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Students and Colleagues
Information about Carl's students and Colleagues.
This page's purpose:
- Provide biographical and performance information about the singers
- A Contact point for people seeking artists to perform
- A place for the singers to promote themselves
- A point for communication
Joe Kinyon, Dramatic Baritone
Last seen as Emile de Becque in Saratoga Drama Group's production of South Pacific , baritone Joe Kinyon has performed leading roles with various opera companies in the Bay Area including: Opera San Jose, Berkeley Opera, Livermore Valley Opera and Sonoma City Opera. Among the roles credited to his name are: Valentin from Gounod Faust with both Berkeley Opera and Livermore Valley Opera, the title role of Berkeley Opera's Spring production of Eugene Ongin Escamillo in LVO's rendition of Carmen (a role he previously performed with Berkeley Opera) and Count Almaviva in Sonoma City Opera's interpretation of The Marriage of Figaro. Other engagements include the roles of De Britigny in Manon and Prince Yamadori in Madame Butterfly with Opera San Jose. Additional local companies he has performed with are Lyric Theater Company, Diablo Light Opera, Contra Costa Musical Theater, Playhouse West, 42nd Street Moon and the Theater of the Blue Rose. Mr. Kinyon has also performed with The Opera Institute of California in San Jose, and as a soloist with First Church of Christ Scientist in Walnut Creek. A Bay Area native, Mr. Kinyon most recently studied voice in San Jose with Carl Franzen.
Suzanne "Kiki" Arnaudo, Lyric Soprano
Has performed a myriad of roles throughout her life in the Bay Area laying characters ages 6 (Lucy in Charlie Brown) to 106, (Leah in Two by Two). Groups with whom she has appeared include; TheatreWorks Hillbarn Theater, HARD, CCT, Broadway by the Bay, Marin Civic Light Opera, to name just a few. The Soprano has starred in such shows as: Old Maid and the Thief, The Student Prince, The Vagabond King, Carousel, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Over Here, Me and My Girl, Fiddler On the Roof, Sweeny Todd, Funny Girl, Patience, Happy End, Quilters, Riverwind, Equuis, Anastasia, Secret Garden, Absence of a Cello, My Fair Lady and the list goes on. Ms. Arnaudo, no stranger to Grand opera, has enjoyed performances of Puccini's La Boheme, Suor Angelica and Tosca in New York City. She coaches with reknowned vocal coach, Russell Norman in Palo Alto.
Jeanne Benioff, Lyric Coloratura Soprano
As a child Jeanne performed with the San Francisco Children's Opera. In college she fell in love with Balkan Dancing and through that Balkan singing. Since then she has performed with various Balkan groups throughout the world. She started her own Balkan group, "Born to Drone", twelve years ago. Jeanne sang with the College of Notre Dame's Community Chorus as well as the college's Chamber Singers. Then she sang with the peninsula Women's Chorus for six years. She coached PWC on Balkan music fot their spring 1998 concerts and taught a summer workshop on the art of Bulkan Singing, Sher is an active member of the celebrated women's choral group "JewelTones" they sing popular music from the first half of the 20th century. She has studied voice for over twelve years. Most recently with Carl Franzen. Jeanne earned her BA in anthropology and Master's in Library Science. She has worked as a computer programmer. Under the guidence of Carl Franzen Jeanne has discovered her lovely coloratura voice and enjoys the rich repetoire of the great Romantic French opera composers.
George Arana, Lyric Tenor
was last with the Cinnabar Opera Theater as Bardolph in Falstaff. Prior to that,he playd the Padre in Man of La Mancha,Pierrot in The Emperor of Atlantis,and numerous roles in The Good Soldier Schweik. George has also appeared in numerous productions with Pocket Opera, including La Perichole,Bluebeard,Stiffelio,and the Princess of Trebizond;With Berkeley Opera he performed the role of Bardolph, as well as Tinca in Il Tabarro and Carlson in Of Mice and Men;he also perfomed the role of Dr Caius in Falstaff for the Vallejo Symphony;and with West Bay Opera as Guillot in Manon. He has participated in master classes with Wesley Balk,Warren Jones,Florence Quivar and Maestro David Jones, and was the winner of the 1992 NATS Singing Festival in the Art Song division. Mr. Arana will be pewrforming the role of Peppe in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with Cinnabar opera this spring.
Irina Varamesova, Lyrico Spinto Soprano
The Bulgarian Soprano has performed on numerous occassions in the Bay Area, including opera nights at the Jarvis Conservatory, Fremont Symphony Orchestra, opera Bravura Concert Series "Opera on the Rock", opera scenes with San Jose University directed by legendary mezzo-soprano Irene Dalis. Has performed with Opera San Jose in Verdi's Falstaff, Motzart's Cosi Fan Tutte, Massenet's Manon, Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Gounod's Faust, Verdi's Il Trovatore, Donizetti's Don Pasquale, Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, Leoncavallo's Pagliacci and in the role of Papagena in Motzart's The Magic Flute. Irina has sung with the San Francisco Opera Chorus. Before moving to the Bay Area, Ms. Varamesova was partof the Los Angeles Master Chorale, also performing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen. She has studied voice with Carl Franzen for 4 years. Currently she moved to Wahington, DC. She will be returning for future Opera Galas with Opera Bravura.