YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM
OCM’s Spring 2026 Young Artist Program presents…
Xavier Montsalvatge’s BABEL 46
Composed in the 1960s and premiered in 1994, Babel 46 unfolds in a refugee camp in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. As displaced inmates await repatriation, each clings to an elaborate story designed to conceal a painful or dangerous truth. They sing in their own languages - Italian, French, Spanish, English, Portuguese, and Hebrew - forming a modern Tower of Babel where fractured identities collide. Raw, immediate, and deeply human, this gripping “neo-verismo” drama reflects the composer’s admiration for Giacomo Puccini, Gian Carlo Menotti, and Benjamin Britten, blending lyrical intensity with stark theatrical realism.
Performances:
ARTISTIC TEAM:
Sarah Cullins, OCM General Manager / Director of Education
Alejandro Roca, YAP Artistic Director
Pat Diamond, YAP Guest Stage Director
Hayley Abramowitz, YAP Company Manager
Lara Saldanha - Pianist
2026 YOUNG ARTISTS:
Hayley Abramowitz
Bryan Bennet
Will Kim
Estefani Lopez
Shikta Mukherjee
Ajit Persaud
Luisana Rivas
Dylan Schang
Matthew Soilebman
Alexandra Wiebe
Opera coach and conductor Alejandro Roca’s (Artistic Director, Young Artist Program) recent engagements Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and debuts with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Cláudio Santoro National Theater in Brazil. Roca has collaborated with renowned conductors Rinaldo Alessandrini, Gustavo Dudamel, Andrés Orozco-Estrada and Daniella Candillari and has appeared in recital with numerous vocalists around the world. Roca has served as a conductor and pianist at the Opera of Colombia and his repertoire includes more than 75 fully prepared operas and zarzuelas. Roca serves as Lecturer in Music/Opera Coach at the Yale School of Music and has recently been appointed Artistic Director of the Opera Company of Middlebury Young Artist Program. He previously served as director of the Opera Workshop at Central University, in Bogotá, Music director at Scuola Italia and Opera Viva summer programs and has served as Director of the Cartagena International Music Festival’s academic program.
Alejandro Roca
YAP Artistic Director
Stage Director Pat Diamond works on both plays and operas, ranging from established repertoire to new works. Productions include pieces by Shakespeare, Britten, Calderón, Mozart, Puccini, Janáček, Mayakovsky, Weill, and Verdi. He directed the American revivals of Moniuszko’s Halka and Wolf-Ferrari’s Le donne curiose. Pat has developed pieces with playwrights A. Rey Pamatmat, Eric Sanders, and Kathryn Walat. He is co-creator of a devised Music Theatre piece derived from the poetry of Nobel Laureate Tomas Tranströmer, with composer Ellen Lindquist. Pat produced and directed The Dido Project, a site-specific performance of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Sybarite 5, at the Samsung Experience in New York. Companies include Wolf Trap, Aspen Music Festival, West Edge Opera, 2G, Working Man’s Clothes, Trondheim Sinfonietta, and Västmanlandmusiken in Västerås, Sweden. He has led devising with music workshops in Sweden and Norway. Pat is also the Executive Producer of Unequal Temperament, a podcast of frank, open conversations with music artists of color hosted by frequent collaborator Timothy Long. Pat is Associate Professor of Opera, Stage Director of Production at Eastman School of Music.
Pat Diamond
YAP Guest Stage Director
Pianist Lara Saldanha enjoys a diverse career as a soloist, collaborator, and educator. After a decade in NYC, she spent the past two years as a Collaborative Piano Fellow at Bard Conservatory. In the vocal world, Lara has worked with the Opera Saratoga’s outreach, the Manetti Shrem Opera Program in Napa, Dellarte Opera, and Cincinnati Song Initiative. Lara trained at Stony Brook University (D.M.A.), the Mannes School of Music (P.D.P.L., M.M.), and Northwestern University (B.A./B.M.). larasaldanha.com
Lara Saldanha
YAP Pianist
Meet the Young Artists
Hayley Abramowitz
YAP Company Manager
La Traviata: Violetta cover/chorus
Praised for their “searing dramatic power” and “brilliant top” (Washington Classical Review), soprano Hayley Abramowitz is earning a reputation as a versatile and exciting young coloratura. Recent engagements include Herodias in Stradella’s St. John the Baptist (INSeries), the Lord Nelson Mass (Dartmouth Handel Society), and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus (cover/chorus, Cedar Rapids Opera). Hayley is thrilled to be back at OCM this season, where they are covering Violetta and serving as the Young Artist Program Company Manager. hayleyabramowitz.com
Bryan Bennet
Babel 46: Aaron
La Traviata: Marquis cover/chorus
Bryan Bennett is an Irish-American Bass-Baritone currently based in Washington D.C. His operatic credits include Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro), Le Fauteil (l’enfant et les sortilleges), Nardo (La finta giardiniera), Paul (If I Were You), and Father (Hansel and Gretel). Bryan has also been involved in several operatic world premieres, including Martha Hill Duncan’s Searching the Painted Sky and Ashi Day’s The Fishwife. In May, Bryan received his Master of Music from the Maryland Opera Studio, studying under Kevin Short. bryanbbassbari.com
Will Kim
Babel 46: David
La Traviata: Marquis/Germont cover
Korean-American Baritone Will (June Young) Kim (1996) received his BM from IU Bloomington (composition, voice minor). He holds a Masters (Composition) from Munich, and a CAS (Composition) and Masters (Voice) from Stuttgart. He has worked with conductors such as Jos van Veldhoven, Hans-Christoph Rademann and Harry Christophers. He is a Tanglewood fellow, Carnegie Hall SongStudio fellow and a Caramoor Schwab Vocal Rising Star. From 2026-2028, he will be an Artist Diploma student at Juilliard. app.stagetime.com/agents/will-kim
Estefani Lopez
Babel 46: Urraca
La Traviata: Flora cover/chorus
Estefani Lopez, mezzo-soprano from Riverside, California, is currently studying at the Yale School of Music with Gerald Martin Moore. At USC, she performed the role of La Baronne in Massenet’s Chérubin, Armelinde in Cendrillon (Viardot), and Arminda in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera. At the International Lyric Academy, she performed the role of Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro in 2023. She won first place for the 2023 Opera Buff’s and 2024 Guild Opera’s vocal competitions. app.stagetime.com/artists/estefani-lopez-2
Shikta Mukherjee
Babel 46: Virginia
La Traviata: Annina cover/chorus
Shikta Mukherjee is a 22-year-old soprano from Edison, New Jersey. She completes her Bachelor of Music at the Curtis Institute of Music this year as the Charles and Judith Freyer Fellow, where she studies with Julia Faulkner and Amanda Majeski. At Curtis, she has been deeply involved with the Curtis Opera Theatre and the Curtis New Music Ensemble, with a strong interest in contemporary repertoire. app.stagetime.com/artists/shikta-mukherjee
Ajit Persaud
Babel 46: Aristide
La Traviata: Alfredo cover/chorus
Guyanese-American tenor Ajit Persaud is an emerging operatic artist known for his expressive voice and stage presence. He won the Portland District of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition in 2022–2023 and has since received Encouragement Awards at the Seattle Regional and Florida District levels. As a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre Saint Loui, a young artist at the Glimmerglass Festival, and a Bailey Apprentice Artist with Palm Beach Opera, he has covered and performed roles including Spoletta, Ramiro, Duca di Mantua, and Benvoglio. ajitpersaud.com
Luisana Rivas
Babel 46: Marquise
La Traviata: Flora
Mezzo-soprano Luisana Rivas is praised for her heart-rending expression on stage and in recital. She recently appeared as Giovanna in Rigoletto and Consuelo in West Side Story with Indianapolis Opera. Career highlights include four seasons with Houston Grand Opera’s Opera to Go! and featured appearances in Golijov’s La Pasión según San Marcos with Gateway Chamber Orchestra. Additional credits include OPERA San Antonio, Opera Steamboat, and Austin Opera. Some of her roles include Cherubino, Suzuki, Hänsel, and Dido. luisanarivas.com
Dylan Schang
Babel 46: Clyde
La Traviata: Gastone
Dylan Schang is a tenor from Appleton, WI, and is a graduate of Luther College and Louisiana State University. He has recently sung with such companies as Central City Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opéra Louisiane and Sarasota Opera. His career highlights include Candide, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Rodolfo in La bohème, Alfred in Die Fledermaus, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin, Liszt’s Wilhelm Tell lieder, and Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte. dylanschangtenor.com
Matthew Soibelman
Babel 46: João
La Traviata: Doctor Grenvil
Matthew Soibelman, Bass, age 29, has been praised for his “steadily resonant, rich and pleasing voice.” During his time as a Young Artist, he has performed with Pittsburgh Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Opera Memphis, and Palm Beach Opera, among others. He most recently performed the roles of The Abbot in Britten’s Curlew River; and Potter’s Assistant, Party Guest, Technician, and French Priest in Spears’ Fellow Travelers. mattsoibelmanbass.com
Alexandra Wiebe
Babel 46: Berta
La Traviata: Annina
Soprano Alexandra Wiebe’s most recent roles include the title role in Susannah, Hanna Glawari (The Merry Widow), Witch (Hansel and Gretel), Großmutter (Baruch’s Schweigen), Gutrune (Götterdämmerung), Wife 1 (The Knock), Matilde (Matilde), and Nedda (Pagliacci). She has performed with Cedar Rapids Opera, Central City Opera, Opera Southwest, and Sarasota Opera, among others. Alexandra holds awards from the John Alexander National Vocal Competition, The American Prize, Musicians Club of Women, Music Grand Prix International, the National Opera Association, and Classical Singer International. As a recitalist Alexandra has been featured with The Cleveland Opera, Boston Singers’ Resource, Sewanee Summer Music Festival, the Musicians Club of Women, and Opera Mississippi. alexandrawiebesoprano.com
ABOUT
Our Young Artist Program (YAP) empowers emerging professionals with the refined skills, hands-on experience, and strategic guidance that lead to a successful opera career and a thriving future.
Participants are immersed in a comprehensive training regimen featuring individualized coaching, career advisory sessions, and enlightening master classes with eminent industry professionals, including voice instructors, conductors, directors, managers, and mainstage performers.
This enriching experience culminates in their contributions to the Ensemble and Comprimario roles in mainstage productions and their own production, showcasing their individual talent, progress, and potential.
The YAP represents an investment in both the future of opera and the artists who will shape it, epitomizing the harmonious blend of artistic passion and professional acumen.
BACKGROUND
The Young Artist Program (YAP) emerged following a resonant letter from Patricia Pisanelli, who, in honor of her opera-loving mother Dorothea Ferger Pisanelli, generously contributed a substantial gift in 2015. Patricia's heartfelt narrative of her mother's passion for opera, encompassing her own singing, knowledge, and cherished recordings, breathed life into the YAP's inception. This legacy-driven gift stands as a guiding light, nurturing the education of emerging artists and bolstering the Opera Company of Middlebury's enduring success.
In addition to collaborating with singers, the YAP also offers avenues for emerging pianists and administrative professionals. All participants benefit from housing accommodations and a travel stipend, ensuring a practical and immersive experience.
At the helm of the Young Artist Program is Sarah Cullins, whose seasoned leadership, performance, and teaching experience bring a pragmatic and insightful direction to the initiative.
Explore the 2024/25 Season
We can’t wait to share our 2024/25 season with you!