Our Executive Board

Mandi Barrus
Artistic Director/Co-founder
she/her
Mandi is an opera producer and mezzo-soprano originally from Seattle, WA. She and co-founders Anna Romney and David Campbell founded Opera Contempo in January 2020 after a particularly inspiring Opera Literature class during her Masters program at the University of Utah taught by Dr. Elizabeth Craft.
In Opera Lit, Mandi and Anna lamented the blatant misogyny and racism inherent in many opera libretti, and even within the scores. They decided they wanted start an opera company that would center stories by and featuring people traditionally under-represented in the opera world. Opera Contempo was born!
Mandi has served as the Artistic Director of the company since its founding.
In her performing career, Mandi enjoys singing opera and musical theater regionally and within Utah. Mandi serves as the secretary on the board of St George Opera.

Julia Gershkoff
Secretary
she/her
Julia is a longtime supporter and frequent performer with Opera Contempo and is thrilled to take on an even bigger role as Secretary. When she’s not singing, she works as an HR professional by day, happily putting her organizational superpowers to use to help streamline the behind-the-scenes details so the spotlight stays where it belongs on the music and the artists.
Julia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College and a Master’s degree in Vocal Arts and Opera from the University of Southern California. She performs often throughout Utah and loves supporting Opera Contempo both onstage and behind the scenes.

Natalie Easter
Marketing Lead
she/her
Natalie, an avid supporter of Opera Contempo since the beginning, is thrilled to engage at a higher level as the Marketing Lead. Always up for a challenge, she looks forward to using her creativity to shape the company, encourage audience involvement, and develop innovative ways to connect new and seasoned listeners to bold new views on opera.
Natalie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Utah and a Master’s Degree in Opera from University of Kansas and performs often around the state of Utah. Natalie will use her education and experience to help bridge the gap between tradition and innovation in the modern opera scene.

Desirée Buck
Treasurer
she/her
Desirée Buck has been a fan of opera since she went to her first at the age of 12. She has worked in finance and operations roles throughout her career and completed her MBA at the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah in 2022.
Desirée is thrilled to be part of giving voice to under-represented artists through her work with Opera Contempo.

Jessica Rudman
Composer-in-Residence
she/they
Jessica Rudman’s (www.jessicarudman.com) “starkly effective” (Opera News) music inspires empathy for social issues through stories of myth, magic, and the modern world.
Described as a “new music ninja” by the Hartford Advocate, she blends lyrical melodies and dramatic narrative structures with sensual harmony and vibrant color to draw the audience into the world she has created.
Jessica serves as an Assistant Professor of Composition and Theory at the University of Utah.
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Kate Williams
Company Manager
she/her
Kate is new to the opera world but is excited to be able to support all of the creativity in this organization. Kate has a Masters in Educational Leadership and is a science teacher turned professional specialist for Davis School District. She loves all things theater and music.
Our Advisory Board

Samantha (Moyer) Lange
She/her
President of the Advisory Board/Development Manager
President of the Advisory Board

David Campbell
He/him
Advisory Board Member/Co-founder
David Campbell is a composer whose work draws connections between musical forms, harmonic systems, artistic concepts from other disciplines, and human experiences, with particular attention to the mind and mental health. Central to his approach is the recognition that music communicates to human listeners, and each work is conceived as a transmission of meaning that balances formal experimentation with accessible emotional and intellectual engagement.
David's compositional aesthetic has been informed by formal studies at Southern Utah University, Western Washington University, and Stony Brook University, where he studied with composers Hal Campbell, Keith Bradshaw, Leslie Sommer, Roger Briggs, Sheila Silver, and Perry Goldstein. His work demonstrates a sustained engagement with both the established canon and diverse voices within the contemporary classical tradition.
As Artistic Director of NEXT Ensemble, an Ogden-based new music nonprofit organization, David curates and champions the performance of innovative contemporary repertoire. He is a founding member and board member of Opera Contempo, an organization dedicated to the advancement of new operatic works and interpretations.
David's current projects include a chamber opera with librettist Anthony Buck, scheduled for production by Opera Contempo in a future season, and Nova, a full-length opera in collaboration with librettist Jennifer Campbell, slated for premiere in 2028-2029. He continues to develop new chamber works for NEXT Ensemble's concert season.

Clara Hurtado Lee
She/her
DivaMoms/Advisory Board Member
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Clara Hurtado Lee is a highly acclaimed soprano. Clara crosses many genres and feels equally at home on the stage and in the recording studio.
Clara’s stage credits include dozens of opera and oratorio appearances. She has also headlined a tour as a crossover artist and appeared on other artists' tours.
As an independent recording artist, Clara released Sacred Geometry on all streaming platforms as well several singles and music videos.
Clara heads Diva Moms, an online community and performing ensemble which became an arm of Opera Contempo.
Clara recently returned to her theatrical roots by writing the script for Handel’s Messiah: One Woman’s Sacred Struggle which she will also direct and will premiere on Opera Contempo's season in April 2026.
Clara's academic background consists of Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees along with Doctoral Studies from the University of Utah. She teaches privately and in the University setting

Hilary Koolhoven
She/her
Social Media Assistant/Advisory Board Member
Hilary has been eager to support Opera Contempo since its infancy, and is delighted to be joining the board helping with Social Media.
Hilary has been an active member of Utah’s singing community for several years, both as a performer and as an administrator. Hilary graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in vocal performance from Westminster College in 2014 and received a Master of Music degree from the University of Utah in 2016.
Since 2017 she has been an adjunct music faculty member at Westminster University, where she has directed and assistant directed several of their Opera Studio productions.
As a performer, she has worked with such companies as Utah Opera, The Ohio Light Opera, The Franco-American Vocal Academy, St. George Opera, and most recently with Opera Contempo in their productions of The Combat and Protectress Acts I and II.

Holly Banfield
She/her
Advisory Board Member
Holly Banfield just finished her DMA this year in vocal performance at the University of Utah. Her recent performances include Judith in Bluebeard’s Castle, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Dorabella in Cosí fan tutte.
At the University of Utah, she was assistant director for the University’s productions of Cosi fan Tutte by Mozart, Sweeney Todd by Sondheim, Semele by Handel, and Rigoletto by Verdi. She has portrayed Maddalena in Rigoletto, Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica, Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, the Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos, Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Zita in Gianni Schicchi, and Juno in Semele. She has performed with Opera Modesto Opera as Papagena for their production of The Magic Flute, and Tisbe in their production of La Cenerentola.

Anna Romney
She/her
Advisory Board Member/Co-founder
Board Member/Co-Founder

Kristin Jensen
She/her
Advisory Board Member
Board Member
Upcoming Events

Galentines with the DivaMomsFri, Feb 13Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee & Social
NATS Masterclass: Spanish Language Art Song and Performance PracticeSat, Mar 28Alliance Theater at Trolley Square
Duo Matices: Latin-American Art SongSat, Mar 28Alliance Theater at Trolley Square
New Works FestivalSun, May 03Dumke Recital Hall