SOME SEE METAL, CONCRETE AND GLASS.
WE SEE
THE ART OF SCIENCE AND HEALING.
At University Health System, we understand that great medicine doesn’t stand still – so neither can we. Every day, we push the boundaries of what can be done to heal the patients we care so deeply about. From innovative treatments and technology to the latest in clinical research, we’re constantly looking at medicine through the lens of possibility. It’s how we think beyond what is – to what can be. Learn More at SeeHowWeSee.com
Thinking beyond what is.
A Message from the Chairman Dear Friends, It is a great pleasure to welcome you back to the Tobin Center’s H-E-B Performance Hall for the first performances of OPERA San Antonio’s fourth season. We are very proud to be the resident opera company of the Tobin Center and honoured to have you with us as we continue our mission to provide the greater San Antonio community with very high level operatic productions. Giuseppe Verdi's adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth ranks among the greatest operatic tragic dramas. We are delighted to have the collaboration of the Orchestra of OPERA San Antonio, with Maestro Sebastian Lang-Lessing Conducting, in OSA's production of this great work. None of our productions would be possible without the extraordinary generosity and support from our Board of Directors, the City’s Department of Arts and Culture, Bexar County, the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, The Tobin Endowment, Russell Hill Rogers Fund for the Arts, H-E-B, Frost Bank Charitable Foundation, The Gorman Foundation, Charles Schwab, the Greehey Family Foundation, Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation, Texas Capital Bank, AT&T, Valero Energy Foundation, and the Ewing Halsell Foundation. The set for our performance was originally designed by James Schuette and crafted at Glimmerglass Opera Festival, and we are proud to re-mount this incredible production with internationally acclaimed artists and production team members. The costumes for this production were designed by James Schuette and Beth Goldenberg. We could not present productions of this level without the involvement and participation of artists of this caliber, behind the scenes and on stage. Past OSA productions were acclaimed nationally for their high artistic quality, and I am certain we will uphold this standard with Macbeth. OPERA San Antonio is committed to bringing you the best of opera, productions and artists; operas which you could enjoy in many major capitals throughout the world – but we are enjoying this tremendous art form right here in San Antonio! It is only with the support of our community that we can continue to grow and offer you the best of this very special combination of all the arts which can make us see, feel, and hear the world differently. Our future will only be possible through your support. When considering your financial giving, please keep OSA on the top of your list. Please be generous, so that we can further our efforts to enrich our community with extremely high calibre performances and the best opera has to offer. We look forward to seeing you at our spring production of Puccini's great masterpiece and possibly his most popular opera, La bohème, on May 17 and 19, 2018. With sincere appreciation,
Mel Weingart, Chairman
w w w. o p e ra s a . o r g
5
A Message from the General and Artistic Director
Building Visions...since 1927!
guidoconstruction.com I 210.344.8321
To our audience members and patrons, Macbeth is one of the most powerful and artistically accomplished works in the catalogue of Giuseppe Verdi. It is its tour de force qualities that have pushed it to the edge of main stream repertoire as it is challenging to cast it and produce it effectively. Nevertheless, I decided to take on the implicit challenges and program it as the first OPERA San Antonio production in which I have been fully involved from the start. The first challenge to overcome, was to gather the talent the piece demands and find the right cast and the Director and Conductor with the strength and gifts to effectively lead it. The starting point was the title role, and I was fortunate enough to have engaged my first choice for it. Greer Grimsley was the very first artist I hired after settling in my position with OSA. He is one of the most powerful interpreters of the role of Macbeth, he joins us after unforgettable performances across the US and Canada, most prominently with the Atlanta Opera, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Minnesota Opera, and Vancouver Opera. Counting on my esteemed colleague, Mo. Sebastian Lang-Lessing to conduct, guaranteed from the start that the music performance would be led by a stern and greatly experienced hand. To round up the artistic leadership, I was fortunate to get Stage Director Crystal Manich to fit our production at the very start of her 201718 highly populated professional calendar. I have known Crystal for several years and I have seen her career bloom into that of a sought-after international Stage Director, renowned for her ability to inspire great singing actors to give their most powerful performances and for her refined visual aesthetics creating a mise en scÊne. Today she travels the world over from Argentina to Australia, achieving great success with audiences and press alike, and dedicates a good part of her professional calendar to collaborate with a large number of US companies. Once Crystal and Sebastian were on board, I had a long conversation with the talented Maestro about the role of Lady Macbeth. He recommended Nadja Michael, who has a long standing professional relationship with him. She has sung the role around the world and has made it her own. She and Mr. Grimsley come to San Antonio to share their acclaimed renditions with us. Nathan Stark and Eric Barry are two artists with whom I have personally worked extensively with great success. Their talents, stage presence, and overall artistic attributes make them an asset to any cast on any stage around the world and I am fortunate to count on them as the exponents of my artistic vision and goals. They both make their role debuts in this production. In this opera, the chorus takes a prominent part and it is as prevalent as any named role. This production brought a great challenge and a welcome opportunity to solidify our choral establishment, and I could not be happier with the quality of the ensemble that is to become a main feature of our company. Every member is formally trained, innately musical, and dramatically driven. Dottie Randall, a very prominent member of San Antonio’s musical community, took on the task of Chorus Master with outstanding results. As a conductor, I am usually an active performer in productions under my watch, standing right in front of the whole artistic enterprise. This production has given me the opportunity to be devoted to work behind the scenes, and to solidify a support system with a team of great collaborators to be able to set foot on the stage again at the end of this season. The stars of that team, as many of you already know, are my colleagues Rhanda Luna and Lydia Benedict who are a major part of the success of this production. They are the two proverbial gears that make the fine-tuned OSA artistic engine deliver the magic. It was with their invaluable assistance that I have put together an artistic, technical, and creative team with too many outstanding members to list them all on this page, but whose names and tasks you will learn from browsing through your program. I feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such a pool of talent, but we could never do what we do without your support. Everyone involved in this production joins me in thanking you for being here and sharing this experience as an audience member, and we invite you to continue supporting us and to spread the word about what you are experiencing here today. With sincere appreciation,
Enrique CarreĂłn-Robledo, General and Artistic Director
w w w. o p e ra s a . o r g
7
2017-2018 Season Donors
Thank you!
In special recognition of our Box Seat Package patrons:
Art Legacy Texas, Adriana Cisneros C.H. Guenther, Dale Tremblay Fast Signs, Matt West H-E-B, Dya Campos Labatt Food Service, Blair Labatt, Al Silva
Enrique Carreón-Robledo General and Artistic Director
Board of Directors Mel Weingart, Chair John Asel Sheldon Braverman Adriana Cisneros Valerie Collins A Baker Duncan Eugene Dowdy Mary Jane Ely Linda Hardberger Blair Labatt James McCutcheon Eduardo Parra Lynn Stahl Matt West
The Board of Directors, artists, and staff of OPERA San Antonio gratefully acknowledge the generous support from our donors:
(Donations received in the past year: August 15, 2016– August 15, 2017) Founder’s Circle ($100,000+) Department of Arts and Culture Kronkosky Charitable Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Blair Labatt The Tobin Endowment
Chairman’s Circle ($50,000-$99,999) Bexar County Commissioner’s Court Russell Hill Rogers Fund for the Arts
In-Kind
Azul Creative Blair Labatt, Al Silva and Labatt Food Supply Guido Bros. Construction Co. Kendra Scott, Inc. Opera Guild of San Antonio Texas Art Legacy, Adriana Cisneros
Underwriter ($25,000-$49,999)
Elizabeth Huth Coates Foundation of 1992 Frost Bank Charitable Foundation Guido Bros. Contractors H-E-B Martha-Ellen Tye Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Mel Weingart
Sponsor ($10,000-$24,999) Mr. and Mrs. John C. Asel Charles A. Forster C.H. Guenther & Son, Inc. The Gorman Foundation The Ewing Halsell Foundation Terry Scott Al Silva Texas Capital Bank Tobin Theatre Arts Fund
Patron ($5,000-$9,999)
Braverman Family Charitable Foundation Marie Halff Mr. James McCutcheon Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Schulz Semmes Foundation, Inc. Ruth Eilene Sullivan
8
Katherine McAllen Mission Restaurant Supply, Jack Lewis RSM US, LLP, John Wright Sterling Foods, John Likovich Texas Capital Bank, David Pope
OPERA San Antonio
w w w. o p e ra s a . o r g
Benefactor ($2,500-$4,999) Ms. Marion Bell Dr. and Mrs. Barry Beller Valerie Collins Hon. and Mrs. Phil Hardberger Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B. Labatt Eduardo and Elsi Parra
Fellow ($1,000-$2,499)
Aaron Asel J. Cary Barton Mike and Beverly Birnbaum Tom Edson Al and Mary Jane Ely Margaret A. Mitchell & Douglas B. Endsley Dr. James E. Griffin III Jim and Roxie Hayne Ms. Mary Jane Howe Mr. and Mrs. John C. Kerr Reggie and Rosario Laird Mr. Paul Montalvo Epitacio Resendez Shell Oil J. Marvin Smith Rabbi Samuel and Lynn Stahl Frank and Nancie Sutter
Contributor ($500-$999)
John B Abeyta Andersen Family Charitable Fund Ms. Marion Bell Benson Family Fund Margaret Corning Boldrick Mr. James Calvert Mr. Lance W. Cameron Cappy's Inc. Barbara S. Condos Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. DuVal Richard and Dianne Fetchick John Howard and Ruth Frederick Jim and Frances Garner Richard and Toni Goldsmith Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Guido Mr. Ronald Keller La Fonda, inc. Ms. Lillian P. Morris Andrea Pichler David Allan and Terri Ross Ms. Sue Storm Kathy Ward Steven Wegner and Antonio Gragera
Supporter ($250-$499)
Almanza Business Group, LLC Antonio J. Cantafio Dr. Dick O. Creamer Eugene and Stacy Dowdy Baker Duncan Mildred Ehrenberg Mr. and Mrs. Gary Hoeffler Martin and Frederica Kushner Mr. Grace Bramlette Labatt Dr. and Mrs. Carl Leafstedt Mr. and Mrs. Steve C. Lewis Ricard Morales Dr. Carmen Perez Mrs. Arthur A. Seeligson, Jr. Mrs. Margaret King Stanley Maj. Terry J. Tiemann Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Sue Turner Mr. and Mrs. Albert Vale Mr. Curtis T. Vaughan III Mr. and Mrs. Dan G. Webster Mr. C. Thomas Wright
Friend ($100-$249)
Dr. Karen Balcom J. F. Bierlein and Heather Diehl Mr. and Mrs. Bradford R. Breuer Dr. and Mrs. Alfonso Chiscano Ms. Donna Clark Mark Covey and Kara Smoot Rev. James L. Empereur Edward and Ellie Herbold Emma Heymann Ryland Howard Mr. and Mrs. Norman Idleberg Robert Knapp Lt. Col. William A. Meder Andrea Melcher Dr. Joseph P. Murgo John Navarette Joseph-Maria Peralba Elva Ruiz Ms. Carolyn B. Sanders Marianne and Dr. Morton Schreiber Wendi E Strong Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sugarman
9
Synopsis
Femininity, Destiny, and Death By Crystal Manich Macbeth tracks one man’s fall from power after having obtained the throne through murder and deceit, assisted by his power hungry wife. The story is perhaps William Shakespeare’s most famous and happens to be my personal favorite. The approach for this version is a minimalist WWII era atmosphere that allows magic, violence, and sensuality to be fully exposed. The physical space of this Scotland evokes suffocation and isolation. Three walls enclose the stage as if to trap our characters. A single center wall pivots to suggest the malleable state of the mind in addition to evoking various physical locations. Roses on the walls and floor that can either shine bright or disappear are at once romantic and ominous, a symbol of blood and beauty. The underlying cause of Macbeth’s downfall, and perhaps the most interesting aspect, is the role the witches and his wife, Lady Macbeth, play to make that happen. The word “witch” has many connotations that can make such characters seem female, ugly, or inhuman. Shakespeare’s witches, however, are not so simple and are notorious for their shape shifting, being neither male nor female, and even having Lady Macbeth as part of their band, depending on the focus of the production. The portrayal of the murderous spouses is essential to the success of any production of Macbeth. Although Macbeth claims that he has a “vaulting ambition” in the hours before he kills King Duncan, his wife indicates that he is weak of character and “you do unbend your noble strength.” Lady Macbeth’s perception of her husband as an honorable man is what she despises most about him. She often questions his manhood and appears to use sexual power over him. And she also seems to have more ambition for the throne than he. This makes sense, however, when looking at a woman’s position in the patriarchal medieval period, where Shakespeare’s play is set. A woman like Lady Macbeth cannot ascend the throne herself. She does everything possible to elevate her husband’s position, thereby elevating her own. In fact, in the Shakespeare she calls upon the spirits to “unsex me here” and to “come to my woman’s breasts, and take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers.” These are not the words of a simple and “good” wife, but rather those of an ambitious, androgynous, and murderous animal. As a result, Macbeth, a great warrior accustomed to killing foes, turns his ambitions on the battlefield into dark deeds used against his very friends. But to say that Macbeth is solely influenced by his wife’s sexual politics is to diminish their relationship. From Shakespeare we know that they have had several children who have all perished as infants and perhaps that fact coupled with the dank and gloomy atmosphere of Scotland have contributed to their failed hopes and dreams. That failure permeates their psyche and causes their destruction. The witches in this approach are seemingly wanderers, refugees, or oppressed individuals who are employees of Macbeth’s home and therefore influence the events that transpire. But the age-old question of who in fact causes Macbeth’s downfall bears consideration. Do the witches cause his murderous rampage to gain power? Does he influence his own destiny by doing exactly what the witches say he will do? Or is there some kind of combined version where, his future once known, it is inevitable that he will fulfill his destiny? This last idea stems from the Ancient Greeks (Oedipus comes to mind) and warns us that one’s fate is sealed whether there are attempts to change the course of events or not. In fact, perhaps it is the desire to change the course of events that enables the individual to fulfill his or her destiny as it was predicted. In Macbeth’s case, one wonders if the same results would have occurred if he had merely ignored the witches’ prophecies. This web of uncertainty is what makes Macbeth a masterwork. 10
OPERA San Antonio
ACT I. Scotland. Macbeth and Banquo, leaders of the Scottish army, meet a group of witches who prophesy the future. They address Macbeth as Thane of Cawdor and King of Scotland, and tell Banquo that he will be the father of kings. The two men try to learn more, but the witches vanish. Messengers arrive with news that Duncan, the current King of Scotland, has made Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. The first part of the witches’ prediction has come true. In Macbeth’s castle, Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband telling her of the events that have just transpired. She resolves to follow her ambitions for the throne. A servant announces that Duncan will soon arrive at the castle, and when Macbeth enters, she tells him that they must kill the king. Duncan arrives with his retinue. Macbeth leaves to commit the murder. On his return, he tells his wife how the act has frightened him, and she tells him that he needs more courage. She hastily leaves to place the bloody knife on Duncan’s body. Banquo enters with Macduff, a nobleman, who discovers the murder. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth pretend to be horrified and join the others in condemning the murder. ACT II. Macbeth has become king. Duncan’s son, Malcolm, is suspected of having killed his father and has fled to England. Worried about the prophecy that Banquo’s children will rule, Macbeth and his wife now plan to kill Banquo and his son, Fleance, as well. As Macbeth leaves to prepare the double murder, Lady Macbeth hopes that it will finally make the throne secure. Outside the castle, assassins wait for Banquo, who appears with his son, warning him of strange forebodings. Banquo is killed, but Fleance escapes. Lady Macbeth welcomes the court to the banquet hall and sings a drinking song, while Macbeth receives news that Banquo is dead and his son has escaped. About to take Banquo’s seat at the table, Macbeth has a terrifying vision of the dead man accusing him. His wife is unable to calm her unsettled husband, and the courtiers wonder about the king’s strange behavior. Macduff vows to leave the country, which is now ruled by criminals. ACT III. The witches gather again, and Macbeth visits them, demanding more prophecies. Apparitions warn him to beware of Macduff and assure him that “no man of woman born” can harm him, and that he will be invincible until Birnam Wood marches on his castle. In another vision, he sees a procession of future kings, followed by Banquo. Horrified, Macbeth collapses. The witches disappear and his wife finds him. They resolve to kill Macduff and his family. ACT IV. On the Scottish border, Macduff has joined refugees. His wife and children have been killed. Malcolm appears with British troops and leads them to invade Scotland. Lady Macbeth is sleepwalking, haunted by the horrors of what she and her husband have done. Macbeth awaits the arrival of his enemies and realizes that he will never live to a peaceful old age. Messengers bring news that Lady Macbeth has died, and that Birnam Wood appears to be moving towards them. English soldiers appear, camouflaged with its branches. Macduff confronts Macbeth and tells him that he was not born naturally but had a Caesarean birth. He kills Macbeth and proclaims Malcolm King of Scotland. Synopsis provided courtesy of the Met Opera Guild and edited by Director Crystal Manich (http://www.metopera.org/Discover/Synposes-Archive/Macbeth/)
w w w. o p e ra s a . o r g
11
Macbeth Cast
Enrique Carreón-Robledo General and Artistic Director
PRESENTS Giuseppe Verdi's
Macbeth
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and Andrea Maffei Based on the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare Premiere April 21, 1865 Théâtre-Lyrique Impérial du Châtelet Friday September 8, 2017 7:30pm │ Sunday September 10, 2017 2:00pm
Macbeth……………........................................................……………………………………….Greer Grimsley Lady Macbeth…....……………………………...…………………………………………………………….Nadja Michael Banquo………………………………………………............……………………………….……………….….Nathan Stark Macduff…………………………………………………................................................................…..Eric Barry Dama di Lady Macbeth…………………………………………….......................................……….Tynan Davis Doctor…………………....………………………………...............................................……….Matthew Arnold Malcolm…………………..............…………………………………………………………..………………….Timothy Birt First Apparition……………………………………………….………………………………….……………….Rob Saldaña Second Apparition…………………………………………………………….…………………………….Veronica Takach Third Apparition/Fleanzio…………………………………………………………………...……………….Wyatt Larsh Servant………………………………………………………………...……………………………….………….Andrew Ward Herald/Assassin……………….......................................…………………………………………….Thomas Soto King Duncan…………………………………………………………………………….…………….………….Mel Weingart
H-E-B Performance Hall │ Tobin Center for the Performing Arts Conductor
Sebastian Lang-Lessing Stage Director
Crystal Manich Chorus Master………………………………………..............................................................….…….Dottie Randall Assistant Conductor…………………………………………......................................................………….Noam Aviel Assistant Director….……………………………………………........................................................…….Matt Haney Lighting Designer…………...........................................………………………………………….Paul Hackenmueller Wardrobe Master………………………………...........................................….Raul McGinnes, SRO Associates Wig and Make-up Designer…………………………………….............................……………….Stephanie Williams Repetiteur ……………………………………………………......................................................................... Mary Box Technical Director………………………………………………............................................................…….Pat Smith Production Stage Manager………………………………………………..............................…….Darlene Miyakawa
12
Macbeth Chorus Elizabeth Cortes Lisa Owens Nancy Poffenbarger Lindsay Selli Valerie Serna Diane Stanley Eric Contreras Keith Masterson David Silverstein Thomas Soto
Eric Copeland John Hyland Kirk Murrell Jacob Valadez
Abigail Diltz Cecilia Martinez Caroline Melcher Erin Sheehy Denise Wathen
Manuel Canales Colin Powell Matthew Reynolds Rob Saldaña
Creighton Brown Sergio Goana Jyron Joseph Andrew Ward
Supernumeraries from Children's Chorus of San Antonio: Shelby Balog Abby Fite Alyson McGovern Cassandra Ortiz
Scenery designed by James Schuette Costumes Designed by James Schuette and Beth Goldenberg The Scenery and costumes were originally created for Glimmerglass Festival Titles Designed by Kelley Rourke (edited by Crystal Manich)
OPERA San Antonio
Madeline Elizondo Madonna Gil Mackenzie Miller Jennifer Quintero-Pitts Kimberly Sandoval
w w w. o p e ra s a . o r g
13
Orchestra of OSA Violin I Eric Gratz Stacy Parker Craig Scorgi Philip Johnson Beth Girko Bassam Nashawati Andrew Small Stephanie Westney Renia Shterenberg Laura Sclazo Violin II Mary Ellen Goree Karen Stiles Cleo Aufderhaar Angela Caporale Beth Johnson Judy Levine-Holley Aimee Lopez Timothy Steeves
Production Credits Oboe Zach Boeding Jennifer Berg Clarinet Ilya Shterenberg Stephanie Key Bassoon Brian Petkovich Ron Noble Horn Adedeji Ogunfolu Peter Rubins Colin Bianchi Dana Cullen Trumpet Daniel Taubenheim Lauren Eberhart
Viola Allyson Dawkins Emily Freudigman Marisa Bushman Amy Pikler Daniel Wang Yan Gou
Trombone Steve Peterson Patrick Montgomery Matt Erikson
Cello Kenneth Freudigman David Mollenauer Barbara George Holgen Gjoni Morgen Johnson Ryan Murphy
Timpani Peter Flamm
Bass Thomas Huckaby Zlatan Redzic James Chudnow Steve Zeserman
Tuba Raul Rodriguez
Program Advertising by Traveling Blender, Louis Doucette
Percussion Riely Francis Bill Patterson
Graphic Design by Full Nelson Productions, Jennifer Nelson
Harp Rachel Ferris
Artist Transportation and Hospitality by Opera Guild of San Antonio, Joan Miller, Coordinator
Librarian Amy Venticinque
Flute Mark Teplitsky Julie Luker
14
Lightboard Programmer Dean W. Horan Assistant Stage Manager Cressa Amundsen Assistant Stage Manager 2 Hayley Hunt Wardrobe Assistants Stacie Healey Nicholas Bright Wig and Make-Up Assistants Charles Douglas Gianna Hernandez Melody Pereda Production Assistants Julya Jara Shannon Bishop Prop Master Julya Jara Supertitle Coordinator Mary Box Company Photographer Karen Almond Pre-Performance Lecturer Dr. Kevin Salfen Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations by Tobin Center for the Performing Arts LHA Public Relations
Special Thanks The Radius Center The Magick Theathre Opera Guild of San Antonio San Antonio Public Library Vicki Ash Trinity University, ALE Program Dr. Carl Leafstedt
OPERA San Antonio
w w w. o p e ra s a . o r g
University of Texas San Antonio Dr. Bill McCrary SRO Associates, Inc. The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts and all the staff and volunteers University of the Incarnate Word Dr. Kevin Salfen Stephen Colgrove – Technical Assistance 15
Artist Biographies Greer Grimsley - Macbeth
Eric Barry - Macduff
Recent: Wotan, Der Ring des Nibelungen, The Metropolitan Opera, in Robert Lepage’s landmark production; same role for other opera companies, including Seattle Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, and the Nikikai Opera Foundation in Tokyo. Title role, Der fliegende Holländer (Seattle Opera and Ravinia Festival); Amfortas in Parsifal with The Metropolitan Opera. One of the more prominent Wagnerian singers of our day, Grimsley has performed in opera houses around the world. In recent seasons he has sung the title role in Macbeth for Minnesota Opera, Vancouver Opera, and Opera Lyra Ottawa.
Recent: Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Opera Colorado, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Florentine Opera Company; Lensky in Eugene Onegin, North Carolina Opera; The Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, Syracuse Opera. Winner of the Bel Canto Prize at the 2016 Maryland Lyric Opera Competition, Spanish-American tenor Eric Barry holds a Master of Music Degree and Artist Diploma from the School of Music at Yale University. He has a close association with the Beethoven Easter Festival and the Polish Radio Orchestra in Warsaw. Upcoming: Alfredo, La Traviata, Amarillo Opera; featured soloist, Madison Symphony Christmas.
Bass-Baritone (New Orleans, LA)
Tenor (Sundown, TX)
Upcoming: Wotan, Das Rheingold, Minnesota Opera; Jokaanan in Salome, The Metropolitan Opera; Scarpia in Tosca with Los Angeles Opera, and the title role in Sweeney Todd with New Orleans Opera.
Nadja Michael - Lady Macbeth Soprano (Gerichshain, Germany)
Recent: Kundry, Parsifal, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires; Ortrud, Lohengrin, Mariinsky Opera of St. Petersburg; Judith, Bluebeard’s Castle, The Metropolitan Opera; Emilia Marty, The Makropolous Case, San Francisco Opera. A native of Germany with a distinguished international career as a dramatic soprano, Michael made her Metropolitan Opera company debut in the role of Lady Macbeth in 2012. During her career she has appeared at many of the world’s leading opera houses, including Covent Garden in London, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Berlin State Opera, Vienna State Opera, Teatro Real in Madrid, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, and at the Glyndebourne and Salzburg Festivals. Last year she sang the role of Elektra (Strauss) for the first time at the Mariinsky Theatre. Upcoming: Isolde, Tristan and Isolde, Mariinsky Theatre; concert performances and CD recording of Verdi’s Macbeth in Warsaw; Brünnhilde, Götterdämmerung, Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe.
Tynan Davis - Dama di Lady Macbeth Soprano (San Antonio, TX)
Recent: National tour, Phantom of the Opera; Locoë, Daphnis and Chloe, Heartbeat Opera NYC; a slave, Salome, Opera San Antonio; Cherubino, Le nozze di Figaro, Austin Lyric Opera. A fifth-generation San Antonian and an alumna of the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio, Davis has toured with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. She recently released her debut album TYNAN, a collection of jazz arrangements of classic tunes from musical theater, film, and television, featuring members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Nathan Stark - Banco
Bass-Baritone (Hughson, CA)
Recent: Rocco, Fidelio, Cincinnati Opera and the Houston Symphony; Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte with Madison Opera; King Marke in Tristan und Isolde, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra; Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Hawaii Opera Theatre; General Audebert in Puts’ Silent Night with Opera San José; Escamillo in Carmen with Dayton Opera. Equally comfortable on concert stage, Mr. Stark’s recent performances included Defiant Requiem for his Chicago Philharmonic and Detroit Symphony Orchestra debuts; Verdi’s Requiem with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Robert Spano. He was a 2006 district winner of the Metropolitan Opera Vocal Competition, San Diego District.
Matthew Arnold - Doctor
Bass-Baritone (Covington, GA)
Upcoming: Rocco, Fidelio, Boston Baroque; Colline in La bohème, Opera Orlando. He also returns to Dayton Opera as soloist in Verdi’s Requiem.
Recent: Escamillo, Carmen, Florida Grand Opera and Minnesota Opera; Lord Sidney, Il viaggio a Reims, Chicago Opera Theater; Il Bonzo, Madama Butterfly, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Opera San Antonio; Mandarin, Turandot, Austin Lyric Opera; Le Duc, Roméo et Juliette, San Antonio Opera; bass soloist, Verdi Requiem, Brazos Valley Symphony. For Opera San Antonio, Arnold was heard last season as Zuniga in Carmen.
16
w w w. o p e ra s a . o r g
OPERA San Antonio
17
Timothy Birt - Malcolm
Production/Creative Team
Recent: Monastatos, The Land of the Magic Flute, SOLI Chamber Ensemble; Pedrillo/Spock in the “Star Trek” version of Mozart's opera Abduction from the Seraglio, Alamo City Opera; featured soloist, Opera Piccola’s “Opera vs. Broadway.” Birt received his BM in vocal performance from Texas State University. He is currently on the faculty of San Antonio College as Adjunct Professor of Voice. He is the founder of Signature Singing Voice lessons, a San Antonio based company focusing on classical vocal techniques for use in all genres of music.
Sebastian Lang-Lessing
Tenor (San Antonio, TX)
Rob Saldaña - Apparition
Tenor (Manila, Phillipines) Recent: Three-time TEXOMA NATS finalist; national finalist in 2014 Classical Singer Competition. An alumnus of The University of Texas at San Antonio, Saldaña performed in scenes from La Traviata, Barber of Seville, and The Magic Flute with the Crittenden Opera Studio in Washington, D.C. He sang Fiorello in last season’s OPERA San Antonio production of Barber of Seville.
Conductor (Gelsenkirchen, Germany)
Among the most versatile and seasoned musicians of his generation, German conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing is currently beginning his eighth season as Music Director of the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra. His previous posts included Resident Conductor at the Hamburg State Opera and Deutsche Oper Berlin, as well as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Opera National de Lorraine, the Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy, and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his work in San Antonio, last season he led performances at Seattle Opera (Hänsel und Gretel); Royal Danish Opera (Dead Man Walking), and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Gran Canaria. For Opera San Antonio he led the company’s opening performances, in 2015, of Salome, and has been a regular presence at the podium since that time. In 2013, Mr. Lang-Lessing led the Philharmonia Orchestra for Renée Fleming’s new album “Guilty Pleasures,” released on Decca. Other notable recordings have included the complete symphonies of Mendelssohn and Schumann with the Tasmanian Symphony, and the works of Joseph-Guy Ropartz with the Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy.
Crystal Manich
Director (Pittsburgh, PA)
Andrew Ward - Servant
Bass-Baritone (Austin, TX) Recent: An Officer, Barber of Seville, Opera San Antonio. Ward has sung in the chorus for Austin Opera since 2015. A native of Austin, he was selected to sing with the 105 Voices of History National Concert Choir (a choir representing the 105 officially recognized Historically Black Colleges and Universities) at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. He received his BM in Music Education from Huston-Tillotson University in 2012.
Paul Hackenmueller
Thomas Clifford Soto - Herald and Assassin
Tenor (San Antonio, TX) Recent: Ruiz, Il Trovatore, OPERA San Antonio; Peasant, La fille du régiment, Austin Opera; The Priest, Las Fundaciones de Bejar, OPERA San Antonio. Soto is currently a resident artist with OPERA San Antonio and performs in various outreach programs and local events with the company. A graduate of Texas State University, Soto won the university’s Aria/Concerto competition in 2015. 18
With Macbeth, Manich directs her first production for OPERA San Antonio. She directs regularly for Buenos Aires Lírica in Argentina and Pinchgut Opera in Sydney, Australia, and has worked with various companies in the USA, including Pittsburgh Opera, The Kennedy Center, Santa Fe Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Columbus, Tulsa Opera, American Opera Projects, Utah Opera, Opera Omaha, North Carolina Opera, Opera Roanoke, and Lyric Opera Baltimore. In 2009-10 she served as assistant artistic director for Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam in Brazil. Following her time in San Antonio she will direct a new Tosca for Boston Lyric Opera and Opera Omaha. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.
OPERA San Antonio
Lighting Designer (Minneapolis, MN)
Hackenmueller’s work has been seen globally across performance disciplines including work with The Santa Fe Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Bucharest National Opera, Minnesota Opera, The Dallas Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Opera Omaha. His New York theater credentials include work on over 10 Broadway musicals and plays. He has designed concert lighting for numerous popular singers, including Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, Garth Brooks, Bruno Mars, Tony Bennett, Beyoncé, Pearl Jam, John Legend, and Taylor Swift. w w w. o p e ra s a . o r g
19
Dottie Randall
Raul McGinnes, SRO Associates
A native of San Antonio, Randall has served on the music staff of San Diego Opera, Chautauqua Opera, New Orleans Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and the San Antonio Festival. For two seasons she served as assistant conductor in Verona, Italy, for Verona’s Teatro Filarmonico and Arena di Verona. She also served as staff pianist/coach with the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. As an educator, Randall has been a choral director in public schools at all levels.
McGinnis manages the costume shop in design and fabrication for SRO Associates, an entertainment production company. He is Wardrobe Master for Ballet San Antonio; recent design credits for that company include The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Coppélia, Dracula and, most recently, The Sleeping Beauty. Past projects and specialty works in design and fabrication include Sea Lion High for SeaWorld, San Antonio, as well as Candide, L’enfant et les Sortilèges and Bon Appétit for Emerald City Opera, Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Chorus Master (San Antonio, TX)
Wardrobe Master (San Antonio, TX)
Noam Aviel
Stephanie Williams
Aviel was appointed Assistant Conductor at OPERA San Antonio in 2016. She holds a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Illinois State University; she also has two Bachelor of Music degrees in Voice Performance and Orchestral Conducting from Tel-Aviv University in Israel. She conducted the San Antonio Symphony in a successful series of Young People's Concerts at the Tobin Center in March 2017. She participated as a Conducting Fellow at the 2015 Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina where she worked closely with Maestro Gerard Schwarz.
After graduating with a B.A. from Stephen F. Austin State University, Williams began her operatic production career with The Dallas Opera, where she worked from 2008-13. She relocated to central Texas in 2013 and has worked regularly with Opera San Antonio since that time. She does periodic work for Santa Fe Opera and Opera Philadelphia. She has been the resident designer for Pegasus Theatre since 2013.
Assistant Conductor (Tel Mond, Israel)
Wig and Makeup Designer (Huffman, TX)
Darlene Miyakawa
Production Stage Manager (Los Angeles, CA)
Mary Box
Repetiteur (San Antonio, TX)
After receiving piano performance degrees from the Eastman School of Music (BM) and the University of Houston (MM), Mary found her love of opera and is one of only two to have ever received a degree in Vocal Coaching (MM) from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. A San Antonio native, Box has been on the music staff of Wichita Grand Opera, Houston Grand Opera’s HGOco, Opera in the Heights, Fargo-Moorhead Opera (Young Artist Program Director), and Houston Baptist University.
Matthew Haney
Assistant Stage Director (Kansas City, MO)
Matthew Haney has served as the principal stage director for Rimrock Opera in Montana for the past three seasons. His productions for that company include Turandot, Rigoletto, and The Crucible. Other recent work includes productions for Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Mobile Opera, Omaha Opera, Tulsa Opera, The University of Kansas, William Jewell College, and Winter Opera St. Louis. His upcoming projects include a new production of Tosca for both Boston Lyric Opera and Opera Omaha. 20
OPERA San Antonio
Miyakawa recently rejoined the field as a freelance AEA/AGMA Stage Manager after leaving Long Beach Opera where she was the Director of Production for 10 seasons, producing contemporary works (Nixon in China, The House of Usher, Queenie Pie, Marilyn Forever) and site-specific pieces (Orpheus & Eurydice in a pool, The Diary of Anne Frank in parking garage.) Recent stage management credits include productions for Opera Memphis (The Marriage of Figaro), Tri-Cities Opera (l'Heure Espagnole/Brettl-Lieder), New York City Opera (Fallujah), Los Angeles Philharmonic (Theatre of the World). This will be her second production with OPERA San Antonio. Previously, she served as Production Stage manager for the May 2017 production of The Barber of Seville.
John Patrick Smith
Technical Director (San Antonio, TX)
Smith, a native San Antonian, has been involved in theater in the Alamo City for over a decade. He holds a BS in Biology from UTSA. Formerly the Technical Director at The Playhouse San Antonio, Smith has done freelance design and technician work at various theaters around the city, including The Sheldon Vexler Theatre, The Harlequin, and The Overtime. For Opera San Antonio he served as technical director for last season’s Barber of Seville. w w w. o p e ra s a . o r g
21
OPERA San Antonio Staff General and Artistic Director Enrique Carreón-Robledo Director of Administration and Education Rhanda Luna Artistic and Production Coordinator Lydia Benedict Assistant Conductor Noam Aviel OPERA San Antonio is supported by The City of San Antonio’s Department for Arts and Culture
Opera Guild of San Antonio Dedicated to the support of opera and opera education for youth and adults. Visit operaguildsa.org or follow us! .
Opera Guild of San Antonio
The Gorman Foundation
operaguildsa operaguildsa
Performances of Beautiful Dreamer The touring opera program runs for three summers, reaching 60,000 children
OPERA San Antonio | 417 8th Street | San Antonio, Texas 78215 | (210) 673-7270 w w w. o p e ra s a . o r g
23