Opera Lafayette 19/20 DC Season Brochure

O Opera Lafayette REAWAKENING MASTERPIECES FOR 25 YEARS

Dear Friends,

Opera Lafayette

Over the last 25 years we have often described Opera Lafayette’s work as bringing operatic history alive, the “avant old guard,” or making old things new. As the best of our performances and recordings show, we have done so with an emotional warmth and suppleness of expression, a careful consideration of words and poetry, and a constant sense of adventure.

Ryan Brown, Artistic Director Diana Hossack, Executive Director BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dorsey C. Dunn, Co-Chair Nizam P. Kettaneh, Co-Chair Adrienne Jamieson, Treasurer Stephen E. Kitchen, Secretary Annelyse Allen, At-Large Member Cheryl Gorelick, At-Large Member Ross Ain Walter R. Arnheim Catia G. Chapin Marifé Hernandez Susan A. Lynner Leonard H. Ralston Daniel B. Silver JoAnn Willis

LIFE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Yoko Arthur Joel Brenner Marie-Hélène Forget Bill Gradison J. Cari Elliott Gradison Louis Hering Vivianne C. Lake Sophia Lynn Chris O’Flinn Joan Simon Brian Vogel

NEW YORK ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Janet Desforges James David Draper Francis Dubois Jean-Paul Fouchécourt Anne Mackinnon Ishtar Méjanès Catherine S. Michaelson Annie Pampanini Theodora Simons

Those values are also found in Amy Severson’s oil paintings created to tell families the stories of the operas we perform, three of which are included in this brochure. As her works show, every opera is a collaborative effort in which we achieve things none of us could have imagined doing alone, from the musical to the visual. We try to sing as one as we take new operatic journeys, and this season we ask you to join us for three new productions, including one modern premiere!

Our first program, John Blow and Anne Kingsmill Finch’s Venus and Adonis (1683), an English chamber opera inspired by 17th-century French models, highlights some of the extraordinary talents of the next generation while recapturing the intimacy which has been a hallmark of Opera Lafayette’s performances from the beginning. In Washington, we return for these special performances to what is now The George Washington University Flagg Building, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design; in New York we make our debut in the extraordinary warm acoustics and ambiance of El Museo del Barrio, on 5th Avenue’s Museum Mile.

Our second program, the centerpiece of Opera Lafayette’s season, is a production of Beethoven’s Leonore (1805), the composer’s first version of his opera Fidelio. Following Opera Lafayette’s celebrated modern premiere and DVD of Gaveaux and Bouilly’s 1798 Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal, these performances highlight both the 18th-century roots and revolutionary appeal of Beethoven’s masterpiece. With Leonore, we return to The Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater and then perform and film Beethoven’s original version in New York at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College.

Our final program is a unique recreation of a popular crowd-pleaser. Revisiting the original spirit of 18th-century opéra-comique, Opera Lafayette translates and updates Philidor’s 1761 Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith) to the American West. The opera explores and celebrates rural themes and audience participation, traveling from opera houses in southwestern Colorado to Washington and New York.

Perhaps no other Opera Lafayette season has featured such a variety of opera. Following these emotional, dramatic, and comic journeys, however, all three operas conclude in a final unifying chorus: Venus and Adonis’ chorus mourns lost love; Leonore’s celebrates virtue and freedom, and The Blacksmith’s extols us to “Strike while the iron’s hot.”

Come forge some wonderful memories and sing along with us as we celebrate our 25th anniversary!

Ryan Brown

2019/2020 25th-Anniversary Season Venus and Adonis (1683)

JOHN BLOW, composer | ANNE KINGSMILL FINCH, librettist NOVEMBER 21 AND 23+, 2019, 7:00 P.M. Flagg Building, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, The George Washington University 500 17th Street NW, Washington, DC NOVEMBER 22, 2019, 7:00 P.M. El Museo del Barrio | 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street, New York, NY

Leonore (1805)

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN, composer | JOSEPH SONNLEITHNER, librettist FEBRUARY 26, 2020, 7:00 P.M. Eisenhower Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC MARCH 2, 2020, 7:00 P.M. The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College | 695 Park Ave, New York, NY

Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith) (1761) FRANÇOIS-ANDRÉ DANICAN PHILIDOR, composer English translation by NICK OLCOTT, from the French libretto by FRANÇOIS-ANTOINE QUÉTANT

May 11, 2020, 7:00 P.M. Terrace Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC May 14+, 2020, 7:00 P.M. El Museo del Barrio | 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street, New York, NY + indicates that an Opera Lafayette benefit will be held in conjunction with these two performances.

For more information, contact Katherine Offutt, Development and Special Events Associate, 202.546.9332, ext. 606 or KatherineOffutt@OperaLafayette.org.

JOHN BLOW

Venus and Adonis

NOVEMBER 21 & 23, 2019, 7:00 P.M. FLAGG BUILDING, CORCORAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AND DESIGN THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | WASHINGTON, DC NOVEMBER 22, 2019, 7:00 P.M. El Museo del Barrio | New York, NY Venus and Adonis oil painting by Amy Severson.

Venus and Adonis (1683) JOHN BLOW, composer ANNE KINGSMILL FINCH, librettist

November 21 and 23+, 2019, 7:00 P.M. Flagg Building, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, The George Washington University Performance sung in English Produced in collaboration with The Corcoran School of Arts and Design, Music Program of The George Washington University in Washington, DC Opera Lafayette opens its 25th-anniversary season featuring the 21st-century’s next generation of leadership in early music and dance. These brilliant young artists present Venus and Adonis, the French-inspired chamber opera which prefigured Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.

In librettist Anne Kingsmill Finch’s version of this pastoral myth, Venus, the goddess of Love, encourages her lover Adonis to heed the call of the hunt, which he does only reluctantly. Created for the English court, where Venus was played by the king’s mistress and Cupid by their daughter, this ultimately tragic tale is interspersed with humorous scenes that poke fun of courtiers while extolling the virtues of shepherds and true love.

Single Tickets: $25 - $105 Purchase: OperaLafayette.org | 202.546.9332, ext. 1 These performances are supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. + On Saturday, November 23, Venus and Adonis will be a part of Opera Lafayette’s annual DC Benefit. To learn more about attending all the festivities, including a Special Patron Recital in the Salon Doré and a reception, dinner, award presentation, and a special performance by Lea Desandre and Thomas Dunford, contact Katherine Offutt, Development and Special Events Associate, 202.546.9332, ext. 606 or KatherineOffutt@OperaLafayette.org.

ARTISTIC TEAM

Thomas Dunford

Julia Bengtsson

Lea Desandre

Thomas Dunford, Guest Music Direction Julia Bengtsson *, Choreography / Stage Direction Anna Kjellsdotter *, Costumes

CAST Douglas Williams

Sarah Shafer

Véronique Filloux

Patrick Kilbride

Daniel Moody

Jonathan Woody

Lea Desandre, Venus Douglas Williams, Adonis Sarah Shafer *, Cupid Cupids, Hunters: Véronique Filloux, Patrick Kilbride, Daniel Moody *, and Jonathan Woody

DANCERS

Julia Bengtsson Matthew Ting

MUSICIANS

Thomas Dunford, lute and continuo Loretta O’Sullivan, cello and continuo Violaine Cochard *, harpsichord and continuo Ryan Brown and Jacob Ashworth, violins Kyle Miller, viola Anthony Manzo, bass Nina Stern, recorder Meg Owens, oboe and recorder * Opera Lafayette debut

Venus and Adonis by Antonio Canova. Photo by Rama.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN

Leonore FEBRUARY 26, 2020, 7:00 P.M. Eisenhower Theater at The Kennedy Center | Washington, DC MARCH 2, 2020, 7:00 P.M. The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College | New York, NY Leonore oil painting by Amy Severson.

Leonore (1805)

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN, composer JOSEPH SONNLEITHNER, librettist February 26, 2020, 7:00 P.M. Eisenhower Theater at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC Performance sung in German with English supertitles The centerpiece of Opera Lafayette’s 25th-anniversary season is Beethoven’s Leonore (1805), the composer’s first version of his opera Fidelio. The company’s first opera sung in German and its largest production to date, these performances are the culmination of Opera Lafayette’s Leonore Project, which aims to recapture the origins of this touchstone of the operatic canon.

The story of bravery and injustice speaks to us today. A wife disguised as a man seeks to rescue her husband, wrongfully imprisoned and awaiting his death. The score, filled with heartbreaking arias, delightful love duets, and transcendent choral and instrumental works, is recognized as among the most powerful opera compositions.

This season’s production of the Beethoven Leonore follows the company’s 2017 modern premiere of Gaveaux and Bouilly’s Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal (1798), which was released earlier this year on DVD on the Naxos label. Drawing from memories of Opera Lafayette’s acclaimed performance or after watching the DVD, audiences will have a unique opportunity to hear the close relationship between these two works.

Single Tickets: $25 - $135 Purchase: OperaLafayette.org | 202.546.9332, ext. 1 Kennedy-Center.org | 202.467.4600 Beethoven’s Leonore is supported by the Wage Foundation.

ARTISTIC TEAM

Oriol Tomas

Laurence Mongeau

Ryan Brown

Oriol Tomas, Stage Direction Laurence Mongeau, Set and Costume Design Rob Siler, Lighting Design Ryan Brown, Conductor Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus

Nathalie Paulin

Jean-Michel Richer

Stephen Hegedus

Pascale Beaudin

Norman Patzke

Keven Geddes

Alexandre Sylvestre

CAST

Nathalie Paulin, Leonore Jean-Michel Richer, Florestan Stephen Hegedus *, Rocco Pascale Beaudin, Marcelline Norman Patzke #, Pizarro Keven Geddes, Jaquino Alexandre Sylvestre, Don Fernando * Opera Lafayette debut # US debut

FRANÇOIS-ANDRÉ DANICAN PHILIDOR

Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith)

MAY 11, 2020, 7:00 P.M. Terrace Theater at The Kennedy Center | Washington, DC MAY 14, 2020, 7:00 P.M. El Museo del Barrio | New York, NY Le Maréchal ferrant oil painting by Amy Severson.

Le Maréchal ferrant (1761)

(The Blacksmith) FRANÇOIS-ANDRÉ DANICAN PHILIDOR, composer English translation by NICK OLCOTT Adaptation by NICK OLCOTT and RYAN BROWN from the French libretto by FRANÇOIS-ANTOINE QUÉTANT May 11, 2020, 7:00 P.M. Terrace Theater at The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC Performances sung in English Opera Lafayette presents the modern premiere of Philidor’s Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith) (1761), bridging city and country and celebrating rural themes and audience participation. The company will rehearse and present the debut performance in the Mancos Opera House in southwestern Colorado before bringing the performances to Washington, DC and New York.

For the first time Opera Lafayette translates an 18th-century French opéra-comique to be sung and spoken in English, recapturing the humor and immediacy of the original by adapting the story to the late 19th-century American West and integrating American folk songs into the plot where French folk songs were originally sung. The folk songs include familiar tunes like “Buffalo Gals” which invite audience participation as well as ones with insightful social commentary like “When I was Single” and “Darlin’ Corey.” Prepare to sing along with our cast!

Single Tickets: $25 - $120 Purchase: OperaLafayette.org | 202.546.9332, ext. 1 Kennedy-Center.org | 202.467.4600 Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith) is supported in part by awards from both the National Endowment for the Arts and Opera America.

ARTISTIC TEAM

Nick Olcott

Lisa Schlenker

Marsha LeBoeuf

Nick Olcott, Direction and Translation Nick Olcott and Ryan Brown, Adaption Lisa Schlenker *, Scenic Design Marsha LeBoeuf *, Costume Design Keri Thibodeau *, Lighting Design

CAST Laurent Deleuil

Pascale Beaudin

Véronique Filloux

Jack Swanson

Frank Kelley

Jonathan Woody

Laurent Deleuil *, Marcel Pascale Beaudin, Claudine Véronique Filloux, Jeannie Jack Swanson *, Cody Frank Kelley *, Slim MacBride / Banjo Jonathan Woody, Eustis

MUSICIANS

Ryan Brown, violin Gary Cook *, guitar/banjo Doug Balliett, contrabass Ryan Brown

Gary Cook

Doug Balliett

The first blacksmith shop in West Union, Custer County, Nebraska. Photo by Solomon D. Butcher.

* Opera Lafayette debut

Tickets In honor of our 25th anniversary season, Opera Lafayette is offering 25% of our ticket inventory for only $25.

Single Ticket Prices Venus and Adonis

Leonore

The Blacksmith

Gold

$105

$135

$120

Silver

$80

$105

$93

Bronze

$60

$80

$70

Green

N/A

$50

N/A

25 Club

$25

$25

$25

Single tickets may be purchased through Opera Lafayette’s Box Office: OperaLafayette.org | 202.546.9332, ext. 1 Subscribe!

Buy tickets to multiple productions, and you receive several subscriber benefits that save you money and enhance your Opera Lafayette experience.

Save!

• 20% when you buy tickets to all three productions or 10% when you buy tickets to two productions.

• $5.00 / ticket as Opera Lafayette waives per ticket administration fees for subscribers.

• Discounts on tickets for Community Engagement events.

Seats!

• Sit in the best seats in the house. We seat subscribers first.

• Enjoy your seats from season to season. When you renew, every effort is made to provide subscribers with the same seat(s) in the same venue or comparable seats in new venues.

Service!

• Resolve any ticket issues by contacting Opera Lafayette without the hassle of calling our various venues.

• Reduce your incoming email. We will not send advertisements about our productions to our subscribers.

Smile and Enjoy!

• Participate in online lectures presented by Ryan Brown. NEW! • Access to information about upcoming productions.

• Receive an informative email in advance of each performance with information that will enhance your evening.

Community Engagement Offering Experiences for All Stages of Life Opera Lafayette is committed to inspiring a public appreciation for forgotten repertoire through audience engagement programs for people of all ages. Throughout the years, Opera Lafayette has been consistently increasing its community engagement efforts, and during our 25th anniversary we present a culmination of these efforts.

Opera Starts with Oh! Last season, Opera Lafayette piloted a family program, which unravels the many elements of opera through play and immersive activities for families. Each atelier is centered around the story of an upcoming Opera Lafayette production and explores a different element of what makes opera magical. With the help of teaching artists and visiting performing artists and designers, families will sing, dance, design, and more!

The Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, DC Saturday, January 18, 2020, 3:00 p.m. – Designed to Empower: Leonore Saturday, April 4, 2020, 3:00 p.m. – How the West Was Sung: Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith)

Left: A participant of Opera Starts with Oh! dresses as royalty. (@2019 Richard Corman) Center: Theorbist Arash Noori watches on as choreographer/teaching artist Emma Jaster tells an opera story for a rapt audience of families at Opera Starts with Oh! at Carousel of Languages in New York. (@ 2019 Richard Corman) Right: Choreographer/Dancer Julia Bengsston teaches children and adults a baroque dance at Opera Starts with Oh! at The Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital in Washington, DC. (@2019 Ersian François)

Opera for Tweens and Teens Opera Lafayette has been introducing early opera to youth in middle and high schools for many years. Most recently, we have partnered with Bowie High School, Paul Public Charter School, and Woodrow Wilson High School. We work with each school to design a unique program based on the focus of the teacher and the class curriculum. Past programs have been designed around female empowerment for our production of Gaveaux’s Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal, the European perspective of the American Indian in the 1800s and its impact on Opera Lafayette’s production of Rameau’s Les Sauvages, and encouraging children to take a stand against bullies building on the Bible’s iconic story featured in Stradella’s La Susanna. If you are interested in presenting an in-school program, contact Ersian François, Artist Services and Community Engagement Manager, at ErsianFrancois@OperaLafayette.org or 202.546.9332, ext. 608.

Members of The Bowie Center for the Performing Arts’ Youth Production Arts Program gather around artists choreographer/stage director Seán Curran and Ryan Brown after a dance master class. (@2019 Ersian François)

Opera Lafayette at The Bowie Center for the Performing Arts Opera Lafayette is pleased to partner with The Bowie Center for the Performing Arts in the joint mission of adding to the cultural offerings in Bowie, MD. Last year, we presented three masterclasses highlighting two of our staged productions to the Center’s youth production arts program, and the Center presented a preview performance of Handel’s Radamisto.

Due to overwhelming and positive feedback, the two organizations are collaborating again. Opera Lafayette will present four masterclasses around all three productions, and the Center will present a preview performance of our Leonore by Beethoven on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.

Members of Opera Lafayette’s Young Patrons at Old Europe in Washington, DC at OperaToberfest. (@ 2017 Emily Sakowitz )

Opera for Young Adults While Opera Lafayette is committed to preserving historically significant works, we also believe that these works should be presented in imaginative ways to illuminate its relevance to our modern world. Through our established partnership with Stanford in Washington, we have been able to engage in meaningful conversations with young adults about what the arts mean to their generation through intimate concerts and talks, pre-show lectures, and post-performance conversations. And, sometimes we just have fun, like at OperaToberfest!

Opera for Adults Pre-performance discussions with Ryan Brown are a long-standing company tradition that regularly attract standing-room-only audiences to learn more about the opera being performed, its musical and historical relevance, and hear insider updates about the evening’s production and performance. This event takes place one-hour before nearly every Opera Lafayette performance. (This season the only exception is the Saturday, November 23, 2019 performance of Venus and Adonis.)

These pre-performance discussions are so popular that this season Opera Lafayette is offering an online discussion provided by Ryan approximately one-month before each production. Donors of $100 and above are invited to attend one of the season’s live events, and subscribers are invited to participate online during the live event. The event will be available to download for everyone who is interested in learning more.

Ryan Brown gives a pre-performance discussion at the Kennedy Center. (@ 2018 Diana Hossack)

Opera Lafayette also performs at local events and in public performances throughout the Washington, DC and NY metro areas. We have presented season preview programs, performed in private homes, Embassies, and branches of DC Public Library, and been invited to perform for such prestigious events as “France in the White House” presented by The White House Historical Association.

Ryan Brown and Soprano Jaely Chamberlain Turner, an Opera Lafayette Young Artist alum, performed at the seminar "France in the White House" presented by The White House Historical Assocation. (@2017 Matthew D'Agostino)

This season we are expanding our community offerings to include events in advance of performance day and presented in venues throughout various New York and Washington, DC neighborhoods. These events are intended for our regular patrons who are attracted to gaining a more holistic understanding of our season’s operas. These events are also designed with opera novices in mind. We want to connect people from other arts and humanities disciplines, and even other sectors, to opera, and pique their interest in opera as it relates to their advocations or vocations. Here are just some examples of events already on our calendar.

Pop-Up Exhibition: “Written by a Lady” In partnership with the Folger Shakespeare Library Thursday, November 14, 2019, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Paster Reading Room, Folger Shakespeare Library In collaboration with the Folger Shakespeare Library, we explore the libretto for John Blow’s Venus and Adonis, based on Shakespeare’s poem, along with some of the Restoration-era’s female literary voices.

The work of Anne Kingsmill Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (1661/1720), provides a focus for this discussion of attribution, collaboration, and early feminist literature. Her collection of poetry—published only as “Written by a Lady”—explores romance, social justice, and mental health struggles. In addition, Finch is credited as the librettist for this early English opera of Venus and Adonis, though the unique, irreverent text may also have ties to Aphra Behn and Anne Killigrew.

Folger Library Director Mike Witmore will be in conversation with Dr. Jennifer Keith, Folger Institute Fellow (2014/2015) and editor of the forthcoming Cambridge Edition of The Works of Anne Finch. After the talk, Director of Collections Greg Prickman will guide you through related rare materials from the Folger collection.

Tickets: $15 (can be purchased on the Folger website, Folger.edu) $10 tickets are available for Opera Lafayette donors and subscribers An Opera Lafayette Screening Thursday, February 6, 2020, 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. | Avalon Theatre 1 Grab some popcorn and wine and watch a screening of Opera Lafayette’s DVD recording of Pierre Gaveaux and Jean-Nicolas Bouilly’s Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal (1798). Following the movie, Ryan Brown and guest will compare and contrast this opera with Beethoven’s Leonore (1805) and discuss how each foreshadows Fidelio, Beethoven’s only opera.

Opera Lafayette believes that in the right setting opera IS for everyone. If you are interested in partnering with us, please contact Diana Hossack, Executive Director, at DianaHossack@OperaLafayette.org or 202.546.9332, ext. 602.

Recordings Building a Legacy Central to Opera Lafayette’s mission is creating a legacy of the forgotten repertoire the company brings back to life. In 2005, Opera Lafayette released its first CD on the Naxos label, and now has 12 commercial audio recordings. In 2018, Opera Lafayette released its first DVD, and now has two video recordings on the Naxos label. In 2019 Opera Lafayette published two illustrated books. These books complement Opera Lafayette’s discography and further bolsters the legacy of baroque opera to new audiences. Visit OperaLafayette.org to purchase these items.

Illustrated Retellings As told by Kelley Rourke and illustrated by Amy Severson Radamisto (2019) George Frideric Handel, composer Nicola Francesco Haym, librettist Based on L’amor tirrannico by Domenico Lalli and after L’amour tyrannique by Georges de Scudery

La Susanna (2019) Alessandro Stradella, composer Giovanni Battista Giardini, librettist Based on Susanna and The Elders from The Book of Daniel

DVDs Les Fêtes de l’Hymen et de l’Amour, ou Les Dieux d’Égypte (2019) Jean-Philippe Rameau, composer Louis de Cahusac, librettists Cover: Louis Forget

Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal (2018) Pierre Gaveaux, composer Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, librettist Also available on Blu-ray Cover: Pierre-Etienne Bergeron

CDs L’épreuve villageoise (2016) André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry, composer Pierre Desforges, librettist Cover: Louis Forget

Les Femmes Vengées (2015) François-André Danican Philidor, composer Michel-Jean Sedaine, librettist Cover: Louis Forget

Lalla Roukh (2014) Félicien David, composer Michel Carré and Hippolyte Lucas, librettists

Le Déserteur (2010) Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny, composer Michel-Jean Sedaine, librettist

Cover: The Deserter Pardoned by George Moreland (1763-1804) (The Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, UK / The Bridgeman Art Library)

Zélindor, roi des Sylphes (2009) François Rebel and François Francœur, composers Text by François-Augustin Paradis de Moncrif Cover: Louis Forget

Cover: Louis Forget

The Tragedy of Armide (2008) Jean-Baptiste Lully, composer Philippe Quinault, librettist

Le Roi et le fermier (2013) Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny, composer Michel-Jean Sedaine, librettist

Rameau Operatic Arias (2007) Featuring Jean-Paul Fouchécourt

Le Magnifique (2012) André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry, composer Michel-Jean Sedaine, librettist

Oedipe à Colone (2006) Antonio Sacchini

Cover: Restored 1780 set designs for Le Roi et le fermier • Photo by J.M. Manaï

Cover: The Composer André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry by Jean-Baptiste Stouf (1724-1826) Purchase, Josephine Bay Paul and C. Michael Paul Foundation Inc. Gift and Charles Ulrick and Josephine Bay Foundation Inc. Gift, 1969 (69.77) • Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Sancho Pança (2011) François-André Danican Philidor, composer Antoine-Alexandre-Henri Poinsinet, librettist Cover: Louis Forget

Rinaldo and Armida by Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641) (Louvre, Paris, France, Lauros / Giraudon / The Bridgeman Art Library)

Cover: Carol Rosegg

Cover: Oedipus and Antigone by Johann-Peter Krafft (1780-1856) (The Art Archive / Musée du Louvre Paris / Dagli Orti)

Orphée et Euridice (2005) Christoph Willibald Gluck

Cover: Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld, 1861 by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot (1796-1875) (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, USA / Bridgeman Art Library)

Mission Opera Lafayette, which performs its entire season in New York City and Washington, DC, is renowned for its performances of both forgotten works that were popular and significant to the cultural history of the 17th through 19th centuries, and early opera which is already part of the modern canon. Each program incorporates the latest research and musicological expertise, uses period instruments and artists performing at the highest level, and as appropriate, includes dance – an important, yet often neglected element of baroque opera. This attention to detail ensures that each rediscovered gem adheres closely to the way the composers originally intended their masterpieces to be heard. While preserving these historically significant works, Opera Lafayette stages each performance in imaginative and inventive ways which illuminate the music’s original appeal as well as its relevance to our modern world. Central to the company’s mission is building a legacy of the timeless repertoire Opera Lafayette brings back to life. This is achieved through an extensive discography, mounting revivals, and inspiring a public appreciation for this repertoire through its audience engagement programs for audiences of all ages.

Supporting Opera Lafayette Opera Lafayette’s ability to reawaken masterpieces, engage with the community, and generate a legacy of recorded works relies in great part on the patronage and generous support of individual, foundation, and corporate donors, to whom we are deeply grateful. You can support Opera Lafayette in many ways:

Benefits

Each year Opera Lafayette presents an annual benefit in both Washington, DC and New York City. These events

typically showcase an Opera Lafayette production, create a festive and fun atmosphere, and raise about 20% of

the company’s annual revenue. The dates for the 25th Anniversary Benefits are:

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Celebrating 25 Years of Bravos and Bouquets associated with Venus and Adonis by John Blow

Flagg Corcoran, School of the Arts and Design | The Westin Georgetown Ryan Brown at first performance of Violins of Lafayette at the Corcoran’s Salon Doré. (@ 1994 Naomi Reddert)

Thursday, May 14, 2020

25th Anniversary Performance and Candlelight Awards Dinner associated with Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith) by Françoise-André Danican Philidor

El Museo del Barrio | The Burden Mansion “Trotting Cracks at the Forge" Currier & Ives / Museum of the City of New York. 57.300.114.

Sponsorship

If you are interested in helping Opera Lafayette on a specific Wat

project, such as a production, a recording, or an illustrated ch f exci or an

retelling for our family program, we also welcome sponsorship ti ann oun ng

giving and would be pleased to discuss upcoming projects with you. abo ceme n ut a

new t m a t

Donations of Stock cam ching paig

Opera Lafayette accepts stock donations through a Fidelity n!

brokerage account. Please notify Opera Lafayette staff when

donating stock.

Employee/Retiree Matching Gift Program

If your employer offers matching gifts, your dollars can go twice as

far in supporting Opera Lafayette.

Bequests

One sentence in your will can help ensure that your legacy supports Opera Lafayette’s future for years to come.

In Name Of

Recognize a departed loved one with a contribution to Opera Lafayette in his or her name, or celebrate a

milestone with a gift in honor of someone special.

House an Artist Learn more about how you can house one of our artists in Washington, DC or New York City. If you are interested in housing an artist, contact Ersian François, Artist Services and Community Engagement Manager, at 202.546.9332, ext. 608 or ErsianFrancois@OperaLafayette.org.

For additional questions or inquiries of these and other possibilities, please contact Katherine Offutt, Development and Special Events Associate, at 202.546.9332, ext. 606 or KatherineOffutt@OperaLafayette.org.

Cover Captions: Line 1 (left to right): Countertenor John Holiday in Opera Lafayette's performance of Vivaldi's Catone in Utica (@ 2015 Louis Forget); Cellist Loretta O'Sullivan, a member of the Opera Lafayette Orchestra (@ 2016 Jana Huntnerova); Tenor Aaron Sheehan and dancer Benny Olk in Opera Lafayette's production of Actéon by Charpentier (@ 2013 Louis Forget); and Soprano Lucía Martín Cartón in Opera Lafayette's co-production with Heartbeat Opera of Stradella’s La Susanna (@2019 Louis Forget).

Line 2 (left to right): Soprano Nathalie Paulin in Opera Lafayette's production Opera and the French Revolution (@ 2016 Louis Forget); Mezzo-sopranos Hagar Sharvit and Caitlin Hulcup (seated) as Lauren Kravitz takes a leap with the help of her partner, both members of the Seán Curran Dance Company in Opera Lafayette's production of Handel's Radamisto (@ 2019 Louis Forget); Tenors Karim Sulayman and Jeffrey Thompson in Opera Lafayette production of Grétry's Le Magnifique (@ 2011 Louis Forget); and Soprano Sophie Junker and child actor Sofia Brunetti in Opera Lafayette's production of Chabrier's Une Éducation manquée (@ 2016 Louis Forget).

Line 3 (left and right): Jeffrey Thompson in Opera Lafayette's production of Le Roi et le fermier by Monsigny (@ 2012 Louis Forget); Carly Fox Horton of the New York Baroque Dance Company in Opera Lafayette's production of Rameau's Les Fêtes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour ou Les Dieux d'Égypte (@ 2014 Louis Forget); Ryan Brown, violinist, for Opera Lafayette’s La forêt enchantée by Geminiani (@2018 Tina Buchman); and Chitra Kalyandurg of Kalanidhi Dance in Opera Lafayette's production of Lalla Roukh by Félicien David (@ 2013 Louis Forget).

Annual Giving Annual contributions are the lifeblood of Opera Lafayette. All general donations – online gifts and contributions made by cash or check – support important operational and programming expenses. Check out our new contributor benefits below.

Subscription to Reflections - a newsletter

Invitations to Opera Lafayette events

Listing in Opera Lafayette program books

Invitation to attend live recording of Ryan Brown discussion on upcoming opera

Listing in Opera Lafayette’s annual report newsletter

25% discount on Opera Lafayette DVDs, CDs, and illustrated opera retellings

Reserved seating for Ryan Brown’s pre-performance discussion Invitation to a working Opera Lafayette rehearsal

Annual choice of one free Opera Lafayette DVD, CD, or illustrated opera retelling

Authographed copy of choice of Opera Lafayette merchandise

Invitation for two to one performance reception per season Invitation to dinner with Ryan Brown

Two complimentary tickets for one Opera Lafayette performance Listing in Benefit program books

Invitation to a private salon performance Recognition on supertitles display

Backstage access following performances

Special gift from Opera Lafayette related to an seasonal production

Friend ($99 or less)

Supporter ($100 - $499)

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Donor’s Circle ($500 - $999)

Patron’s Circle ($1,000 - $2,499)

Sustainer’s Circle ($2,500 - $4,999)

Trustees’ Circle Benefactor’s Circle Leader’s Circle ($5,000 - $9,999) ($10,000 - $19,999) ($20,000+)

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Opera Lafayette 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Washington, DC 20003 DC 202.546.9332 OperaLafayette@OperaLafayette.org OperaLafayette.org