LaToya Lain (mezzo-soprano)
Mother
Applauded for her “wonderfully rich,” “powerful,” and “captivating” voice, American singer LaToya Lain, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, currently serves on the voice faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she provides private, individual vocal instruction as well as teaches The History and Performance Practice of the Negro Spiritual. Equally at home in the teaching studio and on the performance stage, LaToya recently made her Metropolitan Opera Debut as part of the star-studded cast of The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. She has also performed Porgy and Bess at the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Hamburgische Oper, and the Köln Philharmonie.​
She recently presented solo recitals at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, the American Church in Paris, the Dutch Reform Church in Harare, Zimbabwe, at the Reapertura de la Iglesia Santa Teresa in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and The International Congress of Voice Teachers in Stockholm, Sweden.​
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She also presented recitals and master classes at numerous colleges, universities, and conservatories throughout the United States and abroad.
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Dr. Lain’s research includes the intensive study and performance practice of Negro Spirituals. She has performed her lecture recital “Narrative of a Slave Woman: Songs of Hope, Justice, and Freedom” on concert stages and universities throughout the world. Consequently, she was one of 57 experts invited to author a short chapter in The Voice Teacher’s Cookbook: Creative Recipes for Teachers of Singing, as part of a series addressed to various groups of musicians and was published this summer by Meredith Music Resources.
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This past season, LaToya held an Artist-in-Residency at the Shenandoah Conservatory, where she presented master classes and a solo recital in collaboration with The Juilliard School Head of Collaborative Piano and internationally acclaimed pianist, Margo Garrett. She was also featured in concert at the University of Minnesota, where she presented a joint lecture recital with famed composer, Libby Larsen.
Luca Smith
Amahl
Matthew Anchel (bass)
King Balthazar
Bass Matthew Anchel, called "a voice to watch" by the Wall Street Journal, has performed with many of the world’s leading companies and orchestras. During both the 2018-19 and 2019-2020 seasons, Mr. Anchel has joined the ensemble of Oper Stuttgart for a number of roles, including Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Benoit in La bohème, Crespel/Luther in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, The Cook in Love of Three Oranges, and Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro. He spent the summer of 2019 at the Glyndebourne Festival, covering Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte. In recent seasons, Mr. Anchel has returned to the Metropolitan Opera, covering in new productions of The Exterminating Angel and Cendrillon. He also joined Santa Fe Opera to cover Tsar Dodon in their production of The Golden Cockerel, made his company debut with St. Petersburg Opera as Sarastro, returned to Spoleto Festival USA as Lamberto in Pia de' Tolomei, and performed the Bass Solo in Mahler’s 8th Symphony at Carnegie Hall.
In the fall of 2020, Mr. Anchel joined Stadttheater Giessen as Banquo in Macbeth and was slated to join Tiroler Landestheater Innsbruck in 2021 as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte (COVID19). In the 2021-2022 season, Mr. Anchel will perform as the bass soloist in Mozart Requiem with Stiftsmusik Stuttgart, make his On Site Opera debut as Claggart in What Lies Beneath, returns to the Metropolitan Opera by making his debut singing Master of Ceremonies in Cinderella, Jailer in Tosca and covering Schwarz in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and Un moine in Don Carlos, Latinus in Lavinia, and John in Anna Kommene, two oratorios by Georgia Shreve at Alice Tully Hall, and makes his role and house debut as Vanuzzi in Die Schweigsame Frau, at Bard Summerscape and, Der Diener in The Miserly Knight with the American Symphony Orchestra. During the 2022-2023 season, Mr. Anchel will make his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut covering the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos, returns to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Loreck in Fedora and 2nd Commissioner in Dialogues des Carmélites, sings Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro at Opera San Jose, and makes his Arizona Opera debut as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte. Future engagements include returns to the Metropolitan Opera, Arizona Opera and debuts with Nashville Opera and Hogfish Festival.
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Previous seasons have included Mr. Anchel’s debut with Anchorage Opera as Sparafucile in Rigoletto, his Carnegie Hall/Stern Auditorium debut as a soloist in Haydn's Mass in Time of War with the New England Symphonic Ensemble, Dvorak's Stabat Mater with the St. George's Choral Society, and his return to the Metropolitan Opera, covering the role of Trojan Man in Idomeneo, 2nd Armored Man in Die Zauberflöte, and Waiter #3 in Der Rosenkavalier. During the 2015-16 season, Mr. Anchel performed the role of #8 in Conrad Susa's Transformations with the Merola Opera Program, was a soloist in Beethoven’s Mass in C with Spoleto Festival USA, and completed engagements with Annapolis Chorale, Savannah Voice Festival, Canterbury Chorale and American Lyric Theater. In the 2014-15 season, Mr. Anchel returned to the Metropolitan Opera for their productions of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Die Zauberflöte, and Die Meistersinger von Nurnburg, and made debuts with Opera San Antonio as First Soldier in Salome, with LOFTOpera as Don Alfonso in Lucrezia Borgia, and with the Annapolis Chorale as a soloist in Bach's St. John Passion.
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Other performance highlights include Haraste in Troilus and Cressida and First Soldier in Salome with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Familiare in Maria di Rohan with the Caramoor Festival, and the title role in Le nozze di Figaro in his international debut with the Intermezzo Festival in Brugge, Belgium.
An accomplished veteran of the competition circuit, Mr. Anchel was a Grand Finalist in the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, won 3rd Place in the Palm Beach Opera Competition, the Judges Award from the Opera Index Competition, an Encouragement Award from the George London Foundation, and was a Finalist and an Encouragement Award winner in the Loren L. Zachary Competition. Born and raised in New York City, Mr. Anchel earned his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Manhattan School of Music.
Darren Drone (baritone)
King Melchior
Winner of the esteemed 2024 George London Competition, baritone Darren Drone is quickly making a name for himself in the opera world. Described as having “a gorgeously warm tone and deep resonance,” Mr. Drone recently returned to the Metropolitan Opera to perform the roles of Foreman and Adult James and cover Chester in Fire Shut Up in My Bones and cover Moralès in Carmen, presented as part of the “Met Live in HD” series. Additional recent engagements include his highly anticipated house debut with Florentine Opera as Belcore in L’elisir d’amore. Thrilling upcoming season highlights include leading roles with the Berkshire Opera Festival, Portland Opera, Seattle Opera, and Utah Opera.
In the 2022-2023 season, Mr. Drone made a series of exciting debuts with esteemed American companies including Seattle Opera as Baron Douphol in La Traviata, Portland Opera as Zuniga in Carmen, and Opera San José in the title role of Verdi’s Falstaff. He also performed in a concert of operatic favorites with the Santa Fe Symphony and joined the Lyric Opera of Chicago roster where he covered Preacher Man and Bilal in the world premiere of Daniel Roumain and Anna Deavere Smith’s The Walkers. In the summer of 2023, Mr. Drone made his debut at The Glimmerglass Festival as Marcello in La bohème and Grégorio in Roméo et Juliette.
During the 2021-2022 season, Mr. Drone joined the Metropolitan Opera roster as a featured soloist in Porgy & Bess, covered Mtchll in the world premiere of Carlos Simon and Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s it all falls down at Washington National Opera, made his Opera Memphis debut as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte and was set to make a debut with Florentine Opera as Schaunard in La bohème (COVID-19). In the summer of 2021, Mr. Drone joined the Santa Fe Opera roster, covering the roles of the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and the Captain in Eugene Onegin. He returned to Santa Fe the following summer, singing Moralès in Carmen and covering the title role of Falstaff.
His 2020-21 season began with his second year of residency with Michigan Opera Theatre. During his first year with the company, roles included covering Leporello in Don Giovanni, covering the title role of Sweeney Todd, performing both the title role of Gianni Schicchi, as well as Buoso’s Ghost, covering Tonio in Pagliacci, and preparing the role of Young Man/Man in Bar in Champion (canceled due to COVID-19). In the spring of 2020, Mr. Drone was awarded as a semifinalist in the Lotte Lenya Competition, performed with the Detroit Youth Symphony Orchestra, and was scheduled to make his company debut with Opera Maine as William in The Fall of the House of Usher (canceled due to COVID-19). In 2021, Mr. Drone made his company debut with Opera Naples as Riff in West Side Story and singing Baron Douphol while covering Germont in La Traviata. He was also set to make his role debut as the title role in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera in the Heights (COVID19 – now scenes as Enrico: Lucia di Lammermoor).
Mr. Drone began his 2018-19 season by making his role and company debut as Sulpice in Opera in the Heights’ production of La fille du regiment, followed by his debut with Opera Southwest as a resident artist, where he performed Slook in La cambiale di matrimonio and Der Heerufer des Königs in Lohengrin. The season concluded with performing the role of Officer Krupke in West Side Story, singing Antonio and covering Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, and performing Bunsen in Newsies, all with Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater.
During his 2017-18 season, Mr. Drone made his debut with Heartland Opera Theater as Sam in Trouble in Tahiti, and Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater as Thomas in Amazing Grace, The Steward in Into the Woods, and covering the role of Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia. He returned to Opera on the Rock, where in 2015 he made his house and role debut as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, this time performing the role of Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia.
In 2016-17, Mr. Drone completed a residency with Tulsa Opera, where he covered the role of Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles, performed Sciarrone and covered Scarpia in Tosca. During the summer of 2016, he was an apprentice artist with Des Moines Metro Opera where he covered Ping in Turandot and returned to Tulsa to make his debut with the Tulsa Symphony as a featured soloist in their Christmas Pops concert. Additional career and role highlights include Masetto in Don Giovanni, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, and Marcello in La bohème.
Mr. Drone is a native of Arkansas, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music at Arkansas Tech University.
Lauren Carmen
Costume Designer
Lauren Carmen is a costume designer, maker, craftsperson, ballet dancer, artist in NYC. She comes to the performing arts first and foremost through a life of dancing, having worked as a professional ballet dancer, dance & pilates instructor, before diving more fully into the world of costume. Originally from Iowa City, IA, Lauren trained at Nolte Academy & across the country at prestigious ballet academies like Houston Ballet, before joining the Joffrey Ballet Academy in Chicago, and ultimately attending the University of Oklahoma, where she received her BFA in Ballet Pedagogy, Minor in French, Emphasis in Costume Design. Upon graduation, she danced professionally, choreographed on the company, and taught ballet at companies and schools in the Midwest, all the while designing &/or constructing costumes for companies like Central Illinois Ballet, Houston Ballet, before being invited to pursue her MFA in Costume
Design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Department of Design for Stage and Film, which she completed this past May.
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Since moving to NYC, Lauren has been working as a freelance costume designer and dancer. Projects of particular excitement include teaching costume courses to Undergraduate students at NYU, working with dancers of American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet, Sarasota Ballet in various capacities as Costume Designer, Assistant Costume Designer, Draper, etc, at places like Vail International Dance Festival, with Jillian Lewis on Lincoln Center & Joyce Theatre premieres of Jessica Lang pieces, or unique venue like iHeartDance NYC while the theaters were closed due to COVID, etc,; designing for choreographers/companies such as Gabrielle Lamb, PeiJu Chien-Pott, Skyla Schreter, New Chamber Ballet, Wo.Man in Motion, Dance Kaleidoscope, AY Dancers, NYU Tisch Dance Department, and more.
Though Lauren gravitates most toward dance-centric projects, she has also worked as Assistant Costume Designer in Off-Broadway and LORT productions, as well as currently working as resident Draper at Pace University’s Costume Shop. At present, Lauren is a company dancer with Dances Patrelle, as they mount their annual Nutcracker, and finds that the deep understanding of, and getting to work in both art forms enriches what she can bring to each of them– with special nod to using her experience and understanding of dance aesthetics and costume construction techniques to create comfortable, beautiful, costumes that move with and enhance the dancers’ performances, rather than work against their efforts. Lauren thrives to infuse all her work with not only a collaborative spirit and an understanding of art forms’ traditions while looking to expand those definitions, but also a sense of beauty, whimsy, and joie de vivre whenever possible.
SONAM
​Singers of New & Ancient Music
Singers of New and Ancient Music (SONAM) is a chorus committed to creating high-quality sacred and secular music and giving back to the community. Our mission is to make excellent choral music that supports local non-profits through benefit concerts.
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SONAM was established in 2012 and officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2022. The group consists of about 30 talented singers from central North Carolina, led by music director Allan Friedman and accompanist Jane Lynch.