Opera in the Park
Event Information
Opera in the Park offers a free outdoor classical performances that brings together the community, making opera accessible to all. This initiative fosters community pride and encourages family engagement, allowing residents to enjoy world-class performances in a welcoming atmosphere. Additionally, it provides a platform for traveling and local talent showcasing the Permian Basin. There will be free balloon twisting by Harlin, and face painting by Greenie the Clown and don't forget the local food trucks. Bring your picnic blanket and enjoy a beautiful night with PBO.
Program Order
ACT I
1. Katie Osuamkpe - Va! Laisse couler mes larmes from Werther by Jules Massenet
2. Brian Kuhnert - La calunnia e un venticello from Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini
3. Hannah Woolf - Tre giorni son che Nina a Canzonetta by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
4. Andrew Ellis - Il mio tesoro from Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
5. Jillian Pena - Lullaby from The Consul by Gian Carlo Menotti
6. Morgan Dye - Deh vieni, non tardar from Le Nozze di Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
7. Jonathan Rhoades - Tanzlied des Pierrot from Die tote Stadt by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
8. Daniella Rodriguez - Vilja from The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár
9. Yamni Guevara - Habanera from Carmen by Georges Bizet
10. Jon ‘Dirk’ Ross / Zach Douglas - In un Coupé?... O Mimi, tu più non torni from La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini
*Intermission Presented by Howard College Band
Canticum by James Curnow
Irish Tune from County Derry (Danny Boy) by Percy Grainger
"Habanera" from Carmen by Georges Bizet, Scott Stanton Arr.
Fanfare for the Third Planet by Richard Saucedo
ACT II
1. Chris Vaught - Fin ch’han dal Vino from Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
2. Zach Douglas - Che Gelinda Manina from La Boheme by Giacomo Puccini.
3. Andrea Thompson - Glitter and Be Gay from Candide by Leonard Bernstein
4. Brian Kuhnert - Ella giammai m'amò!...Dormirò sol nel manto mio regal from Don Carlos by Giuseppe Verid
5. Caroline Booth - Oh! Quante volte from I Capuleti ed i Montecchi by Vincenzo Bellini
6. Jon ‘Dirk’ Ross - Bella Siccome Un Angelo from Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti
7. Daniella Rodriguez - Mein Herr Marquis from Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss
8. Yamni Guevara - Mon coeur s'ouvre á ta voix, from Samson et Dalila by C. Saint Saëns
9. Jonathan Rhoades - Si corre dal notaio from Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Antonio Puccini
10. Andrew Ellis - Amor ti vieta from Fedora by Umberto Giordano
11. Katie Osuamkpe - Augusta! How can you turn away! From The Ballad of Baby Doe by Douglas Moore
Meet the Performers
Lyric tenor Zachary Douglas is a native of Texas and a graduate of Angelo State University, where he studied voice under the mentorship of Dr. Scott Raines, Dr. Mark Covey, Dr. Eric Posada, and Jessica Rosas-Posada. During his time there, he appeared in numerous concerts, operatic scenes, and choral productions, gaining recognition for his expressive tone and musical sensitivity. His repertoire includes “Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön” (The Magic Flute), “Che gelida manina” (La bohème), and “Nessun Dorma” (Turandot). Zachary is currently exploring opportunities in summer opera programs and plans to pursue a master’s degree in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance. Looking ahead, he also aims to expand his artistry internationally, including a 2026 performance journey to Vienna and Salzburg.
Jillian Peña, a Texas native born in Amarillo and raised in Midland, discovered her
passion for music at an early age. A graduate of Premier High School and Midland College, where she earned an associate degree in Arts and General Studies, she continues to refine her craft as a vocalist. Currently immersed in a diverse repertoire of arias, Jillian strives to bring storytelling and raw emotion to life through her performances. Beyond the stage, she shares her love for music with aspiring musicians, offering beginner piano lessons at First Presbyterian Church. There, she nurtures young talent, guiding them through the fundamentals of piano and music theory, fostering a strong foundation for their musical journeys.
A Texas Panhandle native, bass-baritone Dr. Brian Kuhnert serves as Professor of Voice and Director of Vocal Studies at Wayland Baptist University (Plainview, TX). Stage credits include Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Horace Tabor (The Ballad of Baby Doe), Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), Bartolo (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Rev. Olin Blitch (Susannah), Frank (Die Fledermaus), Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte), Kecal (The Bartered Bride), Betto (Gianni Schicchi/Buoso’s Ghost), Pooh-Bah (The Mikado), and Jack (The Incident at Burro Java, premiere). As a concert soloist he has appeared in Handel’s Messiah; the Requiem settings of Mozart, Fauré, and Verdi; Schubert’s Mass in G; Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder; and Gounod’s Messe solennelle de Sainte-Cécile. As founding Artistic Director of Opera of the Plains (est. 2022), Dr. Kuhnert leads a children focused touring company bringing adapted operas to elementary audiences across the Texas Panhandle. He develops and arranges repertoire under his Goodnight Music imprint including The Snow Queen, Little Red Riding Hood, Blancaflor and Puss in Boots for schools in Amarillo/Canyon, Plainview, Midland, and surrounding rural districts. He holds a DMA (Texas Tech) and MM/BM (West Texas A&M). His research centers on Gerald Finzi’s Hardy settings, giving the West Texas premiere of By Footpath and Stile in March 2011.
Nicaraguan Mezzo-Soprano, she began her singing studies at the INCANTO Foundation in Managua, Nicaragua, with the Baritons’ Alberto San Jose and Jose Luis Leyton. She completed her pre university studies at the University of Costa Rica in San José, Costa Rica, with the Soprano Sofía Corrales. Then she returned to INCANTO Foundation as a soloist with the Opera Lab, having the opportunity to win a vocal improvement course at the Puccini Foundation in Torre del Lago, Italy, and receive masterclasses with distinguished maesters from Italy, Cuba, and Venezuela. She participated in the Linus Lerner International Singing Competition, finishing as a finalist in 2020 and a semifinalist in 2022. She has performed in various lyrical productions, performing opera roles such as Lola, Cavalleria Rusticana, P.Mascagni, Donna Elvira, Don Giovanni, W. Mozart, Suzuki, Madama Butterfly, G. Puccini, The Mother, Ahmal, and The Night Visitors, Menotti. Azucena, Il Trovatore, Verdi Maddalena, Rigoletto, Verdi, and Amneris, Verdi, Aida. She has performed the zarzuelas Luisa Fernanda by Federico Moreno Torriba, playing the title role, and Cecilia Valdez by Gonzalo Roig, playing the role of Isabel. As a soloist, she has performed Mozart's Requiem and Vivaldi's Gloria, as well as numerous concerts of national, lyrical, popular, and musical theater music.
Jonathan Rhoades, baritone and new choir director at LFHS in Midland, has been frequently engaged in operas, musicals, recitals, and choral productions over the last two years, performing in 18 different productions with Opera in the Ozarks, Opera Memphis, the Rhodes Mastersingers, and the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis since August of 2023. Notable recent credits include Zuniga in Carmen, the Narrator/Mysterious Man in Into the Woods, Tony in The Most Happy Fella, and Masetto in Don Giovanni. Jonathan Rhoades graduated in May 2025 with a Master of Music in vocal performance at the University of Memphis, where he studied with Matt Burns. In December 2020, he graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education from Oklahoma State University, where he studied with Steve Sanders.
Jon 'Dirk' Ross is a Music Performance major at Angelo State University. He has earned top honors at NATS and the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and was the recipient of the Schmidt Vocal Arts Alumni Grant. Mr. Ross has performed the leading roles of Papageno, Gianni Schicchi, Shrek, and Phantom. Ross was a Young Artist at Chicago Summer Opera, OperaMaya, and AIMS in Graz, Austria. He has also been a featured soloist with the San Angelo Symphony and the Permian Basin Opera Company
Daniella Rodriguez, soprano, is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University where she earned honors studying music with a focus on voice. She has been teaching private lessons in voice and piano for several years around the Dallas Fort-Worth and West Texas areas. When she is not teaching Daniella enjoys performing in a variety of settings such as musicals, plays, and operas. She has also done two solo recitals and countless choral concerts in various genres. She has been seen most recently on stage at Midland Community Theater performing in the musical Anastasia.
Dr. Andrew Ellis is a singer and voice teacher committed to serving the educational needs of local communities. He received his B.M. (2013) from Liberty University, and his M.M. (2020) and D.M.A. (2023) from the University of Georgia. Andrew has performed internationally as an operatic tenor with performing credits that include much of the tenor repertoire, including the Duke in Rigoletto, Ferrando in Cosi Fan Tutte, and Faust. He is passionate about combining the field of acoustics with the traditions of bel canto to equip students so that they can achieve artistic expression in any genre.
Caroline Booth is a passionate vocalist and performer who finds immense joy in bringing music to life. She holds a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Music from Southern Methodist University and continues to balance her love for both fields. While building her career as a project manager in the electrical industry, Caroline pursues music as a creative outlet. She has been fortunate to perform with MCT since 2022, playing roles such as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
(2024), Regina in Rock of Ages (2023), and Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (2022).
Andrea Thompson is a junior from San Angelo, Texas, pursuing a Bachelor of Music with All-Level Teacher Certification at Angelo State University (ASU). With a strong passion for choral music, she participates in numerous collegiate ensembles, including the ASU Chorale, Chamber Singers, Treble Choir, San Angelo Chorus, and the Marching Ram Band. She also serves the ASU Choir program in several leadership roles, including as a choir officer, section leader, and social media manager. In 2024, Andrea was named a winner of the ASU Concerto and Aria Competition. She has also performed as a soloist with the ASU Choirs, San Angelo Chorus, ASU Symphony Orchestra, and ASU Wind Ensemble. Andrea continues to refine her artistry under the mentorship of Dr. Eric Posada, Dr. Jessica Posada, and Dr. Mark Covey. In addition to her collegiate involvement, she has recently become a Private Voice Instructor at San Angelo Broadway Academy. After completing her degree, she plans to pursue a Master of Music in Choral Conducting.
Morgan Dye is a vocalist who grew up on ‘The Sound of Music’ and ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ Her love for singing grew from these musicals and from her talented grandmother, Sara Oppenheim. As a music concentration at the University of Dallas, Mrs. Sharon Gross instructed Morgan in voice, and Mr. Brian Bentley directed her in the UD Chorale. Morgan’s musical education culminated in her senior thesis performance in May of 2025 where she focused on Italian, German, and French Operatic works. Overall, Morgan is grateful for the musical education she received and she is excited for this opportunity to perform with the Permian Basin Opera.
Christopher Vaught hails from San Angelo, Texas where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Angelo State University. He also holds a Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio where he studied with Andreas Poulimenos. Mr. Vaught’s performance experience includes leading roles in The Marriage of Figaro, Albert Herring, Merry Wives of Windsor, Gianni Schicchi, La Bohème, Don Giovanni, and Lucia di Lammermoor. He and his wife Tammy moved to Midland from Detroit, Michigan in 2011. Chris performed with the Michigan Opera Theater Chorus from 2001-2011 and has sung roles in MOT’s productions of Cyrano, Margaret Garner, Il Trovatore, Otello, Don Pasquale, La Bohème, and La Traviata. Local performances include Javert in Les Miserables, and the Sacristan in Midland Opera Theater’s production of Tosca.
Hannah is a musician from Midland, Texas, with over eight years of experience in choir and instrumental performance. A dedicated member of the Midland College Choir for the past four years, Hannah has also auditioned for Permian Basin Opera and is excited to make their debut performance with the company. A three-time Texas All-State Choir champion, Hannah is passionate about both singing and playing instruments and looks forward to continuing their musical journey.
Dr. Katie Osuamkpe serves as Choral/Vocal Director and Assistant Professor of Music at Midland College, where she teaches Music Appreciation, Music Theory, Choir, and Voice. She directs the college’s choral ensembles, provides private vocal instruction, and prepares students for campus and community performances, including collaborations with churches, civic organizations, and local events. Dr. Osuamkpe has organized masterclasses, workshops, and guest artist residencies, enhancing the educational experiences of her students and establishing a dynamic music program. She also serves as Board President of Permian Basin Opera, providing strategic leadership, program oversight, and community engagement. Under her guidance, PBO has expanded outreach initiatives, educational programs, and major productions, including Opera in the Park and fundraising galas, strengthening the organization’s cultural presence in West Texas. Dr. Osuamkpe’s performance career spans over 25 years, encompassing opera, concert, and musical theater. Some operatic roles include Dorabella in Così fan tutte (University of Montana), Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro (Montana Lyric Opera), and choir member in Elixir of Love. She has performed as a soloist in Mozart’s The Messiah, Brahms’ Neue Liebeslieder Op. 65, Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339. Musical theater credits include Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, Catherine in Pippin, the Witch in The Mini Magic Flute, and ensemble in The Merry Widow. Her accolades include recognition in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and runner-up status in the NATS Artist Awards (NATSAA). As a director, she has led youth and community productions, including 101 Dalmatians Jr., Annie Jr., and co-directed Edges with Missoula Masters Theater. Dr. Osuamkpe holds a Bachelor of Music from Idaho State University, a Master of Music from the University of Montana, and a Doctor of Music Education from Liberty University. Through her teaching, performances, and leadership, she has made a lasting impact on students, colleagues, performers, and audiences, strengthening Midland College, Permian Basin Opera, and the broader arts community.
