Eric Margiore, Tenor, as the Duke
Lyric tenor, Eric Margiore, is quickly becoming recognized for his unique Italianate timbre and the excitement that it brings to the stage, especially in the high lying Bel Canto and Lyric French repertory. Eric was hailed by Opera News for his stunning debut in the role of Arturo in I Puritani with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis when he stepped in twice to replace an ailing tenor. Opera News proclaimed, “The audience was primed for excitement and Margiore, a baritone until two years ago, delivered plenty. He ripped into the role with brio and high-octane vocalism, reaching up to a secure high C-sharp with brilliance and style, upping the ante for the other tenor…this jump-start to his bel canto career was most auspicious.”
Eric finished the 2008 season singing Conte Almaviva from Il Barbiere di Siviglia, in November with the Sarasota Opera, Il Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto, with the Palm Beach Opera in December, and then a solo holiday concert of Christmas music and Sicilian songs with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra in Louisiana.
Eric hails from Long Island, New York, USA, and he is a proud Italian-American coming from a Sicilian and Neapolitan family heritage. He is a Cum Laude graduate with a Bachelors of Music in Classical Voice Performance and a minor in Philosophy from New York University. He also holds a Professional Artist Honors Diploma in Opera from the Mannes College of Music in New York. Eric studies voice under the tutelage of New York voice teacher, Michael Paul.

Jane Redding, Soprano, as Gilda
American soprano Jane Redding is hailed for her dazzling virtuosity and charismatic charm, she continues to amaze audiences with her near-flawless musicianship, thrilling high notes, and wide-ranging versatility. From comedienne to tragic heroine, Ms. Redding plays every role with great distinction. Recent and upcoming engagements for Ms. Redding include a concert tour to China (Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong) with the International Opera Alliance and the Opera Orchestra of Shanghai; Adina in Elixir of Love with Opera Naples, Des Moines Metro Opera and Virginia Opera; Violetta in La Traviata with Mobile Opera; Pamina in The Magic Flute with Pensacola Opera, YumYum in The Mikado with Nevada Opera;

Ashley Howard Wilkinson, Bass, as Sparafucile
An Opera Naples favorite after his great portrails of both King Balthezar in November 06’ Amahl and the Night Visitors and The Bonz in February 2007 Madama Butterfly. Wilkinson won a coveted position in the Metropolitan Opera’s Young Artist Program and made his Metropolitan Opera debut singing the role of Barnabotto in La Gioconda. He has performed leading roles with the opera companies of Washington, Virginia, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Minnesota, Pacific, Utah, Columbus, Nashville, Dayton, Boheme of New Jersey, Utah Festival, Toledo, Palm Beach, Buffalo and Deutsche Oper. Recent and upcoming engagements include Crown in Porgy and Bess with Fresno Grand Opera, Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio with Connecticut Opera, Ramfis in Aida with Baltimore Opera, Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio with Hawaii Opera (February 2009) Crown in Porgy and Bess with Baltimore Opera (May 2009).

Leah Summers, Mezzo Soprano as Maddalena
A veteran of the New York City Opera, Ms. Summers is noted for the richness of her voice and for the radiance of her stage presence, American mezzo-soprano Leah Summers is ideally suited to bel canto, Strauss and Wagner roles, while simultaneously possessing the flexibility to deliver the florid music of Handel, Mozart and Rossini. Ms. Summers was a Fulbright Scholar in Vienna, Austria. She is also the recipient of a Sullivan Foundation Grant.
Upcoming performances for Ms. Summers in the 2008 - 2009 season include Dorabella in Così Fan Tutte with Opera Colorado, Sara in matinee performances of Roberto Devereux with Dallas Opera, and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with Opera New Jersey.

Artistic and Management Consultant Carl Ratner learned his craft assisting directors, including eminent composer Gian Carlo Menotti, at the world's major opera houses, including the Royal Opera (Covent Garden) in London, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Spoleto Festival in Italy, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, New York City Opera and the Santa Fe Opera, among others. He served as Artistic Director of Chicago Opera Theater from 1994-1999, and previously held the same post at Chamber Opera Chicago from 1985-1993. For Opera Naples, he directed Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Prodigal Son, and Madama Butterfly. Also accomplished as a baritone, he has performed the title roles in Verdi's Falstaff and Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, as well as Papageno in The Magic Flute and John Proctor in The Crucible. A frequent soloist for oratorio, he has sung Handel's Messiah and Bach's Magnificat with The Bach Ensemble of Naples and Dona Nobis Pacem by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Aaron Copland's Old Amercian Songs with the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale. He received his Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University and currently serves as Director of Opera at Western Michigan University.

Conductor/Pianist William Noll is a performance veteran of the major concert halls of the United States and Europe. In the spring of 2000, he made his conducting debut in Beijing, for an outstanding sold-out performance of an all-Tchaikovsky program.

From Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York to festivals and tours in Italy, Belgium, and now China, Mr. Noll has established excellence in performance standards for almost three decades. He has held positions with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Opera, the Choral Guild of Atlanta, Providence Opera Theatre; and the summer festivals of Aspen, Spoleto and Brevard.
Mr. Noll has also conducted for the New York City Opera, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra at Avery Fisher Hall, the New Mexico Symphony, the Savannah Symphony, and the Opera Orchestra of New York for summer concerts.

Recently, Mr. Noll re-established his classical piano career by appearing in New York City, as guest soloist, with the Jupiter Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jens Nygaard in performances of the virtuoso work, Concerto #2, by Xaver Scharwenka.

In addition, his catalog of commercial recordings which include classical symphonic and jazz repertoire continues to grow on labels such as Newport Classic, Intersound, Pro-Jazz, Time-Life, and Sony.