Calgary Opera program - Die Tote Stadt by Suggitt Publishers

DIE TOTE STADT The Dead City

By Erich Wolfgang Korngold

JAN 30, FEB 3 & 5, 2016

season sponsor

production sponsor

2015-16 SEASON Box Office, Administration & Rehearsal Hall MamDani OPERA CENTRE 1315 - 7 Street SW, Calgary AB T2R 1A5 Phone: 403-262-7286 | Fax: 403-263-5428 www.calgaryopera.com | info@calgaryopera.com Calgary Opera gratefully acknowledges the support of:

Calgary Opera is a member of Opera.ca (The Professional Opera Companies of Canada), OPERA America, Alberta Major Performing Arts Consortium, CITT (Canadian Insitute of Theatre Technology), and operates under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Cover art by Karen Klassen

@CalgaryOpera PLAYHOUSE PUBLICATIONS LTD. The Calgary Opera program is published by Playhouse Publications Ltd. 10177 - 105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1E2 Ph: 780-423-5834 | Fax: 780-413-6185 www.playhousepublications.ca President & Publisher: Rob Suggitt Art Director & Designer: Christine Kucher Advertising Sales: Barry Powis, Glenda Dennis, Kerri Anderson Administration: Amber Grmek

CONGRATULATIONS ARTHUR / HUNTER & CALGARY OPERA WE ARE PROUD TO RECEIVE THE PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL MARCOM AWARD IN CREATIVE EXCELLENCE FOR THE DESIGN OF CALGARY OPERA’S 2015 GALA, INTEGRATED MARKETING CAMPAIGN.

board of directors Michael Brown Chair

Lachlin McKinnon Director Prospector Executive Search

Donald C. Edie, QC Secretary

Jacqueline Pyke Director

Carscallen LLP

Janice Woodward

Bob Sartor

Treasurer

Director

C.A. Consultant

Big Rock Brewery

Brent Cooper

Monica Sloan

Director

Chair, Endowment

McLeod Law LLP

JKS Holdings

David Dunlop, CA Director Veresen

Don Swystun Director

Christel Johansson

Ruth Ramsden-Wood

Chair, Corporate Campaign

Chair, Revenue Committee

Jay MacGillivray

Jerilyn Wright

Director

Chair, Special Events

Structured Abstraction

Jerilyn Wright & Associates

message from the

chair | michael brown

Thank you for joining us tonight for a milestone production of the beautiful and powerful Die tote Stadt. We are very thankful to our Production Sponsor, BMO Financial for continuing to support daring and innovative works like Die tote Stadt. We are also thankful to the many individuals that have stepped up to support the Die tote Stadt fund, and in doing so ensuring that opera remains fresh, vibrant, and relevant in our city. We are grateful for the support of our many sponsors and corporate supporters (see page 6) that fuel our mainstage productions and community engagement activities. We thank Husky Energy, our Season Sponsor, Cenovus Energy, our Community Outreach Sponsor. We also thank our Government funders: The Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and the Calgary Arts Development Authority. In these challenging times for our province I am reminded of both the resiliency and the generosity of the remarkable individuals that call this province home. One of those remarkable people is the late Mario Stella, who was born in Blairmore and spent most of his life in Calgary. Along with his late wife Rosetta, Mario was a long-time supporter of the Arts both in Calgary and Banff, and in 2015 bequeathed to Calgary Opera a substantial contribution. In honour of his generous nature and the spirit of philanthropy, the Board of Directors are allocating $100,000 from the Stella Fund to a matching gift program to inspire others to give, matching new and increased donations with membership benefits and recognition. (see page 9)

With tickets sales covering less than 30% of the cost of producing live opera, your support is needed every year to continue producing worldclass opera and to continue making a positive impact in our community. I believe in this organization and its importance to our city, and am deeply moved by the quality of opera we produce on the mainstage, in Calgary’s East Village, and in our schools. I am proud to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors; I believe in giving back to this organization and to my community. That is why I ask you to join me in supporting your Calgary Opera.

message from the

general director and ceo | W.R. (Bob) McPhee, C.M. Happy New Year and thank you so much for joining us for the Canadian Premiere of a work that I am proud to bring to our community, Erich Korngold’s Die tote Stadt! This is a work that, while celebrated greatly in its day, has yet to make its impact to North American audiences. Die tote Stadt is performed widely in Europe, and is gaining considerable traction in the United States.

Baritone Brett Polegato returns to our stage as Frank/Fritz. A wonderful actor in both comedic and dramatic roles, Polegato was recently with us as Lt. Audebert in Silent Night. Emilia Boteva returns as Brigitta after making her debut in 2014’s The Flying Dutchman. Four extremely talented members of our Emerging Artist Program join our cast for Die tote Stadt.

The great conductor and GRAMMY Award winning composer Bramwell Tovey returns to conduct Die tote Stadt, having last been with us for the 2011 World Premiere of The Inventor (for which he was also the composer). Also returning is acclaimed director Kelly Robinson, who has directed Calgary productions such as Filumena, Dead Man Walking, and Otello.

Looking ahead, we close out the 2015-2016 season in April with the delightful production of The Magic Flute conducted by Robert Tweten and directed by Robert Herriot. We also look forward to announcing our 2016-2017 season on March 19th, so stay tuned!

I am pleased to welcome back Soprano Lyne Fortin to Calgary as Marie/Marietta after stunning performances as Violetta in La Traviata and The Countess in The Marriage of Figaro. Also returning is Tenor David Pomeroy as Paul – a role he has played to critical acclaim in Europe. Pomeroy last joined Calgary Opera onstage as Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly, and created the role of Stefano in Filumena. I am thrilled that

Art and music are powerful forces that have the capacity to improve our communities and can inspire positive change. Your generous support drives our company forward and ensures that opera and music continue to have a strong and positive impact on our city. In these tough times your contributions can make a meaningful difference, and with the Stella Fund matching the benefits of new and increased gifts (see page 9), supporting the opera has never been more beneficial both to you and your community.

sponsors are Integral to Opera Opera is the grandest of all art forms. It is powerful, emotional, immediate and larger-than-life. Opera deals with timeless mythology, and the eternal struggles and joys of human nature. Opera is presented in the grandest of forms with live music, drama, movement, extravagant sets, costumes and stage effects. Opera touches the heart! The kind and generous support of our sponsors provides us the platform to share this grand art form with our amazing city. Our continuing Season Sponsor is Husky Energy. This great Calgary based organization has been a pillar for Calgary Opera. Their support is instrumental to bring our new works, World and Canadian premieres to our patrons. They believe in the vision of Calgary Opera and recognize our positive impact on the community. This Canadian Premiere of Die tote Stadt is made possible through the support of BMO Financial, our Production Sponsor, who has a history of helping us bring new and innovative works to Calgary. The magic of Korngold would have remained un-experienced by Calgarians if it wasn’t for their generosity. Being ‘of’ the community is a principal value at Calgary Opera. Each year, our Emerging Artists tour northern or southern Alberta schools to share opera with the province’s young minds. Let’s Create an Opera is another yearly program, where Calgary elementary students create an opera from scratch. Their original work is presented to their school, family and friends at the end of each year. These programs would not be possible without the support of Cenovus Energy, our Community Outreach Sponsor, Repsol, our Let’s Create an Opera sponsor, and Enbridge and RBC Foundation, our Emerging Artist Program Supporters. They too value the possibilities that come from sharing arts and culture with Alberta’s future generations. Allegro Group is one of our newest programs. This ‘members only’ program helps connect young professionals with opera by lowering the cost of single tickets. Through their Creating Opportunities for Young People program, one of our newest sponsors, TD Bank, illustrates their longstanding reputation of community building as sponsor of our Allegro Group. We couldn’t be happier to be part of the TD Bank family. If you want to learn more about each opera or meet some of the artists and creatives – you’re in luck. Two of our longstanding events, Pre-show Chats and our Sunday Opera Brunch Series continue this season thanks to KPMG and McLeod Law. How do we share the eternal struggles and joys of human nature presented by each opera, in a language we all understand? Through Opera Titles, which are made possible by Sun Life Financial. How do we share our Calgary Opera stories with Calgary? Through the continued support of the Calgary Herald, our Mainstage Media Sponsor. Year after year they’ve partnered with us to help connect Calgarians with culture. Not only have they been a fantastic supporter of our mainstage seasons, they jumped on board as an Opera in the Village partner when it was just a seed of an idea. As you can see, it takes many great organizations to bring the grandest of all art forms to Calgary’s Jubilee Auditorium, and classrooms across Alberta. We want to say a big ‘THANK YOU’ to all the mentioned sponsors and partners for continuing to give us the ability to do so.

Key Media Partners

6 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

Key Season Sponsors

Season

Community Outreach

Production & Program Sponsors Die tote Stadt

Allegro Program

The Magic Flute

Opera Titles Sponsor

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Create an Opera

Pre-Show Chats

Sunday Brunch Series

Emerging Artist Program Supporters

Opera in the Village Supporters Presenting Sponsor

Site Partner

Corporate Partners

Official Suppliers

DIE TOTE STADT 7

A scene from Dallas Operaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Die Tote Stadt, photo by Karen Almond.

DIE TOTE

STADT Proud Season Sponsor of Calgary Opera

It was a touching experience to see how opera can deeply “move and inspire us, and it is a moment I’ll never forget.” Recently Calgary Opera was bequeathed a substantial gift from the estate of Mario Stella, who, along with his late wife, Rosetta, was a long-time supporter of the arts in both Calgary and Banff. Mario also bequeathed gifts to six other organizations in our province. The pair were heavily involved with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra in the 80s and 90s, and both grew up with opera as an integral part of their lives within Italian immigrant communities in rural Alberta. “I remember years ago seeing Mario at the World Premiere of Filumena, back in 2003,” says Bob McPhee, General Director & CEO of Calgary Opera. Filumena’s story involved Italian immigrants in the Crowsnest Pass. “Having grown up in Blairmore (where the story originated), Mario felt a deep connection to the opera and gave me a huge bear hug, thanking me for bringing this story to the opera stage. It was a touching experience to see how opera can deeply move and inspire us, and it is a moment I’ll never forget.” Many years later Mario has made a contribution that we hope will inspire others in our city who believe that opera has the ability to transform and inspire, to Step Up and contribute to the arts and our community at any level they can afford.

Calgary Opera’s Board of Directors is allocating $100,000 from the Stella Fund to a matching gift program during the 2016 calendar year. New donors, or donors who increase their giving level will have their new donations matched and will receive benefits and recognition for the total amount. All gifts to Calgary Opera, large and small, can make a difference, which is why we are also pleased to announce the Friends of Calgary Opera membership program, aimed at recognizing and thanking those who give to Calgary Opera at all levels. We have added new benefits to our Impresario Circle membership program, including the opportunity to sit in the orchestra pit for one act of an opera. (For more information on Calgary Opera membership programs see our display in the lobby or visit calgaryopera.com/members) Thanks to the generous support of Mario Stella, who believed that art is deeply impactful to our lives, the $100,000 Step Up for the Arts! matching program makes supporting the opera even more beneficial both to you and your community. For more information on the Step Up for the Arts! $100,000 matching campaign, visit our information table in the lobby, visit calgaryopera.com/step-up, or contact us at stepup@calgaryopera.com or 403-262-7286.

DIE TOTE STADT 9

program notes

Setting the Stage By Director kelly robinson It is a special privilege for us, in the beginning of this year, to present Erich Korngold’s masterpiece of music theatre, Die tote Stadt: a work that concerns itself on many levels with restoring the dead to life. While I was familiar with Die tote Stadt (based on a hearing years ago), preparing for the production by delving into the world of Erich and Julius’ imaginative and sensitive reworking of the novel on which the story is based, and the experience of rehearsing the work with the gifted singers you will hear tonight under Maestro Tovey’s brilliant leadership, has transformed my view of the opera. It is a work of its time, a story touching on the experience of Europe scarred by war, loss and grief, but it is also a work for all time, dealing with the most human of issues, letting go of loved ones, working through grief, and carrying our memories forward as life goes on. This is an opera filled with the youthful genius of Erich Korngold’s soaring melodies and dazzling orchestrations, wedded to the detailed dramaturgy of his father Julius: writer, film critic and a friend of Freud, which becomes a psychological thriller worthy of Hitchcock and Welles. We hope we have conveyed some of our joy in engaging with this great work, and that you enjoy the Canadian Premiere of Die tote Stadt.

Apple Fitness Store

ACCREDITED BUSINESS

10 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

Family reunions Oil keeps people on the move. With 92% of our transportation needs fuelled by oil, it moves people, and the goods and services that drive our economy and improve quality of life. Find out more at More2theStory.com.

Sophisticated style meets unparalleled power. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your time to shine.

The 2016 Lexus NX. Available now, starting at $44,771. *Disclaimer: $44,771 is the all-in price for the 2016 Lexus NX 200t. All-in pricing includes freight charges, PDI, air conditioning charge and other applicable dealership fees. GST not included.

WW W. L E X U SOF ROYA LOA K.COM

LEXUS OF ROYAL OAK 7677 - 112 Avenue North West 403.296.9600

WWW. LEX USO FCALGARY.COM

LEXUS OF CALGARY 22 Heritage Meadows Road South East 403.225.3987

The Dead City By Erich Wolfgang Korngold

production sponsor

Stage Manager | Donna Sharpe Assistant Stage Manager | Nicole Bergen Assistant Stage Manager | Catherine Rouleau Head of Wardrobe | Heather Moore Head Make-Up Artist | Gail Kennedy Head Wig & Hair Artist | Laura de Moissac Head of Props | Laura Anderson Head Scenic Carpenter | John Bouman Head Scenic Painter | Louis Beaudoin Director of Production | Bonni Baynton Technical Director | Mark Leigh Associate Technical Director | Jesse Carroll Production Assistant | Chloe Mohan Calgary Opera is proud to work with the professional stage hands and artisans provided by IATSE Local 212 *Members of the 2015-2016 Emerging Artist Program

DIE TOTE STADT 13

The Dead City By Erich Korngold JAN 30, FEB 3 & 5, 2016

synopsis Act I Paul lives in the home he shared with his late wife, Marie, mourning her loss. The decaying city around him serves as a constant reminder of the past. Paul has transformed one of his rooms into a “temple of memories” in which he has enshrined relics and reminders of his life with Marie, including a treasured braid of her hair. His friend, Frank, comes to visit and Paul tells him of a young woman he just met. Marietta, a dancer, bears an uncanny resemblance to Marie and he has invited her to his home in an effort to bring new life into this place of grief and death. When the girl arrives, Paul is so overwhelmed by her likeness to Marie, that he begins to become confused about her real identity. In the ensuing “play,” she accidentally reveals a portrait of his late wife and realizes their similarity. Hearing friends singing in the street on their way to rehearsal, she departs, while Paul agonizes over his conflicting emotions: loyalty to his dead spouse and desire for her living double. An apparition of Marie appears, counseling Paul to choose the living as the image of the dancer Marietta appears to him. Weeks later, Paul continues to struggle with the boundary between fantasy and reality. He has followed Marietta to her house. He sees his housekeeper, Brigitta, who has left his service due to his perceived “infidelity” to the dead Marie. He tells his friend Frank about his agony, tormented by guilt. Frank is no longer perceived as a friend, but rather a contender for Marietta’s charms.

Act II Marietta and her friends approach as Paul steps into the shadows to secretly observe her. She begins to rehearse a scene she is performing in the ballet Robert le Diable, in which her character rises from the tomb. Paul confronts her, outraged at this mock resurrection and she sends her friends away. Paul angrily denounces Marietta and claims her only attraction is her resemblance to his dead wife. Marietta refuses to believe this and seduces Paul, suggesting they spend a night of love at his home in order to banish the ghost of Marie, once and for all.

Act III The following morning, Marietta confronts Marie’s portrait, triumphant. A religious procession passes by and the couple watch from the window until Paul, overwhelmed, falls to his knees. Marietta is put off by Paul’s piety and she attempts to distract him. They begin to quarrel, with Paul trying to defend himself while Marietta denounces him as a hypocrite and weakling. She begins to dance erotically, taunting him, and drapes Marie’s braid around her neck. Seized with rage, Paul strangles Marietta and proclaims that she has turned into Marie in death. Paul suddenly wakes and realizes that none of these events have actually occurred: the braid is in its usual place. The housekeeper announces Marietta’s return for her umbrella and the roses she left behind when she hastily departed. The young woman suggests to Paul that perhaps she should stay with him; however, Paul appears noncommittal. After Marietta leaves, Frank tries to convince him to abandon Bruges—this city of death—forever. The past is gone and, with it, the love of his life. By Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and Public Relations, The Dallas Opera and adapted by Kelly Robinson.

14 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

Supporting the arts, locally.

BMO Financial Group is proud to sponsor the Calgary Opera and the Canadian premiere of Erich Korngoldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Die Tote Stadt.

Feel emotion beyond emojis. Join Calgary Opera’s Allegro Group and have a real experience.

calgaryopera.com/allegro PRODUCTION - DEAD MAN WALKING (2006) ARTIST - DANIEL OKULITCH PHOTO BY TRUDIE LEE

16 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

A Sad Goodbye

and a

calgary

ROLF BERTSCH MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR

symphony

SEASON 2015-2016

Warm Hello The Calgary Opera Board, Staff, and Volunteers would like to recognize, and thank, Averil Cook for her 23 years with your Calgary Opera. Averil has been an integral part of the Calgary Opera family, acting as the Executive Assistant to W.R. (Bob) McPhee, Calgary Opera General Director and CEO, and overall Den Mother to everyone else. Her guidance and laughter will be missed. We wish her many years of happiness during her, well deserved, retirement. We’d like to welcome our new Director of Artistic Operations, Taras Kulish. Mr. Kulish brings over 25 years of experience to Calgary Opera with close to 20 years as a professional opera singer who performed with companies all over North America and Europe. For the past ten years, he has directed his passion for the arts to administration roles, with the last two years as Executive Director of the McGill Chamber Orchestra, one of Canada’s oldest professional chamber groups. From 2005 to 2012, Mr. Kulish was the founding Artistic Director of the Green Mountain Opera Festival (GMOF), a successful regional opera festival based in Central Vermont.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2016 2:30 pm • Pre-concert chat at 1:45 pm

Arts Commons, Jack Singer Concert Hall Rolf Bertsch, conductor

An exciting program of classical and original music from the Movies! Thomas Yu performs Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, featured in the movie Somewhere in Time.

Featuring

THOMAS YU 15

Admission $25 Senior/Student $18 (includes all fees) Kids 6 & Under FREE

’S 20 C A N A DA

P I ANO

HERO

Tickets at the door, by calling 403-294-9494 or online at artscommons.ca

63 Hamptons Hts. NW Calgary, AB T3A 5W1, Ph. 403 208 8307, suehaukedesign@shaw.ca Publ deadline: January 12, 2016 Client: CALGARY CIVIC SYMPHONY Descr: Scintillating Soundtracks Size: 1/3 page vertical: 3.5 x 6.25” Publication: Calgary Opera, Die Tote Stadt Program (Jan30, Feb3+5, 2016) Colour: CMYK File supplied: HR pdf

Averil Cook

Taras Kulish

DIE TOTE STADT 17

WE MAKE MUSIC TOO! But our instruments are a little different.

Strategic Group is proud to support creativity in Calgary through our sponsorship of the Mamdani Opera Centre.

Learn more about our creative approach at strategicgroup.ca

“Creating value others can’t by seeing what others don’t.”

The Biggest Little Collector Shop in Edmonton

West Edmonton Coin & Stamp RELOCATED To serve you better! Bigger, better, and more to choose from!

2016 Proof Set

#1390 West Edmonton Mall Lower Level, Phase 4 780-444-1156

WE’RE MORE THAN JUST COINS AND STAMPS! Sports Memorabilia & Autographs Sports Cards Action Figures Premium Statues Plush Toys Supplies for Collectibles Gaming Cards Board Games Hot Wheels Coin Banks Canadian Souvenirs & Much More!

18 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

biographies Bramwell Tovey

Heather Moore

Conductor

Costume Designer

GRAMMY and Juno award-winning conductor/ composer Bramwell Tovey was appointed Music Director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 2000. Under his leadership the VSO has toured to China, Korea, across Canada and the United States. Mr. Tovey’s guest appearances in the 15-16 season include the symphonies of Montreal, Melbourne, New Zealand, and Pacific Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York Philharmonic, reprising his programs with both at Bravo! Vail in summer 2016. The summer also includes returns to the Blossom Music Center, Ravinia Festival, and Hollywood Bowl. Calgary Opera commissioned The Inventor for Bramwell Tovey with a libretto by John Murrell which the company premiered in 2011. A recording on Naxos will be issued in 2016.

Heather is honoured to be Costume Designing the Canadian Premiere of Die tote Stadt. As member of Calgary’s esteemed film and television community, her credits include Hellboy, The Assignation of Jesse James, Inception, Hell on Wheels, Interstellar, and most recently Lewis and Clark. A founding member of Calgary’s Ghost River Theatre, her Design credits include Mesa, While My Mother Lay Dreaming, and The Alan Parkinson’s Project, which was nominated for six Betty Mitchell Awards and Six Figures for which she received an AMPIA award nomination for Outstanding Costume Design.

Harry Frehner Lighting Designer

Kelly Robinson Stage Director Kelly Robinson is a director and choreographer whose career spans opera, theatre, film and television. He has directed critically acclaimed productions of standard operas and new productions of such works as Les Pecheurs de Perles and Britten’s The Turn of the Screw. Mr. Robinson’s work has been seen at the National Arts Centre, The Stratford, and Shaw Festivals, Vineyard Theater (New York) and London’s West End. World premieres include the operas Filumena and Lillian Alling by Estacio and Murrell and The Inventor by Bramwell Tovey and Murrell. Recent projects include The Merry Widow for Michigan Opera Theater, Don Giovanni for Opera Santa Barbara, and his last production for Calgary Opera was The Flying Dutchman.

Scott Reid Set and Projection Designer The Flying Dutchman, Otello, The Inventor, Little Women, Dead Man Walking and Faust (Calgary Opera); The Cunning Little Vixen, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Dido & Aeneas (The Banff Centre – Opera Program); Class Acts, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Songs Of A Wayfarer, Requiem (Alberta Ballet); Better Get Hit in Your Soul, The Wilds, and Spontaneous Combustion (DJD); 16 playRites Festivals, True Love Lies, East of Berlin, Half Life (ATP); I’ll Be Back Before Midnight, Vintage Hitchcock, In the Heat of the Night, It Could Be Any One of Us (Vertigo Theatre); 16 playRites Festivals, Venus in Fur, True Love Lies, East of Berlin, Half Life, Oliver Twist, Sitting on Paradise (ATP); Mom’s The Word, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, A Raisin in the Sun (TC/ Soulpepper Theatre Company).

Harry Frehner has designed more than 50 productions for Calgary Opera dating back to 1992. In the past seven years, six of these productions have been nominated for Betty Mitchell Awards, of which two have won. He has lit productions for opera companies in Canada and the US such as Vancouver Opera, Edmonton Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Manitoba Opera, San Diego Opera, Opera Colorado, Arizona Opera and Utah Opera. As well, his work has been seen across Canada at such companies as The Banff Centre, Theatre Calgary, Alberta Theatre Projects, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, Stratford and Shaw Festivals and Ballet BC. Recently, Harry designed a very successful production of Nixon in China with Wide Open Opera in Dublin.

Gérard Théorêt Movement/Dance Consultant Gérard Théorêt is a former soloist with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and has worked with such dance and theatre luminaries as Agnes DeMille, Gillian Lynne, Hal Prince, and Anne Reinking. Trained in Britain as an actor, he has performed roles from Shakespeare to Lloyd Webber including two seasons at the Stratford Festival. From 1991 to 1997 he toured as Associate Director with Phantom of the Opera. He was a professor of Drama at the University of Alberta and Full Professor in Dance at Cornish College of the arts. For five years he toured with Cirque du Soleil as Artistic Director of Corteo (2007-10) and performing the role of The Baron in Saltimbanco (2010-12). He is a founding member of Men In Dance in Seattle where he currently resides. He works internationally as a master teacher, choreographer, and director. This marks his seventh collaboration with Kelly Robinson. Always a pleasure.

DIE TOTE STADT 19

biographies Lyne Fortin

Emilia Boteva

Soprano

Mezzo-soprano

Marie/Marietta

Brigitta

Lyne Fortin is one of Canada’s leading sopranos, with appearances with L’Opera de Montreal, Canadian Opera Company, Vancouver Opera, Opera Saskatchewan, Calgary Opera, Edmonton Opera, Opera de Quebec and Opera Hamilton. In the United States, she has appeared with the Baltimore Opera, Seattle Opera, Connecticut Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Pacific, Arizona Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Akron Symphony, the New Jersey State Opera and Portland Opera. She has also sung at the Vlaamse Opera in Belgium and Scottish Opera. Recent engagements include Alice Ford in Falstaff for the Canadian Opera Company and Opera de Quebec and Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth for Pacific Opera Victoria and Kentucky Opera. Fortin will also play Marietta in Die tote Stadt for the National Reisopera in the Netherlands.

Canadian-Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Emilia Boteva made her professional debut at the State Opera House in Sofia and has appeared there in such roles as Ulrica, Azucena, Maddalena, Fenena, Eboli and Amneris. Last April, Ms. Boteva was in Mexico City for performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with Orchesta Sinfonica National de Mexico and was previously heard there in Verdi’s Requiem. She was well-received in Chicago at the Grant Park Festival for Alexander Nevsky and also recently appeared for Edmonton Opera as Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin, for Opera Tampa as Ulrica in Ballo In Maschera and for Opéra de Montréal as Mary in Der Fliegende Holländer and Azucena in Il Trovatore with Opera Manitoba. She last performed with Calgary Opera playing Mary in The Flying Dutchman.

David Pomeroy

Chelsea Van pelt

Tenor

Soprano

Paul

Juliette

Canadian tenor David Pomeroy is enjoying a career that is placing him in the spotlight on some of the world’s most important stages. The Newfoundland native made his Metropolitan Opera debut, portraying the title role of Hoffmann in Les Contes d’Hoffmann opposite soprano Anna Netrebko under the baton of Maestro James Levine. Mr. Pomeroy had sung the title role of Faust with bass James Morris in the annual “Met in the Parks” concert series, and has since performed Faust under Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Romeo under Placido Domingo at the MET. In the current season he made his debut as Paul in Die tote Stadt in Frankfurt, Henri in Les vêpres siciliennes with The Royal Danish Opera, and he will sing Don Jose in Carmen with Canadian Opera Company. David last performed with Calgary Opera as Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly.

Brett Polegato Baritone

Frank/Fritz One of today’s most sought-after lyric baritones on the international stage, Brett Polegato’s artistic sensibility has earned him the highest praise from audiences and critics. Since finishing first among the men at the 1995 Cardiff Singer of the World competition, his career has encompassed over fifty operatic roles (notably the title roles of Eugene Onegin and Don Giovanni, Il Conte Almaviva, Le nozze di Figaro and Pelléas (Pelléas et Mélisande) at the world’s most prestigious venues. Engagements this season include Zurga Pearl Fishers (Seattle Opera) and Kurwenal Tristan und Isolde (Théâtre des ChampsElysées). Highlights last season included Kurwenal (Opéra National de Bordeaux); Eugene Onegin and Marcello La bohème (both Grange Park Opera); and Lieutenant Audebert Silent Night (Calgary Opera). He last performed with Calgary Opera this summer as Pooh-Bah in The Mikado. 20 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

Soprano Chelsea Van Pelt hails from St. Thomas, Ontario and recently graduated with a Masters of Music from the University of Toronto. A student of Wendy Nielsen, Ms. Van Pelt performs frequently in both opera and concert. Past engagements include Schubert’s Mass in G, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Magnificat, Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Vespers, Jenkins’ Mass for Peace, Mozart’s Missa Brevis and Haydn’s Creation. Recent opera roles include Cendrillon in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Mme. Lidoine in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmelites. Ms. Van Pelt has received additional training from COSI, Opera NUOVA, The Bach Festival of Canada, the Halifax Summer Opera Festival, and St. Andrews Opera Workshop. Ms. Van Pelt is part of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist program, and performed Rose in Calgary Opera’s 2015 production of Lakmé.

Stephanie Tritchew Mezzo-Soprano

Lucienne Mezzo-Soprano Stephanie Tritchew is currently in her second year of the Emerging Artist program at Calgary Opera. She has an Opera Diploma from the University of Toronto Opera School as well as a BMus and an MMus from the University of Western Ontario. Operatic roles include L’enfant L’enfant et les sortilege, Mercédès Carmen, Madeleine Audebert Silent Night, Nancy Albert Herring, Mrs. Grose Turn of the Screw, Cherubino Le nozze di Figaro, and Prince Orlovsky Die Fledermaus. She is excited to perform with Calgary Opera this season as a member of the Emerging Artist program, and as a member of Gerdine Young Artist Program at the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in 2016.

Kevin Myers

Donna Sharpe

Tenor

Stage Manager

Gaston/Victorin Tenor Kevin Myers was born and raised in Deep River, Ontario and completed his undergraduate and graduate degrees at McGill University. Highlights from his time at McGill include Lysander in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. He was lucky enough to study with renowned coaches Louise Pelletier, Esther Gonthier and Michael McMahon. In 2012, Mr. Myers was selected as a laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques and toured China performing opera in concert with that organization. In 2013 he performed the role of Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore with Opera NUOVA in Edmonton, and in 2014 he won the grand prize at the Festivale de Musique du Royaume and also became part of Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Program. In 2015, he performed Hadji in Calgary Opera’s Lakmé.

Jason Ragan Tenor

Count Albert (Graf) Born and raised in Magrath, Alberta, Tenor Jason Ragan recently completed a Masters of Music from the University of Western Ontario, under the tutelage of Theodore Baerg. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Lethbridge where he studied with Blaine Hendsbee. Mr. Ragan’s recent roles include Gonzalve (L’heure espagnole), Ramiro (La Cenerentola), Male Chorus (Rape of Lucretia) with UWOpera, Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni) with Accademia Europea Dell’Opera, the title role in Britten’s Albert Herring with Opera NUOVA, as well as Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), and Tamino (The Magic Flute) with University of Lethbridge Opera Workshop. Mr. Ragan has also been a featured soloist in Handel’s Messiah with both the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra and the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra. Jason is delighted to be performing with Calgary Opera as a member of its Emerging Artist program.

Christopher Mokrzewski Repetiteur Conductor, pianist and vocal coach Christopher “Topher” Mokrzewski is a steadily rising figure in the worlds of Canadian opera and chamber music. He is in his second season as Calgary Opera’s Resident Conductor, and is a founding member and Music Director of Toronto’s Against the Grain Theatre and music director of the Open Space Opera Program at The Banff Centre. A graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, the Eastman School of Music and the Music Academy of the West, Mokrzewski has been described by music critic John Terauds as “one of those bright, eager, whip-smart young artists who could give even the most hardened cynic a jolt of optimism about the future of classical music and opera.” He was also named one of CBC Music’s “Hot 30 Classical Musicians under 30” in 2013. Mokrzewski last conducted The Mikado for Calgary Opera (2015).

This is Donna’s 13th season with Calgary Opera. Select Calgary Opera credits include three seasons of Opera in the Village, the Canadian premieres of Silent Night and Moby-Dick, Aida, The Flying Dutchman, The Marriage of Figaro, Madame Butterfly, The Italian Girl in Algiers, La Traviata, Falstaff, Otello, Pagliacci, Gianni Schicchi, Carmen. Selected assistant stage managing credits include Dead Man Walking (Canadian Premiere), Frobisher (World Premiere), The Inventor (World Premiere), Don Giovanni, Barber of Seville, Faust, Tosca, Sweeney Todd, Little Women, Lucia, Manon, Rigoletto. Ms. Sharpe enjoys working with Calgary Opera’s young artists (The Rape of Lucretia, Così fan tutte and Christmas at the Opera).

Nicole Bergen Assistant Stage Manager Nicole Bergen works as a stage manager and assistant stage manager in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Past shows include The Magic Flute, Carmen, The Marriage of Figaro, Don Pasquale, and Madama Butterfly (SM, Saskatoon Opera), Silent Night, Candide, The Flying Dutchman, The Pirates of Penzance, La Traviata, Otello, La bohème, Moby Dick, Aida, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Manon (ASM, Calgary Opera), Ariodante and What Brought Us Here (SM, Calgary Opera, second stage), and Little Women, Turn of the Screw and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (ASM, The Banff Centre). This season’s shows include The Mikado, Lakmé, Die tote Stadt, and The Magic Flute (ASM, Calgary Opera).

Catherine Rouleau Assistant Stage Manager Originally from Montréal, Catherine Rouleau is always happy to return to Calgary Opera. Favourite credits include: as ASM: Carmen, Lakmé (Calgary Opera); La Bohème, Dead Man Walking, Die Fledermaus, Faust, The Flying Dutchman, Il Trovatore, Lakmé, Manon, Porgy and Bess, Rigoletto, Roberto Devereux, Rusalka, Salome, Simon Boccanegra, Werther (Opéra de Montréal); Carmen (Vancouver Opera); Das Reingold (OSM). As Stage Manager: Kruger Brothers (The Banff Centre); Je m’appelle Marilyn (GlobeBulle Rouge); Magic Flute, La Veuve Joyeuse (CEGEP of St-Laurent); Les Amis (CEGEP of St-Hyacinthe); Zoofest. As an Apprentice: Don Carlo (Vancouver Opera); Lillian Alling (The Banff Centre); The Italian Girl in Algiers (Calgary Opera).

DIE TOTE STADT 21

by Stephen bonfield When I first heard the dreamscape opera Die Tote Stadt, I was moved by its story as much as by its music. Die tote Stadt is a melodist’s dream set in a nightmare of suffering and grief. The opera’s theme, which had strong appeal with audiences at that time, concerns a man (Paul) who cannot recover from the ongoing trauma he continues to suffer over the loss of his wife Marie, an apt storyline for a 1920s post-First World War audience. Paul meets Marietta (a shadowy version of Marie) and believes her to be a kind of re-incarnation of his lost wife. He struggles through a series of Marietta’s flirtations, with him and with others. Marietta’s striking resemblance to Marie drives Paul to the brink of madness, then to acceptance of the delusion’s power, and finally to rejection of the ghostly imitation. He finally awakens from his dream to realize that he is alive in a dead city where he has made his delusions of torment thrive, the very ones he must now leave behind. Korngold’s deep involvement with the Viennese circle of composers, his wunderkind talent, a splendid sense of dramatic execution and melodic turn-of-phrase made him the ideal composer for such a serious work. Criticized for his openly tonal and all-too-accessible melodies, Korngold’s youthful masterpiece nevertheless revealed an appeal not only to the popular taste that he would go on to mine considerably when he moved to Hollywood, but also to a remarkable capacity to paint the richly sophisticated, inner psychological drama unfolding within, via a detailed orchestration technique that earned him the praise of every great composer who heard him. Korngold’s gripping, internally-told story arc is not mere Debussyan dream. The expressionist brightness of the musical language, including an orchestral brilliance crossing somewhere between Wagner, Mahler and Strauss, remains uniquely the

22 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

young composer’s own and was rightly considered to be a tremendous accomplishment for such a fledging work. Blending story and sound, melody and orchestration, while skillfully representing these features with the outer with the inner worlds of Paul’s grief was taken to be something of a miracle for a young composer at the age of 23. But such an accomplishment in compositional technique was also the fashion of the time: Korngold was only following in the footsteps of many a Viennese composer such as Schönberg and Zemlinsky (his teacher, in fact) by seeking innovative new ways to paint the psychological canvas in musical terms. Like most everyone, I love the solo and duet of Marietta’s Lautenlied 20 minutes into the opera, its dreamy invitation seducing a mentally very vulnerable Paul to delve deeper into his dream-state. My two favourite parts of the opera are the end of the second act, in which Paul finally embraces Marietta, his dream, falling into his delusion even deeper, and the last twenty minutes of the opera, in which Paul finally escapes his dreamstate. Some of the most powerful singing of the post-First World War period may be found here, especially when Paul reprises the final verses of the Lautenlied at the end of the opera to show his calm acceptance of reality: Marie is gone, and he won’t see her again. It was all a fantasy, a dream that Marietta showed him, in the end to heal his grief. The opera’s conclusion is heartbreaking and tragic, but oddly purging and freeing of our own pent-up feelings of the many losses we have all endured of loved ones. The opera reaches its goal admirably – we can all be cured by Korngold’s densely colourful psychological tone palette of complexity lensing our own grief, but only if we willingly allow his music do its work. Lyrical, violent, pounding, aggressive, ecstatic, tectonic, rainbowed, then sublime, liberating, and blissfully illuminative — Die tote Stadt has it all.

LAKMÉ By Léo Delibes

DIE TOTE STADT 23

calgary opera chorus SOPRANOS

MEZZO-SOPRANOS

TENORS

Melissa Jackson Barbara Thorson Shannon Maynes Janel Snyder

Val Hudson Carolyn Dahl Reese Eswina Ngai Donna Romano

Josh Paynter J.T. Steenkamp Stuart Miller Troy Lewis

BARITONES/ BASSES Graham Paynter Les Antoniuk Mark Hahle Payam Zandiyeh

Supernumeraries Kimberly Ilott Lindsay Bowman Lisbeth Maidment Michael Roik Elljay Timmangen Josh Bagby

CHILD

Kash Hill

calgary philharmonic orchestra Music Director Roberto Minczuk FIRST VIOLINS

VIOLaS

OBOES

TROMBONES

John Lowry - Concertmaster David Lakirovich - Associate Concertmaster Diana Cohen Donovan Seidle Hyewon Kim Olga Kotova Bonnie Louie David Lakirovich Lenora Leggatt Eva Sztrain Michele Kwon Sanja Suplevska

Laurent Grillet Marcin Swoboda Peter Blake Arthur Bachmann Carl Boychuk Jeremy Bauman

Jean Landa David Sussman Aura Pon

Michael Thomson James Scott Greg Burns David Reid

SECOND VIOLINS Lorna Tsai Stephanie Soltice-Johnson Adriana Lebedovich Jeremy Gabbert Steven Lubiarz Craig Hutchenreuther Theresa Lane Lindsey Herle

CELLI Philip Hansen David Morrissey Josue Valdepenas Tom Mirhady Thomas Megee Joan Kent

BASSES

CLARINETS Steve Amsel Jocelyn Colquhoun Stan Climie

TUBA

BASSOONS

Alex Cohen

Christopher Sales Michael Hope Krista Wodelet

HORNS

Charles Garrett Sheila Garrett Patricia Reid Graeme Mudd

Robert McCosh Jennifer Frank-Umana William Hopson Laurie Matiation Heather Wootton

FLUTES

TRUMPETS

Gwen Klassen Sarah Gieck Mary Sullivan

Adam Zinatelli Howard Engstrom Richard Scholz

Michael Eastep

TIMPANI PERCUSSION Timothy Borton Mike Schuett Malcolm Lim

HARP Tisha Murvihill Gianetta Baril

KEYBOARD Rolf Bertsch Christopher Mokrzewski Adam Johnson

LIBRARIAN Rob Grewcock

24 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

Adam Zinatelli, Principal Trumpet

What’s it Like for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra? At Calgary Opera, we are so appreciative to have the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO), an amazing arts organization in our city, to partner with. Without their talented musicians, our operas would not be the robust musical experience they are. Die tote Stadt is a complex piece, one of the main reasons Maestro Bramwell Tovey agreed to conduct it for us. We understand this from an opera and production perspective, but were interested to find out what being part of this Canadian premiere was like for the orchestra. Adam Zinatelli, Principal Trumpet with the CPO for the last 7 years was kind enough to take some time to share his perspective on playing Erich Korngold and Die tote Stadt. It wasn’t Korngold’s operatic works that first reached Adam’s ears, it was the movie scores of Spartacus and The Sea Hawk. “When first listening to Korngold,” says Adam, “you can tell right away he writes wonderful brass and trumpet parts, and that there’s so much depth to the material.” In 2014, Adam played in the CPO’s concert featuring The Adventures of Robin Hood, the movie score that won

Korngold the Oscar. Korngold was the first composer ever to do so, as up to that point, the Oscar was presented to the studio head of the music department. “Robin Hood is very different from Die tote Stadt,” says Adam. “Die tote Stadt is complex and can be more closely compared to the work of Strauss, specifically his operas Elektra and Salome.” When asked if he looks forward to playing this type of work he replied, “Absolutely, Die tote Stadt is a good one. There’s a lot for everyone to do; I think every player in the orchestra will be challenged and rewarded by living with this piece.” Luckily, Bramwell Tovey will be leading the CPO. Bramwell is a GRAMMY and Juno award-winning conductor/composer, who’ll be guest appearing with a number or orchestras around the world over the 2015-16 season, so we’re very proud to have him back. Adam previously worked with Bramwell on Calgary Opera’s The Inventor, an original work composed by Tovey. “He’s an excellent conductor and a wonderful musician that bring great insight to those he works with,” says Adam, “he’s also a very witty guy!” So it looks like we’re in good hands once again, with Adam and the rest of the CPO orchestra playing this great piece, and Bramwell Tovey conducting it. We hope you enjoy Die tote Stadt, the biggest hit of its day, one we’re happy to finally share with Canada.

a lot for everyone to do; I think every player in the “There’s orchestra will be challenged and rewarded by living with this piece.

”

DIE TOTE STADT 25

ARTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS. Download the free app today.

Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

DISCOVER CALIFORNIA WINES

calgaryopera.com/winefair ThIS IS A FuNDRAISER bENEFITINg CALgARy OpERA

The largest tasting tour of California wines in Canada TuESDAy, ApRIL 26, 2016

FESTIVAL DES VINS

7:00 pm – 9:30 pm, pALOmINO ROOm, bmO CENTRE AT STAmpEDE pARk

$65 EARLy bIRD pRICE gST INCLuDED until February 1, 2016 $75 gST INCLuDED aFter February 1, 2016

W I N E FA I R

20 FEBRUARY

18 FEBRUARY

with Angela Hewitt

with Angela Hewitt 27 FEBRUARY

26 FEBRUARY

with Inon Barnatan

with Simone Lamsma

NAOMI & JOHN LACEY VIRTUOSO PROGRAM

CALGARYPHIL.COM | 403.571.0849 DIE TOTE STADT 27

West Hillhurst School Education programs are an essential part of Calgary Opera’s mandate to enrich the experiences of our current patrons and build future audiences through direct outreach. Calgary Opera’s Let’s Create an Opera program has been successfully teaching children about the process of opera creation for over ten years. For the schools involved, it is a full year of creative and engaging teamwork towards a final product, a completely original opera. On November 18, 2015, Hillhurst School unveiled their opera’s libretto. It was the first time many of the students and teachers had participated in Let’s Create an Opera and all were very excited to be a part of the year-long process of working toward the common goal of music education and performance.

based around the theme of inclusion, which is an environment the school strives to provide. The opera has comedy, adventure, dancing and interesting characters. “It’s delightful to see students discovering opera and really feeling like they own it, and that it’s a form that means something to them,” says Aaron. “I love watching kids push past their inhibitions or fears and discover the courage to sing out. Having the courage to use your full voice is a huge achievement.” After the libretto is revealed, composer John Abram works with the students to create melodies, record them and add accompaniment ready for performance. They learn that working together as a creative team can lead to extraordinary things. “The best thing is how the students take ownership of their work,” says John. “This sense of accomplishment, and the justifiable pride they take in their opera is truly priceless.”

Librettist Aaron Coates has been a part of the program for seven years. The opera being created by Hillhurst School is

delightful to see students discovering opera and really feeling “It’s like they own it, and that it’s a form that means something to them.” 28 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

Investing in our communities Repsol is a proud educational sponsor of the Calgary Opera

music is what feelings sound like...

calgary.com A proud sponsor of the Calgary Opera

DIE TOTE STADT 29

Flying solo. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t study for the test. Or spend Saturday p ra c t i c i n g t h re e - p o i nt t u r n s at the mall. But we did fuel the car for this newfound freedom. When the energy you invest in life meets the energy we fuel it with, independence happens.

ONE NATION UNDER THE ARTS We live in a country with a rich and deep appreciation for arts and culture, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re committed to fund programs that enable Canadians of all means and backgrounds to enjoy the very best. Proud supporter of the Calgary Opera and proudly Canadian.

30 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

Emerging Artists Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artists continue to be busy into 2016 with several exciting projects right up to April. After a very successful run of Christmas at the Opera, the eight members are back for what promises to be a very active January to April schedule. You will be seeing four members tonight, as part of the cast of Die tote Stadt. Kevin Myers, Jason Ragan, Chelsea Van Pelt, and Stephanie Tritchew all have prominent roles as members of Marietta’s commedia dell’arte/circus troupe. In addition, David Diston, Melissa Peiou, and Andrea Núñez are acting as formal ‘covers’ for the mainstage singers – attending rehearsals and prepared to go on at a moment’s notice, should a member of the cast be unable to. The school tour of Mozart’s The Magic Flute begins rehearsals on February 1 and then tours from February 16 – March 19 including a final CENOVUS sponsored week throughout Southern Alberta including Medicine Hat, Gem, Rosemary, Bassano, Brooks, Rolling Hills, Drumheller and Airdrie. The Magic Flute school tour is once again directed by Aaron Coates who will be providing a week of Acting Improvisation training for the Emerging Artists during rehearsals. Returning Emerging Artists are still talking about how much they enjoyed the sessions last year and are looking forward to it again this year. Adopt an Artist patrons Anonymous Terence & Judith Dalgleish Beverley & David Foy Cos & Eleanor Gabriele Brian Grasmuck Monica Sloan & John Evison Don Swystun & Kerrie Penney Marian Williams

We acknowledge the generous support of the Dr. R.G. (Bud) Williams Emerging Artist Scholarship Fund

As part of the Emerging Artist program, several prominent nationally-famous experts in the vocal field are coming to Calgary to work with the Emerging Artists to further their training and expand their repertoire. • Kinza Tyrrell, from Vancouver Opera will be coaching the Artists in operatic repertoire and specific skills associated with Recitative; • Nancy Argenta, an internationally famous performer soloist in the works of Handel, Bach, Mozart with her specialty being Oratorio works; • and Peter Tiefenbach, from the Glenn Gould Studio of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, who’s always fascinating insight into Cabaret, Music Theatre and Operetta repertoire provides a unique experience for the Emerging Artists each year.

They will add their valuable contact with the Emerging Artists to the countless hours provided throughout the year by others working with them, including Resident Voice Teacher, Dawn Johnson, Movement Instructor, Tara Blue, Guest Voice Teacher, Tracy Dahl, Vocal Coach, Michael McMahon, and Acting Instructor and Director, Rob Herriot. They as well as many of the mainstage singers and conductors furnish the enriching environment which enhances the already formidable talent of the Emerging Artists.

Emerging Artist Development Program Supported by

DIE TOTE STADT 31

corporate and community support Community Supporters Alberta Foundation for the Arts Alberta Lottery Fund Calgary Arts Development Canada Council for the Arts Canadian Heritage Southern Alberta Opera Development Foundation

Media Sponsors

Calgary Herald Global Calgary Pattison Outdoor Playhouse Publications Swerve

Official Suppliers

Community Outreach Sponsor Cenovus Energy

Heavens Fitness Group Kensington Wine Market Peaseblossoms Structured Abstraction

Season Sponsor

Consulting Professionals

Husky Energy

Emerging Artist Development Program Supporters

Enbridge Inc. RBC Financial Group through RBC Emerging Artists Project

Mainstage Media Sponsor The Calgary Herald

Performance & Program Sponsors BMO Financial Group KPMG McLeod Law Nexen Energy, a CNOOC Limited Company Repsol Group Sun Life Financial TD Bank

Opera in the Village Presenting Sponsor Imperial

Opera in the Village Supporters

Alberta Government ATCO Structures & Logistics Calgary Arts Development Calgary Hotel Association Calgary Municipal Land Corporation City of Calgary Department of Canadian Heritage – The Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program Tourism Calgary

Opera in the Village Sponsors Embassy BOSSA Enmax FRAM & Slokker Knightsbridge Stuart Olson

Dr. Phillip Van de Merwe – Company Physician Robert Moffatt – Company Piano Technician

Individual Donors Naming Benefactor Mamdani Opera Centre Riaz Mamdani

Major Gift Donors

The Late Evelyn C. Kings Dick Matthews Memorial Fund at The Calgary Foundation Pyke Family Marian Williams

Voce Eterna Future Fund

We acknowledge the generous support of Dr. R.G. (Bud) Williams, Emerging Artist Scholarship Fund Brian Grasmuck

Impresario Circle Platinum

Andrea Brussa Judith & Terry Dalgleish Stewart & Eileen Ford David & Beverley Foy Evan J. Hazell Diane Hobson Dawn & Verne Johnson Mary Rozsa de Coquet Monica Sloan & John Evison Don Swystun Sheila Wappel-McLean & Brent McLean

Gold

Anonymous (2) Tunde Agbi Carolyn Dahl Rees Lilien Dobish Don & Joanne Edie Edmonton Community Foundation

32 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

Susan & Dan Ezinga Cos & Eleanor Gabriele Rebecca Hotchkiss Christel & Ben Johansson McLean & Partners Geri & Alan Moon Kathy & Richard Sendall C.A. Siebens

Silver

Anonymous Sharon Bartley Jo Anne Britton Alan D. Castle Walter & Gloria Chayka Maureen & Graham Davies M.A. Duggan Paul English & Marion Woodman M.J. Kandt David & Joyce Keith Kevin Konynenbelt Juri & Helle Kraav Sian Matthews & Gerry Leudy Vickie & Russell McKinnnon Patricia & J. Sherrold Moore Heather Peters Helen M. Wells

Bronze

Anonymous Alan D Castle Endowment for the Arts David Daly David & Roxanne Dunlop Margaret & Robert Fraleigh Eldon & Carlie-Jean Godfrey Stella Hall Michael & Carmen Hardcastle John & Susan McWilliams Marilyn Milavsky Osten Victor Fund Barbara Palmer Roger & Pam Prior Cynthia Sim Tamra Stretch Arlene Strom & Colin Jackson Henriette & Kees van Ittersum Andy & Krystyna Williamson Janice Woodward

Core

Anonymous Irene M. Bakker Micheline Barbeau Dr. Ken Blair / Rev. James Farrell Susanne & Michael Brown Ian & Gwen Burgess Meredith & Pat Cashion Judge (Ret) & Mrs. Mary Jane Cioni Helen & Mark Cluett Catrin Coe Marilyn Conley Kirsten Cook-Zaba & Dwayne Zaba Gizella Davis

Ioan Dobre & Claudia Cattaneo Anne-Marie & Bill Duma Michael Fawcett Tibor & Livia Fekete Brian & Stephanie Felesky Angie Gélinas Patricia Glenn & John Holgate Patricia & Paul Godard Niki & Craig Golinowski Joyce Gray David R. Haigh Stella Hall Lynda Hay Judith Hepner Mark & Nancy Heule Henry & Johanna Heuver Richard D. & Phoebe Heyman Carrol Jaques & Bob Loov Glenn Johanson & Margaret Gibson Kimberley & Paul Lloyd Jay MacGillvray Brian P. Mahoney Dennis & Maureen McConaghy Lachlin & Julianne McKinnon W.R. (Bob) McPhee Helen Moore-Parkhouse Bruce & Branca Pachkowski Jocelyne Daw & Bob Page Lorne & Beth Price Gail & Gerard Protti Ruth & Garry Ramsden-Wood Greta Raymond Agnes & Edward Rewucki Iris Richards Marion Rogers Gordon W. Ross & Richard Cote Joanne Stalinski Gordon Sombrowski & Kevin Allen Alan & Amber Stewart Cheryl Swan Richard & Shannon Tanner Kenneth & Faye Turnbull Dan & Molly Wares Maurice & Anne Petrie Yacowar

Individual Donors $500 - $1,249

Anonymous (3) Tina Antony & Tom Stepperd Louise Berlin Edna M. Charchuk Peter Claghorn Ted & Yanka Cochrane Deborah Cullen Tony & Gillean Daffern John & Audrey Fry Robert & Linda Heidemann Rizwan Hirjee James Hughes Sheilagh Langille Jack & Sandra Lee JoAnn McCaig

Janis & Bruce Morrison Gary Nissen Dr. Brian Norford Donna Riback Mark Saar Cam & Helga Schneider Maggie Schofield Betty Ann Smith Melanie Stapleton Greg Szuch Colleen Wilson Kathryn & Robert Worthingham Jerilyn Wright

$250 - $499

Anonymous (4) Karen Bates George Bezaire A.J. Brown & R.B. Beaty Michael Gerken & Gerlinde Metz Ms. Mary Lou Higgins Gregory & Alison Hild P. Kornacki Derek & Nancy Lee Robert & Linda Lesoway Stephen Mahler John Martland Outi McEachern Brian Mills & Susan Tyrrell Paddon Hughes Development Co. John & Jean Partridge Pamela Smith Barry & Gail Pollock Francis Price Kirsten Pugh Vera A. Ross Douglas Soeder Kathie & Bill Stell Andrew Cook & Shannon Stevenson Laurie & Doug Strother Robert E. Woodrow

$100 - $249

Anonymous (20) Beth & Peter Adams Carol & Chris Archer Daen Ashantiva Alireza Azmudeh Marian Beer Jeanette & Rudy Berger Pieter Bessem & Heather Fraser Patrick Blancher Katri Bruen Marion Burrus David & Sebina Butts Marie Cameron Heather Campbell Anita Carey Heidi Clark David Caulfield Catrin Coe Frances V. Cormack

Bonnie Costello Greg Coupal Craighead Family Dr. D. Demetrick & Dr. L. DiFrancesco John & Mari Jo deWaal Ann Donald C. Morag Dornian Denis & Pat Duke Edi J. Dygert J. Brian Ellis Ms. Judy Ernst & Mr. Gary Gelderblaum Miriam Field Barbara & Larry Fish Mr. Scott Forsyth Catherine Fraser John & Marilynne Gillespie L & M Gregoret Joseph & Irene Grier David Hobill Carla Hos Sandra Hunt McDonald Helen Isaac Tanya Jellicoe Margaret Johnson In Memory of Judith Kellock Sheila Kirkland Mr. Robert Kitchen Dennis Kreptul & Anne Tierney Taras Kulish Sandra & Al Lucas Brenda-Ann Marks Philip & Eleanor May Karen McCullough Neil McDermid James & Donna McDonald Thelma McDonald Karen D. McKay Howard & Janet McLean Rose Monea Dr. Darlene Montgomery Jock & Diana Osler A. Patterson Karen Patterson Barry Paxton L. Percifield Roger Pilkington Erika Pochailo Peter Rallios Marlene & Norm Raymond Dr. T.D. Regehr Chere Reilly Paul Sacco Mr & Mrs James Scott Bruce Seifred Robert & Tamara Seiler Doris & Gerard Sheilan Betty Ann Sherwood Geoffrey & Joan Simmins Ken & Barb Smith Leonard Smith Penny Smith

John & Donna Spronk David Tavender Peg Taylor Nancy Tousley Cameron Albert Vonhof & Nydia Jaramillo Mr. Steven Weisbrod Caroline Weisgerber Helene White Tom Wilcock T.W. Wilson Mike & Dawn Wood Susan Woods Justin Woolsey Bryan Wright Herrat Zahner Del & Marjorie Zingle John Zubis

Adopt an Artist Donors Anonymous Judith & Terry Dalgleish David & Beverley Foy Cos & Eleanor Gabriele Brian Grasmuck Monica Sloan & John Evison Don Swystun & Kerrie Penney Marian Williams

Die tote Stadt Fund

Anonymous (3) Jo Anne Britton Ian & Gwen Burgess Alan D. Castle Carolyn Dahl Rees Paul & Kathy Dornian Anne-Marie & Bill Duma Paul English & Marion Woodman Joyce & David Keith Juri & Helle Kraav Ron Mannix Osten Victor Fund Trudy Payne Kathy & Richard Sendall

Verne & Dawn Johnson Lee Krywitsky Joe & Vivian Lougheed Mr. R.N. Mannix Peter Mansbridge Marilyn Milavsky Marlin Miller Leah Morton Susan Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Robert Sartor Karen Skjei Monica Sloan & John Evison Howard B. Small Doug Smith Betty Stein Sheila Wappel-McLean & Brent McLean Cathi Williams Andrew & Krystyna Williamson

Memorials

In Memory of Roger Baekeland In Memory of Judy Hartwell In Memory of Tom & Karen Jones In Memory of Elinor Rae In Memory of Isobel Temple

Special Thanks

Susana Veres Anne Ngyuen Tyler Ayres Dance and Aerial Decidedly Jazz Danceworks Theatre Calgary Vancouver Opera Alberta Ballet Haya Stein of Ethos Bridal A Vintage Affair Thea at MetamorphDK Laura Anderson and Deb Day And Krista Argale of MiesmesaBerni Latvia for her beautiful animal masks

Gala Training Fund

Caroline Banks Joan Booth Robert & Kathleen Booth Rachel Goldenberg Claudia Cattaneo Walter & Gloria Chayka Carolyn Dahl Rees Judith & Terence Dalgleish Morris Dancyger Kevin Dehod Wayne Foo Beverley & David Foy Brian Grasmuck Dick & Lois Haskayne David P. Hird Professional Corporation Mrs. Rebecca Hotchkiss Jerilyn Wright & Associates

DIE TOTE STADT 33

We’ve grown our Facebook likes 41% in the last year.

In the last year, our tweets have received over 296,600 impressions (views).

Busiest time of the year on social is August during Opera in the Village (114,000 impressions on twitter in August 2014 alone!)

Calgary Opera’s social media is most active at 4PM.

We have 8360 followers on Twitter. Our tweets have been retweeted over 700 times in the last year

On average, our posts get viewed by over 3,100 people. in the last year, the day with the most reach, reached over 34,000 people!

We’ve gained 1025 followers in the last year, an increase of 14%.

Calgary Opera’s posts have appeared in 44 different languages around the world!

CALGA RY OP ER A ON SOC IA L

Like us on facebook.com/CalgaryOpera

indulge for a day, two, three...

Reservation: 1-800-661-1586

Furniture with tons of wow factor. As in, “Wow, I can’t believe it’s all La-Z-Boy.”

If you thought you knew La-Z-Boy, think again. There are so many great-looking options, from sofas to chairs to sectionals and more — all with the La-Z-Boy comfort you’ve come to know and trust. If you still can’t believe it, just wait until you sit down. Deerfoot Meadows • Northland • CrossIron Common • 403-253-1000 lazboy.com/calgary