In the Park with Scott Quinn

In the Park with...

Scott Quinn
Tenor, Opera in the Park











1.  Where were you born / raised? 
Marshall, Texas.

2.  What is in your ideal picnic basket?
Ribeye steak, mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and sweet tea.

3.  My most memorable moment performing outside was...
Singing my first Rodolfo in La Bohème at the Miller Outdoor Theater in Houston when it was 90 degrees and I had to pretend it was the middle of winter.

4.  My favorite outdoor performance I've attended was...
Watching the Texas Rangers win their first pennant.

5.  My favorite summertime activity is...
It's a toss-up:  golf or fishing.

6.  My ideal vacation is....
Beach / golf / deep sea fishing in Destin, Florida.  I've been going there since I was 3.

Bonus:  One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer).
Q:  If you could have dinner with any three people past or present, who would they be?
A:  Frank Sinatra, Babe Ruth, and Jim Carrey.


Join Scott for Opera in the Park on Saturday, July 23 at 8pm in Garner Park.  FREE admission; visit madisonopera.org for more information.

In the Park with Angela Brown

In the Park with...

Angela Brown
Soprano, Opera in the Park





1.  Where were you born / raised? 
Indianapolis, Indiana.

2.  What is in your ideal picnic basket?
Cheese, grapes, mock chicken salad (I'm a vegetarian), chips, a bottle of moscato, citronella candles, and good bread or crackers.

3.  My most memorable moment performing outside was...
In Garfield Park, outside Indianapolis, I was singing a moving spiritual, "Lord, How Come Me Here."  At one of the poignant moments in the song, a bug flew in my mouth and I had to swallow.  The exact words I was singing were: "I wish I never was born"!!!

4.  My favorite outdoor performance I've attended was...
The Indiana Black Expo's Summer Celebration Concert in downtown Indianapolis at the American Legion Mall.  It occurs every summer.

5.  My favorite summertime activity is...
Swimming!!!

6.  My ideal vacation is....
Driving anywhere with my family in tow.

Bonus:  One question you wish someone would ask you (and the answer).
Q:  Where do you get your jewelry?
A:  It's my own creation from my jewelry company, "It's a DIVA thang!" (www.itsadivathang.com)


Join Angela for Opera in the Park on Saturday, July 23 at 8pm in Garner Park.  FREE admission; visit madisonopera.org for more information.

In the Park with Emily Birsan

In the Park with...

Emily Birsan
Soprano, Opera in the Park










1.  Where were you born / raised? 
I was born in Appleton, Wisconsin - the Fox Valley.  I was raised in Appleton, Green Bay, Dubuque, and North Carolina.  I went to middle school and high school in Neenah, Wisconsin, so by majority rules...  I was raised in the Midwest.  :)

2.  What is in your ideal picnic basket?
CHEESE, cheese, and more cheese.  And stuff to put cheese on.  I also love olives, grapes, artichokes, roasted pepper spread, and of course, you can't forget some wine!  I have been into syrah / cabernet blends lately.

3.  My most memorable moment performing outside was...
I had many great moments in Chicago with the Grant Park Symphony, but a favorite of mine was for a Stars of Lyric concert where I was covering a soprano whose flight was delayed.  I sang the Mad Scene from Lucia di Lammermoor with sirens and the sounds of Chicago in the distance!

4.  My favorite outdoor performance I've attended was...
Nina Simone - it was the must fun jazz outdoor vibe I've ever seen.

5.  My favorite summertime activity is...
Camping and hiking with a lake nearby.  I live in the Hudson Valley, New York, area, where there are mountains, streams, and lakes.  My dog Rosie loves to hike and explore the trails with me.  It's a great way to exercise and meditate / enjoy the quiet.

6.  My ideal vacation is....
Bali!!  For the lush forests and beaches.  Rich eastern culture.


Join Emily for Opera in the Park on Saturday, July 23 at 8pm in Garner Park.  FREE admission; visit madisonopera.org for more information.