Zach Mendez is a photographer and filmmaker based in Santa Barbara, California. He is thrilled to return to Opera Santa Barbara after serving as the company's Director of Operations from 2018-2022. Having trained as a classical singer for much of his life, he has a deep...
Stage Director Alison Moritz’s recent productions have been lauded as “about as gorgeous and accessible as any opera anywhere” (The Commercial Appeal), and her work has been praised for its “incredible economy of resources, lean production design, and eye for jest and banter” by The...
Vincent Grana (Bass) is based in Los Angeles, CA. He has received his B. M. Magna Cum Laude in Music Education and an M.M. in Vocal Performance from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. At Rutgers, Mr. Grana has received many awards...
Dinah / Trouble in Tahiti April 2018 Javotte / Manon November 2017 Chrisman Studio Artist 2017–2018 ...
A native of Rome, Pennsylvania, tenor Jonathan Walker-VanKuren holds a master’s degree from Michigan State University and a bachelor's degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, both in vocal performance. While at MSU, Mr. Walker-VanKuren received the 2016-17 Mackey Scholar of Vocal Music Endowment, which is...
Soprano Elle Valera is a recent alumna of Opera Santa Barbara's Chrisman Studio Artist Program. As part of the program, she sang Berta in The Barber of Seville and Poussette in Manon; she also covered the title role in Manon and both Donna Anna and...
