Votre Toast

Soprano Erica Ancell graduated in May 2025 from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign with a Master of Music in Vocal Performance. In February she performed with composer Ricky Ian Gordon and baritone Nathan Gunn in a devised theatre piece of Gordon’s songs. In April Erica sang Proserpina in L’orfeo (Monteverdi) and in July made her debut with Chicago Summer Opera as Flavia in Silla (Handel).

In Lyric Theatre @Illinois’ Opera Scenes Erica sang Leïla (Les pêcheurs des perles), Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) & Béatrice (Béatrice et Bénèdict). Other performances include Die Fledermaus (2023) with the University of Illinois, Falstaff (2022) with Union Avenue Opera, Macbeth (2023) with Winter Opera St. Louis, and Handel’s Messiah (2022) with Greenville University as Soprano Soloist.

In 2023 Erica was the Bach Society of St. Louis’ Soprano Young Artist and Winner of Webster University’s Concerto and Aria Competition. She spent the summer of 2024 working with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ administrative team.

In December, Erica joins Opera Aeterna as Brigitta in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta.

Jessica Barnes, Soprano, attended Webster University for a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance. Jessica has appeared in several productions in St. Louis that include three seasons with Winter Opera St. Louis. Her recent roles include Un Musico in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut and Nanette in Naughty Marietta; Jessica was also in the chorus of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Verdi’s Macbeth. Jessica also performed with Union Avenue Opera in Verdi’s Aida last summer. Additionally, Jessica has been involved in premiering choral and solo pieces including Harmonices Mundi by David Werfelmann and Bluebeard’s Castle by Noah Valenti. Jessica is one of the founders of Magpie Opera Collective and has been acting as the Social Media Manager. She would like to thank you all for spending your Saturday evening with her and all of our brilliant collaborative artists, and hopes you enjoy this inaugural performance!

Margaret Beekman is so excited to be a part of Magpie Opera Collective’s first night of opera scenes! Margaret recently graduated from SIUE with a degree in Musical Theatre Performance and a minor in Theatre and Dance. Her most recent roles include: Rosalie Mullins in School of Rock (SUIE), Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance (SIUE), Professor Hidgens in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals (SIUE), and The Queen of Hearts in Alice and Wonderland (SIUE). She is currently stage managing Suessical Jr. at Tessitura Musical Productions. She would like to thank her sister, family, and friends for their endless support.

Anna Edwards is an accomplished singer, music director, and voice and piano teacher. Anna has a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Webster University. She is thrilled to continue singing with Magpie Opera Collective for her second season!

Anna has distinguished herself by winning several local and regional classical singing competitions, including CRESCENDO! in 2024, 2025, and 2026, as well as the Central Region National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition in 2025. Her most recent performance credit includes singing Cendrillon in Pauline Viardot’s Cendrillon with Webster University Opera Studio. She has also been serving as music director and curriculum developer for Wentzville Connection Theatre Company since 2021.

Rita Schien is a Soprano based in St. Louis, Missouri, who loves connecting with others through music. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Missouri - St. Louis where she studied with Dr. Leslie Allnatt Mallory. Rita is the Soprano Young Artist with the Bach Society of St. Louis and also performs with Winter Opera St. Louis, The St. Louis Women’s Chorale, and the Recruits Youth Barbershop Chorus. When she’s not on stage, Rita works as the Enrollment & Production Manager for The St. Louis Children’s Choirs, supporting young singers as they grow in their musical journey. She is thrilled to collaborate with all the talented young artists at Magpie Opera Collective and is excited to share this performance with her community.

Kelly N. Beekman is a mezzo-soprano based in St. Louis, Missouri. She graduated from Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, focusing on training her voice in both operatic and contemporary singing styles. While at Webster, she was a recipient of the Christine Brewer Annual Scholarship in Vocal Music Performance and she received departmental honors for her tireless dedication to her craft and her outstanding performances. She has been selected by The Bach Society of St. Louis to represent their young artist program for four consecutive seasons and currently holds that position. She has had the privilege to represent other local music organizations such as Union Avenue Opera (Eugene Onegin, 2022, Carmen, 2024, L’elisir d’amore, 2026; Chorus) and Winter Opera St. Louis (Manon Lescaut, Naughty Marietta, 2024 and H.M.S. Pinafore, Anna Bolena, 2025; Chorus).

Kelly is a founding member of Magpie Opera Collective, a local arts organization dedicated to providing opportunities and performance experience to early-career classical vocalists. While she is a classically trained artist, she specializes in multiple genres. Outside of the classical realm, Kelly is currently a back-up singer for the local funk-rock band “Eldraco and Free Nation.” She was the frontwoman for her own rock band for five years and she still writes and records her own contemporary music.

Calista Goldwasser, mezzo-soprano, is one of the founders of Magpie Opera Collective. She holds a Master of Music from Webster University and a Bachelor of Music from DePauw University. For the past several years, Calista has held the title of Young Artist with the Bach Society of Saint Louis and sings in the opera choruses of Winter Opera of Saint Louis and Union Avenue Opera. Most recently, she performed as “Mrs. McLean” in Susannah with Arch City Opera Project and as “Zweite Knabe” in Die Zauberflöte with Winter Opera. In addition to performing, Calista also provides artistic and stage direction for Magpie Opera Collective, and she couldn’t be more grateful for your support of this artistic endeavor.

Mezzo-soprano and St. Louis native Stephanie Mossinghoff has appeared on stages across the St. Louis area. Notably, she has performed in five seasons with Winter Opera St. Louis. Her recent roles include Lolette in La Rondine and Inez in The Gondoliers; she was also in the chorus of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Verdi’s Macbeth, Herbert’s Naughty Marietta, and Romberg’s The Desert Song. Mossinghoff has also performed with Union Avenue Opera in Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila, Bizet’s Carmen, Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, and Loewe’s My Fair Lady. Additionally, Mossinghoff has performed in several opera outreach programs for children with Opera Edwardsville. These include performing as Pinocchio in Pinocchio, Wolfgang Bigbad in The Three Little Pigs, and the dual role of Jack’s Mother and the Giant’s Wife in Jack and the Beanstalk. Her vocal credits also include Dido in Dido and Aeneas as well as both Hänsel and Gertrude in Hänsel and Gretel.

Mossinghoff received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Truman State University, and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance and her Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy from SIUE. Mossinghoff is also one of the founders of Magpie Opera Collective and has been acting as the resident graphic designer. She wants to welcome you all to Magpie’s second season, and hopes you enjoy the show!

Conductor and singer Spencer Domer is a double Master’s candidate in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance at Ball State University. As a conductor, Spencer has served as the Assistant Conductor on numerous professional and collegiate operatic productions and choral/orchestral masterworks. He is proud to serve as the Founding Artistic Director of the Riverbend Classical Music Festival and the Riverbend Youth Chorale in Alton, Illinois, a Nonprofit music organization to allow musicians from around the Riverbend and nation collaborate in bringing professional music to the Riverbend community.

Spencer is also the Conducting Assistant for Indianapolis Opera and was a National Finalist for Opera Conducting in the American Prize competition for his work on Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring with Chicago Summer Opera.

As a singer, Spencer has been fortunate to perform in over 20 operas in Leading, Comprimario, and Ensemble roles at the University and Professional level. Roles performed and covered include; Nemorino (The Elixir of Love), Camille (The Merry Widow), Martin (The Tender Land), Frederic & Samuel (The Pirates of Penzance), Ferrando (Cosi Fan Tutte), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), Spiridione (Il Campanello), Prunier (La Rondine), and Ernesto (Don Pasquale).

In addition to his professional music engagements, Spencer is on staff as the Interim Director of Music at High Street United Methodist Church in Muncie, Indiana. He would like to thank his friends, family, mentors, and his beloved cat, Henry, for their unending support.

Will is a sophomore Choral Music Education major at Webster University. Show Credits: Dido and Aeneas (First Sailor), Les Misérables (Marius), Pandemonium (Alex), Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere). Will is a 2-time St. Louis High School Musical Theatre Awards winning actor and was a nominee in the National High School Musical Theatre Awards. He would like to thank his grandparents, family, and girlfriend Katie for all of their support!

Kevin Neace, tenor, is thrilled to perform with the Magpie Opera Collective. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Wheaton College and a Master of Music from the University of Memphis. Kevin made his professional debut in Union Avenue Opera’s Aida and has previously performed in the University of Memphis productions of Don Giovanni, The Cousin From Nowhere, and Trouble In Tahiti, where he received praise for his navigation of operatic and jazz vocal stylings as well as his impeccable comedic timing.

An Alton native, Kevin presently performs with the Bach Society of St. Louis, Continuum Vocal Ensemble and the Cathedral Basilica’s Schola Cantorum and has previously performed with ensembles such as Rhodes Mastersingers and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.

Riley Cameron is an educator, conductor, and performer located in the St. Louis area. Born and raised in Kenosha, WI, he studied at Webster University under Dr. Jacob Lassetter. Riley is thrilled to return to this role after having been in the first act with Calista and Anna in 2024 in Webster’s Opera Studio program. Since graduating from Webster, he has been teaching choir, piano, and general music at Metro Academic and Classical High School. Aside from his teaching duties, Riley has performed with Magpie in their inaugural showcase last fall, as well as with other local companies like Union Avenue Opera and Winter Opera St. Louis. Riley is also thrilled to be joining the Bach Society of St. Louis as a principal singer for this upcoming performance season.

Baritone Javi Ojeda is a first-year master’s student at Ball State University, originally from Edwardsville, Illinois, just outside of St. Louis. Before beginning graduate studies, he became an active presence in the St. Louis opera community, performing regularly with Winter Opera St. Louis, Union Avenue Opera, and SIUE Opera Theater. His stage experience includes roles such as Harry in My Fair Lady, the Second Armored Man in Die Zauberflöte, Major General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance, Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Uberto in La Serva Padrona. In addition to his operatic work, Javi sang with the Schola Cantorum of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, where he appeared as a soloist in Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, and Fauré’s Requiem.

Noted for his “fine voice and comic timing” and his “robust and confident demeanor,” St. Louis-based baritone, Joel Rogier, is dedicated to sharing the joy and power of the human voice with audiences of all ages. While he is sad that he will not be able to attend this season’s performances of Bewitched in person, Rogier is excited to make his first foray into directing in collaboration with all of Magpie Opera Collective’s wonderful artists. This season Rogier can be seen with Winter Opera St. Louis in The Most Happy Fella (Pasquale) and Turandot (Mandarin) and as the Sea King in Opera for the Young’s Rusalka: A Mermaid’s Tale. Earlier this year, he appeared in the first preview performance of Flame and Shadow: The Passion and Pain of Sara Teasdale (Vachel Lindsay) at the St. Louis Art Museum. This summer, Rogier was featured at Union Avenue Opera in their house concert series, as the Rabbi in Fiddler on the Roof and as Second Philistine (and part of the “leading star” chorus) in Samson et Dalila. He also made his debut with Druid City Opera as the Notary and covering Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale. Favorite past roles at Union Avenue Opera include Harry Houdini (Ragtime), Crespel/Luther (Les contes d’Hoffmann), Mr. Lindquist (A Little Night Music), Moralès (Carmen), and First Soldier in Salome. With Winter Opera St. Louis Rogier has played Silvano (Un ballo in maschera), Paris (Roméo et Juliette), Boatswain Bill Bobstay (H.M.S. Pinafore), Speaker of the Temple (Die Zauberflöte), Harry Blake (Naughty Marietta), and Viscomte Cascada (The Merry Widow), alongside many other featured and ensemble appearances.

Rogier has dedicated a significant portion of his career to sharing opera with young audiences, appearing in many children’s operas both at home with Opera Edwardsville and throughout the Upper Midwest with Opera for the Young, where he has appeared in shortened versions of such classic works as The Elixir of Love (Sgt. Bill Corey), The Barber of Seville (Figaro), The Pirates of Penzance (Pirate King and Major General), and The Magic Flute (Papageno). Other favorite past roles include King Melchior (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Father (Hansel and Gretel), and the title role in Don Giovanni. Rogier has also performed with Southern Illinois Music Festival (SIFest), American Chamber Chorale, St. Louis Fringe Festival, Music On Site, and the Brevard Music Center.

Sun Hye Chung (Sunny Lee) is a Pianist, Collaborative Pianist and Piano Instructor. She has performed across South Korea, Europe, and the United States, including an orchestra performance with Philharmonie Con Spirito Vienna in Vienna, Austria and a piano solo in Paris, France.

Sun Hye’s most recent works include classical performances such as Beethoven’s Piano Concerto Op. 37 and a charity piano trio concert for St. Louis tornado victims, as well as musical/theatre works like The Pirates of Penzance, Gypsy, The Addams Family, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and more.

She has served as a faculty member of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Community Music School of Webster University, and Seoul Theological University, and is currently a collaborative pianist at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and choir accompanist and organist at Eden Church.