Meet Our
Teaching Artists
All Teaching Artists are trained in the following areas in order to implement our programs for all learners:
Trauma-informed Teaching, Accessibility, Paper-Circuitry and AI (STEM)
Portia Pitts is an alumna of Morgan State University, where she received her BFA in Vocal Music studying classical voice and performing multiple genres worldwide with the Morgan State University Choir. She has had the privilege of serving the Howard University community as part of the renowned Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel Choir. Portia has had the pleasure of singing on world-renowned stages such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Philadelphia Opera House, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and many others. She currently serves as Lead and an Ambassador Quartet Member to HALO (Harmony’s African American Legacy Organization), which uses the barbershop art form of singing to foster relationships with communities and hold space for conversations about racism through their community music therapy program, Race and #RealTalk. In addition to performing with professional choirs, she acts as primary vocal coach for Virtuosity Music Entertainment Group and uses her gifts to serve various churches across the DMV area. She is a proud wife and mother to three amazing boys.
Bryan Murray (he/him), lyric baritone from New York City, has graced stages around the world from Tokyo to Berlin, Venice, and New York. He has won numerous awards including third prize in Melodie at Concours de Montreal in 2022 and first prize at the Mildred Miller, Talents of the World, and Premiere Opera competitions. His recent notable performances include portraying Zuniga in ‘Carmen’ at the Hogfish Music Festival, Jupiter in ‘Orpheus in the Underworld’ with Opera Ithaca, and the priest and fisherman in Kaija Saariaho’s ‘Only the Sound Remains’ at renowned venues such as The Biennale in Venice, the Strasbourg Festival, and Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bryan held a one-year contract with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, where he showcased his versatility by performing comprimario roles in 12 different productions during the 2018/19 season. His memorable portrayals included Fiorello in ‘Il barbiere di Siviglia,’ Moralès in ‘Carmen,’ and Marullo in ‘Rigoletto.’ On the concert stage, Bryan recently had his Carnegie Hall debut as the baritone soloist in the world premiere of ‘Everyone, Everywhere’ by Daron Hagen. Bryan has also performed alongside esteemed ensembles such as NY Baroque Inc. and Teatro Grattacielo in Manhattan, as well as the Deutsche Oper Berlin Orchestra, the Yale
Versatile Soprano Rachel Policar is a performing artist based in New York City. She has been described as ”spectacular” (LA Times), “arresting” (SF Classical Voice), and “a natural comedienne” (Broadway World), who “stole the show with her mixture of bravura, charm and big-hearted humanism” (SF Classical Voice). She is a skilled vocalist across many genres, and a sought-after interpreter of Jewish performance art. Her 2023/24 season includes performances of RBG in Scalia/Ginsburg with Anchorage Opera and with Pacific Opera Project as a double bill with Angelina in Trial by Jury, Krystyna Zywolska in a workshop of Heggie’s Another Sunrise with The Why Collective, performances with the Seven Hills Chamber Music Festival, and Dot/Marie in Sunday In The Park with George with the NYU Broadway Orchestra. Recent seasons saw her debut as RBG in Scalia/Ginsburg with Penn Square Opera, Marzelline in Fidelio with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Anne Frank in Frid’s The Diary of Anne Frank with Opera In The Pines, Leah in the NY premiere of Lori Laitman’s Uncovered, Lizzy in the premiere of Bryce McClendon’s play The Smallest Sound, In The Smallest Space at The Cell Theatre and featured ensemble in Marian The Musical, a new musical in development about Marian Anderson. She has appeared with National Yiddish Theater Folksbiene, Dayton Opera, Anchorage Opera, Knoxville Opera, Opera On The James, St Petersburg Opera and more. She is an accomplished crossover singer, and utilizes her love of comedy to write parody songs and #InappropriatelyOperatic pop covers with her voice, ukulele and piano. Follow her @Rachel.policar or her coffee adventures @
Rachel Sigman is a lyric soprano known for her rich voice, unique interpretations and her courageous vulnerability. She is a rising star in the sphere of contemporary opera, but her unfailing technique and versatility render her an asset in musical theatre, baroque opera and everything in between. March 2020 saw Rachel debut the role of Soffonia in the premiere of Frances Pollock and Bob Misbin’s Briscula the Magician, a portrayal the composer herself commended, writing: “Rachel breathed life into Soffronia, bringing out all of the complex realities embodied in the character.” In a personal career highlight, Rachel brought her talents as a consummate actress and vocalist to the role of Ottavia, Empress of Rome, in Berlin Opera Academy’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, a 2018 production featuring an immersive design created by David Paul. With the Savoy Company in Philadelphia, Rachel repeatedly ventured into the comedic highs of the Gilbert and Sullivan oeuvre: first as a sassy and charming Edith in Pirates of Penzance; then as Josephine, the poised leading lady in H.M.S. Pinafore; and culminating with her 2018 turn as the titular Iolanthe in a production that delighted audiences both in Philadelphia and at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in England.
Benjamin Cross (he/him) is a tenor and composer based in Los Angeles who holds a B.M. in Vocal Arts from the University of Southern California. Over the course of his training, he has made frequent trips to Italy to study the language and perform in young artist programs like Opera Viva! and the International Lyric Academy, where he performed the roles of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi. He has also made several crossovers into musical theater; for his dual-role performance as William Barfée/Olive’s Dad in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, StageSceneLA awarded him the honor of “Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical” for the 2019-20 season. During the pandemic lockdown, he performed in a virtually-staged theatrical production titled “Musical Without a Cool Acronym.” He is also a longtime voice actor and songwriter for the award-winning animated web series “Inanimate Insanity.” Episodes featuring his original music have collectively garnered over 8 million views on YouTube. In the Los Angeles area, he has done operatic chorus work for The Opera Buffs Inc., Pacific Opera Project, and covered the role of Benvolio in Roméo et Juliette with Lyric Opera of Orange County.
Deena Zammam is a Syrian-American composer, lyricist, and producer who graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and is currently building her career in New York City. Her work not only showcases her knowledge of piano and voice but also demonstrates a strong sense of storytelling. She writes music for both stage productions and films. Currently, she is honing her skills by studying with opera composer Lisa DeSpain.
