Teaching Artists

2012-2013 Season

Chicago Opera Theater takes great pride in the in-depth focus and individual attention of the Opera for All and Opera for Teens programs. Our young and dynamic teaching fellows visit selected partner schools and Gallery 37 throughout the entirety of an academic year to teach weekly opera and violin classes.

 Linden Christ

Manager of Education and Outreach and Teaching Artist, Opera for All Program

Linden Kathleen Christ made her international debut as Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel with the Rome Opera Festival in 2005. She made her professional American debut in 2008 as First Lady in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte with Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. She performs every summer with the Peoria Municipal Band, has been the featured soloist at Bradley University's John Philip Sousa Concerts, and will sing with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra in the 2011-2012 season. Christ is the artistic director of the opera outreach company, Chicago Opera Play House. The company is presently touring Cinderhood by Adam Busch (Opera For All composer). Christ is the Manager of Education and Outreach for Chicago Opera Theater, working with After School Matter's Opera For Teens, and middle school opera program, Opera for All.

Christ completed her Master's Degree in Vocal Performance and Musicology from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, where she is now a Faculty Member and conducts the University Singers. Christ graduated magna cum laude from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana and spent a semester abroad in Florence, Italy. Christ resides in Chicago, where she studies with Judith Haddon and is a native of Metamora, Illinois.

 Jessica Weber

Education Assistant

Jessica started working at Chicago Opera Theater in Fall 2012 after meeting with Linden Christ through COT's Opera Underground. She loves working with students of all ages, no matter the subject and is excited to learn from such a great group of people at the Chicago Opera Theater. Jessica was the Education Coordinator and Librarian for the Lexington Philharmonic for 2 years. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a BA in Arts Administration, and is working on her Masters degree in Elementary Education at DePaul University.      

 Caryn Ott Hillman 

Stage director and Choreographer for Chicago Opera Theater for Teens 

Caryn fell in love with singing and dancing at a tender age of three. While growing up in Milwaukee, WI, she studied dance and voice through high school and then began teaching musical theatre in a summer camp immediately following graduation. She moved to Chicago to attend Roosevelt University's Chicago School of Music. Since graduating with a Bachelors of Music with a minor in Theatre, Caryn has performed opera and musical theatre throughout Chicago. Some of her favorite roles performed have been Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro with Bowen Park Opera, Cunegonde in Candide at the O'Malley Theatre, Lily in The Secret Garden with Theatre Hikes and Edith in Pirates of Penzance with Light Opera Works. She found herself back in the classroom in recent years with Light Opera Works and Emerald City Theatre.

Christopher Richard

Music Director for Chicago Opera Theater for Teens

Christopher Richard, originally from Indiana, holds degrees from Butler University and the University of Southern California. While in Chicago, Mr. Richard has performed with DuPage Opera Theatre, Bowen Park Opera, Light Opera Works and Drury Lane Oakbrook. On a broader scope, he has appeared with Sarasota Opera, Indianapolis Opera, the Aspen Music Festival Opera, Brevard Music Center, the Mexico National Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and the New World Symphony Orchestra. Although Mr. Richard has many credits in opera, he is equally at home in the music theatre, cabaret and recital genres. In addition to performing, Mr. Richard teaches voice lessons privately and at Oak Park & River Forest High School, is Assistant Music Director at Irving Park Lutheran Church and director of their Contemporary Ensemble. In the fall of 2002 he was Music Director for the Youth Opera Program at Sarasota Opera. Serving as Music Director for the Light Opera Works Summer Music Theatre Workshop since 2007, Mr. Richard works on 5 separate productions specifically tailored for young performers each summer. In that same vein, Mr. Richard has been the Program Director of Music Theatre at Merit School of Music, director of the DePaul Community Musical Theatre class, and has enjoyed working as music director for productions with OPRF and Triton College. Most recently he has enjoyed being the Music Director for Bowen Park Opera since 2007.

 Richard Blakeney

 Justin Callis 

Teaching Artist, Opera For All Program

Justin Callis was thrilled to spend the past season working with Child's Play Touring Theatre. As their Music Director, Justin traveled the country presenting plays and musicals based on the original writings of children. He helped shepherd their newest show, Global Energy, the Musical! as Musical Supervisor, and starred in its premier production. He also co-wrote their Great Green Adventures of R-Man with Christian Vernon. Justin is a proud graduate of Northwestern University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre and English and received a certificate in Music Theatre. Favorite productions at Northwestern include the world premier workshop of Of Mice and Manhattan by Barry Kornhauser and Frank Loesser (Turtle/Beatle/Rover), the world premier of Eric Reda's opera-oratorio, Reagan's Children (Ronald Prescott Reagan), Sweeney Todd (Beadle), and Spinning Into Butter (Dean Strauss). Justin is thrilled to be working with Chicago Opera Theater, and looks forward to a great year of teaching!

  Amanda Compton

Teaching Artist, Opera For All Program

St. Louis native Amanda Compton is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University (B.M. Vocal Performance) and the University of Wisconsin-Madison (M.M. Voice). She currently sings and teaches in the Chicago area, performing with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, Light Opera Works (Yeomen of the Guard, Brigadoon, The Student Prince), and Red Tape Theatre (The Love of the Nightingale). Her favorite roles include Yum-Yum inThe Mikado (Madison Savoyards), Mélisande in Pelleas et Mélisande (UW-Madison), and Rapunzel in Into the Woods. She has toured with Prairie Fire Theater in the cast of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, originated the role of Lee Krasner in the premiere of Art and Desire (UW-Madison), and she has been a soloist with the American Institute of Music in Graz, Austria, as well as the Belleville Diocesan Schola. She has toured Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Carnegie Hall in New York, and in 2012-2013 will be appearing as Zerlina in Don Giovanni with American Chamber Opera Company, 42nd Street with Theater at the Center, and Papagena in The Magic Flute with Candid Concert Opera. She maintains an active teaching career as a private voice and piano teacher, and is an associate teaching artist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's program at IYC Warrenville for incarcerated and at risk youth. Amanda is thrilled to be a part of COT's unique program for CPS, and looks forward to embarking on another year of creativity and fun with the students!

 Jennifer D'Agostino

Teaching Artist  

Jennifer D'Agostino is thrilled to be participating as a Chicago Opera Theater Teaching Artist. She has her Doctoral degree in Voice Performance and Opera Production from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, her Master's degree from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and her Bachelor's degree from Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music. Jennifer has performed in many genres of classical music, including art song recital, oratorio/concert and opera. She has performed major roles in The Magic Flute, Susannah, A Hand of Bridge, Sweeney Todd, Roman Fever, The Mikado, Little Women, The Most Happy Fella’ , & Maria Stuarda. Internationally, Jennifer has performed as the alto soloist in Rossini’s Messa di Gloria in Pesaro, Italy with Benton Hess and under the baton of Eduoardo Mueller at AIMS in Graz, Austria.  Jennifer is excited to get acquainted with the classical music scene in Chicago and to work with the students of Chase & Reilly Elementary!

  Lisa Golda

Teaching Artist, Opera For All Program

Lisa Golda is a singer-actor and teaching artist specializing in literacy-oriented creative collaborations. Both an Actors' Equity candidate and a trained opera singer, Lisa earned her master's degree in vocal performance at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She has performed as a Resident Artist and AGMA chorister with Portland Opera, and has also done community outreach and children's touring performances with Seattle Opera and Chicago Opera Playhouse. She recently created the role of Charlotte Black Elk in the world premiere of Buffalo Nation with Present Music in Milwaukee, WI. She is a church and theatrical music director and pianist, and a private/collegiate voice teacher. Lisa is also a teaching artist for Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education; currently working on the Portfolio Development Project and Sound Design. Visit her website at www.lisagolda.com

 Amanda Grimm

Violin Teaching Artist, Opera For All Program

A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and Carnegie Mellon University she performed both as soloist and as concertmaster in over fifteen venues in France, Germany, and Michigan with the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp European Tour Orchestra. In 2004 she was selected by faculty to be concertmaster of the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra in a live broadcast performance of Mahler's Fourth Symphony under Sir Simon Rattle. In 2007, she was the winner of the Carnegie Mellon Concerto Competition, performing Bernstein's Serenade with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic. An active chamber musician, she has been a member of many ensembles including the Cerberus Piano Trio, the Logan Square Piano Quartet, and the Silberman Competition winning Faure Piano Quintet. She was featured on WQED Pittsburgh as the first violin soloist in a performance of Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins and was heard live on WBEZ last year as a performer in a benefit concert for Haiti at Roosevelt University. Ms. Grimm can also be heard on the soundtrack for the documentary film In My Hands, which was an official entry at the Toronto Film Festival. Currently, Ms. Grimm is a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.

 Bryna Berezowska

Teaching Artist, Opera for All Program

Bryna Berezowska grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and moved to Chicago six years ago to do her master's degree in Opera! She loves to sing, dance and act, which she has been doing since kindergarten. Bryna performs professionally with many theater groups in Chicago! She is currently playing Little Red Riding Hood in Cinderhood and Pyg in The Knightly News with Chicago Opera Playhouse! She is thrilled to premier the role of Paulie in the musical Yellowstone: A Twilight Zone, and also enjoys performing with Explore Theater (A group that performs stories written by children)! She has written multiple children's shows, has taught music and drama for many years, and is super excited to be a Chicago Opera Theater Teaching Artist this year!

  Eleni Hagen 

 Teaching Artist, Opera for All Program 

New Jersey native and current Bostonian Eleni Hagen received her BA in English Literature from Vassar College in 2004 and her MM in Vocal Performance from The Boston Conservatory in 2008. She has performed with the Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar in Germany, appearing in productions of Così fan tutte and Le Nozze di Figaro, and was a featured musical artist during a lecture presentation at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 2009. Today, Eleni does her best to put her passion for both music and literature to good use and works as a free-lance music writer. She currently has the pleasure of writing for ArtsEdge (an educational branch of Washington's Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts) and for the Washington National Opera, and also had the privilege of writing for the Boston Philharmonic during the 2011/2012 season. Eleni is absolutely thrilled to be joining the extremely innovative and wonderfully welcoming Chicago Opera Theater education team and is looking forward to a fun and collaborative season!