String Theory: Meet the Artists
Our artist roster for String Theory brings back our I Belong to You collaborators Invoke string quartet, pianist Benjie Dia, and new and returning faces on our singer roster. This concert also features brand new illustrations from local artist Susannah Kirtland. don’t miss our season closer this Saturday, June 6 at 7pm and Sunday, June 7 at 4pm. Get your tickets here.
INVOKE
As an organization whose primary focus is new music, we love that we do not need to subscribe to a certain sound. The way we approach interpreting music is that whatever we perform basically dictates how we sing, so that each work is colored and nuanced differently. Many of the artists we collaborate with share the same genre-defying ethos, and Invoke is certainly that.
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Invoke is comprised of Nick Montopoli on violin and banjo; Zach Matteson on violin; Karl Mitze on viola and mandolin; and Geoff Manyin on cello. They’re definitely NOT your mother’s string quartet. Their brand of adventurous music-making blends bluegrass, folk, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism, AND they create their own music and ALL sing, too! We loved collaborating with them back in 2022 for “I Belong to You”, and it’s time for us to join forces again! We can’t be more excited!
MEET OUR SOPRANOS
(top left) Irida Herri, whom you might remember most recently from Da Capo’s ”Chiaroscuro.” The lushest voice!
Ivy Cantu is singing with us for the very first time, and we’re so excited to have her. What a ⭐️!
Jen Wang is back with us after singing last year’s “The Beer and Now”. If you attended Austin Cantorum’s most recent concert, she had a gorgeous solo on it!
(bottom left to right) Julia Sterner-Holden is another returning singer from Da Capo’s “Chiaroscuro”. Her voice is like the most decadent chocolate!
Jenny Houghton is no stranger to the Austin classical music scene. She’s also one of our board members. We’re delighted to have her singing with us again!
Maureen Papovich is not only a gifted singer, she’s also a wonderful librettist. Hear the premiere of Adrienne Inglis’ “Neurospicy Songsters On the Road to Bremen”, which she penned the words to!
MEET OUR ALTOS
(top left) AV Villarreal is a conductor, dancer, and community leader and nurturer who most recently sang with us at Here Be Monsters. What a bada$$!
Cassidy Wallace was recently with us at Here Be Monsters, too, but you might also remember her from the haunting trio she performed in Da Capo’s Chiaroscuro concert. What a gift!
Cayla Cardiff is back singing with us, after two back-to-back Da Capo and Inversion projects! In this concert, she gives life to the voice of the highly intelligent, anti-social, violin-playing donkey in the premiere of Adrienne Inglis’ piece.
(bottom left) Kristen Thomas is a powerhouse! We are so lucky to have her talent on our roster.
Melody Chang is back singing with us, her last being the 2025 SXSW showcase, and we couldn’t be happier!
Krystina Speegle is singing with our mixed ensemble for the very first time on this project. What a strong, ever-present voice she has!
MEET OUR TENORS
(top left) Lester Tanquilut is back singing with us! His last time was last year at @beerthoven’s The Beer and Now. This concert, you’ll hear his gorgeous tenor soaring in Margie Halloran’s Cinderella story Boy Meets Boy.
Mark Istratie sang with us most recently at Here Be Monsters, and we’re so glad to have him with us again for this project! What a gem of a voice!
Guillermo Delgado is with us again on this project! This powerhouse tenor has a voice that is not to be missed!
(bottom left) Jonathan Riemer, while not being the president or our board of directors, lends his voice to the tenor section. We’re so thrilled he’s part of this project!
Nathan Thompson is a singer and conductor who first sang with us last year in The Beer and Now. In this concert, he magnificently sings the role of the tender, innocent, highly-musical cat in Adrienne Inglis’ piece Neurospicy Songsters on the Road to Bremen.
MEET OUR BASSES
(top left) André Trahan is a conductor and singer who has sung with us in the past, but it has been quite some time. We’re glad he could join us for this project. If you need a low bass, he’s your man!
Casey Papovich is an astronomy professor by day but is also a very gifted singer who straddles the baritenor rep quite easily. He sings in both our professional mixed ensemble and our community choir!
Chaz Nailor is a baritone who has an active singing career, and is also a licensed financial professional. Chaz performs with Chorus Austin as their bass section leader, the Quinlan Singers, and many more. This is Chaz’s first engagement with Inversion, and we’re so happy to have him!
(bottom left) Daniel Robertson is one of those hyphenates that you’re thrilled to have in your ensemble. A singer with super solid musical and vocal chops, he’s also a fantastic percussionist. In this concert, he plays the pateteg, a Philippine percussion instrument made of bamboo, in Filipino composer Ruben Federizon’s “Tinig ng Lupa”. What a treasure!
Rick Gabrillo, conductor, educator, pianist, arts administrator, has gifted us with so much of his time, talent, and expertise since joining us for our Björk project back in 2023. We are thrilled he is part of our singer roster!
Steve Young's baritone has been featured in many Inversion concerts throughout the years, with good reason. This concert, he sings the role of the stuttering, neurotypical and social dog in Adrienne Inglis’s piece “Neurospicy Songsters on the Road to Bremen”. Definitely a must-hear!
MEET OUR ARTIST
At this concert, not only will we have world premieres of new music, we’ll also have brand new illustrations by local artist Susannah Kirtland projected throughout the space. Think of it like you’re part of a storybook that comes alive!
Susannah pushes her elbows out. Unrestricted by any single style, she approaches each project as an opportunity to learn and grow. For 25 years, she has worked as an artist in the video game industry while continually pursuing personal art. Her shared passion for the environment, inclusivity, and social justice drew her to String Theory.
MEET OUR ARTISTIC TEAM
Katrina Saporsantos is a Filipino soprano, conductor, composer, arts administrator, and actor in Austin, TX. She is a B. Iden Payne Awardee for Outstanding Original Score for MotherTree with VORTEX Repertory Company. When not performing as an operatic soprano, she sings with ensembles like Conspirare, Tatsulok trio, and the duo Kapwa. As Artistic Director and Conductor of Inversion, she conducts its professional treble and mixed choruses, along with its community choir for singers 50 and above. Katrina is a faculty for Zach Scott Theater’s Pre-Professional Company and a Teaching Artist for their Adult Acting Classes (Intro to Musical Theater).
Benjamin Dia has performed in the United States and Europe, performing in concert halls and festivals such as the Oslo Concert Hall, the United Nation’s Day concerts at the Palau de la Generalitat in Barcelona, the 2000 Autumn Music Festival in Marostica, Italy, and the Aberdeen Youth Festival in Scotland. He was a faculty member of the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, Asia’s foremost training center for church music and liturgy. Currently based in Austin, TX, Benjamin finds himself a frequent collaborator of groups such as Inversion Ensemble, the ZACH Theater Pre-Professional Company, and Panoramic Voices.
