Artists

Hailing from Coweta, Oklahoma, Jaclyn Hopping is a vibrant soprano who is passionate about creating relatable characters through new and old works alike. At Bard, Jaclyn was thrilled to premiere “Klytemnestra”, a new art song composed by Steven Bonacci. Jaclyn enjoys collaborating with her colleagues in many forms, whether that be through voice, instrument, or poetry. She was seen as Diana in Bach’s Hunting Cantata with the Baroque Ensemble and as the soprano soloist in Schütz’ Kleine geistliche Konzerte in their annual Kurtág Festival. Jaclyn is particularly invested in creating new American music, and made her professional debut with Opera Columbus as Phyllis in Matt Recio’s new opera, The Puppy Episode. She was thrilled to premiere the leading role of Amelia in My Wife is a Ghost, an opera by Bard students led by Missy Mazzoli.

Jacob Hunter is a captivating tenor from Upstate New York who brings intellectual and spiritual curiosity to his work in opera and song. Last year, he was praised for his role debut as Pluton in Orphée aux enfers at the Fisher Center. Jacob’s repertoire spans baroque, classical, and contemporary works and highlights from his art song repertoire include Juliana Hall’s “Great Camelot”, which he previously performed with What’s Left Unsaid, Schoenberg’s “Brettl- Lieder”, and Robert Owens’ “Silver Rain” Cycle. Jacob recently presented a program of Schubert, Brahms, and Beethoven lieder with the historical instrument music festival, Chamber Music Collective, with past festival appearances including the Northwestern Bach Academy, the Berkshire Opera Festival, and the Chautauqua Opera Conservatory. In May, Jacob completed his Master’s in Vocal Arts at Bard Conservatory, studying with soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon and mezzo soprano Stephanie Blythe, and working closely with Erika Switzer and Kayo Iwama.

Cellist Sarah Martin is a 5th year undergraduate conservatory student at Bard College/conservatory where she studies with Peter Wiley. Sarah began her musical studies just outside of Philadelphia where she studied under Gloria dePasquale and was an active member of programs including Temple University’s Center for Gifted Young Musicians, the Center City Chamber Orchestra, and the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. At Bard she performs regularly in chamber settings, including as part of the Baroque Ensemble. She is also a member of the Conservatory Orchestra and principal cellist of the Community Orchestra. In addition to her conservatory studies, Sarah is also pursuing a second degree in literature and philosophy.

Canadian-Greek soprano and librettist Georgia Perdikoulias is an artist with a passion for storytelling through the creation and performance of new works. A current student of the Graduate Vocal Arts Program at the Bard College Conservatory of Music, Georgia has found equal joy and passion in performing and debuting operatic and art song repertoire. Her recent performances at Bard include: Vénus (Orphée Aux Enfers), premiering art song Parallels (Frankenburg), and premiering a new opera (My Wife Is a Ghost) starring as the Ghost Wife, written by the composition students of Missy Mazzoli. As a librettist, Georgia was commissioned by Good Mess Opera Theater for her libretto, Monsters Made, which has been awarded two grants from the Canada Council for the Arts. Georgia is also a published poet, having co-authored the poetry collection Mythopoesis (2022), for which she was praised alongside her co-author for having “created a work that is both timeless and timely—a meditation on the human condition that resonates across epochs” (Pegasus Literary).

Mezzo-soprano Nicole Rizzo is a performer from Upstate New York who finds joy in sharing opera and art song with new audiences. Last season, she gave company debut performances with Bard SummerScape in Meyerbeer’s Le Prophète and Berkshire Opera Festival in Gounod’s Faust, and performed as the mezzo soloist in Alzheimer’s Stories with the Sullivan County Community Chorus. Rizzo has co-curated and performed in recitals at Church of the Messiah Rhinebeck, Taconic Correctional Facility, and the Marcella Sembrich Museum. Equally at home in classical and contemporary repertoire, she has premiered multiple pieces, including Julian Kornick’s “3 Ariel Songs”, “The Map of Places” by Garrick Neuner, and My Wife is a Ghost (Mrs. Freiburg) by the composition class of Missy Mazzoli. Rizzo’s most recent recital, “Mad Lips,” included the world premieres of Wyland Stephenson’s “I Met This Man...”; and “Modern Cassandra” (also by Kornick). She recently completed her graduate studies in Vocal Arts at Bard Conservatory, holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and served as an Affiliate Artist at Union College during the 2022-3 academic year. While living in Boston she performed with Boston Lyric Opera, Promenade Opera Project, and Boston Conservatory Opera. This season she returns to Sullivan County as the Alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, to Berkshire Opera Festival for their 10th Anniversary Concert, and will perform with What’s Left Unsaid at Rohmer Gallery.

Born into a family of musicians, pianist Nomin Samdan made her first public appearance at the age of 7 in her native country, Mongolia. Since then, her career as a soloist, collaborator, and educator has brought her to stages spanning the continents of Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent professional appointments include a position on the piano faculty of the Mongolian State Conservatory and as pianist for the Mongolian State Opera and Ballet House. A long-time admirer of contemporary music, Ms. Samdan has premiered vocal works by Juliana Hall, Michael Finnissy, Dennis Báthory-Kitz, and Albin Fries. Ms. Samdan received her B.Mus and Graduate Performance Diploma in Piano Performance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee under the guidance of YaFei Chuang, and also holds a M.M. in Collaborative Piano from Boston University. Nomin is currently a Collaborative piano fellow at Bard Conservatory.

Taiwanese pianist Pei-Hsuan Shen is known for her diverse collaborative work across various musical genres. Pei-Hsuan’s experience extends to opera, where she has served as a rehearsal pianist. She participated in opera productions such as W.A. Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Engelbert Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, and Johann Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus. She took part in J.M. Rumshisky’s Shir-hashirim, a Yiddish Operetta produced by YIVO. Led by Missy Mazzoli, she premiered in a new opera My Wife Is a Ghost, composed by students at Bard College. She has also worked as a rehearsal pianist in the conducting studios of Professors Apo Hsu and Chia-Hong Liao at National Taiwan Normal University, as well as with Professors Harold Farberman and James Bagwell at Bard College. In addition, she served as the choral pianist for the Soochow University Alumni Chorus and Coro Dante in Cambridge.