CAPITOL OPERA RICHMOND is a Non-Profit, all volunteer organization founded to act as a resource and information center for "Voice Professionals" of all types: trained singers, broadcasters, public speakers, etc, and to provide a performing venue for local singers, musicians, directors, conductors, choreographers and dancers. We take great pride in the diversity and talent of our casts.
Capitol Operas Sacramento, Harrisburg, Raleigh, Albany, & Richmond are all branches of Capitol Opera Companies, Inc.
Capitol Operas Sacramento, Harrisburg, Raleigh, Albany, & Richmond are all branches of Capitol Opera Companies, Inc.
Kathleen Torchia
Founding General Director
Capitol Opera Companies Incorporated
Founding General Director
Capitol Opera Companies Incorporated
Meet COR's Artistic Staff
Karine Eva Marshall, lyric soprano, attended the High School for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Shortly thereafter, she moved to New York City and attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). Immediately upon graduation she began touring with Broadway shows. Karine performed and covered roles in Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, and Annie get your Gun, performing throughout Europe, the Far East, and the United States. It was while ushering at the Opera Garnier in Paris that Karine Eva found her true musical love in opera. She has earned degrees from Conservatoire de Boulogne, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and has done graduate work at California State University, Sacramento. Praised for her impassioned acting and multifaceted tone. Mrs. Marshall has performed and includes in her operatic repertoire,Manon in Manon, Musetta and Mimi in La Boheme, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Despina in Cosi fan Tutte, Micaela in Carmen, Damon in Acis and Galatea, Galatea in The Lovely Galatea, Nedda in Pagliacci, Salome in Salome, Susanna and Barbarina in the Marriage of Figaro, Susanna Walcott in The Crucible, Bastienna in Bastien and Bastienna, Wellgunde in Das Rheingold and the Sandman in Hansel and Gretel. Karine Eva has a particular affinity for new opera, having created the roles of Jasmin in Carla Lucero's Wournos and Peguine in Janis Wilson's The Wedding. In addition to opera, Mrs. Marshall is an active recitalist and concert singer having performed the soprano solos in the Requiem and Piccolomini Masses of Mozart,Handel's Messiah, Bach’s Ein feste Burg, John Rutter’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Faure’s Requiem and The Seasonings by Peter Schikele. Karine Eva is also a film and voice over actress. She is currently represented by Uptown Talent in Richmond Va, and Talent One agency in Raleigh NC for film, voice over, and print work.
“To possess a voice so silvery that it soars among the more memorable classical timbres has made Sarah Kate Walston a musical must see whenever she comes to Cleveland.”-Cleveland Daily Banner
Sarah Kate Walston has played numerous operatic roles including Musetta in La Boheme, Despina in Cosi fan Tutte, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Elsie Maynard in The Yeoman of the Guard, Gianetta in L’elisir d’amore, Casilda in The Gondoliers, Cupid in Orpheus in the Underworld, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Suor Genoveffa in Suor Angelica, Isabel in El Capitan, Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia and Phyllis in Iolanthe where the Baltimore Sun said “The sweet, nimble singing and deft acting of Sarah Kate Walston, as Phyllis, was a major plus throughout the performance.”
Sarah Kate also enjoys performing in recitals and concerts and has been seen performing in Germany and throughout the united states. She has performed with the Baltimore Symphony, the Annapolis Symphony and the Virginia Symphony. Mrs. Walston has attended Lorin Maazel’s Castleton Residency for Young Artists program, the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, was a young artist with Lyric Opera Virginia, was a resident at Rossini in Wildbad, and was engaged as a Virginia Opera Spectrum Resident Artist. There she played the role of the Page in Rigoletto in her Virginia Opera debut, and also covered the role of Despina in Cosi fan Tutte.
Sarah Kate has a deep love for music and for her hometown of Richmond. She feels that it is incredibly important to discover and utilize local talents in local venues. She is a founding board member for the newly formed Capital Opera Richmond and is proud to be a part of this brand new company. Sarah Kate Walston, a Richmond, VA native, received her Bachelor of Music degree at Lee University and her Master of Music degree and Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Conservatory.
Sarah Kate Walston has played numerous operatic roles including Musetta in La Boheme, Despina in Cosi fan Tutte, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Elsie Maynard in The Yeoman of the Guard, Gianetta in L’elisir d’amore, Casilda in The Gondoliers, Cupid in Orpheus in the Underworld, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Suor Genoveffa in Suor Angelica, Isabel in El Capitan, Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia and Phyllis in Iolanthe where the Baltimore Sun said “The sweet, nimble singing and deft acting of Sarah Kate Walston, as Phyllis, was a major plus throughout the performance.”
Sarah Kate also enjoys performing in recitals and concerts and has been seen performing in Germany and throughout the united states. She has performed with the Baltimore Symphony, the Annapolis Symphony and the Virginia Symphony. Mrs. Walston has attended Lorin Maazel’s Castleton Residency for Young Artists program, the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, was a young artist with Lyric Opera Virginia, was a resident at Rossini in Wildbad, and was engaged as a Virginia Opera Spectrum Resident Artist. There she played the role of the Page in Rigoletto in her Virginia Opera debut, and also covered the role of Despina in Cosi fan Tutte.
Sarah Kate has a deep love for music and for her hometown of Richmond. She feels that it is incredibly important to discover and utilize local talents in local venues. She is a founding board member for the newly formed Capital Opera Richmond and is proud to be a part of this brand new company. Sarah Kate Walston, a Richmond, VA native, received her Bachelor of Music degree at Lee University and her Master of Music degree and Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Conservatory.
Soprano Fran Coleman holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance from Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA where she continues to study in the Doctorate of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance. Fran has performed numerous solo recitals and award winning performances through NATS. She has also studied and performed many roles including Musetta in “La Boheme”, Susanna in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro”, Queen of the Night in “Die Zauberflüte”, Gilda in Verdi’s “Rigoletto”, Anna in Verdi’s “Falstaff”, Suzel in Mascagni’s “L’Amico Fritz”, and Mrs. Fiorentino in Shenandoah Opera Theatre’s production of “Street Scene”, as well as several musical theatre roles. Currently this season, she will be performing the role of the Second Spirit in Mozart’s “Die Zauberflüte”, Miss. Silverpeal in Mozart’s “The Impressario”, in addition to ensemble roles in “Falstaff” and “Carmen”.
Fran has sung with the Richmond Symphony, Virginia Opera, Aurora Opera, Capitol Opera Raleigh, The Washington Chorus, the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and the Basilica of the National Shrine in DC for the AGO Convention.
In addition to her Classical singing abilities, Fran is also an accomplished composer and recording artist in both jazz and rock genres. She has toured the East Coast, opening for such national acts as The Derek Trucks Band, JGB, and The Wailers.
Fran is currently the guest soloist at Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA. She maintains a private studio, Songbirds Studio, LLC in Midlothian, VA and is an adjunct faculty member at John Tyler Community College.
Fran has sung with the Richmond Symphony, Virginia Opera, Aurora Opera, Capitol Opera Raleigh, The Washington Chorus, the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and the Basilica of the National Shrine in DC for the AGO Convention.
In addition to her Classical singing abilities, Fran is also an accomplished composer and recording artist in both jazz and rock genres. She has toured the East Coast, opening for such national acts as The Derek Trucks Band, JGB, and The Wailers.
Fran is currently the guest soloist at Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA. She maintains a private studio, Songbirds Studio, LLC in Midlothian, VA and is an adjunct faculty member at John Tyler Community College.
Jessica Wakelyn is a coloratura and Baroque enthusiast. A student of Michelle Harman-Gulick , she studied at Virginia Commonwealth University where she focused in Vocal Performance and English. Always the coquette, she has performed Susanna from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Zerlina from Mozart's Don Giovanni, Josephine in HMS Pinafore, Miss Silverpeal in Mozart's Der Schauspieldirektor, and Serpina in Pergolesi's Baroque masterpiece La Serva Padrona, and Adele in Strauss' Die Fledermaus.
Her Baroque training has come from world renowned harpsichordist Jory Vinikour, soprano Céline Ricci from Les Arts Florissants, and lutenist and countertenor Mark Rimple. She was very happy to combine her skills acquired through years of learning and research to create her first Baroque pastiche The Legend of Sleepy Hollow for Capitol Opera Richmond.
She presently works with COR, teaches English full-time at Virginia Commonwealth University, and is planning a recital of French Baroque and Female Baroque composers.
Her Baroque training has come from world renowned harpsichordist Jory Vinikour, soprano Céline Ricci from Les Arts Florissants, and lutenist and countertenor Mark Rimple. She was very happy to combine her skills acquired through years of learning and research to create her first Baroque pastiche The Legend of Sleepy Hollow for Capitol Opera Richmond.
She presently works with COR, teaches English full-time at Virginia Commonwealth University, and is planning a recital of French Baroque and Female Baroque composers.
Soprano Rebecca Hopkins holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, a Master’s of Music Education degree and a Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance, both from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Rebecca’s training in Voice included opportunities to sing for Carlisle Floyd in Florida State Opera’s production of Susannah, featured vocal soloist in the opening night concert of the New Music Festival, and solo performances with Theatre a la Carte and Tallahassee Community Chorus, directed by André Thomas. Opera performances include Susanna inLe Nozze di Figaro, Sophie in Werther, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Nannetta in Falstaff, Lady with a Cake Box in Postcard from Morocco, Fairy Godmother and Stepsister (Phoebe Beebe) in The True Story of Cinderella, and Cousin Hebe in HMS Pinafore Oratorio solos include Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Poulenc’s Gloria, Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, and Bloch’s Avodath Hakodesh. Musical theater roles include Nimue in Camelot, Customer 1 in She Loves Me, Cinderella’s Mother in Into the Woods, and the title role of Lottie D. Ms. Hopkins has maintained a private voice studio for over 20 years now. Her students have gone on to professional training and careers, winning awards and scholarships. In her second show on the Artistic Team with CharacterWorks, Rebecca enjoys the opportunity to mentor and train young singer-actors. Having served in various church music positions including pianist, organist, ensemble director, and music associate since she was 15 years old, Rebecca is currently on staff of Bon Air Baptist Church as pianist and vocal ensembles director where she has led the vision to bridge the gap between contemporary and traditional styles of worship. Her a cappella vocal ensemble, Exaltation, has performed twice at Colonial Williamsburg’s Bruton Parish. She is also a member of the James River Singers. Rebecca, her husband Kevin, and their three children have lived in Richmond since 2002.
