12th Annual Handel Aria Competition
August 8, 2025, at 7:30pm CDT
Grace Episcopal Church, Madison, Wisconsin
The 11th Annual Handel Aria Competition took place August 8th, 2025 at 7:30pm at the Grace Episcopal Church, Madison, Wisconsin. The finalists were selected from a field of applications from around the world and accompanied by the Madison Bach Musicians under the direction of Trevor Stephenson.
Winners
First prize: Trevor Scott, tenor
Second prize: Morgan Mastrangelo, tenor
Third prize: Jeremy Weiss, baritone
Photography by Lewis Photography
Finalists
These seven exceptional singers came to Madison, Wisconsin to share their talent in the 12th annual Handel Aria Competition. They are, from left to right, Fredy Bonilla, Elisse Albian, Jeremy Weiss, Trevor Scott, Morgan Mastrangelo, Paulina Francisco, and Sam Denler.
Photography by Lewis Photography
Elisse Albian, soprano
Praised by OperaWire for their “bright and glimmering soprano”, Elisse Albian finds delight in presenting oratorios, opera, choral compositions, and all that resonates in between. An ardent advocate for the collaborative essence of musical creation, Elisse places immense value on versatility and the inherent instrumental qualities of the human voice.
Elisse’s artistic collaborations extend to prestigious ensembles such as The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Seraphic Fire, Apollo’s Fire, The Clarion Choir, Ensemble Altera, Voices of Ascension, Artefact Ensemble, and The Benedict XVI Choir. Elisse also frequently collaborates with opera companies such as Opera Lafayette and Teatro Nuovo. A crowning achievement in Elisse’s journey was securing first place at the Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition hosted by the Oratorio Society of New York.
In the 2024-2025 season, Elisse performed frequently as a soloist. Season highlights included performances of BWV 32 Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen, Handel’s Messiah, J.C. Bach’s cantata Meine Freundin, du bist schön, Bach’s Ascension Oratorio with Trinity Wall Street, and performing as the soprano soloist in Hadyn’s The Creation with Princeton Pro Musica, and Bach’s St. John Passion with the American Classical Orchestra.
Elisse currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
Fredy Bonilla, baritone
Fredy Bonilla, baritone, comes from Houston, Texas where he received his Bachelors of Choral Music Education from the University of Houston. He taught high school choir in the Houston area for seven years where his choirs received top ratings and awards. Fredy has performed with Houston ensembles including Cantare Houston, the Houston Chamber Choir, and the Houston Grand Opera Chorus. He also sang in local churches including Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) in Houston, and has sung evensongs in England, Scotland, and Ireland as ensemble member, soloist, and cantor.
This May, he completed studies at the Yale University’s School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music, earning his Master of Music degree studying voice with professor James Taylor. As a member of the Yale Voxtet, he was featured soloist in performances with the Yale Schola Cantorum. Last year he was bass soloist for Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato conducted by Bach Collegium Japan’s Masaaki Suzuki with Yale Schola Cantorum and Messiah with Yale Glee Club. He was also bass soloist for Bach’s Mass in B Minor conducted by David Hill while touring the United Kingdom.
Recently, he was a finalist for the Lyndon Woodside Oratorio-Solo Competition in New York City, winning the William Grogan Award. He is working on building a career in singing various genres, focusing on oratorio and concert works, as soloist and ensemble member. He especially enjoys working on music in Spanish across early through modern genres. Fredy is currently based in New Haven, Connecticut.
Sam Denler, tenor
Sam Denler is a tenor based in New Haven, Connecticut. He sings in the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir and regularly performs with the Philadelphia Orchestra under Yannick Nézet-Séguin and was a 2023-24 Voces8 Scholar. He is the tenor soloist for Ryan Brandau in Amor Artis in New York City, recently performed with elite early music ensemble Res Facta, which was featured on WWFM Sounds Choral, and filmed a scene with Bradley Cooper for Netflix’s Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro. Mr. Denler has attended numerous music festivals, most recently with the Bachakademie in Stuttgart, Germany, and in his sixth fellowship with the Spoleto Festival USA Chorus in Charleston, South Carolina. This year is his third year as singer, audio engineer, and cofounder of startup group Convoco, a small ensemble of professional musicians. Mr. Denler finished his first year of his Masters in Voice: Early Music, Oratorio + Chamber Ensemble in the prestigious Voxtet ensemble at Yale University this Spring. He earned his Bachelor’s in Music Education at Westminster Choir College in 2019, where he sang with the Westminster Choir for three years, touring the U.S., Spain, and China. He was also a member of early music ensemble Kantorei, and Symphonic Choir, which performed in premier venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia.
Paulina Francisco, soprano
Paulina Francisco is a versatile and engaging interpreter of Baroque and early Classical music. Recent reviews have celebrated her vivacious soprano as “a ray of sunshine” (The Guardian), and hailed her “agility, impact, and vibrant projection” (ClassyKey) which “preserves a finesse of delivery allowing one to savor the ornamentation and agility” (Olyrix).
In March, Paulina made her London Handel Festival debut singing the role of L’Allegro in L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato with Jonathan Cohen and Arcangelo. She is a winner of the 11th edition of Le Jardin des Voix with Les Arts Florissants, and is a soloist in their internationally-renowned production of Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, with staging and choreography by Mourad Merzouki. In the 2023-2024 season, Paulina made her Kennedy Center debut with Opera Lafayette, singing the role of Thalie in Les Fêtes de Thalie under the direction of Christophe Rousset, which was received as “delightfully insouciant” (The Washington Post) and “like a rainbow-haired Cyndi Lauper” (Washington Classical Review). Other recent highlights include singing the title role in John Eccles’ Semele with American Baroque Opera Company, curating a chamber recital for the Washington Bach Consort, and a summer festival performance with Vox Luminis.
Morgan Mastrangelo, tenor
Praised for their “ringing and clear” tenor (The Toledo Blade), Morgan Mastrangelo is an Emerging Artist with Boston Lyric Opera, where they were recently seen as Hades in Matt Aucoin’s Eurydice. Other recent credits at BLO include Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola, (cover), Marzio in Mitridate (cover), and Enoch Snow in Carousel (cover) Regional credits include Count Almaviva in il Barbiere di Siviglia (Wichita Grand Opera), Hades in the Opera Grand Rapids production of Eurydice, Edemondo in the modern premiere of Anna Di Resburgo (Teatro Nuovo, cover), Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance (New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players), and Tobias in Sweeney Todd (Opera Saratoga). Recent concert credits include their “eye-catching and ear popping” debut with Boston Baroque as the Narrator in Bach’s Coffee Cantata, BWV 211. Other concert credits include the tenor solos in BWV 5, 78, 94, 148, and 181 (Emmanuel Music, Boston) Handel’s Messiah, (Hudson Valley Philharmonic), Rossini’s Petit Messe Solenelle (Opera Saratoga), and Orff’s Carmina Burana (Carnegie Hall). Upcoming engagements include Priest/Ensemble in The Light in The Piazza at the Huntington Theatre, Ascanius/First Sailor in Errolyn Wallen’s Dido’s Ghost (Emmanuel Music) and the semi-finals of the Froville International Baroque Competition. They are a Laffont Competition Encouragement Award Winner, and the 2nd Prize winner of both the 2025 American National Oratorio Competition and the 2024 Lyndon-Woodside Oratorio Competition. They are an alumnus of the Young Artist Programs of Opera Saratoga and Teatro Nuovo, and studied at Northwestern University and New England Conservatory.
Trevor Scott, tenor
Lyric tenor Trevor Scott recently received his Masters of Musical Arts degree in Early Music, Art Song, and Oratorio, studying through a degree program sponsored by both the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music. Last summer, he was honored to make his professional international operatic debut, singing with the Danish National Opera in the chorus of Bohuslav Martinů’s The Greek Passion. He was also thrilled to be the tenor soloist in Bach’s Mass in B Minor (presented by Yale’s Schola Cantorum and Juilliard’s J415), which toured across England and Scotland. His most prominent performances at Yale have been as the tenor soloist in Haydn’s Stabat Mater (November 2024, Schola Cantorum), Handel’s L’Allegro (October 2023, Schola Cantorum) and Handel’s Messiah (December 2023, Yale Glee Club). He was also honored to sing as a studio artist with the Chautauqua Opera Company, where he covered Tobias and Beadle and performed in the ensemble of their productions of Sweeney Todd and La tragédie de Carmen. He received his Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, where he studied under Professor Stanford Olsen. He completed his undergraduate degree at the Eastman School of Music, under the direction of Professor Robert Swensen. While currently based in New Haven, CT, Trevor proudly hails from St. Louis, Missouri.
Jeremy Weiss, baritone
With a “heart wrenchingly beautiful” (Interludes) voice possessing an “indigo-tinged sensuousness” (Opera News), baritone Jeremy Weiss channels his training as an actor into his work as a musician, bringing human stories to life in performances that are radically open-hearted. His career spans two continents with recent credits including L’Opéra National de Paris, The Ravinia Festival with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, L’Opéra-Théâtre de Metz Metropole, and The Brooklyn Academy of Music. Next season will bring house premieres with Seattle Opera, Portland Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and San Diego Opera.
A vocal chameleon, Weiss has sung Schaunard in La Bohème, Orfeo in Belli’s Orfeo Dolente, Steve Jobs in Mason Bates’s The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, and Garibaldo in Handel’s Rodelinda. Also known for his work as a crossover artist, Weiss has performed the roles of Curly in Oklahoma!, Freddy in My Fair Lady, and the Wolf/Prince in Into the Woods. Jeremy was awarded third prize in the Lotte Lenya Competition in 2022, where he was also a prizewinner in 2019
and 2020.
Weiss is also on the forefront of developing “innovative, engrossing, and boundary-shattering” (Opera News) multidisciplinary projects that transform the way audiences connect with classical music. His major projects include: The Wandering, a queer, transmedia visual album and immersive experience based on Schubert’s Lieder, and Infinitesimal, a genre-shattering chamber opera for voice, piano, and electronics that interweaves memoir with cutting edge research to bring to light what connects us all.
Jeremy completed his undergraduate degree at Yale University and earned a Master’s in Music and Performers Diploma from Indiana University.
Final Round Judges
Left to right: Taya König-Tarasevich, Mimmi Fulmer, and Andrew Megill
Mimmi Fulmer
Mimmi Fulmer performs repertoire from early music to works written for her. She has appeared as soloist at the Aspen Music Festival and Kennedy Center, and her career includes premieres of nine opera roles.
The granddaughter of immigrants from Finland and Sweden, Ms. Fulmer is an advocate for bringing Nordic songs to American singers. She has presented programs of Nordic repertoire throughout the US, and is the editor of Midnight Sun, a three-volume anthology of songs from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Her publications include a book and engraved score of Milton Babbitt’s “Vision and Prayer”.
Early music has been a significant part of her career, and she performs regularly with the Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble. Her oratorio roles include major soprano solos of Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel.
Ms. Fulmer has recorded with the Centaur, Albany, Innova, and CRI labels. Her CD, About Time, was called “a gratifying testimony to …composers in America” by Opera News online. Recent performances include recitals at Northern Michigan University, University of Tampa, and the Mindekirken in Minneapolis, as well as lecture-recitals at conferences in Austin and Seattle and the International College Music Society conference in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. She will present a lecture-recital on Finnish women creative artists at the 2025 FinnFest in Duluth, Minnesota.
Ms. Fulmer is Professor of Voice and Opera at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her students are enjoying success singing at the Metropolitan Opera, on Broadway, and as educators at schools and universities.
Taya König-Tarasevich
Siberian flutist Taya König-Tarasevich enjoys a distinguished international career as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer on historical flutes. A proud alumna of The Juilliard School, she is the co-founder and artistic director of VERITÀ BAROQUE—an ensemble of elite soloists reimagining Baroque chamber music for the 21st century. Through immersive soundscapes and 360-degree video, VERITÀ transforms the traditional concert experience.
Taya has toured globally, captivating audiences and performing under the baton of renowned conductors. Her Lincoln Center debut at Alice Tully Hall with Masaaki Suzuki marked a major milestone, followed by appearances with ensembles such as Utopia and Les Arts Florissants. She has performed at prestigious festivals, including Salzburg, and was awarded the Smithsonian Chamber Music Fellowship. Recently, she completed a three-month residency at Opéra de Paris, collaborating with Peter Sellars, street dancers, and international musicians under Teodor Currentzis in a project celebrating unity and peace.
Deeply committed to outreach, Taya contributes to educational initiatives in Nairobi, Kenya. She is fluent in English, German, Italian, and Russian, and believes music to be the most universal and truthful language. She holds degrees from institutions in Germany, Switzerland, and the USA, and is on faculty at the University of Wisconsin.
Outside of music, Taya is a passionate dancer, devoted yogini, slalom snowboarder, tea practitioner, and avid poetry collector.
Andrew Megill
Andrew Megill is recognized as one of America’s leading choral conductors, admired for his passionate artistry and unusually wide-ranging repertoire, which extends from early music to newly composed works. His performances have been praised for their “power, subtlety, and nuance” and “profound spirituality” (Le Devoir, Montreal), and have been described as “piercing the heart like a frozen knife” (Monterey Herald) and “leaving the audience gasping in amazement” (Classical NJ).
Andrew Megill leads three of North America’s finest professional choirs, serving as Chef de Choeur for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Advisor and Director of Choral Activities for the Carmel Bach Festival and as Choral Director for Chicago’s Music of the Baroque. He also regularly collaborates with the world’s leading orchestras, including Wagner with the Cleveland Orchestra, Brahms with the Dresden Philharmonie, Berlioz with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Verdi with the National Symphony, and Bach and Mahler with the New York Philharmonic for conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Charles Dutoit, Rafael Frühbeck du Burgos, Alan Gilbert, Jane Glover, Neeme Järvi, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Kent Nagano, John Nelson, Rafael Payare, and Julius Rudel.
Dr. Megill serves as Director of Choral Organizations at Northwestern University. He previously taught at the University of Illinois and Westminster Choir College. He has conducted premieres of works by Caleb Burhans, Paul Chihara, Dominic DiOrio, Sven-David Sandstrom, Caroline Shaw, Lewis Spratlan, Steven Stucky, Jon Magnussen, Stephen Andrew Taylor, Arvo Pärt, and Krzysztof Penderecki. He has collaborated with the Mark Morris Dance Company, folk singer Judy Collins, puppeteer Basil Twist, and filmmaker Ridley Scott. Recordings of choirs conducted or prepared by him may be heard on the Decca, EMI, Canteloupe, Naxos, Albany, and CBC labels.
Program
Watch 2025’s Competition
View past performances by finalists and competition winners on our YouTube channel.
Support Us Your donation helps us support emerging singers throughout the competition process by underwriting travel grants and awards, as well as providing remuneration for competition judges and instrumental accompanists.
Handel Aria Competition 