Cierra Byrd • Mezzo-Soprano

American mezzo-soprano Cierra Byrd is in her third year with The Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

Last season, Ms.Byrd made her Met debut as Bertha in the historic production of Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut Up in My Bones. This season, she returns to the Met stage as Woman of Crete in Mozart's Idomeneo. Recently, Ms. Byrd appeared in Mahler's Symphony No.3 with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Marin Alsop. She is a recent graduate of Peabody Conservatory, from the studio of Margaret Baroody and Denyce Graves.

Kayla Harriott  • Soprano

Soprano Kayla Harriott is a native of Queens, NY and is currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia. She was awarded 1st Place at the Georgia State Metropolitan Atlanta Music Competition and 1st Place Winner in the Rome Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition.

Recent roles include Violetta in La Traviata at the Bayview Festival; Amahl in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Clara in Werther with Georgia State University’s Opera Theater; Margaret in The Telephone, The Fairy Godmother in The True Story of Cinderella, and Rapunzel in Into The Woods with the Shorter University Opera Theater; Mable in the Pirates of Penzance and Rosina in The Barber of Seville with the Atlanta Opera Studio Tour.

Always seeking self-growth, she participated in the artist development program FLIP Young Artist Program with Georgia State University, and in The American Spiritual Intensive Young Artist Program in Bayview, Michigan. She was accepted into the prestigious LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts and received her Bachelor of Music degree from Shorter University.

Demetrious Sampson • Tenor

Demetrious Sampson is a rising tenor from South GA currently residing in Marietta. He has studied music since 2016, his sophomore year of high school. Mr. Sampson is a Senior Music Major at Georgia State University School of Music where he has performed the role of Vanderdender in Candide and Bastianello in John Musto’s Bastianello, among other roles as a part of the GSU Opera Theater Program. He had the honor to make his debut with the Atlanta Opera in their production of Porgy and Bess. His portrayal of Crab Man at just 20 years old has been one of his most proud moments; performing alongside opera giants like Morris Robinson and Reginald Smith. The Summer of 2022, Mr. Sampson was one of forty-three apprentice artists at Des Moines Metro Opera where he made his role reprisal and company debut as Crab Man in their production of Porgy and Bess. He was named one of only four Encouragement Award recipients at the 2022 Met. Opera Laffont Competition in the Atlanta District. He credits his past teachers Theressa Hamm-Smith and Sarah Benjamin for instilling in him his love and passion for correct vocal technique and health and his current teacher Kathryn Hartgrove for the work that have been doing since his time at GSU.

Monique Galvão • Mezzo-Soprano

Monique Galvão is a Brazilian mezzo-soprano and a third year Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts. This past season she performed Larina in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and performed in concert the title role of Thomas’ Mignon. In 2020, Monique won second prize at the Linus Lerner International Singing Competition. This past December Monique performed as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah with NPC Concert Series in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. This summer 2022 Monique made her title role debut of Carmen (Bizet) with the Miami Music Festival. Upcoming performances include Southern Arizona Symphony, a debut with the Amazonas' opera in Manaus (role TBA) and Flora with the Academy of Vocal Arts.

Imara Miles • Mezzo-Soprano

Mezzo-soprano Imara Miles, a native of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, is in her final year of the master’s program at the IU Jacobs School of Music, where she studies with Patricia Stiles. With numerous years of experience in various musical theater, opera, and sacred performances, Miles made her operatic debut in fall 2017 in Carol Vaness’s Opera Workshop production of Gianni Schicchi, as Zita. Previous Opera Theater performances include the chorus of the collegiate premiere of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs and Mère Jeanne in Francesca Zambello’s production of Dialogues of the Carmelites. Miles also performed the role of Augusta Tabor in Carol Vaness’s Opera Workshop production of The Ballad of Baby Doe. A graduate of York College of Pennsylvania, Miles studied with Erin Lippard and performed in productions of The Drowsy Chaperone (title role), The Pirates of Penzance (Ruth), Guys and Dolls (Gen. Matilda Cartwright), and The Boyfriend (Lady Brockhurst). Previous summer engagements include Grant Park’s Project Inclusion Vocal Ensemble fellowship, where she performed with the Grant Park Choir for the premiere of Ērik Ešenvalds’ Te Pleiades, and a cover in the world premiere of Jeanine Tesori’s opera Blue at the Glimmerglass Festival, where she was also in the chorus of La Traviata and a featured ensemble member in its production of Showboat. While at IU, Miles has been a member of NOTUS Contemporary Vocal Ensemble and performed in master classes with Jamie Barton and George Shirley.

Korin Thomas-Smith • Baritone

Named one of CBC Music’s 30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30 of 2021, Canadian baritone Korin Thomas-Smith is a graduate of the University of Toronto Masters of Opera program, a former fellow of the Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency program at the Royal Conservatory, and is currently completing his Masters of Musical Arts in Opera at Yale University.

Performances for 2021-2022 include Dulcamara in L‘elisir d’amore and Baritone soloist in Beethoven’s 9th in Koerner Hall, with former roles including Conte Almaviva and Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Edmund Bertram in Mansfield Park, and Schaunard in La Boheme. Korin has been a collaborator with Toronto companies Tapestry Opera, Against the Grain Theatre, Citadel + Compagnie and OperaQ. Korin will be a fellow at the Ravinia Steans Music Festival in the summer of 2022, and previous fellowships include the Music Academy of the West and Aspen Music Festival and School.

Kiena Williams  • Soprano

Kiena Williams, Soprano & Brooklyn native, brings “thrilling” passion (OperaWire) to the stage with her rich vocal color and heartfelt interpretation. Some recent features include: Daniel Fish’s Most Happy in Concert (Williamstown Theater Festival), Grace McLean’s In the Green (Mouth-Mannes Opera), NY Districts 2021 (Laffont Competition), Great to Be Here (Liam Forde), L'amico Fritz (Caterina, Suzel Cover- Teatro Grattacielo), 2021-22 Young Artist (Camerata Bardi Vocal Academy), Cosi Fan Tutte (Fiordiligi Cover- Opera NexGen). She serves as Conductor and Outreach & Public Schools Manager at the Grammy Award winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Kiena is an alumna of LaGuardia HS and Penn State University (Bachelor of Arts). She is an MM candidate at Mannes School of Music.