Katherine Polit, President
Hailed by Opera News as “vibrant,” Dr. Katherine Polit is a passionate performer and educator. At home in the concert hall and on the operatic stage, recent appearances include Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with Bodhi Tree Concerts, Pamina in The Magic Flute with Pacific Symphony, Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate with Helena Symphony, and Vivaldi’s Gloria at David Geffen Hall. She apprenticed with Virginia Opera for two seasons and returned to their mainstage to perform the role of Ännchen in Der Freischütz. Her other notable operatic roles include Musetta (La Bohème), Nannetta (Falstaff), Despina (Così fan tutte), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Johanna (Sweeney Todd), and Josephine (H.M.S. Pinafore). She has been featured with San Diego Opera, La Jolla Symphony, The Ohio Light Opera, Opera Naples, Charlotte Symphony, Orchestra Santa Monica, Evansville Philharmonic, Opera Louisiane, and Charlottesville Opera. Accolades include being chosen as a finalist in the Rochester Idol Competition and the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition. Currently a member of the voice faculty at San Diego State University, Katherine completed her Doctor of Music in Vocal Literature and Performance at Indiana University, holds a Master of Music in Opera Performance from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Humanities and Arts from Carnegie Mellon University. She previously served on the board of San Diego NATS as vice-president.
Hailed by Opera News as “vibrant,” Dr. Katherine Polit is a passionate performer and educator. At home in the concert hall and on the operatic stage, recent appearances include Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with Bodhi Tree Concerts, Pamina in The Magic Flute with Pacific Symphony, Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate with Helena Symphony, and Vivaldi’s Gloria at David Geffen Hall. She apprenticed with Virginia Opera for two seasons and returned to their mainstage to perform the role of Ännchen in Der Freischütz. Her other notable operatic roles include Musetta (La Bohème), Nannetta (Falstaff), Despina (Così fan tutte), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Johanna (Sweeney Todd), and Josephine (H.M.S. Pinafore). She has been featured with San Diego Opera, La Jolla Symphony, The Ohio Light Opera, Opera Naples, Charlotte Symphony, Orchestra Santa Monica, Evansville Philharmonic, Opera Louisiane, and Charlottesville Opera. Accolades include being chosen as a finalist in the Rochester Idol Competition and the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition. Currently a member of the voice faculty at San Diego State University, Katherine completed her Doctor of Music in Vocal Literature and Performance at Indiana University, holds a Master of Music in Opera Performance from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Humanities and Arts from Carnegie Mellon University. She previously served on the board of San Diego NATS as vice-president.
Travis Sherwood, Vice President
American Baritone, Travis Sherwood, has received praise for his powerful voice and emotionally poignant performances around the world as an opera singer, concert artist, and recitalist, performing a wide range of musical genres and styles. On the operatic stage, Sherwood has performed leading roles in La Bohème, South Pacific, Gianni Schicchi, The Tempest, Hänsel und Gretel, Das Liebesverbot, Albert Herring, Don Giovanni, The Rape of Lucretia, and Die Fledermaus for companies such as Mississippi Opera, Aspen Opera Theater, The Martina Arroyo Foundation Prelude to Performance, and USC Thornton Opera. On the concert stage, Sherwood has performed with the La Jolla Symphony, Southwest Symphony, Chatter Orchestra, Hunterdon Symphony, Symphony of the Vines, Canto Bello Chamber Orchestra, Monroe Symphony Orchestra, and La Sierra Symphony Orchestra. Sherwood has also enjoyed many collaborative recitals with distinguished pianists throughout the world. Sherwood holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music; and a Bachelor of Music degree from Westminster Choir College. Currently, Sherwood serves as Assistant Professor of Voice and Voice Area Coordinator on the faculty of San Diego State University, School of Music and Dance.
American Baritone, Travis Sherwood, has received praise for his powerful voice and emotionally poignant performances around the world as an opera singer, concert artist, and recitalist, performing a wide range of musical genres and styles. On the operatic stage, Sherwood has performed leading roles in La Bohème, South Pacific, Gianni Schicchi, The Tempest, Hänsel und Gretel, Das Liebesverbot, Albert Herring, Don Giovanni, The Rape of Lucretia, and Die Fledermaus for companies such as Mississippi Opera, Aspen Opera Theater, The Martina Arroyo Foundation Prelude to Performance, and USC Thornton Opera. On the concert stage, Sherwood has performed with the La Jolla Symphony, Southwest Symphony, Chatter Orchestra, Hunterdon Symphony, Symphony of the Vines, Canto Bello Chamber Orchestra, Monroe Symphony Orchestra, and La Sierra Symphony Orchestra. Sherwood has also enjoyed many collaborative recitals with distinguished pianists throughout the world. Sherwood holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California, Thornton School of Music; and a Bachelor of Music degree from Westminster Choir College. Currently, Sherwood serves as Assistant Professor of Voice and Voice Area Coordinator on the faculty of San Diego State University, School of Music and Dance.
Jennifer D'Onofrio, Student Auditions Co-Coordinator
I am passionate about working with people who love to sing. As a classically trained singer with a love of musical theatre, I have taught private voice, general music and musical theatre to children, teens and adults for the past 20 years. My greatest pleasure is working with students who choose to purse their own passions outside of the studio, yet continue to study voice for personal enjoyment and improvement! My students have gone on to study classical voice, musical theatre and CCM at top colleges across the U.S., earned roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theatre, started recording careers in pop, acoustic and new age styles, and become teachers themselves.
I am passionate about working with people who love to sing. As a classically trained singer with a love of musical theatre, I have taught private voice, general music and musical theatre to children, teens and adults for the past 20 years. My greatest pleasure is working with students who choose to purse their own passions outside of the studio, yet continue to study voice for personal enjoyment and improvement! My students have gone on to study classical voice, musical theatre and CCM at top colleges across the U.S., earned roles on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theatre, started recording careers in pop, acoustic and new age styles, and become teachers themselves.
Maria Caughey, Treasurer
Maria Caughey, Mezzo-Soprano is a versatile artist who is gaining renown in theaters and concert halls not only for her rich, telling voice, musical sensitivity and expression but for her fearlessness as a performer. Some of Maria’s favorite Opera roles include, Komponist Ariadne auf Naxos, title role in Cendrillon, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Seville and Hansel & The Mother in Hansel und Gretel. Maria has performed with Washington National Opera, The Washington Savoyards, The Metropolitan Opera and Annapolis Opera, to name a few. Also at home as a concert artist, her engagements include the Mezzo Soloist in Verdi Requiem with Maryland Symphony Orchestra in addition to the Mozart Requiem, Duruflé Requiem, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Neue Liebeslieder Waltzes by Brahms. Her recent solo Oratorio engagements include Handel’s Messiahwith the Mainly Mozart Orchestra, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with Escondido Choral Arts and Oratorio de Noël by Saint-Saëns with San Diego Festival Chorus. Maria was thrilled to be nominated for "Teacher of the Year" for Anne Arundel County Public Schools where she began her career as an Educator of General Music and Chorus(K-12). She was on the Faculty of Levine Music, a community based Conservatory in the Washington D.C./Metropolitan area teaching private voice, where her students won numerous Vocal Competitions and Voice Scholarships. Maria maintains a private voice studio in Scripps Ranch, teaches for Villa Musica, a Community Music School here in San Diego and is a teaching Artist for San Diego Opera.
Maria Caughey, Mezzo-Soprano is a versatile artist who is gaining renown in theaters and concert halls not only for her rich, telling voice, musical sensitivity and expression but for her fearlessness as a performer. Some of Maria’s favorite Opera roles include, Komponist Ariadne auf Naxos, title role in Cendrillon, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro, Rosina in Il Barbiere di Seville and Hansel & The Mother in Hansel und Gretel. Maria has performed with Washington National Opera, The Washington Savoyards, The Metropolitan Opera and Annapolis Opera, to name a few. Also at home as a concert artist, her engagements include the Mezzo Soloist in Verdi Requiem with Maryland Symphony Orchestra in addition to the Mozart Requiem, Duruflé Requiem, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Neue Liebeslieder Waltzes by Brahms. Her recent solo Oratorio engagements include Handel’s Messiahwith the Mainly Mozart Orchestra, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with Escondido Choral Arts and Oratorio de Noël by Saint-Saëns with San Diego Festival Chorus. Maria was thrilled to be nominated for "Teacher of the Year" for Anne Arundel County Public Schools where she began her career as an Educator of General Music and Chorus(K-12). She was on the Faculty of Levine Music, a community based Conservatory in the Washington D.C./Metropolitan area teaching private voice, where her students won numerous Vocal Competitions and Voice Scholarships. Maria maintains a private voice studio in Scripps Ranch, teaches for Villa Musica, a Community Music School here in San Diego and is a teaching Artist for San Diego Opera.
Kimberly Moller, Social Media Chair
Kimberly Moller is a San Diego-based actor and voice teacher specializing in a cutting-edge approach that taps into the power of the brain to dramatically improve vocal technique. Kimberly is a certified practitioner of Z-Health, a neuro-centric approach to performance training and her company is called Vocal Kinesthetics. Kimberly earned her MFA in Musical Theater from San Diego State University and she holds an M.M. in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Boston University. As an actor and teaching artist, Kimberly has appeared at La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe San Diego, The Moonlight Amphitheater, San Diego Musical Theater, Off-Broadway Theater Company, as well as numerous regional northeast theaters and opera houses. Most recently, Kim was part of the vocal ensemble on Stephanie Economou’s Grammy-award winning music for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. You might see her in Subaru of El Cajon's Share the Love award-winning short film commercial as "Belting Debbie" the assistant manager. Kimberly has toured as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra Pops under the direction of Keith Lockhart, and appeared with Kristin Chenoweth at San Diego’s The Music Box under the direction of Mary Mitchell Campbell.
Kimberly Moller is a San Diego-based actor and voice teacher specializing in a cutting-edge approach that taps into the power of the brain to dramatically improve vocal technique. Kimberly is a certified practitioner of Z-Health, a neuro-centric approach to performance training and her company is called Vocal Kinesthetics. Kimberly earned her MFA in Musical Theater from San Diego State University and she holds an M.M. in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Boston University. As an actor and teaching artist, Kimberly has appeared at La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe San Diego, The Moonlight Amphitheater, San Diego Musical Theater, Off-Broadway Theater Company, as well as numerous regional northeast theaters and opera houses. Most recently, Kim was part of the vocal ensemble on Stephanie Economou’s Grammy-award winning music for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. You might see her in Subaru of El Cajon's Share the Love award-winning short film commercial as "Belting Debbie" the assistant manager. Kimberly has toured as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra Pops under the direction of Keith Lockhart, and appeared with Kristin Chenoweth at San Diego’s The Music Box under the direction of Mary Mitchell Campbell.
Linda Eng, Social Chair and Web Admin
Linda Eng is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and music educator from Nashville, TN. Her private studio is based in Poway, CA where she teaches voice (commercial vocal styles, musical theater, and classical Bel Canto), as well as piano and guitar lessons. She is a lead singer and keyboardist performing commercial and praise and worship music around San Diego for the last 15 years with local bands. She believes strongly in the power of singing- of sharing in song together- to bring joy and unite cultures. Due to the higher prevalence of pitch-matching inability she has encountered locally, in stark contrast to her time in Nashville public schools, her research interests include connections between Amusia (formerly tone-deafness) and lack of access to childhood music education. For these reasons, Linda is a passionate advocate for the restoration of weekly access to highly-qualified music educators for all Poway Unified elementary students in grades TK through 5. Her professional education includes degrees in Classical Vocal Music/Music Education from Belmont University, where she received a voice scholarship and was named Most Outstanding Senior Music Major, and Vanderbilt University, where she was a Graduate Research Assistant at the #1 ranked Peabody College of Education.
Linda Eng is a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and music educator from Nashville, TN. Her private studio is based in Poway, CA where she teaches voice (commercial vocal styles, musical theater, and classical Bel Canto), as well as piano and guitar lessons. She is a lead singer and keyboardist performing commercial and praise and worship music around San Diego for the last 15 years with local bands. She believes strongly in the power of singing- of sharing in song together- to bring joy and unite cultures. Due to the higher prevalence of pitch-matching inability she has encountered locally, in stark contrast to her time in Nashville public schools, her research interests include connections between Amusia (formerly tone-deafness) and lack of access to childhood music education. For these reasons, Linda is a passionate advocate for the restoration of weekly access to highly-qualified music educators for all Poway Unified elementary students in grades TK through 5. Her professional education includes degrees in Classical Vocal Music/Music Education from Belmont University, where she received a voice scholarship and was named Most Outstanding Senior Music Major, and Vanderbilt University, where she was a Graduate Research Assistant at the #1 ranked Peabody College of Education.
Jade Popper Loveless, Secretary and Membership Coordinator
Jade Popper is a recent graduate from San Diego State University where she received her Masters in Music with a focus in vocal performance under the study of Dr. Katie Polit. She currently works as a private voice and general music teacher at Villa Musica in Sorrento Valley and throughout the San Diego community. She has recently returned from performing in Vienna as Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni. She is also a choral singer and a member of the San Diego Master Chorale and Sacra Profana. During her time in her undergraduate degree she performed in Melbourne, Australia (where she studied at Monash University) she was a frequent member of The Savoy Opera Company. As a member of the NATS board, she hopes to continue to grow as a teacher and artist as an active member of our musical community here in San Diego.
Jade Popper is a recent graduate from San Diego State University where she received her Masters in Music with a focus in vocal performance under the study of Dr. Katie Polit. She currently works as a private voice and general music teacher at Villa Musica in Sorrento Valley and throughout the San Diego community. She has recently returned from performing in Vienna as Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni. She is also a choral singer and a member of the San Diego Master Chorale and Sacra Profana. During her time in her undergraduate degree she performed in Melbourne, Australia (where she studied at Monash University) she was a frequent member of The Savoy Opera Company. As a member of the NATS board, she hopes to continue to grow as a teacher and artist as an active member of our musical community here in San Diego.
Sarah-Nicole Carter, Student Auditions Co-Coordinator
Mezzo-Soprano Sarah-Nicole Carter has been hailed by the L.A. Times as "simply wonderful” and by San Diego Story as a “fiery mezzo-soprano”. SN originated the role of 2nd Frida in the premiere of El último sueño de Frida y Diego at San Diego Opera. Other SDO roles include Suor Dolcina in Suor Angelica, Mezzo in the two-woman opera Ascension, Giovanna in Rigoletto, and Kate in Pirates of Penzance. Sarah-Nicole debuted at the Kennedy Center performing La Lettre du jardinière, and her voice was featured in Netflix’s Chef’s Table. She has performed over 15 opera and musical theater roles in her long association with Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater. She has sung in concert with San Diego Symphony, Opera Saratoga, Bach Collegium San Diego, Philharmonia Baroque, Mainly Mozart, Eureka Symphony, La Jolla Symphony, The Spreckels Organ Society, Musica Vitale, the Los Angeles Conducting Institute, San Diego Master Chorale, San Diego Festival Chorus, Loveland Opera Theater, Center Chorale & Escondido Choral Arts, and Grossmont Symphony Orchestra. A specialist in comedic roles, Sarah-Nicole studied improvisation at the UCB Training Center and The Groundlings Theater & School. She maintains a private voice studio in Orange County and is currently a TA and Blaisdell fellow at Claremont Graduate University, pursuing a DMA in Historic Performance Practice.
Mezzo-Soprano Sarah-Nicole Carter has been hailed by the L.A. Times as "simply wonderful” and by San Diego Story as a “fiery mezzo-soprano”. SN originated the role of 2nd Frida in the premiere of El último sueño de Frida y Diego at San Diego Opera. Other SDO roles include Suor Dolcina in Suor Angelica, Mezzo in the two-woman opera Ascension, Giovanna in Rigoletto, and Kate in Pirates of Penzance. Sarah-Nicole debuted at the Kennedy Center performing La Lettre du jardinière, and her voice was featured in Netflix’s Chef’s Table. She has performed over 15 opera and musical theater roles in her long association with Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater. She has sung in concert with San Diego Symphony, Opera Saratoga, Bach Collegium San Diego, Philharmonia Baroque, Mainly Mozart, Eureka Symphony, La Jolla Symphony, The Spreckels Organ Society, Musica Vitale, the Los Angeles Conducting Institute, San Diego Master Chorale, San Diego Festival Chorus, Loveland Opera Theater, Center Chorale & Escondido Choral Arts, and Grossmont Symphony Orchestra. A specialist in comedic roles, Sarah-Nicole studied improvisation at the UCB Training Center and The Groundlings Theater & School. She maintains a private voice studio in Orange County and is currently a TA and Blaisdell fellow at Claremont Graduate University, pursuing a DMA in Historic Performance Practice.
Dr. Katina Mitchell, Member-at-Large
I am originally from San Diego, and after following my education and work opportunities to Houston, Berlin, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, I am happy to call our wonderful city home again. I teach at Palomar College and privately, and have guest lectured at University of San Diego and San Diego History Center. In addition to teaching, which I consider my primary occupation, I enjoy freelance work as a soprano and musicologist. I also serve on the advisory board of the San Diego Children's Choir, my first choir. NATS has been a welcoming, supportive community of opportunity for my students, and I am excited to give my time to this organization.
I am originally from San Diego, and after following my education and work opportunities to Houston, Berlin, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, I am happy to call our wonderful city home again. I teach at Palomar College and privately, and have guest lectured at University of San Diego and San Diego History Center. In addition to teaching, which I consider my primary occupation, I enjoy freelance work as a soprano and musicologist. I also serve on the advisory board of the San Diego Children's Choir, my first choir. NATS has been a welcoming, supportive community of opportunity for my students, and I am excited to give my time to this organization.
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