Arica Jackson

Arica Jackson was raised in West Bloomfield, Michigan and later moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan where she graduated from Forest Hills Eastern high school. She earned her BFA in drama from Carnegie Mellon University in 2017. Upon graduation, she joined the first national tour of the Broadway musical, Waitress. She made her Broadway debut in … Read more

Chelsea Starbuck Smith

Acclaimed as a violinist of “compelling presence, fearless attack, and technical aplomb and bravado” (New London’s The Day), Chelsea Starbuck Smith is a young artist known for her infectious enthusiasm for the violin.  She has performed as solo and chamber artist in venues across the United States and abroad, including Madison Square Garden, David Geffen … Read more

Miles Mykkanen

Miles Mykkanen (Bessemer, MI) is acclaimed around the world for his “powerful lyric tenor seemingly capable of infinite dynamic gradations.” (Opera)  His performances have brought him to the stages of The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Hamburg State Opera, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and Lincoln Center.  Mykkanen’s repertoire spans from the operas of Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Wagner, to … Read more

Jordan Jones-Reese

Pianist Jordan Jones-Reese is thrilled to join the Emberlight Festival for the first time this summer.  He’s played in the Broadway orchestras for Ain’t Too Proud, Miss Saigon and Nerds, and his Off-Broadway credits include the Classic Stage Company production of Assassins, The New Group’s Jerry Spring: The Opera, and Kazino’s Natasha, Pierre & the … Read more

Cindy Franck

With a diverse background in the arts, healthcare, public relations, and philanthropy, Cindy Franck brings her masterful leadership, creative eye and astute understanding of the human spirit to the Emberlight Festival. Cindy Franck has been a member of Theatre North’s Board of Directors for 44 years, where she currently serves as the Production Director. She … Read more

Daniel Mykkanen

Daniel Mykkanen is well known for his superior musicianship and dedication as a musical educator to thousands of students over the last four decades.  He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Northern Michigan University and a Master of Music Education from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.  Since 1977, Mykkanen’s students have received top … Read more

Ann Toomey

American soprano Ann Toomey is a 2016 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions national semifinalist and a 2019 Richard F. Gold Career Grant Recipient. In early 2020, She made her European debut to critical acclaim as the title role in Suor Angelica at the Berlin Philharmonie, under the baton of Kirill Petrenko. In the 2021-2022 season, … Read more

Adam Rothenberg

Pianist, conductor, and music director Adam Rothenberg is a versatile young artist who has performed throughout North America and Europe in a wide array of projects, including chamber music, orchestral concerts, opera, and musical theatre. He recently conducted the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd, after serving as the Assistant Conductor of the Broadway revival of Company and the Associate Conductor of … Read more