Danielle Long earned her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance at Saint Olaf College, in Minnesota.
After graduating, Danielle worked as a bartender and yoga instructor while performing lead roles such as
Roxanne in Cyrano de Bergerac, Rachel Crabbe in One Man Two Guvnors, Detective Sergeant Benson in
Death By Arrangement, Mad Margaret in Ruddigore, and Texas in Cabaret, with theatres throughout
Minnesota. In 2020, Danielle returned home to O’Fallon, Illinois, and, with the help of digital
conferencing, she gained proficiency in Italian and performed as Dame Marthe in a Zoom production of
Faust. After attending vocal programs in Austria and Germany, Danielle began her studies at Jacobs
School of Music at Indiana University, earning her Master of Music in Voice Performance with a
Graduate Certificate in Vocology.
In 2022, Danielle performed as: Rhiannon in Rhiannon’s Condemnation with New Voices Opera; Isabel
in Pirates of Penzance with Cedar Rapids Opera; and as the alto soloist for Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass,
Saint-Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël, and for Handel’s Messiah. Danielle also appeared as Macduff and King
Duncan in IU Theatre’s production of Macbeth. In 2023, Danielle performed as the Sorceress in IU
Opera’s production of Dido and Æneas, as a chorus member in the world premiere of Anne Frank, as
Adza in IU Opera’s production of L’étoile, as the Clown in IU Theatre’s production of The Winter’s Tale,
as the alto soloist for Beethoven’s Messe in C.
Danielle also participates heavily in opera outreach; currently, she tours as Rufus in Bloomington
composer Lauren Bernofsky’s production Rufus & Rita. Danielle will continue this outreach by
performing the role of Unicorn in Bernofsky’s new opera, Mooch the Magnificent, in August. Frequently
engaged as a recitalist throughout the Metro-east area, Danielle will continue her recital engagements in
2024. She will also continue her love of performing Shakespeare in April 2024 with the Indiana
University Players as Prospero in The Tempest.
Danielle is honored to receive first place in the Southern Illinois Young Artist Organization’s Vocal
Competition. Having grown up in southern Illinois, she is extremely grateful to the organization for
providing opportunities for young artists like herself in, and from, the area. Danielle is blessed to be able
to represent her home as she builds her music career, and to share her gifts with the community that
supports her.

Soprano, Mikayla Liu, is currently completing her Graduate Diploma at CIM studying under Dr. Mary
Schiller. She completed her M.A. in vocal performance at the University of Iowa where she also served as
a graduate voice T.A..

In 2023, she attended AIMS opera institute wherein she sang recitals throughout
Graz, Austria. Recent engagements include, Alcina (Alcina), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Violetta
Valery (La traviata ), Carolina (Il matrimonio segreto), Beatrice (3 Decembers). In addition to opera,
Mikayla has been the featured soprano soloist in orchestral perin Johann Valentin Rathgeber’s Missa in D
and Hadyn's Missa Brevis.

Soprano Caitlin Towell is a Lyric Theatre major completing her senior year at the University of Illinois studying with Dawn Harris, Sarah Wigley, and Michael Tilley in preparation for a career in opera and musical theatre. She is excited to continue cross training as a graduate student at Oklahoma City University in the fall.

Honored to have received scholarships through her university’s music programs, Caitlin also received Encouragement Awards from the National Society of Arts and Letters Winston Scholarship Competition and Orpheus Vocal Competition, placed second in The American Prize in Opera/Operetta in the college division, was a finalist in the Musicians Club of Women Vocal Junior Competition, and is a finalist in The American Prize’s current cycle of contests in Opera/Operetta, Art Song/Oratorio, and the Bacon Memorial Award.

This summer will be jampacked with shows as a member of the Vocal Company of the College Light Opera Company where she will sing Phyllis in Iolanthe, Anne Egerman in A Little Night Music, and portray other ensemble and featured roles. Caitlin sang Despina in the Voice Area @ Illinois production of Cosi fan tutte: Remix this spring¸ portrayed Sally and covered Adele in Lyric Theatre @ Illinois production of Die Fledermaus this past fall, and performed as Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro at the Brancaleoni International Music Festival last summer. Other favorite roles include Angel City Soprano in City of Angels, Mrs. Anderssen in A Little Night Music, Babette in Beauty and the Beast, Meg March in Little Women, and Phoebe D’Ysquith in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Caitlin is a proud plant mom, bookworm, and occasional pianist.

Ian Pathak, an Indian/American tenor and a native to the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area is a
senior at the University of Michigan and studies with Scott Piper and George Shirley. Pathak will
join Opera Saratoga as an apprentice artist for their 2024 Summer season, covering the role of
Ferrando in Mozart’s Così fan tutte and singing Harry the Horse in Loesser’s Guys and Dolls.
Additionally, Pathak will be covering the role of Benny Southstreet in Guys and Dolls.
Recently, he performed the role of Schoolteacher in a workshop of David Hanlon and Stephanie
Fleischmann’s upcoming work, The Pigeon Keeper, in partnership with Santa Fe Opera. In Fall
2023 he portrayed the role of Mercure in Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers at the University of
Michigan.

Last Summer, Pathak was selected to attend the prestigious Music Academy of the West in
Santa Barbara California. Earlier that year, he made his University of Michigan mainstage role
debut as the Schoolmaster/Mosquito in Leoš Janáček’s opera, The Cunning Little Vixen. Other
2022-2023 credits include chorister in Detroit Opera’s concert production of Aida, Bogdanovich
in Toledo Opera’s production of The Merry Widow, and creating the role of Will Mossop in a
workshop of Tom Cipullo’s upcoming opera, Hobson’s Choice. In Summer 2022 Pathak had the
privilege of attending the Aspen Music Festival as a Summer 2022 studio artist.
Mr. Pathak has recently been recognized in competitions including winning 1st place in the Sue
Goetz Ross Memorial Competition, being named a finalist in the 2024 Opera Grand Rapids
Vanderlaan Prize, and being named an Undergraduate winner of the Sam Vitale and Aaron
Caruso Neapolitan Song Competition. Other honors and awards include 1st place in the National
Society of Arts and Letters Washington D.C Chapter, a finalist in the 2022 Undergraduate
Schmidt Vocal Arts Competition, and a finalist in the 2022 American Pops NextGen National
Voice Competition. He was also awarded the Director’s Award in the 2022 James Toland Voice
Competition.

Mr. Pathak will attend the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music (CCM), in
Fall 2024 to begin his graduate studies in voice.

Josephine Stockwell is currently a doctoral student at Indiana University studying with Li-Kuo Chang and Atar Arad. In August she returned from Israel where she was working and performing with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra on a one year contract after being a member and principal player in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She began playing viola at age 8 and received her undergraduate degree from Oberlin Conservatory and her Masters degree from Northwestern University.

She’s participated in the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Heifetz International Music Institute, the National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, National Youth Orchestra, Credo Chamber Music, Music@Menlo, and Music at Tateuchi, where she worked with San Francisco Symphony musicians as a teaching fellow. She can be heard on the Oberlin Music and Naxos Records labels. A passionate advocate of mentorship, education, and accessibility, Josephine has taught and supported other musicians in many circumstances, from teaching in Panama, to mentoring the freshman viola class at Northwestern, to having the role of student experience assistant manager of the Heifetz Institute’s 2020 virtual festival. A lover of many arts, she enjoys drawing, dancing, traveling, cooking, and styling hair for musicians’ performances. 

Jiani Wu, studying from Logan Skelton, is an MM student in University of Michigan with full scholarship. She’s got 2nd prize in 1st International Moscow Music Competition(2020) and 1st prizes in other national competitions, and has performed in Shanghai Symphony Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, Wuxi Grand Theater, Qingdao Concert Hall, etc., including piano concerto repertoires with conductor Guoyong Zhang and Qingdao Symphony Orchestra.

Brian Choy is an American double bassist raised in Hong Kong. At the age of 16, he
attended Wells Cathedral School in the United Kingdom, under the school’s specialist
musician program, and studied with David Heyes. He has performed as a member of various
orchestral ensembles, such as the NEC Philharmonia, the Boston Philharmonic Youth
Orchestra, and Symphony Pro Musica. Through these performances, he has collaborated
with world-class musicians, including Hugh Wolff, Benjamin Zander, Anna Federova, and
many others. On top of that, he has previously served as a coach for the NEC Preparatory
School.
Other than his orchestral engagements, Brian is a strong advocate in modern music. He has
made multiple premieres, including the world premiere of Dark Shadows by David Heyes,
and the Boston Premiere of I Dream Awake with the MIT Wind Ensemble.
Brian is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree at the New England Conservatory
under the guidance of Donald Palma.