Audiences will recognize Sonia from her star turn as Cassio in SOT’s 2022 production of Othello. Donning the mustache once again, this time as the ever-conniving Don John, she is over the moon to return to working with such a dynamic and talented cast and fantastic crew. Her love for Shakespeare and opera makes this company a perfect fit. Sonia splits her time between performing onstage and working behind the scenes for theatrical productions, both at the professional and community level. Most recently, she directed Our Town at Fauquier Community Theater to great acclaim. When she last tread the boards, ironically as Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, she earned a best supporting actress nomination. Sonia loves to spend her free time with her family, John, Gwen and Ellie. It’s their love and support that keeps her working in theater and moving forward, for which she’s eternally grateful.
Originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, soprano Kelly Monteith graduated from Philadelphia’s Temple University with the Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance. During her time at Temple, she performed the role of Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro and covered the role of Almera in Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters. Other notable roles include Susanna (cover) in Le Nozze di Figaro and Annabel in the European premiere of Paul Richard’s Mondo Novo with the Vienna Summer Music Festival, as well as Celia in Handel’s Silla with Chicago Summer Opera. During her undergraduate studies at George Mason University, she performed in six mainstage productions, including Belinda (cover) in Dido and Aeneas and Leila in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe. Most recently, she was seen in the chorus of Opera Baltimore and Opera Delaware’s joint production of La Traviata. Hero in Much Ado About Nothing/Béatrice et Bénêdict marks Kelly’s debut with Shakespeare Opera Theatre, and she is excited to perform in this beautiful and unique production.
A native of South Africa, Marieke de Koker is a New York City-based mezzo-soprano. Her 2022/23 season included Speaker in AGAMEMNON (Theatre for a New Audience), Cloud in the world premiere of Iceland (Overtone Industries), Liza Elliott in Lady in the Dark (Bronx Opera Outreach) and Giunone in La Calisto (Mannes Opera). Also In 2023 she won the DePaul Concerto competition with her original song cycle Never Again (2021) based on poetry by Valentine Kizito. In 2021 Marieke was an Emerging Artist at the Windybrow Arts Center in South Africa where she was interviewed on the ETV morning show. She has also appeared with RSG radio, Brooklyn Theatre TV, Gauteng Philharmonic, Career Bridges, Johannesburg Opera, Really Spicy Opera, Windy City Performing Arts, and the Art Song Preservation Society of New York, among others. She is delighted to be making her debut in the title role of Béatrice in Much Ado About Nothing/Béatrice et Bénédict with Shakespeare Opera Theater.
Kirsten Nordland is a rising dramatic artist currently residing in Northwest Ohio. Most recently, Nordland joined the Toledo Opera Guild as a chorister for the 2023-2024 season. Her most recent credits include Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro with the Trentino Music Festival in Trentino, Italy; Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea at Bowling Green State University; and the Stewardess in Jonathan Dove’s Flight at NUOVA Vocal arts. Nordland is also an avid social activist & digital portrait artist. She strives to combine her passions to help serve the longevity of opera.
a DMV actor and passionate storyteller, Justin made his SOT debut in 2023 as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing/Béatrice et Bénédict, charming audiences with his amiable performance. An Army brat, Justin lived in Louisiana, Texas, Missouri, Hawaii, and Tennessee before high school. After studying at Longwood University, he moved to Northern Virginia and has performed in Art of Murder, Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe, Finding Neil Patrick Harris, and Madame Quixota’s Last Words. By day, he’s a magazine editor for Tax Notes Today; by night, he enjoys hiking, video games, and horror novels. Thanks to friends and family for their support!
JP Gorski is delighted to return to SOT as Marcello in La vie de bohème. Audiences will easily recognize JP from his debut with SOT as the scheming Iago in 2022’s Othello, Peter (Father) in Hansel & Gretel, Much Ado About Nothing/Béatrice et Bénédict where he portrayed the dual roles of Berlioz’s Somarone and Shakespeare’s Dogberry, and most recently as The Scottsman himself in SOT’s summer production of Macbeth. After graduating from James Madison University, Gorski studied at Bel Canto in Tuscany (Tuscany, Italy) where he performed as Figaro (The Barber of Seville), Marcello (La bohème), and Rigoletto (Rigoletto). Gorski has performed with numerous regional companies such as Charlottesville Opera, Luray Opera Theatre, and Sarasota Opera (Florida). Gorski performs regularly with Annapolis Opera (Maryland), where he recently appeared as Second Armored Man in Mozart’s The Magic Flute and looks forward to returning to their ensemble for La traviata (March 2025).
A resident of Arlington, Virginia, James McKenzie is a retired member of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” As a trumpet player, his duties included sounding “Taps” in Arlington National Cemetery for fallen soldiers. He has also participated in inaugurations, concerts, and other military ceremonies and events at the White House, the Pentagon, the National Mall, and throughout the country and overseas. James holds music degrees from Sam Houston State University and Rice University. After catching the acting bug, he graduated from the Honors Conservatory Program of The Theatre Lab School of Dramatic Arts, where he was in productions of As You Like It, and David Mamet’s Reunion. James was previously seen as Leonato in Grassroots Shakespeare DC’s production of Much Ado About Nothing.
New York tenor Jacob Rivera earned the Master of Music degree from Purchase College’s Conservatory of Music. While at Purchase, he portrayed Ezekiel Cheever in The Crucible, King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Liberto/Lucano in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and The Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas. During the summer of 2022, Jacob appeared with Miami Music Festival in Bizet’s Carmen (El Remendado) and Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Flute). He has won Gold Prize in the Contemporary Modern Division in the World Class Music Awards, Fourth Place in the International London Music Competition, and Third Place at the Lyra New York International Art Song Competition. He was also a Finalist this year at the The International Vienna Competition where he earned an Honorable Mention, and he is a Finalist at the upcoming American Song Prize Competition.
Maryland tenor Jason Guerrero is proud of his heritage of mixed American and Salvadoran descent. Jason earned the Associate of Arts degree in Voice Performance from Montgomery College and is continuing toward a Bachelor of Music in Voice at The Catholic University.
Jason previously appeared as a Dancing Shepherd in Shakespeare Opera Theatre’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, and he most recently played to Virginia audiences as Donald in Loudoun Lyric Opera’s production of Gallantry. Jason also enjoys performing Latin rock and rap. He has played for the Dia De Los Muertos DC festival and has performed original music at Flow Jam Festival and the Ann Marie Sculpture Garden Arts Festival. Jason regularly cantors at St. Raphael’s Catholic Church in Rockville, Maryland.
A resident of Washington, D.C., bass-baritone Joseph Wilson has performed to high acclaim in the United States, Canada, and Italy. Recent highlights include Arts on the Horizon’s production of By the Seashore, Prunier in La Rondine, Schaunard in La Bohème with Operavision Academy in Busseto, Italy, and Tinca/Venditore di canzonette in Il Trittico with Opera Niagara. Other roles include Riccardo in I Puritani, Belcore in L’Elisir D’Amore, Argante in Rinaldo, Guglielmo in Le Villi, Rodolfo in La Sonnambula, Giorgio Germont in La Traviata, and Guido Monforte in I Vespri Siciliani. Mr. Wilson has appeared in concert with Maryland Lyric Opera and Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, and he has had the pleasure of working with high profile artist mentors like Richard Bonynge, Jeffrey Gall, and Marco Gandini. In 2022, Joseph was a semi-finalist in the Premiere Opera Foundation Competition. More information on Mr. Wilson can be found on social media: @joseph.michael.wilson