Jane Cormier, Founding Director

Carlos Martinez, Music Director

Biography

Ms. Cormier has performed leading roles with many regional and international opera houses including, Ashlawn Highland Summer Festival, Indianapolis Opera, Opera Iowa, Des Moines Metro Opera, Vienna Chamber Opera, St. Petersburg Opera in Russia, and Cape Cod Opera. In 1989, Jane received a stipend from the American Berlin Foundation and soon found an agent in Vienna, Austria where she lived & performed. Jane performed at the Theatre an der Wien, and sang in the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s German production, “Das Phantom der Oper” in the role of “Carlotta” under the direction of Hal Prince. While in Vienna, Ms. Cormier also sang “Queen of the Night” at the Vienna Chamber Opera and performed in concert with world-renown lieder interpreter and accompanist, Norman Shetler.

In 1991, after leaving Europe, Jane became Founder and Artistic Director of OPERAFEST! of NH, a 501 © 3 opera company dedicated to educating the public with regard to opera. In 2000, Ms. Cormier received the Boston Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, whose past recipients have included Ethel Kennedy, Phyllis Curtin and Sarah Caldwell. After ten years with OPERAFEST!, Jane opened her own private vocal studio and in addition to running Lakes Region Opera Company, now teaches voice at her opera studios in Manchester, NH and Alton, NH.

Ms. Cormier has been blessed to work with some of the finest teaching professionals in the opera world. She has worked with Joan Dornemann, Assistant Director, and Nico Castel, International Diction Coach, both of the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. She has also coached and worked with Jane Bookspan and Cynthia Hoffmann, Director of the Voice Program at the Juilliard School. She has performed in international master classes with Elisabeth Schwartzkopf, Margaret Harshaw, Elly Ameling, Boris Goldovsky, Jerome Hines, and Norman Shetler. Today, Jane teaches performance techniques and voice to aspiring opera professionals and looks forward to working with young and talented opera singers as Founder/Director of Lakes Region Opera Company.

Carlos Martinez, our Music Director, is from San Antonio, Texas. Carlos has a thriving studio of singers in Manchester, NH and is a certified Music Teacher in NH. He has performed in and conducted many operas including, "Lucia di Lammermoor", "Pagliacci", "Dido & Aeneas", "La Traviata" and "The Magic Flute". For ten years, Jane and Carlos have worked with Opera NH producing In School programs which have been viewed by thousands of students throughout the state of New Hampshire. Currently, Carlos is Center Harbor Town Band Director, and is known to audiences all over the Lakes Region, as "Mr. M" from his successful cable access program, "Mr. M's Wonderful World of Music."

Jane and Carlos have two children, Catherine and Christopher and a beautiful little french poodle named "Fifi". They look forward to sharing their gifts of music with Lakes Region Opera Company and the fine audiences in central NH.