Kentucky Opera Studio Artists

Resident Artists | Apprentice Artists | Intern Artists

Noel Bouley
Noel Bouley is a native of Houston, Texas. In the spring of 2011, Mr. Bouley completed his Artist Diploma in Opera at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where he studies with Mr. Kenneth Shaw. Mr. Bouley completed a Master’s in voice at CCM and a bachelor’s degree in both vocal performance and music education at Louisiana State University in 2007, where he studied with Mr. Robert Grayson. Mr. Bouley has performed a number of operatic roles including the title role in Le nozze di Figaro, Dottor Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, George in Of Mice and Men, Collatinus in The Rape of Lucretia, the title role in Verdi’s Falstaff, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Judge Burden in Willie Stark, Schaunard in La bohème, Escamillo in La tragédie de Carmen, and Professor Bhaer in Little Women. More recently, Bouley made his debut at Avery-Fischer Hall in Lincoln Center singing the bass solos in Haydn’s Missa in Tempore Belli and Mozart’s Requiem. Mr. Bouley has been a finalist in Houston Grand Opera’s Eleanor McCollum Competition and in the summer of 2011, Mr. Bouley will reprise the title role in Verdi's Falstaff with the Aspen Music Festival.  In the fall of 2011, Mr. Bouley will join the Kentucky Opera’s Studio Artist Program as a Resident Artist and will perform Zuniga in Carmen, Tortsheiner in Enemies, a love story, and Antonio in The Marriage of Figaro.

Jennifer Cherest
Jennifer Cherest, soprano, is a dynamic and versatile performer.  Jennifer is in the second year of the Master’s program at the College-Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati. She has been in high demand for concert work in Cincinnati, singing the soprano solo for works such as Bach's Jesus, meine Freude, Schubert’s Mass in G, Haydn’s Theresienmesse in B flat, George Crumb’s Unto the Hills, and was asked to perform the United States debut of the award winning chamber piece, Sonetti di Orfeo. Her most recent appearance on the opera stage was singing Ms. Jessel in Turn of the Screw at CCM in November 2010. While earning her BFA at Carnegie Mellon, she sang the role of Drusilla in their production of L’incoronazione di Poppea and covered the role of Rose in Street Scene.  Her debut operatic role was held at Tuscia Opera Festival in Rome singing the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte in 2006. Her favorite role has undoubtedly been singing Susannah in Le Nozze di Figaro also with Tuscia Opera Festival in 2007.  In January 2012, Ms. Cherest will join Kentucky Opera’s Studio Artist Program to perform in the touring show We Sing America.  Ms. Cherest will also perform as part of the cast of Kentucky Opera’s The Merry Widow in February 2012.

Ryan C. Connelly
Ryan C. Connelly is a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where he received his Master’s degree in 2011.  While there, he performed the role of Arbace in Mozart’s Idomeneo, as well as the role of Shad in Carlisle Floyd’s Bilby’s Doll in a scenes program. Before his Master’s degree, Ryan completed his Bachelor’s degree at Temple University in 2009, where he performed the roles of Don Basilio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Little Bat in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, Dema in Cavalli’s L’Egisto, and Parpignol in Puccini’s La BohÈme.  Ryan was invited to sing as a studio artist with Opera Saratoga (formerly The Lake George Opera Company) in 2007, where he sang the role of Gontran in Offenbach’s La Vie Parisienne.    Ryan is also well-known on the concert stage, having been featured as a soloist in Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ, Bach’s Christ Lag in Todes Banden, and most recently Monteverdi’s Vespiro della Beata Vergine.  Ryan will be making his professional debut at Kentucky Opera with the role of Remendado in Bizet’s Carmen, and will also be singing the roles of Don Basilio in Mozart’s the Marriage of Figaro, Nissen in Enemies, a love story and a member of the cast in The Merry Widow. 

Norman Garrett
Norman Garrett, baritone, is a native of Lubbock, TX. Norman has a BM in vocal performance from Texas Tech University. Most recently received his MM in voice from CCM, The College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Norman is a former resident artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. He has studied voice with Gerald Dolter, Kenneth Shaw, and Ruth Golden. Mr. Garrett was consistently cast in main stage roles at CCM. Those roles include Bertrand – from Dangerous Liaisons, Thoas – from Iphigénie en Tauride, Reporter 1 – Miss Lonelyhearts (Midwest Premiere), and Alcindoro – La Bohème.  While at AVA he performed the roles of Ford in Falstaff, Der Graf in Strauss’s Capriccio, and Schaunard from La Bohème. Norman is an active participant in the Opera Fusion Program with Cincinnati Opera, Performing a leading role in the World Premier of the opera, The John P.  Parker Story: We Rise to Freedomby Adolphus Hailstork, in addition to being an active participant in the Cincinnati Opera outreach program. This year Norman has performed Porgy & Bess (concert version), with the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra, in Fort Myers, Florida for their “The Great Gershwin” Pop’s Concert.  Most recently, Norman won 2011 The Metropolitan National Council Auditions Philadelphia District, and won an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Regionals. Mr. Garrett is currently a studio artist at Center City Opera Theater in Philadelphia. His upcoming roles include Guglielmo from Così fan tutte, and Dr. Falke from Die Fledermaus.  Mr. Garrett will be a Resident Artist in the Kentucky Opera Studio Artist Program in the fall of 2011.  He will perform the mainstage role of Morales in Carmen and Escamillo for the Carmen concerts in Bowling Green (KY), Owensboro (KY) and Lafayette (IN).

Greg Jebaily
Baritone Gregory Jebaily is a native of South Carolina. Mr. Jebaily holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Music from CCM. In 2010 he made his professional operatic debut as the role of Wagner in Gounod’s Faust, with Dayton Opera, where he was a hailed by Opera News as a “vocal powerhouse” and “a mature, compelling Wagner“. He returned to Dayton Opera as their 2010-2011 Artist in Residence, where he performed in the educational outreach program as well as singing the role of Hortensius in La fille du régiment. While at CCM he performed the roles of Junius in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, and Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus. In the summer of 2010 he reprised the role of Junius with the CCM Spoleto program in Spoleto, Italy. Recent concert appearances include Handel’s Messiah with Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Columbia, SC with the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2006 Mr. Jebaily sang the title role of the world premier oratorio The Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, composed by renowned film composer and arranger J.A.C. Redford. As, a member of Kentucky Opera’s 2011-2012 Studio Artists, Mr. Jebaily will sing the roles Moralès and Le Dancaïre in Carmen, Herman in The Enemies, a love story by Ben Moore in the Composer Workshop Series, Cascada in The Merry Widow, and will be covering Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro.

Abigail Paschke
Originally from Westchester, New York, soprano Abigail Paschke holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Carnegie Mellon University and recently completed her master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).  Recent roles include Blanche de la Force in CCM’s mainstage production of Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, Ilia in Mozart’s Idomeneo, The Foreign Woman in Menotti’s The Consul and Harry in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring.  She has also been seen as the First Bridesmaid in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figarowith Cincinnati Opera.  Abigail was a 2011 Apprentice Artist with Opera Saratoga where she covered the role of Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte and performed the role of Ida in Die Fledermaus.  At the SaratogaArtsFest, Abigail premiered the role of Ms. Swine in The Trial of BB Wolf.  She was the winner of the John Alexander Memorial Award in CCM’s 2010 Corbett Opera Scholarship Competition, was a semi-finalist for the 2011 Houston Grand Opera Studio/Eleanor McCollum Competition and received the Encouragement Award from the 2011 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.  Ms. Paschke will join Kentucky Opera’s Studio Artist Program in 2011.12 and perform the roles of Frasquita in Carmen, Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro and Valencienne in The Merry Widow.

Claire M. Shackleton
Mezzo-soprano Claire M. Shackleton hails from New Orleans, Louisiana, where she began her music career while earning her Bachelor of Music degree from Loyola University. In 2006 Claire made her operatic debut singing Kate Pinkerton in a New Orleans Opera Association production of Madame Butterfly. Claire performed the role of Tessa in The Gondoliers with Loyola Opera and returned to New Orleans Opera in 2008 to sing the role of Diamantine in Gluck's L'ile de Merlin. Claire spent two years in the Cincinnati area where she received her Master of Music degree from the College-Conservatory of Music. While at CCM she performed the roles of Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos and Dorabella in Così fan tutte. Claire has since participated in the Glimmerglass Young American Artists Program twice where she performed the role of Mrs. Splinters in Copland's The Tender Land and covered the role of Tisbe in La Cenerentola. Claire has also appeared with Des Moines Metro Opera and Ohio Light Opera. Equally comfortable on the concert stage, Claire has performed the Alto solos in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Bach's Mass in B minor, Handel's Messiah, Haydn's Mass in Time of War, and Ravel's Shéhérazade. Claire is thrilled to be making her Kentucky Opera debut this year in the roles of Mercedes in Carmen, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, Tamara in Enemies, a love story and Olga in The Merry Widow.

Sheldon Miller (Coach/Pianist)
Pianist and coach Sheldon Miller began his piano studies at the age of four, and soon after became very interested in voice.  In May of 2009, he graduated from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University with a vocal performance and piano performance double major, and was then accepted into Chicago Opera Theater's Young Artist Program.   During his undergraduate, he was the winner of the McCarthy Foundation Competition, his band was signed by Sony/Colombia/BMG records, and he gave frequent recitals- solo voice, piano, and collaborative.  Sheldon has studied Piano with Dmitry Rachmanov, Menahem Pressler, Ludmila Lazar, Ani Gogova, and Kuang-Hao Huang, while he currently studies coaching and collaborative piano with Scott Gilmore.  As a singer, he has studied with David Holloway, Richard Stilwell, Matthew Chellis, and Jonita Lattimore.  Sheldon also enjoys teaching children piano in his spare time, and has over 13 private students he sees weekly.  Some of his recent performances include a recital with countertenor Mark Crayton, Handel's Partenope, Menotti's The Telephone, Holst's Savitri, Offenbach's Marriage by Lamplight, among others.  Sheldon is looking forward to working on Chicago Opera Theater's upcoming season which includes Charpentier's Médée, Janáček's Diary of One Who Disappeared, Schumann's Frauenliebe und Leben and Tod Machover's Death and the Powers. Mr. Miller will join Kentucky Opera's Studio Artist Program in 2011.12 as the Studio Artist coach/pianist.  

Apprentice Artists

Jasmine Davis
Jasmine Davis is a graduate of Murray State University where she received her undergraduate degree in vocal performance. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at the University of Louisville studying with Mrs. Edith Davis Tidwell. She will be graduating with her degree in the spring of 2012. While at the University of Louisville thus far, she has performed Mimi from Puccini’s La Bohème for the fall Opera Scenes performance and will be performing the role of Beatrice in the university’s performance of Berlioz’s Beatrice et Benedict. She recently participated in a masterclass with composer Daron Hagen at the university. Jasmine has been featured with the New Music Ensemble at the University of Louisville and will have the opportunity to premier new vocal works by two of the Bomhard fellows at the university this spring. In the summer of 2011, Jasmine will be attending Songfest, a vocal training program at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. As a Kentucky Opera Studio Artist, Jasmine will be covering the main stage roles of Countess Almaviva in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaroand Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen. She will be performing the role of Yadwiga in Ben Moore’s opera Enemies, a Love Story in collaboration with the University of Louisville and she will be a chorus member in Kentucky Opera’s performance of The Merry Widow.

Intern Artists

Louisville’s DuPont Manual High School Youth Performing Arts School students (head shots and bios coming soon)
Dylon Crain, tenor
Alexis Gill, mezzo-soprano
Zach Hyde, bass-baritone
Erin Shina, soprano

For more information on the Studio Artist Program, contact Deanna Hoying at 502.561.7938.