New Opera St. Louis, a non-profit organization, was founded in August of 2007 with the goal of staging our first production in February 2008. Our mission is to provide the people of St. Louis an evening of opera during the winter months. Furthermore, we will highlight local artists and invest in the local artist community by providing an opportunity to perform with world class talent. We are committed to enhancing public appreciation of opera in St. Louis through public participation, community outreach programs, and artists' workshops.

Gina Galati - Artistic Director  and Nedda - Soprano 

Gina, founder and Artistic Director of New Opera Saint Louis, was born and raised in St. Louis. She received a Bachelors of Arts and Sciences in Music from Washington University and a Masters of Opera from the University of Kansas. She earned an Artist Diploma from the Academia Verdiana in Bussetto, Italy where she performed numerous concerts throughout Northern Italy. She has sung the role of Rosina in the Barber of Seville with Amici Opera and the Southern Illinois Music Festival, Musetta in La Boheme with Wichita Grand Opera and has performed such roles as Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte and Countess in The Marriage of Figaro and has been a young artist with Wichita Grand Opera and The Atlantic Coast Opera Festival. Gina will be singing Puccini’s Il Tabaro, with Union Avenue Opera this fall, and will be the soprano soloist in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with St. Louis’ Bach Society at Powell Symphony Hall this December.

 James Marvel - Stage Director

In November 2008, James Marvel will make his Lincoln Center debut for The Juilliard Opera Center with Maestro James Conlon. Other upcoming engagements include Salome and Falstaff for Toledo Opera; La Traviata forOrlando Opera; Il Barbiere di Siviglia for Opera Tampa; Don Giovanni at Teatro Comunale in Sulmona, Italy and Die Zauberflöte for the Nami Island Opera Festival in Seoul, South Korea.  Recent engagements include new productions of The Rake’s Progress for the San Francisco Opera Merola Program; Tosca for Opera Santa Barbara and The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia; les Pecheurs de Perles for Opera Boston; Carmen for Opera Grand Rapids; Turandot and Il Trovatore for Utah Festival Opera; Aida for Sacramento Opera; Faust for Opera Santa Barbara; In 2007, James also directed four scenes for the Young Artist Program at The Santa Fe Opera. James debuted at Florence Gould Hall in New York City directing Poulenc's La Voix Humaine and Menotti's The Telephone. The success of this production led to additional performance dates at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, Belgium and appearances on NPR. International credits include Philip Glass's Akhnaten at TeatrWielki in Lodz, Poland; and work at the 5th International Theatre Festival in Budapest, Hungary; the Istropolitana Theatre Festival in Bratislava, Slovakia; the Viola Stage in Prague, Czech Republic; the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland; the Wadham Theatre and Burton-Taylor Theatre in Oxford, England. In addition to his work as an actor and director, James has also played violin in numerous orchestras; composed original music for professional theatre productions; danced in pieces choreographed by members of the Martha Graham company; and published critical and creative works in a variety of international journals.

 Camillo Mendoza - Tonio - Baritone

Colombian born international dramatic baritone, Camillo Mendoza, is a new South American operatic discovery. Having recently won First Place at the Festival "Opera al Parque" competition in Bogota, Colombia, the baritone was awarded the role of Tonio with two very important opera companies in the US:  The Opera Company of South Jewsey and New Opera Saint Louis.  Mr. Mendoza will be working during the 2008-2009 season with Robert McFarland and his studio of artists.  The young baritone continues to perform as a soloist with Opera de Colombia along with concert engagements at the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogota.  Mr. Mendoza has astounded audiences in his frequent performances with the Jaime Manzur Foundation, singing the most celebrated pages of spanish lyric repertoire.

  Charles Martinez - Peppe - Tenor

Charles Martinez was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, and received a Bachelors degree in Music Education from Friends University and a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from Florida State University.  He has sung and covered a variety of roles, including:  Alfredo in La Traviata, Borsa in Rigoletto, Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor, Dr. Caius in Falstaff, Monostatos in Die Zauberflote, Roderigo in Otello, and Sam Kaplan in Street Scene.  He has worked with companies such as Wichita Grand Opera, New Opera Saint Louis, University of Kansas Opera, Florida State University Opera, Union Avenue Opera, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City.  He is enrolled at the University of Kansas where he is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Vocal Performance.

  John D. Frederick - Silvio - Baritone

Mr. Frederick recently completed apprenticeships at both Sarasota Opera and the Natchez Festival of Music.  He was recently seen as Le Dancaire (Carmen) with Sacramento Opera, and as Masetto (Don Giovanni) with Festival Opera in Walnut Creek, CA.  Active as a concert soloist, he has performed as the bass soloist in Handel's Messiah in Tokyo under the baton of Maestro Hiroshi Gungi, and more recently as the baritone soloist in Durufle's Requiem under the baton of Dr. Thomas Davies with world-renowned organist Todd Wilson.  Upcoming engagements include Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi) with KU Opera Theatre, and Dr. Dulcamara (L'esir d'amore) with DuPage Opera Theatre. Mr. Frederick holds a Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance and Theater from Indiana University and a Master's degree in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. While studying at Indiana, he was awarded both the Mary Pickford-Rogers Scholarship for the Performing Arts and the Music Dean's Award. While studying at SFCM, he was awarded Department Honors for Outstanding Achievement in Voice.

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