Founding Director
Genaro Méndez Jr.
Mexican-American lyric tenor Genaro Méndez Jr. (Elko, NV) has a versatile and wide-ranging career as a leading operatic tenor, chamber and solo recitalist, and voice professor. His most recent operatic performances include Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles and Tibalt in Romeo and Julie with Wichita Grand Opera, and featured roles with Heartland Opera Theater, Springfield Regional Opera, Eugene Opera, and Colorado Opera Troupe. As an oratorio and chamber music soloist, he has performed with Voices of Omaha, the Martha’s Vineyard Music Festival, Bach Aria Soloists, Reno Chamber Orchestra, and the Reno Philharmonic.
A Nevada native, Genaro began his musical studies and performing career under the late master teacher of voice and Nevada Opera founder, Ted Puffer. Under Maestro Puffer’s musical guidance, Genaro performed in over 30 Nevada Opera productions, from chorus member to comprimario to leading tenor. Genaro continues his mentor’s tradition as a current teacher of vocal technique, diction, and repertoire with a focus on Spanish and Latin American art song.
http://music.ku.edu/programs/voice/faculty/mendez/Faculty
Julio Alexis Muñoz
Master vocal coach and pianist Julio Alexis Muñoz (Madrid, Spain) is a leading expert in Spanish art song and zarzuela, performing in concert halls throughout Europe, America, the Middle East and Japan. Performing frequently with mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza, he has also recorded for radio, television, and CD and is professor of vocal repertoire at the Escuela Superior de Canto in Madrid, Spain.
www.julioalexis.com
María Luisa Harth-Bedoya
Peruvian guitarist María Luisa Harth-Bedoya (Lima) is a gifted soloist who has been featured in multiple international festivals across Latin America and the United States. With orchestral performance credits that include the National Symphony Orchestra of Lima, Mendoza Symphony Orchestra, and Philharmonic Orchestra of Lima, she is also a featured recording artist on Dos Guitarras, Un Estilo with Argentinean guitarist César Angeleri and Ayres de Lima, her debut solo CD.
www.filarmonika.com/cd_recordings/maria-luisaSee Maria perform on Youtube
Verónica Murúa
Mexican soprano Verónica Murúa (Mexico City) is an accomplished operatic artist whose feature performances have included a 2006 Carnegie Hall with Italian conductor Piero Romano, a Teatro de Bellas Artes performance with world-renowned tenor Ramon Vargas for Mexican president Vicente Fox, and most recently, the role of Santuzza with the Miami Lyric Opera. Ms. Murúa also holds a tenure position at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.
www.veronicamurua.com
Charles Badami
American pianist Charles Badami (Bakersfield, CA) is an Instructor and Collaborative Pianist at Northwest Missouri State University, and recently completed a Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance and Collaborative Arts at Northwestern University. An active teacher, vocal coach, piano soloist, and chamber musician, Charles has worked with Eugene Opera, the Oregon Bach Festival, the Musica da Camera orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony Chorus.
www.nwmissouri.edu/dept/music/faculty/badami.htmStudent Performers
Olivia Betzen
Kansas soprano Olivia Betzen (Shawnee Mission) is a graduate student in Vocal Performance at the University of Kansas and a returning artist for FIMEL. Her multiple stage successes include Sandy in Grease, Ella in Patience, and most recently, Une Pastourelle in Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortileges. Olivia has also won numerous awards, including 1st place in the Upper College Women’s division of the National Association of Teachers of Singing Regional Competition. Olivia will sing the role of Despina in Mozart's Cosí fan tutte for KU opera in the fall of 2010.
Elisandra Perez Melian
SPANISH SOPRANO Elisandra Pérez Melián (Las Palmas Gran Canaria, Spain) has performed such roles as Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Despina in Mozarts’s Cosí fan tutte, and Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. An accomplished concert singer, Elisandra has performed with the Temple de L’oratoire du Louvre in Paris and the Teatro Pérez Galdós in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Future Projects include singing the role of Sofía in Rossini’s Il signor Bruschino with the Teatro Nacional de Panamá.
Ixaso Moriones
Spanish soprano Itxaso Moriones (Pamplona, Navarre) is a graduate of the Escuela Superior de Canto de Madrid. Her feature roles in opera and zarzuela include Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Caballero’s El Duo de la Africana. Other accolades include finalist in the International Competition of Song and special prize in the International Song Competition of J. Gayarre.
Juan del Bosco
Mexican Tenor Juan del Bosco (Mexico City) is a student in Vocal Performance and International Relations at the University of Texas at Austin. Juan’s performances include singing the role of Capó in the Zaruela El manojo de rosas by Pablo Sorozábal, tenor soloist in an Opera Gala arranged by the Municipal Government of Uruapan, Michoacán, and performing in the chorus for the 3 Tenors concert in Morelia, México.
Alba Marina Ramos
MEXICAN SOPRANO Alba Marina Ramos (Mexico City) studies in Mexico at the Escuela Superior de Música. She has performed in México at the Palacio de Bellas Artes and at the Real Conservatorio Superior de Música in Madrid. Ms. Ramos has sung under the baton of James Demster, Enrique Patrón de Rueda, Ramón Shade and Guido Maria Guida. She recently won a Scholarship to attend the course “Interpretación de la Canción Española y Latinoamericana’ in Madrid, España, studying with Alicia Nafé, Juan Antonio Álvarez Parejo and Julio Alexis Muñoz. Alba was a finalist at the National Contest “Carlo Morelli” and first place winner at the Maritza Alemán contest.
Pablo García Ruiz
SPANISH BARITONE Pablo García Ruiz (Huelva, Spain) is an accomplished artist in opera, zarzuela, concert, and song. He has collaborated with such companies as the Gran Teatre de Liceu de Barcelona, Teatro Maestranza de Sevilla, Ópera de la Coruña, and the Auditorio Nacional de Música de Madrid. He has also furthered his music education with studies in theatre and music pedagogy.
Miguel Ángel Lobato
SPANISH TENOR Miguel Ángel Lobato (Madrid, Spain) is currently pursuing a voice degree at the Escuela Superior de Canto – Madrid, Spain. An accomplished performer, he has sung the roles of Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte, Don Ramiro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, and Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. As a tenor soloist, Miguel has sung in Mozart’s Requiem and La Petite Messa Solennelle by Rossini. In competition, he was a finalist in the Concurso Internacional de Cano de Logroño and a semifinalist in the Montserrat Caballé. Miguel was also invited to sing in a tribute concert in honor of the great Spanish tenor, Alfredo Kraus.
Holly Wrensch
American lyric mezzo-soprano Holly Wrensch (Marshfield, WI) brings soulful interpretation to every performance. A FIMEL returning artist, Holly is also an accomplished singing actress and a voice faculty member at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, Holly’s leading roles include Carmen, Marriage of Figaro, and Die Fledermaus, with companies such as Fargo-Moorhead Opera, Wichita Grand Opera, Union Avenue Opera Theatre, and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City.
Nathan Salazar
American pianist Nathen Salazar (Santa Fe, NM) made his orchestral debut at 16 with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and is currently pursing degrees in Piano and Vocal performance at KU. A FIMEL returning artist, Nathan hopes to work as a coach, collaborative artist, and teacher. He has already won numerous competitions, including the Santa Fe Pro Musica Young Artist Audition, New Mexico Symphony Concerto Competition, and the Kansas City Music Clubs.
Michael Austin
KANSAS BARITONE Michael Austin (Lawrence) is currently pursuing Bachelors in Music with an emphasis in vocal performance from the University of Kansas. Mr. Austin has been seen in a number of productions with KU Opera. These include the roles of Betto in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Ariodate in Handel’s Serse, and Trulove in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. Michael’s future projects include understudying the role of Guglielmo in Cosí fan tutte with KU Opera and singing chorus in the Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s productions of Norma and Daughter of the Regiment.