Minnesota Opera's Hansel and Gretel Program by Minnesota Opera

2014–2015 Season

Osmo Vänskä /// Music Director

WYNTON MARSALIS

THE ROSE ENSEMBLE

SYLVIA McNAIR

Big Band Holidays: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Cécile McLorin Salvant* Tue Dec 2 7:30pm

Navidad en Cuba: Christmas in Havana Cathedral with the Minnesota Orchestra and The Rose Ensemble Sun Dec 14 2pm

Canadian Brass: Christmas Time is Here* Wed Dec 17 7:30pm

Jingle Bell Doc

with the Minnesota Orchestra Fri Dec 19 8pm / Sun Dec 21 2pm Doc Severinsen, conductor and trumpet / Minnesota Chorale

A Scandinavian Christmas

with the Minnesota Orchestra Sat Dec 20 2pm / Sun Dec 21 7pm Christina Baldwin and Robb Asklof, vocals / Patrick Harison, accordion Ethnic Dance Theatre / Minnesota Boychoir / Twin Cities Girls Chorus

New Year’s Eve: Sparkling Gershwin to Ring in the New Year! Wed Dec 31 7pm & 10pm (with After Party) Osmo Vänskä, conductor / Sylvia McNair, soprano *Please note: The Minnesota Orchestra does not perform on this program.

612.371.5656 / minnesotaorchestra.org / Orchestra Hall PHOTOS Marsalis: Frank Stewart, Rose: Michael Harry, McNair: Roni Ely

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2014–2015 Season

7 Welcome 10 Hansel and Gretel 12 Synopsis 13 About the Opera 17 Composer Engelbert Humperdinck 18 Director’s Notes 20 The Artists 24 Meet the Artists: Angela Mortellaro, Stephanie Lauricella, Marianne Cornetti 26 New Works Initiative 28 Social Media 29 Tempo 31 The Elixir of Love Preview 32 Opera Education 33 Zenon Dance Company 34 Minnesota Opera Board of Directors, Staff, and Volunteers 36 Upcoming Events 37 Stephanie Prem Memorial 38 Annual Fund 42 Institutional Giving 44 Legacy Circle 46 Minnesota Opera Information

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contents

5 Large-print and Braille programs are available at the Patron Services Office.

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ONLY THREE PERFORMANCES!

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December 10-12, 2014 @7:00 pm

TICKETS: ActorsMN.org or 800.838.3006 LOCATION: The Saint Paul Athletic Club Grand Ballroom

WELCOME LETTER

Welcome

to our deliciously dark production

of Hansel and Gretel. We are pleased to have you in the audience and hope you enjoy this contemporary twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm classic. We last staged Hansel and Gretel in 1987, which included the familiar setting of a witch’s gingerbread house hidden deep in the woods. In today’s production, awardwinning stage director and choreographer Doug Varone replaces gingerbread with an irresistible candy-colored carousel that turns into a trap to catch the children. Varone also serves as the choreographer for the Zenon Dance Company in this edgy new production. We’re thankful for our continued collaboration with the Zenon dancers, whose incredible performances always enhance our patrons’ experience. We’re also proud to feature a group of our Project Opera students who comprise the Hansel and Gretel children’s chorus.

new Hansel and Gretel; a mysterious and intriguing exploration of a story that has stood the test of time. Adults will appreciate the nostalgia evoked in this fairy tale piece, and children will be mesmerized by the magical carnival world created by Tony Award nominee David Zinn. Hansel and Gretel’s anxiety and fear of being alone and separated from their parents is universal.

Thank you to all of our volunteers, donors, and opera-goers for your childlike curiosity and love of new opera productions. Please enjoy the show and after the performance, take a moment to visit mnop.co/hansel and share your thoughts with us.

KEVIN RAMACH President and General Director

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We are thrilled to welcome back former Minnesota Opera resident artist Angela Mortellaro as young Gretel, and to introduce you to Stephanie Lauricella as her brother Hansel. Marianne Cornetti is one of the most sought-after Verdi mezzo-sopranos in the industry. It is a treat to have her return to Minnesota Opera after 16 years. One of our primary goals as a leading opera company is to champion the innovative creation of new productions. We are grateful for the supportive Twin Cities community that allows our creative team to launch productions such as this Sketch by David Zinn

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MUSIC BY ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK LIBRETTO BY ADELHEID WETTE After the fairy tale by Jacob Ludwig and Wilhelm Carl Grimm

World premiere at the Hoftheater in Weimar, December 23, 1893

NOVEMBER 1, 2, 6, 8, and 9, 2014 Ordway, Saint Paul

Sung in German with English translations.

The appearances of Stephanie Lauricella, regional finalist, and Shannon Prickett, district finalist 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 for the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program. The scenic and costume designs for this production are made possible with the support of the Dolly Fiterman Fund for Opera Design.

cast in order of vocal appearance

Gretel Angela Mortellaro Hansel, her brother Stephanie Lauricella Gertrude, their mother Marianne Cornetti Peter, their father Craig Irvin

Sandman Shannon Prickett Dew Fairy Siena Forest Witch Marianne Cornetti Dancers Zenon Dance Company

creative team Conductor Anne Manson

Assistant Director Alison Moritz

Stage Director and Choreographer Doug Varone

Assistant Conductor Aaron Breid

Set and Costume Designer David Zinn

Dance Captain Mary Ann Bradley

Lighting Designer Robert Wierzel

Répétiteurs Jonathan Brandani Geoffrey Loff

Wig and Makeup Designer Jason Allen Children’s Chorusmaster Dale Kruse

Production Stage Manager Kerry Masek English Translations Christopher Bergen

Marianne Cornetti’s performance is generously sponsored by Don Benson. Craig Irvin’s performance is generously sponsored by Sara and Jock Donaldson. Stephanie Lauricella’s performance is generously sponsored by Kay Ness and Chris Wolohan. Angela Mortellaro’s performance is generously sponsored by Luis A. Pagan-Carlo and Joseph G. Sammartino.

THE MINNESOTA OPERA’S 2014–2015 SEASON IS SUPPORTED BY

SYNOPSIS In their run-down tenement, Hansel and Gretel endure their daily chores. Both are starving, and Gretel chides Hansel for his complaining. Putting the work aside, they begin to dance, but their mother, Gertrude, enters and scolds them for their dalliance. A jug of milk is broken, and she is infuriated with her naughty children, sending them out of the house in search of food. Gertrude is overwhelmed by the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current economic condition. The unemployed father, Peter, enters happily with unexpected provisions. He is shocked to discover that the children are headed toward the carnival, a dangerous place full of mischief and intrigue.

ACT II As they wander idly, Hansel praises himself for finding nourishment. Absentmindedly, both children eat everything and then realize how this will anger their mother. A mysterious darkening mist envelops the children. The Sandman appears and prepares them for sleep. As they become drowsy, they say their evening prayers.

Intermission

ACT III When morning breaks, the Dew Fairy awakens Hansel and Gretel. They both discover they have had the same dream. The two children find themselves in front of the carnival, replete with sweets and an eerie carousel of inanimate children. They begin to nibble on the sugary treats. The carousel is really a trap, revealing the home of the witch. She offers her friendship, but both children are suspicious. The witch casts a spell to immobilize them. The evil sorceress stokes the stoveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fire, intending to cook both children. Gretel manages to break the spell, and she and Hansel shove the witch into the oven, slamming the door shut. A curse is lifted, and other children resume human form. Hansel and Gretel are reunited with their parents, while the dead witch is dragged out of the oven.

Sketches by David Zinn

ACT I

ABOUT THE OPERA

“

Often dismissed as simply a children’s piece, to be performed in English during the Yuletide season, the operatic setting is far more complex and mature than many realize…” many realize, deeply set in the dark and dangerous tradition of German Märchenand Schaueroper, no doubt inspired by Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz (dealing with the devil), Heinrich Marschner’s Der Vampyr (involving a vampire), and Richard Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer (featuring the undead). Then as now, audiences were fascinated with grisly terror and the occult. Hansel and Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel) is a renaissance of the fantastical realm and, in its first incarnation, wasn’t intended for this genre, or even for the stage. The genesis of the opera, loosely based on a tale from the Grimm brothers’ collection, was as innocent as could be. In 1890, composer Engelbert Humperdinck’s sister, Adelheid Wette, requested some folk tunes for a setting of the “fairy tale” to be performed in her home. Salon opera was not uncommon,

the most famous examples being Pauline García Viardot’s Cendrillon (Cinderella), premiered in her own living room, and Gioachino Rossini’s celebrated samedi soirs. Fellow composer Hugo Wolf happened to be a guest at one of Wette’s productions, and he encouraged Humperdinck to expand his minor opus into a full-length opera. Wette was required to produce more text, and with the help of her father, husband, and future sister-in-law, the libretto became quite the family project. The opera had a bit of a rough start. The new Duke of Gotha, Alfred (son of Queen Victoria and friend of Sir Arthur Sullivan), decided to sponsor a contest to mirror that of the music publisher Casa Sonzogno, an Italian competition which Pietro Mascagni had previously won in 1888 with Cavalleria rusticana and Giacomo Puccini had lost in 1883 with his first opera Le villi. The hope was to enhance the cultural status of a recently united Germany to be on a par with Italy and France. Humperdinck, with several other contest wins to his credit, submitted Hansel and Gretel. Unfortunately, he didn’t place or even receive honorable mention, as the jury found the work “unsuitable.” Surprisingly, the new opera caught the attention of Richard Strauss who, quite to the contrary, found the new opera “remarkable.” The premiere, however, was already slated for Munich on December 14, 1893, to be conducted by Hermann Levi (with Strauss’ shrewish future wife, Pauline de Ahna as the first Hansel), but singer illness derailed the production. Strauss came to the rescue and hastily arranged a Weimar premiere in less than two weeks, on December 23rd (thus creating a future association of the opera with Christmas, at least on the German stage). Hansel and Gretel quickly made its way around the countryside, thanks in

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Hansel and Gretel — everyone knows the story … or do they? Often dismissed as simply a children’s piece, to be performed in English during the Yuletide season, the operatic setting is far more complex and mature than

ABOUT THE OPERA

| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org

Often belittled for its seemingly infantile subject matter, Hansel and Gretel is a far more sophisticated musical composition than many realize. It is thickly orchestrated over simple yet imaginative melodies requiring strong singers who must project over a large band of players, while retaining the youthfulness demanded by their characters. Humperdinck made use of repeated themes, some initially heard in the overture, and achieved complex counterpoint and Wagnerian harmonies at key moments. Indeed, the opera provides a continuity from Wagner (whose last opera, Parsifal, premiered in 1883, with Humperdinck’s assistance) to Strauss, who was about to unveil his first opera, Guntrum, in 1894.

Wette’s libretto lightens the original Grimm tale considerably (no, the entomology of the word does not derive from the Brothers’ surname). The stepmother, a frequent villainess during an era of death resulting in childbirth, is actually the children’s natural mother who could only be accused of being angry and negligent, rather than evil (though today’s production plays up her nastier side). The father is a drunken, happy-go-lucky broommaker (rather than a woodcutter) who plays no part in Hansel and Gretel’s disappearance. There is no rescue trail left behind on the trip into the forest, first of pebbles (which works), then of soon-to-be eaten breadcrumbs (the children are locked in their room upon a successful first return, impeding the collection of more rocks). There are no assisting animals (a bird and a duck in the urtext), and Hansel and Gretel are rescued by both father and mother rather than having to find their own way home to discover the wife has died (her demise never fully explained). Wette introduces the kindly Sandman (who, according to legend, aggressively throws sand in children’s eyes to make them sleep), the demure Dew Fairy (possibly part of the devious

Sketches by David Zinn

part to a touring group, and received praise from the Kaiser when it was presented in Berlin. It debuted in London within a year, at New York’s Daly’s Theatre in 1895 and at the Metropolitan Opera in 1905 (attracting the company’s attention for its second world premiere in December 1910, Königskinder, following Puccini’s La fanciulla del West earlier the same month).

scheme of entrapment), and some religious sentimentalism with the appearance of 14 mute angels at the end of Act ii. The witch bears a name, Rosina Leckermaul (she’s just “die Alte” in the source work), and the librettist reanimates the “gingerbread” kids after her death. Switching places, the witch herself returns to the stage baked in the same cookie dough (the Brothers just leave her in the oven, not to be seen again). The Grimms’ original tale is a feminine tour de force, with a domineering mother, a clever yet cannibalistic witch, and a brave Gretel, who kills her antagonist completely on her own (Hansel having not yet been released from his cage). Wette may have yielded to a softer interpretation of the Grimms’ gory details, rendered by the Freemason Ludwig Bechstein (1801–1860), who in addition to taming the violence, added a spiritual element, interpreted through the Evening Prayer and appearance of divine messengers.

the Beast; 1771), e.t.a. Hoffmann’s Undine (1816), Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Cinderella; 1817), and Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon (1898) are all superb examples. The genre survived into the 20th century with Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka (1901), Sergei Prokofiev’s L’amour des trois oranges (1921), and two settings of Turandot, those of Ferruccio Busoni (1917) and Puccini (1926), among others. Even Minnesota Opera has offered its share over the past 50-plus years: Carl Orff ’s The Wise Woman and the King (1965), Conrad Susa’s Transformations (1973), Hansel and Gretel (1981–1983), Oliver Knussen’s Where the Wild Things Are (1985), Philip Glass’ The Juniper Tree (1989), and Rusalka (1988/2008). In countless cases, deaths occur, difficulties arise (often with ordinary children in peril), and strong emotions evolve. The young protagonists generally emerge as being smarter than the adults, empowered by their own guile and victory.

Fairy Tale Opera, somewhat of a misnomer as the category rarely involves actual fairies, has long been a legitimate entertainment for adult audiences. André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry’s Zémire et Azor (based on Beauty and

The tales fall under the vast umbrella of folklore, which has been around since civilization began. Oral traditions certainly have survived in all cultures, and written texts can be traced as far back to societies in Egypt, Ancient Greece, and the Middle East. Literacy had been rare until fairly modern times, and the necessity of the tale — historical or imagined — has been a staple of human existence, as a source of both learning and entertainment. It imparts the wisdom of the ages and teaches the basic attributes of good and evil.

Sketches by David Zinn

Again emphasizing that the lore (actual events in many instances) and tales (fictional, but often with a moralizing tack) were originally intended for adults, these stories were put into print following the Middle Ages, often appearing in collections. Neapolitan Giambattista Basile (1566–1632) published Lo cunto de li cunti overo lo trattenemiento de peccerille and Il pentamerone; Charles Perrault (1628–1703) wrote Les contes de ma mère

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ABOUT THE OPERA

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l’oye to amuse the French court; Les mille et une nuits, contes arabes traduits en français and the Persian Tales were codified and translated into French during the 18th century; and the Brothers Grimm, by collecting the Kinder- und Hausmärchen, made folklore and storytelling a science in the early 1800s. Told around the fire or in spinning circles, probably after the kids had been put to bed, these stories only became associated with children in more recent times.

Jacob Ludwig Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Carl Grimm (1786–1859) were two of six surviving siblings in Hanau. Their father died unexpectedly at the age of 44, leaving the large family in a precarious financial situation. After finishing at the law university, Jacob, now the family leader, took a position with the Kassel War Commission, and later became private librarian to King Jérome, ruler of Westphalia and Napoleon i’s brother. Wilhelm was also destined for the legal profession, and both took an interest in German literature and in particular, Märchen, the stories of the “common” people with an emphasis on the Volk. They meticulously collected tales from various individuals who had been invited to their home. Many of them were women from the upper classes, the greatest resources being Katharina Dorothea Viehmann (1755– 1815) and Wilhelm’s future wife, Dorothea (Dortchen) Wild (1793–1867). The first edition was published in 1812, with five subsequent versions released over the course of their lifetimes. Neither author envisioned such a success, and due to poor negotiating skills, initially reaped little profit. The Grimms never held back from the horror (and today’s staging accentuates their gift for telling stories of ghastly murder and mayhem). A witch is burned to death in an oven. Cinderella’s stepsisters’ eyes are pecked out. Snow White’s vain stepmother

dances to death in red-hot shoes. Red Riding Hood and her grandmother are cut out of the wolf ’s stomach, both mercifully still alive — not quite like the better known confectionery Disney films. Maliciousness and treachery are punished with swift and cruel justice. In fact, the tales were first banned in Vienna due to these qualities and the many supernatural forces present in the text. As the stories evolved, they were diluted, becoming desexualized, Christianized and polarized — goodness and sin were sharply delineated to appeal to their mainly biedermeier middle class audiences. Though the heroes of the fairy tale face strong adversaries and often require help from the paranormal, the obligatory happy ending, in spite of the tortures inflicted on the villains, gives solace and reassurance. In the opera, this is achieved by the resurrection of the lifeless children and the reunion of the nuclear family. Hansel and Gretel aren’t entirely blameless, however. Once in the forest, they gorge upon strawberries they have gathered after having accidentally spoiled the family meal. Further snacking on the witch’s house makes them appear overindulgent and seemingly deserving of punishment. Child abandonment was a very real thing during these times due to a general lack of birth control and famine. In most of these stories, naughty little tykes get their due, but not in Wette and Humperdinck’s gilded world. Il était un temps … there once was a time for old and young alike. Expressing traditions, identity, history, values, and morality in equal measure, folklore, fairy tale, and opera easily go hand-in-hand. They all tell an important lesson — in this instance, don’t get lost in the woods … or in today’s interpretation, stay away from the alluring, yet dangerous carnival carousel and its duplicitous candy lady. – David Sander

COMPOSER

HUMPERDINCK b Siegburg, Sept. 1, 1854 d Neustrelitz, Sept. 27, 1921

Universal Images Group / Art Resource, NY

Son of a headmaster and a singer, Engelbert Humperdinck began studying piano at age seven. A performance of Albert Lortzing’s Undine (1845) inspired him to write two Singspiels, Perla and Claudine von Villa Bella in 1868. Overriding his parents’ desire to have him study architecture, the precocious Engelbert enrolled in the Cologne Conservatory, where he was recognized as being especially gifted, winning the Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Meyerbeer prizes. Humperdinck’s big break came while studying abroad in Italy. After an introduction to Richard Wagner, the young composer was invited to Bayreuth to assist with the premiere of Parsifal (1883). Perhaps overwhelmed by this experience, Humperdinck settled in as a lecturer and music critic, leaving composition in

The composer stayed with the fairy tale genre for his next few staged works: Die sieben Geislein (The Seven Little Children, 1895), based on another Grimm fantasy; Dornröschen (Sleeping Beauty, 1902); and Königskinder (The King’s Children, 1897), a didactic allegorical melodrama by Ernst Rosmer that exploited the Wagnerian theory of Sprechgesang. Other works include the comedy Die Heirat wider Willen (The Reluctant Marriage, 1905), after Les demoiselles de Saint-Cyr by Alexandre Dumas père; the nativity melodrama Bübchens Weihnachtstraum (The Christmas Dream, 1906); a Spielopera, Die Marketenderin (The Canteen Woman; 1914); and the pantomime Das Mirakel (The Miracle, 1911). The latter work was commissioned by the venerable stage director Max Reinhardt, who had previously engaged Humperdinck to compose incidental music for four Shakespeare plays: The Merchant of Venice, The Winter’s Tale, The Tempest, and Twelfth Night. In 1910, a full-fledged version of Königskinder premiered to great acclaim at New York’s Metropolitan Opera. The Berlin production the following year was also greeted with enthusiasm — some critics described it as the best German opera since Parsifal. Nevertheless, Königskinder never became as popular as Hänsel und Gretel, which continues to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages to this day. (Note: there is no relation to the British singer of the same name, born Arnold George Dorsey in 1936.)

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ENGELBERT

abeyance (though he stayed on as Siegfried Wagner’s piano teacher). A decade later, his sister, Adelheid Wette, asked for some folksongs to accompany her rendition of Hänsel und Gretel (1893), which eventually morphed into a fully staged opera. It was enormously successful, appearing at more than 70 theaters in its first year.

DIRECTOR'S NOTES There is a popular belief that the Brothers Grimm fairy tales are too violent for children, with Hansel and Gretel being among the most terrifying in their collection. When it was read to me as a young child, it appeared on the surface as a simple story of two siblings getting lost in the forest, facing adversity, and winning in the end. It was a classic tale of good versus evil, and the most important thing for me at that age was that the kids triumphed at “The End.” All of the dark and serious themes involving abduction and violence soared above my head at five years old.

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Reading Hansel and Gretel as an adult, I was stunned to discover just how horrible the plot was on multiple physical and psychological levels. The depth of their writing reveals a sophisticated tale of fear, valor, determination, and salvation. These were all things I unknowingly felt as a child, and then recognized as an adult for their crucial aspects of our human psyche. These macabre fairy tales certainly serve as life lessons for a child of any age.

“

There is a popular belief that the Brothers Grimm fairy tales are too violent for children, with Hansel and Gretel being among the most terrifying in their collection.”

“

Reading Hansel and Gretel as an adult, I was stunned to discover just how horrible the plot was on multiple physical and psychological levels.” For this new Minnesota Opera production, I began creative discussions with scenic and costume designer David Zinn, confident that I wanted to place the opera in the first half of 20th century America. We collected numerous photographs of both rural and urban lifestyles and landscapes from 1920 to 1950. One particular Helen Levitt photo of a young girl leaning out of a first floor tenement window on the lower east side of New York City in the 1930s was immensely haunting. I knew immediately that this was our Gretel, and we had found our place and time. Setting the opera during the Great Depression gave us permission to explore many facets of that era and relate it to the opera’s libretto. We have tried to craft a production that embraces and acknowledges the hardships of that period in American history, as well as the influence that Hollywood films had on everyday lives as both a visual and emotional escape. Particularly for children of that generation, the young stars of the 1930s were iconic role models. From Shirley Temple’s overflowing optimism, to Jackie Coogan’s grit and strength, to

DIRECTOR'S NOTES

There is an old adage, “There’s nothing creepier than a clown.” With this in mind, we researched images of carnivals, fun houses, and circuses, along

with the fascinating characters in that world, to transform the witch’s lair. This alluring and mysterious place contrasts with the real poverty faced by Hansel and Gretel’s family. As our audience, we hope you enjoy the creepy, bizarre, magical, and theatrical elements of this new production. DOUG VARONE Stage Director and Choreographer

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. Mrs. Edgar Lucas, translator. Arthur Rackham, illustrator. London: Constable & Company Ltd, 1909.

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Freddie Bartholomew’s stoicism, kids in the movies always seemed to outsmart the adults. We’ve used these historical aspects as inspiration throughout Hansel and Gretel’s journey.

THE ARTISTS MARIANNE CORNETTI | witch/gertrude

Marianne Cornetti is recognized internationally as one of the leading Verdi mezzo-sopranos in the world. She has appeared as Amneris in Aida, Azucena in Il trovatore, and Eboli in Don Carlos at theaters including the Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House–Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Theatre Royale de la Monnaie (Brussels), Teatro Comunale (Florence), Arena di Verona, Gran Teatro del Liceo (Barcelona), Teatro San Carlo (Naples), and many others. Engagements for the 2013–2014 season included Lady Macbeth in Macbeth and Laura in La Gioconda with Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Azucena in Il trovatore at the National Theatre of China in Beijing and the Teatro Municipal in São Paulo (Brazil). Cornetti also returned to the Teatro Regio for Verdi concerts and appeared with the company as Ulrica on its tour to Japan. In the 2014–2015 season, she returns to the Royal Opera House–Covent Garden in Un ballo in maschera and to Minnesota Opera as the witch in Hänsel und Gretel. MS. CORNET TI’S APPEAR ANCE IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY DON BENSON.

SIENA FOREST | dew fairy

Soprano Siena Forest graduated with a Master of Music and a Bachelor of Music in voice performance from Indiana University, where she studied with Carol Vaness. Siena was the winner and recipient of the Wilfred C. Bain Opera Scholarship as well as the Schilling-Tourner Friends of Music Voice Scholarship. Siena appeared with Indiana University Opera Theater as Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel (2013), Nannetta in Falstaff (2013), and Musetta in La bohème (2011) as well as in productions of Le nozze di Figaro, La traviata, Xerxes, Don Giovanni, Candide, Vincent, and Die Zauberflöte. She performed The Impresario as Mademoiselle Silberklang in Carol Vaness’ opera workshop. She recently appeared as Pamina in The Magic Flute as well as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the ok Mozart International Music Festival. In the summer of 2013, Siena was a studio artist with Central City Opera in Colorado. As a resident artist for Minnesota Opera this season, she sings the Dew Fairy in Hänsel und Gretel and Frasquita in Carmen.

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CRAIG IRVIN | peter

Baritone Craig Irvin brings a vibrant sound and commitment to character to each role he portrays. He recently made role and company debuts with Wolf Trap Opera as the Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann, returning as Leporello in Don Giovanni, a debut with Minnesota Opera in the world premiere of Silent Night, an appearance with the Canadian Opera Company as Betto in Gianni Schicchi, a debut at Opera Philadelphia in Silent Night, and a debut at Opera Saratoga as both Dick Deadeye in h.m.s. Pinafore and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor. The 2013–2014 season brought debuts with Fort Worth Opera and Cincinnati Opera reprising his Lt. Horstmayer in Silent Night, a return to Minnesota Opera as Mandryka in Arabella, and a role debut as Dandini in Pensacola Opera’s La Cenerentola. During the 2014–2015 season, he returns to Minnesota Opera as Peter in Hänsel und Gretel, debuts at Utah Opera as Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles, reprises the role of Horstmayer in Silent Night in Kansas City, and joins Nashville Opera as the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. MR. IRVIN’S APPEARANCE IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY SARA AND JOCK DONALDSON.

THE ARTISTS STEPHANIE LAURICELLA | hansel

Mezzo-soprano Stephanie Lauricella joined the Deutsche Oper Berlin for the 2014–2015 season, where her roles will include Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel and Mercédès in Carmen. Last season, she sang her first performances of the Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos with Virginia Opera and Isolier in Le comte Ory with Des Moines Metro Opera. She also returned to the Grand Théâtre de Genève to reprise Wellgunde in Das Rheingold and complete its Ring Cycle as Siegrune in Die Walküre and Wellgunde in Götterdämmerung after previously singing the Second Wood Sprite in Rusalka and the title role in César Cui’s Le chat botté. Ms. Lauricella is a previous resident artist of Pittsburgh Opera, where she sang Hänsel, the title role of Rinaldo, Rosina in a student performances of Il barbiere di Siviglia, Flora in La traviata, and Soeur Mathilde in Dialogues des Carmélites. She has sung Angelina in La Cenerentola with Opera San Jose, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with New Jersey State Opera, and both Hänsel and Lola in Cavalleria rusticana with Sarasota Opera. MS. LAURICELLA’S APPEARANCE IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY KAY NESS AND CHRIS WOLOHAN

ANNE MANSON | conductor

Anne Manson’s “magnificent” conducting of Dialogues des Carmélites at The Juilliard School delivered “one of the most thrilling musical experiences I’ve ever had…” (New York Daily News). The New York Times acclaimed her 2013 interpretation of The Cunning Little Vixen as “glowing, textured and rhapsodic.” After leading New York City Opera in Samuel Barber’s Vanessa, The Times said Manson “has broken into the New York opera scene, and it’s about time.” She has conducted A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Canadian Opera Company, Philip Glass’ Orphée with Portland Opera, Così fan tutte at San Francisco Opera, Madama Butterfly and Glass’ Galileo Galilei for Portland Opera, Harbison’s The Great Gatsby for the Aspen Music Festival, Les pêrcheurs de perles for Virginia Opera and Janáček’s Katya Kabanova at Spoleto Festival usa. She is also a mentor for and conductor of the Washington National Opera American Opera Initiative. Her newest recording, Troubadour and the Nightingale, features Isabel Bayrakdarian and Manitoba Chamber Orchestra performing works of Ravel and Serouj Kradjian.

MS. MORTELLARO’S APPEARANCE IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY LUIS A. PAGAN-CARLO AND JOSEPH G. SAMMARTINO.

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ANGELA MORTELLARO | gretel

Rising star Angela Mortellaro has captivated audiences from the outset of her young career. Described as “beautiful to watch on stage,” the “richness” of her voice, the skilled delivery of “dazzling vocal pyrotechnics,” and her innate actor have made this soprano a singer in demand. Mortellaro’s 2014–2015 season includes a reprise of Violetta in La traviata for Opera North along with role debuts in two world premieres, including the role of Doris Parker in Charlie Parker’s yardbird at Opera Philadelphia and Josie in The Manchurian Candidate with Minnesota Opera. yardbird is composed by saxophonist Daniel Schnyder with the libretto by Bridgette A. Wimberly, the project stars Larry Brownlee and is being produced in partnership with Gotham Chamber Opera. During the 2013–2014 season Ms. Mortellaro returned to Opera Philadelphia for Anna in Nabucco, sang Adele in Die Fledermaus for Sarasota Opera, and Jean Acker in The Dream of Valentino for Minnesota Opera. She concluded the season with a role debut singing the title role of Thaïs for Florida Grand Opera.

THE ARTISTS SHANNON PRICKETT | sandman

Hailed as a soprano with “a vocalism that is rich and unforced, equally capable of a sudden drop to a sustained whisper or being ratcheted up to a thrilling forte without a hint of strain” by Madison Magazine, Shannon Prickett recently completed her Master of Music degree in opera, singing the title role in Médée and Suzel in L’amico Fritz. In 2012, Shannon performed the title role of Suor Angelica in Siena, Italy, and also won first place at the Iowa District Metropolitan National Council Opera Auditions, advancing to the regional competition, in which she received third place. Two years ago at the University of Wisconsin, Shannon was the soprano soloist in Verdi’s Requiem as well as Mimì in La bohème and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. In 2010, she made her debut at Des Moines Metro Opera, singing the role of the Lady-in-waiting in Verdi’s Macbeth. For Minnesota Opera last season, she appeared as the Fortuneteller in Arabella, the Lady-in-waiting in Macbeth, and the Woman in Red in The Dream of Valentino. This season she also returns as Giannetta in The Elixir of Love and Micaëla in Carmen.

DOUG VARONE | stage director and choreographer

Award-winning choreographer and director Doug Varone works in dance, theater, opera, film, television, and fashion. His New York City-based Doug Varone and Dancers has been commissioned and presented to critical acclaim across the world. In 2008, Varone’s Bottomland, set in the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky, was the subject of the pbs Dance in America: Wolf Trap’s Face of America. In opera, among his four productions at The Metropolitan Opera are Salome and the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy. His Met production of Les Troyens was recently broadcast worldwide in hd. Mr. Varone has staged many new productions for Minnesota Opera (Transatlantic; Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man; The Grapes of Wrath; Faust; La Cenerentola), Opera Colorado, Boston Lyric Opera, Washington Opera, and New York City Opera, among others. His theater credits include choreography for Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theaters across the country, and his choreography for Murder Ballad earned him a Lucille Lortel nomination. Film credits include choreography for the Patrick Swayze film, One Last Dance.

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ROBERT WIERZEL | lighting designer

Mr. Wierzel has worked with artists from diverse disciplines in theater, dance, contemporary music, museums, and opera on stages throughout the country and abroad. Productions with Minnesota Opera include The Dream of Valentino, Wuthering Heights, Rusalka, and The Grapes of Wrath. Recent projects include the Broadway production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, the Off-Broadway play Indian Ink, and Luna Gale, a new play by Rebecca Gilman, opening in November in Los Angeles at Center Theatre Group. Additional credits include productions with the opera companies of Paris-Garnier; Tokyo; Toronto; Bergen and Kristiansand, Norway; Folk Opera of Sweden; New York City Opera; Glimmerglass Festival; Seattle; Boston Lyric; Atlanta; Florida Grand; San Francisco; Houston; Virginia; Chicago Lyric; Chicago Opera Theater; Montreal; Vancouver; Portland; Wolf Trap; and San Diego, among others. Mr. Wierzel’s dance work includes 28 years with Bill T. Jones and the btj/az Dance Company (Bessie Awards) and productions at the Lyon Opera Ballet and Berlin Opera Ballet.

THE ARTISTS DAVID ZINN | set and costume designer

Broadway: The Last Ship; The Real Thing; In The Next Room; Xanadu; Other Desert Cities; and others. Opera: The Abduction from the Seraglio, The Cunning Little Vixen (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Tamerlano (Washington National Opera); Orlando (New York City Opera; Glimmerglass Opera); Don Giovanni, La clemenza di Tito (Santa Fe Opera); Giulio Cesare (Pittsburgh Opera). Off-Broadway: Fun Home; Dog fight; Circle Mirror Transformation; The Flick. Regional: Yale Repertory Theatre; American Repertory Theater; La Jolla Playhouse; Center Stage (Baltimore); Guthrie Theater; Mark Taper Forum; Berkeley Rep; Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

MINNESOTA OPERA ORCHESTRA

VIOLIN II

Laurie Petruconis Elizabeth Decker Stephan Orsak Melinda Marshall Margaret Humphrey Elise Parker Maisie Block Huldah Niles

VIOLA

Emily Hagen Laurel Browne Susan Janda Valerie Little Coca Bochonko Justin Knoepfel

CELLO

James Jacobson Sally Gibson Dorer Rebecca Arons Thomas Austin Teresa Richardson Dale Newton

BASS

John Michael Smith Connie Martin Jason C. Hagelie Charles Block

Children's Chorus

FLUTE

Michele Frisch Amy Morris

PICCOLO

Eun Cho

OBOE

Michael Dayton Jeffrey Marshak Double English horn

CLARINET

TRUMPET

John G. Koopmann Christopher Volpe

TROMBONE

Phillip Ostrander John Tranter David Stevens

TUBA

Steven Skov

TIMPANI

Karrin Meffert-Nelson Nina Olsen

Kory Andry

BASS CLARINET

Matthew Barber Paul Hill

Paul Schulz

BASSOON

Coreen Nordling Laurie Hatcher Merz

PERCUSSION HARP

Min J. Kim

HORN

Matthew Wilson Charles Hodgson Timothy Bradley Lawrence Barnhart Children’s chorus members are participants in Minnesota Opera’s Project Opera program

Maddie Anderson, Anna Biggs, Cydney Chamberlain, Eva Clelland, Mackenzie Clymer, Riley Eddins, Peter Finneran-Flyckt, Ellie Hahn, Maggie Hayes, Madeline Johnson, Cassie Klinga, Lisa Lilyerd, Sebastian Miezianko, Evan Moser, Alice O’Brien, Jack O’Brien, Zoey Paulson, Charlie Schirvar, Grace Seeley, Jonny Slayton, Kristian Stordalen, Emma Taussig, Claire Walsh, Fletcher Zavadil

Dancers

*Zenon Dance Company

Mary Ann Bradley* , José Bueno* , Patrick Jeffrey, Tristan Koepke* , Alyssa Mann* , Scott Mettille* , Leslie O’Neill* , Stephen Schroeder* , Sarah Steichen* , Laura Selle Virtucio

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VIOLIN I

Allison Ostrander Concertmaster Natalia Moiseeva Assistant Concertmaster Julia Persitz David Mickens Judy Thon-Jones Angela Waterman Hanson Heidi Amundson Conor O'Brien Jill Olson Colin McGuire

mortellaro, stephanie lauricella, marianne cornetti MEET THE ARTISTS | angela

Tell us about the first time you heard or saw an opera. AM My first exposure to opera was growing up listening to my mother’s recordings of Madama Butterfly and Beverly Sills’ arias. The live performance that made a lasting impression on me was a Milwaukee Symphony Concert with Renee Fleming singing Strauss’ The Four Last Songs. I was a teenager, and I remember being completely blown away by the beauty of the music and the power of the human voice. SL When I was in high school I went to a New Year’s Eve gala at the Metropolitan Opera. Even though I was sitting up high

and couldn’t see a thing, I could hear every note like I was right next to the performers on stage. I think I was spoiled to have one of my first opera experiences at the Met, but I’m not complaining! Where’s home for you? What has surprised you about Minnesota? AM I am a Wisconsin native, but I feel like Minnesota is a second home for me since I was a Minnesota Opera Resident Artist for two years and lived in Minneapolis. I enjoy coming back because I love this company, but I also think that the Twin Cities is a great place to be, especially this time of year.

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From left to right: Stephanie Lauricella, Angela Mortellaro, Marianne Cornetti

angela mortellaro, stephanie lauricella, marianne cornetti

SL To prepare for this role, I began with reading the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale. I translated the opera, spoke through the German in rhythm, and then learned the notes. As for character preparation, I’ve observed how children walk, talk, play, and react to one another in order to pick up the nuances of being a young boy. It is an ongoing process, but I feel like it gets easier for me to do the more I play pants roles. MC The two roles of the witch and the mother are quite different, so I prepared by working with my coaches to learn the mother first. The mother’s music is very angular, with short choppy phrases which portray the character’s nasty side. Next, I learned the witch’s music which is full of legato lines, making her seem sweet, despite her horrible nature. What has surprised you about this new production? SL This is the first time for me to see the interludes between the acts staged. I think it is a brilliant idea and really connects the parts of the story line even better than I imagined possible. The whole idea of the run-down Playland and circus clowns fits with the music so well, it is kind of spooky. It is almost like Humperdinck wrote the music to be choreographed with a traveling circus in mind.

THE ARTISTS

MC This production isn’t your typical Hansel and Gretel story. The witch is really a clown, which works fantastically. One thing is for sure, you won’t miss me on stage! What is your first memory of the Hansel and Gretel story? AM My first production of Hansel and Gretel was as a graduate student at Rice University, and I reacquainted myself with the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Reading them as an adult, I was surprised to realize the tragic and terrifying aspects of these stories. Tell us about your first circus or carnival adventure. SL I am an animal-lover and thrill-seeker, so growing up I loved seeing the circus and going to the carnival, although these days, most carnival rides make me a bit queasy. Tell us about how you are similar to your character! AM Similar to Gretel, I would like to think that I am tough, playful, and imaginative. SL I am a goofball in real life. I feel like I tap into a lot of that silliness playing Hansel. It’s a lot of fun to go to work and get to make funny faces and tease your “sister” all day! MC I hope that I am never like the mother since she is truly nasty and doesn’t care about her children. I adore kids; just ask my seven nieces and nephews! I am not at all like the manipulative witch, but she sure is fun to portray on stage. My favorite moment in the opera is when I’m pushed in to the oven and come out as a cupcake!

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How did you prepare for this role? AM Hansel and Gretel is truly a musical masterpiece and is a lot of fun to perform. I know the music very well since this will be my fourth time singing the role! Gretel is a special to me because it was my first professional title role debut with Sarasota Opera in 2010. This production with the Minnesota Opera will be my first time singing the opera in its original language of German.

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NEW WORKS INITIATIVE

he Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has provided a generous gift of $750,000 in support of Minnesota Opera’s upcoming New Works Initiative (NWI) world premiere productions of The Manchurian Candidate (March 2015) and The Shining (May 2016). We’re thrilled with the results of our first workshop of The Shining held in Minneapolis October 12–15. Composer Paul Moravec, Librettist Mark Campbell, and Stage Director Eric Simonson came together as a cohesive creative team working through the early stages of the opera with local artists. The Shining is based on the 1977 best-selling horror novel that helped establish Stephen King as the genre’s definitive voice. Minnesota Opera’s commission is the work’s first adaptation for the stage.

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“I really look forward to working with Paul to help make King’s original story sing,” said Mark Campbell, who was also the librettist for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night. “I’m thrilled to once again be working with everyone from Minnesota Opera and the New Works Initiative, director Eric Simonson, and maestro Michael Christie.”

A final three-day workshop for this season’s The Manchurian Candidate takes place in early December with all principal artists, orchestra, and chorus members. Rehearsals then begin in February 2015 leading up to the March 7 world premiere performance at Ordway. Margaret Wurtele, Chair of the NWI Committee, believes that “new works

are the lifeblood of any art form, and we at Minnesota Opera are so proud of this program’s contributions to the field.”

“

Long ago we entered in an age in which anything goes and value judgments are often to be put aside…” Kevin Puts, composer of The Manchurian Candidate, will be will be featured in the Composer Conversation Series: The Heart of Making Music on Wednesday, February 18, 2015, at 7pm at Amsterdam Bar and Hall. The event includes a discussion with brief musical selections, led by Classical MPR’s Emily Reese and followed by an audience Q&A. Presented by Minnesota Opera, the SPCO, MPR, and the American Composers Forum, the event is free but reservations are required at thespco.org. “Long ago we entered in an age in which anything goes and value judgments are often to be put aside or at least aggressively relaxed, and we are supposed to accept anything that a composer throws at us, but I think [that] something either works, or it doesn’t.” – Kevin Puts

Thank you for attending Hansel and Gretel Add two operas for as little as $49 and become a subscriber today! Enjoy the benefits of subscribing all season long with flexible exchanges and discounts for friends and family.

The 2014 – 2015 Season

Visit the Ordway box office at first intermission today, or call 612-333-6669, M – F, 10am – 5pm by Nov. 14.

THE ELIXIR OF LOVE

Jan. 24 – Feb. 1, 2015 A comedy bubbling with charm. In one of the most endearing Italian comic operas, a love-struck country bumpkin sets out to win a feisty socialite’s heart, aided by a “magic” potion and a doctor of dubious credentials.

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE

WORLD PREMIERE Mar. 7 – 15, 2015 A New Works Initiative Production A taut and suspenseful thriller. Politics and paranoia collide in this heart-pounding new opera by composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell, the creators of the Pulitzer Prize-winning sensation Silent Night, and based on the novel by Richard Condon.

Apr. 25 – May 10, 2015 A sizzling tour de force. Obsession turns deadly when the smoldering femme fatale, Carmen, seduces both a love-sick soldier and a swaggering toreador. With its passionate, sultry orchestration, and a veritable hit parade of recognizable tunes, Carmen is sure to sell out.

Pricing for 2-opera packages is based on seating location and ranges $49-$366. Service charges and other restrictions may apply.

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CARMEN

SOCIAL MEDIA Do you tweet? Post on Facebook? Instagram your entire life? Join Minnesota Opera’s upcoming

THE ELIXIR OF LOVE SOCIAL MEDIA PREVIEW NIGHT THURSDAY, JANUARY 22

| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the final dress rehearsal for The Elixir of Love. Meet your fellow social media influencers before the rehearsal for an entertaining look at the opera led by Head of Music, Robert Ainsley. Inside the theater, using your phone, taking photos, and sketching is encouraged! We want you to live tweet, Facebook, and share your impressions about what you’re experiencing on stage. Tickets are free, but applications are required at mnop.co/preview

Greer Grimsley as Jack Rance from Social Media Preview Night: La fanciulla del West Sketch by Lee Blauersouth of Studio Interrobang

TEMPO

Tempo is in its second decade of engaging 20- and 30-somethings with Minnesota Opera through one-of-akind events and steeply discounted tickets for opening night performances. For only $50, your Tempo membership includes exciting benefits to help you get the most out of your experience.

Chuck Kanski from Solo Vino and New Vintage attendees.

Upcoming Events

JANUARY 12: Tempo Happy Hour + Behind the Curtain: The Elixir of Love Meet up at a North Loop neighborhood hot spot for cocktails and nosh. Then head over to the Minnesota Opera Center just blocks away for Behind the Curtain. Get the inside scoop as opera experts and members of the cast and creative team lead discussions exploring the music, history, and design of the opera. Behind the Curtain events are ideal for first-time opera goers and long-term fans alike. Please purchase your tickets ahead of time, as these events sell out quickly. Visit mnop.co/btc for more information.

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NOVEMBER 11: The New Vintage Tempo hosts Minnesota Monthly’s New Vintage (Wine Club for your 20s and 30s) at the Minnesota Opera Center. Get a taste of the Twin Cities culture while sipping through a flight of wine with Minnesota Monthly Editor in Chief Rachel Hutton, a guest panel of wine experts, and a special performance from Minnesota Opera singers. Membership in Tempo or New Vintage is not required. Visit mnop.co/tempo for more information.

A comedy bubbling with charm.

JAN. 24 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; FEB. 1 A Great Pick Because You Love Romantic comedies The boy next door Show-stopping high notes

DON

IZET

THE EL I IX

mnopera.org 612-333-6669

THE ELIXIR OF LOVE PREVIEW

“

This is Minnesota Opera’s first production of The Elixir of Love since 1986.”

Donizetti’s score features one beautiful moment after another. Perhaps the most famous excerpt is Nemorino’s aria “Una furtiva lagrima,” which has been sung by all the best tenors in the world, including Pavarotti and Domingo. Adina’s aria, “Prendi per me,” is an excellent example of Donizetti’s mature bel canto style with its gorgeous melody followed by a virtuosic cabaletta in which our heroine finally admits her true love for Nemorino. This is Minnesota Opera’s first production of The Elixir of Love since 1986. This new staging will be set in the early 20th century and will feature elegant costumes and a beautiful set depicting a working Italian farm (pensione) which is owned and operated by Adina. In this incarnation we have two of the world’s foremost bel canto specialists on stage: tenor Leonardo Capalbo and soprano Nicole Cabell. Joining Cabell and Capalbo, all making their company debuts, is David Pershall, as Belcore. Minnesota Opera veteran Andrew Wilkowske stars as the “doctor” Dulcamara. We welcome back Maestro Leonardo Vordoni as our conductor and one of the country’s foremost coaches in the art of bel canto. Helena Binder returns as our stage director who has brought many chuckles to such operas as The Italian Girl in Algiers. In their expert hands, I am sure you will enjoy the lighthearted and lovely L’elisir d’amore — a precursor to what we refer to as “romcoms” today, works that balance both comedic and romantic storylines.

DALE JOHNSON Artistic Director

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The Elixir of Love is not only one of the most popular and beloved operas in the repertoire, it is one of Gaetano Donizetti’s best works. According to Operabase.com, it ranks number 13 on the list of the most performed operas between 2008 and 2013. There are multiple reasons to explain its popularity. The story itself is warm, sentimental, and features characters that you recognize and love immediately. As you watch Nemorino (a simple peasant) and Adina (a wealthy landlord), you get the sense that they are perfect for each other despite their differences. Nemorino experiences something we can all relate to — admiring another person from afar and wishing that a magic potion would make the object of our affection fall deeply in love with us. We might know the distress and hopelessness that comes from another person distracting our love interest. In The Elixir of Love, it’s the arrogant and handsome soldier Belcore, who gets in the way of our two ideal lovers, Nemorino and Adina.

OPERA EDUCATION MUSIC OUT LOUD Building on the success of its award-winning education department, Minnesota Opera is excited to unveil Music Out Loud, the first El Sistema-inspired program in the United States to utilize a curriculum based on the operatic art form. El Sistema is an intensive, after-school program that began in Venezuela 30 years ago. Participants receive free classical music lessons and instruments. Founder Dr. José Abreu describes El Sistema’s use of music as an “agent of social development” in which participants develop skills such as grit, tenacity, and teamwork. In October, Minnesota Opera launched the first Music Out Loud session at Folwell Elementary School in Minneapolis. For eight weeks, students learn about different aspects of the operatic art form, including singing, acting, theatrical design, and stagecraft. MNOP.CO/OUT-LOUD

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ANGIE KEETON

Minnesota Opera welcomes back Angie Keeton, veteran Teaching Artist, as the program manager for this innovative new initiative. “I am very excited to come home to Minnesota Opera and to help design and launch this important new program. It’s imperative that the operatic community continues to evolve our thinking of how, where, and when we interact within the Twin Cities. By leveraging the exceptional resources already present in our company, we can make a meaningful and long-term impact on the lives of kids and families.”

FUN FACT: PROJECT OPERA’S FIRST PRODUCTION WAS HANSEL AND GRETEL PERFORMED AT THE MINNESOTA OPERA CENTER IN 2002.

ZENON DANCE COMPANY oday’s production marks my fourth opportunity to dance with Minnesota Opera. I was hired independently for Turandot, and as a member of Zenon Dance Company for The Pearl Fishers, Orpheus and Eurydice, and currently, Hansel and Gretel. With the vibrations of the chorus and the impassioned voices of the soloists, the incredible and overwhelming sets, the layers of wigs and costume pieces, and the conductor and orchestra among us, my experience dancing in the opera has been spectacular. Before each performance, I warm up, take three Ibuprofen, prepare my water bottle, and try to find time to sit quietly backstage in order to get in few deep breaths. I love watching the conductor on the monitor, the movement of the chorus preparing for entrances, the wrangling of children and their props, and the systematic flow of wardrobe managers preparing for quick costume changes. I’ll listen for a particular part of an aria, to know that I should be putting my headpiece on, and then I’ll notice a chorus member walk offstage, which is a cue I should find my place in the wings to begin stretching. I really enjoy discovering all of these little nuances backstage.

choreographed by Doug Varone, who is also the stage director and choreographer for Hansel and Gretel. I was thrilled to see the way dance was incorporated into the opera, and I remember being surprised that the artists’ voices still reached me at top of the hall. For an audience member, the movement and energy from the dancers really changes the way your eye focuses on the entire staging. Dance visually engages the audience in a new way of understanding the story; other than reading the surtitles. Doug has an immense talent of using choreography to inject comedy into a work, and I think you will adore his fantastical interpretation of Hansel and Gretel. Leslie O’Neill has danced with Zenon Dance Company since 2006. She began her formal training at age 18 at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BFA in Dance in 2003, and began her professional career as a founding member of Black Label Movement in 2005 until 2009. Leslie has earned recognition for her work with a Sage Award Nomination for Outstanding Performer in 2009, and a McKnight Fellowship for Dancers in 2010.

My first experience with live opera was actually the first time the dancers joined the chorus to rehearse The Pearl Fishers. I remember beginning a scene, as we had practiced, and then being startled by the volume of the ensemble enough that I lost my concentration and my place in the choreography. I was totally unprepared for the powerful sound that completely enveloped me. It was absolutely magical and brought tears to my eyes. As an audience member, the first opera I attended was Minnesota Opera’s Faust,

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STAFF LISTING MINNESOTA OPERA STAFF President and General Director | Kevin Ramach Artistic Director | Dale Johnson Music Director | Michael Christie

ARTISTIC

Artistic Administrator | Roxanne Stouffer Artist Relations and Planning Director | Floyd Anderson

Assistant Stage Managers | Stephanie Boyd, Hannah Holthaus

ADMINISTRATION

Finance Director | Jeff Couture Operations/Systems Manager | Steve Mittelholtz

Head of Music | Robert Ainsley

HR/Accounting Manager | Jennifer Thill

Resident Artists | Jonathan Brandani, Aaron Breid, Gerard Michael D’Emilo, Siena Forest, Geoffrey Loff, Andrew Lovato, Alison Moritz, Cooper Nolan, Shannon Prickett, Nickolas Sanches, Christian Zaremba

Director of Board Relations | Theresa Murray

COSTUMES

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Production Stage Manager | Kerry Masek

Dramaturg | David Sander

Master Coaches | Lara Bolton, Mary Jo Gothmann

PRODUCTION

Production Director | Karen Quisenberry

Finance Assistant | Michelle Gould

DEVELOPMENT

EDUCATION

MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS

Marketing Director | Katherine L. Castille

SCENERY

Program Manager, Marketing and Communications | Kristin Matejcek

Properties Master | Jenn Maatman

Technology and Interactive Media Manager | Adam Holisky

Properties Assistant | Michael C. Long

Communications Manager | Julie Behr

Lighting Coordinator | Raymond W. Steveson, Jr.

Data Specialist | Rosalee McCready

Assistant Lighting Coordinator | Tom Rost

Ticket Office Manager | Kevin Beckey

Production Carpenter | JC Amel

Associate Ticket Office Manager | Sarah Fowler

Scene Shop Foreman | Rod Aird

Communications Coordinator & Ticket Office Assistant | Kärsten Jensen

Technical Director | Mike McQuiston

Master Carpenters | Nate Kulenkamp, Steven Rovie, Eric Veldey Carpenters | Sean McQuiston, Brad Silvernale Charge Painter | Jeffery Murphey

Ticket Office Assistants | Carol Corich, Hannah Giersdorf, Jane Samsal, Carrie Walker

BOARD MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TEMPO BOARD MEMBERS

OFFICERS

Chair | James E. Johnson

Chair | Jennifer Engel

President and General Director | Kevin Ramach

Staﬀ Liaison | Kristin Matejcek

Vice Chair | Margaret Wurtele

Staﬀ Liaison | Kärsten Jensen

Secretary | Robert Lee

Staﬀ Liaison | Danielle Ricci

Treasurer | Christopher Romans

Vice Chair | Rhonda Skoby Secretary | Chrissi Reimer

DIRECTORS

Treasurer | Ryan Alberg

Patricia Beithon

Steve Mahon

Bernard J. Brunsman

Leni Moore

DIRECTORS

Peter W. Carter

Albin “Jim” Nelson

Thomas Bakken

Laura Green

Kay Ness

Maya Beecham

Claire Joseph

Kevin Ramach

Leslie Carey

Megan Mehl

Elizabeth Redleaf

Melissa Daul

Faris Rashid

Connie Remele

Alexis DuPlessis

Jana Sackmeister

Don Romanaggi

Katie Eiser

Polina Saprygina

Christopher Romans

Kara Eliason

Jane M. Confer Sara Donaldson Bianca Fine Sharon Hawkins Ruth S. Huss Mary IngebrandPohlad Philip Isaacson James E. Johnson Patricia Johnson John C. Junek Christine Larsen

Mary H. Schrock Linda Roberts Singh Nadege Souvenir Virginia Stringer H. Bernt von Ohlen Margaret Wurtele Wayne P. Zink

Robert Lee

EMERITI Karen Bachman

Julia W. Dayton

John A. Blanchard, III

Mary W. Vaughan

Burton Cohen

HONORARY DIRECTORS Dominick Argento Philip Brunelle Dolly Fiterman

LEGAL COUNSEL

Norton M. Hintz Liz Kochiras Patricia H. Sheppard

VOLUNTEERS The following volunteers contribute their time and talent to support key activities of the company. Get involved with Bravo! Volunteer Corps at mnop.co/volunteer, or email volunteering@mnopera.org for more information. Lynne Beck Gerald Benson Debra Brooks Jerry Cassidy Judith Duncan Jane Fuller Joan Gacki Merle Hanson Robin Keck Mary Lach Jerry Lillquist Joyce Lillquist Melanie Locke Yelva Lynfield

Suzan Lynnes Mary McDiarmid Verne Melberg Barbara Moore Douglas Myhra Candyce Osterkamp Dan Panshin Pat Panshin Sydney Phillips Kari Schutz Janet Skidmore Wendi Sott Barbara Willis

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

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Rachelle D. Chase

UPCOMING EVENTS

NOV. 11: The New Vintage Get a taste of the Twin Cities culture while sipping through a flight of wine with Minnesota Monthly Editor in Chief Rachel Hutton, a guest panel of wine experts, and a special performance from Minnesota Opera singers. MNOP.CO/TEMPO

NOV. 13: Give to the Max Day In November, Minnesotans will come together for the state’s largest day of giving. Every donation you make during Give to the Max Day 2014 helps qualify Minnesota Opera for funding and awards, furthering the impact of your donation. Please join us for this special day of online giving! MNOP.CO/MA X

DEC. 31: Last Day of the Tax Year December 31 is the last day to make a gift to Minnesota Opera in the 2014 tax year. Thank you for your generous support! MNOP.CO/SUPPORT

| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org

JAN. 12: Tempo Happy Hour

Meet up at a North Loop neighborhood hot spot for cocktails and nosh. Behind the Curtain At the historic Minnesota Opera Center, get the inside scoop on The Elixir of Love as opera experts and members of the cast and creative team lead discussions exploring the music, history, and design of the opera. MNOP.CO/BTC

JAN. 21: The Magic Flute Broadcast Minnesota Public Radio broadcasts Minnesota Opera’s production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, which features Andrew Wilkowske as Papageno. He returns as Dr. Dulcamara in The Elixir of Love, which opens January 24, 2015. MNOP.CO/LISTEN

JAN. 22: Social Media Preview Night Minnesota Opera allows a pre-screened group of press members, bloggers, and social media influencers to attend The Elixir of Love final dress rehearsal at Ordway. We encourage live tweeting, blogging, note taking, and illustrating. MNOP.CO/PREVIEW

JAN. 24 – FEB. 1: The Elixir of Love In one of the most endearing Italian comic operas, a love-struck country bumpkin sets out to win a feisty socialite’s heart, aided by a “magic” potion and a doctor of dubious credentials. Donizetti’s light-hearted comedy bubbles with effervescent arias and charm as the elixir causes as many problems as it solves. MNOP.CO/ELIXIR

JAN. 29: Taste of Opera Enhance your opera-going experience with a delicious pre-show dinner paired with wine at The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis. Leave the logistics to us and enjoy an all-inclusive evening out with The Elixir of Love experts. MNOP.CO/TASTE

IN MEMORIAM

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The staff and board of directors would like to remember our friend, Stephanie J. Prem, for her dedication and devotion to Minnesota Opera. Stephanie was a long-time subscriber and served on the board of directors for nearly a decade. We will be forever grateful for her energy, enthusiasm, and unwavering support.

annual fund

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It is with deep appreciation that Minnesota Opera recognizes and thanks all of the individual donors whose annual support helps bring great opera to life. It is our pleasure to give special recognition to the following individuals whose leadership support provides the ﬁnancial foundation which makes the Opera’s artistic excellence possible.

bel canto circle PLATINUM

$25,000 and above

Anonymous (1) Mary and Gus Blanchard Jane M. and Ogden W. Confer* Julia W. Dayton Sara and Jock Donaldson* Vicki and Chip Emery Ruth and John Huss Heinz Hutter Mr. and Mrs. Philip Isaacson James E. Johnson Lucy Rosenberry Jones Kathleen and John Junek The Art and Martha Kaemmer Fund of HRK Foundation Elizabeth Redleaf Mrs. Mary W. Vaughan* C. Angus and Margaret Wurtele* Wayne Zink

GOLD

$15,000–$24,999

Dr. Tracy and Mr. Eric Aanenson Karen Bachman Donald E. Benson Rachelle Dockman Chase* Ellie Crosby William I. and Bianca M. Fine Charitable Trust Mr. and Mrs. William Frels Robert L. Lee and Mary E. Schaffner Barbara and David Meline Moore Family Fund for the Arts* Judy Mortrude and Steven Mahon Albin and Susan Nelson Kay Ness and Chris Wolohan Mary Ingebrand Pohlad Joseph Sammartino Bernt von Ohlen and Tom Nichol William White

SILVER

$10,000–$14,999

Anonymous (2) Dominick Argento Patricia Beithon Susan Boren Dolly J. Fiterman N. Bud and Beverly Grossman Foundation Sharon Hawkins Patricia Johnson and Kai Bjerkness Garrison Keillor and Jenny Lind Nilsson Warren and Patricia Kelly Harvey T. McLain Patricia and Don Romanaggi Virginia L. and Edward C. Stringer

camerata circle PLATINUM

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$7,500–$9,999

Allegro Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation Alexis and Michael Christie Erwin and Miriam Kelen* Jose Peris and Diana Gulden Chris Larsen and Scott Peterson Stephanie Prem and Tom Owens Connie and Lew Remele Lois and John Rogers Jennifer and Chris Romans Karen and Mahlon Schneider Mary H. and Christian G. Schrock

GOLD

$5,000–$7,499

Anonymous (1) James Andrus Martha and Bruce Atwater Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation William Biermaier and David Hanson Shari and David Boehnen Ken and Peggy Bonneville

Dr. Lee Borah, Jr. Peter Davis and Pamela Webster Cy and Paula Decosse Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Meg and Wayne Gisslen Lonnie and Stefan Helgeson Cynthia and Jay Ihlenfeld Robert Kriel and Linda Krach Mary and Barry Lazarus Ilo and Peggy Leppik Mr. and Mrs. Donald Lucker Kendrick B. Melrose Karla Miller Mr. and Mrs. Rolf Peters Nadege Souvenir Stephanie C. Van D’Elden Lori and Herbert Ward

SILVER

$2,500–$4,999

Anonymous (2) Nina and John Archabal Martha and Daniel Aronson Annette Atkins and Tom Joyce Alexandra O. Bjorklund

Margee and Will Bracken Rita and Kenneth Britton Barry and Wendy Brunsman Juliet Bryan and Jack Timm Christopher J. Burns Ann and Glenn Buttermann Darlene J. and Richard P. Carroll Nicky B. Carpenter Rusty and Burt Cohen Ruth and Bruce Dayton Rebecca and Jay Debertin Thomas and Mary Lou Detwiler Ralph D. Ebbott Joyce and Hugh Edmondson Nancy and Rolf Engh Ester and John Fesler Gail Fiskewold Melanie and Bruce Flessner Patricia R. Freeburg Judith Garcia Galiana and Alberto Castillo Mrs. Myrtle Grette Michele Harris and Peter Tanghe Susanne Haas and Ross Formell Dorothy Horns and James Richardson

individual giving

Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Horowitz Bill and Hella Mears Hueg Diane and Paul Jacobson Dale A. Johnson Robert and Susan Josselson Nancy and Donald Kapps Lyndel and Blaine King David MacMillan and Judy Krow Deb and Jim Lakin Dr. Caliann Lum Ann and Reid MacDonald Bridget Manahan and Joe Alexander Margery Martin and Dan Feidt Roy and Dorothy Mayeske Laura McCarten Wendy and Malcolm McLean

artist circle $1,000â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$2,499

Anonymous (1) Mary and Charles Anderson Kim A. Anderson Betty Andrews Ruth and Dale Bachman Ann and Thomas Bagnoli In memory of Kent Bales Barbara S. Belk Brian Benjamin* Adriana and Daniel Blanco Mrs. Paul G. Boening Allan Bradley Drs. Jan and Eli Briones Scott Cabalka Kathleen Callahan Keith and Carolyn Campbell Joan and George Carlson In Memory of Kathy Coleman Barb and Jeff Couture Susan and Richard Crockett Stacey and Michael Crosby Helen and John Crosson Jeff and Wendy Dankey Fran Davis Vanessa Dayton* The Denny Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Margaret DiBlasio Elise Donohue Joshua Dorothy Joan Duddingston Steven Engle Rondi Erickson and Sandy Lewis Ann Fankhanel Salvatore Silvestri Franco Emil and Robert Fredericksen Terence Fruth and Mary McEvoy Bradley Fuller and Elizabeth Lincoln Mr. and Mrs. R. James Gesell Heidi and Howard Gilbert Dr. Richard Gregory

annual fund

(continued)

Mary Bigelow McMillan Velia R. Melrose Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Moore Sandy and Bob Morris Nancy and Richard Nicholson Bill and Barbara Pearce Marge and Dwight Peterson Mrs. William Phillips Michael and Roxanne Pickle Sara and Kevin Ramach Rhoda and Paul Redleaf Mary and Paul Reyelts Thomas D. and Nancy J. Rohde In Memory of Agnes M. Romanaggi Nina and Ken Rothchild Andrea and James A. Rubenstein Lynda and Frank Sharbrough

Linda and Jesse Singh Julie and Bruce Steiner Dr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Thomas Dr. Norrie Thomas William Voedisch and Laurie Carlson Craig and Stephanie Walvatne Nancy and Ted Weyerhaeuser Carolyn, Sharon and Clark Winslow Woessner Freeman Family Foundation

Jennifer Gross and Jerry Lefevre Bruce and Jean Grussing Hackensack Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation Marion and Donald Hall Tom Handley Ingrid and Alfred Harrison Don Helgeson and Sue Shepard Jean McGough Holten Thomas Hunt and John Wheelihan Teresa and Chuck Jakway Paula and Bryce Johnson Sharon and Fredrik Johnson Janet Jones Wadad Kadi Stan and Jeanne Kagin E. Robert and Margaret V. Kinney Viemeister Kirby Fund Mark Lageson Kent Larson and Christine Podas-Larson Hugh Klein and Judy Lebedoff Sally and Bill Kling Gerard Knight Mrs. James S. Kochiras Kyle Kossol and Tom Becker Constance and Daniel Kunin Bryan Lechner Cynthia and Lawrence Lee Stefanie Lenway and Tom Murtha Mr. and Mrs. Seymour Levy Helen and Ben Liu Bill Long Dawn M. Loven* Carolyn and Charles Mayo Barbara McBurney Helen and Charles McCrossan Sheila McNally Deb and Jon McTaggart Judith and James Mellinger David and LaVonne Middleton Jill Mortensen and Kay Phillips Diana and Joe Murphy

Judy and David Myers Elizabeth B. Myers Joan and Richard Newmark Douglas and Mary Olson Julie Oswald Derrill M. Pankow Pat and Dan Panshin Paula Patineau Suzanne and William Payne Susanne and Rick Pepin Mary and Robert Price Kari and Dan Rasmus George Reid Courtney and Scott Rile John and Sandra Roe Foundation Kristine and Roger Ruckert Terry Saario and Lee Lynch Anne and Lee Salisbury Sampson Family Charitable Foundation Kay Savik and Joe Tashjian Dr. and Mrs. Richard J. Schindler In Memory of Lyle R. Schumacher Gloria and Fred Sewell Cherie and Bob Shreck Lynn and Kevin Smith Ardath and Glenn Solsrud Matthew Spanjers Daniel J. Spiegel Family Foundation Chris Stagsteffer Donna Stephenson Mary K. and Gary Stern Dana and Stephen Strand Vern Sutton Jean Thomson and John Sandbo Schelly and Bryn Vaaler Cindy and Steven Vilks Mrs. Philip Von Blon James and Sharon Weinel Lani Willis and Joel Spoonheim John Windhorst, Jr. In Honor of Ron Wyman Diane and Rory Yanchek

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camerata circle

annual fund

| individual giving

patron circle GOLD

$750–$999

Kathleen and Jeff Baradaran Carl and Joan Behr Gerald and Phyllis Benson Robert Carruthers Pam and Cory Biladeau Debra Brooks and James Meunier Susan Flint and Michael Leirdahl Charles Hample Andrew and Gary Whitford Holey Christina and Nicholas Jermihov The Mahley Family Foundation Dusty Mairs Ann M. Rock David E. Sander Warren Stortroen Jill and John Thompson Michael Tierney Patricia and Doug Vayda David L. Ward Mark Warnken Ellen M. Wells James Wire

SILVER

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$500–$749

Anonymous (2) Thomas O. Allen Arlene and Tom Alm August J. Aquila and Emily Haliziw Dr. and Mrs. Orn Arnar Jo and Gordon Bailey Family Fund Armand and Dickey Balsano Rebecca Arons and Thomas Basting, Jr. Donald and Naren Bauer Barbara Bencini Chuck Bennett Dennis and Judy Berkowitz Martin and Patricia Blumenreich Michael Bohdan Kristin Brietzke Dr. Hannelore Brucker Thomas and Joyce Bruckner Elwood and Florence Caldwell Jim and Julie Chosy

Joann Cierniak J.P. Collins Ann Marie and Jim Collins Brenda Colwill Amos and Sue Deinard Mona and Patrick Dewane Lois Dirksen Barry Divine Jane Dudley Holli Egerstrom Mrs. John C. Rowland Herbert and Betty Fantle Brian M. Finstad C.D.F. Foundation Kingston Fletcher David Francis* Jane Fuller Joan and William Gacki W. Michael and Christine Garner David and Terry Gilberstadt Stanley and Luella Goldberg Mark and Diane Gorder Roger and Eleanor Hall Bonita Hanson Blanche and Thane Hawkins Frederick J. Hey Jr. Highpoint Center for Printmaking - Board* Highpoint Center for Printmaking - Staff* Norton and Mary Hintz Henry and Jean Hoover Ray Jacobsen Barbara Jenkins Charles and Sally Jorgensen Samuel and Sylvia Kaplan Markle Karlen Carole and Joseph Killpatrick Katherine and Scott Kovarik James and Gail LaFave Judith Lee Chris and Marion Levy Tim and Susanna Lodge Ruth W. Lyons Tom and Marsha Mann Kristin and Jim Matejcek

Frank Mayers Patricia N. and Samuel D. McCullough* Carla McGrath* Kris and Bill McGrath Peter Meyers Anne W. Miller Lee Mitau and Karin Birkeland Steven J. Mittelholtz Jack and Jane Moran Theresa and Jim Murray Lucia Newell Dennis R. Olson Ruth and Ahmad Orandi Jim Pagliarini and Elizabeth Raymond Kathleen and Donald Park Ilya Perepelitsyn Ron and Mary Peterson Dwight and Christina Porter Matthew Ralph and Kristina Carlson Carroll and Barbara Rasch Dennis M. Ready Lawrence M. Redmond Cole Rogers* Liane A. Rosel Enrique and Clara Rotstein Marian R. Rubenfeld and Frederick G. Langendorf Ruth Schwarzmann John W. Shigeoka Topsy Simonson Arthur and Marilynn Skantz Stanislaw Skrowaczewski Jim Snustad Mark and Kristi Specker Jon Spoerri and Debra Christgau Michael Steffes Thomas and Sharon Stoffel Judith Stone Roxanne Stouffer Dr. Anthony Thein Michael Tiemey David Walsh and Renee Campion Mary Weinberger Mrs. Barbara White John M. Williams Barbara and Carl White Barbara and James Willis

associate circle ASSOCIATE

$250–$499

Anonymous (2) Paul and Val Ackerman Katherine Anderson Laurie Anderson Jerry Artz Suzanne Asher

Marcia J. Aubineau Eric S. Anderson and Janalee R. Aurelia James and Gail Bakkom Bishu and Irina Bandyopadhyay Laird Barber Margaret and E. Thomas Barrett Carolyn Beatty Kevin Beckey

Bill Bertram Keith and Jamie Beveridge Beth Bird Judith Brown-Wescott Keith Campbell Philip and Carolyn Brunelle Alan E. and Ruth Carp Kyle and Shelley Carpenter

individual giving

associate circle Katherine L. Castille Gretchen Collins J. P. Collins Kay Constantine Jeanne E. Corwin Kent and Dee Ann Crossley Melissa Daul Maylis and Mark Dickey Linda S. Donaldson Kathy Ehrmann Leah and Ian Evison Charles and Anne Ferrell Joyce and Hal Field Steven and Mimi Fisher Christine Fleming Roger and Michele Frisch Greta and Paul Garmers Howard and Ann Garton Marsha and Richard Gould Russell and Priscilla Hankins Douglas and Doris Happe Todd and Amy Hartman Alfred E. Hauwiller Jill A. Heath Mary K. Hicks Sharon and Cliff Hill Rochelle Hoffman Brian and Karen Hopps Steve Horan Burton and Sandra Hoverson Worth L. Hudspeth Deborah and Ronald Jans Ed and Jean Jasienski Benjamin Jones Erika and Herb Kahler Jeff and Andrea Kaiserman Kristine Kaplan Samuel L. Kaplan and Sylvia Chessen Kaplan Kathryn Keefer Janice Kimes

annual fund

(continued)

Susan Kinder Andrea M. Kircher John Krenzke and Michelle Davis Joan Krikava Robert and Venetia Kudrle Nathan Kulenkamp Scott and Karla Lalim Kenyon S. Latham add John F. Leddy* Lisa and Jonathan Lewis Rebecca A. Lowe Stuart MacGibbon Joan E. Madden Donald and Rhoda Mains Walter McCarthy and Clara Ueland* Orpha McDiarmid Family Fund Beth McGuire and Tom Theobald Harry McNeely Susan Mcneely Laurie and David Mech Adele Mehta Curtis and Verne Melberg Karla and Peter Meyers John L. Michel and H. Berit Midelfort Michael J. and Judith Mollerus Brad Momsen and Rick Buchholz David Mowry Virginia Dudley and William Myers Merritt C. Nequette Peter Nichol and Makie Tam William and Sharon Nichols Lowell and Sonja Noteboom Patricia A. O’Gorman Robert and Dorothy Ollmann Vivian Orey Donna and Marvin Ortquist Scott J. Pakudaitis Julia and Brian Palmer* James A. Payne Lana K. Pemberton

John and Margaret Perry Carol Peterson John Petraborg Edward and Beverly Phares Walter Pickhardt and Sandra Resnick John and Norma Pierson William Lough Lorraine Potuzak Nicole and Charles Prescott Christina Reimer Robert E. Rocknem Daniel Roth Patricia and Stephen Rowley Berneen Rudolph Adele and Fred Saleh Mary Savina Mr. Jon L. Schasker Paul L. Schroeder Estelle Sell Morris and Judith Sherman The Singer Family Foundation Debra Sit and Peter Berge Dr. Leslie W. Smith Lori Sundman Delroy and Doris Thomas Katharine E. Thomas Susan Truman Emily Wadsworth Elaine B. Walker Wesley Wang David Wendt Deborah Wheeler John and Sandra White Jeff Wiemiller Leslie Wilcox Wendy Wildung David and Rachelle Willey Daniel Richard Zillmann

Opera shares the sympathy of the many patrons noted Minnesota *above who have made gifts in memory of Stephanie Prem. Stephanie

was a vibrant and dedicated board member whose presence is deeply missed by the entire Minnesota Opera community. Minnesota Opera remembers our friend and composer, Stephen Paulus. His long history of collaboration with the company includes The Village Singer, The Postman Always Rings Twice, and most recently, The Shoes of the Santo Niño with Project Opera. We will all miss his wit, laughter, and extraordinary musical talent.

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These lists are current as of September 30, 2014, and include donors who gave a gift of $250 or more during Minnesota Opera’s Annual Fund Campaign. If your name is not listed appropriately, please accept our apologies and contact Hannah Peterson, Individual Gifts Associate, at 612-342-9569.

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING Minnesota Opera gratefully acknowledges its major institutional supporters: $100,000+

William Randolph Hearst Foundations

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

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.

$50,000–$99,999

$25,000–$49,999

| MINNESOTA OPERA mnopera.org

Aroha Philanthropies

$10,000–$24,999

For information on making a corporate or foundation contribution to Minnesota Opera, please contact Adam Salazar, Institutional Gifts Associate, at 612-342-9565 or email him at asalazar@mnopera.org.

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING

minnesota opera sponsors SEASON

PRODUCTION INNOVATION SYSTEM

Target

General Mills

PRODUCTION SPONSORS

RESIDENT ARTIST PROGRAM

The Manchurian Candidate The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Wenger Foundation

BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Sakura

GALA SPONSORS

Press Sure Print

Comcast

TEMPO AFTER PARTIES TEMPO PRINT SPONSOR

Ascent Private Capital Management of U.S. Bank Zoe’s Dad

corporations, foundations and government 3M Foundation Ameriprise Financial, Inc. Aroha Philanthropies F.R. Bigelow Foundation The Ruth Easton Fund General Mills Foundation William Randolph Hearst Foundations Knight Foundation The McKnight Foundation Medtronic Philanthropy through Medtronic Foundation The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Minnesota State Arts Board National Endowment for the Arts The Saint Paul Foundation Target U.S. Bank Foundation

PLATINUM

$10,000–$24,999

The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc. Ascent Private Capital Management of U.S. Bank Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation Best Buy Children’s Foundation Cargill Foundation Comcast Dorsey & Whitney Foundation

Ecolab Foundation Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation MAHADH Fund of HRK Foundation Pine River Capital Management LP Travelers Valspar Foundation Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota Wenger Foundation Xcel Energy

GOLD

$5,000–$9,999

Accenture Boss Foundation Briggs & Morgan, P.A. Ernst & Young Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts R. C. Lilly Foundation Mayo Clinic Maslon Edelman Borman & Brand, LLP The Carl and Eloise Pohlad Family Foundation PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Rahr Foundation RBC Wealth Management Schwegman, Lundberg & Woessner, p.a. Securian Foundation Twin Cities Opera Guild

SILVER

$2,500–$4,999

Cleveland Foundation Dellwood Foundation Faegre Baker Daniels Hutter Family Foundation Le Jeune Family Foundation The Elizabeth C. Quinlan Foundation Margaret Rivers Fund Pique Travel Design Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi Rothschild Capital Partners Thomson Reuters Spencer Stuart Summit Brewing Company Tennant Foundation

BRONZE

$250–$2,499

Anonymous (1) Carlson Family Foundation Enterprise Holdings Foundation Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Inc. McVay Foundation Onan Family Foundation Peravid Foundation Sewell Family Foundation Sit Investment Foundation

production multimedia Publicity Photographer – Aleutian Calabay Production Photographer – Michal Daniel Publicity Video – QuarterTon Productions Event Photographer – CJ Standish

Broadcast Recording

| HANSEL AND GRETEL