Songs from Newport

Krista Wilhelmsen

Krista Wilhelmsen is a sought-after soprano and dedicated teacher who has been praised for her stunning voice and artistry. The Charlotte Observer lauded her “beautiful soprano” that “gave chills” to renowned voice teacher Heidi Grant Murphy. She is recognized for her versatility across opera, musical theatre and concert repertoire. Her operatic roles include Lady Billows (Albert Herring), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro), Zweite Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Mimi (La bohème), and Nedda (Pagliacci). Under Carol Vaness, she performed Zemfira in Rachmaninov’s Aleko and the title role in Suor Angelica.

Her awards include Metropolitan Opera Competition District Winner, Long Leaf Opera Competition, Heafner-Williams Vocal Competition, Bev-Sellers Women-in-Music Award and an Indiana University Associate Instructorship. Wilhelmsen is Associate Professor of Music and Chair of Performing Arts at the Community College of Rhode Island. She co-founded Coffee Milk Opera, bringing opera to accessible, community-centered venues across Rhode Island.

Eric Fennell

Tenor Eric Fennell is a native of Allentown, Pa., and has been a resident of Berlin, Germany, since 2010. His career highlights include Duca in Rigoletto (Deutsche Oper Berlin), Rodolfo in La bohème (New York City Opera, National Theater Mannheim), Hoffmann in Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Staatstheater Mainz), Don Jose in Carmen (Opera de Toulon, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Oper am Steinbruch, Arizona Opera), Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (Austin Lyric Opera, Utah Opera), Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire (Teatro Colon, Theater Bielefeld), Narraboth in Salome at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Florence), and title roles in Don Carlos (Lithuanian National Opera), and Werther (Staatstheater Braunschweig and Lyric Opera Ireland). Mr. Fennell holds a B.A. in Music from Gettysburg College and a Masters in Music from Boston University.

Brian Moll

Brian Moll has served as Chair of the Collaborative Piano Department and led both the Piano and Voice Departments at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, Mass., for 25 years. He is also an Assistant Professor at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee and has been a visiting opera coach and repertoire instructor at the New England Conservatory of Music for six years.

As a keyboardist, Moll has worked with Emmanuel Music, Boston Baroque and the Handel & Haydn Chorus and Orchestra. He also served as Assistant Conductor for productions by Boston Lyric Opera, Opera North and Boston Midsummer Opera. A graduate of Hamilton College, he earned further degrees from the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, Austria, and the University of Michigan School of Music, where he studied with Martin Katz.

Dr. Mark A. Stickney

Dr. Mark A. Stickney is the founder of Historic Music of Newport, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the diverse musical heritage of Newport, Rhode Island. He also serves as the Artistic Director of the Seacoast Wind Ensemble in Kittery, Maine, a position he has held since 2016. In 2023, Dr. Stickney helped found the Gilded Age Orchestra of Newport and is one of the ensemble's principal conductors.

Throughout his 20-year college teaching career, he held conducting, brass teaching and music education positions at Plymouth State University, Southern Utah University, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Salve Regina University and the Community College of Rhode Island. He received his BA in Music and Religion from Gettysburg College, his MA in Tuba Performance from Montclair State University (N.J.), and his DMA in Wind Conducting from Rutgers University (N.J).