Korean American tenor Adam Diegel regularly earns international acclaim for his impassioned dramatic sensibilities, powerful voice, and for his classic leading man looks. From a performance as Cavaradossi in Tosca at Glimmerglass Opera, Opera News raved: “The opera became a showdown between Adam Diegel’s impulsive, shaggily handsome Cavaradossi and Lester Lynch’s fearsome, animalistic Scarpia… (Diegel’s) spacious, Italianate tenor…delivered a stirring ‘Recondita armonia’ and built ‘E lucevan le stelle’ masterfully from hushed intimacy to an unfettered cri de coeur.”

Adam Diegel made his Metropolitan Opera début as Froh in Robert Lepage’s landmark production of Das Rheingold conducted by Maestro James Levine, and later reprised the performance under Fabio Luisi. Further appearances at The Met include Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly under Plácido Domingo and Ismaele in Nabucco under Paolo Carignani.

Other notable recent U.S. engagements include: Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly at Atlanta Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Arizona Opera, Opera San Antonio, and Kentucky Opera; Ismaele in Nabucco at The Metropolitan Opera and at Opera Philadelphia; Cavaradossi in Tosca at Vancouver Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, and Arizona Opera; Don José in Carmen at San Francisco Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Florida Grand Opera, Arizona Opera, and Madison Opera; and Rodolfo in La Bohème at Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito (Dominican Republic), Minnesota Opera, Opera Omaha, The Princeton Festival, and Pensacola Opera. He has also performed Froh in Das Rheingold and Narraboth in Salome, both with the Atlana Opera.

Baritone Franco Pomponi made his European debut in the title role of Hamlet at the Liceu in Barcelona and success followed worldwide. He created a sensation in Paris as Pentheus in The Bassarids by Henze at the Théâtre du Châtelet and has returned to sing the title roles in new productions of Nixon in China (broadcast on Mezzo) and Sweeney Todd. His Italian debut came at Teatro Massimo, Palermo, as Nick Shadow in Cesare Lievi’s production of A Rake’s Progress. He debuted at Opernhaus Zürich in a new production of Les pêcheurs de perles as Zurga (dir. Rizzi), the title role of Don Giovanni for his debut at Bolshoï Opera (dir. Currentzis) and in Budapest in a new production of The Tempest as Prospero at Hungarian State Opera.

Mr. Pomponi was a member of Lyric Opera of Chicago and made his Chicago debut as Germont in Verdi’s La traviata. He made his New York debut as Escamillo in Carmen at New York City Opera. Other debuts: Ford in Falstaff for The Santa Fe Opera (dir. Arrivabeni), ‘Four Villains’ in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Finnish National Opera (dir. Fournillier). He made his Carnegie Hall debut as Pater Ecstaticus in Symphony Nº 8 of Mahler with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Additional highlights include: Ezio, Attila, Seïd, Il Corsaro, OFC Chicago; Tebaldo, Giulietta e Romeo (Zandonai), New York; Prigioniero, Il Prigioniero (Dallapiccola), Chicago; Pangloss, Candide, Metternich, L’Aiglon, Lausanne; Hamlet, Barcelona, Marseille, Brussels, Kansas City; Don Giovanni, Bolshoi, Moscow, Geneva, Athens, Montpellier, Guangzhou; Eugene Onegin, FGO, Miami, Spoleto Festival; Escamillo, Carmen, L.A. Opera, NYCO, Helsinki, Bremen; ‘Four Villains,’ Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Golaud, Pelléas et Mélisande, Reisopera Netherlands; Paolo, Simon Boccanegra, Grand Théâtre de Genève; Germont, La traviata, Grant Park Music Festival; Ford, Falstaff, Canadian Opera; Count di Luna, Il trovatore, Austin Lyric; Michele, Il tabarro, Opera Festival of Chicago; Jack Rance, Fanciulla del West, KYO; Marcello, La bohème, Opéra de Lausanne, Opéra Vichy; Schaunard, La bohème, Count Dominik, Arabella, Metropolitan Opera, New York; Valentin, Faust, Opéra de Toulon; Hérode, Hérodiade, Silvio, Pagliacci, Dorset Opera; Frank/Pierrot, Die tote Stadt, Teatro Massimo, Palermo; Guglielmo, Così fan tutte, Belcore, L’elisir d’amore, Opéra National du Rhin, Strasbourg; Argante, Rinaldo, NYOpera Fest; Ping, Turandot, Mercutio, Roméo et Juliette, Malatesta, Don Pasquale, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Carbon, Cyrano, Teatro Real, Madrid. Mr. Pomponi has sung leading roles under Abell, Abbassi, Andrizzi, Bartoletti, de Billy, Eschenbach, Gergiev, Guidarini, López Cobos, Luisotti, Mehta, Minkowski, Levine, Mazzola, Nagano, Nelson, Niquet, Olmi, Ōno, Pappano, Pidò, Schwarz, Soltész, Villaume, de Waart.

Franco is the Artistic Director and co-founder of the Opera Festival of Chicago

Passion is guaranteed when it comes to Viktoria Vizin, the internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano whose name is often seen in the world’s most prestigious houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, Hungarian State Opera House, Chicago Lyric or Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

Ms. Vizin has embarked on an exciting dramatic mezzo-soprano repertory in her past seasons. This includes Charlotte in Werther (Scottish Opera debut 2013), The Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos (Budapest 2013, 2015), Phedre in Rameau’s Hypolite et Aricie, Dejanira in Handel’s Hercules (Budapest 2013 and 2012), the Wagner Ring Cycle at the Luzerne Festival conducted by Jonathan Nott (2013). Ms. Vizin sang the highly acclaimed supporting roles Flosshilde (Das Rheingold, Gotterdammerung), 1st Norn (Gotterdammerung) and Schwertleite (Die Walkure) and Waltraute in Götterdämmerung (Palermo) directed by Graham Vick. In addition to her new repertory, she completed her 100th Carmen performance (2012) at the Budapest State Opera House, performed Judit in Bluebeard’s Castle in the Miskolc International Opera Festival (2013), with the Oregon Symphony (2016) and with the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Ivan Fischer (2019), made her appearance at the Grand Theatre du Luxembourg as Preziosilla (2013) and had her Danish debut at Den Jyske Opera, Aarhus as Dulcinee (2014). She debuted as Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni in an innovative production at BartokPlusz Festival (2018).

Ms. Vizin had a role debut of Hannah Glavary in The Merry Widow at the BartokPlusz Opera Festival in Hungary (2014, 2015) and sang the title role of Tosca in Hungary (2015-16). She debuted as Nerone in Monteverdi’s Incoronazione di Poppea at Palace of Arts, Budapest (2016).

Ms. Vizin has a passion for contemporary performing arts. She debuted as Nina in Senza Sangue written and conducted by Peter Eötvös in which she was claimed to have had an outstanding success.

Bass Christopher Filipowicz was most recently heard as the off stage voice in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of Janáček’s Jenůfa where he will be a regular member of the chorus beginning in the 2024/25 season. He was previously seen at Lyric as the servant in Verdi’s Macbeth and as the Speaking Priest in their 2017 production of Die Zauberflöte. In 2023 Christopher debuted with the chorus of the Metropolitan Opera for their performances of Verdi’s Requiem. As a former member of the Regular Chorus of San Francisco Opera, he made his mainstage debut as Une Voix in Massenet’s Manon during the 2017-18 season. He was also seen as Ed in Jake Heggie’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” with San Francisco Opera as well as with the San Francisco Choral Society in performances of Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor and Amy Beach’s Canticle of the Sun. Career highlights include Tom in Un ballo in maschera with Livermore Valley Opera as part of their 2017-18 season, Sarastro and Der Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte with Opera San Jose, Ferrando in Il trovatore with West Bay Opera, covering Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Music Academy of the West, Don Bartolo in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and Zuniga in Bizet’s Carmen as a young artist with Nashville Opera, as well as performances with Wolf Trap Opera, Sarasota Opera, and others. He holds degrees from DePaul University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and has studied voice with Dr. Julia Nielsen, Susan Charles, and Cesar Ulloa.

Since his 2004 Metropolitan Opera debut as ‘Mime’ in Das Rheingold conducted by legendary conductor James Levine, David Cangelosi has returned to the Met in Magic Flute, Andrea Chenier, Il tabarro, The Tales of Hoffmann, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Le Nozze di Figaro, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, and other ‘Ring‘ related assignments. He rejoined the Metropolitan Opera roster in 2021/2022 to sing the role of Monostatos in their Holiday Presentation of The Magic Flute and returned to the MET roster in 2023.

He has performed his signature role of Mime with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Opéra de Montréal, Boston Wagner Society, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. Additionally, he performed Mime in Das Rheingold and Siegfried with the Hong Kong Phil, both of which were recorded on Naxos and conducted by Jaap van Zweden (New York Philharmonic). Other notable ‘Ring’ highlights include a recording of the ‘Forging Scene’ (Siegfried) with Placido Domingo for EMI Classics’ Scenes from the Ring, and a special presentation of Siegfried with Juneau Lyric Opera.

Recent and upcoming engagements include hosting the 50th Anniversary celebration of Chicago Opera Theater, his Pacific Symphony debut as Mime in Das Rheingold (2025); Des Moines Metro Opera debut in a new production of Cunning Little Vixen (2025); a special 50th Anniversary production of Die Fledermaus with Juneau Lyric Opera (2025); an Opera Festival of Chicago debut in Dallapiccola’s Il Prigioniero (2024); The Nose with Chicago Opera Theater (2023); and a role debut of Edrisi for Chicago Opera Theater’s new production of King Roger (2022).

Cangelosi has performed the roles of Mosquito/Schoolmaster in the original multi-media production of Cunning Little Vixen with the Cleveland Orchestra in Cleveland and toured Vienna, Luxembourg and Detroit Opera with the same. Recent notable highlights marked a return to Carnegie Hall for the U.S. Premiere of Bohuslav Martinu’s Juliette with the American Symphony Orchestra, and his role debut as the Blind Judge in Das Wunder der Heliane with the Bard Music Festival; his Houston Grand Opera debut with Tosca and Eugene Onegin as well as Tosca and Magic Flute with Washington National Opera. Additional recent performances include Shuisky in Boris Godunov with the Dallas Opera and he has returned to the company for Moby Dick, Madame Butterfly, Tosca, and Magic Flute along with a concert version of Boris Godunov with the Anchorage Symphony and Der Rosenkavalier with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Major career highlights include televised performances of Paglicacci in the legendary Franco Zeffirelli production starring Placido Domingo; the Saito-Kinen Festival in Matsumoto, Japan; Die Entführung aus dem Serail with Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, along with Le Nozze di Figaro and Die Zauberflöte with Paris Opera (Bastille/Garnier); performances as the Witch (Hansel & Gretel) with Opera Fairbanks and Western Plains Opera, new productions of Die Fledermaus and Tosca with the Canadian Opera Company (COC, Toronto); Magic Flute, Turandot, Salome and Tales of Hoffmann with Santa Fe Opera.

Cangelosi made his cinematic debut at the Venice Film Festival in the feature film Tosca starring Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna along with his debut at the Hollywood Bowl in a concert version of The Magic Flute with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He debuted at the Spoleto Festival (U.S.A.) singing the roles of the Noctambulist/Pape des Fous in Louise and performed as a featured soloist for their Intermezzi Recital Series. A decades-long veteran of Lyric Opera of Chicago, Mr. Cangelosi made his debut in Salome in 1996 and returned for 20 consecutive seasons singing dozens of principal roles, concert performances, and hosting special events. A pandemic shortened 2021 season would have found Mr. Cangelosi in his role debut as Loge in Das Rheingold at Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires.

Recital/Concert performances include multiple recital appearances in Birmingham Alabama, The Montgomery Symphony, Vann Vocal Institute Celebrity Recital Series, Davis Concert Hall (UAF) with Opera Fairbanks, concert tours of Alaska, and the PACC Concert series in Boston.

Mr. Cangelosi has also served as Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at Huntingdon College as well as the Artistic/Program Director for the Vann Vocal Institute in Montgomery, Alabama for the past 17 years. He actively travels the country as a recitalist, symphonic guest-artist, competition adjudicator, and Master Class instructor for aspiring vocalists at such well-regarded venues as Roosevelt University/Chicago Summer Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Baldwin-Wallace University, Fairbanks University, and Minot University among others.

Praised for her versatility and range, full lyric soprano, Angela De Venuto is quickly establishing herself as a formidable presence in the classical music world. This season (2026), Angela makes her solo debut in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Salome in the role of Ein Sklave. Her recent performances include appearing as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Lake Forest Civic Orchestra, performing Mozart’s concert aria, “Bella mia fiamma, addio” with the Intermezzi Ensemble, and premiering the role of Flo in The Eleanors by Jodi Goble with the Savannah Voice Festival. Other highlights include her role debut as Musetta in La Bohème, and her portrayal of the title character of Alice Riley by Michael Ching under the baton of Andrew Bisantz at the Savannah Voice Festival. Last season (2025), Angela made her debut with the Opera Festival of Chicago, where she covered the role of Fiora in Montemezzi’s L’Amore dei Tre Re, as well as performed excerpts as the title role of Adriana Lecouvreur in concert.

Tenor Eric Wassenaar is quickly establishing himself as a consummate interpreter of operatic, musical theater, and concert repertoire. The 2017 – 2018 season sees Mr. Wassenaar joining Pensacola Opera as an Artist in Residence where he will debut the roles of Goro in Madama Butterfly, The Padre in Man of La Mancha, and serve as Soloist in Maria de Buenos Aires. He will also make his debut with the Pensacola Choral Society as the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah and Ariel Ramirez’ Misa Criolla.

In the summer of 2017, Mr. Wassenaar joined the Chautauqua Opera Company in upstate New York as an Apprentice Artist. He was seen singing the roles of Pastore in the U.S. stage premiere of Ottorino Respighi’s realization of Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, and Tenor in Hydrogen Jukebox by Philip Glass.

In concert, Mr. Wassenaar recently made his debut with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra singing an evening of operatic highlights conducted by Steven Osgood, and joined conductor Stuart Chafetz for the pops concert, “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Benches: Love, Laughter, and Lunacy.” In an intimate evening of song Mr. Wassenaar delivered a full performance of Schumann’s Dichterliebe, accompanied by Deanna Wehrspann, as part of the Wayne and Ruth Dalton Vocal Music Series created by Dean and Lucille Knudsen at the University of Sioux Falls. Returning to South Dakota Opera he joined soprano Alyssa Nance to sing a collection of duets, arias, and songs on a recital titled “Now It’s Personal”.

A native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Mr. Wassenaar received a Master of Music from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Augustana University.