

Baritone Sam Chiba and Soprano Claire Pegram singing a duet in Mozart's Opera Le Nozze di Figaro

Soprano Jane Pappas sings an aria from Mozart's Opera La Clemenza di Tito

AAMA 2025 in Austria
July 7 to August 11
Faculty
Voice and Stage Direction
Dr. John A. McGuire, Tenor and Stage Director
Dr. John A. McGuire is an active teacher, director and performer. Dr. McGuire has been on the faculty of the William Lewis School of Opera as an Opera Director and Professor of Applied Voice in both France and Austria. Directing credits include, Les Contes D’Hoffmann, La belle Hélène, La Périchole, Leçons de Francais Au Étudiants Américains, The Impresario, and Le Nozze di Figaro. John has performed with several opera companies and orchestras throughout the United States and Europe. Most recently he performed the role of Emperor Altoum in Virginia Opera’s production of Turandot. Some of his other leading operatic roles include Tamino, The Magic Flute, Idomeneo, Idomeneo, Sultan, Zaide, Pedrillo, The Abduction from the Seraglio, Lippo, Street Scene, Martin, The Tender Land, Ferrando, Così fan tutte, Don José, Carmen, and Rodolfo, La Bohème. Dr. McGuire is on the music faculty of Christopher Newport University (CNU) as an Assistant Professor of Voice and the Director of Opera CNU. Operas he has directed for Opera CNU include Die Fledermaus, The Old Maid and the Thief, Così fan tutte, The Whole Truth and Gianni Schicchi. Dr. McGuire is also a member of CNU’s Torggler Summer Vocal Institute faculty where he conducts Master Classes, Private Lessons and presents an Opera Workshop seminar. He has taught voice at the University of Texas at Austin, Northwestern University, and maintains a private voice studio

Sandra Moon, Soprano and Stage Director
Sandra Moon has sung on stages throughout the world. At the Metropolitan Opera, she sang several roles including Cleopatra in Händel’s “Giulio Cesare”, Echo in “Ariadne auf Naxos” under the baton of James Levine, and Zdenka next to Renée Fleming ‘s Arabella. With over 100 roles in her repertoire Sandra has sung on the stages of Vienna, Munich, Chicago, New York, Carnegie Hall, Zürich, among others. Some of the roles in her repertoire include Violetta, Madame Butterfly, Mimi, Donna Anna, Pamina, and the concert repertoire Verdi Requiem, Mozart Requiem, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. In addition to her vocal repertoire, she has performed the role of Maria Callas in Terrence McNally’s Tony Award winning play, Master Class. Sandra Moon holds a Master of Music degree and an Artist Diploma in Opera from Cincinnati-Conservatory of Music. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Ohio University. Sandra Moon currently teaches voice at Louisiana State University. For more information, visit her website at: sandramoonsoprano.com

Master Class Guest
Manfred Mayrhofer, Conductor
Austrian conductor Manfred Mayrhofer is one of the most revered maestri in the Concert/Opera field in present times. He has demonstrated his master skills, conducting such prestigious orchestras as: Bruckner Orchestra Linz (Chief Resident Conductor), Volksoper Vienna, Cologne Opera, Landestheater Linz, Opera Heidelberg; and the almost too numerous to mention opera companies of Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Duesseldorf, Bonn, Wiesbaden, Mannheim, Braunschweig. Internationally he has conducted in Philadelphia, Tirana, Oslo, Tokyo, Athens and Kopenhagen. Foremost is his expertise in the works of Mozart, Strauss and Wagner. His is a golden musical reputation! ...more about Maestro Mayrhofer

Pianists
Dario Martin, Pianist coach
A native of Havana, Cuba, Dario Martin is a versatile pianist with an international career in solo performance, chamber music, and collaborative piano. He has won first prizes in international piano competitions in Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, and the United States. Dr. Martin’s active performance career has brought him to concert halls in Austria, Costa Rica, Cuba, England, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Spain, and the United States. Dr. Martin currently works as a Collaborative Pianist at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

Mia Elezovic, Pianist coach
Ms. Elezovic has performed in concerts internationally, giving solo recitals as well as chamber music concerts in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czeck Republic, Germany, Italy, Japan, Slovenia, Spain and the United States.She has also appeared as a soloist with the Croatian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, The Croatian Chamber Orchestra, String Orchestra “Gaudeamus” under conductors MO Kazushi Ono, Pavle Despalj, Ralphe Pascal, Petar Skerjanec, Zlatan Srzic. She has also appeared with notable success on radio and television in Croatia and Germany. She leads a very active musical life participating in various festivals as Hamamatsu Music Academy, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Holland Music Session, International Keyboard Festival-New York, Meranofest, Las Vegas Music Festival.
In 2008 she became part of accompanying department at Manhattan School of Music as well as faculty at Kids on Keys Music School, Bergen Academy of Music and ALPHA School of Music. In autumn 2010 Ms. Elezovic became a Faculty member at Royal Conservatory of Liege, Belgium.

Patrick Brandl-Suarez, Collaborative pianist intern

Susan Dantoni, Collaborative pianist intern
