Mason Opera Presents
Love, Betrayal, and Forgiveness
Scenes from Mozart Most Popular Operas
Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, & Cosí fan tutte
Stage Director: Professor Richard Leech
Music Director & Conductor: Professor Joe Walsh
Director/Producer: Professor Patricia Miller
Hylton Performing Arts Center, Gregory Family Theater
George Mason University
Manassas, VA
Saturday, December 7, 2024
2:00 pm & 8:00pm
Don Giovanni
Donna Anna Hannah Cayem
Donna Elvira Huijie Sun
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Zerlina Kaylee Cobb* Lucia Ku**
Ottavio Ross Calvin
Masetto Josh Slutsky
Don Giovanni Jose Sacin
Leporello Aiden Brenneman-Pennas
Cosí fan tutte
Fiordiligi Annie French* Hannah Cayem**
Dorabella Kaylee Cobb
Despina Kyla Larkin* Hana Tawil**
Ferrando Ross Calvin
Guglielmo Josh Slutsky
Alfonso Jose Sacin
The Marriage of Figaro
Countess Almaviva Samira Plummer-Brown* Annie French**
Susanna Sarah Calvino* Lucia Ku**
Barbarina Kaylee Cobb
Cherubino Huijie Sun
Marcellina Hannah Cayem
Basilio Ross Calvin
Count Almaviva Jose Sacin
Figaro Josh Slutsky
Bartolo Aiden Brenneman-Pennas
*Matinee performance **Evening performance
Ensemble
Hannah Pierre, Maria Mantalvanos, Eva Shifflett
MASON OPERA DIRECTORS
Professor Richard Leech, Stage Director, Mason Opera
Professor Joe Walsh, Music Director, Conductor, & Opera Coach
Professor Patricia Miller, Director of Vocal Studies, Opera Director & Producer
ARTISTIC AND PRODUCTION STAFF
GMU Production Team
Donna Reinhold, Stage Manager
Carrie Cox, Technical Director
Sean Cox, Lighting Designer
Laurel Dunayer, Costume Designer
Ethan Osborne, Scene Shop Supervisor
Stephan Starling, Assistant Technical Director
MASON OPERA ADMINISTRATION AND MUSICAL STAFF
Professor Patricia Miller, Director of Vocal Studies, Opera Director & Producer
Prof. Richard Leech, Stage Director, Mason Opera
Professor Joseph Walsh, Music Director, Conductor, and Opera Coach
Julie Thompson, Executive Director, Center for the Arts
Dr. Eunae Ko Han, Opera Coach
Ga Young Lee, production pianist
Bolun Zhang, rehearsal pianist
Kai Shi, rehearsal pianist
Anissa Clay Zelaya, Mason Vocal Studies and Opera Assistant
HYLTON PRODUCTION STAFF
Kevin D. Smith, Technical Director
Chris Burrell, Production and Facilities Manager
Elizabeth McLendon, Operations and Production Associate
MASON OPERA GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES
Dr. Rick Davis, Dean, College of Visual & Performing Arts
Dr. Linda Monson, Director, Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
Julie Thompson, Executive Director, Center for the Arts
MASON VOICE FACULTY
Prof. Patricia Miller, Director of Vocal Studies; Director/Producer, Mason Opera
Prof. Richard Leech
Prof. Lisa Berger
Prof. Jennifer Casey-Cabot
Prof. Edrie Means Weekly
Prof. Ian McEuen
Dr. Darden Purcell
Prof. Kerry Wilkerson
Dr. Mira Yang
Special thanks to Prof. Joe Walsh (keyboard and harpsichord), Ga Young Lee (production pianist), and Jose Sacin (baritone, guest artist, and Mason alumnus)
MEET THE ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION TEAM
Richard Leech (Stage Director) American tenor Richard Leech is one of the most celebrated tenors of his generation and is currently an Associate Professor of Applied Voice and Opera for George Mason University’s Dewberry School of Music, and Stage Director for the Mason Opera Theater.
Since his heralded 1989 Metropolitan Opera debut as Rodolfo in La Bohème, Mr. Leech has sung nearly 200 Met performances in more than a dozen leading roles. From Vienna and Paris to La Scala, Covent Garden, and Carnegie Hall he has been a frequent guest with virtually every major opera house and renowned symphonies throughout the world. He is best known for his interpretation of iconic tenor roles such as Rodolfo, Cavaradossi, Pinkerton, Don José, Faust, Roméo, Hoffmann, the Duke in Rigoletto, and Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera and is featured on over twenty recordings and videos. His solo release from the heart can be found on the Telarc label. Following his 1987 European debut with Berlin’s Deutsche Oper, as Raoul in Les Huguenots, the headline of the Berliner Morgen Post read: “A World Star is Born” and true to its forecast, Mr. Leech had soon made debuts with virtually every major opera house of the world. Of his first performance with the Metropolitan Opera, as Rodolfo in La Bohème, Will Crutchfield of the New York Times wrote: “Other than Pavarotti on his best night, I can’t think of another tenor I’d rather hear in the part.”
In addition to the Met, he was also a frequent guest with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the opera companies of San Francisco, LA, Washington, San Diego, and Cincinnati, as well as many other important American opera companies and symphonies. Internationally, he was often seen in Paris, London, Vienna, Berlin, Madrid, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Florence, Rome, and at La Scala in Milan where he had the honor of singing La Bohème with the great Mirella Freni. Other countries where he has performed include Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, The Netherlands, Canada, Russia, Cyprus, Japan, China, and South Korea. Also a passionate teacher and mentor, Mr. Leech has worked extensively with aspiring artists at all levels of their development throughout his career. Before his position with George Mason University, he had previously served on the faculties of Rutgers University and The University of Michigan. As Director of Resident Artist Programs for Michigan Opera Theatre (now Detroit Opera) from 2015 -2021, Mr. Leech created and ran MOT Studio, the company’s first young artist program, offering full-time engagement, training, and experience to artists in the early stages of a professional career. In his leadership role with MOT, he also oversaw the company’s many education and community engagement initiatives.
Mr. Leech attended Eastman School of Music and Binghamton University and credits his success to the training he received in the Tri-Cities Opera Resident Artist Training Program in Binghamton, NY under the mentorship of the company’s founders, Peyton Hibbitt and Carmen Savoca. He has been a frequent guest teacher and presenter of masterclasses for many institutions in the US and internationally. He was the 1988 winner of the prestigious Richard Tucker Award, and the recipient of The Voice Foundation’s Voice Education Research and Awareness (V.E.R.A.) Award and the Giulio Gari Foundation’s Distinguished Achievement Award.
Patricia Miller (Director of Vocal Studies, Director/Producer Mason Opera) is a Distinguished University Professor of Music at George Mason University, received her Bachelor of Music from Boston University, her Master of Music from New England Conservatory, and, as a Fulbright scholar, her Artist Diploma from the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. She completed advanced studies at the Schubert Institute in Baden-bei-Wien and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Miller is a distinguished international opera and concert artist and an esteemed music educator. Included in her extensive artistic career as a leading mezzo-soprano are performances with San Francisco Opera, New York City Opera, Theatre Châtélèt Paris, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Victoria State Opera (Melbourne), Arena di Verona (Italy), and Deutsche Oper (Berlin), among others. Her concert appearances include the Musikverein (Vienna), Beethovenhalle (Bonn), Avery Fisher Hall-Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Strathmore Music Center, and the Smithsonian. Her master classes and lecture recitals at universities and conservatories around the world include Moscow State University, Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine, Hochschule für Musik Franz Lizst in Weimar, Germany, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea. Miller’s students have garnered top awards in state, regional, national, and international competitions, including First Place at the National Opera Association Collegiate Scenes Competition. She has trained extraordinary young student artists who are now singing with major opera companies domestically and internationally, including Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Virginia Opera, Netherlands Opera, the “President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band and U.S. Army Chorus, and a Tony Award-winning Broadway revival. Miller has provided Mason students opportunities to study and perform abroad in Italy, Germany, France, Russia, and Korea. Professor Miller is a 2018 recipient of the John Toups Presidential Medal for Excellence in Teaching at George Mason University.
Joe Walsh (Music Director/Conductor) has presented and served as music director for opera and musical theater productions in Virginia, across the country and internationally. He served on the musical staff at Virginia Opera for 17 years where, most,
recently, he held the positions of Associate Artistic Director and Associate Conductor. Joe was music director for Riverside Dinner Theater’s acclaimed production of The Pirates of Penzance during the summer of 2019. He has been a regular Music Director with the In Series and Alexandria’s Metro Stage. He is on the faculty at Levine Music and has served as artistic advisor for the National Society of Arts and Letters Vocal Programs, Washington D.C. chapter. Joe has judged the Middle Atlantic Region of the MET National Council auditions, as well as The Partner for the Arts, National Society of Arts and Letters and many other voice competitions. Joe is a member of the faculties of both the School of Music and the School of Theater at George Mason University. At Mason, he has served as music director for productions of Head Over Heels, Cendrillon, Footloose, Gaining Ground, Spring Awakening, Rags, Merry We Roll Along, Big River, Dido and Aeneas, and Hansel and Gretel, among many others.
Ga Young Lee (production pianist) is currently pursuing her Doctoral degree in Piano Performance at George Mason University under the esteemed guidance of Dr. Linda Apple Monson, Director of the School of Music, GaYoung Lee also contributes as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) in collaborative piano. In this capacity, she enriches the musical education of instrumental and vocal students by offering guidance in recitals, lessons, and masterclasses, in addition to providing invaluable rehearsal coaching. GaYoung's academic journey encompasses a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from George Mason University, a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the Catholic University of Korea, and supplementary studies at the Ewha Womans Graduate School of Music in Seoul.
Donna Reinhold (Stage Manager) is a freelance Manager and Director for professional theatre and events. Donna has been working in the DMV area for 14 years, with dozens of credits throughout the greater DC area and NYC. Favorite credits include I Put a Spell on You: Aliiive at Webster Hall, the 2023 Congressional Black Caucus, the World Culture Festival, La Salpetriere at Taffety Punk Theatre Co, The Second City's Love, Factually at the Kennedy Center, the Ford's Theatre Gala, and the annual Helen Hayes Awards. Donna's directing work can currently be seen in The Shawshank Redemption, running at NextStop Theatre Company in Herndon until December 15. Donna has a love for unconventional theatre, devised works, and theatre for young audiences. When she’s not backstage or in rehearsal she can often be found in the audience with her children, playing D&D with her friends, or packing up the car for a road trip to visit family.
Carrie Cox (Technical Director) is the Technical Director of CVPA’s Art Support Umbrella and Adjunct Faculty & Mentor in Technical Direction for the School of Theater. Since joining Mason in 2016, Carrie has served in various capacities based on specific production needs, including as Scenic Designer, Scenic Paint Charge, Props Director and Props Mentor. The work of the scene shop would not be able to be done without the help of the incredible scene shop staff who prioritize student safety and learning while teaching them the skills they need to succeed once outside of Mason. It is an honor to return to yet another Mason Opera where Carrie is able to work alongside incredible colleagues and students.
Sean Cox (Lighting Designer) is the Assistant Director of Event Services at George Mason University and is thrilled to join the creative team for the Mason Opera for this production. A graduate of George Mason University with a MA in Arts Management and Auburn University with a BFA in Theatrical Production & Stage Management, he served as Production & Company Manager for Olney Theatre Center from 2008 to 2010. He also has worked on the creative team for several productions and attractions at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, including scenic designs for Entwined, Gloria, and Open Casket. Previous designs have been featured at NextStop Theatre Company in Herndon, VA, including lighting design for Snow White, The Giver, and 45 Plays for 45 Presidents as well as projections design for Urinetown, 45 Plays for 45 Presidents, and Godspell.
Laurel Dunayer (Costume Designer/Costume Shop Supervisor) has been at GMU since 2006. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with an MFA in Theater-Costume Design in 1998, Mrs. Dunayer moved to New York City and worked at Carelli Costumes, a Broadway costume shop. Favorite Broadway costume credits include Kiss Me Kate, The Rocky Horror Show, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Other previous work experience includes Draper at Colorado Shakespeare Festival for seven summer seasons and American Players Theater in Wisconsin.
Donna Reinhold (Stage Manager) is a freelance Manager and Director for professional theatre and events. Donna has been working in the DMV area for 14 years, with dozens of credits throughout the greater DC area and NYC. Favorite credits include I Put a Spell on You: Aliiive at Webster Hall, the 2023 Congressional Black Caucus, the World Culture Festival, La Salpetriere at Taffety Punk Theatre Co, The Second City's Love, Factually at the Kennedy Center, the Ford's Theatre Gala, and the annual Helen Hayes Awards. Donna's directing work can currently be seen in The Shawshank Redemption, running at NextStop Theatre Company in Herndon until December 15. Donna has a love for unconventional theatre, devised works, and theatre for young audiences. When she’s not backstage or in rehearsal she can often be found in the audience with her children, playing D&D with her friends, or packing up the car for a road trip to visit family.
MEET THE CAST
José Miguel Sacin, Peruvian Baritone and Artistic Director of Opera NOVA, has performed in companies such as The Washington National Opera, Opera Delaware, Caramoor Festival, Opera Camerata of Washington, Teatro Municipal de Lima, Mediterranean Opera Festival, Maryland Lyric Opera, Auditorio Nacional de Madrid and the Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow, Teatro Nacional de San Jose, Opera North and the Baltimore Opera. Main opera roles include Scarpia in Tosca, Giorgio Germont in La Traviata, Dr. Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Dandini in La Cenerentola, Tonio in Pagliacci, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, Marcello in La Bohème, Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte, Vidal in Luisa Fernanda and the title roles in Gianni Schicchi, Don Giovanni, Macbeth, Falstaff and Rigoletto. Sacin is very active in the recital stage performing Schubert’s Winterreise, Schumann’s Dichterliebe and programs of Latin American Art Songs and Italian Art Songs. He appears in the Naxos recording of Ramirez’s Misa Criolla with the Choral Arts of Washington.
As a conductor, Sacin has performed in Hansel and Gretel, La Cenerentola, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Treemonisha, Die Zauberflöte, Verbena de la Paloma, Monkey See Monkey Do and El Barberillo de Lavapies. Last season Sacin made his role debut as Diego Rivera in Robert Xavier Rodriguez’s Frida with Opera Southwest, Montano in Otello with Maryland Lyric Opera and performed the title role in Gianni Schicchi in Sicily, as well as recitals of Latin American Songs.
Mr. Sacin is performing all three lead baritone roles (Don Giovanni, Don Alonso, and Count Almaviva) for today’s performance.
Aiden Breneman-Pennas has performed in multiple Opera and Musical Theater productions at George Mason. Last spring, he was Bluff in The Impressario, Tonic/Don Giovanni in The Classical Style as well as Franklin Hart Jr. in 9 to 5: The Musical the previous fall. He is currently working on his application to Law School.
Ross Calvin is a senior Vocal Performance major at George Mason University. Since Spring 2022, he has performed with Mason Opera, portraying roles such as Alfredo in La Traviata, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, the Defendent in Trial by Jury, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Haydn in The Classical Style. An experienced music educator since 2015, Ross is passionate about teaching voice and guitar. He looks forward to completing his Bachelor of Music in Spring 2025 and plans to continue pursuing professional opportunities in opera and theater after graduation.
Sarah Calvino is a senior Vocal Performance major in the studio of Professor Patricia Miller. In Spring 2024, Sarah performed the roles of Musicologist and Donna Anna in Steven Stucky’s The Classical Style. Previously, she portrayed Frosch in Mason Opera's Spring 2023 production of Strauss's Die Fledermaus, as well as the roles of Marcelina (Le nozze di Figaro), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), and Marzelline (Fidelio) in Mason’s Fall Scenes programs. She has also participated the Spring 2022 and 2024 Honors Recitals. She has sung in both the University Chorale and University Singers, as well as the Washington Master Chorale. She is the Director of Music Ministry at Queen of Apostles Catholic Church in Alexandria.
Hannah Cayem is a first-year graduate student at George Mason University pursuing a Masters in Voice Performance under the tutelage of Professor Patricia Miller. She obtained Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Vocal Performance from the Ithaca College School of Music. Her Mason Opera credits include the partial roles of Madame Butterfly in Madame Butterfly, Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, and Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro. A passionate educator, she maintains a thriving private studio at the Academy of Music, VA.
Kaylee Cobb is currently in her third year of her undergraduate studies at George Mason pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. Kaylee has played the Subdominant Chord in The Classical Style, the chorus in Die Fledermaus, and partial roles as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Tzeitel in The Fiddler on the Roof. Kaylee is currently studying under Professor Jennifer Casey Cabot and is looking forward to continuing her degree.
Annie French is a soprano in her junior year at George Mason pursuing a Vocal Performance degree. Studying under Patricia Miller, Annie placed 1st at VA NATS and competed at both Mid-Atlantic Regional NATS in South Carolina and the CS Music Vocal competition. Annie has sung the role of Marcelline in Fidelio, Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Hanna in Die Lustige Witwe, and Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte."
Lucia Ku is a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, studying under Richard Leech. Recent performance credits include the Fall 2024 Scene Showcase, chorus roles in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury and Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, and their junior recital earlier this semester. In addition to classical repertoire, Lucia creates original music, which is available to stream anywhere. She is thrilled to take part in this showcase of Mozart’s most famous operas and extends gratitude to their teachers and collaborators for their support.
Kyla Larkin is a senior Voice student studying under Professor Jennifer Casey Cabot and pursuing a BM in Vocal Performance. She is an active member of the George Mason University Singers, directed by Dr. Lisa Billingham and has performed with the George Mason Opera as a chorus member in Amahl and the Night Visitors and as Frosch in Die Fledermaus. They are also the current Vice President and Risk Manager for the Alpha Epsilon Chapter of Gamma Rho Lambda National Sorority. They have been in choir since 5th grade and had performed with the nationally recognized, Downbeat Award-winning Kansas City Kansas Community College The Standard Vocal Jazz Ensemble, directed by John Stafford II, for two years during her study there.
Maria Mantalvanos is a senior Voice Performance major studying with Prof. Patricia Miller.
Hannah Pierre, a pianist of 18 years, Hannah currently studies at George Mason University for her MM in Collaborative Piano. She graduated from Bob Jones University with a Bachelor's in Keyboard Performance and a Certificate in Keyboard Pedagogy in 2023. While teaching and accompanying in Fairfax, Hannah maintains a private piano studio in Ashland, VA. She also released her first album in September, a sacred piano collection of seven hymn settings called "Blessed Assurance: My Story, My Song." Hannah is honored to perform as a chorus member in Mason's Opera Scenes this semester after her debut in BJU's production of A Tale of Two Cities: The Musical in 2021.
Samira Plummer-Brown, soprano, is a native of Washington DC. Samira is a second-year master's student studying voice with Professor Patricia Miller at George Mason University. After graduating from the Duke Ellington school of the arts, she went on to complete her Bachelor of Music degree in voice performance from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, on full scholarship. Miss Brown was the first winner of the Virginia E. Hayes Williams Opera Prize Endowment Fund, which was created to support the training of young singers who wish to pursue a career in opera. Miss Brown has participated in the Tyrolean Opera Program, Amalfi Coast Music Festival, and AIMS in Graz Opera Program. Miss Brown has been featured in La Traviata as Violetta, Lucia di Lammermoor as Lucia, Mozart’s The Impresario as Gloria Silverpeal, and The Classical Style as Mozart.
Eva Shifflett is a freshman at George Mason University pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater/ Music Theater.
Josh Slutsky, 22, is a bass-baritone from Maryland. He's worked with Richard Leech for 2 years and has participated in most GMU opera productions since La Cenerentola (Rossini). He's worked in productions with MDLO and Loudon Lyric, as well.
Huijie Sun is a mezzo-soprano originally from Hohhot, the capital city of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. She has captivated audiences with her performances across various opera stages in the United States.
Ms. Sun made her role debut this year as Lady Murasaki in Murasaki's Moon with Hub City Opera and Dance in New Jersey and has also taken on roles such as Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus at Peabody Opera in Baltimore. Her versatile repertoire spans from the classic works of Mozart to contemporary compositions, showcasing her ability to bring both depth and nuance to her characters.
Sun has earned several accolades, including being a finalist in the 2024 Sylvia Green Competition at Peabody Institute, winning the Platinum Prize in the Canadian International Music Competition, and receiving awards from the London Classical and International Music Competitions.
Huijie current doing her doctoral degree under the guidance of American tenor Richard Leech. She received her Graduate Performance Diploma at Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University under acclaimed mezzo-sopranos Denyce Graves and Margaret Baroody. She earned her previous degree from Austin Peay State University. Huijie has also studied with esteemed teachers Issachah Savage, Elizabeth Futral, Alexander LoBianco, Peter Scott Drackley, Gail Robinson Oturu, and Sharon Mabry.
Hana Tawil is a theatre major with a music minor in the studio of Prof. Patricia Miller. She has sung Adele in Die Fledermaus, Miss Silverpeal in The Impresario, and Angelina (The Plaintiff) in Trial By Jury with George Mason’s Opera program. In addition, she played Philoclea in Head Over Heels and Margaret in Nine To Five as part of the Mason Players’ mainstage musicals. Additional musical theatre credits include Brooklyn in BKLYN (Silhouette Stages), Lucy Harris in Jekyll & Hyde (The Fredericktowne Players), Helena Landless in The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Workhouse Arts Center), and Heather McNamara in Heathers (Dominion Stage).
Love, Betrayal, and Forgiveness
Scenes from Don Giovanni, Cosí fan tutte, and The Marriage of Figaro
The Vocal Studies Division and Mason Opera gratefully acknowledge Carolyn Peterson and the Peterson Family Foundation for their generous Leadership Support of Mason Opera and Vocal Studies Endowed Scholarships.
George Mason University Reva and Sid Dewberry Family School of Music
For more information and a complete listing of concerts and recitals, visit the web site at music.gmu.edu
George Mason University is a registered All-Steinway School
The use of cameras and video or tape recorders without prior permission is strictly prohibited.
Notice: For your own safety, LOOK for your nearest EXIT. In case of emergency, WALK; do not RUN, to that EXIT.
