Tracy Herrick  (soprano) comes from Cleveland, OH, where she earned her Bachelor of Music at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory. Moving to the West Coast, this versatile artist worked on stage, television and film, and in the recording studio. In opera, she originated the role of Hester Prynne in the world premiere of Martin Herman’s The Scarlet Letter, as directed by Philip Littell. Tracy has also been seen as both Musetta and Mimi in La Bohème, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, and the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro. Favorite concert engagements include appearing with The Peninsula Symphony as their season’s featured artist, and singing with the Los Angeles Music Center Opera in the Three Tenors Encore! Concert at Dodgers’ Stadium. She was guest soloist with The Int’l. Committee of The Los Angeles Philharmonic, the LA Verdi Chorale, and Riverside Concert Opera. In the Pop music field, Tracy toured with the outrageous a capella quartet Main Dish, and was a regular with Bob Ralston Concerts, and at Pasadena’s “Rhapsody on the Green”, performing standards and golden oldies. Television credits include “The Mommies”, “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose”, “Sisters”, and “Liveshot”. Recordings include “Citizen of Time” (by Grammy Award nominee, David Arkenstone), and “Street Life” (an original opera).

In addition to singing with SRO this spring, Tracy can be seen performing with Eveleth Jazz (evelethjazz.net) and is the soprano soloist for Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair, NJ. Last but not least, she plays the ongoing role of “Mom” to her daughters, Lillian (9) and Rebecca (7), and “Wife” to husband Scott, an architect in NY. [ back ]

Emily Howard - Regional credits include Il Trovatore (Azucena) with State Repertory Opera, Aïda (Amneris), Carmen (Carmen), The Mikado (Katisha). Companies include The Metropolitan Opera, The New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, The New England Lyric Opera, The New Jersey Verismo Opera, and Amato Opera. Oratorio credits include the alto solos in The Messiah, Elijah, the Lord Nelson Mass, and Mozart's Coronation Mass (Carnegie Hall debut). She is featured on the recording The OMNI Ensemble Plays the Chamber Music of Jim Lahti.   [ back ]

Michael Wade Lee - Critics hail Michael Wade Lee as a tenor who is “most impressive...with a well-articulated voice of clarity and remarkable color” (San Francisco Classical Voice 2004). A seasoned performer on the operatic stage, he has sung with some of the most respected companies in the world, including the Greek National Opera, New York City Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and the San Francisco Opera Center.

Most recently, Mr. Lee performed the tenor solo in Shcherbachov's 2nd Symphony with American Symphony Orchestra and Nemorino in Donizetti's L'elisir D'amore with St Petersburg Opera, as well as Don José in Carmen with Chautauqua Opera, Opera in the Heights, and the Greek National Opera with Denyce Graves in Athens. Previous to that, he sang Monsieur Grivet in Dicapo Opera's production of Tobias Picker's Therese Raquin, and the Duke in Rigoletto with Opera In The Heights and Connecticut Lyric Opera. He also sang Turiddu in Chelsea Opera’s production of Cavaleria Rusticana, and in July of 2004 performed the role of Male Chorus in Britten’s Rape of Lucretia to great acclaim with San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program. “The best singing came from...tenor Michael Wade Lee, who combined heroism and honeyed tenderness in equal measure” (San Francisco Chronicle 2004).

Known for his acting ability and versatility in the operatic repertoire, Mr. Lee has been heard in a wide variety of roles, including Don José, Turiddu, Tamino, Nanki-Pooh, De Hauptmann, and Raymond Pocket in Miss Havisham’s Fire. He has sung with Greek National Opera, Chautauqua Opera, DiCapo Opera, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Raylnmor Opera, and Indiana Opera Theater. He also created the role of The Actor in the world premiere of Fireworks! a new American opera by Kitty Brazelton, with American Opera Projects in New York. In addition, Mr. Lee has been a member of Pacific Opera’s roster since 2002.

In 2006, he appeared as the 1st Guest in Dargomyzsky’s The Stone Guest with the American Symphony Orchestra under the Baton of Leon Botstein at Avery Fisher Hall. He performed in the Lincoln Center Festival’s production of Goldenthal’s opera, Grendel, directed by Julie Taymor.

Michael Wade Lee has appeared in concert with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra conducted by Stephen Lord, and on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Merkin Hall. His concert and oratorio repertoire include the tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Shcherbachov's Symphony No. 2, Verdi's and Mozart's Requiems, Handel’s Messiah, Saint-Saens’ Christmas Oratorio, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Haydn’s The Creation.

A native of Texas, Mr. Lee was consistently a finalist in the Texoma region's NATS competitions. He received his BM in Vocal Performance from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX. He then went on to receive his MM, also in Vocal Performance, from Indiana State University. He also won the Metropolitan Opera National Council encouragement award in Indiana in 2000 as well as being endowed with the prestigious Merola Career Grant and the Pacific Opera Career Grant, both since 2004.

Mr. Lee currently resides in New York City. Visit Michael's website.   [ back ]

James Trainor - Jim Trainor sang this season with One World Symphony in the role of Marcello in La Bohème and Ned Keane in Peter Grimes. "Special note must be made of Mr. Trainor, whose baritone filled every corner of the Music Hall" and "throughout the evening proved a powerful presence in his solos and ensembles." "A richly-romantic voice put Mr. Trainor in musical command over his fellow cast members" are just some of the ways in which critics have described the singing of Jim Trainor. Roles have included; Belcore in L'eleisir d'amore, Marcello in La Bohème, Allazim in Mozart's Zaide, Il Conte in Le Nozze di Figaro, Harlekin in Ariadne auf Naxos, Lescaut in Massenet's Manon, and Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief. Equally at home in Musical Theatre genre, Mr. Trainor portrayed Carl Magnus in A Little Night Music starring legendary soprano Carol Yahr in the role of Desiree, Billy Bigelow in Carousel and the leading male soloist in Jaques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Mr. Trainor's solo repertoire in Oratorio includes Brahms' Ein Deutches Requiem, Pucell's Come Ye Sons of Arts, Charpentier's Te Deum, Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs, Händel's Messiah, which was heard in Key West under the baton of Dean Walters, Faure's Requiem, Jesus Christ in the St. John Passion by Bach.   [ back ]

Katy Sumrow (mezzo-soprano) was born in Gdansk, Poland. At an early age, she received a full music scholarship to the Chopin School of Music. Upon graduating she signed a contract with the Warsaw Philharmonic Choir and toured through Spain and Germany. Ms. Sumrow performed in the Polish Requiem with Leonard Bernstein and Liv Ullman at the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw on International television. Ms. Sumrow's repertoires as a Soloist include Baroque, Opera, Jazz, Spiritual and Broadway. Ms. Sumrow is a founding member of THE BAROQUE ENSEMBLE BUCCINA CANTORUM and has recorded a CD "Music of the Italian Baroque". Visit Katy's website.   [ back ]

Alan Gordon Smulen (baritone) is from Bayonne, New Jersey and has been seen performing in the New York Metro area for many years. He is very happy to be singing once again with New Jersey State Repertory Opera with whom he has performed over many seasons. Locally, he has performed with Amato Opera Theater, Verismo Opera of Northern Jersey, Hudson Opera Theater, and The Little Opera Company of New Jersey. In Europe, Alan has performed in France, Austria, and Italy. This season, he has appeared as Doctor Bartolo in The Barber of Seville, and both as Marcello and Schaunard in La Bohème, the title role in Don Pasquale, and Papageno in The Magic Flute. He will also be seen later this season as Don Alfonso in Così fan Tutte all at Amato Opera Theater. Alan also appeared in concert this Christmas at Peddie Memorial Baptist Church in Newark. Other roles include Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, Dr. Dulcamara in L'Elisir D'Amore, Fra Melitone in La Forza Del Destino, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly and Falstaff in Falstaff.

Jennifer Paragano (soprano) is a Junior at Montclair State University majoring in vocal performance. She has been studying voice for six years. Jennifer has appeared with five different opera companies, including the New Jersey State Repertory Opera, in over a dozen operas. Her recent performance credits include being a featured soloist for Montclair State University performance of Poulenc's Gloria. She was also “woman 1”e regional premiere of Elmer Gantry. This summer she will be touring Russia and performing at the prestigious Tchaikovsky Conservatory with Montclair State's “University Singers.”

Mary Pinto (accompanist) received her Masters in Accompanying with John Wustman at the University of Illinois. She worked for the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists in Chicago and from there went to work on the staff of the Dallas Opera, San Antonio Opera, and various other regional operas. She is currently thrilled to be back in her home state of NJ working on the staff of William Paterson University and Montclair State University, and appreciates the support of her wonderful husband Mitchell and her two beautiful children Brittany and Sam. [ back ]

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