Welcome to IN Series' 12 Days of Winter Holidays. Each day, a member of the IN Series community will share a musical or cultural gift with you. As the winter season unfolds, we invite you to slow down and savour a moment of inspiration—offered by an artist, musician, board member, or staff member from IN Series—to brighten your season and remind us of the beauty we create together. We hope these daily offerings bring joy, reflection, and smiles to your faces as we look forward to the days ahead. Happy Holidays!
Day 1: Teresa Ferrara
Teresa Ferrara is a cherished member of the IN Series performance community, acclaimed for her expressive voice and compelling stage presence, and loved for her behind-the-scenes joy and spirit. Recent IN Series appearances include her outstanding portrayal of Gilda in IN Series’ Rigoletto, her touching portrayal of a mother in The Cradle Will Rock, and her vocal artistry in VIVIA VERDI, as well as many others. IN Series is incredibly lucky to collaborate with Teresa in past as well as future productions, and we look forward to seeing how this D.C.-based artist wows us next!
Day 2: Tina Chancey
Tina Chancey deeply enriches IN Series' productions by bringing her mastery of early and folk instruments, and informing performances with outstanding musicality. Tina is a celebrated multi-instrumentalist and director of HESPERUS, and has collaborated with IN Series on multiple acclaimed productions, such as Toni Morrison's Desdemona, Las Misticas de Mexico, Monteverdi's Poppea, and she will be a performer at IN Series' upcoming Passion Festival in Passio. Tina's collaboration with IN Series exemplifies our shared commitment to blending tradition with innovation—bridging early music with contemporary storytelling to create new narratives, reaching more hearts, minds, and ears.
Day 3: Rob McGuiness
Rob McGuinness is not just a superior baritone, but also a true and rare performative artist. We celebrate him for his expressive range, deep musicality, and one-of-a-kind character embodiment, and we are honoured to have him as a long-standing artist at IN Series. His rich collaborations have spanned seasons and styles, from Monteverdi's Poppea, to Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, to Handel's Alcest. Whether delivering biting satire in modern reimaginings or anchoring emotionally resonant operatic roles, his artistry continues to elevate IN Series’ mission of opera that speaks directly to the here and now.
Day 4: Laïla Amezian
This spring, we are honored to welcome Belgian-Moroccan vocalist and interdisciplinary researcher Laïla Amezian to the IN Series stage for the first time in our bold new creation, Passio. Renowned for her ability to bridge classical, jazz, and North African vocal traditions, Laïla brings a unique sonic palette and deep cultural sensitivity to every performance. Her work transcends genres and borders—often weaving together music, spirituality, and community—making her a perfect fit as an artist at IN Series, We’re thrilled to share this journey with her and invite you to experience her powerful voice and presence in what promises to be an unforgettable performance.
Day 5: Anna Deeny Morales
A cherished part of the IN Series family and our Board Vice President, Anna Deeny Morales is a librettist, translator, and poet whose operas are beacons of justice, memory, and healing. She is known for her recent collaboration with IN Series, creating pieces such as Las Místicas de México, honoring the lives of the disappeared, ZAVALA-ZAVALA, based on the first family separation case under the Zero Tolerance Policy in El Paso, Texas, as well as her new libretto Home Come Home, for which Anna was a Long Room Hub Visiting Research Fellow at Trinity College, Dublin. From performances at the Kennedy Center to the Dupont Underground, her stories reverberate with both intimacy and power. As we exchange gifts this winter, we are grateful for Anna’s enduring commitment to lifting unheard voices, preserving cultural memory, and crafting new artistic traditions for a better, more compassionate world. We are incredibly grateful for Anna's creativity and longterm support of IN Series! We can't wait to see what she does next.
Day 6: Memphis Gold and Barbara Chandler
We are proud to uplift the artistry and advocacy of Memphis Gold—a legendary bluesman whose life, music, and service illuminate every stage he graces. A central voice in The Delta King’s Blues, Memphis brings a depth of lived experience to the role that cannot be taught—only earned through years of music, resilience, and truth-telling. By his side is his wife, Barbara Chandler—a powerhouse of community leadership and a passionate advocate for justice and healing. Together, they are not only artists and mentors, but also tireless supporters of fellow service members through their active role on the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. Through this work, they champion access, dignity, and storytelling for those who have served. Their dedication to both music and military communities reminds us that performance and purpose go hand in hand. IN Series is honored to walk beside them. Thank you for your gift Memphis & Barbara!
Day 7: Melissa Wimbish and Dana Scott
A message from Melissa to you: Warm holiday wishes to the IN Series community! Many of you know that this holiday season, I have been rehearsing and performing for the world-premiere of The Delta King’s Blues by Damien Geter with a libretto by Jarrod Lee. This project has been deeply meaningful to me, both artistically and personally. I am grateful to have shared the process with extraordinary colleagues, especially Jarrod, Albert, Wayne, Alicia, Dana, Anthony, Christian, and Damien. This very chill and homemade video is a glimpse into what this holiday season has looked like for me. It weaves together moments from recording the song at home, with the generous support of Dana Scott on keyboard, sprinkled in with rehearsal moments from The Delta King’s Blues. It reflects a season of long rehearsal days and time on the road, balanced with small, quiet holiday moments and mediocre tree-trimming. (Not pictured: Spilling an entire protein shake in my car on the way to rehearsal and crying a lot.) I chose a playful take on “Miss Celie’s Blues” by Quincy Jones, reimagined here as “Santa’s Blues,” because The Color Purple film (the 1985 version, respectfully) was a constant presence in my childhood around the holidays. The scenes featuring Shug Avery are iconic and they shaped my earliest ideas about singing and stage presence. I love that I get to portray a character born from that same lineage on the operatic stage. Thank you for supporting a fuller future for opera! Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday.
Day 8: Jarrod Lee
Baritone and librettist Jarrod Lee has been a beloved member of the IN Series family, contributing not only his exceptional vocal talent to numerous productions but also his voice as a writer, advocate, and cultural visionary. Whether embodying characters on stage or shaping stories behind the scenes, Jarrod’s work is always bold, honest, and deeply human. A passionate advocate for Black artistry and operatic innovation, Jarrod most recently served as librettist for The Delta King’s Blues, IN Series’ 2025 world premiere opera about the life and mythology of blues legend Robert Johnson—written alongside composer Damien Geter and director Alicia Washington. Jarrod's partnership with IN Series exemplifies the company’s commitment to expanding narratives, experimentation, and reimagining opera for our time. Jarrod brings his whole self to every project, and we are honored to continue creating with him.
Day 9: Judy Yannini
Today, we are serenaded by the luminous voice of soprano Judy Yannini, sharing the gentle holiday lullaby “A la nanita nana”. Judy, originally from Mexico, is a cherished member of the IN Series family, known for bringing heart, depth, and stunning voice to every role she embodies—from Mimi in Boheme in the Heights, to her powerful presence in I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky, to her most recent role in Poppea. We’re honored to welcome her back this coming spring in For Women Serving Time, a new work with IN Series that continues her tradition of giving voice to stories that matter. Judy’s performance is a reminder of the beauty in tenderness, the power of tradition, and the warmth of home.
Day 10: Maribeth Diggle and Magdalena Duhagon
A personal message from Maribeth: Hello IN Series family, friends, and supporters. Today is Day 10 of our Winter Holiday Musical Gifts—and also the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year. And yet, I feel incredibly thankful to have found a creative home here in Washington, D.C., where I can continue the work I began overseas, bringing my artistic history with me. For this day, I’m sharing a piece from A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten—one of the first songs I ever sang as a 12-year-old chorister. Reconnecting with it felt like greeting an old friend. I recorded it in a parking garage stairwell—where the acoustics almost rival a cathedral—and the song speaks to resiliency in dark times. On this darkest day, we may feel the weight of darkness in all its forms. But the arts remind us that in that space, we find the invitation to fight—for justice, creativity, and inclusion. Not with loud weapons, but with joy, vulnerability, and the quiet strength of being human. So for those who find themselves in darkness, please remember to foil your foes with joy, as this children's choir song suggests. Thank you to Magdalena Duhagon for helping me create this gift! I can’t wait to share more about themes of resilience with you all this spring in my new piece Passio, premiering at the IN Series' Passion Festival in 2026. In the meantime, thank you for your commitment to growing world class art and artists right here in Washington D.C., and for giving me a reason to keep building a future where performance can transform us—one joy at a time.
Day 11: David Mack
On this 11th day of our Winter Holiday Gifts, IN Series first ever Executive Director, David Mack, shares heartfelt reflections on the holiday traditions that have shaped his life across two homelands, those of Connecticut, California, and Jamaica. In a warm and personal video message, David invites us into his world of Christmas memories—where the comfort of family and the joy of food and storytelling create a rich, cross-cultural celebration. His reflections remind us that no matter where we are, traditions and art making hold the power to connect generations and ground us in joy. We’re honored to count David as our newest part of the IN Series family and grateful for the depth and generosity he brings to his role.
Day 12: Timothy Nelson
Welcome to the final day, Day 12, the final day of IN Series' 12 Days of Winter Holidays. Today you'll hear from IN Series' artistic director, Timothy Nelson as he offers some of his favourite Christmas music from his own home in Washington D.C. We hope these daily offerings have brightened your season and reminded us all of the beauty we create together as we look forward to the days ahead. Thank you to all the artists who participated!
