Artistic and Production Staff Bios

Christopher Gable, Composer

Christopher Gable is a Twin Cities-based composer who will soon be relocating to Grand Forks, North Dakota. He currently teaches at the University of North Dakota, specializing in Music Theory and Composition. His music has been performed across the country, from Los Angeles to Moose Lake, Minnesota, and frequently includes references to and variations of all kinds of popular music. He has written in many genres, including orchestra, band, chamber, but has a special love for vocal music. His first opera, The Ascension of Radegunde, is based on a science fiction story set in a medieval German abbey, and has a libretto by his wife, Merie Kirby. Dr. Gable has received performances and commissions from Zeitgeist, the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, St. John’s Lutheran Church of Madison, Wisconsin, Lake Harriet United Methodist Church, the Harding High School Bands, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, the University of Chicago New Music Ensemble, Duo Sureño (a North Carolina soprano and guitar duo), Two Sides Sounding (a New York soprano and piano duo), Janus Percussion, playwright Kira Obolensky, the Butler University Composers Orchestra, the University of Minnesota Concert Choir, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, the St. Paul Civic Symphony, the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis, the UC Riverside Chamber Singers, and the Minnesota Philharmonic. Chris has been awarded grants from Meet the Composer, the American Composers Forum, and the University of Minnesota. He has also taught Theory, Composition, and related subjects at Macalester College, the University of Minnesota and St. Olaf College, and studied at UC Santa Barbara and the University of Minnesota (Ph.D.); his principal teachers were Dominick Argento, Judith Lang Zaimont, and Emma Lou Diemer.

Research interests include popular music, English change-ringing, and the music of Benjamin Britten. His first book, The Words and Music of Sting, was published in 2009 by Praeger Publishers. December 2008 saw the world premiere of By the Fireside, a choral cantata commissioned by One Voice Mixed Chorus and the Minnesota Philharmonic. His music is published by Dorn Publications and Graphite Music Publishing.

Merie Kirby, Librettist

Writer Merie Kirby holds a B.A. in Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara's College of Creative Studies and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Minnesota. She has worked as a technical writer, corporate communications editor, and marketing communications manager. She has taught English at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN for the past eight years; she has also taught at the University of Minnesota, the Arts Institute International of Minneapolis, and Capella University. She writes poetry and essays, as well as texts in collaboration with composers. Her poems have been published in several literary magazines, including Willow Review, River Styx Review, and North Coast Review. In 1997 she was chosen to participate in the Nautilus New Music Composer-Librettist Workshop, an intensive two-week-long odyssey in collaboration. Chamber opera collaborations with composers include The Ascension of Radegunde, with Christopher Gable, and Sanctuary, with James Callahan (premiered in 2003 at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN).

Brad Bradshaw, executive producer

Heralded by the San Francisco Chronicle as singing with “with terrific poise and clarity” young American tenor Brad Bradshaw recently completed his doctor of music degree at the University of Minnesota, where he received his master of music degree. His most outstanding performances include tenor roles in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutte, Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and the lead role of Albert in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring. Dr. Bradshaw premiered to great acclaim the role of “the Boy” in Libby Larsen’s new opera Every Man Jack that received its world premiere by the Sonoma City Opera Company in California. In addition to an extensive art song recital and performing schedule, Dr. Bradshaw has collaborated with the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra, and can be heard performing for the renown Lyra Ensemble, Thursday Musical Society, the Rochester Aria Group, Voices of Vienna, and the Schubert Club. Pursuing his passion for oratorio and chamber music, Dr. Bradshaw has appeared frequently with the Minnesota Bach Society and the St. John’s Oratorio Chorus and Orchestra as the tenor soloist, most notably in the role as the tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah. As a professional leader in the Motet Choir at the House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, Dr. Bradshaw has appeared with members of the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra as the tenor soloist in numerous chamber works, including J.S. Bach’s Magnificat, St. John Passion, and Christmas Oratorio, Mozart’s Mass in c minor, and was also featured as the Fisherman in Stephen Paulus’ opera The Three Hermits. Future engagements include J.S. Bach’s Magnificat and Benjamin Britten’s Cantata Miseri Cordium. This spring Dr. Bradshaw will also perform the role of the Evangelist in J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion.

Kristin Kenning, Stage Director

Kristin Kenning, a Detroit native, lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota where she works as a vocalist and stage director. While completing her doctorate of musical arts at the University of Minnesota she taught voice and opera workshop classes and performed leading roles for the University Opera Theatre, the Xperimental Theatre, and the Minnesota Centennial Showboat. She studied stage direction with David Walsh and Dominic Taylor. Recently staged productions include Carolyn Elerding’s new work Medicine Show, the Opera! and Colin Holter’s Mealtime Hero, a ‘spontaneous’ musical for a Byerly’s grocery store. At Theatre Unbound she has worked as both a stage director and music director, most recently for their production of Quilters. As a vocalist, Dr. Kenning has performed throughout the Midwest and in New York, Europe, and South Africa – recently performing a recital of art song and musical theatre in Zyrardow, Poland and a Midwest tour of Paul Schoenfield’s Camp Songs. Equally comfortable in opera and musical theater, stage roles have included Poppea in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Mrs. Dean in 45 Minutes from Broadway, Sandy in Grease, and Rose in Street Scene. Dr. Kenning teaches voice at Luther College. Upcoming projects include collaboration with Carolyn Elerding on her production Inside the Kaleidoscope for the Minneapolis Fringe Festival in August, 2010.

Stanley H. Rothrock, II, conductor

A conductor whose interests lie in contemporary music, Dr. Stanley H. Rothrock, II has conducted both instrumental and choral ensembles in cities throughout the United States and Europe. Rothrock received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 2009 where he studied with Professors Kathy Romey, and Matthew Mehaffey. During his tenure at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Rothrock also studied with Professor Thomas Lancaster and further supplemented his education by completing an intensive study of conducting and counterpoint at L’Ecole Normal de Musique in Paris, France through the European American Music Alliance. Dr. Rothrock currently claims artistic directorship of RenegadeEnsemble, a mixed contemporary music ensemble devoted to performing the music of living composers. This ensemble was created by Dr. Rothrock in 2004, and continues to grow and thrive in the Twin Cities. Through this ensemble, Stan has collaborated with prominent contemporary composers, such as Pauline Oliveros, Meredith Monk, Terry Riley, and many others. Dr. Rothrock continues to work and perform in the Twin Cities area where he can be found directing choirs and teaching private students at Macalester-Plymouth United Church and at Inver Hills Community College.

Matt Jenson, Choreographer

Matt Jenson choreographs and teaches at The Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, the largest children’s theatre company in North America. As director of New and Slightly Used Dance, his choreography has been supported by the McKnight Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Jerome Foundation. Linda Shapiro of Minneapolis’ City Pages describes Matt’s solo work based on assorted greek myths as “Quentin Tarantino meets Mr. Rogers.” He has danced with Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theatre, Paula Mann Dance, Joe Chvala’s Flying Foot Forum, and appears annually as “Madame Bonbonnierre” in Minnesota Dance Theatre’s production of The Nutcracker. He graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota Dance Program and has been a part of the affiliate faculty since 2000. He also utilizes the arts to raise awareness about children’s mental health through public awareness art projects, classroom visits, graphic design, and curriculum development for Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health.

Lisa Kudas, Lighting Designer

Lisa Kudas is a freelance scenic and lighting designer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Theatre Design and Technology from the University of Minnesota in 2008. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Technical Theatre with an emphasis in Lighting Design from Missouri State University in 2004.

Katrina Benedict, Costume, Wig, and Makeup Designer

Katrina Benedict received her Bachelor degree in Theater Arts from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska and is now a candidate in the Master of Fine Arts—Costume Design and Technology program at the University of Minnesota. Following her graduation from Creighton University, Benedict toured with the Nebraska Caravan’s production of A Christmas Carol, Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas Concert Tour, and Mid-America Arts’ Patsy!—a musical on the life of country singer Pasty Klein. While in Minneapolis, Benedict has held several positions at the renowned Guthrie Theatre. Her work in wardrobe and wigs could be seen in the Guthrie’s educational tour of The Stuff of Dreams and the national tour of Othello. Other recent designs have been The Laramie Project produced at the Minneapolis Community Technical College, and The Madwoman of Chaillot and Las Meninas at the University of Minnesota. Currently, Benedict is the costume designer for the Minnesota Centennial Showboat’s production of Sherlock's Last Case. Benedict is also a teaching assistant at the University of Minnesota and teaches Introduction to Stage Costumes at Normandale Community College.

Adam Ehret, Assistant Stage Manager

Having graduated from the University of Minnesota, Adam Ehret has gained extensive experience in stage and theatrical production management. Ehret has served as production assistant in Penumbra Theatre’s well-known productions of Black Nativity and The Whipping Man. As part of the Guthrie Theatre/University of Minnesota Actor Training Program, Ehret managed productions including Be Here Now, The End, When I Was a Ghost, Lizards...and Shadowgrass (stage manager), Proclivities, Calling All and Split (assistant stage manager). Additional credits include production with Theater Century College: Angels in America (stage manager); the University of Minnesota: Inspecting Carol, Old Four Eyes: A Mississippi Panorama, and The Count of Monte Cristo (stage manager), Sherlock's Last Case, Master and Margarita and Las Meninas (assistant stage manager).

David Walsh, Artistic Consultant

A native of Toronto, Canada, David Walsh graduated with Honors in Political Science and Economics before studying Theatre Science at the University of Toronto. Following a career as production stage manager with the Canadian Opera Company, Stratford Festival and Scottish Opera, he left the technical sphere to become assistant stage director with English Music Theatre. In 1978, he began a two-year assignment with the English National Opera as staff producer. From 1980 to 1984, he was under contract to Frankfurt Opera as assistant director. During this period, he was guest assistant director at Nederlandse Opera, Brussels Opera, the Royal Opera House (Covent Garden) and Santa Fe Opera. From 1984 to 1987, Walsh served as assistant artistic director to Brian McMaster with Vancouver Opera. Walsh held the post of head of production for the Scottish Opera from 1987 to 1991.

As a stage director, Walsh has worked extensively in Germany, Great Britain, America, and Canada. He has produced Fidelio for Paris Opera with Jon Vickers and Hildegard Behrens in the title roles and conducted by Seiji Ozawa (1982). This production was repeated triumphantly at English National Opera with Kathrin Harries as Leonore. For the Bad Hersfeld Festival in Germany, he has created highly acclaimed stagings of two Monteverdi operas—L’Incoronazione di Poppea (1982) and Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria (1983). Walsh has scored success with Don Giovanni and La Boheme for the Scottish Opera, Madame Butterfly for Opera Lyra (Ottawa), Salome for Calgary Opera, a stunning production of The Turn of the Screw for the Vancouver Opera and with an outstandingly intelligent and witty production of La Belle Helene for L’Opera Francais de New York.

In 1991 Walsh took charge of the newly constituted Opera Studio in Victoria, B.C. (Canada). In addition, he created an Opera Department at the Vancouver Academy of Music in relation to the Bachelor of Music Program. Walsh has become a regular guest director at the University of Victoria Music and Theatre Departments as well as the Banff Centre for the Arts.

In 1998 Walsh returned to Europe to undertake the post of Szenischer Studienleiter for the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Dusseldorf. For this company he has directed Der Fliegende Hollander for a Gastpiel in Shanghai, China. He thus had the honor of directing the first-ever production of a Wagner opera in the history of China. In 1999 Walsh directed La Boheme for the company in Dusseldorf and this past season a new staging of Ariadne auf Naxos.

In January 2001 Walsh directed a highly successful revival of Palestrina (original production directed by Nikolaus Lehnhoff) for the Royal Opera House Convent Garden. In the spring of 2002 Walsh assisted Nikolaus Lehnhoff on a production of Puccini’s Turandot at the Nederlandse Oper which was filmed and included a new final scene composed by Luciano Berio. In 2003 Walsh again assisted Dr. Lehnoff in a new production of Beethoven’s Fidelio at the Salzburg Festival conducted by Sir Simon Rattle with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Future directorial assignments over the next two years will take Walsh to Lyon, Dusseldorf, Tel Aviv, and Tokyo.

In a professional career spanning more than twenty-five years and two continents, Walsh has successfully combined the artistic flair expected of a director and teacher with the organizational and management abilities required of an administrator.