Making her Lyric Opera OC debut as our reigning diva, we are proud to welcome Christine Marie Li in the title role of The Medium. Praised for her warmth and vulnerability on stage, Taiwanese-American mezzo-soprano Christine Marie Li captivates audiences with her compelling stage presence. With recent performances showcasing her versatility and artistry, Christine has portrayed a wide range of operatic roles, including Hansel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (Pacific Opera Project), Council in Trial by Jury (Pacific Opera Project), Orfeo in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice (USC), and Ottone in Handel’s Agrippina (CU Boulder). An advocate for contemporary music, Christine has collaborated on many modern projects, workshopping roles in contemporary operas such as Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Intelligence and Tom Cipullo’s Hobson’s Choice. In 2021, Ms. Li performed as the commanding yet tormented Allura in the Finnish and American premieres of Uljas Pulkkis’s All the truths we cannot see – a Chernobyl story, showcasing her ability to bring complex, powerful characters to life. Through her work, Christine aims to create meaningful artistic experiences that resonate with audiences and provoke thought and emotion.

Leeza Yorke is a mezzo-soprano vocalist within the Southern California region. Upon entering her collegiate studies in 2015, Yorke was offered a title role in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking. While in attendance at Indiana University, Bloomington she was also featured in the fully staged productions of Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, Bernstein’s Mass and showcased as a soloist in a variety of compositional works. In 2020, Yorke placed first within NATS SEP collegiate division as well as in the VO-CAL competition in 2021. That same year, Yorke portrayed the title role of Cinderella in Pauline Viardot’s Cinderella with Lyric Opera of Orange County and has since then played the role of Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Michael Ching’s Buoso’s Ghost (2022). Her most recent accomplishment has been qualifying in the Los Angeles District in the MONC Laffont Competition (Fall 2022). This past summer she has sung the role of the Nursing Sister and covered the role of the Princess in Puccini’s Suor Angelica at the International Lyric Academy in Vicenza, Italy. As a recent Graduate of California State University, Fullerton, she now looks forward to singing the role of Stéphano in Lyric Opera of Orange County’s production of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. Her mentors include Janet Smith, Angel Blue, Katherine Jolly and Heidi Grant Murphy.

Los Angeles Soprano, Lauryn Jessup, is a recent graduate from California State University,Long Beach. While completing her Bachelor’s of Music in Opera Performance, she appeared inMozart’s Le nozze di Figaro as Contessa Almaviva. She has since performed as Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale with Opera Italia, the title role of Offenbach’s Bagatelle with LyricOpera of Orange County, and Anna Gomez in Menotti’s The Consul with Angels Vocal Art. Lauryn is also a member of The Verdi Chorus who had a notable performance of Leoncavallo’s Cavalleria Rusticana this past January.

Lauded for her “noble heart and pipes” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), soprano Christine Oh is a graduate of New England Conservatory where she earned her Master of Music in Vocal Performance, appearing as Susanna in a 2019 mainstage production of The Marriage of Figaro. In previous years at NEC, she performed roles such as Pamina in The Magic Flute and the Shepherdess in L’enfant et les sortilèges. Christine holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Arts from The Juilliard School and took part in Haydn’s opera La fedeltà premiata as Nerina, the Bat in L’enfant et les sortilèges, and the First Boy in The Magic Flute. She has also performed in numerous concerts including the Liederabend series and various showcases with scenes as Norina from Don Pasquale, Servilia from La clemenza di Tito, Elisa from Il re pastore, and Gretel from Hänsel und Gretel. She covered Dalinda in Ariodante and Musetta in La Bohème at the Chautauqua Institution. Christine’s other summer engagements include Houston Grand Opera’s YAVA program and SongFest Los Angeles. In 2019 Christine was a Bonfils-Stanton Studio Artist with Central City Opera where she performed the roles Adina, Amy, Gretel, Susanna and Adele in the Short Works scenes programs.

Christopher Walters is an emerging Baritone based in Long Beach, California. He most recently appeared as Cinderella’s Father in Pacific Opera Project’s pastiche Operetta, Cinderella Story. Past season highlights include Pierrot in Ethel Smyth’s Fête Galante (Lyric Opera of Orange County), Malatesta in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale (Opera Italia), and several short roles in New Opera West’s 2024 Pop-Up Festival. Christopher holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Opera Performance from California State University, Long Beach, and is a student of Joel Balzun.

Milton Salazar, a First-Generation, Mexican-American, is a freelance percussionist and educator working in Southern California. He has performed with many major groups such as Pacific Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Orchestra Santa Monica, South Coast Symphony, Lyric Opera of Orange County, and many more. Milton has helped premier new works by Derrick Skye and Danny Elfman. Milton also has experience in musical theater and experimental music, and has performed as an improviser with groups such as the California State University, Fullerton, New Music Ensemble, and the Decisive Instant. Milton is a percussion instructor at OC Music and Dance where he teaches private lessons in orchestral and concert percussion, mallet percussion, and drumset. His private teaching studio includes adults and students as young as 5 years old, with many of them preparing for honor band, youth orchestra, and college auditions. Milton also coaches percussion at YOLA at HOLA in Downtown Los Angeles where he works primarily with Hispanic and Latinx students in grades 4-12. Milton holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of California, Irvine, and a Master of Music from California State University, Fullerton. He is also studying advanced harmony and jazz theory with a private instructor.

Gabriel Cazares, Baritone, has recently been awarded the NATS-LA Student Summer Study Award. He has recently performed the role of Papageno (Magic Flute) for the International Lyric Academy in Italy. Notable performances from the past few seasons include the cover role of Pierrot and chorus for LOOC’s production of Fête Galante by Ethel Smyth.

Janelle Catbagan is excited to return to Lyric Opera of Orange County since she last performed in L’Opera Petit 2024 as Madame Patacha (Pierrette et Jacquot). Notable performances include Bunker/1st Girl (Merrily We Roll Along) at El Camino College, featured soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 (IV. Sehr behaglich) with the Southland Wind Ensemble, and recently with the Los Angeles Korean-American Musicians’ Association Choir at Walt Disney Concert Hall. While not performing, Janelle teaches TK-3 music in Torrance Unified and is co-president of the Palos Verdes/South Bay Alumni Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, a co-ed professional music fraternity.

Martina Goldring, soprano, recently performed the role of Helene in Hindemith’s Hin und zurück for Lyric Opera of Orange County’s L’Opéra Petite (2024). She is currently studying for her Masters in Vocal Performance at California State University, Fullerton. Notable past roles at CSUF include Ottavia in Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, Anna Maurant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, and La Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. Before studying music, Martina attended the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood where she earned a degree in acting.

Mezzo-soprano, Molly Noori, is known for her “rich, satisfying tone” and “convincing characters”(Toledo Blade). Highlights of Molly’s career include her main stage debut in the role of Siebel in Toledo Opera’s Faust, performing as a Resident Touring Artist for Detroit Opera, and concert soloist for works such as Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden gesellen and Kindertöten lieder, Schumann’s Frauenliebe und Leben, and selections from Carmen and Il Trovatore.

Molly is the founder of the non-profit The Chronicled Voice and owner of Molly Noori Voice Studio. She is thrilled to announce her new album My Black Swan Songs, 15 pieces for voice and piano, to be released in 2025. 

J. BRADLEY BAKER, pianist-coach and conductor, serves as Principal Coach for THE GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL and is Co-Founding Executive & Music Director of MUSIC ON SITE, which produces a ten-day opera festival in Wichita, Kansas each December. Baker has also served as pianist, coach, or conductor with OPERA NAPLES, OPERA ARLINGTON, CHICAGO SUMMER OPERA, LAWRENCE OPERA THEATRE, LANDLOCKED OPERA, WICHITA GRAND OPERA, NATCHEZ FESTIVAL OF MUSIC, OPERA BIRMINGHAM, and LOLA-AUSTIN. An active pedagogue, Dr. Baker is currently Director of Keyboard Studies at Tarleton State University, in Stephenville, Texas. More information, including full biography and media samples, can be found at www.jbradleybaker.com.

Praised for her thoughtful characterization and impeccable comedic timing, stage director Jen Stephenson’s productions have collected numerous accolades from the NATIONAL OPERA ASSOCIATION and the AMERICAN PRIZE, including most recently being named first place winner of the Robert Hansen Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition of the NOA (2023 – The Tender Land) and first place winner of the NOA’s Opera Production Competition (2024 – M. et Mme. Denis). Stephenson currently serves as an Executive Officer on the board of the NATIONAL OPERA ASSOCIATION, Director of Opera at BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, and Artistic Director of MUSIC ON SITE. For more information, please visit www.jenstephenson.com.