Artists’ Profiles

Benjamin Manis

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Conductor

Conductor Benjamin Manis will join the Utah Symphony as Associate Conductor in September 2022. Manis just completed his third season as Resident Conductor of the Houston Grand Opera (HGO), and returns to Houston to conduct Tosca and El Milagro del Recuerdo in the 2022–23 season. He made his HGO debut with Verdi’s Rigoletto, and this season conducted Carmen, Roméo et Juliette, and The Snowy Day.

Manis was winner of the 2019 Solti Foundation US Career Assistance Award, as well as the Richard S. Weinert Award from Concert Artists Guild. He has served as cover conductor for the St. Louis, Dallas, and National Symphonies, working with conductors David Robertson, Stéphane Denève, and Gianandrea Noseda. After three years in the Aspen Conducting Academy, Manis returned to Aspen in the summer of 2021 as Assistant Conductor, where he conducted two programs with the Aspen Chamber Symphony.

Benjamin Manis studied cello and conducting at the Colburn School, and in 2019 he completed his Master of Music degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

Morgan James

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Vocalist

Morgan James is a classically trained vocalist, Broadway veteran and recording artist. Ms. James recently premiered a song cycle for voice and orchestra entitled “Song Of The River”, written for her by frequent collaborator and conductor Teddy Abrams, with the Louisville Orchestra. In concert, Ms. James has appeared with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic, Breckinridge Music Festival, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Utah Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Colorado Symphony and Wichita Symphony performing her solo Bernstein show, conducted by Teddy Abrams. Morgan was featured with the Philadelphia Orchestra in “West Side Story” in concert, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. She appeared with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in an all Bernstein program, led by Brett Mitchell. Morgan has had the honor of being in the Bernstein MASS four times: most recently with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia Music festival, conducted by Marin Alsop; with the Louisville Orchestra (conducted by Teddy Abrams), the Philadelphia Orchestra (conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin), as well as with Baltimore Symphony at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, (also conducted by Marin Alsop). Ms. James’ has also been a soloist with Detroit, Harrisburg, San Diego, Utah, Youngstown, Fort Meyers, Missouri, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, Ocean City Pops, Greensboro, Charlotte, Allentown, Long Bay Symphony.

Anne Runolfsson

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Vocalist

Anne Runolfsson has entertained audiences worldwide for the past 35 years. A veteran of the stage and concert venues, her Broadway and National tour appearances include: The Phantom of the Opera (Carlotta), Victor/Victoria (stand-by for Julie Andrews and Liza Minelli), Les Misérables (Fantine), Cyrano: The Musical (Roxane), The Secret Garden (Lily), Aspects of Love, and James Joyce's The Dead (Gretta). Currently, Runolfsson is performing alongside her daughter Tess in their biographical show entitled The Story Goes On. The Story Goes On chronicles the highs and lows of their life together onstage and off as a single mother/daughter performing team. Runolfsson has appeared on NBC's The Blacklist, and made her directorial debut December 2021 in Los Angeles with My Unauthorized Hallmark Movie Musical.

Recently, Runolfsson appeared with the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and is scheduled to appear in 2022 with the Phoenix Symphony and the Florida Orchestra. She lives in Maryland with her husband Don and their beloved dog Obi.

Hugh Panaro

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Vocalist

Hugh Panaro is perhaps best known for having played the role of the Phantom in Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera over 2,000 times, including the 25th Anniversary production. In fact, Panaro is one of the few actors to be cast by Harold Prince as both the Phantom and Raoul in the show's Broadway production. Most recently, Panaro starred in the title role in the New York production of Sweeney Todd.

Panaro made his Broadway debut in the original production of Les Misérables as Marius, the role he originated in the First National Company. He also created the roles of Buddy in the original Side Show (Sony cast recording); Julian Craster in Jule Styne's last musical, The Red Shoes; and the title role in the American premiere of Cameron Mackintosh's Martin Guerre. An active concert artist, Panaro has performed with numerous symphony orchestras including the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Philly Pops, Dallas, Detroit, San Francisco, Seattle, Utah Symphonies, and the London Sinfonietta, among many others. A native of Philadelphia, Panaro graduated from Temple University and was awarded the Boyer College of Music Certificate of Honor.