PROGRAM: Breaking the Waves April 2024

SAT / APR 06 / 7:30PM

FRI / APR 12 / 7:30PM

SUN / APR 14 / 2:30PM

PHOTO

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

JULY 1, 2023—

JUNE 30, 2024

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Fern Espino

Paul E. Ewing

John P. Hale

John W. Ingle III

Barbara Kratchman

Dexter Mason

Ali Moiin

Donald Morelock

Allan Nachman

Ann Nicholson

Sara Pozzi

Paul Ragheb

Ruth Rattner

Irvin D. Reid

Pamela E. Rodgers

Evan D. Ross

Ankur Rungta

Terry Shea

Matthew Simoncini

Richard Sonenklar

Peter C. Stern

Lorna Thomas

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Ellen Hill Zeringue

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JULY 1, 2023—

JUNE 30, 2024

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Mary Lou Zieve

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FOUNDING MEMBERS

Lynn* & Ruth* Townsend

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David* & Karen V.* DiChiera

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KEY

* Deceased

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A message from Yuval Sharon

My advice to anyone experiencing Breaking the Waves for the first time: Listen for the electric guitar.

That won’t be hard, since its presence is forceful and ferocious, like the blast of the ocean against the rocks of the Scottish Highlands. But Missy Mazzoli not only uses the amplified instrument to devastating dramatic effect. She also weaves its sound into her overall sonic landscape in a bravura way that displays why journalists hail her as a “post-millennial Mozart.” Let your ear be caught by the novelty of the electric guitar, but let it lead you into a deeper awareness of how Mazzoli lends an unmistakably original voice to even the most conventional instrument in her orchestra.

Of course, Breaking the Waves is hardly a conventional opera. With her frequent collaborator, librettist Royce Vavrek, Mazzoli has asked opera audiences to journey into territory we’re never asked to go. The piece requires our maturity in thinking about sex. It asks us to consider why the most natural and beautiful thing we humans do has been weaponized for so long by men seeking to place women in socially disadvantageous circumstances. When our culture sharply separates morality and sex, we internalize that conflict in devastating ways. Victimization becomes an inevitability. But the opera’s hero, Bess McNeill, refuses to be a victim, even as she knows the choices she makes will set her at odds with her severe community. As ambiguous and sometimes uncomfortable as these topics may be, Tom Morris’s hypnotic production, like Mazzoli’s astonishing score, won’t fail to lure you in.

Thank you for joining us at Detroit Opera!

Yuval Sharon

Gary L. Wasserman Artistic Director, Detroit Opera

Detroit Opera Needs You!

Because of your dedication and support, Detroit Opera continues to provide meaningful artistic experiences for our community and inspires audiences of the future.

Please consider a gift to Detroit Opera this season. Your generosity will ensure that our community has access to the highest caliber of opera productions and dance performances for years to come, including new works on contemporary themes like Breaking the Waves.

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PHOTO BY JAMES GLOSSOP, COURTESY OF SCOTTISH OPERA

Composer Note

I have never had a story sing to me like Bess McNeill's in Breaking the Waves Immediately upon seeing this film I felt that Bess's crushing vulnerability, steadfast faith and shocking bravery could manifest in a refreshing and provocative new character on the operatic stage. I imagine music that illuminates the complexity von Trier brings to his characters—a chorus of men sing a hymn that is beautiful but chilling in its austerity, Jan sings to Bess of his desires in a way that is at once tender and calculating, Bess sings a delicate melody with a turbulent and distorted accompaniment that hints at her inner rages and longings. In creating music for Bess McNeill and her world I see an opportunity to create a new kind of heroine, and a new kind of opera that presents complex characters in an intricate and unblinking light.

—Missy Mazzoli

Librettist Note

I have been haunted by the story of Bess McNeill since first seeing Lars von Trier's film in 1997. A boy of only 14, I first sat arrested by the plight of Bess, in many ways, feeling a kinship with her. I did not know then how informative the film would be, but it has also sunk into my marrow, become a part of my body's chemistry, and I carry it with me as the foremost example of the power of storytelling. In Jan, Bess finds a man with whom she joins into an unbreakable covenant with God, a marriage that breaks open the floodgates of one of the most passionate romances I've encountered in the cinema (or any other medium, for that matter). Bess's journey is operatic: from her unbridled commitment to Jan, to his absences that lead to her desperation, to her unquestioning willingness to put herself in harm's way believing that her sexual sacrifices will save his life. Her story sings, and with Missy I believe that we can translate her singular narrative into an important, intoxicating work of contemporary opera.

—Royce Vavrek

Asking the Difficult uestions

In February, stage revival director Diana Wyenn sat down with composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek for a chat about Breaking the Waves. This is an opera that asks tough questions with no easy answers, about conflict between freedom of choice and agency, and the roles women might be expected to take in today’s society. Mazzoli and Vavrek, long-time collaborators as well as best friends, share their thoughts in a conversation that has been condensed and edited. You can listen to the full conversation on Detroit Opera’s YouTube channel .

Diana Wyenn: What is most important for people to know about Breaking the Waves?

Missy Mazzoli: This is an opera about big ideas: the nature of faith, the nature of loyalty and ultimately what it means to be a good person in extreme circumstances. This is a piece that tackles everything: there are moments of great beauty, great sorrow, great tragedy. Ultimately the thing that made me say yes to this project was the idea that I could portray Bess as a woman in an impossible situation. That’s a situation that I relate to. That’s a situation that every woman in my family relates to. Everyone around

Bess is telling her what to do, and they’re all saying different things. So she’s forced to create her own path.

Wyenn: Why were you interested in turning the film Breaking the Waves into an opera?

Royce Vavrek: I saw [the film] Breaking the Waves when I was 14 years old, and it changed my life. It completely blew my mind that something like this could exist. The film was a narrative that I carried with me for my entire life, and I was hoping that at some point I would be able convince somebody to help me tell the story. I’m glad that Missy was convinceable!

Wyenn: How did you approach adapting a cinematic story into an operatic format?

Vavrek: Film is this huge canvas to tell stories, and opera at its finest is a broad, epic canvas. In the original film, there are these extraordinary close-up shots of Emily Watson, these extreme beautiful emotional passages where she communicates so much with her eyes. In opera, we don’t usually have access to people a foot away. So these internalized moments become a sort of a substitute for the close-up. There are tricks that we’ve learned to find ways to translate cinematic ideas into new spaces that are exciting, thoughtful and wild.

Mazzoli: We intentionally did something very different from the film. The film is already great—a masterpiece—so why would we want to just recreate that on the stage? In opera, the music is happening in every single moment, which provides a different emotional and psychological lens into these characters. We were able to provide a more nuanced, complete picture of these characters than you get in the film.

Wyenn: Who or what does Bess stand for?

Mazzoli: Bess to me is a representative of many aspects of the experience of being a woman. The staging reflects that. There are only three women in this opera—

Bess, her mom, and her sister-inlaw—and then there’s a chorus of men and several male characters. That’s intentional. It’s meant to feel a little bit claustrophobic for these women. As a woman, there’s a very thin line of acceptable behavior, and women are constantly falling off of it. In daily life, you’re either too promiscuous or too prudish, or you’re too outspoken or you’re not speaking up enough. It is maddening.

Wyenn: Can you talk about the musical language in Breaking the Waves?

Mazzoli: It’s all from the characters. With Bess, there’s a certain naivete to her, but also this strong sense of self. I’ve translated that into the music. The Men’s Chorus sometimes represents the voice of God, sometimes the men in the church, sometimes the drunk people in the town who are spitting beer at Bess.

Wyenn: What were the primary sources for Breaking the Waves? How did you use music to convey the emotional depth of the characters?

Mazzoli: I was doing research into other existing operas as I was writing this opera. I listened to a lot of Peter Grimes, which has parallels to Breaking the Waves, and [George Benjamin’s 2012 opera] Written on Skin and also La bohème, which always works—why?

How does that piece create drama?

Another big inspiration was the physical landscape of Scotland—a landscape of violent extremes. In the first couple of chords of the opera you hear this landscape, this combination of rolling, lush, soothing texture, and then these massive chords, which are the rocks and the waves. In every moment of this opera, there’s a bunch of things happening at the same time. There’ll be a major chord with one weird wrong note that gives you a sense of doubt, anxiety or tension. Or this big minor-chord swoop, which indicates a sort of tempest. But then there’ll be one beautiful melody floating on top of it. Where opera can excel is in its ability to have a subtext and many layers, and I think that this is the perfect story for that.

Wyenn: The opera delves into themes of faith. How do you approach portraying the complexity of faith in this story?

Mazzoli: One of the things that drew me to this story is the presence of this church, these men from the church. Bess’s relationship with God is so interesting and so intense, and she’ll often talk to God. She’ll pose a question as Bess and then answer it in God’s voice. This is one of the most striking moments of the film and it’s something

we have kept in the opera, and hopefully portrayed in an equally striking way. I use heavily distorted electric guitar to reflect the voice of God. I liked the idea of keeping the ambiguity of that relationship and the joy Bess gets from being in this tight-knit community early on in the opera, so when that turns at the end it’s heartbreaking for us as the audience.

Wyenn: What is the potential conflict between freedom of choice and agency, and the roles women might be expected to take?

Mazzoli: This piece, the opera maybe more than the film, addresses this idea of agency and choice. This is a small Calvinist community in the Scottish Highlands in the 1970s—but it feels like the ’50s. Bess’s freedom of movement as a woman is very constricted. Bess is very happy in that life initially. With the catastrophe of her husband’s injury, there’s no plan for that within the prescribed actions of the church. So she is forced—in order to maintain her relationship with her husband and with God and with herself—to go outside of what is prescribed to her by the church. That moment, that break—it’s a symbol for choices women make every day. Even deciding what to wear, as a woman, is a calculation.

Wyenn: How are you feeling about bringing this work to Detroit audiences?

Mazzoli: We’re ecstatic that Detroit audiences will be the first in America to see and experience this [new] production, which we originally created with director Tom Morris in Edinburgh in 2019. There’s a lot of amazing projection technology that blew our minds when we first saw it, and it’s become even more detailed over the last couple of years. And we’re bringing back Kiera Duffy in the role of Bess. I wrote this part for Kiera in 2016. We also have David Portillo from our premiere production, who will play the doctor again here. Their understanding of their roles has only deepened over the years. It’s going to be magic.

Wyenn: How do you hope Breaking the Waves will resonate with the audience?

Vavrek: The arts, at their best, allow us a portal to empathy. If you come to this opera and allow yourself to be swept up in the emotional whirlwind that Bess gets deep into, it’s a really rewarding, cathartic experience. I hope that the audience really open their hearts to the story. It is a tragic but beautiful and strangely hopeful story of what it means to have agency over your body, your life and your choices.

To hear the full conversation, visit Detroit Opera’s YouTube channel at the QR code below.

Grandmother’s Opera

Since its premiere in 2016, Breaking the Waves has been a big critical success and traveled all over the world. It has had a powerful impact on audiences, and on soprano Christine Goerke, Detroit Opera’s Associate Artistic Director. Goerke recently spoke with Arthur White, Detroit Opera’s Director of External Affairs, about the opera. Their discussion has been condensed and edited for space, but you can listen to the full conversation at Detroit Opera’s OperaHERE podcast, available via your favorite podcasting app.

Christine Goerke: I am so excited about these performances. This will be the first time that Detroit Opera has presented Breaking the Waves, and it also marks the first opera by a female composer that we’ve presented on our main stage. This is not your grandmother’s opera. We have the opportunity to incorporate other ways of telling our stories, and to address themes that are impactful on society. As Cesar Cruz said, “Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.” This piece disturbs and comforts me.

Arthur White: We opened the season with Madame Butterfly, another character who breaks away from societal norms. In Breaking the Waves, Bess McNeill also breaks away. In these societies, women have no power or agency, but somehow they find agency. It’s heartbreaking that they both end up being martyrs at the end.

Goerke: We can look at it that way. But with Cio-Cio-San, she is taking immense agency. This is her decision to die with honor. Do we regret that this happened? Of course, but there is immense agency that comes with that decision. Bess’s particular story is happening in a very insular community in Scotland in the 1970s, when women were demanding equal rights all over the world. This all ties into the same thing: is it being martyred, or is it taking control of her life and doing what she feels is best? Is there something that is less of a martyr and more a woman in control of her own destiny?

We should talk about the fact that this is a difficult story. There is an advisory attached to this piece. We are recommending it for mature audiences only. There are so many ways that opera is disturbing, and it is blatant in this story. But there are other stories

that are equally as disturbing. I play the role of Elektra, and she is determined to kill her mother and avenge her father's death—with an axe. Think of Rigoletto: poor Gilda ends up in a bag. Somehow when it is in another language, it feels as though there's a pretty wrapper on it, and potentially not as hurtful or impactful as something that is very blatant can be.

White: There is maybe something about these pieces being grandfathered in, because we've considered them great works from the past.

Goerke: This story is especially difficult for the lead character. Putting together this creative team, we knew it was important to make sure that in telling this story, which is difficult for everyone in the room, to put women in places of creative power. The team is led by Stephanie Childress on the podium. We have Diana Wyenn, the revival director. Stephanie is an amazingly talented conductor, one of the fastest rising conductors in the business today. Kiera Duffy, who premiered the role of Bess in 2016, is so excited about these performances.

White: I had the chance to see an archival video of Kiera in those 2016 performances, and it's going to be wonderful to see where this role is now for her.

Goerke: This piece premiered in September 2016 in Philadelphia, when I was singing a run of Turandot at Opera Philadelphia. I decided to go to the final dress rehearsal. I didn't know anything about the story, hadn't seen the film. When it was over, I remember sitting in stunned silence—big emotions, big thoughts, big sadness. I thought about the immensity of grace, and what I would do to save someone I loved. I was destroyed. When the lights came up, people were sobbing. I went to five of six performances; the piece impacted me that much. Breaking the Waves changed the way I look at works being composed today, the kind of stories that we can tell and what opera can do with an underscoring of music that makes everything even more impactful.

White: We see so many new operas coming out of America right now. We love the stories that we've gotten from the past and from Europe. But it's time to tell our stories. And I think this is why you probably see this explosion of writing coming out of the United States. We are telling stories that relate to what is happening in our world today. And American composers are having their day. I'm very proud to have this piece here in Detroit.

Goerke: Breaking the Waves requires us to step out of our comfort zone. Hear this music, and come on this journey with us, because it is immense.

PHOTO BY JAMES GLOSSOP, COURTESY OF SCOTTISH OPERA

Thank You Detroit Opera Sponsors

These performances of Breaking the Waves are presented by William Davidson Foundation

2023–24 SEASON SPONSOR with support from

PHOTO BY JAMES GLOSSOP, COURTESY OF SCOTTISH OPERA

MUSIC BY MISSY MAZZOLI

LIBRETTO BY ROYCE VAVREK

SAT APRIL 6, 7:30PM

PRE-OPERA TALK @6:30PM WITH MAZZOLI AND VAVREK

FRI APRIL 12, 7:30PM

PRE-OPERA TALK @6:30PM

SUN APRIL 14, 2:30PM

PRE-OPERA TALK @1:30PM

NO PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEO DURING THE PERFORMANCE IS ALLOWED. PLEASE SILENCE ALL PHONES.

DURATION: 2HRS 50MIN

MUSIC BY Missy Mazzoli

LIBRETTO BY Royce Vavrek

PERFORMED IN ENGLISH WITH PROJECTED ENGLISH SUBTITLES

INSPIRED BY THE LARS VON TRIER FILM BREAKING THE WAVES

WORLD PREMIERE: OPERA PHILADELPHIA, 2016

DIRECTOR ................................................................. Tom Morris

REVIVAL DIRECTOR ............................................... Diana Wyenn

CHOREOGRAPHER & INTIMACY DIRECTOR .................. Sara Brodie

SET & COSTUME DESIGN ..................................... Soutra Gilmour

LIGHTING DESIGN Richard Howell

PROJECTION DESIGN Will Duke

SOUND DESIGN ............................................................ Mark Grey

WIG & MAKEUP DESIGN ....................... Joanne Middleton-Weaver

ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGN .............................. Ryan Stafford

ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGN .......................... Mario Raymond

ASSOCIATE SOUND DESIGN ................................. Jonathan Burke

INTIMACY COORDINATOR & ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ... Katherine Coyl

STAGE MANAGER Peter Nictakis

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS Nan Luchini, Hailli Ridsdale

REPETITEUR .............................................................

DICTION COACH ...............................................

Michael Karloff

Michael J. Barnes

CONDUCTOR Stephanie Childress

BESS MCNEILL ................................................. Kiera Duffy*

JAN NYMAN Benjamin Taylor

MRS. MCNEILL Elizabeth van Os*

DODO MCNEILL ...................................... Gabrielle Barkidjija

DR. RICHARDSON .......................................... David Portillo*

CHURCH COUNCILMAN ..................................... Nathan Stark*

TERRY Robert Mellon*

SADISTIC SAILOR ........................................ Kevin Starnes

YOUNGER SAILOR ............................................. David Moan

TENOR SOLO ................................ Cameron Barrett Johnson

* DETROIT OPERA DEBUT

DETROIT OPERA CHORUS

ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR & CHORUS MASTER .......................... Suzanne Mallare Acton

CHORUS ............ Benton DeGroot, Kurt Frank, Regis Haynes, Richard Jackson Jr., Cameron Barrett Johnson, Seth Johnson, Dean Joyce, Matthew Konopacki, David Magumba, David Moan, Paolo Pacheco, Kevin Starnes, Justin Watson

DETROIT OPERA PRINCIPAL CAST AND CHORISTERS ARE REPRESENTED BY THE AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS

A CO-PRODUCTION OF OPERA VENTURES, SCOTTISH OPERA, HOUSTON GRAND OPERA, ADELAIDE FESTIVAL AND THÉÂTRE NATIONAL DE L’OPÉRA COMIQUE

DETROIT OPERA ORCHESTRA

Detroit Federation of Musicians, Local #5, of the American Federation of Musicians

VIOLIN I

Eliot Heaton* Concertmaster

Yuri Popowycz* Acting Assistant Concertmaster

Anna Bittar-Weller*

Molly Hughes*

Daniel Stachyra*

Jenny Wan*

Andrew Wu*

Florina Petrescu

Judith Teasdle

Melody Wootton

VIOLIN II

Emelyn Bashour* Principal

Henrik Karapetyan*

Velda Kelly*

Beth Kirton*

Karen Donato

Lorrie Gunn

James Park

Meg Rohrer

VIOLA

Scott Stefanko*

Acting Principal

Jacqueline Hanson*

Joseph Deller

Catherine Franklin

James Greer

Alycia Wilder

CELLO

Ivana Biliskov* Principal

Lauren Mathews*

Benjamin Maxwell*

Adalus Low-Manzini

Megan Yip

BASS

Derek Weller*

Principal

Clark Suttle*

Jean Posekany

Greg Sheldon FLUTE

Laura Larson* Acting Principal

OBOE

Eli Stefanacci* Principal

CLARINET

Laurence Liberson

Acting Principal

BASSOON

Daniel Fendrick* Principal

CONTRABASSOON

Liam Jackson HORN

Colin Bianchi*

Principal

TROMBONE

Ian Maser

Acting Principal

PERCUSSION

John Dorsey*

Principal

HARP

Juan Riveros

Acting Principal

PIANO/SYNTHESIZER

Michael Karloff

ELECTRIC GUITAR

Al Ayoub

*Detroit Opera Core Orchestra

Members of the violin sections

occasionally rotate

SYNOPSIS

The story of Breaking the Waves, courtesy of Wise Music Classical

ACT I

Childlike Bess finds love with the offshore oil rigger, Jan, and they are married in the strict Calvinist church. While they receive the church elders’ blessings, Jan, a Norwegian, is viewed as an outsider. Bess takes her marriage vows seriously and undergoes a sexual enlightenment with her new husband. It is only a matter of time before Jan must return to the rigs to work, forcing Bess into a deep depression. In conversations with God, Bess seeks answers and solace, and hopes that spiritual intervention will bring Jan home. Shortly thereafter, a near-fatal accident on the rig forces Jan to be rushed to emergency medical attention.

INTERMISSION, 20 MINUTES

ACT II

Bess learns that the accident has left Jan almost completely paralyzed. She believes it to be her fault, having asked God to bring him home. Jan knows that Bess would never step outside her matrimonial covenant but feels that he needs to set her free so that she can live a full life. He encourages her to find men to sleep with and report back to him the events that transpire so that it will feel like they are making love. When Jan tries to kill himself by pill overdose, Bess becomes certain that she must obey her husband and find lovers. Failed attempts to woo a handsome doctor, and half-hearted sexual encounters with strangers coincide with a decline in Jan’s health. When Bess finds a man and has sex with him outside an old shed, Jan’s health stabilizes.

ACT III

Bess’s reputation catches up to her, and she is excommunicated from the Church. She fails to understand why, as she is simply following her husband’s will, and his recovery seems directly proportional to her extramarital activities. Bess finds herself aboard a large commercial ship where she is savagely raped and cut up by sadistic sailors with knives. A second trip leaves her near death’s door, and it is only due to the kindness of a stranger that her nearly lifeless body is delivered to the hospital. She dies as Jan wakes from his surgery, his health dramatically improved. The elders agree to provide Bess a Calvinist funeral, but insist she be buried a sinner and consign her soul to hell. Jan, who has fully recovered, steals the body before she is interred, committing her remains to the ocean. God’s bells ring out Bess’s melody.

STEPHANIE CHILDRESS CONDUCTOR

Strong ideas, lucid communication and intensely focused energy are among the qualities that define Stephanie Childress among today’s most compelling young musicians. Recently appointed principal guest conductor of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, she has quickly gained attention on both sides of the Atlantic for the broad scope of her repertoire.

Having been inspired to start conducting due to her love of opera, the FrancoBritish conductor began the 2023–24 season making her Hamburg Staatsoper debut in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and returning to Glyndebourne for Don Giovanni. The 2023–24 season includes Stephanie’s conducting debut with Detroit Opera, in Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves. On the orchestral podium, Stephanie will make debuts with the Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, National Arts Centre Ottawa, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic and with Japan’s Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra.

From 2020 to 2023, she served as an assistant conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Following her 2020 second-prize win at France’s inaugural conducting competition, La Maestra, she has conducted top French orchestras including l’Orchestre de Paris, the Paris Mozart Orchestra and l’Orchestre de Chambre de Paris. Stephanie is an active supporter of the Tri-borough Music Hub, an award-winning British music-education organization. Website: stephaniechildress.com Instagram: @schildressofficial

TOM MORRIS DIRECTOR

Tom Morris was Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic from 2009 to 2022, where he re-established the theater’s program after closure, conceived and directed two landmark festivals (Bristol Proms and Bristol Jam).

Work as a director includes: Juliet and her Romeo, The Meaning of Zong (with Giles Terera), Cyrano, King Lear, Touching the Void , The Grinning Man , Swallows & Amazons and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (all for Bristol Old Vic and/or West End/International tour), Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo (Vienna Statsoper), Breaking the Waves (Scottish Opera/ Opera Ventures, Opera Comique, Adelaide Festival, Detroit Opera), The Death of Klinghoffer (ENO and Metropolitan Opera), Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (National Theatre), War Horse (National Theatre, Lincoln Center and world tour, winning numerous awards including Tony for Best Director, with co-director Marianne Elliott), Disembodied, Newsnight: The Opera, Home, Passions, Unsung, Othello Music, Trio and All That Fall (all for BAC).

Writing includes A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker (Bristol Old Vic), World Cup Final 1966, Jason & the Argonauts and Ben Hur (all with Carl Heap for BAC), The Wooden Frock , Nights at the Circus and A Matter of Life and Death (all with Emma Rice for Kneehigh) and the libretto for Orpheus in Hell for ENO.

DIANA WYENN REVIVAL DIRECTOR

Diana Wyenn is a director, writer, choreographer, curator, and interdisciplinary artist from Los Angeles advocating for equity, environmental and disability justice. She has created, directed, and choreographed theater, film, and opera projects presented by Center Theatre Group, the LA Phil, LA Opera, LACMA, MOCA, the Roundabout Theatre Company, World Health Organization, Malmö Opera, National Sawdust, Beth Morrison Projects, REDCAT, Center for Cultural Power, LA Performance Practice, CalTech, UCLA, New York University, ASU Gammage, Yale University, Grand Performances, and more. Diana recently served as Executive Producer at REDCAT and has received project support from the National Endowment for the Arts, National Arts and Disability Center, Center for Cultural Innovation, and California Arts Council. Her devised works, including Blood/Sugar and Kristina Wong for Public Office, have been performed at universities and performing arts centers across the U.S. A co-founder of Plain Wood Productions and co-artistic director of Ammunition Theatre Company, she earned her BFA from New York University and is a proud member of the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA) and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC). Website: dianawyenn.com Instagram: @dianawyenn

SARA BRODIE

CHOREOGRAPHER / INTIMACY DIRECTOR

Sara Brodie is an accomplished director and choreographer whose work spans theater, dance, opera and interdisciplinary productions. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Sara worked in London for seven years as an actress, dancer, casting director and behind the scenes before returning to New Zealand. Sara has directed opera productions including Don Giovanni for New Zealand Opera, Ainadamar for the New Zealand Arts Festival, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at New Zealand School of Music, Fatal Desire for the Asia Pacific Arts Festival and the premiere of Jenny McLeod’s Hohepa for New Zealand Opera and the New Zealand Arts Festival. Sara has also had a long association with Days Bay Opera, having directed all eight of their productions. Sara directed the Kia Ora Khalid, with a score by composer Gareth Farr, and Skydancer, a symphonic work in collaboration with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. She directed John Adams’s Nixon in China for the 2016 Auckland Arts Festival.

SOUTRA GILMOUR SET / COSTUME DESIGN

Soutra Gilmour, born in Edinburgh, Scotland, is a set and costume designer who has made a name for herself in theater and opera. Soutra’s work on the 2016 production of Tristan und Isolde at the Metropolitan Opera in New York was well-received, with critics praising her ability to create a sense of grandeur and majesty on stage. Set and costume designs for opera include Down By the Greenwood Side/Into The little Hill (Royal Opera House), Anna Bolena , Don Giovanni , Mary Stuart (English Touring Opera), The Shops (Bregenz Festival), The Birds, Trouble In Tahiti (The Opera Group), El Cimmarron (Queen Elizabeth Hall), Saul , Hansel and Gretel (Opera North), A Better Place (English National Opera) and Girl of Sand (Almeida Opera). Her designs for theater include Antigone (National Theatre), Duchess of Malfi (Old Vic), Reasons to be Pretty (Almeida), Inadmissible Evidence (Donmar Warehouse), Three Days of Rain (Apollo Theatre), Piaf (Donmar Warehouse, The Vaudeville and Teatro Liceo, Buenos Aires), Ghost City (59e59, New York), When the World Was Green (Young Vic), and Modern Dance for Beginners (Soho Theatre). Website: soutragilmour.com Instagram: @soutra

RICHARD HOWELL LIGHTING DESIGN

Richard Howell is a U.K.-based lighting designer working in theater, opera, and dance. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Designs include productions at the Old Vic Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Almeida Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Royal Court, Public Theater New York, Kiln Theatre, Manchester Royal Exchange, Chichester Festival Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith, Sheffield Crucible, Bristol Old Vic, Theatre Royal Bath, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Opera Holland Park, Gothenburg Opera, Danish National Opera, Scottish Opera and Sadlers Wells. In 2017, Richard won a Knight of Illumination award for Guards at the Taj at the Bush Theatre in London. Website: richardhowell.co.uk Instagram: @richard_howell_lighting_

WILL DUKE PROJECTION DESIGN

Will is a video and projection designer working internationally across opera, theater, dance, musical theater and experimental performance. Will’s work has been exhibited throughout the UK and internationally. Current and forthcoming credits include Breaking the Waves (Detroit Opera) and The Handmaid's Tale (San Francisco Opera). Dance and opera credits include: Peter Grimes (La Scala); Carmen (Scottish Opera); Nixon in China (Teatro Real, Madrid; Royal Danish Opera); Cabaret (Lido, Paris); Aida (Royal Danish Opera); The Life And Death of Alexander Litvinenko (Grange Festival); Don Giovanni (Greek National Opera, Royal Danish Opera); Peter Grimes (Teatro Real, Madrid); Orlando (Wiener Staatsoper); Giulio Cesare (La Scala); Idomeneo (Teatro Real, Madrid); Breaking The Waves (Scottish Opera); Die Tote Stadt (Komische Oper Berlin); Snow Maiden (Opera North); Simplicius Simplicissimus (Independent Opera, Sadler’s Wells); Kommilitonen! (Welsh National Youth Opera); Benjamin, Derniere Nuit (Opera Lyon). Will is recipient of the 2016 Knights of Illumination Award for Best Projection Design for his work on The Encounter and was nominated for a Stage Award in 2022 as part of the design team for Into the Woods. Website: willduke.net

MARK GREY SOUND DESIGN

Mark Grey is an Emmy Award-winning sound designer and composer who made history as the first sound designer for The New York Philharmonic (On the Transmigration of Souls, 2002, which also won the Pulitzer Prize in Music) and The Metropolitan Opera (Doctor Atomic, 2008, Nixon in China, 2011, Death of Klinghoffer, 2014, The Merry Widow, 2015, Bluebeard’s Castle/ Iolanta , 2015, L’Amour de Loin , 2016). At the Detroit Opera, he also did the sound design for Blue at the Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre in September 2021 and for Fountain of Tears (Ainadamar) at the Detroit Opera House in 2023. The grand opera he composed, Frankenstein , premiered at La Monnaie in Brussels in 2019 as well as his mobile chamber opera, Birds In The Moon, with The New York Philharmonic in 2021. He also has had several commissions from The Atlanta Symphony and The Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has collaborated with composer John Adams and several others for nearly three decades. His sound designs have been heard throughout most major concert halls, HD simulcast theaters, and opera houses worldwide. Website: markgreycomposer.com

JOANNE MIDDLETON-WEAVER WIG / MAKEUP DESIGN

Born in England, Joanne Middleton Weaver came to the United States in the late 1980s. She began apprenticing with Elsen Associates at what was then Washington Opera, now Washington National Opera. Joanne has since designed at many opera companies throughout the U.S. during her 30-year career: Glimmerglass Opera, Sarasota Opera, Palm Beach Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera, to name a few. She has designed for Detroit Opera since 1995. Her credits there include La bohème, The Passenger, Frida , Margaret Garner, Cyrano, Faust, and make-up design for X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X.

KATHERINE COYL INTIMACY COORDINATOR / ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Katherine Coyl is a professional intimacy and fight director based in Chicago. Her recent and future work includes two world premiere operas, including fights and intimacy for the world premiere of The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turing with Chicago Opera Theatre. She also will serve as Intimacy Director for Carmen at Des Moines Metro Opera this coming June. Other recent credits include the world premiere of Quamino’s Map at Chicago Opera Theatre, The Bacchae at University of Iowa, Athena at Urbanite Theatre, and La bohème at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Kat is the current president of the International League of Fight Directors and Choreographers, is a member of the American Guild of Musical Artists, an associate member of The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and proudly identifies as Latinx/Hispanic and Queer.

KIERA DUFFY

BESS MCNEILL

American soprano Kiera Duffy is recognized for both her gleaming high soprano and insightful musicianship in repertoire that encompasses Handel, Bach, and Mozart to the modern sounds of Berg, Glass, and Zorn. Highlights of Kiera’s 23/24 season include a return to Opera Philadelphia for the world premiere of Rene Orth’s 10 Days in a Madhouse and Comet / Poppea , a co-production with Anthony Roth Costanzo, Cath Brittan, and The Industry which debuts at The Geffen

Contemporary at MOCA in Los Angeles. Recent engagements include a residency at the University of Iowa in collaboration with Miró String Quartet, Pierrot Lunaire with Long Beach Opera, a debut with The Cleveland Orchestra in Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate conducted by Harry Bicket, the Los Angeles Philharmonic for Knussen’s O Hototogisu! fragment of a Japonisme conducted by Daniela Harding, the Berlin Philharmonic as Le Feu/Princesse in L’enfant et les sortilèges, Lembit Beecher’s world premiere opera Sophia’s Forest in Philadelphia, and a solo recital at the Midland Center for the Arts in Michigan.

Instagram: @kierajduffy

BENJAMIN TAYLOR

JAN NYMAN

Last season, Ben Taylor made his Boston Lyric Opera debut in La bohème (Schaunard), followed by debuts with Bayerische Staatsoper for La fanciulla del West (Bello), OperaDelaware/Opera Baltimore for La traviata (Germont), and Opera Philadelphia for La bohème (Schaunard). He returned to The Metropolitan Opera for The Magic Flute (Papageno) and Dialogues des Carmélites and Berkshire Opera Festival for La bohème (Marcello). On the concert stage he made his debut with the Cleveland Orchestra in La fanciulla del West (Bello). He recently made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2021 in Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Chester), followed by debuts with Detroit Opera and Spoleto Festival USA in La bohème (Schaunard), Cincinnati Opera for the world premiere of Castor and Patience (West), North Carolina Opera for Sanctuary Road (William Grant Still), Baltimore Concert Opera for Adriana Lecouvreur (Michonnet), and a return to Pittsburgh Opera for The Magic Flute (Papageno).

Website: benjaminctaylor.com

Instagram: @bentaylor100

DAVID PORTILLO DR. RICHARDSON

American tenor David Portillo, winner of a 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence by the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization, has established himself as a leading classical singer of his generation. Recent and upcoming performance highlights include Tamino in The Magic Flute (Metropolitan Opera), Septimius in Handel’s Theodora (Theater an der Wien), Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni and the Italian Singer in Der Rosenkavalier (Santa Fe Opera), Ferrando in Così fan tutte (Dallas Opera), Pirro in Rossini’s Ermione opposite Angela Meade and Lawrence Brownlee (Washington Concert Opera), Nadir in Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers (Austin Opera), Tonio in La fille du régiment (Minnesota Opera), Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore (Calgary Opera), Hades in Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice (Boston Lyric Opera), and Henry in Richard Strauss’s Die schweigsame Frau (Bard Festival),. He joins the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel for a world tour of Beethoven’s Fidelio as Jacquino; St. Paul Chamber Orchestra for the Messiah and Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings and select Mozart arias; and Jane Glover and Music of the Baroque as the title role in Handel’s Jephtha Website: davidportillotenor.com Instagram: @davidportillotenor

NATHAN STARK CHURCH COUNCILMAN

Bass-baritone Nathan Stark has been praised by The Washington Post for his voice of “unearthly power” and by the Mercury News as a “natural comic actor.” Nathan has performed on opera, concert and recital stages in the U.S., Europe and China. He has performed more than 50 professional roles at opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Arizona Opera, Atlanta Opera, Virginia Opera, and Opera San José. Operatic roles include Don Basilio and Don Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Mustafà in L’Italiana in Algeri, Leporello and the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Monterone and Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Colline in La bohème, Banco in Verdi’s Macbeth , and Nick Bottom in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As a concert soloist, Nathan has performed with the symphony orchestras of Boston, Detroit, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Holland (Michigan), and San Diego, as well as with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony, and Chicago Philharmonic. As a recitalist, Nathan has performed throughout the United States and Germany, at the Great Wall of China, and at the Washington National Cathedral. Website: nathan-stark.com Instagram: @nathanstarkopera

GABRIELLE BARKIDJIJA DODO MCNEILL

Gabrielle Barkidjija, hailed by the Boston Musical Intelligencer as “riveting on stage and [singing] with damnable commitment and satisfying vocal chops,” is an avid performer of new music and rarely performed works. As a 2022–23 Detroit Opera Resident Artist, she covered the roles of Siebel (Faust), Arsamene (Xerxes), and Federico Garcia Lorca (Fountain of Tears), and performed as a Voice of the Fountain ( Ainadamar). At Detroit Opera this season, she sings the role of Dodo (Breaking the Waves) and covers the role of Fox (The Cunning Little Vixen). Previous roles include Zosia (Two Remain), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Brittomara (If I were You), Ada Lovelace (The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace), Fanny Price (Mansfield Park), Captain (Dog Days), Beatrice (Beatrice et Benedict), and Zerlina (Don Giovanni). Gabrielle has earned top awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Competition, the Gerda Lissner Foundation, and the Orpheus Vocal Competition. She has been a young artist with the Merola Opera Program, Aspen Opera Theater, Central City Opera, and the Tanglewood Music Center. Website: gabriellebarkidjija.com Instagram: @g_a_barkidjija

ROBERT MELLON TERRY

Award-winning American baritone Robert Mellon has been acclaimed by Opera News for his “excellent comic timing” and a baritone “gleaming like polished copper.” Robert’s 2023–24 season includes a role debut as George Milton in Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men at Livermore Valley Opera, a Detroit Opera debut as Terry in Breaking the Waves, and returns to Opera Tampa as Leporello in Don Giovanni and In Series Opera as Ulysses in a reimagined production of Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses. During the 2022–23 season his house debuts included Lyric Opera of Kansas City (Escamillo, Carmen), Tulsa Opera (Taddeo, L’italiana in Algeri), and Opera Tampa (Tonio, Pagliacci), plus a role debut as Dandini in Opera Maine’s La Cenerentola. Recent performances include Marullo in Rigoletto at Opera Philadelphia and Iago in a reimagined production of Verdi's Otello with In Series Opera in Washington, D.C. Other roles include Marcello in La bohème, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Gubetta in Lucrezia Borgia , and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte. Website: robertmellon.com Instagram: @bobby_mellon

ELIZABETH VAN OS MRS. MCNEILL

Elizabeth Van Os, known for her dynamic stage presence, flexible technique, and impressive vocal range, has been an active part of the music scene in New York City since 2012. Her opera credits include Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi , Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte , Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Mimì in La bohème , and Marguerite in Faust . In 2019, she sang the title role in Martinu’s Juliette in a concert performance with the American Symphony Orchestra. As a concert soloist, Elizabeth has performed with the Collegiate Chorale and the Ars Musica Chorale of New Jersey. In 2022, she was a featured soloist in Trinity Wall Street’s staged production of Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard . Other highlights include a concert performance of Ligeti’s Mysteries of the Macabre with pianist Joseph Yungen. Elizabeth is an active chorister and has appeared with Musica Sacra, the New York Virtuoso Singers, MasterVoices, and the New York Philharmonic Chorus, and the Bard Festival Chorale. Website: elizabethvanos.com TikTok: @elizabethvanos

KEVIN STARNES SADISTIC SAILOR

Bass-baritone Kevin Starnes, based in Detroit, is recognized for his rich tone and commanding voice. Kevin has performed a variety of styles in a career spanning more than 20 years. Opera credits include the role of Jose Tripaldi in Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar, the Duke in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette , Theseus in Britten’s A Midsummer Night's Dream , Max Kane in William Bolcom’s Dinner at Eight , and Bartolo in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro

Music theater performances include Danny Zuko in Grease , Billy Flynn in Chicago, and as Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar. Concert performances include Handel’s Messiah , Mozart’s Requiem , and Twine’s Changed My Name under the direction of Mary Alice Stollak. Kevin is a professional chorister with the Choral Artists of Michigan in Lake Orion. He holds a bachelor of arts in music and a master’s degree in administration from University of Michigan-Flint, where he helped develop a community outreach program centered around opera education. He earned his master of music in voice performance from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance. Website: kevinstarnes.com Instagram: @ the_bearded_baritone

Detroit Opera Education

This spring, Detroit Opera’s Education Department will present two operas in metro Detroit public schools during its Storybook Opera touring season: Cinderella , composed by Gioachino Rossini and illustrated by Detroit-based artist Carole Morisseau, and Little Red Riding Hood , composed by Seymour Barab and illustrated by Detroit-based artist Vito Valdez. Storybook Opera shares these operas in a truncated form aimed at pre-K through 2nd-grade audiences. We will introduce the stories, dance elements, vocal exploration, and a few song

selections from the operas. Advised by Dr. Shannan Hibbard, Assistant Professor of Vocal Music Education at Wayne State University, and instructed by DO teaching artists Lucia Flowers, Victoria Lawal and David Moan, this program encourages early literacy comprehension infused with the creativity of song and dance. This program is made possible with a grant from The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation.

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS Detroit Opera Honor Roll

Detroit Opera gratefully acknowledges these generous donors for their accumulative lifetime giving. Their support has played a vital role in the history of Detroit opera since being founded by Dr. David DiChiera as Michigan Opera Theatre in 1971 and the building of the Detroit Opera House in 1996. Their leadership plays an integral part in the company's viability, underwriting quality opera and dance performances as well as award-winning community and education programs.

$10,000,000 and above

The William Davidson Foundation

Ford Motor Company Fund

The State of Michigan

$5,000,000 and above

General Motors

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

Stellantis

The Kresge Foundation

$2,000,000 and above

Mr.* and Mrs. Douglas Allison

Mr. Lee and Mrs. Floy Barthel

Mr. and Mrs. Herman Frankel

Marvin, Betty & Joanne Danto Dance Endowment and Marvin & Betty Danto

Family Foundation

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Lear Corporation

Linda Dresner & Ed Levy Jr.

Masco Corporation

McGregor Fund

The Skillman Foundation

R. Jamison and Karen Williams

$1,000,000 and above

AT & T

Bank of America

Mr.* & Mrs. John A. Boll Sr.

Compuware Corporation

Estate of Robert & RoseAnn Comstock Foundation

DTE Energy Foundation

The Fred A. & Barbara M. Erb Family

Mrs. Margo Cohen Feinberg & Mr. Robert Feinberg

Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund

Mrs. Barbara Frankel* & Mr. Ronald Michalak

Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Frankel*

General Motors Corporation

Hudson-Webber Foundation

JPMorgan Chase

Paul Lavins

Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Foundation

Matilda R. Wilson Fund

Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

Richard Sonenklar & Gregory Haynes

United Jewish Foundation

Dr. & Mrs. Sam B. Williams*

Every effort has been made to accurately reflect donor names and gift levels. Should you find an error or omission, please contact Zach Suchanek at zsuchanek@detroitopera.org or 313.237.3427

KEY

* Deceased

Contributors to Detroit Opera

Detroit Opera gratefully acknowledges the generous corporate, foundation, government, and individual donors whose contributions were made between December 1, 2022 and January 31, 2024. The generosity of our donors is vital to sustaining Detroit Opera’s position as a valued cultural resource. THANK

Foundations, Corporate & Government Support

$1,000,000 and above

William Davidson Foundation

$500,000-$999,999

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

National Endowment for the Humanities

$250,000-$499,999

The Fred A. & Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation

$100,000-$249,999

Ford Motor Company Fund

General Motors Corporation

Gilbert Family Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation

$50,000-$99,999

Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation

Milner Hotels Foundation

$25,000-$59,999

Applebaum Family Philanthropy

Hudson-Webber Foundation

The Kresge Foundation

The State of Michigan

National Endowment for the Arts

Matilda R. Wilson Fund

Worthington Family Foundation

$10,000-$24,999

DTE Energy Foundation

J. Addison Bartush and Marion M. Bartush Educational Fund

C&N Foundation

Geoinge Foundation

Herman and Sharon Frankel Foundation

Honigman LLP

Ida and Conrad H. Smith Endowment for MOT

Oliver Dewey Marcks Foundation

Masco Corporation

MGM Grand Detroit Penske Corporation

Ralph L. and Winifred E. Polk Foundation

The Rattner and Katz Charitable Foundation

The Skillman Foundation

The Mary Thompson Foundation

Uniprop

Burton A. Zipser and Sandra D. Zipser Foundation

$5,000-$9,999

Gerson Family Foundation, Inc.

Huntington Bank

J N Grosfeld Foundation

James & Lynelle Holden Fund

McGregor Fund

Karen & Drew Peslar Foundation

Louis and Nellie Sieg Fund

Strum Allesee Family Foundation

Samuel L. Westerman Foundation

$1,000-$4,999

ABM Janitorial Services

Azimuth Capital Management

John A. & Marlene L. Boll Foundation

Book Corp

Joyce Cohn Young Artist Fund

Five Star Sheets, LLC

Flagstar Bank

FS Transportation, LLC

The Gilmour-Jirgens Fund

James & Lynelle Holden Fund

Josephine Kleiner Foundation

Marjorie & Maxwell

Jospey Foundation

Pellerito Manzella Certa & Cusmano Family Foundation

Elmira L. Rhein

Family Foundation

Rugiero Promise Foundation

Sandy Family Foundation

Sigmund and Sophie

Rohlik Foundation

Somerset Collection

Charitable Foundation

Individual Support

$100,000 and above

Lee & Floy Barthel

Ethan & Gretchen Davidson

Mr. G. Michael Golden*

Paul Lavins

Linda Dresner & Ed Levy Jr.

Vivien McDonald*

David & Christine Provost

Matthew & Mona Simoncini

Richard Sonenklar & Gregory Haynes

Gary L. Wasserman & Charles A. Kashner

$50,000-$99,999

Richard & Mona* Alonzo

Don Manvel

Allan & Joy Nachman Philanthropic Fund

Mrs. Ruth F. Rattner

The Estate of Mr. David W. Schmidt

Jesse & Yesenia Venegas

$20,000-$49,999

Mr. Joseph A. Bartush

Richard & Joanne Brodie

Wayne Brown & Brenda Kee

Robert C. & RoseAnn B. Comstock*

Mr. Adam Crysler & Dr. Oxana Crysler

Alex Erdeljan

Mrs. Elaine Fontana*

Carl & Mary Ann Fontana

Joseph Fontana

Mrs. Barbara Frankel* & Mr. Ronald Michalak

Mr. & Mrs. Herman Frankel

Ann Katz

Michael & Barbara Kratchman

Alphonse S. Lucarelli*

The Hon. Jack & Dr. Bettye Arrington Martin

Susanne McMillan

Ali Moiin & William Kupsky

Donald & Antoinette Morelock

R. Jamison & Karen Williams

$10,000-$19,999

Dr. Lourdes V. Andaya

Ms. Pamela Applebaum

Lisa S. Applebaum

Gene P. Bowen

James & Elizabeth Ciroli

Nina S. Drolias*

Ms. Laurie R. Frankel

Nancy B. Henk*

Mary Kramer

Denise Lewis

Robert & Terri Lutz

Ms. Mary C. Mazure

Phillip Minch

Mr. Cyril Moscow

James & Ann Nicholson

Peter Oleksiak

William & Wendy Powers

Dr. & Mrs. Samir Ragheb

Dr. Irvin D. Reid & Dr. Pamela Trotman Reid

Ankur Rungta & Mayssoun Bydon

Lorna Thomas, MD

$5,000-$9,999

Michael & Adele Acheson

Dr. Harold M. Arrington

Richard & Susan Bingham

Ilse Calcagno

Mr. Thomas Cohn

Ms. Violet Dalla Vecchia

Ms. Julia Donovan Darlow & Hon. John C. O'Meara

Kevin Dennis & Jeremy Zeltzer

Cristina DiChiera & Neal Walsh

Enrico & Kathleen Digirolamo

Marianne T. Endicott

Fern Espino & Tom Short

Paul & Mary Sue Ewing

Yvonne Friday & Stephen Black

Bharat & Lynn Gandhi

Ralph & Erica Gerson

Allan Gilmour & Eric Jirgens

James & Nancy Grosfeld

John & Kristan Hale

Jody & Tara Ingle

Kent & Amy Jidov

Mrs. Stephanie Germack Kerzic

Stephan & Marian Loginsky

Ms. Mary McGough

Mr. Stuart Meiklejohn

Mrs. L. William Moll

Mr. George &

Mrs. Jo Elyn Nyman

Sara A. Pozzi, Ph.D.

Ms. Stephanie M. Prechter

Waltraud Prechter

Ms. Pam E. Rodgers

Janice Ross

Terry Shea & Seigo Nakao

Mr. Michael Simmons

Susan A. Smith

Ms. Mary Anne Stella

The Strum Allesee

Family Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. C. Thomas Toppin

Barbara Van Dusen

Mr. Lewis Wagner

Ned & Joan Winkelman

Margaret Winters & Geoffrey Nathan

$3,000-$4,999

Nina & Howard Abrams

Paul & Lee Blizman

Bob & Rosemary Brasie

Beverly Hall Burns

Dr. Lynne Carter

Albert & Janette Cassar

Arline Geronimus

Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Christine Hage

Barbara Heller

Mr. William Hulsker

Richard & Involut Jessup

Roberto Kalb & Mane Galoyan

John & Arlene Lewis

Sharon Madison

Mr. Loreto A. Manzo

Benjamin Meeker & Meredith Korneffel, MD

Ms. Evelyn Micheletti

Xavier & Maeva Mosquet

George & Nancy Nicholson

Brock & Katherine L. Plumb

Magdalena Predeteanu*

Ted & Carrie Pryor

Anthony & Sabrina Rugiero

Mrs. Rosalind B. Sell

Lois & Mark Shaevsky

Laura Sias* & Kathy Coburn

Frank & Susan Sonye

Dr. Gregory E. Stephens, D.O.

Mark Stewart & Antonio Galaz

Buzz Thomas & Daniel Vander Ley

Bret & Susanna Williams

Lucia Zamorano

Ellen Hill Zeringue

Anonymous

$2,500-$2,999

Thomas & Gretchen Anderson

D.L. Anthony, Ph.D.

Ms. Nicole A. Boelstler

Mr. Randall Book

Dr. & Mrs. Ronald T. Burkman

John & Doreen Cole

Walter & Lillian Dean

Carolyn Demps & Guy Simons

Lisa DiChiera

Ms. Mary J. Doerr

Dr. Raina Ernstoff & Mr. Sanford Hansell

Sally & Michael Feder

Michael Fisher

Dr. Glendon M. Gardner & Leslie Landau

Samuel* & Toby Haberman

Doreen Hermelin

Max Lepler & Rex Dotson

Mary B. Letts

Mr. John Lovegren & Mr. Daniel Isenschmid

Eugene & Lois Miller

Van Momon & Pamela L. Berry

Dr. & Mrs. Peter Nickles

Mr. Jonathan Orser

Hershel & Dorothy Sandberg

Mary Schlaff & Sanford Koltonow

Mrs. Phyllis F. Snow

Joel Tauber

Jeff & Amy Voigt

Stanley Waldon

$1,000-$2,499

Dennis Archer Jr.

Ms. Geraldine Atkinson

John & Marilyn Belamaric

Peggyann & Ramon Berguer

Mr. Stanislaw Bialoglowski

Eugene & Roselyn Blanchard

Constance Bodurow

Mr.* & Mrs. John A. Boll Sr.

Donald & Marilyn Bowerman

Marceline Bright

Thomas & Sharon Butler

Mrs. Judith Christian

Ms. Lisa Cobbs

Devon Shea Cook

Tonino & Sarah Corsetti

Patricia Cosgrove

Fred & Michele Doner

Marla Donovan

Linda Forte & Tyrone Davenport

Burke & Carol Fossee

Mr. William Fulton

Thomas M. Gervasi

Erin & John Gianopoulos

Linda & Roderick Gillum

Mr. Lawrence Glowczewski

Mr. Nathaniel Good

Joi & Korey Harris

Joya Harris-Sherron

Ms. Joyce Hayes-Giles

Beth Hoger & Lisa Swem

Patty Isacson Sabee & David Sabee

Eleanor & Alan Israel

Dr. Charmaine D. Johnson

Victoria Lynn Johnson

Theodore & Pamela Jones

Ellen Kahn

Marc Keshishian & Susanna Szelestey

Edward & Barbara Klarman

Gregory Knas

Jeff & Joanne Kukes

Meria Larson

Nancy & Bud Liebler

Ms. Janet Groening Marsh

Mr. Dexter C. Mason

Kyle McCree & Camille Kroger-McCree

Patrick & Patricia McKeever

Pamela Moore

Cheryl Moore

Ms. Maryanne Mott

Ms. Shirley Moulton

Harold Munson & Libby Berger

Brian Murphy & Toni Sanchez-Murphy

Richard & Kathleen Nauer

Ms. Faye Alexander Nelson

Joshua & Rachel Opperer

Coleen Pellerito

Verne K. Perigord

Mark & Kyle Peterson

Michael & Charlene Prysak

Ms. Alice Rea

Marlo & Lauren Roebuck

Evan & Kelsey Ross

George & Aphrodite* Roumell

William & Marjorie Sandy

Kingsley & Lurline Sears

Anthony L. Smith

Ms. Theresa Spear & Mr. Jeff Douma

Garry Spector

Gabriel & Martha Stahl

Cynthia Stephens

Manuel Tancer & Claire Stroker

Frank & Sandra Tenkel

Esther Thomas

Paul Tomboulian

Jeffrey Tranchida & Noel Baril

Margaret Trimer

Jill Veneable

Joseph & Rosalie Vicari

Deborah Wahl

Edward Weiss

Meredith Weston-Band & Jeffery Band

Torben Winther & Linda Hall

John & Susan Zaretti

$750-$999

Mr. David A. Agius

Frank & Jenny Brzenk

Judith & Stephen Kesler

Mrs. LaDonna Leyva

John & Marie McElroy

Huel & Priscilla Perkins

Rita Winters

$500-$749

Robert & Catherine Anthony

Brian Atwater

Paul Augustine

Ms. Allison Bach

Julio Bateau

Martin & Marcia Baum

Mr. Al Beachum

Henri & Anaruth Bernard

Ms. Fay Beydoun

Barbra Bloch

Ms. Terry P. Book

Ms. Joann C. Brooks

Dr. Cynthia Browne, MD

Marsha Bruhn

Ms. Susan Cameron

Jonathan Cohn & Daniela Wittmann

John and Cynthia Cross Charitable Fund

Debra DeBose

Mr. Leonard R. Dimsa

Mrs. Blondell Doughty

Tricia Edwards

Ms. Christine Estereicher

Daniel H. Ferrier

Carol Gagliardi & David Flesher

Mrs. Louise Giddings

John Gierak & Dona Tracey

Joseph & Lois Gilmore

Gil Glassberg & Sandra Seligman

Christine Goerke

Mr. Robert Theodore Goldman

Todd Gordon & Susan Feder

Larry Gray

Mr. Stuart Grigg

Gifts in Tribute

Mr. Gary M. Hawkins

Paul & Nancy Hillegonds

Kairi Horsley

Ms. Theresa Munger Howard

Mary Ellen Hoy & Jim Keller

Ms. Jill Johnson

David & Theresa Joswick

Geraldine & Jacqueline Keller

Ms. Lee Khachaturian

Justin & Joanne Klimko

Mr. Alex Koprivica

Ms. Cynthia Kratchman

William & Jean Kroger

Mary Jane & Jeff Kupsky

Andy Levin & Mary Freeman

John & Kimi Lowe

Joseph & Sandra Lupo

Mrs. Marsha Lynn

Lori Maher

Natasha Moulton-Levy

Ms. Lois Norman

Ms. Heddie O'Connor

Adrian Ohmer

Donald Dietz

Ms. Haryani Permana

Bertram & Elaine Pitt

Angela Porter, MD

Mr. Dennis C. Regan & Miss Ellen M. Strand

Concetta Ross*

Adam D. Rubin, MD, Lakeshore Professional Voice Center

Leroy & Maria Runk

Linda Schlesinger

Walter Shapero & Kathleen Straus

Ms. Brenda Shufelt

Paul & Jill Siatczynski

Allan Skoropa

Dr. Andrew James Stocking

Norma Stone

John M. Toth

Barbara & Stuart Trager

Nicole M. Valentini

Dennis & Jennifer Varian

Dr. John Weber & Dr. Dana Zakalik

Ms. Janet Beth Weir

Dr. Ruth A. Worthington

We extend a heartfelt thank you to the families, friends, colleagues, businesses, and groups who generously made gifts to Detroit Opera in honor of or in memory of the special peoples in their lives, whose names are listed bold below.

IN HONOR OF

Harriet Berg

Mr. Richard D. Cavaler

Eleanor Bodurow

Constance Bodurow

Wayne S. Brown & Brenda Kee

Todd Gordon & Susan Feder

Ethan & Gretchen Davidson

Honigman LLP

R. Jamison & Karen Williams

Roberto Kalb

Barbara & Michael Kratchman

Sally Koh

Mr. Tony P. H. Tan

Barbara & Michael Kratchman

Anonymous

David & Nancy Barbour

Jeff & Joanne Kukes

Dr. William J. Kupsky & Dr. Ali Moiin

Carolyn Demps & Guy Simons

Mary Jane & Jeff Kupsky

William & Elizabeth S. Kupsky

Joseph Locasio & Julia Sprangers

Ms. Mary E. Puls

Ruth Rattner

Ann Katz

Lois Shaevsky

Everett & Margery Jassy

Yuval Sharon

Dr. Myra Danish

Barbara & Michael Kratchman

Mali Sharon

Gary L. Wasserman

Rodger & Loree Wasserman

Dr. Shunbin Xu

Ali Moiin & William Kupsky

Lee Hsien Yang

Mr. Tony P. H. Ta

IN MEMORY OF

Maggie Allesee

Azimuth Capital Management

George Bodurow

Constance Bodurow

John Boll

R. Jamison & Karen Williams

David DiChiera

Richard & Mona* Alonzo

Karen DiChiera

Dennis Archer Jr.

J. Addison Bartush and Marion

M. Bartush Educational Fund

Mr. Luis Resto

Cameron “Sandy” Duncan

Wayne S. Brown & Brenda Kee

Ethan & Gretchen Davidson

Gary L. Wasserman & Charles Kashner

Elva Ebersole

Ms. Brenda Shufelt

Elaine Fontana

Five Star Sheets, LLC

Carl & Mary Ann Fontana

Joseph Fontana

Bryan Pukoff

Deborah Logan

Robert Ruddy

Ms. Angela Smith

Diedre Turner

Louis & Elaine Fontana

John Reinhard

Barbara Frankel

Wayne S. Brown & Brenda Kee

Joan M. Bussell

Ms. Carol Camiener

Janice & Larry Cohen

Melissa Cohen

Couzens, Lanksy, Fealk, Ellis, Roeder & Lazar P.C.

Ethan & Gretchen Davidson

Enrico & Kathleen Digirolamo

Janet & Robert Epstein

James & Margo Farber

Mr. Ronald Michalak

Herman & Sharon Frankel

Foundation

Ms. Laurie R. Frankel

Carolyn Gordon

James Grant

David & Rose Handleman

Patti Kommel

Barbara & Michael Kratchman

Mark & Debbie Landau

Sarah Larges

Stanley Lecznar

Bryan & Susan Ludwig

Mr. Richard McIntyre

Richard & Kathleen Nauer

Jan Rosen

Bernard & Donna Rubin

Barry & Deane Safir

Layne Sakwa

William & Marjorie Sandy

Brian Slickis

Dean Allan & Maya Rose Slickis

Charles & Virginia Slickis

Mr. Charles Slickis

Wendy Starr

Debra Wichterman

Pauline Virgina Fucinari

Martha Chamorro & Fernando Peralta

Dr. David & Mrs. Yvonne Fucinari

Terese, Carole & Mary Louise Ireland

Marie Osborne

Paul & Kathy Schneider

Eugene Hillelfinger

Wallace Ayotte

Samson Crowl & Carolyn Crowl

Karen Hodgson

Dr. & Mrs. Stephan & Marian Loginsky

Dr. Devon Hoover

Michael Artman & Anita Shagena

Richard A. Berg

Mrs. Chris Bogojevich

Ms. Stacey Cassis

Patricia Cosgrove

Konstantin Elisevich & Candace Eliesevich

Delena A. Ickes

Mr. David Edward Laski

Dr. & Mrs. Stephan & Marian Loginsky

Rozanne Paton

Thomas Quilter

DeAnne Spurlock

Mary Stewart

Dr. Andrey Volkov

Herbert Wendt

Dr. David Wu

The Physicians of Great Lakes Cancer Management Specialists

Stuart Itzkowitz & Larry Zimmerman

Mrs. Sharon Skorupski

Alphonse Lucarelli

John & Marilyn Belamaric

Wayne S. Brown & Brenda Kee

Mrs. Judith Christian

Enrico & Kathleen Digirolamo

Stephanie M. Prechter

Waltraud Prechter

Matthew & Mona Simoncini

Norma Stone

Dawn Minch

Dr. & Mrs. Stephan & Marian Loginsky

Daniel Pehrson

Larry Shulman

Irene Piccone

Teresa Gualtieri-Clark

Peter Polidori

Phyllis Pransky

Nancy Rade

Paula Lisa Cole

David Schon

Michael Schon

Dr. Charles B. Smith

Dr. Peggie J. Hollingsworth

Anne Stricker

Torben Winter & Linda Hall

William P. Vititoe

Stephen Economy

Tamara Lehew Whitty

Mrs. Phyllis Osler

David Delos Woodard

Ms. Dorothy Bennoune

Every effort has been made to accurately reflect donor and honoree/memorial names for gifts received between December 1, 2022, and January 31, 2024. Should you find an error or omission, please contact Zach Suchanek at zsuchanek@detroitopera.org or 313.237.3427

KEY

* Deceased

THE DAVID D iCHIERA ARTISTIC FUND

In remembrance of our founder and long-term general director, the David DiChiera Artistic Fund has been established to support and honor his artistic vision. The fund enables Detroit Opera to produce compelling opera, present innovative dance, and engage with thousands of students and members of our community through our educational and outreach programs. Most importantly, it allows Detroit Opera to preserve David's legacy and his dedication to the young people of southeast Michigan, and young emerging artists from all over the country. Detroit opera gratefully acknowledges the generous corporate, foundation, and individual donors whose gifts were made to the David DiChiera Artistic Fund before January 31, 2024.

INDIVIDUAL

Joe Alcorn (in memory of Joan Hill)

Richard & Mona* Alonzo

Carl Angott & Tom Ball

Pamela Applebaum

Hon. Dennis W. Archer & Hon. Trudy Duncombe Archer

Gordon & Pauline Arndt

Timothy & Linda Arr

Mr. Jeffrey Atto

Kenan Bakirci

Landis Beard

Virginia Berberian (in memory of Joan Hill)

Jere & Carole Berkey

Henri & Anaruth Bernard

Mr. Robert Hunt Berry

Ms. Christine Jessica Berryman

Martha & Peter Blom* (in memory of Joan Hill)

Mrs. Judith B. Boesky

Douglas & Rhonda Bonett

Ms. Priscilla Bowen

Wayne S. Brown & Brenda Kee

Frank & Jenny Brzenk

Ms. Patricia Byrne

James & Susan Catlette

Mr. Richard D. Cavaler

Mrs. Judith Christian

Howard & Judith Christie

Mrs. Judith K. Christie

Hon. Avern Cohn* & Ms. Lois Pincus

Paula Lisa Cole

Mr. Martin Collica

Deborah L. Connelly (in honor of Nadine DeLeury)

Holly Conroy (in honor of Nadine DeLeury)

Carmen & Telman Constan

James & Diana Cornell

Patricia Cosgrove

Mr. John Craib-Cox

Geoffrey Craig (in memory of Joan Hill)

Mr. Stephen J. Cybulski

Gail Danto & Arthur Roffey

Dodie & Larry David

Walter & Lillian Dean (in honor of Nadine DeLeury)

Kevin Dennis & Jeremy Zeltzer

Cristina DiChiera & Neal Walsh

Lisa DiChiera

Nicholas Dorochoff & Joe Beason

Max Lepler & Rex L. Dotson

Linda Dresner & Ed Levy, Jr.

Mr. Keith Otis Edwards

Ms. Elaine K. Ellison

Marianne T. Endicott

Daniel Enright

Ms. Sundra Michelle Epps

Beth Erman (in honor of Ruth Rattner)

Paul & Mary Sue Ewing

Sandra Fabris

Barbara Fisher & William Gould

Mr. Andrew D. Fisher

Carl & Mary Ann Fontana

Mr. & Mrs. Herman Frankel

Mrs. Barbara Frankel* & Mr. Ronald Michalak

Mr. & Mrs. Herman Frankel

Peter & Nancy Gaess

Lawrence & Ann Garberding

Wika Gomez

Mrs. Sylvia Graham

Mr. William Greene

William Greene & Peter McGreevy

Kristina K. Gregg

John & Kristan Hale

THE DAVID D i CHIERA ARTISTIC FUND (continued)

Stephen Hartle

Ms. Rhea Hill

Ms. Rita Hoffmeister

Ms. Anne M. Horner

William & Sarah Hufford

Patricia Jeflyn

Dirk A. Kabcenell (in memory of Joan Hill)

Mr. Martin Kagan

Mrs. Ann F. Katz, Ph.D (in honor of Ruth Rattner)

Ms. Francine C. Kearns-King

Mr. & Mrs. Gerd H. Keuffel (in memory of Joan Hill)

Colin Knapp

Michael & Barbara Kratchman

Mr. Jacob Krause (in memory of Manya Korkigian)

Arthur & Nancy Ann Krolikowski

James & Ellen Labes

Chak & Beth Lai

Mado Lie*

Bryan R. Lind

William & Jacqueline Lockwood

Stephan & Marian Loginsky

James LoPrete

Stephen Lord

Ms. Renee Lounsberry

Alphonse S. Lucarelli*

Mr. Evan R. Luskin

Ms. Jennifer Marling

Diana Marro Salazar

Ms. Alex May

Ms. Mary C. Mazure (in honor of Nadine DeLeury & Gregory Near)

Nadine & Haden McKay

Dr. Lisa Meils

Ms. Lynne M. Metty

Ali Moiin & William Kupsky

Mary Rose & Bill Mueller

Sarah Mumford

Katharine Nipper

Ms. Julia O'Brien

Mr. & Mrs. Ralph A. Orlandi

Mrs. Sally Orley

Bonnie Padilla (in honor of Joan Hill)

Charles & Mary Parkhill

Nicole Patrick

Christopher F. Patten

Mr. Michael Poris

Ms. Stephanie M. Prechter

Mr. Wade Rakes II

Rip & Gail Rapson

Ms. Deborah Remer

Ms. Marija D. Rich

Pamela Rowland

Ankur Rungta & Mayssoun Bydon

Ms. Loretta W. Ryder

Barry & Deane Safir

Dmitriy & Svetlana Sakharov

William & Marjorie Sandy

Professor Alvin & Mrs. Harriet Saperstein

Dr. Mary J. Schlaff & Dr. Sanford Koltonow

Mr. David Schon*

Yuval Sharon

Terry Shea & Seigo Nakao

Dorienne Sherrod

Peter & Mary Siciliano (in honor of Nadine DeLeury)

Ted & Mary Ann Simon

Matthew & Mona Simoncini

Joe Skoney & Luisa Di Lorenzo

Hugh Smith & Marsha Kindall-Smith

Mr. Kendall Smith

Lee & Bettye Smith

Richard Sonenklar & Gregory Haynes

Ms. Janet Stevens

Dr. Austin Stewart & Mr. Charlie Dill

Ronald Switzer & Jim McClure

Angela & Joseph Theis

Mrs. Beverly A. Thomas

Buzz Thomas & Daniel Vander Ley

Ms. Patricia A. Thull

Mr. Jason P. Tranchida

Jeffrey Tranchida & Noel Baril

Elliott & Patti Trumbull

Barbara & Mat Vanderkloot

Berwyn Lee Walker

William & Martha Walsh

Gary L. Wasserman & Charles A. Kashner

Kevin & Andrea Webber

Mr. Kevin Webber

Bradford J. & Carol White

R. Jamison & Karen Williams

Peter Wilson (in honor of Nadine DeLeury)

Blaire R. Windom

Mary Lou Zieve

Corporations & Foundations

AOM, LLC

The Eugene & Marcia Applebaum

Family Foundation

J. Addison Bartush and Marion M. Bartush

Educational Fund

Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan

DeRoy Testamentary Foundation

The Kresge Foundation

MOT Orchestra Fund

Northern Trust Bank

Pal Properties, LLC

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FOR THE DETROIT OPERA HOUSE

The Detroit Opera Board of Directors began the first phase of fundraising for the Detroit Opera House capital improvements in January 2020. This multiphase capital campaign grew from recommendations identified in the facilities master plan completed by Albert Kahn Associates, Inc. Scheduled facility improvements and upgrades will shape the patron experience at the opera house for years to come.

We extend heartfelt thanks to the following donors who made contributions that enabled capital improvements to begin.

Leadership Gifts

Ethan & Gretchen Davidson

William Davidson Foundation

National Endowment for the Humanities

Matthew & Mona Simoncini

Campaign Contributors

Naomi André

Michael Azar

Nancy Azizi

Lee & Floy Barthel

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Gene P. Bowen

Elizabeth Brooks

Mr. Elliott Broom

Wayne S. Brown & Brenda Kee

Mrs. Judith Christian

James & Elizabeth Ciroli

Hon. Avern Cohn* & Ms. Lois Pincus

John & Doreen Cole

Mr. Adam Crysler & Dr. Oxana Crysler

Joanne Danto & Arnold Weingarden

Ms. Julia Donovan Darlow & Hon. John C. O'Meara

Kevin Dennis & Jeremy Zeltzer

Shauna Ryder Diggs, MD

Enrico & Kathleen Digirolamo

David & Carol Domina

Mr. Cameron B. Duncan*

Ms. Wendy L. Ecker

Mr. Michael Einheuser

Marianne T. Endicott

Alex and Lil Erdeljan Foundation

Fern Espino & Tom Short

Carl & Mary Ann Fontana

Mrs. Barbara Frankel* & Mr. Ronald Michalak

Mr. & Mrs. Herman Frankel

Samuel* & Toby Haberman

John & Kristan Hale

Dr. Devon Hoover*

Eleanor & Alan Israel

Robert Jesurum & Christine Petrucci

The Karen & Drew Peslar Foundation

Ms. Velda Kelly

Mary Kramer

Michael & Barbara Kratchman

Denise Lewis

Alphonse S. Lucarelli*

Don Manvel

Marvin, Betty & Joanne Danto

Family Foundation

McGregor Fund

Benjamin Meeker & Meredith Korneffel, MD

Ali Moiin & William Kupsky

Donald & Antoinette Morelock

Allan & Joy Nachman

Philanthropic Fund

James & Ann Nicholson

Peter Oleksiak

Ms. Linda Orlans

Penske Corporation

Mr. Shane Pliska

Prof. Sara A. Pozzi, Ph.D.

Waltraud Prechter

Paul & Amy Ragheb

Mrs. Ruth F. Rattner

Ankur Rungta & Mayssoun Bydon

Terry Shea & Seigo Nakao

The Skillman Foundation

Mr. Richard Slama

SOLO World Partners LLC

Richard Sonenklar & Gregory Haynes

The State of Michigan

Lorna Thomas, MD

Mr. & Mrs. C. Thomas Toppin

Jesse & Yesenia Venegas

R. Jamison & Karen Williams

Ellen Hill Zeringue

Listing reflects gifts and pledges as of January 31, 2024, in alphabetical order.

AVANTI SOCIETY MEMBERS ENSURING THE FUTURE

Imagine a gift that outlives you, allowing future generations to experience and enjoy the world of opera and dance. That's the goal of the Avanti Society, Detroit Opera’s planned gift recognition program.

The Italian word Avanti means “ahead,” or “forward.” Detroit Opera’s Avanti Society represents a designated group of friends who have made plans to include Detroit Opera in their estates—whether by will, trust, insurance, or life income arrangement. We are grateful for the generosity and foresight of those listed below who have chosen to declare their intentions and join the Avanti Society. Thank You Avanti Society Members!

Sarah Allison

Dr. Lourdes V. Andaya§

Mr. & Mrs. Agustin Arbulu§

Mr.* & Mrs. Chester Arnold§

Dr. Leora Bar-Levav

Mr. & Mrs. Lee Barthel

Mr. & Mrs. Brett Batterson§

Mr. W. Victor Benjamin

Mr.* & Mrs. Art Blair§

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Bowlby

Mrs. Doreen Bull

Mr.* & Mrs. Roy E. Calcagno§

The Gladys L. Caldroney Trust

Dr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Carson

Dr.* & Mrs. Victor J. Cervenak

Father Paul F. Chateau

Mary Christner

Mr. Gary L. Ciampa

Ms. Virginia M. Clementi

Hon. Avern Cohn* & Ms. Lois Pincus

Prof. Kenneth Collinson

Douglas & Minka Cornelsen

Dr. Robert A. Cornette§#

Mr.* & Mrs. Tarik Daoud§#

Mr. Randal Darby

Mr. Thomas J. Delaney

Walter & Adel Dissett

Ms. Mary J. Doerr#

Mrs. Helen Ophelia Dove-Jones

Mrs. Charles M. Endicott§#

Mr. Wayne C. Everly

David & Jennifer Fischer

Mr. & Mrs. Herb Fisher§

Mrs. Barbara Frankel* & Mr. Ronald Michalak§#

Mr. & Mrs. Herman Frankel§#

Mr. & Mrs. Harvey Freeman*

The Edward P. Frohlich Trust

Mrs. Jane Shoemaker French

Dr. & Mrs. Byron P. Georgeson§

Albert & Barbara Glover

Robert Green

Mr. Ernest Gutierrez

Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Hagopian

Mr. Lawrence W. Hall§

Mr. & Mrs. Jerome Halperin§

Ms. Heather Hamilton

Charlene Handleman

Preston & Mary Happel

Mr. Kenneth E. Hart§

Mr. & Mrs. Eugene L. Hartwig§

Dr. & Mrs. Gerhardt A. Hein

Ms. Nancy B. Henk

Mrs. Fay Herman

Derek & Karen* Hodgson

Andrew & Carol Howell

Dr. Cindy Hung§

Eleanor & Alan Israel

Ms. Kristin Jaramillo§

Mr. Donald Jensen§

Mr. John Jesser

Mr. John Jickling

Maxwell & Marjorie Jospey

Mr. Patrick J.* & Mrs. Stephanie Germack Kerzic

Josephine Kessler

Edward & Barbara Klarman

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Klein#

Mr. & Mrs. Erwin H. Klopfer§#

Misses Phyllis & Selma Korn§ *

Myron & Joyce LaBan

Mr. Max Lepler & Mr. Rex Dotson

Linda Dresner & Ed Levy Jr.

Mr. Hannan Lis

Florence LoPatin

Mr. Stephen H. Lord

Ms. Denise Lutz

Laura & Mitchell Malicki

Ms. Jane McKee§

Bruce Miller

Drs. Orlando & Dorothy Miller§

Ms. Monica Moffat & Mr. Pat McGuire

Drs. Stephen & Barbara Munk

Miss Surayyah Muwwakkil

Mr. Jonathan F. Orser

Ms. Julie A. Owens

Mr. Dale J. Pangonis§

Mr. & Mrs. Charles A. Parkhill

Mr. Richard M. Raisin§

Mrs. Ruth F. Rattner§#

Ms. Deborah Remer

Dr. Joshua Rest

Mr. & Mrs. James Rigby§

Mr. Bryan L. Rives

Ms. Patricia Rodzik§

David & Beverly Rorabacher

Dulcie Rosenfeld

Concetta Ross*

Professor Alvin & Mrs. Harriet Saperstein

Ms. Susan Schooner§

Mark & Sally Schwartz

Drs. Heinz & Alice Platt Schwarz§

Mrs. Frank C. Shaler§

Ms. Ellen Sharp

Ms. Edna J. Pak Shin

Mr. & Mrs. Harold Siebert

Mrs. Loretta Skewes

Ms. Anne Sullivan Smith

Ms. Phyllis Funk Snow§

Mr.* & Mrs. Richard Starkweather§#+

Ms. Mary Anne Stella

Mr. Stanford C. Stoddard

Dr. Jonathan Swift* & Mr. Thomas A. St. Charles§

Mr. Ronald F. Switzer§

Lillie Tabor

Mary Ellen Tappan Charitable Remainder Trust

Peter & Ellen Thurber

Alice* & Paul Tomboulian

Mr. Edward D. Tusset§

Jonathan & Salome E. Walton

Susan Weidinger

Mrs. Amelia H. Wilhelm§#

Mrs. Ruth Wilkins

Mr. Andrew Wise

Mr. & Mrs. Larry Zangerle

We express profound thanks to these Avanti Society members whose planned gifts to Detroit Opera have been received.

Robert G. Abgarian Trust

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Allesee #

Serena Ailes Stevens

Mr. & Mrs. J. Addison Bartush§#

Mr. & Mrs. Mandell Berman

Margaret & Douglas Borden

Charles M. Broh

Milena T. Brown

Charlotte Bush Failing Trust

Mary C. Caggegi

Allen B. Christman

Miss Halla F. Claffey

Robert C. & RoseAnn B.

Comstock

Mary Rita Cuddohy

Marjorie E. DeVlieg

Nancy Dewar

James P. Diamond

Dr. David DiChiera

Mrs. Karen V. DiChiera

Dr. & Mrs. Charles H. Duncan§

Mrs. Anne E. Ford

Ms. Pamela R. Francis§

Mrs. Rema Frankel

Barbara Lucking Freedman

The Priscilla A.B.

Goodell Trust

Freda K. Goodman Trust

Priscilla R. Greenberg, Ph.D.§#

Maliha Hamady

Patricia Hobar

Mary Adelaide Hester Trust

Gordon V. Hoialmen Trust

Carl J. Huss

H. Barbara Johnston

Mrs. Josephine Kleiner

Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Krolikowski§

Mr. Philip Leon

Dores & Wade McCree

Lucie B. Meininger

Helen M. Miller

Ella M. Montroy

Ronald K. Morrison

Ruth Mott

Elizabeth M. Pecsenye

Clarice Odgers Percox Trust

Thomas G. Porter

Mitchell Romanowski

Ms. Joanne B. Rooney

Mr. & Mrs. Giles L. & Beverly Ross

Ms. Merle H. Scheibner

Ms. Laura Sias

Mrs. Marge Slezak

Edward L. Stahl

Dr. Mildred Ponder Stennis

Margaret D. Thurber

Mr. & Mrs. George & Inge Vincent§#

Herman W. Weinreich

J. Ernest Wilde Trust

Helen B. Wittenberg

Mr. & Mrs. Walter & Elizabeth Work§

Joseph J. Zafarana

Mr. & Mrs. George M. Zeltzer§

KEY

§ Founding Members

# Touch the Future donors

* Deceased members

Membership in the Avanti Society is open to all who wish to declare their intention for a planned gift to Detroit Opera. To learn more, call Juliano Bitonti Stewart at 313.965.4271.

BY

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 @ 2:30PM, DETROIT

OPERA HOUSE

Tickets

ADULTS: $35

STUDENTS AGES 6-17: $15

Odyssey by Ben Moore and Kelley Rourke

Originally commissioned by The Glimmerglass Festival

Detroit Opera Youth Chorus will be the stars of Ben Moore and Kelley Rourke’s full-length opera Odyssey. Homer’s epic tale of a hero’s journey home has been wedded to the singing voice in this action-packed, colorful operatic rendition. “Odyssey…with an ebullient, lyrical score by Ben Moore and a witty, tightly-rhymed libretto by Kelley Rourke, is more than just an opera for young audiences…it’s an opera for all ages.” (Opera News)

DOYC will hold auditions for the 2024-25 Season in May and June. Please email tnash@detroitopera.org for more information.

CHILDREN 5 AND UNDER, FREE!

TO PURCHASE TICKETS: bit.ly/DOYCOdyssey

FOR MORE INFO: tnash@detroitopera.org

School groups are invited to attend a fi nal dress rehearsal on Friday, April 19 at 11:00am. All seats, just $10. Visit bit.ly/ DOYCOdyssey to fi ll out a group reservation form.

Supported by

PHOTO

KARLI CADEL / THE GLIMMERGLASS FESTIVAL

IN TRIBUTE: WAYNE S. BROWN

Wayne S. Brown succeeded David DiChiera as Detroit Opera’s President & CEO in 2014, leading the company for a remarkable 10 years until his retirement in December 2023. At the time of his appointment, Wayne pledged to find inspiring new artistic leadership for Detroit Opera. This charge was fulfilled with outstanding success, with the appointments of Yuval Sharon as the Gary L. Wasserman Artistic Director, Christine Goerke as Associate Artistic Director, and Roberto Kalb as Music Director.

Upon his retirement, Detroit Opera’s Board of Directors honored Wayne with the establishment of a tribute fund in his honor, to recognize his decade of leadership and achievements. Commemorated by the renaming of our stage door entrance as “Wayne’s Way,” gifts to the Wayne S. Brown Tribute Fund support a vital program that grew under his leadership: the Detroit Opera Resident Artist Program. Led by Christine Goerke and Nathalie Doucet, the Detroit Opera Resident Artist program has quickly gained national recognition, cultivating the next generation of opera talent. Gifts from the Wayne S. Brown Tribute Fund will provide necessary funds to name a Resident Artist position in his honor through the 2024-2025 season.

Detroit Opera gratefully acknowledges the generous donors whose gifts were made to the Wayne S. Brown Tribute Fund before March 1, 2024.

Dr. Lourdes V. Andaya

Barbra Bloch

Gene P. Bowen

Richard & Joanne Brodie

Philip Brunelle

James & Elizabeth Ciroli

Larry & Dodie David

Ethan & Gretchen Davidson

Enrico & Kathleen Digirolamo

Linda Dresner & Edward Levy Jr.

Marianne Endicott

Alex Erdeljan

Fern Espino & Tom Short

Paul & Mary Sue Ewing

Mary Lou Falcone

Carl & Mary Ann Fontana

Bharat & Lynn Gandhi

John & Kristan Hale

Ellen Hill Zeringue

Patty Isacson Sabee & David Sabee

Kent & Amy Jidov

Ms. Jill Johnson

Mary Kramer

Barbara & Michael Kratchman

Denise Lewis

Arthur & Nancy Liebler

Stephan & Marian Loginsky

Hon. Jack Martin & Dr. Bettye Arrington-Martin

Dr. Ali Moiin & Dr. William Kupsky

Allan & Joy Nachman

James & Ann Nicholson

William & Wendy Powers

Prof. Sara A Pozzi, Ph.D

Waltraud Prechter

Ted & Carrie Pryor

Ruth Rattner

Irvin & Pamela Reid

Anthony & Sabrina Rugiero

Ankur Rungta & Mayssoun Bydon

Matthew & Mona Simoncini

Dr. Lorna Thomas

Jesse & Yesenia Venegas

R. Jamison & Karen Williams

Rita Winters

Detroit Opera Podcast Network

Whether you’re at home, on a lake, or in your car, you can listen to Detroit Opera podcasts. OperaHERE examines historical contexts of operas and features personal interviews with members of the cast and creative team. You can also catch our Pre-Opera Talks, which occur before each live performance, where you’ll be able to hear from members of the Detroit Opera company.

Follow and subscribe to our podcasts wherever you listen and stay tuned for more episodes.

Have Fun

For l o ver s o f oper a, dance, theat er , history , an d communit y. Volunteers

Volunteers are the heart of Detroit Opera and the Detroit Opera House. Volunteers perform a number of vital tasks — not only ushering. You’ll have fun and make new friends as a volunteer at Detroit Opera.

Learn more at DetroitOpera.org/volunteer or e-mail us at volunteer@DetroitOpera.org

FUN FRIENDS GIVING SERVICE SHARING CARING COMMUNITY OPERA DANCE SHOWS BEAUTY HISTORY INTERACTION THEATRE

To join Detroit Opera Volunteer Association or for more information, please visit DetroitOpera.org/volunteer

DETROIT OPERA ADMINISTRATION & STAFF

LEADERSHIP

Patty Isacson Sabee, President & CEO

Yuval Sharon, Gary L.Wasserman Artistic Director

Christine Goerke, Associate Artistic Director

Roberto Kalb, Music Director

DEPARTMENT HEADS

Andrew Berg, Chief Development Officer

Daniel T. Brinker, General Manager, Detroit Opera House & Parking Center

Alexis Means, Director of Operations & Patron Experience

Rock Monroe, Director of Safety & Security, DOH & DOHPC

Shawn Rieschl Johnson, Director of Production

Samantha Teter, Chief Marketing Officer

Ataul Usman, Director of Human Resources

Arthur White, Director of External Affairs

ADMINISTRATION

William Austin, Executive Assistant

Christy Gray, Office Administrator

Laura Nealssohn, Board Liaison

Timothy Lentz, Archivist & Director, Detroit Opera Archive & Resource Library

Catherine Staples, Associate Archivist, Detroit Opera Archive & Resource Library

Bryce Rudder, Digital Asset Manager & Senior Librarian, Detroit Opera Archive & Resource Library

Michael Hauser, Curator of Architecture & History

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Alaina Brown, Program Coordinator

Branden Hood, Program Manager

Mark Vondrak, Associate Director/Tour Manager

HOUSE OPERATIONS

Juan Benavides, Building Engineer

Kathie Booth, Volunteer Coordinator

Jennifer George-Consiglio, Manager of Venue Operations

Dennis Wells, Facilities Manager

Holly Clement, Senior Manager of Events & Rentals

Emily White, Events Coordinator

FINANCE

Kimberley Burgess, Accountant

Rita Winters, Accountant

HUMAN RESOURCES

Josh Kozakowski, HR Coordinator

PATRON SERVICES Development

Chelsea Kotula, Director of Institutional Giving

Valentino Peacock, Development Operations Coordinator

Zach Suchanek, Manager of Annual Giving

Juliano Bitonti Stewart, Director of Development

Katrina Fasulo, Associate Major Gifts Officer

Marketing/Public Relations

Jennifer Melick, Communications & Media Relations Manager

Austin Richey, Digital Media Manager & Storyteller

Anna Herscher, Lead Graphic Designer

Deirdre Michael, Website Administrator

BOX OFFICE

Amy Brown, Senior Manager of Ticketing & Box Office Operations

Evan Carr, System Administrator

Ellen Smith, Group Sales Associate

Stephanie Stoiko, Assistant Box Office Manager

Emily Lange, Box Office Associate

Mark Ujkstivani, Box Office Associate

ARTISTIC DEPARTMENT

Nathalie Doucet, Head of Music & Director of Resident Artist Program

Matthew Principe, Director of Media & Special Projects

Melany Janer, Administrative Assistant

DANCE

Jon Teeuwissen, Artistic Advisor for Dance

Kim Smith, Dance Coordinator

PRODUCTION Administration

Elizabeth Anderson, Production Coordinator & Artistic Administrator

Kathleen Bennett, Production Administrator

Technical & Design Staff

Jeff Beyersdorf, Technical Director

Brodrick Whittley, Assistant Technical Director

Moníka Essen, Property Master

Kaila Madison, Technical Assistant Music

Suzanne Mallare Acton, Assistant Music Director & Chorus Master

Molly Hughes, Orchestra Personnel Manager

Jean Posekany, Orchestra Librarian Costumes

Suzanne Hanna, Costume Director

Michaela Tanskley, Wardrobe Supervisor

Patricia Sova, First Hand

Mary Ellen Shuffett, Fitting Assistant

Maureen Abele, Dylan McBride, Paul Moran, Rachel Parrott, Lupe Vazquez, Stitchers

Wigs & Makeup

Elizabeth Geck, Local Crew Coordinator

Erika Broderdorf, Denise Llombart, Mallory Maxton, Nicole Pangas, Cedasha Randolph, Wig & Makeup Crew

Kaitlyn Denzler, Swing Stage Crew

John Kinsora, Head Carpenter

Frederick Graham, Head Electrician

Gary Gilmore, Production Electrician

Pat McGee, Head Propertyman

Chris Baker, Head of Sound

Pat Tobin, Head Flyman

Dee Dorsey, Surtitle Operator

John Costa, Video Programmer

Mary Ellen Shuffett, Head of Wardrobe

IATSE Local #38 Stage Crew

IATSE Local # 786 Wardrobe

DETROIT OPERA YOUTH CHORUS

Suzanne Mallare Acton, Director

Twannette Nash, Chorus Administrator

Joseph Jackson, Accompanist

Jane Panikkar, Preparatory Chorus Conductor

Maria Cimarelli, Preparatory Chorus Accompanist

SAFETY & SECURITY

Lt. Lorraine Monroe

Sgt. Demetrius Newbold

Officer Gary Cabean

Officer A.M. Hightower

Officer Sullivan Horton

USHERS

Max Aghili, Christine Berryman, Ellen Bishop, Kathie Booth, Lori Burkhardt, Sharon Cardeccia, Randall Davis, Dianne Deinek, Suzanne Erbes, Pamela Fergusson, Erin Gaston-Doakes, Jo-Ann Hale, Marilyn Luberti, Sydney May, Myrna Mazure, Ennis Mcgee, Heddie O’Connor, Edna Rubin, Ida Vance

IN

CASE OF EMERGENCY

Please observe the lighted exit signs located throughout the theater. In the event of an emergency, remain calm and walk, do not run, to the nearest exit. Ushers and security personnel are trained to assist. An emergency medical technician (EMT) is on-site during most events. Contact an usher or staff member if you need medical assistance.

GUEST SERVICES: Vincent Lobby and Broadway Lounge

There are a variety of amenities for your comfort and use located in both guest services locations. Wheelchairs, booster seats*, earplugs, assisted listening devices, feminine hygiene products, basic first aid items, and more are complimentary and available for your convenience. Coat check is also available. The Vincent Lobby is located on the Madison Street side of the building and the Broadway Lounge is located on the Broadway Street side of the building.

*Limited quantity

PHOTOGRAPHY, RECORDING, AND CELL PHONE USE

Photography and/or recording during any performance is strictly prohibited. Photographs taken in the lobby areas, before or after a performance, and during intermission are welcome. As a courtesy to all guests, please turn off all electronic devices and refrain from use during the performance.

RESTROOMS

Women’s restrooms are located off the Ford Lobby (Broadway Street entrance) and down the stairs, and on third floor (Madison Street entrance). Men’s restrooms are located under the Grand Staircase and on the third floor (Broadway Street side). There are two sets of elevators or stairs available to access all third-floor restrooms. All third-floor restrooms are wheelchair accessible (women’s restroom, press 3R in the elevator). There are single-use unisex wheelchair accessible restrooms on the first floor of the Broadway Street side of the building and the Madison Street side of the building. There is also a wheelchair accessible women’s restroom on the Broadway Street side of the building.

NO SMOKING

The Detroit Opera House is a non-smoking facility. This includes e-cigarettes, vapes, and other “smokeless” products.

USHERS

Ushers are stationed throughout the building to assist patrons as needed. Please direct questions, concerns, and feedback to them during your visit. Enjoy volunteering? Please go to guest services or the Detroit Opera website, detroitopera.org/volunteers, for information on becoming a volunteer.

LOST AND FOUND

During the performance, lost and found is located in guest services. Unclaimed items are logged and taken to the Safety and Security office after each performance. To inquire about a misplaced or lost item, please call 313.961.3500. Items left over 30 days will be discarded or donated.

RECORDING IN PROGRESS

Entry and presence on the event premises constitute your consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded, and to the release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of any and all recorded media for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with Detroit Opera and its initiatives. By entering the event premises, you waive and release any claims you may have related to the use of recorded media of you at the event.

Detroit Opera is a proud member of

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