Described as “sunny”, “supple” and “soaring,” Boston-based soprano Carley DeFranco is known for her committed dramatic portrayals. She has sung 80 cantatas with Emmanuel Music in their Bach Cantata Series as well as the Mass in B Minor, Bach’s Passions, Easter Oratorio, John Harbison’s Chorale Cantata, Supper at Emmaus and Abraham, Handel’s Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day and La Resurrezione, in which she played Angelo. Her 2021-22 season brought performances with Boston Cecilia, Boston Art Song Society, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Baroque, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival, Monadnock Music Festival, American Soloists Ensemble and Emmanuel Music. In 2022-23, she is excited to give more performances with these ensembles and join the Falmouth Chorale as the soloist in Brahms’ Requiem.

Caroline LeGrand, a soprano originally from Durham, North Carolina, currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Furman University in 2017. She is a recent graduate of Mercer University where she received her Master of Divinity. She is very passionate about the intersection of music and worship. While in graduate school, she completed a Master’s thesis in which she researches and discusses the interaction of music and the Eucharist and their ability to create egalitarian community together. The thesis is titled, How Can Music Assist in the Subversive Intent of the Eucharist? In Atlanta, she is the Executive Assistant to Global Missions at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship as well as a staff singer at All Saints Episcopal Church. Other professional choral ensembles she is a part of are Coro Vocati and Servire Chorus.

Motomi Tanaka is a soprano from Japan, currently based in the New York and Boston areas. As an avid ensemble singer, she often sings with Musica Sacra, Princeton Festival Chorus, and Bard Festival Chorale among others, and is a member of the Cathedral Choir at St. John the Divine in New York City. Her enthusiasm for choral music grew after she moved to the US and she is excited to join the VOCES8 US Scholars

Praised for her sensitivity and style, mezzo-soprano Ingrid Johnson is a graduate of McGill University where she attained a Master’s degree in Music with a focus on Early Music Performance. Her upcoming season includes work with the Opera Colorado chorus, Ars Nova, St Martin’s Chamber Choir, and several world-premier recording projects. Recently, she joined Seicento Baroque Ensemble as the mezzo soloist for the Bach, Charpentier, and Buxtehude Magnificats, and has sung with the Colorado Bach Ensemble for four seasons, Anima Chamber Ensemble, and other groups across the US and Canada. While she works extensively in choral settings, Ingrid is no stranger to opera. Her commitment to character, informed acting choices, and propensity to think outside the box, makes her a sought-after performer.

Sandy summer training includes the Festival Lyrique de Belle-Ile-en-Mer, Norfolk Chamber Choir Institute, International Baroque Institute at Longy, Aquilon Music Festival, and Duke Chapel ChorWorks. In 2019, Sandy was named first place winner in the Great Lakes region of the NATS Artist Awards competition and was a finalist in the Kentucky Bach Competition. She has also performed in Duke University Chapel's Bach Cantata Series and as a staff singer at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Atlanta, GA. Sandy earned a BM at Furman University, a master’s from The Ohio State University, and is pursuing an MMA degree in early music voice at Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music.

Mezzo-soprano Veronica Roan loves choral music and is an active performer in her home city of Dallas, where she sings with ensembles such as Orpheus Chamber Singers, Incarnatus, Dallas Chamber Choir, and the Incarnation Choir. In addition to her singing, Veronica is an arts administrator and is passionate about building community through increasing music literacy and accessibility. She graduated from the University of North Texas in 2022 with her Bachelor’s of Music in Voice Performance, where she studied with Dr. Carol Wilson. Veronica has a soft spot for old dogs and Anglican verse anthems.

Noted for his “ease of production” and “excellent treatment of the Baroque tenor”, Aaron Cates is an active ensemble performer, and has been a soloist in both domestic and international engagements, including performances with the Baylor Symphony Orchestra, Tel Aviv Symphony, Colla Voce Ensemble, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Canterbury Cathedral Choir-in-Residence, and the USC Symphony Orchestra. Recent roles include the Evangelist in Matthäus-Passion, Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Léon in Signor Deluso. Aaron has received vocal fellowships for his participation in the Charlotte Bach Akademie and Illinois Bach Festival, and has participated as a young artist in the Seraphic Fire Professional Choral Institute, and the Baylor International Choral Conducting Masterclass and Young Artist Program. Aaron is a native of Charleston, South Carolina, and holds a Master’s degree from Baylor University (MM, Vocal Performance), and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina (BM, Vocal Performance).

Michael Martin is a tenor based in central New Jersey who specializes in choir and small ensemble singing. Michael firmly believes in the community-building power of choir singing, and hopes to be able to share his passion with communities and students in as many places as possible. Michael is a recent graduate of Westminster Choir College and has performed with the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir and the Delaware Choir School, among others, in his short time since entering the professional field, and he is currently a staff singer at the First Presbyterian Church of NYC. Michael feels incredibly honored and excited to join the VOCES8 US Scholars this season!

Maximillian Macias, tenor, from Pearland, TX is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Choral Music Education from Baylor University where he sings with the Baylor Chamber Singers and the Baylor A Cappella Choir and serves as the tenor section leader. Maximillian has placed in the top 5 in the TEXOMA NATS Student Auditions (2019, 2020, 2021), 2nd place in the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Houston Undergraduate Scholarship Competition (2022) and was an invited Young Artist with the International Choral Conducting Masterclass (2022). Maximillian has a love for small-ensemble singing, and as a project of passion he created a men's ensemble at Baylor University called Voces Hominum where he served as the musical director in 2021.

Christopher Short is an active performer, composer, arts administrator, and teaching artist from Raleigh, North Carolina. He hopes to use music as a bridge to connect people with their surrounding community through artful storytelling in performance, localized philanthropic efforts, and educational outreach work. Christopher has performed and recorded internationally as a choral musician and soloist in a variety of operatic, concert, and oratorio performances. As a composer, Christopher pursues collaboration with other artists to present a unique voice to the intricacies of our collective human experience.

Peter Schoellkopff is a bass from Madison, New Jersey. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he also completed a Bachelor’s degree in Performance. A lifelong choral singer, he attended the American Boychoir School as a youth and took part in an Eton Choral Course in 2015. Peter enjoys performing music from a great variety of time periods, locations and genres, and he hopes to share his passion for choral singing with young musicians. He is excited to be joining the VOCES8 US Scholars this year

Cameron J. Rolling is a gifted young conductor and an award-winning vocalist. Along with an undeniable passion, he brings great skill and personality to every rehearsal space and stage he graces. He is entering his first season as Artistic Director of the Northland Community Choir and he also serves as the Director of Music at Village Church on Antioch in Overland Park, KS. Equally devoted to choral and solo vocal arts, Cameron is a member of three professional choral ensembles, Kansas City Chorale, Spire Chamber Ensemble, Kantorei-KC (Missouri), and he sings with the US division of the Voces8 Scholars. Recent performances as a solo artist include the role of Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan tutte as well as featured soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Jesu Meine Freude, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.