2013 Opening Gala Concert of Stars Thursday, May 23, 2013 The Majestic Theatre
1
Cheers to our new opera company. At last, San Antonio has a third source of superb performance – to join the symphony and the lineup of vehicles at Cavender Audi.
15447 IH-10W at the UTSA exit.
cavenderaudi.com
The Audi A8 is the official car of the San Antonio Symphony.
TheOperaSa.org
3
OPENING FALL 2014
CLASSICS
2013-14 POPS
Captivating soloists Thrilling and Passionate masterpieces Don’t miss a moment...
FIRST-TIME SUBSCRIBERS SAVE up to 50%
Something for Everyone
Get ready for the ultimate entertainment experience. The Tobin Center will transform performing arts in San Antonio delivering a world-class venue and world-class performances for everyone. Sign-up for the latest news about The Tobin Center’s construction and 2014 Grand Opening!
OPENING FALL 2014
Music That Makes A Difference
Joshua Bell
Disney In Concert
Dvořák Festival
Patriotic POPS
Tine Thing Helseth
Texas Tenors
SEASON TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE!
CALL (210) 554-1010 OR VISIT SASYMPHONY.ORG
Sign up to receive news on The Tobin Center.
Discover more at tobincenter.org
2013 Board of Directors
Plato Karayanis – Interim General Director – CEO Tobias Picker – Artistic Director
R I S TOR A N T E
Chairman of the Board.....................................................Mel Weingart Vice Chairman................................................................Charles Forster Secretary............................................................. Margaret King Stanley Treasurer...............................................................................John C. Asel
Board Members John C. Asel Natalie Beller Charles Forster Maryanne Guido Linda Hardberger James E. Davis McCutcheon
Margaret King Stanley Terry Touhey Sue E. Turner Kathleen Weir Vale Mel Weingart
International Advisory Board Edgar Foster Daniels David Gockley Nathan Gunn Desmond Heeley Patricia Racette Dolora Zajick Nancy Zeckendorf
Lunch
Dinner
North Central
7 D ay s
North West
PrG-sa.cOM Downtown
Paesanos LincoLn HeigHts
Paesanos 1604
Paesanos RiveRwaLk
555 East Basse Road (210) 828-5191
3622 Paesanos Parkway (210) 493-1604
111 West Crockett Street (210) 227-2782
www.theoperasa.org | Phone: 210-673-7270 | info@theoperasa.org Facebook: The Opera San Antonio Twitter: @theoperasa
TheOperaSa.org
7
FOUNDING PATRONS Founding patrons are those individuals and organizations who have supported The Opera San Antonio fiscally or through in-kind services and/or donations since the company’s inception in 2009.
John Asel Ann Griffith Ash Bill Askins Dr. Barry and Natalie Beller Frances Billups Orville Van Dorn Carr City of San Antonio, Office of Cultural Affairs E. H. Corrigan Phyllis Slick Cowell James F. Dicke, II Baker and Sally Duncan Charles Forster Frost Bank T.C. Frost The Gorman Foundation Cosmo Guido * In memory of Toni Guido – for Educational Enhancement Phil D. and Linda Hardberger Sarah E. Harte James Hayne Ronald and Karen Herrmann Norman and Linda Idelberg
Bruce and Anne Johnson John and Susan Kerr Rosemary Kowalski The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation Martin and Frederica Kushner Joseph and Carolyn Labatt Kathleen L. Luby James E. Davis McCutcheon William G. Moll Amy Dameron Phipps Tobias Picker Ira and Susan Ross Leland Rudofsky Dr. Morton and Marianne S. Schreiber Linda Nixon Seeligson Margaret King Stanley The Tobin Endowment Terence W. Touhey Randall and Janice Townsend Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Sue E. Turner Kathleen and Albert R. Vale Drs. Sergio and Alice Viroslav Charles and Charlotte Walker Mel and Sandra Weingart
As of May 15, 2013
TheOperaSa.org
9
2013 OPENING GALA CONCERT OF STARS SPONSORS
Platinum Sponsors – $25,000
William E. Greehey Terence W. Touhey
Gold Sponsors – $15,000
NEW WORLD FLAVORS Dine at Nao and enjoy fresh, seasonal plates that bring the great cuisines of Latin America to life in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Lunch and Dinner 10:30 a.m.– 10 p.m. Out late with friends? Coming from a concert or the theater? Relax with a delicious and inventive meal from Nao’s late-night menu. Late Saturday Night 10 p.m.– 2 a.m. www.naorestaurant.com | 201-554-6484
CIA BAKERY CAFÉ Breakfast and lunch never tasted so good!
Silver Sponsors – $10,000 The Tobin Endowment Epitacio Resendez Kathleen and Albert R. Vale
Sumptuous sweet and savory café fare. Tuesday–Saturday 7 a.m.–5 p.m. 210-554-6464 As of May 15, 2013
At The Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio 312 Pearl Parkway, San Antonio, TX TheOperaSa.org
11
A Heritage of Integrity, Innovation and Craftsmanship
AGC’s 2012 Contractor of the Year 8526 Vidor Avenue, San Antonio, TX 78216 • guidobrothersconstruction.com
2013 OPENING GALA CONCERT OF STARS CONTRIBUTORS Ben and Janet Adams Wilbur Allmeyer* John Asel Bill Askins Carolyn M. Barrett Barbara F. Bartolett Basil Scaljon Rugs* Dr. Barry and Natalie Beller Beth Beloff and Marc Geller Col. (Ret.) Thomas M. Benagh Philip Benson David Brigham Shirley W. Bryan Calvin and Jane Lipton Cafritz Lisa Cavanaugh Cavender Audi* Chantecaille* Dr. and Mrs. William Chiego E. H. Corrigan Dr. Dick and Nancy Creamer Culinary Institute of America* Diana Denman Department for Cultural and Creative Development Jacques R. Dewied Baker and Sally Duncan Al and Mary Jane Ely Berthica A. Fitzsimons Mrs. William A. Flannery Charles Forster Peter and Eleanor Frank Frost Bank (Tom Frost III) Kathleen Garrison Robert Gilder Tom and Maryanne Guido Diana S. Hamner Dr. Hal and Donna Hankinson Greg Harrison Photography* Sarah E. Harte James and Roxanna Hayne Robert Herbst Brian and Julie Hicks Mona Hollier Dr. Karl and Susan Horn Mrs. Robert C. Howe Edward and Patricia Hymson Norman and Linda Idleberg
Joe and Gina Illick Intercontinental Asset Management Group Ltd. Albert and Elizabeth W. Kidd Carol Lee Klose and Carolyn A. Seale
For partial funding of Patricia Racette’s appearance
Kronkosy Charitable Foundation Blair and Barbara Labatt Joseph and Carolyn Labatt Grace Bramlette Labatt and Bob Schwartz Dr. Dan and Anne Leonard William and Valerie Lester James Lifshutz Jan and Elizabeth Lodal James E. Davis McCutcheon Marise McDermott David and Kathleen Meriwether Joan E. Miller John Mooney* Lee and Karen Mueller Florencia Palmaz* Tony Parker Chere Reneau Republic Beverage* Leland Rudofsky Carolyn B. Sanders Kendra Scott* Mick and Marie Seidl Leslie Shaw Anita Ruth Smith Dr. Ed Staffel Margaret King Stanley Ruth Eilene Sullivan Frank and Nancy Sutter Donald and Rhonda Sweeney Roy Terracina R.D. (Dick) and Kristin Tipps* The Tobin Endowment Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Sue E. Turner Dan and Amy Weingart Mel and Sandra Weingart Jasper and Jane Ann Welch Mary M. Young Dr. Robert and Peggy Zone *In-Kind Contribution As of May 15, 2013 TheOperaSa.org
13
A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Dear Friends, Welcome to The Opera San Antonio’s 2013 Opening Gala Concert of Stars. The curtain is about to be raised on a premier opera company that will change the landscape of performing arts in San Antonio forever. The Opera San Antonio (TOSA) is an organization dedicated to producing relevant and exciting productions of the greatest and most compelling operatic masterpieces of the past and present. Our mission is to enhance the value and reputation of performing arts in San Antonio, while simultaneously developing its audience through outreach, education and community engagement. Tonight’s concert will introduce you to the caliber of performer which you can expect to hear in future fully staged productions at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, beginning in January 2015. It is also an example of the collaborative relationship between TOSA and the San Antonio Symphony. We are in the fortunate position of having two internationally acclaimed artists working together in this evening’s concert to provide you with an exemplary opera experience: Tobias Picker, TOSA Artistic Director and Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Music Director of the San Antonio Symphony. From the earliest discussions to this evening’s concert, our vision for TOSA would not be a reality without the dedication and support of our Board of Directors, the Department for Culture and Creative Development, various foundations, businesses and personal support. The future growth of this company will be dependent on building upon that broad base of support. We hope you enjoy this evening’s concert and that you will continue to support the various artistic and educational TOSA events in the coming months. Thank you for being here tonight and for your support in keeping the arts alive in San Antonio! Sincerely,
Mel Weingart Chairman of the Board, The Opera San Antonio
TheOperaSa.org
15
Soul Room The of the
A MESSAGE FROM THE Interim General Director Welcome to this inaugural event of The Opera San Antonio. Artistic Director, Tobias Picker, has assembled a star-studded cast of internationally acclaimed singers in a program that represents the artistry and quality that will be the hallmark of this new company. We look forward to the opening of the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts and to our first fully staged production in January of 2015. This beautiful facility with its latest technical innovations will allow us to produce operas of uncompromising quality in exciting theatrical presentations that relate to today’s audiences. The Opera is committed to becoming an integral part of the community and will reach audiences of all ages through education and community outreach programs. We recognize the importance of engaging students at an early age and nurturing them in the arts. They are our future audiences. We express our gratitude to the many donors and sponsors who have supported the vision of this new company. Through their generosity, the dream is becoming a reality. As we move forward we will need to build a broad base of audience and financial support for the Opera, this most exciting of all the performing arts. Finally, we pay tribute to Jim Ireland who briefly served as the first General Manager of The Opera San Antonio and succumbed to cancer last September. Jim was a valued friend and colleague, and we are grateful for the work he did in the formative year of this company.
Enjoy this Gala evening!
Basil Scaljon rugs
Plato Karayanis Interim General Director – CEO, The Opera San Antonio
Antique & Decorative Rugs • Professional Rug Repair & Cleaning 2420 North Main Avenue • 210.734.3711 • basilscaljonrugs.com TheOperaSa.org
17
A MESSAGE FROM THE Artistic Director Tonight, The Opera San Antonio looks forward to a new golden age of opera. We also look back to honor our city’s distinguished musical heritage. 1945 saw San Antonio become the first city in Texas with a resident opera company. In 1950, Kirsten Flagstad—for whom one of history’s greatest opera composers, Richard Strauss, composed his Four Last Songs—chose to give the master’s sublime final work’s U.S. premiere in San Antonio. For 40 years, luminaries such as Richard Tucker, Birgit Nilsson, Beverly Sills, and Marilyn Horne shared their artistry with San Antonio audiences. Tonight that great vocal tradition resumes and demonstrates the breadth of repertoire we will produce; The beloved Italians, Rossini, Donizetti, Verdi, Mascagni, and Puccini, who represent the backbone of the opera canon, and the center of any great company’s seasons. Mozart and Handel, Wagner, Tchaikovsky and Chabrier look forward to an international schedule of masterpieces. Four Americans, Bernstein, Floyd, Picker and Ward round out the program tonight, representing our indigenous, formidable operatic tradition. All of TOSA’s artists regularly perform on the world’s most important operatic stages. Texas’s own Jay Hunter Morris—who comes to us straight from Siegfried at The Met— is as at home in Wagner as he is in Jake Heggie. Patrica Racette, one of today’s reigning Toscas, has given major world premieres throughout the U.S. Dolora Zajick, the world’s greatest Verdi mezzo will sing the title role in my new opera, Dolores Claiborne at San Francisco Opera in September. Alek Shrader, whose “Ah! Mes amis!” is legendary, sang the American premiere of Adès’s The Tempest earlier this season at The Met. Eric Owens, highly praised for his Alberich at the Met, sang the Grammy Award winning recording of Adams’ Doctor Atomic and Lucas Meachem, famous for Rossini and Mozart, appeared in the world premiere of El Biaje a Simorgh by Sánchez Verdu. The spectacular Daniela Mack and Lisette Oropesa round out our cast. Everyone in tonight’s cast represents the star power and aesthetic ideals TOSA plans to bring to its fully staged productions, and all share a deep commitment to opera as a living art form. I am proud to have played a role in the founding of TOSA, which will soon take its place among America’s leading opera companies. Starting tonight, everyone in San Antonio who loves the performing arts will have the opportunity of sharing the pride and excitement of a brand new, world-class opera company.
Plato Karayanis, Interim General Director – CEO
Tobias Picker, Artistic Director
Presents
OPENING GALA CONCERT OF STARS Majestic Theatre Thursday May 23, 2013 – 7:00pm Program conceived by Tobias Picker
The Cast in Order of Vocal Appearance Patricia Racette Daniela Mack Alek Shrader Eric Owens Lucas Meacham Lisette Oropesa Dolora Zajick Jay Hunter Morris
San Antonio Symphony Orchestra Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Conductor There will be one 20-minute intermission. Recording or photographing this production is strictly prohibited.
Tobias Picker Artistic Director, The Opera San Antonio TheOperaSa.org
19
Tonight’s Program Ain’t It a Pretty Night from Susannah................................................................. Carlisle Floyd (b.1926) Patricia Racette
Overture from An American Tragedy....................................................................Tobias Picker (b.1954) San Antonio Symphony Orchestra
Quali accenti! Quai tormenti! from La donna del lago.................................... Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) Daniela Mack and Alek Shrader
Parto, parto from La Clemenza di Tito...................................................................W.A.Mozart (1756–1791) Daniela Mack
Lyubvi vse vozrasti pokorni, Prince Gremin’s Aria from Eugene Onegin................................... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Eric Owens
Voi lo sapete, o mamma from Cavalleria rusticana....................................... Pietro Mascagni (1863–1945) Dolora Zajick
Ah! mes amis from La Fille du Regiment..................................................... Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) Alek Shrader If she be innocent! from The Crucible....................................................................Robert Ward (1917–2013) Lucas Meachem Da tempeste il legno infranto from Giulio Cesare............................ George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) Lisette Oropesa
Ô rêve éteint! Réveils funèbres! from Le roi malgré lui..............................Emmanuel Chabrier (1841–1894) Daniela Mack and Lisette Oropesa Nothung! Nothung! from Siegfried..................................................................Richard Wagner (1813–1883) Jay Hunter Morris Gia i sacerdoti adunansi from Aïda.................................................................. Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) Dolora Zajick and Jay Hunter Morris
O don fatale from Don Carlo............................................................................. Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) Dolora Zajick
Kto mozhet sravnitsa s Matildaj majej, Robert’s Aria from Iolanta............................................................... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893) Lucas Meacham
Morgenlich leuchtend from Die Meistersinger...............................................Richard Wagner (1813–1883) Jay Hunter Morris
See the light! Elvira’s Jail Aria from An American Tragedy.................................Tobias Picker (b.1954) Dolora Zajick
Un bel di vedremo from Madama Butterfly.................................................. Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) Patricia Racette
Vissi d’arte from Tosca..................................................................................... Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) Patricia Racette
Chi mi frena in tal momento from Lucia di Lammermoor...................... Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848) Daniela Mack, Lisette Oropesa, Lucas Meachem, Jay Hunter Morris, Eric Owens, Alek Shrader
Ol’ Man River from Showboat................................................................Music by Jerome Kern .(1885–1945) Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Orchestrated by Robert Russell Bennett Eric Owens
Intermission
Lisette Oropesa, Eric Owens, Patricia Racette, Alek Shrader, Dolora Zajick
Make Our Garden Grow from Candide......................................................Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) Daniela Mack, Lucas Meachem, Jay Hunter Morris,
TheOperaSa.org
21
Creative James Robinson Stage Director Chad R. Jung Lighting Designer
Music Timothy Todd Simmons Music Consultant Andres Cladera Cover Conductor
Production Marie Barrett Director of Production Mary Yankee Peters Production Stage Manager Jon White English Supertitles Philip Plowman Makeup and Hair Artist Karen Almond Company Photographer
TheOperaSa.org
23
Artists
TheOperaSa.org
25
ARTISTS
ARTISTS DANIELA MACK
LUCAS MEACHEM
Mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack has been acclaimed for her “caramel timbre, flickering vibrato, and crisp articulation” (Opernwelt) as she “hurls fast notes like a Teresa Berganza or a Frederica von Stade” (San Francisco Chronicle).
Baritone Lucas Meachem has established himself as an internationally sought-after performer whose compelling lyric baritone voice and dramatic interpretations have led him to some of the world’s most important operatic stages. Meachem’s extensive 2012–13 season included performances as Robert and Ibn-Hakia in a European tour of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, Marcello in La bohème with the Chicago Lyric Opera, and the baritone soloist in Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony with the St. Louis Symphony. Next month he will sing the role of Don Giovanni at Cincinnati Opera.
In the 2012–13 season, Ms. Mack made her debut at the English National Opera in a new production of Giulio Cesare as Sesto under baroque specialist Christan Curnyn, the first time the opera was produced at the ENO since the legendary 1979 production. She also debuted at Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse as Nancy in Albert Herring, Washington National Opera as the Madrigal Singer in Manon Lescaut, and Lyric Opera of Baltimore in an all-Rossini concert. Ms. Mack debuted at the Los Angeles Opera as Nancy in Paul Curran’s acclaimed production of Albert Herring under James Conlon in the 2011–12 season. Other engagements included Madison Opera as Angelina in La Cenerentola, covering the title role of Xerxes at San Francisco Opera and appearing in Opera Colorado’s opening gala. She also sang Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland. The operas of Rossini figured prominently in Daniela Mack’s 2010–11 season. She opened the season in a role for which she has already garnered much critical acclaim, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Pittsburgh Opera. She made her role debut and house debut as Isabella in L’italiana in Algeri at Opéra National de Bordeaux and Florentine Opera. She then sang Angelina in La Cenerentola at Opera Colorado in Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s famous production directed by Grischa Asagaroff. Concert performances included Handel’s Messiah with the Calgary Philharmonic, Falla’s El amor brujo with the Boca Raton Philharmonic, and Ravel’s Shéhérazade with the Hong Kong Philharmonic. She also was a featured soloist in a Valentine’s Day Gala for Opéra Louisiane with tenor Alek Shrader and the season opening gala with Patricia Racette at Opera Santa Barbara.
Previous notable engagements include a debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Oreste in the new Robert Carson production of Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride opposite Susan Graham, Paul Groves and conducted by Louis Langrée, Wolfram in Tannhäuser with Seiji Ozawa’s Saito Kinen Festival in Tokyo, and his debut at Madrid’s Teatro de Real in the world premiere of El Viaje a Simorgh by José María Sánchez-Verdú. In the 2011–12 season Meachem returned to the San Francisco Opera to perform the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Meachem then traveled to London to sing Count Almaviva in the Royal Opera House’s production of Le nozze di Figaro before returning to perform the title role in Il barbiere di Siviglia at San Diego Opera. Future engagements include Wolfram in Tannhäuser for Opéra de Toulouse. Mr. Meachem has been a winner in many competitions across the United States including: the Mario Lanza Competition, Jessie Kneisel Competition, West Palm Beach Opera Competition, Opera Index Competition, George London Competition and the Bel Canto Competition. He has also been a winner in the Metropolitan National Council Competition in Charlotte, NC and in New Haven, CT and was the recipient of an Encouragement award at the Regional Metropolitan National Council Competition in Atlanta, Georgia.
Future seasons will see Ms. Mack at the San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Verbier Festival, Madison Opera, Théàtre du Capitole in Toulouse, Teatro Municipal de Santiago in Chile, and English National Opera.
TheOperaSa.org
27
ARTISTS
Artists JAY HUNTER MORRIS
LISETTE OROPESA
Jay Hunter Morris begins his Season 2012–13 with his appearance in the principal role of Captain Ahab in Jake Heggie’s celebrated opera, Moby Dick, at San Francisco Opera. Mr. Morris returns to The Metropolitan Opera for revival performances of The Ring as Siegfried and continues to Glimmerglass Festival as Erik in Der Fliegende Holländer. He makes his debut at Vienna Konzerthaus under the baton of Kent Nagano for performances of Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder.
In the 2012–13 season, Ms. Oropesa returned to The Metropolitan Opera as Gilda in Michael Mayer’s new production of Rigoletto and was heard as the Forest Bird in Robert Lepage’s production of Siegfried. Further appearances in the season included a return to Arizona Opera in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor and her role and company debut with Michigan Opera Theatre as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare. She finishes the season with her company debut at Santa Fe Opera as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro.
Recent successes include concert performances of Tristan in Tristan und Isolde at Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Valencia and his appearance in the role of Siegfried in The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of the complete Ring Cycle which was broadcast worldwide. Other appearances include Samson in Samson and Delilah at Nashville Opera, Canio in I Pagliacci at Florida Grand Opera, Cavaradossi in Tosca at Alabama Opera and Steva in Jenůfa at Opera Monte Carlo. He went on to appear as Florestan in Fidelio at Portland Opera and Erik in Der Fliegende Holländer at Atlanta Opera, a role he also sang at Seattle Opera, Arizona Opera and Opera Australia. Originally a country and western music singer, Mr. Morris was first drawn into the opera spotlight in 1995, when he created the role of Tony in Terrence McNally’s play Master Class at the Philadelphia Theatre Company. He continued in the role at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, and finally on Broadway, where he was nominated for a Critics’ Circle Award for Outstanding Debut of an Actor. Mr. Morris made his debut at The Metropolitan Opera during the 2006–07 Season as Steva in Jenůfa, which he also sang at Dallas Opera. He appeared as Canio at Atlanta Opera and Houston Grand Opera. He sang Walther in Tannhäuser with Tokyo Opera Nomori, Dimitri in Boris Godunov and the Drum Major in Wozzeck at San Diego Opera. Future engagements include Don José in Carmen at Opera Colorado, Calaf in Turandot at Hawaii Opera Theatre and Paul in Die Tote Stadt at Dallas Opera.
Last season, Ms. Oropesa made her company and role debut with San Francisco Opera as Romilda in Xerxes, and was heard as Miranda in the world premiere of the new baroque pastiche The Enchanted Island at The Metropolitan Opera. She returned to the Bayerische Staatsoper as Ismene in Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto, the role she sang in her company debut when the production premiered in the summer of 2011. She achieved great success when she joined Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony on short notice for Carmina Burana, and made her Pittsburgh Opera debut as Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Ms. Oropesa is a graduate of The Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, and was a winner of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2005. She has developed a strong relationship with The Metropolitan Opera, including her major role debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro in 2007 to great acclaim. She has been heard in productions including Orfeo ed Euridice and Idomeneo, and the final performances of Otto Schenk’s Der Ring des Nibelungen as Woglinde and the Forest Bird. She has been heard in new productions at The Met including Iphigénie en Tauride and has been featured in The Met’s Live in HD series in productions of La Rondine (new production), Manon Lescaut, Hänsel und Gretel, Il trittico (new production), The Enchanted Island (new production), and Das Rheingold (new production). Additionally, she has been heard in concert at The Met for the 125th Anniversary Gala, and with the Met Chamber Ensemble at Carnegie Hall in performances of Brahms’s Liebeslieder Walzer with James Levine and Daniel Barenboim at the piano.
TheOperaSa.org
29
ARTISTS
ARTISTS ERIC OWENS
PATRICIA RACETTE
Acclaimed for his commanding stage presence and inventive artistry, American bass-baritone Eric Owens has carved a unique place in the contemporary opera world as both an esteemed interpreter of classic works and a champion of new music. Equally at home in concert, recital and opera performances, Owens continues to bring his powerful poise, expansive voice and instinctive acting faculties to stages around the world.
Soprano Patricia Racette is known as one of the great singing actresses of our time. She continues to appear regularly in the most acclaimed opera houses of the world, including The Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Royal Opera House, La Scala, Paris Opera and the Bayerische Staatsoper. Known as a great interpreter of Janacek and Puccini, she has gained particular notoriety for her portrayals of the title roles of Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Jenůfa, Kátya Kabanová, three leading soprano roles in Il Trittico. She has also gained critical acclaim throughout her career for her portrayals of many of the great leading soprano roles including the title roles of Manon Lescaut, La Traviata, Susannah, Luisa Miller, and Iphigénie en Tauride; both Mimi and Musetta in La Bohème, Nedda in I Pagliacci, Elisabetta in Don Carlos, Leonora in Il Trovatore, Ellen Orford in Peter Grimes. Her most recent performances of Madama Butterfly and Peter Grimes at The Metropolitan Opera were seen in HD in movie theaters across the world as part of The Met Live in HD, with Madama Butterfly being one of the most successful broadcasts in the history of the series. Both were subsequently released on DVD.
Before arriving for tonight’s Gala Concert of Stars, Eric Owens’s dates since January included Robert Lepage’s Das Rheingold, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung at The Metropolitan Opera, Bach: Mass in B minor with the New York Philharmonic, Wagner: Act 1 from Die Walküre with both the Baltimore and Dallas Symphonies, concerts with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and recitals at both Vanderbilt University and Cal Performances at the University of California Berkeley. Mr. Owens’s successes include the title role in Peter Sellars’ new production of Handel’s Hercules, conducted by Harry Bicket at Lyric Opera of Chicago; returned to San Francisco Opera as Ramfis in Aïda, conducted by Giuseppe Finzi; and joined Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony as Lodovico in concert performances of Verdi’s Otello both in Chicago and at Carnegie Hall. Owens is a regular guest of the major American and European orchestras. His appearances have included performances with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony, Seattle Symphony, National Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony and Detroit Symphony among others. He has worked with today’s leading conductors including Wolfgang Sawallisch, Lorin Maazel, Michael Tilson Thomas, Yuri Temirkanov, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Franz Welser-Möst, Jaap van Zweden, John Nelson and Robert Spano. Owens is featured on a Telarc recording of Mozart’s Requiem with Donald Runnicles and the Atlanta Symphony. The artist’s growing discography includes scenes from Strauss’s Elektra and Die Frau ohne Schatten with Christine Brewer and the Atlanta Symphony under Donald Runnicles (Telarc); A Flowering Tree (Nonesuch); the world premiere recording of Michael Daugherty’s Jackie O (Argo); and John Adams’s Grammy Award winning Doctor Atomic (Sony Classical). He serves on the Board of Trustees of both The National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and Astral Artistic Services. Mr. Owens is a recipient of the 2012 Opera News Award.
Ms. Racette, a champion of new operas by today’s leading composers, originated the roles of Roberta Alden in Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy at The Metropolitan Opera, as well as the title role in Picker’s legendary opera Emmeline at the Santa Fe Opera (subsequently broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances and available on Albany Records). Other world premieres have included the role of Leslie Crosbie in the world premiere of Paul Moravec’s The Letter at the Santa Fe Opera and Love Simpson in Carlisle Floyd’s Cold Sassy Tree at the Houston Grand Opera (also available on Albany Records). On the concert platform, Ms. Racette has appeared with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Dusseldorfer Philharmoniker and the Cologne Philharmonic. She recorded Zemlinsky’s Der Traumgorge with James Conlon and the Cologne Philharmonic. Among her honors are the Richard Tucker Award, the Marian Anderson Award and a 2010 Opera News Award. The appearance of Patricia Racette is partially funded by Carolyn A. Seale and Carol Lee Klose.
TheOperaSa.org
31
ARTISTS
ARTISTS ALEK SHRADER
DOLORA ZAJICK
The brilliant lyric tenor Alek Shrader continues to impress audiences with the “luxury of his phrasing, the clarity of his diction and the sensitivity and expressiveness of his characterizations”.
Hailed as “THE Verdi mezzo of the day” (Opera News) and considered “a mezzo in a class by herself ” (New York Times), Dolora Zajick has been internationally acclaimed as that rare voice type, a true dramatic Verdi mezzo-soprano, typified by the composer’s most famous and difficult mezzo-soprano roles. In her signature roles as Azucena in Il trovatore, Amneris in Aïda, and Eboli in Don Carlo, Dolora regularly appears on the world’s greatest stages, including The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Vienna Staatsoper, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Berlin Staatsoper, the Liceu in Barcelona, the Teatro Real in Madrid, Opéra National de Paris, among numerous others, as well as at the Salzburg and Orange Festivals and the Arena di Verona.
Mr. Shrader began the 2012–13 season with two engagements at The Metropolitan Opera in New York. He made his house debut as Ferdinand in Thomas Ades’s modern masterpiece, The Tempest, conducted by the composer himself and returned to sing Almaviva in the English version of The Barber of Seville. He sang Courtesy Opera News Photo by Harry Heleotis Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola at the Hamburgische Staatsoper and then returned to the U.S. for a North American recital tour, including San Francisco Performances, Oberlin University and his Carnegie Weill Hall debut. Baltimore audiences had the opportunity to hear Mr. Shrader in a gala performance of Belcanto arias and ensembles that included this evening’s Daniela Mack and Dolora Zajick. Mr. Shrader comes to San Antonio after singing the tenor solo in Britten’s War Requiem at the Cincinnati May Festival with James Conlon conducting. In June he will make his role debut as Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at the Glyndebourne Festival. Mr. Shrader opened the 2011–12 season as Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress with Opéra de Lille, followed by Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola at the Hamburg Opera. He sang Tamino in Lyric Opera Chicago’s production of The Magic Flute, and the title role in Britten’s Albert Herring with the Los Angeles Opera. Mr. Shrader appeared as Oronte in David Alden’s highly-acclaimed new production of Handel’s Alcina at the Opéra National de Bordeaux and returned to San Francisco Opera for Tamino in The Magic Flute. He closed the season as Gonzalve in Ravel’s L’Heure Espagnole at the Glyndebourne Festival. Mr. Shrader, a former Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera, made a spectacular main stage debut in the San Francisco 2008/2009 season, replacing an indisposed Ramon Vargas as Nemorino in two performances of L’elisir d’amore. Alek Shrader is the recipient of a Sarah Tucker grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation and a winner of the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
The 2012–13 season featured Dolora in Verdi’s three premier mezzo roles at The Metropolitan Opera: Azucena in Il Trovatore, Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera and Amneris in Aïda. She also appeared in Norma at the Washington National Opera and in Il Trovatore in Houston. June 2013 takes her to Rome for performances as Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra, a role she reprises in a long-awaited return to the Festival d’Orange. Ms. Zajick originated the role of Elvira Griffeths in Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy at The Metropolitan Opera in 2005. Tonight she performs her show-stopping aria from that opera. This September Ms. Zajick stars in the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s, Dolores Claiborne, based on the novel by Stephen King at the San Francisco Opera. Dolora’s discography includes recordings of Aïda, Il trovatore and Don Carlo on Sony Classical and conducted by James Levine; La forza del destino and the Verdi Requiem with Riccardo Muti on EMI; Alezander Nevsky with Mstislav Rostropovich and Hérodiade with Valery Gergiev, both on Sony Classical; and Rusalka with Sir Charles Mackerras on Decca. On Telarc, her highly acclaimed solo disc entitled Dolora Zajick: The Art of the Dramatic Mezzo-Soprano contains not only the dramatic mezzo-soprano arias for which she is famous, but also coloratura mezzo-soprano arias by Rossini and several dramatic soprano arias. A recent addition to Dolora’s already challenging schedule is her role as vocal pedagogue and General Director of The Institute for Young Dramatic Voices which she founded in 2006. TheOperaSa.org
33
SEBASTIAN LANG-LESSING Conductor
German conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing is among the most versatile and cultivated musical artists of his generation. Fluent in multiple languages, interested in a wide range of repertoire, and equally experienced in orchestra culture and opera theatre, his dynamic performances have garnered praise from the international press: “[The] performance’s sophistication and sensuality comes from the pit” (Los Angeles Times); “The evening’s musical interpretation under the baton of conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing won generous applause.” (Berliner Zeitung); “The orchestra sparkles and glows under the heated conducting of Sebastian Lang-Lessing. Viva Carmen!” (Houston Press); “The orchestra excelled, finding what sounded like an extra dose of inspiration in conductor Sebastian Lang-Lessing, who relished every prismatic detail in Verdi’s score as he applied equal amounts of momentum and sensitivity to the performance.” (Baltimore Sun) Lang-Lessing started the 2012-13 season with conducting Orchestra Victoria at the newly renovated Hamer Hall in the Arts Centre Melbourne, presenting African Sanctus composed by David Fanshawe and excerpts of the Mandela Trilogy written by Michael Williams with music by Allan Stephenson, Mike Campbell and Peter Louis van Dijk with soloists from Cape Town Opera. Other concert dates this season included debuts with the Cincinnati Symphony (in a gala concert with Renee Fleming), Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Florida Orchestra, and Dallas Opera, in addition to return engagements with Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, and the Belgrade Philharmonic. He will also lead a revival of Wagner’s Rienzi at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, in a production premiered two seasons ago under his musical direction. In February 2010, Lang-Lessing was appointed music director of the San Antonio Symphony and began his tenure in the 2010–11 season; he is the orchestra’s eighth director in its 73-year history.
TOBIAS PICKER
Artistic Director Tobias Picker, called “our finest composer for the lyric stage” by The Wall Street Journal, has drawn acclaimed performances by the world’s foremost musicians, orchestras and opera houses. His first opera, Emmeline, was premiered by the Santa Fe Opera in 1996, and its production at New York City Opera was hailed by The New York Times as one of the ten most significant musical events of 1998.” His operatic adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, commissioned and premiered by the Los Angeles Opera, established Picker Courtesy Opera News as a composer whose appeal crosses all boundaries of Photo by Harry Heleotis age and is performed annually at Opera Holland Park in London. Thérèse Raquin, Picker’s third opera, was commissioned by The Dallas Opera, San Diego Opera, and L’Opéra de Montreal and received its European premiere at Covent Garden. His fourth opera, An American Tragedy, was commissioned and premiered by The Metropolitan opera in 2005. Picker has just completed his fifth opera, Dolores Claiborne, based on the novel by Stephen King, which will be premiered by San Francisco Opera on September 18, 2013. Mr. Picker has received numerous awards and fellowships, including two from The National Endowment for the Arts, a Charles Ives Scholarship and a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. In 2012, he was elected to life time membership in The American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has served as composer-in-residence of the Houston Symphony, the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and the Pacific Music Festival in Japan. Picker’s symphonic music has been commissioned and performed by the world’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, The Chicago Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Tobias Picker’s music is published exclusively by Schott Music.
Sebastian Lang-Lessing appears courtesy of the San Antonio Symphony
TheOperaSa.org
35
JAMES ROBINSON
ANDRES CLADERA
American stage director James Robinson is the Artistic Director of the Opera Theatre of St. Louis where he has mounted such productions as Chin’s Alice in Wonderland (American premiere), Ash’s The Golden Ticket (world premiere), Corigliano The Ghosts of Versailles (also presented at the Wexford Festival), and Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer and Nixon in China (a production seen throughout the United States and Canada).
Andres Cladera, the 2007 Outstanding Young Conductor of the Association of Choral Directors of America, is the Artistic Director of Pittsburgh’s Microscopic Opera Company and former Artistic Director of the Renaissance City Choirs. He has appeared as conductor with Opera Colorado, Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, Edgewood Symphony, the Pittsburgh Early Music Consort, Chatham Baroque and Edgewood Symphony.
Stage Director
Forthcoming projects include the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s Dolores Claiborne for San Francisco Opera, the American premiere of Huang Ruo’s Sun Yat Sen for Santa Fe Opera and the world premiere of Champion by jazz and film composer Terence Blachard for the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Robinson has directed new productions for Houston Grand Opera (Lucia di Lammermoor, Giulio Cesare and Abduction from the Seraglio), San Francisco Opera (Norma, Il Trittico and L’elisir d’amore) and the Canadian Opera Company (Norma, Elektra and Nixon in China). For the Santa Fe Opera, he has directed new productions of Capriccio, Così fan tutte and The Rake’s Progress, and numerous productions for the New York City Opera (La bohème, Hansel and Gretel and Il viaggio a Reims). His work has also been seen at the Australian Opera, the Washington Opera, the Los Angeles Opera, the Seattle Opera, the Royal Swedish Opera, the Dallas Opera, the Minnesota Opera and Chicago Opera Theater. Additionally, he has created productions for the London Symphony Orchestra (Bernstein’s Mass and Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher), the Hollywood Bowl (Amadeus), Carnegie Hall, and the Minnesota Orchestra.
Cover Conductor
Mr. Cladera holds a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from Carnegie Mellon University and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Piano and Vocal Performance from the College of Charleston. Recent performances include Music Director and Conductor of Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar with Quantum Theater in Pittsburgh and Conductor for Microscopic Opera’s productions of Ralph Vaughn Williams’ Riders to the Sea, Thomas Albert’s Lizbeth and Benjamin Britten’s Chimney Sweep. Mr. Cladera’s upcoming engagements are Therese Raquin by Tobias Picker and Night Of The Living Dead by Todd Goodman with Microscopic Opera Company.
TheOperaSa.org
37
CHAD R. JUNG – Lighting Design Chad R. Jung has designed more than 200 productions for theatre, opera, music and dance. Opera credits include more than 30 productions for companies including Atlanta Opera, Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Opera Pacific. Off-Broadway: Leonce & Lena; NY Theatre: Julia Pastrana, A Leopard Complains of its Spots, Shelf Life; International: The Bear at the Festival of Russian Drama in Togliatti, Russia. Chad has designed for many other artists and organizations including: Ballet Austin, Bruce Wood, Caroline Calouche, Casa Mañana, Dallas Museum of Art, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Lyle Lovett, Metropolitan Classical Ballet, Texas Ballet Theatre & Willie Nelson. In addition to being the Lighting Director for Fort Worth Opera, Mr. Jung is the Resident Lighting Designer for Amphibian Stage Productions, Kids Who Care, and UNT Opera.
HERITAGE AUCTIONS is proud to support
1
2
3
4
1. WILLIAM ADOLPHE BOUGUEREAU (French, 1825-1905) Fishing For Frogs, 1882 Sold for: $1,762,500 May 2012
2. 1913 5C Liberty PR63 PCGS. 1. Sold for: $3,172,500 April 2013
3. Art Deco Natural Fancy Blue Diamond, Diamond, Platinum Ring Sold for: $1,650,500 April 2013
4. Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1982, Pauillac Magnum (6) Sold for: $34,160 March 2013
Texas based, nationally trusted and globally reaching, Heritage Auctions is the world’s third largest auction house with sales of more than $800 million annually in 35 auction categories.
For free auction evaluations or to discuss formal appraisals, contact Mark Prendergast, 214-409-1632 or MPrendergast@HA.com. HA.com/Facebook HA.com/Twitter
Annual Sales Exceed $800 Million ❘ 750,000+ Online Bidder-Members 3500 Maple Avenue ❘ Dallas, Texas 75219 ❘ 800-872-6467 ❘ HA.com D ALLAS ❘ NE W YORK ❘ BEVERLY HILLS ❘ SAN FRANCISCO ❘ PARIS ❘ GENEVA TX & NY Auctioneer license: Samuel Foose 11727 & 0952360. Heritage Auction Galleries CA Bond #RSB2004175; 39 CA Auctioneer Bond: Carolyn Mani #RSB2005661. Buyer’s Premium 12%-25%. See HA.com for details. TheOperaSa.org HERITAGE Reg. U.S. Pat & TM Off. 28206
2012–13 San Antonio Symphony Sebastian Lang-Lessing, Music Director Violin I Vacant Elizabeth H. Coates Concertmaster Chair Bonnie Terry Associate Concertmaster Craig Sorgi Assistant Concertmaster+ Joan Christenson Beth Girko Philip Johnson Bassam Nashawati Laura Scalzo* Renia Shterenberg * Andrew Small* Anastasia Storer Vacant Position Violin II Mary Ellen Goree Principal Karen Stiles Assistant Principal Cleo Aufderhaar Angela Caporale* Beth Johnson Judy Levine-Holley Megan McClendon* Sayaka Okada* Aimee Toomes * Amy Venticinque Stephanie Teply Westney*
Viola Allyson Dawkins Col. and Mrs. Ran Watson Principal Chair Emily Watkins Freudigman Assistant Principal Marisa Bushman Courtney Sedgwick Filner Wanda B. Lydon Lauren Magnus Terry Stolow Cello Kenneth Freudigman Mary Rohe Principal Chair David Mollenauer Assistant Principal Barbara George Morgen Johnson Lachezar Kostov Ryan Murphy Lynda Verner Bass Thomas Huckaby Principal David Milburn Assistant Principal James Chudnow Zlatan Redzic Yuan-Xiong Lu Steve Zeserman
Flute Martha Long Principal Jean Robinson Julie Luker Associate Principal Piccolo Julie Luker Oboe Mark Ackerman Ewing Halsell Foundation Principal Chair Hideaki Okada Assistant Principal Jennifer Berg English Horn Jennifer Berg Clarinet Ilya Shterenberg Principal Stephanie Key Assistant Principal Rodney Wollam E-flat Clarinet Stephanie Key
Bass Clarinet Rodney Wollam Bassoon Sharon Kuster Principal Brian Petkovich Assistant Principal Ron Noble Contrabassoon Ron Noble Horn Jeff Garza Abraham M. Sidorsky Principal Chair Peter Rubins Molly Norcross Associate Principal Katharine Caliendo Trumpet John Carroll Principal Lauren Eberhart Jan Roller Assistant Principal
Trombone Amanda Davidson Principal Mark Davidson Assistant Principal Bass Trombone Ilan Morgenstern Tuba Lee Hipp Principal Timpani Peter Flamm Principal Riely Francis Assistant Principal Bill Patterson Percussion Riely Francis Principal Warren Johnson Assistant Principal Bill Patterson
Librarian Gregory Vaught Principal Margaret McCoy President and CEO Jack Downey VP of Operations Janet Toomes Stage Manager Robert Mines Director of Orchestra Personnel Karina Bharne
+ Acting * Voluntarily rotates between Violin sections
Harp Rachel Ferris Principal
TheOperaSa.org
41
The City of San Antonio Department for Culture and Creative Development The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation The Tobin Endowment
David Filner, Janet Toomes, Greg Vaught and the staff of the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra The San Antonio Opera Guild The DeBerry Group The Management and Staff of the Majestic and Empire Theatre Basil Scaljon Rugs R.D. (Dick) and Kristin Tips, Mission Parks Rick Lambert Floral Greg Harrison Photography Alexis Velasquez, Rumble Creative Alamo Plants and Petals Drew Field and The Dallas Opera Steinway Concert Grand Piano usage compliments of The San Antonio Symphony The Technical Staff provided by I.A.T.S.E. Local 76
Orville Carr Associates, Inc.
Special Thanks To‌
Charles A. Forster INTERIOR DESIGNER PRESIDENT
OC 8015 BROADWAY SAN ANTONIO, TX. 78209 PHONE (210) 226-8521 FAX (210) 225-1700 TheOperaSa.org
43
Opening Production
January 2015