Kansas City Sinfonietta opens its debut four-concert series with Break the Heart with Joy: a powerful, intimate journey through the emotional landscape of Albert Einstein’s life. Centered on Kevin Puts’s Einstein on Mercer Street, the program traces Einstein’s passionate relationship with his first wife Mileva Marić, the mystery surrounding their missing child, and the haunting legacy of his faint connection to the creation of the atomic bomb.
The evening also features Michael Torke’s Four Proverbs, whose philosophical bite and rhythmic playfulness provide insightful commentary throughout. A whimsical work by Corey Dundee joins brand-new compositions by KCietta’s own James Taylor, Artistic Director Nicholas Perry Clark, and Austin-composer Jordan Walsh infusing the program with vibrant energy and fresh perspective. Together, these pieces explore the tension between joy and sorrow, wonder and loss, breaking the heart so that we may piece it together again renewed.
Mezzo-soprano Madelin Cain is an active performer in the Kansas City metro, having performed previously with Lawrence Opera Theater, the Overland Park Orchestra, and Opera on Tap. In the spring of 2025, she also made her debut performance with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City chorus in their production of Turandot. She completed both an Artist’s Certificate in Voice and an M.M. in Voice at the UMKC Conservatory, where she studied with Dr. Maria Kanyova. Roles performed with UMKC Opera include Marcellina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), and the title role in Massenet’s Cherubin. Other credits include Nerone (L’Incoronazione di Poppea), Tisbe (La Cenerentola), and Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors). Madelin earned her Bachelor’s in Voice from Georgia Southern University.
Cameron J. Rolling, bass-baritone, is increasingly recognized for his “mellifluous voice” (Classical Voice San Francisco) in the realms of operatic, oratorio, symphonic, and recital performance. As a 24/25 Resident Artist with the Detroit Opera, Cameron performed the role of Marchese d’Obigny in Verdi’s La Traviata and covered the roles of Don Alfonso in a new production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte as well as Matias Reyes/Raymond’s Father in The Central Park Five by Anthony Davis. He also performed excerpts from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte as Sarastro with the Midland Symphony in March. This season included Rolling’s symphonic debut with the Savannah Philharmonic as the bass soloist for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony under the baton of Jonathan Rush. He was also the guest artist with the Kansas City-based chamber ensemble, Bach Aria Soloists, for their annual Holiday Concert. Rolling spent the summer of 2024 as a Young Artist for Glimmerglass Festival where he performed the role of Sylvano in Cavalli’s La Calisto and covered the roles of Mr. Lister/Karl Marx/Voiceover/Solomon Weil/Witness #8 in Kevin Puts’ Elizabeth Cree. In 2023, he was a Merola Young Artist where he performed the roles of Junius in Benjamin Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia and Hawkins Fuller in excerpts from Gregory Spears’ Fellow Travelers. Rolling hails from Waycross, Georgia, and holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education with concentrations in voice and conducting from Mercer University as well as two Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting and Vocal Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory.