Jan Miller Studio Artists
career training through coaching and performance
Each year, five talented artists join us for a season-long residency, appearing throughout our community and receiving invaluable career guidance and individualized instruction.
About The Program
Founded in 2003, the Jan Miller Studio Artists Program has been an important incubator for emerging operatic talent for more than 20 years. In residence from September through March, Studio Artists perform and cover roles in mainstage productions, sing for numerous educational and community outreach programs, and act as Pensacola Opera ambassadors throughout the region. In recent seasons, Studio Artists have been featured in art song recitals, concerts with orchestra, and chamber operas at alternative venues. The Studio Artist coach/pianist works as the music director for the educational outreach performances, in addition to serving as rehearsal pianist for mainstage productions and performing with the Studio Artist singers at a variety of events throughout the season.
Along with numerous performance opportunities, Studio Artists also receive regular musical coaching and career guidance from Pensacola Opera’s music staff and guest mentors, who work to prepare these artists for a successful professional career. Previous Studio Artists have gone on to enjoy successful careers—both on stage and behind the scenes—throughout the US and around the world.
For current information about upcoming auditions, please visit our Auditions & Employment page. Info about the following season’s auditions is posted in early August each year.
Jan Miller
In 2022, the program was renamed as part of a sustaining gift by Jan Miller, a generous, longtime Pensacola Opera trustee, supporter, and advocate. Jan was President of the Board when the organization established the Artists in Residence Program, making it one of the focal points of our mission in 2002. She has also been a fierce fundraiser and promoter for our in-school programming, which reaches over 10,000 area children each year. Her dedication to and belief in our education programs over the past 20+ years have been the driving forces in her impactful fundraising efforts for the company.
Chase Sanders
soprano
Hometown | Harrisburg, PA
Education | P.D. & M.M. Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, B.M. West Chester University
Recent Work | Loving v. Virginia, Virginia Opera; In a Grove, Opera Saratoga; The Barber of Seville, Opera Theatre of St. Louis
This Season at Pensacola Opera | Soldier in The Falling and the Rising, Tosca (cover) in Tosca, Giannetta & Adina (cover) in The Elixir of Love
Sydney Sorbet
mezzo-soprano
Hometown | Covington, LA
Education | M.M. University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, B.M. Louisiana State University
Recent Work | La Cenerentola, Wolf Trap Opera; Cendrillon, CCM Opera; The Cunning Little Vixen, Des Moines Metro Opera
This Season at Pensacola Opera | Toledo/Doctor #1 in The Falling and the Rising, Shepherd Boy in Tosca, Giannetta (cover) in The Elixir of Love
Max Alexander Cook
tenor
Hometown | Ashland, VA
Education | M.M. University of Maryland, B.M. Oberlin Conservatory
Recent Work | Il turco in Italia, Teatro Nuovo; If I Were You, Maryland Opera Studio; Die Fledermaus, Cedar Rapids Opera
This Season at Pensacola Opera | Jumper/Doctor #2 in The Falling and the Rising, Spoletta in Tosca, Nemorino (cover) in The Elixir of Love
Robbie Raso
baritone
Hometown | Pittsburgh, PA
Education | M.M. Eastman School of Music, B.F.A. Carnegie Mellon University
Recent Work | Il barbiere di Siviglia, Charlottesville Opera; L’elisir d’amore, Toledo Opera; Andrea Chénier, Salzburger Festspiele
This Season at Pensacola Opera | Homecoming Soldier/Doctor #3 in The Falling and the Rising, Angelotti/Jailer & Scarpia (cover) in Tosca, Belcore (cover) in The Elixir of Love
Andrew Samlal
pianist/coach
Hometown | San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago
Education | D.M.A. University of Maryland, M.M. Temple University, B.A. University of the West Indies
Recent Work | Assistant Conductor, Maryland Opera Studio; Il barbiere di Siviglia, Opera Memphis; The Rake’s Progress, Des Moines Metro Opera
This Season at Pensacola Opera | Pianist & Associate Coach for The Falling and the Rising, Tosca, and The Elixir of Love
Cody Martin, Music Director
Director, Jan Miller Studio Artist Program
American conductor Cody Martin is currently the Music Director at Pensacola Opera, where he has led the nationally renowned Jan Miller Studio Artists Program since 2017. Cody also recently joined the faculty of the University of West Florida as conductor of the Runge Strings ensemble. He recently returned to Florida State Opera as guest conductor for a production of The Cunning Little Vixen. Recent seasons have seen Cody leading productions of La traviata, Le nozze di Figaro, Pagliacci, Lucia di Lammermoor, Carousel, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, As One, and Florencia en el Amazonas in Pensacola, in addition to various concert appearances. He made his debut with Fargo-Moorhead Opera conducting Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers in 2019. Other companies Cody has enjoyed working with include Des Moines Metro Opera, Arizona Opera, Opera Birmingham, Virginia Opera, and the Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center.
Cody holds degrees from Murray State University and Florida State University. He lives in Pensacola with his former shelter dog, Rosina, a corgi/dachshund mix (@rosinathelongdog).
Jason Ferrante, Vocal Coach
Jason Ferrante has been a vocal coach for our Jan Miller Studio Artist program for six years, working with singers on musical, technical, and expressive aspects of their performance.
Recognized as one of the most sought-after American voice teachers active today, Jason Ferrante has been teaching singing and performing internationally for two decades. His students appear on the greatest operatic and concert stages of the world including the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Glyndebourne. They have been winners and participants in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, The George London Awards and most of the major singing competitions in the USA. He is regularly sought-out by professional singers for technical advice and by schools, opera companies and training programs for masterclasses and clinics.
Join the Studio!
Auditions for the 2027-28 Jan Miller Studio Artists Program will open this fall. Information about the auditions will be posted here and on our Auditions & Employment page.
Pensacola Opera Studio Artist Alumni
2025-26
Denique Isaac, soprano
Christine Boddicker, mezzo-soprano
Xiaojie Ji, tenor
Jason Edelstein, baritone
Marine Eckert, pianist/coach
2024-25
Rachel Fitzgerald, soprano
Camille Robles, mezzo-soprano
Micah Perry, tenor
Joseph O’shea, baritone
Meredith Stemen, pianist/coach
2023-24
Nicole Heinen, soprano
Alexandra Sanchez, mezzo-soprano
Zachary Taylor, tenor
Bernardo Medeiros, baritone
Tongyao Li, pianist/coach
2022-23
Hayley Abramowitz, soprano
Kayla Nanto, mezzo-soprano
Randy Ho, tenor
Scott Lee, baritone
Nathan Cicero, pianist/coach
2021-22
Emily Michiko Jensen, soprano
Imara Miles, mezzo-soprano
Robert Hartfield, tenor
Ron Dukes, bass
Andrew Pham, pianist/coach
2020-21
Alyssa Dessoye, soprano
Erin Alford, mezzo-soprano
Brian Skoog, tenor
Jack Chandler, baritone
Anthony Benz, pianist/coach
2019-20
Bizhou Chang, soprano
Emily Triebold, mezzo-soprano
Aaren Rivard, tenor
Corey Gaudreau, baritone
Stephen Variames, pianist/coach
2018-19
Andrea Baker, soprano
Christina Pezzarossi, mezzo-soprano
Alexander Scheuermann, tenor
Corey Gaudreau, baritone
Kelvin Ying, pianist/coach
2017-18
Evelyn Saavedra, soprano
Camille Sherman, mezzo-soprano
Eric Wassenaar, tenor
Brent Hetherington, baritone
Nola Strand, music director/pianist (Fall)
Deniz Uz, music director/pianist (Spring)
2016-17
Evelyn Saavedra, soprano
Gillian Lynn Cotter, mezzo-soprano
Frederick Schlick, tenor (Fall)
John Riesen, tenor (Spring)
Brent Hetherington, baritone
Joshua Horsch, music director/pianist
2015-16
Allison Nicholas, soprano
Amanda Fink, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas DeMeo, tenor
Thaddeus Ennen, baritone
Xavier Suarez, music director/pianist
Jessica Myers, stage manager
2014-15
Ariana Wehr, soprano
Juliana Curcio, mezzo-soprano (Spring)
Eliza Bonet, mezzo-soprano (Fall)
Eamon Pereyra, tenor
Matthew Konopacki, baritone
Karl Anderson, stage manager
Nick Place, music director/pianist
2013-14
Anne Slovin, soprano
Eliza Bonet, mezzo-soprano
Eamon Pereyra, tenor
Ted Federle, baritone
Karl Anderson, stage manager
Nick Place, music director/pianist
2012-13
Jennifer Juilfs, soprano
Ashley Cutright, mezzo-soprano
Joe Shadday, tenor
Mitchell Hutchings, baritone
Ashleigh Dawn Kriegh-Fleming, stage manager
Emily Senturia, music director/pianist
2011-12
Jennifer Juilfs, soprano
Samantha Korbey, mezzo-soprano
Joseph Shadday, tenor
Mitchell Hutchings, baritone
Carrington Konow, stage manager
Dana Sadava, music director/pianist
2010-11
Ami Vice, soprano
Jennifer Trombley, mezzo-soprano
Eric Bowden, tenor
Gabriel Preisser, baritone
Emilia Allen, stage manager
Michael Sakir, music director/pianist
2009-10
Ami Vice, soprano
Candra Savage, mezzo-soprano
Patrick Kelley-Alvarado, tenor
Jason Coffey, baritone
Sarah Coffey, stage manager
Joshua Pepper, music director/pianist
2008-09
Anna Steenerson, soprano
Dawn Pierce, mezzo-soprano
Patrick Kelley-Alvarado, tenor
Justin Hopkins, baritone
Jenny Bossa, stage manager
Cate Doss, music director/pianist
2007-08
Anna Steenerson, soprano
Dawn Pierce, mezzo-soprano
Zechariah Baker, tenor
Todd Van Felker, baritone
Jarod Wilson, stage manager
Melissa Gilbert, music director/pianist
2006-07
Shelia Murphy, soprano
Alissa Anderson, mezzo-soprano
Zechariah Baker, tenor
Sean Damm, baritone
Sarah Stanley, stage manager
Christian Crans, music director/pianist
2005-06
Kimberly Monzon, soprano
Alissa Anderson, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Larson, tenor
Carlos Monzon, baritone
Jaira Jorcha, stage manager
Blake Riley, music director/pianist
2004-05
Annie Burridge, soprano
Elise Quagliata, mezzo-soprano
Kelly Markgraf, tenor
Chip Cothran, baritone
2003-04
Katherine Jolly, soprano
Kelli Geogham, mezzo-soprano
Thomas Rowell, tenor
Patrick Jacobs, baritone