Cast of Characters
Creative Team
Cecilia Violetta López, soprano Hanna Glawary
Mark Junkert, General Director Robert Neu, Stage Director & Ensemble Choreographer Ari Pelto, Conductor Amber Ellis, Production Manager Danyale Cook, Hair & Makeup Designer Brandon Washington, Lighting Designer Jordan Bowman, Stage Manager Kelly Kaye, Chorus Master Nicole Haskins, Choreographer Robert Neu, Ensemble Choreographer Betsi Hodges, Accompanist Liz Noland, Chorus Rehearsal Accompanist Melanie Keller, Orchestra Contractor Nico Hewitt, Technical Director & Rental Coordinator Tara Young, Costume Coordinator Allie Watson, Dresser Kristina Sharp, Dresser Melaline Sharp, Dresser Teresa Sorensen, Dresser Alyxaine Vetter, Hair & Makeup Artist Megan Huston, Hair & Makeup Artist Mary Kay Sprague, Hair & Makeup Artist Alyssa Fishman, Hair & Makeup Artist Matthew Curtis, Master Electrician Monae Curtis, Master Electrician Katie Valentine, Light Board Operator Robyn Monkarsh, Props Master Nik Dumas, Titles Operator
Gabriel Preisser, baritone Count Danilo Danilovitch Bridgette Gan, soprano Valencienne Andrew Bidlack, tenor Camille, Count de Rosillon Jeffrey Seppala, bass-baritone Baron Mirko Zeta Jonathan Hill, tenor Njegus Endowment Foundation Production Sponsor
The Merry Widow October 8 & 9, 2021 The Morrison Center
Composer Franz Lehár Librettists Viktor Léon & Leo Sten English translation by Sheldon Harnick, exclusive rights for translation provided by Theodore Presser Company Language English (with English supertitles) Based on L’attaché d’ambassade (The Embassy Attaché) by Henri Murger, 1851 Premiere Theater an der Wien Vienna, Austria December 30, 1905
There will be two 15-minute intermissions, one after Act II and one after Act III.
Victoria Esposito1, soprano Silviane Sable Strout1, mezzo-soprano Olga Patrick Starke1, tenor Raoul de St. Brioche Jack Canfield1, baritone Vicomte Cascada Suzanne Hansen, mezzo-soprano Praskovia Dancers Flynn Ericson Ave Marie Griebel Amy Novak Chorus Debbie Baerlocher Caitlin Carlberg (Lolo) Kristen Dittman (Jou-Jou) Maxine James (Dodo) Aviana Smith (Frou-Frou) Carley Ann Campbell (Clo-Clo) Naomi Spinelli (Margot) Geoffrey Parks (Kromov) Maxwell Reinhardt Thax von Reither Peyton Fleming Jonathan Perry (Bogdanovitch) David Lyman
1 - Opera Idaho Emerging Artists. Their full bios can be found on page 23 of program. 2 - Concertmaster 3 - Principal
Opera Idaho Orchestra Violin I - Chia-Li Ho2, Phyllis Saunders, Lauren Folkner, Kathy Stutzman, Jessica Harned, Seth Mattison, KeAndra Harris, Susan Courtial Violin II - Dawn Douthit3, Paula Stern, Rebekah Desta, Katherine Dickeson, Colleen Schoeck, Ryann Aery Viola - Dave Johnson3, Jennifer Drake, Marcia Van Huene, Adele Rosen Cello - Micah Claffey3, Stephen Mathie, Julia Pope, Lisa Cooper Bass - Chris Ammirati3, Ryan Bell, Shayla Lewis Flute - Melanie Keller3, Greg Bishop (piccolo) Oboe - Ryan Klein3, Jessie Brown Clarinet - Bryn Huntington3, Kevin Bolen Bassoon - Janelle Oberbillig3, Donovan Schatz Horn - Brian Vance3, Mark Givens, Ethan Hiner, Jason Chilson Trumpet - Zachary Buie3, Drew Ziemba Trombone - Sarah Paradis3, Luke Strother, Paul Lynch Timpani - Matthew Grady Percussion - Matthew Kallend Harp - Matthew Tutsky
Acknowledgements Scenery designed by Michael Yeargan for Utah Symphony & Opera and constructed by Utah Symphony & Opera Production Studios The Morrison Center Theatre Staff Supertitles by Nik Dumas Housing and transportation provided by The Grove Hotel, Riverside Hotel, Lyle Pearson, Elisa Barney-Smith & Pete O’Connor, Vicki Kreimeyer, Mary Langenfeld, Lisa Hecht, Rose-Marie & Max Bearden, Phil & Joan Ehrnstein, and Eva Schlosser Cecilia Violetta López sponsored by Leslie & Marshall Garrett, Lynn & John Mattison, Yvonne McCoy & Garry Wenske, Carol Nie,
Synopsis ACT I The embassy in Paris of the povertystricken Balkan principality of Pontevedro is holding a ball to celebrate the birthday of the sovereign, the Grand Duke. Hanna Glawari, who has inherited twenty million francs from her late husband, is to be a guest at the ball – and the Pontevedrin ambassador, Baron Zeta, is scheming to ensure that she will keep her fortune in the country, saving Pontevedro from bankruptcy. The Baron intends that Count Danilo Danilovitsch, the first secretary of the embassy, should marry the widow; unfortunately for this plan, Danilo is not at the party, so Zeta sends Danilo’s assistant Njegus to fetch him from Maxim’s. Danilo arrives and meets Hanna. It emerges they were in love before her marriage, but his uncle had interrupted their romance because Hanna had had nothing to her name. Though they still love each other, Danilo now refuses to court Hanna for her fortune, and Hanna vows that she will not marry him until he says “I love you” – something he claims he will never do. Meanwhile, Baron Zeta’s wife Valencienne has been flirting with the French attaché to the embassy, Count Camille de Rosillon, who writes “I love you” on her fan. Valencienne puts off Camille’s advances, saying that she is a respectable wife. However, they lose the incriminating fan, which is found by
embassy counsellor Kromow. Kromow jealously fears that the fan belongs to his own wife, Olga, and gives it to Baron Zeta. Not recognising it, Baron Zeta decides to return the fan discreetly, in spite of Valencienne’s desperate offers to take it “to Olga” herself. On his way to find Olga, the Baron meets Danilo, and his diplomatic mission takes precedence over the fan. The Baron orders Danilo to marry Hanna. Danilo refuses, but offers to eliminate any non-Pontevedrin suitors as a compromise. As the “Ladies’ Choice” dance is about to begin, Hanna becomes swarmed with hopeful suitors. Valencienne volunteers Camille to dance with Hanna, privately hoping that the Frenchman will marry her and cease to be a temptation for Valencienne herself. True to his bargain with the Baron, Danilo circulates the ballroom, rounding up ladies to claim dances and thin the crowd around the wealthy widow. Hanna, however, chooses the one man who is not apparently interested in dancing with her: Danilo, who immediately announces that he will sell his dance with Hanna Glawari for ten thousand francs, with the proceeds to benefit charity. This extinguishes the remaining suitors’ interest in the dance. After they have left, Danilo attempts to dance with Hanna, who refuses in annoyance. Nonchalantly he proceeds to waltz by himself, eventually wearing down Hanna’s resistance, and she falls into his arms. Act II The next evening, everyone is dressed in Pontevedrin clothing for a garden party at Hanna’s house, now celebrating the Grand Duke’s birthday in his own country’s fashion. Hanna entertains by singing an old Pontevedrin song: “There lived a Vilja, a maid of the woods.” Meanwhile, Baron Zeta fears that Camille will spoil his plan for Hanna to marry a Pontevedrin. Still not recognising the fan as Valencienne’s, the Baron orders Danilo to discover the identity of its owner, whom he correctly assumes to be Camille’s married lover. The two men, along with Njegus, arrange to meet that evening in Hanna’s garden pavilion to discuss Danilo’s findings, as well as the problem of securing the widow’s fortune for Pontevedro. Seeing the fan, Hanna takes the message on it to be Danilo’s declaration of love for her, which he
denies. His inquiries regarding the fan prove fruitless, but do reveal infidelities committed by some of the wives of embassy personnel. That evening, Camille and Valencienne meet in the garden, where Valencienne insists that they must part. Discovering the fan, accidentally left behind by Danilo, Camille begs Valencienne to let him have it as a keepsake. Valencienne agrees, writing “I’m a respectable wife” on it as a rejoinder to Camille’s “I love you.” Camille persuades Valencienne to join him in the pavilion so that they can say their goodbyes in private. This is of course the same pavilion where Danilo, the Baron, and Njegus have agreed to meet, and the latter, arriving first, locks the door when he spots people inside. Baron Zeta and Danilo follow, but Njegus quickly arranges with Hanna to change places with Valencienne. Camille emerges from the pavilion with Hanna, who announces that they plan to marry, leaving the Baron distraught at the thought of Pontevedro losing Hanna’s millions and Valencienne distraught at losing Camille. Danilo is furious, and tells the story of a Princess who cheated on her Prince (“Es waren zwei Königskinder)” before storming off to seek distraction at Maxim’s. Hanna realises that Danilo’s anger over her engagement to another man proves that he loves her, and she rejoices amid the general despair. Act III Hanna has rented out Maxim’s, complete with Maxim’s grisettes (cancan dancers). Valencienne, who has dressed herself as a grisette, entertains the guests. When Danilo arrives, having found the real Maxim’s empty, he tells Hanna to give up Camille for the sake of Pontevedro. Much to Danilo’s delight, Hanna replies truthfully that she was never engaged to Camille but was protecting the reputation of a married woman. Danilo comes very close to declaring his love for Hanna, but stops himself from doing so when he remembers her money and his proud refusal to court her for it. Njegus produces the fan, which he picked up earlier, and Baron Zeta finally remembers that it belongs to Valencienne. He swears to divorce his wife and marry the widow himself, but Hanna stops him by declaring that she will lose her fortune if she remarries. At this, Danilo promptly confesses his love for her and asks Hanna to marry him. Hanna triumphantly accepts, adding
that she will lose her fortune only because it will become the property of her new husband. Valencienne assures Baron Zeta of her fidelity by pointing out her reply to Camille’s declaration of love written on the fan: “I’m a respectable wife.” All ends happily.
Cast & Creative Team Cecilia Violetta López [Hanna Glawari] made her Opera Idaho debut as Gilda in Rigoletto, 2014. With Opera Idaho she performed her signature role of Violetta in La Traviata, 2016; and debuted in the title role in Manon, 2019; Maria in West Side Story in Concert, 2018; and Adina in L’elisir d’amore, 2017. Cecilia was appointed Opera Idaho’s first-ever Artistic Advisor in February 2021. Cecilia has been named one of “Idaho’s Top 10 Most Influential Women of the Century” by USA Today and has been named one of opera’s “25 Rising Stars” by Opera News. The singing actress is constantly praised for her “alluring voice and incredible range” (Washington Post). She has received accolades for her signature role of Violetta in La traviata, which she has performed countless times throughout North America. Critic, James Jorden, exclaimed “she is a Violetta fully-formed and, I think, ready for the great stages of the world.” She has now performed the role with Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Tampa, Ash Lawn Opera, The Northern Lights Music Festival, Madison Opera, Pacific Symphony and Virginia Opera. Cecilia made her European début as Norina in Don Pasquale with Zomeropera in Belgium, for which Klassiek Centraal exclaimed: “She turns out to be the revelation of the show and wins over the audience with her funny rendition, irresistible charm, and [she is] natural in the different vocals.” From her performance as Adina in The Elixir of Love with Virginia Opera, The Virginian-Pilot hailed, “Cecilia Violetta López is showing local audiences why Opera News named her one of its ’25 Rising Stars.’ In the lead role of Adina, she hit the highest notes with ringing clarity, performed the vocal runs with precision and grace and showed a particular charm and humanity in the softest passages
and lowest ranges.” In her recent performance as Marguerite in Faust with Opera Omaha, the Omaha World-Herald claimed “...López sang Marguerite’s seduction, madness and salvation with an other wordly wisdom and artistry.” Despite the halting effects of COVID-19 in the opera industry, Cecilia’s 20202021 has included both virtual and live recitals with Opera Idaho, Opera Las Vegas, Austin Opera, Opera Southwest, Chatter ABQ, and Madison Opera. Cecilia made her company debut with Pacific Symphony as Violetta in their 90 minute version of La traviata, and Cecilia will also be the featured soprano soloist in the world premier of Mi Camino, a virtual project with Opera Cultura. Cecilia also returned to Opera Colorado as a soprano soloist in Canciones de Nuestras Tierras: a live, outdoor performance in May, 2021. In past seasons, Cecilia has made several role débuts including her now critically acclaimed role of Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Virginia Opera and Opera Las Vegas, Nedda in I pagliacci with Opera Colorado, Desdemona in Rossini’s Otello with LoftOpera, Marguerite in Faust with Opera Omaha, Mimì in La bohème with Opera Orlando, Rosalba in Florencia en el Amazonas with Florida Grand Opera, Beatrice Russo in Il Postino with Opera Southwest and Opera Saratoga, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, and Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Tampa, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow with Opera Saratoga, Lucy in Fellow Travelers with Prototype Opera Festival, the title role of Suor Angelica with Opera San Luis Obispo, Magda in La rondine with Skylark Opera Theatre, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Opera Tampa and Opera Las Vegas. She appeared as Micaëla in Carmen in her house debut with Michigan Opera Theatre and Blanche in Dialogues des Carmélites and Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus as a part of Eugene Opera’s New Year’s Eve Opera Trio. In addition to these débuts, she reprised the role of Micaëla in Carmen with Madison Opera and joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in their 2015 production of The Merry Widow. Solo concert performances include Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and selections from Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra, and Rutter’s Mass of the
Children with the Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society. Additionally, Cecilia has performed as a soloist at the reopening of the Idaho Museum of Natural History gala, various Christmas concerts including her company debut with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and as a featured soloist in concerts with the Boise Philharmonic, Austin Opera, Madison Opera and the prestigious Bard SummerScape Music Festival. Cecilia was also a soloist in Opera Orlando’s One Voice Benefit Concert in Orlando, Florida where proceeds benefited those affected by the tragedy that occurred at the Pulse Night Club. She performed for the Zion’s Bank Annual Gala, and was a guest speaker at the 2017 California State Annual Migrant Parent and Student Conference where she shared her story and musical talents with people of similar backgrounds as her own. Cecilia also completed a two-yeartenure as a Soprano Resident Artist at Opera San José where she performed Leïla in Les pêcheurs de perles, Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, Leonora in Il trovatore, the title role in Suor Angelica, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Nannetta in Falstaff, Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, and Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly. Additionally, Cecilia is an alum of the Caramoor Music Festival where she covered the role of Hélène in Les vêpres siciliennes. She is also an alum of the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival where she sang the title role in their production of L’incoronazione di Poppea. Her début of the role of Violetta in La traviata, was with Martina Arroyo Foundation’s prestigious summer festival, Prelude to Performance. Gabriel Preisser [Count Danilo Danilovitsch], GRAMMY® Award winning baritone, is making his Opera Idaho debut. His resume includes over 40 operatic and musical theater roles including Danilo in The Merry Widow with Utah Festival Opera, Billy Bigelow in Carousel with Minnesota Orchestra, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with St Petersburg Opera, Dandini in La Cenerentola with Opera Tampa, Escamillo in Carmen with Lyric Opera of the North, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with Shreveport Opera, Le Mari in Les Mamelles de Tiresias
with Opera Parallele, Albert in Werther with Minnesota Opera, Mercutio in Romeo et Juliette with Opera Tampa and St. Petersburg Opera, Tommy in Brigadoon with Gulfshore Opera, Silvio in I Pagliacci with Opera Naples, Harold Hill in The Music Man with Colorado Symphony, and Bob Baker in Wonderful Town with Skylark Opera to name a few. He has been praised for having a “matinee idol’s charm and charisma” (Star Tribune), “a beautiful, luscious baritone” (Pioneer Press) and “a compelling, commanding stage presence” (Houston Chronicle). Gabriel has made a name for himself as a versatile, cross-over performer and has especially been active in new works. He created the role of Lt. Gordon in Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize winning Silent Night at Minnesota Opera with subsequent performances at Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, and Michigan Opera Theatre. His performance with the Minnesota Opera as Lt. Gordon, deemed “wonderful” by The New York Times, was also broadcast nationally on PBS in 2013 and 2014. He also took on the role of Farmer Bean in Tobias Picker’s Fantastic Mr. Fox both with Opera San Antonio and Odyssey Opera of Boston. He can be heard on the first official audio recording of Fantastic Mr. Fox under the baton of Gil Rose with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project that won the GRAMMY® Award for best new opera recording in 2020. He has also been seen as the title role in Aldridge’s Elmer Gantry, Tom Joad in Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath, Riolobo in Catan’s Florencia en el Amazonas, Antonio in Hagen’s New York Stories, John Brooke in Adamo’s Little Women, and the Shoe Salesman/Puppet role in Argento’s Postcard from Morocco. He is a frequent recitalist throughout the US and a proponent of American composers such as Charles Ives, Carlisle Floyd, Aaron Copland and John Duke. A 2016 League of American Orchestras Emerging Artist, Gabriel is known for his dynamic interpretation of Orff’s Carmina Burana performed with the Winter Park Bach Festival, Atlanta Ballet, Gulf Coast Symphony, and others. He has also been heard as a bass soloist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Colorado Symphony under the baton of Cristian Macelaru, soloist in William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast with Jacksonville Symphony and the Canterbury Chorale, Schlendrian in Bach’s Coffee Cantata with Orlando
Philharmonic, bass soloist in Bach’s St. John’s Passion with the Houston Bach Society, and bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Ars Lyrica and The Messiah Choral Society. He was a district winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition and won the American finals of the International Lirico Concorso Competition. Gabriel was a resident artist at Minnesota Opera, Kentucky Opera, Pensacola Opera, and an apprentice artist at Des Moines Metro Opera. He graduated summa cum laude from Florida State University with degrees in Vocal Performance and Commercial Music and completed a Masters in Voice at the University of Houston. Outside of his performance career, Gabriel serves as Executive Director for Opera Orlando. Bridgette Gan [Valencienne] is making her Opera Idaho debut. Most recently, Bridgette had the honor of performing as the guest soloist for Wheeling Symphony’s Music Under the Stars concert, the nation’s first live concert with orchestra following the general shutdown of performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other recent highlights include her company debut with Utah Festival Opera as the Soprano Soloist for Oratorio from the Book of Mormon, Sharon in Terrence McNally’s Master Class, and the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, for which Deseret News labeled her “the one to listen to.” She made her role debut as Norina in Don Pasquale with Opera Orlando, where she has also appeared as Musetta in La bohème, a guest soloist for their 2018 Gala, and the “vocally and comically sparkling” (Orlando Sentinel) Bethany Squills in their modernized production of Mozart’s The Impresario, and debuted her Adina in L’elisir d’amore with St. Petersburg Opera. Bridgette made her mainstage debut with Santa Fe Opera as Lila in the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain, a recording of which is available on Pentatone Records and was nominated for the GRAMMY® Award for Best Opera Recording. A former resident artist with Palm Beach Opera, she has
been seen there as Stella in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, and Marie in La fille du regiment, with Edge Media Network calling her performance “a tour de-force…vocally beautiful and consistent with a rich tone and sparkling high notes… a great star turn for a young singer who has a world of potential in front of her.” She has also appeared with the Pacific Symphony as Papagena in The Magic Flute, the Center for Contemporary Opera as Jackie Kennedy in a reading of Chandler Carter’s opera Bobby, and Central City Opera as Frasquita in Carmen, Venus and Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld, Madeline/Isabel in The Face on the Barroom Floor, and Celie in Signor Deluso. In concert she has appeared with the U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra for Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, the South Florida Symphony for their ”And the Tony Goes to…” concert tour, Toledo Symphony for their Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration concert tour, and was featured at the Newport Music Festival. Bridgette has won prizes from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, Central City Opera, the Licia Albanese Puccini Competition, the Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition, Opera Index Vocal Competition, the Violetta DuPont Vocal Competition, the Philadelphia Orchestra Albert M. Greenfield Competition, the National Opera Association Voice Competition, the National Foundation for Advancement of the Arts, and was a Grant Nominee for the Sara Tucker Award. She has been an apprentice with Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Central City Opera, and Ash Lawn Opera. Having made her start in musical theater, Bridgette has been seen crossing genres to perform Luisa in The Fantasticks (Mount Gretna Playhouse), Rosa Bud in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Rapunzel in Into the Woods and Lily in The Secret Garden (The Whitaker Center), and Julie Jordan in Carousel (Ash Lawn/Charlottesville Opera), among many others. Bridgette maintains a thriving private voice studio, working with students all over the USA and internationally as a music fellow with Shanti Bhavan Project in India. She is also an accomplished Fitness Instructor and Presenter, holding certifications in Zumba and Strong Nation.
Andrew Bidlack [Camille, Count de Rosillon] is making his Opera Idaho debut. recent highlights include his 2016 Metropolitan Opera debut as Beppe in I Pagliacci, performance he was invited to repeat in 2018; the principal tenor role in Iain Bell’s world premiere of In Parenthesis at Welsh National Opera with performances at Covent Garden in 2016; and the role of Sprinck in Kevin Puts’s Nobel Prize winning composition Silent Night at Arizona Opera. Other recent successes include his performances as Tony in West Side Story at Atlanta Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Liepāja Symphony Orchestra, Latvia; the role of Lyonnel in Le Roi Arthus at Bard Summerscape; and the role of Rob Hall in Joby Talbot’s celebrated Everest, a role he inaugurated at Dallas Opera and sang at Calgary Opera, Austin Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre and revived at Dallas Opera—a concert recording is scheduled with the BBC Symphony Orchestra at London’s Barbican Theatre in a future season. Renowned for his interpretation of new roles in contemporary opera, Andrew has appeared in many world premieres, including Bell’s Stonewall as Andy at New York City Opera; he workshopped Greenhorn/Ishmael in the developmental production of MobyDick at San Francisco Opera and later sang the role at Dallas Opera and at Chicago Opera Theatre; he inaugurated Tancredi in The Inspector (John Musto) at Wolf Trap; he created the role of Charles Carter in Thomas Pasatieri’s The Hotel Casablanca, he developed the role of Christopher Morcom in The Life and Death(s) of Alan Turning (by Justine Chen and David Simpatico) and developed the role of the Pilot in Liliya Ugay’s The Opposable Thumb for American Lyric Theatre. Other contemporary roles include The Young Collector in A Streetcar Named Desire with Renée Fleming in his debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago also at Carnegie Hall; Ricky Ian Gordon’s “27” as Pablo Picasso and Irving Tashman in Gordon’s Morning Star; the role of Sandy in The Lighthouse at Dallas Opera; at Des Moines Metro Opera he sang highly lauded performances as Bill in Flight; in several productions of Florencia in el Amazonas Andrew sang the role of Arcadio, and he has appeared in the title role Candide.
Andrew’s significant body of standard repertoire includes many Rossini/ Mozart and bel canto roles such as Tamino in Die Zauberflote, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte; Rodrigo in Otello, Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola, Bastien in Bastien et Bastienne, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore, Tonio in La Fille du Regiment, the title role of Getry’s rarely heard opera Zemire et Azor. and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi. Other past roles include Lensky in Eugene Onegin, Young Gypsy in Aleko, Lamplighter in Manon Lescaut, Baron Lummer in Intermezzo, Almerich in Iolanta, Prince Karl Franz in Student Prince, Anatol in Vanessa, Rodolfo in La bohème, Snout in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Emilio in Partenope, and Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress. Andrew’s concert appearances are legendary, and he appears with eminent conductors in much of the standard vocal symphonic repertoire as well as the new works of today’s composers; his credits include Carmina Burana (Milwaukee Symphony, South Dakota Symphony), Bach’s Weihnachts Oratorium in his Carnegie Hall debut, The Messiah with Lexington Philharmonic, The Creation with Greensboro Symphony, as well as premiering Iain Bell’s London’s Fatal Fire at the Spitalfield’s Festival. A graduate of San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Adler Fellowship, Andrew made his house debut in The Little Prince and went on to appear as Odoardo in Ariodante, Count Albert in Die Tote Stadt, Simpleton in Boris Godunov, Gastone in La traviata, Ruiz in Il Trovatore, Pedrillo in Die Entführung aus dem Serail and Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor. Other international engagements include his appearance as A Guest in The Saint of Bleecker Street at the Spoleto Festival in Italy, which was recorded and released under the Chandos label; the role of Oronte in Alcina in Chile and Silvio in Acis and Galatea in Macau. Future engagements include his return to Dallas Opera in The Diving Bell and the Butterfly; and as Steven Kodaly in She Loves Me at Madison Opera. Jeffrey Seppala [Baron Mirko Zeta], a Minnesota native, is making his Opera Idaho debut. He has been lauded for his mellifluous voice and moving characterizations.
Jeffrey has extensive experience in operatic and concert repertoire, having performed with companies such as Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, TriCities Opera, Delaware Valley Opera, Pro Musica Colorado, the Piccolo Festival in Friuli, Italy, Larimer Chorale, Voices West, and MahlerFest. Significant operatic credits include the title roles in Falstaff and Don Giovanni, Don Magnifico and Alidoro in La Cenerentola, Il Conte in Le Nozze di Figaro, Slook in La Cambiale di Matrimonio, premieres as Mr. Webb in Our Town, and Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice. Notable solo concert appearances include Haydn’s Creation, Bach’s Magnificat and Mass in B Minor, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and Duruflé’s Requiem. Jeffrey serves as a Voice Professor and Director of Opera and Musical Theatre at Boise State University. Jonathan Hill [Njegus] is a former Opera Idaho Artist-in-Residence (2015-2016). He has been featured in solo roles in opera companies around the upper west coast. Formerly of Boston, MA, Jonathan has enjoyed recently singing Messiah as tenor soloist with the Boise Philharmonic, and with Opera Idaho as Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte, Spoletta in Tosca, The Paige in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Guiseppe in La Traviata, while also covering Tamino and Alfredo. Jonathan has also sung the roles of Spoletta in Tosca at Mississippi Opera, Goro in Madama Butterfly at Natchez Festival of Music, Pedrillo in Entführung aus dem Serail at New York Opera Forum, Don Miguel in La Perichole with Tacoma Opera, as well as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Bronx Opera. Jonathan studies voice with Ron Raines. Robert Neu [Stage Director/Ensemble Choreographer] is making his Opera Idaho debut. Sought after for his highly theatrical and musically sensitive work, Robert has directed more than ninety productions of opera, musical theater, and plays throughout the country. Recent engagements include St. John’s Passion with Shreveport Symphony, Colorado Symphony and Lyric Opera
of the North; Le Nozze di Figaro with Inland Northwest Opera and Orlando Opera; La bohéme and The Barber of Seville with Opera Orlando; As One and Cosí fan tutte with Skylark Opera Theatre; West Side Story with Central City Opera in collaboration with the Boulder Philharmonic; Don Giovanni for Steamboat Springs Opera; and L’enfant et les Sortileges and The Magic Flute with Pacific Symphony. 2020 engagements were to include directing Otello in a return to Pacific Symphony, and Tosca at Opera on the James. In Spring of 2021 he returned to Pacific Symphony to directed a filmed version of La Traviata. His fully-staged productions include Così fan tutte with Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, La bohème with West Virginia Opera and Gulf Coast Symphony, Trouble in Tahiti for the Minneapolis Fringe Festival, and Le nozze di Figaro for Bellevue Opera. Over the past decade, Robert established an ongoing relationship with Skylark Opera for which he has directed a wide variety of operettas, operas and musicals including Naughty Marietta, Don Pasquale, The Merry Widow, On the Town, Wonderful Town, The Fantasticks, Candide, and Putting It Together. Also an audience favorite with Lyric Opera of the North, he has directed its productions of Don Pasquale, The Face on the Barroom Floor, Carmen and Il barbiere di Siviglia. In the theatre genre, he helmed productions of Oliver, The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, Patience, Becky’s New Car, Death of a Salesman, Art, Godspell, Blithe Spirit and The Laramie Project for theatre companies throughout the United States. With his vast experience of bringing semi-staged operatic repertoire to symphony orchestra stages, Robert has worked closely with the Minnesota Opera presenting critically acclaimed productions of Candide, Fidelio, Hänsel und Gretel, Tosca, Carmen, Peer Gynt, La bohème, La traviata, Bernstein’s Mass, Die Zauberflöte, Die Fledermaus, and Carousel. With the Colorado Symphony, he has directed Tosca and The Music Man. Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops audiences have seen his productions of The Music Man, Die Zauberflöte, Peer Gynt, and The Sound of Music. As an innovator who seeks to combine symphonic music with theater in unique ways, Robert has adapted a version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet for
four actors and orchestra which has been produced by orchestras across the country including Minnesota Orchestra, Des Moines Symphony, Eugene Symphony, and Wintergreen Music Festival. He has also co-written and produced a series of programs that seek to introduce orchestra audiences to the joys of opera. His production company, Angels & Demons Entertainment, focuses on working with orchestras in producing theatrical and operatic offerings. In the past ten years, nine of Robert’s productions have received “Best of the Season” citations from various media including Minneapolis Star Tribune, Cincinnati Post, St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minnesota Public Radio. His production of The Laramie Project received awards for Best Ensemble and Outstanding Theater Event of the 2014 season from Broadway World. Robert teaches masterclasses in audition techniques for the University of Minnesota’s opera department, and he is a Resident Director at Lyric Arts Theater in Minneapolis. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School. Ari Pelto [Conductor] is making his Opera Idaho debut. He is the Music Director at Opera Colorado, and for their Season 2019-20 he conducted The Barber of Seville, I Pagliacci and Tosca. That same season he traveled to San Diego Opera to conduct Hänsel und Gretel and joined Atlanta Ballet for performances of The Nutcracker. Widely known for performances that have been called “poetic, earthy, vigorous” and “highly individual,” he is in demand in opera houses and with symphony orchestras throughout the United States. Since his appointment as Music Director at Opera Colorado in 2015, Ari has conducted acclaimed performances of La Traviata, Don Giovanni, Madama Butterfly, Aida, La Boheme, Falstaff, La Fanciulla del West, Le Nozze di Figaro and Lucia di Lammermoor. In contemporary repertoire, the company recently premiered Lori Laitman’s long-awaited work The Scarlet Letter, a recording of which was released on the Naxos label, and the world premiere of Gerald Cohen’s new opera Steal a Pencil for Me, based on a true love story set in a concentration camp during WWII.
Recent highlights as a guest conductor include Eugene Onegin in a new production at Atlanta Opera and Lyric Opera Kansas City, Salome and Lucia Di Lammermoor at Virginia Opera, a new Nutcracker and Carmina Burana at Atlanta Ballet, L’enfant et les Sortileges at Chicago College of Performing Arts, Aida at Utah Symphony and Opera, a double bill of La Voix Humaine, starring Patricia Racette, and Gianni Schicchi at Chicago Opera Theater. He conducted a variety of symphonic programs with orchestras in the US, including Omaha Symphony and the NYU Symphony. Other engagements include A Streetcar named Desire at Virginia Opera, The Rake’s Progress at Portland Opera, and Rigoletto, Don Pasquale, Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Don Giovanni at Opera Memphis, La bohème at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, The Cunning Little Vixen at Chautauqua, Rusalka and La bohème at Boston Lyric Opera, Romeo et Juliette at Minnesota Opera, The Magic Flute, Le Nozze di Figaro and Hansel and Gretel at Portland Opera, and Hansel and Gretel at Utah Opera. At age of 24 Pelto was appointed Assistant Conductor at the Spoleto Festival and has gone on to conduct on stages worldwide. His international appearances include symphonic performances with the Bochumer Philharmoniker, productions of Le Nozze di Figaro and Falstaff at New National Theatre of Tokyo, and Faust at the Teatro Nacional Sucre in Quito, Ecuador. From 2000-2002 he was Assistant Conductor of the Florida West Coast Symphony. In addition to conducting over 30 concerts in Sarasota, Pelto also was a frequent guest with the Florida Orchestra and the Toledo Symphony and lead tours of the Western Opera Theatre (the touring company of San Francisco Opera) conducting La bohème and Cosi fan tutti in over 20 States. In 2004 he made his highly-praised debut with New York City Opera conducting La Traviata, returning for productions of Madama Butterfly, La bohème, and Carmen. Ari regularly works with leading conservatories and young artist programs including The Juilliard School, The Curtis Institute, Manhattan School of Music and Oberlin Conservatory and the Young Artist Programme at Covent Garden’s Royal Opera House. With San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program, he conducted the 2014 Grand
Finale as well as productions of Cosi fan tutte and The Rape of Lucretia. At Wolf Trap Opera, he inaugurated a new production of Le Nozze di Figaro and led Don Giovanni. A masterful collaborator with dancers, Maestro Pelto has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Atlanta Ballet. He led the company in world premieres of Twyla Tharp’s first story ballet The Princess and the Goblin and Helen Pickett’s Camino Real. Previously, he conducted JeanChristophe Maillot’s groundbreaking production of Romeo et Juliette, as well as the Atlanta Ballet’s production of Prokofiev’s Cinderella. After earning his Bachelor of Music in violin performance at Oberlin Conservatory, Ari Pelto studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Rubin Academy in Jerusalem, and with Imre Pallo at Indiana University. Mark Junkert [General Director] joined Opera Idaho as Executive Director in 2008 and was named General Director in 2011. In St. Paul, Minnesota, he was the managing director of Skylark Opera. Concurrently, he served as executive director of the Martina Arroyo Foundation, a New York-based organization dedicated to training young opera singers. Mark has also held executive and marketing director positions with The Collegiate Chorale in New York, The National Lutheran Choir in Minneapolis and Augsburg Fortress, a publisher in Minneapolis. A native of Minnesota, Mark studied voice and opera in the Graduate School of Music at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, studying with William Warfield. He received a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from the University of Denver. At Opera Idaho he has directed Pagliacci, Werther, and the Christmas productions of Hansel & Gretel and Amahl & the Night Visitors. He has served as a judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions in Pocatello and Spokane, as well as for the Sun Valley Opera Vocal Competition in Seattle. Mark has lectured extensively for The Osher Institute at Boise State University, the Boise City Department of Arts & History, various area clubs and libraries, and before every Opera Idaho
opera. Mark is the recepient of the 2020 Governor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Arts Management. Danyale Cook [Hair & Makeup Designer] is a IATSE local 488 union makeup and hair artist. She has been with Opera Idaho since 2014, before which she spent five years as the Hair and Makeup Department Manager at Seattle Opera. While in Seattle she worked for The 5th Avenue Theatre, PNB, Teatro ZinZanni, The Village Theatre and the Seattle Repertory Theatre. She opened an organic salon in 2009 and began working primarily on feature films, photo shoots, commercials, music videos and fashion shows. She has worked with Tobey Maguire, Laura Linney, Robin Williams, Timothy Hutton, Bill Gates and a collect of other high profile celebrities including Oscar and Emmy winners. Corporate clients include Vogue, Starbucks, Microsoft, Ducatti, The Gates Foundation, TNT, Fox and the History Channel. Brandon Washington [Lighting Designer] is a lighting designer for theatre, dance, and opera. Past selected lighting design credits include: Boise Contemporary Theater (Slow Food, Tammy Lisa/Misery to Meaning); Opera Idaho (Acis & Galatea, As One, West Side Story in Concert, The Winterresie Project); Ballet Idaho (Anthology, Cinderella); Idaho Dance Theatre (Launch, Celebrate, Moving Forward); Project Flux (Tattered Testaments); and Treasure Valley Children’s Theatre (Little Women, Lion King Jr., Aladdin Jr., Annie Jr., Charlotte’s Web). Brandon holds a BA in Theatre Arts - Design from Boise State University. Kelly Kaye [Chorus Master] holds Bachelor and Master degrees in Piano Performance/ Accompanying (Arizona State University, 1985). After graduation, she was awarded a scholarship to the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria to study opera coaching. Kelly taught and directed choirs at South Junior High for many years before retiring in 2018. She has been with Opera Idaho since 2010. She is
Director of Opera Idaho’s Rising Stars and accompanist for Opera Idaho’s Children’s choruses. She is also Artistic Director for the Boise Gay Men’s Chorus. Betsi Hodges [Staff Accompanist] enjoys performing, collaborating and teaching in a variety of settings. For Opera Idaho she has accompanied in the Art Song Recital Series since its inception in 2012, as well as for concerts—Mostly Mozart in 2015, The Golden Age of Operetta in 2016, and the Let’s Get Real! Verismo Concert in 2018. Betsi became our staff accompanist in 2018, and is a member of 208 Ensemble. Betsi, originally from St. Louis, MO, received her Bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music and her Master’s degree from Michigan State University, both in piano performance. Betsi completed a doctorate in accompanying and chamber music at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was the recipient of a graduate fellowship and assistantship and was a member of the graduate resident piano trio. While in Greensboro, Betsi was a member of the piano faculty at Guilford College. She has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Michigan State Philharmonic and the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. During past summers, Betsi has participated in the Rome Music Festival in Rome, Italy, the International Fine Arts Institute in Moscow, Russia, and a piano quartet residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts. She has been the accompanist for the Eastern Music Festival, the Luigi Silva Centennial Celebration, the Bernard Greenhouse Celebration, and the International Falcone Tuba Competition at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Festival. She has performed with her husband, cellist Brian Hodges, as the Duo Navona at the Hampden Sydney Chamber Music Festival in Virginia, and at the Banff Centre for the Arts, as well as various recitals throughout the United States and Italy.
IDAHO
Dr. Michael Porter, Artistic Director
2021-2022 Operatini Season
Presents:
Chamber music live and in person!
Come enjoy a fun Thursday of music, food and drinks!
November 11, 2021 - Meet Our Emerging Artists January 20, 2022 - Carmen March 3, 2022 - All is Calm April 14, 2022 - Dead Man Walking
$28* regular & $36* preferred
Two performances each: 5:30 pm & 8:15 pm * Price plus tax. Includes buffet & singing, beverages sold separately.
For tickets visit operaidaho.org or call 208-331-4931
OPERA
IDAHO
Saturday, October 23, 7:30 pm
First Presbyterian Church Operaidaho.org Tickets: $15 adults, $10 students
Photo PxHere.com
CRITICAL MASS VOCAL ARTISTS
OPERA