Opera Orlando has announced its 2024-25 Studio Artists.

The artists include Kristen Marie Gillis, Erika Vasallo, Pedro Valdez, and Thandolwethu Mamba. The artists will appear in MainStage and Opera on Site productions, starting with the Florida Premiere of “Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín.”

“I am very excited to welcome this new quartet of singers into the Opera Orlando family,” said program director and education director Sarah Purser in an official press release. “The Studio Artists program provides talented young artists the opportunity to hone their craft and learn skills that will serve them throughout their professional careers. They not only perform roles on stage, but are the Opera’s ambassadors, spreading the joy of opera throughout Central Florida.”

Gillis has worked as a young artist with Opera Ithaca and Finger Lakes Opera. Meanwhile, Vasallo has performed with Magic City Opera and Orchestra Miami. She was also a Handorf Company Artist with Opera Memphis. Valdez was a young artist with Finger Lakes Opera and an apprentice at Northern Lights Music Festival. Finally, Mamba has performed with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Frost Opera Theater, Opera Wilmington, and Florida Grand Opera.