Resonance Opera

Bringing live opera performance to communities to experience, inform and engage new audiences in the high art of opera.

Upcoming Events

Westerville, OH

Friday, December 6, 2024

Otterbein University
Battelle Fine Arts Center
170 W. Park St. Westerville, OH 43081

7:30PM
Reception to follow

$20 suggested donation at the door.

Co-Founders and Featured Artists of Resonance Opera

Heather Hjelle

Dramatic Soprano

Dramatic soprano Heather Hjelle is a two time Encouragement Grant winner from the Wagner Society in New York. During a 2022 Tebaldi tribute concert, La Renatona’s Chicago Midsummer Centenary stated, “[Hjelle’s] most potent vocal asset is direct projection… one is curious to hear her gifts in that [Wagnerian] repertoire”.

Hjelle has performed nationally and internationally in the roles of Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, the title role in La Gioconda, Suor Angelica, Donna Anna, and Rusalka. She has premiered Jennifer Higdon’s new song cycle, Love Sweet with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in New Ulm, MN. Hjelle has also been heard singing Wagnerian repertoire with Kenwood Symphony Orchestra.

This spring, Ms. Hjelle will be covering the title role in Turandot with Fargo Moorhead Opera. Shortly thereafter, she will be in the world premier of John Adams and the Subbterians, as the leading soprano. This summer, she will be returning to Reno, NV to continue her work with the American Wagner Project.

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Blake Talbott

Helden Tenor

Blake Talbott is originally from Newark, Ohio. He obtained his Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Nevada, Reno and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Otterbein University.

Blake has spent the last several years training as a Heldentenor and preparing the roles of Siegmund from Die Walkure, Parsifal, Florestan from Beethoven’s Fidelio, and Eric from Wagner’s Flying Dutchman. In preparation for these roles, Blake has worked with coaches from around the world. Most notably coaches from Teatro alla Scala, the Metropolitan Opera of New York, and Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Blake has attended the American Wagner Project’s summer workshop for the last four years, having worked with Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices prior to that.

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Janese Pentico

Lyric Soprano

Soprano Janese Pentico has been described as “a hardworking, humble artist, open to direction, and a joy to have as part of a creative process.” (Gene Roberts, Stage Director).

As a founding member of Resonance Opera, Janese continues to bring her love of the art form to audiences throughout the Midwest. She sang for several months as a resident artist at Indianapolis Opera, was featured in a new work (The Murderess) with Opera Kansas, heard in concert with Landlocked Opera in Missouri, and performed the role of Berta in Kenosha Opera Festival’s Il barbiere di Siviglia in Wisconsin.

Fresh out of her graduate work, Janese was heard as Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with New York Lyric Opera Theatre and made her role debut as Mimì in La bohème with MIOpera. She also made her first appearance in Italy singing the title role of Madama Butterfly at Operfestival di Roma, a role which she later covered as a young artist with Cedar Rapids Opera.

After teaching secondary music education in rural Utah, Ms. Pentico earned a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from North Park University in Chicago. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at Southern Utah University. She resides in Kansas City with her husband, three sons, and their beloved beagles.

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