Biographies

Aaron Nicholson, Artistic Director Metropolitan

Baritone Aaron S. Nicholson founded the workshop in 1998 and returns this summer after last year's wonderful production of Aida. As a Musical Theater and Operatic singer, Nicholson has been heard in leading roles and venues throughout the United States and Canada, with such companies as The Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Montreal Opera, New York City Opera to name a few. In addition to his eleven years as Artistic Director and Director at Summer Youth Musical Theater Workshop, he has worked as vocal instructor, fight choreographer and director with the Rod Serling School of the Arts, Tri-Cities Opera Company, Western Washington University, Binghamton University and Yale Secondary. He is very excited about this summer's fantastic production of Beauty and the Beast!

Brenda Dawe, Musical Director

Brenda Dawe enthusiastically returns to this workshop for her eighth season as musical director. Since earning her master of music degree from the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, Dawe has balanced an active singing career with a major teaching studio that attracts local performers of all ages and abilities. Having performed with major companies across North America , including Arizona Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Festival of New Jersey and Calgary Opera, Dawe has become a seasoned performer and musician. She is a familiar presence to local audiences and has performed nearly 20 leading roles with Tri-Cities Opera Company. Her extensive involvement with the youth-outreach programs of Syracuse Opera, Virginia Opera and Tri-Cities Opera has given her the opportunity to perform and direct thousands of young people all over the United States . She recently joined the adjunct faculty at Broome Community College , teaching voice and undergraduate music courses.

James Everett Lortz, Guest Director

As a faculty member of Western Washington University's Drama Department for 17 years, Jim Lortz has directed and staged a wide variety of productions including Evita, The Cider House Rules, The Happy Prince, West Side Story, Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Angels in America: Perestroika, The Grapes of Wrath, Sweeney Todd, Assassins, Hair, City of Angels, To Kill a Mockingbird, God's Country and Falsettos. His acting roles include Pseudolus (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum), Harold Hill (The Music Man), Carl (Lonely Planet), Don Quixote (Man of La Mancha) and Fred Graham (Kiss Me Kate). For the Theater Guild, Lortz has directed Jesus Christ Superstar, 1776, Shenandoah and Over Here! On campus, Lortz is part of the acting faculty and is responsible for over 90 students per year. Originally from Deer Lodge, Montana, Lortz received his BFA and MFA from the University of Montana in Missoula . He has been a member of the Actor's Equity working Bathhouse Theatre in Seattle (five seasons) and for the Montana Repertory Theatre in Missoula (five seasons), where his roles included Conn Price (Cowboy), Doc (Crimes of the Heart), Vernon Gersch (They're Playing Our Song), Feste (Twelfth Night), Sydney Bruhl (Deathtrap) and Adam (The Apple Tree).

Todd Robinson, Conductor

Todd Robinson is excited to return to the workshop for his sixth summer as conductor. "I love coming back to see how the returning students have grown over the year and love working with all the new ones that come for the first time. There is always so much amazing talent!" He is the orchestra conductor, vocal teacher and vocal coach for the workshop productions and privately for students. Robinson has spent many years conducting and teaching a variety of singers, from young beginners to seasoned professionals. He has a music education degree as well as a master of music degree in voice. His conducting and teaching credits include six years as musical director and conductor for two adult choirs in northeastern Pennsylvania, where he debuted several of his own compositions of choral and orchestral music; three years as general music and chorus teacher/conductor at Choconut Valley Elementary School; and one year as an adjunct professor of voice for Elmira College, Binghamton University and the University of California at Irvine. Robinson, a renowned singer, has appeared in leading roles with numerous opera companies some of which include San Francisco Opera, New National Theater Tokyo (Japan), Sarasota Opera, Opera Pacific and Virginia Opera.

Elaine Tamaru, Production Director

Elaine Tamaru returns this summer after assistant directing last year's successful production of Aida.  Tamaru received a bachelor of music performance degree at Western Washington University , where she studied and performed musical theater and appeared in leading roles in Oklahoma ! , Once Upon a Mattress and A Little Night Music .  As a resident artist with Tri-Cities Opera Company, she performed leading roles, toured extensively with Opera-Go-Round and worked with thousands of young people throughout New York , Pennsylvania and New Jersey .  Tamaru has been with the summer workshop since its inception, instructing young performers in voice and theater.  She has a blossoming voice studio in Binghamton , and last Fall, she made her debut at the Cidermill Playhouse in A Year with Frog and Toad .