The Atlanta Opera announces the artists selected for the 2024-25 Season Studio Artist program who will apprentice and perform throughout the season. Returning for a second season in the program are soprano Amanda Sheriff, mezzo-soprano Aubrey Odle, and bass-baritone, Jason Zacher. Selected for their first season are tenor Wade Odle, and stage director Elio Bucky. 

Each Studio Artist is an early career professional with significant training and stage experience, some with lead performances and major concert appearances on their resumes. Atlanta Opera’s two-year program builds on the company’s commitment to providing opportunities for creative artists at all stages of their careers. Chosen through a highly competitive audition process, the artists selected for the program receive a seasonal salary and benefits, professional support through rigorous training, and extensive performance opportunities.

The Studio Artist program of The Atlanta Opera received significant support from the Donald and Marilyn Keough Foundation, John and Yee-Wan Stevens, and Jerry and Dulcy Rosenberg.

Founded in 2016 to discover and nurture talented performers, the program also includes a hands-on training program in stage direction. Throughout the season, these artists will have the opportunity to work with established performers and coaches to improve their skills in all aspects of their field.

"Our Studio Young Artist Program is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of opera talent, providing emerging artists with the vital experience and training they need to succeed in this demanding art form," says Meredith Wallace, Director of Artistic Administration at The Atlanta Opera. "Over the years, our program has grown significantly, and we are incredibly proud of the talented artists who have gone on to perform on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. Watching our alumni sing at renowned opera houses across the globe is a testament to the transformative impact of this program and the lasting value it brings to each artist's career."

Program alumni include tenor Santiago Ballerini, who returns to Atlanta Opera as Tamino in The Magic Flute from engagements throughout North and South America; mezzo Gretchen Krupp, who recently made her Metropolitan Opera and Santa Fe Opera debuts; soprano Susanne Burgess, who is now singing regularly at the Met; and tenor Kameron Lopreore, whose Atlanta Opera debut as Rodolfo was a triumph.

Master Vocal Teacher Laura Brooks Rice has been part of the Studio Artist program since 2021 and is an acclaimed performer, voice teacher, and acting coach. Her expertise guides the young artists as they work with her in training sessions throughout the season. David Okerlund, Professor of Voice and Director of the Graduate Vocal Pedagogy Program at Florida State University, regularly provides professional consultations and lessons. In addition, the artists receive training and coaching from Walter Huff, Elena Kholodova, Rolando Salazar, and diction coaching in German, French, and Italian.

The 2024-25 season Studio Artists

Elio Bucky, (stage director), is an opera stage director and projection designer. Their work celebrates plurality, truth, and innovation in the creative process. As a champion for contemporary opera, Bucky regularly collaborates with performers, composers, and librettists to present new work. Most recently, they served as the dramaturg for the piano-vocal workshop of The House of Yes, a new opera by Kamala Sankaram, Michael Kelly, and Kathleen Kelly (Wolf Trap Opera). Bucky studied voice & opera performance at Northwestern University and opera directing at the Butler Opera Center. They have held prestigious directing fellowships at Wolf Trap Opera and the Music Academy of the West and trained as a singer at the Chautauqua Institution. 

Aubrey Odle, (mezzo-soprano), is quickly gaining recognition as a burgeoning talent with her powerful voice and commanding stage presence. Returning for her second year as a Glynn Studio Artist with The Atlanta Opera, she will perform as Lady-in-Waiting in this season’s production of Macbeth, as well as covering 2nd and 3rd Lady in Die Zauberflöte. This past summer, Aubrey performed as an Apprentice Artist with The Santa Fe Opera, where she covered the role of Marilyn in the World Premiere of Gregory Spears’ The Righteous. Other credits include seasons with the Des Moines Metro Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Knoxville Opera, and Utah Lyric Opera. Her roles have included Siegrune (Die Walküre), Judith (Bluebeard’s Castle), Carmen/Mercédès (Carmen), Flora (La traviata), Maddalena/Giovanna (Rigoletto), and many others. In competition, she most recently won 2nd Place in both the Opera Birmingham Vocal Competition and the Carolyn Bailey Argento Competition with the National Opera Association.

Wayd Odle, (tenor), is described by Opera News as a “standout.” He is an active performer on the operatic stage. As a second-year Apprentice Artist with Santa Fe Opera, he made his house debut with the company as the Marschallin’s Major-Domo in Der Rosenkavalier. Most recently, Odle was selected as a winner of the prestigious Giulio Gari Foundation receiving a career grant.  Odle won the Audience Choice Awards with Annapolis Opera, Opera Tampa, and Opera Mississippi. He is a winner of the John Alexander National Vocal Competition, the 2021 American Prize award, and earned accolades from The Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, the Houston Saengerbund Awards, and the Shreveport Opera Competition. Odle is proudly from the middle of nowhere, North Platte, Nebraska. He is husband to Mezzo-Soprano Aubrey Odle and they happily have two children.

Amanda Sheriff, (soprano), is in her second year as an Atlanta Opera Studio Artist. Sheriff was a Young Artist at the Glimmerglass Festival and premiered the role of Calista (Rip Van Winkle). In 2024, she made her debut with Opera Philadelphia last season as Jess (The Listeners), made her role debut as Musetta (La bohème), and returned to the Glimmerglass Festival to perform Satirino/L’Eternita (La Calisto). In her first season as a Studio Artist, Sheriff was seen in Atlanta Opera productions in the 2023-24 season in productions of Frankenstein, and Rigoletto and served as cover for multiple roles throughout the year. In 2022, she was awarded first prize in the Lotte Lenya Competition. In 2021, she joined Des Moines Metro Opera as an Apprentice Artist and made her debut as Miss Lightfoot (Fellow Travelers). She was also a Studio Artist at the Florida Grand Opera and performed the roles of Beatrice (Three Decembers), First Trio member (Trouble in Tahiti), and Célie (Signor Deluso). Sheriff was a Young Artist at Seagle in 2019 and performed Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro).

Jason Zacher, (bass-baritone), joined the Studio Artist program last season at The Atlanta Opera, performing in productions of Frankenstein, Rigoletto, La bohème, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He also made multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall and returned to The Glimmerglass Festival following a successful debut with the company in 2023. He advanced to the finals of the prestigious Lotte Lenya Competition, where he received the second-place prize. He also joins the South Florida Symphony to perform Pangloss/Voltaire in Candide, the Worcester Chorus for Messiah, Montclair State University for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and the Tulsa Opera for a gala concert. Zacher holds degrees from the University of Houston and Montclair State University.