Detroit Opera Introduces Four Resident Artists for the 2026-27 Season

DETROIT, MI — After an international search, Detroit Opera has announced the

four singers selected to train in Detroit Opera’s Resident Artist Program during the

2026–27 season. They are soprano Madison Montambault, mezzo-soprano Grace Ryan,

tenor Travis Leon Williams, and bass-baritone Aurélien Mangwa. Williams is returning

for a second year in the program; Montambault, Ryan, and Mangwa will be first-year

artists in the program. The four were chosen from more than 600 artists who applied to

the program, which is spearheaded by renowned opera coach and pianist Nathalie

Doucet, Detroit Opera’s Head of Music. This is the fifth season of the Resident Artist

program, which builds on the strong foundations of the Studio Artist program founded in

2015 by Dr. David DiChiera, Detroit Opera’s founder, while embodying the company’s

forward-looking approach spearheaded by President and CEO Patty Isacson Sabee and

Music Director Roberto Kalb. The program embraces individualized study and direct

performing experience to provide world-class opportunities to the next generation of

opera talent.

The four Resident Artists have committed to an intensive program while living in Detroit

from September 2026 through May 2027. They train directly with Nathalie Doucet as

their main coach in specially crafted and individualized curricula curated by Doucet,

covering voice, movement, language, and career guidance. In addition to hands-on training

and mainstage performances with Detroit Opera, Resident Artists also benefit from

mentorship by a wide range of guest professionals throughout the season. In the 2025–26

season, guest faculty included voice teacher Don Marrazzo, bass-baritone Alfred Walker,

stage director Chía Patiño, Italian-language instructor Daniela D’Amico Henderson,

audition specialist Janet Williams, and financial planner Brian Rood. Resident Artists also

worked closely with Detroit Opera Staff Pianist John Etsell and Music Director Roberto

Kalb, complementing their regular coaching and training with additional musical and

professional mentorship.

In keeping with Detroit Opera’s longstanding focus on making opera accessible to the

surrounding community, Resident Artists forge direct ties to Detroit through recitals,

concerts, and other collaborations with local schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses,

and institutions. They perform regularly for patients at Henry Ford Hospital and in a

public concert series at The War Memorial. This season, the Resident Artist Program

partnered with Detroit's professional Cabaret 313 series for an evening curated by

Nathalie Doucet, featuring all four Resident Artists performing music from the American

Songbook and music theater. All Resident Artists begin on a one-year contract, and

selected artists are invited to participate in a second year.

Detroit Opera’s Resident Artists are increasingly making their way to opera stages in the

U.S. and internationally. American mezzo-soprano Lisa Marie Rogali (2023–24 Resident

Artist) has garnered acclaim for her portrayals of Carmen and Rosina in Il barbiere di

Siviglia at companies including San Diego Opera, Toledo Opera, North Carolina Opera,

Gulfshore Opera, Virginia Opera, Florentine Opera, and Central City Opera. Rogali

returned to Detroit Opera in 2026 to sing the role of Offred in the Before Times in The

Handmaid’s Tale. Soprano Brianna J. Robinson (2024–26 Resident Artist) was featured in

Detroit Opera's La traviata (Annina), The Central Park Five (Antron’s Mother/Kevin’s

Mother/Ensemble), The Handmaid’s Tale (Moira), and Apartment House 1776; in the

2026–27 season, Robinson will make role debuts as Jemmy in William Tell at Boston Lyric

Opera, and as the Countess in Tacoma Opera’s Le nozze di Figaro. She sang the National

Anthem at Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield’s investiture ceremony at the Detroit Opera

House in January 2026. Tenor Ben Reisinger (2022–24 Resident Artist) recently

completed his residency at the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Program. In

the 2025–26 season at the Metropolitan Opera, Reisinger performed the roles of the

Young Sailor in Tristan und Isolde and Gastone in La traviata. Upcoming engagements

include Roméo in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette at Teatro Municipal de Santiago (August),

Ismaele in Verdi's Nabucco at Teatro Regio di Parma (October), and Spoletta in Tosca with

the New York Philharmonic (November). Baritone Cole Bellamy (2024–26 Resident

Artist) makes his Opera Theatre of Saint Louis debut this summer, singing Paris in

Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet. He begins his residency at the International Opera Studio at

Staatsoper Stuttgart in fall 2026. Soprano Mia Mandineau (2025–26 Resident Artist)

received the Dr. David DiChiera encouragement award at the Michigan District

Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition in January. This year she will participate in the

Althafen Foundation’s Talent Studio for early- to mid-career artists. This fall, baritone

Rolfe Dauz (2023–24 Resident Artist) will join Germany's Volkstheater Rostock on a

Festvertrag contract; his upcoming season there will include appearances in Rigoletto and

Die Fledermaus.

“I am incredibly proud of the Detroit Opera Resident Artist Program and all that it has grown to represent,” says Doucet.

“Each season, I have the privilege of guiding extraordinary artists as they discover new strengths, take creative risks, and find greater confidence in their unique artistic voices. Watching that growth unfold is inspiring and deeply rewarding. What makes this program so special is not only the level of artistry but also the sense of community, curiosity, and generosity that our artists bring to their work every day. As we welcome a new class of Resident Artists, I am filled with excitement for the season ahead and for the future of these remarkable singers. I cannot wait to begin this journey with them.”

“The Detroit Opera Resident Artist Program is one of the most important investments we

make in the future of our art form,” says Music Director Roberto Kalb. “These artists bring

exceptional talent, dedication, and imagination, and they enrich the creative life of our

company in countless ways. I am thrilled to welcome our new Resident Artists and to

welcome back those returning for another season. I look forward to seeing their growth

and sharing their artistry with our audiences throughout the year. Their talent and

passion give me great optimism for the future of opera.”

---