Dxn Pasquale

He has served as music director for all of MODO’s stunning, impactful productions, beginning with Cosí fan tutte in the fall of 2014. Other favorite past productions include: the world premiere workshop of Bright Sheng’s The Dream of the Red Chamber, Ariadne auf Naxos, L’Elisir d’amore, The Cunning Little Vixen, at the University of Michigan; Cosí fan tutte with Pine Mountain Music Festival; Le Nozze di Figaro with Arbor Opera Theatre; Candide with The Michigan Theatre; The Light in the Piazza at New York University; Hansel and Gretel with Berkshire Opera Theater; and the off-Broadway premiere of Don Imbroglio at the New York Musical Theater Festival. He has appeared in recitals on Tucson’s True Concord Voices series, at Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown Concert House, The Yale Institute for British Art, the Casement Fund Song Series in New York, the Cleveland Art Song Festival, and the Britten-Pears Institute in Aldeburgh, England. With tenor Brian Giebler, he was nominated for a GRAMMY for their 2020 album, “a lad’s love” on Bridge Records. A sought-after vocal coach, McGhee teaches vocal music at The Roeper School and is the music director at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Royal Oak.

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They move seamlessly among musical styles, from Baroque to Contemporary, and prides themself in the dramatic portrayals they present. They have also been seen as Maddie in Three Decembers, Juno in Semele, and Paula Deen (one of their favorite roles!) in Opera MODO’s Krispy Kremes and Butter Queens as a part of Bon Operatit! bringing hilarity to Detroit through opera!

Mx. Wright returned for a second season to Des Moines Metro Opera (DMMO) as the cover of Madame de Croissy in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, and returned as a Young Artist performing in scenes from La Gioconda, Cendrillion, and Jenufa. They made their main stage debut as Mrs. Ott in Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of Floyd’s Susannah, a portrayal that the composer praised. As a DMMO Young Artist, they performed the role of the Principessa in Suor Angelica, as well as scenes from Lohengrin (Ortrud), Die Zauberflöte (Third Lady), and Falstaff (Quickly). Danielle has a private voice and dramatic coaching studio in Detroit and loves working with incredible undergraduate performers at Wayne State University! They are the Executive Director and Founder of Opera MODO.

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She is known to create unforgettable, outside of the box performances. (You should check out her Carmen on Roller Skates). Czartorski has captivated audiences spanning Opera, Musical Theater, and jazz. In addition to performances with Detroit Opera and The Ad Astra Festival in Russel Kansas, she embarked in several engagements with the Ringwald Theater, an LGBTQ+ Theater in Ferndale, Michigan. The All-encompassing musician’s recent engagements include being a featured soloist on a jazz album with the Scott Gwinell Jazz orchestra, as well Detroit Opera’s production of Ainadamar. Lily Belle’s thrilling performances have landed her great success with vocal competitions. She was a semi-finalist in the 2021 American Pops Orchestra Finding the Voices of Tomorrow National Vocal Competition, placed third and won the audience choice award in the Opera Grand Rapids National Collegiate Vocal Competition (2020), placed second in the Charleston International Competition (2020), winner of the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Concerto and Aria Competition (2019) and winner of the rising stars category of the Opera Modo Detroit Aria Competition (2018). Lily Belle is thrilled to partner with Opera Grand Rapids following her recent role as Kate in Pirates of Penzance and Barbara Thames in OGR’s world premiere production of Stinney: An American Execution (January 2022) and Elder Constance in Matthew Aucoin’s Second Nature (April 2021).

Lily Belle attended Oakland University in Rochester, MI  for degrees in both Vocal Performance and Music Education. There, she appeared in the roles of Mere Marie (Dialogues Des Carmelites), Anna Marrant (Street Scene), Nancy (Martha) and First Lady (Die Zauberflöte).

Her upcoming engagements include the role of Grandma in Little Red with Detroit Opera.

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Mr. Dillard is a graduate from the University of Michigan with a master’s degree in Voice Performance and received his Bachelors from Claflin University. In 2019, Dorian sung the role of Chicken Plucker and William in the World Premiere of Terrance Blanchard’s new opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones, while a Gerdine Young Artist at Opera Theatre St. Louis. Mr. Dillard’s other operatic performances include, Diron (Minette Fontaine), Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Peter the Honey Man (Porgy & Bess), Larry Renault (Dinner at Eight), Tybalt (Roméo & Juliet) King Kasper (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi). In concert, Mr. Dillard II, has had the opportunity to perform as a Tenor Soloist in Kathleen Battle’s Underground Railroad, Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms and most recently Händel’s Messiah. Dorian also has won awards, including 1st place in his category in the NATS Competition, a Finalist in the Opera MODO Detroit Aria Competition, a semi finalist in the Marcello Giordani Vocal Competition, a finalist in the George Shirley African American Operatic Aria and Art Song Competition, and an Encouragement Award Winner from the MET National Council Auditions Southeastern District. Dorian is excited to join Opera MODO and kick off his season.

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Katrina regularly appears on stage with Opera MODO, where she has performed the roles of Norina in a new translation of D[x]n Pasquale, Cinderella in Into The Woods, the title role in Les mamelles de Tirésias, Monica in Menotti’s The Medium, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, and many more. Other favorite roles include Lucy in The Telephone, Musetta in La bohème, Tytania in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute.

In June 2021, Katrina sang in the world-premiere of Shawn Okpebholo’s Three Psalmic Meditations with DSO principal trombonist Kenneth Thompkins. Additionally, Katrina has been featured as soprano soloists in Bach’s Cantatas 140, 211 and Magnificat, Duke Ellington’s Concert of Sacred Music, Mozart’s Solemn Vespers and Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Rutter’s Requiem, and Vivaldi’s Gloria, on stages around the world including at the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Traverse City Wine & Opera Festival, and with the Bach Ensemble in Naples, Florida.

Miss Van Maanen holds a Masters of Music in vocal performance from University of Houston where she was granted the prestigious Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts Fellowship. She received a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Western Michigan University where she graduated summa cum laude.

Miss Van Maanen has placed in numerous competitions including 3rd place in the 2015 Nicholas Loren Vocal Competition and 2nd place in the 2015 Houston Tuesday Musical Club’s Ruth Burr competition. Other awards include: Houston Gilbert & Sullivan Society Vocal Scholarship Recipient, Regional winner of the 2014 Classical Singer University Competition in Houston, TX, 2012 Finalist at the Franco-American Vocal Academy’s Grand Concours de Chant, and 1st place in the 2008 Michigan Federation of Music Club Elizabeth Gardner Voice Award.

In addition to performing, Katrina is an applied voice instructor at Oakland University, and runs a private voice studio in Berkeley, Van Maanen Studios. She currently serves on the music ministry at Christ Church Detroit, and has experience working in the commercial film industry in metro Detroit.

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Some of her favorite credits include Ariel in The Little Mermaid and The Body in Revolt. She said. Revolt Again. for which she received a Distinguished Performance by an Actor award from the Kennedy Center. This is her first performance with Opera MODO, and she hopes you enjoy the show as much as she enjoyed being a part of it!

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They are going into their junior year at Wayne State University for a BFA in theatre.  You may have seen them in the ensemble of last year’s summer season at Opera MODO, and in WSU’s The Snow Queen (titular role), and The People VS Friar Laurence, the Man Who Killed Romeo and Juliet (Lady Capulet). They feel it is more important than ever to create and support queer theatre, and they hope to continue pursuing this in the future.

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While attending DSA, Mariyon studied various musical instruments. (Cello, Viola, Upright Bass, and Vocal). Mariyon is currently studying Music Technology with a Jazz minor at Oakland University, working under Dr. Micheal Mitchell, Scott Gwinnell, and Katrina Van Maanen. Mariyon is assistant teaching a Jazz Instrumental/Vocal workshop at Marygrove High School alongside Scott Gwinnell and Jiana Hunter, leading Community Chorus Detroit Young Artist Program, and soon will be starting an internship at the Motown Museum Keys 2 Life organization teaching the youth how to produce and sing later this year.

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Previously they have been seen in She Kills Monsters, and Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. at Wayne State, and in the ensemble of both The Wedding Singer and D[X]N Pasquale with Opera MODO last summer.

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They graduated summa cum laude from Wayne State University with a BFA in Acting, and a Musical Theatre minor. You may have seen them in other MODO shows such as the premiere of Dxn Pasquale in 2022 (The Drag Notary), The Wedding Singer (Ensemble), and Orpheus in the Underworld (Ensemble).

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Career highlights include playing Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors, the Bishop in Suor Angelica, and Paul Robeson for Watchnight Services at Fellowship Chapel of Detroit, MI. Hodges sings with the Acclaimed Brazeal Dennard Chorale, and is a staff singer at Christ Church Detroit. Hodges attended Wayne State University In Detroit, MI majoring in Vocal Performance.

 “Your voice spins beautifully..and the high notes incredible!”  — Concert Attendee 2016

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