Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci
Cast Bios
William Green (Canio) | ACO Debut 2020, An Evening with the Bard
Atlanta-based heldentenor, William Green, has been praised for his “powerful voice and expressive interpretations.” In 2023, Mr. Green was featured in a new short opera, The Cost of Healing, for The Atlanta Opera’s 96 Hour Opera Project and sang the role of the Crooner in Moravec’s the Shining, also with The Atlanta Opera; he has sung various comprimario roles with the company and was a core member of their chorus for over ten seasons. In February 2024, William debuted in the title role of Wagner’s Tannhäuser with Atlanta Concert Opera. William has also sung with Atlanta’s Capitol City Opera Company in roles ranging from Pedrillo in Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail to Tybalt in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Recent role highlights with the company include Tristan (Tristan und Isolde), Florestan (Fidelio), Canio (Pagliacci), and Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus).
William’s recent concert engagements include: tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, New Atlanta Philharmonic, and Peachtree Road UMC’s concert series. Mr. Green also premiered Thomas Ludwig’s Three Baritone and Tenor Songs with the Ludwig Symphony Orchestra in February 2026. Other notable concert engagements include: the title role in the Third Act of Wagner’s Parsifal with the Georgetown University Orchestra and recital programs with the Wagner Society of Washington, D.C.
Mr. Green is an alumnus of the American Wagner Project and Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices.
In addition to his performance schedule, Mr. Green is proud to teach students of all ages and levels of expertise in voice, piano, and music theory through the Peachtree Road Music Academy.
John Arnold (Tonio) | ACO Debut 2024, Tannhäuser
John Arnold is an Atlanta-based singer, actor, writer, and multi-instrumentalist. John has performed with opera companies across the United States including The Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Concert Opera, Boston Opera Collaborative, Des Moines Metro Opera, Detroit Opera, Kentucky Opera, Knoxville Opera, Lone Star Lyric (Houston, Texas), Madison Opera, the Merola Opera Program, Opera New Jersey, and Soo Opera Theater. John also enjoys performing as a concert and oratorio soloist, and for the past two seasons has performed as part of the acclaimed choral ensemble, Kinnara.
Matthew Boatwright (Beppe) | ACO Debut 2024, Tannhäuser
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Matthew Boatwright is an aspiring tenor whose experience spans a variety of styles, including opera, musical theater, and sacred music. Most recently he has performed with the Atlanta Concert Opera in their 2025 production of Falstaff, covering the role of Dr. Caius and singing in their opera chorus, as well as playing the role of Elder Hayes in their 2024 production of Susannah. Matthew has also been a member of the Atlanta Opera Chorus for the past 9 years, with appearances in their complete 2025-2026 main-stage performance season, the productions ranging from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro to Wagner’s Götterdämmerung. Mr. Boatwright holds a bachelor's degree in music from Kennesaw State University and is currently looking towards continuing performing in the Atlanta classical & opera scene.
Michael Vavases (Turiddu) | ACO Debut 2024, Tannhäuser
Michael Vavases is a native of North Georgia with a Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance from Reinhardt University in Waleska, GA. He performs regularly with churches around Atlanta and can be seen singing with Capitol City Opera a few months out of the year. All performances are dedicated to his wonderful fiancée/Physical Therapist.
Jacob Lay (Alfio) | ACO Debut 2025, Falstaff
Jacob Lay, baritone, is an Atlanta native whose musical journey has taken him to various companies in the US. He's recently performed with The Atlanta Opera, Knoxville Opera, Capitol City Opera, Americolor Opera, and the Roswell Music Club. Upcoming engagements include the role of Joseph/Bass Chorus in a world premiere of Water Memory with the Atlanta Opera. This is Jacob's second appearance with Atlanta Concert Opera.
As a composer himself, Jacob is a passionate proponent of the works of underrepresented and marginalized composers like William Grant Still, Dorothy Rudd Moore, and Florence Price.
Nicole Lewis (Nedda) | ACO Debut 2024, Tannhäuser
Nicole Lewis received her Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Birmingham Southern College and Master of Music from Washington University in St Louis. While at Birmingham Southern she sang Mimi in their production of La Boheme and placed first at the regional level NATS competition. At Washington University she performed the role of Curley’s Wife in Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice And Men. She has also recently performed the title role of Floyd’s Susannah with Atlanta Concert Opera. She has been singing with the Atlanta Opera Chorus since 2018.
August Bair (Silvio) | ACO Debut 2019, Le Nozze di Figaro
Baritone August Bair is an emerging talent in Atlanta and is seen onstage regularly throughout the Southeast. In September 2019, he took part in Atlanta Concert Opera’s inaugural performance as The Count of Almaviva in their production of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. August is a staff singer at Atlanta’s St. Phillip’s Cathedral. and In 2020 He performed the role of the Father in Atlanta Opera’s Studio tour, and sang the role of Mercutio in Capitol City Opera’s production of Gounod’s Romeo et Juliet. He sang the part of Count Carnero in MSM’s April 2017 production of Johann Strauss II’s Der Ziguenerbaron. August spent the summer of 2016 and 2017 at Brevard Music Festival, where he sang the role of Doctor Malatesta in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale with Brevard Music Center’s Janiec Opera Company. He also debuted a major role in J. Mark Scearce’s new opera, Falling Angel at Brevard. August was cast in the Atlanta Opera’s 2019 production of Dead Man Walking as a soloist and chorus member, as well as Eugene Onegin, and La Traviata in the chorus. He graduated with a BA from Bard College’s undergraduate voice program in New York, and went on to complete his Master’s in Voice at Manhattan School of Music in New York City.
Jessica Crowell (Santuzza) | ACO Debut 2024, Tannhäuser
Spinto-Soprano Jessica Crowell has been heralded as “delightful, with the right note of playfulness and a beautiful voice that projected clearly into the large auditorium” by the Cleveland Plain Dealer. She was named a semi-finalist for The American Prize Ernst Bacon Award for performing a premiere of Beneath Suspicion by Dr. Jesse Ayers. Jessica completed her Bachelor’s Degree at Malone University in 2017 where she also received her certification in piano and voice pedagogy. Ms. Crowell is a three-time Voices of Canton competition winner and has also been named a finalist for both the Partner for the Arts Inc. and Classical Singer Competitions. As an Ohio native, her home audiences have seen her in a multitude of productions with The Cleveland Opera, Malone Opera Theatre, and Nightingale Opera Theatre.
In 2021, she made her Pittsburgh debut, performing the role of Lysia in the feature film of Adamo’s Lysistrata with Pittsburgh Festival Opera. Jessica completed her Masters in Voice at the prestigious Shepherd School of Music at Rice University where she sang the roles of Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito, and Donna Elvira in their production of Don Giovanni for the new Brockman Hall for Opera opening ceremonies in 2022. Since moving to Georgia, Jessica has sung performances with Atlanta Concert Opera, Capital City Opera, and is a regular performing member of The Atlanta Opera Chorus. Jessica has held a private studio of voice, piano and acting lessons since 2011 where she focuses on fostering a love for music based in creativity and freedom of expression.
Myka Murphy (Mamma Lucia) | ACO Debut 2024, Tannhäuser
Myka Murphy, contralto from Roswell, GA, has been called “a powerhouse…with an abundant quality of strength” (Opera Wire). She performs in both concert and operatic settings, with highlights including roles in Tannhäuser, The Medium, and Gianni Schicchi, concert appearances with the Jackson Symphony and at Alice Tully Hall, and premieres of new works by Juilliard alumni. She holds a Master of Music from Juilliard, a Bachelor of Music from the University of Southern Mississippi, and an Artist Certificate from Boston University’s Opera Institute, and is represented by Martha Wade of Wade Artist Management. Ms. Murphy is delighted to return to Atlanta Concert Opera as Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana.
Esther Maloof (Lola) | ACO Mainstage Debut
Esther Maloof is a professional mezzo-soprano based in Atlanta GA. Her notable opera/theater roles include The Marquise of Berkenfield in The Daughter of the Regiment (Capitol City Opera,2022), La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica (Georgia State University Opera, 2018), Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music (GSUO,2018). She has played the role of Mrs. Herring in Albert Herring by Benjamin Britten for Red River Lyric Opera in 2015 and for the Georgia State University Opera in 2017. For the past five years, Esther has been the guest alto soloist performing in Handel’s Messiah with the Golden Isles Community Chorus during the Christmas season. She is an avid performer of new music, premiering several pieces by Atlanta-based composer Brandon K Smith. She currently serves as a staff singer with the choir Eastminster Presbyterian Church and as a voice teacher at Lawrenceville-Suwannee School of Music.