Opera Breve

Our Staff

Lenora Eve (Artistic Director, Vocal Instructor, Coach) founded Opera Breve in 2009. She was privileged to be the alto soloist in Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass at Carnegie Hall in New York. For 20 years, Lenora has been an established and acclaimed teacher and coach. Her vocal studio boasts an eclectic variety of students, including those from the world of Broadway, opera, and some of the most esteemed Jewish cantors and artists from the Hebrew contemporary music scene. As a student of the distinguished author and teacher, Cornelius Reid, she was able to learn the concepts and principles, which are the foundation of the technique she now passes on to others. Ms Eve has sung nationally and internationally in operatic and musical theater roles including eight roles with Amato Opera in New York City; Broadway national tour of The Sound of Music with Richard Chamberlain; and State Fair with John Davidson. In addition, Ms Eve was in International Tour of The Sound of Music with Marie Osmond traveling to Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong and Seoul, Korea. In Germany, she has been a guest artist in several operatic productions and concerts with the Landestheater Detmoldd , and recently, sang a series of duet concerts entitled Wenn die beste Freundin. Originally from Texas, Lenora graduated from North Texas University with a Masters of Music Degree.

Rich Affannato (Artistic Advisor) was part of the management team for Epic Proportions (w/Kristen Chenoweth) on Broadway as well as the Off-Broadway hits Hedwig and The Angry Inch, Gorey Details, andMenopause The Musical. He co-conceived and directed David Hasselhoff's World Tour Concert, and was represented on Broadway by the musical All Shook Up, in which he was an original investor. As an actor, his Broadway and National Tour credits include Les Miserables, The Producers, and Civil War. Off-Broadway he was in Forbidden Broadway-20th Anniversary Edition, Slut, Illyria, and many more. Regional credits include Floyd Collins (Floyd)-Signature Theatre (Helen Hayes Award Nomination-Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical), Stephen Sondheim's 70th Birthday Concert-Library Of Congress, and countless other theaters across the United States including The Guthrie, St. Louis Rep, Capitol Repertory Theatre, and Great Lakes Theatre Festival. His films include Shades Of Grey, Clown White, Mickey Blue Eyes, At First Sight, and Texasville. On television, Rich has been seen on Law and Order SVU, The Sopranos, and the animated children's series Francesco's Friendly World (as the singing and speaking voice of Francesco). In 2007, Rich starred in the Las Vegas production of The Producers at the Paris Hotel and Casino opposite David Hasselhoff and Tony Danza. He is the President and Managing Producer of Tower of Quarters, Inc, a production company dedicated to developing new projects for theatre, film, and television. Rich is currently producing the first commercial open-ended run of the critically acclaimed musical Silence! (a parody of Silence of the Lambs) slated to open early next year in New York, directed by Christopher Gattelli, with a book by Hunter Bell. Rich is honored to sit on the board of directors for Opera Breve.

Darla Diltz (Executive Director) has performed a variety of repertoire including Donna Anna and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni/Novafeltria, Italy/Texas), Lucia and Suor Angelica(Lucia, Suor Angelica/Knoxville Opera) Other roles are Violetta (La Traviata), Pamina and First Lady (Die Zauberflote), Tallulah (The Hotel Casablanca/Albany Records “soaringly sung” Opera News), Nella and Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Mimì and Musetta (La Bohème), the water (The Little Prince), Countess (Le Nozze di Figaro), Fiordiligi (Così), Helena (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Tatyana (Eugene Onegin). The New York Times called her a commanding presence, who brought a firm, focused tone and emotional depth to the arias Tom Cipullo gave her in Chelsea Opera’s production of Glory Denied. Some of her solo oratorio credits include Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mozart’s Requiem and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor, Handel’s Messiah Haydn’s Te Deum, the Brahms Requiem, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Ms. Diltz holds degrees in voice from Midwestern State University, The University of Tennessee and The University of Kentucky. Currently, Darla lives in New York City where she maintains a private voice studio. She teaches voice and is the Opera Director at Adelphi University.

Eugenie Grunewald
Distinguished Artist in Residence (Mezzo-Soprano, Stage Direction, Audition Techniques), has performed to popular and critical acclaim in a broad repertoire that encompasses both the dramatic roles of Verdi and Wagner and the "bel canto" repertoire of Bellini and Donizetti. She has earned recognition for her dramatic abilities and for her vocal artistry on the stages of leading opera companies here and in Europe, including the San Francisco Opera (Amneris in Aida and Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera), Houston Grand Opera (Azucena in Il Trovatore), Lyric Opera of Chicago (Frugola in Il Tabarro and the Witch in Hansel und Gretel), New York City Opera (Mother Marie in Dialogues of the Carmelites and Mrs. Grose in The Turn of the Screw), Teatro Liceu in Barcelona (Giovanna Seymour in Anna Bolena, Amneris in Aida, Preziosilla in La Forza del Destino, Eboli in Don Carlo, and Ortrud in Lohengrin), Teatro Real in Madrid (Morgan le Fey in the world premiere of Albeniz' Merlin), Bilbao (Giovanna Seymour), Oviedo (Sara in Roberto Devereux), Teatro Maestranza in Seville (Azucena in Il Trovatore), Hamburg State Opera (Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Preziosilla in La Forza del Destino, Ulrica, and Nurrice in Ariane et Barbe Bleu), Opera de Marseilles (Ulrica and the Mother in Maria Golovin), Theatre du Capitole in Toulouse (Amneris and Anna in Les Troyens), and Opera de Toulon (Quickly in Falstaff). Other companies with whom she has appeared include the Florida Grand Opera (Santuzza), Fort Worth Opera (Quickly and Mother Marie), Opera Pacific (Amneris and Azucena), Michigan Opera (Amneris), Kentucky Opera (Mother Marie and Azucena), New Jersey State Opera and Opera San Antonio (Azucena), New Orleans Opera (Santuzza) and the summer festivals of Glimmerglass (Santuzza) and the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy and the Festival Amazonas in Manaus, Brazil (the Mother in Maria Golovin) and Toledo Opera as Baba the Turk and Mother Goose in The Rake's Progress. A sought after artist on the concert stage, Ms. Grunewald has performed the Verdi Requiem in Lisbon, Washington D.C., New Orleans, Dusseldorf, Aspen Music Festival, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale; Brahms' Alto Rhapsody with the Tulsa Symphony; Jocasta in Oedipus Rex with Aspen Music Festival conducted by David Zinman; Joan of Arc in Tchaikovsky's The Maid of Orleans and Lubov in Tchaikovsky's Mazeppa with the Opera Orchestra of New York, Rosa Mamai L'Arlesiana, and Margherita in Mascagni's Guglielmo Ratcliff with Teatro Grattacielo in Lincoln Center, Mahler's Symphony No 8 with the Brucknerfest in Linz and SWF-Sinfoniaorchester of Frieburg (Michael Gielen conducting), Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with The Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. She was also a featured soloist on "Live from Lincoln Center's Pavarotti Plus." She has performed Mahler's Das Knaben Wunderhorn and Bernstein's Jeremiah Symphony on tour with Klaus-Peter Seibel, Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Arkansas Symphony, and the Verdi Requiem with the Festival Amazonas and with the Riverside Choral Society. Ms. Grunewald is a graduate of Ohio State University and was the first prize winner in the Enrico Caruso International Voice Competition. She has also received grants from the Olga Forrai Foundation, the Sullivan Foundation, The Gerda Lissner Foundation, and the Singers Development Foundation. www.eugeniegrunewald.com

Dr. Don Maxwell (Vocal Instructor) is currently Professor of Voice at Midwestern State University having taught college level voice and related courses for 42 years. In 2007, he was designated as the distinguished Hardin Professor, the highest award available for faculty members. He has directed 28 operas/musicals during his tenure and his students have been winners of major vocal competitions and several have launched international careers in opera and song. As a tenor soloist, Maxwell has been active for more than 50 years. He was winner of the Oklahoma City Bloch Young Artist Auditions and placed second in the Regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions. He has been a featured tenor soloist with the Oklahoma City Symphony and the Wichita Falls Symphony on several occasions. Maxwell has taught Master Classes at several colleges including Louisiana State University, Bard College, Cameron University, as well as at NATS Conventions and numerous public school venues. He helped edit several books and articles for the renowned voice teacher and pedagog Cornelius L. Reid and compiled the Cornelius L. Reid Project, an archive of existing recorded materials of Reid's work which resides in the Midwestern State University Moffett Library. Maxwell has published numerous articles and a set of CD/DVDs which has world-wide distribution.

Ben Sheaffer Associate Artistic Director- Musical Theater On Broadway, Ben played Rolf in The Sound of Music and appeared as the courier and Thomas Jefferson in 1776. Off-Broadway, he originated the role of Simon in Terrence McNally's Corpus Christi(MTC). Broadway workshops include: The Boy From Oz w/Hugh Jackman, and When You Wish (Disney). Ben recently performed with the Ocean City Pops Orchestra. Favorite regional credits include: The Middle of Nowhere (Prince Music Theater), Dear World (Goodspeed Opera House), Cabaret (Media Theatre), Bus Stop(Ivoryton Playhouse), The Importance of Being Earnest (Monomoy Theatre). Film and Television: “Gods and Generals,” and “One Life To Live.” Ben is a 1997 graduate of The North Carolina School of the Arts. Ben, who is a faculty member of Opera Breve, taught Music Theater with the Opera Breve Vocal Intensive held at Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Tx, in the summer of 2011. Ben also returned to Wichita Falls this fall to hold a Master Class at Backdoor Theatre. He held an educational two day event. "Standing on the shoulders of Giants". Eternal love and gratitude to Aimee.

Gary Norden (Coach - Opera) has partnered Metropolitan Opera stars Roberta Peters and Jerome Hines as well as New York City Opera stars Clamma Dale, Marianna Nicolesco and Eugenie Grunewald in concerts throughout the Unitexd States and Europe. He has also performed with Ariel Bybee, Licia Albanese and Ferruccio Tagliavini. In addition, Mr. Norden served as vocal coach for Academy Award winners Olympia Dukakis and Kevin Kline. It was also his privilege to play two recitals at the White House with soprano Clamma Dale as well as a concert for HRM Prince Andrew, Duke of York.

Brian Osborne vocal coach/accompanist, is thrilled to be appearing here in Wichita Falls with old and new friends! Osborne is on the music faculty at Oklahoma City University where just finished music directing his fourth production, Little Shop of Horrors. He has also directed OCU’s production of Die Opernprobe in the spring of last year, The Consul and Too Many Sopranos. He will return next summer for his fourth season on the faculty of the summer opera program, Si Parla, si Canta in Urbania, Italy. Previously, he served as head coach for three consecutive seasons at Opera in the Ozarks, where he made his conducting debut in The Mikado, and was also on the music faculty at The University of Mississippi. He has appeared regularly as coach/accompanist and rehearsal pianist on the musical staff of various opera companies throughout the United States and Europe, including The Vianden Festival, Ash Lawn-Highland Opera, Knoxville Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Virginia Opera, Augusta Opera, Regina Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera North, and Brevard Music Center. His contributions to productions have included a wide range of repertoire, including Le Nozze di Figaro, Susannah, La Traviata, The Barber of Seville, La Bohème, Madame Butterfly, The Magic Flute, Carmen, Hansel and Gretel, Sweeney Todd, Little Women, Annie Get Your Gun, Die Feldermaus, OCU’s The Light in the Piazza and many others. Osborne also appeared locally as “Sky Masterson,” in Poteet Theatre’s production of Guys and Dolls in the winter of 2010. He is active on the recital stage appearing with various international artists including mezzo-soprano, Lorraine DiSimone, and baritone, Mark Walters. He has also recently presented various university vocal master-classes throughout the United States. He has worked with numerous schools and universities as a staff vocal coach and lecturer, including Manhattan School of Music, The University of Kentucky, Brenau University, Simpson College, and Piedmont College. His alma maters include The University of Georgia, Florida State University, and The University of Tennessee.