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The Roulades of Rossini
September 7, 2025
The Roulades of Rossini
by Frank Strafaci, Opera at Florham member of the Board of Trustees
What do you get when you put three outstanding singers in the hands of Mary Pinto?
Absolute Joy!
Mary Pinto is Opera at Florham’s Artistic Director, and well… on September 7th the Roulades of Rossini was presented at Lenfell Hall on the beautiful campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison. The audience was delighted with Arias from works of Rossini, in particular The Barber of Seville. Mary chose beautiful selections from this ever-loved Opera such as "La calunnia…” when Don Basilio thinks up ways to slander the Count so that he can marry Rosina and many more in the Opera’s repertoire.
During the second act, tunes from Wicked, The Scarlet Pimpernel and an Aria from Cinderella, another Opera from Gioachino Rossini, echoed through the hall by our outstanding singers.
Mezzo-Soprano Anna Kelly, Tenor Matthew Cerillo and Bass-Baritone Raúl Morales Velazco delivered the Arias and songs with skill, beauty and theatrical depth. Lenfell Hall was full as the audience acknowledged their accomplishments by ending the concert with a standing ovation. Many commented on the voices of our singers as being strong and clear.
You can hear excerpts of these wonderful singers on on YouTube.
On November 9th, Opera at Florham will present Due Soprani e Un Tenore, again at Lenfell Hall and the December 7th concert will be the Holiday Spectacular held at Saint Margaret’s Church in Morristown.
The Roulades of Rossini
ANNA KELLY
Mezzo-Soprano
Praised for her "divine" (Palm Beach Post) and “deliciously smooth and clear mezzo-soprano” (Parterre) Anna Kelly is a second year member of the Artist Diploma Program in Opera Studies at the Juilliard School, where she is a recipient of the Tatiana Troyanos Scholarship.
In 2024, Ms. Kelly made multiple role debuts: as Dorabella in Così fan tutte with Opera Saratoga, and as Federica in Luisa Miller with Sarasota Opera, where she also covered the title role in Carmen. Ms. Kelly's 2025 season opened with a role debut as Mère Marie in Poulenc's Dialogues des Carmélites under the baton of Matthew Aucoin at the Juilliard School, for which she received great acclaim from Opera Magazine and Musical America.
A successful vocal competitor, Ms. Kelly appeared as a semifinalist in both the Metropolitan Opera's 2022 Laffont Competition, and in the 2024 Houston Grand Opera's Eleanor McCollum Competition. Further competition highlights include awards from the Opera Index Competition, the Gerda Lissner Foundation, and the Loren L. Zachary Competition. Ms. Kelly was also a two time finalist with the Opera at Florham Vocal Competition in 2023 and 2024.
MATTHEW CERILLO
Tenor
Matthew Cerillo is an Italian-American tenor from Freehold, NJ. He made his Lincoln Center solo debut at the age of 24 and is now one of Opera’s most sought-after young tenors. This Fall, Matthew will make his role debut as Little Bat in St. Petersburg Opera’s Susannah. Most recently, Matthew was a Bailey Apprentice Artist at Palm Beach Opera for the 2024–2025 season where he performed the role of Giuseppe, cover Gastone, and study Alfredo in La Traviata.
He also covered the role of Benvolio in Roméo et Juliette and performed in many concerts throughout the season. You may have also seen him performing at New York Fashion Week during the international launch of Bloomingdale’s newest campaign, From Italy, With Love.
RAUL MORALES VELAZCO
Tenor
Raúl Morales Velazco is a member of the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) where he will be heard this season as
Méphistophélès in Gounod’s Faust and Hanezo at Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz. He was born in México and trained in the México Opera Estudio where he performed the roles of Colas in Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne, Manuello in
Melesio Morales’ Anita, Polifemo in Handel’s Acis & Galatea, and Padre Magistral in Penella’s Don Gil de Alcalá.
Raúl won 1st place at Giargiari Competition 2024 in Philadelphia, PA and 3rd prize at 2022 Carlo Morelli contest. He won 2nd prize in the men’s division of the 2023 Maria Callas Brazilian Singing Contest as well as being a district winner at Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition Philadelphia District in its 2024 edition. He is currently represented by Piper Artists Management.
MARY PINTO
Artistic Director & Piano Accompanist
Mary Pinto, Artistic Director, has worked with international Opera singers and major American Opera companies for over 25 years. Ms. Pinto's career began as a rehearsal pianist for noted Opera companies: Dallas Opera, Chicago's Lyric Opera, Omaha Opera, and others.
For many summers, including 2025, Ms. Pinto joins the team at Masterclass d’Ischia, an intensive Operatic program held in Italy, to coach Opera and prepare young singers for their upcoming Operatic season. In New York, she gave master classes and provided coaching at the Queens Summer Vocal Institute.
In 2022, Ms. Pinto was invited to be the official accompanist for the Giulio Gari Competition and to accompany singers at the Gerda Lissner Song, Zarzuela and Aria Competition followed by her Carnegie Hall debut playing in the Gerda Lissner Winners Concert.