The Tell-Tale Heart: an horror opera by Felix Jarrar
Welcome to the dark world of Poe
Modern Opera Company welcomes you to a gothic fantasy world where beauty, horror, love, and fear come together to reinvent a classic tale. Enter into the world of our troubled Narrator as she battles her demons (real and imaginary) all in the name of justice for her long-lost lover, Lenore. A stately Raven delivers the prologue, introducing the Narrator who confesses to her crime instantly. She invites us to join her in a flashback to explain how and why she committed such a grisly deed. Along the way, we meet her father - the religiously fanatical Old Man, his gentle, dutiful Pageboy, and a steady-handed Officer of the law. What ensues is a whirlwind of emotion, mayhem, and madness as our heroine seeks to escape her guilt and the ever-beating presence of The Tell-Tale Heart.
Director's Notes
Welcome to MOC Season 2
Hello to you, our wonderful audience!
As Founder and Artistic Director of Modern Opera Company, I am thrilled to present our second Los Angeles production and first operatic world premiere! This is an exciting moment for MOC as we continue our mission to enhance the cultural landscape of the greater Los Angeles metro area!
Tonight's show is truly a special event for us. When I first met maestro Felix Jarrar, it became clear that we had more in common than a mutual love of good singing and great operas. We both share the vision that opera doesn't have to be big or flashy to be impactful, and that the audience should feel like they're in on the action. Immersion and inclusion are not buzzwords to us. They are embedded in the DNA of MOC and have always been a priority in our mission to connect composers and performers.
In Maestro Jarrar's expanding catalogue of work, several things stand out: he seeks to entertain through humor, compelling narrative, and musical beauty, while also making his stories inclusive and reflective of our modern times. The Tell-Tale Heart is (in my opinion) the perfect work for us to present as it tells a well-known story through a new, yet still relatable lens. In this tumultuous world where the marginalized are continually suppressed and excluded, it is more important than ever to give voice to those whose stories have yet to be heard. MOC has been and always will be a champion for creators and artists of underrepresented communities who wish to share their stories in a safe, welcoming, and fun environment!
Poe's timeless tale of horror has been enhanced by maestro Jarrar's beautiful music. The audience may catch melodies reminiscent of Bellini, Meyerbeer, Gounod, Schubert, and more. In addition, most of the text in the show is taken directly from Poe's catalogue of poetry. Maestro Jarrar has also cleverly incorporated some of Poe's real-life drama in the libretto using selected texts by Longfellow - a known rival and object of Poe's hatred. There is something for everyone in this piece. Whether you're an opera fanatic, a newcomer to classical music, a literary geek, or a lover of all things in the goth aesthetic, we have something here for you.
Our cast features some of Los Angeles' best operatic talent, and we are so grateful to be able to feature them in roles that are practically tailored to their unique, powerful instruments. It is rare for new operatic works to cater to dramatic voices, yet, Maestro Jarrar has made it a point to be vocally inclusive in his score for this show. I am excited to showcase these artists who are all at the top of their game and who have been incredibly gracious with their time and talents!
If you like what you see or want to help us continue to make weird, engaging, inclusive new opera and musical theater, please consider making a tax-deductable gift to our organization! We hope to continue to develop and present new musical works for a long time. With your help, we can continue to be a beacon for new music creators and performers who seek to connect and make their voices heard!
Thank you and enjoy the show!
Jessica Tivens Schneiderman
Founder/Artistic Director MOC
The Tell-Tale Heart Cast
Christina Kushnick -The Narrator
Christina Kushnick -The Narrator
Christina Kushnick -The Narrator
Soprano, Christina Kushnick(she/her) received her MM at Manhattan School of Music in 2020 under the tutelage of Shirley Close and was a student of Dolora Zajick’s Institute of Young Dramatic Voices from 2017-2022. Previous credits include Cavalleria Rusticana
(Santuzza/Lucia) with Verdi Chorus, Susannah (Mrs. Gleaton) with Mission Opera, Hansel and Gretel (The Witch), Aïda (High Priestess),
and scenes from Ariadne auf Naxos (Ariadne) and Un Ballo in Maschera
(Amelia). She was also chosen as the Soprano Solo Cover for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 during Manhattan School of Music’s
Centennial Celebration in 2018. Other past performances include her Carnegie Hall debut in the Vanessa Quintet (Barber) for the MSM Centennial Gala (2019) and attendance at the Musik Theater Bavaria
program in Oberaudorf, Germany (2019). Ms. Kushnick is a humble
recipient of the Richard F. Gold Career Grant.
Upcoming performances, including her Disney Concert Hall debut with Wagner’s “Liebestod” from Tristan und Isolde (2025), can be found at www.ChristinaKushnick.com
Gabriel Manro - The Old Man
Christina Kushnick -The Narrator
Christina Kushnick -The Narrator
Multiple Grammy Award winning baritone Gabriel Manro (he/him), has been called “a new kind of baritone...a knock-down baritone” (SF Classical Voice) with a “striking, sinister baritone that remains strong, even and sonorous throughout the range” (Opera News). He debuted in Dead
Man Walking with Frederica von Stade and has created roles in numerous contemporary and world-premiere operas and musicals: Muscovite Trader in The Ghosts of Versailles
(Grammy–Best Opera Recording); Mousling in the LA Philharmonic’s Alice in Wonderland; Commentator in Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg; Original Off-Broadway cast of Orations; Original Cast of Séance on a Wet Afternoon by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked); Original telecast and tour of A Death in the Family (Opéra Grand D’Avignon); the Computer in The Fly by Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings); Original Cast of Il Postino (Sony Classical); President Lincoln in original cast of Lincoln and Booth; original cast and recording of De Rosa’s Alice in Wonderland; Jafar in Disney’s original Zambello production of Aladdin. As a concert soloist, Manro sings at Carnegie
Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, the Berlin Philharmonie and most recently at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Turandot and Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder with the LA Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta.
Mr. Manro is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and resides in Los Angeles with his opera directing wife, Justine Prado, and their two children.
Agnese Gallenzi - The Page
Christina Kushnick -The Narrator
Alexandra Bass - The Officer
Praised as a “propelling force” by Kleine Zeitung, soprano Agnese Gallenzi(she/her), is a prizewinner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition and other international awards. She made her International debut as Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore at the State Opera Stara Zagora (Bulgaria) and earned acclaim for her Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte at Stefaniensaal (Austria, 2024).
Her operatic credits include Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Musetta and Mimì (La Bohème), Micaëla (Carmen), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Agrippina (Agrippina), and Rosalinda (Die Fledermaus). On the concert stage, she has performed major works including Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, and Mozart’s Requiem.
A graduate of Conservatorio G.B. Pergolesi di Fermo (Italy) and California State University Northridge, she is a 2024 Palm Springs Vocal Competition finalist (Audience Choice Award) and recipient of the 2025 Pasadena Vocal Competition Career Grant.
Alexandra Bass - The Officer
Alexandra Bass - The Officer
Alexandra Bass - The Officer
Mezzo-soprano Alexandra Bass (she/her), praised for her “tender earthiness” (Broadway World), is in demand for both operatic and concert repertoire across Southern California. This past
February, she debuted the role of Haruko Shimono in the World Premiere of Daniel Kessner’s,
The Camp: An Opera in Two Acts. Additional recent engagements include Handel’s Messiah
(Japanese Messiah Project), Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (Pacific Opera Project), Schuman’s The Mighty Casey (Lyric Opera of Orange County), and This and My Heart: A Portrait of Emily Dickinson with The Verdi Chorus. Other performance highlights include her Canadian debut with the Toronto Summer Music Festival and her role debut as Kate in The Pirates of Penzance (Pacific Opera Project). She has been a Walter Fox Singer with the Verdi Chorus since 2021 and
regularly performs with the Opera Santa Barbara Chorus. Alexandra is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and a SAG-AFTRA member. For more information, visit:
Manfred Anaya - The Raven
Alexandra Bass - The Officer
Manfred Anaya - The Raven
Praised for his “wonderful lyric tenor” (BizJournal Reviews) and “standout” performances (Parterre Box), tenor Manfred Anaya (he/him) is quickly gaining recognition for his versatile performances. As a young artist, he trained with Des Moines Metro Opera and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
Mr. Anaya has appeared as Gastone in La Traviata with Dayton Opera and Telamone in Ercole su’l Termodonte with Pacific Opera Project. Additionally, he was the tenor soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the South Bay Wind Ensemble. An alumnus of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, he portrayed Doctor Caius in Falstaff and the Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues of the Carmelites. Most recently, he made his mainstage debut with Opera Santa Barbara as Don Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro.
The Tell-Tale Heart Creative Team
Chris Maldonado - Music Director/Conductor
Chris Maldonado - Music Director/Conductor
Chris Maldonado - Music Director/Conductor
Chris Maldonado (he/they) is a pianist and voice coach based in Los Angeles, CA. A specialist in the Bel Canto style, Chris is passionate about centering the needs of marginalized persons in the music industry. They have publicly named the abusers and abuses of music institutions, festivals, and young artist programs in addition to working towards creating safer and more equitable spaces.
In August of 2020, Chris founded Opera Singer’s Book Club (OSBC), a young artist program designed to create affordable and accessible role study opportunities for singers. A huge issue within the opera industry is that opera houses, festivals, and YAPs are predicated upon singers who are largely white and have access to family money, support, and housing beyond what is attainable for most. Chris hopes to continue to be an advocate for marginalized persons both in music and their daily life.
Felix Jarrar - Composer
Chris Maldonado - Music Director/Conductor
Chris Maldonado - Music Director/Conductor
Felix Jarrar (he/him) is an innovative, multidisciplinary conductor/composer/coach with a diverse catalog of 275 works. His compositions include 246 art songs, 14 operas, 2 string quartets, and a symphony. Jarrar has worked with numerous renowned organizations, including The New School, Opera Naples, Opera North, University of Memphis, Opera Ithaca, Penn Square Opera, Hogfish, OPERA San Antonio, Opera North, Santa Fe Opera in collaboration with Mannes, and the Apollo Theater. For the 2025/2026 season, Jarrar returns to his post as Assistant Conductor with Florida Grand Opera, contributing to productions of Silent Night, Die Fledermaus, and Turandot.
Jessica Tivens Schneiderman - Director
Amanda Laughlin Merritt - Stage Manager/Narrator Cover
Amanda Laughlin Merritt - Stage Manager/Narrator Cover
As the founder of Modern Opera Company, Jessica Tivens Schneiderman(she/her), who is originally from Calabasas, CA, has produced and directed a range of contemporary musical works. Her directorial debut in 2014 was Modern Opera Company’s unofficial first production of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. She has since directed productions of Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Street Scene, The Medium, and the New York City premiere of Weiss and De Los Santos’ chamber opera, Service Provider. After relocating to Los Angeles in the summer of 2021, Ms. Schneiderman re-started Modern Opera Company with the goal of producing and directing workshops of new musical theater and operatic works.
Ms. Schneiderman is also a dramatic soprano, and has spent most of her life as a professional in opera and crossover music. As a performer, Ms. Schneiderman’s most recent roles include the antagonistic Thatcher in Schuman's The Mighty Casey with Lyric Opera OC, the title role in The Merry Widow with Mission Opera, Olympe de Gouges in the West Coast premiere of Van Sciver and Kunkle’s Girondines with Mission Opera (Broadway World LA best actress nominee) selected scenes and arias with The Verdi Chorus, and Leonore in excerpts from Beethoven’s Fidelio as well as soprano soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Symphony of the Vines in Paso Robles, CA. In addition to directing Service Provider in the winter of 2020, she also portrayed the role of Autumn. Ms. Schneiderman has also performed leading roles with Bronx Opera, North Shore Music Festival, Festival Opera Walnut Creek, Harrisburg Opera, Metro Lyric Opera New Jersey, and as a young artist with San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program and with Seattle Opera. She has been a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, and more.
In crossover music, she has performed and recorded with David Foster, Josh Groban, and Mike Garson - former pianist for David Bowie. With Garson as producer, she recorded her first full-length album in 2007, Unlimited. It is available for purchase on most music streaming platforms.
Amanda Laughlin Merritt - Stage Manager/Narrator Cover
Amanda Laughlin Merritt - Stage Manager/Narrator Cover
Amanda Laughlin Merritt - Stage Manager/Narrator Cover
Amanda Laughlin Merritt (she/her/they/them) is a dramatic soprano and stage manager from Cleveland, Ohio. Her most recent operatic roles include Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, L’enfant in L’enfant et les sortilèges (Ravel), Eithne in Eithne (O’Dwyer), and La Fée in Cendrillon (Viardot). In 2020 she graduated with honors from Barnard College of Columbia University where she focused her studies on 20th century and contemporary Irish language opera. During her collegiate years, Amanda was a student co-director for the Barnard-Columbia Chorus and Chamber Singers, and was a featured soloist in the Verdi Messa da Requiem and in a number of oratorios and choral works by Stravinsky, Bach, Charpentier, Handel, and Haydn. She has also performed in several musical theatre productions including The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Sweeney Todd, Hairspray, and Urinetown. Amanda discovered her passion for theatre production in high school where she worked as a student director and stage manager for Hathaway Brown School’s annual 8th grade musical. She has since been a part of multiple production teams in Cleveland and New York City, and is now based in Los Angeles where she has worked as a stage manager for the Source/Filter Music Collective and Modern Opera Company.
The Tell-Tale Heart Orchestra
Alizah Chao - violin
Ivan Richards - viola
Ivan Richards - viola
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai’i, Alizah Chao (she/her) began playing the violin when she was 4 years old. While she loved living on her small island, she knew she was meant for bigger things in her musical career. After moving to Los Angeles for her collegiate studies, Alizah completed her undergraduate degree at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) where she
graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Industry Studies. Alizah is currently pursuing her graduate degree, returning to CSUN for her Masters of Music in Violin Performance, studying with Niv Ashkenazi & Lorenz Gamma.
As a performer, Alizah proudly champions the fact that wears her heart on her sleeve while she plays the violin. More than anything, she strives to reach her audience members’ hearts and imbue them with the same colorful emotions she feels when she plays any and all sorts of music whether it be classical, musical theatre, or mariachi. Outside of performing, Alizah enjoys being a violin and piano teacher, sight reading parties, doing escape rooms with her friends, and learning how to play as many instruments as she can.
Ivan Richards - viola
Ivan Richards - viola
Ivan Richards - viola
Ivan Richards (he/him) is a violist and violinist from the Bay Area that is currently studying viola performance at CSU Northridge. Richards is an active musician and teacher in the Los Angeles area, and has performed with the Culver City Symphony, Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra, Napa Valley Youth Orchestra, and Young Person's Symphony Orchestra. A diverse musician, Richards enjoys planning mariachi, Classical, and Baroque styles of violin/viola playing, and is a member of the Mariachi Matadores at CSU Northridge.
When not playing music, Richards can be found writing poetry, painting, or beading jewelry.
Adrian Narro - cello
Ivan Richards - viola
Adrian Narro - cello
Adrian Marcelo Garza Aburto, known professionally as Adrian Narro (it/them), is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, post production editor, and recording engineer based in Los Angeles, CA. Driven by a passion for dark fiction, heavy music and soundtracks, he has led a creative career both onstage and behind the scenes- spanning several works within the genres of horror and gothic culture. Known best as a cellist, Adrian performs and records on classical & orchestral cinema sessions, and embraces his element alongside bands in the hard rock, metal, and industrial music scene.