Artists - Silicon Valley Opera

Keiko Kagawa

Japanese born and educated, Keiko’s operatic roles include Cio-Cio San (Butterfly) in Madama Butterfly with North Bay Opera, Montana’s Rimrock Opera, Oregon’s Rogue Opera, San Francisco Lyric Opera, and Golden West Opera Company. Other roles include Violetta in Traviata, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Micaela in Carmen, Nedda in Pagliacci, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Marguerite in Faust, the First Lady in The Magic Flute, the Mother in Hänsel and Gretel, Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica, Tosca in Tosca, Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, and the First Lady in Christopher Sly. In addition to the opera companies already listed, Keiko has also performed with Golden Gate Opera, City Summer Opera (San Francisco), Oakland Lyric Opera Company, Goat Hall Productions (San Francisco), Marin Opera Company, Cal State East Bay Summer Opera and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has also made a number of appearances as the Soprano Lead in Handel’s Messiah. Keiko also gives occasional recitals, as well as participating in an annual vocal concert in Japan.

Mayumi Ashiya (Yamaha Electone)

Born and raised in Japan, Mayumi began taking lessons on the electric organ at the Yamaha Music School when she was four years old. She continued her studies through college where she majored in electric organ. Upon graduation, Mayumi became an instructor of electric organ at the Yamaha Music School. In 1992, while teaching there, she won the 1st place in “Classical Category” at Yamaha Japanese National Electone Festival & Competition. She was subsequently chosen to represent Japan in the Yamaha International Electone Competition where she won the Bronze Medal. In each case she played Rachmaninoff’s very demanding “Symphonic Dances.” Since then, Mayumi has given a number of solo concerts in and around Tokyo. Other performances include collaborations with various choral and opera groups including Toyama Civic Opera, Ibaraki and Takatsuki-shi Civic Operas, playing Humperdinck’s Hänsel and Gretel and Onna wa Suteki. In the choral music area, she has collaborated with Keio University（慶応大学） and Nihon Joshidai （日本女子大学）in Dovorak’s Requiem and Fauré’s Requiem, and with Nihon Gakuen （日本学園）where she played the organ transcription of Rigoletto by Verdi. She has also performed Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love” and “Don Pasquale”, Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Verdi’s La Traviata, and Puccini’s “Tosca” and “Madama Butterfly”. Mayumi and Keiko have collaborated and performed together since 2003.

Jacqueline Goldgorin

Soprano Jacqueline Goldgorin has performed with Gateway Classical Orchestra, Chelsea Opera, Opera of the Hamptons, Opera on the Hudson, Connecticut Grand Opera, New York Metro Vocal Arts Ensemble, West Bay Opera and Opera San Jose. In concert, she has performed the Mozart Requiem as Soloist in Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil with Pacific Chorale and Soloist in the Verdi Requiem with Gateway Classical Music Society. She made her San Francisco debut singing Paula in a concert of highlights from Rio de Mujeres by Hector Armienta, and has enjoyed singing with Golden Gate Opera, Opera San Jose, West Bay Opera, Magik*Magik Orchestra and Verismo Opera in the Bay Area.

Arthur Wu

Arthur lives in Carmel, California, and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He made his professional opera debut as Goro in Madama Butterfly with West Bay Opera, and has also performed in their productions as the Notary and the First Jew in Salome. Additionally, he understudied Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore) with the COSI summer opera program in Sulmona, Italy.

He has worked with I Cantori di Carmel as a soloist, performing Ravel’s L’aurore, Haydn’s Mass in B-flat minor, and Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem. Arthur is the choir director at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Carmel Valley. His oratorio repertoire includes Handel’s Messiah, J.S. Bach’s Magnificat, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. He also occasionally sings with the Carmel Bach Festival and performs in various genres, such as jazz and rock, across the Monterey Peninsula.

Michael Taylor

Michael graduated from San Francisco Conservatory of Music with his masters degree in 1990. He has appeared as soloist with many opera companies including Sacramento Opera, Opera San Jose, Marin Opera, Oakland Opera, West Bay Opera and Townsend Opera Players where he sang such roles as Gianni Schicchi, Escamillo in Carmen, the Count in The Marriage of Figaro, Scarpia in Tosca, Dr. Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Don Giovanni, Belcore in The Elixer of Love, Tonio in Pagliacci, Figaro in The Barber of Seville, Dandini in Cenerentola and Marcello in La Bohème. Mr. Taylor has appeared in concert with the Masterworks Choral, Berkeley Symphony, Vallejo Symphony, Fremont Symphony, Sacramento Choral Society, Schola Cantorum and performed as a vocal soloist with the Oakland and San Francisco Ballet.

Sonia Gariaeff

Mezzo Sonia Gariaeff has received critical acclaim for her opulent tone and charismatic stage presence. After completing her training as an apprentice artist at Portland Opera, she established herself in the lyric mezzo repertoire with roles such as Nicklausse, Orlovsky, Cherubino, and Cenerentola with companies such as Virginia Opera, Eugene Opera and Opera in the Heights. A three time regional finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Awards, she has performed as a soloist with the Carmel Bach Festival, the San Francisco Symphony, and Princeton Pro Musica. Noted for her comedic timing, Ms. Gariaeff is a veteran performer of the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire and roles such as Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus and the Marquise in Daughter of the Regiment. Recent performances include the roles of Glasha in Katya Kabanova with West Edge Opera and Dorella in No Love Allowed with Pocket Opera.

Krassen Karagiozov

Baritone Krassen Karagiozov was born in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, where he began his musical studies as a pianist. In addition to concert work as a collaborative pianist in Bulgaria, Turkey, and USA he appeared as baritone soloist for a recital and recordings for the Bulgarian National Radio. During the 2008 – 2009 season, he made his debut as a member of Opera San José‘s resident principal artists, appearing in the title role of Eugene Onegin, Sgt. Belcore (The Elixir of Love), Guglielmo (Così fan tutte) and Escamillo (Carmen). Among the roles that he has performed are Papageno, Conte di Luna, Enrico, Germont, Marcello, Vallentin, Figaro, Sharpless, Vronsky, Count Almaviva, Dandini, Don Giovanni, Tarquinius, Silvio, Schaunard, Lescaut, Masetto, Gianni Schicchi, Harlequin, Peter, Daniello, Angelotti, Rambaldo, Raoul de Gardefeu. Mr. Karagiozov has appeared with opera companies such as New York City Opera, Caramoor Festival, Opera San José, Opera Carolina, Opera Santa Barbara, Lake George Opera Festival, Spoleto Opera Festival, Aspen Opera Theater, West Bay Opera, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, The Opera Company of NorthCarolina, Opera Roanoke, Piedmont Opera Theater and Capital Opera Raleigh. He has also appeared as a soloist for the Fresno Community Chorus and Orchestra, Santa Clara Chorale, Symphony Silicon Valley, the Bulgarian Radio-Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra, Carolina Chamber Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra, and Enid Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Karagiozov is a North Carolina district winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and First Prize winner of the Charlotte Opera Guild Competition as well as a finalist of the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition and Heinz Rehfuss Vocal Competition.

Spencer Dodd

Baritone Spencer Dodd’s Previous roles include Scarpia in Tosca, The Forester in The Cunning Little Vixen, Giovanni and Leporello in Don Giovanni, Figaro and the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro, Dandini in La Cenerentola, Belcore in L’elisir D’amore, Friederich in Wagner’s No Love Allowed and Tonio in Pagliacci. He has performed with the San Francisco Opera Chorus, West Edge Opera, Pocket Opera, Opera Together outreach with San Francisco Opera, Classical Romantic Concerts in Osaka Japan, and Ars Minerva.

Carmello Tringali

Carmello Tringali is a versatile performer, composer and Bay Area native. Mostly utilized as a singer, he is also highly valued for his acting ability. As an aspiring music and drama therapist, he daily involves himself in emotional, psychological and spiritual exploration. He has performed a wide variety of roles in terms of voice type, musical style and character. He is enthralled to be joining Silicon Valley Community Opera as Nemorino in this production of L'Elisir D'amore. Some favorite past roles include: Rodolfo(La Boheme), Candide, Faust, Pinkerton(Madame Butterfly), Mengone(Lo Speziale), Jaquino(Fidelio), Basilio(Nozze di Figaro), Camille(Merry Widow), Don Alberto(L'Occasione Fa Il Ladro), Ko-ko(Mikado), Frederic(Pirates of Penzance), Grosvenor(Patience), Henrik(Little Night Music) and Pirelli(Sweeney Todd).

Kazuko Oishi (Pianist)

Kazuko Oishi, Japanese pianist, studied at Kyoto City University of Arts, and has performed as a piano soloist and chamber musician in Japan and the United States. She produced and performed in various charitable concerts for disabled people and for a high school for students with special needs. She also has been an enthusiastic teacher of young children to adults for a long time. Adult audiences at her recent solo recitals, who had not played the piano since childhood, re-discovered the joy of music and started taking lessons from her.

She is currently living in Tokyo and is a conductor of the women's Choir Florian and is an accompanist of the mixed chorus groups Cosmo in California, Tokyo Rakuyu Harmony (a choir of alumni from Kyoto University Chorus) and Cosmo Japan in Tokyo. She has been a full member of the Fortnightly Music Club in California since 2009 and she performs in Fortnightly Music Club concerts. She has collaborated with Ms. Keiko Kagawa for over 10 years on various projects.

Kazumasa Ashiya

Founder and artistic director of Theater Company Kz, he has performed as a principal cast member in over 30 productions since 2012. Opera credits include Madama Butterfly (2015), L’elisir d’amore (2018), Roméo et Juliette (2019), and Carmen (2025) with Silicon Valley Opera. In Roméo et Juliette, received positive reviews for portraying Tybalt, making full use of stage acting experience in the sword fight scenes and intense dramatic performance. In 2019, directed and performed in L’elisir d’amore (Osaka), blending opera with rakugo-style narration. In 2023, organized a classical concert in Tokyo, incorporating creative stage direction to enhance the performance. Active in musical theater, has led productions of Aladdin (2017), Beauty and the Beast (2019), and The Little Mermaid (2022), while also performing in concert presentations of The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, and Les Misérables. Collaborated with baton- twirling ensemble AMUSE to enhance theatrical entertainment. Beyond opera and musicals, has explored jazz performance, hosting a Christmas recital in Kobe (2023). In 2025, has appeared as a pianist in a concert featuring Rhapsody in Blue and piano-electone concerto programs.

Kirk Eichelberger

Bass Kirk Eichelberger has been praised for “commanding the stage at every turn” (San Francisco Chronicle) and for his “resonant bass and riveting stage presence” (Dayton City Paper). Recent engagements include Alidoro in La Cenerentola with Opéra de Montréal, Zuniga in Carmen for the Spokane Symphony and Opera Coeur d’Alene, Commendatore in Don Giovanni for the Edmonton Opera and Manitoba Opera, Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville for the Livermore Valley Opera, and the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera engaged him for Abraham in Flames.

Kirk’s recent seasons included return engagements at Livermore Valley Opera for Of Mice and Men (Candy), The Magic Flute (Sarastro), and Don Giovanni (Commendatore), and Opera Cultura for La Llorona (El General). His 2022-23 season included a return to Manitoba Opera for Alidoro in La Cenerentola, Angelotti in Tosca for Livermore Valley Opera and Sarastro with the Santa Rosa Symphony. 2021-22 saw Kirk join Livermore Valley Opera for Verdi’s Otello and for the past two seasons, Tundi Productions for Wagner’s Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried andTristan und Isolde. In the Fall of 2021, he performed the role of The Commentator in Solo Opera’s production of Scalia v. Ginsberg.

Further credits include The Emperor in Tan Dun’s Tea and Don Fernando in Fidelio with Opera Company of Philadelphia, Mephistophélès in Faust with Opera Grand Rapids, Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Vancouver Opera, and Ferrando in Il trovatore with both Opera Manitoba and Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Kirk made his Metropolitan Opera debut in Prokofiev’s The Gambler.