Finalists

Cade Tate is a baritone, 2nd-year Choral Music Education Major from Graham, Washington. He currently studies with Professor Holly Boaz and sings with Choir of the West, Knight’s Chorus, and Choral Union at PLU. Cade has performed in various voice competitions and master classes, including WMEA State Solo Ensemble, NATS, and, most recently, performed in a voice masterclass with University of Michigan Voice Faculty Member Caitlyn Lynch. Cade is thrilled to be able to perform and feels a real connection to the music he’s selected. He cannot wait to share that with the audience!

Emily Morse is a soprano in her final year of study at Pacific Lutheran University. She is pursuing her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance under the instruction of Professor Soon Cho. Her notable roles with PLU Opera include Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Soprano in Trouble in Tahiti, and Adina in The Elixir of Love. She has had the honor of working with Vashon Opera, singing in the chorus of Roméo et Juliette and The Merry Widow, and most recently singing the role of Spirit #5 in Cendrillon, as well as stage managing for the production. She serves as soprano section leader in the Choir of the West and has been a member of the group for three years now. She would like to thank Dr. Cho for her guidance and her family for their continuous support.

Mariana Vargs is a mezzo-soprano studying vocal performance at PLU. She is in her junior year and excited to show her growth at the competition. Mariana loves the expressiveness, drama, and beauty of opera and hopes to channel her own artistry through the pieces she will sing. As a lover of music, she also loves to venture into different genres, and she performs and sings with PLU’s Mariachi del Pacifico.

Giacobbe Whitworth is thrilled to be a finalist in this event! Giacobbe is a first-year music education major studying under Professor Barry Johnson. He has the honor of singing with the Choir of the West and the Knights Chorus at PLU. He began his musical journey in his junior year at Puyallup High School and has adored every minute of it. He would love to thank Barry Johnson for all of his expertise and his family for their support of his passion!

Emily Morse, a third-year Soprano at PLU, is working toward her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance under Dr. Soon Cho. Her roles include Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Soprano in Trouble in Tahiti, and Adina in The Elixir of Love. She has also sung in Vashon Opera’s Romeo et Juliette and The Merry Widow choruses. Recently, Emily performed as a soloist in Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with Choir of the West.

Dominic Walker, a Vocal Performance major, has been a member of PLU’s Choir of the West for four years. Originally a Music Education major, he discovered his love for performance after his role as Belcore in L’Elisir d’Amore. He has since portrayed Captain Corcoran in H.M.S. Pinafore and Don Giovanni in Don Giovanni, as well as performing with Vashon Opera. Dominic is deeply grateful to Dr. Brown, Amy Boers, Dr. Galante, his friend Lillian, his partner Miguel, and of course his mom, for their support.

Soprano Caitlyn Carnahan will soon graduate with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from PLU. With PLU Opera, she has sung roles such as Zweiter Dame in Die Zauberflöte, Sesto in Giulio Cesare, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. She also served as a costume assistant for H.M.S. Pinafore and will assist in PLU Opera’s 2025 season. In the fall of 2023, Caitlyn studied in Vienna, participating in the IES Music Performance Workshop. They are honored to compete and grateful for their mentor, Janeanne Houston.

Soprano Claire Schwartz, a junior from Centralia, Washington, transferred to PLU after earning her associate degree in music. In PLU’s summer opera workshop, she performed as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. A jazz and blues enthusiast, Claire also performs in the Olympia area. She aspires to uplift underrepresented artists and is grateful to her mother, Heather, for believing in her dreams.

Isaiah Utto-Galarneau, a senior in his PLUS year at PLU, is thrilled to be a finalist in this year’s Angela Meade Competition. He will soon earn a Bachelor of Musical Arts and has been an integral part of PLU’s opera program, performing roles like Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore and Leporello in Don Giovanni. Isaiah has also worked with Vashon Opera under Dr. James Brown. A dedicated member of Choir of the West, he studies under Barry Johnson, with a personal mission to grow daily as an artist. Isaiah enjoys powerlifting and hiking in the Pacific Northwest.

Mezzo-soprano Mariana Vargas is an enthusiastic student of Vocal Performance at PLU. She is passionate about storytelling through music, and her roles span classical opera to contemporary works. She celebrates her heritage as a vocalist and musician in PLU’s Mariachi del Pacifico. Outside of music, she enjoys hiking, crocheting, and playing tennis.

Mezzo-Soprano Isabella Daltoso will earn her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance this May from Pacific Lutheran University, where she is an Agnes Berge Smith Music Scholar and the James D. Holloway Scholar for her class. With PLU Opera, Isabella has performed as Sesto in Giulio Cesare, Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, and Ruth in Pirates of Penzance. Isabella made her professional opera debut last year with Vashon Opera as Praskovia/Lolo in The Merry Widow. Isabella was a recent young artist at Chicago Summer Opera, where she performed the role of Goffredo in Handel’s Rinaldo. In the spring of 2023, Isabella traveled to Vienna, Austria, where she participated in the IES Abroad Music Program as a member of the Music Performance Workshop. Most recently, Isabella sang Dinah in Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti with PLU Opera and Northwest Sinfonietta. Isabella is a student of Janeanne Houston.

Ellie O’Brien is honored and thrilled to be a finalist in the 2023 Angela Meade Vocal Competition! Ellie is in her fourth year at PLU, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance and minors in French and Business. Recent highlights of her singing career include Susanna in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro at Castello Brancaleoni in Piobbico, Italy, Cleopatra in Handel’s Giulio Cesare with PLU Opera, and the soloist in David T. Clydesdale’s arrangement of “O Holy Night” in the PLU Hope Christmas Concert series. Ellie is thankful for her loving friends and family, and is especially grateful for the guidance and support of her vocal professor at PLU, Dr. Soon Cho.

Allen Benjamin Tugade possesses a ringing, warm, exciting tenor. He is an engaging performer, committed to connecting with his audience. Currently studying voice under soprano Holly Boaz, Allen is an active member of the PLU choral community, having performed in the Knights Chorus and in the University Chorale, now singing in the Choir of the West. He was a featured performer in the 2023 PLU Summer Opera Workshop, and plans to continue his involvement in the PLU Opera program. Allen is a national semi-finalist in the NATS National Student Auditions competition for musical theater, and a NW Region 3rd place winner for classical voice. Earning his B.A. in Sociology with a minor emphasis on Data Science, he plans to study further in a PhD program. Allen would like to thank Holly Boaz for all of her support and encouragement throughout their time together, his friends, family, and his partner, Gavin, for all of their love and support.

Madison Zantello sophomore, studied voice at an early age with Miss Amy Fuller, and now studies with Dr. Soon Cho, two amazing women who have honed Maddy’s love of vocal performance and opera. Madison’s accolades include Morticia, The Addams Family; Amazon back-to-school radio spot; Seattle Opera Teen Vocal Studio; three-time participant of American Choral Directors Association regional and national honor choirs; Schmidt Vocal Arts Competition regional finalist; soprano state champion of 2022 Washington Music Educators Association State Solo and Ensemble; Adina and Rosalinda in PLU’s productions of L’Elisire d’amore and Die Fledermaus. This summer, Maddy studied at the Brancaleoni International Music Festival in Italy which included performances of “Quando m’en vo” as Musetta and “Stizzoso mio stizzoso” as Serpina. Jesus, family, friends, animals, music, delicious food, and serving others are Madison’s greatest loves. Maddy’s prayer is to share her voice with the world and touch people’s lives through song.

Jack Burrows is ecstatic to be an Angela Meade Vocal Competition finalist. This is Jack’s first year attending PLU after receiving his Associate in Music from Tacoma Community College. Jack is a proud member of the Choir of the West, Campus Ministry Musicians, and a Choral Scholar for Christ Episcopal Church. Recently, Jack has performed with Seattle’s Radiance and the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society. He’d like to thank Holly Boaz for her expert coaching on his repertoire and his family for their undying support of his dream to be a singer!

Lindsey Hansen is a PLUS Year student from Tacoma, WA, getting her BA in Music and minoring in French and Religion. She is studying voice under Dr. Soon Cho. She’s had the honor of performing in Chorale (2018-2019) and Choir of the West (2019-present) during her time at PLU. She has also enjoyed singing roles such as Gold-Spur The Fox (The Cunning Little Vixen), Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street), Rosalinda (cover, Die Fledermaus), and in many scenes programs. Lindsey is grateful to the music faculty for all of the incredible opportunities she’s had and for pushing her to be a better musician every day.

Rae Hyra is a fifth-year mezzo-soprano majoring in Vocal Performance. She has been involved with the PLU Opera Program throughout her undergraduate career, and has performed as a chorus member with Vashon Opera on several occasions. She placed in the chapter and regional levels of the NATS Student Auditions for two consecutive years, and was a semifinalist at the national level in 2018. Some of her past roles include Ruth in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, the Zweite Dame in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Cornelia in Handel’s Giulio Cesare. As a masterclass participant, she has worked with tenor Thomas Cooley, as well as Maestro Pierre Vallet. When she is not performing, Rae enjoys honing her skills in tap and jazz dance, as well as camping and backpacking in the wilderness of Washington.

Kayla Linquist is a senior soprano at PLU. Originally from the Tacoma area, Kayla has enjoyed singing as a soloist in ensembles, as well as in concert venues around Pierce and King County, during her collegiate experience. She performed “Summertime” with Dr. Brown in concert for Vashon Opera. Kayla’s most recent role was with PLU Opera as Adele in Die Fledermaus. This August she performed in an ensemble during the American Spiritual Intensive Program in Bayview, Michigan. This was Kayla’s second time participating, after her introduction to the program through the NATS Hall Johnson Spiritual Competition. Kayla looks forward to continuing her stage experience after her time at PLU.

Dominic Walker is enjoying his second year at PLU, pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education degree. He first began solo singing as a sophomore at Walla Walla High School after a few nudges from his choral director, eventually leading him to PLU. So far he has studied voice with Shelby Rhoades and Jim Brown, who, after the damages of the COVID-19 pandemic, have both helped to remind Dominic how much he loves to sing.

Gillian Dockins is a senior Music and English double major from Portland, Oregon. She is a four year member of the Choir of the West, and involved in multiple other vocal ensembles on campus. Last summer at PLU, Gillian performed the role of Rose Maurrant in the Kurt Weill opera, Street Scene. She is currently preparing for her upcoming role as Cherubino in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro at the end of January. Gillian is a student of Holly Boaz.

After spending much of his early life preparing for engineering school, Brennan Brichoux realized at the age of 17 that his true passion was for the operatic stage. Since that time, the Seattle native has been privileged to perform in numerous capacities with the PLU music department, including the role of Aeneas in the PLU production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Brennan has also won multiple awards for achievement in the Tacoma NATS competition for classical voice. Brennan is a student of Barry Johnson.

Luke Hartley is a junior Music Education major with a secondary choral emphasis. He has been a member of the Choir of the West for three years, and holds leadership positions in various other ensembles on campus. Luke previously performed as Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas at PLU last January. He is currently in the midst of rehearsals for Le Nozze di Figaro, in which he plays Count Almaviva. Luke is a student of Barry Johnson.

Hailing from Petersburg, Alaska, soprano Stephanie Pfundt is a senior vocal performance major. Upcoming roles include Barbarina in PLU’s January production of Le Nozze di Figaro and Johanna in PLU’s March production of Sweeney Todd. Recent roles include Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte and 2nd Woman in Dido and Aeneas. Ms. Pfundt was recently named a district finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and will advance to the regional competition this February. Next fall she hopes to begin her master’s degree in opera on the East Coast. Stephanie is a student of Cyndia Seiden.

Jordan Bowles is a 23 year old communications major, music minor, at PLU. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he currently resides in Gig Harbor. He will be graduating in Spring of 2019, and his love for opera was inspired by the voice of Dmitri Hvorostovsky. He currently works at MultiCare, but wishes to pursue a career in opera. Jordan is a student of James Brown.