Board of Directors
Mallory Harding
Founder & Artistic Director
Mallory Harding began studying piano and clarinet at age 10, adding voice at age 14. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and K-12 teaching certification from North Central College, and her Master of Music in Voice from University of Missouri-Columbia with a full assistantship teaching voice.
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Mallory has been teaching piano and voice lessons for ten years and has experience working with many different types of students: from age 4 to 92, students with special needs, beginners to advanced musicians, and even members of the indie rock band Fall Classic. She currently teaches for Piano Power and her own private voice and piano studio.
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An active performer, Mallory is a student of Winifred Faix-Brown and was most recently heard singing as Armelinde in Pauline Viardo's Cendrillon with New Moon Opera. Mallory has also sung as Croute-au-Pot in Offenbach's Mesdame de la Halle, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Alto Narrator in the world premiere of Francis Lynch's Joseph's Gift, Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, Line and Agathe in the Chicago premiere of the Danish opera Maskerade, as a Member of VOX 3 Collective, and covered Peep-Bo in The Mikado with The Savoyaires. Other roles include Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Tisbe in La Cenerentola, and Madame Altina in La Divina. She has performed a number of partial roles such as the titular role in Carmen, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Isabella in L'Italiana in Algeri, and Nicklausse Les contes d'Hoffman.
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Stuart Thompson has been an Apprentice Artist with Sarasota Opera and a member of the Mary Ragland Young Artist program at Nashville Opera, where he sang the role of the Father in Hansel and Gretel, a role he reprised from his time at DePaul University. Thompson has been an active recitalist and concert artist around the Chicagoland area for several years. Equally at home in art song as well as opera, Thompson was a participant in the Baldwin Wallace Art Song Festival. Locally, Thompson has been seen singing the roles of John in The Consul and Fiorello in The Barber of Seville with Main Street Opera, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with New Moon Opera and Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Fury Theatre. Other engagements include Elgin Opera, American Chamber Opera, Opera on Tap, Katydid Productions, SEWPA, and Opera Inter Alia. Stuart is also an accomplished voice and piano teacher and was the music director for New Moon Opera’s May 2016 production, Hansel and Gretel.
Stuart Thompson
General Manager
Jennifer Barrett
Marketing Director
Jennifer Barrett has worn many different hats in the arts world, and from these experiences she brings a wide range of knowledge to the group.
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A mezzo-soprano residing in the suburbs of Chicago, Jennifer was seen as the Gingerbread Witch in New Moon’s production of Hansel and Gretel, and has been praised for her character work and versatility on stage. Recent performance credits also include Presendia in Nico Muhly's Dark Sisters with Third Eye Theatre Ensemble, Mrs. Schroedinger in John Bilotta's Quantum Mechanic with The Floating Opera Company, Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Anna Gomez in The Consul, Donna Alfonso in Così fan tutte, and the world premiere performance of The Patriots.
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Jennifer received a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Music Education from North Central College, and a Master of Arts in Vocal Pedagogy from Northeastern Illinois University. After completing her Bachelor’s work, Jennifer spent four years working in public education, teaching music, drama, speech, choir, and band through grades K-8.
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After leaving the public classroom, Jennifer worked for a time in the non-profit arts sector, as an administrator and communications coordinator to several suburban arts programs. Jennifer specializes in public relations, promotions, and social media, and was a key part of New Moon’s fundraising campaign and Facebook page last season.
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When not singing herself, Jennifer currently serves as a private voice instructor and vocal health consultant in the city and suburbs, and she made her directorial debut this past spring at the Music Drama Workshop at Moody Bible Institute.
Eric Douglas Carlson holds a Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from Arizona State University. He has been an active vocal coach, performer, and educator for more than 14 years. His teachers have included: Dr. Andrew Campbell, Dr. Dana Brown, Dr. Terree Schofner-Emrich, and Renato Premezzi. Recent activities include vocal recitals in and around the Chicagoland area, collaboration with New Moon Opera, audition pianist for the Brevard Opera Center, and specialty performances for Christ Church of Oakbrook.