About the adjudicators:

Kaylee Wagle is the Director of Operations at Anchorage Opera and a
multifaceted musician, known for her vibrant stage presence and her
extensive involvement in music and opera. With a foundational background
in instrumental music, she mastered piano, flute, piccolo, and alto
saxophone from a young age, though her true passion has always been
singing. Her vocal talent led her to pursue a degree in Vocal Performance
from the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 2011.
As a performer, she has taken on numerous roles in both Musical Theater
and Opera, showcasing her versatility across a broad repertoire. Notable
performances include Maria in West Side Story, Laurie in Oklahoma,
Sandy in Grease, Mrs. Grose in Britten’s Turn of the Screw, and Annio in
Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito. Her engagements with OU Opera Theater
included appearances in Delibes’ Lakmé and Orff’s Carmina Burana, and
she was a featured soloist in Schubert’s Mass in G.
Relocating to Alaska in 2014, she expanded her opera experience with
Anchorage Opera, performing in choruses for The Magic
Flute and Carmen and as a soloist in Messiah in 2015. Beyond the
spotlight, she excels behind the scenes, applying her skills in music and
administration to enhance operational efficiencies and production quality.
Her off-stage accolades from peers describe her as “kickass and brilliant,”
a testament to her dynamic impact both as a performer and as an
administrator. In her free time, she enjoys spending time at home or finding
an adventure with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.

Maura Wharton graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance
from the University of Alaska Anchorage. After graduating, she spent time
in Paris and Périgueux, France singing roles in La belle Hélène and La
Périchole by Jacques Offenbach. Maura has sung in the Anchorage Opera
Chorus for many past productions and she sang the role of Papagena with
Anchorage Opera in Mozart's The Magic Flute. Maura has competed in the
NATS Artist Awards Competition in Portland and the Metropolitan Opera
National Council Auditions in Chicago. She has won first place prizes in the
Anchorage Concert Chorus Scholarship Competition, NATS Musical
Theatre Competition, NATS Classical Competition, and the NATS
Northwest Region Musical Theatre Competition.

Dr. Tamara McCoy is an Alaskan pianist and contralto that teaches at
Alaska Pacific University and the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She
serves as Music Director at Anchorage Lutheran Church where she
produces the Anchorage Lutheran Concert Series.
Tamara has served on the faculty of the University of Kentucky, the Music
Institute of Lexington, University of Pikeville, the 2nd and 3rd International
Piano Festivals of the City of Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, and the
Classical Minds International Guitar Festival. She has most notably
performed in Alaska, New York, Russia, the Czech Republic, the United
Kingdom and Brazil.
In 2015, Tamara was awarded an Individual Artist Award from the
Rasmuson Foundation to tour Alaska and England, where she made her
vocal and pianistic London debut. In 2016, Tamara was a featured artist on
the National Public Radio through the Houston Public Media podcast
Classical Classroom, where she discussed, performed and recorded Liszt’s
Totentanz. In 2017, Tamara was invited, and continues to be, a teaching
artist in the Hiland Mountain Lullaby Project, in partnership with the
Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute. In 2018, Tamara won first prize in
the Alaska State and the Northwest Regional NATS Adult Avocational Voice
Auditions. In 2020, she was selected to perform her composition at the
Lullaby Celebration Concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. In 2021, Tamara
was awarded an Adaptation and Innovation performance grant from
the Alaska State Council on the Arts to facilitate an Alaskan tour. In 2022,
she was awarded a Rasmuson Foundation Fellowship.
In addition to performing, Dr. McCoy maintains an active
teaching schedule for piano and voice students of all ages. She lives in
Anchorage with her husband Eric and her children, Kenny and Molly.