Silent Night at The Atlanta Opera

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Welcome

photo: Patrick Heagney

common. 100 years later, the story of the Christmas truce provides inspiration for peace in a world torn by war and violence.

Frank Capra once said: “There are no rules in filmmaking.

Only sins.

And the cardinal sin is dullness.”

While we are not producing films at The Atlanta Opera, that simple rule applies to our season. I am almost certain that this season is free of cardinal sins according to Capra.

Following the whimsical, colorful production of Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio last month, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to something extraordinarily different: the U.S. debut of this international co-production of Silent Night, a production that won two Irish Times theatre awards in its Wexford Festival Opera premiere. From the moment I heard the music, I knew that I wanted to share this touching story of courage and hope with Atlanta audiences. Today, more than ever, we need stories that remind us of what unites us, what makes us human, what we have in

The rest of our season continues to offer diverse repertoire with quite a few shows never seen before in Atlanta: we open our Discoveries series with Maria de Buenos Aires, a sexy tango opera that will be presented in a decadent, red velvet night club on the Atlanta BeltLine. Due to popular demand, we just announced two additional performances on February 6 and 7. In March, for the first time in Atlanta Opera history, we present Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Set in the golden era of Hollywood, this bel canto gem is bound to delight you with laughter and unforgettable melodies. We close our mainstage season with Puccini’s grandest of all operas, Turandot, in a dazzling, magical production. Our season finale, Mozart’s delightful The Secret Gardener, will be presented at The Atlanta Botanical Garden, following its premiere in an Upper West Side park in New York City.

There is one moment that directors never tire of chasing: the sound of silence.

There is nothing quite like the audience silence after the curtain comes down on the final note of the perfect opera. I hope that tonight, and in other nights this season, the sound of your silence will speak volumes of what you saw and heard onstage.

Enjoy the show!

Tomer Zvulun CEO, General & Artistic Director 9

PRODUCTION SPONSORED BY

John & Rosemary Brown OPENING NIGHT PERFORMANCE SPONSORED BY

Victoria & Howard Palefsky vETERANS DAY PERFORMANCE SPONSORED BY

Mrs. Dale Levert & Mr. George W. Levert TUESDAY NIGHT PERFORMANCE SPONSORED BY

Baker & Debby Smith

Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

This program is supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. GCA also receives support from its partner agency – the National Endowment for the Arts.

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Silent night CREDITS MUSIC Kevin Puts LIBRETTO Mark Campbell FIRST PERFORMANCE Minnesota Opera, Nov. 12, 2011 CONDUCTOR Nicole Paiement PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Tomer Zvulun SCENIC DESIGNER Erhard Rom COSTUME DESIGNER Vita Tzykun LIGHTING DESIGNER Robert Wierzel ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER Peter Mitchell WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER Anne Ford-Coates ASSOCIATE WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER Emily Malin CHORUS MASTER Walter Huff OPENING vIDEO Andrew Stuttard SUPERTITLES proivided by Frank Rizzo/Lyric Opera of Chicago Sign System provided by Digital Tech Services cAST (IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE) NIKOLAUS SPRINK David Blalock LT. GORDON Alexander Hajek ANNA SØRENSEN Ava Pine BRITISH MAJOR Alan Higgs* LT. HORSTMAYER Craig Irvin LT. AUDEBERT Matthew Worth KRONPRINZ Brent Reilly Turner PONCHEL Andrew Wilkowske JONATHAN DALE Alexander Sprague FRENCH GENERAL Tom Fox WILLIAM DALE Andrew Pardini* MADELEINE AUDEBERT Bryn Holdsworth* FATHER PALMER Troy Cook MUSICAL PREPARATION Clinton Smith ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Dan Wallace Miller FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER Jay Peterson ASSISTANT CHORUS MASTER Rolando Salazar ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER Benjamin Rawson PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Brian August ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS Jenna Link, Audrey Chait PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Gabriella Henriquez *denotes member of The Atlanta Opera Studio Silent Night, based on the screenplay by Christian Carion for the motion picture Joyeux Noël produced by Nord-Ouest Productions.

Commissioned by Minnesota Opera – A Minnesota Opera New Works Initiative Production by arrangement with Aperto Press, publisher – Bill Holab Music: Sole Agent This production of Silent Night is an original production of Wexford Festival Opera in partnership with The Atlanta Opera and The Glimmerglass Festival.

Performed in German, French, Italian, Latin, and English, with English supertitles Approximate running time: 2 hours and 10 minutes with one intermission

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SynoPSiS

photo: Erhard Rom

Prologue LATE SUMMER, 1914 War is declared. At a Berlin opera house, the announcement disrupts the careers and personal lives of international opera singers Anna Sørensen and Nikolaus Sprink. In a small church in Scotland, it inspires dreams of heroism in William, who demands that his younger brother Jonathan immediately enlist with him as their priest, Father Palmer, looks helplessly on. In the apartment of the Audeberts in Paris, it angers Madeleine, who excoriates her husband for leaving to fight while she is pregnant with their first child. Amid the fervor of nationalistic songs, the men prepare to leave for war.

AcT i In and around a battlefield in Belgium, near the French border, around Christmas.

Scene one DECEMBER 23, LATE AFTERNOON A horrific battle is fought between the Germans and the French and Scottish.

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An attempt by the French and Scottish soldiers to infiltrate the German bunker fails miserably; corpses begin to pile up in the No-Man's Land between the three bunkers. Nikolaus is seen violently engagingin combat — stabbing a man to death and growing in despair at the violence. William is shot, Jonathan must leave his brother behind to die.

Scene TWo DECEMBER 23, EVENING In the Scottish bunker, Lt. Gordon assesses the casualties after the battle.

Father Palmer attempts to offer solace to Jonathan in prayer. In the French bunker, Lt. Audebert has a conversation with the French general, who reprimands him for surrendering and threatens him with a transfer. Audebert laments the loss of his wife’s photograph to his aide-de-camp, Ponchel. When he is alone, Audebert tallies the casualties in the last battle, while missing Madeleine and their child who he has not yet seen.

He sings of needing sleep, a sentiment echoed by all of the soldiers. As it starts to snow, covering the corpses in NoMan's Land, the soldiers slowly begin

SynoPSiS to sleep. Alone in the German bunker, Nikolaus reveals to an imagined Anna his despair about war.

Scene Three DECEMBER 24, MORNING In the German bunker, crates have arrived – and little Christmas trees from the Kronprinz. Lt. Horstmayer criticizes the Kronprinz for not sending them more useful presents, like ammunition and reinforcements. He receives a directive from headquarters that Nikolaus has been ordered to sing at the nearby chalet of the Kronprinz, along with one Anna Sørensen. Nikolaus departs for the chalet, excited that he will be reunited with Anna again after many months apart. The French soldiers have received crates of wine, sausages, and chocolates from the quartermaster and open them jubilantly.

Ponchel, a barber by trade, brings coffee to Audebert and sits him down for a haircut.

He is reminded of having coffee with his mother every morning, who lives only an hour away by foot. The alarm clock he carries next to his heart at all times (which shielded him from a bullet in the last battle) rings at 10 o’clock every morning to remind him of their daily meeting. In the Scottish bunker, crates of whiskey have arrived from home. Jonathan writes a letter to his mother, not mentioning his brother’s death.

Scene four DECEMBER 24, EARLY EVENING At the chalet of the Kronprinz, Anna and Nikolaus perform a duet. Following the performance, they steal a few moments alone. Anna notices the cruel effect war

has had on her lover’s spirit. She has arranged for Nikolaus to spend the night with her and is angry when he says he must return to his fellow soldiers. She vows to accompany him back to the battlefield.

Scene five DECEMBER 24, NIGHT In the French bunker, Gueusselin volunteers to infiltrate the German bunker, and with several grenades, sidles onto NoMan's Land. The Scottish soldiers drink whiskey and play a bagpipe that another unit has sent them, as Father Palmer sings a sentimental ballad about home. The men in the other bunkers hear the song and react to it with sadness, caution, and annoyance. Nikolaus arrives; his fellow soldiers greet him with cheers and applause and gasp in amazement at seeing Anna with him. When the song in the Scottish bunker is finished, Nikolaus sings a rousing Christmas song loudly in response, and midway through, the bagpiper begins to accompany. Emboldened, Nikolaus stands atop the bunker raising a Christmas tree as a gesture of friendship. Against the protestations of their superiors, the soldiers from all bunkers stand. Nikolaus bravely moves to the center of No-Man's Land. Gueusselin abandons his plan to grenade the German bunker. Eventually, the three lieutenants, waving a white flag of truce, agree to a cease-fire ... but only on Christmas Eve. The soldiers slowly and cautiously move toward each other. They share their provisions, their photos, and their names. Anna appears and all of the soldiers are awed by the sight of a woman.

Father Palmer has set up a makeshift church and celebrates Mass with the men, while Jonathan finds his brother’s body and 13

SynoPSiS vows revenge. Father Palmer finishes the Mass and urges the men to “go in peace” as bombs explode menacingly in the distance.

AcT ii, Scene one DECEMBER 25, DAWN The following morning, Jonathan tries to bury his brother. Because the truce is officially over, two German sentries are prepared to shoot him, although Father Palmer and Lt. Gordon intervene. Looking on, Horstmayer proposes that it may indeed be time to bury all of the dead. The three lieutenants meet and decide over coffee that the truce will be extended until after the dead in No-Man's Land are buried.

Scene TWo DECEMBER 25, LATE MORNING, EARLY AFTERNOON The soldiers pile up the corpses, Father Palmer delivers last rites and the soldiers form a processional bearing the wagon of bodies away. Anna looks on with Nikolaus and promises that he will not suffer the same fate.

Scene Three DECEMBER 25, ALL DAY In the meantime, news of the cease-fire has reached headquarters, and the British major, the Kronprinz and the French general all react in anger and disbelief.

They declare that they will punish the soldiers for their betrayal.

Scene four DECEMBER 25, EVENING Lt. Horstmayer prepares to return to war and Nikolaus berates him for his 14

allegiance to the Fatherland. Horstmayer arrests Nikolaus for insubordination, but Anna takes his hand firmly and leads him across No-Man's Land as Horstmayer orders his men to shoot, but no one moves. Reaching the French bunker unharmed, Nikolaus regains his voice and demands asylum for he and Anna.

Scene five DECEMBER 26, LATE MORNING The British major admonishes the Scottish soldiers for participating in the Christmas truce. They are to be transferred to the front lines. When a German soldier is seen crossing the battlefield, the major orders him killed.

Jonathan complies and dispassionately shoots the man.

Lt. Audebert returns to his small office and discovers the French general there.

The general tells Audebert that he will be transferred to Verdun as punishment for consorting with the enemy and that his unit will be disbanded. Audebert informs the French general – his father – that he has learned he has an infant son named Henri. They vow to survive the war for the child’s sake.

The Kronprinz angrily announces that the German soldiers are to be deployed in Pomerania as punishment. As the soldiers are taken off in a boxcar, they hum the Scottish ballad they heard in the bunker on Christmas Eve. The battlefield is now completely empty.

BY MARK CAMPBELL COURTESY OF MINNESOTA OPERA

ProducTion noTe architects deployed cavalry and rifles with bayonets. By 1918, they used tanks and weapons of mass destruction.

photo: Erhard Rom

They ThoughT They’d be home by chriSTmAS By noel morris

“Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps, and builded parapets and trenches there, And stretchèd forth the knife to slay his son. When lo! an angel called him out of heaven, Saying, Lay not thy hand upon lad, Neither do anything to him. Behold, A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns; Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him.

But the old man would not so, but slew his son, And half the seed of Europe, one by one.”

Those words were written by Wilfred Owen in “The Parable of the Old Man and the Young.” Owen, an English poet and World War I soldier, was killed in action Nov. 4, 1918, one week before the Armistice.

World WAr i

They thought they’d be home by Christmas. In August 1914, young men from Austria-Hungary, the United Kingdom, Russia, the German Empire, France, and other nations flooded recruitment offices. By December, hundreds of thousands lay dead.

In four years’ time, the First World War (1914-1918) snuffed out the lives of some 17 million people, brought down four empires, and sowed the seeds of World War II. It was a pivotal chapter. At the beginning of the 20th century, war’s

People emerged feeling betrayed by the values of their fathers. Disillusionment displaced romantic notions of valor and patriotism, hence Hemingway’s epigraph (via Gertrude Stein) calling them the “Lost Generation.”

Silent Night represents an ensemble of these reluctant functionaries, men trapped by the roles assigned to them by birth and opportunity — cogs in the engine of Europe’s destruction, and their own.

The TrencheS

In September 1914, some 30 miles from Paris, Allied forces repelled German invaders, pushing them northward. There, both sides cut trenches into the earth, forming a matched pair of impenetrable lines. In a series of semicircular maneuvers, each side scrambled to outflank the other.

One would sweep northward, then the other — each time digging in.

Known to history as “the race to the sea,” the trenches grew like cracks in the ice until they extended more than 400 miles between the Swiss border and the North Sea (comparable to the distance between Atlanta and St. Louis). Locked in a stalemate, the military brass formulated plans for victory by attrition.

The rat-infested trenches were incubators for disease. Under the stench of gunpowder and decaying bodies, soldiers stood for days in putrid water. Hospital wards swelled with cases of foot infections, lice-borne “trench fever,” and venereal disease (more than 400,000 cases in the British army, alone). The space between the trenches was even more deadly. A tangle of barbed wire, corpses, and upended earth, No-Man's Land, as it was called, offered a

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ProducTion noTe shooting range for enemy snipers.

There was, however, a phenomenon known as “live and let live.” Between episodes of horrific violence came periods of boredom. Men noticed a precipitous drop in gunfire during mealtime. Troops became proactive, with an “if we allow the other guys to eat in peace, they will return the favor” philosophy.

In this way, the two sides brokered slightly less belligerent positions. Similar rules applied to latrines and even chance encounters in No-Man's Land. Holding up signs, throwing stones with messages attached, calling out, and in-person meetings became viable methods for negotiating terms of engagement.

confuSion

World War I alliances, as they existed in August 1914, belied the tangle of relationships between peoples. Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II, the Russian Czar Nicholas II, and Britain’s George V were all first cousins, grandsons of Queen Victoria.

Cross-border interactions between French, German, and British citizens had been common in peacetime; in wartime, antipathy between French and British soldiers — allies — was widespread. To further confuse matters, civilian populations were bombarded with wartime propaganda.

One British soldier wrote: “At home one abuses the enemy and draws insulting caricatures. How tired I am of grotesque Kaisers. Out here, one can respect a brave, skillful, and resourceful enemy.

They have people they love at home, they too have to endure mud, rain, and steel.”

Silent Night throws a cross-section of society into the trenches: a general’s son, a singer, farm boys, and members of the working class. It’s the people we cannot 16

see, the heads of state, the “fat old men ... swigging their champagne,” according to the character named Nikolaus Sprink, who are the real villains.

Sprink, a professional opera singer, is the first to show symptoms of Gertrude Stein’s “Lost Generation.” He sings: “My Anna, I cannot go back to my life before. I cannot. I have seen too much. I know too much. Everything is useless. All of it: Opera, singing, useless.”

The chriSTmAS Truce

Silent Night, which won a 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Kevin Puts’ music, is based on reallife accounts of spontaneous cease-fire along the front lines at Christmastime 1914.

The story, commissioned by the Minnesota Opera, came to librettist Mark Campbell via Christian Carion’s Academy Award-nominated film Joyeux Noël. In the opera, composer Puts uses the relationship between dissonance and tonality as an allegory for war and peace.

In the opening scenes, the armies sing their national songs at one another, creating a cacophony that advances the fighting where stage combat leaves off.

In Act 2, as the enemies begin to come together, so does their music.

Silent Night’s story pivots around an act of pure madness: Sprink climbs upon the parapet to sing Christmas carols with the enemy. A laying down of arms follows, with soldiers exchanging cigars, whiskey, champagne, and chocolate. Together, they share family photos, kneel in worship, and bury their dead side-by-side.

Like Amadeus or Romeo and Juliet, Silent Night is a tale that teases the audience with hope. By opera’s end, the “fat old men” restore order among the ranks, and the warriors fight on.

cAST & creATive Kevin PuTS COMPOSER

Winner of numerous prestigious awards, including the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for his debut opera Silent Night, Kevin Puts’ works have been commissioned, performed, and recorded by leading ensembles, and soloists throughout the world, including Yo-Yo Ma, Jeffrey Kahane, Dame Evelyn Glennie, the New York Philharmonic, the Tonhalle Orchester, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Miro Quartet, and the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Cincinnati, Detroit, Atlanta, Colorado, Houston, Fort Worth, St. Louis, and Minnesota. His newest orchestral work, The City, was co-commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in honor of its 100th anniversary, and by Carnegie Hall in honor of its 125th anniversary. Silent Night, commissioned and premiered by Minnesota Opera, has been produced at Fort Worth Opera, Cincinnati Opera, the Wexford Opera Festival, Calgary Opera, Montreal Opera, and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, with upcoming productions at Opera San Jose, and Michigan Opera Theatre. Puts' second opera, also commissioned by Minnesota Opera, The Manchurian Candidate, based on the novel, had its world premiere in 2015. A new work for soprano Renee Fleming and orchestra, based on the personal letters of Georgia O’Keeffe, will have its world premiere in New York in fall 2016 and his first chamber opera, an adaptation of Peter Ackroyd’s Gothic novel The Trial of Elizabeth Cree, commissioned by Opera Philadelphia, will have its world premiere in 2017. A former composer-in-residence of Young Concerts Artists, he is a member of the composition department at the Peabody Institute and the director of the Minnesota Orchestra Composer’s Institute.

mArK cAmPbell LIBRETTIST

Mark Campbell is one of the most in-demand and prolific librettists in the country. Of the 15-plus operas he has written, his most known work is Silent Night, which received the 2012 Pulitzer in Music. Since its premiere at Minnesota Opera, the work has been broadcast on PBS’ “Great Performances” and produced by many opera companies across the country. Mark’s other successful operas are Later the Same Evening, Volpone, Bastianello/Lucrezia, As One, The Manchurian Candidate, and most recently, The Shining. His musical theater works include Songs From an Unmade Bed, Splendora, and The Other Room. Mark has received many prestigious prizes, including a Grammy nomination, the first Kleban Foundation Award for lyricist, two Richard Rodgers awards, a Jonathan Larson Foundation Award, a New York Foundation for the Arts Playwriting Fellowship, and the first Dominic J. Pelliciotti Award. Mark is an advocate for contemporary American opera and mentors future generations of writers through such organizations as American Opera Projects, American Lyric Theatre, the University of Colorado's New Opera Workshop, and Opera Philadelphia's Composer-in-Residence Program. He is premiering five operas in 2017: Dinner at Eight for Minnesota Opera (composer: William Bolcom), Some Light Emerges for Houston Grand Opera (composer Laura Kaminsky; co-librettist Kimberly Reed), The Nefarious, Immoral But Highly Profitable Enterprise of Mr. Burke & Mr. Hare for Boston Lyric Opera (composer: Julian Grant), Elizabeth Cree for Opera Philadelphia (composer: Kevin Puts) and The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs for Santa Fe Opera (composer: Mason Bates).

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cAST & creATive dAvid blAlocK NIKOLAUS SPRINK ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Rising American tenor David Blalock last performed Silent Night in the role of Jonathan Dale with Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Last season's credits included Steersman in Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer for Virginia Opera, Toby in Sweeney Todd with Mill City Summer Opera in Minneapolis, and Almaviva in Marcos Portugal’s rarely performed The Marriage of Figaro for On Site Opera in New York City. In the 2014-15 season, he sang the role of Jaquino in Beethoven’s Fidelio with Madison Opera, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with North Carolina Opera, Toby in Sweeney Todd with Virginia Opera, and the role of Ricky in the world premiere of The Long Walk at Opera Saratoga. In the same season, he completed his second summer as an apprentice artist with The Santa Fe Opera, singing Bertram in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago and the Infirmary Patient in the world premiere of Theodore Morrison’s Oscar. Mr. Blalock is a graduate of the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland, where he trained as a baritone. Credits at the Studio included Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Riolobo in Daniel Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas, and The Ring Announcer in the world premiere of Shadowboxer. He was first-prize winner in the North Carolina District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions twice, as well as placing first in the Charles A. Lynam Competition, the Heafner/Williams Competition, and the Charlotte Opera Guild Competition. He graduated from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro with a bachelor of music.

Troy cooK FATHER PALMER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

American baritone Troy Cook recently performed his first Ford in the Hamburgische Staatsoper’s Falstaff following his debut with the company as Marcello in La bohème, and debuted with the Royal Opera, Covent Garden as Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. The 2016-17 season is an exciting one for Troy, with several role and company debuts, starting with his first Peter in Hansel and Gretel in a return to Lyric Opera of Kansas City. He will debut at the San Diego Opera as Ford in Falstaff, and make his role debut in the title role in Eugene Onegin at the Syracuse Opera. He also makes his Washington National Opera debut as Sharpless in the eye-popping Kaneko Production of Madama Butterfly. He will participate in the inaugural O17 Festival at Opera Philadelphia, singing John Cree in the world premier of Elizabeth Cree by the Pulitzer Prize-winning team that created Silent Night, Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell. Troy sang last season in Virginia Opera’s production of Orpheus in the Underworld, followed by debuts with the Dallas Opera as de Brètigny in Manon, the Macau Festival as Valentin in Faust, and North Carolina Opera as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, a role that served as his debut with Austin Opera.

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cAST & creATive Tom fox FRENCH GENERAL ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Tom Fox performs regularly at the most important and prestigious opera houses in the world. In North America, he has sung at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, The Washington National Opera, among others. Internationally, he has appeared at such opera companies and music festivals as Teatro alla Scala, Milan; Deutsche Oper, Berlin, L’Opera de Paris; as well as the Salzburg Festival.

Mr. Fox has a vast repertoire of roles including Amonasro in Aida, Escamillo in Carmen, Don Pizarro in Fidelio, Scarpia in Tosca, Iago in Otello, Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress, among many others. Mr. Fox is particularly highly regarded as an interpreter of Wagner, and has sung most of the leading Wagner roles: Wotan in Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, and Siegfried, The Dutchman in Der fliegende Holländer, among others.

Current projects include the roles of Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon B. Johnson in the world premiere of Philip Glass’ revised version of Appomattox with the Washington National Opera, and the Speaker in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with the Grand Théâtre de Genève. Last season, Mr. Fox was heard as Gorjantchikov in Janacek's From the House of the Dead at the Deutsche Staatsoper in Berlin, and The Old Duke in Guntram with the Washington Concert Opera. Prior to that, he returned to the Metropolitan Opera for performances of The Speaker in The Magic Flute and Klingsor in Parsifal with the English National Opera, a role he reprised in concert at the BBC Proms.

AlexAnder hAjeK LT. GORDON ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Canadian baritone Alexander Hajek has spent the last several seasons in Germany singing with the renowned Semperoper in Dresden. His roles in Dresden have included Schaunard in La bohème, Don Fernando in Fidelio, Antonio in Le Nozze Di Figaro and Der Wirt in Königskinder

by Humperdinck. Mr. Hajek also appeared with Oper Stuttgart singing Melot in Tristan Und Isolde and Ottokar in Der Freischütz. Previously with Semper Oper Dresden, he sang Leporello in Don Giovanni, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze Di Figaro, Alidoro in La Cenerentola, and Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus. Further recent credits include the Royal Opera House in Muskat (Don Pasquale), Sulpice in La Fille Du Regiment for the Seattle Opera and Lt. Gordon in Opéra de Montréal’s production of Silent Night. Mr. Hajek’s Canadian schedule for 2015-16 included Baron Zeta in Die Lustige Witwe for the Edmonton Opera and Haydn’s Die Schöpfung for the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. An alumnus of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble and a graduate of The Juilliard School of Music, Mr. Hajek has appeared at international venues and command performances for presidents, prime ministers, pontiffs John Paul II and Benedict (World Youth Day celebrations, Germany, and the Vatican).

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cAST & creATive AlAn higgS BRITISH MAJOR

STUDIO ARTIST ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT: MadaMa Butterfly, 2014 Bass-baritone Alan Higgs is rapidly making a name for himself in the world of opera. He was recently selected as the resident bass-baritone for the The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago for the 2017-18 season. This summer he made his debut with Santa Fe Opera as an apprentice artist for their 60th anniversary season, where he performed the role of Jose Castro in La fanciulla del West and covered roles in Vanessa and Capriccio. He is a 2016 award winner at the regionals of the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions.

His other recent engagements include Gregorio in Roméo et Juliette with The Atlanta Opera, Raphael in Haydn’s Creation with the Georgia State Symphony Orchestra as well as the Pirate King in the Atlanta Opera Studio tour of The Pirates of Penzance. Mr. Higgs, who resides in Atlanta, attended Florida State University for his master’s degree in voice performance, where he performed Simone in Gianni Schicchi, Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin, and Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte.

While singing Rucker Lattimore in Cold Sassy Tree, he had the honor of working with composer Carlisle Floyd.

bryn holdSWorTh MADELEINE AUDEBERT STUDIO ARTIST | ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Praised by The New York Times for her “limpid-toned, articulate” singing, young soprano and recent Manhattan School of Music graduate Bryn Holdsworth is already garnering attention on stages in New York and around the country. This season, Ms. Holdworth made her Lincoln Center debut at Alice Tully Hall as the soprano soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana with the New York City Master Chorale. The 2016 season included several operatic role debuts, including Rachel Dowling in Patience and Sarah with New York Opera Fest, Pamina in The Magic Flute with International Vocal Arts Outreach, and the title role in Persée et Andromède with the Manhattan School of Music. She was a national finalist in the New York Lyric Opera competition and a national semifinalist in both the Classical Singer and Palm Beach Opera competitions.

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cAST & creATive crAig irvin LT. HORSTMAYER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Baritone Craig Irvin brings a vibrant sound and commitment to character to each role he portrays. Opera News has hailed his “rich, resonant baritone” while the Dallas Morning News has celebrated his “truly commanding baritone.” Last season saw debuts with Sarasota Opera as Marcello in La bohème and Anchorage Opera in the title role of The Mikado as well as his return to Utah Opera as Count Almaviva in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. In the 2016-17 season, he will make his role debut as Macbeth with LoftOpera, sing Dan Packard in Dinner at Eight with Minnesota Opera, and Escamillo in Carmen with Fort Worth Opera. Other recent engagements include Lt. Horstmayer in Silent Night with Cincinnati Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Opera Philadelphia; Mandryka in Arabella with Minnesota Opera; Dandini in La Cenerentola with Pensacola Opera; the Villains in The Tales of Hoffman and Leporello in Don Giovanni with Wolf Trap Opera; covering the role of Simone in A Florentine Tragedy with the Canadian Opera Company; covering the role of Paolo in Simon Boccanegra with Los Angeles Opera; Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Opera Saratoga; Ramphis in Aida with Pensacola Opera; Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Intermountain Opera; Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore with Naples Opera; Bottom in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Des Moines Metro Opera; Pvt. Willis in Iolanthe with Nashville Opera; Don Alhambra in The Gondoliers with Opera North; Il barbiere di Siviglia with Intermountain Opera, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore with Naples Opera, Bottom in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Des Moines Metro Opera, Private Willis in Iolanthe with Nashville Opera, and Don Alhambra in The Gondoliers with Opera North.

AndreW PArdini WILLIAM DALE

STUDIO ARTIST | ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

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Extolled by The Baltimore Sun for his “robust work” and DC Metro Theater Arts for “a heart-stopping, high-voltage bass-baritone voice,” Andrew Thomas Pardini continues to win audiences with his vibrant tone and thrilling character portrayals. This past summer, Pardini was a studio artist as part of the Crested Butte Opera Studio at Crested Butte Music Festival, performing the role of Marcello in La bohème. Pardini recently made his company and role debuts with Dayton Opera as Il Principe Yamadori and Il Commissario Imperiale in Madama Butterfly, and Un Araldo in Otello, in addition to serving as Resident Baritone as part of its prestigious 2015-16 Artists-in-Residence Program.

Pardini holds a Master of Music degree in opera performance from the University of Maryland – Maryland Opera Studio and a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Southern California – Thornton School of Music.

cAST & creATive AvA Pine ANNA SØRENSEN ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Soprano Ava Pine, a Texas native, dazzles audiences and critics alike with her rewarding vocalism and compelling commitment to character, creating vivid and captivating portraits onstage. The 2015-16 season included debuts with Chicago Opera Theatre as Lucio Cinna in Lucio Silla, Opera Memphis as Pamina in The Magic Flute, her return to the Dallas Symphony for its Christmas Pops Concert, the Young Girl in After Life with UrbanArias, and Krysia in Jake Heggie’s Out of Darkness with Music of Remembrance. Additional recent highlights include Handel’s Messiah with the Dallas Bach Society, a concert with Performance Santa Fe Orchestra, Despina in Florida Grand Opera’s Così fan tutte, a return to Tulsa Opera as Curley’s Wife in Of Mice and Men, and concerts with the Fort Worth Symphony and Bard. During the 2013-14 season, Ava returned to Florentine Opera as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare, to Fort Worth Opera as Anna Sørensen in Puts’ Silent Night, and debuted with Kentucky Opera as Gounod's Juliette and Tulsa Opera as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro. On the concert stage, she joined the San Luis Obispo Symphony for Golijov’s Three Songs for Soprano and Orchestra, and returned to the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for its annual Christmas celebration and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Ms. Pine will return to Fort Worth Opera later this season for their gala concert.

AlexAnder SPrAgue JONATHAN DALE ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

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British tenor Alexander Sprague studied at The Royal Academy of Music and National Opera studio, London. He is now in demand across the U.K. and Europe, where he has performed roles in some of the continent's most prestigious venues, including Shepherd/Apollo in L’Orfeo, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Ywain in Birtwistle’s Gawain Salzburger Festspiele; The Fairy Queen, Staatstheater Stuttgart; Electrician in Powder Her Face, Royal Danish Opera Copenhagen; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Opera Theatre Company Dublin; Scaramuccio in Ariadne auf Naxos, Opera de Nancy; Gonzalvez in L’heure espagnole, Angers Nantes Opera, Flute in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Stadttheater Klagenfurt; Jüngling in Moses und Aron, Welsh National Opera; and on tour to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Gaston/Victorin in Die Tote Stadt Angers, Nantes Opera and Opéra National de Lorraine; Albert Herring (title role) Opera North; and Novice in Billy Budd, Göteborg Opera. Alexander has performed extensively on the concert and recital platform, appearances include St. Matthew Passion Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, 1st Knight/3rd Esquire in Parsifal, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Leonard in The Yeoman of the Guard, Philharmonia Orchestra with John Wilson, La Resurrezione with London Handel Players at the Wigmore Hall; and Handel's Messiah with the London Festival Orchestra at The Royal Festival Hall, Mozart Requiem, St. Martin in the Fields. This is Alexander’s second appearance as Jonathan Dale, having performed the role in this production’s first outing at Wexford Festival in 2014.

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cAST & creATive brenT reilly Turner KRONPRINZ ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Critically acclaimed American tenor Brent Reilly Turner’s appearances in opera, concert, and recital have been characterized as having a full, dramatic timbre, energetic personality, and unique honesty. In 2016, Turner makes his company debuts with Austin Opera in the role of Carlson in Floyd’s Of Mice and Men and The Atlanta Opera in the role of Crown Prince in Puts’ Pulitzer prize-winning Silent Night. He was named the Grand Prize winner at McCammon Voice Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. In 2015, Turner received first-place honors at the second annual James Toland Competition in Oakland, Calif. He was named the grand prize winner at the 2015 New Jersey State Opera Competition held in Clifton, N.J. Turner received third place honors at the 2015 National Opera Association Vocal Competition and was awarded a coveted study grant from the Wagner Society of New York, recognizing him as an up-and-coming heldentenor. Mr. Turner's Wagnerian repertoire includes roles such as Siegmund in Die Walküre, the title role of Lohengrin, Erik in Der Fliegende Holländer, and Froh/ Loge in Das Rheingold. Other roles include Max in von Weber's Der Freischütz, Bacchus in R. Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, Florestan in Beethoven's Fidelio, Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen, Sam Polk in Floyd's Susannah, and Eisenstein in J. Strauss' Die Fledermaus.

AndreW WilKoWSKe PONCHEL ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

When singing a “virile, sturdy Marcello” or a “garrulous yet endearing” Papageno, Andrew Wilkowske displays an engaging combination of musical talent and masterful stage presence. Notable engagements have included Ponchel in the world premiere of Silent Night with Minnesota Opera, reprised with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Philadelphia, and Cincinnati Opera; Papageno in Barrie Kosky’s acclaimed production of Die Zauberflöte with Minnesota Opera; Figaro in Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia with On Site Opera; Emperor Overall in The Emperor of Atlantis with Chicago Opera Theatre and Boston Lyric Opera; the Vicar in Albert Herring with Florentine Opera; Belcore in L’Elisir d’amore with Utah Opera; Bummerli in The Chocolate Soldier with Bard Summerscape; returns to Glimmerglass Opera as La Rocca in Un giorno di Regno; and to Minnesota Opera as Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Dandini in La cenerentola, and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly. As Noah in the Minnesota Opera world premiere cast of The Grapes of Wrath in 2007, he was featured on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion.” Wilkowske has participated in the Merola Opera Program, Glimmerglass Opera’s Young American Artist Program and the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, CollegeConservatory of Music (CCM) and the University of Minnesota Duluth.

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cAST & creATive mATTheW WorTh LT. AUDEBERT

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT: Soldier SongS, 2015 Matthew Worth is quickly becoming the baritone of choice for innovative productions and contemporary works on the operatic leading edge. His performances in 2016-17 include the world premiere of Naga with Beth Morrison Projects and his debut with Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine for Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem led by Kent Tritle. Matthew also returns with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for Fauré’s Requiem led by Donald Runnicles, as well as pursuing his doctoral studies at the prestigious University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Highlights of recent seasons include the title role in the world premiere of JFK with Fort Worth Opera, the world premiere of The Manchurian Candidate with Minnesota Opera, his European debut with Wexford Festival Opera in Silent Night, and Moby Dick at Washington National Opera. He has performed leading roles at Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Castleton Festival, Tanglewood Festival, Boston Lyric Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, under such luminary conductors as James Levine, Lorin Maazel, and Sir Andrew Davis. matthewworthbaritone.com

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Robert Spano Music Director Donald Runnicles Principal Guest Conductor Michael Krajewski Principal Pops Conductor

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cAST & creATive nicole PAiemenT CONDUCTOR ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Nicole Paiement (Opera Parallèle Artistic Director, Conductor, Founder) has gained an international reputation as a conductor of contemporary music and opera. Her numerous recordings include many world premiere works, and she has toured extensively in the United States and Asia. This past April, Paiement was given the American Composer’s Forum Champion of New Music Award for her outstanding contributions to contemporary music. Her 2012 Dallas Opera debut conducting Peter Maxwell Davies’ 1979 thriller, The Lighthouse, earned rave reviews. Subsequently, Paiement was appointed principal guest conductor at The Dallas Opera. Paiement has since returned to Dallas to conduct performances of Tod Machover’s Death and the Powers as well as the critically acclaimed and highly anticipated world premiere of Joby Talbot’s opera Everest. In fall 2015, Paiement became the associate conductor for the world premiere of Jake Heggie’s Great Scott. She will return in 2017 to conduct Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and Douglas Cuomo’s Arjuna’s Dilemma.

Additionally, Paiement has been the artistic director of the BluePrint Project at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM), where she has commissioned, premiered, and recorded works from many living American composers. At SFCM, she holds the Jean and Josette Deleage Distinguished Chair in New Music.

Tomer Zvulun PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT: the flying dutchMan, 2009 General & Artistic Director of The Atlanta Opera since 2013, Tomer Zvulun is also one of opera’s most exciting stage directors, earning consistent praise for his creative vision, often described as cinematic and fresh. His work has been presented by prestigious opera houses around the world, including The Metropolitan Opera, the opera companies of Seattle, Boston, Cincinnati, Buenos Aires, Wexford, New Orleans and Wolf Trap, as well as leading educational institutes and universities such as The Juilliard School, Indiana University, Boston University, and IVAI in Tel Aviv. Known for creating innovative interpretations for standard operas, as well as championing new works

by American composers, his work has been seen internationally in Europe, South, and Central America, and Israel. Recently, he created critically acclaimed productions of La bohème (Seattle, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Atlanta), Lucrezia Borgia (Buenos Aires), Don Giovanni (Wolf Trap, Cincinnati) and Madama Butterfly (Atlanta, Castleton Festival), among others. His focus on new works continues in the 2016-17 season, when he creates the world premiere of Dinner at Eight (Bolcom) in a co-production between Minnesota and the Wexford Festival, and directing the revivals of Soldier Songs in San Diego and Silent Night in Atlanta.

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cAST & creATive erhArd rom SCENIC DESIGNER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT: lucia di laMMerMoor, 2011 Erhard Rom has designed settings for nearly 200 productions around the world. This season he returns to San Francisco Opera to design a new production of Susannah, after his debut there in 2012 with designs for Nixon in China. Other venues include Seattle Opera, Vancouver Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Minnesota Opera, Syracuse Stage, Geva Theatre Center, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Boston Lyric Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opéra de Montréal, The Atlanta Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera, among many others. Mr. Rom has collaborated with many of the world’s leading directors, including Colin Graham, Nicholas Muni, and Francesca Zambello, for whom he designed the world premiere of the 2011 Glimmerglass Festival production of A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck with music by Jeanine Tesori and libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner. Several of Mr. Rom’s designs have been featured in the Prague Quadrennial International exhibition of scenography. Future engagements include a new production of Silent Night for the Wexford Festival Opera, Semele for Seattle Opera, and Carmen for Minnesota Opera.

Mr. Rom is an associate professor at Montclair State University where he teaches design. In 2014, he designed the European premiere of Kevin Puts' recent opera, Silent Night. The production was awarded two accolades at the 2015 Irish Times Theatre Awards Ceremony, including the audience choice award and best opera production of 2014.

vicToriA TZyKun COSTUME DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT: rigoletto, 2015

Victoria “Vita” Tzykun [tsee-’koon] has designed sets, costumes, and projections for companies such as Norwegian Opera, LA Opera, Seattle Opera, Dallas Opera, Opera Philadelphia, The Kennedy Center, Wexford Opera Festival (Ireland), Boston Lyric Opera, Kristiansund Opera (Norway), Bard Summerscape, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Utah Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, Juilliard Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, 3LD Art & Media Center, NY Classical Theatre, Cherry Lane Theatre, and 92nd Street Y. Her numerous film and TV credits include art direction for Lady Gaga’s ABC Thanksgiving special, production design for several awardwinning feature films and shorts, and commercials for leading companies such as PBS, DirectTV, Axe, Bulova, Qualcomm, and the U.S. Army. Her work was recently showcased in a solo exhibition at the National Opera America Center in New York, and has been featured in exhibitions at the Entertainment Industry Expo in NYC, Habima National Theater in TelAviv, the World Stage Design Exhibition in Toronto, and in Entertainment Design magazine. Tzykun has also served as a panelist on the Opera Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts. Tzykun is a founding member of GLMMR — an NYC-based interdisciplinary art collective that fuses the worlds of fine art, audiovisual technology, and live performance. A native of Odessa, Ukraine, and Tel Aviv, Israel, Tzykun holds an M.F.A. from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she was awarded a full scholarship, and a B.F.A. (magna cum laude) from Tel Aviv University. She lives and works in NYC and is a member of IATSE Local 829.

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cAST & creATive roberT WierZel LIGHTING DESIGNER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT: lucia di laMMerMoor, 2011 Robert Wierzel is happy to be returning to The Atlanta Opera. Other credits include productions with the opera companies of Paris-Garnier, Tokyo, Toronto, New York City Opera, Glimmerglass, Seattle, Boston Lyric, Minnesota, San Francisco, Houston, Virginia, Chicago Lyric, Montreal, Vancouver, Portland, Wolf Trap, and San Diego. Dance work includes 27 years with choreographer Bill T. Jones (Bessie awards) including productions at the Lyon Opera Ballet, Berlin Opera Ballet, and Walking the Line at The Louvre Museum, Paris. Broadway credits include Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill starring Audra McDonald, Fela! (Tony nomination, productions at the National Theatre, London, International & American tours), David Copperfield’s Broadway debut Dreams and Nightmares. Off-Broadway includes productions with the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theatre, the Signature Theatre, the Roundabout, Playwrights Horizons. Extensive regional theater work includes productions at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre Company, A.C.T. San Francisco, Berkley Rep, Center Stage, Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, Westport Country Playhouse, Goodman Theatre, The Guthrie, Mark Taper Forum, Actors Theatre Louisville, The Old Globe. Wierzel holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama and is an adjunct faculty member at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the Yale School of Drama.

PeTer miTchell ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Design credits include Wilde Tales, Odyssey, Trouble in Tahiti (Glimmerglass Festival); All’s Well That Ends Well, Pygmalion, [the living room] (NYU); The Cherry Orchard, The Wedding Party, Chasing Shadows (Columbia University); The Mill (Minnesota Playwright’s Center) Working, A Class Act, Company (The Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis). Select assistant lighting design: Glimmerglass Festival, Shakespeare in the Park, Peter and the Starcatcher (off-Broadway and first national tour). Education: B.S., Northwestern; M.F.A., NYU.

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cAST & creATive Anne ford-coATeS WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Hair and makeup designer Anne Ford-Coates and associate designer Mažena Pukšto represent Elsen Associates Inc., designers for various American opera houses, theatre companies and institutions. Recent work includes makeup design for On Your Feet!, On The Twentieth Century, Disaster!, and It Shoulda Been You on Broadway, hair and makeup design for Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves for Playwrights Realm, Francesca Zambello’s “Ring” Cycle at Washington National Opera, Dog Days at Beth Morrison Projects’ Prototype Festival, numerous productions at Washington National Opera and The Glimmerglass Festival, as well as productions for New York City Opera, Wolf Trap, Opera Omaha, Des Moines Metro Opera, Sarasota Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, Yale University, Carnegie Mellon University, Manhattan School of Music, Shakespeare Theatre Company, McCarter Theatre, SITI Company, The Women’s Project, Eastman School of Music, PBS, National Sawdust, Paper Mill Playhouse, New York Stage and Film, The Kennedy Center, and recently The Royal Opera House Muscat, Oman among many others. Upcoming projects include makeup design for the new Broadway musical A Bronx Tale, hair and makeup design for Daughter of the Regiment, Dead Man Walking, and Madama Butterfly for Washington National Opera and Kát’a Kabanová at Juilliard.

WAlTer huff CHORUS MASTER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT: toSca, 1988

Mr. Huff is an associate professor and faculty director of opera choruses at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. He has led choruses in IU Opera Theater’s productions of Don Giovanni, The Merry Widow, Akhnaten, the world premiere of The Tale of Lady Thi Kinti, H.M.S. Pinafore, La traviata, Dead Man Walking, The Last Savage, and South Pacific. Mr. Huff studied piano with Sarah Martin, Peter Takacs, and Lillian Freundlich. He has performed with singers throughout Europe and the United States and served as coach with the Peabody Opera Theatre and Washington National Opera. He also has performed in master classes given by renowned singers and pianists such as Sir Peter Pears, Licia Albanese, Eileen Farrell, Dalton Baldwin, Leon Fleisher, and Elly Ameling. He has been musical director of The Atlanta Opera Studio Tour, Georgia State University Opera, and Actor’s Express, and served as chorus master with The San Diego Opera. In 1984, he received Tanglewood’s C.D. Jackson Master Award for Excellence, presented by Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Huff was one of four Atlanta artists chosen for the first Loridans Arts Awards, given to artists who have made exceptional contributions to the cultural life of Atlanta.

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THE ATLANTA OPERA

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For reservations please call 404.844.4810 3500 PEACHTREE ROAD | ATLANTA, GA 30326 WWW.DAVIOS.COM/ATL | @DAVIOSATLANTA

DINING GUIDE AMERICAN

MURPHY’S — This restaurant has one of the city’s top brunch menus, but it’s known for great people-watching and contemporary comfort food. 997 Virginia Ave N.E., 404.872.0904, murphysvh.com, VH ONE. MIDTOWN KITCHEN — Dine on fresh, seasonal American cuisine in a clublike atmosphere near Piedmont Park. 559 Dutch Valley Road, 404.892.4111, onemidtownkitchen.com. M

Matt Ryan (above) is an eat-out kind of guy. You’ll often find him at Davio’s.

SOHO — American style bistro offers fish and seafood, beef, game and poultry, with gluten-free lunch and dinner options, plus their specially-priced Cobb Energy Centre theater menu will get you in and out with plenty of time to make the performance; just show your tickets to your server. Different weekly “wine and tapas” flights debut each Wednesday night.

Vinings Jubilee, 4300 Paces Ferry Rd., 770.801.0069, sohoatlanta.com. V

SOHO’s tempura calamari with a ginger-soy glaze.

TWO URBAN LICKS — “Fiery” American cooking meets live music at this hip hangout. 820 Ralph McGill Blvd., 404.522.4622, twourbanlicks.com. M

AMERICAN/STEAKHOUSE

36

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE — A favorite local steakhouse with multiple locations near shopping and entertainment hot spots. Sides are generous, and the quality of the steaks and seafood

COURTESY OF SOHO; COURTESY OF THE ATLATNA FALCONS

PACES & VINE — The team behind intown Murphy’s expands to Vinings Jubilee with classic American comfort food crafted from locally sourced ingredients. Shared plates, fish, steaks. Wine-centric bar with craft cocktails. Weekday lunch, weekend brunch and dinner menus by celebrated Atlanta chef Ian Winslade (Murphy’s, W hotels, Bluepointe). 4300 Paces Ferry Rd, 404.205.8255, pacesandvine.com. V

Free Appetizer

WITH PURCHASE OF ADULT ENTREE

BUCKHEAD

CUMBERLAND MALL

PERIMETER MALL

3368 Peachtree Rd NE 404-816-9650

1601 Cumberland Mall 770-799-1580

4400 Ashford Dunwoody Rd 770-804-3313

Fine print: Present this offer to receive one complimentary appetizer with the purchase of an adult entree. One coupon valid per table. Cannot be combined with other offers. Dine-In only. Offer expires 2/28/17. Use coupon code 55.

DINING GUIDE is excellent. Four locations: Alpharetta, 11655 Haynes Bridge Road, 770.777.1500; Buckhead, 3285 Peachtree Road N.E., 404.365.0660; Centennial Olympic Park, 267 Marietta St., 404.223.6500; Kennesaw, 620 Chastain Road N.W., 770.420.1985; ruthschris.com. A, B, D SOUTH CITY KITCHEN — With a stylish, Southern-contemporary menu, this DiRoNA restaurant helped make grits hip for the business crowd. Two locations: Midtown: 1144 Crescent Ave., 404.873.7358; Vinings: 1675 Cumberland Parkway, 770.435.0700, southcitykitchen. com. M, V

BREWPUB/GOURMET PUB FARE

GORDON BIERSCH — Fresh-brewed beers are a tasty accent to this brewery-restaurant’s hearty pizzas, salads and sandwiches. For a small additional fee, pre-show diners can leave cars in the lot while they’re at the Fox Theatre. Two locations: Midtown: 848 Peachtree St. N.E., 404.870.0805; Buckhead: 3242 Peachtree Road N.E., 404.264.0253, gordonbiersch. com. M, B TAP — A gastropub offering easy-to-share pub fare and an extensive beer selection.

The patio is a great place to chill after work. 1180 Peachtree St. N.E., 404.347.2220, tapat1180.com. M

CREOLE/CAJUN

COPELAND’S OF NEW ORLEANS — Bayou fare, plus steak, chicken, pasta and sandwiches. Fresh desserts and pastries from the Cheesecake Bakery. Live Jazz Sunday brunch buffet. A favorite gathering spot for Saints fans. Libations include the “Pontchartrain Beach” martini. Lunch, brunch, dinner. Take-out available. 3101 Cobb Parkway, 770.612.3311, copelandsatlanta.com. V 38

PARISH — New Orleans-inspired dishes served with a modern twist and a fully stocked raw bar. A N’awlinsinspired brunch is served on weekends.

Downstairs, a takeaway market sells sandwiches, spices, pastries and beverages. 240 North Highland Ave. N.E., 404.681.4434, parishatl.com. OFW

EUROPEAN FUSION

ECCO — Esquire Magazine named this casual, European-influenced bistro a best new restaurant in America. It’s received raves for its wine list, wood-fired pizzas, and impressive meat and cheese menus.

40 7th St. N.E., 404.347.9555, ecco-atlanta. com. M

ITALIAN

DAVIO’S NORTHERN ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE — At Phipps Plaza in the heart of Buckhead. 3500 Peachtree Road N.E., 404.844.4810, davios.com/atl. B LA TAVOLA — Neighborhood hub for classic Italian comfort food has a cozy, exposed-brick interior & a back patio.

992 Virginia Avenue N.E., 404.873.5430, latavolatrattoria.com. M

DINING GUIDE ITALIAN

MAGGIANO’S LITTLE ITALY — Specializing in Italian-American cuisine — and lots of it — in a classy-casual setting.

Pick a booth for an intimate date night, or go big; this place is good for kids and groups, too. Takeout available at all locations. Buckhead: 3368 Peachtree Rd., 404-816-9650; Cumberland Mall: 1601 Cumberland Mall, 770-799-1580; Perimeter Mall: 4400 Ashford-Dunwoody Rd., 770-804-3313. maggianos.com B, NA, P

HERBAN FIX’s sweet pea ravioli in curry jus with leeks and assorted mushrooms (above).

MEXICAN

VEGAN

ALMA — A refreshing approach to contemporary Mexican cuisine. Bright, fresh ingredients and traditional regional influences come together with other Latin American flavors in vibrant dishes that feel familiar and new all at once. 191 Peachtree St. N.E., 404.968.9662, alma-atlanta.com. D EL TACO — An eco-friendly watering hole serving fresh Mexican food made with all-natural meats and tasty margaritas. 1186 North Highland Ave. N.E., 404.873.4656, eltaco-atlanta.com.VH

HERBAN FIX — With a mission to share the best fusion vegan cuisine with local residents, businesses and visitors, Herban Fix offers a fusion vegan menu to let you experience the most iconic food throughout different parts of Asia. Taking inspiration from various cuisines, the menu at Herban Fix is carefully crafted and plated and all the dishes are designed for sharing. Ingredients are premium select, organic, fresh and aimed at good health as well as great taste. 565-A Peachtree Street NE, 404.815.8787. M

SEAFOOD/SUSHI

COURTESY OF HERBAN FIX

LURE — A modern interpretation of a classic fish house with a focus on seasonality and freshness. 1106 Crescent Ave., 404.817.3650. lure-atlanta.com. M

39

The ATlAnTA oPerA choruS choruS mASTer Walter Huff ASSiSTAnT choruS mASTer Rolando Salazar

choruS memberS SCOTTISH SOLDIERS Rod Hines (Soldier 1) Kyle Barnes (Soldier 2) William Anderson (Soldier 3) Jose Caballero Ryan Ceciliani Bill Fair William McChriston Jahi Mims Daniel Weisman John Young

FRENCH SOLDIERS Jacob Augsten (Gueusselin) Rob Banks (Soldier 1) Timothy Tolar (Soldier 2) Marc Porlier (Soldier 3) Pedro Carreras (French Sentry) Samy Itskov Eric Mask Joseph McBrayer Jason Royal Billy Valentine

GERMAN SOLDIERS Mitch Gindlesperger (Soldier 1) Brendan Callahan-Fitzgerald (Soldier 2/Harmonica Player) Wade Thomas (Soldier 3) Gus Godbee (German Sentry) Sidnei Alferes Chris Connelly John Harr Chris Hawkins Allen Michael Jones Grant Jones Michael Lindsay Jonathan Spuhler Forrest Starr

SuPernumerArieS Angelo Villardi Lawrence Mosblech Ben Mallard Laurie Tossing Hannah Hedges Jessica Lane 40

The ATlAnTA oPerA orcheSTrA violinS Peter Ciaschini Concertmaster Helen Kim Assistant Concertmaster Fia Durrett Principal Second Adelaide Federici Assistant Principal Second Edward Eanes Felix Farrar Robert Givens Patti Gouvas Jeanne Johnson Michele Mariage-Volz Lisa Morrison Lee Nicholson Shawn Pagliarini Patrick Ryan Angele Sherwood-Lawless violA William Johnston Principal Elizabeth Derderian-Wood Assistant Principal Leigh Dixon Julie A Rosseter Joli Wu Megan Yost cello Charae Krueger Principal Mary Kenney Acting Assistant Principal David Hancock Roy Harran Cynthia Sulko

bASS Lyn DeRamus Principal Emory Clements Robert Henson Christina Ottaviano

TimPAni John Lawless Principal

fluTe/Piccolo James Zellers Principal Kelly Bryant

Karen Hunt

oboe Lara Dahl Acting Principal Martha Kleiner clArineT David Odom Principal John Warren bASSoon Debra Grove Acting Principal John Grove horn David Bradley Principal Anna Dodd Jason Eklund Ed Ferguson

PercuSSion Michael Cebulski Principal Jeff Kershner hArP Susan Brady PiAno Clinton Smith bAgPiPeS Henry Frantz onSTAge STring QuArTeT violin i Helen Kim violin ii Fia Durrett violA William Johnston cello Charae Krueger

TrumPeT Yvonne Toll Principal Hollie Lifshey Paul Poovey Trombone Mark McConnell** Principal Edmon Nicholson Richard Brady

Musicians employed in this production are represented by the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada. *String sections are listed in alphabetical order **Orchestra contractor

41

direcTor'S noTe Tomer Zvulun directing Semele at the Seattle Opera in 2015. photo: Bill Mohn

SeeKing humAniTy in WAr

By Tomer Zvulun

Tomer Zvulun DeDicaTes This proDucTion in memory of avi maimov who was killeD in acTion on The hills of jerusalem on sepTember 26, 1996 From the first moment that I listened to Silent Night, it deeply touched a personal side in me. Kevin Puts’ music along with Mark Campbell’s libretto uniquely captures the dichotomy of love and WAR and creates a world that is both specific and universal at once. It captures the humanity of the characters and the comforts that friendship and music bring to the bloodiest and most inexplicable of all human experiences — WAR. WAR, whether today in Iraq, Israel, or a century ago all over Europe, evokes a chaotic, surreal world. The characters that 42

inhabit this world are completely lost in it. As often is the case in WAR. Our production was conceived as an entangled nightmare that progresses vertically. The structure of the opera is extremely intricate and complicated. The space is the key to the concept: It allows for the fluidity that the storytelling requires. Frequently, the vertical nature of the set allows for simultaneous action on different levels.

As an Israeli, I know WAR very intimately. From the Lebanon WAR in my childhood in the 1980s through the intifada and the suicide bombings in the streets of Tel Aviv in the 1990s to the endless battle at the Gaza Strip, WAR is a state of being in Israel.

In the early ‘90s, I entered the most surreal situation possible for a carefree teenager: I served in the army for three years as a medic in a combat infantry unit.

As a young 18 year old, I learned a thing or two about violence, fear, loss, and

direcTor'S noTe the constant brush with death. I learned to shoot, fight, run, hide — not only physically, but also emotionally. Hide the fear of dying young.

What got me through that time and stayed with me forever was the humanity that I found in every daily situation with the members of my unit. I remember the strong friendships we formed, the coffee we would share on endless nights, the music we listened to in sentry, and the stories I heard from my comrades about their girlfriends, mothers, loves, lives, homes ... most of all, we were recognizing that we all hid the same fear: that we may never see them again.

That is the most fundamental aspect of being a soldier: missing the ones you love, your family, your home, your innocence, your youth. Those may be lost forever as soon as you put on uniforms and walk out the door.

That’s why I found the story of Silent Night so moving, personal, and yet universal at the same time. Each one of the characters is acutely aware of his mortality, fears, and loves. In the midst of this unimaginable time of terror, the music, friendship, and humanity emerge to provide a momentary solace from the horrors of that futile WAR.

photo: Erhard Rom

43

behind The curTAin

Q&A WiTh crAig irvin (lT. horSTmAyer) By reBecca Danis

Baritone Craig Irvin comes to The Atlanta Opera to revive his role in Silent Night as Lt. Horstmayer. We chatted with him about the complex character, his favorite moments in the music, and cold brew coffee.

The ATlAnTA oPerA: Tell us about your role, Lt. Horstmayer.

Craig irvin: Lt. Horstmayer is a man. He’s the German lieutenant. He’s a husband. I don’t think he’s a father, but I think he wants to be. He’s a Jew. He wants to be a good man. He wants to serve his country and do what he thinks is right. He wants to protect his soldiers. He wants to keep them alive. He wants to go home to his wife. He’s a man.

Ao: You’re reviving this role after performing it with several different companies, including the premiere at Minnesota Opera. What have you discovered about this character?

Ci: I have loved every time I’ve worked on this piece. I’m not exaggerating when 44

I say that I feel it’s the most beautiful and important work of art that I’ve ever had the pleasure to be part of. I’m always trying to refine the character and improve my performance of him, but if I had to pick the most important thing, it’s making sure the character has an arc. Horstmayer is the last major character that’s introduced in the show. He comes in angry and yelling. I’ve realized that I want the audience to think he’s the villain. It’s almost 30 minutes into the show when Horstmayer enters, and there hasn’t been a villain yet. He’s angry, he’s yelling, and he’s German, so it doesn’t take much to make the audience think he’s the bad guy. And if I can get the audience to think he’s the villain and then have them come to the realization that he’s just a man who is trying to serve his country and keep his soldiers alive, that just a few months earlier he would have happily sat down and had a beer with the other lieutenants, that he has so much in common with the men on the other side of “No-Man’s Land,” then I think the impact of the show is more powerful.

Ao: What are your favorite musical moments in Silent Night?

Ci: I would say the sunrise after the men’s chorus in the first act. I remember the first time I heard it played by an orchestra. I was at the orchestral workshop and everything sounded so great. There was a beautiful men’s chorus that drifted into a short solo

by Sprink. As Sprink ended his lines, the orchestra took over. You can hear the rays of the sun breaking through the night and stretching over the frost covered grass. You can hear the birds chirping as they wake to a new day to take flight. I literally just stared at the orchestra and my jaw dropped.

Then, as the sunrise orchestration ended a fugue began. A wave of terror came over

behind The curTAin me as I realized my first line in the show was coming up in about 10 measures and I had no idea where we were in the music!

Luckily I just stared at Michael Christy and waited for him to cue me.

Ao: Where do the challenges lie in this piece, both in the music and drama?

Ci: It takes a lot of energy to express the frustration, fear, and anger that Horstmayer is experiencing. It’s even harder to do that and not let it negatively interfere with the singing. Vocally, the character has a large range and often has to sing over some of the larger orchestration in the show.

Ao: What do you think is the most powerful message in this story?

Ci: Enemies are often more alike than they are different. We may not be able to fix all problems with just talking and time, but we solve even fewer with violence.

Ao: Where did you grow up, and when did you start singing?

Ci: I grew up in Waukee, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines. I guess I would say I started singing in elementary school. You can tell I loved it, because I chose to give up one recess a week to be in a special choir. Outside of school, I started singing in my church choir when I was around 13 or so. I was easily the youngest person in the choir by about 30 years.

Ao: You travel a lot. What do you listen to when you’re on the road?

Ci: I mostly listen to podcasts, really.

“Nerdist,” “The Moth,” “Risk,” “Fresh Air,” “More Perfect,” “Radio Lab,” “This American Life,” “Hidden Brain,” “Serial,” “Filmspotting,” “Star Talk,” “Invisibilia,” “A Way With Words,” “Snap Judgment,” “You Made it Weird,” “WTF,” “Planet

Money,” “Hardcore History,” “Girl on Guy,” “Rachel and Miles X-Plain the X-Men.” That covers most of them.

Ao: What is your next dream role?

Ci: It’s hard, but if I have to pick just one, it’s Scarpia in Tosca.

Ao: Any advice for young singers?

Ci: Work your languages. Make sure you know the character you’re performing, not just the notes and words. Enjoy the process, not just the performance. Be prepared. Go to a coach at least two more times than you think you need to. Know your music well enough that you can make little mistakes while exploring the character. It’s hard to get hired for the first time at a company; it’s even harder to get hired back. Be a good colleague. You didn’t build the set, make the costumes, apply the makeup, hang the lights, call the show, or play in the pit; even when you are alone onstage it’s not just you.

Be honest with yourself and what you want out of life. This career is hard, it’s amazing, fulfilling, draining, painful, joyous, and it’s constant even when you have no work.

Be aware of all the good and all the bad, because you get to experience both.

Ao: Finally, cold brew coffee: underrated or overrated?

Ci: We finally get to an important question.

I love coffee. I have three kids (A 6-yearold and 3-year-old twins), so I’m not sure I could make it through the day without coffee. I also love the taste of good coffee.

There is a big difference between iced coffee and real cold brew coffee, so I will take cold brew any day. However, it needs to be coffee. Cold brew can get a bit bitter, so I can allow just a touch of cream in it to smooth out some of the bitterness, but that’s it. I want coffee, not a candy bar in a cup.

45

in memoriAm

Alfred Kennedy, Shepard Ansley (foreground), and Boyce Ansley around 1980.

Boyce Lineberger was passionate about many community projects in Atlanta after moving here and marrying Shepard Ansley in 1970. Of the many activities she supported with her native intelligence, money, and time commitment, was one that her husband's family had enjoyed for generations: the annual appearance of The Metropolitan Opera, offering seven productions over six days starring some of the greatest singers of the time. That ended in 1986 when the Met stopped touring.

At that time Boyce was also supporting the struggling Atlanta Civic Opera.

With no tour, the city was left without a significant professional opera, and she threw herself into the task of building the local company into one of national prominence which became The Atlanta Opera. She gave tirelessly to the creation of the company by raising money, building a strong board of directors, 46

and hiring a professional staff under the direction of William Fred Scott and Alfred Kennedy. Her charming personality combined a solid educational background with a heavy dose of Southern manners and a strong work ethic. This enabled her to win many supporters in a city that missed the Met tour and yearned for a continued opera presence.

Until her death earlier this year, she accomplished the successful building of our company while serving on the board of directors of The Atlanta Opera as its president, chairman and, finally, as chairman emeritus. For her efforts she was greatly loved and respected. Her loss is a heavy one, but her legacy will carry on through the splendid work of the company she was so instrumental in building.

BY ALFRED KENNEDY

4300 PACES FERRY ROAD S.E. ATLANTA, GA 30339 call for reservations (404)205-8255 / www.pacesandvine.com

HALF-OFF WINE SUNDAYS Join us Sundays for half-priced bottles of wine. Choose from our extensive wine list and toast to a weekend well spent!

HOURS Mon-Thur: 11am - 10pm Fri-Sat: 11am - 11pm Sun: 9am - 10pm Mini-Menu: 3pm - 5pm Sun Brunch: 9am - 3pm

READ ENCORE ATLANTA ONLINE

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8/31/15 11:28 AM

Find out what you need to know before the show. Read the current and past Encore Atlanta programs for the Fox Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Alliance Theatre and The Atlanta Opera online at issuu.com/encoreatlanta.

The ATlAnTA oPerA bAll

photo: Craig Sutters

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I am honored to share with you my enthusiasm and respect for The Atlanta Opera.

General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun has graced Atlanta with his direction of superlative opera and educational opportunities for all to choose from. Be it the season of four main stage productions at the Cobb Energy Centre, Discoveries performances at the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the BeltLine, or educational programming for all ages, The Atlanta Opera gives all of us a diverse range of opportunities for cultural growth.

I hope you will consider these patronage levels carefully. An elegant, delicious, delightful evening at the St. Regis on Feb. 11, 2017, awaits you. I am a patron, so I speak from my heart when I ask you to consider joining me as a patron of The Atlanta Opera Ball.

The Atlanta Opera Ball is the major fundraiser undertaken each year in support of these excellent programs.

Patronage at these levels is the vehicle for expanding them. As we make cultural arts contributions, your donations are enhancing the arts in our community.

We know how important quality cultural experiences are to the well-being of our city; it is up to us to be as supportive financially as The Atlanta Opera is artistically.

PlATinum $12,500

We look forward to your support and to you being with us!

Rebecca D. Warner Ball Chairman SPonSorShiP levelS diAmond $15,000 gold $10,000 TAble hoST $7,500 Silver $5,000 bronZe $3,500 PATron $1,700 For more information contact, Brandon Gardner at 470-419-8086 or bgardner@atlantaopera.org

AnnuAl giving The following names represent gifts from individuals, The Atlanta Opera Board of Directors, Staff, Chorus, and Orchestra. We express our most sincere thanks and appreciation to each of our donors. Their ongoing support allows The Atlanta Opera to continue building on its tradition of excellence by introducing new works and reimagining classics.

Listed are pledges and payments to The Annual Fund, from Jan. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2016. diamond $200,000+ Anonymous Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation John & Rosemary Brown Ann & Frank Critz *Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Keough Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Jack C. McDowell

diamond (continued) Mr. Robert P. Dean & Mr. Robert Epstein William Hyde UBS Private Wealth Management Candy & Greg Johnson Mary Ruth McDonald Mr. James B. Miller, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth G. Taylor Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle

Platinum $10,000+ Mrs. Phillip E. Alvelda Mr. & Mrs. Andy Berg Dr. R. Dwain Blackston Mr. Edward A. Chernoff $50,000+ Mr. Mario Concha Cathy & Mark Adams Bernadette & John Faber Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Antinori The Laura & Montague Boyd Foundation Mr. Arthur Fagen Ms. Rebecca Y. Frazer & Mr. Jon Buttrey Dr. Harold Brody Mr. & Mrs. Carl & Sally Gable Martha Thompson Dinos Mr. & Mrs. John Michael Hancock Nancy & Holcombe Green Mr. Kevin Kelly John L. Hammaker Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough Mr. & Mrs. Michael A. Klump $25,000+ Chris & Jill Le Mr. & Mrs. John L. Connolly Mr. Howard W. Hunter - Gramma Fisher Mr. Andrew Long Dr. & Mrs. James Lowman Foundation Irene V. Myjak Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Gross Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Paulhus Mr. Alfred D. Kennedy & Dr. Bill Kenny Mrs. Dale Levert & Mr. George W. Levert Mr. James D. Powell Mr. Charles Sharbaugh Victoria & Howard Palefsky Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor Mr. William E. Pennington Mr. & Mrs. William E. Tucker The Roy & Janet Dorsey Foundation Mr. Allen W. Yee Mr. & Mrs. Timothy E. Sheehan Baker & Debby Smith $5,000+ Mr. William F. Snyder Mr. David Agler Rhys T. & Carolyn Wilson Dr. Florence C. Barnett Charlie & Dorothy Yates Family Fund Dr. Asad Bashey The Mary & Charlie Yates Family Fund Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland Mrs. Elizabeth Tufts Bennett The Bickers Charitable Trust Mr. Ron Breakstone $15,000+ Dr. Bruce Cassidy & Dr. Eda Hochgelerent Anonymous Col. & Mrs. Edgar W. Duskin Mr. & *Mrs. Shepard B. Ansley Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge Bryan & Johanna Barnes *Heike & Dieter Elsner Mr. David Boatwright Harald Hansen $100,000+ Nancy & *Jim Bland Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg

Platinum (continued) Mr. & Mrs. Edward J. Hardin Mr. L. D. Holland Mr. & Mrs. Harry C. Howard James M. Kane & Andrea Braslavsky Kane Mr. Harmon B. Miller III Mr. David Moran Clara M. & John S. O'Shea Mr. & Mrs. William A. Parker Mrs. Polly N. Pater Mr. David Paule & Mr. Gary Mann Edward W. Phares Drs. Aileen & Richard Robinson John & Barbara Ross Milton J. Sams Mr. & Mrs. J. Barry Schrenk Morton & Angela Sherzer Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Shreiber Dr. Joseph Smiddy Johannah Smith Mr. & Mrs. George B. Taylor, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Nicholas Valerio III Larry & Beverly Willson Mrs. Wadleigh C. Winship Bob & Cappa Woodward Charitable Fund $2,500+ Mr. & Mrs. C. Duncan Beard Mr. & Mrs. Paul Blackney Mrs. Enrique E. Bledel Ms. Mary D. Bray Dr. John W. Cooledge Jean & Jerry Cooper Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Croft III Rhonda & Chance Davis Mr. Robert S. Devins Dr. & Mrs. Donald J. Filip Dr. Mary M. Finn Mr. James Flanagan Mr. & Mrs. Lance Fortnow R. Derril Gay, Ph.D. Mr. James R. Gilbert Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Hantula *Mrs. Joseph B. Hutchison Mrs. Cecile M. Jones Mr. Brian Leetch Linda L. Lively & James E. Hugh III

49

AnnuAl giving Platinum (continued) Ms. Suzanne Mott Dansby Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ratonyi Dr. & Mrs. Patton P. Smith Yee-Wan & John Stevens Mrs. Hugh Tarbutton Judith & Mark Taylor Ms. Juliana T. Vincenzino Rae & George Weimer Mr. & Mrs. Andy & Sarah Zabinski

Gold (continued) Ronnie & Peter Kessenich Marsha & David King Ms. Eleanor Kinsey Joan & Arnold Kurth Mr. & Mrs. Gedas Kutka Mrs. Treville Lawrence Ms. Salli LeVan Mr. & Mrs. J. David Lifsey Dr. Carlos E. Lopez Dr. Jill Mabley Gold Dan D. Maslia $1,000+ Belinda & Gino Massafra Anonymous Ms. Mimi S. Monett Mr. & Mrs. Anderson Mr. & Mrs. Allen P. McDaniel Mr. Josh Aronson Ms. Priscilla M. Moran Mr. & Mrs. Walter Bailey Mortimer Family Julie & Jim Balloun Terri & Stephen Nagler Mr. & Mrs. Robert O. Banker John & Agnes Nelson Christine M. Beard Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Nicholas III Mr. & Mrs. Dante Bellizzi Mr. & Mrs. John L. O'Neal Michael L. & Valerie W. Benoit Opera America, Inc. Ms. Martha S. Brewer The Opera Guild for Atlanta Bob & Marion Bunker Lucy S. Perry Dr. J. Bricker Burns Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence S. Phillips Sam & Boog Candler Mrs. Betsy Pittman Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Carlin Mr. Daniel V. Pompilio III Mrs. Carol J. Clark & Mrs. Lark Ingram Mr. & Mrs. Don S. Coatworth The Reverend Neal P. Ponder, Jr. Mrs. Jan W. Collins Dr. Michael F. Pratt & Nancy Peterman Ms Lillianette Cook & Ms. Carol Uhl Lynn & Kent Regenstein Mr. Malcolm M. Cox Mr. Shawn Rieschl Johnson & Ms. Sandra L. Vasher & Mr. Christian Kirby Mrs. Lavona Currie R.J. & D.G. Riffey, Jr. Ann & Jim Curry Sidney & Phyllis Rodbell Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Curry Mr. & Mrs. George P. Rodrigue Maureen & Michael Dailey Sandra & Ronald Rousseau Dr. & Mrs. F. Thomas Daly Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Mark Rowles Mr. Paul Deckard The Scully Peretsman Foundation Mr. Daniel L. Delnero & Ms. Vlada Galan Mr. Fred B. Smith Ms. DeeAnn E. Evans Mr. Peter James Stelling Mr. & Mrs. Michael Flaherty *Ms. Barbara D. Stewart Mrs. John W. Grant III Judge Mike & Mrs. Jane Stoddard Kevin Greiner & Robyn Roberts Mrs. Eleanor H. Strain Judge Adele P. Grubbs Steve & Christine Strong Ms. Louise S. Gunn Dr. Jane T. St. Clair Sylvia Halleck, MD & Mr. James E. Sustman Mr. Ronald L. Harris Dr. & Mrs. Michael Szikman & Mrs. Jacqueline Pownall Mr. Troy Taylor Mr. George Hickman, III Mr. Richard Thio Donna & Richard Hiller Mr. Stephen H. Thompson Mr. & Mrs. Howell Hollis III & Mr. Drew Mote Ann P. Howington Andrew & Katie Tuck Mr. & Mrs. David C. Huffman Mr. & Mrs. Thomas W. Ventulett III Dr. & Mrs. Duke Jackson, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Leroy Walden Mary & Wayne James Dr. & Mrs. James O. Wells, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Gert Kampfer Ms. Linda D. Wickham

50

Gold (continued) Dr. & Mrs. David Wingert Sherrilyn & Donn Wright $500+ Mr. C. Scott Akers, Jr. Judith Alembik Dr. Raymond Allen Mr. Steven M. Astriab Mr. & Mrs. Michael Barker Marcia Batchelor Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Betor Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey Blake Barbara S. Bruner, M.D. Ms. Lynnore Buersmeyer Drs. Brenda & Craig Caldwell Mrs. Stella M. Carlson Chris Casey & Douglas Weiss Mr. & Mrs. George Cemore Mr. & Mrs. Raymond H. Chenault Mr. N. Jerold Cohen & Ms. Andrea Strickland Mrs. Claudia Colvin Mr. Craig Cuddeback Mr. & Mrs. Harold T. Daniel Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Albert De Chicchis Ms. Elizabeth R. Etoll Dr. & Mrs. David J. Frolich John Gam, Ph. D. Dr. & Mrs. Martin Goldstein Mr. Robert & Dr. Ada Habl Jim & Virginia Hale Ms. Anne Hammond Dean & Vivian Haulton Alegra N. Horne Pearlann & Jerry Horowitz Richard & Linda Hubert Ms. Annette Janowitz Cliff Jolliff & Elaine Gerke Mr. & Mrs. Edward Katze John & JoAnn Keller Ms. Beverly Leaphart Ms. Joanne Lincoln Mr. Sidney E. Linton Livvy Kazer Lipson Charles & Katherine Lord Dr. Robert & Judge Stephanie Manis Samantha & William Markle Ms. Kathrin Mattox Mr. Thomas L. McCook Shelley McGehee Mr. & Mrs. John McMullan Mr. M. Sean Molley Dr. Patricia S. Moulton Barbara & Mark Murovitz Jane & Jim Murray The Honorable & Mrs. George A. Novak

AnnuAl giving Gold (continued) Mr. & Mrs. J. Vernon O'Neal, Jr. Mr. John Owens Ms. Beverley Paquette Mr. & Mrs. Henry C. Parrish III Mr. & Mrs. John Payan Mr. Darryl C. Payne & Ms. Lisa C. Richardson Mr. W. Ray Person Mr. Lawrence F. Pinson Mr. David Pylate Mr. David Quinn & Mr. Jason Liebzeit Mr. Stephen L. Rann Mrs. David A. Reinach Mr. & Mrs. Stefano V. Righi Mrs. Barbara G. Robinson Mr. John B. Rofrano Mr. Walid Said Mr. Robert Sidewater Gail & Barry Spurlock Dr. Susan Y. Stevens Mr. & Mrs. Frederick A. Stuart Mr. & Mrs. Stephen P. Stuk , Jr. Carolyn & Robert Swain Mr. Tarek Takieddine Ms. Virginia S. Taylor Mr. James Todd Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Tuller Dr. & Mrs. James H. Venable Mrs. Jody Collins Weatherly Jone Williams Dr. & Mrs. Sam Williams Virginia S. Williams Kiki Wilson Ms. Jerrie Woodward Drs. Martin & Holly York

Gold (continued) Mr. Scott Ingram Stuart Jackson & Robyn Jackson Mr. Stephen J. Kalista Mr. & Mrs. Fred R. Keith Juliette & Andrew Lebor Mrs. Jeanine Lewis Katherine B. Maxwell & Michael J. Maxwell Mr. & Mrs. Norman Miller Ms. Sharon Mills Mr. Frank M. Monger Mr. & Mrs. David Norris Edward & Marjorie Patterson Dr. Donald Riker Mr. James Rollins Crista & Glenn D. Schaab Ms. Regina Schuber Mr. & Mrs. David M. Scoular Mr. Robert L. Silverman Dr. & Mrs. Stanley J. Smits Mr. & Mrs. James Summers Mr. Bill Thorneloe & Ms. Ellen Smith Mr. Bernd Ulken Mrs. Linda P. Vinal Ms. Brenda D. Jennings Mr. & Mrs. Fritz von Ammon Ms. Lola V. Williams Ms. Venette Williams

Silver (continued) Dr. Daniel S. Blumenthal & Dr. Marjorie Speers Mr. & Mrs. Mike Boaz Ms. Martha Bobo Ms. Barbara E. Bolton James & Nancy Bross Mrs. Lou Brown Jewell Mr. Gene B. Brown Mr. Mitch Bucklin Wilton & Victoria Bunch Mr. Matthew Y. Burkhalter & Mr. John Carey Ms. Anne Burnett Mr. Frank H. Butterfield & Mrs. Debra Butterfield Susan Byrd Mrs. Barbara C. Cade Michael J. & Debra Caldwell Dr. & Mrs. W. Jerry Capps Thomas S. Caras, M.D. Mr. Stephen Carlson Mr. Gregory Carraway Mr. Michael Carver Ms. Lynda Case Dr. Lynn Cathcart Mr. David F. Chastain III Dr. & Mrs. Sheldon B. Cohen Mr. Malcom H. Cole Dr. & Mrs. Thomas W. Cole Silver Ms. Sally Combs $100+ Ms. Celeste Condit Anonymous Mr. T. Dennis Connally Mr. Keith E. Adams Devlin Cooper Mr. Herb Adcock Mr. & Mrs. F. Dean Copeland Mr. & Mrs. Mark Alavi Mr. Bruce W. & Mrs. Kate Cotterman Dr. Catherine Allard Mr. & Mrs. David Courtney Mr. William F. & Joan M. Amideo $350+ Mr. & Mrs. Dennis M. Crean Arlene Appelrouth Anonymous Julianna M. Critz Dr. & Mrs. Charles Arp Mr. & Mrs. William A. Allison Ms. Delia T. Crouch Dr. & Mrs. Asher Mr. & Mrs. David S. Baker Ms. Jennifer C. Burleigh Atlanta Opera Orchestra Players Association Ms. Lauren Benevich Ms. Ann Cummings Mrs. Elaine Wilco Ms. Allison Becket Ms. Elizabeth T. Currie Mrs. Elizabeth Bair Dr. & Mrs. Jerry Blumenthal Dr. & Mrs. Jeffery S. Curtiss, Ph.D. Ms. Joselyn B. Baker Ms. Marta V. Boulineau Mr. David D'Ambrosio Colonel & Mrs. John V. Barson, D.O. Mark & Peg Bumgardner Mrs. Jeanne Daniels Maria Battista Dellaperuta Dr. & Mrs. Arthur E. Chapman Mr. & Ms. O. Alan Daniels Mr. Walter Beamer Dr. Earle D. Clowney Ms. Rebecca R. Danis Mr. Brian D. Beem Mr. & Mrs. Alva Cobb Keisha Darden Daniel & Bethann Berger Melanie Collins Carol Comstock & Jim Davis Mr. & Mrs. Matthew H. Bernstein Mr. & Mrs. Newt Collinson Mr. William A. Davis Mr. & Mrs. George Beylouny Mr. James M. Datka & Ms. Nora P. DePalma Mrs. C. Anne Dawson Ms. Elena Bianchelli Mr. & Mrs. Arthur R. Dugger Mr. Christopher J. Decoufle Mr. Gary Bivins Janice & Charles M. Edwards III Mr. Louis Delatourdupin Mr. Matt Blackburn Mr. James Gary Jim & Carol Dew Cynthia & Albert Blackwelder Mr. & Mrs. Donald Goldstein Dr. & Mrs. Ivan Diamond Mr. & Mrs. Michael Blackwood Ms. Jan W. Hughen Ms. Teresa Diaz

51

AnnuAl giving Silver (continued) Ms. Rosemarie Distefano Mr. James Dorsey Mr. & Mrs. David R. Dye Arnold & Sylvia Eaves Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Eckardt Mr. & Mrs. Louis Ederington Mr. John Elledge Ms. Paula L. Ellis Ms. Hope Eyre Ms. Barbara Faherty Ms. Barbara M. Farr Ms. Ariana B. Fass Joann Felder Mrs. Arnoldo Fiedotin Mrs. Sally Finch Ms. Martha Fineman Dr. & Mrs. Stanley Fineman Dr. & Mrs. Edwin E. Flournoy Ms. Hope Caldwell-Foster Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Friedman Ms. Mozelle Funderburk Mr. Glen Galbaugh Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ganz Mary L. Garner Ms. Maryanne F. Gaunt Dan & Harriet Gill Mr. & Mrs. Sander L. Gilman Dr. & Mrs. Joseph D. Giovinco Mr. Richard Goodjoin James C. Goodwyne & Christopher S. Connelly Barbara Govert Mr. William Green Dr. Irina Grigoriev & Mrs. Galina Grigoriev Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Grodzicki Ms. Anne L. Grossman Mr. Michael Hand Ms. Mary Joe Hanes Mr. & Mrs. William A. Hanger Mrs. Karin Radosta Dr. & Mrs. Bannister L. Harbin Dr. & Mrs. Eugene Harley Harriet H. Harris Mr. Scott Hazleton Mr. William Hazleton & Mrs. Holly Hazleton Mr. & Mrs. William Hinson Mr. & Mrs. James Horgan Dr. & Mrs. S. G. Hornsby, Jr. Mrs. Sally Horntvedt Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas C. Howard Dr. Karen Kuehn Howell Mrs. Catherine Hughes Ms. Irmgard S. Immel Mr. Rolf Ingenleuf

52

Silver (continued) Mr. James Jackson Mrs. Louise Jackson Mrs. Mary O. Jensen Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Johnston Ms. Jo. Elliott Jones Ms. Rachel A. Jorgensen Mr. & Mrs. Jerry Juchelka Mr. Robert L. Karem, Jr. Jane & Bob Kibler Ms. Donna J. Kilgore Dr. Joon Y. Kim & Myong Suk Kim Mr. Allen D. King, Jr. Mr. Emory King Ms. Darothea H. Kirkland Mr. Chris Kitchens Mr. Al Klicius Ms. Caroline B. Klopstock Mr. Richard Kranzmann Helen & Steven Kraus Mrs. Emma Lankford Lucy R. & Gary Lee, Jr. Sophie Li Ms. Nancy S. Linzmeyer Vaneesa & Allan Little Mr. Albert C. Loebe & Ms. Cecelia A. Bonfils Donna & Trevor Lumb Mrs. Carol Lyttle Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Thomas P. Lyttle Mr. David Mackley Dr. Chalem Mahadevan Dr. David J. Martin Ms. Nancy Martin Adair & Joe Massey Mrs. Margaret McCamy Mr. M. Reynolds McClatchey Jr. Ms. Joey McCraw Ms. Gloria G. McCrory Michael McDaniel Patricia & Laughlin McDonald Ms. Robin McDonald Cynthia McGill Mr. Charles D. Menser, Jr. Mrs. Gwendolyn Michel Cindy & Edward Miller Mr. Kenneth A. Miller Mr. Simon Miller Ms. Sarah Millett Mr. Albert M. Morrison Mr. & Mrs. George T. Munsterman Mr. & Mrs. Chuck Musholt Mr. & Mrs. Stephen L. Naman David Turnage & Alice Nelson Mr. & Mrs. Richard Newton Ms. Penny Nicholls Ms. Marianela E. Noya

Silver (continued) Ms. Sandra S. Owens Ms. Maurneen Ozmore Mr. Joseph M. Pabst Phyllis & Marshall Pace Christine & Jim Pack Huun Park & Morgan Harris Rev. Louisa T. Parsons Robert G. Pennington Ms. Mary Percy Ms. Sandra Perkowitz Ms. Sophia B. Peterman Drs. Frank & Robin Petruzielo Robin Petruzielo Mr. George A. Pfeil Ms. Maria M. Pflugbeil Mr. D. F. Pinholster Donna & Robert Pollet Mr. Ronald F. Prescott & Dr. Annie Prescott Mr. Donald W. Prichard Sharon & Jim Radford Letitia A. Radford Brian & Caroline Rendini Ms. Jean Robertson Mr. Bruce Rogers Mr. & Mrs. John Philip Rogers Mr. Daniel D. Ross Mr. Dwight Ross Jr. Mr. Hervey S. Ross Ms. Linda Rubin Harriet Ruskin Dr. & Mrs. Bruce Sabatino Wallace & Cindy Sagendorph Mr. Patrick Sam Dr. Richard S. Sarason & Anne S. Arenstein Dr. & Mrs. William M. Scaljon Dr. & Mrs. Joseph M. Scanlan Mr. & Mrs. James Schiwal Mac & Duhi Schneider Mr. Donald Schreiber & Ms. Barbara Seal Ms. Gretchen Schulz Mr. & Mrs. John A. Schwartz Katherine Scott Ms. Roberta Setzer Carolyn H. Sherman Helga Hazelrig Siegel Richard Singer & Liz Nazzari Mr. & Mrs. Charles Slick Miss Renee Smiley Mr. Michael Sneath Maidee & Jim Spencer Mr. Kenneth W. Stegall Mr. & Mrs. John Stephenson Mrs. Fred Stewart David Strawn & Billy Clifton , Jr.

AnnuAl giving Silver (continued) Mr. John Sumrall Bobbie Jo Supine Ms. Katharine Suttell Barbara & Jon Swann Mr. & Mrs. Evan C. Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Frederick C. Taylor Ms. Leona Taylor Leigh & Jay Telotte Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Tenenbaum Ms. Michelle M. Thomas Ms. Nancy A. Thomas Mr. & Mrs. William R. Thurman , Jr. Mr. & Ms. Wolfgang Tiedtke Mrs. Newell B. Tozzer Ms. Elizabeth R. Trulock Ms. Christine Van Looy Mr. Michael Vaughn

Silver (continued) Mrs. James B. Vaught Ms. Marylee Vetrano Mary Jane & Jorge Vilanova Mr. Joseph J. Wade, Jr. Ms. Laura P. Wagner Mrs. Pamela M. Waid Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Wallace Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Watford Ms. Cindy Weinbaum Ms. Parsla A. Welch Ms. Reba P. Welch Mr. & Mrs. T. A. Wessels Mr. & Mrs. A. E. Westmoreland, Jr. Gerald & Elsie Weyrauch Mr. & Mrs. Alexander M. Williams Ms. Anna Williams Mr. David M. Williams

Silver (continued) & Mrs. Cathy Williams Ms. Beth Williamson Mr. Calvin Wingo Ms. Ann D. Winters Mr. & Mrs. Charles T. Wise Dr. & Mrs. Jeremy J. Wojcik , Ph.D. Mrs. Loretta C. Wolf Mr. & Mrs. Ron & Elaine Womack Dr. & Mrs. R. Craig Woodward Mrs. Mary S. Wright Mrs. Johnnie Zahler & Jeanette Zahler Dr. Edward Zaiko & Dr. Ivana Pelnar-Zaiko Kurt-Alexander Zeller Mr. & Mrs. John Zellner Mary & Angelo Zigrino * deceased

corPorATe PArTnerS $500,000 The Coca-Cola Company $100,000+ Gas South $50,000+ Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Cartier Affordable Equity Partners, Inc. Modern Luxury $10,000+ Burberry SAP America, In. Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters The Atlantan Tony Brewer & Co. Elite Caribbean Resorts Georgia Dermatology Center SAP Success Factors UBS Financial Services Inc. $5,000+ Anonymous Neiman Marcus Montana Sporting Club

$2,500+ Genuine Parts Company Bloomingdale's Wallace Graphics National Distributing Company, Inc. Atlanta Botanical Garden Joel Crowe - Wallace Graphics PNC Wealth Management Ralph Lauren The Ritz Carlton - Buckhead The St. Regis Atlanta Barbara Tfank $1000+ FASTSIGNS Amplifii Atlanta Food & Wine Festival ETRO USA, Inc. Fast Signs Sandy Springs Fidelity Bank Georgia Dermatology Center Miller Union Morgan Stanley - Terminus Building Office Resurgens Hospitality Group Ritz Carlton-Rancho Mirage Total Wine

$500+ Alliance Theatre James Avery Barcelona Beverly Bremer Silver Shop Buckhead Life Restaurant Group Ferragamo - Atlanta Live Nation Marty Thornberg Designs Sid & Ann Mashburn Panasonic Park Tavern The General Muir The Gifted Ferret

53

foundATion & governmenT SuPPorT Listed below are organizations that contributed and/or pledged to The Atlanta Opera between Jan. 1, 2015, and Sept. 15, 2016.

FoundationS $750,000+ The Goizueta Foundation $150,000+ Livingston Foundation $100,000+ Atlanta Music Festival Association The Rich Foundation $50,000+ The Home Depot Foundation The Sara Giles Moore Foundation The Zeist Foundation The Kendeda Fund

$1,000+ Bright Wings Foundation Piedmont National Family Foundation

$20,000+ The Jim Cox, Jr. Foundation The Charles Loridans Foundation, Inc. J. Marshall & Lucile G. Powell Charitable Trust Wells Fargo Foundation George M. Brown Trust Fund Ray M. & Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation, Inc. The David, Helen & Marian Woodward Fund

$20,000+ Georgia Council for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts

$10,000+ Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation The Atlanta Foundation Price Gilbert, Jr. Charitable Fund Nordson Corporate Foundation Norfolk Southern Corporation Foundation Camp-Younts Foundation Ida Alice Ryan Charitable Trust JBS Foundation

54

$5,000+ Fraser-Parker Foundation Frances Wood Wilson Foundation, Inc. The John & Mary Franklin Foundation, Inc. Publix Super Markets Charities Mary Brown Fund of Atlanta, Georgia Lois & Lucy Lampkin Foundation Enterprise Holdings Foundation Hills Family Foundation Kiwanis Foundation of Atlanta, Inc

Government FundinG $50,000+ Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs

encore circle The Atlanta Opera established the Encore Circle to recognize donors who have designated the Opera as a beneficiary in their estate plan. Gifts from these individuals ensure our progress for generations to come.

Anonymous

Mr. Robert L. Mays

Mr. & *Mrs. Shepard B. Ansley

Mr. & Mrs. Allen P. McDaniel

Mrs. Wallace F. Beard

Mr & Mrs. Jack C. McDowell

The Bickers Charitable Trust

Mr. & Mrs. Craig N. Miller

Mr. Montague L. Boyd, IV

Miss Helen D. Moffitt

Ms. Mary D. Bray

Mr. J. Robert Morring

Mr. Robert Colgin

Clara M. & John S. O'Shea

Martha Thompson Dinos

Mrs. Polly N. Pater

The Roy & Janet Dorsey Foundation

Mr. William E. Pennington

Arnold & Sylvia Eaves

Mr. Bruce Roth

Ms. Dorothy E. Edwards

Ms. Hazel Sanger

*Heike & Dieter Elsner

Mr. D. Jack Sawyer, Jr.

Ms. Melodi Ford

Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel

Carl & Sally Gable

*Ms. Barbara D. Stewart

Peg Simms Gary

Dr. Jane T. St. Clair & Mr. James E. Sustman

Mr. & Mrs. Sidney W. Guberman

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas H. Teepen

Ms. Judy Hanenkrat

Dr. & Mrs. Harold Whitney

Mr. Hilson Hudson

*Mrs. Jane S. Willson

*Mrs. Joseph B. Hutchison

Rhys T. Wilson

Mr. J. Carter Joseph

Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle

Mr. Alfred D. Kennedy

Mr. Charles R. Yates, Jr. & Mrs. Mary Mitchell Yates

Ms. Corina M. LaFrossia

*Mr. & *Mrs. Charles R. Yates, Sr.

Dr. Jill Mabley

Mr. Allen W Yee, Esq.

Mr. & Mrs. John G. Malcolm

* deceased

55

TribuTeS & memoriAlS in Honor of the atlanta opera Staff Rae & George Weimer in memory of mrs. Boyce l. ansley Mr. & Mrs. Barry Banker Ms. Terrell Boyle Mrs. Carol J. Clark Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Croft III Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. D'Amaro Martha Thompson Dinos The Dowd Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge Mr. & Mrs. H. Alan Elsas Mr. & Mrs. Hix H. Green Jr. Nancy & Holcombe Green Mr. & Mrs. Sidney W. Guberman J. & Sara Hehir Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Hills *Mr. & Mrs. W. Barrett Howell, Jr. Mrs. J. C. Huffard Mary & Wayne James Mr. Alfred D. Kennedy & Dr. Bill Kenny Ms. Edna Kennedy Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Mrs. T. Harvey Mathis, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Allen P. McDaniel John Hays Merson Felton & Mary Norwood Mr. William E. Pennington Dr. & Mrs. William M. Scaljon Mr. & Mrs. Charles M. Shaffer Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Jim Shepherd Mrs. Hugh Tarbutton Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor Judith & Mark Taylor Mr. & Mrs. Randall Thomas Mrs. Rebecca Warner Rae & George Weimer Dr. & Mrs. R. Mark Wilkiemeyer Mr. & Mrs. E. Jenner Wood III Mr. Allen W. Yee in memory of dr. Joseph C. & ruth P. Barnett Dr. Florence C. Barnett

56

in memory of dr. James W. Bland, Jr. Ms. Elizabeth W. McDonald Mr. T. M. Slaton Ms. Laura S. Spearman in memory of mrs. Kathryn H. Hutchison Mrs. William B. Astrop Ms. Kelley C. Buttrick Mr. Dan Carithers Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Cohen Mr. Frank Craft Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Croft III Mr. & Mrs. F. Tread Davis , Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge Mrs. Carol Goodman Mr. & Mrs. Giglia Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Hills Ms. Mary Katherine Hodgson Mr. & Mrs. W. Barrett Howell, Jr. Mrs. J. C. Huffard Mr. David Hutchison Mr. & Mrs. James C. Kennedy Mr. Alfred D. Kennedy & Dr. Bill Kenny *Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Keough Mr. & Mrs. E. T. Larid Mr. & Mrs. John R. Maddox Barbara Martin Mr. Dudley L. Moore Mr. William E. Pennington Mr. & Mrs. Raymond H. Pirtle , Jr. Eden W. Rafshoon Mrs. Louis Regenstein Mr. Paul S. Scharff & Mrs. Polly G. Fraser Dr. & Mrs. Stuart J. Toporoff Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Tuller Mr. & Mrs. Marshall J. Wellborn, Jr. Emily Willingham & Dixon Adair Ms. Gail Wilson Jan & Beattie Wood in memory of rachel lehman Mrs. Eleanor H. Strain in Honor of William e. tucker Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor

TribuTeS & memoriAlS in memory of marya Gabrielle Williams Jone Williams in memory of mrs. loraine Williams Mrs. William B. Astrop Mr. & Mrs. Gregg Bedol Mr. & Mrs. Dan Carithers, Jr. Mr. F. H. Boyd Coons Mr. & Mrs. John D. Corse Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Croft III Donald Demba Mrs. Catherine Warren Dukehart Mr. & Mrs. James C. Edenfield Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge Mr. & Mrs. Clayton H. Farnham Mrs. Dakin B. Ferris Barbara Frey Mr. & Mrs. David A. Galliher Mrs. Carol Goodman Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Hills Ms. Katharine D. Horner Mr. & Mrs. W. Barrett Howell, Jr. Mrs. J. C. Huffard *Mrs. Joseph B. Hutchison Dr. & Mrs. Michael M. Johns Mr. Alfred D. Kennedy & Dr. Bill Kenny Mr. & Mrs. James C. Kennedy Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Ms. Carla Knobloch Ms. Julie Littlejohn Mr. & Mrs. John R. Maddox Ms. Tracy Monk Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Montag Mr. Edward Montag Ms. Katie Newsom Mr. William M. Osborne, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. William A. Parker, Jr. Mr. Richard C. Peebles Mrs. & Mr. Toni Pentecouteau Piedmont Garden Club Ms. Jean H. Pierce Mrs. Lou Post Mrs. Elizabeth Pritchett Mr. & Mrs. Douglas F. Reid Mr. & Mrs. Lowry Reid Mr. Gary W. Rollins

Ms. Pam Rollins Mr. & Mrs. James S. Rushing Dr. & Mrs. William M. Scaljon Mr. Emory A. Schwall Ms. Angela M. Scully Mr. & Mrs. Charles M. Shaffer Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Steve Smith Kate Stradtman Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth S. Taratus Mrs. Rebecca Warner Mrs. Jody Collins Weatherly Rae & George Weimer Mr. & Mrs. Thomas R. Williams Mr. Allen W. Yee in memory of mrs. eugenia C. Wilson Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. in memory of mrs. dorothy Yates Mr. Gregory J. Earnest in Honor of maya Zvulun Mr. & Mrs. Wayne James in Honor of tomer Zvulun & Susanna eiland Mrs. Shirley Powell

57

boArd of direcTorS officerS

CHAIR Ms. Cathy Callaway Adams IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Mr. William E. Tucker vICE CHAIR Mr. John L. Hammaker vICE CHAIR Mr. Rhys T. Wilson vICE CHAIR Mr. Charles "Charlie" R. Yates TREASURER Mr. Robert Dean SECRETARY Mr. Michael E. Paulhus

memberS

Mr. Bryan H. Barnes Dante Bellizzi Mr. Andy Berg Mr. Montague L. Boyd, IV Mrs. Rosemary Kopel Brown Ms. Mary Calhoun Mr. Mario Concha Dr. Frank A. Critz Ms. Martha Thompson Dinos Mr. Robert G. Edge Ms. Bernadette Faber Dr. Donald J. Filip Mr. Kevin Greiner Mrs. Joanne Chesler Gross Mr. Howard W. Hunter Mr. William C. Hyde

Mr. Gregory F. Johnson Mr. Kevin Kelly Mr. Alfred Kennedy, Jr. Mr. Michael Keough Mr. George Levert Mr. Andrew Long Mr. James B. Miller Mr. William E. Pennington Mr. Herbert J. Rosenberg Mr. Charles Sharbaugh Mr. Timothy E. Sheehan Christine St.Clare Mr. G. Kimbrough Taylor, Jr. Ms. Bunny Winter Mr. Allen W. Yee

honorAry memberS

Mrs. Nancy Carter Bland The Very Reverend Samuel G. Candler Mr. Dieter Elsner Mr. Carl I. Gable, Jr. Mrs. Nancy Hall Green Mrs. Mary B. James Mr. Carter Joseph 58

Mrs. Peggy McDowell Mr. Harmon "Sandy" B. Miller, III Mr. Bruce A. Roth Mr. J. Barry Schrenk Mr. Mark K. Taylor Mr. Thomas R. Williams Mr. Robert G. Woodward

AnnuAl giving The following names represent gifts from individuals, The Atlanta Opera Board of Directors, Staff, Chorus, and Orchestra. We express our most sincere thanks and appreciation to each of our donors. Their ongoing support allows The Atlanta Opera to continue building on its tradition of excellence by introducing new works and reimagining classics.

Listed are pledges and payments to The Annual Fund, from Jan. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2016. diamond $200,000+ Anonymous Molly Blank Fund of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation John & Rosemary Brown Ann & Frank Critz *Mr. & Mrs. Donald R. Keough Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Jack C. McDowell

diamond (continued) Mr. Robert P. Dean & Mr. Robert Epstein William Hyde UBS Private Wealth Management Candy & Greg Johnson Mary Ruth McDonald Mr. James B. Miller, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth G. Taylor Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle

Platinum $10,000+ Mrs. Phillip E. Alvelda Mr. & Mrs. Andy Berg Dr. R. Dwain Blackston Mr. Edward A. Chernoff $50,000+ Mr. Mario Concha Cathy & Mark Adams Bernadette & John Faber Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Antinori The Laura & Montague Boyd Foundation Mr. Arthur Fagen Ms. Rebecca Y. Frazer & Mr. Jon Buttrey Dr. Harold Brody Mr. & Mrs. Carl & Sally Gable Martha Thompson Dinos Mr. & Mrs. John Michael Hancock Nancy & Holcombe Green Mr. Kevin Kelly John L. Hammaker Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough Mr. & Mrs. Michael A. Klump $25,000+ Chris & Jill Le Mr. & Mrs. John L. Connolly Mr. Howard W. Hunter - Gramma Fisher Mr. Andrew Long Dr. & Mrs. James Lowman Foundation Irene V. Myjak Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Gross Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Paulhus Mr. Alfred D. Kennedy & Dr. Bill Kenny Mrs. Dale Levert & Mr. George W. Levert Mr. James D. Powell Mr. Charles Sharbaugh Victoria & Howard Palefsky Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor Mr. William E. Pennington Mr. & Mrs. William E. Tucker The Roy & Janet Dorsey Foundation Mr. Allen W. Yee Mr. & Mrs. Timothy E. Sheehan Baker & Debby Smith $5,000+ Mr. William F. Snyder Mr. David Agler Rhys T. & Carolyn Wilson Dr. Florence C. Barnett Charlie & Dorothy Yates Family Fund Dr. Asad Bashey The Mary & Charlie Yates Family Fund Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland Mrs. Elizabeth Tufts Bennett The Bickers Charitable Trust Mr. Ron Breakstone $15,000+ Dr. Bruce Cassidy & Dr. Eda Hochgelerent Anonymous Col. & Mrs. Edgar W. Duskin Mr. & *Mrs. Shepard B. Ansley Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge Bryan & Johanna Barnes *Heike & Dieter Elsner Mr. David Boatwright Harald Hansen $100,000+ Nancy & *Jim Bland Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg

Platinum (continued) Mr. & Mrs. Edward J. Hardin Mr. L. D. Holland Mr. & Mrs. Harry C. Howard James M. Kane & Andrea Braslavsky Kane Mr. Harmon B. Miller III Mr. David Moran Clara M. & John S. O'Shea Mr. & Mrs. William A. Parker Mrs. Polly N. Pater Mr. David Paule & Mr. Gary Mann Edward W. Phares Drs. Aileen & Richard Robinson John & Barbara Ross Milton J. Sams Mr. & Mrs. J. Barry Schrenk Morton & Angela Sherzer Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Shreiber Dr. Joseph Smiddy Johannah Smith Mr. & Mrs. George B. Taylor, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Nicholas Valerio III Larry & Beverly Willson Mrs. Wadleigh C. Winship Bob & Cappa Woodward Charitable Fund $2,500+ Mr. & Mrs. C. Duncan Beard Mr. & Mrs. Paul Blackney Mrs. Enrique E. Bledel Ms. Mary D. Bray Dr. John W. Cooledge Jean & Jerry Cooper Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Croft III Rhonda & Chance Davis Mr. Robert S. Devins Dr. & Mrs. Donald J. Filip Dr. Mary M. Finn Mr. James Flanagan Mr. & Mrs. Lance Fortnow R. Derril Gay, Ph.D. Mr. James R. Gilbert Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Hantula *Mrs. Joseph B. Hutchison Mrs. Cecile M. Jones Mr. Brian Leetch Linda L. Lively & James E. Hugh III

49

STAff

execuTive Tomer Zvulun CEO, GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

ArTiSTic & ProducTion Arthur Fagen CARL & SALLY GABLE MUSIC DIRECTOR Casey Smith INTERIM DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION John Harris TECHNICAL CONSULTANT Walter Huff CHORUS MASTER Wade Thomas EDUCATION MANAGER Lauren Bailey ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATOR Rolando Salazar MUSIC ADMINISTRATOR Brian August PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Joanna Schmink COSTUMES COORDINATOR Ken McNeil WARDROBE SUPERvISOR Mary Torres FIRST HAND Anna Kate Reef FITTING ASSISTANT/SEAMSTRESS Sarah Wellons SEAMSTRESS Cathriene Lindke SEAMSTRESS Jordan Rickenbacher TAILOR Emory Ann Childers SEAMSTRESS Hank Collins* HEAD CARPENTER Katie Dornemann* PRODUCTION ELECTRICIAN Rome Peoples* PROPS MASTER Arlene Collins* HEAD PROPS Teddy Murray* HEAD AUDIO

*denotes members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees

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STAff finAnce & AdminiSTrATion

Paul Deckard CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Rachel Jorgensen DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS Inga V. Murro CONTROLLER Ruth Strickland ADMINISTRATIvE & FINANCE COORDINATOR

develoPmenT Sarah Zabinski SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEvELOPMENT Rae Weimer DIRECTOR OF DEvELOPMENT Greg Carraway FOUNDATION & GRANTS MANAGER Brandon Gardner EvENTS MANAGER Katie Lawrence PROSPECT RESEARCH & DATA COORDINATOR Allie Boyer DEvELOPMENT MANAGER, OFFICE OF THE GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Amber Hamilton ExECUTIvE ASSISTANT, OFFICE OF THE GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

mArKeTing & communicATionS Scott Hazleton DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Matt Burkhalter CREATIvE SERvICES MANAGER Renee Smiley PATRON SERvICES MANAGER Rebecca Danis MARKETING MANAGER Elliott Folds PATRON SERvICES ASSOCIATE

cobb energy Performing ArTS cenTre Ben Tilley TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Jessica Coale PRODUCTION MANAGER Michael Wolmer HEAD ELECTRICIAN Jon Summers HEAD AUDIO ENGINEER Mark Newman HEAD CARPENTER

The Atlanta Opera 1575 Northside Drive N.W., Suite 350 | Atlanta, GA 30318 404-881-8801 | atlantaopera.org 61

houSe PolicieS conceSSionS

Concession stands are located in the center of the lobbies on all three levels. Food and beverage items are prohibited inside the theater. Thank you for your cooperation.

reSTroomS

Restrooms are located on house right and house left of all three lobbies. Family restrooms are also located on house right of all three lobbies. Mobility-impaired patrons may use any of our restrooms.

PArKing

There are 1,000 parking spaces available at $6 per car. Valet service is available for $10. Please be sure to allow enough time for travel to the theater and parking as there is no late seating.

ATm

There is one Bank of North Georgia ATM located in the grand lobby.

coAT checK

Coat check is available at the concierge desk.

emergency informATion In the event of an emergency, please locate the nearest usher who will direct you to the appropriate exit.

elevATorS

Elevators are located on each side of the lobbies on all levels.

loST And found

Lost and Found items are turned into the concierge desk on the day of a performance.

To inquire about a lost item, please call the House Manager at 770-916-2828.

SmoKing

Smoking is prohibited inside the building.

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SPeciAl ASSiSTAnce

Persons requiring access assistance are asked to contact the box office at 770-916-2850 for advance arrangements.

Audio-clarification devices are available to our hearing-impaired guests at no charge.

This is on a first-come, first-served basis, or you may call the House Manager ahead of time to reserve one at 770-916-2828.

A limited number of booster seats are also available. All items require a form of identification to be held until the item is returned.

cobb energy cenTre ruleS & reQueSTS

• All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket in order to be admitted to the performance. Please be aware that not all performances are suitable for children.

• Infants will not be admitted to adult programs. Parents will be asked to remove children who create a disturbance.

• There is no late seating allowed. Closedcircuit monitors are provided in the lobby as a courtesy to latecomers.

• Please turn off all cellphones prior to the beginning of each performance.

• Please limit conversation during the performance.

• Cameras (including use of cellphone camera) and audio and video recording devices are strictly prohibited at all times.

• Leaving while the show is in progress is discourteous and we ask that you refrain from doing so.

• Please unwrap all candies and cough drops before the performance.

We believe joint pain shouldn’t slow you down.

At WellStar, we believe you deserve better-quality living.

The WellStar Musculoskeletal Network is an extensive team of experts who specialize in the treatment of bones, muscles and joints.

WellStar surgeons use advanced technology and techniques to expertly diagnose and treat hip and knee pain. And, our team of rehabilitation and therapy specialists will be there every step of the way to get you back to health.

With convenient access to some of Georgia’s best joint replacement surgeons, why would you trust anyone else with your hip and knee pain?

To register for a free joint pain seminar or for a physician referral, call 770-956-STAR (7827).

wellstar.org

770-956-STAR

We believe in life well-lived.