Alumni Profiles
Alumni Spotlight: Scott Ballantine
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Baritone Scott Ballantine made his BOC debut in 2014 and sang with us a number of times between then and 2021, including for our outdoor “Shakespeare in the Gardens” production during the pandemic and as the titular character in Don Giovanni back in 2019.
One of his favorite shows was As One, which shares the journey of a young woman as she navigates a gender transition. To provide a safe space for discussions about gender identity and to share both the challenges and triumphs of the trans community in the US, BOC offered four different pre- and post-show events with local professors, activists, and community leaders. We also provided a variety of resources for our audiences to digest on their own time that covered trans issues both socially and politically.
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Since his debut with BOC, Scott has secured four different Young Artist program placements around the country and recently sang with Boston Lyric Opera as part of the New England premiere of Omar.
Q&A
What are 3 words you would use to describe BOC?
Innovative. Fresh. Nurturing.
What motivated you to get involved with BOC?
My first show with BOC was their 2014 production of Albert Herring; I had always wanted to sing Sid and ended up getting the role! I sang in a few productions with BOC since and eventually joined the roster in 2018. It was exciting to see how much the company evolved over that span (2014-2019) in terms of production quantity & quality, artist compensation, and overall working environment.
How did your experience at BOC shape your professional skills and personal growth?
BOC, while still offering a professional setting, was a safe space for me to try out vocal and acting techniques & new roles. It provided a wonderful sense of community among the staff and artists and gave us a chance to grow together. BOC is unique in that they give their artists a voice in the rehearsal room, so I felt like we could all contribute not only our talents, but our unique ideas and perspectives.
What was it like to perform a new opera as part of Opera Bites?
Sooooo fun - I had the chance to be a part of 3 years of Opera Bites. I especially loved singing the matador in Come to Spain. They were all great though!
​Learn more about Scott!
Selected Roles at BOC
Sid (Albert Herring, 2014)
Opera Bites, 2017
Hannah Before (As One, 2018)
Father (The Scarlet Ibis, 2019)
Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni, 2019)
Singer (Shakespeare in the Gardens, 2021)
Recent Roles & Awards
Silvio (I Pagliacci) at Opera51
Slave Ship Crewman (Omar) at Boston Lyric Opera
Artist in Residence at Dayton Opera
Marullo (Rigoletto) at St. Petersburg Opera Company
Miles Gloriosus (A Funny Thing Happened) at the Natchez Festival of Music
Alumni Spotlight: Claudia Barnett
​Claudia self-describes herself as a playwright who writes “experimental plays about women and history and science.” This carried through into Absent Grace, her contribution to BOC’s 2018 iteration of Opera Bites, which follows the encounter between a woman and someone who bears an uncanny resemblance to a friend she recently lost. Leon Golub of the Boston Musical Intelligencer extolled Barnett’s “beautiful, succinct idea of strangers who need each other in order to heal.”
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Other critics gave similarly rave reviews to Claudia and composer Marti Epstein’s Opera Bite, calling it “iridescent” (Boston Globe) and the “most dramatic gut punch of the night” (Schmopera).
Barnett has written a number of plays and has published *three* books for Carnegie Mellon University Press!
Q&A
What did you take away from your Opera Bites experience?
Ultimately, I think the most important lesson I learned is a sense of grandeur. For 10-minute plays especially, playwrights are taught to think small, but operas are big, and there’s something amazing about blowing things up (scale-wise, not gunpowder-wise)—taking up so much space, creating so much sound (and, alternately, silence). It’s changed the way I think about the stage, which means it’s deeply affected the way I write.
And here are two questions Claudia answered as part of an interview published by The Dramatist in 2012, which were too good not to share:
When you sit down to work, what must you have with you in the room?
Those little scraps of paper I scribble on illegibly in the night. Added bonuses: coffee, chocolate soy milk, and my dog–not in that order.
If you hadn’t become a dramatist, what profession would you have chosen?
I’d be a chef in a tiny French village where fennel grows wild in the fields and cherries fall ripe from trees…and where they eat asparagus only in the third week of May because by the fourth week, it’s out of season.
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Learn more about Claudia!
Recent Works & Awards
Witches Vanish (2021) – In a series of stylized, highly visual vignettes employing puppetry, poetry, and surrealism, the Weird Sisters from Macbeth explore the stories of women who disappear, whether by choice or force. Inspired by history, astronomy, and Shakespeare, Witches Vanish examines the nature of change and the value of human life.
Aglaonike’s Tiger (2017) – This mesmerizing coming-of-age tale seamlessly wends its way into Greek mythology through the eyes of an insatiably intellectual young woman, Aglaonike. And her tiger. Potent, powerful, and provocative, a true woman’s tale for the ages.
Science Playwriting Competition – First Place (2023-24)
Andaluz Award Jury Prize from Fusion Theatre (2016)
Alumni Spotlight: Junhan Choi
You may recognize Baritone Junhan Choi from BOC’s Don Giovanni (2019), Love in the Time Of (2022), L’elisir d’amore (2023), or Le Nozze di Figaro (2020).
Junhan has stayed in the BOC family year after year because of the people, telling us that the “most important” thing for emerging opera singers is the opportunity to perform onstage in the kind of nurturing environment championed by BOC.
Junhan has relished the invaluable opportunities he’s had to perform principal roles, experience that is nonnegotiable for singers aspiring to perform for major opera houses. The biggest companies nationwide seek performers who possess an expansive repertoire and who have sung multiple major roles. Thanks in large part to Junhan’s experiences at BOC, he recently secured a spot in the competitive Emerging Artist program at Boston Lyric Opera, New England’s largest opera company.
Alumni Spotlight: Emily Michiko Jensen
Praised by ArtsImpulse for reaching “powerful heights” as Donna Anna in BOC’s 2019 production of Don Giovanni, Emily Michiko Jensen shared how BOC helped her navigate the transition between school and the professional world.
Coming out of grad school, vocalists face fierce competition for spots on young artist rosters as they work towards major roles; BOC builds our singers up so they’re ready to take on the challenges of a musical career, equipping them with top-notch vocal coaching, acting lessons, and artistic direction in spaces where risks are encouraged.
Emily credits BOC with allowing her to put her training to use and told us it was BOC’s practice of creating safe artistic spaces that made her feel at home on the stage.
Since her time with us, Emily has graced the stages of the Hawaii Opera Theatre, Chautauqua Opera, Pensacola Opera, and more! In the 2023-24 season, you may have even seen Emily performing for Boston Lyric Opera as an Akin Emerging Artist.
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Q&A
What motivated you to get involved with BOC?
My introduction to BOC came through my colleagues at the New England Conservatory who shared that Trish Weinmann & Greg Smucker (who taught acting and community engagement at NEC) would be directing upcoming productions. I so enjoyed learning from them as a student and was excited for the chance to continue training with them.
BOC was also offering rep that I was interested in performing, and performance training (mock auditions, concert series, etc.) that allowed us to put our training to use in real time. They helped bridge the gap between school and the young artist world.
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How did your experience at BOC shape your professional skills and personal growth?
BOC offered the opportunity to continue training while navigating life after graduation. Having something on my resume while participating in the audition season was a plus.
BOC allowed me to trust myself more as a performer. It helped me build confidence in making choices onstage, while encouraging me to continue exploring what inspires me as an artist. Finding that comfort helped me connect more, not only with the music we presented, but also with our audiences.
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Anything else you'd like to share?
I appreciate that BOC continues to take risks and adapt as a company! Even though I’m no longer based in Boston, I love reading up on all the wonderful work they continue to do. Having a company like BOC welcome me at such a pivotal time in my development is something I will forever be grateful for. As other opportunities have come up, I feel better prepared because of the training and guidance I received from BOC.
Learn more about Emily!
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Roles at BOC
Marguerite (Faust, 2016)
Donna Anna (Don Giovanni, 2019)
Recent Roles & Awards
Musetta (La bohème) at Borderland Arts Foundation
Mimi (La bohème) at Hawaii Opera Theatre
Cio-cio san (Madama Butterfly) at Boston Lyric Opera
Tosca (Tosca) at Chautauqua Opera
Olga Forrai Foundation Career Grant recipient
Alumni Spotlight: Jill Tokac
Director and choreographer Jill Tokac was our stage director for Opera Inferno, our 2024 Horror Opera at the Shirley-Eustis House in Roxbury.
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Q&A
What makes Opera Inferno uniquely BOC?
This is a once in a lifetime performance – no other opera company will be putting on Dante's Inferno quite like this! If the stellar repertoire isn’t enough to draw you in, I think people should come for the unmatched talent. The production team and cast has been so creative and welcoming, and they deserve the praise and recognition.
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What do you like about working with BOC? Is anything different about the way we work?
I really love the openness to creativity. I feel like my ideas are validated and built upon. I also love the passion and drive to create both a welcoming rehearsal room and a stellar performance.
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How can our BOC family find you online?
If anyone is looking to work with a director specializing in gothic works, new work, or book adaptations, you can reach out to me at jilltokac@gmail.com.
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