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Auditions for the San Diego Opera Ensemble took place at the Civic Theatre on May 2nd, 2008 and we are happy to announce the artists for the
2008-2009 season. During the upcoming season, the Ensemble will perform Rumpelstiltskin, an original opera for the young
and the young at heart by Nicolas Reveles and J. Sherwood Montgomery; an abridged English version of Mozart’s Così fan tutte; and
numerous recitals, including Opera Unplugged for students. This looks to be an exciting Ensemble year, so watch for
announcements of their public performances coming your way very soon!
 Rachel Copeland, Lyric Coloratura Soprano
Oklahoma native Rachel Copeland completed her doctoral coursework at Indiana University, where she studies with Timothy Noble. She received a Bachelor of Music Education in Choral Conducting, as well as her Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance, at Baylor University. Recent engagements include Papagena in The Magic Flute at Indianapolis Opera, Musetta in La Boheme at DuPage Opera and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance at Louisiana Lyric Opera. She has performed with IU Opera Theater as Zdenka in Strauss' Arabella and assisted the Indianapolis Opera Ensemble as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro. Rachel has also appeared extensively as a concert soloist, most notably in Mozart’s and Faure’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. She will sing the role of Nell in Rumpelstiltskin and Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte. This is Rachel's first year with the Ensemble.
 Elyse Nakajima, Coloratura Soprano
Elyse Nakajima recently relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area from New York City, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Linguistics from
Stanford University. She has been a young artist with the Martina Arroyo Foundation and Intermezzo Opera, and has also participated in the Spoleto
Vocal Arts Symposium, Oberlin in Italy, Songfest, and Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute. Roles performed include Marie in La
Fille du Regiment with Northwest Opera in Schools, Etc., Feu/Princesse/Rossignol in L'enfant et les sortileges at Intermezzo Opera, Romilda
in Serse and Servilia in La Clemenza di Tito with New York Opera Studio, and Pamina in Die Zauberflote and Mabel in The
Pirates of Penzance at Stanford University. She will sing the First Guide in Rumpelstiltskin and Despina in Cosi fan tutte. This
is Elyse's first year with the Ensemble.
 Crystal Jarrell, Mezzo-Soprano
San Antonio, Texas resident Crystal Jarrell holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Abilene Christian University and a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Indiana University. She has sung Stephano in Roméo et Juliette and Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Nashville Opera, the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with San Antonio Opera, and Olga in The Merry Widow with Indianapolis Opera. Other roles performed include Olga in Eugene Onegin, Emily in The Ballad of Baby Doe, Mary Stone in Moore's The Devil and Daniel Webster, and Zita in Gianni Schicchi. She is an alumna of the young artist programs of Nashville Opera, Utah Festival Opera, and Indianapolis Opera. She was a Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition regional finalist in the Western Region in 2007. This season she will make her San Diego Opera mainstage debut as Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto. She will sing the role of the Second Guide in Rumpelstiltskin and Dorabella in Così fan tutte. This is her second year with the Ensemble.
 Chad Hilligus, Tenor
Kansas native Chad Hilligus holds a Bachelor of Music from Olivet Nazarene University and a Master of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Utah.
He has performed as a resident artist with Tulsa Opera (Faust), Sarasota Opera (Halka, Madame Butterfly, Attila), Ash Lawn
Opera (La Bohème, Merry Widow) and, most recently, Nashville Opera, where he made his company debut as Ruiz in Il Trovatore. Other roles
include Remendado in Carmen (Mendocino Opera), Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi (Chelsea Opera) and Rudolph in William Tell (American
West Symphony). On the musical theatre stage, Chad has performed leading roles in West Side Story, Bye, Bye Birdie, Scrooge,
Oklahoma!, State Fair, Godspell, Sound of Music and most recently in Show Boat at the Gateway Playhouse. He will sing
the title role in Rumpelstiltskin and Ferrando in Così fan tutte. This is his first year with the San Diego Opera Ensemble.
 Sam Spade, Baritone
Omaha resident Sam Spade holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance, both from Indiana University. He has been a Young
Artist at Indianapolis Opera, the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program at Central City Opera and Le Festival Lyrique de Belle Ile en Mer in France.
Roles sung include the creation of the part of Mr. Webb in Our Town by Ned Rorem at Indiana University, Morales in Carmen at Indianapolis Opera,
Barney in The Ballad of Baby Doe at Opera Illinois and Marullo in Rigoletto at Festival Lyrique. This season, Sam will make his mainstage debut
at San Diego Opera in the role of the Jailer in Tosca. He will be singing the role of The Miller in Rumpelstiltskin and Guglielmo in Così fan
tutte. This is Sam’s second year with the San Diego Opera Ensemble.
 Will Earl Spanheimer, Bass-Baritone
Currently a resident of Miami, Florida, Will Earl Spanheimer received a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Grand Canyon University, Masters’ Degrees in
Church Music and Music, respectively, from Baylor University and Arizona State University, and an Artist Diploma in Vocal Performance from the University of Miami.
He has sung Danilo in The Merry Widow at the University of Miami, Ashby in La Fanciulla del West at the St. Barths Music Festival, and David in
L’amico Fritz at the Opera Theatre Festival of Lucca, Italy, and Escamillo in Carmen at the ASU Lyric Opera Theatre, where he also originated the
role of Alvin in American Gothic. He has performed in oratorio work as the bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah and Orff’s Carmina Burana.
He is also a past First Place Division Winner at the Arizona regional National Association of Teachers of Singing competition. Will Earl will sing the roles of
The King in Rumpelstiltskin and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte. This is Will Earl’s first year with the San Diego Opera Ensemble.
 Tina Chang, Music Director
An avid chamber musician, Vancouver pianist Tina Chang has appeared in many recitals, most recently as a guest pianist on the St. Cecilia Chamber Recital Series
in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was on faculty at Dalhousie University these past two years where she coached students of various disciplines and taught 2nd year
Keyboard Skills. Tina has served as staff pianist at the Summer Vocal Academy for the Victoria Conservatory of Music, as well as the Interlochen Center for
the Arts during their summer session, where she coached various operetta scenes, was rehearsal pianist for multiple choirs and ensemble pianist with the
Interlochen Philharmonic. She was invited back to the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara this summer after being named the Julia Stearns Dockweiler
Fellow at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara in 2007 and 2008.
Currently the Music Director of the San Diego Opera Ensemble, she coaches and performs with young professional singers around San Diego County. Born in Taiwan,
Tina immigrated to Vancouver, Canada with her family when she was nine. There, she completed her undergraduate degree in music at the University of British Columbia.
From there, she went on to complete her Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano at the University of Minnesota. Her principal teachers include Timothy Lovelace,
Kenneth Broadway and Alice Enns.
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