Ravishing Beauty: Antonin Dvořák’s sublime Stabat Mater
Deborah Selig, soprano
Soprano Deborah Selig’s voice has been described by the press as “radiant,” “beautifully
rich,” “capable of any emotional nuance,” and “impressively nimble.” Ms. Selig performs
repertoire spanning baroque to contemporary in opera, oratorio and art song across the
United States. Passionate about mentoring the next generation of singers, Ms. Selig
currently serves on the voice faculties of Wellesley College, Brown University and the
summer Boston University Tanglewood Institute.
Operatic highlights have included Micaëla in Carmen with Dayton Opera; Sybil Vane in
Liebermann’s The Picture of Dorian Gray with Odyssey Opera; Pamina in The Magic
Flute with Boston Lyric Opera; Musetta in La Boheme and Zerlina in Don Giovanni with
Central City Opera; Rose in Street Scene with Chautauqua Opera; Curley’s Wife in
Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Kentucky
Opera; and Bella in Tippett’s A Midsummer Marriage with Boston Modern Orchestra
Project.
Concert performance highlights have included Brahms’ Requiem with Buffalo
Philharmonic; Ravel’s Chanson Madécasses and Judith Weir’s Nuits d’Afrique with
Worcester Chamber Music Society; Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with Back Bay Chorale;
Bach’s Cantatas 36, 92 and 97 with Handel and Haydn Society; Handel’s Messiah with
Rhode Island Philharmonic; Mozart’s Requiem with Brown University Choir; Haydn’s
Creation with Harvard University Choir; Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3 with Kentucky
Symphony; and both Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de
Confessore with Masterworks Chorale.
Recordings include Marcia Kraus’ Three Fairy Tales for Soprano, Oboe and Piano with
Centaur Records and both Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts and Paul
Moravec’s Blizzard Voices with Boston Modern Orchestra Project and BMOP Sound.
Ms. Selig earned an Artist Diploma in Opera and MM in Voice from Cincinnati College-
Conservatory of Music and BM/BA in Voice Performance and English from the
University of Michigan, all degrees summa cum laude. Apprenticeships included
Chautauqua Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Ravinia Festival Steans Institute
and Tanglewood Music Center.
Hannah Ludwig, mezzo-soprano
The New York Times calls mezzo-soprano Hannah Ludwig “best in show.” In the 2024-25 season, she makes her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Third Servant in Die Frau ohne Schatten, joins the Falmouth Chorale for Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, and sings concert of opera favorites with Knoxville Opera. Last season, she made her debut with the New York Philharmonic singing Handel’s Messiah conducted by Fabio Biondi following her first collaboration with him on the same piece in the previous season with the National Symphony Orchestra. Also, last season, she rejoined Teatro Nuovo singing excerpts of Semiramide and Maometto II in concert as well as made her debut with the Houston Symphony as the Page in Salome and returned to Rosina in Il barbiere di Svigilia with Opera Louisiane.
A prolific interpreter of the repertoire of Rossini, she has joined Teatro Nuovo as Calbo in Maometto II, Pippo in La gazza ladra, Isaura in Tancredi, and Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia. She sang Isabella in L’italiani in Algeri (Eroica Berlin) and Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Annapolis Opera). Also in the bel canto realm, she sang Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena (Baltimore Concert Opera) and Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor (Opera Philadelphia), Maddalena in Rigoletto (Utah Opera), as well as excerpts of Adalgisa in Norma (Sacramento Philharmonic).
She made her Dallas Opera debut as Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte and returned as Floßhilde in Das Rheingold. She has joined Portland Opera as the District Attorney in Central Park Five and Boston Lyric Opera as Ljubica in Svadba. On the concert stage, she sang Elgar’s Sea Pictures and Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky (Colorado Symphony) and Mozart’s Requiem (Columbus Symphony), both under the baton of Rossen Milanov, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (Flint Symphony Orchestra), and Handel’s Messiah (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Las Vegas Philharmonic).
She attended the prestigious Academy of Vocal Artists and received her Bachelor of Music Degrees from the University of the Pacific.
Charles Calotta, tenor
Tenor Charles Calotta is a gifted artist known for his luminous voice, refined musicality, and compelling stage presence. With a versatility that spans repertoire from Baroque to contemporary, he has established himself as a dynamic and engaging performer. 2025 engagements include the roles of Hiloha and Loksi’ Sipokni’ in the world premiere of the first opera in the Cherokee language, Shell Shaker, with the Mt. Holyoke Symphony, White Raven, Black Dove with White Snake Projects, All is Calm at Opera Steamboat and covers the title role of Diego de la Vega in Héctor Armienta’s opera Zorro.
In 2024 Charles returned to Opera Neo as Grimoaldo in Rodelinda and Ferrando in Così fan tutte, a role he also sang with Opera Ithaca. He debuted Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro with Sacramento Opera and Laurie in Little Women at Fort Worth Opera where the Dallas Morning News declared him ‘a most sympathetic Laurie...’ The talented tenor also sang his first Narraboth in Salome at National Sawdust. Notable performances include appearances with the Prague Summer Nights and Lyrique International de Belle-Île Festivals, Florida Grand Opera, Opera North, and the Maryland Opera Studio. His roles include Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Nyman’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Gregory Spears' Fellow Travelers and André Previn's A Streetcar Named Desire.
Recent highlights include performances as Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore with Opera Mobile, Spoletta in Tosca and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi with Florida Grand Opera, Orpheus in Orpheus in the Underworld with Opera Ithaca, and the title role in Mitridate, Re di Ponto at Opera Neo. He also made his recital debut with Lyric Fest in Philadelphia, showcasing early Italian music to great acclaim. Additional recent engagements include Ferrando in Così fan tutte with Opera North and Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Winter Harbor Music Festival.
Calotta's concert credits include performances of the Saint-Saëns Requiem and Beethoven's Mass in C with several orchestras. A native New Yorker, he has received several prestigious awards, including the Delene Laubenheim McClure Prize and the Michelson Collaborative Arts Award. Calotta holds degrees from Vanderbilt University and the University of Maryland.
charlescalotta.com
Weiyi Peng, baritone
Weiyi Peng is a lyric baritone with rich vocal expression and stage presence currently studying at Longy School of Bard College. He has performed in four full-scale opera productions at his school, taking on significant roles that showcased his vocal and dramatic abilities. In addition to his operatic experience, he has collaborated with symphony orchestras, further refining his artistry in concert settings. With a voice characterized by warmth and flexibility, he excels in both operatic and concert repertoire. Passionate about storytelling through music, he continues to develop his craft, bringing depth and nuance to every performance.