Co-Director

Trevor Ainge, tenor, is a Seattle-based tenor specializing in Scandinavian romanser and character roles. He currently serves as Director of Development at Lowbrow Opera Collective, overseeing company financing, community engagement and communications strategy. He holds degrees in both Speech and Hearing Sciences and Voice Performance from the University of Washington, where notable roles included Linfea in Cavalli’s La Calisto, Secrecy in extracts from Purcell’s The Fairy Queen, Le Petit Vieillard in Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortilèges, and the Narrator in Glass’ Hydrogen Jukebox. In the spring of 2018, Trevor made his Pacific Northwest Opera debut as Emperor Altoum in Puccini's Turandot. On the recital stage, Trevor adds PNW flair to Swedish romanser, including Alfven’s Sju Dikter av Ernst Thiel, Milveden’s Tre Sånger, and Nystroem’s På Reveln.

Kate and Production Consultant

Ashley Biehl, soprano, has lived in Seattle long enough that she says she is from here. They are thrilled to be on stage again after being behind the scenes directing Lowbrow's production of "Emily and Sue" last year. Local credits include Queen of the Night/First lady with NOISE, Gretel in "Hansel & Gretel" with Engage Opera, and Soprano Soloist in Harry Partch's "King Oedipus" with the Partch Ensemble. Ashley is a frequent performer of Czech art song, as well as songs written by women specifically during the period between the First and Second World Wars, and in 2021 was declared winner of the Northwest region's NATSAA Competition. When not singing, ze can be found doing something related to fiber arts, watching too much television, or working at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

Mrs. Webster and Co-Director

Praised for her transcendent vocals (NWTheatre) and excellent soprano voice (Drama in the Hood), Christine Oshiki (she/they) is a well-rounded performer and early childhood educator in the Seattle area. A preschool teacher by day and a vocalist by night, she holds a BM in Vocal Performance from the University of Washington and a MEd in Early Childhood Education from Eastern Washington University. Christine is serving their fourth year as President on the Lowbrow Board of Directors and most recently performed in Lowbrow's more than friends: a triptych on queer love through the ages as well as Ruth in Lowbrow's #adulting and #adulting2: here we go again. In addition to Lowbrow's endeavors, Christine can be found singing with Choral Arts Northwest, Let's All Drink and Do Broadway, MUSING, and as a freelance soloist in the Seattle area. She enjoys spending her free time with her partner, Alex, and their three fur babies (Ollie, Otis, and Luna), trying new things, cooking, and enjoying a good IPA.

Elizabeth (Olivia Kerr, cover, appearing June 13)

Sarah Larkworthy (she/her) is a mezzo-soprano and software engineer in Seattle, Washington. She is a student of José Luis Muñoz. Prior to moving to Seattle, she lived in the Washington, DC area, where she sang Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Baltimore Concert Opera and performed with the Potomac Vocal Institute. She has a BM in music and a BA in Physics from Oberlin College and Conservatory. Other notable credits include: La Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro and Micaela in La Tragédie de Carmen with Seagle Music Festival, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Oberlin in Italy, and Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with Oberlin Conservatory. She can also be heard singing with the Seattle Symphony Chorale.

Outside of singing and staring at computer screens, she likes to cook, knit, roller skate badly, and make up new nicknames for her partner and cat.

Carl (Cary Lee, cover, appearing June 14)

Adam Womack (Carl) is ecstatic to make his Lowbrow Opera Collective debut. Some favorite Regional Credits include Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (D'ysquith Family), I Do, I Do (Michael), Oklahoma (Judd), Billy Elliot (Mr. Braithwaite) and Man of La Mancha (Sancho.) Local Credits include: Season 7 and 8 of Let's All Drink and Do Broadway in Belltown.

Woman 3 / Souffle Lady / Denise cover (appearing June 13)

Cassidy Cheong is delighted to be making her Lowbrow Opera Collective debut! She is currently completing her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Washington where she is studying with Dr. Carrie Shaw. Cassidy recently graduated with honors from Swarthmore College with a BA in Music and Political Science, received the 2022 Boyd Barnard Prize, 2023 Peter Gram Swing Prize in Music, and the 2023 Lucretia Mott Award. In March 2024, Cassidy performed the role of La Poësie in Charpentier’s Les arts florissants with the University of Washington Opera Workshop, and in 2023 she was a featured soprano soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Magnolia Chorale, performed scenes as Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore with the University of Washington Opera Workshop, and performed in Purcell’s The Fairy Queen at the Baroque Opera Workshop in 2023.

Woman 1 / Souffle Lady / Denise / Elizabeth cover (appearing June 13)
(Cassidy Cheong, cover for Souffle Lady / Denise, appearing June 13)

Olivia Kerr is a Seattle-based singer who is originally from Ohio. Sweets by Kate is her third collaboration with Lowbrow Opera Collective. She performed as Bucket in John Ervin Brooks' #adulting2: Here We Go Again and was a featured soloist in Zach Redler's Windows.

Other roles Olivia has performed include Suor Genovieffa and La Novizie in Puccini's Suor Angelica, L'écureuil/La Chatte in Ravel's L'enfant et lest Sortiléges, Pamina in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Lauretta in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Isabel/Madeline in Henry Mollicone's The Face on the Barroom Floor, Laetitia in G.C. Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief, Laurie Moss in Aaron Copland's The Tender Land, Ninfa in Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, and Monica in G.C. Menotti's The Medium.

As a soloist she has performed works such as Arnold Schoenberg's Pierrot Lunaire, Johannes Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem and Zigeunerlieder, and Gioachino Rossini's Stabat Mater.

She received her M.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Washington while studying under Cyndia Sieden, and she received her B.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Toledo while studying under Denise Ritter-Bernardini.

Woman 2

Katrina Finder, soprano, hails from the Seattle area. She recently competed in the regional NATS Artist Awards and was awarded 2nd runner-up. Favorite roles include Susanna in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, Pamina in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. Katrina also enjoys performing rare and/or contemporary works. This is her first time performing with Lowbrow, and she's thrilled to be a part of Sweets by Kate!

Collaborative Pianist

Rehearsal Pianist

Sam Peters (he/him) is a pianist, music director, composer, and arranger working in the greater Seattle area. Recent MD highlights include Reboot Theatre's Jesus Christ Superstar and Centerstage Theatre’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. He has also arranged music for Centerstage’s Pantos Sleeping Beauty and Puss in Boots. Favorite collaborative pianist credits include Lowbrow Opera Collective’s MORE THAN FRIENDS: a triptych on queer love and #Adulting2. Sam also acts as the music minister for Admiral UCC in West Seattle and enjoys playing the viola in various chamber groups.