The Cast

Rachel Cobb, Mimi

American soprano Rachel Cobb has earned critical acclaim in the United States and Europe as a total performer with incredible dramatic intensity. Hailed as "fiercely dramatic" (The London Times), having presented "one of the best impersonations I have seen" (Opera Magazine), and possessing a "pure soprano [with] charm and fragility" (Classical Voice), and "real vocal thrust" (Opera News).

Rachel Cobb's pure soprano has the charm and fragility requisite for the role of Mimì. The cleanly articulated line in ‘Mi chiamano Mimì,’ the beautifully floated high notes in the final scene—all testified to an artist in full command of her craft. —Classical Voice

Notable roles in her repertoire include Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Tatiana in Eugene Onegin, Nedda in Pagliacci, Marguerite in Faust, Micaëla in Carmen, and Countess in Le nozze di Figaro. Ms. Cobb was a first prize winner of the Farwell Award in Chicago, a 2007 Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Vocal Competition Grant Winner, and a two-time finalist in the highly esteemed Loren L. Zachary Competition.

Recent engagements include appearances as Miss Jessel in Glyndebourne's production of The Turn of the Screw, as Mimì in Opera Pacific's production of La Bohème - for which she was named Most Promising Young Artist, as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Madison Opera and the Westfield Symphony, as Pallade Athena in Gluck's Paride ed Elena with Will Crutchfield conducting at The Caramoor Festival, as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and as Beauty in Giannini's Beauty and the Beast with Baltimore Opera, and Kitty Hart in the Opera Pacific production of Dead Man Walking.

Rachel has also achieved success on the concert stage in recent appearances with the Fairbanks Symphony in performances of the Verdi Requiem, and in Washington D.C. in November with Strauss' Four Last Songs.

Opera on the James welcomes Rachel Cobb to our spring production of La Boheme.

Penelope Shumate, Musetta

In her performance career, Penelope Shumate has been described as having a “voice with power” and a “welcome fire” on stage. At Carnegie Hall, she performed as the Soprano Soloist in the Messiah, Carmina Burana, St. Nicolai Mass and Coronation Mass. She has also performed the title role of Naughty Marietta at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center.

She has sung with Baltimore Opera, Opera Roanoke, Lake George Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Ash Lawn Opera, Opera on the James, Duluth Festival Opera, Berkshire Choral Festival, Jacksonville Lyric Opera, ConcertOpera Philadelphia, Center City Opera Theater, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Little Orchestra Society of New York City, MidAmerica Productions, Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra, Luzerne Music Festival, and the Kennett Symphony Orchestra.

Her many roles include Violetta in La Traviata, Musetta in La Bohème, Fiordiligi in Così Fan Tutte, Galatea in Acis and Galatea, Micaela in Carmen, Gilda in Rigoletto and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi and Hanna in The Merry Widow.

She has received awards in the Gerda Lissner Foundation, Annapolis Opera, MacAllister Awards, New Jersey Association of Verismo Opera, Octave Artist Management Excellence in Arts, Marie E. Crump Vocal Arts, James Parkinson Opera and the Kennett Symphony vocal competitions.

Michael Mayes, Marcello

With a strong voice and even stronger sense of drama, baritone Michael Mayes is making waves in the opera world for his command of the stage and attractive masculine presence. Originally from Conroe, Texas, Michael has performed with several opera companies across the United States including Madison Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Skylight Opera, Opera Theatre Highland Park, Central City Opera, Union Avenue Opera Theatre, and Ft. Worth Opera. Most recently Mr. Mayes was seen in the title role in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Duluth Festival Opera, as Guglielmo in Cosi fan tutte with Opera on the James and Ping in Turandot with Michigan Opera Theater. In an extension of his involvement with the development of Margaret Garner, a new opera by Richard Danielpour, Mr. Mayes appeared as the Fisherman and covered Edward Gaines in the world premiere at Michigan Opera Theatre and Cincinnati Opera. In a subsequent performance at The Opera Company of Philadelphia he performed the role of Edward Gaines opposite Mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, which he also performed at Opera Carolina with Ms. Graves to critical acclaim. Engagements for 2007-2008 include Dandini in La cenerentola with Connecticut Opera, Lancelot in Augusta Opera's Camelot, Top in The Tender Land with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Marcello in La boheme with Opera on the James, and the Father in Opera Company of Philadelphia's production of Hansel und Gretel. Additional upcoming engagements include the title role in Don Giovanni with Connecticut Opera, Marcello in La boheme with Skylight Opera Theater, and Morales in Carmen and Motorcycle Cop in Dead Man Walking with Ft. Worth Opera.

A graduate of the University of North Texas, his operatic roles include Wagner in Faust, Sciarrone in Tosca, and Marullo in Rigoletto, Silvio in I Pagliacci, Mercutio in Romeo et Juliette, Dandini in La Cenerentola, The Librettist in Viva La Mamma, Lord Capulet in Romeo et Juliette, John Proctor in The Crucible, both Slook and Tobia Mill in La Cambiale di Matrimonio, Escamillo in Carmen, and Malatesta in Don Pasquale. As a participant in the highly prestigious young artist program at The Santa Fe Opera Michael covered the role of Claudio in Tim Albery's production of Betrice et Benedict and performed scenes of Rossini's William Tell.

Mr. Mayes has appeared internationally in conjunction with La Fenice in Castel-Franco Veneto, Italy. Mr. Mayes' honors include 3rd place winner at the Metropolitan National Council Auditions in Chicago, the Entergy Young Texas Artist Competition Vocalist Award, John Alexander Award, the John Moriarty Award, and an advanced division winner at the Anton Guadagno Vocal Competition.

Daniel Holmes, Rodolpho

American tenor Daniel Holmes has been praised as a "confident and passionate Roméo" in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette with Opera North, and enthusiastically lauded as Alfredo in La Traviata, "his voice was smooth and controlled, and he sang with unpretentious confidence."

Other opera roles include Rodolfo (La Bohème) at at the Ravello Festival in Italy; Gérald (Lakmé), Rodolpho and Carlo (I Masnadieri) with Sarasota Opera; Hoffmann in Les Contes d'Hoffmann with the Tri-Cities Opera (NY); Tom in Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress; Sam in Floyd's Susannah, and Rinuccio in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi. He has also covered leading roles with Opera Theatre of St. Louis.

This season he made a spectacular début with the Minneapolis Orchestra in The Three Tenors: A New Generation and triumphed in his first Don José with Mississippi Opera. He sings Rodolfo at the Ash Lawn Opera Festival this Summer, and Macduff in his company début with Dayton Opera in January 2008. He will appear as soloist in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Lake Forest Symphony to celebrate the end of their Fiftieth season May 30, 31 and June 1 2008.

Recently, he made his concert début with The Virginia Consort as soloist in Mozart's Requiem. and sang his first Macduff with the Center City Opera Theatre of Philadelphia.

He has appeared with many other illustrious opera companies including Washington National Opera, Baltimore Opera, Annapolis Opera, Opera Vivente (MD), Washington Summer Opera (DC), Lake George Opera, Glens Falls Symphony (NY), Peabody Opera Theatre (MD), Maryland Opera Society and Opera Theatre of Northern Virginia.

Mr. Holmes earned his Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, and an Artist Diploma from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was awarded the Kern Career Grant of the Sarasota Opera in 2005, and he was the 2003 winner of the Baltimore Music Club Competition. Other honors include grants and prizes from the Rosa Ponselle Foundation, the Marie Crump Vocal Competition of the Maryland Opera Society, and the Heinz Rehfuss Competition of the Orlando Opera (FL). He is the most recent recipient of the prestigious Arleen Auger Memorial Fund's Career Development Prize.

Raymond Ayers, Schaunard

Baritone Raymond Ayers is noted for his interpretation of new music. The Minneapolis Star Tribune said of his success in John Adam’s Nixon in China, “Raymond Ayers struck just the right tone as Chou En-lai: detached and philosophical.” Aislesay.com also said “Raymond Ayers’ Chou En-lai is particularly sensitive and strong, and adds substance to the dimension of political analysis.”

Mr. Ayers recently completed his training in the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program. While in the program, he was entrusted with both compromario and leading roles, many of which he received excellent reviews. Some of his roles included: Madama Butterfly (Sharpless), the title role in Der Kaiser von Atlantis, Nixon in China (Chou En-lai), Carmen (El Dancaïre), Maria Padilla (Ramiro, Don Pedro cover), Tosca (Angelotti/Jailer), Il Signor Bruschino (Gaudenzio) and Don Giovanni (Masetto, Don Giovanni cover).

This fall, Mr. Ayers was seen performing the world premiere of The Star Gatherer (Mega the Baker), a newly commissioned opera by the St. John’s Boys’ Choir. This new work, comprised of a solo baritone and boy choir, was written by renowned American composer Stephen Paulus, and librettist Gene Scheer. Mr. Ayers will reprise the role of Mega the Baker in October 2007.

Mr. Ayers is a frequent guest with the Minnesota Orchestra, having collaborated with esteemed music director Osmo Vänskä, and critically acclaimed international conductor Andrew Litton. Recently he shared the stage with renowned artists Deborah Voigt, Carl Tanner and Greer Grimsley singing Tosca (Angelotti/Jailer). He was also seen on the stage of Sommerfest in the Orchestra’s production of Carmen (Zuniga, Escamillo cover), and recently returned to reprise his role of the father in their charming holiday production of Hansel and Gretel this past December.

Branch Fields, Colline

Bass-baritone Branch Fields won grants to study and perform at opera theatres in Chiari, Lucca and Rome and went on to win prizes from three national voice competitions: The New Jersey Alliance of Performing Artists, The Liederkranz Foundation and the Annamaria Saritelli-DiPanni Bel Canto Competition. He served as an artist/faculty member for the Operafestival di Roma, singing Don Basilio (Il Barbiere Di Siviglia), where he won the 2001 National Opera Association Award for Best Opera Production by a University or Regional Opera Company. He regularly appears on the concert platform and has sung Brahms Requiem and Handel’s Messiah with the Santa Fe Symphony. Opera on the James welcomes him as Colline in our spring proformance of La Boheme.

Craig Fields, Artistic Director

Craig Fields is currently artistic director for the new Opera on the James and for the Duluth Festival Opera in Duluth, Minnesota. In 1989, he joined the staff at Opera Roanoke where he served as resident stage director, general director and artistic director until 2005. He has produced and stage directed over forty professional opera productions since 1989.