We're going to jump forward with this week's POSA update to let you know what our three most recent "graduates" are up to right out of the gate.

Jennifer Forni: Soprano

Leave it to Jennifer; when I asked her what she was up to, she got over the "important" stuff first: "No ring, no baby!"

Jenn is headed to NYC in October, to begin auditioning for roles and to seek a manager. She's just been cast as Michaela in Carmen with Springfield Regional Opera, in Springfield, MO.

Daryl Freedman: Mezzo

Daryl's been a busy lady since leaving us! In May she sang the role of Beauty in a new opera by Hannah Lash called Blood Rose with NYCO's VOX. She spent the summer at Chautauqua Opera, where she sang Federica in Luisa Miller and Third Lady in The Magic Flute; she also won a Chautauqua Opera Guild Scholarship Award.

Daryl also recently won first place in the Kennett Symphony Voice Competition, and will be singing a concert with the symphony in December.

Daryl's upcoming work includes covering the role of Ruth in Nico Muhly's new opera, Dark Sisters, both with Gotham Chamber Opera this fall and also with Opera Company of Philadelphia in June. And she's just been hired to sing the role of Ascalax in Telemann's Orpheus with New York City Opera this spring.  

And just for fun, here are the two ladies at last year's Portland Opera holiday party (which was island-themed):

Steven Brennfleck: Tenor

After leaving us, Steven spent a very successful summer at Tanglewood (with our own Sharin Apostolou -- who you'll hear about another time). He's just finished up the festival, and is settling back in to the East coast.