DARK SISTERS
by Nico Muhly
libretto by Stephen Karam
arranged by Nate Thatcher
Allison Voth, music director & piano
Wei-Yuan Chen, piano
Yun-Chen Chou, percussion
Gordon Cheung, conductor
Rose Freeman, stage director
CAST
Eliza..........................................................+Margaret Tigue, *Avuya Ngcaweni
Ruth.......................................................+Annabrett Ruggiero, *Rebekah Daly
Almera............................................+Arielle Rogers-Wilkey, *Juliette Kaoudji
Presendia.............................................+Rachel Sungmin Goh, *Anna Gaddie
Zina..........................................................................+Amy Wang,*Anne Burgett
The Prophet/King.................................+William O’Brien, *Wanchun Liang
Lucinda.............................................+Abigail Cunningham, *Monika Cachro
Covers
Presendia: Janae Peterson
Zina: Hannah Prince
Lucinda: Emma Giventer-Braff
+ Friday, 7:30pm & Saturday, 2pm *Saturday, 7:30pm & Sunday, 2pm
CREATIVE & PRODUCTION TEAM
Scenic Designer..............................................................................Ethan Vettese
Costume Designer.................................................................Taylor Needleman
Lighting Designer..............................................................................Valerie Zhao
Technical Director......................................................................Tess Evans-Shell
Intimacy Director….........……………………………..........................…Yo-EL Cassell
Stage Manager.................................................................................Rowen Bailey
Production Manager.....................................................................Sanaz Bagheri
Associate Production Manager....................................................Nichole Man
Production Electrician...................................................................Noah Wrafter
Properties Coordinator........................................................Delaney Jankanish
Properties Supervisor…………….....……......................……….Zoe Charbonneau Sound Engineer………………………………...…............................……….Irene Wang
Assistant Scene Designer..............................................................Ezinne Emeh
Assistant Costume Designer......................................................Webb Hodges
Assistant Lighting Designer..........................................................Darius Evans
Assistant Technical Director.....................................Sydney Elliott, Levi Leca
Assistant Stage Manager.......................................................Hannah Johnson
Assistant Sound Engineer…………………….….......................…Rachael Debraal Production Assistant…................Qin Caldwell, Sam Lehrich, Margo Segal
Alterations Draper………..................…………......................……Duncan Michael
First Hand……………….....………………………...............................……….Rhea Davis
Crafts Lead …………………..………………………..............................…….Ava Lumen
Wig artists………..…................Sara Matthews, Vyannie Barrientos Saldaña
Wardrobe Crew....................................Elliot Aydin, Jakob Baur, Sofi Rosales
Assistant Production Electrician/Programmer……............….….Ailsa Smith
Light Board Operator/Crew................................................................Sadie Yun
Lighting Crew.............................................Yael Eliani, Ben Mills, Aryan Patel, Joshua Pearlstein, Rachel Rose
Sound Board Op./Sound Crew………...……………......................Sophia Nedick
Sound Crew………...............………....................Marlo Alexander, Lillian Colvin
Supertitles………………………...…………………….............................…..Allison Voth
Front of House....................................Keira Bertram, Erick Cestelos Rosales
House Manager........................................................................................Xinyu Ye
SOM Director of Production………………………….....................Chris Dempsey
SOM Stage Manager…………………….………...........................Anna Richardson
Artistic Director……………………………..…..….......................….William Lumpkin
Managing Director & Producer..............................................Oshin Gregorian
Presented under license from G. Schirmer, Inc. o/b/o Chester Music Ltd./ St. Rose Music Publishing Co.
MUSIC DIRECTOR’S NOTE
“Evil is unexceptional, and always human, and shares our bed and eats at our own table.”
W.H. Auden
The young and gifted composer, Nico Muhly, set his two-act opera, Dark Sisters to Stephen Karam’s compelling libretto inspired by the two famous raids of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS): the 1953 raid at Short Creek, AZ, and the 2008 raid at the Yearning For Zion Ranch in Eldorado, TX.
Set in the American Southwest, Dark Sisters presents an FLDS Mormon family in crisis after local authorities have removed their children due to concerns of abuse and forced underage marriage. The opera opens with the wives keening over their absent children while their polygamist husband, their “Prophet” and “Father,” seethes over the injustice. The Prophet soon receives a revelation: he is to “journey into the desert and pray,” while the wives are to “share the blessed words with the world.”
Tension escalates as Eliza, bereft without her daughter, Lucinda, begins to question her existence within the compound and the ways of the Prophet. Zina, Presendia, and Almera remain staunchly devout and faithful as wives, while Ruth, already fragile having lost both her children some years ago, slowly unravels. Despite the Prophet’s absence, his imposing presence looms and the incantation “keep sweet,” an actual imperative that Mormon husbands give to their wives, and mothers give to their daughters, constantly resurfaces among the women.
Nico Muhly’s opera is a smoldering meditation, with extended trancelike moments and occasional striking bursts of sound. His music can be haunting and lyrical, yet strident and unsettling. Of particular note is Muhly’s extraordinary gift for writing evocative vocal ensemble music. He brilliantly juxtaposes various compositional styles: polyphonic dissonance, often gives way to sudden freeform chant — a reflection of the interpersonal tension and individual struggles among the wives. Yet, one also hears sublime, lyrical moments and soothing chorale-like music during more reflective moments. The Prophet’s music, on the other hand, is written in either homophonic or recitative style and is ever brooding and dissonant — apt music to reflect his domineering, strong-willed control over the women.
Act II, the sudden shift into the harsh reality of the outside world and the media’s lust for the next best lurid story, introduces an equally jolting shift in musical style with driving rhythmic patterns in the percussion
and piano. The actual interview between Larry King, the interviewer, and the wives takes the women down an emotional path as they respond either as a united front, or individually. When all is said and done, the consequences are dire for some. Throughout the interview, again the music shifts from sparse recitative to dissonant polyphony, to chant-like repetition. The opera ends in a moving chorale sung by everyone except Eliza, the lone dissenter.
Allison Voth
STAGE DIRECTOR’S NOTE
In April 2008, Texas Child Protective Services descended upon the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints’ (FLDS) Yearning for Zion Ranch and over the next 7 days placed 439 children into protective custody. The polygamy, fervent faith, lurid tales of child brides, and ritualized sexual practices held the country at rapt attention. Cable news channels interviewed the demur, faithful wives and other women who had just escaped the FLDS, frantically debating the merits of religious freedoms and free practices of individuals. Arguments over what was best for the women in this religion flourished over water coolers and talk shows.
Fundamentalism in any faith has a peculiar habit of not just defining what is best for their members and isolating them from “outside evils”, but also always seem to have a vested interest in the actions and demeanor of women in the world. The FLDS demand women cover their bodies in pastel prairie dresses and practice deep compliance to the revelations of their (male) prophet and husband. In this particular brand of faith, the power and authority of God are called the Priesthood, and only men hold the Priesthood. FLDS wives must respect their husband’s authority as they respect their God.
Feminists often stand aghast at this theology that controls women’s lives so completely, but I challenge you to look at our own practices. When France banned burqas for burqa-clad women’s own good, they quickly found it only prevented these women from going outside their homes due to modesty. When we pulled the children away from the FLDS homes (full of rampant abuse), the FLDS-congregants circled the proverbial wagons and increased their strict policing of behaviors. Women and young girls within the faith felt the brunt of this policing.
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This is not to say that the FLDS doesn’t suffer under the yoke of patriarchy. Across the world, women find their quality of life plummet and men are robbed of intimate relationships. However, I challenge us to listen to women in these situations around the world so we can help and support them in bettering their lives and our global society.
Eliza finds she holds the power and authority of God with her own revelations, but can those around her have the faith to follow what God tells her? Women in our personal and political lives have their own prophecies and leadership, can we have the faith to hear them and listen to them? Can we all discard the pride and demands of our patriarchal brainwashing and follow a woman out of the hellish landscape we find ourselves in? Can we stop telling women what they need and let them tell us instead? Eliza is a strong and worthy leader worthy of revelation. She receives it, yet others are unwilling to follow out of fear of the unknown. When faced with this opera based on a very true story, we have two choices: judge these people doing their best with what they have been given or look inward. Do we objectify and shy away from the women of our lives who speak their truth, dooming us to repeat the horrors they are trying to save us from, or do we follow them, bravely stepping into the starry night of the unknown?
— Rose Freeman
ARTISTIC BIOGRAPHIES
Nico Muhly, born in 1981, is an American composer who writes orchestral music, works for the stage, chamber music and sacred music. He’s received commissions from The Metropolitan Opera: Two Boys, (2011) and Marnie (2018); Carnegie Hall, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Tallis Scholars, King’s College and St John’s College, Cambridge, Wigmore Hall, and The Philadelphia Orchestra, among others. He is an avid collaborator, and has worked with choreographers Benjamin Millepied at the Paris Opéra Ballet, Bobbi Jene Smith at the Juilliard School, Justin Peck and Kyle Abraham at New York City Ballet; artists Sufjan Stevens, The National, Teitur, Anohni, James Blake and Paul Simon; and has written film scores for The Reader (2008) and Kill Your Darlings (2013), and the BBC adaptation of Howards End (2017).
Among his concerti are works for violin, ( Shrink , for Pekka Kuusisto), organ ( Register , for James McVinnie), viola (Nadia Sirota) He collaborates with the same artists as a composer and performer of chamber music. He has written vocal works for Iestyn Davies, Renée Fleming, and Nicholas Phan, has collaborated with artists Maira Kalman and Oliver Beer, and has created site-specific pieces for the National Gallery, London, and the Art Institute of Chicago, and written articles for the Guardian, the New York Times, and the London Review of Books. Recordings of his works have been released by Decca and Nonesuch, and he is part of the artist-run record label Bedroom Community, which released his first two albums, Speaks Volumes (2006) and Mothertongue (2008).
Allison Voth is an Associate Professor of Music at Boston University and Principal Coach at BU’s Opera Institute. A well-known coach with a specialty in diction, she has worked with such companies and festivals as Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Boston, Chautauqua Opera, Opera North, Opera Unlimited, The Florence Voice Seminar, and the Athens Music Festival.
Also a recognized supertitlist, her titles have been used nationwide, including at Washington Opera and the Chicago Symphony, and, internationally, at the Barbican Festival in London. As a specialist in the music of Paul Bowles, in 1992, she produced and performed in a multi-media performance piece entitled Paul Bowles: One Man, Two Voices at Merkin Hall in New York, and in 1995, she premiered a set of piano preludes in the EOS Ensemble’s Bowles Festival. Ms. Voth is also the Music Director of the Cantata Singers’ Chamber Series and can be heard on CRI recordings.
Gordon Cheung (Conductor), from Hong Kong, is a first-year Doctoral student in Orchestral Conducting under the tutelage of Sarah Ioannides. Cheung received a Master of Music in Conducting from Bard College Conservatory of Music and a B.A. (First-Class Honors) from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Previously, he assisted James Bagwell with Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe at the Fisher Center with The Orchestra Now (TÕN).
Gordon was the Conducting Scholar at the Eastern Music Festival for two summers, during which he received close mentorship from Gerard Schwarz. He also participated in masterclasses at the Spokane Symphony and Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Dark Sisters marks his debut at Boston University.
Rose Freeman (Stage Director) (zie/zir) is an award winning stage director, teacher, writer, and producer of theatre and opera.
Freeman directed Third Eye Productions include The Consul, The Medium, Sumeida’s Song, Dark Sisters (Chicago premiere), With Blood With Ink, Stitch, Stitch/Witness, and Beowulf. Additional operatic stage direction credits include the revival production of Jason and the Argonauts at Chicago Lyric Opera, Puccini’s La Boheme at LOON, Viardot’s Cendrillon with City Lyric Opera, Strauss’ Die Liebe Der Danae at Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Strauss’ die Fledermaus with Opera Mississippi, Stravinsky’s L’Historie Du Soldat, and Weber’s Der Freischütz. Zie has directed many plays, space generated theatrical events, burlesque events, nationally touring hiphop concerts, and workshops of new musicals and operas, including Jill Sobule and Krista Knight’s Crimson Lit. Zie once managed monster truck rallies and ran a sailboat company. Freeman wrote the musical, Chance the Snapper with Spicer Carr. Zie is a Founding Ensemble Member of Third Eye Theatre Ensemble, and Member Emeritus for the DirectorsLabChicago Steering Committee and NwAC. Freeman occasionally acts, including touring with Tetro di Viti. Freeman has spoken on the panels for National Opera Association, Chicago Theatre Symposium, and Opera America. Freeman is a recipient of the National Opera Association’s 2020 JoElyn Wakefield-Wright Stage Director Fellowship, Philadelphia’s 2022 Illuminate the Arts Grant, and served as a Directing Fellow for Wolf Trap Opera’s 2020, 2021, and 2022 season as well as a Lead Artist at Mercury Store. Freeman is represented by Marvel Arts Management. www.rosefreeman.org
Yo-EL Cassell is currently Head of/Assistant Professor of Movement at Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Theatre. A dynamic, inspiring, and prolific hearing-impaired theatre artist with an accomplished and extensive movement performance, choreographic, direction, and teaching experience for Theatre (Drama, Physical and Musical Theatre), dance, opera, and film whose achievements lie in his collaborative and spirited mission of breaking through the boundaries of access via physical expression.
Yo-EL Cassell‘s life-long aspiration and research focuses on three keywords: accessibility, diversity, and joyfulness—engineering the importance of allowing the practical, performative, and creative channels of movement to be accessible for all; regardless of experience, discipline, disability, gender, and socioeconomics means. Mr. Cassell’s unconventional teaching and creative approach encourages and champions the importance of how each individual’s physical instrument—their body–is the solution to expressing their inner landscape, balancing the essentiality of owning in equal measure: the expressive and informative self within the movement of creativity, performance, and life. Mr. Cassell developed The J.O.Y. approach in movement which practices the importance of embracing and embodying JOY– not merely one’s own happiness but one’s “J”ourney “O”f “Y”outh– mindset in practice, allowing one to embrace the mindset of a child when activating within time and space– particularly, the curious, explorative, creative and imaginative mindset.
Due to his hearing impairment, Mr. Cassell connected with the channel of physical expression at the age of three to respond to senses he could access and fill in the blanks physically for what he was missing via the act of hearing. Mr. Cassell continuously believes that he began to “hear” when he moved, thus beginning a lifelong commitment and passion to embodying, creating and accessing movement in any shape or form.
DESIGN & PRODUCTION BIOGRAPHIES
Rowen Bailey (they/them) (Stage Manager) is a senior studying Theatre Arts, Design and Production with concentrations in Stage Management and Lighting Design. Rowen also finds great joy in performance and values being a multidisciplinary artist. Their former BU credits include Hydrogen Jukebox, HALF, and Once. Rowen extends lots of love and gratitude to the entire Dark Sisters team!
Hannah Johnson (she/her) (Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore stage management major with a minor in Applied Human Development. She also serves as an SOT representative in CFA StuGov. Former credits include Alice Tierney, She’s Got SOL (Boston University) and Constellations (BCA Plaza Theatre). She sends love to her family and friends who’ve supported her along the way!
Nichole Man (Production Manager) (She/Her) Nichole is a first-year MFA graduate in Production Management. This is her debut at BU! She is originally from Hong Kong and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Technical Production at UAlberta in Canada. Nichole works as a theatre technician, sound designer, and sound engineer in Canada and Hong Kong. Growing up in a different country, Nichole wants to share her culture and different perspectives toward theatre with you all. Nichole spent her childhood performing on stage as a ballerina and actress and is happy to continue her theatre life as a production manager.
Sanaz Bagheri (Associate Production Manager) is a second-year Production Management student.She has a background in acting, directing, and theatre management, with experience both on stage and behind the scenes. Sanaz is passionate about bringing dynamic, collaborative productions to life, drawing from her diverse theatre experiences in Iran and the U.S.
Tess Evans-Shell (Technical Director) is a third year MFA Technical Production student. She is originally from Johnson City, Tennessee. She has worked on several BU shows including Shakespeare in Love, and Mankind. She wishes to thank her family and mentors for supporting her. Sydney Elliott (Assistant Technical Director) is from Raton, New Mexico and is a graduate of New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe. She is a current student at BU School of Theatre in Design and Production. She has been doing theatre for 7 years as an actor, stage manager, and lighting designer.
Valerie Zhao (Lighting Designer) is a senior pursuing a BFA in Lighting Design. Previous credits include Grow Until, Dontrell, Who Kissed the
Sea, and a medley of dance shows. She spent this past summer in New Hampshire as the head electrician for the Barnstormers Theatre. Her favorite jam flavor is raspberry and her go-to bubble tea order is passionfruit green tea, light ice, add sago.
Darius Evans (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a sophomore lighting design major at Boston University. His previous production credits include Assistant Production Electrician for Cendrillon, Lead Spot op for La Clemenza di Tito, and Assistant Master Electrician at the Forestburgh Playhouse. He would like to thank his family, friends, and mentors who have helped him along the way.
Taylor Needleman (Costume Designer) is a second-year undergraduate Costume Design major. Some of her previous Boston University credits include assistant costume designer for Alice Tierney and Fucking A. Thank you to her family, her friends, and the BU costume department for the support.
Webb Hodges (Assistant Costume Designer) (He/Him) is a costume design BFA student here at BU in the class of 2027. Webb is from South Carolina and has designed for both high school productions as well as several theater companies in his hometown of Columbia. Some of Webb’s favorite shows to workon have been Into the Woods, Mamma Mia, and Macbeth. Webb is so excited to be at Boston University and see what the future holds!
Ethan Vettese (Scenic Designer) is a third year undergraduate Scenic Design major. Previous credits include props coordinator for Hedda Gabler, One Penny Down, and Sunday in the Park with George at BU. He would like to thank his family for their endless support and encouragement.
Alisa Saisakorn (Programmer/Assistant Production Electrician) (she/ they) is a sophomore lighting design student originally from Bellevue, Washington. Previous BU productions include One Penny Down and Grow Until…. She would like to thank her friends, family, and the School of Theatre community for their support. She looks forward to future projects both within and outside of BU!
Zoe Charbonneau (Props Supervisor) Zoe Charbonneau is a senior at Boston University studying Theatre Arts with an emphasis in scenic design (but LOVES props). She has worked as a property coordinator for shows such as Once the musical and Little Women (the opera). She would like to thank Tasha for her continued enthusiasm and effort for
all prop things! She is extremely excited to have the opportunity to work on the Fringe Festival, and hopes you all enjoy!
Delaney Jankanish (Props Coordinator) is a sophomore Theatre Arts major in the class of 2027. With a passion for creating and making theatre in all forms she could not be more excited to be continuing her studies here at BU. She would like to thank Zoe andEthan for being excellent collaborators and supports in this process.
Irene Wang (Sound Engineer) (she/they) is a junior BFA Sound Design Major at Boston University School of Theatre. Professional credits include Sound Supervisor for SpeakEasy Stage’s The Prom and Audio Engineer/A1 for Berkshire Theatre Group’s Million Dollar Quartet. Most recently at Boston University, she was the Production Sound Engineer for the Fringe opera series in Studio ONE.
Rachael Debraal (Assistant Sound Engineer) is a sound design major in the class of 2027. Her favorite shows she’s worked on are Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Chicago. She would like to thank her friends and family for their unconditional support and love.
Noah Wrafter (Production Electrician) is a 4th year Lighting Undergrad focusing his studies in Lighting Production and Technology. Noah is excited for you to see the work of the incredible design and production team of this years Fringe Festival, and hopes you enjoy the show and return for the next round of productions in a few short weeks!
Sadie Yun (Lighting Operator) (she/her) is a light board operator from Seoul, South Korea. She is a Design, Production & Management Core student in the Boston University School of Theatre Class of 2028. She would like to thank her family and friends for their support.
Sophia Nedick (Sound Operator) is a first year Design, Production & Management student. She is excited to specialize in Stage Management next year. She has previously stage managed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in 2022, Into the Woods and Shakespeare in Love in 2023, and Mean Girls in 2024 at de Toledo High School. She has also worked on Spring Awakening and Clue as a head of backstage in 2021 and Chicago as lead assistant stage manager in 2022 at de Toledo High School.
Margo Segal (Production Assistant) (she/her) is a first-year Performance Core student at the Boston University School of Theater. Born in Boca Raton, Florida, she has spent the majority of her life dedicated to the theater-arts, and is so grateful to be continuing her
studies at BU. Past credits include Anything Goes, The Insanity of Mary Girard, Love/Sick, and Grease. She sends her love and appreciation to Mom, Dad, Bubu, René and Nicole!
Qin Caldwell (Production Assistant) (he/him) is a Design, Production, & Management student in the Boston University School of Theatre Class of 2028. He comes from Wallingford, Connecticut and is an intended lighting designer. He would like to thank the Dark Sisters production team and his friends and family for their support!
Sam Lehrich (Production Assistant) (He/Him) is a thespian pleased to be stepping out into the world of technical design. A Design and Production core student and Boston University, he has enjoyed working on a variety of productions. For inducting him into the world of lighting, he would like to thank his mentors Nolan and Scott.
Jakob Baur (Wardrobe Crew) (he/him) is from Northeast Pennsylvania and is a first year Design, Production, and Management student in the Boston University School of Theatre. He plans to concentrate in Technical Production. He is on the wardrobe crew of Dark Sisters and can’t wait to work on his first show in SOT!
Elliot Aydin (Wardrobe Crew) (he/him) is a design and production major in the class of 2028. When he isn’t backstage at BU, you can find him working with IATSE Local 15 or mentoring theater students at his old high school in Seattle, Washington. Elliot would like to thank his family for supporting an art degree, and Triona and Chloe for convincing him to go to college in Boston.
SINGER BIOGRAPHIES
Anne Burgett, a soprano from Swampscott, Massachusetts. is a second-year Master of Voicestudent under the tutelage of Professor Penelope Bitzas at Boston University. She received her Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University in 2023. With the Opera Institute, Anne has performed as Cathleen in Vaughan William’s Riders to the Sea, Second Esprit in Massenet’s Cendrillon, and Gianetta in a scene from Donizetti’s L’elisir D’amore. Previously, Anne has performed Clorinda in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, La Contessa in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Barbarina in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Lola in Moore’s Gallantry, and The Sandman in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. Anne was a semi finalist in the Camille Coloratura Competition, a semi finalist in the Classical Singer Competition, third place winner in the Central Region NATS competition, and the winner of the Calliope’s Call Art Song Competition.In 2025, Anne will be performing the roles of Rosalba in Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas and Nella in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi with the Opera Institute.
A native of Lake Zurich, Illinois, Polish-American soprano Monika Cachro graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from DePaul University. Continuing her education, Monika is pursuing a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at Boston University under the tutelage of Dr. Alison Trainer. While at BU, Monika performed in several productions, including Cendrillon and La Clemenza de Tito, and took on the role of Nora in Vaughan Williams’ opera Riders to the Sea. Monika is deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to study with notable professors such as Dr. Viktoria Vizin, Winifred Brown, and Stephen Smith. Last fall, Ms. Cachro portrayed the Angel in the world premiere of Immaculata: The Passion of St. Maximilian Kolbe in Chicago. She has also performed in productions of Hansel and Gretel, Falstaff, and Candide while at DePaul University. During her time in Europe, Ms. Cachro performed the roles of Suor Dolcina and Suor Genovieffe in Puccini’s Suor Angelica. Additionally, she was a young artist at the Chicago Summer Opera’s virtual academy, where she studied and performed the role of Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
Abigail Cunningham, soprano, from Lexington, Kentucky, is a firstyear master student un-der the tutelage of Dr. Lynn Eustis. Abigail recently graduated with a BFA in Vocal Performance at Carnegie Mellon University. Previous credits include: Despina in Cosí fan tutte, Tullia in Vivaldi’s Ottone in Villa (Carnegie Mellon University); Noémie in Cendrillon (Utah Opera Festival), Bianca in La Rondine (Opera in the Ozarks); Papagena and Second Spirit in Die Zauberflöte (Harrower Opera Work shop); and Third Spirit in The Magic Flute (Pittsburgh
Opera).Abigail is looking forward to performing Nella in Gianni Schicchi this spring with Boston University, as well as participating in the chorus of Florencia en el Amazonas and El Caminante.
Rebekah Daly, mezzo, originally comes from the greater Boston area and is currently in her second year at the Boston University Opera Institute. In the Opera Institute’s 23/24 season Daly performed Zandra (Alice Tierney) and Madame de la haltière (Cendrillon). In 2023 Daly was an apprentice artist with the Santa Fe Opera and joined the roster of Opera For The Young’s touring production of The Barber of Seville She holds a master’s degree in voice and opera performance from Northwestern University and completed her undergraduate training at Rutgers University in New Jersey. At Northwestern, Daly sang Baba (The Medium), and Proserpina (L’Orfeo). Other role highlights include Zita (Gianni Schicchi), Mrs. Herring (Albert Herring), and Mere Marie (Dialogues of the Carmelites).
Anna Gaddie, Mezzo-soprano from Hebron, Kentucky, is a first-year Master of Voice student studying under David Guzman. She received a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Perfor-mance from Western Kentucky University in 2024, where she was twice recognized as Performer of the Semester. With WKU Opera, she has performed as Third Knitter in A Game of Chance and a lead performer in The Menagerie. Upcoming roles with BU Opera Institute include Doncella Ensemble in El Caminante, Ensemble in Florencia en el Amazonas, and La Maestra delle Novizie in Suor Angelica. She is the 2020 Cincinnati Overture Award Winner and a member of Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honorary Society. Additionally, Anna performs with the BU Graduate Vocal Ensemble.
Emma Giventer-Braff, soprano, from Providence, RI and Saarbrücken, Germany, is a first-year Master of Voice student studying with Dr. Thomas Cannon. Emma previously studied at Brown University, where she earned an AB in Music and East Asian Studies. Previously, Emma has appeared as La Bergère/La Chauve-Souris/La Chouette in Miami Music Festival’s production of L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, as well as as Claire in Brown Opera Productions’ production of On the Town. Emma is a recipient of the Margery MacColl Award for a promising Music Concentrator and the Hope Chatterton Prize for excellence in vocal music.
Upcoming performances for Emma include performing as La Ciesca in the Opera Institute’s upcoming production of Gianni Schicchi
Rachel Sungmin Goh, a soprano originally from Seoul, South Korea, is currently a second-year Master of Voice student at Boston University, where she studies under the guidance of Dr. Lynn Eustis. She earned both her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Voice from Sookmyung Women’s University. In the 2024 Spring semester, she performed Massenet’s opera Cendrillon, Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, in the Boston University Opera Institute production as the ensemble member. Additionally, in 2024 May, she performed Ralph Vaughan Williams opera Rider’s to the Sea as the role of ‘Nora’ in the BU Booth Theatre. Her previous roles include the principal role of ‘Fiordiligi’ in Cosi fan tutte with the Sook-myung Women’s University Opera Department. Rachel’s academic excellence was recognized with the ‘Honor Student Scholarship’ and ‘Excellent Alumna Scholarship’ during her studies, and she received the ‘Masters of Music Top Recital Award’ as the top performer in the Music Department. This Fall, Rachel will perform the role of ‘Doncellas’ in Fuentes’s El Caminante (The Walker) with the Opera Institute and the Boston University Symphony Orchestra, which will include a professional digital online re-lease. Looking ahead to Spring 2025, she will take on the role of ‘Suor Genovieffa’ in Puccini’s Suor Angelica
Mezzo-soprano, and East Boston native, Juliette Lee Kaoudji is currently in her first semester at the Boston University Opera Institute, studying with Professor James Demler. In addition to singing Almera in Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters, she will portray the roles of Paula in Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas, Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and cover Ginesa in Fuentes’s El Caminante at BUOI. Later this month she will present a recital at her alma mater, Boston Arts Academy through an educational grant featuring art songs by BI-POC women composers. Ms. Kaoudji portrayed Hansel in Humperdinck’s Hansel und Gretel, Marcellina in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and originated the role of Mayrik in Jacob Schulman’s Role Playing Game. At New England Conservatory, she performed Dido and covered Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Mrs. Grose in Britten’s Turn of the Screw, Nada in Ana Sokolovic’s Svadba, Chloe in Vicente Martín y Soler’s L’arbore di Diana, Mére Jeanne in Poulenc’s Dialogue of the Carmelites, Maman and Pâtre in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges. Ms. Kaoudji holds Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Graduate Diploma degrees in Music.
Wanchun Liang, Bass baritone, born in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, China, is currently a second-year bass baritone at Opera institute of Boston University and studies with professor James Demler.He was admitted to Xi’an Conservatory of Music in 2015, studying with Chen Yong the director of the Vocal Department of Xi’an Conservatory of Music. In 2021, Liang was admitted to the New England Conservatory
and studied with professor Michael Meraw. He has performed the roles of Prophet/King (Dark Sisters), Publio (La clemenza di Tito) Le Surinetendant (Cendrillon), Bass (Hydrogen Jukebox) with th BU Opera institute. This past summer, he also sang the role of Zuniga (Carmen), Le Fauteuil (L’enfant et Les Sortilèges) with the Music Academy of the West. At New England Conservatory, he sang the role of Don Pasquale (Don Pasquale), Mr. Kobayashi (American Dream), and Speaker (Magic Flute).
Avuya Ngcaweni, Soprano, from Durban, South Africa is a first year at the Opera Institute program under the studio of Alison Trainer. Ms Ngcaweni received her Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance from KwaZulu-Natal University. She then continued her studies at Southern Methodist University where she obtained both her Masters Degree and Per-formance Diploma under the tutelage of Professor Barbara Hill-Moore. With the Opera Institute, Ms Ngcaweni will perform the role of Eliza in Dark Sisters, Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica and Florencia in Florencia en el Amazonas. She has performed Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte with the University of KwaZulu Natal, Adina in L’elisir d’amore with the Dallas Opera Education Program, Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica with Southern Methodist University. In October 2023 miss Ngcaweni went on a tour with a show called BROKEN CHORD which consisted of four leads and a dancer, the show was featured at New York Times and it toured to New York, San Francisco and Connecticut. She is looking forward to performing more and being on stage.
William O’Brien is a Bass originally from Ōtautahi, New Zealand. He is in his second year at the Boston University Opera Institute in the studio of Dr. Lynn Eustis. He obtained his Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he enjoyed the opportunity to study with renowned faculty members including Susanne Mentzer and Frederica von Stade. At Boston University, his previous roles include Publio in La clemenza di Tito by Mozart, Le Roi in Cendrillon by Massenet, Bass in Hydrogen Jukebox by Philip Glass, and bass soloist for Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor. His upcoming roles with the Opera Institute include Simone in Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, Capitán in Florencia en el Amazonas by Daniel Catán, and The Prophet/King in Dark Sisters by Nico Muhly. William is a twotime recipient of the Dame Malvina Major Foundation Arts Excellence Award, and has performed leading roles in the United States, Europe, and his native New Zealand. Recent roles include Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Achilla in Handel’s Giulio Cesare and the titular role in Jonathan Dove’s contemporary opera The Enchanted Pig
Janae Peterson, mezzo soprano from De Pere, WI, is a first year Master
of Voice student un-der the tutelage Dr. Thomas Cannon. They received their Bachelor of Music Education from Northern Michigan University in 2021. This is Janae’s first role at Boston University. They performed the role of Vilia in Little Red Walking Hood at NMU. Upcoming credits include Donacella Ensemble in El Caminante, Ensemble in Florencia en el Amazonas, and Seconda Conversa in Suor Angelica.
Hannah Prince is a soprano from Diamond Bar, California, currently pursuing her Master of Music in vocal performance at Boston University under the guidance of Dr. Alison Trainer. She earned her Bachelor of Music in vocal performance, with a minor in Italian studies, from Chapman University in Orange, California. In this production, she is the cover for Zina in Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters at Boston University. Her previous roles include the Girl in Robert Moran’s From the Towers of the Moon, where she was part of its West Coast premiere, and Dorothée in Massenet’s Cendrillon. She has also performed in opera scenes ranging from Rusalka (Dvořák) to The Turn of the Screw (Britten). This spring, she will perform as La Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and cover the role of Rosalba in Florencia en el Amazonas by Daniel Catán. Additionally, she is part of the Donacella Ensemble in the lost and rediscovered opera El Caminante by Eduardo Sánchez de Fuentes, to be performed with the Boston University Symphony Orchestra and faculty this November.
American mezzo-soprano Arielle Rogers-Wilkey is from Cranston, RI and currently attending Boston University for an M.M. in vocal performance, in her second year under the tutelage of Dr. David Guzman. Opera credits include Kate, The Pirates of Penzance, Opera Providence; La Ciesca, Gianni Schicchi and Ensemble, Madama Butterfly, Don Pasquale, and Le Nozze di Figaro, Salt Marsh Opera. She has done extensive work with Boston Lyric Opera as Mary, Omar; Gertrude, Romeo and Juliet; and Ensemble, Madama Butterfly, Champion, La bohème, Norma, Pagliacci, and A Handmaid’s Tale. Ms. Rogers-Wilkey took part in Odyssey Opera’s production and album recording of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, which received a Grammy Award nomination. With OperaHub in Boston, she was honored to portray Sissieretta Jones in the world premiere of DIVAS, an operatic play with an all-female cast. Oratorio and orchestral solo credits include Handel’s Messiah, Schubert’s Magnificat, and Vivaldi’s Gloria; as well as Carmen, Narragansett Bay Symphony Orchestra’s Operatic Highlights; a Juneteenth concert series with Castle of Our Skins and Boston Lyric Opera; and the participatory educational concerts ‘Link Up!’ with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Recently, Ms. Rogers-Wilkey was seen as Maurya in Riders to the Sea at Boston University.
Annabrett Ruggiero, Mezzo-Soprano, is from Orlando, Florida. Annabrett completed her Master of Music at BU this past Spring under the Instruction of Penelope Bitzas. Annabrett is now in her first year with the Opera Institute and looks forward to the year ahead. In spring of 2024 Annabrett performed the role of Annio in the Opera Institutes production of La Clemenza di Tito. In 2023 Annabrett preformed the role of Cecelia March with the Boston University Opera Institute in their production of Little Women. Her main performance experience has been in the operatic repertoire, performing the roles of Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, Emma Jones in Street scene, and Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte. This Spring she is taking the stage as Zita once again In the Opera Institutes production of Gianni Schicchi.
Margaret Tigue is a soprano currently based in Boston and New York. Her upcoming season includes participating in Carnegie Hall’s 2025 SongStudio workshop, the role of Florencia Grimaldi in Florencia en el Amazonas, and the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica. Margaret’s ‘23/’24 season included performances as Vitellia (La Clemenza di Tito) and Cendrillon (Cendrillon) with the Boston University Opera Institute, where she is currently in residence. This spring, Margaret appeared with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchester as the soprano soloist in Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, followed by a concert showcasing repertoire from the Great American Songbook. She is a 2023 winner of the Boston district of the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competiton. In the summer of 2023, Margaret was a fellow of the Lehrer Vocal Institute at Music Academy. While there, she covered the role of Mimì in their production of La Bohème. Margaret is also a two-time fellow of the Tanglewood Music Center. Margaret has also been a featured soloist with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, The Orchestra Now, and the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.
Amy Lanlan Wang, soprano, from Princeton, New Jersey, is a first-year Master of Voice student under the tutelage of Dr. Lynn Eustis. Amy received her Bachelor of Music degree in Classical Vocal Performance at New York University. This is Amy’s first performance with the Opera Institute at Boston University.
Previous credits include Speed Dating Tonight and Amahl and the Night Visitors (NYU). Amy has received awards in multiple NATS competitions in New York as well as the NATS Eastern Regional competition in March of this year. She has also competed at the Merkin Hall at Lincoln Center for the NTD Vocal Competition where she advanced to the semi-finals. Amy’s upcoming credits include Florencia en el Amazonas (ensemble) and Gianni Schicchi (Lauretta). •
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 34,000 students, it is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 schools and colleges, along with a number of multidisciplinary centers and institutes integral to the University’s research and teaching mission. In 2012, BU joined the Association of American Universities (AAU), a consortium of 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada. Learn more at bu.edu.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
Established in 1954, Boston University College of Fine Arts is a community of artist-scholars and scholar-artists who are passionate about the fine and performing arts, committed to diversity and inclusion, and determined to improve the lives of others through art. With programs in Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts, CFA prepares students for a meaningful creative life by developing their intellectual capacity to create art, shift perspective, and think broadly. CFA offers a wide array of precollege, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as a range of online degrees and certificates. CFA consists of School of Music, School of Theatre, School of Visual Arts, Opera Institute, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Boston University Art Galleries, Boston University Arts Initiative, and Wheelock Family Theatre, as well as numerous centers and programs dedicated to the fine and performing arts. Learn more at bu.edu/cfa.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SCHOOL OF MUSIC: OPERA INSTITUTE
The Opera Institute at Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Music is an intensive, highly selective two-year performance-based training program for emerging operatic artists. A professional faculty and renowned guest artists provide personal support and training in all areas pertinent to a career in opera, including voice, acting, languages, and movement styles. Additionally, the Opera Institute selects undergraduate and graduate singers from the School of Music who demonstrate true operatic potential and have mastered an intermediate integration of acting, vocal, and movement skills for the Opera Theater, Opera Workshop, and Opera Project programs. Find more at bu.edu/cfa/opera.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SCHOOL OF THEATRE
The School of Theatre at Boston University College of Fine Arts offers conservatory-style education for the study of acting, stage management, design, production, and all aspects of the theatre profession within the setting of a major research university. The School of Theatre seeks to provide students with opportunities for artistic growth through a rigorous curriculum, professional connections, and an emphasis on collaboration and new work.
