Creators, Writers and Music Producer
Nic. tenBroek - Composer
"Nic. brought a great tone to the movie…the score adds a real lushness…" Jeff Bridges
Nicolaas tenBroek is a Juilliard-trained composer, producer, and arranger whose career spans feature film scoring, network television, documentaries, musicals, and live performance at the highest professional levels.
His film scoring credits include The Amateurs, starring Jeff Bridges, Ted Danson, and Joe Pantoliano; The Dukes, starring Chazz Palminteri, Robert Davi, and directed by Peter Bogdanovich; and Magic, starring Sammi Hanratty, Robert Davi, and Greg Grunberg. He wrote songs for Boat Trip, starring Cuba Gooding Jr., and for HBO's critically acclaimed series Treme — one of the most musically sophisticated productions in television history. His television scoring includes The Webber Show for NBC and Phantom Investigators for Warner Bros.
Among his most notable credits is The Cutting Edge, a documentary featuring Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Sean Penn, and Jodie Foster — a project that placed his work alongside the most celebrated filmmakers of his generation. Additional credits include Who's The Man? starring Dr. Dre and Queen Latifah, and Remembering Phil, starring Nick Turturro.
As a performer, Nic's versatility has placed him alongside legends including Frank Sinatra, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson, and Tom Jones, spanning jazz, classical, and contemporary genres. His collaborative work with five-time Grammy winner Val Garay reflects a shared commitment to music of the highest caliber.
In Opera Girl, Nic has composed and orchestrated 23 original songs fusing classical opera with contemporary songwriting, woven together with four of the most beloved works in musical history — O Mio Babbino Caro, Ave Maria, Habanera, and a thunderous Ode to Joy finale. The complete 27-track score was recorded with musicians from the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and performed live to a two-and-a-half-minute standing ovation.
Ken Richard - Creator & Writer
Ken merges the meticulous attention to detail of the seasoned trial lawyer he is with the lyrical sensitivity of a contemporary classical composer in his creation of Opera Girl. With decades of experience crafting compelling narratives in the courtroom, Ken has honed his ability to weave intricate storylines and develop dynamic, multifaceted characters that resonate with audiences.
His legal background, characterized by persuasive argumentation and rich storytelling, has seamlessly transitioned into his scriptwriting for Opera Girl. This transference of skills from the legal world to the creative sphere has endowed Ken with a unique prowess in developing tight plots, engaging dialogue, and high-stakes scenarios, ensuring that Opera Girl captures the drama and tension that keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Beyond his legal career, Ken is an accomplished pianist and composer with a portfolio of 44 contemporary classical pieces. His deep understanding of musical structure, tempo, and emotion deeply informs the rhythm and flow of his scripts, infusing Opera Girl with an authentic musical heartbeat.
Ken’s inspiration for Opera Girl was sparked in New York City in 2019 during a chance meeting with Stephanie Melzi, a virtuosic, New England Conservatory - trained opera singer. The interaction led to an interest in musical-storytelling world and led him on a journey to create a narrative that would do justice to the power and beauty of the operatic voice.
Stephanie Melzi - Premier Vocalist
Stephanie is a versatile and expressive mezzo-soprano whose performances blend classical discipline with heartfelt emotional resonance across both opera and art song repertoire. She holds a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory and a Master of Music from Boston University.
She studied privately with three iconic Metropolitan Opera stars—Blanche Thebom, William Stone, and Edward Zambara—whose mentorship helped shape her vocal technique, interpretive depth, and artistic identity.
Her operatic credits include:
· Hansel – Hansel and Gretel
· Romeo – I Capuleti e i Montecchi
· Giannetta – L’Elisir d’Amore
· Polina – Pique Dame
· Cherubino – The Marriage of Figaro
· Flora – La Traviata
· Mercedes – Carmen
· Soloist – Metropolitan Opera–sponsored concert via The Columbus Citizen’s Foundation (New York City)
Stephanie is also a founding artist and co-creator of Opera Girl, a groundbreaking musical franchise where classical music meets mythic storytelling. Her performances are featured on the project’s official YouTube channel, @theoperagirl, which is approaching 10,000 subscribers and reaching a rapidly expanding global audience.
Melissa Roen - Spec Script Co-Writer
Melissa Roen, screenwriter and award-winning American author of the dystopian book series Last Call of Caviar and its sequel Maya Rising, winner of Best Science Fiction at the 2017 New York Book Festival, brings a wealth of storytelling expertise and accolades to co-writing Opera Girl’s pilot script.
Due to a fortuitous encounter at the Maison des Scenarists during the Cannes Film Festival, she expanded her craft to visual storytelling. Fluent in English, French, and Italian, Melissa was hired by a French production company to write the screenplay for an English-language feature film. The film’s script development consultant was the former President of Physical and Post Production at Universal Studios with more than 150 films to her credit, including Schindler's List and Casino, allowing Melissa to work with, and learn from a legendary industry pro.
In the ensuing years, Melissa lent her screenwriting and story development talent to US and international filmmakers on a variety of film and TV projects ranging from true-life fictionalized dramas, screen adaptations, and political thrillers to sci-fi fantasy, Urban and Latino themes, and a docu-reality show for a successful US franchise.
Residing on the Côte d’Azur in France for over thirty years, Melissa's immersion in French language, literature, and civilization at the Faculté des Lettres in Nice, coupled with studies in Italian at the Dante Alighieri in Florence, and art at l’École des Artes Plastiques in Monaco, enriches Opera Girl with nuances of European culture and aesthetics that contribute to its depth and global appeal.
Patrick Woodland - Music Producer
Patrick Woodland, founder of Woodland Music Productions, has been composing music for network television and other media for over thirty years.
His work can be heard on “The Late Show with David Letterman”, HBO’s blockbuster series, “Sex and the City”, “Family Guy”, “CBS Survivor” and CBS Paramount’s critically acclaimed drama, “NUMB3RS”, just to name a few.
He has also composed and produced music for the National Symphony Orchestra, and numerous national commercial campaigns, such as Only Vegas, Oreo Double Stuff Cookies, as well as several US Presidential, and Senate race television campaigns.
Patrick is also an award-winning sound designer and recording engineer, recent mixing projects include CBS’ 60 Minutes, and the music score to Lionsgate Films “The Kid” starring Ethan Hawke and Chris Pratt.
He has also composed and produced over 100 contemporary songs and lyrics for various Film and television productions.
Nic. tenBroek
Ken Richard
Stephanie Melzi
Melissa Roen
