Glenn Morton
Artistic Director
Glenn Morton, Artistic Director, is a faculty member at New York City’s three music conservatories.. One of New York’s most sought-after vocal coaches, he is honored to mentor every singer and pianist attending the Classic Lyric Arts training programs.
He currently serves on the faculties of The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and Mannes School of Music, offering courses in Italian Diction, French Vocal Literature, and Song Interpretation. He received a bachelor's degree in piano performance from the Hartt School of Music and a Master of Music degree in collaborative piano from The Manhattan School of Music. His work has included collaborations with theaters such as the Opera Company of Boston, New Orleans Opera, Sarasota Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Glimmerglass.
Mr. Morton is the Founder of Classic Lyric Arts, Inc., a non-profit organization encompassing CLA Italy, founded in 2009, CLA France, founded in 2012, and CLA Berkshires, established in 2022. CLA provides advanced training in the techniques and traditions of French and Italian lyric music as well as international performing opportunities to young artists in the field of opera. The Classic Lyric Arts Vocal Academy, beginning in 2024, will culminate his work to help bridge conservatory training and professional careers for emerging singers.
John Viscardi
Executive Director
John Viscardi, alumnus of CLA Italy 2009 and CLA France 2014, lives in Philadelphia with his wife Molly and two children, Jack and Noa. A multi-faceted artist, Mr. Viscardi has experience leading and growing a variety of organizations. He is the co-founder of ArtSmart, a national arts mentoring organization that empowers students in under-resourced communities to find their path through mentorship with paid professional artists. With a deep belief in the power of the arts to positively impact lives and communities, Mr. Viscardi serves as a board member of The Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (PVLA).
Throughout his operatic career, Mr. Viscardi has performed with Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, New York City Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Opera Carolina. After a few years performing the tenor repertoire, Mr. Viscardi realized that his voice possessed a lower range, and he moved into the baritone repertoire, where his credits include the title roles in David DiChiera’s Cyrano at Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Carolina, Erich in Dear Erich at the New York City Opera, and Pelléas in Pelléas and Mélisande at Opera Southwest. In addition, he has sung Valentin in Faust at Michigan Opera Theatre, and Papageno in The Magic Flute at the Toledo Opera. It was his work as a high baritone that enabled him to free the upper part of his voice, and he is now a Lyric Tenor, making his debut in that fach with Opera Carolina as Mario Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca.
Mr. Viscardi is featured in collaboration with CLA Artistic Director, Glenn Morton on Brilliant Classics’ complete recording of the works of F.P. Tosti – available on Spotify and Apple Music.
Mr. Viscardi’s performances with orchestra and in recital includes Carmina Burana with Opera Philadelphia, the Duruflé and Fauré Requiems, and Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs (the latter three in Carnegie Hall), Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center, and a recital of Tosti songs in Tokyo. Mr. Viscardi has appeared in both recital and concert at venues that include Carnegie Hall (New York), Geffen Hall (New York), Tokyo Opera City (Tokyo), Verizon Hall (Philadelphia) and Avery Fisher Hall (New York).
Winner of both the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition and Concorso Internazionale F.P. Tosti, Mr. Viscardi is a graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts and New York University.
Wesley Diener
Director of Operations
Wesley Diener, alumnus of CLA France 2019 & 2022, CLA NY 2021, and CLA Berkshires 2023, is a Chicago-based singer and voice teacher who is highly sought after for musical theater, cabaret, and opera projects.
Most recently, Wesley performed as a resident artist with Ohio Light Opera in their 2025 productions of Carousel, Brigadoon, Tip Toes, Bitter Sweet, and Cousin from Batavia. He also appeared as Sid in Albert Herring, Vater in Hänsel und Gretel, and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte at Northwestern University. On the concert stage, he has been featured as the Baritone Soloist in Rutter’s Mass of the Children with Virginia Consort and in Vaughan William’s Dona Nobis Pacem with the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra. He has performed across the United States and internationally with companies such as Teatro Nuovo, Shakespeare Opera Theatre, Charlottesville Opera, Opera Roanoke, the Oratorio Society of Richmond, and Victory Hall Opera. His passion for musical theatre has led to numerous crossover performances, including Riff (West Side Story) and the Baker (Into the Woods).
Wesley is also the Founder of WD Studio, a virtual voice studio committed to inspiring and empowering singers of all ages to discover their full vocal potential. He was a featured presenter at the 2024 National NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singers) Convention, and his students have performed in Broadway national tours and regional theater productions, as well as numerous professional film and TV projects.
Wesley holds degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Virginia, where he was a member of the Distinguished Majors Program, the Performance Concentration, and the Miller Art Scholars.
Sofia Gotch
Marketing & Programs Manager
Italian American soprano, Sofia Gotch Caruana, has been praised for the “brightness and clarity” of her sound and her “command of style and diction.” An engaging performer, Sofia’s range spans the comedic and ethereal roles, such as Titania, to the emotional intensity and humanity of title roles such as Juliette and Gilda.
In 2025, Sofia was honored to receive recognition in several esteemed vocal competitions, marking a meaningful chapter in her artistic development. She was named a Semifinalist in the Metropolitan Opera Eric & Dominique Laffont Competition, and awarded Third Prize the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, the Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition, and the James Toland Vocal Arts Competition. Additionally, she received an Encouragement Award in the Gerda Lissner/Lieder‑Song Competition (2024).
Sofia is exceptionally grateful to have continued her training at the Aspen Music Festival & School (2024 Renée Fleming Fellow), and Merola Opera Program (2025).
Recent performance credits: Dasha in The Mothers of Kherson Workshop with the Metropolitan Opera; Alice in Merola Opera Program’s production of Le Comte Ory; Almirena in Manhattan School of Music’s production of Rinaldo; Juliette in MSM’s Roméo et Juliette; La Fée in MSM’s Cendrillon; Titania, the Fairy Queen in MSM’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Sharp Ears, the Vixen in MSMs The Cunning Little Vixen; Soprano Soloist in Mahler’s Fourth Symphony with the MSM Symphony Orchestra; High Soprano Soloist in Matthew Aucoin & Peter Sellars’ production of Music for New Bodies with both the American Modern Opera Company and the Aspen Music Festival & School.
Upcoming engagements: 2026 Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera.
Sofia holds a Master’s Degree (’23) and Postgraduate Performance Diploma (’25) from the Manhattan School of Music. She studies with her ever-caring teacher, Ruth Golden. Sofia received her Bachelor of Arts in Music and in English (Creative Writing Emphasis) from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.
As a proud alumna of CLA Italy 2022 and CLA Italy 2023, Sofia is thrilled to be working with the wonderful administrative team at CLA and can’t wait for all the CLA 25/26 season has in store!
Maia Sumanaweera
Assistant Manager of Development
Maia Sumanaweera is a classical soprano based in New York City. A compelling musical artist and enthusiastic arts administrator, Maia currently serves as Assistant Manager of Development for CLA and as Social Media Manager for the Kurt Weill Foundation. She is an alumna of CLA Italy 2022 and 2025 and CLA France 2023.
Her recent performance credits include the roles of Poppea in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, La princesse in L’enfant et les sortilèges, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, and Linfea in La Calisto with Mannes Opera. Scene work with CLA includes Amina in La sonnambula, Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Antonia in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Adina in L’elisir d’amore and Suzel in L’amico Fritz. Maia is a recipient of the Encouragement Award in the Washington District Round of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. She will make her debut with Brooklyn Art Song Society for Cycles IV: Janáček and Schoenberg in 2026.
In addition to her operatic repertoire, Maia has sung with ensembles for eleven years. In 2024, she made her debut with GRAMMY®-nominated vocal ensemble Seraphic Fire, and will perform with them again during their 2025/2026 season. In 2019, she performed in the chorus with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra on the GRAMMY® award-winning recording of the oratorio The Passion of Yeshua by Richard Danielpour.
Originally from northern California, Maia is a graduate of the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the Mannes School of Music. In her spare time, Maia loves cooking, floral arranging, photography, and spending time at home with friends and family.
Sofia Durante
Marketing & Programs Assistant
Sofia Durante, mezzo-soprano and alumna of the 2024/2025 CLA Vocal Academy, CLA Berkshires 2022, 2025 and CLA Italy 2023, 2024 is a graduate of Mannes School of Music where she received her Master's in Vocal Performance. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she is a proud graduate of McGill University’s Schulich School of Music in Montreal, Quebec where she earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance.
Sofia has performed the roles of La Frugola in Il Tabarro with Classic Lyric Arts, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Bronx Opera, and Siebel (cover) in Faust with Village Opera. Recent scene work includes Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Idamante in Idomineo, and Angelina in La Cenerentola with Classic Lyrics Arts.
Sofia is delighted to be working with the administrative team at CLA and can’t wait for all the exciting things the CLA 2025/2026 season will bring.