Meet the Artists
Biographies Below
Christine Goerke
Limmie Pulliam
Latonia Moore
Kevin Thompson
Richard Ollarsaba
Leo Williams
Jason Ferrante
Jacob Surzyn
Alvin Waddles
Suzanne Mallare Acton
Moníka Essen
Detroit Youth Choir
Adult Chorus
40-Piece Orchestra
TURANDOT
CALAF
LIÙ
TIMUR
PING
PANG
PONG
MANDARIN
EMPEROR ALTOUM
CONDUCTOR
VISUAL DIRECTOR/
PROJECTION DESIGNER
ENSEMBLES
TURANDOT | Christine Goerke
Christine Goerke stars in the title role of Turandot, the Ice Princess whose heart the strongest suitor couldn’t melt…until now.
Goerke is no stranger to Turandot, having sung the role for several seasons on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. In fact, she is tied for third place in the number of appearances at the Metropolitan Opera, behind only Ghena Dimitrova and Birgit Nilsson. She looks forward to bringing her signature role home to Detroit.
CALAF | Limmie Pulliam
Limmie Pulliam is Calaf, the “Unknown Prince” who keeps everyone up at night scrambling to learn his name. Pulliam made his role debut as Calaf last season with Moores Opera, and subsequently performed it with the Minnesota Orchestra in concert last May. We look forward to welcome him to Music Hall for this Detroit debut.
LIU | Latonia Moore
Latonia Moore is Liù, arguably one of opera’s most selfless characters. She sacrifices her life for Calaf’s, simply because he once smiled at her. As Liù, Moore has graced the stages of the Royal Opera, Semperoper Dresden, Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste, and ABAO Bilbao Opera. She looks forward to making her first appearance in Detroit since 2013, when she starred in the title role of ‘Aida’ at Detroit Opera.
TIMUR | Kevin Thompson
Kevin Thompson is Timur, the blind, deposed King of Tartary who is faithfully guided by Liù. Having just reunited with this son Calaf, he pleads with him not to pursue Turandot and her fatal riddles. He can’t stand to lose him again — especially for good.
He has performed as Timur with Fargo Moorhead Opera, and has appeared at Washington National Opera, Florentine Opera, Dallas Opera, and elsewhere. This performance will be his Detroit debut.
PING | Richard Ollarsaba
Richard Ollarsaba sings Ping in Turandot. This season, he appears as Dr. Rappaccini in Catán’s La Hija de Rappaccini at Opera Columbus, the title role in Don Giovanni at Florentine Opera, Escamillo in Carmen with Piedmont Opera, and as the Baritone Soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with the Greensboro Symphony. He also tours with his solo recital-project, Side Quest: Quixote, the men of La Mancha, a musical retrospective inspired by the 17th century Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. This performance will be his Detroit debut.
PANG | Leo Williams
Leo Williams sings Pang in Turandot. Williams is no stranger to Detroit, having spent the 2022-2023 season as a Resident Artist at Detroit Opera. With DO, he performed as the Messenger in Verdi’s Aida, Torero in Golijov’s Ainadamar, Faust (cover) in Gounod’s Faust, and as Ferrando in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte with the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. He has previously made appearances with Gulf Shore Opera, Palm Beach Opera, and Florida Grand Opera.
PONG | Jason Ferrante
Jason Ferrante sings Pong in Turandot. He holds two decades of experience on the operatic stage in over 80 different roles and on the concert stage as a soloist. Recent performances include Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor at Pensacola Opera, and in debuts with Hawaii Opera Theatre as Remendado in Carmen, Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera as Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Piedmont Opera as Sancho in Man of La Mancha. He is also a prolific voice teacher, having taught singers who appear on the greatest stages of the world.
MANDARIN | Jake Surzyn
Detroit-native Jake Surzyn sings the Mandarin in our Turandot. With Detroit Opera, he covered the role of Councilman in Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves, and performed in Yuval Sharon’s production of Ragnar Kjartansson’s Bliss as Antonio and Rodriguez’s Frida as Mr. Rockefeller. He has also made appearances with Indianapolis Opera, Central City Opera, and Charlottesville Opera. He also serves as the Executive Director of Opera de Metro, a southeastern Michigan-based company established in 2024.
EMPEROR ALTOUM | Alvin Waddles
Emperor Altoum is none other than Detroit legend, Alvin Waddles. He has delighted Detroit music lovers with performances in a variety of musical events including the Detroit Jazz Festival, the Detroit Festival of the Arts, and as the featured piano soloist in the annual “Too Hot to Handel” productions in Detroit and Chicago. Waddles received the 2010 Excellence Award from the Detroit Musicians Association and the Detroit City Council’s 2015 Spirit of Detroit Award.
CONDUCTOR | Suzanne Mallare Acton
Suzanne Mallare Acton takes the podium for Turandot! Known for her versatility and energy on the podium, Acton has more than 160 production credits covering seven languages as Chorus Master for Detroit Opera. In addition to her chorus work, she has conducted over 35 productions for the company, and has led performances at Dayton Opera, El Paso Opera, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings, and several others. For 25 years, she also served as Artistic Director of Rackham Choir Detroit.
VISUAL DIRECTOR & PROJECTION DESIGNER | Monika Essen
Monika Essen is our Virtual Director and Projection Designer. Essen has designed countless productions in theatre, opera, and film. At Detroit Opera, she designed their highly acclaimed productions of Bliss, Carmina Burana, The Medium, and Frida. She is also an accomplished painter, and creates murals, custom furniture, museum exhibits, interiors, and full sensory, multi-media environments for residential and commercial clients, including the Detroit Zoo. All her work can be viewed at studioepoque.com.