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The Ear Taxi Festival 2025, themed “The Composer’s Voice,” is a landmark event showcasing contemporary concert music across Chicagoland. This year’s festival will highlight over 500 artists in over 50 hours of programming, including large-scale Anchor Performances, Composer Showcases, Taxi Concerts, and Accent Concerts.

For its Anchor Performance, Chicago Fringe Opera presents powerful works by Kate Soper, Jasmine Arielle Barnes & Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton, and Regina Harris Baiocchi. Myth, memory, and community come alive in this genre-defying evening of short operas that amplify the voices of women composers and celebrates storytelling through bold, inclusive, and emotionally rich new music.

Here Be Sirens {excerpt} (Kate Soper)

No One’s Child {excerpt} (Regina Harris Baiocchi)

On My Mind (Jasmine Barnes & Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton)

The Kehrein Center for the Arts

5628 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60644

Street parking available.

This venue is fully ADA accessible.

Cast

Kate Soper

HERE BE SIRENS | Composer & Librettist

Kate Soper

HERE BE SIRENS | Composer & Librettist

Described by The New Yorker as “one of the great originals of her generation,” composer, performer, and writer Kate Soper has been creating unique and uncategorizable musico-theatrical spectacles for over a decade. Her critically-acclaimed large-scale works include the monodramas Voices from the Killing Jar, IPSA DIXIT, and Orpheus Orchestra Opus Onus and the operas Here Be Sirens, The Romance of the Rose, and The Hunt. A Pulitzer Prize finalist and Rome Prize fellow, she has been commissioned by Miller Theatre, Alarm Will Sound, and the New York Philharmonic. Praised by The New York Times for her “lithe voice and riveting presence”, she performs frequently in her own works and in the works of others. Kate is co-director and vocalist for the Wet Ink Ensemble, a collective of composers, performers, and improvisors dedicated to seeking out adventurous music across aesthetic boundaries.

Photo: An Rong Xu for the New York Times

Molly Clementz

Peitho | Here Be Sirens

Molly Clementz

Peitho | Here Be Sirens

Described by Opera Today as possessing a “wonderfully rich tone, gleaming top notes, and a vibrant lower register,” mezzo-soprano Molly Clementz brings versatility and depth to both classical and contemporary repertoire. She has performed nationally and across Europe, with companies including Pacific Opera Project, Opera Santa Barbara, and Chicago City Opera. A former Mosher Studio Artist, her roles include Mercédès (Carmen), La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), and Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro). In the realm of new music, she has premiered works by Paul Scherer, Joseph Turrin, and Jeremy Gill. Based in Chicago, Molly is a standing company member with the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company and the Lira Ensemble, artist-in-residence at Loyola University. She recently appeared as the alto soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and will reprise one of her favorite roles, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, this summer with Chicago City Opera.

Sarah Thompson Johansen

Phaino | Here Be Sirens

Sarah Thompson Johansen

Phaino | Here Be Sirens

Sarah Thompson Johansen is a Chicago-based soprano and actor whose work spans opera, theater, and experimental performance. Local/regional performances include work with Thompson Street Opera Company, Skylight Music Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, Facility Theatre, and 5th Wave Collective. Recent appearances include The Soul in Rosśa Crean’s The Harbingers and the “Greek Chorus” quartet in Nkeiru Okoye’s We’ve Got Our Eye on You. Passionate about new music and adventurous storytelling, Sarah delights in collaborative, boundary-blurring projects. Apart from performing, she is an aspiring urban agriculturalist and chicken keeper. Sarah is delighted to be making her debut(s) with Chicago Fringe Opera and the Ear Taxi Festival.

Elizabeth Shuman

Polyxo | Here Be Sirens

Elizabeth Shuman

Polyxo | Here Be Sirens

Elizabeth Shuman is excited to join the Chicago Fringe Opera cast of Here Be Sirens as the slightly unhinged Siren Polyxo. She’s that soprano who networks like it’s her job and has a knack for finding herself in new works. Recent gigs include playing Annie in Annie and Joshua, debuting a baroque aria about the Kennedy Expressway at The Green Mill (yes, really), and her favorite role yet—Senator Patrick Leahy in The Gonzales Cantata. Originally from Colby, Kansas (motto: “The Oasis on the Plains,” which worked better before they added giant aluminum palm trees to the truck stop), Elizabeth now lives in Chicago with her kids and a bunch of chickens her kids named after Greek goddesses.

Regina Harris Baiocchi

NO ONE'S CHILD | Composer & Librettist

Regina Harris Baiocchi

NO ONE'S CHILD | Composer & Librettist

Regina Harris Baiocchi is a composer, author, and poet. Regina’s music has been performed by major orchestras, chamber ensembles, and acclaimed artists. Various publications include Black Women in Music; Variations in Black Music; Indigo Sound; Finding Déjà, urban haiku; blues haiku; and collage. Regina received awards from the National Endowment, the Jazz Institute of Chicago/Mellon Foundation, Lila Wallace Foundation, 3Arts, ASCAP, Illinois Arts Council, City of Chicago DCASE, and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Regina is an alumna of NYU, DePaul, and Roosevelt universities, and protégé of Dr. Hale Smith. Regina creates beautiful art that engages readers, performers and audiences.

Dorian McCall

Langston | No One's Child

Dorian McCall

Langston | No One's Child

Dorian McCall, bass-baritone, has been mentioned by the New York Times for “his rich lows” and by Musical America as “[benefitting] from his freely produced bass-baritone and his winning stage presence.” Noted for his vibrant and robust timbre, the dexterity of McCall’s instrument also lends itself well to Baroque and Bel Canto. This season has included a return to ensemble work with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Constellation Men’s Ensemble, Chicago Symphony Chorus, and the William Ferris Chorale. Last season, “the star of the show was unquestionably the magnificent Dorian McCall as the Pirate King. This comes as no surprise as last year he was an amazing Sir Despard Murgatroyd in Ruddigore. McCall’s portfolio is enviable: he is a fine singer, actor, comedian and dancer, combining these skills to create a performance that was engaging, flamboyant and hilarious… McCall’s attractive and plump voice has a rich, dark resonance that rests beautifully on the ears.” That and a debut as Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady kept Dorian particularly occupied.

Stay tuned to @finally_Dorian for news regarding recitals and cabarets in the Chicagoland area; He is excited to contribute to the rich artistic landscape on his own terms! He has performed for several seasons with the Chicago Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Music of the Baroque, and Grant Park Music Festival choruses and currently studies with mezzo-soprano Victoria Livengood.

YouTube: @finally_Dorian

Felicia Patton

Zora | No One's Child

Katherine Petersen

Charlotte | No One's Child

Katherine Petersen

Charlotte | No One's Child

Katherine Petersen performs regularly with Lyric Opera Unlimited, Folks Operetta, Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, and Chicago Opera Theater. Recent roles include Gonda van der Loo, The Girl in the Train; Rose Maybud, Ruddigore; Margot, Die Kathrin; Bessie Throckmorton, Merrie England; Brigitta, Iolanta; Contessa, Marriage of Figaro; Sylva Varescu, Csardas Princess. Concert repertoire highlights include Les Illuminations, Dona Nobis Pacem, Knoxville: Summer 1915, Bachianas brasileiras No.5, and Messiah. Katherine is a member of Decho Ensemble, specializing in the performance of 21st Century repertoire for Voice and Saxophone. Their self-titled album can be found on Youtube, Apple Music, and Spotify.

Eunice Ayodele

Ensemble | No One's Child

Eunice Ayodele

Ensemble | No One's Child

Mezzo-Soprano Eunice Ayodele received her M.M in Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University where she studied under Myra Merritt and her B.A. from Aurora University. With over a decade of experience in performance, she is at home in a range of styles, including opera, musical theatre, jazz, rock, R&B, and blues. In addition to performance, Eunice has been teaching voice and piano for several years now. She believes music training should take place in a setting in which the student can learn about them self and about their music ability. In her teaching, Ms. Ayodele guides her students to discover their unique sound, technique, and theory through a variety of exercises and musical styles. By the end of a student’s time with her, she hopes they not only discover what their unique sound is, but also who they are as a musician and a person.

Ms. Ayodele is an active soloist and has recently finished work with the Toledo Opera Chorus. Some of her operatic roles include: Ino in Semele, Kathrine from L’ivrogne corrigé, Carmen from Carmen, and Dido from Dido and Aeneas. Her musical theatre roles include: Motormouth Mabel from Hairspray, Matron Mama Morton from Chicago, and The Witch from Into the Woods.

Benjamin Burney

Ensemble | No One's Child

Benjamin Burney

Ensemble | No One's Child

The tenor, native of Youngstown, Ohio, has performed locally in his hometown and internationally from the Caribbean Islands to Estonia.

Benjamin was a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship recipient allowing him to study opera in Milan, Italy. He was named a winner of the Montpelier Arts Center Recital Competition, and a First Prize Winner for the Charleston International Music Competition.

Benjamin is pursuing his Professional Diploma in Opera at Roosevelt University CCPA. He received his M.M. Vocal Performance degree from Roosevelt University CCPA, and his B.M. Vocal Performance degree from Anderson University (IN).

Adonis Claybourne

Ensemble | No One's Child

Adonis Claybourne

Ensemble | No One's Child

Adonis Claybourne (he/him) is a man who has always wanted to be a performer ever since he was a wee boy. Ever since his first musical in high school he discovered his passion for musical theatre! You might’ve seen him recently in Uptown Highland Park’s Hairspray(Duane/Ensemble).

You may have also seen him as Dr. Scott (Rocky Horror) Ricky/Ensemble (Wedding Singer) and Gangster #2 (Drowsy Chaperone) all from the company Surging Film & Theatrics! And some of his favorite credits also include Jack Stone (Reefer Maddness, Towle Theatre)  El Gallo (The Fantasticks, Beverly Arts Center) Sonny LaTerri (Grease, Beverly Arts Guild) and Tommy Boy (Newsies, Oak Lawn Park District Theatre). Adonis wants to give big special thanks to his friends both old and new for being so supportive and loving!

Juwon Tyrel Perry

Ensemble | No One's Child

Jade Dashá

Ensemble | No One's Child

Jade Dashá

Ensemble | No One's Child

This year, soprano Jade Dashá has been seen in production with Thompson Street Opera (Pemphredo: We’ve Got Our Eye On You-Okoye) and Wilmington Concert Opera (Sounds Like Pearls– virtual recital). In 2023, Jade was a Smith Young Artist with Cedar Rapids Opera singing Miss Jones in the world-premier of Charlie and the Wolf, which toured local schools. She has also had the pleasure of working with Opera Steamboat and Chicago Fringe Opera, and was a 2023 Studio Artist with Central City Opera. In Summer 2022, Jade was a studio artist with Opera Neo covering Arminda in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera and Dalinda in Handel’s Ariodante.  Previously, Jade covered Grace Alumond in Chicago Opera Theater’s world-premier production of Quamino’s Map, and sang Dew Fairy in Evanston Chamber Opera’s production of Hansel and Gretel.

Jade has been recognized with several awards, including being named an Encouragement Winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Illinois District in 2020. She additionally received the Casa Italia Josephine L. LiPuma Vocal Scholarship and the Musicians Club of Women Farwell Trust Award in the same year. During her undergraduate years, Jade was selected as the 2018-2019 Mason Young Artist with the Imperial Symphony Orchestra.

When Jade is not singing she might be; researching various esoteric topics, looking at pictures of cats, doing yoga, thrifting, cooking, barista-ing or chatting with her loved ones.

Jasmine Barnes

ON MY MIND | Composer

Jasmine Barnes

ON MY MIND | Composer

Jasmine Arielle Barnes stands at the forefront of contemporary music as an Emmy Award-winning composer and celebrated vocalist whose influence resonates across the globe. Renowned for her extraordinary skill in vocal composition, Barnes navigates a rich tapestry of genres, formats, and instrumentations, creating a unique and compelling musical presence.

Barnes’ recent projects showcase her creative synergy with Poet Laureate Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton. Highlights include the highly anticipated world premiere of She Who Dared (Chicago Opera Theater), as well as the world premieres of On My Mind (Opera Theatre of St. Louis) and Revise? (Apollo Chamber Players). Additionally, Barnes’ Kinsfolknem, a concerto for wind quartet, debuted at Carnegie Hall before touring select renowned symphonies across the nation. Most recently, Barnes created a composition for wind quintet, commissioned by Patagonia Winds, as well as a choral and orchestral composition set to Langston Hughes’ texts, commissioned by the Seattle Choral Company.

Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton

ON MY MIND | Librettist

Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton

ON MY MIND | Librettist

Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton is an award-winning literary artist, director, performer, and the first Black Poet Laureate of Houston, TX. She authored Newsworthy (Bloomsday Literary, 2019) and Black Chameleon (Henry Holt & Co., 2023), which won the Carr P. Collins award for Best Nonfiction through the Texas Institute of Letters (2024). Mouton has contributed to Glamour, Texas Monthly, and ESPN’s Andscape.
A former Resident Artist with American Lyric Theater, Rice University, and the Houston Museum of African American Culture, her recent works include a children’s book (Hush Hush Hurricane, Kokila) and an opera at Chicago Opera Theater.

Dana Campbell

Melodee | On My Mind

Dana Campbell

Melodee | On My Mind

Soprano Dana Campbell made her professional debut with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra and has since been a guest artist with Virtuosi di Toronto, Toronto Classical Singers and Talisker Players, and a featured artist with the West Suburban Symphony, Southwest Symphony Orchestra, and Kenosha Symphony Orchestra.

With Toronto Operetta Theatre, she sang the title role in the Canadian première of Gonzalo Roig’s zarzuela Cecilia Valdes. For the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Ms. Campbell appeared in their revered productions of Porgy and Bess, and understudied the role of Addie Parker in their production of Charlie Parker’s Yardbird. With Maestro Robert Treviño and his Millennium Chamber Players, she undertook, among others, the roles of Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, and Mimì in La Bohème. Ms. Campbell appeared in concert in Austria, under the baton of Edoardo Müller, and reprised Mimì in Italy for Maestro Joseph Rescigno. Ms. Campbell is a member of the celebrated Adrian Dunn Singers, and performs frequently with the South Shore Opera Company of Chicago, including turns in two of that company’s acclaimed productions: as Rachel Ross in Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom, and as Claire in Troubled Island. Other operatic favourites include Donna Elvira and Countess Almaviva, both for Summer Opera Lyric Theatre, Micaëla for American Chamber Opera, and Violetta for South Shore. Ms. Campbell is thrilled and honoured to have worked with her friend and colleague Khary “K. F. Jacques” Laurent, singing the role of Maddalena on his exciting OperaTronic project: L’Assassino, for Resonance Works Pittsburgh.

Fizz & Ginger marks Ms. Campbell’s third engagement with Chicago Fringe Opera, previously appearing on the company’s staged recital program Chicago Currents, and as understudy in Jake Heggie’s Two Remain: Out of Darkness, taking the stage on opening night as Krystyna Zywulska.

Jade Dashá

Lyric | On My Mind

Jade Dashá

Lyric | On My Mind

This year, soprano Jade Dashá has been seen in production with Thompson Street Opera (Pemphredo: We’ve Got Our Eye On You-Okoye) and Wilmington Concert Opera (Sounds Like Pearls– virtual recital). In 2023, Jade was a Smith Young Artist with Cedar Rapids Opera singing Miss Jones in the world-premier of Charlie and the Wolf, which toured local schools. She has also had the pleasure of working with Opera Steamboat and Chicago Fringe Opera, and was a 2023 Studio Artist with Central City Opera. In Summer 2022, Jade was a studio artist with Opera Neo covering Arminda in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera and Dalinda in Handel’s Ariodante.  Previously, Jade covered Grace Alumond in Chicago Opera Theater’s world-premier production of Quamino’s Map, and sang Dew Fairy in Evanston Chamber Opera’s production of Hansel and Gretel.

Jade has been recognized with several awards, including being named an Encouragement Winner at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Illinois District in 2020. She additionally received the Casa Italia Josephine L. LiPuma Vocal Scholarship and the Musicians Club of Women Farwell Trust Award in the same year. During her undergraduate years, Jade was selected as the 2018-2019 Mason Young Artist with the Imperial Symphony Orchestra.

When Jade is not singing she might be; researching various esoteric topics, looking at pictures of cats, doing yoga, thrifting, cooking, barista-ing or chatting with her loved ones.

Timothy Bostwick

Ensemble | On My Mind

Timothy Bostwick

Ensemble | On My Mind

Timothy Bostwick is a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in Performance and Literature with a cognate in Musicology. His dissertation, The Nightingale’s Voice: Exploring Jenny Lind as a Proto-feminist, explores the famed singer as an example of a woman that transcended societal norms in Victorian England.  In addition, Mr. Bostwick has been awarded the Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship.

Additionally, as an avid performer, Mr. Bostwick, baritone, has been applauded as an “impressive and impactful voice” in Hansel und Gretel and described in his role as Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia as “Pure comic joy.”  Recently, he returned to his alma mater, Drake University, to perform the title role in Verdi’s Falstaff and the titular role in Gianni Schicchi at Eastern Illinois University. Having lived in New York City, he performed roles including Belcore in L’Elisir d’Amore and Schaunard in La Boheme with Amore Opera and Germont in La Traviata. Once back in the Midwest, he has continued to perform including Chucho in Lucrezia (Bolcom), Father in Hansel and Gretel and recently debuted the role of Saul in the new opera, The Psalm of Silence. This summer he will make his debut at Opera Quad Cities as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly* and at Landlocked Opera as Sherlock Holmes in A Certain Madness.

Mr. Bostwick also has a busy recital schedule, next year he will return to Drake University to perform a Clara Schumann recital to celebrate her life and contributions to music.* Previously, he has performed Wolf’s Italienishes Liederbuch and his American Art Song recital, Songs of Democracy. Other roles include: Alfio in Cavallerìa Rusticana, Barone di Trombonok in Il Viaggio a Reims, Top in The Tender Land, Marullo in Rigoletto, and the title roles in Gianni Schicchi and Le Nozze di Figaro. He returned to Des Moines as Escamillo in Carmen to the Opera Project Des Moines and as Fiorello in Il Barbiere di Siviglia at Sugar Creek Opera.

In addition, Mr. Bostwick holds degrees from Drake University and The Conservatory of Music of Brooklyn College.

Molly Clementz

Ensemble | On My Mind

Molly Clementz

Ensemble | On My Mind

Described by Opera Today as possessing a “wonderfully rich tone, gleaming top notes, and a vibrant lower register,” mezzo-soprano Molly Clementz brings versatility and depth to both classical and contemporary repertoire. She has performed nationally and across Europe, with companies including Pacific Opera Project, Opera Santa Barbara, and Chicago City Opera. A former Mosher Studio Artist, her roles include Mercédès (Carmen), La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), and Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro). In the realm of new music, she has premiered works by Paul Scherer, Joseph Turrin, and Jeremy Gill. Based in Chicago, Molly is a standing company member with the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company and the Lira Ensemble, artist-in-residence at Loyola University. She recently appeared as the alto soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and will reprise one of her favorite roles, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, this summer with Chicago City Opera.

Sarah Thompson Johansen

Ensemble | On My Mind

Sarah Thompson Johansen

Ensemble | On My Mind

Sarah Thompson Johansen is a Chicago-based soprano and actor whose work spans opera, theater, and experimental performance. Local/regional performances include work with Thompson Street Opera Company, Skylight Music Theatre, A Red Orchid Theatre, Facility Theatre, and 5th Wave Collective. Recent appearances include The Soul in Rosśa Crean’s The Harbingers and the “Greek Chorus” quartet in Nkeiru Okoye’s We’ve Got Our Eye on You. Passionate about new music and adventurous storytelling, Sarah delights in collaborative, boundary-blurring projects. Apart from performing, she is an aspiring urban agriculturalist and chicken keeper. Sarah is delighted to be making her debut(s) with Chicago Fringe Opera and the Ear Taxi Festival.

Jonathan Zeng

Ensemble | On My Mind

Jonathan Zeng

Ensemble | On My Mind

An avid proponent for arts education and vocal instruction, Jonathan has served as an adjunct faculty member in the Preparatory Department at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and has maintained a robust private voice studio. He teaches voice at Loyola Academy on the north side of Chicago. Jonathan received a BA in Music Education from the School of Music at Western IL University and an MM in vocal performance from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM). For more info, visit www.JonathanZeng.com or follow on Instagram: @jonathan.zeng

Elsa Harris

Special Guest, Piano

Covers

Peitho | Here Be Sirens
Ashley McKinstry
Polyxo | Here Be Sirens
Emily Cox

Emily Cox

Polyxo | Here Be Sirens

Emily Cox is a Chicago-based singer and producer performing internationally in opera, operetta, musical theater, cabaret, and new music. Praised as a “gifted singer with an endearing voice,” she has appeared with Chicago Fringe Opera, Main Street Opera, and Chicago Folks Operetta, and toured India as a soloist in 2024 with Fourth Presbyterian Church’s Touring Choir. An advocate for new music, Emily has premiered numerous operas and song cycles, including Imogen, Hindsight, and Written On the Table Where You Starved Me. Also known for her acclaimed cabarets, she leads Cox Productions and serves as Managing Director of /kor/ productions.

Zora | No One's Child
Dana Campbell

Dana Campbell

Zora | No One's Child

Soprano Dana Campbell made her professional debut with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra and has since been a guest artist with Virtuosi di Toronto, Toronto Classical Singers and Talisker Players, and a featured artist with the West Suburban Symphony, Southwest Symphony Orchestra, and Kenosha Symphony Orchestra.

With Toronto Operetta Theatre, she sang the title role in the Canadian première of Gonzalo Roig’s zarzuela Cecilia Valdes. For the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Ms. Campbell appeared in their revered productions of Porgy and Bess, and understudied the role of Addie Parker in their production of Charlie Parker’s Yardbird. With Maestro Robert Treviño and his Millennium Chamber Players, she undertook, among others, the roles of Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, and Mimì in La Bohème. Ms. Campbell appeared in concert in Austria, under the baton of Edoardo Müller, and reprised Mimì in Italy for Maestro Joseph Rescigno. Ms. Campbell is a member of the celebrated Adrian Dunn Singers, and performs frequently with the South Shore Opera Company of Chicago, including turns in two of that company’s acclaimed productions: as Rachel Ross in Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom, and as Claire in Troubled Island. Other operatic favourites include Donna Elvira and Countess Almaviva, both for Summer Opera Lyric Theatre, Micaëla for American Chamber Opera, and Violetta for South Shore. Ms. Campbell is thrilled and honoured to have worked with her friend and colleague Khary “K. F. Jacques” Laurent, singing the role of Maddalena on his exciting OperaTronic project: L’Assassino, for Resonance Works Pittsburgh.

Fizz & Ginger marks Ms. Campbell’s third engagement with Chicago Fringe Opera, previously appearing on the company’s staged recital program Chicago Currents, and as understudy in Jake Heggie’s Two Remain: Out of Darkness, taking the stage on opening night as Krystyna Zywulska.

Charlotte | No One's Child
Emily Cox

Emily Cox

Charlotte | No One's Child

Emily Cox is a Chicago-based singer and producer performing internationally in opera, operetta, musical theater, cabaret, and new music. Praised as a “gifted singer with an endearing voice,” she has appeared with Chicago Fringe Opera, Main Street Opera, and Chicago Folks Operetta, and toured India as a soloist in 2024 with Fourth Presbyterian Church’s Touring Choir. An advocate for new music, Emily has premiered numerous operas and song cycles, including Imogen, Hindsight, and Written On the Table Where You Starved Me. Also known for her acclaimed cabarets, she leads Cox Productions and serves as Managing Director of /kor/ productions.

Melodee | On My Mind
Felicia Patton
Lyric | On My Mind
Eunice Ayodele

Eunice Ayodele

Lyric | On My Mind

Mezzo-Soprano Eunice Ayodele received her M.M in Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University where she studied under Myra Merritt and her B.A. from Aurora University. With over a decade of experience in performance, she is at home in a range of styles, including opera, musical theatre, jazz, rock, R&B, and blues. In addition to performance, Eunice has been teaching voice and piano for several years now. She believes music training should take place in a setting in which the student can learn about them self and about their music ability. In her teaching, Ms. Ayodele guides her students to discover their unique sound, technique, and theory through a variety of exercises and musical styles. By the end of a student’s time with her, she hopes they not only discover what their unique sound is, but also who they are as a musician and a person.

Ms. Ayodele is an active soloist and has recently finished work with the Toledo Opera Chorus. Some of her operatic roles include: Ino in Semele, Kathrine from L’ivrogne corrigé, Carmen from Carmen, and Dido from Dido and Aeneas. Her musical theatre roles include: Motormouth Mabel from Hairspray, Matron Mama Morton from Chicago, and The Witch from Into the Woods.

Ensemble | On My Mind
Ashley McKinstry

Instrumentalists

Violin 1
Janice Lee
Violin 2
Rachel Brown
Viola
Christina Karakos
Cello
Emily Munn-Wood
Bass
Elena Rubin
Clarinet
Ember Miller
Percussion 1
Leonardo Chiappetti
Percussion 2
Kitty Chao
Piano
Elsa Harris
Piano
Otto Vogel

Artistic Team

Music Director & Conductor
Catherine O'Shaughnessy

Catherine O'Shaughnessy

Music Director & Conductor

Catherine O’Shaughnessy is a rising orchestral and opera conductor in the United States and abroad. Avidly committed to Chicago’s dynamic musical scene, she is currently the music director of Chicago Fringe Opera, the assistant conductor of Opera Festival of Chicago, and has appeared conducting productions at Chicago Opera Theater and DePaul University. In 2020, she helped produce Fringe’s contribution to the Decameron Opera Coalition’s Tales From a Safe Distance—winner of the “Best Collaboration” award from 360° of Opera. A semi-finalist in the 2016 Spazio Musica International Conducting Competition, Catherine made her New York debut conducting Antonio Salieri’s La Cifra with the dell’Arte Opera Ensemble. She has also music directed Pyramus and Thisbe in Freiberg (Mittelsächsisches Theater) and conducted Don Giovanni and La Traviata in Orvieto (Teatro Mancinelli). In 2013 she conducted the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra at a sold-out performance in Tchaikovsky Hall.

Stage Director | Here Be Sirens
Katherine Coyl

Katherine Coyl

Stage Director | Here Be Sirens

Katherine (Kat) Coyl is a professional intimacy and fight director based out of Chicago. Her work includes multiple world premieres in both opera and dance. Her most recent work includes Lenora (Intimacy and Fight Director) at Chicago Opera Theater, Breaking the Wave (Assistant Director and Intimacy Coordinator) at Detroit Opera; The Nose (Intimacy and Fight Director) at Chicago Opera Theater; Carmen (Intimacy and Act 4 Intimate Violence Choreography) at Des Moines Metro Opera; Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley (Intimacy Director) at South Chicago Dance Theatre; The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turning (Intimacy and Fight Director) at Chicago Opera Theater; and Athena (Urbanite Theatre). Kat also serves as adjunct faculty at DePaul University and CCPA at Roosevelt.

Stage Director | On My Mind & No One's Child
Tor Campbell

Tor Campbell

Stage Director | On My Mind & No One's Child

Tor Campbell is a director, choreographer, producer, and educator committed to creating theatre that uplifts, challenges, and heals. A proud native of Milwaukee, Tor recently completed his MFA in Stage Directing at Northwestern University, where his thesis Directing with Heart: The Pursuit of Goodness through Theater examined empathy, artivism, and moral integrity as guiding forces in the creative process.

Tor just concluded his tenure as the Northwestern/Goodman Directing Fellow (2024–25 season), where he co-produced community-centered events such as Healing Through Art: A Community Conversation and co-directed Book Up! with Raquel Torre. At Goodman, he also assistant directed many shows, facilitated artist convenings and professional development opportunities for emerging theatremakers.

This season, Tor is choreographing Goodman’s beloved holiday tradition A Christmas Carol. He also directed and choreographed Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park’s 2025 summer production of Hairspray and will return in 2026 to direct The Little Mermaid. Upcoming projects include choreographing Cabaret at Clarence Brown Theatre’s Jenny Boyd Theatre, and directing and choreographing The Wizard of Oz at Metropolis.

As an educator, Tor teaches dance at Lake Forest College and Northwestern University. He has also taught and choreographed nationally, including guest work at UC Irvine, The Juilliard School, and international tours.

Throughout his career, Tor has championed artivism; using art as a tool for social justice, healing, and collective liberation. His projects, from Echoes of Evanston to large-scale musicals, weave storytelling, music, and movement into transformational experiences that honor community and invite courage, equality, and joy.

He is honored to be working with Chicago Fringe Opera on this.

Costume Designer
Madeleine Shows

Madeleine Shows

Costume Designer

Madeleine (she/her) is a costume designer and technician whose recent credits include Infernal and Prick at Proboscis (costume design), At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen at The Story (assistant design), and Circus Quixote and Iraq, but Funny at Lookingglass Theatre Company (crafts and stitching). She is a lay-medievalist and an expert in the esoteric. Hire her to design your cult’s ceremonial robes.

Prop Designer
Annaleigh Stone

Annaleigh Stone

Prop Designer

Annaleigh Stone is a prop designer and performer specializing in the DIY theater and comedy scenes. From recreating the Power Rangers cockpit to building cardboard toilets, no budget is too small for the bounds of her creativity. Credits include prop and production designer for The Onion, “The Lizzie McGuire Movie the Play” with Derek Begrudgingly Presents, “Little Orphan Boy” at The Annoyance, and “Fantasy Quest!” with Laketown Productions, “Merry We” with Split Lip Theater, as well as company member with Split Lip Theater.

Lighting Designer
Michelle Torishnyak

Michelle Torishnyak

Lighting Designer

Masha Torishnyak is incredibly excited to work on her first professional show in the Chicago area at age 20. She is currently studying psychology, theatre, and sociology at Lake Forest College, and serves as the lighting designer for the theatre department. She has worked primarily as a lighting designer since 2016, beginning her journey in middle school during a production of The Drowsy Chaperone Jr. and continued theatrical lighting design through high school and college. Since 2021, she has worked for community theatres and dance companies such as Cricket Theatre Company, Reverie Dance Academy, Denise Sabala Dance Studio, and several Arangetrams.

Stage Manager
Nina Kasman

Nina Kasman

Stage Manager

Nina Kasman (they/she) is a Chicago-based set designer and emerging stage manager. Recent credits include Set Designer and Scenic Charge for Prowess (NIU), Stage Manager for My Three Angels (Summer Place Theatre), and Stage Manager/Assistant Director for Fasting Cougars (Aurora Riverfront Playhouse). Their work is informed by a background in mechanical and design engineering.

Stage Manager
Jo Chalhoub

Jo Chalhoub

Stage Manager

Jo Chalhoub (They/Them) is a proud Lebanese-American, Queer, Milwaukee native that has lived and worked in the Chicago area since 2021. They hold a minor in Theatre Arts from UW-Milwaukee and have worked on- and off-stage on over 80 productions in Wisconsin and Illinois.  Favorite credits include Assassins (Four Seasons Theatre), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Music Theatre of Madison), and serving as the stage manager for The Shedd Aquarium.  Jo also has significant arts administration experience, serving as co-deputy of Forward Theater’s Advisory Company and as the former Company Manager of Steppenwolf.  This is Jo’s third production with CFO, previously serving as the stage manager for Fizz & Ginger and Hindsight.

Supported by The CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture, the Illinois Arts Council Agency. Chicago Fringe Opera is member of Opera America, the nation's advocacy organization for the art form of opera.

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