Mary Stevens/Daily Mining Gazette Mezzo-Soprano Julia Janowski during a solo performance of 'Wie du Warst!' on June 14 at the Rozsa Center.

HOUGHTON — Saturday night, nearly one hundred fans flocked to the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts on Michigan Tech’s campus for the Pine Mountain Music Festival’s (PMMF) Houghton season premiere.

Singers Kathryn Summerset, Maitri White, Julia Janowski and Darrius Morton delivered ten powerful pieces that showcased their unique and impressive voices. According to Joel Neves, PMMF artistic director, one thing that makes this cast so special is that all four singers are “native Yoopers.” Summerset currently resides in Houghton County, and Janowski and Morton are based in Marquette. White grew up in Marqeutte, and sang in the school’s choir.

Jon Ensminger, an international music scholar, accompanied on piano. Ensminger teaches private piano lessons both at his studio in Laurium and at Michigan Tech. Ensminger developed the music education app Rhythm Lab, and has several published piano and choral arrangements.

The recital began with Summerset, White, and Janowski performing the scene “Mêlons! Coupons!” from “Carmen”, one of the most recognizable operas of all time. The scene fluctuates between romantic and ominous, and marks a dark turning point in the opera’s story.

The final piece, which included all four performers, was from Richard Strauss’ ‘Der Rosenkavalier’. It involves the ‘Marschallin’, a princess portrayed by mezzo-soprano Janowski, stepping aside so her lover can be with another woman. The final act received a standing ovation from the audience.

In an address to attendees, PMMF Executive Director Lara Neves commented on the future of the beloved music festival.

“We are so pleased to be here at the Rozsa Center tonight. Carmen, incidentally, was the last opera that the Pine Mountain Music Festival was able to fully stage, that was all the way back in 2018.” she said.

“We are working hard to be able to bring a fully staged opera again to the Pine Mountain Music Festival in 2027. But in order to do that, we need your help more than ever … We rely quite heavily on [government arts grants] to do what we are doing, and those things are paused, a little bit up in the air, right now…Opera’s important to me, and I know because you’re here, that it’s important to all of you.”

If supporters don’t have the financial means to support the program, Lara added that the organization is “always looking for volunteers on the board … so if you would love to help out, volunteer time or ideas, we’re always looking for wonderful board members.”

At the end of the night, Joel Neves took the stage once again, to ask fans what operas they would like to see in the future. Among the several suggestions were timeless classics such as “La Bohème” by composer Glacomo Puccini and “The Magic Flute”, penned by Mozart and first performed in 1791.

To make a donation to the Pine Mountain Music Festival, visit pinemountainmusicfestival.com/donate.

For a schedule of the rest of the season’s shows, visit pmmf.org.