Des Moines Metro Opera has announced the 40 singers selected for the 2026 Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program.

The 2026 soprano roster includes Caitlin Aloia, Phoebe Chee, Emily Finke, Eliza Lucyna, Daniela Machado, Milan McCray, Zoë Meier-Juhlin, Sarah Rosales, Margaret Macaira Shannon, Adriana Stepien, Sara Stevens, and Gabriela Stoloff-Báez. Mezzo-sopranos selected for the program are Emily Amesquita, Christine Boddicker, Morena Galán, Anya Newsome Hill, Lauryn Nelson, Yaffa Ovsishcher, and Claire Strong. Ian Pathak is the lone countertenor, while the tenors selected include Timothy Anderson, Ethan E. Burck, Douglas Culclasure, Jerek Fernández, Edward Ferran, Rick Hale, Cameron Howard, Colin Miller, Shijin Sun, and Luka Tsevelidze. The baritone roster features Michael Breaux, David Drettwan, Harrison Hancock, Mario Manzo, and Titus Muzi III. Among the bass-baritones picked are Robert Frazier, Matan Abraham Gendelman, Ben Strong, and Hunter Warnick. Also on the roster is bass Garrett Reider.

The program is led by Lisa Hasson, Irene Graether Chorus Director and Director of the Apprentice Artist Program, in collaboration with General and Artistic Director Michael Egel and Director of Artistic Administration Allen Perriello.

During the 2026 festival season, 16 apprentice artists will appear in named supporting roles or as soloists in the company’s three mainstage productions. The season also includes six free concerts featuring the apprentice artists, including the Apprentice Spotlight Concert on May 30, 2026, which marks the opening of the festival and features an aria performed by each participant. Additional performance opportunities include four staged scenes programs and the Stars of Tomorrow concert with the Des Moines Metro Opera Festival Orchestra.

In addition to performance experience, apprentice artists receive private coachings and career training in acting, movement, diction, languages, audition techniques, vocal wellness, and professional skills. In July, participants audition for representatives and leaders from major opera companies and artist management agencies.

For the 2026 season, 29 singers will make their Des Moines Metro Opera debuts, while 11 artists return for a second summer with the company.

Founded in 1975, the Frank R. Brownell III Apprentice Artist Program provides apprentice artists with a seven-week training program.

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