Meet the Soloists: Terra Nostra
Marin Tack—Soprano
Marin Tack is a soprano from Northern Michigan who excels in classical, musical theater, and contemporary singing. Tack is hailed for her “emotional depth and courage” on stage, and has premiered several pieces of new music. Ms.Tack spent the summer of 2021 as an Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera. During her time with CCO, she covered the roles of The Witches in Dido and Aeneas, performed the role of Louise in Carousel, and performed a solo Al Fresco recital.
Ms. Tack is a recent graduate of the Northwestern University Opera and Voice Masters program in Evanston, Illinois, where she studied under Nancy Gustafson. During her time at Northwestern, Ms.Tack sang with the Grant Park Chorus, sang as a section leader at Alice Millar Chapel, co-founded and performed with a women's trio named Brio, sang as a soloist in several recitals and concerts, premiered several new works, and won first place in the 2020 NSCS Donald Chen Young Artist Award Competition.
Ms. Tack also sang a variety of roles the with NU Opera Theatre including Miss Jessel in The Turn of the Screw, Héro in Béatrice et Bénédict, Hanna Hunyani in the party scene of Die Fledermaus, Speranza in the virtual production of L’Orfeo, and Lisa in the Chicago premiere of Dog Days by David T Little. Ms. Tack is excited to be back in Chicago revisiting one of her favorite pieces, Terra Nostra, and singing alongside cherished friends and mentors.
David Govertsen—Baritone
Chicago native David Govertsen has been active as a professional singer for nearly twenty years, portraying a wide variety of opera’s low-voiced heroes, villains, and buffoons. Mr. Govertsen has appeared as a soloist with numerous local and regional opera companies, including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, Tulsa Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, and the Haymarket Opera Company. He is a member of the vocal chamber quartet Fourth Coast Ensemble, performing art song in Chicago and throughout the Midwest.
As a concert soloist Mr. Govertsen has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Grant Park Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival among many others. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2011 as the Herald in Otello with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Muti. He is an alumnus of the Ryan Opera Center and the Santa Fe Opera and Central City Opera apprentice programs and holds degrees from Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University and the College of DuPage. Mr. Govertsen is currently on faculty at North Park University, Valparaiso University, Lewis University and the College of DuPage.
Aryssa Burrs—Mezzo-Soprano
Vocalist Aryssa Leigh Burrs is hailed for her “rich sound and thoughtful musical ideas'' while “transcending vocal styles and genres with flexibility and ease.” Ms. Burrs has performed with Central City Opera where she performed a solo Al Fresco Concert, Sorceress (cover) in Dido and Aeneas, and featured ensemble in Carousel. As a Resident Artist with Opera Columbus-Capital University, Ms. Burrs has been seen as Ramona (Vanqui), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), and Cinderella (Cinderella-Ed). Other recent engagements include Elvis Costello’s The Juliet Letters (UrbanArias), Mame Dennis in Mame (The Seagle Festival). Ms. Burrs obtained a Masters of Music in Voice and Opera Performance from Northwestern University where she was seen as Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus), Captain (Dog Days), Baba the Turk (The Rake’s Progress), as well as a soloist with various choral and orchestral ensembles (Am I born, David T. Little; Terra Nostra, Stacy Garrop; The Branch Will Not Break, Christopher Cerrone).
Aryssa is a 2022 American Traditions Competition Quarterfinalist and the founder of ALB Produces. Ms. Burrs is a choral artist at the National Shrine, with The Thirteen, and with the Crossing. Being committed to music for social justice, Ms. Burrs’ most cherished performances include her orchestral debut with Charlotte Symphony (Thorgy and the Thorchestra), as well as performing a set of operatic favorites for the incomparable Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Aryssa is the founder of and holds both a B. Music in Voice Performance, and a B. Music Education in Choral/General Music from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Jesse Donner—Tenor
A graduate of the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, tenor Jesse Donner has already distinguished himself on the operatic and concert stage with his “vibrant” (Chicago Classical Review) and “fresh and juicy” (Chicago Tribune) voice. Upcoming engagements include a return to Union Avenue Opera in his role debut as Rodolfo (La Boheme), a return to the Evansville Symphony as the Tenor Soloist in Handel’s Messiah, a role and company debut as Danilo (The Merry Widow) with St. Petersburg Opera, a return to Dupage Opera as Danilo (The Merry Widow), and his concert debut with the New Jersey Festival Orchestra.
In previous seasons, Mr. Donner joined the Louisville Orchestra as the soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah, Toledo Opera for their Fall Gala Concert and returned to the Chicago Philharmonic to solo on their Concert for Peace as part of their Polish Festival. He also made debuts with Union Avenue Opera as Ismaele (Nabucco) and Dupage Opera as Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), and sang Emporer Alteum (Turandot) with Cedar Rapids Opera.
Mr. Donner was a resident artist at Lyric Opera of Chicago from 2014-2017, where he was commended for his “polished” and “heroic” tenor (Chicago Classical Review). With the Ryan Opera Center, Donner’s concert appearances included an excerpt from Troilus And Cressida with the Civic Orchestra and Sir Andrew Davis, and a concert performance of Lennie Small (Of Mice And Men) with the Grant Park Orchestra.
Mr. Donner won the 2015 Luminarts Fellowship and the Bel Canto grand prize, received the 2014 George Shirley Award for Opera Performance, a special encouragement award from the 2014 Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Auditions, and first place in the 2012 Michigan Friends of Opera Competition. A native of Des Moines, IA, Mr. Donner completed graduate and post-graduate studies at the University of Michigan and received a Bachelor of Music degree from Iowa State University.