Luke Fang is an accomplished collaborative pianist and soloist. Quite active as a collaborative pianist, Luke has performed with numerous instrumentalists and vocalists in recitals including performances at University of South Carolina, Meredith College, College of Charleston, Clemson University, and Grey Walls recital Hall in Raleigh, North Carolina. While obtaining his master’s in Piano Performance at the University of South Carolina, Luke was the rehearsal pianist for Opera at USC, and performed in Opera at USC productions, and served as musical director for the Sidney Palmer One Act Operas. He is in frequent demand as an accompanist both in classical and sacred music, and currently serves as church pianist for a church in Lexington, South Carolina.
Meet the Cast 2017: All According to Taste | Marie Putko
Marie Putko is a lyric soprano, dancer, physical theater artist, voice teacher, and yoga instructor from New York City.
She holds her Masters of Music in Vocal Performance in Opera Studies, and her advanced certificate in Vocal Pedagogy from New York University. She received her bachelor’s degree at Providence College in Vocal Performance, graduating with honors in 2010. She had her Off-Broadway debut in Figaro 90210! at the Duke Theater on 42nd Street last year and will be returning for the reprise this April. She also premiered in a thriller opera, Hannibal, with One World Symphony in New York City, as the leading role of Abigail Hobbs. She’s had the privilege of working with Ellen Schaefer at Quisisana Resort, Music on the Lake in Madame Butterfly, Carmen, and All According to Taste, The Three Bears Guide to Making Porridge.
Marie is the creator of Embody-Voice, Freeing the Voice through mindful movement, breath, meditation, and relaxation. She offers classes in NYC and also teaches Yoga through the Mindfulness Project at NYU.
Meet the Cast 2017: All According to Taste | Robert Mellon
A native of Ronkonkoma, New York, Robert Mellon, is known for having a "dark baritone, full and fresh and quick with dramatic fire." A recent recipient of a Sullivan Foundation award and career grant, Mellon will perform with the National Sawdust Festival as Brother in the U.S. premiere of The House Taken Over; Major General in the outreach production of Pirates of Penzance with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; Don Alfonso in the 2017 production of Così fan tutte with Shreveport Opera; and the roles of Priest, Willem, Usher and the Clerk in the June 2017 U.S. premiere of Philip Glass’s The Trial as a Gaddes Festival Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. During the 2015-2016 season Mellon made his principle artist debut with PORTopera as Le Dancaïre in Carmen and was a Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis making his debut with the company as The Customs Officer in La Bohème. Earlier that season he was a resident artist with Peoria Symphony in their concert production of Così fan tutte as Don Alfonso. Other roles include Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), Falstaff (Falstaff), Sam (Trouble in Tahiti), and Macbeth in the U.S. premiere of Ernest Bloch’s Macbeth. Concert work includes Mozart's Requiem, Duruflé's Requiem, Dvorak’s Te Deum, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, and Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death. Mellon is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music and the State University of New York College at Potsdam.
Meet the Cast 2017: All According to Taste | Samantha Leibowitz
Samantha Leibowitz is ecstatic to be returning for her second tour with FBN Productions, Inc. to reprise the role of Goldilocks after performing All According to Taste: The Three Bears’ Guide to Porridge Making this past summer at the Quisisana Resort in Maine. Samantha has a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Voice from New York University and a Master’s degree in Opera Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. Recently, Samantha made her Florida Grand Opera debut singing in the choruses of Carmen and Eugene Onegin. Favorite roles include Frasquita (Carmen) at the Quisisana resort, Gymnasia (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) at the Wick Theatre, and Johanna (Sweeney Todd) and Zerlina (Don Giovanni) at the University of Texas at Austin. www.samanthaleibowitz.com
Meet the Cast 2017: All According to Taste | Jonathan Hill
Tenor, Jonathan Hill, has been featured with opera companies along the upper West coast and recently enjoyed singing such roles as Monostatos (Die Zauberflöte) and Guiseppe (La Traviata). He has also sung the roles of Spoletta (Tosca) with Mississippi Opera, Goro (Madama Butterfly) with Natchez Festival of Music, and Pedrillo (Entführung aus dem Serail) with New York Opera Forum. In April of 2017, he will make his debut singing Don Miguel in La Perichole with Tacoma Opera. Hill regularly travels to New York City where he continues to work with stage director Cindy Oxberry and vocal coach Mitchell Cirker. He currently resides in Boise, Idaho where he studies with Sue Patchell and Brett Hamilton.