Zoë Schall is excited to make her operatic debut in Hansel & Gretel. In her spare time, she sings in chamber chorus at her middle school. She also plays french horn in symphonic band. On weekends, she sings with the grammy-award winning National Children’s Chorus. Prior choral performances include performing at Radio City Music Hall for the Christmas Spectacular, singing the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden for a Harlem Globetrotters game, and singing that National Anthem for a Mets/Phillies baseball game. Her heavy metal singing was featured in Rolling Stone magazine. She is delighted to participate in this spectacular performance.
Elizabeth Pope is a 24 year old soprano hailing from Maryland. In July 2024 Impressio hailed her Sofia Music Weeks appearance: “the rising world opera soprano Elizabeth Pope…captivated the audience to tears and evoked a bouquet of emotions.”
Highlights include a featured performance for the International Women’s Forum at Lincoln Center (2024), a Civic Morning Musicals prize created in response to her moving rendition of Hundley’s Waterbird (2023), and an understudy role in Kate Soper’s The Hunt, requiring simultaneous singing and violin playing. She has given recitals in Mexico’s Festival de Axixic and debuted with the Atlanta Music Society.
Praised for both opera and chamber music, Pope premiered her own arrangement of Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, “achiev[ing] the heights of expressivity” (Voce di Meche). A Manhattan School of Music graduate, she now studies with celebrated bass Valentin Peytchinov.
Gwen Baier is an expressive and passionate performer. Gwen hails originally from Williamsport, PA and is so excited to be working with Shakespeare Opera Theatre. Gwen received her Bachelor’s degree from Marywood University under the instruction of Ellen Rutkowski and Dr. Rick Hoffenberg. She received her Master’s degree from Shenandoah Conservatory in 2018, where she studied with Dr. Aimé Sposato, Robert Thieme, and Natalie Conte. Gwen is currently instructed by Jaclyn Surso, a graduate from UNCSA.
Gwen has also worked with acclaimed opera singer Aprile Millo, maestro Richard Bonynge, and La Scala director Marco Gandini in Millo’s Operavision D’Oro program. She is also a two-time winner for the North CarolPast roles include Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro, La Suora Infermeria in Suor Angelica, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Lucy in The Telephone, and Anne in A Little Night Music.
Antony Zwerdling hails from San Francisco, but currently lives in Alexandria, VA. He is an active performer in the greater Washington area. He has performed many roles,
including Papageno in The Magic Flute, Schaunard in La Bohème, and Figaro in The Barber of Seville. His credits include WNO, Wolf Trap, Washington Concert Opera, and Opera Lafayette.
As an Oratorio soloist, Zwerdling’s repertoire includes Messiah, the requiems of Brahms, Mozart and Fauré, and St. Matthew Passion. He has sung with Washington Bach Consort, Thomas Circle Singers, and Handel & Haydn Society. He has also presented several recitals, both of classical repertoire and as a singer-songwriter.
Zwerdling received his Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and Master’s from Boston University, and Doctorate from Shenandoah Conservatory, writing about songs of Samuel Barber. He teaches on the voice faculty at Hood College and College of Southern Maryland in addition to maintaining a private studio.
Natalie Turner is a mezzo soprano from Warwick, Rhode Island currently based in Baltimore, Maryland. Natalie has portrayed many notable pants roles, including Enfant in Ravel’s “L’Enfant et sortilège,” Cherubino in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro,” Hänsel in Humperdinck’s “Hänsel und Gretel,” Orlovsky in Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus,” and Ottone in Monteverdi’s “L’incoronazione di Poppea.” Also passionate about Oratorio Natalie has been the Alto soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony under the baton of Marin Alsop, and performed Orff’s Carmina Burana at Wolf Trap. Natalie earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from SUNY Purchase and her Master of Music in vocal performance from the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University. Natalie received the Anita Erdman Award for Opera from the Peabody Conservatory.
Originally from Bogor, Indonesia, soprano Amanda Densmoor has been praised for her “clarion voice” which “soared to new heights” (Parterre Box). She was recently featured as a soloist on Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra’s US tour, making her debuts at Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center, and The Music Center at Strathmore. As a regular performer with Annapolis Opera, Amanda has been seen as Girl in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, and as a bridesmaid in Le nozze di Figaro. Other roles include Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte), Servilia (La clemenza di Tito), Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica), and Patience (Patience). As a concert soloist, Amanda has sung Orff’s Carmina Burana, Carissimi’s Jephte, Fauré’s Requiem, and Mozart’s Requiem. Amanda is a cantor and member of the professional choir at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Antoinette Katsas (Ensemble) is excited to be making her SOT debut! She is a high schooler based in Falls Church, VA, and loves to perform. Her past opera credits include Jungle Book, (Washington National Opera, children’s chorus), and Turandot (WNO, children’s chorus). She also enjoys musical theater, and has been in various shows. Along with theater, she plays piano, harp, tenor guitar, and softball. She would like to thank her family, friends, and her voice teacher, Wesley Diener, for their support.
Melissa holds a Master’s degree in Music from Temple University Boyer College of Music and Dance, a Bachelor’s degree in Music from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music where she received the Wind Ensemble Award in 2012, and in 2021 she completed her certification in k-12 music education from Notre Dame of Maryland University, where she received the honor of becoming a member of Kappa Delta Pi. She has studied voice with Kathryn Green, Jennifer Cherest-Flory, and Bree Nichols, and studied clarinet with Garrick Zoeter and Sam Caviezel. She currently performs with the Chamber Chorale of Fredericksburg and has performed with companies throughout DC, Maryland and Virginia, such as Bel Cantanti Opera Chorus, Opera Camerata Chorus, Teatro Lirico Chorus, Stafford Opera Troupe where she starred as Cinderella in their 2019 production of Cendrillon, Southern Maryland Light Opera Company Chorus for Naughty Marietta and The Mikado, and starred as Gretel in their 2008 production of Hansel and Gretel, played the role of Mother in the College of Southern Maryland’s production of Ragtime in 2018, and was Puck in Capitol Hill Arts Workshop’s 2017 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Melissa has been teaching privately for 13 years and is currently a General Music and Choir director with Charles County Public Schools. She resides in VA with her husband Norman and their daughter Willow.
Sommer Schaap (Assistant Stage Manager, Choreographer, Sampson) is an emerging theatre artist in the DMV, making her debut with Shakespeare Opera Theatre. She was a John Cauble Short Play Finalist through the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in 2023 for her one act, Almost Lifelong. Sommer is currently a Teaching Artist with The Keegan Theatre and will teach drama at Bancroft Elementary in the upcoming school year. She is from southwest Minnesota and has a BA in Theatre Arts, with an emphasis in Acting and Directing from Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, baking cakes, and playing with her cat, Bob.
Mikayla Talbert (Stage Manager, Abraham Cover) is a freelance stage manager in the DC area enjoying her debut with SOT and her on stage debut! Her previous work includes stage managing Ethiopia (INSeries Opera) and directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Nothwestern High School while teaching Drama as well. Mikayla Graduated from Shenandoah University with her BFA in Theatre Design and Production in December of 2023. After this she went on to the Disney College Program, working the Magic Kingdom Firework Dessert Party. You can catch Mikayla Production Stage Managing with INSeries Opera for the 2025-26 season!