Our Mission

Established in 2020, Prismatic Arts Ensemble is a collaborative project between Philadelphia area performers whose deep love of immersive theatre and of song recitals led them to wonder what would happen if those two art forms could be combined, with the goal of bringing new life to rare and underperformed pieces and to give audiences a different way to experience classical music.

Prismatic also aims to change the paradigm in the way that they select repertoire, cast additional musicians, and hire artistic affiliates. They are committed to featuring the work of underrepresented artists- Black, Indigenous, and other Artists of Color; womxn; artists in the LGBTQIA+ community- as well as to cultivating a creative environment where artists and audience members alike can be fully present as their authentic selves.

We look forward to bringing diverse, thought-provoking, and imaginative programming to our community and we hope to see you at the theatre soon!

Still photo from Night Dances - our inaugural project - February 2021

Our Team

Marcelle McGuirk (she/they)
soprano

  • Praised for her "vocal nuance and agility," (Classical Singer Competition) soprano Marcelle McGuirk brings her musical interpretations to the opera, concert, and recital stages. Her repertoire spans the works of the Bel Canto and Romantic eras, and she has a special love of 20th-21st century music.

    Notable stage credits include: Della (The Gift of the Magi), Snow Maiden (The Snow Maiden), Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Yum Yum (The Mikado), Musetta (La Boheme), Karen/Young Maren (Maren of Vardø), and several roles in the two woman contemporary opera, Between: The Elevator. Her solo concert credits include: Mozart’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat in D, Faure’s Requiem, and Orff's Carmina Burana. In addition, her love of song repertoire and experimental theatre lea her to co-found Prismatic Arts Ensemble.

    When not singing, Ms. McGuirk works with racial justice groups, with a specific focus on Spanish speaking communities, as she is of Puerto Rican descent. In her free time, she enjoys watercolor painting, reading, and experimenting with international recipes and cocktail mixology. She lives in Philadelphia with her spouse and their very fluffy dog, Zoë.

Matthew Maisano (they/he)
baritone

  • Known for their “sonorous baritone” (Broad Street Review) and “commanding stage presence," (Miami Herald) Philadelphia native Matthew Maisano (they/them) enjoys performing a variety of vocal music from the classical, operatic, musical theater, and popular repertoires. They have sung various solo and ensemble roles both in the Greater Philadelphia area as well as across the country! In 2024, Matthew is thrilled to return to the Hogfish Festival to sing Escamilla (a drag queen toreador) in an exciting retelling of Bizet’s Carmen entitled, CarmXn!

    Matthew has a vibrant and active 5+ year career as drag artist, Balena Canto (Philadelphia's seductive song-wielding siren with a voice snatched for the gods)! Balena has performed extensively throughout the Greater Philadelphia area and loves combining her two loves of drag and opera! To learn more about Balena, please click here!