James Allbritten, Conductor
James Allbritten is in his 20th season as Artistic Director for Piedmont Opera,. His work for the company has received considerable critical acclaim. Of PO’s Madama Butterfly, Opera Lively said, “Jamie Allbritten does understand it, and his conducting, if we need to define it by one word, is elegant.” The New York Wagner Society had this to say of his Flying Dutchman: “The joy of the afternoon was Allbritten’s finely modulated conducting, which brought out the varying moods of the score.” Of the company’s Un ballo in maschera, Opera News said, “The musical excellence for the entire evening was the work of the conductor, James Allbritten … His tempos were well chosen, attacks were precise, and coordination and balance with the singers was exemplary.” He has led a wide range of repertoire, from Mozart to nineteenth century standard repertoire, to the opera house premiere of Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza. He was fortunate to have worked with some of the greatest names in opera, including Boris Goldovsky, Brian Balkwill, James Lucas, Nicola Rossi- Lemeni, Virginia Zeani, Giorgio Tozzi and Margaret Harshaw. Allbritten came to North Carolina to join the faculty of the UNCSA, where he served for twenty years. He led the school’s Cantata Singers, Orchestra and was the founding Artistic Director of the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute. He has also led performances for Opera Theater of the Rockies, Opera Carolina, the Carolina Chamber Symphony, and the Winston-Salem Symphony.
Carolyn Orr, Soprano
Up and coming soprano, Carolyn Orr, from Montgomery, Texas, is a vibrant musician who is passionate about spreading her love for opera. Carolyn is a Master’s student at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute where she is pursuing a Master of Music in Vocal Performance studying with Dr. Marilyn Taylor. Carolyn received her undergraduate training from Baylor University, where she studied under Dr. Robert Best.
In the 2021-2022 season, Carolyn has had the opportunity to participate in many amazing projects. Throughout the year she sang as a member of the Grammy Award winning Houston Chamber Choir, premiering works such as Daniel Knaggs’ Two Streams, Tyshawn Sorey: Monochromatic Light (Afterlife), and Alberto Grau’s Lamentations of Jeremiah. Additionally, Carolyn also premiered and recorded The Chapelwood Symphony of Hymns written by David T. Clydesdale and featuring The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Carolyn will continue to be very active during the summer singing the roles of Countess Almaviva from Le Nozze di Figaro (The Matador Opera Workshop), Gretel from Hänsel und Gretel ( LAHSOW), and Johanna from Sweeny Todd (Red River Lyric Opera).
While in the Baylor Opera Theater, Carolyn took on multiple projects including portraying the title role in the main stage production of L’incoronazione di Poppea, as well as the roles of Clara from Signor Deluso and Ifigenia from Händel’s Oreste. Carolyn was an active liaison with the Baylor Opera Theater Guild as well as one of the Baylor Opera Theater Social Media Coordinators for three years, and performed in multiple scenes performances, guild events, and fundraisers. Additionally, while in school Carolyn competed in multiple district and regional NATS competitions where she was frequently named a finalist in her category, and in May of 2020, she competed in the final round of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Voice competition where she won First Place.
Other training includes young artist programs such as Red River Lyric Opera (Johanna), Matador Opera Workshop (Countess Almaviva, Firodiligi), LAHSOW (Gretel, Pamina, Rusalka), Druid City Opera Workshop, Chicago Summer Opera (Alice), the Atlantic Music Festival (Second Woman/Spirit), The Metropolitan Opera Guild, and the Washington National Opera Institute.
In concert, Carolyn has recently been afforded the opportunity to perform as a soloist in the Houston Chamber Choir’s Candle Light Christmas, as well as with the Montgomery All City Choir singing Handel’s Dixit Dominus. Other notable performances include, Resphighi’s Laud to the Nativity, Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Finzi’s In Terra Pax with the Seventh and James Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. Additionally, Carolyn was honored to return to her hometown of Montgomery to sing scenes as Lauretta from Gianni Schicchi and Violetta from La Traviata with the Montgomery County Choral Society in their concert of Love.
Carolyn is passionate about spreading her love of music to those around her so during the COVID-19 pandemic she began teaching students (ages 11-18) in her local school districts. Her students found much success in the Texas All-State Process, Greater Houston NATS competition, Montgomery County Solo Competition, Undergraduate auditions, and their many choir and community outreach projects.
Joyner Horn, Mezzo-Soprano
Joyner Horn is an actress and singer and a 2023 graduate of LAMDA. While at LAMDA, Joyner performed the roles of Diana in All’s Well that Ends Well, Charlotte Malcolm in A Little Night Music, Letitia Hardy in The Belle’s Stratagem, Bosola in The Duchess of Malfi, Henry VI/Catesby in Margaret of Anjou, Estela/Lisarda in The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs, and Adriana in The Comedy of Errors.
Prior to her studies in London, Joyner was seen as Elsa Schraeder in The Sound of Music and the Countess Andrenyi in Murder on the Orient Express with The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem. She was also seen as Corvina in Volpone with the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute.
Joyner has starred in a variety of operatic productions, including L’enfant et les sortilèges with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as the roles of Un Patre, La Chatte, and L'Ecureuil. Other notable stage credits include Calisto (La Calisto) with the University of Cincinnati-CCM, Third Woodsprite cover (Rusalka) and Kitchen Boy cover (Rusalka) with Des Moines Metro Opera, Florece Pike (Albert Herring) with the Boston University Opera Institute, and Prince Orlovsky (Die Fledermaus) with the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
In concert, Joyner was seen once again with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in their Beethoven Akadamie 1808 as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Mass in C and the Choral Fantasy. With Cincinnati Camerata, she appeared as the mezzo-soprano soloist in the Vivaldi Magnificat.
Joyner was a winner of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions North Carolina District.
Toby Bradford, Tenor
Tenor Toby Bradford was born and raised in Pasadena California, and he received his Bachelor of Music from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music under the instruction of world-renowned baritone Vladimir Chernov. He recently completed a Master of Music in Vocal Performance as a fellow of UNCSA's highly selective A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, where he returns this season to pursue a Professional Artist Certificate under the tutelage of Dr. Marilyn Taylor. This year he will be debuting with Piedmont Opera as Ruiz in Verdi's classic Il Trovatore, and will also be staring in Donizetti's Maria di Rohan as Count Riccardo of Chalais, and as Carlo in Pergolesi's Lo frate 'nnamorato with the AJ Fletcher Opera Institute.
This past season saw Bradford’s debuts both at Carnegie Hall in recital with acclaimed concert pianist Maxim Lando as well as Lincoln Center with Teatro Nuovo as the Condulmiero in Rossini’s Maometto II. He then returned triumphantly with Teatro Nuovo to Lincoln Center last summer as Contino del Fiore in Crispino e la Comare by Luigi and Federico Ricci, of which Richard Sasanow of Broadway World wrote "Toby Bradford was a standout... leaving me wishing that he had more to do."
He was also featured in the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute’s 2022-23 season as Nicholas Astor in Kirke Mechem’s The Rivals, and as Pasquale in Haydn’s Orlando Paladino. Voix des Arts said that “a depiction of Pasquale as accomplished as Bradford’s would be notable in any of the world’s great opera houses… it was nothing short of sensational.”
In his first year with the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, Bradford performed the roles of Carlo in Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix, as well as Mosca in Volpone by John Musto. Before that with Opera UCLA, Bradford was given the opportunity to study and perform the roles of Orphée in Charpentier’s La descente d’Orphée aux enfers and Orfeo in Campra’s Orfeo nell’Inferi, as well as roles in the world premieres of Lost Childhood by Janice Hamer and Juana by Carla Lucero. He has also performed the roles of Basilio and Don Curzio in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, both with Opera UCLA and at the Miami Classical Music Festival.
In addition, educational outreach has figured prominently in Bradford’s performing career, beginning as a member of the UCLA Gluck Fellows Vocal Ensemble from 2019-2021, as well as with the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute in partnership with Piedmont Opera.
Christian J. Blackburn, Baritone
Christian Blackburn is a baritone from the town of Lakin, Kansas. He is a graduate of Kansas State University with a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance. With the Kansas State University Opera Theatre he performed the roles of Peter in Hänsel und Gretel and Mr. Kofner in Menotti’s The Consul. Christian spent the summer of 2016 performing as a studio artist for Opera in the Ozarks. While at OIO he performed as The Wolf in John Davis’ adaptation of Pinocchio and in the chorus for Don Giovanni and I Pagliacci.
In the spring of 2017 Christian performed with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Prisoner #3 and the chorus in Dead Man Walking and the chorus for The Pirates of Penzance.
Since moving to Greensboro, North Carolina, Christian has been a Young Artist with Greensboro Opera, performing as the Notary in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and the Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly. Also for Greensboro Opera, he covered the role of Peter in Hänsel und Gretel.
While in Greensboro, Christian has been seen as the baritone soloist for Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle and portrayed the role of Jesus in Chilcott’s St. John’s Passion.
In 2018 Christian made his role debut as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte where News & Record said he was “Stupendous in the role”. Classical Voice North Carolina said “Blackburn’s Papageno lit up the stage: his hearty singing and comic acting was wonderful.” In 2018 Christian performed the role of Rigoletto in Talk Opera! and in 2019 reprised as Peter in Hansel and Gretel for UNCG Opera Theatre. Christian has also been seen in the chorus for North Carolina Opera, debuting with the company in January of 2019.
In April of 2019, he sang the role of Ford in Falstaff with UNCG Opera Theatre, Voix des Arts said of his performance, “Throughout the performance, his comfort with the full range of the music, his nuanced phrasing..belied Blackburn’s youth, further marking him as a singer whose wondrous promise is already being realized.”
In the summer of 2019, Christian will make his role debut as Masetto in Don Giovanni with North Carolina Summer Opera.
Christian holds a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and currently studies with Dr. Carla LeFevre.
Orchestras
Concertino Orchestra
Violin 1: J. Pruett, Monika Wilmot
Violin 2: Brian Ford, Barbara Bell
Viola: Maureen Michels, Laurence Brooke
Cello: Lisa Liske
Bass: William Morris
Bassoon: Ryan Roikola
Trumpet: Hannah Markun, Karl Kassner
Timpani: Jerry Solomon
Harpsichord/Organ: Carson Hayes
Ripieno Orchestra
Violin 1: Naiara Sanchez, William Pace
Violin 2: Luci White, Chang Zhang
Viola: Marian Wilson
Cello: Emily Grissing
Oboe: Mark Biggam, Nicholas Lazzara
James Allbritten is in his 20th season as Artistic Director for Piedmont Opera,. His work for the company has received considerable critical acclaim. Of PO’s Madama Butterfly, Opera Lively said, “Jamie Allbritten does understand it, and his conducting, if we need to define it by one word, is elegant.” The New York Wagner Society had this to say of his Flying Dutchman: “The joy of the afternoon was Allbritten’s finely modulated conducting, which brought out the varying moods of the score.” Of the company’s Un ballo in maschera, Opera News said, “The musical excellence for the entire evening was the work of the conductor, James Allbritten … His tempos were well chosen, attacks were precise, and coordination and balance with the singers was exemplary.” He has led a wide range of repertoire, from Mozart to nineteenth century standard repertoire, to the opera house premiere of Adam Guettel’s The Light in the Piazza. He was fortunate to have worked with some of the greatest names in opera, including Boris Goldovsky, Brian Balkwill, James Lucas, Nicola Rossi- Lemeni, Virginia Zeani, Giorgio Tozzi and Margaret Harshaw. Allbritten came to North Carolina to join the faculty of the UNCSA, where he served for twenty years. He led the school’s Cantata Singers, Orchestra and was the founding Artistic Director of the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute. He has also led performances for Opera Theater of the Rockies, Opera Carolina, the Carolina Chamber Symphony, and the Winston-Salem Symphony.
Carolyn Orr, Soprano
Up and coming soprano, Carolyn Orr, from Montgomery, Texas, is a vibrant musician who is passionate about spreading her love for opera. Carolyn is a Master’s student at the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute where she is pursuing a Master of Music in Vocal Performance studying with Dr. Marilyn Taylor. Carolyn received her undergraduate training from Baylor University, where she studied under Dr. Robert Best.
In the 2021-2022 season, Carolyn has had the opportunity to participate in many amazing projects. Throughout the year she sang as a member of the Grammy Award winning Houston Chamber Choir, premiering works such as Daniel Knaggs’ Two Streams, Tyshawn Sorey: Monochromatic Light (Afterlife), and Alberto Grau’s Lamentations of Jeremiah. Additionally, Carolyn also premiered and recorded The Chapelwood Symphony of Hymns written by David T. Clydesdale and featuring The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Carolyn will continue to be very active during the summer singing the roles of Countess Almaviva from Le Nozze di Figaro (The Matador Opera Workshop), Gretel from Hänsel und Gretel ( LAHSOW), and Johanna from Sweeny Todd (Red River Lyric Opera).
While in the Baylor Opera Theater, Carolyn took on multiple projects including portraying the title role in the main stage production of L’incoronazione di Poppea, as well as the roles of Clara from Signor Deluso and Ifigenia from Händel’s Oreste. Carolyn was an active liaison with the Baylor Opera Theater Guild as well as one of the Baylor Opera Theater Social Media Coordinators for three years, and performed in multiple scenes performances, guild events, and fundraisers. Additionally, while in school Carolyn competed in multiple district and regional NATS competitions where she was frequently named a finalist in her category, and in May of 2020, she competed in the final round of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Voice competition where she won First Place.
Other training includes young artist programs such as Red River Lyric Opera (Johanna), Matador Opera Workshop (Countess Almaviva, Firodiligi), LAHSOW (Gretel, Pamina, Rusalka), Druid City Opera Workshop, Chicago Summer Opera (Alice), the Atlantic Music Festival (Second Woman/Spirit), The Metropolitan Opera Guild, and the Washington National Opera Institute.
In concert, Carolyn has recently been afforded the opportunity to perform as a soloist in the Houston Chamber Choir’s Candle Light Christmas, as well as with the Montgomery All City Choir singing Handel’s Dixit Dominus. Other notable performances include, Resphighi’s Laud to the Nativity, Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Finzi’s In Terra Pax with the Seventh and James Baptist Church in Waco, Texas. Additionally, Carolyn was honored to return to her hometown of Montgomery to sing scenes as Lauretta from Gianni Schicchi and Violetta from La Traviata with the Montgomery County Choral Society in their concert of Love.
Carolyn is passionate about spreading her love of music to those around her so during the COVID-19 pandemic she began teaching students (ages 11-18) in her local school districts. Her students found much success in the Texas All-State Process, Greater Houston NATS competition, Montgomery County Solo Competition, Undergraduate auditions, and their many choir and community outreach projects.
Joyner Horn, Mezzo-Soprano
Joyner Horn is an actress and singer and a 2023 graduate of LAMDA. While at LAMDA, Joyner performed the roles of Diana in All’s Well that Ends Well, Charlotte Malcolm in A Little Night Music, Letitia Hardy in The Belle’s Stratagem, Bosola in The Duchess of Malfi, Henry VI/Catesby in Margaret of Anjou, Estela/Lisarda in The Courage to Right a Woman’s Wrongs, and Adriana in The Comedy of Errors.
Prior to her studies in London, Joyner was seen as Elsa Schraeder in The Sound of Music and the Countess Andrenyi in Murder on the Orient Express with The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem. She was also seen as Corvina in Volpone with the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute.
Joyner has starred in a variety of operatic productions, including L’enfant et les sortilèges with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as the roles of Un Patre, La Chatte, and L'Ecureuil. Other notable stage credits include Calisto (La Calisto) with the University of Cincinnati-CCM, Third Woodsprite cover (Rusalka) and Kitchen Boy cover (Rusalka) with Des Moines Metro Opera, Florece Pike (Albert Herring) with the Boston University Opera Institute, and Prince Orlovsky (Die Fledermaus) with the Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
In concert, Joyner was seen once again with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in their Beethoven Akadamie 1808 as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Mass in C and the Choral Fantasy. With Cincinnati Camerata, she appeared as the mezzo-soprano soloist in the Vivaldi Magnificat.
Joyner was a winner of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions North Carolina District.
Toby Bradford, Tenor
Tenor Toby Bradford was born and raised in Pasadena California, and he received his Bachelor of Music from the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music under the instruction of world-renowned baritone Vladimir Chernov. He recently completed a Master of Music in Vocal Performance as a fellow of UNCSA's highly selective A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, where he returns this season to pursue a Professional Artist Certificate under the tutelage of Dr. Marilyn Taylor. This year he will be debuting with Piedmont Opera as Ruiz in Verdi's classic Il Trovatore, and will also be staring in Donizetti's Maria di Rohan as Count Riccardo of Chalais, and as Carlo in Pergolesi's Lo frate 'nnamorato with the AJ Fletcher Opera Institute.
This past season saw Bradford’s debuts both at Carnegie Hall in recital with acclaimed concert pianist Maxim Lando as well as Lincoln Center with Teatro Nuovo as the Condulmiero in Rossini’s Maometto II. He then returned triumphantly with Teatro Nuovo to Lincoln Center last summer as Contino del Fiore in Crispino e la Comare by Luigi and Federico Ricci, of which Richard Sasanow of Broadway World wrote "Toby Bradford was a standout... leaving me wishing that he had more to do."
He was also featured in the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute’s 2022-23 season as Nicholas Astor in Kirke Mechem’s The Rivals, and as Pasquale in Haydn’s Orlando Paladino. Voix des Arts said that “a depiction of Pasquale as accomplished as Bradford’s would be notable in any of the world’s great opera houses… it was nothing short of sensational.”
In his first year with the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute, Bradford performed the roles of Carlo in Donizetti's Linda di Chamounix, as well as Mosca in Volpone by John Musto. Before that with Opera UCLA, Bradford was given the opportunity to study and perform the roles of Orphée in Charpentier’s La descente d’Orphée aux enfers and Orfeo in Campra’s Orfeo nell’Inferi, as well as roles in the world premieres of Lost Childhood by Janice Hamer and Juana by Carla Lucero. He has also performed the roles of Basilio and Don Curzio in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, both with Opera UCLA and at the Miami Classical Music Festival.
In addition, educational outreach has figured prominently in Bradford’s performing career, beginning as a member of the UCLA Gluck Fellows Vocal Ensemble from 2019-2021, as well as with the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute in partnership with Piedmont Opera.
Christian J. Blackburn, Baritone
Christian Blackburn is a baritone from the town of Lakin, Kansas. He is a graduate of Kansas State University with a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance. With the Kansas State University Opera Theatre he performed the roles of Peter in Hänsel und Gretel and Mr. Kofner in Menotti’s The Consul. Christian spent the summer of 2016 performing as a studio artist for Opera in the Ozarks. While at OIO he performed as The Wolf in John Davis’ adaptation of Pinocchio and in the chorus for Don Giovanni and I Pagliacci.
In the spring of 2017 Christian performed with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City as Prisoner #3 and the chorus in Dead Man Walking and the chorus for The Pirates of Penzance.
Since moving to Greensboro, North Carolina, Christian has been a Young Artist with Greensboro Opera, performing as the Notary in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and the Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly. Also for Greensboro Opera, he covered the role of Peter in Hänsel und Gretel.
While in Greensboro, Christian has been seen as the baritone soloist for Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle and portrayed the role of Jesus in Chilcott’s St. John’s Passion.
In 2018 Christian made his role debut as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte where News & Record said he was “Stupendous in the role”. Classical Voice North Carolina said “Blackburn’s Papageno lit up the stage: his hearty singing and comic acting was wonderful.” In 2018 Christian performed the role of Rigoletto in Talk Opera! and in 2019 reprised as Peter in Hansel and Gretel for UNCG Opera Theatre. Christian has also been seen in the chorus for North Carolina Opera, debuting with the company in January of 2019.
In April of 2019, he sang the role of Ford in Falstaff with UNCG Opera Theatre, Voix des Arts said of his performance, “Throughout the performance, his comfort with the full range of the music, his nuanced phrasing..belied Blackburn’s youth, further marking him as a singer whose wondrous promise is already being realized.”
In the summer of 2019, Christian will make his role debut as Masetto in Don Giovanni with North Carolina Summer Opera.
Christian holds a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and currently studies with Dr. Carla LeFevre.
Orchestras
Concertino Orchestra
Violin 1: J. Pruett, Monika Wilmot
Violin 2: Brian Ford, Barbara Bell
Viola: Maureen Michels, Laurence Brooke
Cello: Lisa Liske
Bass: William Morris
Bassoon: Ryan Roikola
Trumpet: Hannah Markun, Karl Kassner
Timpani: Jerry Solomon
Harpsichord/Organ: Carson Hayes
Ripieno Orchestra
Violin 1: Naiara Sanchez, William Pace
Violin 2: Luci White, Chang Zhang
Viola: Marian Wilson
Cello: Emily Grissing
Oboe: Mark Biggam, Nicholas Lazzara
