Laura
McHugh
Soprano
Laura McHugh
Laura McHugh, a soprano “ready for heavenly ascent” (Boston Musical Intelligencer) lauded for her “superb, floating” sound (Melrose Free Press) recently won 1st Place in the Classical Singer National Competition, 1st Place in the Vermont Vocal Competition, and 2nd Place in Classical Idol (VOX New England). Known for her penchant for “hilarious interpretation” (Voce di Meche), she recently created comedic roles in two World Premiere Operas: The Reaper in Reap What You Soul (a ‘90s pop-diva inspired take on the Angel of Death) and Hannah in Non Motus (who panics when nature inevitably calls during an extended traffic jam). This year, she covered Rose in the East Coast premiere of Tobias Picker’s Awakenings with Odyssey Opera/Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and also appeared as a soloist on the cast recording. A performer with strong musical theatre chops, she recently flexed her crossover muscles as Florinda in Sondheim’s Into the Woods with Tulsa Opera, where she also served as a Filstrup Resident Artist.
Visit her website at: https://lauramchughsoprano.com/
Laura
Zahn
Mezzo-Soprano
Laura Zahn
A rising dramatic mezzo-soprano, Laura Zahn has been praised for her “warm, voluptuous voice clearly
destined for Puccini and Verdi.” Highlights of the 22-23 season included role debuts as Romeo in I
Capuleti e i Montecchi, Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana and Secretary in Menotti’s The Consul.
That spring, Ms. Zahn also stepped in for an ailing colleague to reprise the role of Siebel in Faust,
marking her debut with Opera Baltimore. Previously, Ms. Zahn joined Opera Orlando for their Viva
Verdi season, which focused on the works of Giuseppe Verdi. There Laura performed Giulietta di
Kelbar (Un giorno di regno), Flora Bervoix (La Traviata) and Maddalena (Rigoletto). This season, Ms.
Zahn is slated to make role debuts as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana and Teresa in La Sonnambula
as well as a house debut with Opera Delaware and an international debut in Hong Kong singing
highlights from Carmen. She has also performed with LA Opera, Boston Lyric Opera and debuted in
Carnegie Hall in 2019.
An accomplished competition singer, Laura finaled in Opera Mississippi’s 2021 John Alexander
National Vocal competition and semi-finaled in the 2020 NYIOP/Premiere Opera Foundation
Competition and the 2016 Mildred Miller International Voice Competition. Ms. Zahn holds degrees
from The Boston Conservatory and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.
Visit her website at: https://www.laurazahnmezzo.com/
John
Park
Tenor
John Park
John Kun Park, a Korean-American Tenor from Los Angeles, California, has been described as
“a clarion tenor voice…that floats its high notes with ease and emotional fervor.”
John will be starting 2024 reviving Ricky Ian Gordon’s composition, The Tibetan Book of the
Dead, then shortly after joining Penn Square Opera for their “Opera Couples Therapy,”
concert, singing highlights from Carmen, Tosca, and Cavalleria Rusticana. He will make his
role and company debut singing Cavaradossi in Opera Modesto’s Tosca, then join Opera on
the James in the fall to debut as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.
It was an exciting 2023 for John, making multiple role debuts - covering Canio for Opera
Tampa’s I Pagliacci, and singing the role of Rick in John Adams’ “I was looking at the ceiling and
then I saw the sky,” with InSeries Opera. He then rejoined West Bay Opera as Erik in Wagner’s
Der Fliegende Holländer, and then joined the Berlin Opera Academy in the summer to debut as
Bacchus in Strauss’ iconic Ariadne auf Naxos.
Mr. Park is making his strides towards the dramatic and Wagnerian repertoire. He has
appeared nationally premiering and covering title roles in operas such as Tosca, Faust, Carmen, and Die Walküre with companies such as Chautauqua Opera, Sarasota Opera, Central City Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, West Bay Opera, and Long Beach Opera.
Visit his website at: https://www.johnkunpark.com/
Kendra
Bigley
Piano
Kendra Bigley
Kendra Bigley is a versatile collaborative artist and respected pedagogue. She earned a BMus in Piano
Performance from the Eastman School of Music and an MMus in Collaborative Piano/Vocal Coaching
from Temple University. Through her assistantship with Temple Opera, Ms. Bigley collaborated with
Joseph Mechavic, Michael Sakir, and Ben Robinson; opera coaching was under the tutelage of
Christopher Turbessi; and collaborative recitals were coached by Lambert Orkis.
Ms. Bigley has built a career as a collaborative pianist at the Trust Performing Arts Center performing
with such artists as Amy Owens, Doris Hall-Gulati, Christopher Dylan Herbert, Samantha Hankey,
Jennifer Aylmer, Thomas Meglioranza, Timothy Long, and Christopher Shih.
Ms. Bigley has also enjoyed working as a music director, conductor, vocal coach, and accompanist at The Fulton Theatre, Prima Theatre, Opera Lancaster, Florida International University, Servant Stage
Company, The Ransom Everglades School, Temple Opera, Boyer College of Music and Dance, and
Lancaster Bible College, where she is on faculty. Her favorite shows as music-director/conductor include “Cinderella”, “Working”, “Little Shop of Horrors”, “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown”, “I Love You,
You’re Perfect, Now Change”, “Little Women”, “My Fair Lady”, “The Music Man”, and “Titanic: the
musical”, for which she won the Regional Broadway Music Award for Best Music Director.
Ms. Bigley lives in Lancaster City with her conductor/singer/actor husband, Dr. Robert Bigley.