A native of New York City, Amy Guarino grew up surrounded by the arts and is passionate about bringing opera to diverse audiences. She has performed with companies across NYC and the US including: Lakes Area Music Festival, Des Moines Metro Opera, Hi-ARTS, Manhattan People's Opera, and Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance.
Experience one of the Lake Area’s most elegant evenings out! Whether at the historic Aitkin Ripple Center—where Vaudeville acts graced the stage a century ago—or in the timeless charm of the Norway Center at Grand View Lodge, you’ll be captivated by performances from our renowned international opera cast and talented Resident Artists. Let life be your cabaret!
This event has limited capacity and typically sells out in advance.
Experience one of the Lake Area’s most elegant evenings out! Whether at the historic Aitkin Ripple Center—where Vaudeville acts graced the stage a century ago—or in the timeless charm of the Norway Center at Grand View Lodge, you’ll be captivated by performances from our renowned international opera cast and talented Resident Artists. Let life be your cabaret!
This event has limited capacity and typically sells out in advance.
Opera arias and ensembles featuring our 2025 Opera Resident Artists with the LAMF Symphony
Witness the fusion of music and drama.
Perfect for opera fans of all ages, this concert showcases the stars of tomorrow and the LAMF Symphony Orchestra in excerpts from opera’s most famous and fascinating stories.
The LAMF Resident Artist Program provides singers early in their careers with mentorship and performance opportunities. These artists work one-on-one with our team of directors and coaches to hone their craft while participating in productions and performances alongside our world-renowned roster of singers.
A classic tale set in Minnesota’s North Woods.
Get lost in the pines and lady slippers as we follow Hänsel and Gretel on their magical journey, with a luscious score by Engelbert Humperdinck and a world premiere production. Described as “a standout” by Opera News, Ariana Wehr makes her festival debut as Gretel alongside the Joy in Singing Foundation’s “Debut Artist of the Year,” Abigail Levis, as Hänsel. Children from the Northfield Youth Choirs and Brainerd’s Legacy Youth Chorale complete this heartwarming, family-friendly musical fairy tale.
Justin Lucero, stage director
Christian Reif, conductor
Lakes Area Music Festival Orchestra
These performances will be presented in Brainerd.
A native of New York City, Amy Guarino grew up surrounded by the arts and is passionate about bringing opera to diverse audiences.
In the 2025-2026 season, Amy joins Killer Queen Opera for their revival of Madam, where she will be playing Ruth.
At the start of the 2024-2025 season, Amy performed as Donna Anna in Manhattan People’s Opera’s inaugural production of Don Giovanni and joined NYC Opera On Tap as a roster singer. In October, Amy was a finalist in both the Pittsburgh Festival Opera Mildred Miller Competition and the SAS Performing Arts Competition. In May, she performed as both Mamagolé and The Devil’s Daughter in Spirit in the Vine: A Sankopera at Hi-ARTS in Harlem. In the summer, Amy will join the Lakes Area Music Festival as a resident artist. While at LAMF, Amy will be playing the Mother and covering the Witch in Hänsel und Gretel, as well as singing in cabarets and A Night At The Opera with the LAMF Symphony Orchestra.
In the 2023 festival season, Amy joined Des Moines Metro Opera as an apprentice artist, where she sang in the choruses of Carmen and the Love for Three Oranges as well as in scenes from La Rondine (Magda), The Magic Flute (First Lady), and Don Giovanni (Donna Anna).
A two-time young artist with Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance, Amy has performed the roles of Suor Dolcina (Suor Angelica) and Melanie (Die Fledermaus) and covered the role of Ida (Die Fledermaus) in their productions. She also has been a part of the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s outreach program with NYC schools, playing the Witch in Hansel and Gretel (2019, 2020). Other highlights from past seasons include: La Rondine (Magda), Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica), A Little Night Music (Liebeslieder/Mrs. Segstrom), Le Nozze di Figaro (Countess Almaviva), Fiddler on the Roof (Chava), It’s A Grand Night For Singing (Soloist/Choreographer), Nunsense: The MEGA Musical (Sister Mary Leo/Dance Captain), Anything Goes (Featured Dancer). Amy has also performed with the Bronx Arts Ensemble, Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow, Queens Summer Vocal Institute (faculty guest artist), Westchester Summer Vocal Institute, and Opera on the Beach.
Amy holds both a BM and MM in Vocal Performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College. Amy is a student of H. Roz Woll.
A native of New York City, Amy Guarino grew up surrounded by the arts and is passionate about bringing opera to diverse audiences. She has performed with companies across NYC and the US including: Lakes Area Music Festival, Des Moines Metro Opera, Hi-ARTS, Manhattan People's Opera, and Martina Arroyo's Prelude to Performance.
Experience one of the Lake Area’s most elegant evenings out! Whether at the historic Aitkin Ripple Center—where Vaudeville acts graced the stage a century ago—or in the timeless charm of the Norway Center at Grand View Lodge, you’ll be captivated by performances from our renowned international opera cast and talented Resident Artists. Let life be your cabaret!
This event has limited capacity and typically sells out in advance.
Experience one of the Lake Area’s most elegant evenings out! Whether at the historic Aitkin Ripple Center—where Vaudeville acts graced the stage a century ago—or in the timeless charm of the Norway Center at Grand View Lodge, you’ll be captivated by performances from our renowned international opera cast and talented Resident Artists. Let life be your cabaret!
This event has limited capacity and typically sells out in advance.
Opera arias and ensembles featuring our 2025 Opera Resident Artists with the LAMF Symphony
Witness the fusion of music and drama.
Perfect for opera fans of all ages, this concert showcases the stars of tomorrow and the LAMF Symphony Orchestra in excerpts from opera’s most famous and fascinating stories.
The LAMF Resident Artist Program provides singers early in their careers with mentorship and performance opportunities. These artists work one-on-one with our team of directors and coaches to hone their craft while participating in productions and performances alongside our world-renowned roster of singers.
A classic tale set in Minnesota’s North Woods.
Get lost in the pines and lady slippers as we follow Hänsel and Gretel on their magical journey, with a luscious score by Engelbert Humperdinck and a world premiere production. Described as “a standout” by Opera News, Ariana Wehr makes her festival debut as Gretel alongside the Joy in Singing Foundation’s “Debut Artist of the Year,” Abigail Levis, as Hänsel. Children from the Northfield Youth Choirs and Brainerd’s Legacy Youth Chorale complete this heartwarming, family-friendly musical fairy tale.
Justin Lucero, stage director
Christian Reif, conductor
Lakes Area Music Festival Orchestra
These performances will be presented in Brainerd.
A native of New York City, Amy Guarino grew up surrounded by the arts and is passionate about bringing opera to diverse audiences.
In the 2025-2026 season, Amy joins Killer Queen Opera for their revival of Madam, where she will be playing Ruth.
At the start of the 2024-2025 season, Amy performed as Donna Anna in Manhattan People’s Opera’s inaugural production of Don Giovanni and joined NYC Opera On Tap as a roster singer. In October, Amy was a finalist in both the Pittsburgh Festival Opera Mildred Miller Competition and the SAS Performing Arts Competition. In May, she performed as both Mamagolé and The Devil’s Daughter in Spirit in the Vine: A Sankopera at Hi-ARTS in Harlem. In the summer, Amy will join the Lakes Area Music Festival as a resident artist. While at LAMF, Amy will be playing the Mother and covering the Witch in Hänsel und Gretel, as well as singing in cabarets and A Night At The Opera with the LAMF Symphony Orchestra.
In the 2023 festival season, Amy joined Des Moines Metro Opera as an apprentice artist, where she sang in the choruses of Carmen and the Love for Three Oranges as well as in scenes from La Rondine (Magda), The Magic Flute (First Lady), and Don Giovanni (Donna Anna).
A two-time young artist with Martina Arroyo’s Prelude to Performance, Amy has performed the roles of Suor Dolcina (Suor Angelica) and Melanie (Die Fledermaus) and covered the role of Ida (Die Fledermaus) in their productions. She also has been a part of the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s outreach program with NYC schools, playing the Witch in Hansel and Gretel (2019, 2020). Other highlights from past seasons include: La Rondine (Magda), Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica), A Little Night Music (Liebeslieder/Mrs. Segstrom), Le Nozze di Figaro (Countess Almaviva), Fiddler on the Roof (Chava), It’s A Grand Night For Singing (Soloist/Choreographer), Nunsense: The MEGA Musical (Sister Mary Leo/Dance Captain), Anything Goes (Featured Dancer). Amy has also performed with the Bronx Arts Ensemble, Courtney’s Stars of Tomorrow, Queens Summer Vocal Institute (faculty guest artist), Westchester Summer Vocal Institute, and Opera on the Beach.
Amy holds both a BM and MM in Vocal Performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College. Amy is a student of H. Roz Woll.