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contents
OPERA PHILADELPHIA GENERAL INFORMATION
PROGRAM INFORMATION
8 12
The Barber of Seville Synopsis and Running Time
14 Director's Notes
19
Artists Bios
38
Up Next: Oscar
4 Letter from the Chairman
5 6
Board of Directors
Welcome from the General Director 25 Leadership Support and Major Gifts 29 Annual Fund Support
32 Corporate Council 37 Administration
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from the
chairman
Dear Friends, On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I would like to welcome you to Opera Philadelphia’s 40th Anniversary Season. Our 40th Season is a blend of beloved classic opera like tonight’s new production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville alongside two stunning new works from our American Repertoire Program, all starring some of the most exceptional voices you will hear anywhere in the world. This season and beyond, Philadelphia is truly a destination for opera lovers! The ambitious artistic vision of Opera Philadelphia was spotlighted in a recent issue of our industry’s leading publication, Opera News. In an extensive article, the magazine hailed Opera Philadelphia’s arrival as a national center of operatic excellence and vitality. As the article states, “One would think it’s impossible to find such an exciting opera company in such close proximity to New York. But this one seems to be defying the force of gravity.” How does an opera company defy gravity? It does it with inspired leadership, dedicated staff, talented artists, strong strategic partners, an opera-loving community, and a family of devoted philanthropic supporters. Your patronage is what has enabled us to imagine a future for opera that is vibrant and relevant. That future has arrived, and we cannot thank you enough. Thank you for joining us tonight for The Barber of Seville. I look forward to seeing you often throughout the 2014-2015 Season. Sincerely,
Daniel K. Meyer, M.d. chairman
4
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Daniel K. Meyer, M.D., Chairman David B. Devan*, President Frederick P. Huff, Vice Chair Joel M. Koppelman, Vice Chair Alice Strine, Esq., Vice Chair Scott F. Richard, Secretary Thomas Mahoney, Treasurer Stephen A. Madva, Esq., Chairman Emeritus Benjamin Alexander
Ellen Berman Lee
Alice Strine, Esq.
Sandra Baldino
Gabriele Lee
Kenneth R. Swimm
F. Joshua Barnett, M.D., J.D.
Peter Leone
Maria Trafton
Willo Carey
Stephen A. Madva, Esq.
Charlotte Watts
Nicholas Chimicles, Esq.
Thomas Mahoney
Donna Wechsler
Ady L. Djerassi, M.D.
Daniel K. Meyer, M.D.
Ehab Hammad
Agnes Mulroney
Mark Hankin
Scott F. Richard
Honorary Members
Frederick P. Huff
Harold Rosenbluth
Dennis Alter
Caroline Kennedy
Stephen G. Somkuti, M.D.
Alan B. Miller
Joel M. Koppelman
Jonathan H. Sprogell
H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest
Beverly Lange, M.D.
James B. Straw
List as of April, 2014 *Ex officio
Welcome Dear Friends, Welcome to The Barber of Seville, a classic opera widely considered to be the funniest work in the canon. It’s been staged all over the world, spoofed by the likes of Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, and Homer Simpson, and beloved by generations who know the score by heart or simply know the famous “Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!” This stunning new production is the ideal grand opera to launch the celebratory 40th Anniversary Season at Opera Philadelphia. The great composer Giuseppe Verdi, who knew a thing or two about writing large-scale masterpieces, once called Barber “the most beautiful opera buffa there is.” Director Michael Shell and his creative team have designed a gorgeous production that recalls the comic films of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar. The Barber of Seville launches an outstanding season of opera that blends classics like Verdi’s Don Carlo and Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos with two outstanding new American operas: the East Coast Premiere of Oscar by Theodore Morrison and John Cox; and the World Premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD by Daniel Schnyder and Bridgette Wimberly. It is a season of unprecedented artistic quality, exemplified by the great singing you will hear tonight and by the stars who will come to our stages throughout the year, including David Daniels, Heidi Stober, and William Burden in Oscar; Eric Owens, Dimitri Pittas, Leah Crocetto, and Michelle DeYoung in Don Carlo; and Lawrence Brownlee, Angela Brown, and Tamara Mumford in Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD. Thank you for joining us for the launch of a big season of Opera in Philadelphia. Sincerely,
D a v i d B . D e va n General Director & President @ddevan
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Opera Philadelphia
The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia)
Music Gioachino Rossini
Text Cesare Sterbini Conductor Corrado Rovaris
Director Michael Shell* Set Design Shoko Kambara* Costume Design Amanda Seymour*
LIghting Design Driscoll Otto* Wig & Make-up Design David Zimmerman
Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden
Stage Manager Joe Gladstone*
Projected Supertitles Kelly Rourke *Opera Philadelphia debut
The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia)
Cast
The
FIGARO Jonathan Beyer ROSINA Jennifer Holloway* COUNT ALMAVIVA Taylor Stayton DOCTOR BARTOLO Kevin Burdette DON BASILIO Wayne Tigges BERTA Katrina Thurman* FIORELLO Sean Plumb* AN OFFICER Johnathan McCullough*
*Opera Philadelphia debut
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A SPiRitUAl JOURnEy: MUSiC FROM
thE UndERgROUnd RAilROAd spirituals and hymns that explore the timeless themes of suffering, salvation, and freedom. An EvEning with
KAthlEEn BAttlE Cyrus Chestnut, piano
FRidAy, OCtOBER 24
KiMMElCEntER.ORg
SYNOPSIS Approximate running time for The Barber of Seville is two hours and 54 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission ACT I Scene 1 Count Almaviva has fallen in love with Rosina, the ward of Dr. Bartolo, and comes to serenade her. He pretends to be the poor student "Lindoro" so that she will not be influenced by his title. Figaro, formerly the Count's servant and now a barber in Seville, arrives rejoicing in his profession (“Largo al factotum”). He tells the Count that Bartolo has plans to marry Rosina for her inheritance. While they are talking, Rosina appears on the balcony with a note she has written to the handsome young stranger who has been serenading her. Unfortunately Bartolo is right behind her and, alarmed by his ward’s furtive behavior, is determined to expedite his marriage plans. After leaving instructions that no one is to enter the house, Bartolo hurries off to organize the wedding. Promised gold for his assistance, Figaro declares that he can get Almaviva into the house, disguised as a soldier seeking lodging. Scene 2 Rosina is determined to marry her suitor, Lindoro ("Una voce poco fa”). Bartolo tells his friend and Rosina’s music teacher, Don Basilio, of his suspicions that Count Almaviva is in town and in love with Rosina. Basilio suggests that they spread malicious rumors about the Count. Figaro tells Rosina that Lindoro is his cousin and adds that the young man is deeply in love with her. Rosina is delighted and gives him a note to deliver to the supposed Lindoro. The Count arrives in his soldier's disguise, only to discover that Dr. Bartolo is exempt from housing the military. Almaviva slips Rosina a note, which Bartolo sees, but Rosina smartly substitutes the laundry list. The noise from the ensuing confusion attracts the police, and the Count avoids arrest only by secretly revealing his identity to an officer. Intermission ACT II Scene 1 Count Almaviva enters Bartolo’s house again, this time disguised as Don Alonso, a music teacher. He says that Basilio is ill and has sent him to give Rosina’s music lesson in his place. He gains Bartolo’s trust by producing Rosina’s letter to himself, and offering to persuade Rosina that the letter has been given to him by a mistress of the Count. Bartolo dozes off during the lesson and the Count and Rosina are able to share their mutual affection ("Contro un cor"). Figaro manages to obtain the keys to the balcony, the escape route the Count and Rosina plan to use for their elopement that evening. Basilio appears, but is told to go home because he looks so ill, advice 12
Costume designs by Amanda Seymour.
he accepts more readily when Almaviva slips him a bribe. Rosina and the Count continue to arrange their elopement but Bartolo catches the lovers in a compromising conversation and the Count and Figaro must make their escape. When Don Basilio returns to admit that he has never heard of Don Alonso, Bartolo instructs him to fetch a notary to perform his wedding right away. Meanwhile, Bartolo uses Almaviva’s letter, which he took earlier, to convince Rosina that the Count intended to seduce and betray her. Furious, Rosina reveals the elopement plans and agrees to marry Bartolo, who rushes off to fetch the police. Scene 2 When Figaro and Almaviva arrive, Rosina confronts her lover who reveals that he is, in fact, the Count. Their rejoicing is cut short when Basilio enters. He has brought the notary that Bartolo requested. Figaro persuades the notary to wed Almaviva and Rosina instead, while the Count bribes Basilio into acting as a witness. Bartolo arrives too late and with no choice remaining, he blesses the marriage and everyone wishes the couple love and eternal fidelity ("Di sÏ felice innesto").
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Director's NOTES BY MICHAEL SHELL The Barber of Seville is a love story. It is a story of two people, Rosina and a disguised Count Almaviva, overcoming obstacles to be together. Through the help of an ingenious barber they outwit Bartolo, Rosina’s guardian, and are united. The manner in which this story unfolds is funny, passionate, and quite frankly, totally absurd. Rossini was a master at this type of storytelling. His music makes all of these elements come alive and makes the absurd plausible. That being said, I have never really liked this opera. All of the productions I had ever seen, except for the 1974 John Pierre Ponelle film and a few other exceptions, are mostly displays of all the shtick and schlock habits that performers and directors have picked up during the years. For me, these productions only elicit what I call “courtesy laughter.” That is, laughter which is an obligatory response to cover up the pain that you feel watching something that you wish were funny, but really isn’t. When I was in college I had a professor who once told me, “Opera is a like a trip to a museum. We preserve the past. We show people a time gone by.” Now, while I love museums, there is a huge difference between visiting a building that preserves the past work of artists and attending a live theatrical experience in which the audience is an active participant. In fact, I think this is the crux of one of our issues in trying to usher opera into the future. But I digress. This analogy, however, brings up an interesting point. With both the museum and theatrical experience being different but equal in enjoyment, with an opera as famous as The Barber of Seville, the typical production should be as fulfilling as it is when going to a see a favorite painting at MoMA or The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Unfortunately, it is often like seeing a horrible reproduction of a Monet in a motel room. So, it is in the spirit of both the museum curator and the contemporary artist searching for a way to reach his audience that this production was born. Historically, the first performance of Barber was a technical failure, and its second was a huge success. Within one week it went on to be a legitimate hit. It was my desire to create a production as fresh, new, and funny as that successful performance all those years ago. In an effort to design a world that would suit this endeavor, all the while grounding us in Spain, I turned to the films of Pedro Almodóvar which have all of the elements of a Rossini opera. Almodóvar is brilliant at walking the line between dramatic comedy
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and melodramatic absurdity. His films are also deeply embedded in Spain and Spanish culture. By using his films as inspiration, we are rooting ourselves in Spain and hopefully giving these characters a new depth, which ultimately reveals much more heart and humor. Whether you have seen an Almod贸var film or not (and if it is the latter, I highly recommend seeing one), it is of no consequence. What you need now is an open mind. Allow yourself the treat of not needing to know anything but what is introduced to you in the moment and what comes to you in this specific environment. Remember when you first saw a Monet on a museum wall and not in a motel room? Try to imagine you have no idea what is going to happen when the opera starts. Forget you know the tunes or any of the jokes in the libretto. In doing this, hopefully we will share my new love for this piece and discover fresh new aspects to this well-known opera. Together, we will see it as it may have been seen in that successful second performance: fresh, new, heartfelt, and pretty darn funny!
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Additional Cast ARTISTIC Assistant Director........................... Seth Hoff Principal Pianist............................. Lisa Keller Chorus Pianist................................ Matthew Brower Supertitle Operator......................... Tony Solitro PRODUCTION/TECHNICAL Properties Master............................ John Bryant Assistant Lighting Designer........... Chris Frey Master Electrician........................... Terry Smith Properties....................................... Paul Lodes Flyman............................................ Mike Ruffo Assistant Electrician....................... Sean Gallen Assistant Stage Managers.............. Becki Smith Sara Prince Wardrobe Supervisor........................Elisa Murphy
Costume Shop Assistant................. Stephen Smith Cutter/Tailor.................................... Althea "Nell" Unrath Cutter/ Drapers............................... Rachel Ford Kara Morasco Julie Watson Joan Mather First Hands ..................................... Joyanne Rampula Carl “Andre� Thomas Patrick Mulhall Derwin Cooper Stitchers.......................................... Suzie Morris Barrett Kathryn Calhoun Crafts.............................................. Kelsey Harro Wig & Make-up Assistant............... Amanda Clark Captain of Supernumeraries........... Max Vasapoli
A new co-production with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Scenery built and painted by Center Line Studios, Inc., New Windsor, New York. Costumes built by Opera Philadelphia. SUPERNUMERARIES: Andrew Archangeli, Elizabeth Alksne, Kristen Bailey, Maureen Broadbent, Dillon Cassidy, Nathaniel Devarie, Jane Gee, Cameron Higby-Naquin, Cat Logan, Maria Mavromatis, Mike Rissinger, Tim Sheridan, Dave Tukey, Max Vaspoli
Facilities A Commitment to Safety: The safety and comfort of visitors, artists, volunteers, and staff at the Academy of Music are of paramount importance. In the event of an emergency, audience members will be advised of appropriate procedures by ushers and security staff. At this time, please take note of the exit nearest you. A red, illuminated EXIT sign should be visible, with an arrow indicating the direction of the exit door. Should an emergency arise, you will be directed to leave the auditorium and further instructions will be provided as to the safest and quickest way to exit the building. Patrons who need special assistance should contact an usher. Smoking is prohibited on the Kimmel Center campus. Accessibility: The Academy of Music is wheelchair accessible from the east lobby entrance on Broad Street. Seating is available on the Parquet and Balcony levels, with accessible restrooms located on the Canteen level. Assistive listening devices are available for loan. A limited number of ADA-compliant parking spaces are available in the Kimmel Center garage. Coat Check & Restrooms: A complimentary coat check is located on the ground floor of the Academy of Music. Restrooms are located on all levels of the Academy of Music. Food and Beverage: Concessions by Chef Jose Garces and Garces Group are available to Academy of Music and Merriam patrons at satellite bars located in the lobbies and upper levels. Water fountains are located on all levels of the Academy of Music Official Ticket Outlet: Ticket Philadelphia, a division of the Kimmel Center, is the only authorized outlet for individual tickets for shows at the Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, and Merriam Theater. We urge patrons to purchase tickets only through kimmelcenter.org, ticketphiladelphia.org, or the official websites of our Resident Companies. Tickets purchased from other sources are purchased at your own risk. Many unauthorized ticket sellers use website names that are similar to our website or even include the names of our various venues. These websites are not authorized to sell tickets to events in our venues. By purchasing only through our official outlets, you are assured that the ticket you receive is valid and is being sold to you at face value.
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Portraits In Giving ADY L. DJERASSI, M.D., AND RO BERT GOLUB, M.D. Underwriters of Jennifer Holloway (Rosina) Some might consider Ady Djerassi and Robert Golub relatively new to the Opera Philadelphia family, but music and opera have been a part of their lives for many years. Robert’s family supported the classical arts in their hometown of Palo Alto, California for as long as he can remember. Ady fondly recalls attending performances as a young child with her parents, Tika and Isaac, at the Philadelphia Orchestra and Opera Philadelphia. Ady’s parents would eventually become very generous supporters of the Opera, with Isaac serving on the Board of Directors for many years until his passing in 2011. Knowing the importance that opera had to her father and family, Ady decided to maintain her family’s support of the company. Once their daughter, Leah Golub, decided to pursue a career as a professional opera singer, Ady and Robert knew that they had to deepen their involvement with the company. As Ady says, “We originally came to Opera Philadelphia in search of a way to connect with opera and maintain my father’s legacy at the same time. As our daughter has furthered her training as a young opera singer in San Francisco, we have developed a much deeper appreciation for the art form in all of its phases. Somewhere along the way, we basically fell in love with this company.” Ady and Robert have quickly become cherished members of the Opera Philadelphia family. Ady joined the Board of Directors in 2014, and this past summer, Ady and Leah joined a group of supporters on a Patron Travel Program trip to the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in France. Opera Philadelphia is deeply grateful to Ady and Robert for underwriting Jennifer Holloway’s company debut as Rosina in The Barber of Seville, and we are honored to celebrate them for their remarkable tradition of operatic support.
F OR M o r e I n f o r m a t i o n on underwriting o pp o r t u n i t i e s : Contact Rachel McCausland, Manager, Leadership & Legacy Giving, at 215.893.5909 or at mccausland@operaphila.org.
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Artists JONATHAN BEYER Baritone (Orland Park, Illinois)
JOHNATHAN MCCULLOUGH Baritone (Sherman Oaks, California)
FIGARO
AN OFFICER
2011 Escamillo, Carmen
Opera Philadelphia debut
Recent Activities: Ping, Turandot, Opéra de Montréal; Green Mountain Opera, Dandini, La cenerentola; Estherhazy Festival, Vienna, Austria ELIZABETH BRADEN (Easton, Pennsylvania) CHORUS MASTER 2014 Don Giovanni 2006 Margaret Garner 2004 The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein (Partial Listing) Recent Activities: Director of Music, Wallingford Presbyterian Church; Chorus Master, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Curtis Opera Theatre; Chorus Master, A Coffin in Egypt, Opera Philadelphia
Recent Activities: Lord Henry Wotton, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Aspen Opera Theater Center; Belcore, L'elisir d'amore, Curtis Opera Theatre; Jan/Daniel, Double Exposure, Opera Philadelphia DRISCOLL OTTO (Houston, Texas) LIGHTING DESIGN Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Under My Skin - Little Shubert (Off Broadway); The Magic Flute - Virginia Opera; Baden Baden 1927- Gotham Chamber Opera
KEVIN BURDETTE Bass (New York, New York) DOCTOR BARTOLO 2012 Prophet, Dark Sisters Recent Activities: Herr Puff, The Impresario and Chamberlain, Le rossignol, Santa Fe Opera; Dulcamara, L'elisir d'amore, San Diego Opera; Multiple roles, The Nose, Metropolitan Opera JENNIFER HOLLOWAY Mezzo-soprano (Dacula, Georgia) ROSINA Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Concert Tour in China, Orchestre de l’Opéra de Marseille under Lawrence Foster; Temple Drake (Mrs. Gavin Stevens), Requiem por una Monja, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires; Prince Orlofsky, Die Fledermaus, English National Opera
RICHARD STRAUSS
MARCH 1, 2015 LISNER AUDITORIUM WASHINGTON, DC
featuring Robert Dean Smith (pictured)
SHOKO KAMBARA (New York, New York)
Marjorie Owens Tom Fox Antony Walker, conductor
SET DESIGN
BOX OFFICE 202-364-5826
Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Nice Work If You Can Get It Tour, Work Light Productions; Don Pasquale, Juilliard School; The Turn of the Screw, Syracuse Stage
WWW.CONCERTOPERA.ORG
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Artists SEAN PLUMB Baritone (Los Angeles, California)
TAYLOR STAYTON Tenor (Sydney, Ohio)
FIORELLO
COUNT ALMAVIVA
Opera Philadelphia debut
2011 Tybalt, Romeo & Juliet
Recent Activities: Yamadori, Madama Butterfly, The Glimmerglass Festival; Papageno, The Magic Flute, Curtis Opera Theatre; Mozart Concerts, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence
Recent Activities: Elivino, La sonnambula, The Metropolitan Opera; El Comte Ory, Le Comte Ory, Des Moines Metro Opera; Almaviva, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Deutsche Oper Berlin
CORRADO ROVARIS (Bergamo, Italy)
KATRINA THURMAN Soprano (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
CONDUCTOR 1999 The Marriage of Figaro 2006 Cinderella 2014 Ainadamar (Partial Listing) Recent Activities: Don Pasquale, The Santa Fe Opera; Betulia Liberata, Festival Wratislavia Cantans, Poland; Brahms' Variations on a Theme of Haydn and Schubert's Symphony No. 1, Teatro Petruzzelli, Italy
BERTA Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Adina, L'elisir d'amore, Sacramento Opera; Mrs. Naidoo, Satyagraha, Oper Bonn; Rosabella, The Most Happy Fella, Tulsa Opera WAYNE TIGGES Bass-baritone (Dubuque, Iowa)
AMANDA SEYMOUR (New York, New York) COSTUME DESIGN Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Le Pauvre Matelot and Les mamelles de Tirésias, Wolf Trap Opera; The Ragged Claws, Cherry Lane Theatre; Rusalka, Opera San Antonio
DON BASILIO Recent Activities: Joe St. George, Dolores Claiborne (World Premiere), San Francisco Opera; Scarpia, Tosca, Austin Lyric Opera; Figaro, Le nozze di Figaro, Ongaku-Juku Festival
DAVID ZIMMERMAN (Mt. Pleasant, Texas) MICHAEL SHELL (Norfolk, Virginia)
WIG & MAKE-UP DESIGN 2014 2014 2013
DIRECTOR Opera Philadelphia debut Recent Activities: Apprentice Showcase Scenes, Santa Fe Opera; H.M.S. Pinafore, Indiana University; Così fan tutte, NC Opera
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Don Giovanni Ainadamar The Magic Flute
Recent Activities: (Partial Listing) Wigs and Makeup for The Metropolitan Opera, The Dallas Opera, Santa Fe Opera and Paris National Opera; Magazine features for Opera News, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair
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opera philadelphia orchestra
Corrado Rovaris, jack mulroney Music Director VIOLIN I Dayna Anderson, Concertmaster Igor Szwec, Assistant Concertmaster Charles Parker Diane Barnett Yan Chin Donna Grantham Elizabeth Kaderabek Erica Miller Jennifer Lee Eliza Cho VIOLIN II Emma Kummrow, Principal Luigi Mazzocchi, Assistant Principal Sarah Dubois Karen Banos Paul Reiser Heather Zimmerman Lisa Vaupel Guillaume Combet VIOLA Jonathan Kim, Principal Carol Briselli, Assistant Principal Julie DiGaetani Ellen Trainer Elizabeth Jaffe Zoe Martin Doike CELLO Priscilla Lee, Principal Vivian Barton-Dozor, Assistant Principal Jennifer Lorenzo Brooke Beazley-Cyzewski Dane Anderson BASS Miles B. Davis, Principal James Freeman, Assistant Principal Anne Peterson
FLUTE Adeline Tomasone, Principal Eileen Grycky OBOE Geoffrey Deemer, Principal Dorothy Freeman CLARINET Joseph A. Smith, Principal Allison Herz BASSOON Jacob Smith, Principal Jon Gaarder FRENCH HORN John David Smith, Principal Angela Bilger TRUMPET Brian D. Kuszyk, Principal Steven Heitzer TIMPANI Martha Hitchins, Principal PERCUSSION Ralph Sorrentino, Principal GUITAR Pat Mercuri FORTEPIANO Lisa Keller Fortepiano (1985 Margaret Hood copy of an 1803 Streicher) courtesy of Jan Krzywicki and Susan Nowicki
opera philadelphia CHORUS TENOR Steven Bradshaw Sang B. Cho Matthew Cox David Koh Toffer Mihalka Siddhartha Misra DonLeroy Morales Daniel Taylor Paul Vetrano Cory O’Niell Walker 22
BASS Jeffrey Chapman Chris Hodges John David Miles Frank Mitchell Garret Obrycki James Osby Robert Phillips Lourin Plant Tim Stopper Jackson Williams
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11510 Kimmel Center Opera Philly A Coffin in Egypt June 6 15 2014_11402 4/25/14 8:08 AM Page
COSTUMES OF DOWNTON ABBEY March 1, 2014–January 4, 2015
•
Winterthur Galleries
View exquisite costumes and accessories worn upstairs and downstairs on the period drama television series. To purchase timed tickets to the exhibition, please call 800.448.3883 or visit winterthur.org/downtonabbey. Timed tickets required for nonmembers. Included with general admission. Members free.
With support from the Glenmede Trust Company
The exhibition is presented by Downton Abbey ® is seen on
on
and is a Carnival Films/Masterpiece Co-Production.
Photographs © Nick Briggs, Carnival Film & Television Limited, 2011–12. All Rights Reserved.
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T H E l e a d ershi p c ir c l e & Ch a ir m a n ’ s Co u n c i l Opera Philadelphia’s top giving programs, the Leadership Circle & Chairman’s Council, are comprised of passionate groups of philanthropists committed to ensuring that the future of opera is right here in Philadelphia. Their collective generosity underwrites more than half of Opera Philadelphia’s artistic expenses each season, including productions in the Academy of Music, the nationally lauded Aurora Series for Chamber Opera at the Perelman Theater, Opera on the Mall, and our awardwinning programs for children.
Top left to right: Board member and Chairman’s Council member Dr. Joshua Barnett with his wife, Dr. Heidi Kolberg; Michael Gorman, husband of Frederica von Stade (center); Board member and Chairman’s Council member Nick Chimicles and his wife, Kathleen Chimicles; Board member and Leadership Council member Peter Leone and his wife, Judy Leone. Bottom left to right: Board Chairman and Leadership Council member Daniel K. Meyer, M.D., composer Jennifer Higdon, Chairman’s Council member Andrew Wechsler, M.D., and his wife Board member Donna Wechsler; Chairman’s Council members Rita and Phil Harper; General Director’s Council member John Alchin with Vice-Chairman and Chairman’s Council member Joel Koppelman and his wife, Sharon Koppelman.
For more information, contact Annie Burridge, Senior Vice President, Institutional Advancement at 215.893.5906 or burridge@operaphila.org.
ALL FOR O P ERA . OPERA F OR ALL . On Saturday, Sept. 27, thousands will gather in the shadow of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell to enjoy a FREE, HD broadcast of The Barber of Seville. This marks the fourth year of Opera on the Mall, Opera Philadelphia’s community HD opening night viewing party, with open-air seating, open to all! Thank you to our Sponsors and Partners! Opera on the Mall is made possible through the generous support of PNC Arts Alive, the William Penn Foundation and the Wyncote Foundation. media partners
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Broadcast Equipment provided by PRG
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S UPPO R T T H E 40 T H A N N I VE R SARY S EA S ON A N N UAL F U N D CAMPAIGN BY WILLIAM BURDEN CHAIR, 40 th Anniversary Season Campaign
It is my pleasure to join Opera Philadelphia as Chair of the 40 th Anniversary Season Annual Fund Campaign. My career has taken me to opera houses all over the world, but I’ve returned to Opera Philadelphia for twelve different productions. It always feels like home to me here. During my travels, singers, directors, designers, and composers light up when I mention Philadelphia. The opera world is buzzing about Opera Philadelphia’s transformation into one of the country’s most dynamic opera companies. The Opera’s exciting approach to the stage and community, coupled with its unparalleled commitment to new opera, has made it a beacon of artistic vitality. I was honored to be a part of Silent Night, the first production of the American Repertoire Program to take
place at the Academy of Music, and it gives me great joy to return for the East Coast Premiere of Theodore Morrison’s Oscar, in which I sing the role of Frank Harris. As a performer, I am so thrilled to introduce this powerful work to audiences in Philadelphia. When you support the 40 th Anniversary Season Annual Fund campaign you help support not only the amazing artistic initiatives, such as the American Repertoire Program, but also the award-winning educational and outreach programs that help ensure that tomorrow’s audiences have access to the same great opera that we do today. I want to thank you so much for your generosity and support of Opera Philadelphia, and I look forward to seeing you in February for the East Coast Premiere of Oscar!
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Cultivating Tomorrow’s Superstars Opera Philadelphia Launches Ongoing Emerging Artists Program during 40 th Anniversary Season
Eric Owens was a relatively unknown graduate student at the Curtis Institute of Music when he made his 1994 Opera Philadelphia debut as Frère Laurent in Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet. Nathan Gunn was a 25-year-old University of Illinois graduate when he debuted as Guglielmo in a 1996 production of Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Ailyn Pérez was a freshfaced Academy of Vocal Arts graduate, and four years from winning the Richard Tucker Award, when she first appeared on the company’s stage as Marzelline in 2008’s Fidelio. Throughout the past four decades, Philadelphia audiences have enjoyed early exposure to the talents of international opera superstars like Eric, Nathan, Ailyn, and many others. The Opera Philadelphia stage has a history as a welcoming environment where rising young talents are nurtured. This season, in celebration of the 40 th Anniversary and the company’s ongoing commitment to emerging talent, Opera Philadelphia is strengthening its mission of cultivating future stars through the formation of an Emerging Artists Program. Each of our six emerging singers will engage with Opera Philadelphia onstage, appearing in at least one production, while also singing in community recitals and special events throughout the 40 th Anniversary Season. The six Emerging Artists in the first year of the program are (pictured, top to bottom) sopranos Sarah Shafer and Rachel Sterrenberg; mezzosoprano J’nai Bridges (underwritten by Allen Freedman and Judith Brick Freedman); baritones Will Liverman and Jarrett Ott; and bass-baritone Thomas Shivone. 33
PATRON TRAVEL PROGRAM Opera Philadelphia’s Patron Travel Program offers annual excursions to
some of opera’s most glamorous destinations. Join fellow arts enthusiasts and General Director and President David B. Devan for unique, curated trips
including private museum tours, dining at Michelin-starred restaurants, and extraordinary opera!
The Patron Travel Program is available to donors at the Patron Program level ($2,000+)
Pictured above: Opera Philadelphia patrons at the Aix-en-Provence festival as part of the Executive Travel Program, 2014.
2015 Trip Just Announced s a n ta f e , n m J U LY 31 - A U G U S T 6 , 2 015 opera buff extension
A U G U S T 6 - 8 , 2 015
Join Opera Philadelphia General Director and President David B. Devan
and Curtis Institute of Music President Roberto Díaz on a joint patron trip to The Santa Fe Opera for the World Premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold
Mountain! Also included are performances of Verdi’s Rigoletto, Donizetti’s
Daughter of the Regiment, and optional performances of Strauss’ Salome and Mozart’s La finta giardiniera. Guests will enjoy luxury accommodations at La Posada de Santa Fe Resort and Spa.
For additional information please contact Bethany Steel at 215.893.5907 or steel@operaphila.org.
Op e r a Philadelphia Encore Society If the Opera has played a significant role in your life, we invite you to pay it forward to future generations by including Opera Philadelphia in your estate plans. Opera Philadelphia’s Encore Society acknowledges the generosity of those individuals who have included the company in their estate plans as an important philanthropic commitment to opera’s future in Philadelphia, and the Society is our way of honoring members today for the legacy they will leave tomorrow. Not only do members enjoy exclusive
To Join or to Receive M o r e I n f o r m at i o n : Go to operaphila.org/encore-society or
Contact Rachel McCausland, Manager, Leadership & Legacy Giving, at 215.893.5909 or at mccausland@operaphila.org. * P lease consult your financial and/or legal advisors to determine which type of gift is best for you and for the legal requirements and tax advantages specific to these gifts.
access to events that allow them to celebrate the impact of their commitment to the organization’s continued artistic growth, but these gifts have the potential to provide valuable tax and income benefits now and in the future.*
Encore Society members Ben Alexander (left) and Sheila Kessler with baritone Mark Stone at the annual Encore Society Luncheon.
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Friends Vocal Recital & Appreciation Reception
Sunday | November 16, 2014 | 2:30 p.m. Opera Philadelphia thanks and recognizes the enthusiastic and loyal members of the Friends of the Opera for their amazing support of the 40 th Anniversary Season! Friends of the Opera at the Supporter level and above are invited to join us for a recital of excerpts from the 40 th Anniversary Season followed by a reception with wine and hors d’oeuvres. Invitations will be mailed in October.
Left: Friends of the Opera members John Ventura, Benjamin Minick, and David Eskin with mezzo-soprano Margaret Mezzacappa at the post-recital Appreciation Reception. Right: Mezzo-soprano Margaret Mezzacappa and bass-baritone Musa Ngqungwana perform at the 2013 Friends Vocal Recital, held at the Dell Theater in the National Museum of American Jewish History. Photos by J.R. Blackwell.
To join or upgrade your support, visit operaphila.org/membership-programs or call 215.893.5934.
Administration David B. Devan General Director & President Corrado Rovaris Jack Mulroney Music Director
Mikael Eliasen Artistic Advisor
Nathan Gunn Director, American Repertoire Council
Gary Gansky Chief Financial Officer & Senior Vice President
Annie Burridge Senior Vice President, Institutional Advancement
David Levy Senior Vice President, Artistic Operations
Michael Bolton Vice President of Community Programs
Music Michael Eberhard Artistic Administrator Elizabeth Braden Chorus Master and Music Administrator J. Robert Loy Director of Orchestra Personnel & Orchestra Librarian Sarah Williams New Works Administrator Colleen Hood Assistant Director of Orchestra Personnel & Assistant Orchestra Librarian David T. Little Composer in Residence Missy Mazzoli Composer in Residence Andrew Norman Composer in Residence Production Alexander Farino Production Manager Drew Billiau Technical Production Manager Christopher Hanes Technical Director Millie Hiibel Costume Director Elizabeth Larsen-Silva Production Coordinator
Youngmoo E. Kim Resident Technologist
MARKETING Ryan Lewis Director of Marketing Lucy Clemens Director of Audience Services Karina Kacala Marketing Manager Michael Knight Assistant Director, Audience Services & Group Sales DEVELOPMENT Christina Deemer Director of Annual Giving Adele Betz Director of Events Derren Mangum Manager of Institutional Giving Jennifer Dubin Associate Director, Annual Fund & Development Services Rachel McCausland Manager, Leadership & Legacy Giving Sarah Johnson Donor Services Coordinator
communications Frank Luzi Director of Communications Katie Dune Multimedia Communications Coordinator Administration Ken Smith Assistant to General Director & Board Relations Coordinator Bethany Steel Assistant to the Senior VP of Institutional Advancement Maurice Marietti Personnel Manager COMMUNITY PROGRAMS Adrienne Bishop Community Programs Assistant Finance Maureen McHale Senior Accountant Counsel Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads LLP General Counsel
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UP NEXT AT
oscar POETIC INJUSTICE AT THE HEART OF OSCAR STARRING DAVID DANIELS
EAST COAST PREMIERE | FEBRUARY 6-15, 2015 | ACADEMY OF MUSIC
The opera, based on the life and writings of the legendarily flamboyant Oscar Wilde, is a co-commission and co-production of Opera Philadelphia’s American Repertoire Program. A beautifully tragic tale of self-expression and individual freedom, the opera focuses on Wilde’s 1895 trial and two-year imprisonment, in a society that criminalized homosexuality, for a scandalous love affair with the young Lord Alfred Douglas. For one of history’s greatest wits, it was a dark counterpoint to a life earmarked by fearless humor and equally intrepid passion. In its 2013 World Premiere at The Santa Fe Opera, Daniels electrified with what The New York Times called a “Wildean mix of arrogance and vulnerability.” The production was also hailed for outstanding performances by soprano Heidi Stober as Wilde’s friend and supporter Ada Leverson; tenor William Burden as Wilde’s friend Frank Harris;
Photo by Ken Howard, The Santa Fe Opera
David Daniels, hailed as “the most acclaimed countertenor of the day, perhaps the best ever,” by The New York Times, makes his Opera Philadelphia debut in February in the highlyanticipated East Coast Premiere of Oscar by composer Theodore Morrison and librettist John Cox.
and dancer Reed Luplau, in a silent role as Wilde’s lover Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas. Wilde’s last work, the poem “The Ballad of Reading Gaol” describes his ordeal and the savagery of the prison system he endured. It was a source for the libretto, as were conversations, letters and documents spoken or written by his contemporaries. Together, Morrison and Cox reveal the profoundly human side of Wilde. “It has been wonderful partnering with The Santa Fe Opera and Opera Philadelphia to develop and produce my first opera,” said Morrison. “I was thrilled with the premiere in Santa Fe, and as the opera continues to evolve through revisions I look forward joyously to its next iteration in Philadelphia.”
ti c k ets on s a l e now o p er a p hi l a . or g | 2 1 5 . 8 9 3 . 1 0 1 8
a n n i v e r sa r y Dwayne Croft David Daniels Michelle DeYoung
Eric Owens Dimitri Pittas Heidi Stober
World Premiere
Don C a r l o
Ari a d ne A u f N a x os
starring
Angela Brown Lawrence Brownlee William Burden
C u rtis O p er a T he a tre
East Coast Premiere
Oscar
th
Ch a r l ie p a r k er ’ s y a r d bir d
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O R D E R Y O U R T I CK E T S T O DA Y o p er a p hi l a . or g | 2 1 5 . 8 9 3 . 1 0 1 8
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