Bios for MOON_an Opera in Made-Up Language
Based on a concept by Devon Turchan and the Perraneu Colecteev
Yasira Nun, Artistic Consultant
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Orchestrations created in the moment by Aesop's Sound Fables:
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Mike Nowotarski (Guitar) is a classically trained guitarist and educator equally at home on the concert stage and in DIY arts venues. He performs regularly both in his hometown of NYC and across the eastern United States with his project Coffee Nap. Mike often includes mime and other performance art techniques into his live performances.
Mike has a lengthy history of chamber music and jazz collaborations with well respected and international artists. He holds degrees from both Ithaca College and Hunter College in music. He has performed at a variety of arts institutions across New York City including Bryant Park, the Park Church Co-Op, and the Public Theater.
He helped to found a community arts venue based out of Ridgewood, Queens called the Stone Circle Theater and helped coordinate programming at the Park Church Co-Op from 2021 until their closure the following year. Mike is a co-founder of Aesop's Sound Fables. He is a life-long New Yorker and has a special interest in preserving and exploring the unique history and culture of NYC.
Rosalie Avery (Bassoon) is a freelance bassoonist located in New York City. She is originally from Milwaukee , Wisconsin, where her passion for music began. She holds a master’s in music performance and a bachelor of arts from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM).
Rosalie is an avid chamber musician and is currently a part of the Black Cat Ensemble , which is based in Milwaukee. The group focuses on exploring repertoire for their non-traditional ensemble set up. She is especially interested in expanding the scope of the bassoon's function in modern day ensembles. This includes introducing the bassoon to more indie and alternative musical groups.
Beyond chamber music and new music , Rosalie has worked with many prominent orchestras in Wisconsin, including the Wisconsin Philharmonic, Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, Racine Symphony Orchestra, and the Milwaukee Philharmonic.
Outside of playing the bassoon , Rosalie loves to spend time drinking wine and hanging out with her fiancé and cats.
Gillian Orwoll (Cello/Piano) Brooklyn-based composer Gillian Fox Orwoll has spent the past sixteen years honing her skills in composition, songwriting, and performing.
Gillian is set to release two songs under the name "Fox Indigo" through Sweden-based label Rexius Records later this year. Her composition skills were recognized when she was accepted into the SheNYC Summer Theater Festival out of over 300 submissions for her original musical, "Bloom," a production she co-wrote, starred in, and music directed.
Gillian recently contributed her musical talent to an online 2D platformer game by Fitbear Games. She's also the founder of "Get Carried Away Event Management," an organization dedicated to promoting women, POC, and LGBTQ artists through events like the Get Carried Away Festival Cruise held on the East River in 2018.
Gillian's versatility shines through her compositions for various musical genres and ensembles, including musical theater, jazz, symphonies, chamber groups, folk, and rock. She has also scored for short films and independent video games, demonstrating her adaptability in the creative arts.
An accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Gillian plays the cello, mandolin, guitar, voice, banjo, ukulele, and drums. She holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Film Music Composition from Brooklyn College and a Bachelor's in Music Business & Piano Performance from the Crane School of Music.
Gillian Fox Orwoll's journey in music is marked by dedication, versatility, and a commitment to artistic expression. She has two furry cats at home (Tarzan & Jane) that she loves dearly.
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Perraneu Colecteev:
Devon Turchan is an artist and performer based in New York City. Originally from Cleveland, they studied journalism at Ohio University and has continued to hone performance and print work since a young age. Turchan created this series of performances without language beginning with "The Emperor's New Clothes," a ZOOM opera over COVID19 Lockdown and "Hermit" a window performance at Maelstrom Collective in Cleveland. Now they are excited to present "MOON_an Opera in Made-Up Language" as another opportunity to feel the music without the words. To escape onto a new surface, a barren opportunity for beauty, healing and forgiveness.
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Turchan hopes to grow this project and take it to more locations in the coming years along with the rest of Perraneu Magazine's print issues and performances. Join us at the Stonewall Inn from 6-9PM March 6 for CAMP PERRANEU!
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Thank you to Aesop's Sound Fables and to all of the performers for bringing talent and play to this experiment.
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Thank you to Opera America and the National Opera Center for the space to create and perform and the support as we made our way to this grand event.
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Anna Bradley is a Bronx based artist and actress, originally from Cleveland Ohio. She shares the many things she makes online under the handle @annammakes on social media.
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Michael Jenkins (he/they) is excited to be bringing such a thoughtful piece to Opera America. Thanks to Devon for providing their mind and spirit to this project and to everyone alongside us to create an ever-changing work that hopes to heal our wounds and find forgiveness. You can find Michael around town crooning at whatever cabaret his friends are putting on.
Alexandra Genevieve, “Allie”, Carter (movement) is a multidisciplinary artist whose primary mediums are movement and writing. Allie is interested in improvised movement explorations and the unique, creative experiences that are channeled via the artist and the live audience. She is both thrilled and thankful to be part of MOON, and has truly enjoyed working with all of the incredibly talented artists on this project.
Kate Atherton (She/Her) is a comics artist, librarian, and theatre artist living and working in Cleveland, Ohio. Kate attended Rhode Island School of Design and has a BFA in Illustration. After undergrad, Kate returned to Cleveland and worked as a scenic painter (Cleveland Playhouse), Illustrator (Kringle’s Inventionasium, Dobama Theatre, Perraneu), Props designer, performer, and stage manager (Near West Theatre). Kate’s comics have been published in the Scene Magazine Comics issue on three occasions and she self-published her first graphic novel “Survival” in the summer of 2022 and her second graphic novel, “Come in, North” in the Fall of 2024. She works full-time at the Noble Neighborhood Library and graduated with her MLIS (Masters of Library and Information Science) from Kent State University in December of 2023.