Rachel AuBuchon
Pianist
Pianist Rachel AuBuchon has the heart of a collaborator. From assisting choirs in her youth, playing numerous recitals of chamber music, being part of creative opera production, elevating new composers’ voices in performance, or simply spending hours in rehearsal, her passion for creating with others abides.
Recent engagements include a series of virtual recitals with Lauren Auge, soprano and serving as music director for Landlocked Opera’s production of The Magic Flute. Most recently, Rachel spent three years working with students at Liberty North High School during the Coronavirus pandemic. Her love of vocal literature led her to participate in the CoOPERAtive program in Princeton, New Jersey (2013) and serve as a staff accompanist for the national NATS conference in 2015, 2016, and 2018. She also participated in the inaugural year for collaborative pianists at the NATS intern program (2017) under the mentorship of Warren Jones. Other recent performances include the 2014 North American Saxophone Conference with Trio Chymera, and the 2012 World Saxophone Congress with Leo Saguiguit. An avid supporter of new music, Dr. AuBuchon participated in the International Composers Festival in Columbia Missouri (2012, 2013), served as a rehearsal pianist for the first UMKC Sounding Board event (2021), and brought to life performances of students’ opera works at UNCG’s Opera at the Carolina (2015–-2017).
Rachel has served on the faculty of Stephens College, Truman State University, and UMKC, and now makes a return to the University of Missouri at Columbia. She holds degrees from Truman State University, University of Missouri at Columbia, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Her journey in learning and musical artistry includes study with David McKamie, Janice Wenger, Natalia Bolshakova, Paul Crabb, James Douglass, and countless talented musicians with whom she has had the privilege to collaborate.
Topher Otake
Tenor
Topher Otake is currently pursuing his M.M. in Choral Conducting at the University of Missouri, where he also received his B.M. in Music Education. Originally from Chicago, Topher has been learning and teaching in Columbia since 2014. He began teaching vocal music at Moberly Middle School and West Middle School in 2018, before choosing to pursue his M.M. Topher is the music director of the Boonslick Chordbusters, and sings lead in the Boone County Hams, a barbershop quartet. He is also a conductor of Cambiare Young Men’s Chorus with Columbia Youth Choirs.
Hugo Vera
Tenor
A native Texan, Emmy Award winning tenor Hugo Vera is excited to be making his debut with Vox Nova. Hugo has performed over 55 roles and 65 large choral orchestral works with distinguished companies in the US as part of his musical and artistic development of the full lyric tenor repertoire. In addition to The Metropolitan Opera, Mr. Vera has sung with such prominent companies such as the Lyric Opera of Orange County, Mission Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Spoleto, USA, Kansas City Symphony, New York City Opera, Illinois Symphony, Indianapolis Opera, Opera Memphis, Center for Contemporary Opera, Aspen Music Festival, Brevard Music Center, Sarasota Opera, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera North, The Minnesota Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Nashville Opera, Tanglewood Music Festival and Arizona Opera. As an active recitalist and clinician, he has performed recitals as an Artist in Residence at Dartmouth College, University of Texas-Pan America, Westminster College, Theatre Lawrence, Presbyterian College, GLOW Lyric Theatre, Edinburg Consolidated School District, Lawrence Arts Center, SUNY Oswego and Presbyterian College. In 2020 he released Romances & Poems of Sergey Tanayev under the Centaur Records label. He recently joined the Grammy Award winning Los Angeles Master Chorale where has performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Hollywood Bowl under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Currently, he is Artistic Director of Vocal Academy of Opera (VAO Bodrum) and Executive Director of Lawrence Opera Theatre. He is also Director of Vocal Arts and Opera at California State University, Northridge and maintains an active voice studio both in person and virtual. More at https://www.facebook.com/hugoveratenor/ and IG @HugoVeraSings