Stephen Scovasso is a musicologist, conductor, director and author. He has directed operas including, Carmen, Tosca, La Bohème, Don Giovanni, Gianni Schicchi, Cosi fan Tutte as well operetta's such as The Merry Widow and Die Fledermaus. He has also directed American Musical Theater pieces such as Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods and Bernstein’s Candide.

In conjunction with SAS Performing Arts Company, he has produced and directed 6 full length virtual streams including Dracula: The Radio Play, Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest and Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream as well as many virtual concerts and holiday concerts.

Stephen studied Operatic and Symphonic conducting under the tutelage of the late Vincent La Selva. Among the works he has conducted are Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 in D minor, Handel’s Messiah, Puccini’s Tosca, and Mozart's Don Giovanni. 

During his years at Arizona State University,  he taught classes on the Baroque Style, Opera, American Musical Theater, and Stephen Sondheim.
He has authored Puccini's Il Trittico and the End of Italian Opera and The Musical Worlds of Henry Mancini.

Mr. Scovasso currently serves as President of the New York Opera Alliance.

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Monica Camafreita is a dynamic and versatile soprano whose operatic and recital performances have captivated audiences worldwide. Fluent in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, and Italian, Monica’s rich vocal training and diverse skill set have allowed her to perform a wide range of roles with esteemed opera companies and festivals.

Monica's operatic repertoire spans multiple styles and languages, from the classic works of Puccini and Verdi to more contemporary compositions. Notable roles she has performed or will perform include Miss Pinkerton in The Old Maid and the Thief (Menotti), Mother Marie in Dialogues of the Carmelites (Poulenc), the title role in Suor Angelica (Puccini), La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi (Puccini) and Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda (Donizetti).

In addition to her operatic work, Monica has a strong presence in recital, oratorio, and choral performances. Most recently, she was featured as a soloist in Angelitos Negros: An Evening of Latin American Song for MORE Opera. She has also been a member of ensembles for the Connecticut Choral Society, Hannah Senesh Society, and the United Nations Orchestra, further demonstrating her versatility across genres.

Her passion for arts administration is evident through her involvement with Opera for Earth, where she has produced and performed in multiple productions in NYC, Texas, and Florida, and her appointment to the Executive Committee of the New York Opera Alliance. Monica’s commitment to music and global outreach is matched only by her dedication to continual growth as a performer and artist.

Monica's vibrant career continues to blossom, with upcoming engagements including performances with SAS Performing Arts Company and Opera for Earth in 2025. Her powerful voice and commanding stage presence ensure that she will remain a sought-after artist in the world of opera and beyond.

Head of Artistic Operations/Opera, Assistant Teaching Professor of Voice at John J. Cali School of Music. She has directed many operas and multiple scenes programs for MSU's Opera Workshop classes, as well as role preparation productions including Sweeney Todd and La Bohème. She has also enjoyed collaborating on many occasions as not only a soprano soloist with MSU Singers and Chorale choirs but also as director of Considering Matthew Shepard. As a soprano soloist, Ms. Driscoll has sung leading roles with Seattle Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Florentine Opera, L'Opéra de Montréal, Vancouver Opera, Virginia Opera, Baltimore Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, National Lyric Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Columbus, Toledo Opera, Opera Carolina, Hawaii Opera Theater, New Jersey State Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Long Beach Opera, Worcester Chorus and Masterwork Chorus to name a few. She is a native of Ohio where she began her music studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and also where she holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance.

Maria Giorgio is lead vocalist and song writer of her band MG & the Orbs since 2011. Her musical forte is in the genres of Blues, R&B, Jazz, and the American Songbook all in her own personal style. Her vocal range is 3.5 octaves and she began studying in the classical Bel Canto style.  During the Pandemic, she appeared on Bernie Furshpan's "Live from the Metropolitan Zoom" and has also appeared in 3 concerts with SAS Performing Arts. Maria has also made special appearance in our production of Alice in Wonderland as a very jazzy Cheshire Cat

Janice Hall is a singer- actor equally comfortable in the worlds of opera, theater, and cabaret. After a stellar beginning in the opera world, which included appearances in major roles at the Houston Grand Opera, New York City Opera, and the Washington National Opera, Janice took a contract at the opera house in Cologne, Germany. While in Europe, she performed at the Salzburg Festival, the Vienna State Opera, Covent Garden in London, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, and the opera houses of Hamburg, Zurich, Munich, and Berlin. Her operatic repertoire has included roles as diverse as Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Janacek's Cunning Little Vixen, Puccini's Madama Butterfly, and Richard Strauss's Salome, and she has worked with some of the world’s great directors, including Jack O’Brien, Harry Kupfer, Willy Decker, and Calixto Bieito.  

Isola Jones, an American Soprano, graced the stage of the Metropolitan Opera for an impressive 16 seasons, delivering over 500 captivating performances. Her talent also took her to numerous opera companies across the U.S. and abroad, showcasing her versatility and skill.
Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is part African American and part Cherokee and also has European ancestry. Miss Jones received her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
After college, she joined the Chicago Symphony Chorus and was the understudy for the Australian Mezzo Soprano Yvonne Minton in the Verdi Requiem in 1975, bringing her to Maestro Georg Solti's attention. During the next two years, she sang in Der Fliegende Holländer in Chicago and Porgy and Bess in Cleveland. She joined the Metropolitan Opera in 1977, debuting as Olga in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin.  In her first year at the Met, she sang the role of Maddalena in Rigoletto in a live telecast and sang in an impressive 10 Live from the Met telecasts, the most of any African American artist at the MET, a testament to her popularity and talent.
She has also sung with the Arizona Opera, Baltimore Opera, Calgary Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Dallas Opera, the Hungarian Opera Company, Palm Beach Opera, Seattle Opera, at the Spoleto Festival, and at the Kennedy Center with Washington Opera. In 1999, she joined the South Mountain Community College faculty in Phoenix, Arizona.
Isola Jones's dedication to her craft is evident in her recent completion of her coursework at Arizona State University, earning her the title of Dr. Isola Jones. This academic achievement is a testament to her commitment and passion for opera. Among her musical influences, she credits Leontyne Price,

Mary has been accompanying for 25 years and worked as a vocal coach ,instrumental accompanists and vocal accompanist. After receiving a Master's Degree from the University of Illinois with John Wustman, She went on to work for the Lyric Opera of Chicago's apprentice Program and coach and accompany for Opera Omaha, Florentine Opera. Augusta Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre and after leaving Chicago working on staff for the Dallas Opera. While in Chicago Mary accompanied the Met Regional Auditions and played lessons and Masterclasses for Marlena Malas, Edward Zembara, Margaret Harshaw, and Sherill Milnes. After leaving Dallas, Mary worked for the San Antonio Opera and for the last 9 years has been working in New Jersey and the NYC area on faculty as an adjunct professor at Montclair State University and William Paterson University preparing recitals, opera workshop and doing vocal coaching. .

Eric Malson, a versatile musician, has established himself as a prominent soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. His musical journey has taken him across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Notably, he has performed with esteemed orchestras such as the North Carolina Symphony, Columbus (Ohio) Symphony, Manhattan Mozart Orchestra, Orquestra da Fundação Gulbenkian, Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa, Oak Ridge Symphony, and Prince William Symphony. His collaborative work with the Steans Institute for Young Artists has seen him grace renowned festivals like Ravinia, Tanglewood, Norfolk, Wexford, Caramoor, Scotia, Chautauqua, Évora, Semana Grande de Santander, and Verso il Millennio, and Mt. Angel Bach festivals.
Mr. Malson's collaborative skills extend to his extensive work with singers, having prepared over 40 operatic productions in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe. His performances with sopranos Deborah Voigt and Eva Urbanová, tenors Thomas Studebaker, Lawrence Brownlee, and Charles Reid, basses Alfred Walker and David Pittsinger, and baritones Laurent Naouri and Chistophoren Nomura, among others, have been highly acclaimed. His recordings for the Sony and Lyrichord labels, particularly the Brahms Magelone songs with tenor Paul Mow, have received critical acclaim. He has also contributed to various opera companies, including the Bühnen der Stadt Köln, Teatro Nacional São Carlos (Lisbon), Seattle Opera (Wagner’s Ring cycle), Washington Opera at Kennedy Center, Opera Zuid (Netherlands), Theater der Stadt Heidelberg, The Dallas Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and the Cleveland Opera.
Mr. Malson's commitment to music education is evident in his roles on the opera faculties of the Juilliard School of Music and the Mannes College of Music, the accompanying staff of the Curtis Institute of Music, and the accompanying and chamber music faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has also served as an official accompanist for various competitions, including the Eurovision Young Musicians Competition, Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition, William Primrose International Viola Competition, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions. His academic journey includes degrees from Indiana University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he studied under the guidance of Menahem Pressler, Gilbert Kalish, and John Wustman.

Jon Audric Nelson is a music director and pianist for musical theatre and opera. Recent career highlights include Music Supervisor for a production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives (which incorporated 1930’s arrangements of contemporary pop tunes), the 11th annual Colorado Theatre Guild HENRY Awards, Leonard Bernstein’s MASS at the Kupferberg Center, and a production of Rigoletto at Lincoln Center. Also a passionate voice coach, Jon dedicates a large portion of his schedule to working with singers of both musical theatre and opera and is one of our most trusted voice teachers/vocal coaches. His clients can be found on Broadway, national tours, and at major regional theaters, in addition to the operatic stages of New York, San Francisco, Santa Fe, Berlin, London, Paris, and Bangkok, to name a few. However, his greatest devotion belongs to his precious French bulldog, appropriately named La Divina.

Deborah Surdi, soprano, is an experienced singer, voice teacher and coach, as well as an executive and consultant in the music and concert presenting business.  As a singer, she performed for many years in both local and regional opera companies in the Tri-State area. Her roles include Mimi, Musetta, Fiordiligi, Tosca, Rosalinda and Cio-Cio San, to name a few. She has also performed in Cabarets and American Musical Theater shows and worked with the late Barbara Cook on song presentation and style.

 For the bulk of her working career she held various positions at RCA Records/BMG Classics and Sony Classical, with her last position as Vice President of Artists and Repertoire.   Former Executive Director of The Opera Orchestra of New York, Deborah is currently working in executive capacities with the Martina Arroyo Foundation and The Queens Symphony Orchestra.

SAS Performing Arts Concert Opera is honored to welcome KS Tichina Vaughn to  the staff as our Young Artist Advisor,  In that capacity she will give master classes  and advise our young artists with their career development. Grammy Award winning American mezzo soprano Tichina Vaughn has established an important presence among the world’s leading opera houses, concert halls and theaters. In 2023, she began her tenure as a faculty member of the prestigious Indiana University, As an outstanding singing-actress versatile in opera, operetta, musical theater, and jazz, Vaughn continues to gather both popular and critical acclaim. Ms. Vaughn began her operatic career as a member of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Program directly after receiving her bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Ms. Vaughn just completed her debut at the Royal Opera House London as the Witch in their highly acclaimed production of Hansel and Gretel. She returned to the Metropolitan Opera as The Hostess of the Inn in Boris Godunov, Maria in Porgy and Bess, and the first Serving Woman in Elektra. She also debuted with Boston Lyric Opera in Terence Blanchard’s Champion as Emelda Griffith.  In the summer of 2022, she joined the Cincinnati Opera as Amneris in Aida and ended her year in Lyon making her French debut as the Old Lady in Bernstein’s Candide.

On the concert stage she appeared with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester at the Lucerne Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival as Maria in Porgy and Bess, as well as with the Landmarks Orchestra Boston in Beethoven Symphony No. 9; and the world premiere of “Many Mansions” by Diane White-Clayton. Tichina opened the 2022-2023 season with Utah Opera as Mary in Der Fliegende Hollander. Further season highlights included Fort Worth Opera as Amneris in Aida and as Monisha in Joplin’s Treemonisha at Opera Theater St. Louis.

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