Christine Jarquio
Christine Jarquio, co-founder and Artistic Director of Vox Nova, is an active music educator, singer, conductor, and collaborative pianist in Columbia. She taught middle school choral music for seven years in Columbia Public Schools, and most recently completed her first year teaching middle and upper school choral music at Columbia Independent School. Christine is the former Artistic Director of the Columbia Public Schools 5th Grade Honors Choir and she has music directed shows with the University of Missouri’s Theatre Department, MU Summer Repertory Theatre, and Maplewood Barn Theatre. Her passion for singing choral music is realized in professional choral ensembles Prometheus, Pro-Arte of St. Louis, and Vox Nova. She also maintains a modest private voice studio. She holds a dual Master of Music in Voice Performance and Choral Conducting, and a Bachelor of Science in Vocal Music Education. Outside of music and teaching, Christine loves to travel with her husband, Jay; run on the Columbia trails; and cook and eat any and all varieties of food.
Christina Ray
Kansas City native, Christina Ray, is a highly sought after performer and voice teacher. In 2019 she co-founded Landlocked Opera with her husband, Jonathan Ray. Her passion in life is to create spaces for singers to realize their singing goals in a safe and joyous environment. Ms. Ray completed an Artist Diploma at UMKC in 2019, her M.M. at Louisiana State University, and also holds a B.M. from the University of Missouri. She has portrayed several leading roles, including Rosina in il barbiere di Siviglia, Hänsel, Hänsel und Gretel, Ramiro, la finta giardiniera, Zosha in Part One of Jake Heggie's Out of Darkness, Isabella in L'Italiana in Algeri, The Beggar Woman in Sweeney Todd, Katisha in The Mikado, and Béatrice in Béatrice et Bénédict. Ms. Ray has also participated in past summers with programs such as Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre, Opera in the Ozarks and Opera Academy of California. She was a recipient of the 2016 Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, in the Little Rock, AR district.
Betsy Jane Bledsoe
Betsy Jane Bledsoe, a Kansas City native, holds vocal performance degrees from the University of Missouri and Michigan State. Betsy is a prolific performer of musical theater in the Kansas City metro area. Her favorite past roles include Luisa (The Fantasticks), Eliza Doolittle (My Fair Lady), Guenevere (Camelot), Marian Paroo (The Music Man), Kate Monster (Avenue Q), and Cinderella (Into the Woods). In 2018 Betsy made her debut as music director and conductor for Olathe Civic Theatre Association’s Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim and has since music directed Beatrice et Benedict by Hector Berlioz with Landlocked Opera in Kansas City. Covid cut short her role as Claire in Summit Theatre Group’s Ordinary Days but was fortunately able to finish the run of shows online later in the year. In between music gigs Betsy directs and arranges music for the Asbury United Methodist Handbell Choir, works as a pharmacy technician at Children's Mercy Hospital, and geeks out playing Dungeons & Dragons. She has been a member of Vox Nova since 2015.
Christina G. Adams
Two days before Covid-19 restrictions hit the US, Chicago-based Mezzo-Soprano Christina G. Adams performed in the finals of the prestigious Luminarts Cultural Foundation Fellowship competition. Since then, she has been featured as a soloist on Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre’s film, Songs of Isolation and Connection and will return to Cedar Rapids in 2021 as Julie Jordan in Carousel. In 2019 she was a member of Sarasota Opera’s Apprentice Artists and is the recipient of an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Highlights of her operatic roles thus far include the title role in The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, Blanche de la Force (Dialogues of the Carmelites), and Angelina (La Cenerentola). Though she looks forward to the safe reinstatement of the performing arts, Adams has enjoyed the opportunity to invest in her other creative endeavors as a writer and illustrator and is currently working toward a lifelong dream of becoming a certified birth doula.
Kara Brietzke
Kara Brietzke graduated from the University of Missouri with bachelor degrees in Linguistics and Psychology and a Master of Public Affairs degree. During her undergraduate years at MU, Kara was active in University Singers and other choral ensembles, and was co-founder and director of Mizzou's premier female a cappella group, Naturelles. She has been a part of the chorus for Die Fledermaus (Missouri Symphony), An Antique Carol (Talking Horse Productions), and sang the role of Mina Murray in Dracula, the Musical (Columbia Entertainment Company). Kara lives in Columbia, and is a member of the Columbia Chorale and Columbia Chamber Choir.