Minnesota Opera's Silent Night by Minnesota Opera

NOV 10–18

2018–2019 SEASON

WELCOME CHRISTMAS Discover your holiday soundtrack DEC 1, 7, 8, & 9, 2018

Apple Valley, Roseville, & Minneapolis

Hear the world premiere of The Faire Starre for choir and orchestra by two-time Metropolitan Opera composer Nico Muhly. NICO MUHLY

Tickets: $20-$40

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HOLIDAY ENTERTAINMENT AT THE ORDWAY WORLD PREMIERE CONCERT STYLE PRESENTATION

NOV 17–18

Adapted by David H. Bell, Paul T. Couch and Curt Wollan Book by David H. Bell Music and Lyrics by Dolly Parton Directed by Curt Wollan

*MS. PARTON IS NOT CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO APPEAR

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DEC 5 – 30

The Musical

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This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

MISSION Minnesota Opera changes lives by bringing together artists, audiences, and community, advancing the art of opera for today and for future generations.

VISION Minnesota Opera will sing every story.

VALUES Innovation, Inclusivity, Collaboration, Purpose Each season more than 42,000 audience members attend our mainstage performances at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.

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The first workshops for our new opera Edward Tulane were held this past September. Based on the book by Kate DiCamillo, the opera will premiere in a future season.

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Last month, the Arts Partnership (MN Opera, Ordway, SPCO, and Schubert Club) co-presented The Sphinx Virtuosi, a professional chamber orchestra comprised of the nation’s top Black and Latinx classical soloists.

WELCOME

RYAN TAYLOR PRESIDENT AND GENERAL DIRECTOR

F E A T U R E S

elcome to the homecoming of Silent Night, the award-winning opera recounting the miraculous moment of peace during one of the bloodiest wars in human history. Following its world premiere by MN Opera back in 2011, this international sensation earned a Pulitzer Prize for its music while captivating audiences with its story. Now that story continues to live on as it makes its way back to the hall where it debuted after performances by opera companies around the world. With music written by Kevin Puts and a libretto by Mark Campbell, Silent Night masterfully juxtaposes the bombastic sounds of war with serene songs from home — and stands as a heartfelt hymn to our common humanity. As always, we here at MN Opera deeply appreciate your patronage and support. Thank you for attending and we hope to see you for Nino Rota’s uproarious The Italian Straw Hat this January!

CO N T EN TS 8 Silent Night 10 Synopsis 11 Background Notes 12 Director’s Notes 12 K evin Puts and Mark Campbell 13 Meet MN Opera

Meet the Artist: Karin Wolverton • 17 Soprano Karin Wolverton is back on the Ordway stage as determined opera singer Anna Sørensen, the role she originated in the 2011 world premiere of Silent Night.

14 Cast and Creative Team 16 O rchestra, Chorus, and Supernumeraries 17 M eet the Artist: Karin Wolverton 18 S ilent Night Around the World 19 Project Opera Alumni 21 The Italian Straw Hat Preview 22 M N Opera Board of Directors, Staff, and Volunteers 23 Upcoming Events

Silent Night Around the World • 18 This critically-acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize-winning piece has been performed around the globe, but was born right here in Minnesota.

23 MN Opera Information 24 Individual Giving 26 Special Giving 27 Institutional Giving 28 Innovate Now LARGE-PRINT AND BRAILLE PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE PATRON SERVICES OFFICE.

Project Opera Alumni • 19 Talented alumni of MN Opera’s youth training program have gone on to some of the most prestigious music programs in the country and are singing on stages across the world.

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F L X : I I

BALLET MINNESOTA PRESENTS

DECEMBER 14–16

kantorei Axel Theimer Artistic Director

CELEBRATING THE MYSTERY: CHORAL MUSIC OF ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS Saturday, December 8, 2018, 7:30 P.M. Sunday, December 9, 2018, 4 p.m.

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IMAGES Saturday, May 4, 2019, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5, 2019, 4 p.m.

31ST SEASON GALA Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019, 7 p.m.

Kantorei’s mission is to share a passion for lifelong singing, with an emphasis on distinctive and diverse choral literature. Ticketed events for the holidays, a winter gala, and spring concerts. For tickets and more information, please visit kantorei.net or call 612-21-SINGS

Alliance Française,

Ibou, footballeur francophone

c’est mioi & to

Susel, animal lover

Your French cultural center, Your French community French Classes begin January 7

Loulou, student

Events celebrating French-speaking cultures French Library & Media Center

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Uptown, New Brighton, and Grand Avenue

SILENT NIGHT 2018–19

These are our customers. They’re beautiful, with and without their Spectacle Shoppe glasses.

Minnesota Opera is a nonprofit charitable organization that relies on your support. • mnopera.org/donate

Eve was born with a heart defect and underwent an extremely risky surgery at just 3-and-a-half months. The life and death crisis inspired her mother, Annamarie, to start the Newborn Foundation (newbornfoundation.org). It’s saving lives worldwide.

MUSIC BY

LIBRETTO BY

Kevin Puts

Mark Campbell

Based on the screenplay by Christian Carion for the motion picture Joyeux Noël produced by Nord-Ouest Commissioned by MN Opera as part of its New Works Initiative WORLD PREMIERE AT ORDWAY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, ST. PAUL, NOVEMBER 12, 2011

Sung in English, German, French, Italian, and Latin with English translations above the stage.

CAST THE GERMAN SIDE

THE FRENCH SIDE

THE SCOTTISH SIDE

ANNA SØRENSEN

LT. AUDEBERT

LT. GORDON

KA R I N WO LVERTO N•

E DWA R D PA R KS

C HR I STI A N THU R STON +

NIKOLAUS SPRINK

PONCHEL

FATHER PALMER

M IL ES MY KKA N EN

ANDR E W W I L KOWSK E •

TR OY COOK

LT. HORSTMAYER

GENERAL AUDEBERT

JONATHAN DALE

J OSH UA JEREMIAH

WM . C L AY THOM P SON +

C HR I STI A N SA N D E R S+

KRONPRINZ

MADELEINE AUDEBERT

WILLIAM DALE

ST EPH EN MART IN +

DA N I E L L E BE C KV E R M I T+

C HA R L E S E ATON

BRITISH MAJOR N I C HOL AS DAV I S+

E N S E M B L E S O L D I E R S PHINEHAS BYNUM, BEN CRICKENBERGER, CHARLES EATON, JOEL MATHIAS, MATTHEW OPITZ, ANTHONY POTTS, ALEX RITCHIE, PHILLIP TAKEMURA-SEARS, COLYN TVETE, CLARK WEYRAUCH

CREATIVE TEAM Conductor, Ruth and John Huss Chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COU RTN E Y Stage Director.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E R I C Fight Director & Assistant Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D OU G

SC HOL Z- C A R L SON

Scenic Design.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FR A N C I S

O’ CON N OR

Costume Design.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K Ä R I N

KOP I SC HK E

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Lighting Design.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M A R C U S

LEWIS

SI M ON SON

Projections Design.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A N D R Z E J Sound Design.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C

GOU L D I N G

A N D R E W M AY E R

Hair & Make-Up Design.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAV I D

ZIMMERMAN

Assistant Conductor & Chorus Master.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A N D R E W Répétiteurs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .M A RY

DILLIARD

W HI TF I E L D

BOX+, A N D R E W SU N +

Scottish Diction Coach.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M I R A

K E HOE

Production Stage Manager.. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K E R RY

M ASE K

English Surtitles .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M A R K

C A M P BE L L

+MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST •MINNESOTA OPERA RESIDENT ARTIST ALUM

SEASON SPONSOR

GRATITUDE TO

Sit Investment Associates Foundation for their generous support of Veteran’s Day weekend performances and activities. ESTIMATED RUNNING TIME

Estimated running time is two hours and 28 minutes. One 20-minute intermission occurs 72 minutes into the opera. WARNING

RECOUNTING

The appearances of Edward Parks, grand prize winner; Danielle Beckvermit, grand finalist; Christian Sanders, regional finalist; Charles Eaton, Stephen Martin, Miles Mykkanen, Wm. Clay Thompson, and Christian Thurston, district finalists of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, are made possible through a Minnesota Opera Endowment Fund established for Artist Enhancement by Barbara White Bemis. The appearances of the Resident Artists are made possible, in part, by the Virginia L. Stringer Endowment Fund of the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program.

A MIRACULOUS MOMENT OF PEACE DURING ONE OF THE B LO O D I E S T WA R S I N H U M A N H I S T O R Y, SCOTTISH, FRENCH,

Scenery, properties, costumes, and media files for this production are owned by Minnesota Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, and Fort Worth Opera and were constructed by Minnesota Opera in 2011. Minnesota Opera would like to acknowledge Doug Bekke for curating the WWI displays in the Ordway lobby.

AND GERMAN OFFICERS DEFY THEIR SUPERIORS A N D N E G OT I AT E A CHRISTMAS EVE TRUCE.

Thank you to veteran advocate consultant, Paul Riedner, for his guidance and support connecting MN Opera to the veteran’s community.

SILENT NIGHT 2018–19

A MOMENT OF PEACE IN THE MIDST O F WA R

Minnesota Opera is a nonprofit charitable organization that relies on your support. • mnopera.org/donate

This production contains theatrical haze, strobe lighting, loud explosions, gunshots, and simulated cigarette smoking.

SYNOPSIS

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 Parisian apartment of the Audeberts, it angers Madeleine who excoriates her husband for leaving to fight while she is pregnant with their first child. With nationalistic songs in the background, 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. 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. When William is shot, Jonathan must leave his brother behind to die.

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Scene two December 23, evening: In the Scottish bunker, Lieutenant Gordon assesses the casualties after the battle. Father Palmer attempts to offer solace to Jonathan in prayer.

In the French bunker, Lieutenant Audebert discovers the French General waiting in his makeshift office who reprimands him for surrendering and threatens him with a transfer. The General leaves and 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 the soldiers. As it starts to snow, covering the corpses in no-man’s land, the soldiers slowly begin 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. Lieutenant 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 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 on 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 ten o’clock every morning to remind him of their daily meeting.

ACT II

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 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 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 on a terrace outside. 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 no-man’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 vows revenge. Father Palmer finishes the mass and urges the men to “go in peace” as bombs explode menacingly in the distance.

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 Lieutenant Gordon intervene. Looking on, Horstmayer proposes that it may indeed be time to bury all of the dead. The three lieutenants meet and decide that the truce will be extended until after the dead in no-man’s land are buried.

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: When the truce is over, Nikolaus ridicules Horstmayer for his allegiance to the Fatherland; Horstmayer arrests him for insubordination. Anna takes Nikolaus’ hand 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 demands asylum for Anna and himself. 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. Lieutenant 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. The soldiers are taken off in a boxcar. The battlefield is now completely empty. Snow begins to fall again.

BACKGROUND NOTES

Following the Franco-Prussian War, politics on the Continent continued to sour. France, Austria, and Denmark would never get over their strategic and territorial losses. Austria found some solace in assimilating the Balkan nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an action supported by the diplomatically sympathetic Germans, while angering the other Balkan nations, Serbia in particular. Russia had the recent unpleasant memory of losing a war in the Crimea (1853–56) fought against Turkey, France, and Britain. Nonetheless, an eventual alliance was made between the three unlikely comrades who now feared a newly unified Germany’s menacing power. Britain, in particular, was drawn out of historical isolationism after seeing Russia’s disastrous defeat in the RussoJapanese war in 1905, knowing France would need at least one functional ally. Since the Napoleonic wars, the Germans had been engaged in a massive land-grab. It was at this point Wilhelm I appointed himself Emperor of the Second Reich. For all his bluster,

PHOTO BY MICHAL DANIEL

❝

Interactions varied from singing holiday songs back-andforth between the trenches to actual ceasefires with both sides meeting on the battlefield.

Wilhelm found his opportunity when the heir to the Austrian Empire, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife were fatally shot on June 28, 1914, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, by a member of the Serbian radical group, the Black Hand. Austria recalled its ambassador and declared war against Serbia within the month. The resulting conflict in the remote Balkans was hardly a concern for greater Europe, but all the treaties were triggered into action. Russia was honor-bound to defend Serbia and Wilhelm was obligated to fight on Austria’s side, and to justify the protection of Germany’s own borders in East Prussia, he seized the opportunity to initiate the Schlieffen Plan against Russia and its allies. On August 4, 1914, the Germans invaded Belgium and headed toward France. As this action was a violation of Belgian neutrality, Britain was obliged to enter the war, against strong opposition. The Schlieffen Plan was largely an intellectual exercise and didn’t account for a fair amount of Belgian resistance or British involvement. Nonetheless, in a few months the Germans found themselves entrenched on the French border. By December, Pope Benedict XV called for a cessation of hostilities for the holiday season, and both sides were ready for a break in the unanticipated carnage. Still, an official Christmas truce in 1914 was out-of-the-question, yet contrary to popular belief, there were many of

them up and down the lines. Interactions varied from singing holiday songs backand-forth between the trenches to actual ceasefires with both sides meeting on the battlefield, sharing a smoke and exchanging rations. In some cases, wild animals were shot, roasted and shared, and football games (American soccer) allegedly took place on Christmas Day. Two famous opera singers were recognized singing at the front. When hostilities did resume, it was with reluctance, and the conflict was slow to achieve its original pitch. Naturally, when news reached headquarters of these unofficial armistices, the high command was not pleased, but retribution was relatively lax. Many units were redeployed as it was believed they would not fight with the same voracity now that they had met the enemy face-to-face. Finally, by November 11, 1918, Germany came to grips with its folly and surrendered unconditionally. In the end, the Schlieffen Plan ultimately failed. So promising at first, the maneuver had underestimated Paris’ garrison and the tenacity of its people, supply-and-demand problems at the invasion’s western-most flank, unreliable communication to forward positions, and the earlier-than-anticipated mobilization of Russian troops in the east. The war redrew the map of Europe, costing millions of lives and the end of three empires while laying the groundwork for an even deadlier and more grotesque conflict just two decades later. Early in the War to End All Wars, a 25-year-old lance corporal had narrowly escaped death in the first battle of Ypres on the Belgian border. He vehemently declined to participate in the Christmas Truce that followed and was devastated by Second Reich’s loss nearly four years later. Embittered, a wildly patriotic Adolf Hitler set in motion his dangerous course for an apocalyptic new world order.

Minnesota Opera is a nonprofit charitable organization that relies on your support. • mnopera.org/donate

orld War I scarcely receives the same attention as its more atrocious and deadlier younger sibling. Yet the conflict’s position in history reveals a horrific change in modern warfare tactics that must have shocked and overwhelmed its participants.

Wilhelm II was terrified of the shift in balance of power, for his only treaty was with Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, a relationship that had been tested by his grandfather in the 1866 war between the two countries. Wilhelm embraced the “Schlieffen Plan,” a remarkably detailed and audacious top-secret preparation to invade France through Belgium and the Alsace-Lorraine. The army could be sustained by Germany’s vastly superior and government-controlled railway system, giving the initiative enough manpower and artillery to capture Paris in 39 days. Attention could then be shifted to the east, as it would take the third entente member, Russia, at least that long to marshal its forces, thereby avoiding a war on two fronts.

SILENT NIGHT 2018–19

World War I and the Christmas Truce of 1914

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

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, Renée Fleming, Jeffrey Kahane, Dame Evelyn Glennie, the New York Philharmonic, the Tonhalle Orchester (Zürich), 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 new vocal work Letters From Georgia, written for Soprano Renée Fleming and orchestra and based on the personal letters of Georgia O’Keeffe, had 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, had its world premiere in September 2017. Kevin is currently a member of the composition department at the Peabody Institute and the Director of the Minnesota Orchestra Composer’s Institute.

MARK CAMPBELL LIBRETTIST

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

Mark Campbell’s work as a librettist is at the forefront of the current contemporary opera scene in this country. The 15 plus librettos he has written—and the five new operas he premiered in 2017— demonstrate a versatility in subject matter, style, and tone, an adeptness at creating successful work for both large and intimate venues. The composers with whom he collaborates represent a roster of the most eminent composers in classical music, and include three Pulitzer Prize winners.

Mark’s most known work is Silent Night, which received the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music and is one of the most frequently performed operas in recent history. His other works include The Shining for Minnesota Opera (Paul Moravec, composer), Elizabeth Cree for Opera Philadelphia (Kevin Puts, composer), Dinner at Eight for Minnesota Opera (William Bolcom, composer), The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs for Santa Fe Opera (Mason Bates, composer), and the upcoming Edward Tulane for Minnesota Opera (Paola Prestini, composer).

hile composer Kevin Puts, librettist Mark Campbell, and I were developing Silent Night, one of us—I can’t remember who—mentioned a quote from Kurt Vonnegut’s great novel Slaughterhouse-Five. We were trying to find the right sentient and pitch for the story we were telling. We wanted to express the irony, complexity, and ultimate futility of war. In the prologue of that book, the author, playing himself, tells his friend, an old buddy from World War II, that he’s thinking about writing an antiwar novel. His perplexed friend replies: “Why not just write an anti-glacier novel?” The thought behind this, of course, is that war is inevitable; it cannot be stopped. There have been wars since the beginning of time—there are wars now, and there will always be wars. How then, do we find comfort in this cold-hearted truth? How, then, do we find the courage and strength to move on? Or, as Abraham Lincoln once said, reach out and touch “the better part of our angels”? The story of Silent Night, which is a familiar one to anyone with a cursory knowledge of World War I, gets at our heartstrings, because the characters act as we would wish them to act. In the midst of one of the most brutal and horrific wars in history, opposing armies disobey their generals, drop their weapons, walk out of their trenches, and exchange Christmas greetings. Here, in sharp contrast, we see the best part of our human

nature. It’s a cry against the insanity of war and evidence of our common humanity. Silent Night opened seven years ago, on this very stage, in this same production. Since then, it has won the Pulitzer Prize and has had dozens of productions, securing its place in the standard opera repertoire. Quite an achievement for Minnesota Opera and everyone who has worked on the New Works Initiative. It was my honor to be a part of it. In my opinion, there is no greater thrill than creating something from nothing. In that same seven years since the premiere, a lot has happened in our world at large, not necessarily with the start of new wars, but in the hardening of divisions between groups of people with different mindsets and cultures. It feels that now, more than ever, we are a divided country desperately in need of a reason to come together, to see ourselves in one another. The story of Silent Night, expressed by the soaring and rich score created by Kevin Puts and the libretto by Mark Campbell, is a welcome salve that calls attention to our common humanity. It serves as a reminder that we are all not as far apart as we might think, even though some might try to convince us otherwise. ERIC SIMONSON STAGE DIRECTOR

MEET MN OPERA

KAREN QUISENBERRY C H I E F

P R O D U C T I O N

O F F I C E R

What I do:

Why I’m excited about Silent Night:

Through detailed coordination (aka lots of meetings), the production team and I work to manage the creation and implementation of the many facets that comprise an opera. Scenery, props, costumes, hair and makeup, lighting, projections, sound, and stage management all work together to realize the vision of the director and design team. I also play matchmaker between the director and potential designers, trying to get just the right fit so that an opera can come to life in the most creative—and economically sustainable—way possible.

I’m thrilled to be participating in the remounting of this beloved piece. Having seen the show on video many times, I couldn’t be more excited to experience this production live. I am fully prepared to have my heart broken by the many characters in the piece, but I am most excited for Andrew Wilkowske’s performance of Ponchel. This character is so dear and lovely, and his humanity reminds us all of the horrific costs of war.

ALLEN PERRIELLO O F

M U S I C

What I do:

Why I’m excited about Silent Night:

I oversee the musical preparation of all mainstage productions and execution of all musical activities. I also manage the selection and development of the Resident Artists, serving as the primary coach for our singers and pianists.

After being involved with a production of Silent Night at The Glimmerglass Festival this past summer, I'm thrilled to work on the piece at the company where it was born! I'm also excited to be reunited with so many cast members who I've worked with elsewhere.

PABLO SIQUEIROS T E A C H I N G

A R T I S T

What I do: I am responsible for many of our in-school residencies and library programs, our Opera Connections program for older adult communities, and the Opera Insights preperformance talks.

Why I’m excited about Silent Night: What I’m most looking forward to

is being able to experience one of the crowning achievements of this company. The way people talk about the world premiere of this work back in 2011 feels similar to a football team talking about their Super Bowl championship. It has that feeling of all the right parts coming together at the perfect time. This will also be my first time performing in a Minnesota Opera production, which is very exciting.

Minnesota Opera is a nonprofit charitable organization that relies on your support. • mnopera.org/donate

H E A D

SILENT NIGHT 2018–19

Meet MN Opera

Minnesota Opera’s dedicated staff of artists, craftspeople, and administrators are passionate about bringing world-class opera and opera education programs to Minnesota. Recently, we sat down with three of them to learn more about what they do at MN Opera and why they’re excited for this production of Silent Night.

C A S T + C R E AT I V E T E A M

DANIELLE BECKVERMIT

ANDRZEJ GOULDING

KINGSTON, NEW YORK

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

MADELEINE AUDEBERT

Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Past La Rondine, Minnesota Opera

PROJECTIONS DESIGN Minnesota Opera Debut Silent Night, 2011

Past

Falstaff, Crested Butte Opera

Silent Night, Minnesota Opera

The Rake’s Progress, Mannes Opera

Le Rossignol, The Santa Fe Opera

The Fall of the House of Usher, Mannes Opera

People, Places & Things, St. Ann’s Warehouse

Future The Italian Straw Hat, Minnesota Opera

The Machine, Park Avenue Armory

Future

The Fix, Minnesota Opera

Orlando, San Francisco Opera

La Traviata, Minnesota Opera

The Tell-Tale Heart, National Theatre

TROY COOK

KÄRIN KOPISCHKE

EMINENCE, KENTUCKY

FISH CREEK, WISCONSIN

FATHER PALMER Minnesota Opera Debut Le nozze di Figaro, 2000

Past

COSTUME DESIGN

Minnesota Opera Debut La Bohème, 2002

Past

Lucia di Lammermoor, Opera Philadelphia

Pippin, Skylight Opera Theatre

Die Fledermaus, Des Moines Metro Opera

Homes and Watson, Milwaukee Repertory Company

Die Fledermaus, Utah Opera

Living on Love, Peninsula Player

Don Carlo, Washington National Opera

The Shining, Minnesota Opera

Future

Silent Night, Austin Lyric Opera

Lombardi, Weidner Center for the Arts

La Bohème, Opera Philadelphia

Bernstein’s Mass, Lawrence University Opera

NICHOLAS DAVIS

JOSHUA JEREMIAH

PETERSBURG, TENNESSEE

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

BRITISH MAJOR

Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Past La Rondine, Minnesota Opera

LT. HORSTMAYER

Minnesota Opera Debut Silent Night, 2018

Past

Fellow Travelers, Minnesota Opera

Rigoletto, Arizona Opera

Porgy and Bess, Seattle Opera

Persona, Los Angeles Opera

La fanciulla del West, Santa Fe Opera

Pagliacci, New Orleans Opera

Future The Fix, Minnesota Opera La Traviata, Minnesota Opera

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hawaii Opera Theatre

Future Tosca, Reading Symphony Orchestra A Goyishe Christmas, New York Festival of Song

MARCUS DILLIARD

COURTNEY LEWIS

BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA

BELFAST, UNITED KINGDOM

LIGHTING DESIGN

Minnesota Opera Debut Turandot, 1995

Past

CONDUCTOR

Minnesota Opera Debut Silent Night, 2018

Past

Thaïs, Minnesota Opera

The Exterminating Angel, Salzburg Festival

Florencia en al Amazonas, Madison Opera

Hänsel und Gretel, Jacksonville Symphony

Moby Dick, Pittsburgh Opera Assassins, Theater Latté Da

Future Don Giovanni, Jacksonville Symphony

Future The Italian Straw Hat, Minnesota Opera Don Giovanni, Palm Beach Opera Benevolence, Penumbra Theatre

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

A Little Night Music, Theater Latté Da

CHARLES EATON

FRANCIS O’CONNOR

STORRS, CONNECTICUT

MIDDLESBROUGH, UNITED KINGDOM

WILLIAM DALE

Minnesota Opera Debut Silent Night, 2018

Past

SCENIC DESIGN

Minnesota Opera Debut The Adventures of Pinocchio, 2009

Past

Il barbiere di Siviglia, NYC Opera (in Bryant Park)

Roméo et Juliette, Grange Park Opera

Silent Night, The Glimmerglass Festival

Oklahoma, Grange Park Opera

Carmen, Madison Opera

The Magic Flute, Ural Opera

A Little Night Music, Des Moines Metro Opera

Don Giovanni, Reiss Opera

Future The Fix, Minnesota Opera A Little Night Music, Madison Opera

La traviata, English National Opera

Future Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Opera Monte Carlo Fantasio, Garsington Opera Porgy and Bess, Grange Park Opera

Parade, Chatelet Street Scene, Opera North

C A S T + C R E AT I V E T E A M

STEPHEN MARTIN

CHRISTIAN SANDERS

ROCHESTER, MICHIGAN

WESTCLIFFE, COLORADO

KRONPRINZ

JONATHAN DALE

Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Past

La Rondine, Minnesota Opera

Silent Night, The Glimmerglass Festival

West Side Story, The Glimmerglass Festival

La Traviata, Sarasota Opera

Silent Night, The Glimmerglass Festival

Lucia di Lammermoor, Santa Fe Opera

Carmen, Hawaii Opera Theatre

Future

The Italian Straw Hat, Minnesota Opera

The Fix, Minnesota Opera

La Traviata, Minnesota Opera

C ANDREW MAYER

ERIC SIMONSON

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

SOUND DESIGN

STAGE DIRECTOR

Minnesota Opera Debut

The Handmaid's Tale, 2003

Die Zauberflöte, 1991

Past

The Shining, Minnesota Opera

The Grapes of Wrath, Minnesota Opera

The Manchurian Candidate, Minnesota Opera

Silent Night, Minnesota Opera

The Dream of Valentino, Minnesota Opera

The Shining, Minnesota Opera

The Shining, Opera Philadelphia

Future

The Fix, Minnesota Opera

A Little Night Music, Theater Latté Da

Killing Reagan, National Geographic

MILES MYKKANEN

WM. CLAY THOMPSON

BESSEMER, MICHIGAN

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY

NIKOLAUS SPRINK

GENERAL AUDEBERT

MN Opera Debut

Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Past

Silent Night, 2018

Past

La Rondine, Minnesota Opera

Candide, Arizona Opera

Thaïs, Minnesota Opera

The Turn of the Screw, Opera Columbus

The Cunning Little Vixen, The Glimmerglass Festival

West Side Story, New York Philharmonic

Rigoletto, Minnesota Opera

The Nightingale and Other Short Fables, Canadian Opera Company

Future The Fix, Minnesota Opera

Future

La Traviata, Minnesota Opera

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Opera Philadelphia Ariadne auf Naxos, Cleveland Orchestra

EDWARD PARKS

CHRISTIAN THURSTON

INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA

ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND

LT. AUDEBERT

LT. GORDON

Minnesota Opera Debut

Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Past

La Bohème, 2017

Past

Cendrillion, Manhattan School of Music

Il barbiere di Siviglia, Metropolitan Opera

Le nozze di Figaro, Minnesota Opera

Carmen, Atlanta Opera

Rigoletto, Minnesota Opera

L'elisir d'amore, Opera de Oviedo, Spain

Future

The Italian Straw Hat, Minnesota Opera

Carmen, Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival, Japan

The Fix, Minnesota Opera

The Ghosts of Versailles, The Glimmerglass Festival

La Traviata, Minnesota Opera

DOUG SCHOLZ-CARLSON

ANDREW WILKOWSKE

FIGHT DIRECTOR & ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

PONCHEL

WILLMAR, MINNESOTA

NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA

Minnesota Opera Debut

Transatlantic, 1998

La Cenerentola, 1997

Past

Don Pasquale, Minnesota Opera

Silent Night, Minnesota Opera

Dead Man Walking, Minnesota Opera

Romeo et Juliette, Austin Opera

Fellow Travelers, Minnesota Opera

Lucia di Lammermoor, Pittsburgh Opera

Antiology, Milwaukee Opera Theatre

Fanciulla del West, Minnesota Opera

Future

The Fix, Minnesota Opera

Cymbeline, Great River Shakespeare Festival

Past

Future

Das Rheingold, Minnesota Opera

Eugene Onegin, Opera Santa Barbara

ROSEVILLE, MINNESOTA

Carmen, Arizona Opera

Rusalka, Madison Opera

MN Opera Debut

La Bohème, Tulsa Opera

ANNA SØRENSEN

Lucia di Lammermoor, 2001

Così fan tutte, Utah Opera

SILENT NIGHT 2018–19

Silent Night, Austin Opera

A Little Night Music, Madison Opera

KARIN WOLVERTON

Minnesota Opera is a nonprofit charitable organization that relies on your support. • mnopera.org/donate

La Rondine, Minnesota Opera

Faust, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Portland Opera

ORCHESTRA, CHORUS, + SUPERNUMERARIES

MINNESOTA OPERA ORCHESTRA VIOLIN I Allison Ostrander Concertmaster Cynthia and Lawrence Lee Chair Natalia Moiseeva Asst. Concertmaster Julia Persitz David Mickens Colin McGuire Angela Waterman Hanson Heidi Amundson Conor O’Brien Emilia Mettenbrink Troy Gardner

VIOLIN Laurie Petruconis* Elizabeth Decker Melinda Marshall Elise Parker Huldah Niles Emily Saathoff Carol Lebovic Alastair Brown

VIOLA

OBOE

TROMBONE

CHORUS

Susan Janda* John+ and Nina Archabal Chair Laurel Browne Jenny Lind Nilsson Anne Ainomäe Charles Krenner Matthew Mindeman

Michael Dayton* Robert McManus

Phillip Ostrander* Richard Gaynor David Stevens

FRENCH ARMY

CELLO Teresa Richardson Sally Gibson Dorer Rebecca Arons Kirsten Whitson Diane Tremaine Benjamin Osterhouse

BASS John Michael Smith* Ken and Peggy Bonneville Chair Constance Martin Jason C. Hagelie Charles Block

FLUTE Michele Frisch* Karen Baumgartner double piccolo Bethany Gonella double piccolo

ENGLISH HORN TUBA

Jeffrey Marshak

Itai Agmon

CLARINET Karrin Meffert-Nelson* Nina Olsen double E-flat Clarinet Paul Schimming double Bass Clarinet

BASSOON Coreen Nordling* Eric and Celita Levinson Chair Laurie Hatcher Merz

CONTRABASSOON Cheryl Kelley

HORN Michael Alexander Charles Hodgson Timothy Bradley Jenna McBride-Harris

TRUMPET John G. Koopmann* Christopher Volpe Jonathan Brandt

TIMPANI Kory Andry

PERCUSSION Matthew Barber Steven Kimball Adam Rappel

KEYBOARD Andrew Sun

HARP Min Kim Marion Winslow Buchanan+ Chair

BAGPIPES

OFFSTAGE

Michael Breidenbach

HARMONICA OFFSTAGE

Chris Kachian

STRING QUARTET OFFSTAGE

TENORS Samuel Baker Erik Carlson Steven Halloin Luke McKenty Evan Mitchell Tyler Raad Jake Thede Colyn Tvete BASSES Mark Billy Jordan Brown Charles Eaton Paul Gutmann Gary Kubert Anthony Potts Eric Sorum Alessio Tranchell

SCOTTISH ARMY TENORS Phinehas Bynum Jason Hernandez Michael Mayer Eric Mellum Darrius Morton James Pike Nickolas Swanson Trevor Todd

Ian Snyder, violin Gala Ramsdell, violin Valerie Little, viola Courtney Bell, cello

BASSES Matthew Abbas Matthew Christoff Joel Mathias Alex Ritchie Pablo Siqueiros

GERMAN ARMY TENORS Phong Nguyen Matthew Opitz Adan Varela Clark Weyrauch BASSES Ben Crickenberger Steven Dahlberg Benjamin Hills Seth Russell Gabriel Salmon Grant Scherzer Cody Shuebel Niko Simmons Phillip Takemura-Sears

SUPERNUMERARIES Kevin Klein Tom Ringberg (Fight Captain) Maxwell Savage David Schneider Alec Trelstad Mason Tyer

KEY * principal + in memoriam

Sunday, December 16 at 2pm Ordway Concert Hall

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

Project Opera and Voices of Opera Winter Concert

Join us for a joint concert of opera scenes and choral excerpts from many popular operas. As we celebrate Project Opera’s 15th season, enjoy a sneak preview of our upcoming performances of Brundibár and The Gondoliers, performances from the Project Opera alumni chorus, and a few very special guests.

Odyssey, 2018 © Sigrid Redpath

For more information about Project Opera and Voices of Opera, please visit mnopera.org/learn.

MEET THE ARTIST

KARIN

MeettheArtist

WOLVERTON A S A N N A SØ R E N SE N

KW Strong, passionate, determined.

You originated the role of Anna Sørensen here at MN Opera in 2011. What has you most excited about returning to the role? KW I'm excited to find new facets to the role. Every time I repeat a role, it's exciting to discover how new colleagues and new ideas and interpretations inform my character. After seven years away from the role, I know I am a slightly different person and this will undoubtedly change my perception of Anna.

What are some of the joys and challenges of performing this role? KW I love that Anna is a strong character. She doesn't wait around for decisions to be made for her and is the epitome of "if there is a will, there is a way." One of the hardest moments for me is not crying during the beautiful "Sleep" chorus. Kevin [Puts] writes in

Since its debut, Silent Night has been performed in opera houses around the world. What is it about this piece that resonates with so many audiences? KW It is so important that we remind ourselves of our common humanity. That we reach out and make these fundamental human connections with those that appear to be on the other side of the trenches. It is so easy to cut ourselves off and disconnect, but when we reach our hand out in peace and goodwill it changes a person and it changes the world.

Silent Night is returning home to Minnesota, just in time for the holidays. Having grown up in Roseville, what are your favorite things about spending the holidays in Minnesota? KW I love the lights and the festive cheer. I love the cold and the snow and the dark cozy nights snuggling inside. I love being with friends and family and those traditions new and old surrounding the holidays. But more than anything, I love the music. I love the silly kids’ songs and the carols and the thousand and one holiday concerts. There is nothing that can get me into the holiday spirit quicker than a simple "Noel."

Minnesota Opera is a nonprofit charitable organization that relies on your support. • mnopera.org/donate

Describe Anna Sørensen in 3 words.

such a way that cuts right to the heart of a person, but it's really hard to sing when you are sniffling!

SILENT NIGHT 2018–19

Seven years ago, renowned soprano and Roseville, MN native Karin Wolverton originated the role of courageous opera singer Anna Sørensen in the world premiere of Silent Night. This season, she returns to the Ordway stage to reprise the role she made famous. Recently, she sat down with us to talk about stepping back into Anna’s shoes and her favorite things about spending the holidays in Minnesota.

SILENT NIGHT AROUND THE WORLD SILENT NIGHT, MN OPERA’S INTERNATIONAL SENSATION, MAKES ITS HOMECOMING Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING HIT is performed by nine companies this season in commemoration of the centennial of the signing of the armistice of WWI.

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

The hurdles of act two were obviously overcome. Silent Night, commissioned and premiered by Minnesota Opera, sold out five performances in November 2011 at the Ordway Music Theater in St. Paul and just a few months later was awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Music. By 2015, the opera had been presented in eight productions in North America and Europe, making it already one of the most often-produced new operas of the 21st century.

The work’s continued acclaim seemed moreover to validate in a public way Minnesota Opera’s venturesome commitment to new works, a resolve not widely shared in the American opera world. Silent Night was conceived as part of the company’s

New Works Initiative, a seven-year, $7 million program that promised to present a newly commissioned opera or an important recent work as part of the company’s main season, once each year. Silent Night is based on the screenplay by Christian Carion for the 2005 French film Joyeux Noël, which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. The film tells the true story of the “Christmas Truce,” when during the first year of World War I, on Christmas Eve 1914, some 100,000 German, French, English, and Scottish soldiers threw down their weapons, climbed out of their trenches and made the frightening walk across No Man’s Land, where they mingled with their enemies, exchanging food and souvenirs, sang carols and, at one point, played a game of soccer, the Germans beating the English three to two. The production was tested in three workshops, an opportunity that Puts described as a luxury. “I revised like crazy after each workshop,” he said. “We had a lot of time with the singers and the orchestra. I’m not used to that. Usually you show up four days before the premiere, you have three rehearsals, and you can’t make any significant changes. It’s agony.” Initial reviews were enthusiastic and the opera has continued

earning praise as it takes up residence in various cities. “One could only marvel at Puts’s multi-layered orchestral score, which turned on a dime from battle scenes—a cacophony of dissonances, edgy intervals, and machine-gun sounds—to moments of serene, lyrical beauty,” Janelle Gelfand remarked at cincinnati.com. The first production at the Ordway, staged with flair and imaginative detail by Eric Simonson, all of it enhanced by Francis O’Connor’s rotating cyclorama and projected slides, made a strong impression on opening night. The score suggests Prokofiev and John Adams and, in the evocative interludes for orchestra, a hint of Peter Grimes. But Puts has his own expressive idiom: a rich lyricism sprinkled with dissonance and an ability to chart the dramatic line and the emotions of a scene with an assured hand and a minimum of notes. Campbell hopes that Silent Night will come to be associated with Christmas as Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors has become so identified, or, in his words, become The Nutcracker of the opera world. The opera, he said, “has a message about war and how horrible it is. Maybe it can reach people and say, ‘Stop doing this.’ I hope we can influence history in some way.”

PHOTO BY MICHAL DANIEL

“When Mark sent me the libretto, I was so excited that my hands were shaking, and then I realized I have no idea what to write.” The composer, Kevin Puts, was recalling the first stages of his collaboration with the librettist Mark Campbell on their opera, Silent Night. Puts went to his piano that day and envisioned the first scene in the libretto, an opera house in Germany and he began to sing in the style of Mozart. “Suddenly, I was singing lines that were classical in an Italian vein,” he said. “And from there I just went from scene to scene. It all seemed easy and logical. We had a harder time, though, with act two.”

PROJECT OPERA ALUMNI

PROJECT

OPERA Talented alumni of MN Opera’s youth training program Project Opera have gone on to some of the most prestigious music programs in the country and are singing on stages across the world.

Evan LeRoy Johnson

ohnson (right) in Den Norske Opera’s J War Requiem

Kathryn Rupp attended Minnesota Opera’s Summer Opera Camp in 2011 and fell in love with the stage and found her passion for opera and for vocal performance. Since graduating from Prior Lake High School and Project Opera, Kathryn earned a bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Simpson College and is now attending The San Francisco Conservatory of Music to obtain a vocal performance master’s degree.

Liv Redpath This season, Liv Redpath had her mainstage debut at Santa Fe Opera as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, and later this season will sing Gretel in Hansel and Gretel alongside Sasha Cooke and Susan Graham at LA Opera. A graduate of Harvard University and The Juilliard School, Redpath is currently in her third season as a Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist at LA Opera.

n memory 2

Juilliard Opera’s The Magic Flute

Project Opera’s Iolanthe

In memory of Dale Newton, long time cellist with the Minnesota Opera orchestra, who passed away suddenly on September 22. His positive attitude, happy demeanor, and beautiful musicianship are greatly missed by his friends and colleagues at Minnesota Opera.

We join the Kallemeyn family and his performance family in remembering and honoring Roy Kallemeyn — long-time chorus member whose big baritone and warm personality enriched many Minnesota Opera productions.

Minnesota Opera is a nonprofit charitable organization that relies on your support. • mnopera.org/donate

Kathryn Rupp

SILENT NIGHT 2018–19

Tenor Evan LeRoy Johnson participated in Project Opera from 2009–2010 and is now quickly gaining attention internationally for his “ardently full voice tenor” (Philadelphia Magazine). Of Johnson’s debut this past summer at Des Moines Metro Opera, Opera Today said that “Mr. Johnson announced himself as a major talent. His freely produced, technically secure tenor was also able to modulate its size to encompass melting phrases of tenderness and pathos. You read it here: If young Johnson (he is 26) takes his time and takes his pick, he is destined to be the next star tenor of his generation."

January 26–February 3, 2019 SAT

7:30 pm

TUE

THUR

SAT

SUN

7:30 pm

8 pm

2pm

Brimming with laughs. This uproarious comedy, by the composer best known for The Godfather film scores, comes to Minnesota Opera for the first time ever. Groom-to-be Fadinard gallops around

Paris on his wedding day in search of a straw hat to replace the one his horse has inadvertently eaten. The bright and breezy score perfectly captures the increasingly ridiculous situation that rides on the edge of chaos. After seeing this 1950s madcap romp, you’ll never look at a hat—or a night at the opera—the same way again! Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage.

Join us for more giggles, scandal, and romance!

Become a 3-opera subscriber for savings, flexible exchanges, and more.

January 26–February 3, 2019

March 16–24, 2019

May 4–19, 2019

B O A R D , S TA F F, + V O L U N T E E R S

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF

VOLUNTEERS

ADMI N I ST RAT IO N

Nina Archabal

OF F ICE RS

Renee Brown-Goodell

AR T I ST IC

David Earp

Chief Artistic Officer | Priti Gandhi Head of Music | Allen Perriello Company Manager | Roxanne Stouffer Artistic Administration Director | Floyd Anderson Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master | Andrew Whitfield Associate Conductor | Jonathan Brandani Resident Artists | Danielle Beckvermit, Mary Box, Adam Da Ros, Nicholas Davis, Stephen Martin, Lisa Marie Rogali, Christian Sanders, Andrew Sun, Wm. Clay Thompson, Christian Thurston

Rihab FitzGerald

E DU C AT IO N

Ryan Kantor

DIRECTORS Vanessa Abbe Rebecca Bernhard Sharon Bloodworth Shari Boehnen Alberto Castillo Jane Confer Jay Debertin Terrance Dolan Sidney W. Emery Maureen Harms Mary IngebrandPohlad Philip Isaacson J Jackson Diane Jacobson John C. Junek Christl Hutter Larson Mary Lazarus Robert Lee Natalie Volin Lehr

Jeninne McGee Michael McNamara Fayneese Miller Leni Moore Kay Ness Jose Peris Bart Reed Mary H. Schrock Linda Roberts Singh David Smith Nadege Souvenir Gregory Sullivan Norrie Thomas Missy Staples Thompson Wendy Unglaub H. Bernt von Ohlen Craig Walvatne William White Margaret Wurtele

PR ES I D E N T ’ S COU NC I L Karen O. Bachman John A. Blanchard, III Rachelle D. Chase Burton Cohen Julia W. Dayton John Huss

Ruth Huss James E. Johnson Lucy Rosenberry Jones Kevin H. Smith Mary W. Vaughan

HONO RA RY D I REC TO R S Dominick Argento Philip Brunelle

Liz Kochiras

TEMP O L I A I SON Kara Eliason Dorsey

DE V E LOPME NT Chief Development Officer | Carley M. Stuber Development Director | Mallory Roberts Institutional and Major Gifts Director | Diana Konopka Associate Events Director | Anthony Diaz Development Officer | Nickolas Sanches Development and Corporate Sponsorship Manager | Jeremie Bur Development Operations Coordinator | Jonathan Lundgren Development Coordinator | Charlotte Summers

MAR K E T ING /CO MMU NICAT IO NS Chief Marketing Officer | Darby Lunceford Marketing Director | Katherine L. Castille Associate Marketing Director | Kristin Matejcek Marketing Manager | Amanda Rodriguez Relationship Marketing Associate | Paige Reynolds Associate Communications Director | Eric Broker Design Manager | Kristin Backman Communications Manager | Rocky Jones Web and Digital Associate | Anthony Iverson Patron Services Director | Greg Campbell Patron Services Manager | Kevin Beckey Associate Patron Services Manager | Karl Annable Patron Services Representative/Performance Supervisor Ian Mercer Patron Services Representatives | Ronnie Allen, Emma Carpenter, Kianna Carter, Carol Corich, Mara Lane, David Merz, Elijah Saiger

Michelle "Squeeky" Cadieux Aiden Campbell Ann Drivas Siri Drontle Judith Duncan

Joan Gacki Diane Gerlach Ryan Gilmer Jessica Grams Merle Hanson Tim Jones Robin Keck Bebe Keith Kathleen Kitchen Alana LaBissioniere Mary Lach Jerry Lilquist Joyce Lilquist Tom Logeland Mary McDiarmid Barbara Moore Doug Myhra Candace Osterkamp Heidi Pagano Pat Panshin Laura Schaubschlager Kari Shultz Mary Sheehy Wendi Sott Gina Weiner Barbara Willis

P R O DU CT IO N

TEMPO BOARD

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

OF F ICE RS

M EMBERS Carrie Anderson Liz Brenner Marjahn Golban Laura Green Chaffee Heber Gurrola Sarah Fowler Emily Engel Aimee Tritt

Kara Eliason Dorsey Julia M. Wilcox Katie Eiser Alison Jarzyna Luke Olson Kate Smith KT Thompson

Minnesota Opera is a proud member of The Arts Partnership with the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Schubert Club.

UPCOMING EVENTS

M I N N E S OTA O P E R A I N F O Minnesota Opera Patron Services 620 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 612-333-6669

Upcoming events Project Opera and Voices of Opera Winter Concert

Project Opera Presents The Gondoliers & Brundibár

DEC. 16, 2PM

FEB. 8–10

This season features two fully-staged youth operas: The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan for our Giovani ensemble (grades 9–12), and Brundibár by Hans Kraska for the Ragazzi (grades 4–8).

Thaïs Broadcast MAR. 14, 8PM

JAN. 24, 8PM Revisit the last season’s bubbly production of Donizetti’s uproarious, screwball comedy on Classical Minnesota Public Radio. Set in 1950s Hollywood, this opera follows an aging silent movie star as he deals with being the trials and tribulations of the modern Technicolor world. Starring bass-baritone Craig Colclough as Don Pasquale, soprano Susannah Biller as the duplicitous Norina, and MN Opera Resident Artist alum David Walton as the lovesick Ernesto. CLASSICALMPR.ORG/LISTEN

Tune in to Classical Minnesota Public Radio’s rebroadcast of 2018’s criticallyacclaimed Thaïs and listen as spiritual conviction meets earthly desire. Massenet’s sensual and melodic creation follows a devout monk seeking to convert Thaïs, a beautiful courtesan, only to have the monk realize his pious obsession is rooted in lust, not religion. Soprano Kelly Kaduce shines in the glamorous title role opposite baritone Lucas Meachem who smolders as the monk, Athanaël. CLASSICALMPR.ORG/LISTEN

ONE HOUR PRIOR TO EACH PERFORMANCE Enjoy fun, free, and informative half-hour lectures, hosted by Minnesota Opera artistic staff in Ordway’s Target Atrium. Come early and get an overview of the characters and music, the historical and cultural context of the opera, and highlights to watch for during the show. MNOPERA.ORG/OPERA-INSIGHTS

Shoeless Joe and the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. An opera based on the notorious World Series scandal of 1919, and featuring legendary figures such as Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ring Lardner, and Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis. MNOPERA.ORG/THE-FIX

Resident Artist Program Jukebox Live APR. 12

The Italian Straw Hat JAN. 26 - FEB. 3 Brimming with laughs. An uproarious comedy by the composer best known for The Godfather film scores. After seeing this 1950s madcap romp, you’ll never look at a hat—or a night at the opera—the same way again! MNOPERA.ORG/SEASON/2018-2019/ THE-ITALIAN-STRAW-HAT

Parking Prepaid parking is available for opera patrons at the Lawson Commons Ramp. Call 612-333-6669 or visit mnopera.org to purchase passes. Accessibility For patrons with disabilities, wheelchairaccessible seats are available. Audio description will be available for select performances. Please call 612-333-6669 for details and indicate any special needs when ordering tickets. At the Ordway, accessible restrooms and other facilities are available, as well as Braille or large-print programs and infrared listening systems.

The Fix MAR. 16–24

Opera Insights

Ticket Policies Tickets are not refundable. Subscribers may make exchanges for a different performance or opera up to one hour prior to curtain. Any ticket may be turned back for a tax-deductible donation up until curtain. Call Minnesota Opera Patron Services at 612-333-6669.

Experience a performance of opera highlights curated by the audience and sung by MN Opera Resident Artists. Come to the pre-show reception to vote for the selections of your choice in this one-of-a-kind concert! MNOPERA.ORG/COMMUNITY-EVENTS

La Traviata MAY 4–19 To live and die for love. Boasting sumptuous, hummable melodies, this beloved opera is a timeless depiction of what it means to live and die for love. MNOPERA.ORG/LA-TRAVIATA

Ordway Policies Ordway is a smoke-free facility. Latecomers will be seated at an appropriate break. Please have all cell phones and pagers turned to silent mode. Children under six are not permitted in the hall. Cameras and recording equipment are strictly prohibited in the theater. Please check these items with an usher. Food and beverages are available for purchase prior to the show and during intermission. Water and other beverages are allowed in the theater (hot beverages require lids), but food is strictly prohibited. The phone number for emergencies is 651-224-4222. Please leave seat locations with the calling party. Lost and Found is located at the Stage Door. Call 651-282-3070 for assistance.

Minnesota Opera is a nonprofit charitable organization that relies on your support. • mnopera.org/donate

Don Pasquale Broadcast

mnopera.org Visit mnopera.org to watch behind-thescenes videos, read synopses, browse digital programs, and more. Join our e-club to receive special offers and opera news.

SILENT NIGHT 2018–19

MNOPERA.ORG/LEARN

MNOPERA.ORG/PROJECT-OPERA

Regular Hours: Monday – Friday, 10am – 5pm. Performances: Weekdays — phones open until curtain. Weekends — phones open at 2pm for evening performances and at 10:30am for matinee performances. Minnesota Opera staff will be available at the Ordway’s Box Office 90 minutes prior to curtain.

INDIVIDUAL GIVING

I T I S W I T H D E E P A P P R E C I AT I O N that Minnesota Opera recognizes individual donors who have made gifts to our Annual Fund, Fund-A-Dream, and Opera Innovate Now Campaign between July 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018. Thank you for making this exceptional art come to life.

BEL CANTO CIRCLE The following lists donors who have made leadership gifts of $10,000+. For more information on Bel Canto Circle membership, please contact Diana Konopka, Institutional and Major Gifts Director, at 612-342-9565. PLATINUM Patricia Beithon Susan S. Boren Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Julia W. Dayton Vicki and Chip Emery William I. and Bianca M. Fine Charitable Trust Ruth and John Huss Mary Ingebrand-Pohlad Lucy Rosenberry Jones and James E. Johnson John and Kathleen Junek

CAMERATA CIRCLE The following lists donors who have made gifts of $2,500 to $9,999. For more information on Camerata Circle membership, please contact Nickolas Sanches, Development Officer, at 612-3429550.

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

GOLD Michael Birt Shari and David Boehnen Kenneth and Peggy Bonneville Ann and Glenn Buttermann Judith Garcia Galiana and Alberto Castillo Jay and Rebecca Debertin Maureen and Mike Harms Diane and Paul Jacobson Robert Kriel and Linda Krach Connie and Lew Remele David Smith Nadege J. Souvenir and Joshua A. Dorothy Julie Steiner Virginia L. and Edward C. Stringer

PATRON CIRCLE The following lists donors who have made gifts of $250 to $2,499. While space limitations allow us to list only those donors of $250 or more, we sincerely appreciate every gift. GOLD Anonymous (4) Emin and Britny Aklik Floyd Anderson Katherine Anderson

Mary Vaughan C. Angus* and Margaret Wurtele Wayne Zink and Christopher Schout GOLD Allegro Fund of the Saint Paul Foundation Alexandra O. Bjorklund Mary and Gus Blanchard Terrance and Susan Dolan Sara and Jock Donaldson Alfred and Ingrid Lenz Harrison Mr. and Mrs. Philip Isaacson Mary Ash and Barry Lazarus Kendrick B. Melrose Family Foundation Leni and David Moore Jr./Moore Family Fund for the Arts of The Minneapolis Foundation Kay Ness and Chris Wolohan Elizabeth Redleaf Jesse and Linda Singh Sit Investment Associates Foundation Elaine J. Wold

SILVER Anonymous John* and Nina Archabal Stephen and Margaret Blake Susan Calmenson and Vince Leo Rachelle Dockman Chase Ellie Crosby – The Longview Foundation Miriam and Erwin Kelen Robert L. Lee and Mary E. Schaffner Luis Pagan-Carlo and Joseph Sammartino Paul and Mary Reyelts BRONZE Richard Allendorf Karen Bachman Sharon Bloodworth and Barrett Johnson Will and Margee Bracken Jane M. and Ogden W. Confer Mrs. Susan DeNuccio Mr. and Mrs. William Frels Beverly N. Grossman Jeannie Holmes Dorothy Horns and James Richardson

Kim and George Hudacheck Warren and Patty Kelly Margaret V. Kinney Kyle Kossol and Tom Becker Dr. Tom Knabel and Kent Allin Christl and Andrew Larson Kenyon S. Latham Cynthia and Lawrence Lee Eric and Celita Levinson Jeninne McGee Jose Peris and Diana Gulden Rehael Fund – Roger Hale/Nor Hall of The Minneapolis Foundation Mary H. and Christian G. Schrock Greg Sullivan and Annie Frazier John L. Sullivan Dr. Norrie Thomas Mrs. Joanne Von Blon H. Bernt von Ohlen and W. Thomas Nichol William White The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Foundation

SILVER An Anonymous Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Martha and Bruce Atwater Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation William Biermaier and David Hanson Jan Conlin and Gene Goetz Page and Jay Cowles Dr. Richard Gregory Susanne Haas and Ross Formell Sharon Hawkins Norton Hintz* and Mary Abbe Anna Kokayeff Ilo and Margaret Leppik Diana Lee Lucker Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Moore Albin and Susan Nelson Sarah and Rolf Peters Margaret Poyner Galbraith Ken and Nina Rothchild Mahlon and Karen Schneider David Strauss Dr. Andrew J. Thomas Stephanie C. Van D'Elden Charles Allen Ward Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation

BRONZE Anonymous (2) Thomas and Ann Bagnoli Michelle Blaeser Laurie Carlson and William Voedisch Michael and Alexis Christie Rusty and Burt Cohen Gisela Corbett and Peter Hyman Jean Deatrick and Eldon Feist Thomas and Mary Lou Detwiler Ralph D. Ebbott Joyce and Hugh Edmondson Ann Fankhanel Gail Fiskewold Patricia R. Freeburg Mrs. Myrtle Grette Michele Harris and Peter Tanghe Linda and Jack Hoeschler Jean McGough Holten Dr. Arthur and Fran Horowitz Dale A. Johnson Patricia Johnson and Kai Bjerkness Hubert Joly Janet N. Jones Robert and Susan Josselson Lyndel and Blaine King Robert and Venetia Kudrle

David MacMillan and Judy Krow Dorothy and Roy Mayeske Harvey Thomas McLain Velia R. Melrose Sandy and Bob Morris Kay Phillips and Jill Mortensen Betty Myers From the Family of Richard C. and Elizabeth B. Longfellow Mrs. William S. Phillips John and Sandra Roe Foundation Thomas D. and Nancy J. Rohde James and Andrea Rubenstein Janet and Bill Schaeder Frank and Lynda Sharbrough Dorothy Sinha Missy Staples Thompson and Gar Hargens Debra R. Ting Drs. Craig S. and Stephanie R. Walvatne Drs. Greg Weber and James Barnett Ellen M. Wells Nancy and Ted Weyerhaeuser David Wilson and Michael Peterman Carolyn, Sharon, and Clark Winslow Woessner Freeman Family Foundation

Dr. and Mrs. Orn Arnar Ruth and Dale Bachman Christopher Beaudet Carl and Joan Behr Barbara S. Belk David Bjork and Jeff Bengston Ed and Mimi Bohrer Drs. Eli and Jan Briones Debra Brooks and James Meunier Stephen Bubul and Lee Lewis Scott Cabalka Joan and George Carlson Barb and Jeff Couture Mike and Stacey Crosby – The Longview Foundation

Helen and John Crosson Stephen Davis and Murray Thomas Charles M. Denny Jr. and Carol E. Denny Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Joan Duddingston David Dudycha and Dorothy Vawter Laura and Tim Edman Holli and Stefan Egerstrom Rondi Erickson Kathryn Fernholz Brian M. Finstad Salvatore Silvestri Franco Dayna and Ember Frank James and Teddy Gesell

Heidi and Howard Gilbert Marsha and Richard Gould Jennifer Gross Thomas and Mary Gross Bruce and Jean Grussing Bill Gullickson Roger and Karen Hale Marion and Donald Hall Anne Marie and Larry Halvorson Nancy A. Harris Stefan and Lonnie Helgeson Don Helgeson and Sue Shepard Barbara Jenkins Bryce and Paula Johnson Mrs. James S. Kochiras

SILVER Anonymous (3) Thomas O. Allen Arlene and Tom Alm Jane and Jamie Andrews Jean Antonello August J. Aquila and Emily Haliziw Jo and Gordon Bailey Family Fund of the Catholic Community Foundation Bryan and Karin Bearss Mr. and Mrs. Judson Bemis, Jr. Gerald and Phyllis Benson John and Cindy Beukema Martin and Patricia Blumenreich Gerald Bradley Larry Brandts Cheryl Brown

Thomas and Joyce Bruckner Juliet Bryan and Jack Timm Julie Bucknam Jimmy Burnett Margaret Carlson Brenda Colwill Susan and Richard Crockett Shana Crosson and John Gisselquist Peter Davis and Pamela Webster Danny Della Lana and Steve Hall Maureen and John Drewitz Bruce and Melanie Flessner William W. and Susan G. Gerberich Mark Gilberstadt Walt and Raeanna Gislason Billie Glade Ellen D. Grace Charles Hample Russell and Priscilla Hankins John Hogie Steve Horan Burton and Sandra Hoverson Ray Jacobsen Nancy Jones Erika and Herb Kahler Beverly Kasper Jane and Jim Kaufman Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Mary L. Kenzie Foundation Carole and Joseph Killpatrick Gail Kulick Jonathan and Lisa Lewis Anna Linder Ruth W. Lyons Donald and Rhoda Mains Stuart and Martha Mason Laura McCarten Kris and Bill McGrath Deb and Jon McTaggart Judith and James Mellinger Steven J. Mittelholtz David E. and Judy L. Myers Lucia Newell and Steven Wiese Kathleen and Stephen Olsen Dede Ouren Lana K. Pemberton Jane M. Persoon Marge and Dwight Peterson Karen Quisenberry Joel Rainville and Kyle Olson Lawrence M. Redmond Scott and Courtney Rile Ann M. Rock Liane A. Rosel Christopher Ross Enrique and Clara Rotstein Marian R. Rubenfeld and Frederick G. Langendorf Jon L. Schasker and Debbie Carlson Richard and Carol Seaberg Morris and Judith Sherman Rebecca and John Shockley Bernie and Juliana Simmons Madeline Simon Rhonda Skoby Linda Soranno and Howard Bolter Jon Spoerri and Debra Christgau Dr. David M. Steinhaus Sharon and Thomas Stoffel Warren Stortroen Vern Sutton Craig and Janet Swan David and Jennifer Thomas

become a donor

Katharine E. Thomas Josephine Trubek Kenneth and Kathryn Valentas Cindy and Steven Vilks Elaine Walker Elizabeth Wexler Deborah Wheeler Barbara White Frank and Frances Wilkinson John M. Williams Barbara and James Willis BRONZE Anonymous (2) Joshua D. Anderson Rolf T. Anderson Jerry Artz Kay C. Bach Susanne and Johan Bakken James and Gail Bakkom Jill and Thomas Barland Longine Beck Sharla and Mark Beithon Bender Vocal Studio Kenneth J. Berglund Sharon Bigot Neil and Tara Bizily David and Diane Blake Allen Brookins-Brown Joan Broughton Renee Campion and David Walsh Alan E. and Ruth Carp Katherine L. Castille Laura Green Chaffee and Matthew Chaffee Shawna Clark Wanda and David Cline Herbert Colwill Michael Connaughton and Marya Dwyer Virginia and Marc Conterato Jeanne E. Corwin Mary Davidson Anthony Diaz Kara and Sean Dorsey Sheryl Ebert Noah Eisenberg Leah and Ian Evison Craig Feathers and Amy Kolan George Ferguson Charlie and Anne Ferrell Terence Fruth and Mary McEvoy Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Carol and Mike Garbisch Greta and Paul Garmers Mark Giga James Glazier Richard and Susan Goldman David Groth Andrew and Tina Grzeskowiak Ms. Kathleen Hannon John Heer Rosmarie and John Helling Arthur and Joan Higinbotham Clifton and Sharon Hill Mr. Darius Homayounphur Brian and Karen Hopps Mark and Kathleen Humphrey Dr. David Ingbar Guillermo Irisarri Mark and Jeanne Jacobson Deborah and Ronald Jans

Alison Jarzyna Charlie Johnson Kristine Kaplan Ed and Martha Karels James and Kathleen Karges Michael and Sheue Keenan Barry and Cheryl Kempton Janice Kimes Nathan Kulenkamp Scott and Karla Lalim Beatrice H. Langford Daniel Lepow Holly MacDonald and John Orbison Stuart MacGibbon Dr. Joan E. Madden Jeffrey Masco Kristin and Jim Matejcek Sean McAleer Harry McNeely Sam Meals Laurel and David Mech Adele Mehta John L. Michel and H. Berit Midelfort Eldon and Anne Miller James Miner Linda Morey Mina Fisher and Fritz Nelson Merritt C. Nequette and Nancy Hartung Patricia A. O'Gorman Scott J. Pakudaitis Julia and Brian Palmer Kathy and Don Park Allen Perriello Carol Peterson Patricia M. Peterson Carol Peterson Judith Pettit Anne and John Polta Nicole and Charles Prescott Dennis M. Ready Sara Reed Barton and Kimberly Reed Ann Richter Mallory A. Roberts David and J. Susan Robertson Robert E. Rocknem Ronald Roed Michael and Tamara Root David and Kathleen Rothenberger Nickolas Sanches Mischa Santora Kate Saumur Mary Savina Kevin Shores and Kevin Winge Kathleen K. Simo Michael Steffes Donna Stephenson Anne and Nick Stukas Dan and Erika Tallman Joyce Thielen Marie J. Thomas Susan Truman Catherine Vesley Harry Walsh Greg and Ellen Weyandt John and Sandra White Wendy Wildung Ron Zweber and Peter Scott * in remembrance

and bring innovative opera productions to life. Visit mnopera.org/transform to give online.

THANK YOU!

SILENT NIGHT 2018–19

Constance and Daniel Kunin James and Gail LaFave Laurence and Jean LeJeune Natalie Levin and Stephen Gilberstadt Virginia Levy Benjamin Y. H. and Helen C. Liu William F. Long William Lough and Barbara Pinaire Steve Matheson Carolyn Mayo Barbara McBurney Helen McCrossan Patricia N. and Samuel D. McCullough Gina and Sean McDermott Mary Bigelow McMillan* Eileen and Lester Meltzer Thomas P. Murtha and Stefanie A. Lenway Joan and Richard Newmark Brandon and Melissa Novy Derrill Pankow Sally and Thomas Patterson James A. Payne Suzanne and William Payne Suzanne and Rick Pepin Milo Pinkerton Mary and Robert Price Leland T. Lynch and Terry Saario Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Christine Sagstetter Sampson Family Charitable Foundation Fred and Gloria Sewell Gale Sharpe Cherie and Robert Shreck Kevin and Lynn Smith Daniel J. Spiegel Family Foundation Don and Leslie Stiles Dana and Stephen Strand Ruth and Bruce* Dayton Carley, Bill, Kirsten, and Carolyn Stuber Ryan Taylor Jill and John Thompson Jean Thomson Neal Viemeister and Virginia Kirby David L. Ward G. Marc and Tracy Whitehead Jeff and Joe Wiemiller John W. Windhorst Jr. Jean C. Wirsig* Srilata Zaheer

Minnesota Opera is a nonprofit charitable organization that relies on your support. • mnopera.org/donate

INDIVIDUAL GIVING

SPECIAL GIVING LEGACY CIRCLE The following lists donors who, through their foresight and generosity, have included the Opera in their wills or estate plans. Anonymous (4) Norton Hintz* and Mary Abbe Paul and Val Ackerman Thomas Allen Cordelia Anderson and John Humleker Dr. and Mrs. Rolf Andreassen* Mary A. Andres Anonymous Karen Bachman Thomas and Ann Bagnoli Randolph G. Baier* Mrs. Harvey O. Beek* Patricia Beithon Barbara and Sandi Bemis* Dr. Lee A. Borah, Jr.* Susan S. Boren Al Bradley C.T. Bundy II Margaret M. Carasik Joan and George Carlson Robin J. Carpenter*

COMMEMORATIVE GIFTS The following lists donors who have made gifts in honor or in memory of a loved one between January 1, 2018 and October 12, 2018 IN HONOR OF:

Floyd R. Anderson Nina Archabal Karen Finseth David Bjork and Jeff Bengston David W. Schwarz Alexandra Bjorklund Elaine J. Wold Corinna Bohren and the MN Opera Costume Department Anonymous Shelli Chase Luis Pagan-Carlo and Joseph Sammartino

MINNESOTA OPERA MNOPERA.ORG

Jane Confer Ruth and John Huss

F L X : I I @MNOPERA

Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll Julia and Dan Cross Julia W. Dayton Charles M. Denny Jr. and Carol E. Denny George* and Susan Doty Rudolph Driscoll* Anne P. Ducharme Rondi Erickson and Sandy Lewis Ester Fesler Daniel Freeman Dr. Paul Froeschl Katy Gaynor Nettie Grabscheid* Robert* and Ellen Green Dr. Ieva M. Grundmanis* Michelle Hackett Russell and Priscilla Hankins Julia Hanna* Frederick J. Hey, Jr.* Elfrieda Hintze Jean McGough Holten Charles J. Hudgins* Ruth Jones* Charles and Sally Jorgensen Robert and Susan Josselson Charlotte* and Markle Karlen Mary H. Keithahn Warren and Patty Kelly Margaret Kilroe Trust*

Lyndel and Blaine King Gretchen Klein* Sally and Bill Kling Gisela Knoblauch* Liz and Jim Krezowski Robert Kriel and Linda Krach Robert and Venetia Kudrle Helen L. Kuehn* Robert "Jim" J. Lawser, Jr. Jean Lemberg* Joyce and Jerry Lillquist Dawn M. Loven David Mayo Barbara and Thomas* McBurney Mary McDiarmid Mildred McGonagle* Mary Bigelow McMillan* Sheila McNally* Mrs. Walter Meyers* John L. Michel and H. Berit Midelfort Susan Molder* Edith Mueller* Kay Ness Richard and Joan Newmark Scott J. Pakudaitis Derrill Pankow Mrs. William S. Phillips Phyllis Price Brian and Trish Huberty Prokosch

Richard G.* and Liane A. Rosel Ken and Nina Rothchild Mary Savina Josef Schermann Frank and Lynda Sharbrough Robert Shearer and Joan Gustafson Drew Stewart Gregory Swinehart and Mitra Walter Anthony Thein Stephanie C. Van D'Elden Mary Vaughan H. Bernt von Ohlen and W. Thomas Nichol Jean C. Wirsig* Richard Zgodava* William White Philip Oxman and Harvey Zuckman

Dale A. Johnson Jamie and Jane Andrews Lisa Butcher Mark Campbell Katherine L. Castille Rachelle Chase and John Feldman Sara and Jock Donaldson Karen Finseth Brenda A Harris Ruth and John Huss Mary Ingebrand-Pohlad Diane and Paul Jacobson Lucy Rosenberry Jones and James E. Johnson Janice and William Kimes Robert and Venetia Kudrle Mary and Barry Lazarus Dawn M. Loven Kristin and Jim Matejcek Leni and David Moore Theresa, Jim, and Nicole Murray Kay Ness Jose Peris and Diana Gulden Joel Puckett Kevin Puts Barton and Kimberly Reed Andrea and James Rubenstein Nicholas Sanches Mahlon and Karen Schneider Carley and Bill Stuber Jennifer Thill Bernt von Ohlen and Thomas Nichol Andrew Wilkowske Lani Willis and Joel Spoonheim Margaret Wurtele Adriana J. Zabala

Kelly Kaduce Dan Morris

Charlotte J. Prentice Dr. Azizollah Arabkhazaeli Faezeh and Khalid Effendi Carol Garcia Mervyn and Margiolina Hough Reza and Suzette Foroozan Yazdani

Tim Leahy Pamela Brophy Mary Finstad Mary Flowers Annie Foley Rick Gilmore Daniel Hollihan Judith A. Johnson Dennis M. Leahy Paula Leahy Mark Mallander Edward Ophelan Laurel Pohtilla June Rodysill Gretchen Shanight

Ryan Taylor Ruth and John Huss

Jerry LeFevre Jennifer Gross

Fr. Michael Tegeder Carol C. Dittberner

Diana E. Murphy Emily Brower Sara and Jock Donaldson Miriam and Erwin Kelen Judy Lebedoff and Hugh Klein Mary Krska Edward Kuske Paul A. Magnuson United States District Court of Minnesota Mary Vaughan Dan Weiner Ann C. Williams

Winston Kaehler Peter and Anne Wildenborf Velia Melrose Kendrick B. Melrose Family Foundation

IN MEMORY OF:

Connie Barnett Joan Knudtson Maria M. Donovan Carolyn Mayo Lucas Ernst George Ferguson Martha Kaemmer Cheryl Brown Art and Marther Kaemmer Fund of the HRK Foundation Jeffrey Masco

* in remembrance

For more information on making estate plan arrangements, please contact Mallory Roberts, Development Director, at 612-342-9566.

Ann M. Wilhelmy Anonymous

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING MINNESOTA OPERA G R A T E F U L LY A C K N O W L E D G E S ITS MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTERS: $ 1 0 0,0 0 0 +

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Art and Martha Kaemmer Fund of the HRK Foundation THE ANDREW W.

MELLON FOUNDATION

$ 50,0 0 0 – $ 9 9, 9 9 9

$ 2 5,0 0 0 – $ 49, 9 9 9

$ 1 0,0 0 0 – $ 24, 9 9 9

Rahr Foundation

$5,0 0 0 – $9,999

The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Inc. Boss Foundation Dellwood Foundation Faegre Baker Daniels Hardenbergh Foundation Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts Anna M. Heilmaier Charitable Foundation R.C. Lilly Foundation Mayo Clinic

Rahr Corporation Rahr Foundation RBC Wealth Management Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner P.A. St. Paul Cultural STAR Thomson Reuters Travelers Foundation Xcel Energy

$ 2 , 50 0 – $ 4, 9 9 9

$ 2 50 – $ 2 , 49 9

Anonymous Amphion Foundation Hutter Family Foundation Kitselman Foundation Margaret Rivers Fund The Elizabeth C. Quinlan Foundation Tennant Foundation Twin Cities Opera Guild

Anonymous Carlson Family Foundation Enterprise Holdings Foundation Onan Family Foundation Sit Investment Foundation Wells Fargo Insurance Services

For more information about making a corporate or foundation contribution to Minnesota Opera, please contact Diana Konopka at dkonopka@mnopera.org or 612-342-9565.

MINNESOTA OPERA SPONSORS SEASON SPONSOR

OFFICIAL MAKE-UP PARTNER

OFFICIAL HOTEL OF MINNESOTA OPERA

IN-KIND

MEDIA PARTNER

Minnesota Opera is a nonprofit charitable organization that relies on your support. • mnopera.org/donate

MAHADH Fund of the HRK Foundation

SILENT NIGHT 2018–19

Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation

INNOVATE NOW INITIATIVE ACHIEVES GOAL, RAISING MORE THAN $5.4 MILLION! Through the generosity of the community, the Innovate Now Initiative provided investments in vital foundational areas of the organization. Minnesota Opera established Opera for All Ages, creating educational opportunities for all life stages; improved efficiencies by modernizing key operations, facilities, and infrastructures; and began steps to become a more inclusive, welcoming organization and art form through hosting an industry summit and staff diversity trainings.

$250,000+ Julia W. Dayton Vicki and Chip Emery Ruth and John Huss Lucy Rosenberry Jones and James E. Johnson Art and Martha Kaemmer Fund of the HRK Foundation Elizabeth Redleaf C. Angus* and Margaret Wurtele $100,000–$249,999 Anonymous Best Buy Foundation Susan S. Boren Mary Ingebrand-Pohlad John and Kathleen Junek Paul and Mary Reyelts Mary Vaughan Wenger Foundation

$50,000–$99,999 Katherine B. Andersen Fund of the St. Paul Foundation Martha and H. Brewster Atwater Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Jane M. and Ogden W. Confer Ellie Crosby – The Longview Foundation Sara and Jock Donaldson William I. and Bianca M. Fine Charitable Trust Leni and David Moore Jr./Moore Family Fund for the Arts of The Minneapolis Foundation H. Bernt von Ohlen and W. Thomas Nichol Jesse and Linda Singh U.S. Bank Foundation William White Wayne Zink and Christopher Schout $25,000–$49,999 Anonymous (2) Richard Allendorf Nina and John* Archabal Mike Birt Will and Margee Bracken Ann and Glenn Butterman Jay and Rebecca Debertin Jose Peris and Diana Gulden

Alfred and Ingrid Lenz Harrison Miriam and Erwin Kelen Linda Krach and Robert Kriel Mary Ash and Barry Lazarus Cynthia and Lawrence Lee Mardag Foundation Mary Bigelow McMillan* Kay Ness Jennifer and Chris Romans Robert L. Lee and Mary E. Schaffner Mary H. and Christian G. Schrock Julie Steiner David Strauss $10,000 – $24,999 Anonymous (5) Karen Bachman Kyle Kossol and Tom Becker Patricia Johnson and Kai Bjerkness Shari and David Boehnen Kenneth and Peggy Bonneville Mrs. Susan DeNuccio Terrance and Susan Dolan Gail Fiskewold The Engh Foundation Susanne Haas and Ross Formell Maureen and Mike Harms Sharon Hawkins Luis Pagan-Carlo and Joseph Sammartino Mr. and Mrs. Philip Isaacson Margaret V. Kinney Dr. Tom Knabel and Kent Allin Kenyon S. Latham Eric and Celita Levinson Albin and Susan Nelson Chris Larsen and Scott Peterson Rehael Fund – Roger Hall Nor Hall of The Minneapolis Foundation Connie and Lew Remele Don and Patricia Romanaggi Nadege J. Souvenir and Joshua A. Dorothy Virginia L. and Edward C. Stringer John Sullivan Dr. Andrew J. Thomas Joanne Von Blon Elaine J. Wold

* in remembrance

St. Philip the Deacon is delighted to celebrate excellence in music and the fair and glorious gifts of the Minnesota Opera.

Think. Perform. Worship. Lead. SCHOLARSHIP AUDITION DATES Feb. 9 & 23, 2019 | Application deadline, Jan. 9 CHORAL & VOICE FACULTY Carol Eikum

Doreen Hutchings

Timothy Sawyer

Coordinator, Vocal Studies

Opera and Musical Theatre

Richard Joseph

Melody Johnson

Tenor

Soprano

Director, Choral Activities Northwestern Choir Varsity Men’s Chorus

Learn more:

Natalie Cromwell

Alessio Tranchell

Worship Music

Women’s Chorale

unwsp.edu/music-schubert 651-631-5218 | music@unwsp.edu

(Re)Opening Dec. 2, 2018 st. paul | mmaa.org | FREE Artwork: Ta-Coumba Aiken, Mother Spirit (detail), 1996. Coll. Minnesota Museum of American Art.

GRAND OPENING EVENTS SPONSORED BY

MEDIA SPON SORS

“

My family and I loved it! We’re making this show our holiday tradition.”

HOME H O L I DAYS e for th

See full concert schedule online.

Home for the Holidays Dec 14-20 Gregory Porter Dec 1

A Christmas Oratorio Dec 8-9 George Winston* Dec 21

A Big, Brassy Christmas with Charles Lazarus* Dec 15

Film with Live Orchestra Dec 22 TWO PERFORMANCES

A New Year Celebration: Vänskä Conducts Bernstein, Copland and Gershwin Dec 31

612-371-5656 / minnesotaorchestra.org / Orchestra Hall / #mnorch PHOTOS Home for the Holidays: Courtney Perry; Hicks & Lazarus: Travis Anderson Photo Beauty and the Beast: Presentation made under license from Buena Vista Concerts, a division of ABC Inc. © 2015 Disney. All rights reserved.

Please note: The Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.