Cosi Cast Bios - Opera51

Known for her vocal flexibility and expressiveness, mezzo-soprano Emily Adams has performed operas, concerts, and recitals throughout southern New England. Last month, Emily was a featured soloist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Cantata Singers. Other recent opera performances include priestess/ensemble in Mozart’s The Magic Flute with MassOpera. Past concert performances include the alto soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Handel’s Messiah. Emily is also a professional pianist and organist, and has accompanied productions of La Bohème and Der Schauspieldirektor for Opera New Hampshire’s educational initiative. As a ballet pianist, Emily worked with the apprentice company of Boston Ballet (BBII) and the San Francisco Opera dance corps. When not pursuing musical ventures, Emily loves sewing, embroidery, and most of all, being a mom to her two rambunctious young children.

Max Rydqvist, baritone, graduated magna cum laude with a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the College of Fine Arts at Boston University (2018) and with a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the State University of New York at Binghamton (2016. Recent stage roles include Angelo in Wagner’s “Das Liebesverbot,” Pandolfe in Massenet’s “Cendrillon,” Papageno in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte”, Ben in Menotti’s “The Telephone”, David in Samuel Barber’s “A Hand of Bridge” and A-Rab in Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story”. Recent concert appearances include baritone soloist in a Nordic Art Song Recital, chorus and bass soloist from Handel’s “Messiah” as well as baritone soloist in Brahms’ “Liebeslieder Waltzes” with Church on the Hill, and an American Art Song Recital at the Bay View Music Festival. Residing as a freelance singer and also as an associate member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and aspiring voice teacher in the Boston area, Max presently engages as ensemble member and soloist in both the concert series and chamber series of Boston’s Cantata Singers, as ensemble member with Odyssey Opera, and as section leader and soloist at Church on the Hill of the Boston Society of the New Jerusalem. He is additionally a former soloist with Opera on Tap Boston. In the upcoming months he will be making an appearance as The Speaker in “Die Zauberflöte” and is endeavoring to produce an independent art song recital that will delve into a continued exploration of Nordic repertoire. He continues his vocal studies with Professor Sharon Daniels of Boston University.

Letitia Stevens - Fiordiligi

British soprano, Letitia Stevens’ voice has been described as, “soaring,” “a powerful…a great voice,” and “a voice that moves people.” Recently the Boston Musical Intelligencer wrote that she sang with a “blissful lyricism” and “handled her line reverently.” She has appeared in art song recitals throughout the Boston area, in the UK and in southwest France with pianist Bonnie Donham. In September she premiered the role of Anna Wheil in The Visit by Ellen Bender, shortly after winning third prize in The American Prize: Women in Art Song, competition. She has premiered songs by pianist and composer Leonardo Ciampa at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, created the soprano solos in the premiere of Ciampa’s Requiem for William, at Methuen Memorial Music Hall, and, with him, given concerts of opera arias, including for Renegade MAC of Rhode Island and the Menotomy Concert Series at Arlington Town Hall. She performs regularly with Boston Bel Canto Opera in their concerts of opera arias and ensembles. Since returning to singing soprano after many years singing mezzo-soprano she has performed roles such as the Countess, Marriage of Figaro, Queen of the Night, Magic Flute, Rosalinde, Die Fledermaus, Nella, Gianni Schicchi, Madame Goldentrill, Der Schauspieldirektor, Isabella, Forbidden Love, and Cleopatra, Giulio Cesare in Egitto with Opera 51, Rhode Island Opera on Tap, Greater Worcester Opera, Cambridge Chamber Ensemble, Connecticut Lyric Opera, in their Young Artists’ Program, and Lyric Opera Studio Weimar. On the concert platform she has appeared with the Carlisle Chamber Orchestra in Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, and been soprano soloist in Fauré’s Requiem. 2024 includes concerts at Mechanics Hall, with Boston Bel Canto Opera, and recitals in France. Full details can be found at: www.LetitiaStevens.com