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Schyler Vargas - Norman

Acclaimed as a “superb” (New York Stage Review) and“powerful baritone,” (Washington Post) Schyler Vargas is establishing himself as a versatile talent, bringing interdisciplinary performances to the operatic, theatrical, and concert stage. His notable credits include highly praised performances atCarnegie Hall, first as Strephon in Iolanthe by Gilbert & Sullivan, then at Connie and theRagged Man in The Grapes of Wrath by Ricky Ian Gordon, and premiering the dramatic song cycle, UNKNOWN, by Shawn Okpebholo which was featured on PBS NewsHour and NPR. Opera Montana audiences will remember Schyler from last season's Maria de Buenos Aires where he played El Payador.

Michael Kuhn - Paul

Michael Kuhn is a multifaceted performer praised for his“clear and robust” tenor (Opera News) and described as “an artist of almost terrifying magnetism” (The Observer). His genre-defying career has brought him to thestages of Broadway, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and many more. Michael recently made his Broadway debut in the revival of Sweeney Todd, where he understudied the role of Adolfo Pirelli and performed in the ensemble. Off-Broadway and other notable NYC appearances include The Dead, 1904 with Irish Rep, ¡Figaro! 90210 at the Duke on 42nd Street, and the world premiere of Stonewall with NewYork City Opera at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Michael has performed regionally at operahouses and theaters across the US, including Opera Theatre of St. Louis, DesMoines Metro Opera, Central City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Omaha, VirginiaOpera, The Princeton Festival, On Site Opera, Syracuse Opera, and more. As aconcert soloist, he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, as well as with the Omaha Symphony,Pacific Symphony, New York Choral Society, Atlantic Symphony, and more. He isan alumnus of Syracuse University and the New England Conservatory. @michaelrkuhn

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David Pittsinger - John

World renowned American bass-baritone David Pittsinger is celebrated as a stage performer of the greatest distinction for his dramatic portrayals in opera, concert, and on Broadway. When David starred as Emile de Becque in South Pacific at Lincoln Center Theater, the New York Times’ articlefeatured him as ‘the first performer to sing a Broadway show and an opera (TheGhost of Hamlet’s father in Thomas’ Hamlet) in the same day.”  Of hisHelen Hayes Award nomination for his portrayal of Emile at The Kennedy Center,The Washington Times wrote: “His Emile is perhaps the definitive interpretation of this role in our time.”  Pittsinger continues to perform in musical theater roles as well as opera, such as Sweeney Todd, The Fantasticks, Man ofLa Mancha, The Sound of Music, and Kiss me Kate throughout the world. Mr. Pittsinger has performed over 100 performances of 14 roles at The Metropolitan Opera and has appeared in Live HD Broadcasts of The Magic Flute,Manon, Tosca, Hamlet, and Les Contes D’Hoffman.  Last season at the Met,he reprised his role as the Captain in the premiere performances of Florencia en el Amazonas.  He recently created the role of Roy Disney in the world premiere of Phillip Glass’ The Perfect American for Teatro Real Madrid, and Robert E Lee/Edgar Ray Killen in Glass’ Appomattox for WNO at The Kennedy Center, as well as creating the role of Eugene O’Neill in the world premiere ofJeanine Tesori and Toni Kushner’s A Blizzard On Marblehead Neck at the Glimmerglass Festival and the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s Awakenings for OTSL, and a return to Houston Symphony as Tiresias in Stravinsky’s OedipusRex.  He has been lauded for his portrayals as the title role in Massenet’s Don Quichotte for Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires, and Vienna, as well asCadmus/Somnus in Robert Carsen’s production of  Handel’s Semele, opposite Cecilia Bartoli, and Seneca in Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea withTheater an der Wien under the baton of William Christie.  He has also appeared at The Salzburg Festival, Pesaro’s Rossini Festival, Dresden Festival,Innsbruck Early Music Festival, Festival d’Aix en Provence, L’Arena SferisterioMacerata Festival, Casals Festival, Festival Radio France (Montpellier),Tanglewood, Santa Fe, Grant Park, Ravenna, Cincinnati May and Glimmerglass festivals.  His discography includes: Arlington Sons (Apple Music), IvesSongs (Naxos), Rodger’s and Hammerstein at the Movies (EMI), The PerfectAmerican (Opus Arte), Susannah (Virgin Classics), La Callisto (Harmonia Mundi),The Bells and Oedipus Rex (Houston Symphony), Simon Bocanegra (Ricercar), Faure Requiem (STR), and Florencia en el Amazonas (HGO). Recently, Pittsinger appeared as the Featured Alumnus/Artist as King Rene for Yale Opera inTchaikovsky’s Iolanta at The Schubert Theatre.  Upcoming engagements25/26: Bass soloist Verdi’s Requiem (Queens College), Charlie in Shenandoah(IPH), and Valton in I Puritani (Metropolitan Opera HD). Pittsinger holds a MM from Yale and BM from UConn where he received The Distinguished Alumni Award.

Phyllis Pancella - Clara

Mezzo-soprano Phyllis Pancella is a veteran of international opera and concert stages, in music extending from the baroque to six months ago. Her opera roles have ranged from Carmen and Adalgisa to Lizzie Borden and Nero, with companies from Chicago to Paris, Tel Aviv to Hong Kong. A highly regarded interpreter of both concert repertoire and chamber music, Ms. Pancella has collaborated with folks from Jane Glover and Daniel Barenboim to Paul Neubauer and Margo Garrett. She has worked with composers on many premieres, including Dominick Argento’s Miss Manners on Music and Kamala Sankaram’s A Certain Age, and has recorded with the Naxos, Erato,
Neos, and Navona labels. An enthusiastic advocate for studentartists, Ms. Pancella currently serves on the voice faculty at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

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Megan Marino - Heidi

A stylish musician, agile fioriturist, and fearless stage animal, mezzo-soprano Megan Marino has been praised by Opera News as “a gifted actress with a strong, appealing voice, graced by a rich lower register,”who appears both “authoritative and carefree.” Her ability to disappear into a character grounds emotionally incisive performances across genres and eras, and her open-hearted collaborative approach has made her a favorite colleague of creatives and performers across the industry. Appearances in the 2024/25 season include Marino’s role debut as The Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd with Utah Opera and Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro in her company debut with Pensacola Opera. She will also premiere new works by Evan Mack at Skidmore College and travel to Kyoto, Japan, to sing Flora in Seiji Ozawa MusicAcademy’s La traviata. In spring 2024, she was honored to create three roles in Heggie and Scheer’s Before It All Goes Dark, with Opera praising her “admirable work finding distinct timbres for each role” in“an eloquently poignant performance.”

Christine Taylor Price - Jessie

Soprano Christine Taylor Price earned her Masters and ArtistDiploma of Opera Studies in vocal performance at The Juilliard School. Her most recent engagements include Amalia Balash in Opera Saratoga’s performance of She Loves Me, Sarah Brown in Guys and Dolls and Angéle in The Count of Luxembourg with Ohio Light Opera. She performed Soldier in Zach Redler’s The Falling and The Rising in San Diego and Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Gulfshore Opera. Other credits include Baroness Elberfeld/Nun in Paper Mill Playhouse’s production of The Sound of Music, Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld with Ohio Light Opera, Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Adina in L’elisir d’amore both with Opera in Williamsburg, Governess in Opera Columbus’ The Turn of the Screw, Messiah with Portland Baroque Orchestra and Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with The New York Philharmonic. While at Juilliard she performed Frau Fluth in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Serpetta in La finta giardiniera and Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte as well as the soprano solo in Mahler’s 4th Symphony in Alice Tully Hall.  As well as participating in masterclasses with Joyce DiDonato, Fabio Luisi, Gerald Finley and Renata Scotto, Ms. Price has attended past programs such as The Ravinia Festival, WolfTrap Opera and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. She is a past semi-finalist in theMetropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. 

Ryan Bryce Johnson - Neal

Ryan Bryce Johnson, tenor, is a dynamic and versatile performer whose experience spans opera and music theatre. He makes his Opera Montana debut in the world premiere of the new opera A River Runs Through It. Ryan has appeared at major companies and festivals across the United States, including The Santa Fe Opera, where he performed Borsa in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Giuseppe in La Traviata, and Faninal’s Major-Domo in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. He also made his debut with Dayton Opera as Lt. Joseph Cable in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific, appeared at The Glimmerglass Festival as the Grand Inquisitor and Governor in Bernstein’s Candide, and will join the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera this summer. In 2025, his concert work includes performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and Chamber Chorus. Additional credits include joining Opera Saratoga as Ira in Lembit Beecher’s Sky on Swings and serving as a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, where he performed Borsa in Verdi’s Rigoletto and covered the roles of Nero in Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea and Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. Ryan is a First Prize winner of the 2023 Lotte Lenya Competition, and has also been a finalist for the George London Foundation Competition and a district winner in the Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. His repertoire includes roles such as Sam in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance, Peter Quint in Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, and Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Ryan holds a master’s degree in music from the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in music from Texas Tech University.

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