Newark High School graduate Cynthia López-Olaya continued her studies at The Ohio State University and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. A passionate performer and advocate, she combines her artistry with lectures, panel discussions, and philanthropic work that elevates underrepresented voices.

Recent highlights include Natalia in the world premiere of Caravana de Mujeres, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, and Frasquita in a reimagined production of Carmen. She also premiered Soul Echoes, a vocal drama sharing the stories of children detained at the U.S.–Mexico border. Other credits include roles in West Side Story, La bohème, Così fan tutte, Dialogues des Carmélites, and Falstaff. Based in Columbus, she performs with a professional contemporary Latin trio and is co-founder of Latina Women in Opera.

Tenor Jesús Daniel Hernández dreamed of becoming a singer from childhood, inspired first by Mexican legends Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete and later by the Three Tenors. An Iraq War veteran, Hernández served in a chemical unit with the U.S. Army before pursuing his lifelong dream of an operatic career.

His life changed in 2007 after a remarkable backstage encounter with Plácido Domingo. Following an impromptu audition in the legendary tenor’s dressing room, Hernández was invited to join the prestigious Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera, where he appeared in productions of La traviata, Falstaff, Hamlet, and Lucrezia Borgia.

Hernández has since performed leading roles in Rigoletto, La bohème, Tosca, Andrea Chénier, Gianni Schicchi, Cavalleria rusticana, and The Merry Widow.

His distinguished appearances include the NEA Opera Honors, the Horatio Alger Awards at the United States Supreme Court, and concerts throughout Europe. With his beautiful, powerful voice, Hernández brings to the stage an inspiring story of courage, perseverance, and a lifelong dream realized.