STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Riverside Opera Company will present “Popera2026″ Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. at St. Teresa R.C. Church in Castleton Corners.
A blend of “pop” and “opera,” Popera is a music genre that combines pop music with classical or operatic singing styles and themes.
The presentation is a celebration of Riverside Opera Company’s 30th anniversary on Staten Island.
Founded by Maestro Alan Aurelia, the production will feature Maestro Aurelia conducting a full orchestra during a performance said to include the best vocal talent in New York City, with winners from recent auditions.
Students will be admitted free of charge.
General admission is $30 at the door; $20 advance with online sales.
Tickets may also be purchased at mytp.cc/e/197
About the performers
Michael Nim has worked with multiple companies worldwide, including the Bellevue Opera, Tacoma Opera, Opera Classica Europa, Public Opera, and symphonies such as Bellevue Symphony, Tahoe Philharmonic Orchestra, Federal Way Symphony, and many more.
Having sung on stage since childhood, Nim has debuted in roles over the last 10 years, including Alfredo (“La Traviata”), Rodolfo (“La Bohème”), Don José (“Carmen”), Pinkerton (“Madama Butterfly”), and many more lead roles, as well as comprimario — a supporting opera singer or secondary role that ranks just below the principal (lead) singers roles.
Soprano Brenna McFarland is a current artist-in-residence with the New Opera Company of Boston and a featured soloist in the company’s Nantucket Opera Festival.
In the 2025–26 season, McFarland joined Opera Neo as a Studio Artist, covering Fiorilla in Rossini’s “Il Turco” in Italia and Mirinda in the American premiere of Vivaldi’s “Arsilda.”
She was a 2025 third-place winner of the Dante Alighieri Aria Competition.
Hyunsung Shin is a Korean-American baritone who’s performed as ‘’Valentin’’ in Gounod’s Faust with Amore Opera, as Schaunard in Puccini’s “La Bohème” with Regina Opera, and as ‘’Papageno’’ in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” with Amore Opera.
Shin will be joining Sarasota Opera this coming winter as an Apprentice Artist. He will then join the Opera Theatre of St. Louis as a Gerdine Young Artist, where he will perform as Baron Douphol and cover the role of Giorgio Germont in Verdi’s “La Traviata.”
Canadian mezzo-soprano Jillian Tam has just finished her second year as an undergraduate vocal performance student at McGill University in Montreal under the direction of Dominique Labelle.
She is a member of the McGill University Schulich Singers Ensemble conducted by Jean-Sebastian Vallée.
Tam studied at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute in 2018 and, this summer, is the youngest singer accepted to the Verbier Festival Academy’s Atelier Lyrique.
Klarisse Maquiling is an 11-year-old performer and student at Mark Twain School for the Gifted and Talented.
She began performing at age 6 and has participated in various productions through the Wagner College Lifelong Learning Theatre Program and Spotlight Theatre Company over the past four years.
At just 8 years old, she landed her first major role as Molly in “Annie,” marking an exciting milestone in her theatrical journey.
Passionate about performing and bringing characters to life on stage, Klarisse continues to grow as a young artist, sharing her love of theatre with every performance.
Soprano Brenna McFarland is a current Artist-in-Residence with the New Opera Company of Boston and a featured soloist in the company’s Nantucket Opera Festival.
In the 2025–26 season, McFarland joined Opera Neo as a Studio Artist, covering Fiorilla in Rossini’s “Il turco in Italia” and Mirinda in the American premiere of Vivaldi’s “Arsilda.”
She was a 2025 third-place winner of the Dante Alighieri Aria Competition.
Patricia Beniquez is a dedicated liturgical musician who serves as cantor and music coordinator at St. Christopher/St. Margaret Mary Parish.
She has trained in classical voice through years of private study and has been involved in music and performance from a young age, including musical theater productions. She has also had the privilege of cantoring at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan.
The program is made possible in part by public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the New York City Council.