Roberto Perlas Gomez

Motezuma (Emperor of Mexico)

Roberto Perlas Gomez, baritone, has performed over seventy roles with opera companies throughout the United States. These include his signature role of Figaro with Sacramento Opera, Opera San Jose, Nevada Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Opera Idaho, and Acorde Opera in Mexico, among others. This January in Stockton will mark his ninth production in the role. Most recently, he made his European debut in Verona as Chou en-lai in Nixon in China in the Italian premiere of the John Adams opera. In 1996, Mr. Gomez was in Manila, to create the title role of Rizal in an opera honoring the centennial of the Philippine national hero.

Cynthia Jansen

Mitrena (His Wife)

Mezzo-soprano Cynthia Jansen recently completed a three-year engagement with Munich’s Bavarian State Opera, where some of her many roles included Eduige in Rodelinda, the title role in Arnaldo de Felice’s Medusa (world premiere), the Duchess in Unsuk Chin's Alice in Wonderland (world premiere), and Annina in Der Rosenkavalier.  In 2008-09 she appears with Seattle Opera as First Maid in Elektra and covers multiple roles in The Ring.  She also sings Herodias' Page in Salome with Opera Pacific, the alto solo in Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Tucson Philharmonic, and the title role in Philippe Boesmans' Julie in Bolzano, Italy.

Courtney Huffman

Teutile (Their Daughter)

After recently taking First Place in the NATS Artist Awards Competition in Nashville, Tennessee, soprano Courtney Huffman is making her New York solo recital debut at Carnegie Hall in June, 2009.  Ms. Huffman made her professional operatic debut in June, 2008 with the Intimate Opera Company, portraying Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata. She will reprise the role with the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra in February of 2009. Ms. Huffman debuted internationally in Shanghai and Hong Kong in 2006 followed by appearances at the Aspen Music Festival, where she performed Frasquita in Carmen, under the baton of Julius Rudel.

Charles Maxwell

Fernando (General of the Spanish)

Born in North Carolina, Mr. Maxwell studied vocal Pedagogy at East Carolina University and in Florence, Italy with Studio Lyrico and the Instituto Musicale Mascagni in Livorno. He began as a tenor and later developed to counter tenor. He made his Vienna debut in Britten's 'Death and Venice'. He has performed with the Munich State Opera in 'Schlachthof 5'(Von Bose),'Helle Nachte'(Egegert),'Rinaldo'(Handel). He sang Britten's Oberon and Prince Orlofsky at the Wiener Volksoper. Guest appearances in Switzerland, Munich Biennale, Karlsruhe, Handel Festival, Berlin, Bologna, Biennale Venice, Buenos Aires and Miland.

Peabody Southwell

Ramiro (His Younger Brother)

Peabody Southwell, mezzo-soprano, makes her Long Beach Opera debut this season as the Fox in Janácek's The Cunning Little Vixen & Ramiro in Vivaldi's Motezuma. Peabody recently completed her Master's degree from UCLA after graduating from the Manhattan School of Music in 2005. Recent roles include Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dame Quickly in Falstaff, & Jenny in Three Penny Opera. She won the 2008 Concerto Competition & premiered Mark Popeney's Harvest Moon with Neal Stulberg & UCLA's Philharmonia. Last June she represented UCLA in a scenes recital, which she performed in Venice, Italy at the Teatro La Fenice.

Caroline Worra

Asprano (General of the Mexicans)

Dr. Caroline Worra has been hailed by Opera News as "a serious artist destined for international stages." She debuted with LBO as the title role in Semele and has sung over 40 roles world-wide including two opera CDs; The Mines of Sulphur (2006 Grammy nomination) and The Greater Good (Opera News and New York Times 2007 top ten list). Caroline has performed on 2 National tours and has worked with over 20 different companies including The Wexford Festival in Ireland, Teatro Massimo Bellini in Sicily, 6 seasons at New York City Opera and Glimmerglass as well as last season at the Met. Upcoming: Marguerite in Faust; Fiordiligi in Cosi.

Andreas Mitisek

Conductor

A native of Austria. LBO’s current Artistic & General Director. He recently conceived, directed and conducted LBO’s The Diary of Anne Frank. He has also conducted a number of LBO productions including Die Schweigsame Frau, Jenufa, Elektra, Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, Semele, The Threepenny Opera and The Ring of the Nibelung. Guest Conductor at opera companies in the U.S. and Europe. Recently conducted Joruri in Tokyo, Don Giovanni for Seattle Opera, Madama Butterfly for Orlando Opera, American Premiere of Jane Eyre by Michael Berkeley for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Eugene Onegin for Teatro Municipal in Santiago de Chile.

David Schweizer

Stage Director

David Schweizer/ director/ at LBO- ELEGY FOR YOUNG LOVERS, LA INDIAN QUEEN, LA PERICOLE, POWDER HER FACE. Premieres/ Richard Rodney Bennett's THE MINES OF SULPHUR at New York City Opera and Stephen Hartke/Philip Littell's THE GREATER GOOD at Glimmerglass Festival. Other recent opera theater/ Rinde Eckert's AND GOD CREATED GREAT WHALES (OBIE Award) and last season's HORIZON. He has created both revivals and new work for 35 years, nationally and internationally, including, in Los Angeles/The Actor's Gang (PEER GYNT, SALOME), LATC (The JONI MITCHELL PROJECT, KINGFISH) Mark Taper Forum (THE WAITING ROOM),The Geffen Playhouse (ALIENS IN AMERICA, HE HUNTS) and his own MODERN ARTISTS COMPANY (PLATOS SYMPOSIUM). Current/Taylor Negron's SATELLITES off Broadway.

Alan Muraoka

Set Design

Alan has been working in the entertainment industry as a production designer and art director for film and television as well as a theatrical set designer for over 20 years. Production design credits include BaadAssss, Weapons, Edmond. Most recently, he was Art Director for the television miniseries The Company and  the film Little Miss Sunshine. Theatrical projects include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and Vincent in Brixton for the Old Globe theatre in San Diego. In addition, Alan has designed productions for Palm Beach Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Tri-Cities Opera and June Opera Festival in Princeton, New Jersey. Alan earned his BA in Music History at Yale University and MFA in Theatrical Design from New York University. Alan has also been an  adjunct lecturer at USC Center for Film and Television. LBO credits: Schubert’s Winterreise, Grigori Frid's The Diary of Anne Frank and Ricky Ian Gordon’s Orpheus and Euridice.

Dan Weingarten

Lighting Design

Dan is a Los Angeles-based designer who is thrilled to be working with LBO again. credits include: Rock of Ages (LA and Las Vegas Productions) Romeo and Juliet dir. Michael Michetti (Boston Court, Ovation Nominee), The Rover (Actors Gang, Garland Award), Great Men of Science (The Lost Studio, Garland and LA Weekly Award), Catch the Fish (New School for Drama, Winner NY Fringe Festival). Dan recently created the lighting design for the Long Beach Opera’s production of Orpheus and Euridice, East West Player’s Pippin and The Santa Barbara Theater’s production of Doubt. Dan is a member of the faculty at Loyola Marymount University.