Educated in the rich musical tradition of the Rome’s Conservatory as a conductor, composer, and pianist, Maestro Andrizzi, whose conducting has been praised as “admirable” by the Chicago Tribune and full of “spirit and thoughtfulness” by the San Diego Union Tribune, has become a versatile musician with a vast experience in the symphonic and operatic repertoires and a passion for the many areas of the musical arts. As a conductor, he has worked with world-class companies such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Diego Opera, Chicago Philharmonic, Orchestra della Città di Ravenna, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Chicago Opera Theater, and New Philharmonic. He has also collaborated with important music festivals, including Millennium Park, Pitchfork, Ravinia, and Latino Music Festivals. Many international artists, including Ferruccio Furlanetto, Frederica Von Stade, Maurizio Baglini, Frank Almond, and Joyce Castle have performed as soloists with Maestro Andrizzi in concertos, operas, recitals, and recordings.

In addition to being a passionate conductor, Maestro Andrizzi is a dedicated educator. In fact, he has led the Orchestral Program at the prestigious Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University for several years and has often collaborated with international artist programs, including the Ryan Opera Center, Mediterranean Opera Festival and Studio, and the Chicago Opera Theater Young Artist Program. In addition, he has guest conducted in various university music programs, such as at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and the Bienen School of Music at Northwestern University. Finally, Maestro Andrizzi has collaborated with several orchestras to create and lead their Family, Education, and Holiday programs, ultimately creating a special relationship with the Chicago Philharmonic and conducting the orchestra’s outreach and side-by-side programs for several years.

Mo. Andrizzi is a recipient of the Illinois Council of Orchestras’ 2021 Conductor of the Year Award (college/university), Honorable Mention Award at the International Competition for Conductors of Contemporary Music “4X4 Prize,” and a winner of the “P. Barrasso” International Competition for Chamber Music. Previous positions include: Music Director and Conductor of the Cervantes Orchestra of Chicago, an orchestra dedicated to the divulgation of Hispanic and Spanish Classical music. He also served as assistant conductor of Maestros Andrew Davis and James Conlon. He has recorded for Albany records.

Sasha Gerritson is a highly sought after opera and musical theater stage director who directs shows for many local and regional companies, specializing in traditional productions of believed repertoire. For the Opera Festival of Chicago, Sasha received rave reviews for her production of Assassinio nella Cathedrale (2023). She also is regularly involved with Music Theater Works where she recently directed Lerner & Loewe’s Brigadoon (2023) and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (2022) both to great critical acclaim.

Sasha served as the Opera and Music Theatre director of Northeastern Illinois University from 2010-2022, has directed for Musica Nelle Marche (Urbino, Italy), Opera Piccola, DePaul University, the Cherub Music Theatre program for Northwestern University, in addition to various other summer programs in the area.

In addition to her stage direction work, Sasha is a choral conductor and singer, serving as the Director of Music Ministries for the Park Ridge Community Church. She also proudly serves on a number of boards city wide, including The Brookfield Zoo, the Navy Pier Foundation, the Goodman Theatre and DePaul University, for which she is Vice Chair.

Sasha lives in Glenview with her husband Eugene Jarvis and their two sons.

Awarded Best Female Vocal at the Hollywood Music Awards, soprano Elisabetta Russo is praised for her refined bel canto technique and her ability to connect warmly with audiences worldwide through an elegant grand-gala style.
She received her formal training in Italy, studying at the Conservatory and at the National Academy of Santa Cecilia in Rome under the guidance of Renata Scotto. She further refined her artistry at the Chigiana Academy in Siena with Renato Bruson, and at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, working under the musical direction of Alberto Zedda.

She is widely acclaimed for her leading roles in both Opera (Don Pasquale by Donizetti, Così Fan Tutte by Mozart, Rigoletto, and Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi) and Musical Theatre (The Phantom of the Opera by Webber and Carousel by Hammerstein II). She is also praised for her collaboration with film composers and Oscar winners such as Ennio Morricone and Nicola Piovani, and world-renowned artists such as Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, Marco Boemi, and Gianna Fratta. Following a landmark concert at Paramount Studios with Andrea Bocelli and David Foster, Elisabetta relocated from Italy to Los Angeles, where she has since built an international career spanning Europe and North America. Her notable appearances include New York Fashion Week, the Staples Center in Los Angeles as guest soloist for the LA Clippers’ National Anthem, recitals at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and performances at the Chicago Cultural Center. Her recent engagements also include performances at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Warner Bros. Studios, Zipper Hall, and The Broad Stage in Los Angeles.

Deeply committed to community engagement, Elisabetta regularly collaborates with nonprofit and charitable organizations, lending her artistry to events supporting cultural, educational, and humanitarian causes.