At the annual Center Stage concert at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the roster of singers is usually drawn entirely from the ranks of the Richard Gaddes Festival Artists and the Gerdine Young Artists. They were joined this year by a distinguished alumna of the OTSL chorus.

The guest artist was the internationally renowned soprano, Christine Brewer. She was the featured performer in a tribute to Richard Gaddes, OTSL’s founding general director, who passed away last December.

After receiving a charming introduction from OTSL artistic director James Robinson, Brewer spoke of the crucial role Gaddes played in the start of her operatic career. She then fulfilled his request to sing Ernest Charles’ “When I Have Sung My Songs to You” in his memory. She was joined by pianist Kirt Pavitt. Brewer’s story and her performance could not have been more moving.

The young artists appearing in Center Stage provided great hope for the future of opera . For most of the season, the OTSL young artists are not in the spotlight. Occasionally as understudies they may fill in for ailing colleagues, but the young artists mainly play supporting roles, sing in the chorus, cover major roles, and take part in the training programs.

Those programs help them prepare for Center Stage. As in the past, every operatic excerpt was staged as fully as possible. The unfailing interpretive depth made up for the unavoidable omission of sets and costumes.

What better way to start an operatic concert than with the prologue to Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci? As Tonio, David Wolfe was the unflappable master of ceremonies who demonstrated every emotion he sang about. OTSL artistic director James Robinson directed.

In this and all but two of the numbers, OTSL principal conductor Daniela Candillari directed the St. Louis Symphony. It played from the Loretto-Hilton stage, which offers better acoustics and more room for players than the orchestra pit. The result was sound of outstanding beauty and firmness.

These qualities were especially welcome in two works by Richard Strauss. In Act 1, Kathleen O’Mara as Arabella, and Titus Muzi III as Mandryka were the marvelous performers in “Das war sehr gut, Mandryka” from Arabella. The director was Patricia Racette, OTSL’s artistic director of young artist programs. In Act 2, the final trio from Der Rosenkavalier was transporting thanks to the performances that laid bare the characters’ feelings in gorgeous singing. Sophie was Georgia Belmont, Octavian was Michelle Mariposa, and the Marshallin was Kathleen O’Mara. Ian Silverman directed.

The other conductors were Darwin Aquino and Kedrick Armstrong. Each was the assistant and cover conductor for two of this season’s operas.

Armstrong conducted “Riconosci in questo amplesso,” the ensemble in which Figaro’s parentage is disclosed in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. The astonishment after the revelation was captured under Robinson’s direction by  Lucy Evans (Marcellina), John Godhard Mburu (Figaro),  Ryan Lustgarten (Don Curzio), Emilio Vasquez (Conte Almaviva), Justin Ramm-Damron (Dr. Bartolo), and Laura Santamaria (Susanna).

Aquino conduct a hilarious performance of the duet of the fly from Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers. Eurydice was Georgia Belmont. Jupiter was Patrick Wilhelm, sporting a memorable set of wings. Silverman directed.

In the great Act 4 quartet from Verdie’s Rigoletto, the suggestive seduction of Maddalena (Madeleine Lyon) by the Duke (Brad Bickhardt) contrasted strongly with the misery of the betrayed Gilda (Laura Santamaria) and the rage of Rigoletto (David Wolfe). Silverman directed.

Countertenors Luke Elmer (Jacob) and Elijah English (George) produced a beautiful countertenor blend in the playful duet, “Hark! How the Songsters of the Grove,” from Henry Purcell’s Timon of Athens. Silverman directed.

The singing was beautiful, and the mistaken identity provided lots of fun in “A la faveur de cette nuit obscure” from Rossini’s Le comte Ory. The performers were Jordan Costa (Comte Ory),  Jennifer Kreider (Countess Adele), and  Veronica Siebert (Isolier). Racette directed.

“Vado e vivo colla speranza,” from Handel’s Imeneo, was an impressive display of both singing and emotion as performed by Luke Elmer as Imeneo (Hymen, the god of marriage in Greek mythology) and Olivia Prendergast as Rosmene. Olivia Gacka directed.

“Il cannone del porto” from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly was stunning as Jouelle Roberson captured the gamut of Cio-Cio-San’s emotions from apprehension to elation in beautiful, powerful singing. Michelle Mariposa was the deeply sympathetic Suzuki. Racette directed.

Comedy was king in “Pria di dividerci… Va sossopra il mio cervello” from Rossin’s L’italiana in Algeri. Gioachino Rossini. The unerring comedians were Lucy Evans as Isabella, Olivia Prendergast as Elvira, John Godhard Mburu as Mustafa, Jared Werlein as Taddeo, Jordan Costa Lindoro, Ryan Lustgarten as Haly, and Sophia Baete as Zulma. Silverman directed.

The depth of feeling was overwhelming in “Parigi, o cara” from Verdi’s La traviata., beautifully sung by Brad Bickhardt as Alfredo and Jennifer Kreider as Violetta. Racette directed.

“To leave, to break,” from the final act of Barber’s Vanessa, affectingly captured the deep introspection of the five characters: Vanessa (Chase Sanders), Anatol (Levi Adkins), Erika (Veronica Siebert), the baroness (Lauren Paul), and the doctor (Emilio Vasquez). Robinson directed.

Act 2 began with a fine account of the overture to Gräfin Mariza by Emmerich Kalman. Two other welcome rarities were “Do You Mind? (Park in Dupont Circle)” from Gregory Spears’s Fellow Travelers and “Carceleras” from Ruperto Chapi’s Las hijas del Zebedeo.

Fellow Travelers is about a doomed gay romance in the nation’s capital during the McCarthy era. As directed by Robinson, the first meeting of Timothy Laughlin (Benjamin Ruiz) and Hawkins Fuller (Erik Grendahl) was exuberantly portrayed with no sign of the trouble to come. Gabriela Linares was spectacular in Luisa’s aria from Las hijas del Zebedeo under Racette’s direction.

In a series four excerpts from musicals and operettas, authenticity of style was as important as in the operas. Robinson directed the first three numbers. In “Fugue for Tinhorns” from Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls, the delightfully Runyonesque performers were Brad Bickhardt as Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Hakeem Henderson as Benny Southstreet, and Joseph O’Shea as Rusty Charlie.

Joseph O’Shea as Bunthorne and Jared Werlein as Grosvenor were the stylish performers in “When I Go Out of Door” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience. In the next Gilbert and Sullivan excerpt, Titus Muzi III brought supreme clarity, comedy, and beauty to “I Am the Very Model of a Modem Major General” from The Pirates of Penzance. In “Together, Wherever We Go” from Jule Styne’s Gypsy, the pathway from discord to unity was portrayed with conviction and eventual joy by Sophia Baete as Rose, Joseph O’Shea as Herbie, and Olivia Prendergast as Louise. Gacka directed.

The finales for both acts had choruses that brought all the performers onstage for recognition. Act 1 concluded a rousing performance of “Hélas! Mon coeur s’égare encore,” the ensemble from Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann in which the title character realizes he has lost his reflection. The principals were Devin Eatmon as Hoffmann, Chase Sanders as Giulietta, Justin Ramm-Damron as Dapertutto, Madeleine Lyon as Nicklausse,  Jared Werlein as Schlemil, and akeem Henderson as Pitichinaccio. Patricia Racette directed.

The concert ended with a thrilling rendition of “Make Our Garden Grow,” the inspiring finale from Bernstein’s Candide. The named performers were Levi Adkins (Candide), Georgia Belmont (Cunegonde), Laura Santamaria (Paquette), Lauren Paul (the old lady) Hakeem Henderson (the governor), Emilio Vasquez (Maximilian), and  Erik Grendahl (Pangloss). Silverman directed. Pangloss’s final interjection was wisely omitted. The meta moment is unnecessary outside the context of the opera.

The 2024 OTSL season concludes on June 30.

—Gerry Kowarsky