Opera Night Concert
New Talents for Change Program
Shuqi Yang, soprano
Michaela Larsen, mezzo soprano
Haojie Jiang, baritone
Nicholas Mackey, tenor
accompanied by
Sunmi Han, piano
Paolo Bartolani, piano
at
Borghese Vineyard
17150 Middle Rd, Cutchogue, NY 11935
Friday, December 19th, 2025, at 5:00pm
4:00pm Cheese, Wine & Greets
5:00pm OPERA NIGHT RECITAL
Opera Night Concert at Borghese Vineyard
A special event that combines songs, arias and operatic pieces presented by young professional singers in an intimate indoor space at Borghese Vineyard. Rites of Spring Music Festival in collaboration with Stony Brook Opera wants to empower, mentor and offer professional opportunities to young artists through specific activities. The New Talents for Change Fund support young artists not only artistically but also offering entrepreneurial and adaptive skills. The singers are accompanied at the piano by the young talent Sunmi Han and by the artistic director of Rites of Spring, Paolo Bartolani.
New Talents for Change Program
Shuqi Yang, soprano
Michaela Larsen, mezzo soprano
Haojie Jiang, baritone
Nicholas Mackey, tenor
accompanied by
Sunmi Han, piano
Paolo Bartolani, piano
at
Borghese Vineyard
17150 Middle Rd, Cutchogue, NY 11935
Friday, December 19th, 2025, at 5:00pm
4:00pm Cheese, Wine & Greets
5:00pm OPERA NIGHT RECITAL
Opera Night Concert at Borghese Vineyard
A special event that combines songs, arias and operatic pieces presented by young professional singers in an intimate indoor space at Borghese Vineyard. Rites of Spring Music Festival in collaboration with Stony Brook Opera wants to empower, mentor and offer professional opportunities to young artists through specific activities. The New Talents for Change Fund support young artists not only artistically but also offering entrepreneurial and adaptive skills. The singers are accompanied at the piano by the young talent Sunmi Han and by the artistic director of Rites of Spring, Paolo Bartolani.
Program
Three Schubert Songs
Gretchen am Spinnrade D. 118
Nacht und Träume D. 827
Erlkönig D. 328
Benjamin Britten Embroidery Aria from Peter Grimes
Giacomo Puccini Un bel di, vedremo from Madame Butterfly
Shuqi Yang, soprano
Sunmi Han, piano
Carlos Guastavino El clavel del aire blanco alta
Carlos Lopez Buchardo Cancion del Carretero
Nicholas Makey, tenor
Paolo Bartolani, piano
Two Chinese Folk Songs
A Cup of Fine Wine
Tian Lu
Two Italian Songs
A Vucchella
Non ti scordar di me
Gaetano Donizetti Cruda funestra from Lucia di Lammermoor
W. A. Mozart La ci darem w/Michaela Larsen from Don Giovanni
Haojie Jiang, baritone
Sunmi Han, piano
W.A. Mozart Non so piu from Nozze di Figaro
Giacomo Mayerbeer Nobles Seigneurs salut from Les Hugenots
Giacomo Puccini Flower Duet w/Shuqi Yang from Madame Butterfly
Michaela Larsen, mezzo soprano
Sunmi Han, piano
Three Schubert Songs
Gretchen am Spinnrade D. 118
Nacht und Träume D. 827
Erlkönig D. 328
Benjamin Britten Embroidery Aria from Peter Grimes
Giacomo Puccini Un bel di, vedremo from Madame Butterfly
Shuqi Yang, soprano
Sunmi Han, piano
Carlos Guastavino El clavel del aire blanco alta
Carlos Lopez Buchardo Cancion del Carretero
Nicholas Makey, tenor
Paolo Bartolani, piano
Two Chinese Folk Songs
A Cup of Fine Wine
Tian Lu
Two Italian Songs
A Vucchella
Non ti scordar di me
Gaetano Donizetti Cruda funestra from Lucia di Lammermoor
W. A. Mozart La ci darem w/Michaela Larsen from Don Giovanni
Haojie Jiang, baritone
Sunmi Han, piano
W.A. Mozart Non so piu from Nozze di Figaro
Giacomo Mayerbeer Nobles Seigneurs salut from Les Hugenots
Giacomo Puccini Flower Duet w/Shuqi Yang from Madame Butterfly
Michaela Larsen, mezzo soprano
Sunmi Han, piano
This is a production of
Rites of Spring Music Festival
in collaboration with the
Stony Brook Opera
hosted at
Borghese Vineyard
Rites of Spring Music Festival
in collaboration with the
Stony Brook Opera
hosted at
Borghese Vineyard
This project is made possible in part with funds from t the
Suffolk County Office of Cultural Affairs and the Statewide Community Regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by Huntington Arts Council
Shuqi Yang, soprano
Soprano Shuqi Yang is pursuing her doctor’s degree in Vocal Performance at Stony Brook University. She holds a master’s degree and a graduate diploma in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory of Music. In China, she graduated from Shanghai Conservatory of Music with a master’s degree in Vocal Performance. Yang has been working with many world famous voice teachers
including Brenda Harris, Carole Haber, Zheng Zhou and Xunmei Liu, among others. Yang is the Winner of 2022 Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra national young artists’ competition. She is a finalist in the 2022 Neapolitan Masters Competition. She got first prize in London classical music competition held on Feb 21st, 2022.
Michaela Larsen, mezzo soprano
Heralded by the Brooklyn Discovery, as “visually and vocally another bright ray,” Michaela Larsen’s voice is “plangent [and] coupled with excellent stagecraft”. Originally from Michigan, she completed her undergraduate degree in Music Education at Michigan State University–all while learning the operatic craft through roles such as: Adele, Strauss’s Die Fledermaus; Eurydice, Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld; Vitellia, Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito.
Mrs. Larsen appears frequently with the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera–Recent performances include: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, United States premiere of Aaron Zigman’s Èmigré, and Mahler’s 2nd Symphony. Her Metropolitan Opera debut was in Verdi Requiem in September 2023, and she will return in the 2024-25 season in Beethoven’s Fidelio.
Haojie Jiang, baritone
Haojie Jiang is a young baritone who has been actively performing on concert and opera stages. As an emerging artist, he has participated in numerous performances at the Florida Vocal Program and the Milnes Voice Studio. He has also appeared in opera productions at the Miami Music Festival and was invited as a guest singer by the Urban Life Channel of Tianjin TV, where he performed a solo concert broadcast live on television. Jiang's performance experience includes roles in operas such as Turandot, La Bohème, and L'enfant et les sortilèges, where he played Tree, Chair, and Clock. He has portrayed Simone and Bettoin Gianni Schicchi and the role of Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore. He is also skilled in performing Chinese folk songs, which he has introduced to audiences in various cities across the U.S., earning considerable acclaim. He graduated from Mannes School of Music with a Master of Music degree in 2024. In the same year, he began doctoral studies in vocal performance at Stony Brook University, where he also serves as a vocal teacher
Nicholas Mackey, tenor
This is Nicholas's second time performing for the Rites of Spring Music Festival and he is very grateful to return. Nicholas is a graduate of Maryville College and East Carolina University. Most recently he has been performing with the North Fork Community Theater where he appeared as King Arthur in Spamalot. His last opera role was in 2022 where he played Chester A. Arthur in The Ballad of Baby Doe with East Carolina Opera Theater. Nicholas thanks Paolo Bartolani for inviting his to participate and his family for their continuing support.
Sunmi Han, pianist
Sunmi Han, piano (Seoul, South Korea), has appeared as a soloist with the Nord Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kalvory Vary Symphony, the Kharkov Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sungnam Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, among others. She made her European debut in Munich, where she performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto no. 1 in Herkulessaal. She later recorded the same concerto in Italy with the Orchestra di Sinfonica de Roma under the direction of Francesco La Vecchia. In tandem with her solo endeavors, Sunmi has also distinguished herself as a collaborative pianist, making her debut with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra as a guest pianist for the European premiere of Christopher Rouse’s ‘Iscariot,’ conducted by Joshua Weilerstein. Under the guidance of Diane Anderson, Pascal Godart, and Dae Jin Kim, Sunmi earned her Bachelor’s Degree at The Juilliard School, where she studied with Martin Canin and Yoheved Kaplinsky. She continued her studies with Arie Vardi in Tel-Aviv, Israel, and later with Michael Schäfer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in München, Germany. While pursuing her Master’s degree and Meisterklasse, she performed and collaborated with a multitude of esteemed musicians in Germany. Sunmi is currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Art degree under Gilbert Kalish at Stony Brook University, where she also serves as a Teaching Assistant.
Paolo Bartolani, pianist
Founder & Artistic Director of Rites of Spring Music Festival
Paolo Bartolani is a pianist, musicologist and music manager, working in both classical and contemporary music. He founded the Rites of Spring Music Fest in 2016 to promote classical and contemporary music on the North Fork of Long Island, and to combine music, history and the natural environment. The festival currently is a non-profit organization 501c3 and he is the Artistic Director and Responsible for developing the festival’s program.
Soprano Shuqi Yang is pursuing her doctor’s degree in Vocal Performance at Stony Brook University. She holds a master’s degree and a graduate diploma in Vocal Performance from New England Conservatory of Music. In China, she graduated from Shanghai Conservatory of Music with a master’s degree in Vocal Performance. Yang has been working with many world famous voice teachers
including Brenda Harris, Carole Haber, Zheng Zhou and Xunmei Liu, among others. Yang is the Winner of 2022 Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra national young artists’ competition. She is a finalist in the 2022 Neapolitan Masters Competition. She got first prize in London classical music competition held on Feb 21st, 2022.
Michaela Larsen, mezzo soprano
Heralded by the Brooklyn Discovery, as “visually and vocally another bright ray,” Michaela Larsen’s voice is “plangent [and] coupled with excellent stagecraft”. Originally from Michigan, she completed her undergraduate degree in Music Education at Michigan State University–all while learning the operatic craft through roles such as: Adele, Strauss’s Die Fledermaus; Eurydice, Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld; Vitellia, Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito.
Mrs. Larsen appears frequently with the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera–Recent performances include: Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, United States premiere of Aaron Zigman’s Èmigré, and Mahler’s 2nd Symphony. Her Metropolitan Opera debut was in Verdi Requiem in September 2023, and she will return in the 2024-25 season in Beethoven’s Fidelio.
Haojie Jiang, baritone
Haojie Jiang is a young baritone who has been actively performing on concert and opera stages. As an emerging artist, he has participated in numerous performances at the Florida Vocal Program and the Milnes Voice Studio. He has also appeared in opera productions at the Miami Music Festival and was invited as a guest singer by the Urban Life Channel of Tianjin TV, where he performed a solo concert broadcast live on television. Jiang's performance experience includes roles in operas such as Turandot, La Bohème, and L'enfant et les sortilèges, where he played Tree, Chair, and Clock. He has portrayed Simone and Bettoin Gianni Schicchi and the role of Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore. He is also skilled in performing Chinese folk songs, which he has introduced to audiences in various cities across the U.S., earning considerable acclaim. He graduated from Mannes School of Music with a Master of Music degree in 2024. In the same year, he began doctoral studies in vocal performance at Stony Brook University, where he also serves as a vocal teacher
Nicholas Mackey, tenor
This is Nicholas's second time performing for the Rites of Spring Music Festival and he is very grateful to return. Nicholas is a graduate of Maryville College and East Carolina University. Most recently he has been performing with the North Fork Community Theater where he appeared as King Arthur in Spamalot. His last opera role was in 2022 where he played Chester A. Arthur in The Ballad of Baby Doe with East Carolina Opera Theater. Nicholas thanks Paolo Bartolani for inviting his to participate and his family for their continuing support.
Sunmi Han, pianist
Sunmi Han, piano (Seoul, South Korea), has appeared as a soloist with the Nord Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kalvory Vary Symphony, the Kharkov Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sungnam Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma, among others. She made her European debut in Munich, where she performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto no. 1 in Herkulessaal. She later recorded the same concerto in Italy with the Orchestra di Sinfonica de Roma under the direction of Francesco La Vecchia. In tandem with her solo endeavors, Sunmi has also distinguished herself as a collaborative pianist, making her debut with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra as a guest pianist for the European premiere of Christopher Rouse’s ‘Iscariot,’ conducted by Joshua Weilerstein. Under the guidance of Diane Anderson, Pascal Godart, and Dae Jin Kim, Sunmi earned her Bachelor’s Degree at The Juilliard School, where she studied with Martin Canin and Yoheved Kaplinsky. She continued her studies with Arie Vardi in Tel-Aviv, Israel, and later with Michael Schäfer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in München, Germany. While pursuing her Master’s degree and Meisterklasse, she performed and collaborated with a multitude of esteemed musicians in Germany. Sunmi is currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Art degree under Gilbert Kalish at Stony Brook University, where she also serves as a Teaching Assistant.
Paolo Bartolani, pianist
Founder & Artistic Director of Rites of Spring Music Festival
Paolo Bartolani is a pianist, musicologist and music manager, working in both classical and contemporary music. He founded the Rites of Spring Music Fest in 2016 to promote classical and contemporary music on the North Fork of Long Island, and to combine music, history and the natural environment. The festival currently is a non-profit organization 501c3 and he is the Artistic Director and Responsible for developing the festival’s program.
