Lindsay Ohse

Soprano

Previously at Portland Opera:
Soloist, Big Night Concert (2012); Maria Celeste / Duchess Christina, Galileo Galilei (2012); Barbarina, The Marriage of Figaro (2011); Soloist in the Big Night Concert (2011).

Described as “sparkling” by Opera News, coloratura soprano Lindsay Ohse began the 2011-2012 season with the American west coast premiere of Philip Glass’ Galileo Galilei with Portland Opera, singing the leading role of Maria Celeste.  She then traveled to northern Germany, participating in a Gala Concert as a soloist with the Eutin Festspiele in Eutin, Germany.  Prior to that, she made several house debuts, including Marie in La Fille du Regiment at Wichita Grand Opera and Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro at Portland Opera.  Previous performances include Constance in Dialogues of the Carmelites at Des Moines Metro Opera, Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte at both the Santa Fe Opera and Sarasota Opera, Viclinda in Verdi's rarely performed I Lombardi and Ann Putnam in The Crucible, also at Sarasota Opera.

To learn more about Lindsay Ohse, visit her website.

Caitlin Mathes

Mezzo Soprano

Previously at Portland Opera: Soloist, Big Night Concert (2012); Paquette, Candide (2012); Maria Maddalena / Scribe, Galileo Galilei (2012); Kate Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly (2012); Soloist in the Big Night Concert (2011).

American Mezzo-Soprano Caitlin Mathes has been hailed by critics as “charming” and “smashing.”  She has been praised for her “natural acting ability” and “vocal agility.”

Ms. Mathes is currently in her second year with Portland Opera as the mezzo soprano in their Resident Artist program. In addition to working with Portland Opera, she also gave her NYC debut recital / cabaret in December at the National Arts Club. In 2011, she was awarded first place in the Lotte Lenya Competition. She also made her NYC debut in 2011 with the Encompass Opera, singing the role of Sister Dorothy Stang, in the world premiere of Angel of the Amazon, which tells of the nun’s life, death and struggles in Brazil.

During the summer of 2009, she was a participant of San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera program, where she sang the role of Despina in Cosí fan tutte.  She has advanced twice in the MONC district competitions, and was the recipient of the Norman Triegle award.

She received her Artist Diploma from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where she sang the roles of Idamante in Idomeneo, Ruggiero in Alcina, Lady with a Hat Box in A Postcard from Morocco, and Ottavia in L’incoronazione di Poppea, among others.

Ms. Mathes has appeared as a young artist with Opera New Jersey, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and Chautauqua Opera, and was a participant of the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca and Spoleto.  She received her Bachelors of Music from Ithaca College and her Masters of Music and Artist Diploma from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
 

Learn more about Caitlin at her website

Matthew Grills

Tenor

Previously at Portland Opera:
Soloist, Big Night Concert (2012).

New to the program in the 2012/13 Season, tenor Matthew Grills arrives in Portland after spending the summer singing as a Young Artist with Santa Fe Opera. A recent recipient of a master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, Matthew has already made a splash in American opera as the winner of the 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and Lotte Lenya competition. Other operatic credits include Prunier in La Rondine, Prince Charming in Massenet’s Cendrillon, the Prologue in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, and Ferrando in Così fan tutte at the Seagle Music Colony (2011).

André Chiang

Baritone

Previously at Portland Opera: Soloist, Big Night Concert (2012); Maximillian, Candide (2012); Younger Galileo / Salviati, Galileo Galilei (2012); Yamadori/Registrar in Madame Butterfly (2012); Soloist in the Big Night Concert (2011).

Baritone André Chiang is from Mobile, Alabama. His opera credits include: Sciarrone in Tosca, El Gallo in The Fantasticks, Masetto in Don Giovanni (Shreveport Opera); Fouquier-Tinville in Andrea Chénier, Doctor Grenville in La Traviata, A Gypsy in Il Trovatore (Mobile Opera); Registrar in Madame Butterfly (Opera Birmingham); The Count in The Marriage of Figaro, Ctésippe in Pénélope, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus (Manhattan School of Music); Belcor in The Elixir of Love (University of South Alabama); Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas, Schaunard in La Bohème (University of Alabama).  He has a Master of Music from Manhattan School of Music and was a member of the Young Artist programs at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Mobile Opera, and Shreveport Opera.

Nicholas Nelson

Bass Baritone

Previously at Portland Opera: Masetto, Don Giovanni (2012); Soloist, Big Night Concert (2012); 2nd Officer / Sailor / Waiter / Slave Driver / Crook, Candide (2012); Pope Urban VIII / Cardinal Barberini / Simplicio, Galileo Galilei (2012); Commissioner, Madame Butterfly (2012); Soloist in the Big Night Concert (2011); Don Inigo Gomez in L’Heure Espagnole (2011); Armchair/Tree in L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (2011); Mandarin in Turandot (2011)

Returning Resident Artist, bass baritone Nicholas Nelson has delighted Portland audiences for the past two seasons, most recently as 2nd Officer / Sailor / Waiter / Slave Driver / Crook, Candide (2012). Previous roles include Pope Urban VIII / Cardinal Barberini / Simplicio, Galileo Galilei, the Commissioner in Madame Butterfly (2012), Don Inigo Gomez in L’Heure Espagnole, Armchair / Tree in L’Enfant et les Sortilèges and Mandarin in Turandot (2011).  Mr. Nelson made his debut with Tacoma Opera last season as Selim in Turk In Italy. Originally from Winthrop, Minnesota, Nelson attended the University of Minnesota as a student of Glenda Maurice. During his study, he performed the roles of Colline in La Bohème, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Seneca in L'incoronazione di Poppea. He has twice won first place in the Schubert Club Scholarship Competition and has appeared in recital several times for the organization. In 2007, Nelson won First Prize at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the Minnesota District.