Loti Christensen--General Director, was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and made her debut with the Israel Opera production of Faust by Charles Gounod in the role of Siebel. While pursuing voice and opera studies at the Conservatoire National de Musique de Paris, she was engaged to participate three consecutive summers at the Aix-en-Provence Music Festival in productions of Don Giovanni by Mozart, The Abduction of the Seraglio by Mozart and Mirelle by Charles Gounod, followed by a production of L'Opera de Quat'Sous (The Beggars Opera) by Kurt Weill at the Opera de Monte Carlo, Monaco.  Loti has performed with the Oakland Light Opera, the Seattle Opera and the Portland Opera under the directorship of Herbert Weiskopf. She received a bachelor's degree in Voice and Opera performance from the Conservatoire National de Musique de Paris, and a bachelor's degree in French and Italian from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon.

Gail Strong-Price--Artistic Director, made her Vancouver debut three seasons ago when she sang the soprano solo in Gabriel Faure's Requiem and performed Lia in Claude Debussy's L'Enfant Prodigue with the Vancouver Symphony.  Ms. Strong-Price has performed in concerts, recitals and opera in Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, Portugal and France.  She has also performed with the Oregon, Wiesbaden, Quincy, Spokane and Vancouver Symphonies.

Dr. Michael Kissinger will be Guest Conductor for the 2009 VCO production of Amahl and the Night Visitors.  He earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music, and holds graduate and undergraduate music degrees from Michigan State University and the University of North Carolina.  Dr. Kissinger has also served on music faculties at UNC-Wilmington, Meredith College, the Eastman School of Music, Wake Technical Community College, Pamlico Community College, Albion College, New England Music Camp, Rocky Mount High School, and the Hochstein School of Music.  In addition he has performed as a solo clarinetist with orchestras, jazz ensembles and chamber groups throughout the U.S. and Europe.