dr. erin mcomber
co-vice president of auditions
Dr. Erin McOmber earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in voice perfromance from the University of Utah, a Master of Music degree in voice performance and pedagogy from Brigham Young University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree, also in voice performance, from UC San Diego. She has maintained a private voice studio for over twenty years and has been an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing since 2001. As a singer, Erin has performed numerous operatic roles such as Mimì (La bohème), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), and Blanche de la Force (Dialogues des Carmélites), and has been the soprano soloist for Mendelssohn's Elijah, Mozart's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Mahler's Symphony No. 4, and more. She spent three years as a member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (formerly the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) and is a founding member and conductor of Mayfield Singers, a small mixed chamber choir based in Palo Alto.
JONATHAN SMUCKER
MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR
Ohio-born tenor Jonathan Smucker maintains a diverse career as a singer and teacher. He has sung more than fifty roles in opera, oratorio, operetta and musical theater, including solo appearances with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, Fresno Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, Opera Parallèle, West Edge Opera, Ars Minerva, Pasadena Opera and Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. Notable roles include Ferrando in Così fan tutte, Miles in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up, The Witch of Endor in Handel’s Saul, and the title role in Candide. He is a regular member of the Philharmonia Baroque Chorale, and sings frequently with American Bach Choir and San Francisco Opera Chorus.
Jonathan serves on the voice faculty at San José State University, as Membership Secretary of San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of NATS, and is the voice department chair at San Francisco Community Music Center, where he recently co-conceived and coordinated Trans and Singing: A Symposium for Voice Teachers and Singers of All Genders. His students have earned scholarships at Oberlin Conservatory, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Lawrence University, University of Puget Sound, and the Peabody Institute, and have taken top prizes at the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter NATS Student Auditions.
Mary Evelyn hangley
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
A first year Adler Fellow with San Francisco Opera, Mary Evelyn Hangley was praised for her “stunning dynamic range and control”. Soprano Hangley has been featured on the stages of The Glimmerglass Festival, Minnesota Opera, and the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco. Most recently, she performed the role of Anna Sørensen in Kevin Put’s Silent Night at The Glimmerglass Festival. During her two years as a Resident Artist with Minnesota Opera, Hangley sang leading roles for the company, including Musetta in La bohème, Woglinde in Das Rheingold, and Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro. In addition to numerous comprimario roles, Hanley covered Freia in Das Rheingold, Millicent Jordan in the world premiere of Bolcolm’s Dinner at Eight and the title role in Massenet’s Thaïs. She has participated in many of the country’s leading young artist programs, including Minnesota Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival and The Merola Opera Program. While at the Merola Opera Program, Hangley was praised by Opera News for singing “…with considerable allure” when taking over for an ill colleague mid performance of Conrad Susa’s Transformations. In concert, Hanley has sung Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Mozart’s Mass in C minor, Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio, Schubert’s Mass in C major and will be the soprano soloist in the Verdi Requiem at SUNY Fredonia in Spring 2019.