Soprano Taylor Mackenzie Adams is a graduate student at Bard College Conservatory of Music and is a proud member of the Detroit-housed Sphinx Organization’s vocal ensemble, EXIGENCE, which highlights Black and LatinX artists. In addition to her performance work, she serves as Education Manager for Hear Us, Hear Them, a vocal ensemble devoted to diversifying the canon of choral music. Taylor holds a B.M in voice performance and a B.A. in cognitive science from the University of Michigan. Active as a writer, her praised fiction piece “Five Chapters, in Black” can be found in the Michigan Quarterly Review.

Mezzo-soprano Miya Higashiyama recently sang Moth in Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She made her Lyric Opera of Chicago debut in Lyric Unlimited’s The Scorpions’ Sting and sang the role of Rachel in the Midwest premiere of Jake Heggie’s new opera If I Were You with Northwestern Opera Theatre. A recent graduate from Northwestern, Miya has won Encouragement Awards in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and placed as one of thirteen national semifinalists in the NATS Classical Singing Competition in 2021. Miya currently resides in Chicago and sings regularly with Church of the Ascension under the direction of Benjamin Rivera.

Mexican-American tenor Eric Botto is best known for his vocal and dramatic versatility onstage. He has triumphed in roles as Rodolfo in La bohème, Alfredo in La traviata, the title role in Roméo et Juliette, and Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles. 2023 holds multiple house and role debuts with New Amsterdam Opera, First Coast Opera, and Opera San Antonio. Eric experienced two summers as a young artist with Chautauqua Opera. He won 2nd place in Lyra New York’s International Vocal Competition, the Career Advancement Award from Pikes Peak Opera League, and he was a finalist in the 2022 Lotte Lenya Competition. Eric holds an Artist Diploma at the University of Colorado, and music degrees from Colorado State University and the University of Mobile.

Born in Buffalo, New York, baritone Anthony Pilcher completed his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance & Music Education at Ithaca College and recently completed his Master of Music in Voice Performance at Boston University under the tutelage of James Demler. He has performed with the BU Opera Institute, Odyssey Opera, Bay View Music Festival, and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, and is thrilled to be a Vocal Fellow for the 2023 season.