IMPRoVpera Young Artist Bios

Baritone, Vince Basile is a senior vocal performance major at Youngstown State University. His most recent roles include Dave Miller in State Fair and Capt./Col/Williamson at Trumpet in The Land of New Philadelphia, OH, Hector in The Golden Apple and Mr. Mayor in Suessical the Musical at YSU. His opera roles include Alcindoro in Opera Western Reserve's production of La Bohème and Ceprano in Valley Lyric Opera's Rigoletto. This year's performances included Masetto in Valley Lyric Opera's Don Giovanni in October 2006. Vince was also seen in the chorus of Opera Western Reserve's Le Nozze di Figaro.


Soprano, Diana Farrell recently received her Bachelors degree from Westfield State College and is currently working towards a Master's in Music, Vocal Performance from the Dana School of Music, Youngstown State University. Diana has performed in venues such as La Scala Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral and Carnegie Hall. She has been involved in masterclasses addressing Classical and Musical Theatre singing styles with Barbara Paver and Mary Saunders. Diana also holds concentrations in composition and history in her undergraduate studies. Diana was recently seen as a soprano soloist with the YSU chamber orchestra and was seen in Opera Western Reserve's chorus of Le Nozze di Figaro. Diana is new to Ohio and misses her home in Wilbraham, Massachusetts!


Mezzo-soprano, Lauren Hess is a sophomore vocal performance major at Youngstown State University. She graduated from Poland High School in 2005 as class valedictorian. At YSU Lauren is a member of the Dana Chorale, OCMEA, and also serves as president of the Dana Vocal Society. This past summer she helped out at the Butler Summer Arts Day Camp and at the Dana Vocal Performance Clinic held at YSU. Last November Lauren sang in the chorus of Opera Western Reserve's production of La Bohème and this year she was also in the chorus in their production of Le Nozze di Figaro. Lauren also enjoys running and completed her first marathon last September.


Baritone, Max Pivik is a senior vocal performance major at Youngstown State Universtiy. Max has appeared in several YSU productions including performing Peter in Hansel and Gretel and Charybdis in The Golden Apple. Max recently appeared as Dottore Grenvil in La Traviata for Opera Circle Cleveland and was heard in the chorus of Opera Western Reserve's 2005 production of La Bohème. As a successful competitor Max placed 2nd in his division of the 2005 Tri-State Chapter NATS competition and 3rd in his division in the 2006 Buckeye Chapter NATS Competition. This year's engagements brought Max back to Stambaugh Auditorium as Antonio in Opera Western Reserve's November production of Le Nozze di Figaro. After graduation Max hopes to continue his education in pursuit of his lifetime goal of performing opera in houses all around the world.




Education and Outreach Staff Bios

Director, Soprano, Corinne Morini currently resides in Ellwood City, PA and teaches as an adjunct Professor of Voice at the Dana School of Music, Youngstown State University. Corinne earned a BM in vocal performance from Youngstown State University and a MM in vocal pedagogy with a concentration in education from the New England Conservatory in Boston, MA. During the summer of 2005, Corinne studied at the AIMS Opera Studio in Graz, Austria.

Operatic roles include Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Adina in L'Elisir d'amore, Romilda in Xerxes, Giannetta in The Gondoliers, the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Papagena in The Magic Flute, and Celie in Signor Deluso. Corinne has also been seen in scenes programs of Le Nozze di Figaro, Cosí fan tutte, Der Freischütz, Manon, and Werther.

As a concert soloist, Corinne has been featured in several performances with the Seraphim Choir and Festival Orchestra including Bach's Christmas Cantata, Schubert's Mass in C Major, Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem and Serenade to Music. Corinne has also had the honor of singing the solos in the John Rutter and James C. Huff Requiems. Corinne is an active recitalist and guest artist throughout Eastern Ohio and Western PA. Alongside her audition schedule and pursuit of being a well-rounded performer, Corinne can also be seen as a teaching artist with the SMARTS' Center Creating Original Opera program. Upcoming performances include a guest appearances at the Lisbon Community Chorus Holiday Concert in November and Youngstown State University's annual "Piano Week" this coming March.


Pianist, Mrs. Karen Lyn DeBartolo-Fisher is a life-long Boardman resident. She began piano lessons at age 6, and gave her own piano recital at age 8 at the Butler Institute of Art. She was able to accompany choruses within the school system as early as grade 4, and did so throughout all her years as a student in the Boardman Schools.

She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree, graduating Summa Cum Laude, from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where her roommate was the now-famous, Kathie Lee Gifford. Karen studied piano with Andrej Wasowski, and did a great deal of accompanying while at ORU, including for Opera Workshop, traveling with the ORU choir on tour, as well as performing with Kathie Lee. Karen Lyn returned to Boardman, where she was hired to teach Vocal Music at Glenwood Middle School, replacing her former teacher. She had a 17 year teaching career with the Boardman Schools, also including Stadium Dr. Elementary. Her concert productions are still remembered and talked about to this day. Simultaneously, Karen Lyn was a Church musician, directing adult ensembles, choirs, and children's Choirs; and playing the piano for worship every single week.

Karen Lyn spent many years accompanying Karen Clark-Green, an area Opera singer who formed Archangel Ministries and has traveled World-wide. Recently, she was the rehearsal accompanist for Megan Elizabeth Morris, who received 2nd place in the Welsh National Eisteddfod Competition in Wales, in August of 2006. Karen Lyn has been an accompanist within the Christian Community for all of her adult life, taking her to many places, with many different musicians. In addition, she also leads worship, is a soloist, a speaker, and a recording artist. She is a wife and the mother of a 13-year-old son.

Presently, Karen Lyn is very proud to spend a large part of her time accompanying for the music departments of the Boardman School system: the Orchestra, Band, and Choral departments all use her on a regular basis, as well as individual students for Solo Competition. Karen also accompanies students at YSU for recitals and juries, both vocal and instrumental. She is also honored to be the accompanist for Symphonette, a division of the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra. And, of course, she continues to be a church musician - at Glenwood Christian Fellowship, in Boardman.

Karen Lyn continues to substitute teach, and has formerly taught piano and voice. But, her greatest love continues to be as an accompanist. She is delighted to be working with the Opera Western Reserve and their new IMPRoVpera program.