PEOPLE
Amanda Crider
Artistic Director
American mezzo-soprano Amanda Crider has sung with numerous opera companies across the US including LA Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Dallas Opera, New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, The Castleton Festival, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Boston, Opera Omaha, Des Moines Metro Opera, Anchorage Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, and Eugene Opera. Ms. Crider has participated in Marilyn Horne’s The Song Continues…at Carnegie Hall and has appeared as a recital soloist numerous times with the Joy in Singing Foundation in New York. She has also appeared as a soloist with ensembles including Calgary Philharmonic, Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Eugene Symphony, New World Symphony, Apollo’s Fire, Seraphic Fire, Bach Festival Society of Florida, and the International Contemporary Ensemble. Ms. Crider has been a prize winner and finalist in many competitions, including the José Iturbi International Voice Competition, Jensen Foundation Voice Competition, Joy in Singing Debut Artist Competition, Connecticut Opera Guild Competition, Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year Competition, Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition, Oratorio Society of New York Vocal Competition, Center for Contemporary Opera Competition, and is a recipient of a Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation.
Robyn Lamp
Marketing and Arts Administration Associate
Robyn Lamp is an Arts Administration and Marketing Associate for IlluminArts. Ms. Lamp has ample experience in the performing arts as an administrator, producer, and performer. Ms. Lamp's voice has been described in Opera News as "an ample spinto soprano that suggests a bel canto diva in the making." Ms. Lamp was the Company Manager for Ft. Lauderdale's Opera Fusion from 2015 - 2019. She is dedicated to keeping classical music alive and thriving in our communities and believes that the human voice has the power to change the world.
Susie Hellman Spatafora
Co-founder
Celebrated by Opera News for her “perfect yearningly optimistic coloring—golden and radiant" and by Classics Today for her “impressive instrument,” soprano Susan Hellman Spatafora has performed with such companies as Palm Beach Opera, Opera Tampa, Sarasota Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Central City Opera, South Florida Lyric Opera and Green Mountain Opera, among others. Most recently, Spatafora “turned in a blazing performance” (Talkin’ Broadway) in the title role of Suor Angelica with the St. Petersburg Opera Company. A frequent art song recitalist and soloist, Spatafora’s recent concert appearances include Verdi's Requiem, Mozart's Mass in C minor, Bach's Magnificat, Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Andrea Clearfield’s The Long Bright and the world premiere of Allan Friedman’s With Perfect Faith.