1805 Performers and Scholars
Project Directors
- Associate Professor Jeffrey M. Leichman (LSU Department of French Studies)
- Associate Professor Jesse T. Allison (LSU School of Music)
- Associate Professor Brandon Hendrickson (LSU School of Music)
- Shea Trahan, AIA (Doctor of Design candidate, LSU College of Art + Architecture)
1805 Concert Musical Performer
Smarlensly Altenor
Smarlensly Alténor is a soprano originating from Port Saint Lucie, Florida. She has recently graduated from LSU with her Bachelor of Music in May of 2024 under the guidance of the fabulous Dr. Loraine Sims. She is currently completing her second degree Bachelor of Science at LSU where she will be graduating May of 2025 and continue studying under Dr. Loraine Sims. She has recently performed as Adela in LSU Turner Fischer’s Collegiate premier of La Casa de Bernada Alba and has performed many roles such as Monica in LSU Turner Fischer’s production of The Medium, Angelina in LSU Turner Fischer’s production of Trial by Jury, Despina in LSU Turner Fischer’s production of Cosi Fan Tutte, and many more. Her upcoming engagements include staring as Giannetta in LSU Turner Fischer’s production L’elisir d’amore this Fall and performing in many upcoming recitals.
Imani Sarai Francis
Imani Sarai Francis, soprano, is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. She is a proud product of the Orleans Parish Public Schools System where she attended and graduated from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) in 2016. Upon receiving a vocal scholarship from then Boston Conservatory, now Boston Conservatory @ Berklee College of Music, Imani received her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance in May 2020. Her graduation was historic as it was the last of the original Boston Conservatory graduates. Roles to Imani’s credit include: She made her operatic debut with New Orleans Opera as Clara and Strawberry Women in their production of Porgy and Bess in 2021. She was also featured as Gretel in the Hansel and Gretel (opera scenes) with New Orleans Opera in February, 2022. Her other following roles include Almirena (Rinaldo), La Ciesca (Gianni Schicchi), Fiordiligi (Cosi fan tutte), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Musetta (La Bohème). In this upcoming fall season, she will be performing the role of Rosalinde in the Turner- Fischer Opera. Imani has placed first of for the regional and state National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions from 2020 -2021. Most recently, Imani won second place at the 2022 National Association of Teachers of Singing Regional Competition in the Lower Advanced Treble and first place in the Upper American Negro Spiritual categories. She also received the Governor’s Award for the outstanding first place winner of the conference. Imani received her Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in May 2022. Imani is currently enrolled as a first year doctoral Vocal Performance major with a minor concentration in Vocal Pedagogy at Louisiana State University.
Spencer LeFebvre
Spencer LeFebvre is a 22-year-old Baritone hailing from Anchorage Alaska. Currently, Spencer is studying with the Paul Groves and Robert Grayson Studio at Louisiana State University. If you’d like to see him perform again soon, he will be performing as Dr. Falka in LSU’s upcoming production of Die Fledermaus November 24th and November 25th at the Turner-Fischer Theatre.
Espen Lilleslåtten
Espen Lilleslåtten is currently associate professor of violin at Louisiana State University.
Previously he served for fifteen years as concertmaster of the Bergen Philharmonic
Orchestra and is currently concertmaster of the Amarillo Symphony Orchestra. During
the summers, he is an artist faculty member at the Aspen Music Festival and School.
He has recently been playing as a sub with the Houston Symphony conducted by Juraj
Valčuha and as a guest associate concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
with Marin Alsop, and has performed with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra as associate
principal violist lead by Klaus Mäkelä. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Bergen
Philharmonic Orchestra and given recitals at the Bergen International Festival. He
premiered the Concerto of Psalms fortwo violins and orchestra by Dinos Constantinides
at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, and at a recital in Carnegie Hall. Mr. Lilleslåtten
is also an active chamber player. He spent a year as a guest artist at the Banff Center
for the Arts in Alberta, Canada. Among the artists with whom he has performed chamber
music are the Harrington String Quartet, the Aspen Trio, the Pacifica Quartet, Stefan
Jackiw, Isaac Stern, Menahem Pressler, Sylvia Rosenberg, Bonnie Hampton, Natalia Gutman,
Lynn Harrell, Joshua Bell, Nadja Salerno- Sonnenberg, and Joel Krosnick.
Brennan Plummer
Brennan Plummer is an American pianist, with classical piano being the focus of his creativity and outreach. He is heavily influenced by French Impressionism and music of South America like Heitor Villa-Lobos and Alberto Ginastera. He has studied with Dr. Uriel Tsachor and Michael Gurt. He has participated in a wide range of masterclasses including chamber repertoire with the Harlem Quartet and JACK Quartet, and solo repertoire with Jani Parsons, Leslie Spotz, Mauricy Martin, and Clélia Iruzun. He received his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Iowa and is currently pursuing his Master in Music in Piano Performance at Louisiana State University with Michael Gurt, on a full graduate assistantship.
Sean Whitson
Sean Whitson is a senior at Louisiana State University, where he studies vocal performance under the guidance of Dr. Brandon Hendrickson. At The Turner-Fischer Center for Opera at LSU, Sean has embraced a range of roles, including 3rd Snob in Paris, à nous Deux!, Enoch Jr. in Carousel, Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte, The Defendant in Trial by Jury, Henrik in A Little Night Music, Le Doyen in Cendrillon, and Pong in Turandot. He also had the opportunity to perform as Warren in a concert version of Ordinary Days and to sing as the tenor soloist in Brahms' Liebeslieder Waltzes with the LSU A Cappella Choir. Sean’s professional experience includes roles such as Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk and chorus member in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Opera Louisiane, as well as chorus work in Tosca with Cedar Rapids Opera, and a supernumerary role in Carmen at Des Moines Metro Opera. He has also explored characters such as Tamino from Die Zauberflöte, Nemorino from L'elisir d'amore, and Candide from Candide in scene performances. Recently, Sean continued to develop his skills as a studio artist at the OperaFest! at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and the Smith Young Artist Program at Cedar Rapids Opera. This season, he is excited to perform the role of Dr. Blind in LSU's upcoming production of Die Fledermaus. Sean is grateful for the constant support of his teachers, family, and friends, and looks forward to what the future holds in his journey as an opera singer.
Musical Direction:
Brandon Hendrickson
American baritone Brandon Hendrickson is hailed by Opera News Magazine as having a “mellifluous,” and “beautiful baritone.” Hendrickson has interpreted standard and contemporary opera, musical theater, concert and oratorio work, jazz, and recital repertoire on domestic and international stages. Hendrickson has performed with many nationally recognized opera companies around the United States including the Des Moines Metro Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Annapolis Opera, and The Dallas Opera. His performances on the operatic stage have included key roles such as the title role in Verdi’s Rigoletto, the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Conte Almaviva and Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Guglielmo in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Papageno in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Doctor Bartolo in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Marcello and Schaunard in Puccini’s La Bohème, the title role in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and Falke in Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss. A frequent performer of concert repertoire, Hendrickson has been featured as baritone soloist in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana at Carnegie Hall as well as with the National Philharmonic Orchestra. He has been recently featured as baritone soloist in Cantata 212 by Bach, Mozart’s Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem by Brahms, Duruflé’s Requiem, and Mahler’s 8th Symphony. In addition to the National Philharmonic Orchestra, Hendrickson has appeared as guest artist with other major orchestras including the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, The American Festival Chorus, Helena Symphony Orchestra, Great Falls Symphony Orchestra, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Southeast Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and Louisiana Sinfonietta. Hendrickson performs frequently by invitation as a recitalist throughout the United States. He has also presented recitals in Malaysia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Italy.
Acoustical Design
- Shea Trahan
- Jesse Allison
Produced by CFFS
- Jeffrey Leichman
- Rachel Kirk
- Todd Jacob
Special Thanks
DMC Theatre, Department of French Studies, Professor Greg Stone