La traviata

A passionate interpreter of opera, concert repertoire, and song, soprano Sara Gartland has firmly established herself as an artist to watch, displaying a talent for dramatic storytelling and comedy. In the 2024-25 Season, Sara will return to Atlanta Opera for Macbeth (Lady Macbeth) and The Dallas Opera for La traviata (Violetta), and she debuts at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for Die Fledermaus (Rosalinde), and Calgary Opera for a double bill of Gianni Schicchi (Nella) and Bluebeard’s Castle (Judith).

Last season, Sara made her European debuts with Semperoper Dresden and Oldenburgisches Staatstheater in Die tote Stadt (Marie/Marietta). She debuted with Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera in Don Giovanni (Donna Elvira), and returned to Des Moines Metro Opera for her first performances of the titular role in Strauss’ iconic Salome in a new production conducted by David Neely and directed by Nathan Troupe. In the 2022-23 Season, Sara saw debuts at Pittsburgh Opera in Rusalka (title role), Opera San Antonio in Pagliacci (Nedda), Minnesota Opera in Don Giovanni (Donna Elvira), and a return to DMMO for Bluebeard’s Castle (Judith). She last appeared at Opera Colorado in the 2022-23 production of Die tote Stadt (Marie, staging only).

Additional career highlights include creating the role of Rose in the world premiere production of A Thousand Acres with libretto by Kristin Kuster and Mark Campbell for the 50th Anniversary season at the Des Moines Metro Opera, where she has also been seen in the title roles of Rusalka and Jenůfa, Wozzeck (Marie), Queen of Spades (Liza), Roméo et Juliette (Juliette), and Regina (Alexandra). Sara also appeared in La bohème (Musetta) and Carmen (Micaëla) with The Dallas Opera; Die Fledermaus (Rosalinde), La traviata (Violetta), Of Mice and Men (Curley’s Wife), and Regina (Alexandra) with Utah Opera; Rusalka and HMS Pinafore (Josephine) with Arizona Opera; Fidelio (Marzelline) with Opera Omaha; Hansel and Gretel (Gretel) with Opera San Jose; Elixir of Love (Adina) with Austin Lyric Opera; Hansel and Gretel (Gretel) with San Diego Opera; and Beethoven’s Mass in C Major with the Jacksonville Symphony.

Sara is a graduate of the prestigious Adler Fellowship Program at San Francisco Opera where she was seen in numerous productions including in Carmen (Micaëla), the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis’ Heart of a Soldier (Pat/Ann), Die Walküre (Gerhilde), Madama Butterfly (Kate Pinkerton), and The Marriage of Figaro (Barbarina), which was her San Francisco Opera main stage debut. Prior to becoming an Adler Fellow, Sara participated in the Merola Opera Program and was seen in L’amico Fritz (Suzel).

Having appeared at many of North America’s most significant houses, baritone Weston Hurt makes his anticipated UK debut this upcoming season as the titular Rigoletto with English National Opera. The 2024-25 Season will also bring his house and role debut as Tonio in Pagliacci with Pensacola Opera.

This past season, he joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera for the first time in Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas (Alvaro, cover), returned to Houston Grand Opera in their Miller Outdoor Theatre performances of Madama Butterfly (Sharpless), and bowed with Madison Opera for their annual Opera in the Park concert.

During the 2022-23 Season, Weston made several returns to signature roles, including La traviata (Germont) with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Tosca (Scarpia) with Arizona Opera, and in Madama Butterfly (Sharpless) with New Orleans Opera. On the concert stage, he joined Opera Roanoke for Britten’s War Requiem and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra for Verdi’s Requiem.

Notable opera engagements have included his role debut as the title character in Nabucco at Seattle Opera, his house and role debut with Houston Grand Opera as Scarpia in Tosca, his debut with New Orleans Opera in La traviata (Germont), his role debut as Iago in Otello with Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, and a return to Seattle Opera in another role debut as Talbot in Maria Stuarda. He has also appeared in Un ballo in maschera (Renato) with Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, the title role of Rigoletto with New Orleans Opera, Opera Maine, and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras, in Tosca (Scarpia) with Tulsa Opera and Nashville Opera, in La traviata (Germont) at the Seattle Opera, Portland Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera San Antonio, Madison Opera, and Atlanta Opera, in Falstaff (Ford) at the Seattle Opera, Portland Opera, and Virginia Opera; in Madama Butterfly (Sharpless) at the Seattle Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, New York City Opera, Atlanta Opera, Berkshire Opera Festival and Opera Grand Rapids.

A graduate of the prestigious Juilliard Opera Center, Weston has received many notable vocal awards, including First Place and the People’s Choice Award from the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, the Vienna Prize from the George London Foundation, and First Place in the Oratorio Society of New York Competition, as well as various awards from the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Competition, Liederkranz Foundation, Metropolitan Opera National Council, Opera Index, and Palm Beach Opera Competition, and two career grants conferred by The Santa Fe Opera.

Appointed in 2015 as Opera Colorado’s first-ever music director, Ari Pelto’s “breathtaking wizardry in the pit” (The Denver Post) has been widely celebrated, with Pelto in demand at opera houses and concert halls throughout the United States. At the age of 24, Pelto was appointed Assistant Conductor at the Spoleto Festival and he has since gone on to conduct worldwide. International engagements include performances with Bochumer Philharmoniker and opera productions at New National Theatre of Tokyo and the Teatro Nacional Sucre in Quito, Ecuador. In 2004 he made his highly-praised debut with New York City Opera, conducting La Traviata, after which he became a regular, returning for productions of Madama Butterfly, La bohème, and Carmen. Recent successes include Eugene Onegin at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Lucia di Lammermoor at Virginia Opera, and La Voix Humaine at Chicago Opera Theater.

Iranian conductor and pianist, Sahar Nouri, has been Music Director of Lamont Opera Theater at University of Denver since 2019. She has also served at Opera Colorado as Chorus Master & Assistant Conductor since 2016. Ms. Nouri is the founder/director of Dandelion Opera Institute.

At the University of Denver, Ms. Nouri has conducted productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Die Zauberflöte, Alcina, Cabildo, Les mamelles de Tirésias, and The Little Prince.

Her work with Opera Colorado has included productions of Samson and Delilah, The Flying Dutchman, Don Giovanni, Turandot, Die tote Stadt, Rigoletto, Carmen, The Shining, Tosca, Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci, The Marriage of Figaro, La traviata, Falstaff, The Barber of Seville, La bohème, La fanciulla del West, and the world premiere of Steal a Pencil for Me (Gerald Cohen).

Previously, Ms. Nouri has been part of the music staff at San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra at Bravo! Vail, Opera Parallèle, Opera North Carolina, Glimmerglass Festival, Utah Opera, Aspen Opera Theatre, Opera Steamboat, Merola Opera, Boston Conservatory of Music, and San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

An active performer, she has given numerous recitals around the US including those alongside international stars Mane Galoyan, Heidi Melton, and Matthew Polenzani. A multi-lingual coach, she has studied in Czechia, Italy, and Austria and is frequently in demand as a language coach.

Ms. Nouri is a former violinist who has performed with Tehran Philharmonic Orchestra and has won several prizes, for both violin and piano, in national music festivals and competitions in Iran.