FROM THE GENERAL DIRECTOR AND BOARD CHAIR
Thank you for doing your part in our 65th Anniversary Season!
It is hard to believe that we have arrived at the final production in the 2022/2023 Season. I cannot think of a more fitting finale than Director Michael Cavanagh’s fresh take on Mozart’s romantic comedy. With a delightful score, an outrageous plot, and an extraordinary cast—what more could an opera lover ask for?
This production highlights two new and exciting artists on the Dallas Opera stage for their first time: Caitlin Gotimer and Kayleigh Decker, tackling the wily sister duo of Fiordiligi and Dorabella, respectively. We are also thrilled to welcome back Lucas Meachem, David Portillo, Rod Gilfry, and Diana Newman, all operatic veterans ready to show off their comedic chops.
I encourage you all to read the director’s note on page 8 to learn more about the production’s concept and his motivations for the piece. We are fortunate to welcome Michael Cavanagh’s unique vision for Mozart’s masterpiece to the Winspear.
It is heartening and inspiring to see so many new faces among the longtime supporters in the audience. Having just announced our 2023/2024 Season, we hope to see you back in October for another season of favorites, not to mention the world premiere of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Please enjoy the show and see you in a few short months!
Please enjoy the show and see you in a few short months!
Welcome!
Friends,
Whether familiar or new to The Dallas Opera, I am thrilled to welcome you to this final production in the 65th Anniversary Season—you are in for a treat. Not seen on The Dallas Opera stage in more than 10 years, Così fan tutte, in a charming new production from San Francisco Opera, is a most celebratory way to end the mainstage season.
We set out at the beginning of the 2022/2023 Season with the hope of building new audiences, as well as bringing The Dallas Opera into the North Texas communities in fresh and exciting ways. Not only did we introduce accessible programming—The People’s Choice Concert, A Night Under the Stars at the Arboretum, and The Holiday Concert at Cathedral Guadalupe—but 30% of audiences at the Winspear and 60% of our digital audience have been new to The Dallas Opera this season.
There is much work yet to be done, but the future of The Dallas Opera looks bright thanks to your continued support.
I look forward to seeing you all at the newly announced 2023/2024 Season later this year!
PHOTOS: KYLE FLUBACKER, GITTINGS COVER: THOMAS YOUNG, BALLPARK BLUEPRINTS ANN STUART, PH.D. Board Chair IAN DERRERTABLE OF CONTENTS
EDITOR Shelby Homiston
ART DIRECTOR
Maya Rose Tweten
PUBLISHER
Jeff Levy
ART DIRECTOR
Carol Wakano
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Glenda Mendez
PRODUCTION ARTIST
Diana Gonzalez
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
Walter Lewis
ACCOUNT DIRE CTORS
Kerry Baggett, Jan Bussman, Jean Greene, Tina Marie Smith
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Christine Noriega-Roessler
DIGITAL PROGRAM MANAGER
Audrey Duncan Welch
DIGITAL MANAGER
Lorenzo Dela Rama
BUSINESS MANAGER
Leanne Killian Riggar
MARKETING/PRODUCTION
MANAGER
Dawn Kiko Cheng
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LAND AND PEOPLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Creating a place of belonging for everyone to experience this art form is a vital part of inspiring generations of opera lovers and honoring those who came before us. As an opera company, we are storytellers of the full human experience, and that includes the narratives we share about this land and its people.
We are on the original land of the Caddo, Wichita, and Comanche sovereign nations, whose people faced horrible treatment and policies that forced their removal from the land.
People were also stolen from their homes in Africa, enslaved, dehumanized, and forced to build Dallas through free labor.
While none of us created these conditions, we have the opportunity, responsibility, and honor to uplift these communities through truth-telling, greater connection, and holistic celebration.
Thank you for joining us in acknowledging this land and these peoples.
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
Presenting Sponsors
Martha McCarty Wells
Betty and Steve Suellentrop
Supporting Sponsor
Ruth Bison, IN HONOR OF MARY ALLGOOD
The Eleanor Ford Penrose Mainstage Production Season Sponsor
MARY ANNE CREE, IN MEMORY OF ROSINE SMITH SAMMONS
March 24, 26(m), 29, and April 1, 2023
This production of Così fan tutte is an original production of the San Francisco Opera Scenery construction and painting by the San Francisco Opera Scene Shop
presents
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
Opera buffa in Two Acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte
Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center
Costumes fabricated by the San Francisco Opera Costume Shop
CAST IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE
Ferrando
DAVID PORTILLO
Sung in Italian with English Titles
Approximate duration: 3 hours and 10 minutes including one intermission
Lucas Meachem is The Marnie and Kern Wildenthal Principal Artist
Michael Cavanagh is The Ann Stuart Stage Director
Originally premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria on January 26, 1790
The Dallas Opera is a proud member of OPERA America
Guglielmo
Don Alfonso
Fiordiligi
Dorabella
Despina
Conductor Director
Set and Projection Designer
Costume Designer
Original Lighting Designer
Revival Lighting Designer
Chorus Master
Wig and Make-Up Designer
Assistant Director
Stage Manager
Concertmaster
Assistant Conductor
Music Preparation
Supertitles
Assistant Stage Managers
Production Assistant
LUCAS MEACHEM
ROD GILFRY
CAITLIN GOTIMER*
KAYLEIGH DECKER*
DIANA NEWMAN
ELIZABETH ASKREN*
MICHAEL CAVANAGH*
ERHARD ROM
CONSTANCE HOFFMAN
JANE COX
JUSTIN PARTIER*
ALEXANDER ROM
DAVID ZIMMERMAN
FRANCES RABALAIS*
LISA MARIE LANGE
AMI CAMPBELL
ALDEN GATT
AURELIA ANDREWS
CHRISTOPHER DEVLIN
JERI SHAFFER
DANIELLE BREWBAKER*
MIRANDA WILSON
ALETHA SAUNDERS
BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO COSÌ FAN TUTTE
The original pairs: Guglielmo and Fiordiligi; Ferrando and Dorabella
The tricksters: Don Alfonso and Despina
The swapped pairs: Disguised Guglielmo and Dorabella; Disguised Ferrando and Fiordiligi
OPERA VOCAB
Opera: a dramatic work in one or more acts, set to music for singers and instrumentalists
Voice Type: soprano (highest), mezzosoprano, contralto, countertenor, tenor, baritone, bass (lowest)
Aria: a piece for one voice in an opera (a song for a solo singer). It derives from the Greek and Latin ‘aer’, meaning ‘air’.
Bravo(a): an Italian term used to celebrate a standout performance
Libretto: the text of an opera
Conductor: a person who conducts an orchestra, chorus, opera company, or other musical group in a performance
QUICK FIRE SYNOPSIS
Deception, love triangles, epic meltdowns, bad disguises, and teenage weddings. Daytime television melodrama? No. More like a day in the life of sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella.
Don Alfonso wagers that he can prove to Ferrando and Guglielmo that all women (including their fiancés) are unfaithful. They take the bet and agree to go along with Alfonso’s schemes starting with pretending to be sent to war. After some melodramatic meltdowns and advice from their maid Despina, Fiordiligi and Dorabella are introduced to Don Alfonso’s “friends” (Ferrando and Guglielmo in disguise). When the girls refuse the advances of their new suitors, the mustachioed admirers pretend to drink poison. After the morning’s events, the girls agree to go on dates with their new beaus, only they pick the opposite man than they each started the day wanting to marry.
Ultimately, both girls accept the advances of their new suitors and agree to marry these strange new men, but not without being put through the wringer. As their knockoff notary (Despina in disguise) completes the marriage contract, the drums sound and the regiment returns from war. The men run away and reenter as their actual selves. Everyone reveals their deceptions from the day and sings a rousing chorus of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. Do the lovers end up together? And in which pairs? Don’t worry, you didn’t miss anything. The opera ends without answering any of these questions.
COSÌ FUN FACTS!
• Così fan tutte was written the year Mozart died.
• Beethoven hated the opera.
• The score is ambiguous as to how the couples end up.
• Mozart did not like the singer who premiered Fiordiligi.
• Mozart wrote his first opera at the age of 10.
OPERA TIP: A trip to the opera is the perfect place to find love! Disguises sold separately.
Whether it’s your first visit or you consider yourself a “regular,” we’re so happy to welcome you! Now, what did you just sit down to watch?
ACT I
Don Alfonso is trying to enlighten Ferrando and Guglielmo as to the true nature of women. He places a bet that he can prove their fiancées, Dorabella and Fiordiligi, are not the icons of purity the young men believe them to be. Both sides are confident of victory within twenty-four hours, and during this period Ferrando and Guglielmo agree to do as they are told by Alfonso.
Sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella are celebrating the virtues of their lovers. Alfonso tells them that their men have been called up and must leave immediately for the “front lines”. The men feign a tearful farewell scene and “go off to war.” The women are devastated but their maid, Despina, tells them to look on the bright side and have a good time in their absence—in other words, behave exactly as men would do.
Don Alfonso enlists Despina in his scheme, and he presents two “Albanian” friends to the sisters. Neither Fiordiligi nor Dorabella recognize Guglielmo and Ferrando in disguise.
Offended to see the strange men, Fiordiligi and Dorabella are repelled by their advances. They declare fidelity to their lovers. The young men are delighted but Alfonso is still confident in his ultimate triumph.
The sisters continue to grieve for their men at the front. The two Albanians return and, despondent in the women’s rejection, swallow “poison” and collapse. The terrified girls call for Despina, who goes to find a doctor who claims to cure any illness by magnetism. The men revive and believing they are in heaven, demand a kiss from their “angels,” Fiordiligi and Dorabella. The sisters rebuff their advances once again.
INTERMISSION
ACT II
Despina persuades the sisters to befriend their new admirers. They decide on preferences: Dorabella chooses Guglielmo; Fiordiligi selects Ferrando. Each has instinctively chosen the other’s partner. Dorabella yields to Guglielmo, exchanging lockets as a pledge of fidelity. Meanwhile, Fiordiligi rejects Ferrando.
Ferrando and Guglielmo report on their progress. Ferrando is furious at the infidelity of his fiancée, Dorabella.
Despina and Dorabella put pressure on Fiordiligi to have fun. Fiordiligi decides she must run away to join Guglielmo at war, but Ferrando confronts her again and she finally yields. Agonized, Guglielmo witnesses it all. Don Alfonso has proven his point and won the bet.
Don Alfonso and Despina arrange for the new couples to be “married” by Despina, disguised as a notary. As the girls sign their names, a military band is heard, signaling that the soldiers have returned unexpectedly. In the confusion, the two men disappear, reemerging without their disguise. Shocked at the evidence of a wedding they swear vengeance on their rivals.
The entire plot is finally revealed. All four lovers’ certainties have been destroyed and no one knows quite what to believe, except that human nature is far more complex than they ever imagined.
Courtesy of San Francisco Opera
TDO PERFORMANCE HISTORY
The company has performed Così fan tutte four times in the following seasons: 1984/1985, 1992/1993, 2003/2004, and 2009/2010.
This production of Così fan tutte was conceived as the middle chapter of a trilogy of operas dubbed The Great American House of Mozart-DaPonte. We [San Francisco Opera and I] set all three works by this masterful composerlibrettist team in the same place but spaced 150 years apart. The first piece, Le Nozze di Figaro, sees the construction of a mansion somewhere in the Northeastern US in the late 1780’s, shortly after the American Revolution. It is a story about hope and possibility and setting it amidst the building of a great house represents the beginning of a wonderful and challenging journey for the characters and their country. The final opera, Don Giovanni, is about finality and consequence. The time setting is the late 2080’s, a dystopian near future, and the great house (and the world) now sits in ruins. This is the result of the short-sighted pursuit of selfish and destructive goals, as personified by the title character, and it ends the trilogy on a cautionary note.
Così fan tutte belongs in the middle, and stands easily on its own merits, because it examines people, and a society, at a crossroads. The great house has changed hands many times in the 150 years since it was built. Now it stands at the peak of its form, repurposed as a luxurious country club in the late 1930’s. America, too, finds itself in an era of great transition. It has emerged from the Great Depression only to see the winds of war swirling once again in Europe. It is poised at a crossroads of its own, needing to decide between inwardlooking isolationism or a rightful place among the great nations on the world stage.
The two couples at the heart of the story, meanwhile, couldn’t care less about any of that. They care only about what they have and what they want. The men are
inexperienced, overconfident, privileged, and sheltered. This is the perfect set of pre-conditions for disaster when it comes to life choices. The sisters to whom they’re engaged share the same character flaws. With their inflated sense of self, poor impulse control, and immaturity, they’re also powerless to prevent their lives from spiraling out of control. Lucky for them, they have an ally to soften their fall and impart important life lessons along the way. But fall they do, and the fact that they and their fiancés are unwitting participants in a social experiment by an embittered elder doesn’t excuse their choices or behavior. That they’re unwilling or unable to consider the real consequences of their actions explains everything. So it is with societies, too.
If we focus solely on personal choices we’re doomed to fail as a community. An individual’s rights and freedoms are important, of course, but they must exist within a framework that supports and secures the common good. We all agree that no-one’s actions should threaten the safety, security, or sustainability of families, neighborhoods, or nations.
This, in big ways and small, is the lesson of Così fan tutte. The subtitle of the opera is “La scuola degli amanti” or The School for Lovers, and it has something to teach us all. We cannot (or should not) live our lives only in the moment, and only for ourselves. We should not live in a fantasy world, with an idealized version of our future. We must take a clear-eyed look at ourselves and those around us and carefully consider the consequences of our actions. This is the only way to survive and thrive, whether as a partner in a relationship, a member of a household, or even a nation like America within the world. The alternative leads, inevitably, to confusion, anxiety, disappointment, and distress...or worse. But, with Mozart and DaPonte as our teachers, there has never been a better or more enjoyable way to learn these all-important lessons.
—Michael Cavanagh, directorABOUT THE ARTISTS
Elizabeth Askren CONDUCTORFrom: New York, New York
Dallas Opera: debut
Career highlights: The 2022/2023 season marks several important mainstage debuts for Maestra Askren, including Des Moines Metro Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, and Opéra de Dijon. She has recently collaborated with Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Opéra de Paris’ Academy, and the Paris Philharmonic’s La Maestra competition, as well as The Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors, of which she is both a proud alumna and Master Teacher. Her award-winning Transylvanian Opera Academy incorporates performance, personal development, and community outreach. She is also the creator of MaestraMagic!™, an edutainment series on thedallasopera.TV introducing children to music and the arts. Maestra Askren is regularly invited as a guest speaker and moderator. Her TEDx talk, “Why Classical Music is the Wave of the Future,” garnered 3000+ views in 24 hours. She is published in three languages, and is regularly featured in American and European media.
Michael Cavanagh DIRECTORFrom: Winnipeg, Canada
Dallas Opera: debut
Career highlights: Mr. Cavanagh is a Canadian opera stage director with a career spanning more than two decades. He has directed more than 140 productions at companies throughout North America and Europe. His 7 productions at San Francisco Opera include Nixon in China, which he also mounted in five cities including Dublin, Ireland and Stockholm, Sweden. In the United States, he has also directed for the opera companies of Philadelphia, Boston, Hawaii, Austin, Kansas City, Minnesota, and San Diego, among others. He is currently Artistic Director and Head of Opera at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, where he had a great success with his new Aida and recently opened a hugely successful production of Sweeney Todd
From: Seattle, Washington
Dallas Opera: La bohème (2018/2019, debut, Rigoletto (2022/2023), Das Rheingold (2022/2023)
Career highlights: Mr. Rom has designed settings for more than 250 productions and in 2015, he was named as a finalist in the designer of the year category for the International Opera Awards in London. His designs have frequently been featured in the Prague Quadrennial International Design exhibition, San Francisco Opera, Royal Swedish Opera, Seattle Opera, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Vancouver Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Minnesota Opera, and many more. In 2014, he designed the European premiere of Silent Night for the Wexford Festival. The Irish Times Theatre Awards named it audience choice and best opera production of 2014. Mr. Rom teaches design at Montclair State University.
From: Oakland, California
Dallas Opera: The Aspern Papers (2012/2013, debut)
Career highlights: Ms. Hoffman has designed costumes for opera, dance and theatre regionally, internationally, and in New York City. Her credits include collaborations with theatre artists such as Mark Lamos, Julie Taymor, Eliot Feld, and Mikhail Baryshnikov, opera directors Robert Carsen, David Alden, Christopher Alden, Keith Warner, and entertainer Bette Midler. Her work has been seen on many stages in New York City, including the Public Theatre, The New Victory Theater, The Second Stage, The Theatre for a New Audience, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, The Joyce, and The New York City Opera. On her Broadway debut, she earned a Tony nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award for her designs for The Green Bird, directed by Julie Taymor. Ms. Hoffman’s collaborations in opera have taken her to the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, the Paris Opera, the New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv, the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, and The Tokyo Opera Nomori, among others. In the United States, she has designed costumes for the San Francisco Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, the Los Angeles Opera, the Minnesota Opera, the Portland Opera, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and the Lincoln Center Festival.
From: Dublin, Ireland
Dallas Opera: debut
Career highlights: Ms. Cox is a lighting designer for theater, opera, dance and music. She has been nominated for two Tony awards, for her work on Jitney (2017) and on Machinal (2014). Ms. Cox has also been nominated for four Drama Desk awards and three Lortel awards, and in 2013, was awarded the Henry Hewes Design Award for her work on The Flick. In 2016, she was awarded the Ruth Morley Design Award by the League of Professional Theater Women, and a British What’s Onstage award for her work on Hamlet. Designs include The Marriage of Figaro at San Francisco Opera; Fefu and her Friends at Theater for a New Audience in NYC, directed by Princeton alumna Lileana Blain-Cruz; King Lear with Glenda Jackson on Broadway, directed by Sam Gold; a new musical adaptation of Secret Life of Bees (the design was nominated for a Drama Desk Award 2020); The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui, directed by fellow faculty member John Doyle; a theatrical adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates book Between The World and Me, directed by Kamilah Forbes and a revival of True West on Broadway, directed by British director James McDonald.
From: New York, New York
Dallas Opera: debut
Career highlights: Mr. Partier is currently the Lighting Director at San Francisco Opera. Recent designs include Carmen (Washington National Opera & San Francisco Opera), Boheme out of the Box, Fidelio, Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Adlers in Concert (Marin Civic Center) & Verdi Requiem Mass (San Francisco Opera), Postcard from Morocco (Merola Opera), Fascinating Rhythm, Shall We Dance (Transcendence Theater Company), Rich Girl (Florida Studio Theater), This Wonderful Life (Luna Stage) The Net Will Appear and The Clearing (59E59), Colored (Kyle Marshall Choreography/Actor’s Fund Theater), Mary Poppins, Kiss Me Kate, and Singin’ in the Rain (Merry Go Round Playhouse), Red (Arkansas Repertory Theater), A Midsummer Nights Dream (Schloss Werdenberg – Buchs SG, Switzerland), The Book of Mountains and Seas, PrEP or Blue Parachute, Getting There (New Conservatory Theater Center), and All the Rage (The Barrow Group). As Lighting Director: John Cameron Mitchell’s Origins of Love (National Tour), Aftermath (World Tour), and Trigger (US Tour). Member USA829
From: Dallas, Texas
Dallas Opera: The Barber of Seville (2006/2007, debut), 45 productions since 2006/2007
Career highlights: Mr. Zimmerman has worked with numerous opera companies around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, and those of St. Louis, Santa Fe, Paris, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minnesota, Santa Barbara, Amsterdam, and more. His career extends to Broadway, where he has worked with such shows as Wicked, Rocky Horror, Show Boat, South Pacific, and Evita. Some of his personal clients include Renée Fleming, Joyce DiDonato, Susan Graham, Patricia Racette, Martha Stewart, and Ricky Martin. Mr. Zimmerman has also worked with DIFFA Fashion Runway, Dallas Fashion and Art, and Yelp.com Fashion Magazine; credits include spreads in Opera News, Vanity Fair, and The New Yorker. TV and film credits are Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year, Margaret (starring Anna Paquin), and Hostiles (starring Christian Bale and Rosemund Pike).
From: Kharkov, Ukraine
Dallas Opera: Chorus Master (1990/1991-present)
Career highlights: Chorus master for 33 Seasons, Mr. Rom graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory of Music with a master’s degree in choral conducting. He has been a coach at numerous companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and the Cincinnati, Ravinia, and Savonlinna festivals. An Honorary Visiting Professor at Finland’s Sibelius Academy and the Helsinki Conservatory of Music, Mr. Rom was a Visiting Professor at the Savonlinna Opera Festival Music Institute for ten years. He also staged and musically prepared Eugene Onegin while in Finland. Mr. Rom was a founder of the Grace Choral Society of Brooklyn, New York, of which he was Music Director for 19 years.
From: Malverne, New York
Dallas Opera: debut
Career highlights: In the 2022/2023 season, Ms. Gotimer returns to Arizona Opera for her debut in the title role of Tosca. In seasons prior, Ms. Gotimer made main stage debuts in Carmen (Micaëla), Così fan tutte (Fiordiligi), and A Little Night Music (Mrs. Anderssen). During her tenure as a resident artist with Pittsburgh Opera, Ms. Gotimer appeared as the title role in Handel’s Alcina, Elettra in a reimagining of Mozart’s Idomeneo, and covered Mimì in Puccini’s La bohème With Crested Butte Opera Studio, Ms. Gottimer performed as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi and Musetta in La bohème. Other roles in her repertoire include the title role in Suor Angelica, Magda in La Rondine, Nedda in I Pagliacci, and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte.
From: San Antonio, Texas
Dallas Opera: Don Giovanni (2017/2018, debut)
Career highlights: In the 2022/2023 season, Mr. Portillo returns to the Metropolitan Opera for Tamino in The Magic Flute, Nadir in The Pearl Fishers with Austin Opera, Tonio in Le fille du régiment with Minnesota Opera, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni in Osaka, Japan, a reprisal of Mark Adamo’s latest work The Lord of Cries for a recording and performance with Boston’s Odyssey Opera, and Alfredo in La traviata with El Paso Opera, where Mr. Portillo was once a young artist. In concert, he performs the title role in Jephtha with Dame Jane Glover and Music of the Baroque in Chicago, a solo orchestral recital of Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings and select opera arias with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and an outreach recital at the Mexican Cultural Institute under the auspices of Vocal Arts DC.
From: Woodstock, Maryland
Dallas Opera: debut
Career highlights: Ms. Decker recently finished as an ensemble member of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Plans for the 2022/2023 season include a return to the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Isolier/Le Comte Ory, as well as to Cincinnati Opera as Alisa/Lucia di Lammermoor and Kate Pinkerton/Madama Butterfly. On the concert platform, Ms. Decker sings Ruggiero/Alcina with Les Violons du Roy under the baton of Jonathan Cohen. A passionate song interpreter, she was named one of Caramoor’s 2018 Schwab Vocal Rising Stars and was a participant in the inaugural season of Renée Fleming’s SongStudio at Carnegie Hall. She has given recitals produced by the Cincinnati Song Initiative, and recently performed a solo recital at Carnegie Hall and the Chicago Cultural Center.
From: Raleigh, North Carolina
Dallas Opera: Madame Butterfly (2016/2017, debut), OperaPops! (2020/2021), The Barber of Seville (2021/2022)
Career highlights: Mr. Meachem kicks off the 2022/2023 season as Don Giovanni at Ravinia Festival, followed by performances as Escamillo in Carmen with Canadian Opera Company and Opéra national de Paris, De Siriex in Fedora with the Metropolitan Opera, and Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro with Los Angeles Opera. Other season highlights include guest soloist appearances with Atlanta Symphony and a return to Sharpless in Madama Butterfly at San Francisco Opera. Meachem’s recent performances include Sharpless in Madama Butterfly at Royal Opera House, Marcello in La bohème at the Metropolitan Opera, and the title role in Nabucco at Oper im Steinbruch. In 2020, Lucas founded Perfect Day Music Foundation (PDMF) with his wife, pianist Irina Meachem. The foundation aims to represent inclusivity and diversity of people today by using classical music as a relevant medium to address current issues through a traditional art form. Mr. Meachem’s first solo album, Shall We Gather, featuring Irina at the piano, was released on Rubicon Records in September 2021.
From: Malibu, California
Dallas Opera: Die Zauberflöte (2019/2020, debut), Das Rheingold (2022/2023)
Career highlights: Ms. Newman begins her 2022/2023 season with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Bernstein’s Kaddish Symphony. In the 2021/2022 season, Newman made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, as well as covered the role of Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos She joined the Alabama Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and sang the leading role of Clara in The Light in the Piazza with Central City Opera.
Concerning the Conundrum of Così fan tutte
By Magda KranceThere’s no getting around it: Mozart’s musically sublime Così fan tutte is a conundrum—a comedy vexed with undercurrents of complexity and confusion.
On the surface, the farcical plot assumes that two charming sisters are too clueless to recognize their own fiancés when the guys poorly disguise themselves and attempt to woo each other’s sweethearts—all because a wise-guy bachelor bet they’d cheat if given the chance, saying “all women are like that” (cleverly quoting Basilio from Figaro’s ActOne trio, BTW). Really? Of course, it’s more complicated than that—and
From: Etiwanda, California
Dallas Opera: Così fan tutte (1992/1993, debut), 5 productions since 1992/1993
Career highlights: American baritone Rod Gilfry, two-time Grammy Award nominee, singer and actor, has performed in all of the world’s music capitals. His most recent Grammy Award nomination was for his performance in the title role of Messiaen’s monumental opera Saint François d’Assise in Amsterdam. Best-known as an opera singer, he is also an acclaimed recitalist and concert artist, and appears frequently in musical theater classics. Most recently, he originated the role of Walt Whitman in Matthew Aucoin’s Crossing in Boston, The Father in Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice with LA Opera, Claudius in Brett Dean’s Hamlet with Glyndebourne Festival, and David Lang’s the loser in New York City. In the 2022/2023 season, Mr. Gilfry will reprise the role of photographer Alfred Stieglitz in Kevin Puts’ The Brightness of Light, opposite Renée Fleming, with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, LA Opera, Naples (FL) Philharmonic, Oregon Symphony and Eastman School of Music (with Nicole Cabell). He will also debut the role of Scarpia in Tosca with Houston Grand Opera, and reprise Claudius in Brett Dean’s Hamlet with the Bayerische Staatsoper.
subversively, uncomfortably insightful about human nature.
We shouldn’t be surprised. In his brilliant operas created with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte—Le nozze di Figaro (1786), Don Giovanni (1787), and Così fan tutte (1790), Mozart wrapped biting social commentary and over-the-top plots in superlative scores packed with gloriously memorable melodies. In these three extraordinary works “there are musical moments that, for many devotees, seem as if they’re worth a lifetime of waiting, moments that are now famous beyond all vagaries of operatic fashion,” declare Carolyn Abbate and Roger Parker in A History of Opera. How right they are. You’ll know them when you hear them, even if for the first time.
“This great trio of collaborations are all battles of wits, words, and fidelity,” says Ian Derrer, general director. He acknowledges the “innate
challenges with Così concerning sexism, complicated relationships, and fidelity testing,” and thus is especially pleased to present a new-to-Dallas production by Michael Cavanagh that offers a fresh take on the romantically discordant story. Originally premiered at San Francisco Opera (SFO), this production, set in a posh country club in the northeastern U.S., circa 1930s, “really gives you the sense that the women have the upper hand, or at least advance knowledge of what’s going on, in a way that traditional staging’s don’t necessarily do. There are so many layers in this opera, and especially in this production.”
For director Cavanagh, Così’s central questions are, “What happens if we ignore the consequences of our actions? What’s the difference between what I think I’m supposed to be doing and what I really want? That’s what these characters go through…the push and pull between private desires
and public obligations,” Cavanagh observes (in an extended interview for SFO’s blog). He notes that the three Mozart-da Ponte operas are “connected—by satire, by clashing of classes, by misogyny.” The Count is held to account in Figaro, and Giovanni is felled (albeit unrepentantly) by the repercussions of his choices; Cavanagh says that “as a director and as a storyteller, you can present these things unflinchingly, knowing that, by the end of the narrative, balance will be restored in the world.”
In Così, however, “the boys never do pay the price for their misogyny, for their choices to humiliate these women,” Cavanagh continues. (Interestingly, it’s da Ponte’s only original story; others were adaptations of existing works.) This director’s choice is to give Così’s discomfiting “truths” a good twist. “I’m a steward of an old art form, but I’m also a citizen of today. My job is to make these pieces not just palatable; I want a modern audience to embrace all the complexities of what these incredible masterworks have to say.” [He’s staging the Mozart-da Ponte operas as a trilogy for SFO.]
The director hasn’t touched the libretto but has changed “the tone and
tenor of the piece” by empowering the women and making them “increasingly aware that there’s something weird going on,” Cavanagh says. “By the end, they’re in on it. They know what’s happening to them. And they are going to flip the script. I’m shining a brighter light on the feeling everybody has at the end, which is, ‘I need to go take a shower. Because that was—ew.’ We don’t buy it. It’s too perfunctory.” And also discomfortingly familiar. As Cavanagh notes, “People apologize for things and don’t really mean it. They say, ‘I’ll never do it again. I’ll change. Oh baby, I’ll change.’ It’s one of the oldest tropes in the dysfunctional playbook….But the damage is still done.”
In Mozart’s Women, conductor and musicologist Dame Jane Glover notes that the three Mozart-da Ponte collaborations “were all effectively portraits of the society in which they were both living, of the people who inhabited it, and of the ways in which these people treated one another and reacted to one another. In every possible way, this was truly contemporary opera” in its time. She adds that previous couple-swapping stories, including Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, relied on
THE DALLAS OPERA CHORUS
SOPRANO
Kristin Tallett Bittick
Megan Crews Cottle
Carelle Flores
Dana Francis Goodnuff
Cynthia Hackathorn
Stephanie Lynne Jennings
Tiffanny Lynne Lopez
Kristen Mata
Amanda O’Toole
Helen Dewey Reikofski
MEZZO-SOPRANO
Jessica Green
Lisa Huffaker
Shannon Moy
Silvia Paola Nuñez
Jennifer Mays Resendez
Denise Stom
CONTRALTO
Arielle Collier
Lisa Schlepp
TENOR
Dan Crowell
Joshua Friend
Jay Gardner
Zach Hess
Jerry Johnston
Samuel PJ Lopez
Mark Malloy
Rick Rainey
Brian Rosewell
Andrew Smathers
magic and the supernatural, unlike Così, which broke new ground.
“When da Ponte brought the idea to Mozart, the two composers realized that incomparable riches were to be gained by opening this Pandora’s box of emotion,” Dame Jane writes.
“For the story was much more than a lighthearted comedy put before a society eager for superficial gossip and anecdote. In a way, it was an encapsulation of an Enlightenment subject, concerning the traditional challenges to love, honor and duty. But the emotional chaos that such mischief engendered was potentially vast, and this was real grist to the combined mill of Mozart and da Ponte.” Glover notes that all the characters in Così fan tutte are drawn with masterful depth and detail by their creators, and “it is the women who benefit most from their penetrating understanding.”
Let the games begin!
Magda Krance is the former Director of Media Relations for Lyric Opera of Chicago. As a freelance journalist, she covered a variety of subjects for several national magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Spy. She now serves on the boards of two music organizations.
BARITONE
Christiön Dior Draper
Armon Golliday
Tracy Herron
Matt Woodbury
BASS
Kyle Logan Hancock
Christopher Harrison
Donald Jones
Travis Wiley McGuire
Brian Post
Quincy Roberts
Bobby L. Tinnion
THE DALLAS OPERA ORCHESTRA
FIRST VIOLIN
Ellen dePasquale
The Mary Anne Cree
Concertmaster, in memory of Rosine Smith Sammons
Ami Campbell
Associate Concertmaster
Grace Kang Wollett
Assistant Concertmaster
Florence Wang Conrad
Amy Faires
David Miles Wolcott
Junsoo Park
Paige Kossuth
Kathy Johnson^
Jane Escueta^
SECOND VIOLIN
Kristin Van Cleve
Principal
Sondra Brudnak
Assistant Principal
Suneetha D'Apice
Lisa Shields
Natalie Floyd
Minhee Bae
Jina Lee^
Samantha Bennett^
VIOLA
Liesl-Ann deVilliers
Principal
Katrina Smith
Co-Principal
Donna Hall
Paul Tullis
Colin Garner
Meghan Birmingham Vangeli
CELLO
Mitch Maxwell
The Catherine Brackbill
Principal Cello Chair
Shawna Hamilton
Assistant Principal
Eric Forman
Vilma Peguero
Sara Hood^
Craig Leffer^
BASS
William Gowen Principal
Michael Lelevich
Assistant Principal
Steve Brown
Kirby Nunez
FLUTE
Helen Blackburn Principal
Ebonee Thomas
PICCOLO
Ebonee Thomas
OBOE
Gina Ford The Eleanor Ford Penrose
Principal Oboe Chair
Stewart Williams
ENGLISH HORN
Stewart Williams
CLARINET
Kenneth Krause Principal
Danny Goldman
Forest Aten
BASS CLARINET
Forest Aten
BASSOON
John Searcy
Principal
Shannon Highland
HORN
Katie Wolber
The Linda VanSickle
Principal Horn Chair
Jackson Prasifka
Gerry Wood*
Stacie Mickens^
Shelby Nugent
TRUMPET
John Holt
Principal
Rick Bogard
TROMBONE
Ian Maser*
The Cece and Ford Lacy
Principal Trombone Chair
Tony Baker
Acting Principal
Jeremiah Umholtz^
Eric Swanson
BASS TROMBONE
Eric Swanson
TUBA/CIMBASSO
Jeff Baker
Principal
TIMPANI
Deborah Mashburn
The Joan S. Reisch
Principal Timpani Chair
PERCUSSION
Joe Ferraro
Acting Principal
Drew Lang^
HARP
Barbara Biggers
Acting Principal
PERSONNEL MANAGER
Brad Wagner
MUSIC LIBRARIAN
Shannon Highland
INTERIM MUSIC LIBRARIAN
Sara Hood
ASSOCIATE MUSICIANS
VIOLIN
Inga Kroll
Delmar Pettys
Lauren Haseltine
Amela Koci
Ellen Lovelace
Robert Gonzalez
Chuong Vu
Christine Rewolinski
FLUTE
Lance Sanford
BASSOON
Leslie Massenburg
HARPSICHORD
Christopher Devlin
ADMINISTRATION
Ian Derrer
The Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO
Emmanuel Villaume
The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director
Nicole Paiement
The Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor
OFFICE OF THE GENERAL DIRECTOR
Shelby Homiston, Director of Communications
Quodesia Johnson, Company Culture Consultant
Meghann Jones, Director of Tessitura Operations and Strategy
David Lomelí, Artistic Consultant
Thu Nguyen, Executive Assistant
Amy O’Neil, Social Media Manager
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
John Harpool, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis
Kevin Figg, CPA, Director of Accounting
Courtney Daggs, HR and Benefits Manager
Beverley Phillips, Accounting Clerk
DEVELOPMENT
Elisabeth Galley, Director of Development
Marie Facini, Institutional Giving Officer
Terry Han, Senior Donor Engagement Officer
Hannah Huddleston, Donor Engagement Officer
Georgia Lahr, Volunteer and Event Coordinator
Linda Lipscomb, Campaign and Planned Giving Officer
Malikha Mayes, Development Database and Membership Manager
Veronica Roan, Development Assistant
Eva Shvartcer, Development Manager
MARKETING, SALES & PATRON SERVICES
Cindy Grzanowski, Director of Marketing, Sales, and Patron Services
Daniel Acosta, Advertising and Sales Manager
Megan Anthony, Patron Services Coordinator
Sterling Arroyo, Marketing Coordinator
Valerie Bromann, Digital Marketing Manager
Jordan Hammons, Patron Services Assistant
Audrey MacNeil, Patron Services Coordinator
Sara Means, Patron Services Manager
Maya Rose Tweten, Graphic Designer
THE PEROT FOUNDATION EDUCATION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Kristian Roberts, Director of Education
Rebecca Britten, Education Program Coordinator
Ebonee Davis, Community Engagement Manager
Christopher A. Leach, Education Production Coordinator
OPERATIONS
Walker Beard, Director of Operations
Robert Derby, Director of Information Technology
Shannon Highland, Music Librarian
Jennifer Magill, Artistic Administration Manager
Josh Martin, Artist Services Coordinator
Erik McCullough, Technical Director
Devon Patch, Rehearsal Assistant
Jeri Shaffer, Production Manager
Katherine Spellmon, Associate Producer—Artistic Administration
Brad Wagner, Orchestra Personnel Manager
Caroline Walker, Operations Administrator
Kara Zotigh, Rehearsal and Planning Manager
COVID 19 Safety Officers:
Griffin Camacho
David Hess
Claudia Holm
Sara Newman
PRODUCTION STAFF
Stage Managers
Lisa Marie Lange
Angela Turner
Assistant Stage Managers
Danielle Brewbaker
Jonathan Campbell
Natalie Main
Caitlynn Sandoval
Aletha Saunders
Jennifer Shaw
Miranda Wilson
Production Assistant
Ben Kulwanoski
Resident Design Staff
Andrei Borges, Lighting Director
Tommy Bourgeois, Properties Designer and Costume Design Consultant
Madeleine Reid, Assistant Lighting Director
Oran Wongpandid, Wig and Make-up Assistant
David Zimmerman, Wig and Make-up Supervisor/Designer
Carpenters
Pat Spencer, Production Carpenter
Joey Barber
Keith Huston
Acreston Lockett
Sean Oakry
Robinson Parker
Enrique Ramirez
Damion Scales-Tarver
Anthony Woodard
Head Flyman
Glenn B. Boyd
Properties
David King Boyd, Production Property Master
Glenn Geaslin
Orchestra Properties
Cliff Chambers, Production
Orchestra Properties
Elfonso Hernandez
Electricians
Paris Gutierrez, Production Electrician
Richard Buckelew, Projectionist
Yevgeniya Dickson
Amanda Hackney
Dean Horan, Production Board Operator
Forrest Howard
Edward Ruiz
John Shelton
Audio
Brandon Arnold, Production Audio
Isaac Parker
Wardrobe
Ginger Boyd, Wardrobe Mistress
Denise Olemeda, Assistant Wardrobe Mistress
Costume Shop
Charlotte Golden, Costume Coordinator
Traci Hutton, First Hand
Kathy Kreuter, Costume Crafts
Susan Mayes, Painter/Dyer
Steven Smith, Assistant Costume Shop Manager
Georgia Wagenhurst, Costume Shop Manager
Stitchers
Jan Allison
Natalie Elizondo
Rosa Serrano
Nancy Steward
Fitter / Draper
John Ahrens
Roy Turpin
LEGAL
Armanino LLP, Auditor
Haynes and Boone, LLP, Legal Counsel
MUSIC DIRECTOR EMERITUS
Graeme Jenkins
BOARD OF DIRECTORS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ann Stuart, Ph.D., Chair
Stephen B. L. Penrose, Treasurer
Susan Geyer, Secretary
Martha Allday
Michael Baker*
David Bauman
Ruth Bison
Randall C. Brown*
Julie Buschman
Tassio Carvalho, Ph.D.
Ian Derrer (ex officio)
Cindy Feld*
Cynthia Floyd*
David Genecov+
Mark Geyer (ex officio)
Linda W. Hart
Myra Barker Hull
Augustine Jalomo (ex officio)
Mark H. LaRoe
Thomas Maddrey*
Joy S. Mankoff
Holly Mayer*
Tom G. Mayer, M.D.
Tom H. McCasland, Jr.*
Edgar A. Morales
Marla C. Muns
Laurie Pan, Ph.D.
Michael E. Phillips
Helen Rivero
Quincy Roberts*
Martha Rochelle*
Stephen H. Sands
Enika Schulze
Richard Schulze*
Linda VanSickle Smith*
Darren Speir
Betty Suellentrop
Steve Suellentrop
T. Peter Townsend
John Ward
Bobbi Wedlan Weil
Martha McCarty Wells*
Kern Wildenthal, M.D., Ph.D.*
Marnie Wildenthal
Jill Winspear
Joseph A. I. Worsham
HONORARY DIRECTORS
Alice W. Bass
Susie Bell+
Cecile Bonte+
Diane Brierley
John T. Cody, Jr.
John W. Dayton
Patsy M. Donosky
James R. Erwin
Ruben E. Esquivel
Marilyn Halla
Davis Hamlin
Kaki Hopkins
Connie Klemow+
Richard Massman
Geraldine “Tincy” Miller
Joyce Mitchell
Pat Rosenthal
James R. Seitz, Jr.
Martin J. Weiland
Ann Williams
* Executive Committee Member + Deceased
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Karen Almond
Angela Bettinger
David Boddie
Roger Carroll
Milene Carvalho
Scott Chase
John Collins
Terry Connor
E. Anthony Copp
Linda Custard
Jane Degler
Robert Dupuy
Gary Glaser
Armon Golliday
Howard Hallam
Jerry Lee Holmes
Robert Hull
Emily Jefferson
Elizabeth Kimple
Ford Lacy
Paula Lambert
Jenny Lewis
Jani Lotz
Julie Machal-Fulks
Jay Marshall
Mitch Maxwell
Phyllis McCasland
C.H. Moore
Katie Myatt
Arlene Navias
Louis Navias
Darryl Pounds
Ella Prichard
Joan Reisch
Marion Rothstein
Abraham Salum
Carole Silverman
Ashley Anderson Smith
Jean Ann Titus
Sarah Titus
Kenneth Travis
Jane Wetzel
James Wiley
Debra Witter
Katie Wolber
Preparing for the Future
In response to the cancellation of live performances for nearly two years due to the pandemic, TDO launched the New Vision Initiative in July 2020 to ensure a financially sustainable future for the Opera through new gifts, multiyear pledges, and audience development initiatives. Gifts to this effort support every aspect of the company—dynamic productions with phenomenal casts, efforts to attract new audiences, the expansion of TDO’s role in the community, and digital programming such as thedallasopera.TV.
As The Dallas Opera continues to focus upon reaching the goal of $30 million for the New Vision Initiative, it is now ready to embark upon Phase II of the campaign—a concerted effort to grow its ticket revenue and expand its audiences. You will begin to see many exciting changes over the next season as these efforts take shape.
To date, The Dallas Opera has raised $19.5 million in gifts and pledges. Commitments of $1 million and above include the Perot Family, the Eugene McDermott Foundation, and the late Mary Anne Cree, as well as gifts from other generous donors who are recognized in this program book. The O’Donnell Foundation has committed $3 million to the New Vision Initiative, which includes a matching gift challenge of $1.5 million to inspire new and increased contributions over a three year period. The Dallas Opera is most grateful to those donors who have made gifts during the campaign’s early phase, and we look forward to welcoming new supporters of our New Vision Initiative.
To learn more about this campaign and other fundraising initiatives, please contact Elisabeth Galley, Director of Development, at elisabeth.galley@dallasopera.org or 214.443.1057.
THE DALLAS OPERA GUILD
We invite you to enrich your opera experience as a member of our energetic organization. You’ll join our mission to assist The Dallas Opera in bringing opera to the broader community.
2022 | 2023 BOARD
OFFICERS
Co-Presidents
Co-Presidents Elect
Reporting Secretary / Newsletter
Susan and Mark Geyer
Robert Maris
RuthAnn Becker
Don Warnecke
Treasurer Michael Watson
Corresponding Secretary
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Adopt-an-Artist
Development and Marketing
Directory
Education / Insights
Bylaws / Nominating
Hospitality / Guild Gatherings
Membership
Parliamentarian
Shop at the Opera
Trip Coordinator
Vocal Competition
Volunteers
CO-FOUNDERS OF THE DALLAS OPERA GUILD
Mrs. Nancy O’Boyle and Mrs. William A. McKenzie
Jan Clay
Marilyn Halla
Bob Brooks
RuthAnn Becker
Jana Irwin
Carroline Neeley
Mary Anne and Jim Strunc
James Clay
Mary Anne and Jim Strunc
Susan Fleming
Chris Salerno
Roger Carroll
Patsy and Bob Brooks
RuthAnn Becker
Susan Tanner
Nicole LeBlanc
Jana and Mac Irwin
Judy Begal
NEW VISION INITIATIVE GIFTS
$5 MILLION AND ABOVE
Margot B. Perot and the Perot Family
$1 MILLION – $4.99 MILLION
Estate of Mary Anne Cree
The Eugene McDermott Foundation
Martha Peak Rochelle
O’Donnell Foundation
Linda VanSickle Smith
$500,000 – $999,999
Linda and Mitch Hart
John Ford Lacy and Cece Smith Lacy
$100,000 - $499,999
Anonymous
Carol Franc Buck Foundation
Holly and Tom Mayer
Phyllis and Tom McCasland
Dr. Joan S. Reisch
James R. Seitz, Jr.
The Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation
Martha McCarty Wells
$50,000 - $99,999
Martha Allday
John W. Dayton
David+ and Lisa Genecov
Winnie and Davis Hamlin
Hillcrest Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee
Greg Swalwell and Terry Connor
Joanna L. and T. Peter Townsend
$25,000 - $49,999
Cindy and Charlie Feld
Dr. and Mrs. Mark S. Geyer
The Ruth LeVan Fund
Thomas Maddrey
Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Phillips
Ann Stuart, Ph.D.
Betty and Steve Suellentrop
Sarah L. Titus
+ Deceased
FOUNDATION AND GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTORS
IMPRESARIO ($50,000+)
City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture
Hillcrest Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee
Hoblitzelle Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
O’Donnell Foundation
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE ($20,000+)
Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee
The Carl B. and Florence E. King Foundation
The Ray H. Marr Foundation
The Priddy Foundation
The Rea Charitable Trust
The Rosewood Foundation
Stemmons Foundation
TACA – The Arts Community Alliance
Texas Commission on the Arts
VanSickle Family Foundation
GOLD CIRCLE ($10,000+)
Harry S. Moss Foundation
Texas Women’s Foundation
SILVER CIRCLE ($5,000+)
The Theodore and Beulah Beasley Foundation, Inc.
Mary Potishman Lard Trust
MEMORIAL AND HONORARIUM GIFTS
MEMORIALS
The Dallas Opera gratefully acknowledges the receipt of gifts made in memory of:
Robert Allday
Sylvester Blue
Cecile P. Bonte
Bill and Jean Booziotis
Wallace Todd Chapman
Gordon Cizon
Ted Coulter
Mary Anne Cree
Davetta Caughey Faria
Dales and Janet Foster
Frank H. Francis
David Genecov
Irl German
Helen Muñoz Gutierrez
Patricia Hutcheson
Plato Karayanis
Jerry and Sis Levin
Ray Marr
Mona Campbell Munson
Stuart Nelson
Pat Pace
Virginia Payne
Ester Raines
Mary Humason Santiago
Raisa Shcheglova
Mrs. Barbara McGrath
Stoddard
John Stuart III
Gerald Tate
Joanne D. Vinocur
Bryan Hobson Wildenthal
Elizabeth Wilson
Don Winspear
HONORARIUMS
The Dallas Opera gratefully acknowledges the receipt of gifts made in honor of:
Martha Allday
Larry and Dolores Barzune
Jon Herbert Burkman
Lisa Bury
Ian Derrer and Daniel James
Mrs. Joyce Dyll
Elena Fiat
Joel and Sydney-Reid Hedge
Bob and Myra Hull
Kelsey Korman
Julia Lansford
Erin McLinden
Morris Robinson
Alexander Rom
Norman Silverman
Jane Stringer
Jean Ann Titus
Sarah Titus and Matilda
Morris
Emmanuel Villaume
Dave and Tucean Webb
Kern and Marnie Wildenthal
Don and Ellen Winspear
Tsi Van Yu
CORPORATE PARTNERS
IMPRESARIO ($50,000+)
GOLD CIRCLE ($10,000+)
Ameriprise Financial
Ernst & Young LLP
H-E-B/Central Market
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Locke Lord LLP
SILVER CIRCLE ($5,000+)
Ben E. Keith Company
G Texas Custom Catering prototype:IT
BRONZE CIRCLE ($2,500+)
Dallas Stage Scenery, Inc.
SUPPORTING PARTNERS
Far UV Technologies, Inc.
Gittings of Dallas
North Texas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
Salum Restaurant
Ushio America, Inc.
For more information on corporate partnerships, please contact Marie Facini at 214.443.1061 or marie.facini@dallasopera.org.
The Orpheus Legacy Society is comprised of individuals who have made a planned gift by naming The Dallas Opera in their will or estate plan. When you join the Orpheus Legacy Society you make a lasting mark on your community.
Named for the mythological poet who charmed the gods with his music and was the subject of many early operas, the Orpheus Legacy Society honors those individuals who have made an investment in the future of our company through their wills or deferred gifts.
ORPHEUS LEGACY SOCIETY
Anonymous (4)
Martha Allday
Nancy Johnson Anderson
Rebecca and Michael Baker
G. Ward Beaudry
Mr. and Mrs. John E. Beitzel
Carole Braden
Diane and Hal Brierley
Ms. Mary M. Brinegar
Robert+ and Kay Carrel
Mr. Roger L. Carroll
The Carl L. Cerrato Family
Scott Chase and Debra Witter
Bruce Chemel
Annelies Christian
Patti and John Cody
Phyllis M. Coit
Betty Taylor Cox
Grady E. Coyle, DMA
Alice Cushman
Anne Davidson
Mac and Jana Irwin
Jo Kurth Jagoda
Emily A. Jefferson
Dorothy and Plato+ Karayanis
Judge James W. Kerr, Jr.
Kyle Kerr
Scott C. Kimple
John Ford Lacy and Cece Smith Lacy
Mrs. Robert I. Lansburgh
Ms. Carol J. Levy
Mrs. Mary Lysaught
Ms. Julie Machal-Fulks
Charles Mandernach
Joy and Ronald Mankoff
Pat Mattingly
Holly and Tom Mayer
Lynn McBee
Michelle Mew
Joyce and Harvey Mitchell
Ms. Renee Sterling
Ann Stuart, Ph.D.
John Dee Swope
Barbara and Bob Sypult
Jean Ann Titus
Sarah L. Titus
Mr. and Mrs. W. Bradford Todd
Nancy Abbott Torell
Dr. Robert S. Toth
Ms. Sandy Tucker
Jeremy D. Wance
Kathy and John Ward
Dona and Michael Watson
Mr. Martin J. Weiland
Martha Wells
Jane A. Wetzel
Jeanette and George Wharton
Elaine Wiant
For more information on the Orpheus Legacy Society, please contact Linda Lipscomb at 214.443.1086 or linda.lipscomb@dallasopera.org.
Arlene+ and John Dayton
Ms. Karen E. Keith and Mr. David A. Derr
Ian Derrer and Daniel James
Dr. James E. Elbaor
Mr. and Mrs. James R. Erwin
Susan G. Fleming
Mrs. Lee Ford
Dr. Gabriel and Monica Fried
Lee Gibson
Steven Gold and Merlene Walker
Joan L. Goltz
Ms. Gabriele Gruschkus
Mr. Mario A. Gutierrez
The Honorable Deborah Hankinson
Frederick Hoffman and Roy Joplin
Ms. Susan F. Holly
Myra Barker Hull
Robert L. Hull
Mr. and Mrs. Dwaine R. Moore III
Dr. Gary and Bette Morchower
Arnold R. (Andy) Mozisek, Jr.
Arlene and Louis Navias
Ms. Virginia G. Nerney
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Oliver
Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. O’Neil
Neil Douglas Oxford
Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Patterson
Kenneth Peck
Mr. Jonathan Pell
Randy D. Pierson
Ms. Pat Rosenthal
Marion Rothstein
Dr. Chris Salerno
Mark C. Scammel
Mrs. Enika Schulze
Mr. James R. Seitz, Jr.
Dr. B. Lynwood Simpson
Marnie and Kern Wildenthal
Samuel Williams
Rodney I. Woods
Donna and Joe Worsham
Cynthia E. Young
Gordon Young
ANNUAL FUND DONORS
GRAND IMPRESARIO
($1,000,000+)
Margot B. Perot and the Perot Family
MAESTRO SOCIETY
($250,000+)
Estate of Marten F. Klop
Martha Peak Rochelle
PRODUCER SOCIETY
($100,000+)
Estate of Rosalie Alexander
Lisa and David Genecov Family Fund of the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation
Holly and Tom Mayer
Tom and Phyllis McCaslandCommunities Foundation of Oklahoma
Stephen B. L. Penrose
Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation
Betty and Steve Suellentrop
Marnie and Kern Wildenthal
DIRECTOR SOCIETY
($75,000+)
Linda and Mitch Hart
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen H. Sands
GUARDIAN SOCIETY
($50,000+)
Diane and Hal Brierley
Mr. James F. Carey
John W. Dayton
Cindy and Charlie Feld
Joy S. and Ronald Mankoff
The Robert E. and Jean Ann Titus Family
Joanna L. and T. Peter Townsend
LEADERSHIP SOCIETY
($25,000+)
Martha Allday
Michael and Rebecca Baker
The Ruth LeVan Fund
Debra Witter and Scott Chase
Dr. and Mrs. Mark S. Geyer
Robert L. Hull and Myra Barker Hull
Dr. and Mrs. Willis C. Maddrey
Mr. James and Dr. Betty Muns
Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Phillips
Dr. Joan S. Reisch
Brian and Debbie Shivers
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Smith
Ann Stuart, Ph.D.
Sandy Tucker
Kathy and John Ward
Martha and Max+ Wells
DIAMOND CIRCLE
($15,000+)
Anonymous (2)
Deborah Mashburn and David Boddie
Mr. Roger L. Carroll
Mr. and Mrs. William A. Custard
Robert and Virginia Dupuy
Antony Francis
Mr. Timothy C. Headington
Emily A. Jefferson
Mike and Judge Barbara Lynn
Nesha and George Morey
Ms. Marla C. Muns
Mrs. Angela D. Paulos
Ms. Ella Prichard
Pat and Jed Rosenthal
Suzelle M. Smith
Greg Swalwell and Terry Connor
Karen and Jim Wiley
Jill and Malcolm Winspear
Raguet Worsham
PLATINUM CIRCLE
($10,000+)
Anonymous (2)
Terry Barrett and Krista Tinsley
Alice W. Bass
J. Andrew Brock
Kay Carrel
Parker Crook
Christine A. Miller & Gary H. Glaser Charitable Fund at the North Texas Community Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. J. Davis Hamlin
Mr. and Mrs. Scott C. Kimple
Mr. and Mrs. John Ford Lacy
Ms. Paula S. Lambert
Ms. Julie Machal-Fulks
Richard and Bobbi Massman
Mary McDermott Cook
Joyce and Harvey Mitchell
Arlene and Louis Navias
Mr. and Mrs. Quincy Roberts
Marion Rothstein
Jennifer and Thomas Russell
Carole and Norman Silverman
Karen and Ken Travis
Jane A. Wetzel
Dr. A. Gordon Worsham
GOLD CIRCLE
($7,500+)
Anonymous (2)
James R. and Carole Erwin
Jenifer and Peter Flynn
Charles F. Foster and Bill Maina
Dr. and Mrs. John M. Haley
Joanna and John Hampton
Patricia and David May
Sarah R. Gannon and John Seddelmeyer
Kimberly and Brian Williams
Donna and Joe Worsham
SILVER CIRCLE
($5,000+)
Anonymous
Dr. Stephen Baker and Alberto Moreno
Mrs. Thomas P. Barton
Elaine and Bill Blaylock
Carole Braden
Mason Brown Family Foundation
Carol W. Byrd
Jean Tsao Chang and Kern Chang
Estate of Annelies Christian
Bonnie E. Cobb
Grover and Jacqueline Ellisor
Frances and David Ertel
Dr. and Mrs. James Forman
Mr. Eric Foster
Monica Gaudioso
Harriett and Chuck Gibbs
Fred and Jerri Grunewald
Mr. Brian Hackfeld
Dr. and Mrs. Robert W. Haley
Fanchon and Howard Hallam
The Honorable Deborah Hankinson
Adrea D. Heebe
Robert and Frieda Hudspeth
Stephanie and Hunter Hunt
Jana and Mac Irwin
Jo Kurth Jagoda
Dorothy and Plato+
Karayanis
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Keirstead
Kenneth Killen
Dr. John and Mrs. Paulette
Krause
Tom Leatherbury and Patricia Villareal
Barbara Thomas Lemmon
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Morrill
Charlene and Tom Norris
Tom Norris Jr.
Ms. Danna Orr
Mr. and Mrs. David Pfeil
Caren Prothro
The Edward Rose III
Family Fund of the Dallas Foundation
The Honorable and Mrs. William F. Sanderson, Jr.
Mrs. David R. Stone
The Vice Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Walo
INNER CIRCLE
($3,000+)
Anonymous (2)
Rev. Lawrence Althouse and Ms. Katherine L. Freiberger
Dr. and Mrs. Randall Askins
The Baggett-Luna Family
Carol M. Barger and William D. Elliott
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RuthAnn Becker and Robert Maris
Selly and Joyce Belofsky
Bryan and Robin Benak
Encore Wire
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Carolyn Bradley
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Charles and Diana Briner
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Dr. Joseph and Barbara Buchman
Alicia Burkman
Jack and Mary Bush
Evangeline T. Cayton M.D.
Consuelo B. Chavez
Jan and James M. Clay
Mrs. Robert S. Coit
Paul Corley
Grady E. Coyle, DMA
Patricia Crocker
Ian Derrer and Daniel James
Richard and Nancy (Jagmin) Dickerman
Steven Engwall Advised Fund of The Dallas Foundation
Rosemary Enrico
Mr. and Mrs. Ruben E. Esquivel
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Exall
Susan G. Fleming, Ph.D.
Sarah Fry
Elisabeth and Dave Galley
Mr. Larry Gay
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Dr. Agustín Arteaga and Mr. Carlos Gonzalez-Jaime
Tinsley Silcox and Joseph Guzman
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Don Montgomery, Jr.
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Ruth Mutch
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Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Palmer
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Helene and Mark Parker
Dianne and Don Patterson
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Janelle Pendleton
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Dr. Christopher A. Salerno and Dr. John Dixon
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Neal and Cherie Small
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Mr. and Mrs. Richard L.
Stevenson
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Stodghill
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John Dee Swope
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Cynthia and Harry Tibbals
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Jerre van den Bent
Inge and Sam Vastola
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Dona and Michael Watson
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Leigh and Robert Webb
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Robert E. and Karina Woolley
John Zrno
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Anonymous (3)
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Abraham
Greg and Christine Acker
Rosalie and James R.
Alexander Memorial Endowment Fund of the Dallas Jewish Community Foundation
Mr. David Baad
Delia Esther Banchs
Nancy and David Bauman
Mr. and Mrs. Jon Bauman
Joan A. Becker
Boeckman Family Foundation
Mr. Steve Bottum
Ms. Jeanne Campbell
Tassio and Milene Carvalho
Mr. and Mrs. Bennett W. Cervin
Iris Chang
Mr. Griffin Collie
Wendy Collini
Jess Corrigan
Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Cronin
Ms. Lee Cullum
Greg and Cynthia DeMars
Dr. and Mrs. Alexander
Douglass
Tom and Sally Dunning
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Finstrom
Ms. Ketty Fitzgerald
Dr. John G. Flores
Mr. and Mrs. James C.
Francis Jr.
Candace Faber and Andrew C. Frechtling
Richard and Gaile Gertson
Julia and Thomas Grace
Carlos Gracia
Mona and Bill Graue
Nicholas P.G. Greenko
Mr. and Mrs. John Hallam
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Harrison
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Mr. and Mrs. Keith Harville
Jack W. Hawkins
Drs. Ted and Shannon Hayes MD
Roxanne Hayward
Mrs. Kathleen Muldoon and Dr. Robert Hendler
Dr. Virginia Hertenstein and Mr. Dean Hertenstein
Susan F. Holly
Kaki and Shelton Hopkins
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Hull
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Ivy
Mr. Mark E. Jacobs
Mr. Alfred Kelley
Mr. Jay Langhurst and Mr. Daniel Klingler
Mrs. Dorothy B. Leyrer
Fr. John Libone
Lind Family Foundation
Linda Lipscomb
John and Ramona Locke
Ms. Margaret McAllaster
Mr. and Mrs. J. Roddy McGinnis
Chris R. McIntyre
Geraldine “Tincy” Miller
Dr. and Mrs. William Morton
Eric Nadler and Ahn-Hong Tran
Kathy and Greg Nelson
Michael and Ann Ochstein
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Susan Partridge
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Dr. Wilfredo Rivera and Veronica Diaz
Dr. Randall and Barbara Rosenblatt
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Dr. Muriel Yu
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Anonymous (3)
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Dr. Barbara Baxter
Fr. Stephen Bierschenk
Mark Blaquiere and Cathey
Ann Fears
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Ms. Diana Briner
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Browning
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Bush
John T. Carlo
Mr. and Mrs. Elliot R. Cattarulla
Stephen Chamblee
Mr. and Mrs. Lester Coleman
Lori and John Collins
Betty Taylor Cox
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Mr. and Mrs. Evan M. Cudd
Mr. Atlee Cunningham
Mr. Andre Desire
M. Dondero and R. Trammell
Beth Drewett
Ms. Teresita Dujon
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond A. Enstam
Ms. PJ Ericson
Robert A. and Catherine Estrada
Marsha Findlay
Myra Franke
Diana Gandy
Dee and Jim Genova
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Haggerty, Jr.
Ray Hambrick
Mr. John R. Harpool and Mr. Richard Gordon
ANNUAL FUND DONORS (CONT’D)
Bob and Debby Harpool
Cindy Hauser
Mr. Philip C. Henderson
Mark and Susan Heymann
Dr. Christine Ho
Ms. Nancy Hodge and Mr. Douglas W. Orr
Mr. Carle Howell
Stephen Huff
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kaufman
Mr. Brad Kennedy
Ellen Lindsey Key
Mr. Christopher S. Klekar and Mr. Danny Frerich
Mr. Japheth Learn
Lesley Leuzinger
Ms. Elena V. Livingston
Mr. Jack Logan, Jr.
Peter and Lee Lorenzen
Dr. Robert C. Mann
Lynn and Allan McBee
Mr. George McDonald
Ms. Linda D. McKown
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon McWatt
Ms. Virginia Michalicek
Mr. C. H. Moore
Mr. Edgar Morales
Mr. Tim Morris
Sarah K. Naifeh
Mr. James Noonan
Ms. Elizabeth Norwood
Ronnie Pack
Mr. and Mrs. Henry B. Paup
Mr. Bryan Peeler
Fred M. Penn and Dean Corbitt
Dr. Margaret Phillips
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Pickens
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Priest
Ray and Martha Quigley
Mr. Mauro D. Ravelo
Dick Rawlings
Mr. Rust E. Reid
Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Remley
Ela and James Rix
Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Ross
Mr. Wayne Ruhter
Leif Sandberg
Mr. and Mrs. William Sandlin
Dr. Richard J. Schaar
Dr. Genie and Mr. Gary Short
Mrs. Tina T. Simpson
Ms. Nancy N. Smith
Dr. Rick Snyder
Dr. Mabelle Sonnenschein
Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Stoddard
Rev. Christopher Thomas
Cynthia S. Thomas
Ms. Heidi F. Verges
Karen and Howard J. Weiner
Ms. Marianne Wells
Ms. Karen L. Wiese
C.E. and Susan Wilson
Mr. and Mrs. David Yett
STAFF SPOTLIGHT: ALEXANDER ROM
After 33 Seasons with the company, Chorus Master Alexander Rom leaves The Dallas Opera following the final performance of Così fan tutte.
What does being a Chorus Master entail? An article could be written about my many duties. I want to single out, in my opinion, the most important one: to learn, no matter how difficult it is, to love, to understand the people you work with, to help them to achieve the best that they are capable of. I think I’ve been able to do this quite well.
How did you get your start? From age 7, I studied at the choral department, first at the Kharkov Music School for especially gifted children, and then at the St. Petersburg (Leningrad in the USSR) Conservatory. After immigrating to the U.S., I became one of the founders of the Grace Choral Society in Brooklyn, which I led for 19 years. Simultaneously,
I worked for about five years as a Russian opera coach for the Metropolitan Opera, which eventually led me to become the Chorus Master here at The Dallas Opera.
Any crazy opera stories? Yes, when I almost fell down a ladder at the third-floor level trying to conduct the chorus in B. Britten’s opera Billy Budd. The choristers could not see our Music Director Graeme Jenkins conducting, so I had to perform a very dangerous act of “Circus Equilibrium.” They were singing “Over the water, over the ocean” while I was nearly airborne. It all turned out to be a great, world-class production and singing.
Of course, I want to express my gratitude to my choristers, to whom I am infinitely indebted. I have a rare and friendly relationship with them, and we work together for the same purpose and goal—creating the best music we can. There is a lot of serious work, mixed with fun moments during our rehearsals, resulting in many first-class performances.
I am proud of my choristers and will miss them very much! They have been my second family for 33 years. Thank you all for everything!
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