Sandra Piques-Eddy, Mezzo Soprano

Mara Bonde, Soprano

Craig Tata, Baritone 

Sandra Piques Eddy, praised for her “dark, sensuous mezzo and charming stage presence” (Opera Magazine) “a lustrous voice” (Opera News) “a fine technique, a range of colors from honeyed to bright and charm to burn” (New York Times) celebrates her twentieth year as a professional mezzo soprano this season. Recent career successes include a reprise of her acclaimed Carmen with the legendary Maestro Seiji Ozawa on tour in Japan, a company debut with Opera New Zealand as Rosina in their Il barbiere di Siviglia tour, critical praise as the title character in The Coronation of Poppea with Opera North on tour in England performing and recording the role of Mistress Revels in Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players, and creating the role of Young Wife in the World Premiere of Scott Wheeler’s Naga, part of the Ouroboros Trilogy,produced by Beth Morrison Projects in Boston.  

With over 100 performances with the Metropolitan Opera, Sandra’s roles on the legendary stage include: Fiona in the much anticipated Metropolitan Opera premiere of Nico Muhly’s Two Boy directed by Bartlett Sher in 2013; Mercédès in Sir Richard Eyre’s production of Carmen (also broadcast nationally on PBS and theatrically live in HD and available on DVD), and many others.

A Boston native, Ms. Eddy’s professional concert debut was with Boston Baroque in Vivaldi’s Gloria at Sanders Theater and Portsmouth Music Hall. She has since had several reengagements, including Messagiera and Speranza in L’Orfeo, and Valletto  and Amore in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Boston audiences have also heard her in various roles with Boston University’s Opera Institute, including her signature Cherubino, Nancy in Albert Herring, Tieresias in the staged premiere of Merryman’s Antigone, and, most memorably, as Sesto in La clemenza di Tito.

Sandra was the first place New England Regional Winner of the 2000 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a National Semi-finalist. She has won competitions a both Opera Lirica and the Boston Conservatory. Ms. Eddy graduated from Boston University’s School for the Arts with a master’s degree in Vocal Performance and was an apprentice artist at the Boston Opera Institute. Additionally, she is a 2002 recipient of the Shoshana Foundation Richard Gold Career Grant.  In May 2017, Sandra was honored with Boston Conservatory’s Distinguished Alumni Award, and is delighted to be on the roster at Longy School of Music as a visiting artist for her fourth year.

Soprano Mara Bonde has thrilled audiences in diverse venues with her electric stage presence and musical artistry. Her voice has been described as having “sweet purity of tone” (Boston Herald) and “ravishing” (The Boston Globe). Equally at home in both classical and popular styles, Mara is no stranger to the world of symphony pops. She has been the guest artist for “Holiday Pops” concerts with the Boston Pops, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Naples Philharmonic, and with the Baton Rouge, Lansing, New Haven, Syracuse, and Charlotte Symphony Orchestras. Other orchestral engagements have taken her to the Firebird Pops, South Florida, Utah, San Diego, Stamford, Ridgefield, Waterbury, Cape, Cape Ann, Melrose, Quincy and Nashua Symphony Orchestras, the Handel & Haydn Society, and Boston Baroque.

Her stage repertoire includes both opera and classic music theater roles; a few favorites are Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music (Reagle Music Theatre), Mrs. Page in Sir John in Love (Odyssey Opera), Sarah Brown in Guys & Dolls (Reagle Music Theatre), Marian in The Music Man (Greater Lowell Music Theater), Lilli Vanessi/Kate in Kiss me Kate (Commonwealth Opera) and Adina in L’elisir d’amore (Sarasota Opera). Mara has also graced the stages of Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Omaha, Glimmerglass Opera, Utah Opera, Light Opera Oklahoma, Opera Company of North Carolina and the Artist Series of Sarasota in works ranging from Mozart to Mollicone, and Sullivan to Sondheim. This season Mara returns to Boston Lyric Opera covering the role of The Farmer in The Seasons and as ensemble in Carousel. Mara was a National Semi-Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (first place winner Rocky Mountain Region) and the first prize winner in the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Award.

Mara also performs regularly alongside mezzo-soprano Sandra Piques Eddy & pianist Brian Moll as a member of Concerts 4 Good, a musical outreach ensemble bringing music where it’s needed most: to the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, McClean Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Bay Cove Human Services…and more. Finally, Mara collaborates with someone very close to her heart-her dad and pianist/composer Allen Bonde! They specialize in performing repertoire from The Great American Songbook and the Golden Age of Musical Theater. Mara is thrilled to be performing with the Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra in repertoire that is both new and near and dear to her heart!

Craig Tata received an undergraduate degree in instrumental music education from Westfield State College before attending the University of Miami, where he received a master’s degree in music with an emphasis on conducting.  After Miami, he taught music at every level from third grade through college, and was a frequent guest music director for the University of Central Florida’s Theater Department.  Craig was also the music director and conductor for the Sudbury Savoyards’ production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Sorcerer and The Mikado. 

Craig appeared with Concord’s Opera51 in the roles of Melchior (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Dr. Bartolo (Le Nozze di Figaro), and as Frère Laurence in their American Award-winning production of Roméo et Juliette. He also performed in Mass Theatrica’s production of Dido and Aeneas as Aeneas, and Watch City Vocal Arts production of The Medium as Mr. Gobineau.