THE ATLANTA OPERA
(R)EVOLUTION STEVE JOBS
THE OF
MASON BATES COMPOSER MARK CAMPBELL LIBRETTIST APR 30 - MAY 8, 2022 COBB ENERGY PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
2021-22 SEASON
T H E ( R ) E V O LU T I O N O F ST E V E J O B S
W E LCO M E Letter From Tomer Zvulun, Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director . . . . . .
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S P O N S O R S & C R E D I T S Sponsors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Credits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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F E AT U R E S Production Note.. . . . . . . . . . . .
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P age 20
Story by Julia Brown Simmons
Synopsis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Director’s Note. . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Written by Tomer Zvulun
Time for Adventuring.. . . . . . . . . 20 JEFF ROFFMAN
Written by Ashley Mirakian
Come As You Are. . . . . . . . . . . .
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Written by Ashley Mirakian
B E H I N D T H E C U R TA Cast & Creative. . . . . . . . . . The Atlanta Opera Chorus. . . . The Atlanta Opera Orchestra. .
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C O M M U N I T Y & S U P P O R Community Engagement.. . . . . . . Donor Profile.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Annual Giving. . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Legacy Society/Tributes & Memorials.. Corporate/Foundations & Government..
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L E A D E R S H I P Board of Directors. . . . . . . . . . . 44 Executive Committee/Advisory Councils.. 45 Staff.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
cover photo: Erich Schlegel For Austin Opera
welcome
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Welcome to our final mainstage production of the season. At The Atlanta Opera, we are proud of the fact that throughout these long two years, we never missed a beat. When the theatrical world shut down two years ago, we kept going with innovative Big Tent performances, and this year, our return to The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre focused on opera’s lighter side. The opera you will see today, however, is something uniquely different. And it is uniquely Atlanta Opera. The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs won GRAMMYs and worldwide praise when it debuted in 2017, and this new production, which has traveled this year from Austin to Kansas City to Atlanta, is a brand new interpretation. We are proud to be a company that creates new productions that travel the world. Personally, I have been working on this with a stellar creative team for three years and tonight, seeing this in our home space, is an achievement to celebrate. After the final downbeat of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, we head to a completely new venue for our 2022 Discoveries Series. Many of you have joined us for these performances in surprising new locations before, and we hope you will join us in June at Pullman Yards in Kirkwood. Better known as the location for the enormously successful Van Gogh (and now Picasso) immersive exhibits, Pullman Yards provides the perfect gritty canvas for Cabaret, As One, and a concert with our friend Jay Hunter Morris. Next season promises to be the return to grand opera we’ve missed for years now. Our team is working nonstop to bring you the best. Please take a moment to learn more about next season on our streaming platform, Spotlight Media, when you have the chance. One of the best ways to explore our season is to listen to the iconic music in store for you by Mozart, Bernstein, Puccini, and Wagner. As always, stay healthy and I’ll see you at the opera house.
Tomer Zvulun Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director
6 | sponsors
Official Beverage of The Atlanta Opera Veterans Ticket Sponsor
Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs
This program is supported in part by the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and by the National Endowment for the Arts. This program is also 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. Funding for this program is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.
THE ATLANTA OPERA DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE Cathy & Mark Adams Mr. & Mrs. Ronald R. Antinori Mr. & Mrs. Bryan Barnes Mr. & Mrs. Paul Blackney Laura & Cosmo Boyd Harold Brody & Donald Smith John & Rosemary Brown Dr. Frank A. Critz & Dr. Ann Critz Mr. Robert P. Dean & Mr. Robert Epstein Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor Carl & Sally Gable Beth & Gary Glynn Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Gross John L. Hammaker Howard Hunter, Gramma Fisher Foundation
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Donald & Marilyn Keough Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough *Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Mary Ruth McDonald James B. Miller, Jr. Talia & John Murphy Victoria & Howard Palefsky Mr. William E. Pennington Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg Katherine Scott Mr. William F. Snyder Judith & Mark Taylor Rhys T. & Carolyn Wilson Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle *deceased
credits
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MUSIC Mason Bates LIBRETTO Mark Campbell FIRST PERFORMANCE July 22, 2017, Crosby Theater, Santa Fe Opera CONDUCTOR Michael Christie ORIGINAL PRODUCTION & STAGING Tomer Zvulun ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Rebecca Herman SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGNER Jacob A. Climer LIGHTING DESIGNER Robert Wierzel PROJECTIONS DESIGNER S. Katy Tucker SOUND DESIGNER Rick Jacobsohn WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER Melanie Steele ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER Marcella Barbeau ASSOCIATE PROJECTIONS DESIGNER Blake Manns FILMED MEDIA Felipe Barral & Amanda Sachtleben CAST STEVE JOBS John Moore LAURENE POWELL JOBS Sarah Larsen STEVE WOZNIAK Bille Bruley CHRISANN BRENNAN Elizabeth Sutphen _ KOBUN CHINO OTOGAWA Adam Lau PAUL JOBS Daniel Armstrong TEACHER/SECRETARY Gretchen Krupp* YOUNG STEVE JOBS Joseph Waller
BOARD MEMBER Laurie Tossing DESIGNER #1 Austin Cripe ENGINEER Michael Vavases DESIGNER #2 Natalie Rogers DESIGNER #3 Robert Banks RECEPIONIST Susanne Burgess* REPORTER Sankara Harouna*
GUITAR Erdong Li MUSICAL PREPARATION Elena Kholodova CHORUS MASTER Rolando Salazar ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Aaron Breid ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Ricardo Aponte PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Megan Bennett ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS Beth Goodill, Kristin Kelley PROJECTED TITLES BY Kelley Rourke PROJECTED TITLES OPERATED BY Valerie Pool Performed in English with English supertitles. Approximate running time: one hour and 40 minutes, with no intermission. This production is jointly owned by The Atlanta Opera, Austin Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Utah Symphony & Opera, and Calgary Opera Association. Scenery constructed by The Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Properties constructed by The Atlanta Opera Production Studio. Costumes coordinated by The Atlanta Opera Costume Studio. *Member of The Atlanta Opera Glynn Studio. The Glynn Studio Artists are supported by gifts from Beth & Gary Glynn and the Donald & Marilyn Keough Foundation.
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Notes on the Production WRITTEN BY
Julia Brown Simmons PHOTOS BY
Erich Schlegel for Austin Opera
Steve Jobs (John Moore) from Austin Opera’s production from February this year.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” Steve Jobs shared this idea with the 2005 Stanford University graduating class in a commencement speech that is often touted as one of the most watched in history. In his remarks, Jobs described to the students his life story—how he dropped out of college only to later drop in on college classes that looked interesting to him. He encouraged Stanford students to do as he did—not to drop out of college, per se, but to trust their guts and trust what they love—assuring students that the dots of their lives would ultimately connect. This concept—the ability to see connections and patterns with clarity only in retrospect—provides a lens through which to understand Mason Bates and Mark Campbell’s opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs—an opera that follows the Apple co-founder as he looks back on his life and career and confronts his own mortality.
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10 | productionnote The 40-year-old composer and DJ Mason Bates conceived the opera. Bates, widely recognized for his works combining symphonic and electronic dance music, approached librettist Mark Campbell—who had crafted libretti for 37 operas, lyrics for seven musicals, and the text for five song cycles and two oratorios—to collaborate with him on the opera.
– bun Chino Otogawa Ko (Wei Wu) and Steve Jobs (John Moore) from Austin Opera’s production.
The work premiered in 2017 at the Santa Fe Opera. Although this one-act opera centers on the life of Steve Jobs, drawing primarily on real-life figures and events, it has a fictional spin. Rather than focusing on Jobs as the legend and celebrity who revolutionized how people communicate today, the opera explores Jobs as a man who recognizes the human condition, practices Zen Buddhism, and faces his own mortality. With this humanized Jobs at the core of the opera, Bates and Campbell delve into the duality of Steve Jobs—a man who is high-tech and futuristic as well as meditative and mortal.
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The music composed by Bates maps perfectly onto the subject of his opera. Mirroring how the opera’s story revolves around Jobs’ duality, Bates’s music straddles two worlds. Bates combines classical music built upon years of tradition with modern, electronic music. Classical, melodic arias meld with pulsing amplification. Music of the past and present coalesce just as Jobs himself brings together the ancient tenets of Zen with revolutionary technology. The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs has seen spectacular success since its premiere in Santa Fe. It was the Santa Fe Opera’s most popular new opera in its history. The work was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, and the 2018 recording won a Grammy for Best Opera Recording. Opera companies across the country are now performing the work or scheduling the opera for upcoming seasons. The narrative of the opera is non-linear, featuring different vignettes from Steve Jobs’s life. “Present-day” for the opera, however, is 2007. Jobs is in poor health. Laurene, his wife, tells him he needs to take better care of himself. Jobs decides to go on a meditative walk, during which he reflects on moments from his past. He
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Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak (Bille Bruley).
12 | productionnote remembers his dad giving him a workbench when he was a kid, attending a calligraphy class at Reed College, collaborating with his best friend Steve Wozinak, taking LSD with his girlfriend Chrisann and rejecting the child –bun they had together, talking with his Zen mentor Ko Chino Otogawa, and ultimately meeting his wife Laurene. His walk ends with his acceptance of his illness and mortality. The opera then closes with a memorial service for Jobs during which Laurene reflects on his life and influence on the world.
John Moore from Austin Opera’s recent production.
By taking isolated moments from Jobs’s life in all his various roles—as business magnate, husband, friend, father, Buddhist, and human—the opera reveals connections, patterns, and meaning. The opera, in Jobs’s own words, allows the audience to connect the dots of Jobs’s life. It allows us to better understand Steve Jobs— both the good and the bad—and perhaps gives us a bit of insight into our own mortality.
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synopsis
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The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs PHOTO
Felipe Barral
– bun Chino Otogawa Ko (Wei Wu) and Steve Jobs (John Moore) from Austin Opera’s production, directed by Tomer Zvulun.
PROLOGUE 1965: The Jobs family garage, Los Altos Paul Jobs presents his son Steve with a workbench as a birthday present and calls it “a fine place to start.” SCENE 1 2007: The stage of a convention center, San Francisco An adult Steve Jobs delivers a public launch of his company’s new product—“one device”—that will revolutionize technology. He ends his pitch noticeably weak and short of breath. SCENE 2 2007, directly after: Corporate offices, Cupertino Steve retreats to his office. His wife Laurene chides him for not taking better care of himself and losing himself in his work. She asks him to return home. SCENE 3 2007, later that afternoon: The hills around Cupertino Steve goes on a long meditative walk. He encounters -bun Chino Otogawa, Steve’s former spiritual mentor Ko -to - Zen Buddhism, who died five years before. Steve in So remembers something he once said: “You can’t connect the dots going forward. You can only connect them -bun going backward.” As they gaze at the sunset, Ko prompts Steve to acknowledge his mortality.
14 | synopsis PROLOGUE 1965: The Jobs family garage, Los Altos Paul Jobs presents his son Steve with a workbench as a birthday present and calls it “a fine place to start.” SCENE 1 2007: The stage of a convention center, San Francisco An adult Steve Jobs delivers a public launch of his company’s new product—“one device”—that will revolutionize technology. He ends his pitch noticeably weak and short of breath. SCENE 2 2007, directly after: Corporate offices, Cupertino Steve retreats to his office. His wife Laurene chides him for not taking better care of himself and losing himself in his work. She asks him to return home. SCENE 3 2007, later that afternoon: The hills around Cupertino Steve goes on a long meditative walk. He encounters -bun Chino Otogawa, Steve’s former spiritual mentor Ko -to - Zen Buddhism, who died five years before. Steve in So remembers something he once said: “You can’t connect the dots going forward. You can only connect them -bun going backward.” As they gaze at the sunset, Ko prompts Steve to acknowledge his mortality. SCENE 4 1973: A class in calligraphy, Reed College, Oregon -, a circle A teacher discusses the significance of the enso drawn in Japanese calligraphy. Steve is inspired by the aesthetic ideas of elegance and simplicity. SCENE 5 1973: The garage of the Jobs family home, Los Altos Steve’s best friend Steve Wozniak has created a “blue box,” a device that allows the user to make free telephone calls. Steve and “Woz” celebrate the ease with which they think corporate giants can be toppled. SCENE 6 1974: An apple orchard near Los Altos Steve and his girlfriend Chrisann take LSD. Steve imagines their surroundings coming to life as an orchestra, playing Bach. The two start to make love -bun interrupts them. when Ko
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16 | synopsis SCENE 7 2007: The hills around Cupertino 1975: Los Altos Zen Center -bun informs Steve that he cannot live at the Zen Ko Center and hints that his destiny may lie elsewhere. SCENE 8 1989: A lecture Hall, Stanford University Steve meets Laurene for the first time. SCENE 9 1976: The garage of the Jobs family home, Los Altos Woz presents a new computer interface to Steve. Chrisann arrives and tells Steve that she is pregnant. When Steve demands that Chrisann end the pregnancy, she leaves in tears. Steve and Woz dream about the future of their invention, Steve remembering the orchestra in the orchard playing Bach and imagining the computer as “something we play.” SCENE 10 1980: Corporate offices, Cupertino Steve severs ties with Chrisann and angers Woz by denying a fellow employee his pension. Chrisann and Woz lament the loss of the Steve they once knew. SCENE 11 1989: Steve Jobs’ home, Palo Alto Steve shows Laurene his sparsely furnished home. A shared love for Ansel Adams’ work and Ella Fitzgerald albums prompt Laurene to encourage Steve to find meaning in his work. SCENE 12 1981–1986: Corporate offices, Cupertino Steve denies palimony to Chrisann for their child, Lisa, and offends Woz, who quits. Demoted by the board of directors, Steve bitterly leaves the company he founded. SCENE 13–15 2007: The hills around Cupertino 1989: A lecture hall, Stanford University (REPLAY) 1989: Steve Jobs’ home, Palo Alto (REPLAY) -bun reminds Steve that it was necessary for him to Ko learn from his mistakes. He helps Steve relive the more positive aspects of his life, like Laurene. SCENE 16 2007: Steve Jobs’ home Steve returns home after his walk to find Laurene waiting atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera for him. She confronts him and persuades him to finally
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18 | director’snote Director’s Note WRITTEN BY
Tomer Zvulun
To say that we are all impacted by Steve Jobs is an understatement. I think about this as I talk on my iPhone, listen to music with my AirPods, connect with the world in text, or watch a video on my iPad. Hundreds of millions all over the world do the same every single day. Steve Jobs completely transformed the way we think about the world, how we think about knowledge, how we communicate, and how we access music. However, for all that—or perhaps because of that—he was a very complex person, an icon representing the intersection between technology and art. He embodied a radical dichotomy of absolute contrasts: a barefoot hippie yet also a sophisticated yuppie, a Zen Buddhist yet also a power-wielding CEO, an artist, and a businessman. It is this dichotomy that our opera captures so well. The music, by composer Mason Bates, offers an immediate connection to contemporary audiences. He moves flawlessly between classical style of lyrical beauty, techno, and electronics in a singular soundscape. The opera he wrote is modern, yet melodic and easy to connect with. Just as importantly, Mark Campbell, the librettist, brilliantly portrays the man who would take a break from his ambitious quest to change the world of technology to go for long walks in the mountains to find stillness and meditate.
OREL COHEN
The most striking idea for me as I read Walter Isaacson’s illuminating biography of Steve Jobs was an introduction of a concept that was unique to Jobs: RDF—Reality Distortion Field. RDF is a refusal to accept the limitations that stand in the way of one’s ideas. Through this lens, reality could be bent to one’s own will, taking what was impossible and making it possible. Jobs defied the concept of what was “impossible” again and again, forcing his vision on what would often seem like a lost battle. Apple’s Think Different campaign from 1997 summarized it best: “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” The RDF concept was Jobs’ superpower, his greatest strength. This power allowed him to single-handedly transform multiple different fields. He was able to change the world because of his reality distortion field. If somebody said to Steve, “You cannot do this,” he would say, “Oh yeah, I can’t? Well, here’s how we are going to do it. And by next week.”
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I would argue, however, that this superpower was his eventual downfall. Reality distortion is dangerous because frequently reality fights back. Jobs’ refusal to accept reality prevented him from acknowledging that he had a daughter, and it cost him his relationships with the people closest to him. Ultimately, it killed him. When he was told, “Steve, you’re dying of cancer,” his response was to deny it and go on a fruitarian diet. When you try to fight reality, you don’t always win, and that’s the story we are telling. Mark Campbell, our librettist, thinks in a very cinematic way, honing in on psychology and character, not just biographical details. Throughout the evening, we have frequent jumps in location and time periods—from the 1970s, when he’s dropping acid with his girlfriend, to 2011 after he died—both of which can be difficult to stage. The story is not told as a typical biopic but rather, almost as a fever dream. The designer, Jacob Climer, created a world that magnifies the texture and color of Mason Bates’ remarkably beautiful music rather than a realistic manifestation of his environment. It’s like a memory play, a sleepless night in which Jobs is reflecting back on his life in a series of vignettes. Steve is the hub of the wheel, and he’s surrounded by all those other characters who illuminate him. Each vignette is a fragment of his consciousness, a moment in the story that tells the revolution of Steve Jobs. We just have to embrace them. Our staged production must be highly technical, of course, it does, because we’re telling the story of the most hi-tech icon of our time. Yet what really makes this opera a masterpiece is not the technology. It’s the relationships within it. They show how we can all, as flawed human beings, recognize and learn lessons from the life of such a tragic character. As Director, I’m more interested in his relationships with his wife, his friend, his mentor, and his ex-girlfriend than I am with the technology. Yet the tech must frame the story because this is the world of Steve Jobs. Even though we fragment that world, jumping in time and in location, the real focus always stays on the man and the people that reflected his singular light. After attending the theater, Napoleon once said, “The hero of a tragedy ... should be neither wholly guilty, nor wholly innocent. All weakness and all contradictions are unhappy in the heart of men, and present a coloring, eminently tragic.” And that’s the reason I love theater. I’m fascinated by stories of people who are neither wholly good or wholly bad, including Napoleon, and of course, Steve Jobs. When you talk about Jobs, people either think he was an absolute genius, or they think he was a megalomaniac monster. I suppose both are correct. He was complex and interesting and vulnerable and fascinating, and that is why I find telling his story so challenging and inspiring, and ultimately, so rewarding.
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Ashley Mirakian
Deanna Breiwick as Cunegonde from Candide.
Last month, The Atlanta Opera unveiled a bold and ambitious 2022-23 season that celebrates the grandeur of opera with visually stunning new productions of wellknown masterworks, including a new production of Wagner’s Das Rheingold, a first for Atlanta audiences.
“This whole season has been programmed with Voltaire’s famous observation in mind: ‘The most important decision we can ever make is to be in a good mood.’ What other choice do we have right now, other than to be stubbornly optimistic?” asked Tomer Zvulun, the Carl W. Knobloch Jr. General and Artistic Director for The Atlanta Opera.
Time for Adventuring WRITTEN BY
BEN EASTER FOR DES MOINES METRO OPERA
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“As we enter the third year of the pandemic, we are determined to grapple with the ironies and complexities of life and to persevere as Candide did,” Zvulun said. “Just like the hero of Bernstein’s opera, our season will transport us around the world in a series of colorful adventures. It’s time for adventuring.” The season opens with heartbreaking rendition of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly followed by a new production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni reconceived as film noir. The season continues with a new production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide and the company’s first-ever production of Das Rheingold, the first installment of Wagner’s iconic Ring Cycle. “The decision to mount Das Rheingold is the result of tremendous growth in capabilities of the company and our orchestra and in the readiness of audiences,” Zvulun said. “We are stronger today than we have ever been. I am very proud of that.” Season subscriptions are on sale now. To purchase tickets or for more information, please visit www. atlantaopera.org or call 404-881-8885.
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Come As You Are WRITTEN BY
ALEXANDER DODGE
Ashley Mirakian
Rendering of a set design from Cabaret.
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The Atlanta Opera brings its 2021-22 season to a close at the historic Pullman Yards with its “Come As You Are” festival this June, featuring a new production of the blockbuster musical Cabaret performed in repertoire with the critically acclaimed chamber opera As One. A special Saturday matinee features Atlanta Opera favorite, Jay Hunter Morris, in a cabaret-style concert.
The “Come As You Are” festival builds on the company’s wildly successful Discoveries Series, which has a decade-long tradition of bringing bold and adventurous works to unexpected locations throughout metro Atlanta. Most recently, the opera set up a gigantic “Big Tent” to persevere by performing during the pandemic. “There’s a different kind of electricity between singers and audience when you are in an unexpected space. That is the essence of the Discoveries Series,” said Carl W. Knobloch Jr. General and Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun. “Pullman Yards offers a raw space that is ideal for Cabaret’s Kit Kat Club, but also provides us an opportunity to reach out to a community and a neighborhood we have never interacted with.” The Atlanta Opera will present Cabaret June 2 -19 and will present As One on June 9 and 11. The Cabaret Evening with Jay Hunter Morris is at 2pm on Saturday, June 18th. Tickets for Cabaret and As One start at $20 and range to $250 for premium cabaret tables in the Kit Kat Club itself. Located in the Kirkwood neighborhood, Pullman Yards has ample parking and there is easy access to two MARTA stations.
22 | cast&creative GRAMMY Award-winning conductor Michael Christie, newly appointed Music Director of the New West Symphony, is a thoughtfully innovative conductor, equally at home in the symphonic and opera worlds, who is focused on making the audience experience at his performances entertaining, enlightening, and enriching. Christie won a 2019 GRAMMY Award (Best Opera Recording) for the world premiere recording of Mason Bates’ The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with The Santa Fe Opera (PENTATONE), and was featured in Opera News MICHAEL CHRISTIE in August 2012 as one of 25 people believed to “break out and become major forces in the field in the coming CONDUCTOR decade.” At Minnesota Opera, Christie led 24 productions ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT over eight years, six seasons as its first-ever Music Director (2012 through 2018). 2019-20 was Christie’s first full season as Music Director of the New West Symphony, and he lead operas with Indiana University Opera and Ballet Theater, San Francisco Opera, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Recent world premiere performances include An American Soldier by Huang Ruo with Opera Theatre of St. Louis in 2018 and The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs by Mason Bates with Santa Fe Opera in 2017. Christie’s conducting career, spanning more than 20 years, has included serving as Music Director of the Phoenix Symphony and Brooklyn Philharmonic and as Chief Conductor of the Queensland Orchestra in Australia, as well as guest appearances leading top orchestras around the world. Christie also served as Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival from 2000 to 2013. Michael Christie first came to international attention in 1995 when he was awarded a special prize for “Outstanding Potential” at the First International Sibelius Conductors’ Competition in Helsinki. Following the competition, he was invited to become an apprentice conductor with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra where he subsequently worked with Daniel Barenboim as well as at the Berlin State Opera. Christie holds a bachelors degree in trumpet from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife, Alexis, a physician, and their two children. For more information, visit www.michaelchristieonline.com.
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24 | cast&creative Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director of The Atlanta Opera since 2013, Israeli born Tomer Zvulun is one of the leading stage directors of his generation, earning consistent praise for his creative vision and innovative interpretations. His work has been presented internationally and in the U.S., including The Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, Seattle, Houston, Dallas, San Diego, Boston, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Montreal, Buenos Aires, and the festivals of Wexford, Glimmerglass and Wolf Trap, as well as leading educational institutes and universities such as The Juilliard School, Indiana University, and Boston University. He spent seven seasons on the TOMER ZVULUN directing staff at The Metropolitan Opera, where he directed CARL W. KNOBLOCH, JR. revivals of Carmen and Tosca and was involved with more GENERAL & ARTISTIC than a dozen new productions. He is a frequent guest director at companies such as Seattle Opera (Semele, La DIRECTOR bohème, Eugene Onegin, Lucia di Lammermoor), The Dallas STAGE DIRECTOR Opera (Die Fledermaus, La bohème), Houston Grand Opera (The Flying Dutchman, Rigoletto), Wexford Festival (Silent ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Night, Dinner at Eight), Cincinnati Opera (The Magic Flute, THE FLYING DUTCHMAN, Don Giovanni, The Flying Dutchman), Wolf Trap (Falstaff, 2009 Don Giovanni), Israeli Opera (Dead Man Walking, Giulio Cesare) among others. His European premiere of Silent Night at the Wexford Festival received two Irish Times Awards and traveled from Ireland to Washington National Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, and the opera companies of Atlanta, Austin, and Salt Lake City. He directed over 15 new productions at his home company in Atlanta, including Dead Man Walking, The Flying Dutchman, Soldier Songs, Silent Night, Maria de Buenos Aires, La bohème, Madama Butterfly, Lucia di Lammermoor, The Magic Flute, and Eugene Onegin. During Tomer’s tenure, the company’s fundraising has tripled, resulting in twice the number of productions presented annually. His focus on innovation has garnered national attention and resulted in a Harvard Business School case study chronicling The Atlanta Opera’s turnaround, an International Opera Awards nomination, an ArtsATL Luminary Award, and an invitation to deliver a TEDx Talk about innovation in opera. Rebecca Herman is Artistic Producer of LOLA, Local Opera Local Artists in Austin, Texas as well as an operatic stage director. She is especially excited to be Associate Director for this new production with Austin Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and The Atlanta Opera. Last spring, she was the assistant director for Austin Opera’s production of Tosca at the Formula One Race Track’s Circuit of the America’s amphitheater and their Fall 2021 production of Le Nozze di Figaro. LOLA also got back into production in Fall of 2021 workshopping and recording two new operas: Lardo Weeping by Stopschinski, Galloway, and Nuud; and Good Country by Allegretti and Raker. Pre-pandemic REBECCA HERMAN highlights include: Dido and Aeneas (Director), LOLA and Panoramic voices; La Finta Giardiniera (AD), Portland ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Opera; The Magic Bullets (Director) and Die Walküre, Act I (Director), Queen City Opera; Otello (Director), Don ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Giovanni (Director) and The Daughter of the Regiment (Director), Austin Opera. She has directed Queer Opera’s weeklong workshops at Portland State University as well as their recent productions of The Old Maid and the Thief and The Breasts of Tiresias. Rebecca received an M.M. in Opera Direction from The University of Texas at Austin and both a B.A. in English Literature and a B.M. in Opera and Vocal Studies from Lawrence University.
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Heralded as the “…embodiment of classical clarity” (Minnesota Star Tribune), Aaron Breid is rapidly garnering acclaim. His precise and passionate leadership has distinguished him as a sought-after guest conductor and an integral collaborator. Highlights among recent guest conductor engagements include Virginia Symphony Orchestra (debut), Opera Santa Barbara (Roméo et Juliette), Miami Music Festival (Cendrillon), Omaha Symphony (Music Mentors), Minnesota Opera (Resident Artist Program 20th Anniversary Concert), and Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers (Scheherazade). Currently AARON BREID in his fourth season as Cover Conductor for Washington National Opera and his first season with Los Angeles ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR Opera, Breid will collaborate with Robert Spano (Written in Stone) and James Conlon (Tannhäuser). Known for his ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT contributions to the German and French grand repertoire, recent performances include Cendrillon (Miami Music Festival), Wozzeck (Des Moines Metro Opera), Faust (Washington National Opera), Samson et Dalila (Washington National Opera and North Carolina Opera), Arabella (Minnesota Opera), Elektra (Des Moines Metro Opera), Der Freischütz (Virginia Opera), and Siegfried Act III in concert (North Carolina Opera). Breid has stepped in to conduct more than a dozen performances of Turandot, Carmen, Il trovatore, Gianni Schicchi, Suor Angelica, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Così fan tutte, and The Ballad of Baby Doe with Minnesota Opera, Central City Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Opera Omaha, and Virginia Opera. Past seasons have seen Breid collaborate in productions with San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Sarasota Opera, and Palm Beach Opera; symphony highlights have included performances with Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Ithaca College Orchestra, Heartland Philharmonic, UNO Chamber Orchestra, Ocala Symphony, Golden Valley Symphony, Edina Chorale and Orchestra, and a collaboration with Charlotte Symphony.
RICARDO APONTE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT FRIDA, 2019
Ricardo Aponte is delighted to return to The Atlanta Opera as assistant director, after choreographing Frida in 2019 and The Threepenny Opera and The Threepenny Carmen as part of the Big Tent Series in 2021. Ricardo is an Atlanta-based director and choreographer and a three time Suzi Bass Award winner, who’s work has been seen at The Alliance Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, Aurora Theatre, Actor’s Express, Atlanta Lyric Theatre, and Georgia Ensemble Theatre, among other productions around the country. He’s also the founder and artistic director of Theatre Platform Project, a theatre education nonprofit that serves underserved communities.
26 | cast&creative
JACOB A. CLIMER SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGNER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE FLYING DUTCHMAN, 2017
Jacob A. Climer is a Scenic and Costume Designer for opera, theater, and special events. Based in New York City since 2005, Jacob has designed for renowned theaters and opera companies around the country. Highlights of his career include new musicals with John Kander and Sarah Ruhl, Orphée at Des Moines Metro Opera/ Portland Opera, The Flying Dutchman at The Atlanta Opera/Cincinnatti Opera/Houston Grand Opera, and the contemporized production of Les Misérables at the Dallas Theater Center. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Jacob grew up active in the music, dance, and performance community, playing violin and cello, training in dance, and as a mime. In high school, he started making costumes and designing for the theater. He studied Costume and Scenic Design and received a BFA from University of Evansville and an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University. Proud Member of United Scenic Artists 829
Robert Wierzel has worked in opera, theater, dance, museums, and contemporary music. Opera credits include productions with the opera companies of Paris Garnier, Tokyo, Toronto, Bergen, Norway, Glimmerglass Festival, Seattle, Boston Lyric, Minnesota, San Francisco, Houston, Virginia, Chicago Lyric, Opera Theatre of Chicago, Montreal, Vancouver, Portland, Wolf Trap, NYCO, and San Diego. His dance work includes the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. Broadway credits include Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill starring Audra McDonald; Fela! (Tony ROBERT WIERZEL Award nomination), and David Copperfield’s Broadway debut, Dreams and Nightmares. Off-Broadway includes LIGHTING DESIGNER productions with the NYSF/Public Theater, The Signature ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, and Playwrights LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Horizons. Robert’s extensive regional theater work 2011 includes productions at the Alliance Theatre (Atlanta); Goodman Theatre; A.C.T. San Francisco; Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.), Center Stage, Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Shakespeare Theatre (Washington, D.C.); Hartford Stage; Long Wharf Theatre; The Guthrie; Mark Taper Forum; Actors Theatre Louisville, and The Old Globe. He is adjunct faculty at N.Y.U.’s Tisch School and a guest lecturer at the Yale School of Drama.
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“[Spotlight Media] demonstrates how imaginative direction can harness Covid restrictions for artistic effect” – The Wall Street Journal
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28 | cast&creative
MELANIE STEELE WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER
Melanie Steele lives in Atlanta where she works with The Atlanta Opera, Fox Theatre, The Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, as well as working in film and television. Steele recently toured with the national Broadway tour of The Lion King. She has designed wigs and makeup for The Santa Fe Opera, Austin Opera, Central City Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Baltimore Opera, Kentucky Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Bard SummerScape, Opera Festival of New Jersey, Opera Pacific, Opera North Carolina, and Saratoga Springs Opera. Some of Steele’s work can be seen in Opera News, Makeup Artist Magazine, Seventeen, Time, Newsweek, Glamour, Voyage Atlanta, IMDB and Texas Monthly Magazine.
ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT THE GOLDEN TICKET, 2011
S. Katy Tucker designs video and projections for live performance internationally, working frequently in opera and collaborating with composers and musicians, including Paul McCartney, Helga Davis, Pamela Z, and Amanda Gookin. Her work has been seen around the world, including Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at New York City Ballet, Carnegie Hall, Park Avenue Armory, BAM, San Francisco Opera, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dutch National Opera, Sydney Opera House, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, and S. KATY TUCKER the Canadian Opera Company. She began her career as a painter and installation artist, exhibiting her work PROJECTIONS DESIGNER at a variety of galleries, such as the Corcoran Museum, ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Dupont Underground, the Dillon Gallery, and Artist’s THE ABDUCTION FROM Space in New York City. Recent productions include THE SERAGLIO, 2016 Eurydice and Verdi’s Requiem at The Metropolitan Opera, Florencia en el Amazonas at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Orpheus and Eurydice at Seattle Opera, and Come Home at Washington National Opera.
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A frequent performer in both Europe and the United States, John Moore is garnering praise for his energetic performances and burnished baritone in both operatic and concert repertoire. He is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Program. John Moore’s 2021-22 season features the rescheduled tour of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs as he reprises the titular Steve Jobs with Austin Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Atlanta Opera. He also returns to Seattle Opera as Marcello in La bohème, and joins New Orleans Opera as JOHN MOORE a soloist in their Gala Concert. In the summer of 2022, he returns to Des Moines Metro Opera as Jess in the STEVE JOBS world premiere of Kristin Kuster’s A Thousand Acres. ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT During the COVID-19 impacted 2020-2021 season, John THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Moore’s engagements included the title role in Eugene 2015 Onegin with his hometown company Minnesota Opera (cancelled), Handel’s Messiah with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (postponed), the title role in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with The Atlanta Opera, Austin Opera, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City (postponed), Brahms’ Requiem with the San Diego Symphony, led by Edo de Waart (cancelled), and Conte Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with New Zealand Opera (performed). Other recent highlights include performances with Seattle Opera as Steve Jobs in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and the title role in Eugene Onegin, Achilla in Giulio Cesare with the Glyndebourne Festival, role debuts as Hannah Before in As One with Des Moines Metro Opera and Johannes “Pa” Zegner in Proving Up with Opera Omaha, his debut with San Diego Opera as the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, and he joined Opera Philadelphia for the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves to create the role of Jan.
Praised as “sizzling,” “riveting” and possessing a “plummy, ripe mezzo,” Sarah Larsen made her Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2016-17 season as Käthchen in Sir Richard Eyre’s production of Werther. A regular at The Met, this season she will be heard as The Second Lady in their holiday production of The Magic Flute. Other appearances include Flora in La traviata and being involved with productions of Le nozze di Figaro, Parsifal, The Merry Widow, and Cendrillon. Further performances this season include performances as Laurene Powell in SARAH LARSEN a new production by Tomer Zvulun of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with Austin Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas LAURENE POWELL JOBS City, and The Atlanta Opera. Larsen performs regularly ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT around the United States with companies including Arizona Opera, Virginia Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and The Glimmerglass Festival. An alumna of the Seattle Opera Young Artist Program, Ms. Larsen enjoys a long relationship with the company including performances as Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos, Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, and Maddalena in Rigoletto, among others.
30 | cast&creative
©2021 The Coca-Cola Company.
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Praised by the Huffington Post for his “ringing high notes,” Texas-born tenor Bille Bruley has garnered attention for his strength and versatility in operatic repertoire from baroque to contemporary. His recent engagements include Shining Brow (Louis Sullivan) and Riders of the Purple Sage (Bern Venters) with Arizona Opera and joining the roster of Lyric Opera of Chicago for Dead Man Walking to cover Father Grenville and Howard Boucher. Additionally, he made his New York recital debut singing Janáček’s The Diary of One Who Disappeared at the 92nd Street Y. Highlights from BILLE BRULEY previous seasons include Britten’s War Requiem with the Tulsa Symphony, a program of Mozart arias with the Phoenix STEVE WOZNIAK Symphony, and a return to The Santa Fe Opera for the world ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT premiere of Poul Ruders’ The Thirteenth Child (Benjamin). Upcoming engagements include debuts with Austin Opera, Atlanta Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and a return to Arizona Opera. Mr. Bruley has attended the young artist programs of The Santa Fe Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Central City Opera, Arizona Opera, and Virginia Opera where was seen in Christopher Alden’s provocative production of Sweeney Todd (Beadle Bamford), Robert Ward’s rarely heard opera The Crucible (Giles Corey), and Benjamin Britten’s The Prodigal Son (Tempter/ Abbot) and The Burning Fiery Furnace (King Nebuchadnezzar). He also covered in Candide (Governor/Vanderendur/Captain) directed by Laurent Pelly, and Doctor Atomic (Captain Nolan) directed by Peter Sellars at The Santa Fe Opera. Additional productions include roles in Così fan tutte, La traviata, Silent Night, Samson et Dalila, La fanciulla del West, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lucia di Lammermoor, and The Seven Deadly Sins. “Impressive coloratura soprano” (The New York Times) Elizabeth Sutphen has garnered praise for her sparkling voice and her ability to “soar deftly through stratospheric trills and arpeggios” (Financial Times). Praised as “Exquisite” by The Guardian, Sutphen’s 2021-22 season includes a return to Oper Frankfurt as new productions of Handel’s Amadigi (Oriana) and Schönberg’s Von Heute auf Morgen (Ehefrau), her house debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper as Blondchen in Die Entführing aus dem Serail, her Palm Beach Opera debut as Valencienne in The Merry Widow, and her debut with The ELIZABETH SUTPHEN Atlanta Opera as Chrisann Brennan in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs by Mason Bates and Mark Campbell. Sutphen CHRISANN BRENNAN has performed leading roles in houses around the world, ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT including Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier with the Glyndebourne Festival, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos with both the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse and Oper Frankfurt, and Faustina in the world premiere of Tarik O’Regan and John Caird’s The Phoenix, and Gilda in Rigoletto with Houston Grand Opera. Most recently, Ms. Sutphen was praised by Schmopera for her “impeccable comedic delivery” and “ability to sing flawlessly ... with dexterity and finesse” for her Des Moines Metro Opera debut as the delightfully zany La Folie in Rameau’s Platée. On the concert stage, Sutphen has performed with the Saint Louis Symphony, the festival orchestra of the Tiroler Festspiele, the Vienna Boys’ Choir, Orchestre de Lille, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
32 | cast&creative American bass Adam Lau, praised as a “bass of real quality, with sonorous low notes,” continues a busy career in the 2021-22 Season. Returning to Utah Opera, Mr. Lau sang Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut singing the Jailer in Tosca and the Second Armored Man in The Magic Flute. Following this, he returned to North Carolina Opera where he sang Colline in La bohème. Mr. Lau returned toThe Dallas Opera to sing the role of The Bonze in Madama Butterfly and Don Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro. Concluding his operatic ADAM LAU season, he makes his debut with The Atlanta Opera _ –bun in The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, and singing Ko KOBUN CHINO OTOGAWA returns to Opera Theatre of St. Louis as Sarastro in The ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Magic Flute. Adam Lau won First Prize in the 2016 Jensen Vocal Competition and Top Prize in the 2015 George London Competition. He has appeared with such opera companies as, Dallas Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Portland Opera, the Wexford Festival, as well as with some of the nation’s leading summer programs including Merola Opera, Aspen Opera Theater, and Santa Fe Opera. In addition to opera, Mr. Lau maintains an active concert career. He has appeared with several leading symphonic organizations including Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony, San Diego Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
Baritone Daniel Armstrong is an alumnus of LA Opera’s Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program. He made his company debut in Luisa Fernanda (2007), with many subsequent appearances including Starbuck in Moby-Dick (2015) During the 2016-17 season, he performed the roles of Schlemil in The Tales of Hoffmann, Sciarrone in Tosca and Yamadori in Madama Butterfly. In the 2017-18 season, he made his Dallas Opera debut as Marquis d’Obigny in La traviata and in 2019 appeared in El Gato Montes starring Placido Domingo with LA Opera. He has performed the DANIEL ARMSTRONG leading roles of the Jester in the West Coast premiere of Ernst Krenek’s The Secret Kingdom and Tarquinius in The PAUL JOBS Rape of Lucretia with the Colburn Orchestra, conducted ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT by James Conlon. Other performances include Bach’s Magnificat with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, under the baton of music director Jeffrey Kahane, and Berlioz’s L’enfance du Christ with the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra.
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Gretchen Krupp, lauded for her “ripe, round mezzo” (Opera News) and “searing delivery” (Opera Today), is gaining recognition in major competitions and festivals on the operatic scene. She most recently made her Atlanta Opera debut as Edith in The Pirates of Penzance. Last fall, she appeared as a featured soloist in concerts with Baltimore Concert Opera and The Dallas Opera. During the summer of 2021, she returned to Wolf Trap Opera as a Filene Artist where she performed in Bologne’s L’amant Anonyme and Viardot’s Cendrillon, in addition to her first performance GRETCHEN KRUPP of Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder and was a soloist in concert with the National Symphony Orchestra. Her GLYNN STUDIO ARTIST scheduled debut with The Dallas Opera in Don Carlo was TEACHER unfortunately canceled due to the pandemic. Gretchen was the mezzo soloist in Beethoven@250 with the Cathedral ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT Choral Society at The National Cathedral in Washington THE PIRATES OF DC. Prior to the pandemic, she made her European debut PENZANCE, 2022 at the Château de Versailles Spectacles as Samira in The Ghosts of Versailles, a role she earlier debuted at The Glimmerglass Festival. She was the recipient of the prestigious Georgina Joshi International Fellowship for vocal studies in Berlin. Other credits include the role of the Witch in Hansel and Gretel with Greensboro Opera, being a Grand Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions (newly renamed The Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition), and her Glimmerglass Festival debut singing multiple roles in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen. Gretchen was also a finalist in the Houston Grand Opera 29th Annual Eleanor McCollum Competition. She is an alumna of programs at The Glimmerglass Festival, Wolf Trap Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and Dolora Zajick’s Institute for Young Dramatic Voices. Gretchen holds degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is currently a Glynn Studio Artist.
Joseph is a sixth grader at David T. Howard Middle School in Atlanta, and he thrilled to perform with The Atlanta Opera. New to opera, Joseph loves community theater and classical music. Joseph has been a violinist since he was five years old, and in his spare time enjoys reading, playing soccer, and taking karate lessons.
JOSEPH WALLER YOUNG STEVE JOBS ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT
34 | theatlantaoperachorus CHORUS MASTER Rolando Salazar CHORUS MEMBERS SOPRANO Susanne Burgess* Natalie Rogers Tiffany Uzojie Erika Wuerzner
TENOR Robert P. Banks Austin Cripe M. Grant Jones Michael Vavases
MEZZO SOPRANO Valerie Hamm Gretchen Krupp* Eva Lukkonen Sullivan Laurie Tossing
BARITONE/BASS Sankara Harouna* Timothy Marshall Stephen McCool Randall Perkins *Member of The Atlanta Opera Glynn Studio
Steve Jobs (John Moore) from Austin Opera’s February 2022 production of The (R)evolution of
FELIPE BARRAL
Steve Jobs.
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theatlantaoperaorchestra
VIOLIN Peter Ciaschini* The Loraine P. Williams Orchestra Concertmaster Chair
BASS Lyn DeRamus Principal
TRUMPET Yvonne Toll Principal
Emory Clements
Paul Poovey†
Helen Kim Acting Concertmaster
FLUTE/PICCOLO/ ALTO FLUTE James Zellers Principal
TROMBONE Bill Mann† Principal
Lisa Morrison Acting Assistant Concertmaster Fia Durrett Principal Second Adelaide Federici* Assistant Principal Second
OBOE Diana Dunn* Principal Christina Gavin Acting Principal
Edward Eanes
CLARINET David Odom Principal
Robert Givens
John Warren*
Patti Gouvas Shawn Pagliarini Virginia Respess-Fairchild Patrick Ryan Angèle Sherwood-Lawless Rafael Veytsblum VIOLA William Johnston Principal Joli Wu Acting Assistant Principal Ryan Gregory Julie Rosseter Karl Schab* Meghan Yost† CELLO Charae Krueger Principal Hilary Glen Assisant Principal David Hancock* Mary Kenney Alexis Lee† Cynthia Sulko*
Josh Bynum†
Kelly Smith-Bryant
Jessica Stinson Acting Assistant Principal Second Felix Farrar
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BASS TROMBONE Richard Brady TIMPANI John Lawless Principal PERCUSSION Michael Cebulski Principal Karen Hunt† Jeff Kershner†
ALTO SAXOPHONE Luke Weathington† Principal Seth Kuehn† BASSOON/ CONTRABASSOON Stephanie Patterson† Acting Principal Debra Clark Grove HORN David Bradley* Principal Jason Eklund Acting Principal Camron Bryant†
HARP Susan Brady GUITAR Erdong Li† SYNTHESIZER/ ELECTRONICA Derek Mathews† PIANO/CELESTE Elena Kholodova PERSONNEL MANAGER James Zellers *Core Musician On Leave † Non-Core Musician
Eric Hawkins† Mackenzie Newell† Musicians employed in this production are represented by the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.
36 | communityengagement
Telling the Stories of Georgia WRITTEN BY
JEFF ROFFMAN
Jessica Kiger
A team performing in the 2015 showcase at Theatrical Outfit from the 24-Hour Opera Project.
Long-time fans of The Atlanta Opera may remember the company’s 24-Hour Opera Project, which brought artistic teams together to create and perform an original opera scene in twenty-four hours. This season, we are bringing the concept back with a bold new vision. Over four days in June, teams of composers and librettists from historically underrepresented communities, will craft compelling, completely new 10-minute operas. The operas will focus on stories from Atlanta and Georgia’s diverse communities, which have rarely been featured on operatic stages. The winning team will be awarded a future opera commission with The Atlanta Opera and $10,000. We’re calling it the 96-Hour Opera Project. Atlanta native and international opera star bass Morris Robinson will serve as an artistic advisor on the project and will also join the judging panel which includes Priti Gandhi, Artistic Director of Portland Opera; librettist
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communityengagement
and writer Andrea Davis Pinkney; choreographer and stage director Donald Byrd; composer Kevin Puts; and Khori Dastoor, General Director of Houston Grand Opera. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights, We Love Buford Highway, the Fulton County Library System, the Japan American Society of Georgia, and The Atlanta History Center will assist the opera in providing compelling local story prompts and creative briefs for the participating librettists and composers. The creative teams will be paired with story partner organizations and given their story briefs in advance of the competition with time to engage in collaborative discussion and exploration.
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presents
Judges & Advisors
The four-day competition runs from June 17 to June 20. The showcase will be hosted in partnership with Morehouse College School fo Music and held at the Ray Charles Center for the Performing Arts on Monday, June 20, 2022 at 7pm. Admission will be free and open to the public. For more information about the 96-Hour Opera Project, please visit: www.atlantaopera.org/ competition
Clockwise from top left: Donald Byrd, judge; Khori Dastoor, judge; Priti Gandhi, judge; Morris Robinson, judge and artistic advisor; Kevin Puts, judge; Andrea Davis Pinkney, judge
38 | donorprofile
Donor Profile WRITTEN BY
Jessica Langlois &
Members of the Atlanta Music Festival, from left: Alfred Kennedy, Jr., Barbara Prickett, G. Kimbrough Taylor; Bob Edge; Murray Wood, Ronald Hartley, and Anne Hayes.
On Oct. 28, 1901, The Metropolitan Opera extended their national tour to Atlanta and opened with a performance of Wagner’s Lohengrin. The next day saw a matinee of Romeo and Juliette and an evening performance of The Barber of Seville. Atlanta was hooked.
In 1910, a group of committed citizens took Jonathan Blalock it upon themselves to solidify the stability and COURTESY BOB EDGE vitality of the Met’s stop in Atlanta and established the Atlanta Music Festival Association (AMFA.) The group’s mission was to provide the structure, leadership, and financial support to ensure that the tour would continue. The AMFA recruited countless volunteers to support the Met’s appearance. There is one among the many, though, to earn the title of Atlanta Opera legend, Mr. Robert Edge. Since he was elected president of AMFA in 1972, Bob Edge has led the organization with a passion for the art form and a thoughtful approach to the business. “Thanks to the strong leadership of AMFA President Alfred Kennedy Sr., who preceded me as President, and the successful years that followed, we were able to develop a reserve fund of about $1.8 million by the time the Met quit touring. Most of that fund has been dedicated to The Atlanta Opera for the last 35 years, and those of us associated with the AMFA have taken great pleasure in providing this support,” said Bog Edge. Atlanta’s fiscal reliability and warm hospitality kept it a favored stop on the Met tour until 1986, the final year of the tour. With cash still in hand, the AMFA board transferred their remaining funds to The Community Foundation, releasing a portion of its funds to organizations they believed would honor AMFA’s original mission, including its favored local company, The Atlanta Opera. Thanks to effective stewardship of its funds, the AMFA has faithfully supported The Atlanta Opera with an annual contribution of $70,000 or more for decades. The AMFA’s cumulative contributions to the Opera exceed $2.6 million. To learn how you can support The Atlanta Opera through an annuity or another planned gift, contact Jonathan Blalock, Associate Director of Development for Major and Planned Gifts, at jblalock@atlantaopera.org.
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giving&support
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ANNUAL GIVING We are grateful for the following donors’ generous support. This list reflects gifts and annual pledges to unrestricted operating expenses, special projects, and/or endowment made between Feb. 1, 2021 and Mar 15, 2022.
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE $1,000,000+ John & Rosemary Brown
$200,000+ Dr. Frank A. Critz & Dr. Ann Critz† Mr. Howard W. Hunter Gramma Fisher Foundation† *Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Knobloch, Jr.† Jerry & Dulcy Rosenberg† Harold Brody & Donald Smith†
$100,000+ Laura & Cosmo Boyd Beth & Gary Glynn Mr. James B. Miller, Jr.† Rhys & Carolyn Wilson†
$50,000+ The Antinori Foundation Triska Drake & G. Kimbrough Taylor Mary & EP Rogers Foundation, Inc. The Gable Foundation, Inc.† Mr. William E. Pennington† Mr. William F. Snyder† Katherine Scott Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle†
$25,000+ Bryan & Johanna Barnes† Mr. & Mrs. Paul Blackney† Mr. Robert P. Dean & Mr. Robert Epstein† Dr. & Mrs. Alexander Gross† Mary Ruth McDonald Talia & John Murphy† Victoria & Howard Palefsky† Judith & Mark Taylor
PATRON’S CIRCLE $15,000+ Cathy & Mark Adams Mr. David Boatwright† Mr. John Haupert & Mr. Bryan Brooks† Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Paulhus† Larry & Beverly Willson† The Mary & Charlie Yates Family Fund
GOLD $10,000+ Elizabeth & Jeremy Adler† Mrs. Phillip E. Alvelda†
John & Wendy Anzalone† Julia & Jim Balloun Dr. & Mrs. Asad Bashey Mr. & Mrs. C. Duncan Beard Ms. Janine Brown & Mr. Alex J. Simmons, Jr. Mr. Frank H. Butterfield† Mr. Mario Concha Mr. Richard H. Delay & Dr. Francine D. Dykes† Dieter Elsner Ms. Ariana B. Fass Dr. Donald J. & Janet Filip† Lynn & Fred Hanna Roya & Bahman Irvani Dr. & Mrs. David Kavtaradze Stephanie & Gregor Morela† Sandra & Peter Morelli† Clara M. & John S. O’Shea† Mr. Milton J. Sams† Charles T. & Donna Sharbaugh† Slumgullion Charitable Fund† Christine & Mark St.Clare† John & Yee-Wan Stevens Mr. & Mrs. William E. Tucker Wadleigh C. Winship Charitable Fund Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland
SILVER $5,000+ Anonymous Mr. & *Mrs. Shepard B. Ansley Mr. & Mrs. Dante Bellizzi Dr. R. Dwain Blackston John W. Cooledge† Jean & Jerry Cooper Mr. & Mrs. Robert G. Edge Ms. Rebecca Y. Frazer & Mr. Jon Buttrey Mr. Ethan Garonzik Kevin Greiner & Robyn Roberts Mr. & Mrs. Edward J. Hardin Deborah & Paul Harkins Donna & *Richard Hiller Mr. L. D. Holland† Candy & Greg Johnson Gail Johnson Mr. Alfred D. Kennedy & Dr. Bill Kenny Elizabeth Klump Ms. Salli LeVan Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Long Mr. Creel McCormack Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Nicholas III† Mr. & Mrs. Steve Paro Mr. James L. Rhoden Baker & Debby Smith†
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Sproul George & Amy Taylor Bob & Cappa Woodward Charitable Fund Dr. & Mrs. Nicholas Valerio III†
BRONZE $2,500+ Mr. Mark du Mas Mr. James Flanagan Judge Adele P. Grubbs Mr. Robert Grubert Jim & Virginia Hale Eda L. Hochgelerent, M.D. & Bruce A. Cassidy, M.D.† Linda L. Lively & James E. Hugh III Mary & Wayne James Mimi & Dan Maslia Belinda & Gino Massafra Peggy Weber McDowell & Jack McDowell John & Agnes Nelson The Pamer Family Foundation Lynn & Kent Regenstein Morton & Angela Sherzer Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Shreiber Gail & Barry Spurlock Lynne & Steven Steindel Thurman Williams Kiki Wilson
FRIEND’S CIRCLE INVESTOR $1,000+ Karyn Alexander *Dr. Florence C. Barnett Ms. Hope M. Barrett Colonel & Mrs. John V. Barson Jonathan E. Blalock Ms. Mary D. Bray Ms. Martha S. Brewer Stanford M. Brown John & Linda Cooke Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Croft III Mrs. Lavona Currie Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Curry Dr. & Mrs. F. Thomas Daly Jr. Jim & Carol Dew *Col. & Mrs. Edgar W. Duskin Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Eckardt Mrs. Anne J. Ederington Mr. Thomas Emch James C. Goodwyne & Christopher S. Connelly Dr. Thomas N. Guffin, Jr. Ms. Louise S. Gunn The Hills Family Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Hills, Trustees
40 | giving&support Douglas Hooker & Patrise Perkins Hooker Mr. & Mrs. Harry C. Howard Ann P. Howington Richard & Linda Hubert Mr. & Mrs. David C. Huffman Ms. Brenda D. Jennings Mr. & Mrs. Gert Kampfer Mrs. Peter G. Kessenich Mr. & Mrs. Larry Kurlander Mrs. Treville Lawrence Dr. Carlos E. Lopez Dr. & Mrs. James Lowman Ross & Kristin Maiwand Samantha & William Markle Mr. Stedman C. Mays , Jr. & Mr. Charles Bjorklund Sally & Alllen McDaniel Barbara & Mark Murovitz The Honorable & Mrs. George A. Novak The Opera Guild for Atlanta Dr. & Mrs. Donald A. Paul George Paulik Lucy S. Perry Mrs. Betsy Pittman Dr. & Mrs. Donald Reitzes Richard Restagno Mr. & Mrs. J. Barry Schrenk Mr. Fred B. Smith Mr. Paul Snyder Adhishesh Sood Dr. Jane T. St.Clair & Mr. James E. Sustman Mr. & Mrs. Robert Stansfield Steve & Christine Strong Sharon Daniels Sullivan Mr. Tarek Takieddini Ms. Virginia S. Taylor Mr. Johnny Thigpen & Mr. James Martin Mr. Stephen H. Thompson & Mr. Drew Mote Ms. Betsy K. Wash Rae & George Weimer Dr. & Mrs. James O. Wells, Jr. Adair & Dick White Ms. Kathy J. White Dr. & Mrs. Hamilton Williams *Dr. & Mrs. R. Craig Woodward
SUPPORTER $500+ Paula Stephan Amis Mr. & Mrs. Robert O. Banker Natalie & Matthew Bernstein Mr. & Mrs. George Cemore Dr. Lawrence Cohen T. Dennis Connally Ms Lillianette Cook & Ms. Carol Uhl Mrs. Robin Engleman Mr. & Mrs. Lance Fortnow Mr. & *Mrs. Leon C. Goldstein Mr. & Mrs. Sam Hagan George L. Hickman III
James E. Honkisz & Catherine A. Binns Mr. J. Carter Joseph Allan & Vaneesa Little Dr. Jo Marie Lyons & Mrs. Betty C. Lyons Mr. & Mrs. M. Sean Molley Mrs. Thespi P. Mortimer Terri & Stephen Nagler Carol S. Niemi Christine & Jim Pack Mrs. Polly N. Pater Mr. Darryl-Christopher Payne† Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence S. Phillips Mr. Lawrence F. Pinson The Reverend Neal P. Ponder, Jr. Mr. James D. Powell Mr. Thomas Ramsay R.J. & D.G. Riffey, Jr. Mr. Forrest Roberston Sidney & Phyllis Rodbell Dr. & Mrs. William M. Scaljon Daniel Shea Mr. Kurt A. Shreiner Dr. & Mrs. William E. Silver *Peter Stelling & Jody C. Weatherly Kay Summers Carolyn & Robert Swain Dr. & Mrs. Joel D. Todino Alan & Marcia Watt Dr. & Mrs. David Wingert Sherrilyn & *Donn Wright Barbara Zellner Dr. & Mrs. Ben Zinn
CONTRIBUTOR $250+ Judith M. Alembik Atlanta Neurology Kelly Baker Fink Dr. & Mrs. Frank C. Bell Mr. Edward S. Berkoff Drs. Tatiana & Igor Bidikov Mr. Matt Blackburn Paul Brenner Anne D. Burnett Dr. & Mrs. Harold L. Chapman, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Raymond H. Chenault Mrs. Jan W. Collins Carol Comstock & Jim Davis Mr. & Mrs. John Costello Mr. David D’Ambrosio Mr. & Mrs. Harold T. Daniel Jr. Mr. James M. Datka & Ms. Nora P. DePalma Ashley Derrick Mr. & Mrs. Michael Duff Ms. Margaret Eisenhauer Micah Fortson & Georgia Jarman Dr. & Mrs. David J. Frolich Ms. Tabitha Gibbs Col. & Mrs. Donald M. Gilner Dr. & Mrs. Martin Goldstein John Greer
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Mr. & Mrs. Richard P. Grodzicki Tom Grose Dr. & Mrs. Bannester L. Harbin Andrew Harrell Ms. Freya Harris Ms. Sharon E. Hill James Hilton Drs. Jordan & Jocelyn Howard Mr. Rolf Ingenleuf Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Johnston Ms. Sandra L. Kroll David & Kathy Linden Richard Lodise & Valerie Jagiella Ms. Kathrin Mattox *Mr. Frank M. Monger Sheryl A Myers Mr. John Owens Mr. & Mrs. John H. Petrey *Sharon & Jim Radford Renee Reddic Keith Romich Weslyn A. Samson Mr. Donald Schreiber & Ms. Barbara Seal Mr. Karin Schwerd Mr. & Mrs. Timothy E. Sheehan Mr. John W. Stephenson Sarah & David Sutherland Mrs. Hugh Tarbutton Ms. Nancy A. Thomas Mr. & Ms. Wolfgang Tiedtke Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Tuller Dr. Evis Babo & Mr. Stephen Weizenecker Mr. & Mrs. T. A. Wessels Ms. Jone Williams & Ms. Barbara Robb Dorothy Yates Kirkley
FRIEND $100+ Mr. George A. Adriaenssens Ms. Stephanie Adrian Dalal Al Sane Sharon Alexander Dr. Catherine Allard Amazon Smile Foundation Mr. Mostafa Ammar Ms. Janice Arsan Ms. Llewellyn Bell Claire & Bryan Benedict Mr. & Mrs. Sid Besmertnik Cynthia & Albert Blackwelder Mr. & Mrs. Michael Blackwood Dr. & Mrs. Jerry Blumenthal Ms. Martha Bobo Ms. Dianne Brannen Ms. Louise Bray Melodye G. Brown Mrs. Nancy M. Bruno William A. Campbell Ms. Maureen Cartoon Mr. Angelo A. Carusi & Ms. Janet Romanic Thomas Chapel Mrs. Carol J. Clark
encoreatlanta.com
Dr. Earle D. Clowney Mr. N. Jerold Cohen & Ms. Andrea Strickland Mr. & Mrs. Charles Cohn Linda Copeland Mr. Anthony Coulter Mr. & Mrs. David Courtney Mrs. Eleanor Crosby Mr. & Mrs. Peter Dean Mr. & Mrs. Dana Deer Ms. Bonnie J. Dejoie Mr. Kevin Dew & Mr. Hal Platt Jimmy & Mary Sue Dorsey Mr. & Mrs. Denis DuBois Allison Fitcher & Phillip O’Brien Mrs. Arnoldo Fiedotin Mr. & Mrs. John Floyd Mr. & Mrs. Ronnie C. Foster Gil Frank Mr. & Mrs. Michael E. Friedman Maria Garcia Mr. Tytrilocus Gardner, Jr. Mary L. Garner Mary Anne & Bruce Gaunt Dr. Spencer H Gelernter Ph.D. Ms. Karen L. Geney Robert Gilbert Dan & Harriet Gill Mr. & Mrs. Peter Gilroy Ms. Pat Godbe Mr. Robert Grafstein Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Graiser Ms. Anne L. Grossman & Dr. Leonard Berger Mr. & Mrs. Abel Hamid Katherine Hansil Carlquist Harris Mr. & Mrs. George M. Hayes Mr. Joseph Ho Mr. & Mrs. Douglas M. Holly, Jr. Ms. Teresa Hopkin Mrs. Sally Horntvedt Mr. Jerry Hoyle Mr. Hjoertur Hreinsson Guy & Joyce Hutchison Mrs. Louise Jackson Stuart Jackson & Robyn Jackson Cliff Jolliff & Elaine Gerke Ms. Beth Jones
Mrs. & Mr. James R. Jones James M. Kane & Andrea Braslavsky Kane Mr. David Keller Dr. Gail M. Kendall Mr. Dale A. Kiel Donna Jane Kilgore Ms. Eleanor Kinsey Mr. Al Klicius Charles J. Koppel Mr. Richard Kranzmann Joan & Arnold Kurth Ms. Lucy Kwon Sergey Latkin Chris & Jill Le Ms. Marge Leinbaugh Richard Lemay Mrs. Laura Leon Hamm Mrs. Jeanine Lewis Mr. David M. Lindsey Donna & Trevor Lumb Clint M. Lyle Mr. & Mrs. William J. MacKenna Laura Maley Ms. Deborah A. Marlowe Ms. Nancy Martin Jeanie & Albert Marx Dr. Joe Massey Katherine B. Maxwell Mr. & Mrs. Mark G. McConnell Michael McDaniel Ms. Robin McDonald Ms. Alyssa McElrone Mr. Philip McKinney Mr. Edward Merves Ms. Gwen Michelle Mr. Simon Miller Mr. Roger Moister, Jr. Mr. Carlos Morales Mr. Albert M. Morrison Donald Murphy Mr. Denis Ng & Mrs. Mary Jane Panzeri Ng Mr. & Mrs. David Norris Patricia OConnell Ms. Judith Ogden Ms. & Mr. Sandra S. Owens Ms. Maurneen Ozmore Mr. Joseph M. Pabst Dr. Charles M. Palmer
| 41
Mr. & Mrs. James Rex Palmer Mr. Robert Peterman Ms. Sophia B. Peterman Catherine Popper & Noah Eckhouse Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Powers Mr. Stephen L. Rann & Ms. Dytre Fentress Misty Reid Garnell Rogers Mr. Barry F. Ross & Mrs. Jane M. Rooks Ross John & Barbara Ross Mr. & Mrs. Howard Rubenstein Mr. & Mrs. Michael Ryan Dr. & Mrs. Bruce Sabatino Redd Schoening Ms. Toni P. Selby Beverly & Milton Shlapak Mr. Jeffrey Shoap & Ms. Susan Cauble Dr. & Mrs. William O. Shropshire Andrew J. Singletary, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Stanley J. Smits Maidee & Jim Spencer Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel Mr. Joseph R. Stabile & Mr. Michael W. Dunkelberger Mr. Philip Stadter Josh Stevens Dr. & Mrs. William H. Stuart Barbara & Jon Swann Michelle K. Tanner Mr. & Mrs. John Tanzola Leigh & Jay Telotte Mr. Charles Tighe & Mr. John Ruch Christy Turner Ms. Mary Ellen Vian Mr. Fred Warshofsky Ms. Shirley D. Weston Mr. Evan Williams Ms. Lola V. Williams Ms. Beth Williamson Mr. Russell F. Winch Ms. Anne C. Wray Mrs. Mary S. Wright Kurt-Alexander Zeller
†Indicates our extraordinary donors who have committed to continue their annual giving for three years or more *deceased
42 | giving&support BARBARA D. STEWART LEGACY SOCIETY The Atlanta Opera established the Barbara D. Stewart Legacy Society to recognize donors who have designated The Opera as a beneficiary in their estate plan. In honor of Barbara D. Stewart’s many contributions to The Atlanta Opera, our planned giving division, the Encore Society, has been renamed the Barbara D. Stewart Legacy Society. Cathy Callaway Adams & Mark Adams Anonymous (5) Mr. & *Mrs. Shepard B. Ansley Mrs. Wallace F. Beard The Bickers Charitable Trust Mr. Jonathan Blalock *Nancy & *Jim Bland Mr. Montague L. Boyd, IV Mr. Robert Colgin *Martha Thompson Dinos The Roy & Janet Dorsey Foundation Arnold & Sylvia Eaves *Ms. Dorothy E. Edwards *Heike & Dieter Elsner Ms. Melodi Ford Carl & Sally Gable Ms. Anne Marie Gary Mr. & Mrs. Sidney W. Guberman Ms. Judy Hanenkrat Richard & Fern Hartnig The Hilbert Family Trust Eda L. Hochgelerent M.D. & Bruce A. Cassidy M.D.
Mr. L. Don Holland Mr. Hilson Hudson *Mrs. Joseph B. Hutchison Gail Johnson Mr. J. Carter Joseph *Mrs. Alfred D. Kennedy, Sr *Mrs. Isabelle W. Kennedy Mr. & Mrs. Michael L. Keough Ms. Corina M. LaFrossia Mr. & Mrs. John G. Malcolm Mr. Robert L. Mays Mr. & Mrs. Allen P. McDaniel Peggy Weber McDowell & Jack McDowell Mr. & Mrs. Craig N. Miller *Miss Helen D. Moffitt Mr. J. Robert Morring Clara M. & John S. O’Shea Mrs. Polly N. Pater Mr. James Paulk Mr. William E. Pennington *Mr. Bruce Roth Ms. Hazel Sanger Mr. D. Jack Sawyer, Jr. Anita & J. Barry Schrenk
Katherine Scott Elizabeth N. Shapiro Elizabeth Morgan Spiegel Christine & Mark St.Clare *Ms. Barbara D. Stewart *Mrs. Eleanor H. Strain Dr. Jane T. St. Clair & Mr. James E. Sustman Mr. Tarek Takieddini Sandra & *Tom Teepen Dr. & Mrs. Harold Whitney *Mrs. Jane S. Willson Rhys T. Wilson Ms. Bunny Winter & Mr. Michael Doyle Mr. Charles R. Yates, Jr. & Mrs. Mary Mitchell Yates *Mr. & *Mrs. Charles R. Yates, Sr. Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Mrs. Susanna Eiland
*deceased
TRIBUTES & MEMORIALS In Honor of Cathy & Mark Adams Mr. J. Carter Joseph
In Memory of Mrs. Mot Dinos Allison Fitcher & Phillip O’Brien Rae & George Weimer
In Memory of Dr. Florence C. Barnett Katherine Hansil John Tanzola
In Honor of Mr. Robert G. Edge Mrs. Eleanor Crosby
In Honor of Mr. Jonathan Blalock Mr. Michael Colbruno Mr. Darryl-Christopher Payne Mr. Thurman Williams
In Honor of Don & Janet Filip Daniel Shea In Honor of Sam & Marti Hagan Ashley Derrick
In Memory of Mrs. Nancy Bland Rae & George Weimer
In Memory of Harriet Harris Carlquist Harris Freya Harris Karen Rajczi
In Honor of Dr. Hal Brody & Mr. Don Smith Jonathan Blalock
In Honor of Jeff & Jeanette Hoopes Larry & Beverly Willson
In Honor of John & Rosemary Brown Cathy & Mark Adams Mr. Barry F. Ross & Mrs. Jane M. Rooks Ross In Honor of Jerry Cooper Stanley Daniels
In Memory of Mr. Chip Johnston & Mr. Frank Monger Mr. Johnny Thigpen & Mr. James Martin In Memory of Craig Lewis Judge Adele P. Grubbs
atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera
In Honor of Terry Martin Barbara Zellner In Memory of The Honorable George A. Novak Jana M. Novak In Honor of Howard & Victoria Palefsky Mr. & Mrs. John Costello Mr. & Mrs. Larry Kurlander Betty Londergan In Honor of Betsy Pittman Ann P. Howington In Memory of Margaret Williams Thurman Williams In Honor of Charlie & Mary Yates Mr. Robert Grubert Josh Stevens Sarah & David Sutherland Dorothy Yates Kirkley In Honor of Mr. Tomer Zvulun & Ms. Susanna Eiland John Greer
encoreatlanta.com
| 43
CORPORATE PARTNERS $100,000+
$10,000+
$2,500+
The Coca-Cola Company The Home Depot Foundation
The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Gas South WarnerMedia
Anonymous Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters National Distributing Co., Inc. Wallace Graphics
$50,000+ UPS
FOUNDATIONS & GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOUNDATIONS $225,000+ The Gable Foundation Donald & Marilyn Keough Foundation Lettie Pate Evans Foundation The Molly Blank Fund of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
$50,000+ Anonymous Atlanta Music Festival Fund of The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta The Halle Foundation Charles Loridans Foundation, Inc. J. Marshall & Lucile G. Powell Charitable Trust Rich Foundation, Inc. Livingston Foundation, Inc. Mary & EP Rogers Foundation, Inc. The Sara Giles Moore Foundation The Zeist Foundation, Inc.
$20,000+
GOVERNMENT
Roy & Janet Dorsey Foundation The Ray M. & Mary Elizabeth Lee Foundation, Inc. Kurt Weill Foundation for Music, Inc. New York, NY
City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs Fulton County Arts & Culture Georgia Council for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts
$10,000+ George M. Brown Trust Fund The Jim Cox, Jr. Foundation JBS Foundation
$5,000+ Camp-Younts Foundation Nordson Corporation Foundation
$1,000+ Mary Brown Fund of Atlanta, Georgia The Hills Family Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. Thomas D. Hills, Trustees Kiwanis Foundation of Atlanta
44 | leadership BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Chair Mr. Rhys T. Wilson Immediate Past Chair Ms. Cathy Callaway Adams Vice Chair Mr. John L. Hammaker Treasurer Ms. Bunny Winter Secretary Mr. Michael E. Paulhus
MEMBERS Mrs. Elizabeth Adler Mrs. Wendy Anzalone Mr. Bryan H. Barnes Mr. Dante Bellizzi Mr. Montague L. Boyd, IV Dr. Harold J. Brody Mrs. Rosemary Kopel Brown Mr. Frank H. Butterfield Mr. Mario Concha Dr. Frank A. Critz Mr. Robert Dean Mr. Dieter Elsner Dr. Donald J. Filip Mr. Kevin Greiner Mrs. Joanne Chesler Gross Mr. John Haupert Mr. Howard W. Hunter Mr. Andrew R. Long Mr. James B. Miller, Jr. Mrs. Stephanie Morela Mrs. Sandra S. Morelli Mrs. Talia Murphy Mr. Howard Palefsky Mr. William E. Pennington Mr. Herbert J. Rosenberg Mr. Charles Sharbaugh Mr. Alex Simmons, Jr. Mrs. Christine St.Clare Mr. William E. Tucker Mr. Tomer Zvulun, ex officio
HONORARY MEMBERS Mr. Ronald Antinori The Very Reverend Samuel G. Candler Mr. Robert G. Edge Mr. Carl I. Gable, Jr. Mrs. Nancy Hall Green Mr. Gregory F. Johnson Mr. Carter Joseph Mr. Alfred Kennedy, Jr. Mr. Michael Keough Mrs. Emily C. Knobloch Mr. George Levert Mrs. Peggy Weber McDowell Mr. J. Barry Schrenk Mr. Timothy E. Sheehan Mr. G. Kimbrough Taylor, Jr. Mr. Mark K. Taylor Mr. Thomas R. Williams Mr. Robert G. Woodward Mr. Charles “Charlie” R. Yates
*deceased
atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera
encoreatlanta.com
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Board Chair Mr. Rhys T. Wilson
Development Chair Mr. Howard Palefsky
Immediate Past Chair Ms. Cathy Callaway Adams
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Chair Mrs. Stephanie Morela
Vice-Chair Mr. John L. Hammaker Nominating & Board Engagement Chair Mrs. Talia Murphy Secretary | Governance Committee Chair Mr. Michael E. Paulhus Treasurer | Finance Committee Chair Ms. Bunny Winter Audit Chair Mr. Bryan H. Barnes
Investment Chair Mr. Frank H. Butterfield Strategic Planning Committee Chair Mrs. Christine St.Clare At-Large Members Mr. Howard W. Hunter Mrs. Sandra S. Morelli Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director, ex-officio member Mr. Tomer Zvulun
Community Engagement Chair Mr. Alex Simmons, Jr.
ADVISORY COUNCIL Mr. Andrew J.M. Binns Ms. Sally Bland Fielding Mr. Kenny L. Blank Mrs. Inge Bledel Ms. Mary Calhoun Mrs. Beth W. Glynn Dr. Thomas N. Guffin, Jr. Mrs. Erin Quinn Martin Mr. Paul Snyder
ARTISTIC ADVISORY COUNCIL Ms. Jamie Barton Mr. Kevin Burdette Mr. Michael Mayes Mr. Morris Robinson
| 45
46 | staff EXECUTIVE Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. General & Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun Managing Director Micah Fortson Executive Assistant Misty Reid ARTISTIC/MUSIC Carl & Sally Gable Music Director Arthur Fagen
Artistic & Studio Manager Madalyn Mentor
Artistic Administrator Meredith Wallace
Pianist/Coach Elena Kholodova
Artistic Associate Annie Penner Gilstrap
Orchestra Librarian Phil Parsons
PRODUCTION Director of Production Robert Reynolds
Properties Artisan Wanda Amanda Creech
Head Rigger Justin Gamerl*
Associate Director of Production Meggie Roseborough
Lighting Supervisor Marissa Michaels
Head Properties Cory Robertson*
Technical Director Joshua Jansen
Assistant Lighting Designer Mack Scales
Head Flyman Mo Guiberteau
Assistant Technical Director Britt Reagan
Lighting Programmer Julia McCabe
Head Sound Teddy Murray*
Production Stage Manager Megan Bennett
Head Carpenter Tat Thompson*
Head Video Jay Holloway*
Assistant Stage Managers Beth Goodill Kristin Kelley
Head Electrician Justin Schwartz*
Union Steward Pete Cocchiere*
Costume Director Joanna Schmink
Wig & Makeup Assistant Wendy Sanders
First Hand Fiona Leonard
Wardrobe Supervisor Cindy Roberts†
Walter Dean Marianna Martin Jen Rodgers Gibron Shepperd†
Stitchers Jordan Carrier Hauzia Conyers Lauren Dunlop Matt Mallard Megan Maude
Wardrobe Crew/Dressers Kristin Arambula† Cynthia Clark†
COSTUME
* denotes members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees - Local 927
atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera
† denotes members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees - Local 859
staff
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION Director of Community Engagement & Education Education Manager Jessica Kiger Cantrell Williams
DEVELOPMENT Chief Advancement Officer Paul Harkins
Senior Institutional Giving Officer Elana Grossman
Associate Director of Development – Leadership Giving Jessica Langlois
Campaign Manager Sandy Feliciano
Associate Director of Development – Major & Planned Gifts Jonathan Blalock
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION Director of Finance Kathy J. White
Bookkeeper Ruth Strickland
Controller Inga V. Murro
Accountant Ben Imbert
Human Resources & Facilities Manager Kenneth R. Timmons
MARKETING & AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Chief of Marketing & Audience Development Ashley Mirakian
Guest Services Concierge Emily Crisp
Director of Sales & Marketing Rebecca Brown
Creative Services Manager Matt Burkhalter
Senior Manager, Ticketing Services Renee Smiley
Digital Content Manager Matt Dykeman
TAO FILM STUDIO Director of TAO Film Studio Felipe Barral
GLYNN STUDIO ARTISTS Bruno Baker Susanne Burgess Sankara Harouna Gretchen Krupp William Meinert
Film Associate Amanda Sachtleben
| 47
48 | housepolicies 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.
LOST & 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.
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.
SMOKING Smoking is prohibited inside the building.
PARKING There are 1,000 parking spaces available at $10 per car. Valet service is available for $15. Please be sure to allow enough time for travel to the theater and parking as there is no late seating. ATM There is one Synovus ATM located in the grand lobby. EMERGENCY INFO In the event of an emergency, please locate the nearest usher who will direct you to the appropriate exit.
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 770916-2828. A limited number of booster seats are also available. All items require a form of identification to be held until the item is returned.
ELEVATORS Elevators are located on each side of the lobbies on all levels.
atlantaopera.org | @theatlantaopera
COBB ENERGY CENTRE RULES AND 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. • I nfants will not be admitted to adult programs. Parents will be asked to remove children who create a disturbance. •T here is no late seating allowed. Closed-circuit monitors are provided in the lobby as a courtesy to latecomers. •P lease turn off all cellphones prior to the beginning of each performance. •P lease limit conversation during the performance. •C ameras (including use of cellphone camera) and audio and video recording devices are strictly prohibited at all times. •L eaving while the show is in progress is discourteous and we ask that you refrain from doing so. •P lease unwrap all candies and cough drops before the performance.
TOGETHER, LET’S MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR NATION’S HEROES The Home Depot Foundation is proud to partner with The Atlanta Opera to honor our U.S. military, veterans and their families.
© 2020 Homer TLC, Inc. All rights reserved.
HomeDepotFoundation.org
