OPERA & CONCERTS

Guild Opera Company presents operas and concerts yearly.

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DARCY & RICHARD KOPCHO SEASON
2025-2026

Join our masked ball

A tale of passion, betrayal and fate unfolds in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball), an opera where political intrigue meets deep human emotion. Riccardo, a conscientious ruler, harbors a dangerous secret: his love for Amelia, the wife of his closest friend and prime minister, Renato. In disguise, he consults the fortune-teller Ulrica and learns two fateful truths—Amelia returns his love, and the next man to shake his hand will be his killer. When Renato discovers the lovers, jealousy consumes him, driving him into a deadly conspiracy that sets an inescapable tragedy in motion.

Inspired by the 1792 assassination of Gustav III of Sweden and relocated to a 1900-century European duchy, the opera builds toward a masked ball where identities are concealed and destinies revealed. Experience an unforgettable night of romance, suspense, and Verdi’s timeless music.

MEET THE CAST

FREE SHOW
No reservation required

APRIL 24 & 25

Friday & Saturday at 7:30 PM

RIVER OF THE VALLEY

22103 Vanowen Street

Canoga Park, CA 91303
Ample parking behind the church.

PRINCIPALS

Chilean-American tenor Felipe Prado (Riccardo) who has been part of several opera productions in Southern California. He sang the role of Padre Matias en El milagro del Recuerdo, El Remendado in Carmen, Gastone in La Traviata, Aldeano in El ultimo sueño de Frida y Diego and, The Prince of Persia in Turandot with San Diego Opera. Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, Alfredo in La Traviata, and Alfred in Die Fledermaus with Pacific Lyric Association, Tamino in Die Zauberflöte by W.A. Mozart with Lyric Opera of Orange County. Il Duca di Mantova in Rigoletto with Guild Opera Company. He was also Rodolfo in La Opera de Tijuana´s production of La Boheme, and Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte with Pacific Palisades Symphony. Additionally he has been a featured soloist for the concert Opera Highlights with the California Philharmonic Orchestra. As an active member of multiple professional ensembles such as the California Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorale he has had the great honor to perform in great venues such as the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Warner Grand Theater, The Santa Anita Race Track, and the UCLA’s Royce Hall.

Swedish soprano Emma Berggren (Amelia) was a finalist in the Bayreuth-Stipendium Wagner Society Gothenburg with GöteborgsOperan Vocal Competition, Semi-Finalist in Asociación de Amigos de la Ópera de Santiago de Compostela VIII Concurso Internacional De Canto Compostela Lírica, finalist in the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hennings-Fischer Foundation Young Artist Competition, and awarded the Margit Mechlers Musikstipendium. Operatic roles includes Tosca, Suor Angelica, Mimì (La Bohème), Violetta (La Traviata), Lady Macbeth (Macbeth), Celestial Voice (Don Carlo), Countess Ceprano (Rigoletto), Mercédès (Carmen), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte). Ms. Berggren has covered Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly), Giorgetta (Il Tabarro), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus), Gertrude and the Gingerbread Witch (Hansel and Gretel). Concert highlights include Vier letzte Lieder by Richard Strauss, Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 by Villa-Lobos, Leonora (Il Trovatore), selections from Aida, Madama Butterfly and Der Freischütz. Emma attended AIMS Opera Studio in Austria and has performed with Pacific Lyric Association, Lyric Opera of Orange County, Palisades Symphony, Cabrillo Chamber Orchestra, Guild Opera Company, Ridgecrest Opera, Ridgecrest Chamber Music Society, Riverside Lyric Opera, Maestro Skanör Falsterbo Musikförening, Woodley Concert Corner, Mission Opera, Golden State Pops Orchestra, California Philharmonic and San Diego Opera Chorus.

Carlos Oliva (Renato), a Spanish national, studied vocal technique and music at the Superior School of voice in Madrid He performed for two years as a member of the Spanish National Symphonic Orchestra and Chorus before moving to the U.S.A.. Here, he has performed throughout Southern California and Northern Mexico. Mr. Oliva credits include his role as Count Almaviva in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro with Pacific Chamber Opera in San Diego, and La Tabernera del Puerto, a Spanish operetta performed with University of San Diego. With Bel Canto Opera he has performed La Bohème, Pagliacci, Cavalleria Rusticana and Un ballo in Maschera. With Opera Pacific he was the male lead in the world premier of El Camino de Fe by Hector Armienta. He has been invited to sing in Constanza Opera of Romania where he has performed Il Trovatore, La traviata, Rigoletto and Un ballo in Maschera. He recently sang the role of Vidal Hernandez in the 2010 production of Luisa Fernanda at the Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles. He sang the title role of Rigoletto in Mendoza, Argentina as well as collaborated with Los Angeles Metropolitan Opera singing Rigoletto, Trovatore, and Un ballo in Maschera, and Don Carlo. With Pacific Lyric Association he has performed Rigoletto, Carmen, Cavalleria Rusticana, Il Trovatore and Tosca. He has also collaborated with Los Angeles Opera Guild in Rigoletto, Tosca, Il Tabarro and Macbeth.

Mezzo soprano, Tiffany Carmel (Ulrica), is thrilled to be singing the role of Ulrica in Guild Opera’s production of Un Ballo in Maschera. Earlier in her career, she spent a vast amount of time in San Diego, where she sang in more than fifty main-stage productions with San Diego Opera. In addition to being a core chorister with SDO, she also sang several small roles including the Milliner in Der Rosenkavalier, the Second Peasant in The Marriage of Figaro, and one of the soloist handmaidens in Turandot. She also toured with the San Diego Opera Ensemble, where she premiered the role of Evilina in an original production of The Sleeping Beauty. Some other selected highlights of Ms. Carmel’s operatic career include Maddalena (Rigoletto), Frugola (Il Tabarro), La Principessa (Suor Angelica), and the Third Lady (Magic Flute). Some of her notable oratorio credits as a soloist include Verdi’s Requiem, Duruflé’s Requiem, and Mozart’s Requiem. She has also regularly added her vocal talents to a wide variety of programs while touring Japan with the Roger Wagner Chorale and, locally, with the Wagner Ensemble. At the other end of the musical spectrum, Ms. Carmel sang with Christina Aguilera at the 2004 Grammy Awards for Ms. Aguilera’s award winning song Beautiful. Tiffany holds a Master of Fine Arts degree and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, both in classical vocal performance from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).

Soprano Kang Na-Young (Oscar 4/24) is a recent graduate of Dongduk Women’s University with a B.A. in Vocal Performance. She began her musical journey with the Pohang Christian Children’s Choir and has since performed as a soloist in church choirs and in numerous school and university productions. Her experience spans sacred music, ensemble and solo singing, and light musical theater.

Amanda Moir (Oscar 4/25) is a classically trained American soprano from Los Angeles, California. With Opera UCLA, she performed the role of Florinda in Handel’s Rodrigo and appeared as a Guest Service Lady in the world premiere of Richard Danielpour’s Grand Hotel Tartarus. She enjoys performing new works and engaging with contemporary repertoire. Her additional operatic credits include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro), Despina (Così fan tutte), Musetta (La bohème), Mrs. Fiorentino (Street Scene), Annina (La traviata), and Suor Genovieffa (Suor Angelica). She earned her Master of Music in Voice from the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA in 2025, where she studied under Michael Dean and collaborated with director James Darrah. She also holds a Bachelor of Music from California State University, Northridge. She will begin pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice at the University of Utah in the fall, continuing to develop her artistry while maintaining a strong commitment to music education.

You are invited to watch these talented upcoming young artists perform their best arias in a public concert this Saturday!

These young artists are currently enrolled or have graduated from local music departments by such institutions as UCLA, CSUN, USC, Bob Cole Conservatory of Music and Azusa Pacific University. Many have received awards and recognitions by competitions such as Laffont Metropolitan Opera Competition and Opera Buffs, as well as participated in productions with local companies including LA Opera Connects and Los Angeles Opera Chorus.

SCHOLAR ARTIST FINALISTS

Lora Bashmakian

Jayden Bluestein

Fantasia Guerra-Rivera

Habin Kim

Estefani Lopez

EMERGING ARTIST FINALISTS

Talar Arslanian

Lily Berthold

Shyheim Selvan Hinnant

Joanna Kim

Sabrina Langlois

The first, second and third prize winners will be announced at the end of the concert.

SATURDAY APRIL 20, 2024 at 7:00 PM

Congregational Church of Chatsworth

20440 Lassen Street

Chatsworth, CA 91311

Highlights from past shows

Established in 1949, Guild Opera Company is the second oldest opera company

in California after the San Francisco Opera.

Our alumni have included such world famous singers as Metropolitan Opera star mezzo Marilyn Horne, baritone Heinz Blankenburg, actress and soprano Mary Costa, who spoke and sang the role of Princess Aurora in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty and many other Disney films, and voice over artist Marnie Nixon, whose film career as a dubbing singer includes The King and I, West Side Story, My Fair Lady and dozens more.

Guild Opera Company introduces opera to the community and strongly believes in creating opportunities for young up-and-coming talent to gain experience and perform in fully staged opera productions with professional singers.