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Performer
Lindsay Kesselman
Hailed by Fanfare Magazine as an “artist of growing reputation for her artistry and intelligence...with a voice of goddess-like splendor” Lindsay Kesselman is a two time GRAMMY-nominated soprano who passionately advocates for contemporary music.
Recent and upcoming highlights include the premiere of the wind transcription of Caroline Shaw’s Is a Rose, Energy in All Directions by Kenneth Frazelle with Sandbox Percussion at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the role of Anna in Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins with the Charlotte Symphony, the role of Ada Lovelace in a new opera, Galaxies in Her Eyes by Mark Lanz Weiser and Amy Punt, Astronautica: Voices of Women in Space with Voices of Ascension, ongoing performances of two works written for Kesselman by John Mackey with orchestras and wind symphonies across the country, the John Corigliano 80th birthday celebration at National Sawdust (2018), Quixote (Amy Beth Kirsten and Mark DeChiazza) with Peak Performances at Montclair State University (2017), a leading role in Louis Andriessen’s opera Theatre of the World with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Dutch National Opera and an international tour of Einstein on the Beach with the Philip Glass Ensemble (2012-2015).
Kesselman is featured on several recent recordings: Chris Cerrone’s The Arching Path (2021, In a Circle Records), Russell Hartenberger’s Requiem for Percussion and Voices (2019, Nexus Records), Chris Cerrone’s The Pieces That Fall to Earth with Wild Up (2019, New Amsterdam Records), Mathew Rosenblum’s Lament/Witches’ Sabbath with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble (2018, New Focus Recordings), Louis Andriessen’s Theatre of the World with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (2017, Nonesuch), and Jon Magnussen’s Twinge with HAVEN (2016, Blue Griffin).
John Taylor Ward
John Taylor Ward’s performances have been praised for their “Stylish abandon” (Alex Ross, The New Yorker) and their “finely calibrated precision and heart-rending expressivity” (Washington Post). He performs regularly with the world’s finest baroque musicians and ensembles, including Christina Pluhar and L’Arpeggiata, Paul O’Dette, Steven Stubbs and the Boston Early Music Festival, William Christie and Les arts florissants, and Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists. In 2016, he was featured in the U.S. premiere of Claude Vivier’s Kopernikus, directed by Peter Sellars at the Ojai Festival, and he began a series of recitals at Joe’s Pub with Cantata Profana. In 2017 he made his debuts at the Salzburg, Berlin, and Luzerne Festspieles. Upcoming highlights include Berio’s Sinfonia with the New York Philharmonic and Nick Shadow in Igor Stravinski’s The Rake’s Progress, conducted by Barbara Hannigan in Gothenburg, Sweden. Taylor holds a BM from the Eastman School of Music and an MMA from Yale School of Music; he is the founding Associate Artistic Director of the Lakes Area Music Festival, an Associate Artist of Heartbeat Opera, and an avid Sacred Harp singer.
Andrew Turner
Andrew Turner is a Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist tenor. His roles this season included First Priest/First Armored Man in The Magic Flute, The Beloved in The Rose Elf, Policeman / The Man in In A Grove, Ramendado in Carmen, and Policeman/Buddy #1 in Blue.
A native of Tacoma, WA, Andrew holds a BM in Vocal performance from Washington State University and an MM from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While attending University of Illinois, he performed the roles of Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, and Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia.
Mr. Turner recently finished his second season at Des Moines Metro Opera as an apprentice artist performing the role of Tchaplitsky in The Queen of Spades and covering the role of Tobias Raggs in Sweeney Todd. In 2019, he made his debut as Parpignol in DMMO’s production in La Boheme.
Other engagements included his role debut as Boy 1 in Trouble in Tahiti with Virginia Opera, Tamino in The Magic Flute with Opera Iowa, touring performances as Ranger Dudley in Little Red’s Most Unusual Day and The Prince in The Littlest Mermaid, and concert appearances as the tenor soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Vivaldi’s Lord Nelson Mass with the Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra.
Chuanyuan Liu
Praised for his "otherworldly flourish" (The Wall Street Journal), "intense stage presence" (Classical Voice North America), and "natural, sensitive feel with embedded lyrical nuance" (The Millbrook Independent), Chinese countertenor Chuanyuan Liu (刘川源) is proving himself a strong presence amidst the new generation of countertenors. His deep passion for story-telling inspires him to connect with his audience through empathy, authenticity, and creativity. Raised in China, but having spent his adulthood in the US, Chuanyuan is dedicated to seeking out musical projects that celebrate both the commonalities and the differences of the two worlds. He will begin his 2023-24 season with one such project, performing the title role in White Snake Projects' world premiere of Monkey by Jorge Sosa and Cerise Jacobs.
During the 2022-23 season, Chuanyuan returns to Toledo Symphony Orchestra as the alto soloist in Handel's Messiah, and to Pittsburgh Opera for his role debut of Polinesso in the Pittsburgh premiere of Handel's Ariodante. Later in the season he debuts the role of Ottone in a new production of Handel's Agrippina with CCM Opera. He also makes his company and role debut with Victory Hall Opera in their innovative Orpheus & Erica: a Deaf opera, playing Amore and covering Orfeo. In summer 2023, Chuanyuan will be a Renée Fleming Artist at the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS (AOTVA) program, debuting the role of César in Jimmy Lopez and Nilo Cruz's Bel Canto.
The 2021-22 season provided a wonderful outlet for Chuanyuan’s passion for contemporary music, seeing him in three world premiere operas. He made his professional operatic debut at Pittsburgh Opera in Christopher Cerrone and Stephanie Fleischmann's critically acclaimed In a Grove (The Priest/The Medium), and made his Verizon Hall and Philadelphia Orchestra debut in the concert version of Kevin Puts and Greg Pierce’s The Hours (Man Under the Arch/Hotel Clerk). Chuanyuan then covered the leading role of Song Liling in Huang Ruo and David Henry Hwang's imaginative and intersectional work, M. Butterfly 蝴蝶君 during Santa Fe Opera’s summer 2022 season.
