Celebrate America’s 250th with an opera that captures the American spirit.

July 18 & 19, 2026
Temple Har Shalom

About The Tender Land:

Deeply rooted in the American spirit, Copland’s The Tender Land portrays one young woman’s quiet but radical act of choosing her own future. Set against the open landscapes of the American West, The Tender Land is a coming-of-age story about longing, independence, and resilience in the face of hardship.

As Laurie stands on the brink of her high school graduation, the arrival of a handsome outsider awakens dreams of a life beyond her family’s farm. When hope, love, and disappointment collide, she must decide whether to remain within the life she knows or step boldly into the unknown.

Run Time: 2 hours

Language: English

Mark your calendars.

Ticket pre-sales begin for members of our
Giving Circle on March 1. Tickets go on sale to the public on April 1.

Cast and Creative Team

Rachel Kobernick

  • Rachel Kobernick is a versatile soprano praised for her “power and sweetness” (The Observer), “seamless coloratura sparkle” (Seen and Heard International), and “captivating performance” (The New York Times). In 2025, Rachel premiered four roles, singing La Statue Animée in Rameau’s Pygmalion (Kentucky Opera), Marguerite in Faust (Heartbeat Opera), Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof (Cincinnati Opera), and Norina in Don Pasquale (Opera Magnifico). In 2026, Rachel makes her concert debut as a soloist with the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, returns to Kentucky Opera to sing Berginella in Songbird, and makes her role debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro (Indianapolis Opera). Additional performance credits include appearances with Sarasota Opera, Opera on the James, Queen City Opera, the NF Opera Collective, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and Cincinnati Song Initiative. She is a 2025 George and Nora London Foundation Competition Finalist, and a graduate of The Eastman School of Music and Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Lena Goldstein

  • Lena Goldstein is an American soprano who has appeared recently with Opera Parallèle, Vox Opera, San Francisco Conservatory, Songfest, Chicago Summer Opera, Opera Theatre of Yale, Yale Baroque Opera, and the Yale Symphony Orchestra. Her recent roles include Berta (The Barber of Seville), The Governess (The Turn of the Screw), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Eurinda (Doriclea), and Nora (Riders to the Sea). Offstage, Lena works to strengthen the artistic landscape for emerging professionals. She serves as a marketing consultant for WE INC., supporting arts and culture organizations across the Bay Area, and is an adjunct professor of professional development and digital strategy at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Lena is a recent graduate of Yale University (B.A. in Molecular Biology, cum laude), and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (M.M. in Voice) as a recipient of the Samuel Clark Scholarship. Outside of her operatic work, Lena finds joy in leading High Holiday services as a cantor, watercolor painting, and skiing.

David Silvano

  • David Silvano is a Peruvian-American tenor known for his powerful yet vibrant and flexible voice and his natural dramatic instinct. He recently sang the titular role in Héctor Armienta's Zorro with Pacific Opera Project, Martin in Copland’s The Tender Land with University of Utah Opera, and made his role debut as the Duke in Verdi’s Rigoletto with Mobile Opera. In the summer of 2022, Silvano portrayed Theodore Billings in the staged premiere of Clint Borzoni’s The Copper Queen with Marble City Opera, earning praise from Arts Knoxville for bringing “a deliciously romantic lyrical side” to the character. During the 2023 season, he joined Indianapolis Opera as a Resident Artist, covering Don José and singing El Remendado in Carmen. David holds a B.M. from Colorado Mesa University and an M.M. from Colorado State University, and he currently studies and teaches applied voice at the University of Utah. In addition to his work on the opera stage, David is passionate about bringing the music of Latin America (particularly Peruvian works) out of obscurity into the ears of audiences. He has formed a close relationship with Park City Opera where he performs regularly.

Laura Zahn

  • A rising dramatic mezzo-soprano, Laura Zahn has been praised for her warm, voluptuous voice and powerful delivery. This season, Laura sings Elgar’s Sea Pictures with the Adelphi Orchestra, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 as alto soloist with the Emory Symphony, and Maddalena in Rigoletto with Indianapolis Opera. Other notable roles include Dalila (Samson et Dalila), Santuzza (Cavalleria rusticana), Carmen (Carmen), Romeo (I Capuleti e i Montecchi), La Frugola (Il tabarro), Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Secretary (The Consul), Giulietta di Kelbar (Un giorno di regno), and Dorabella (Così fan tutte).

    An accomplished concert artist, Laura has appeared as a soloist in Verdi’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah, and has served as resident alto soloist of the Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove, NJ since 2021. In 2019, she made her Carnegie Hall debut singing Amneris (Aida) and Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), and in 2023, she made her international debut in Hong Kong singing excerpts from Carmen.

    In competition, she was a finalist in the 2021 John Alexander National Vocal Competition and a semi-finalist in the 2020 NYIOP/Premiere Opera Foundation Competition and the 2016 Mildred Miller International Voice Competition. Laura holds degrees from Boston Conservatory and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

Sam Plumb

  • Sam Plumb is a Utah-based tenor. In 2025, he received his M.M. in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Utah. He was the Grand Prize winner of the 2024-25 Concerto Competition (Graduate Level), performing Gerald Finzi’s Dies Natalis. In Summer 2025, he was a Resident Artist at Teatro Nuovo, a Young Artist Program in New Jersey that focuses heavily on mastering the Italian language and immersion into 19th-century vocal technique, and sang in Park City Opera’s production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. In addition to performing, Sam is building a thriving private studio for voice and piano students, based in Downtown Salt Lake City. When he’s not making music, Sam enjoys the outdoors, cooking, reading, and video games.

Ellie Niver

  • Ellie Niver is a soprano and voice educator dedicated to cultivating expressive, technically grounded singers. She holds both a Bachelor and Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Brigham Young University, where she performed leading operatic roles including Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, and Valencienne in The Merry Widow. She also appeared as Frasquita in Carmen with the Reno Philharmonic. A two-time participant in the Dolora Zajick Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, Ellie has worked with internationally recognized coaches including Dolora Zajick and Beatrice Benzi. 

    Alongside her performance career, Ellie is a passionate educator. While she works with singers of all levels, she is especially passionate about helping women navigate vocal changes through aging, motherhood, and seasons like perimenopause and menopause – restoring confidence, freedom, and joy in voices that are evolving, not declining.

Akshay Ghiya

  • With a warm, captivating, and lyrical voice, baritone Akshay Ghiya is an emerging professional on operatic and concert stages. A recent graduate of the University of Utah and the University of Northern Colorado, he has brought to life roles including Marcello in Puccini’s La bohème, Father in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, and Belcore in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore.

    His notable teachers include James Bobick, Dr. Robert Breault, and William Wilson. He served as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Utah, where he performed regularly with the school’s Graduate Vocal Quartet and taught voice lessons.

    Outside of performance, Akshay loves to write and improvise his own music, take photos of nature, and read. He hopes one day to bring his craft to the world’s largest stages and to inspire audiences to engage with fine arts globally.

    An accomplished concert artist, Laura has appeared as a soloist in Verdi’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah, and has served as resident alto soloist of the Great Auditorium in Ocean Grove, NJ since 2021. In 2019, she made her Carnegie Hall debut singing Amneris (Aida) and Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), and in 2023, she made her international debut in Hong Kong singing excerpts from Carmen.

    In competition, she was a finalist in the 2021 John Alexander National Vocal Competition and a semi-finalist in the 2020 NYIOP/Premiere Opera Foundation Competition and the 2016 Mildred Miller International Voice Competition. Laura holds degrees from Boston Conservatory and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

Chelsea Alexandra

  • Chelsea Alexandra is a Utah-based soprano who returns to Park City Opera as a member of the The Tender Land ensemble. Most recently, she appeared as Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with Lyrical Opera Theater. In Fall 2025, she performed with Opera Contempo as Hera in the world premiere of opera Protectress, and as Billie Jo Casta in Oedipus Tex. In Summer 2025, she made her Washington, D.C. debut as Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette with Shakespeare Opera Theatre.

    In Utah, Chelsea has appeared twice previously with Lyrical Opera Theater, singing Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen and Mimì in Puccini’s La bohème, a role she later revisited in Novafeltria, Italy. Additional operatic engagements include The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Cendrillon in Cendrillon, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte.

    Outside of performing, Chelsea enjoys scuba diving and is passionate about empowering women through holistic health advocacy.

TBD

Mac Merchant

  • Mac Merchant is a pianist and coach based in Sandy, Utah, where he plays for lessons and works with singers at the University of Utah. Mac has extensive experience playing for singers, instrumentalists, and choral ensembles, as well as productions of musical theater and opera. His studies include a master’s in collaborative piano from University of Colorado-Boulder and a master’s in piano performance from Washington State University. Mac's playing is featured in Naxos's album "Sing Wearing the Sky," a collection of Jake Runestad's choral music performed by the Denver-based choir, Kantorei.

Benjamin Beckman

  • Benjamin Beckman is a Los Angeles-based conductor, composer, and pianist. Ben has served on the music staff for productions with Sarasota Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Opera Company of Middlebury Vermont, Chicago Summer Opera, USC Thornton Opera, and the Opera Theater of Yale College, assisting on more than two dozen operas. In Summer 2025, following his fellowship at the Manetti Shrem Opera Program at Festival Napa Valley, Ben led Park City Opera's inaugural mainstage production (of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia) to a sold-out run. In 2025/2026, he makes his company debut at The Atlanta Opera assistant conducting Glass’s La Belle et la Bête and returns to Pacific Opera Project as rehearsal pianist and chorusmaster for Fra Diavolo, Zorro, The Abduction from the Seraglio, and Turandot, and USC Thornton Opera for The Cunning Little Vixen and The Turn of the Screw. With Park City Opera, this season he conducts Conte’s The Gift of the Magi, Copland’s The Tender Land, and Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

Lisl Wangermann

  • Winner of the 2021 Yale University Louis Sudler Prize in the Performing and Creative Arts and recipient of an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Lisl Wangermann is a lyric soprano from Dallas, TX. Her recent roles range from Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) to her "standout performance" (Cleveland Classical) as Sophy in the world premiere of Margi Griebling-Haigh's The Higgler. In 2023, Lisl was a semifinalist for the Dallas Opera’s Lone Star Vocal Competition, and in 2024, Lisl was a finalist for the Gerda Lissner Art Song and Lieder Competition and received an encouragement award. Lisl holds degrees from Yale University (B.A.) and the Cleveland Institute of Music (M.M., A.D.).

“Little by little it came to be
That line between the earth and sky
Came beckoning to me”

Cast and Creative Team

Patrick Bessenbacher

  • Tenor Patrick Bessenbacher, praised for his “purity of tone and ardent, youthful stage presence” (Opera News), was raised in Overland Park, Kansas, where he grew up a three-sport athlete and avid music lover. Most recently, Patrick performed Mechtild in the world premiere of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Hildegard and appeared in the ensemble in his Off-Broadway debut in Lincoln Center Theater’s production of Amahl and the Night Visitors.

    Patrick has performed with Florentine Opera, Opera San José, Pacific Opera Project, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera Birmingham, West Bay Opera, and the Opera Company of Middlebury, among others. He holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Master of Music from The Juilliard School. He is represented by Kathy Olsen of Encompass Arts. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, skiing in the mountains, or relaxing by the beach.

Nicole Heinen

  • Nicole Heinen is a Utah-based soprano who has recently made company debuts with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (as soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah) and with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra (as soprano soloist in Carmina Burana). She returned to Pensacola Opera for her role debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro and to New Orleans Opera for her role debut as Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore, where she also covered Adina. She also returned to Opera Louisiane as a guest soloist in the company’s Puccini Gala Concert.

    Nicole performed and recorded Bach’s Cantata No. 51 and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with members of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra string ensemble. During the summer of 2025, she performed Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Southeastern Young Artists Festival and appeared as a guest soloist with the Caroga Lake Music Festival.

Jake Stamatis

  • Born and raised in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, Jake Stamatis has performed a variety of roles on the operatic stage. He has charmed audiences in such roles as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Il conte in Le nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and Marcello in La Bohème. His varied repertoire also includes Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles, La Bête in La belle et la bête (Glass), and The Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. Jake has been a studio artist at Sarasota Opera, a fellow at the Music Academy of the West, an emerging artist at Seagle Music Festival, and an artist in residence with Tri-Cities Opera and Opera Memphis. Jake received his Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from Susquehanna University, and his Masters Degree in Opera from Binghamton University.

Joshua Hughes

  • Joshua Hughes, lauded for his full-voiced, highly expressive bass-baritone sound, powerful lyricism, and brilliant vocal range, has performed in opera, operetta, theatre, cabarets, and concerts ranging from Gilbert and Sullivan to Mozart to Verdi. In the 2025–26 season, Joshua performs Amahl and the Night Visitors (Balthazar) and Spicer Carr’s Four Lost Santas with Opera Las Vegas, and makes house debuts with Opera Today! in The Pirates of Penzance (Pirate King) and Opera Neo in Vivaldi’s Arsilda (Cisardo).

    Previous credits include Il barbiere di Siviglia (Don Basilio) with Opera Las Vegas; the U.S. premiere of Carlo Coccia’s Matilde (Pantarotto) with Opera Southwest; La traviata (Dottore Grenvil), Don Giovanni (Masetto and Commendatore), and Der fliegende Holländer (Daland) with West Bay Opera; The Pirates of Penzance (Major-General Stanley) and Iolanthe (Lord Chancellor) with Lamplighters Music Theatre; and Il barbiere di Siviglia (Fiorello), Tosca (Sciarrone), Alma Deutscher’s Cinderella (Minister), and West Side Story (Baby John) with Opera San José.

    Joshua has also performed internationally at Hong Kong Disneyland and throughout the United States with San Francisco Opera, American Baroque Opera Company, Dallas Bach Society, Young Victorian Theatre Company, Victorian Lyric Opera Company, Opera in Concert, Orchestra of New Spain, and Lyric Opera Baltimore.

Kevin Spooner

  • Bass-baritone Kevin Spooner joins Park City Opera for his role debut as Frère Laurent in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

    In the 2025–26 season, Kevin makes his Lincoln Center debut and role debut as Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Teatro Nuovo. He also performs as an Artist in Residence with Opera Colorado, singing Marchese D’Obigny in Verdi’s La traviata and the Imperial Commissioner in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly for the company’s mainstage productions, as well as the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance and Lord Capulet in Romeo and Juliet for its touring productions. Additional engagements this season include his Charlottesville Symphony debut as the bass soloist in Dvořák’s Mass in D Major and a guest recital appearance with the Savannah VOICE Festival.

    During the summer of 2025, Kevin joined Catapult Opera in New York City as cover for King Herod in the U.S. staged premiere of Stradella’s San Giovanni Battista. He then performed with Teatro Nuovo, where he made his New York City Center debut as the Medico in Verdi’s Macbeth, while covering the role of Banco. In November 2024, Kevin received an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition (New York City District). During the summer of 2024, he was an Ader Emerging Artist at Charlottesville Opera.

Mala Weissberg

  • Praised for her “beauty of tone, admirable legato, and radiant stage presence” (Revue L’Opéra) and “articulate, authoritative and fluent vocal technique” (San Diego Story), Belgian-Israeli mezzo-soprano Mala Weissberg recently made her Oper Köln debut as Moritz in Max und Moritz. Upcoming engagements include Lisa in Vivaldi’s Arsilda, regina di Ponto with Opera Neo in San Diego and participation as an Emerging Artist at the International Meistersinger Akademie in Germany.

    Mala’s roles include Angelina in La Cenerentola, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Le Prince Charmant in Cendrillon, Ino in Semele, Miles in The Turn of the Screw, Cendrillon in Cendrillon, and Fernando in Vivaldi’s Motezuma.

    A passionate advocate for Baroque repertoire, she has appeared as a soloist with Tafelmusik in Toronto, at the Youngbaroque concert of the Innsbruck Early Music Festival, and with Ensemble I Gemelli in France. She is a winner of the 2026 Concours International d’Art Lyrique de Namur and a recipient of the State of Israel’s “Musical Prodigy” title. She has also been recognized by the Cesti Baroque Competition, Froville Baroque Competition, and the Career Bridges Foundation. 

    Mala holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and McGill University.

Chad Kranak

  • Tenor Chad Kranak, praised for his “lyrical eloquence” and “attractive lyric sound” (Opera News), enjoys an active operatic and concert career throughout the United States and abroad.

    Most recently, Chad appeared as Sam Polk in Susannah with St. Petersburg Opera, in Rothstein’s All Is Calm with Opera Orlando, as Cavaradossi in Tosca with Heartbeat Opera, and as Don José in Carmen the Traveler with Pensacola Opera.

    Equally at home on the concert stage, Chad has performed Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall with DCINY and MidAmerica Productions, at Lincoln Center, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

Allison Deady

  • Allison Deady is a Philadelphia-based mezzo-soprano with a stage presence that commands the spotlight and a voice to match. This season, she performs Amy Lowell in the world premiere of Patricia Wallinga’s The Sisters, Antonia’s Mother in Les contes d’Hoffmann, and Julia Child in Lee Hoiby’s Bon Appétit!.

    Known for her comedic roles, Allison has appeared as Mrs. McClean in Susannah, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, and Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro. Company highlights include performances with Opera Tampa, Nashville Opera, Dayton Opera, and Knoxville Opera.

    A graduate of SUNY Fredonia and the University of Tennessee, Allison has further refined her craft through training programs including the Dayton Artist in Residence Program, the Mary Ragland Emerging Artist Program at Nashville Opera, the Knoxville Opera Studio, Chautauqua Opera Company (Studio Artist), the Spoleto Festival, and the Brevard Music Center.

    Beyond the stage, Allison is a passionate advocate for the accessibility of opera and opera education. Her collaborations with educational programs include having written her own opera outreach program to introduce the art form to the next generation of music lovers.

Christopher Holmes

  • Christopher Holmes returned to his home Provo after obtaining degrees in opera at the Oberlin College Conservatory (B.M., M.M.), Temple University (M.M.), teaching voice at Texas State University, and performing throughout the States. With over 40 operatic roles to his credit, Christopher has been featured by companies such as Austin Opera, Central City Opera, Eugene Opera, Opera Idaho, Phoenix Opera, and San Antonio Opera. Recent projects include Jesus in Robert Cundick's The Redeemer with the Temple Square Chorale, Giorgio Germont from La traviata with Bellevue Opera, the title role of Don Giovanni at Painted Sky Opera, and Escamillo at Western Plains Opera. He has been seen as Barone Douphol at Utah Symphony & Opera, Conte Almaviva at Utah Festival Opera, Belcore at Opera Company of Middlebury, Rossini’s Bartolo at Western Plains Opera, and Escamillo at the Pine Mountain Music Festival. Christopher developed a love for the Italian people and culture having lived in the central area of Italy for two years. He is currently an adjunct professor of voice at Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University.