Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Lane is "a singer whose dark, bottomless voice is matched by her expressiveness and intelligence." The press has described her singing as "clear, rich, plangent," "compelling and dramatic," and possessing "agility and charisma." She has been featured by many of the most prestigious institutions and orchestras in the US and abroad. These include the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo, and the San Francisco Symphony, as well as with orchestras and period instrument ensembles in the US, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. In addition to her position as Associate Professor of Voice, Opera, and Early Music at the University of Kentucky-Lexington, she teaches regularly at the Amherst, SFEMS, Lake Placid, Longy, and Madison summer workshops, among others. She comes to UK from Stanford University, where she produced and directed seven fully staged operas and created an early music vocal and instrumental Collegium.

Ms. Lane has over forty CD recordings to her name as well as two films: Dido & Aeneas with the Mark Morris Dance Group and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and The Opera Lover. Recent CDs include Jocasta in Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex and Waldtaube in Schoenberg's Gurrelieder (Naxos), as well as The Pleasures & Follies of Love, Villancicos y Cantadas (Koch), and 17th Century French Airs de Cour (www.magnatune.com). In June, 2005, she sang for the marriage ceremony of Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, former Governor of California. This past season, she performed the contralto solos in Brahms' Alto Rhapsody (Lexington Philharmonic) and Mahler's Song of the Earth (Vancouver) and toured with El Mundo, singing music of the Spanish Baroque. In November, 2006, Ms. Lane will premiere the role of Charmian London opposite baritone Rodney Gilfrey in Everyman Jack, in a newly commissioned opera by Phillip Littell and Libby Larsen for Sonoma City Opera, about the life of author and adventurer, Jack London. Ms. Lane is also scheduled to direct a main stage production for the UK Opera Theatre in 2006-07.

Dr. James W. Rodgers, Professor Emeritus at the University of Kentucky, served 25 years on the theater faculty, directing over 125 productions, including classics, contemporary plays, musicals, original scripts and several operas with the UK Opera Theatre. In the spring of 2005 he directed the first university production of The Little Prince at UK, and is currently in production as director of Carousel with the UK Opera Theatre. During his tenure with UK and the former Opera of Central Kentucky, he has directed, among other operas, La Bohème, La Cenerentola, The Medium, Così fan Tutte, Don Pasquale, L'elisir d'amore, A Streetcar Named Desire and Amahl and the Night Visitors.

Stephen Penn, pianist and vocal coach with the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre, has worked professionally with Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Theater of St. Louis, Orlando Opera Company, Central City Opera, Kentucky Opera and the Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts. Previous coaching positions include New England Conservatory, The Hartt School, University of Connecticut, North Carolina School for the Arts, Boston Conservatory, AIMS in Graz, Bellarmine College and Centre College. He currently serves as administrator and vocal coach for the Lexington Opera Society's Summer Opera Workshop. Mr. Penn studied with noted collaborative pianists Margo Garrett and Irma Vallecillo and has worked with Pierre Vallet, Warren Jones, Martin Isepp and John Moriarty. Mr. Penn was awarded a Gramma Fisher Fellowship for coaching studies at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, and is currently completing a doctorate in collaborative piano from New England Conservatory in Boston.

Nan McSwain, a native of Owensboro, Kentucky, received both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Kentucky. She also holds a Specialist Degree in Vocal Coaching/Accompanying from the University of Michigan, where she was a graduate assistant in the studio of Martin Katz. McSwain has performed with soloists and ensembles throughout the United States and Canada and also worked with Michigan Opera Theatre, Kentucky Opera, University of Michigan Opera Theatre, Oakland University Theatre, University of Kentucky Opera Theatre and Opera of Central Kentucky. From 1997 through 2002, she served as pianist for the American Spiritual Ensemble, touring the U.S. and Spain. She has also worked as coach/accompanist for the voice studio of Shirley Verrett; for the American Institute for Musical Studies in Graz, Austria; for the University of Kentucky Opera Workshops; and for the University of Kentucky/Lexington Opera Society outreach productions. She has taught as an adjunct professor in piano and theory at Asbury College and the University of Kentucky. McSwain studied with pianists Lucien Stark, Enid Katahn, Gaye Bennes and Leon Gregorian and has participated in master classes of several renowned artists, including Martin Katz, Barbara Honn, Walter Robert and Dalton Baldwin.

Laurie Fields, teacher of stage movement, has a masters degree from the University of Iowa. She is director of Dancers Studio in Lexington and teaches at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Lexington, Kentucky.

Daniel Townsend, make-up and costuming, is currently attending the Cinncinati College-Conservatory of Music, pursuing an MFA degree in Wig and Makeup Design. He created the wigs for the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre's production of Madama Butterfiy. Since being at CCM, he has been the assistant to the wig designer on the musical Crazy for You as well as for the opera Albert Herring. This spring he will be designing wigs and makeup for the Ibsen drama Hedda Gabler.