Mezzo-soprano Danielle Long earned her Bachelors of Music at Saint Olaf College, MN. Following graduation, Danielle performed roles in Minnesotan theater, musical theater, and opera theater. After gaining proficiency in Italian and attending vocal programs in Austria and Germany, Danielle began her studies at Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, earning her Masters of Music in Voice Performance with a Graduate Certificate in Vocology. Highlights of her time at Jacobs include working with Michelle DeYoung, premiering multiple operatic roles, and performing as the alto soloist in several oratorios. When not singing, Danielle can be found on the Shakespearean stage, where she has recently made Chicago and St. Louis debuts. Danielle is also frequently engaged as a recitalist throughout the Midwest, and won first place in the Southern Illinois Young Arts Vocal Competition and the BTHVN Wien International Music Competition. She also loves pulling out all the stops as a performer and production manager for opera troupe, Re-imagining Opera for Kids. Danielle has recently appeared as a soloist with the Bridges Musical Arts Organization, the Columbus Philharmonic, the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, the Bloomington Jazz Orchestra, and she recently debuted as the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, and as Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, with both Opera Lucca in Italy and Music on Site in Kansas. Coming up, she will sing as a featured soloist in the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra’s Strauss concert, she will be performing in an independent production of “A Grand Night for Singing” at the Waldron Arts Center, and she will sing multiple roles with Utah Festival Opera in the summer of 2026. 

Rachel Spodek, soprano, is currently pursuing her Performer Diploma under the instruction of Michelle DeYoung. She recently made her Indiana University Opera Theater debut as Mary Crawford in Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park. In 2023, Rachel joined the Bar Harbor Music Festival as a Young Artist, covering the role of Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus. Other notable roles include Norina (Don Pasquale), Young Alyce (Glory Denied), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Gretel (Hansel and Gretel), Lucy England (The Telephone), and Suor Osmina (Suor Angelica). She also regularly performs as a member of the Indianapolis Opera Chorus, most recently appearing as the Page in their fall 2025 production of Rigoletto. At IU, she has also been seen in scenes from Dialogues of the Carmelites in Carol Vaness and Zachary Coates’ Opera Workshop and scenes from Le nozze di Figaro in Michael Shell’s Opera Workshop. Rachel received her Master of Music from Ball State University and her undergraduate degree in Voice Performance and Political Science from Butler University. She is originally from Muncie, IN. 

Described as “an absolutely brilliant soprano” by the Rutland Herald, Chinese soprano Siyi Yan is a graduate of the Artist Diploma program at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She was most recently a Studio Artist with Opera Maine, where she performed History Teacher in Paul’s Case and covered Johanna Barker in Sweeney Todd. She previously served as a Resident Artist with Opera North, performing Gilda (Rigoletto), Juno (Orphée aux enfers), and Florinda (Into the Woods). Yan excelled in the 2024 National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Artist Awards Competition, advancing to the semifinals. She was also a finalist in the 2022 Premiere Opera Foundation International Vocal Competition in New York City. Additional honors include First Prize in both the Indiana Chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters Voice Competition and the Tri-State College Vocal Competition. She has appeared as a guest artist in the Dallas Opera Showcase Concert. With IU Opera Theater, she portrayed Yvette (La Rondine), Cunegonde (Candide), Setsulo Kobayashi (An American Dream), and Frasquita (Carmen). In 2021, she performed the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.