Next Opera Thursday is November 6th!

Mari Hazel
3 hours ago
4 min read

at Villa Tronco Italian Restaurant featuring Dr. Cherisse Williams, soprano and Dr. Ramelle Brooks, baritone with pianist, Sharon Rattray.

with operatic selections from Don Giovanni, La Bohème, Porgy and Bess, The Barber of Seville and musical theatre classics from Show Boat, Les Misérables,

and Phantom of the Opera!

Learn more about the performers

Dr. Cherisse Williams is an accomplished soprano, educator, entrepreneur, and creative artist who bridges the worlds of artistry and industry. A Brooklyn, New York native, she holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance and an M.B.A. in Music Business from the University of North Texas, a Master of Music in Voice Performance from Ithaca College, a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Westminster Choir College of Rider University, and a Professional Studies Certificate in Opera from the Manhattan School of Music.

In Fall 2025, Dr. Williams joined the University of South Carolina School of Music as an Assistant Professor of Music Industry Studies, where she teaches students how to merge artistic excellence with entrepreneurial savvy to thrive in today’s competitive music industry. Her research and teaching focus on music business education, personal branding, strategic marketing, and career development, empowering students to build sustainable, multifaceted careers in music.

As a professional opera singer, Dr. Williams has performed leading roles across the country. Notable performances include the title role of Cendrillon (Marie) with Opera Arlington, Manuelita (Pépito) with The Dallas Opera’s Educational Outreach, Micaëla (Carmen) and Adina (L’elisir d’amore) with UNT Opera, Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute) and Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) with Once Upon an Opera, and Nannetta (Falstaff) with the Midwest Institute of Opera. Her Manhattan School of Music credits include the Princess (L’enfant et les Sortilèges) and Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) in "A World Made Real: Five Stories of Women in Pursuit of Dreams." She also premiered the role of Sally Hemings in Dana Wilson’s The Wolf by the Ears. A prize-winning artist, she was a winner of the William Gammon Henry Concerto Competition and the first-prize winner at the NATS-CNYFL competition. She currently sings with the prestigious New York Philharmonic Chorus.

Beyond the stage, Dr. Williams brings expertise in development, alumni relations, and arts education. While at the UNT College of Music’s Office of Development, she helped design and launch the College’s inaugural stewardship program, significantly increasing alumni engagement and fundraising success. She also created an innovative after-school opera program for young children while serving as a preschool teacher and Extended Day Coordinator at the Montessori Day School of Brooklyn, producing inclusive, neurodivergent-friendly performances.

Dr. Williams is also a commercial and print model, having starred in a national Verizon Holiday commercial alongside her identical twin sister as part of their creative brand, The Sparkle Twins. A passionate volunteer, she is a proud sister of Sigma Alpha Iota and an artist for Sing for Hope, dedicated to using her talents to inspire and empower communities. Whether performing on stage, educating the next generation, or creating innovative artistic experiences, Dr. Cherisse Williams is committed to shaping the future of the music industry through artistry, entrepreneurship, and inclusivity.

Ramelle Brooks’ noble bass voice has been described as powerful yet full of color and nuance. In the 2023/24 season, he will return to Opera Carolina as the Bonze in Madame Butterfly and will join Sounds of Charleston for selections from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. In addition, he will be heard with Augusta University Opera Theatre as Sarastro in Magic Flute and with Palmetto Opera as a featured soloist. Last season included performances of Tosca (Angelotti) with Opera Carolina, Sarastro in Magic Flute with Opera Wilmington, and a debut with Opera Mississippi as bass soloist in Voices of Freedom at Duling Hall. In July 2023, Brooks made his Italian debut as Crespel/Schlémil (Les contes d’Hoffmann) in Vicenza’s Teatro comunale Citta di Vicenza. Other appearances of note include Dr. Grenvil in La Traviata with Opera Carolina and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Augusta Choral Society. Equally at home in the world of musical theater, Brooks has been heard as Fred in Smokey Joe’s Café, as Jigger Craigin in Carousel, and in the role of Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore.

Ramelle holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music in Performance from the University of South Carolina and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education (Voice K-12) from Fayetteville State University. Currently, he serves as an Assistant Professor of Voice at South Carolina State University and as Director of Music at Second Calvary Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina. Ramelle also holds membership in the National Association of Teachers of Singing and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Opera Thursday was created to entertain lifelong aficionados and introduce new listeners to the beauty of opera. Join us each month at Villa Tronco for an unforgettable evening of fine dining, lively company, and captivating performances of arias and Broadway favorites by Midlands-area opera singers.

Dinner begins at 6:00 PM. The performance is at 7:00 PM.

Reservations are required.

To reserve your table, please call Villa Tronco at 803-256-7677.