaballa, for a festival in Chile. She is nearly through Bach's monumental “Art of Fugue”, perhaps for a future performance.

Phoenix Avalon

Violin

Phoenix Avalon, is passionate about his study of the violin, being the proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at the Juilliard School, studying with Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin.

Previously, he was a scholarship student at the Cleveland Institute of Music Young Artist Program with Jaime Laredo and Jan Sloman. Phoenix studied chamber music with members of the Cavani and Cleveland Quartets and attended the Meadowmount School of Music and the Perlman Music Program.

Phoenix has enjoyed solo performances with the Jena Philharmonic, the Cleveland POPS Orchestra, the Boulder Symphony, the Arapahoe Philharmonic, the New Mexico Philharmonic, and Performance Santa Fe Orchestras. He has been featured on USA national radio programs Performance Today and From the Top, as well as giving a solo presentation for TedXABQ.

Phoenix has won numerous competitions, most recently receiving first place at the Louis Spohr International Violin Competition, third place at the Johansen International Competition and Silver Medal at The Fischoff National Chamber Music Association as a member of the Razumovsky Quartet. He is honored to also be a recipient of a 2019 EMCY Prize.

Actively dedicated to community service, Phoenix has played for numerous fundraisers and outreach programs, and has developed and toured an interactive presentation of classical music history for school children as part of ‘From the Top’s Leadership Training’. Phoenix is grateful to be playing on a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin, c. 1850, generously loaned by Kenneth Warren and Son Ltd. of Chicago. In addition to violin, enjoys philosophy, history and cooking.

Mike Kelley

Viola

Mike Kelley, Apple Hill String Quartet violist and Co-Artistic Director at the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, graduated from The Walnut Hill School for the Arts and has received degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and The Juilliard School. His teachers have included Leonard Matczynski, Jeffrey Irvine, and Karen Tuttle.

A Primrose International Viola Competition finalist at the age of 18, Mike joined the resident ensemble of the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music three years later and has been performing and touring internationally with the group for over 20 years. He is the Music Director and Coordinator of Apple Hill’s Summer Chamber Music Workshop where he directs sessions, performs concerts, and coaches chamber music throughout the summer in New Hampshire.

An active composer, Mike has been a Teaching Fellow in Electronic Music at Juilliard, and a guest lecturer at Harvard on the subject of electronic dance music. Under a pop-disco alias, he has performed worldwide in clubs such as Webster Hall (NYC), the O2 (London), and Berghain (Berlin), and has written and produced music for many pop acts, including Metro Area, Caribou, Madonna, and Pharrell. His albums have been selected for the “best of the decade” lists of music magazines Stylus and Fact, and have been highly recommended by Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, and the Guardian.

Barriers

About Barriers

Performers:

Music of:

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Cecelia Violetta López

Vocals

Nathan Salazar

Piano

Sterling Elliott

Cello

Sam Rosenthal

Viola

Oliver Neubauer

Violin

Katherine Leidlein

Vocalist

Lucian Avalon

Oboe

Kathleen McIntosh

Harpsichord

Phoenix Avalon

Violin

Mike Kelley

Viola

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