Emily Barger

Soprano, poet, and composer Emily Barger is recognized for her dynamic, captivating sound and her dedication to emotional expression through voice. She has sung nationally and in Italy as a vibrantly enthusiastic force behind the performance and creation of New Music.

Devoted to the interpretation of contemporary music, Emily has recently performed Psyche’s Sister in new chamber opera The Golden Ass, Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera, the voice in Babbitt’s Philomel, the soprano soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana and has sang as Clémence in L’amour de Loin and Anne Trulove in The Rake’s Progress. Beyond staged works, Emily embraces the chance to sing in chamber, electronic, and in improvisational music settings, exploring the endless possibilities of vocal timbre and expression.

Her compositions have been premiered by eminent groups such as the Fonema Consort, (excerpt from chamber opera) Duo Gelland, (accidents happen for violin and viola) and Aurora Borealis, (sonic poem etudes, for soprano and vibraphone). Emily is currently writing the libretto and music for her new chamber rock opera (dolly and the disappearing dream rock) and frequently connects her poetry in her compositions. Her poems are published under pseudonym eda bee in several art magazines and in the collective Because You Are Not Alone.

Julia Cordani

Contemporary vocal trailblazer Julia Anne Cordani “creates an intense crossfire” in the artistic world (Frank Housh, The Arts in Real Life). Described as “a clear, sparkling force” by Buffalo Rising and “a dazzling and sweeping delight” by Cleveland Classical, Julia is an adventurous vocal artist from Lewiston, New York. Passionate about the performance of contemporary repertoire alongside standard works, Julia has appeared in Buffalo as Alice in Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter (2016), Belinda in Dido and Aeneas (2017), Papagena in Die Zauberflöte (2018), Anne Truelove in The Rake’s Progress (2020), and Spirit in The Golden Ass (2024). With Sotto Voce, she premiered the role of Bird Spirit in Jessie Downs’ The Second Sight (2021) and sang The Queen of The Night in Die Zauberflöte (2024) and Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica (2024) in modern stage-screen adaptations of both stories. With Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Julia has sung Oscar in Un ballo in maschera (2022) and Lucy in The Telephone (2023). An accomplished soloist, she has performed locally and nationally with the Women of Vivaldi, Ensemble Signal, Slee Sinfonietta, the Cleveland Syndicate for the New Arts, HEX Vocal Ensemble, Project [BLANK], and The Resonance Collective LA. In addition to her performance pursuits, Julia founded and serves as Executive Director for Buffalo-based choral collective INCIPIO. She holds two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree from the University at Buffalo in voice performance, and is currently pursuing a doctorate in contemporary voice performance at the University of California, San Diego, studying under award-winning soprano Susan Narucki.

Miguel Zazueta

Miguel Angel Zazueta Is an interdisciplinary voice artist specialized in contemporary music and opera, from Tijuana, Mexico. He has studied and collaborated with artists like Wilfrido Terrazas, Carmina Escobar, Yuval Sharon, and Meredith Monk, as well as artistic groups like the LA Phil New Music Group, the Orquesta of Baja California, Teatro en el Incendio, Meredith Monk & Ensemble ,and the ItaloAmerican Institute of International Cooperation. He obtained his MA in Contemporary Music Performance in UC San Diego, were he is currently pursuing a DMA degree on the same area, under the tutelage of the Soprano Susan Narucki. Hi is the founder and codirector of “Radical Ensamble” one of his main projects, which is an interdisciplinary vocal ensemble with singers from the Baja California Region.

Mariana Flores Bucio

Mexican singer and actress specializes in Contemporary Music and Mexican Vernacular Music. She has studied and collaborated with artists such as Wilfrido Terrazas, Carmina Escobar and artistic groups like the Orquesta of Baja California, Teatro Estudio de la Baja California, Teatro en el Incendio, Pendulo Cero, 9Spiral Project, and the Italo-American Institute of International Cooperation. She has performed leading roles in classical and contemporary operas, premiered several new musical works, and performed on important stages as a vernacular Mexican music singer. Her singing has led her to perform in Perú, Costa Rica, Hungría, United States , as well as diverse states in Mexico, including Mexico City, Cancún, Queretaro, Zacatecas and Baja California. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Music at the Autonomous University of Baja California and her MFA degree in Music Performance at UC San Diego under the tutelage of the prestigious Soprano, Susan Narucki. Mariana is co-director of the vocal ensemble "Radical Ensamble" at Tijuana, B.C. Mex., and she is currently pursuing a DMA in Performance at UC San Diego.

Mariana Flores

miguel zazueta