Ovation Magazine Winter 2018 by The Publishing House

Welcome to Opera Colorado’s final production of the 2017-18 season—and the first production of Verdi’s Falstaff that we’ve presented in nearly thirty years. This sophisticated Shakespearean gem was the composer’s final opera, and one of just two comedies he ever tackled. It’s perhaps been overshadowed by his many other masterworks, but through no fault of its own: not only is Falstaff full of laughs, it’s also a true ensemble piece that is simply brimming with all the glorious music you’d expect from Verdi. The revelry of Falstaff offers a perfect way to wrap up an Opera Colorado season that has offered so much to applaud. Both the season-opening production of La Bohème and the world premiere production of Steal a Pencil for Me were artistic triumphs and near sell-outs, thanks to the enthusiastic support of patrons like you. Opera Colorado’s first Masked Ball was an evening to remember, and raised funds to be put to good use by the company’s Education and Community Programs—which this season touched the lives of nearly 40,000 students of all ages. And the return of popular Scene Change events like our Sip & Sing series and An Afternoon of American Song offered audiences the chance to hear unique programs in exciting venues throughout our community.

VERDI NOV. 3 6 9 11 2018

And while Falstaff may be our final production of the season, there’s still more in store before we officially close 201718. We invite you to join us on May 20 for a celebration of this year’s exceptional Opera Colorado Young Artists, and again on June 2 for our annual Spring Tea (learn more on pgs. 14 and 21). The 2018-19 season will likewise offer many delights, including opulent productions of two of the most beloved works in the repertoire: Verdi’s tragic romance La Traviata and Mozart’s brilliant comedy The Marriage of Figaro. Both are on sale now via subscription, and subscribers to 2018-19 have had the first opportunity to purchase tickets for next season’s Scene Change opera: a double-bill of one-act operas After Life and Josephine by Tom Cipullo. The response has been tremendous; all performances of this intimate double-bill, still nearly a year away, are already sold out! (See pgs. 8-10 for more information about next season.) As we prepare for the end of one season and the start of another, all of us at Opera Colorado thank you for making 2017-18 so memorable. We hope you enjoy this performance of Falstaff, and look forward to seeing you back at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House this fall. Sincerely,

[Signature Graphic]

Greg Carpenter

Kevin O’Connor

Ari

General & Artistic Director

Chairman of the Board

Music Director

Pelto

2018-19 SEASON

[Signature Graphic]

OPERA COLORADO

[Signature Graphic]

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THE PEARL FISHERS Georges Bizet

COSÌ FAN TUTTE Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

JENŮFA Leoš Janáček

THE THIRTEENTH CHILD Poul Ruders | Becky and David Starobin

RENÉE FLEMING santafeopera.org 800-280-4654

with The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra Letters from Georgia

ate this past summer, as Opera Colorado began preparing for the 2018-19 season,

our staff took time to come together and discuss one essential question: “Why opera?”

cornerstone of Denver’s cultural community for 36 years. This season, we present two of opera’s most essential masterworks: Verdi’s La Traviata, and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (see pg. 9 for more information).

It seems like a simple enough question, but it actually

One is a deeply emotional tragedy; one is a riotous

offers quite a lot to unpack. Why do each of us react so

comedy. But both have endured across centuries because

strongly to this art form? Why, for hundreds of years,

they touch on exactly why opera is so powerful. In each,

has it remained a beautifully fulfilling way to spend an

we see ourselves, and we see the highs and lows of our

evening—or a lifetime?

own lives. We don’t need to be a courtesan or a countess

One by one, people began chiming in. And each response

to relate to the characters in these operas, or to feel their

was heartfelt and profound, whether an individual was

joys and their struggles in our own bones.

a longtime fan or relatively new to opera. “It’s a unique

And then, of course, there’s the music.

combination of music and drama that illuminates our shared hopes, fears, and passions. All of the good and all of the bad is reflected back to us from the stage,” said one person. Another added, “Opera expresses all the big emotions we feel, but can’t always say with our own words.”

Today, you’ll experience La Traviata and Verdi’s genius for combining gorgeous melodies with incomparable drama (a quality that makes his works a favorite with both audiences and artists). Whether this is your first opera or you’re a longtime patron, we thank you for joining us, and hope that this performance inspires you

Others pointed to the importance of the audience itself. “It’s a shared experience. Opera facilitates community.” And, “Opera allows us to be self-reflective and vulnerable, and that makes us better citizens and a stronger society.”

to smile at times—and, yes, perhaps to cry at others. But we also hope that La Traviata may have the impact on you that it has on all of us at Opera Colorado. With any luck, you’ll leave the theater tonight not only humming a

The discussion was an inspiring and affirming way

memorable tune or two, but also with a long list of your

to spend an afternoon, particularly leading into a

own answers to our essential question: “Why opera?”

season that highlights why Opera Colorado has been a

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

Sincerely,

Greg Carpenter

Kevin O’Connor

Ari Pelto

General & Artistic Director

Chairman of the Board

Music Director

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AN AFTERNOON OF AMERICAN SONG SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2019 | 2 PM

SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2019 | 5 PM

Join the Opera Colorado Artists in Residence for an intimate and immersive performance of 21st century American gems, spanning musical theater, cabaret, opera, and art song. Plus, enjoy a post-performance reception with complimentary tea fare. Acclaimed by newcomers and long-time patrons alike, An Afternoon of American Song has become a highlight of the season since its premiere three years ago.

What could make Opening Night of The Marriage of Figaro even more special? Joining your fellow operagoers for an elegant, all-inclusive dinner before the performance—with complimentary prosecco all evening. Groups, couples, and singles are all encouraged to dine with us, as our thoughtfully seated group tables make this the perfect opportunity for lively conversation with new acquaintances.

Sponsored by Joyce de Roos and Marlis Smith

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$40 GENERAL ADMISSION Includes complimentary valet parking, and reception with light hors d’oeuvres and beverages. OPERA COLORADO OPERA CENTER 4121 S NAVAJO ST, STE 100 ENGLEWOOD, CO 80110

ARTISTS IN CONVERSATION: THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019 | 6:30 PM The creative team and cast of Opera Colorado’s upcoming production of The Marriage of Figaro sit down for a lively discussion moderated by General & Artistic Director Greg Carpenter. Hear their thoughts on Mozart’s masterful comic opera, learn about the artistic process, and more! Then join us for a casual, mix-and-mingle reception where you can get to know these opera stars over complimentary wine, beer, and light hors d’oeuvres.

$35 GENERAL ADMISSION Includes complimentary valet parking, and reception with light hors d’oeuvres and beverages. OPERA COLORADO OPERA CENTER

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ARTIST IN RESIDENCE CELEBRATION

SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2019 | 2 PM Bid farewell to the 2018-19 Opera Colorado Artists in Residence, as their eight-month residency comes to an end. Enjoy their final performance of the season, featuring highlights from opera, musical theater, cabaret, and art song—and then join us for a post-performance reception. Don’t miss this intimate concert at Opera Colorado’s rehearsal studio, and the opportunity to hear this talented group of singers one last time. Sponsored by Pam Beardsley, Penelope Lewis, and Carol Whitley

$35 GENERAL ADMISSION Includes complimentary valet parking, and reception with light hors d’oeuvres and beverages. OPERA COLORADO OPERA CENTER 4121 S NAVAJO ST, STE 100 ENGLEWOOD, CO 80110

KIRKLAND MUSEUM OF FINE & DECORATIVE ART

INTIMATE WORKS IN AN INTIMATE SETTING Opera Colorado transforms an art gallery into a 100-seat theater for this double-bill of one-act operas—the first an afterlife conversation between artistic giants Pablo Picasso and Gertrude Stein, the second a spotlight on jazz-age icon and civil rights activist Josephine Baker.

TOM CIPULLO Composer

ANDREW ALTENBACH Conductor

OMER BEN SEADIA Director

LAQUITA MITCHELL Josephine

MAY 4 7 10 12 2019 THE ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE

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The wily Figaro and his love, Susanna, are set to marry, but Count Almaviva is intent on seducing the brideto-be—stoking not only the couple’s ire, but the frustrations of the long-suffering Countess. What unfolds is hilarious chaos set to a sparkling score.

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MATTHEW OZAWA Director

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Count Almaviva

ELLIE DEHN

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MAUREEN MCKAY Susanna

RYAN KUSTER Figaro

ADRIANA ZABALA Cherubino

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IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS

Opera Colorado’s education programming brings opera to

OFFERED ALL SEASON

more than 45,000 people each season. We invite you to take

Of all the fine arts, opera

advantage of some of our upcoming in-school and field trip opportunities for your students!

is the most collaborative and multi-disciplinary. These in-school workshops offer proof. Led by Opera Colorado’s Teaching Artists, these fun and informative workshops integrate opera into classroom lessons and apply to a wide a variety of

OPERA ON TOUR OFFERED ALL SEASON

Enjoy a performance of Hansel and Gretel or Romeo & Juliet, each abridged to 60 minutes or less and perfect for any size venue—whether a single classroom or a large auditorium. Opera on Tour productions are fully staged with sets, costumes, props, wigs, and makeup, and performed in English with live piano accompaniment. To top it all off, enjoy a post-performance Q&A with the artists.

OPERA IN A TRUNK OFFERED ALL SEASON

Opera Colorado offers

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

three Opera in a Trunk

programs: Hansel and Gretel, The Marriage of Figaro, and Opera for Beginners. Each trunk is full of learning materials, costumes, props, and activities that classrooms can keep for a week of hands-on exploration. Plus, an Opera Colorado Teaching Artist joins you for an interactive presentation!

subjects, including Performing Arts, Communication, Interpersonal Skills, Shakespeare, and more. Need a workshop tailored to a specific topic? Just contact us!

BACKSTAGE WORKSHOPS OFFERED MAY 2, 6, 7, AND 10, 2019

Professional singing, wigs and makeup, costumes, fight choreography, stage craft, and more! Join us at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House to explore the world backstage, at interactive stations created to provide hands-on learning experiences. It’s a field trip unlike any other.

STUDENT MATINEE: THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO OFFERED THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2019

Featuring the Artists in Residence in the principal roles, this thoughtfully abridged morning performance of The Marriage of Figaro is tailored just for students. Plus, the Ellie Caulkins Opera House curtain stays up, so your class can see what goes into changing the sets between acts.

QUESTIONS?

To inquire about Opera Colorado’s education programs or make a reservation, please call 303.778.7350 or email education@operacolorado.org.

Opera Colorado’s Education & Community Engagement Programs are supported in part by a gift from the Melvin and Elaine Wolf Foundation.

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MEET THE 2018-19 OPERA COLORADO ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE The Opera Colorado Artists in Residence* are vital to our mission of each season bringing opera to more than 45,000 people across the Rocky Mountain region. Their eight-month residency in Denver includes training and coaching from artistic staff and guest artists, as well as dozens of performances in schools and community centers throughout the state. But they also take on select mainstage roles, including in this production of La Traviata. Before you see them on stage in this performance, take a moment to learn about the program’s six singers, below. The Artist in Residence Program is sponsored by Ken and Donna Barrow, with additional support from Patrick Spieles and Carol McMurry. Artist in Residence Coach-Accompanist Brian Gilling is sponsored by Peyton & Suzanne Bucy and Ken & Barbara Laff.

Rebekah Howell soprano

Nicholas Kreider baritone

HOMETOWN Houston, TX EDUCATION Baylor University; Indiana University

HOMETOWN Lansing, MI EDUCATION Michigan State University

2018-19 SEASON OPERA COLORADO

Sponsored by Gayle & Gary Landis

Eric McConnell bass-baritone

Aaren Rivard tenor

HOMETOWN Thornton, CO EDUCATION University of Miami; Northwestern University

HOMETOWN Portland, ME EDUCATION University of Southern Maine; Wichita State University “Being in the audience for incredible works like La Traviata has drawn very real emotion from me—and, now, as performer, I want to do that for someone else. There’s someone in the audience right now who has been through something similar to these characters. And I’ve found that opera is a very effective way of connecting with that person in an immediate and direct way.” Sponsored by Donald K. Braden and Chris & Joy Murphy

“A program like this means you don’t have to worry about housing or a temp job or all the other issues that normally come with being an upand-coming artist. Instead, you can focus exclusively on performing and singing and exploring your artistry. That’s really special.” Sponsored by Joyce de Roos and Marlis Smith

For more information on the Artist in Residence Program, please visit operacolorado.org. *The Artist in Residence Program was previously known as the Young Artist Program.

PHOTO JAMIE KRAUS/OPERA COLORADO

“Being among the La Traviata artists in rehearsal, you can tell that they’ve lived with these roles for quite some time. It’s inspiring to watch them work, and to be privy to their artistic decisions. That’s an experience that gives you more to think about for your own interpretation you’ll go on to build later in your own career.”

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OPERA COLORADO

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LA TRAVIATA NOVEMBER 3 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 2018

THE ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE OPERA IN THREE ACTS BY GIUSEPPE VERDI LIBRETTO BY FRANCESCO MARIA PIAVE There will be two 20 minute intermissions.

CAST IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE

Violetta Valéry Cecilia Violetta López*

Flora Bervoix Kira Dills-DeSurra*^

Marchese d’Obigny Nicholas Kreider^ Barone Douphol Edward Laurenson*^

Dr. Grenvil Eric McConnell*^

Gastone Aaren Rivard*^

Alfredo Germont Eric Barry

Annina Rebekah Howell*^

Giuseppe Christian Arguello

Giorgio Germont Malcolm MacKenzie

Commissionario Matthew Peterson*

Un Uomo Zeky Nadji Opera Colorado Orchestra Opera Colorado Chorus

Stage Director Alison Moritz* Lighting Design Lucas Krech Wig and Makeup Design Ronell Oliveri Chorus Master, Repetiteur, Sahar Nouri and Assistant Conductor Costumes designed for Utah Symphony & Opera by Susan Memmott Allred Scenery designed by Peter Dean Beck for Florida Grand Opera, made available courtesy of Utah Symphony & Opera The pre-performance lecture is presented by music historian Betsy Schwarm

2018-19 SEASON

Conductor Ari Pelto

OPERA COLORADO

*Opera Colorado Debut ^Opera Colorado Artist in Residence

SPONSORS 2018-19 SEASON SPONSORS Music Director Ari Pelto is sponsored by Mike and Julie Bock The Opera Colorado Artist in Residence Program is sponsored by Ken & Donna Barrow, with additional support from Patrick Spieles & Carol McMurry

OPERA COLORADO ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE SPONSORS The Artists in Residence performances in La Traviata are underwritten by Joy & Chris Dinsdale and Ann & Gerald Saul Rebekah Howell is sponsored by Agatha Kessler & Curtis Fentress and Laurence & Cynthia Chan Kira Dills-DeSurra is sponsored by Gayle & Gary Landis Aaren Rivard is sponsored by Donald K. Braden and Chris & Joy Murphy Nicholas Kreider is sponsored by Dr. Stephen L. Dilts Edward Laurenson is sponsored by David & Elizabeth Budd and Martha & Will Tracey Eric McConnell is sponsored by Joyce de Roos and Marlis Smith Brian Gilling is sponsored by Peyton & Suzanne Bucy and Ken & Barbara Laff The Artist in Residence Showcase and Celebration Concerts are sponsored by Pam Beardsley, Penelope Lewis, and Carol Whitley The Afternoon of American Song Concert is sponsored by Joyce de Roos and Marlis Smith

OPERA COLORADO RECOGNIZES THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

ABOUT LA TRAVIATA

Just because an opera is a masterpiece doesn’t mean that the audience at its premiere is always aware of the fact. All too often, early judgments have fallen short of the mark. Consider Verdi’s La Traviata. When the piece opened in Venice at the La Fenice opera house March 6, 1853, the audience mocked the tenor for being in poor voice and the baritone for being too young to be convincing in his “father” role. As for the soprano, she was so badly overweight that her character’s protestations of weakness and ill health drew nothing but cruel laughter from the audience, and when she was to “faint” into her tenor’s arms, she decked the poor man to the stage. No one was willing to believe that

she was wasting away from tuberculosis, nor that she was a fabulously desirable courtesan. Verdi called the night “a fiasco,” yet did not allow himself to be overly distressed. “I do not think that the last word on La Traviata was uttered last night. They’ll see it again,” he wrote to a conductor friend, “and then we’ll see.” History has shown his optimism to be well-placed. Verdi had also come into criticism for his choice of story. The piece is adapted from La Dame aux camélias, the recent play and novel of Alexandre Dumas the younger (1824–1895), in which the writer recalls an actual “lady of pleasure” he has known and adored. Like Violetta in the opera, the historical

Marie du Plessis (1824–1847) fascinated Parisian society with her wit, charm, and beauty. Even Franz Liszt (1811– 1886) fell under Marie’s spell, but her reign was a brief one. She died of tuberculosis at age twenty-three, and was soon memorialized in Dumas’s exuberant prose. The tale caught the attention of Verdi, who began work on the opera even as the play was still on stage in Paris. However, what passes in drama may yet be controversial in opera, and audiences were not prepared to accept a “fallen woman” as heroine, let alone one based on a contemporary figure. Whether or not she had a heart of gold, Violetta was still not seen as a lady to be admired, and since a visit to the opera house was as much a social diversion as an artistic experience, the mere suggestion of a Violetta conflicted with society’s image of itself. Moreover, the composer wanted a contemporary setting, and that, declared opera producers, was unacceptable. Surely such events could not take place in a modern world; only a historic setting would make it plausible. Despite its early hurdles, La Traviata is now Verdi’s most frequently performed work. At the time, however, it was the latest work of a prolific composer. Il Trovatore had premiered less than two months earlier, Rigoletto only two years before that. La Traviata would be his 19th completed opera, all of which had reached the stage. Nine more would follow, with a similar record of performances; few opera composers can claim that everything they ever wrote came promptly to the stage. Verdi’s reputation was such that each new work was eagerly awaited, even if its immediate predecessor had fallen

short of expectation. Observers at the premiere might have been wanting something different from La Traviata. However, that was in part because they had come into the theater with their own impressions of what they hoped Verdi would do. Once directors began to pay closer attention to casting and audiences became open to modern-day settings, the work was able to prove itself the equal of anything Verdi had ever composed. Musically speaking, the opera contains arias for each of the three principal roles, and the one for soprano that concludes Act I is especially challenging. For nearly a quarter of an hour, she holds forth alone on stage, reflecting upon love and freedom. She has met a nice young man who declares that he loves her and she wonders if life with him would be as rewarding as her current life of pleasure. At first reflective, the music gradually builds in intensity, moving ever faster and ever higher in pitch. That these pages of greater intensity accompany her words regarding the enchanting life of a courtesan may seem to indicate she is leaning in that direction. However, that nice young man is outside her window serenading her, and by the next act, they will be sharing a house in the country. Perhaps the intensity of the aria’s closing pages is less due to her preference for the fast life and more from the nervousness that comes with facing a life change. Give a skilled director a soprano of dramatic abilities–not just musical ones–and much can be made of the scene. However, neither would have much to work with had Verdi himself not put it on the page. 

SYNOPSIS LA TRAVIATA

Setting: Mid-1800s Paris ACT I

The courtesan Violetta Valéry has been seriously ill, but, believing herself recovered, now celebrates her return to society. Amongst the guests is Alfredo Germont, who has long admired Violetta from afar. After the revelers sing a drinking song, Alfredo finds Violetta alone and pledges his

devotion and his concern for her health. Touched by his words, Violetta cautions him that she is incapable of love. The guests depart. Violetta ponders her feelings, weighing the benefits of carefree pleasure as opposed to true love. Alfredo’s distant voice reminds her of his affections. ACT II, SCENE I

For three months, Alfredo and Violetta have shared their love at a country house, but the heart alone cannot pay the bills. Learning that Violetta has been secretly selling her belongings so as to finance their idyll, Alfredo leaves for Paris to settle the finances. In Alfredo’s absence, his father Giorgio Germont arrives, hoping to persuade Violetta to leave his son, lest scandal ruin his family, and thereby the marital hopes of Alfredo’s sister. Violetta protests the sincerity of her love, but at last agrees that it would be best for Alfredo if they part. She also accepts Germont’s insistence upon secrecy. When Alfredo learns of her abrupt departure, he vows to get her back and finds no consolation in his father’s well-intended words. (continued on next page)

2018-19 SEASON

Violetta Valéry soprano Annina, Violetta’s maid soprano Flora, Violetta’s friend mezzo-soprano Alfredo Germont tenor Gastone, party guest tenor Giuseppe, Violetta’s servant tenor Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s father baritone Baron Douphol, Violetta’s lover baritone Marchese d’Obigny, party guest bass Dr. Grenvil, Violetta’s physician bass

OPERA COLORADO

CHARACTERS

(continued from previous page)

ACT II, SCENE II

ACT III

Violetta’s friend Flora is giving a ball in Paris with masked entertainers. Alfredo arrives and challenges Violetta’s escort, Baron Douphol, to a game of cards, which Alfredo wins. While the others dine, Violetta, fearful of the Baron’s anger, warns Alfredo to leave for his own safety. In his fury, Alfredo will not listen, and instead shames her before the crowd by throwing his winnings in her face as payment for her services. The other guests, Germont amongst them, support Violetta, who sadly assures Alfredo that someday he will understand her actions.

Violetta’s illness has returned. Attended only by her maid Annina, she lies dying. A letter from Germont announces Alfredo’s imminent return, but Violetta is sure he will come too late. Father and son both arrive. The lovers dream of their future together, and Germont apologizes for his interference. Joyfully, Violetta declares her pain has ended, but it is only a brief respite before she dies in Alfredo’s embrace. Program notes and synopsis © Betsy Schwarm, author of Operatic Insights, and seven other books on classical music.

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

THE ARTISTS

ERIC BARRY | Alfredo

KIRA DILLS-DESURRA*^ | Flora Bervoix

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 in Warsaw, for which he has sung and recorded Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, as well as Djamileh, The Turn of the Screw, Maria Padilla, Iphigénie en Tauride, At the Boar’s Head, L’Amore dei Tre Re and Simon Boccanegra.

Kira Dills-DeSurra is from Petaluma, CA, and earned her artist diploma and master of music from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and her bachelor of music from the University of Southern California. Prior to joining Opera Colorado, Dills-DeSurra was a Central City Opera Apprentice Artist (and was award the Central City Opera Guild Award in 2017), as well as part of the Chicago Opera Theater Young Artist Program. This season with Opera Colorado, Dills-DeSurra will perform the mainstage role of Gertrude Stein in After Life, and cover Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro, as well as sing that role for the Student Matinee performance. As part of the company’s touring productions, she performs Hansel in Hansel and Gretel; and Lady Capulet and Stephano in Romeo & Juliet. Other recent roles include an Actress in Sir David McVicar’s production of Elektra at Lyric Opera of Chicago; her debut as Vera Boronel in a co-production of The Consul by Long Beach Opera and Chicago Opera Theater; and the Second Lady in The Magic Flute at Central City Opera.

Other companies with which he has worked include Amarillo Opera, the Florentine Opera Company, North Carolina Opera, Opera Memphis, Opera San Antonio, Pittsburgh Opera, Shreveport Opera and the Teatro Comunale di Sulmona in repertoire including Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), Rodolfo (La Bohème), Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), Lensky (Eugene Onegin), Macduff (Macbeth), The Duke of Mantua (Rigoletto), and Alfredo (La Traviata). Recent concert engagements have included performances with Jacksonville Symphony, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra and Utah Symphony. Having previously sung Edgardo (Lucia di Lammermoor) for Opera Colorado, Barry is delighted to return for La Traviata.

REBEKAH HOWELL*^ | Annina Praised for her bell-like and crisp tone, native Houstonian soprano Rebekah Howell is making her mark as a versatile stage artist with “plenty of high notes” (The Herald Times). During the 2018-19 season at Opera Colorado, she will perform the mainstage roles of Girl in After Life and Barbarina in The Mar-

Lucas Krech is a Berlin- and New York-based lighting and video designer working in opera and dance. His opera work includes collaborations at Opera Colorado, San Diego Opera, Florida Grand Opera, West Edge Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, West Bay Opera, Yale Arts and Ideas Festival, Whitesnake Productions, Firstlook Sonoma, and others. Dance work has been seen in more than 30 states, as well as in Norway, Holland, and Germany. Installations and video art has been shown at galleries and festivals in New York, Virginia, Nevada, and California. Krech has also been a guest artist at Williams College, USF, Hollins, and UC Berkeley. His writing on design aesthetics and performance has been featured in The Brooklyn Rail, Parabasis Blog, On Stage Lighting, InDance Magazine, PLSN, and Stage Directions Magazine. He holds an MFA from New York University.

NICHOLAS KREIDER^ | Marchese d’Obigny Originally from Lansing, MI, Nicholas Kreider obtained both his bachelor and master of music degrees from Michigan State University, under the tutelage of Professor Richard Fracker. Since graduating, he has been a Bel Canto at Caramoor apprentice artist and a Crested Butte Summer Music Festival young artist. This season will be his second as an Opera Colorado Artist in Residence; during the 2017-18 season, Kreider performed the role of Dandini in the touring production of Cinderella, as well as on the mainstage as Customs Sergeant in La Bohème and 1st Nazi/SS Officer in the world premiere of Steal a Pencil for Me. This season, he will perform the mainstage role of Pablo Picasso in After Life, as well as Antonio in the Student Matinee of The Marriage of Figaro. As part of the company’s touring productions, he performs the Father in Hansel and Gretel and Capulet/Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet.

Originally from Auckland, New Zealand, Edward Laurenson graduated from London’s prestigious Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where he studied with Australian soprano Yvonne Kenny; one of the highlight moments from his time in London was having the privilege of performing for Her Majesty The Queen. Most recently, he studied under the tutelage of César Ulloa at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. While still in New Zealand, and as a member of the Chapman Tripp Opera Chorus, Laurenson performed in New Zealand Opera’s productions of Eugene Onegin, Rigoletto, The Bartered Bride, Madame Butterfly, The Flying Dutchman, and Don Giovanni. He was also a Freemasons Dame Malvina Major Emerging Artist with New Zealand Opera, taking on the roles of the Imperial Commissioner and Official Registrar in the company’s mainstage production of Madame Butterfly. With Opera Colorado in the 2018-19 season, Laurenson will also cover Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, and perform the role for the Student Matinee performance. As part of the company’s touring productions, he performs the Prince and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet.

CECILIA VIOLETTA LÓPEZ* | Violetta Valéry Celebrated soprano Cecilia Violetta López has been named one of opera’s “25 Rising Stars” by Opera News. She has received accolades for her signature role of Violetta in La Traviata, which she has performed countless times throughout North America. This season, López will perform the role of Maria in a concert production of West Side Story with Opera Idaho, Violetta in La Traviata with Minnesota Opera, Adina in L’elisir d’amore with Virginia Opera and Opera Las Vegas, and Marguerite in Faust with Opera Omaha. Other concert engagements include a performance for the opening of the Idaho State Museum and performing as a soloist in Madison Symphony’s Christmas Concerts. Last season’s highlights include multiple role debuts, including Rosina in The Barber of Seville, the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, Lucy in Fellow Travelers, and Rosalba in Florencia en el Amazonas.

2018-19 SEASON

LUKAS KRECH | Lighting Design

EDWARD LAURENSON*^ | Barone Douphol

OPERA COLORADO

riage of Figaro. She will also cover Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, in addition to singing the role for the Student Matinee performance. As part of the company’s touring productions, she performs Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, and Juliet in Romeo & Juliet. In the summer of 2018, Howell debuted the roles of Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Cunegonde in Candide with Chautauqua Opera. During the 2017–18 season, Howell appeared as Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute with Opéra Louisiane and as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra. Howell holds degrees from Baylor University (BM) and Indiana University (MM) where she also served as an Associate Instructor of Voice.

MALCOLM MACKENZIE | Giorgio Germont With a voice described as having a “rich vocal range full of inviting nuance,” Malcolm MacKenzie is quickly capturing attention in the dramatic baritone repertoire. Current engagements include Peter in Hansel and Gretel with San Diego Opera, and a return to North Carolina Opera as Scarpia in Tosca. Recent engagements for MacKenzie have included Rigoletto with North Carolina Opera; Scarpia in Tosca with Opera Omaha; Roger Chillingworth in Opera Colorado’s world premiere of The Scarlet Letter; his Metropolitan Opera debut as Dancaïre in Carmen; Stubb in Moby-Dick with Pittsburgh Opera and Los Angeles Opera; George in Of Mice and Men with Phoenicia Festival; the title role in Simon Boccanegra with Kentucky Opera; and Il Trovatore with Fort Worth Opera. On the concert stage, MacKenzie has been the baritone soloist for Carmina Burana, most recently with New West Symphony; the Symphony Orchestra of the University of California, Davis; and the Savannah Symphony.

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

ERIC MCCONNELL*^ | Dr. Grenvil

Originally from Thornton, CO, Eric McConnell has trained as a young artist with Central City Opera, Opera Saratoga, Seagle Music Colony, and the Aspen Opera Center. As an Opera Colorado Artist in Residence this season, McConnell will also perform the mainstage role of Antonio in The Marriage of Figaro, and sing Figaro in the Student Matinee performance. With the company’s touring productions, he performs Sandman in Hansel and Gretel and Friar Laurence in Romeo & Juliet. Past roles for McConnell include Blitch (Susannah), Bartolo/Basilio (The Barber of Seville), Simone (Gianni Schicchi), Frank (Die Fledermaus), Sacristan/Jailer (Tosca), and Sarastro (The Magic Flute). Additional career highlights include singing Elisha Fitzgibbon in the orchestral premiere of Evan Mack’s Roscoe with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, in a performance featuring renowned soprano Deborah Voigt. McConnell holds degrees from Northwestern University and the University of Miami.

ALISON MORITZ* | Stage Director Stage Director Alison Moritz’s recent productions have been lauded as “astute,” “imaginative,” and “elegantly sexy” by Opera News. Her 2018-19 season includes company debuts at Opera Colorado, Lyric Opera of Kansas City (Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Penelope), Ra-

vinia, and Experiments in Opera. She also returns to Washington National Opera for the world premiere of Taking Up Serpents (composed by Kamala Sankaram, libretto by Jerre Dye) and to New Orleans Opera for an inventive new production of Abduction from the Seraglio. Later this season, Moritz helms productions of La Bohème and Madama Butterfly for Austin Opera and Central City Opera. Recent directing highlights include the world premiere of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek’s Proving Up (Washington National Opera), as well as new productions of Candide (Tanglewood), The Manchurian Candidate (Austin Opera), Orpheus in the Underworld (New Orleans Opera), Abduction from the Seraglio (Madison Opera), Trouble in Tahiti (Opera Santa Barbara), and a genre-bending triple bill of rarities for Bard Conservatory (Pulcinella, Full Moon in March, and Svadba). As an assistant director, her professional credits include engagements with Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Minnesota Opera, Atlanta Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Central City Opera, Opera Memphis, and Chautauqua Opera.

SAHAR NOURI Chorus Master, Repetiteur, and Assistant Conductor Iranian pianist and conductor Sahar Nouri returns to Opera Colorado for a second season serving as the company’s chorus master, assistant conductor, and pianist coach. Previously, Nouri has worked at Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Opera North Carolina, Utah Opera, Aspen Opera Center, Opera Steamboat, Merola Opera, and Opera in the Heights. A graduate of the prestigious Houston Grand Opera Studio, Nouri’s repertoire includes numerous classic operas as well as world premieres of Prince of Players (Carlisle Floyd), O Columbia! (Gregory Spears), Steal a Pencil for Me (Gerald Cohen), Today it Rains (Laura Kaminsky). A multi-lingual, Nouri has done studies in the Czech Republic, Italy, and Austria, and is frequently in demand as a language coach and recitalist.

ARI PELTO Opera Colorado Music Director and Conductor Appointed in 2015 as Opera Colorado’s first-ever music director, Ari Pelto’s “breathtaking wizardry in the pit” (The Denver Post) has been widely celebrated, with Pelto in demand at opera houses and concert halls throughout the United States. At the age of 24, Pelto was appointed Assistant Conductor at the Spoleto Festival and he has since gone on to conduct worldwide. International engagements include performances with Bochumer Philharmoniker and opera productions at New National

Theatre of Tokyo and the Teatro Nacional Sucre in Quito, Ecuador. In 2004 he made his highly-praised debut with New York City Opera, conducting La Traviata, after which he became a regular, returning for productions of Madama Butterfly, La Bohème, and Carmen. Recent successes include Eugene Onegin at Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Lucia de Lammermoor at Virginia Opera, and La Voix Humaine at Chicago Opera Theater. Here in Denver, he has led many acclaimed performances; this season, in addition to La Traviata, Pelto will conduct Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro in May 2019.

AAREN RIVARD*^ | Gastone Aaren Rivard earned his master’s degree from Wichita State University, where he studied with Alan Held and Sam Ramey; and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Maine, where he studied with Ellen Chickering. He has performed several times with Opera Maine, including in the company’s productions of The Daughter of the Regiment, Madama Butterfly, La Bohème, Rigoletto, and Tosca. He was also an Opera Maine Studio Artist for Gianni Schicchi, in which he sang the role of Amantio di Nicolao and covered Rinuccio. Most recently, he was a 2018 Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera. As an Opera Colorado Artist in Residence during the 2018-19 season, Rivard will sing the mainstage roles of both Basilio and Don Curzio in The Marriage of Figaro. As part of the company’s touring productions, he performs the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, and Romeo in Romeo & Juliet.

ENGLISH OR SPANISH SUBTITLES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Follow these easy steps: Prior to the performance, the screen will automatically display a sponsored message. When singing begins, briefly press the red button to activate subtitles. • Press once for English • Press twice for Spanish • Press three times to turn titles off Then, simply repeat these steps after intermission(s). Pressing the red button too many times or holding the button down may result in a system failure. If you experience difficulty with the system, please contact an usher for assistance. Opera Colorado does not offer refunds or exchanges in the event of a subtitle system failure. Please Note: All Sunday matinee performances offer audio description for the visually impaired. Headsets are available at Coat Check. English subtitles are written by Jeremy Sortore for Opera Colorado. Spanish translations by TranslatingSpanish.com

IN MEMORIAM | KIM PEORIA

In 2012, Kim was approached about recruiting musicians to create a new orchestra for Opera Colorado. His connections in the musical community and his dedication to finding the most talented of musicians have been instrumental to the Opera Colorado Orchestra maintaining its high level of musicianship over the years. In addition to his work with

Opera Colorado and Central City Opera, Kim has also played for the Boulder Philharmonic, Sarasota Opera, and the Des Moines Metro Opera, among other companies. Kim loved working with his hands by remodeling and restoring homes; he also enjoyed volunteering with the Boy Scouts, camping, and craft IPAs. Kim is survived by his wife of almost 25 years, Ingrid, who is also a member of the Opera Colorado Orchestra, and by their son, Joe, who is a sophomore at Montana State University.

OPERA COLORADO

A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh with a degree in bassoon performance, Kim became the Principal Bassoonist with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra in 1976. Kim first came to Colorado in 1992 to play for Central City Opera, where he met his future wife, Ingrid, a violinist in the orchestra; Kim moved to Colorado the following year.

2018-19 SEASON

This past summer, Opera Colorado lost a valued member of our family. Kim Peoria, Opera Colorado’s Orchestra Personnel Manager and a bassoonist in the Opera Colorado Orchestra since 2012, passed away after a protracted battle with cancer.

OPERA COLORADO ORCHESTRA VIOLIN Margaret Gutierrez, concertmaster Angela Dombrowski, principal second Laura Tait Chang Andrew Giordano Debra Holland Marisa Ishikawa Robyn Julyan Chris Jusell Regan Kane Annamaria Karacson Cynthia Mancinelli Christine Menter Susie Peek Felix Petit Robyn Sosa Takanori Sugishita Bejamin Tomkins Joshua Ulrich VIOLA Matthew Dane, principal Michael Brook Kostadin Dyulgerski Mary Harrison Andrew Krimm Lora Stevens

HORN Michael Yopp, principal Marian Hesse Devon Park Lauren Varley TRUMPET Leslie Scarpino, principal Ken Aikin TROMBONE Andy Wolfe, principal Aaron Zalkind

BASS David Crowe, principal Jeremy Nicholas Matthew Pennington Jason Thompson

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

FLUTE

Susan Townsend, principal Elizabeth Sadilek OBOE

Andre Emmanoel Prouty TUBA

TIMPANI Peter Cooper, principal PERCUSSION Mark Foster, principal Carl Dixon Nena Lorenz Wright HARP Janet Harriman, principal ORCHESTRA MANAGER & LIBRARIAN Angela Dombrowski

OPERA COLORADO CHORUS SOPRANO Lydia Arenas Jennifer Davis Daniela Guzman Stephanie Lacayo Stephanie Medema Susan Rahmsdorff-Terry Kristen Smith Sally Swallow Maxwell MEZZO-SOPRANO

Michelle Joseph Orman, principal Lauren Jacobson BASSOON

TENOR

CLARINET

Charles Hansen, principal JJ Sechan

Kevin Baird Zak Begley Robert Charlock Michele Di Nuovo Zeky Nadji Luke North Matthew Peterson

PRODUCTION STAFF

Michael Dunn, principal

Elizabeth Gangware Jennifer Harpel Claire LeBorgne Ariel McKinney Margaret Siegrist Emily Spirk Emma Vawter

Sarah Bierhaus, principal Max Soto

BASS-BARITONE

BASS TROMBONE

CELLO Jeff Watson, principal Cedra Kuehn Becky Kutz Osterberg Charles Lee Trevor Minton David Short

Alec Powell Lars Preece Norman Spivy Joey Taczak Keith Williamson

Christian Arguello Matt Cantwell Joshua Cooper

MUSIC STAFF Sahar Nouri, Chorus Master, Repetiteur, and Assistant Conductor Angela Dombrowski, Orchestra Personnel Manager and Orchestra Librarian PRODUCTION STAFF Stephanie Canada, Stage Manager Frances Rabalais, Assistant Director Sarah Johnson, Assistant Stage Manager Amelia Nordin, Assistant Stage Manager Jeremy Sortore, Title Coordinator Beth Nielsen, Title Operator Buzz Reifman, NPPA, Company Otolaryngologist TECHNICAL STAFF John Harris, Technical Director Molly Tiede, Assistant Lighting Designer Jennifer Davis, Production Purchasing Assistant Michael Wingfield, Head Carpenter Greg Killpack, Assistant Carpenter Michael Boswell, Shop/Production Carpenter Jeff Reidel, Head Flyman Chris Green, Head Electrician Karen Thurow, Light Board Operator Susan Osborn, Assistant Electrician Hillary Clark, Head Props Terry Gulley, Assistant Props Thomas Berning, Head Sound ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE CREW Mark Anthony, House Electrician Perry Elliott, House Carpenter James Gralian, House Sound

Albert Sainz, House Props COSTUMES Ann Piano, Costume Coordinator & Shop Manager Alison Milan, Wardrobe Supervisor Kevin Brainerd, Cutter/Draper & Wardrobe Assistant Christine Samar, First Hand SHOP ASSISTANTS Rachael Gibson Rhiannon Hardiman Sara Hashman Melissa McCallum Ashley Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Susan Rahmsdorff-Terry VOLUNTEER STITCHERS Maribeth Hite Julie Parker DRESSERS Kevin Brainerd Sara Hashman Tom Holmes Teresia Larsen Julie LeBlanc Annabel Reader Elizabeth Woods VOLUNTEER DRESSERS Valerie Kreck Amburn Leslie Cady Kathy Heider Jan Heimer WIGS AND MAKEUP Sarah Opstad, Associate Wigs & Makeup Coordinator Tanner Hubregsen, Wigs & Makeup Assistant Whitney Wolanin, Wigs & Makeup Assistant CHOREOGRAPHY Sally Swallow Maxwell, Dance Captain ARTIST HOSTS Host Chairman: Merrill Shields Katy Burley Wendy, Dillon, and Lillian Cogdal Robert Kahn Heather MacKinnon Maradith and Rusty Wilkins SUPERNUMERARIES Peter Dearth Luke Rahmsdorff-Terry

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A Q&A WITH

PHOTO Vanessa Preziose

CECILIA VIOLETTA LÓPEZ

BY TAMARA VALLEJOS Even by the highly imaginative standards of opera, soprano

like, “Aw, man, here we go.” I hated it! It would be hot, or

her colleagues. The Mexican-American daughter of migrant

have to be out there. But it’s what we had to do; we were

Cecilia Violetta López has a backstory unique among those of

then it was cold, or windy and rainy, and we would still

workers from Michoacán, López was born and raised in the

working for the betterment of our lives, living the dream.

formative music education, but not in a classroom or studio; rather, it took place among rows of crops, singing with

her mother. It wasn’t until her 20s, while studying music

education, that López stumbled upon opera—and a new layer

What role did music play during those summers? I remember, working in those beet fields, and just being bored, tired, exhausted, and hungry. And my mom would leave her row, come find my older brother and me, and help us catch up so the three of us could hoe beets together. And then she would break into song, la música

to her American Dream.

ranchera, the songs she grew up singing as a kid. We’d

Tell us about those early years in Idaho. How

sing the melody and I’ll sing the third.” At first, I was like,

old were you when you began working in the

“Well, what does that mean?” But, eventually, I learned

fields with your family?

to sing in harmony because of her, and those hours would

I started earning an income—about $2.50 an hour, though

seem like seconds because Mom had created magic. It

learn them, and eventually she would say, “Okay, you

probably even less—when I was around ten years old. But

meant so much to me. She was trying to do anything that

I had started working in the fields with my mom even

she could for her kids, if it meant assuring us that things

before then. She’d come open the door in the mornings

weren’t so bad. “Yeah, we’re working out in the fields, but

and say, “Mija, it’s time,” and I would just groan and be

we’ve got each other, and we’ve got the love of music.”

2018-19 SEASON

alongside her family. Her childhood summers offered her a

OPERA COLORADO

tiny town of Rupert, Idaho, and grew up working the fields

“La Traviata is a very feminine, strong opera, and I think Violetta embodies all those qualities that I would like to embody, too.” You obviously learned a rich musical history through your mother, but at what point did opera enter the mix? I learned to speak English from watching Sesame Street, and back in the day they would have singers from the “golden age,” like Beverly Sills. I remember seeing her while watching one day and thinking, “Okay, this lady is singing, and she’s interrupting my regularly scheduled program!” That was my only exposure to opera while growing up. But in college, I went to a production of La Bohème, and that’s when I fell in love. The music just grabbed me and gave me goosebumps. And then, just before the end, I thought, “But she’s going to be okay. Mimì has to be okay.” So I was a sobbing mess when it ended, because I was so certain she was going to live! I walked out of the theater and got into the car, and I was still an emotional wreck. But I looked over to my then-husband and said, “I want to do this. Whatever just happened in that theater was so powerful.” So, your parents weren’t familiar with opera, either. What did they think when you changed career tracks, from education to performance? Now, they understand what I do for a living. But when I first started, they would say, “Estás en el escenario, just gritando.” And I would say, “No, I’m not just on stage yelling! I’m actually trained to do this, and there’s a storyline where I’m speaking in a different language…” And then I realized I was going about this in the wrong 2018-19 SEASON

novelas.” And from then on, the new question became,

OPERA COLORADO

way. So I said, “You know, Mom, operas are just like

story is about love and sacrifice, which was relatable to

“Well, do you die in this one?” [Laughs] Madama Butterfly at Opera San José was the first time they saw me in a professional production. That whole them. But it was also when they were like, “Oh! What Cecilia does is a lot of hard work.” After the performance, my family came to my dressing room while I was taking off my geisha makeup. My dad never speaks English, but he did on this occasion, which I’ll never forget. And he

Cecilia Violetta López in rehearsal for La Traviata. PHOTO Kelly Maxwell/Opera Colorado

just looked at me and said, “Cecilia, I’m so proud of you.” Those were the words I needed. It meant he got it. Maybe I speak for everyone, or maybe only for myself—but those little moments? You take them with you, to ignite you and keep you going. Because it’s a lot of work, what we do as performers. It means often being away from family. Now you join us at Opera Colorado, to make your company debut in what has become one of your signature roles. Why is the character of Violetta so close to your heart? I identify a lot with Violetta. I’ve gone through my own life putting up walls and saying, “I’m a strong woman.” And I am. But at the same time, there’s a vulnerable side of me, and of Violetta, that wants to be loved but is afraid. Granted, I’m not dying of tuberculosis like she is. But I find that even more admirable, because she’s still fighting. (See what I mean? It’s the same drama you have in novelas!) La Traviata is a very feminine, strong opera, and I think Violetta embodies all those qualities that I would like to embody, too.  Tamara Vallejos is Opera Colorado’s Director of Marketing & Audience Development.

Steve Winter photographer

Steve Winter

on the trail of big cats A photographic journey from the Himalayas to LA.

Mar 3 at 2:00 pm

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SPOTLIGHT ON… MARGARET GUTIERREZ

by email, phone, and over cups of coffee.

Concertmaster

And although she’s tucked away in the orchestra pit and out of sight to the audience, Opera Colorado patrons

that, as conductor for La

Traviata,

Opera

Colorado Music Director Ari Pelto is tasked with

have frequently heard Gutierrez’s work. She’s been a member of the Opera Colorado Orchestra for five years and concertmaster for three—plus, every time you hear the oboe play that first “A” note, followed by the sound of the orchestra tuning, that’s because she’s signaled that

leading both the orchestra and the cast of singers—but

it’s time for the players to get ready.

it’s no small feat to hold that many performers together.

Gutierrez, who comes from a family of musicians,

Luckily, he has a partner in bringing his vision of the music to life: Concertmaster Margaret Gutierrez. “The role of concertmaster is, on its most basic level, to be the liaison between the conductor and the orchestra,” she says. “For example, if Ari wants more sound here,

received her first violin at the age of five, and she’s been playing ever since. In addition to her work with Opera Colorado, she also plays for Colorado Ballet and in the Colorado Bach Ensemble, and teaches at University of Colorado Boulder and University of Northern Colorado,

I might turn around and tell the violins to change the

as well as in private lessons.

bowing so we give more sound to that passage. I’m sort

“When I decided to major in music, I knew I wanted to

of his interpreter and communicator to the orchestra.” Pelto and Gutierrez have a close working relationship that goes far beyond rehearsals and performances; they’re in frequent communication, discussing orchestral nuances

perform but that I also wanted to teach,” she says. “I’m not happy doing one to exclusion of the other, and it’s the best of both worlds here in Denver. I wouldn’t trade this life for all the tea in China!”

INSIDE OC

OPERA COLORADO’S YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GROUP

Want to mingle with fellow arts-loving young professionals and enjoy unique and immersive opera experiences? Then Inside OC is for you. Opera Colorado’s young professionals group has a new look for the 2018-19 season—and the perks of membership are better than ever. One all-inclusive price gets you discounted tickets for the season, access to pre-performance and intermission receptions with complimentary prosecco all night long, invitations to Inside OC parties, and more.

MORE INFORMATION

operacolorado.org/insideoc

PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS/OPERA COLORADO

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ANNUAL CONTRIBUTORS The Board of Directors of Opera Colorado and the staff express their deepest appreciation to the individuals, corporations, and foundations who have contributed to the Annual Fund, as of October 8, 2018. Although space limitations only allow us to list donors whose gifts were $100 and above, we are deeply grateful for the support of all our dedicated contributors.

INDIVIDUALS PRESIDENT CIRCLE $20,000+ Jeff Baldwin and Debra J. Perry Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth T. Barrow Mike and Julie Bock Ellie Caulkins Dave and Pam Duke Mr. and Mrs. Cannon Y. Harvey Marcia and Dick Robinson Patrick Spieles and Carol McMurry

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

DIRECTOR CIRCLE $10,000-$19,999

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce G. Allen Al and Rebecca Bates Linda Bjelland Peyton and Suzanne D. Bucy Mr. David I. Caulkins Mary and Tom Conroy Mr. Robert Damrauer Joy and Christopher Dinsdale Mr. and Mrs. John Dye Lorraine Higbie Dr. Jan Kennaugh and Mr. Chip Horne Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy F. Kinney The Honorable and Mrs. Kenneth Laff Jim and Patience Linfield Dr. and Mrs. William N. Maniatis Kevin Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor and Janet Ellen Raasch Mrs. Alice Perlmutter Ann and Gerald Saul Merrill Shields and M. Ray Thomasson Marlis Smith Mr. and Mrs. Charles I. Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Byron S. Watson Eric, Robin, Sydney, and Mathew Yaeger

MAESTRO CIRCLE $5,000-$9,999 Ms. Kathryn Codo Margaret Dillon Karen Fukutaki Robert S. Graham Mr. Ray J. Groves Mr. Mark J. Heider Ms. Judy Johnston Diana and Mike Kinsey Mark and Kristin McKissick Tom and Mary Meade Mrs. Rhea J. Miller Robert R. Montgomery and Nancy Hawkins Zondra Rae Pluss The Ponzio Family Myra and Robert Rich Jane Halle Schultz-Burnett Jeremy and Susan Shamos Martha and Will Tracey Maradith and Rusty Wilkins Larry and Brigitte Zimmer DIVA CIRCLE $2,500-$4,999 Janice Baucum Robin E. Black Dr. Marc Cohen Eric Coomer Dr. Cynthia Crews and Mr. Charles W. Henry Mr. Paul S. Deckard Curtis Fentress and Agatha Kessler Ms. Alice Griffith The Grynberg Family Deborah Hayes and James L. Martin III Mr. Mike Hurdle Gary and Judith Judd Joe Kelso Richard Koseff Gayle and Gary Landis

Veronica A. McCaffrey and Barbara A. Frank Muffy Moore Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Petrie Christine and Harry Phillips Bruce Polkowsky and Bill Powell Nijole and Walter Rasmussen Cynthia and Alexander Read Ayliffe and Fred Ris Vicki and Harry Sterling Jerry and Debi Tepper Ms. Erin Wenzel Mrs. Carol C. Whitley Ms. Margaret Williams COMPRIMARIO CIRCLE $1,000-$2,499 Mr. Hartman Axley Peter Batty and Paula Kechichian Brian Bennett and Bev Daniels Chris and Heather Bennett Mr. Charles E. Berry and Mrs. Maria Garcia Berry Sheila Bisenius Dr. Bill and Betty Buchanan Leslie Coover Cady Mr. and Mrs. Douglas M. Cain Mr. and Mrs. Ken Calkins Mrs. Sue M. Cannon Mrs. Ella May Carpenter Mr. Gregory A. Carpenter Mr. and Mrs. George P. Caulkins III Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell Caulkins Dr. and Mrs. Laurence K. Chan David J. Chavolla Sue Cole Bob and Georgi Contiguglia Mr. and Ms. James D. Crapo Ms. Heather Dahlgren Mrs. Joyce de Roos Ms. Marian O. Dines Marcus and Wendy Divita Mr. James C. Donaldson and Ms. Ellen Anderman Max and Joyce Douglas Elizabeth and Matthew Dyer Lois N. Eckhoff Carl and Nan Eklund Jack Finlaw and Gregory Movesian Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Frey Mr. and Mrs. John Fuller George and Sissy Gibson Dr. and Mrs. Burton Golub

Stephen and Dorothy Gregory Mark Groshek MD and Carl Clark MD Ms. Renee Gross Mr. Frank Guerra and Ms. Jo Ellen Graybill Mr. Steven Gulevich Sally Haas Jean-Pierre Habicht Mr. Richard Hilty Mr. William T. Hoffman Christine Hollander and Michael McGee John N. Kabalin, MD Drs. Kathy Kennedy and Ben Vernon Dr. Lawrence Kim and Nhung Van Kay Lawrence Dr. and Mrs. Jeremy Lazarus Dr. and Mrs. James McElhinney V.W. McKnab and Margaret Jurado Dave and Miza McReynolds Dr. Monica I. Minkoff and Mr. Harry M. Siegfried Jerri Lynn Modrall and Eric E. Doering Ms. Janet Mordecai Lynnette Morrison Dr. and Mrs. Calvern E. Narcisi Bob Nelson Drs. Sarah and Harold Nelson Bonnie M. Orkow Mr. Ari Pelto and Ms. Wendy Fisher Bonnie C. Perkins Rick Poppe & Jana Edwards Dr. Barbara Reed T. R. Reid Steven and Joan Ringel Juan and Alicia Rodriguez Mr. Paul Ruotolo Helen Scott Santilli Ms. Ruth E. Schoening Fern B. Seltzer and Andrew Heymsfield Ms. Judith Zee Steinberg Ms. Kathleen R. Tower Dr. Peter and Kathy Van Arsdale Mr. and Mrs. William A. Vaniman Mary and Ken Willis Herbert Wittow

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OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

RED DOT PATRON $500-$999

Ms. Oksana Bantley Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Barrett Dr. and Mrs. Sol Bassow Ellen and Donald Bauder Dr. and Mrs. Henry J. Beckwitt Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Benedict III Mr. Steve Birchfield Mr. and Mrs. Maximilian Bourgogne Von Hohenstaufen Ms. Karen M. Bruggenthies Marjorie and Doug Carriger Mark and Margaret Carson Mr. Brad Case and Mr. William M. McMechen, Jr. Charles Case and Phillip St. Cloud Barbara and Roger Chamberlain Prof. Gerald Chapman Mr. David Clark Everett B. Clark Wendy Wilkins Cogdal Alan and In Hye Como Mr. Alexander J. Conley and Ms. Alysia D. Marino Donna and Ted Connolly Mr. and Mrs. John Corboy Tom and Cheryl Cox Brian D. Crane Nancy Crow and Mark Skrotzki Ms. Cheryl M. Cruickshank Carolyn E. Daniels Ms. Joan Daniels Manley Houlton George and Yonnie Dikeou Timothy James Donahue Philippe and Cynthia Dunoyer Evan and Kim Ela Mr. Dan Fead Dr. Stacy Fischer Baryn Futa Ms. Rebecca Givens Dr. Daniel J. Greenholz Mr. and Mrs. Isidro T. Griego Mrs. Carol and Dr. Fred Grover Gina Guy Mr. J. Lawrence Hamil Dr. and Mrs. Richard R. Hansen Jerry and Patty Hauptman Mr. Thomas E. Healy and Ms. Erin S. Colcannon Beverlee B. Henry and The Honorable Robert P. Fullerton Mr. and Mrs. Graham Hollis Marcia and John Holt Sarah Hopfenbeck and Susan Corle Ms. Karen Howland and Mr. J. Gregory Mudge Michael E. Huotari and Jill R. Stewart Steve and Chryse Hutchins

Continued from page 26

Mr. Daniel Isaman Mr. Eric E. Johnson Mishele Kieffer Ms. Mary Kenny Moynihan Roberta and Mel Klein Bernard and Frieda Leason Ms. Carole Leight Deanna Rose Leino Robert and Gloria Lilly-Cohen Patty Lorie Mr. and Mrs. Ginnie and Tom Maes Evan and Evi Makovsky Ms. Tanya R. Mathews Sandra Mazarakis and Neil Burris Bob and Mereth Meade Pamela Merrill Henry B. Mohr Sue and Bill Mohrman Mr. William R. Moninger John and Margaret Moyer Mary and John Muth Nancy and Paul Oberman Kelli O’Brien and Michael Kolotylo Ms. Diane O’Connor Nancy and Paul Oberman Mr. Steven Okuley Mary Meyer and Jean Opsomer Ronald Y. Otsuka Carl Patterson Dr. and Mrs. David S. Pearlman Mr. and Mrs. Perry Peine Robert and Mary Quillin Ms. Marcia Ragonetti Mr. Joe Ronnenberg Mr. Doug Rooney Mr. Allan S. and Judith Rosenbaum Ms. Luana Rubin Jane Russell Ms. Carol L. Rust Karen and Mark Sather Mr. Henry R. Schmoll Dr. and Mrs. Steven E. Schonfeld Ms. Jo B. Shannon Mrs. Marlene P. Siegel Ms. Nancy Siegel Dr. and Mrs. Edwin R. Smith Ms. Jennifer Sobanet Dr. and Mrs. Richard Southwell Larry D. Stephens Bill and Shirley Stout Mrs. Linda Strauch Dr. and Mrs. Prem S. Subramanian Drs. Morris and Ellen Susman Jim and Sue Swanson Lloyd and Barbara Timblin, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. James Todd John and Sharon Trefny Francisco Varela and Timothy Wilson Normie and Paul Voilleque

Dr. Valerie M. Wassill, MD Mr. and Mrs. John M. Weigel Marie Belew Wheatley Scott and Karen Yarberry Dr. and Mrs. Raymond Yost Ken and Charlotte Ziebarth CHORISTER $250-$499 Paul and Susan Ahlquist Barbara Benedict Charles Berberich and Marilyn Munsterman Drs. Tomas Berl and Diane Pincus Ms. Earline A. Bohling Lynn Peyton and Richard Bottjer Mr. and Mrs. Joe Bowers Brewster and Helen Boyd E. Candace Boyle and Thomas R. Salas Donald K. Braden Ms. Jay Breen Ms. Elise Brenninkmeyer Ms. Carol Brewer Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Budy Gordon and Ron Butz George M. and Carol G. Canon Hebert Cantor Kathleen M. Cook Mr. Steve Cookson Jim and Sara Culhane Ronald L. Deal Mr. Phil Debus Greg Diamond Peter and Marian Downs Mr. and Mrs. Frederick M. Eidson Mr. and Mrs. Harry Ells Matt and Reine Erzinger Mr. and Mrs. Guy Fasson Ms. Elizabeth A. Fischer and Mr. Don Elliott L. Richard and Sigrid Halvorson Freese Gary and Rebecca Gantner Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Garfein Alan and Sally Gass Mr. and Mrs. Caleb F. Gates, Jr. Dori and Judge Alfred Harrell Dr. Timothy Harris Mr. Richard W. Healy Ginny Hersch Richard and Sandra Hilt Carol Ann Hoffman Mr. Saul D. Hoffman John Dennis Hynes and Virginia Medelman Dr. Jerry Jacobson Marilyn Jensen Mr. Howard Jordan Mr. and Mrs. Robert Keatinge Mr. and Mrs. Arthur W. Kidder

Mr. and Mrs. Loring Knoblauch John W. Kure and Cheryl L. Solich Mr. Richard S. Leaman Paul and Carol Lingenfelter Mrs. Holly Linton Mrs. R. T. Lyford Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John D. Macfarlane Mrs. Caroline E. Malde Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Y. Marchand Keith Maskus and Susan Rehak Marian E. Matheson Mr. and Mrs. William Mathews Myron McClellan and Lawrence Phillips Dr. and Mrs. Charles F. Metzger Mr. Lawrence Moskow Susan K. Mostow Mr. and Mrs. W. Peterson Nelson Dr. and Mrs. David A. Norris Mr. and Mrs. Neil Peck Ms. Barbra Pehrson Linda Plaut Andrew R. Pleszkun Rich and Kim Plumridge Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey A. Pontius Mrs. Kathryn L. Pride Ms. Tracy Reynolds Mr. and Mrs. Gene Richards Gregory Robbins Mary Ann Ross Paul Rubner and Vicki Jensen Mrs. Barbara Rumsey Ms. Gloria Sankel Kathleen Sawada Mr. Rick Scalpello Mr. and Mrs. Paul Scheele John and Patricia Schmitter Gary D. Schrenk Park Wm. Showalter and George G. Ward Ms. Andrea Shpall Helen Shreves Ms. Patricia K. Simpson Dr. Andrew Sirotnak Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Slavsky Dr. Norman Spivy David and Carol Stern Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Straub Prof. and Mrs. Joseph S. Szyliowicz John Taubman Carson Taylor Mr. Jack D. Tidwell, Jr. Robert C. Tripp Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Van Bogaert Gretchen Vanderwerf and Gordon Jones Norma and George Wagoner Ms. Tina Walls Ms. Cia A. Wenzel Mr. and Mrs. Tor Westgaard Ms. Jane Wingle

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ANNUAL CONTRIBUTORS Robert and Jacklyn Writz Gene and Linda Young Ms. Dale Zitek

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

FRIEND $100-$249

Mr. and Mrs. Norman O. Aarestad Ms. Jeanne Adkins Mr. and Mrs. Doug Aldrich Ms. Jane Anderson Alice and Lee Anneberg Ms. Judith Babcock Mr. Donald K. Bain Mr. Robert Baker Ms. Jennifer N. Bater Nancy Battan Mrs. Joan Beam Mr. James Beardall Ms. Mariette H. Bell Kathleen Benegar Ms. Vera Berglund Mr. and Mrs. John R. Binder Janet Bishop Mr. John Blair Marie and Howard Blaney Mr. Howard L. Boigon Ms. Sandra Bonetti Mr. Kent H. Borges and Ms. Stephanie B. Dicenzo Mrs. Virginia P. Boucher Mr. Craig Bowie Mr. M. Bradford William Bradford and Chin Tan Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Brauchli Mr. and Mrs. Doug Brown Ms. Janet C. Bruchmann Arthur Brunton Ms. Suzanne S. Bufton Mr. and Mrs. David Bullwinkle Mr. Thomas Bunge Mr. and Mrs. Dean Burton Edwin T. Callahan and Dulcy E. Wolverton Michael Canges and Nina Iwashko Ms. Clare R. Cavanaugh Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Chagas Mr. Manfred Chemek Mr. and Mrs. Daniel B. Chilcoat Mr. and Mrs. Aroussiag Christianian Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Close Ms. Ethel K. Clow Jim Coffman Mr. Terry R. Collings Mr. David A. Connell Dr. David J. Cooper and Evelyn W Cooper Ms. Davene Coutts Vicki Cowart and Chris Hayes Mr. Jim Craig

Continued from page 28

Matthew Dane John Danio Ms. Felicia L. Diamond and Dr. Gene Bloom Mrs. Christel Doremieux Ms. Anne Draper Mr. and Mrs. Paul Dudzic Mr. and Mrs. Wayne D. Eckerling Mr. Joseph J. Elinoff Mrs. J. Theodore Ellis Dr. Tibor Engel Dr. Kathleen Y. Ensz Rose Enyeart and Bill Stoner Ted and Vivian Sheldon Epstein Ms. Judith H. Fahrenkrog Amy Feaster Mrs. Amy Feldman Ms. Anna Ferrari Ms. Kathryn Finley Dr. Marc S. and Nancy Frager Keith French Ms. Ingrid Fretheim Deborah Friedman Ms. Cynthia Gaertner Ms. Randy Ganter Miss Jeffery Rene Gash Mr. and Mrs. Brian Gast Jennifer Ruth Gentry Mr. Herman Goellnitz Steve and Donna Good Ms. Liz Goodman and Mr. Robert Nauman Kazuo and Drusilla Gotow Dr. Ray L. Gottesfeld Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Gottlieb Mr. and Mrs. William W. Grant Dr. Brian Greffe and Dr. Mark Donovan Ronald and Elnore Grow Ms. Rosemarie Halchuk Ms. Jennifer R. Harpel Ms. Elizabeth Harris and Ms. Debbie Jensen Mr. Richard H. Hart Mr. and Mrs. Edward F. Harvey Mr. David J. Hawes Mr. Richard A. Haynes Ms. Cynthia Hinds Don and Mary Hoagland Ms. Mary Ellen Holmes Ms. Jane A. Hultin Roberta Hyman Mr. Nelson E. Jackson, Jr. Mr. Don Johnson Kendor and Paulette Jones Mr. Steven M. Jones Mrs. Kerstin Karloev Dr. Ross and Vicki Kazer Mr. Sandford Kern Eileen and Walter Kintsch Bonnie Kipple

Mr. Tom Kirkpatrick and Ms. Djuana Strauch Leonard Koch Ms. Theresa Kollath Mrs. and Mr. Svetlana Komisarchik Donna C. Kornfeld Dr. and Mrs. Alex Kotch Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kovach Sheila Kowal and Blake Chambliss Mr. William L. Kowalski, Jr. Rex Kramer and Cindy Crater Ms. Margaret Krawiec Ms. Barbara Ladon Dr. James W. Langley, M.D. Warren and Nancy Lawrence Mr. and Mrs. C. Nicholas Lee Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Lee Ms. Laura Lehman Nancy A. Leonard Paul and Nancy Levitt Judy and Dan Lichtin Sarita List Mr. Randall M. Livingston Mr. Lester Lockspeiser Ms. Angela Macgowan Janet and David MacKenzie Mr. Henry Mahlman Dr. Melissa Malde Dr. David Markenson Mr. and Mrs. Randal Martines Mr. Gary Mather Mr. Andrew P. McCallin Mary McClanahan Janice McClary and Jan McNally Jim and Carole McCotter Mr. Stephen D. McGavran Mr. Mike McPhee Mr. John R. Miller Ms. Lori Miskel Mr. Donald W. Mitchell, DDS Mrs. Robbie E. Monsma Louis Moran, LCSW and Douglas Van Dine, PhD Warren Morrow Mr. Denny Muirhead Mr. Mark A. Nachtigal Mr. and Mrs. William Nichols Richard L. Nielsen Ms. Josie Noble Kent and Ruth Obee Mr. Larry O’Donnell and Mr. Kermit Cain Mr. Kurt M. Olender and Ms. Kam C. Wong Kent Olson Stephanie and Roger Oram Ms. Antoinette Palace Lynn Parry, MD Jessica and Menandro R. Peña Mr. Brian Penny Mr. and Mrs. David Pessel

Dennis G. Peterson Mr. and Mrs. Mark Plummer Ms. Sally Plummer Mr. and Mrs. Dale H. Porter Ms. Kate Raabe Dr. and Mrs. Pablo Ramos Ms. Elisabeth Rebman Richard Replin and Elissa Stein Ms. Jennie Ridgley Mr. Michael L. Ritchie Mr. Allan J. Robbins Mr. Gregory Roebuck Mr. Bruce Rogers Paula Roney Yanita Rowan Dr. Tom Russell Ms. Suzanne B. Ryan Morris and Karen Sandstead Sandy and Frank Sargent Ms. Leslie Sawyer Ms. Mary Scarpino Ms. Erika L. Schafer Ms. Gayla Scheid Karen Scott and Wayland Johnson Mr. Richard Scott Ms. Joy Sherlock Mr. Carl Shushan and Ms. Sandi Hill Ms. Phyllis Shushan and Mr. Carl Shushan Mr. David Sigley Ms. Kimberly H. Smith Toni and Andrew Smolen Nancy and Michael Snow Lars and Jane Soderberg Mr. Perry Soderberg Mr. Mark St. John Ms. Carol Stamm James B. Steed Mr. Gordon Stenger Susan Stiff Jenene and James Stookesberry Dr. Michael S. Sturges Mr. and Mrs. Thompson Tate Ms. Barbara Thorngren Ms. Lois Thornton Ms. Janice Tilden Alice and Frank Traylor Mr. John B. Trueblood Ms. Donna Van Hook Mr. and Mrs. William Vaughn III Bernd and Marta Wachter James and Kay Kramer Wade Mr. Wilson W. Wampler Ms. Shirley C. Ward Ms. Laura Wardell Ms. Carley Warren Wednesday Music Party Dr. Adriana Weinberg Ms. Ann Fails Westerberg Dr. and Mrs. Eugene O. Wiggs

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ANNUAL CONTRIBUTORS Ms. Lois K. Williams Mrs. Andrea P. Wilson Ms. Judy Wilson and Mr. Michael Wilson Ms. Ashly Wolf Mr. David Wolf and Ms. Margaret Wolf Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Wood Mr. Richard Wood Robert and Kathleen Yeager Pam and Martin Zadigian Judy Graham and Jeffrey Zax Sue and Carl Zimet Mr. and Mrs. Michael Zoelln

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

FOUNDATIONS

The Anschutz Foundation Avenir Foundation The Benevity Community Impact Fund Bloomberg Philanthropies Bock Family Fund Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Bucy Family Fund Carson-Pfafflin Family Foundation Caulkins Family Foundation Charlotte and Norman Codo Charitable Trust Community First Foundation Daniels-Houlton Family Donor Advised Fund David B. and Gretchen W. Black Family Foundation David Lawrence Foundation Deane Family Fund The Denver Foundation Denver Post Community Foundation Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Galen & Ada Belle Spencer Foundation Gill Foundation Gloria Sankel Trust Heider Family Foundation Jeanne Land Foundation Jess & Rose Kortz and Pearl Rae Foundation JP Morgan Charitable Giving Fund The Melvin and Elaine Wolf Foundation Merle Chambers Fund Neiman Marcus Group Associate Giving Program Nelson Family Foundation PB & K Foundation Tulsa Community Foundation The Schramm Foundation Schwab Charitable Shamos Family Foundation Tepper Family Foundation

Continued from page 30

Tulsa Community Foundation Vanguard Charitable Virginia W. Hill Foundation William D. Radichel Foundation Wittow Foundation

CORPORATE ALLIANCE Anne Close Interiors The Block Distilling Company Brooks Brothers Classic Pianos Dae-Gee Korean BBQ Enstrom Candies Hamilton Zanze Jamie Kraus Photography Kaladi Coffee Kendra Scott Lux Builders Mondo Vino Northwestern Mutual - Denver PMG Colorado Rassman Design UH&W, Inc. Von Reckers Wealth Management, LLC

SPONSORS Avenir Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth T. Barrow Mrs. Pamela D. Beardsley Mike and Julie Bock Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Donald K. Braden Norm and Sunny Brownstein Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP Peyton and Suzanne D. Bucy David and Elizabeth Budd Dr. and Mrs. Laurence K. Chan The Chotin Foundation Mrs. Joyce de Roos Dr. Stephen L. Dilts Joy and Chris Dinsdale David Engleberg Curtis Fentress and Agatha Kessler Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts J.P. Morgan Ken and Barbara Laff Gayle and Gary Landis Penelope Lewis Harold and Ann Logan MDC Richard American Homes Foundation The Melvin and Elaine Wolf Foundation Ms. Janet Mordecai Chris and Joy Murphy National Endowment for the Arts Mr. Anthony G. Polak

Kent Rice and Ann Corrigan Ann and Gerald Saul Marlis Smith Patrick Spieles and Carol McMurry Martha and Will Tracey Vectra Bank Mrs. Carol C. Whitley Eric, Robin, Sydney, and Mathew Yaeger

TRIBUTES In honor of Elizabeth Budd Ms. Patricia H. Green In honor of Ellie Caulkins John and Rosemary Ashby Mr. David J. Chavolla Mrs. Carol E. Horle Mrs. Marcia D. Strickland

In memory of Maud Duke Laurie and Ben Duke III In memory of Vinny and Priscilla Ellwood Ginny Hersch In memory of Constantine Falliers Dr. and Mrs. William N. Maniatis Marcia and Dick Robinson Marlis Smith In memory of Fredericka Hadley Mrs. Lynn E. Harrington In memory of Walter Land and Dean Gillespie Jeanne Land Foundation In memory of Beverly Landis Gayle and Gary Landis

In honor of Dr. Larry Chan Karen Fukutaki

In memory of Eva and Henry B. Lust Prof. and Mrs. Joseph S. Szyliowicz

In honor of Lee Cordova, Inside OC Board Membership Chair Mr. and Mrs. Marc A. Cordova

In memory of Hugh and Peggy McGee Sarah Hopfenbeck and Susan Corle

In honor of the excellent work of Cherity Koepke Marcia Ragonetti

In memory of Rosemary Fair Mock Dr. Peter and Kathy Van Arsdale

In honor of Kenneth and Barbara Laff Diana Terry

In memory of Nat and Louise Betsy Schwarm and Rick Glesner

In honor of The Honorable Kenneth Laff Karen Fukutaki In honor of Kevin Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor Mr. and Mrs. Bruce and Lois Feinstein In honor of Merrill Shields and M. Ray Thomasson Mary and Ken Willis In honor of Merrill Shields Ms. Joanne Davidson In honor of Carole and Bob Slosky Mrs. Marlene P. Siegel In honor of James and Jenene Stookesberry Stephen and Lynn Connor In honor of Cia Wenzel Ms. Jane A. Hultin In memory of Lawrence G. Carpenter Marcia and Dick Robinson Mrs. Ella May Carpenter Mr. Gregory A. Carpenter Marlis Smith

In memory of Martha Patterson Ms. Carla Patterson In memory of Dorothy Pearson Mr. Stephen Burrell Mr. Tom F. Daughton Ms. Sheri Dipaglia Jean Krusemark and Neal Engel Mr. and Mrs. Dave Heffernan Lynnette Morrison Ms. Stacey Mullins Mr. Jeff Pearson Mr. and Mrs. Jon Quistgaard Don and Judy Richards Don Carson Richards Ms. Barbara L. Schueppert Jenene and James Stookesberry Ms. Donita Wise In memory of Leonard Perlmutter Lynnette Morrison In memory of Marie Inez Coulter Portz Ellen Coulter Murray and the Murray family

Stories are the lifeblood of a community, and Opera Colorado’s story is inseperable from its hometown. As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generosity of donors to help us maintain our mission of enriching our community’s quality of life through inspiring opera performances, as well as through educational and cultural programs.

CRESCENDO SOCIETY

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our donor lists. However, if your name is incorrectly listed, please accept our sincere apologies and contact Erin Wenzel at 303.468.2040.

FRIEND ($100-$249)

• Your name listed in the season’s mainstage program books

CHORISTER ($250-$499) All previous benefits, plus: • Invitations to unique donor events throughout the season, including an exclusive backstage tour of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House

RED DOT ($500-$999)

The following people have made arrangements to include Opera Colorado in their Estate Plan. Sheila Bisenius Ellie Caulkins Dr. Stephen L. Dilts Miss B. I. Garlinghouse Ms. Donna E. Hamilton Mrs. Lynn E. Harrington Ms. Lisa R. James Dr. and Mrs. Charles B. Kafadar Mr. and Mrs. Ron Kahn Deanna Rose Leino Mrs. Lee Roberts Mary Ann Rose Mr. Stephen Seifert Jenene and James Stookesberry Mr. and Mrs. Robert Vanbuskirk Mrs. Carol C. Whitley Larry and Brigitte Zimmer

DONOR LEVELS & BENEFITS

All previous benefits, plus: • Access to the Chambers Grant Salon Donor Recognition Lounge and complimentary champagne during intermission • Complimentary admission to the annual Artist in Residence Showcase and Celebration concerts • Complimentary invitation to the annual Sitzprobe Brunch and Rehearsal • Discount card for area restaurants

YOUR SUPPORT HELPS US... PRESENT high quality artistic experiences for a vibrant community with world class opera curated right here in Denver

SERVE over 55,000 patrons every year DEVELOP audiences by introducing children (and adults!) to their first opera experience

TRAIN the next generation of opera performers through our nationally recognized Artist in Residence Program

HOW TO MAKE A GIFT ONLINE: operacolorado.org/support BY PHONE: 303.468.2060 OR MAIL A CHECK TO: Opera Colorado

4121 S Navajo St, Ste 100 Englewood, CO 80110

COMPRIMARIO CIRCLE ($1,000-$2,499) All previous benefits, plus:

• Personalized assistance with your opera tickets and Opening Night Dinner reservation • Invitation to watch a private masterclass with Maestro Ari Pelto and select Artists in Residence

DIVA CIRCLE ($2,500-$4,999) All previous benefits, plus:

• Invitation to Artists in Conversation events, during which donors can personally interact with the artists of each mainstage opera

MAESTRO CIRCLE ($5,000-$9,999) All previous benefits, plus:

• Complimentary parking vouchers for Opera Colorado mainstage performances • Invitation to special Meet the Maestro event

DIRECTOR CIRCLE ($10,000-$19,999) All previous benefits, plus:

• Invitation to a private cocktail reception with the General & Artistic Director, followed by a rehearsal at the Opera Colorado Opera Center

PRESIDENT CIRCLE ($20,000+) All previous benefits, plus:

For questions, please contact Opera Colorado’s Development team at 303.468.2060 or development@operacolorado.org

2018-19 SEASON

In memory of Randy Wren Mrs. Joyce de Roos

YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

OPERA COLORADO

In memory of Ed Saindon Ms. Abigail Cate Ms. Betty L. Dugan Mr. and Mrs. John Farrell Ms. Henrietta Linenbrink Ms. Anna Ortiz and Ms. Jean Ortiz Mr. and Mrs. Darel Saindon Mr. and Mrs. Tony Santopietro Becky Swartz Ms. Mary Tatman UNC Friends of Ed Saindon Mr. and Mrs. Dan Walton Ms. Kathryn Wright

• Invitation to a special dining event with Opera Colorado’s General & Artistic Director and Music Director • Other special invitations throughout the season

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS

VOLUNTEERS

STAFF Greg Carpenter

General & Artistic Director Music Director Managing Director

Ari Pelto Paul Deckard

ADMINISTRATION Tom Kirkpatrick Director of Business Operations Linda Strauch, EA Senior Accountant

DEVELOPMENT Erin Wenzel, CFRE Director of Development Jessica Peña Annual Fund Manager Whitney Stuberg Development & Events Assistant

EDUCATION Cherity Koepke

Parisa Zaeri

Director of Education & Community Engagement Director of the Opera Colorado Artist in Residence Program Manager of Education & Community Engagement

MARKETING Tamara Vallejos Kelly Maxwell Evan Davis

Kevin O’Connor, Chairman Marcia Robinson, President Chevis F. (“Chip”) Horne, Vice President James Linfield, Secretary

Director of Marketing & Audience Development Digital Content Manager Marketing & Communications Intern

Eric Bard Laurel Barsa Devanie Blake Barbara Bower Marilyn Brock Carol Brown Jeff Brown Katy Burley Ken Chu Dave Coldiron David Cordova Brad Davis Ketje de Roos Joyce de Roos Steve Dilts Peggy Engel Sigrid Freese Thomas Gaffney Sarah Hollander Ann Jones Robert Kahn Roz Kamback Kelz Kelzenberg Sarah Kelzenberg Marion Kleinschmidt Stormy Knight Phyllis Knight Karen Kolb Paull Kupler Sally Lammers Susi Landers Melinda Leach

Heather MacKinnon Mana Merritt Marilyn Olen Patricia Ove Frank Parce David Pessel Eva Phibbs Kala Pickett Miki Reddy Maura Rice Becky Riedo Donna Ries Ellie Roberts Grover Sardeson Therese Schoen Ruth Schoening Irene Sclavenitis Sharon Sherman Hery Siegel Astrid Stocks Judi Taubman Natalia Veazy Lorraine Walker Marianne Weingroff Earl Wenngren Karen Whitt Christel Woody Sydney Yaeger Frank Zoske Rhea Zwiebach

Michael Bock, Chairman Emeritu s

DIRECTORS Suzanne Bucy Eleanor N. Caulkins, Lifetime Honorary Chair Dr. Laurence K. Chan Mary Conroy Nellie Mae Duman, Honorary Director Hugh Grant, Honorary Director Kelly Ann Hodges Laurence D. Kaptain, Ex-Officio Agatha Kessler, Honorary Director Jeremy Kinney, Honorary Director Loring W. Knoblauch, Lifetime Honorary Director Hon. Kenneth Laff William Maniatis Pamela Merrill, Honorary Director Muffy French Moore, Honorary Director Kent Rice, Ex-Officio Gerald Saul, Honorary Director Jeremy Shamos, Honorary Director Susan Shamos, Honorary Director Merrill Shields, Honorary Director Martha Tracey, Honorary Director Youngdon Yun Byron Watson Larry Zimmer

PATRON SERVICES Michelle Herring Indea Jaramillo Genevieve LeBlanc Don Oppliger

Patron Services Manager Patron Services Associate Patron Services Associate Patron Services Associate

OPERA COLORADO

2018-19 SEASON

PRODUCTION

Katie Preissner

Director of Production

CONTACT OPERA COLORADO ADMINISTRATION Monday–Friday, 9 am–5 pm Opera Colorado Opera Center 4121 S Navajo St, Ste 100 Englewood, CO 80110

For complete list of production staff, see pg. 8 of this program book’s insert.

303.778.1500 info@operacolorado.org

2018-19 ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

PATRON SERVICES

Rebekah Howell Kira Dills-Desurra Aaren Rivard Nicholas Kreider Edward Laurenson Eric McConnell Brian Gilling

Monday–Friday, 10 am–5 pm 303.468.2030 customerservice@operacolorado.org

soprano mezzo-soprano tenor baritone baritone bass-baritone coach-accompanist

See pg. 14 to learn more about the Artist in Residence Program.

OPERACOLORADO.ORG follow @operacolorado

OPERA COLORADO’S PROGRAM BOOKS ARE PRODUCED BY THE PUBLISHING HOUSE Angie Flachman Johnson Publisher Tod Cavey Director of Sales Stacey Krull Production Manager Wilbur E. Flachman President & Founder FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION 303.428.9529 or www.ColoradoArtsPubs.com