Elizabeth Duhr, Iowa born mezzo-soprano, is a recent graduate of the Resident Artist Training Program with the Tri-Cities Opera Company. With the company, Ms. Duhr undertook the roles of The Mother in Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” Third Lady in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte,” Suzuki in Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly,” and Alisa in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor.” This past summer, Elizabeth’s portrayal of Mrs. Ott in the Cedar Rapids Opera production of Carlisle Floyd’s “Susannah,” was “…A masterpiece of detail, honesty, and conviction.” A versatile performer, her other credits include Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” (Tisbe), Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado” (Katisha), and Britten’s “The Rape of Lucretia” (Bianca), as well as alto soloist in both Handel’s “Messiah” and Mozart’s “Requiem.”

Her numerous awards and scholarships include both Second Place and Honorable Mention awards at the City Opera Company of the Quad Cities Young Singer Competition. Also a Finalist in the Iowa state division of the NATS Competition, she possesses “…An important voice in the 21st century.” Elizabeth was the first-ever Undergraduate Scholar in the University of Iowa’s Martha Ellen Tye Opera Theatre. She won the Marine Corps Semper Fidelis Award in Music, the Herald Stark Memorial Award in Opera, and a full-term undergraduate scholarship to the University of Iowa School of Music. Known for her unique cross-over abilities,Elizabeth regularly performs music of the cabaret and musical theatre
repertoire.

Recent engagements include Saint-Saëns’ “Christmas Oratorio” as well as
selections from Wagner’s “Wesendonck Lieder” with the Wyoming Seminary-Performing Arts Institute Orchestra. Ms. Duhr was also the alto soloist in the Binghamton University’s 2007 performance of Bach’s B-Minor Mass.

Elizabeth earned a BM in Vocal Performance from the University of Iowa,
and graduated from SUNY-Binghamton in May 2007 with a Master of Music
degree in Opera.

Allyss Haecker received her master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Illinois and her bachelor’s in music education from Converse College. Formerly the choir director with Fenton Area Schools (Mich.) and the Director of Music Ministries at First United Methodist Church in South Lyon, Michigan, she is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in choral conducting at the University of Iowa

Dr. San-ky Kim, lyric tenor, is assistant professor of voice at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. Kim started his vocal studies in Australia, after completing a bachelor of arts degree at the Australian National University. Winning the Australia-New Zealand Foundation Award enabled him to further his studies in the U.S. at the renowned Curtis Institute of Music. While completing his master of music degree there, he made his professional debut with the Philadelphia Opera Company as the Emperor Altoum in Puccini’s “Turandot.” Soon his career led him to major opera houses in Europe – Helsinki, Biel, Bern, Amsterdam, Brussels, Gent, Bregenz, Prague – before settling in Germany. Kim has performed over 50 major operatic roles in seven different languages. He earned his doctor of musical arts degree at Temple University. While at PAI, Kim taught vocal masterclasses, private voice lessons and vocal ensembles.

Mark Andrew Kratz, tenor, has recently been featured as Tamino in The Arctic Magic Flute (Opera To Go!,Juneau,AK) and as the beast in Disney’s musical Beauty and the Beast (Juneau Lyric Opera, Juneau, AK). Kratz is a 2006 graduate from the Tri-Cities Opera young artist training program and a 2003 young artist for the Tacoma Opera. He holds a master’s degree in opera from Binghamton University and a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the Eastman School of Music.
His roles include Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (Tri-Cities Opera), Yamadori in Madame Butterfly (Tri-Cities Opera), Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor (Tri-Cities Opera), Peter Quint in Turn of the Screw (Eastman School of Music), Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi (Intermezzo Opera), and Alfred in Die Fledermaus (Wilkes University).

Kratz’s other performances include Mozart’s Requiem and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (Northeast Philharmonic), Britten’s Serenade for tenor and horn (Eastman School of Music), Schubert’s Mass in E-flat (Eastman-Rochester Chorale), Mozart’s Requiem (Northeastern Philharmonic), Bach’s Magnificat (Binghamton University), and Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Waldpurgisnacht (Binghamton University). Mr. Kratz is also the youngest person to have sung at the Newport Music Festival (RI).

Kratz is currently in service with AmeriCorps. He resides in Santa Rosa, CA, where he is serving as a mentor to elementary aged children.

John Vaida is chairman of the fine and performing arts department at Wyoming Seminary where he directs the 100-voice chorale and the award-winning 28-voice Madrigal Singers. He is the United States representative of the International Choral Network and an internationally known guest conductor and studio teacher. He also is a past president of the Pennsylvania Music Educator’s Association. He was the head of choral activities at PAI.