UVA Faculty, Staff, & Students: All UVA faculty, staff, and students can enter the lottery (one submission per person).
Lottery: All UVA faculty, staff, and students are eligible to enter the lottery, with preference given to UVA students. The deadline to enter the lottery is 11:59pm on Tuesday, September 16. Winners will be notified by no later than 5:00pm on Wednesday, September 17.
Questions or Concerns: Email Emma Terry, Programs & Communication Director for UVA Arts, or Gracelyn Spates, Coordinator, Major Events.
Charlottesville Opera, formerly known as Ash Lawn Opera, has been a vital part of Virginia's arts scene since 1978. Beginning with chamber performances at President James Monroes historic home, the company has grown into a professional opera and musical theater company, now performing at the Paramount Theater in downtown Charlottesville. With a mission to celebrate and amplify the human voice, Charlottesville Opera presents a year-round season of operas, musicals, concerts, and educational programs. The company is committed to developing emerging talent, engaging diverse audiences, and enriching the cultural life of the region.
Arts on the Hill will be held at Carr's Hill, home of Interim President Paul Mahoney and Julia Mahoney on Friday, September 19th from 2-3pm (Doors will open at 1:30pm). All UVA faculty, staff, and students are eligible to enter the lottery. The deadline to enter the lottery is 11:59pm on Tuesday, September 16. Winners will be notified no later than 5pm on Wednesday, September 17.
Nicola Santoro
This past summer, Nicola was an Emerging Artist with Charlottesville Opera, where she covered both the roles of Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance and Frasquita in Carmen. She joins Cedar Rapids Opera this winter as part of their Young Artist Program and will cover the role of Adele in their production of Die Fledermaus. Passionate about performing contemporary music, Nicola has worked with composer Matthew Aucoin; appeared in premieres of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs and It’s a Wonderful Life; and performed the world premiere of a song cycle with Catalyst New Music. Previously, she was seen as Annu (Thumbprint) and Lillian Russell (The Mother of Us All) with Chautauqua Opera as one of their Apprentice Artists, and was a vocal fellow with Spoleto Festival USA. Versatile as a soloist in a range of genres, she has sung in concerts featuring the repertoire of Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Cole Porter, Mozart, Handel, and more. Nicola earned her Bachelor of Music from Westminster Choir College and her Master of Music from Indiana University under the tutelage of Nova Thomas and Carol Vaness, respectively. She currently resides in New York and studies privately with Dr. Lynn Eustis.
JJ Robinson
James (JJ) Robinson is a Baritone from Salibury, North Carolina. He recently finished the first year of his Artist diploma at CU Boulder under Andrew Garland. James received his master’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2024, where he was also involved with Knoxville Opera productions. His credits include Pistola in Knoxville opera’s Falstaff, Pandolfe in UT’s production of Cendrillon, Mr. Gobineau in The Medium, and Vater in Hänsel und Gretel. James was also a part of Varna International’s production of Don Giovanni in Asiago, Italy where he sang the titular role in their production. His most recent roles include Escamillo in Charlottesville Opera’s Carmen and Samuel in their production of The Pirates of Penzance. He was also featured in several concerts with Charlottesville Opera, including their New Works Concert, Opening Night Aria Showcase, Art Song Recital, and FestivALL concert. Upcoming performances include Le Dancaïre in Knoxville Opera’s production of Carmen.
Kristen Marie Gillis
Black Mexican-American soprano, Kristen Marie Gillis, is a rising young artist -sharing her passion for the art on both opera and concert stages. She joined Opera Orlando as 24/25 Studio Artist, portraying the roles of the Lady in Waiting/Macbeth, Noémi/Cendrillon, Sophie/Werther, Hero/Beatrice and Benedict, and later making her principal artist debut as Lucy in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha. Previous credits include Nella/Gianni Schicchi
First Woodsprite/Turnspit/Rusalka, Eliza/Dark Sisters, Mutter/Hansel und Gretel, Countess Almaviva/Le nozze di Figaro, Second Lady/Die Zauberflote, Lauretta/Gianni Schicchi, and the title role of Suor Angelica. In concert, she has been the Soprano soloist in Missa in C minor (Mozart), Messiah (Handel), Requiem (Faure), and Missa Sancti Nicolai (Hadyn). As an avid competitor, Ms. Gillis has received awards from the Career Bridges Grant Awards, Gigli International Scholarship Competition, Mario Lanza Scholarship Competition, and the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Originally from Central Texas, Kristen is a proud first-generation college graduate, holding degrees from Temple University and Abilene Christian University.
Andrew Payne
Andrew Payne, the Baltimore-based American baritone, has been praised for his “rich baritone voice” and “comedic richness”. Recent engagements have included Belcore in L’elisir d'amore (Opera Neo) and Dancaïre in Carmen (Florida Grand Opera). Andrew has had the pleasure of being the baritone soloist in Stacey Garrop’s oratorio, Terra Nostra. He won first place in Opera Idol hosted by Sherrill Milnes (2020) and has performed in masterclasses with Christine Goerke, Warren Jones and Keith Phares. Andrew has performed as a principal and young artist with opera companies from around the country such as Florida Grand Opera, Nashville Opera, Central City Opera, Toledo Opera, Shreveport Opera, Opera Neo and Charlottesville Opera. He received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Temple University, under the tutelage of Dr. Marcus DeLoach, and a Master of Music in Voice and Opera from Northwestern University, where he studied with W. Stephen Smith. Currently, he is a student of Jennifer Rowley. In addition to singing, Andrew has become an avid pickleball player and reader of random Wikipedia articles.
Jeremy Thompson, Accompanist
Pianist Jeremy Thompson maintains an active performance schedule as a recitalist and concerto soloist with orchestras around the world, specializing in highly virtuosic repertoire. Thompson studied at McGill University, and was honored with two of Canada’s most prestigious fellowships to pursue his doctoral studies and in 2005 earned a Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance. He studied organ performance at McGill with Dr. John Grew and is also a concertizing organist and the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville.
Leanne Clement, General Director of Charlottesville Opera
Dr. Leanne Clement is the General Director of Charlottesville Opera. Under Leanne’s leadership, Charlottesville Opera has expanded its programming to incorporate year-round events including: The Arts for All FestivALL, an educational performance for school children, a concert series, and a new works program. Prior to taking this position in January of 2022, Dr. Clement was the General Director of Opéra Louisiane, a position she held since 2011. Dr. Clement is a graduate of The School of Music at Louisiana State University, where she received her Doctor of Musical Arts as well as her Master of Music degrees in vocal performance. As a mezzo-soprano Leanne focused on the dramatic roles of Verdi and Wagner. In addition to performing and assistant directing productions at LSU, Dr. Clement co-founded LOOP, LSU Opera Outreach Program, directing and producing shows for collegiate singers to perform at local elementary schools. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from The College of William and Mary in Virginia with a minor in Music.
Caroline Worra, Artistic Director
Caroline Worra has been hailed by Opera News as "one of the finest singing actresses around." She has sung over 90 roles from over 70 operas including 20 World, American, and Regional Premieres. She was internationally acclaimed for her performances of Jenny in The Mines of Sulphur, Grammy nominated CD for Best Opera Recording, and as the title role for The Greater Good; Passion of Boule de Suif, Opera News and New York Times pick for one of the top classical CDs of the year.
Ms. Worra has worked with over 80 different opera companies including The Metropolitan Opera, The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Boston Lyric Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Dallas Opera, Long Beach Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Madison Opera, Cedar Rapids Opera, Opera Memphis, Fargo-Moorhead Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, Urban Arias, American Lyric Theatre, American Opera Projects, Tanglewood, Opera Saratoga, Berkshire Opera Festival, The Princeton Festival, and six seasons at both Glimmerglass Opera and New York City Opera.
American indie rock band Mt. Joy returned to the University of Virginia on Friday evening for its second “Arts on the Hill” appearance since April 2023. The band performed an intimate set at President Jim Ryan’s Carr’s Hill home, just one day before headlining a nearly sold-out show at John Paul Jones Arena.
Have an idea for an Arts on the Hill? Send us a quick email with your idea, a sample of the work or performance (if applicable), contact information, and links to more information! We may not be able to accommodate all ideas, but we LOVE to hear what y'all are wanting to see and experience.
Carr's Hill is home to the President of the University of Virginia. Construction finished in 1909, during the first president's tenure. Every University president has lived in the home. The house was specifically designed to mimic the functionality of the Pavilions on the Lawn; the first floor is public-private space used by the President to host meetings and events with students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the University, as well as visiting dignitaries from around the Commonwealth and across the globe. As in the Pavilions, the President lives on the upper floors of the house.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register, Carr's Hill, designed by McKim, Mead & White, is an interesting study in architecture that reinterprets Jeffersonian classicism. The home sits on a rise bearing the same name, overlooking the University, and is nestled amongst beautiful gardens and historic outbuildings that pre-date the construction of the main house. The history of Carr's Hill and the buildings on it are long and full of many colorful stories.
