Award-winning stage director Claire Choquette gained national recognition in 2022 with her cult-centric concept for Salome, winner of OPERA America’s Robert L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize. She is also the 2025–2026 recipient of the National Opera Association’s Joelyn Wakefield-Wright Stage Director Fellowship, awarded annually to an emerging director of exceptional promise.

A rising star on the American opera scene, Claire was quickly in high demand, directing eight fully staged productions in her first year as a full-time director. Her recent production of Little Women at Fort Worth Opera was praised by EarRelevant as “superior in every aspect,” while OperaGene lauded her “masterful job”  in maintaining the pacing and crafting the comedic elements of The Impresario at Opera Baltimore.

Other recent credits include Ruders’ Handmaid’s Tale (Temple University), Gianni Schicchi/Strawberry Fields (Oklahoma City University), Scalia/Ginsburg (Charlottesville Opera), Lucia di Lammermoor (Painted Sky Opera), La Bohème (Shreveport Opera), Dust Bowl and Missy Mazzoli’s Song from the Uproar (Verdigris Ensemble), and Siren Song and Alice Tierney (Boston University Opera Institute).

Rebecca Germany, soprano, is a native of Arlington who made her Opera Arlington debut as the Foreign Princess in Rusalka. She has also appeared as Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Fort Worth Opera. Rebecca was a Semi-Finalist in  Dallas Opera Guild Bilenial Lone Star Vocal Competition, and sang at the International Summer Opera Festival of Morelia (ISOFOM) as First Lady in Die Zauberflöte. She has also  performed with the Fort Worth Opera Chorus in Aida and An African American Requiem.  Rebecca performed the title role of Puccini’s Suor Angelica with ISOFOM. During her Master's studies, she portrayed Armelinde in Pauline Viardot’s Cendrillon and the Mom in the world premiere of Alejandro Rutty’s Alison’s Voice.  Rebecca received her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; she also holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Choral Music Education from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Lara Lignitz is a Soprano and citizen of the Cherokee Nation. It is her belief that opera uniquely expresses the most human of experiences and it is her job to bring those to life on stage. She has had the opportunity to do this through roles such as Magda in The Consul, The Governess in The Turn of the Screw at Chicago Summer Opera, and the title role in Suor Angelica. Her superb high notes along with a clear embodiment of character make her a performer who stands out on any stage. 

Kaswanna Kanyinda has been praised for her dramatic presence, vocal warmth, and as a “talent to keep a sharp lookout for.” She was a Resident Artist at Fort Worth Opera was a finalist and semi-finalist in competitions by Austin Music Club, Opera Ebony, Young Texas Artists. Shreveport Opera, Lorne Zachary, MIOpera. and Annapolis Opera. Kaswanna has worked with companies such as Chicago Opera Theatre, Opera Theatre Saint Louis, Finger Lakes Opera, Toledo Opera, Detroit Opera Theatre, Opera Grand Rapids, Spoleto Festival, and Long Leaf Opera. She has been cast in modern operas such as Blue, Omar, and Stinney: The American Tragedy  as the role o d Flosshilde in Detroit Opera Theatre’s Twilight: Gods. She was awarded the Wilde Award for her portrayl of Mother in Opera MODO’s production of The Consul.  She studied at the University of Michigan and UNC Chapel Hill under the tutelage of Professor George Shirley and Dr. Louise Toppin. A highlight of her time there was the unforgettable experience of performing at the Kennedy Center and performing the national anthem for President Barack Obama. A North Carolina native, she resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area as a free-lance performer after working with Chicago Opera Theatre in their production of She Who Dared. Recently, she sang the role of Mother in Opera Arlington's production of Hansel & Gretel and will be starring in their upcoming production of Bizet's Carmen.

Alan Hollinger is a baritone from Killeen, Texas. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Church Music from Baylor University, where he is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Vocal Performance and Music Theory. His first involvement in opera was his Junior year when he sang Papa Bear in Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears. Recently, he has sung Vater in Hänsel und Gretel with Baylor Opera Theatre, Leporello with Music on Site, and the title role in Gianni Schicchi with Atchley Oppera. He is a student of Dr. Kimberly Monzón.