MARINA COSTA-JACKSON Soprano

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MARINA COSTA-JACKSON
Soprano
The New York Times praised young Italian-American soprano, Marina Costa-Jackson for
being "dramatically and musically alluring...notable for her burnished timbre and subtle
phrasing.” Others wrote about her "dramatic, burnished voice and subtle acting.” They
concluded “Ms. Costa-Jackson sounds like a seasoned veteran.” Marina won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Gerda Lissner
Foundation and the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Vocal Competitions in
2015. In 2014 she won the Giulio Gari Foundation International Competition, and was
awarded second prize in the 2014 Marcello Giordani Foundation Vocal Competition. She
also was a finalist in the Belvedere Competition, and a major award winner in the Opera
Index Vocal Competition. The Mario Lanza Institute, the Sergio Franchi Music Foundation,
and the George London Foundation have given her additional awards.
This season she makes her professional debut as Musetta with Michigan Opera Theatre in La
Bohème, and debuts the role of Leonora in Il Trovatore with Musica Viva Hong Kong. She
will also sing Verdi’s Requiem with Teatro Municipal de Santiago, and Fiora in L’Amore dei Tre
Re with the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. In 2017 she makes her European debut
as Elisabetta in Don Carlo with Oper Köln, followed by her debut with the Welsh National
Opera as Mimì.
Last season she had concerts with Dmitri Hvorostovsky in Minsk, with Andrea Bocelli in
Madison Square Garden, debuted as one of the Costa-Jackson trio of opera-singing sisters in
the International Festival "Palaces of St. Petersburg” concerts, and performed at Carnegie
Hall and Alice Tully Hall. As a resident artist of the Academy of Vocal Arts she performed
Mimì (La Bohème), Marguerite (Faust), and the title role in Iolanta. Previously she was
Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera, Liza in Pique Dame, and Violetta in La Traviata. She also
sang with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, Washington Concert Opera, and Opera
Philadelphia. PIPER ANSELMI ARTISTS MANAGEMENT
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VANESSA VASQUEZ Biography Vanessa Vasquez, originally from Scottsdale, Arizona is a second-year Resident Artist of The Academy of
Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. She earned a B.A. in Vocal Performance from The Catholic University of
America and M.M. in Opera Performance from the University of Los Angeles, California (UCLA). Last
season, she made her AVA debut as Mimi in La Boheme. This November she will be singing the role of
Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni at AVA. Earlier this year, she won First Prize in the Vocal Arts DC
art song compeition and was a Grant Award recipient in both The Giulio Gari Foundation and Puccini
Albanese Vocal competitons.
DOMINICK CHENES Biography Recently reviewed in the Huffington Post as a “breakout star” and “powerhouse lyric tenor”, young tenor
Dominick Chenes was most recently seen this summer as Alfredo in La Traviata at the Pa Skaret Opera
Festival. Dominick made his professional debut as Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera with Austin Opera
last season, a role he also sang at AVA directed by Tito Capobianco. Next season he makes his debut at
Grand Theatre de Genevre as Iopas in Les Troyens with Maestro Dutoit, followed by Don Jose in Carmen
with Palm Beach Opera, and his debut as Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca with the Minnesota Opera. In 20162017, Dominick will open his season with Don Jose with Utah Opera, then will return to Geneva as
Rodolfo in La Boheme, followed by his debut with Welsh National Opera as Rodolfo, then returning to
Austin Opera as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.
Currently in his 4th year at AVA, Dominick performed Rodolfo in La Boheme conducted by Christofer
Macatsoris, and directed by David Gately in February 2015. Other roles at AVA include, Gherman in Pique
Dame, and Riccardo in Un Ballo in Maschera. In 2013 he made his Alice Tully hall debut with the Licia
Albanese Puccini Foundation as well as a concert for the Gerda Lissner Foundation in Zankel Hall.
Dominick is a graduate of the University of Las Vegas where he performed Don Jose in Carmen, Ferrando
in Cosi Fan Tutte, Rodoflo in La Boheme, and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. In 2013 he took part in the
Russian Opera Workshop in Philadelphia where sang the role of Paolo in Francesca di Rimini. While an
apprentice with the Utah Symphony Opera Program in 2008 he performed in their productions of Madame
Butterfly, Don Pasquale, and Regina.
In 2005 through 2007 Dominick also attended the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria.
During this time he was selected to perform with Maestro Eduardo Muller and the AIMS Festival
Orchestra. Dominick received awards from the Loren L. Zachary Society, the Licia Albanese Puccini
Foundation, and the Giulio Gari Competition in 2015. In 2013 Dominick was awarded second prize from
the Gerda Lissner Foundation, third prize from the Mario Lanza Competition and a Grant from the Licia
Albanese-Puccini Foundation. He was also a finalist in the Meistersinger Competition in Graz Austria in
2006 and 2007. He currently studies with Bill Schuman.
Galeano Salas, tenor
GaleanoSalas@gmail.com
GaleanoSalas.com
“Galeano Salas brings a warm and robust tenor to impressionable Mario” Il Postino, Houston
Chronicle.
Galeano Salas is a Texas native who grew up in Mexico City. He is currently pursuing an
Artist Diploma at Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. He holds a MM from Yale University
and a BM from the University of Houston. This summer, Galeano performed the role of Borsa in
Rigoletto with the Santa Fe Opera.
Most recently, Galeano sang the roles of Rodolfo in La bohème, Alfredo in La traviata
and German in Pique Dame. Recent concert work includes Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the
Riverside Symphonia, the Mozart Requiem with the Bucks County Symphony Orchestra and
Handel's Messiah with Choral Arts of Philadelphia.
Other roles include Stage Manager (Cover) in Ned Rorem’s Our Town, Vaudémont
in Iolanta, Tebaldo in I Capuleti e I Montecchi, Ferrando in Così fan tutte, Leandro in Le Donne
Curiose, Mario Ruoppolo in the second U.S. premiere of Il Postino by Daniel Catán, Raoul de
Gardefeu in La Vie Parisienne, Frank Shallard in Elmer Gantry, Don Luigino in Il Viaggio a
Reims and Mercury in Orpheus in the Underworld.
This year, Galeano won the Five Towns Music and Arts Foundation Competition, placed
third in the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, won the Young Texas Artists Music
Competition and received an encouragement award from the Metropolitan Opera’s National
Council Auditions.
Other awards include second place in the 2014 National Classical Singer Competition
and first place in the Arkadi Foundation Competition.
Young Artist Programs include Santa Fe Opera, Central City Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, the
Texas Music Festival: Le Chiavi di Bel Canto and Ohio Light Opera.
Justin Johnson, Stage Director
Biography
Stage Director, Justin Johnson recently had the great honor of stepping in to direct Don
Giovanni at Philadelphia's renowned Academy of Vocal Arts after having directed a staged concert
featuring Puccini's Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica. This summer he will make a company debut at
Opera at Florham directing Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore followed by a return to Crested Butte
Music Festival to direct L’elisir d’amore as well as exerpts from Verdi’s Falstaff and Floyd’s
Susannah.
A winner of the Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize, presented by Opera America
and Tobin Theater Arts Fund, Johnson and his design team presented a conceptual production of
Heggie's Dead Man Walking at the 2011 Opera America Conference in Boston. Justin made his
directing debut in the spring of 2006, with Opera New Jersey in The Telephone, Trouble in Tahiti
and The Impresario. Since then, he has returned to Opera New Jersey as Assistant Director for Die
Zauberflöte, Rigoletto and as Stage Director in the summer season of 2008. At Crested Butte Music
Festival, Justin has Directed original productions of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortileges,
Humperdink’s Hansel and Gretel and Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi as well as excerpts from
Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Verdi’s La traviata. 2012 marked his company debut with
Delaware Valley Opera Company directing a new production of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night
Visitors. While on the directing staff of AVA, Justin has worked on Donizetti’s Lucia di
Lammermoor, Anna Bolena, Verdi’s Falstaff, Strauss' Arabella, Offenbach’s Les Contes
d’Hoffmann, and the world premier of Margaret Garwood's Scarlet Letter. Additionally, he has
served on the directing staff of Opera Company of Philadelphia, participating in Bizet’s Carmen,
Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail as well as the American premiere of Henze’s Phaedra.