Calgary Opera program - Lakmé

Nov 21, 25 & 27, 2015

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

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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

Director

Jay MacGillivray

Jerilyn Wright

Director

Chair, Special Events

Structured Abstraction

Jerilyn Wright & Associates

4 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

message from the

chair | michael brown

On behalf of the Calgary Opera Board of Directors, I am pleased to welcome you to the 2015-2016 Mainstage season for Calgary Opera. I am very proud to be part of this wonderful organization in my first season as Chair of the Calgary Opera Board of Directors, and I’m thankful for this opportunity to serve the community. My involvement with Calgary Opera began three years ago, when the Opera partnered with the Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) to bring Opera in the Village into the East Village community.

Since then I have fallen in love with opera, and firmly believe in this art form’s power to move us.

Calgary Opera’s impact on Calgary’s East Village highlights the important role the Arts play in a healthy and vibrant city. The Performing Arts are the heart and soul of Calgary that helps people feel better connected with our community. The Arts bring us together and inspire us.

Community is what fuels this organization, and we receive funding from three distinct groups in our community – all three levels of Government, our corporate sponsors and supporters, and through individual contributions. The funding we receive from all of our supporters helps bring the magic of Opera alive not only on the mainstage, but in our schools, community halls, and neighbourhoods.

We are so grateful for the support we receive from our sponsors and corporate supporters (see page 6). Our gratitude goes out to Husky Energy, our Season Sponsor, and Cenovus Energy, our Community Outreach Sponsor. Calgary Opera welcomes our newest corporate partner, Strategic Group, who will help ensure our building, the Mamdani Opera Centre, continues to play an important role providing space for

Calgary’s cultural community.

(See page 17) We also thank our Government funders: The Canada Council for the Arts, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and Calgary Arts Development Authority.

More than ever, your individual contributions are so important to the investment of arts and opera in our community. Our individual donors are some of our closest friends and are truly Champions of Music and Opera in our community.

Through your support our Emerging Artist Program will continue to develop the next generation of Canadian opera singers, and our eight singers allow Calgary Opera more opportunities for community engagement. As part of their activities the Emerging Artists will go into schools and community halls next spring to reach over 12,000 students and community members. (See page 9) Through all three levels of community support Calgary Opera continues to produce world-class opera, spur innovative works and programs, and to enhance our community through opera.

message from the

general director and ceo | W.R. (Bob) McPhee, C.M. As the crisp autumn weather has settled in Calgary and the chill of winter is just around the corner, we warmly welcome you back to the Jubilee Auditorium for the first of our three mainstage operas of the season, and a first ever production of Lakmé on the mainstage.

With some of the most beautiful and recognizable music in the opera repertoire, including the Flower Duet and Bell Song, even if you haven’t seen Lakmé before, you have most certainly heard Lakmé. Coupled with the gorgeous, lush, and colourful sets & costumes designed by Mark Thompson, Lakmé promises to be a feast for the senses.

Maestro Gordon Gerrard, who was once Resident Conductor with Calgary Opera and last conducted Candide in 2014, returns to conduct Lakmé. Tom Diamond, one of Canada’s most sought-after directors and operatic acting coaches, makes his directorial debut with Calgary Opera. Also making their debuts with Calgary Opera are Soprano Aline Kutan in the title role and Tenor Ryan MacPherson as Gérald.

Returning to Calgary Opera are two Emerging Artist alumni, Soprano Andrea Hill (who makes her debut at The Met and

Covent Garden this season) as Mallika and Mezzo-Soprano Jennifer Sproule as Mistress Bentson, as well as Bass Valerian Ruminski as Nilakantha. Four members of our 2014-2015 Emerging Artist Ensemble also join us on-stage: Baritone David Diston as Frédéric, Tenor Kevin Myers as Hadji, Soprano Chelsea Van Pelt as Rose, and Soprano Andrea Núñez as Ellen.

This January Calgary Opera continues to expand the boundaries of opera repertoire by producing the Canadian premiere of Die Tote Stadt. When I first researched bringing this work to Calgary Opera, I was surprised to learn that such an important work had never been produced in our country. Opera is a rich, diverse art form with a plethora of works that demand to be experienced.

Presenting works like this allows both the art and our company to widen our standards and revitalize our creative energy.

We close the season with a joyous opera for all ages, Mozart’s quintessential favourite The Magic Flute. One of the most popular operas of all time, this makes an ideal introduction to first-time opera goers, so I encourage you to bring a friend to introduce them to the magic of opera this season!

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2015-16

corporate supporters

sponsors are Integral to Opera Opera is the grandest of all art forms. It’s 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 have seen, and see, the vision of Calgary Opera and our positive impacts on the community.

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 Artists Program Supporter. 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

Let’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

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Proud Season Sponsor of Calgary Opera

LAKME

The Emerging Artist Program contributes to the development of Canadian opera talent by providing a professional training program for young singers who have completed their formal education and are starting their professional singing careers. The program provides up to eight of the country’s most promising young singers an opportunity to focus on their opera careers by providing stage experience and an expanded repertoire that will help them become more complete performers.

The Emerging Artist Program is one of only three of its kind in Canada, and is vital in developing the next generation of Canadian artists. Last year we received 111 applications from across Canada for the eight coveted positions in the program.

Having a resident company of talented young singers provides Calgary Opera opportunities for community engagement. The Emerging Artists perform at donor appreciation events, recitals, community events, in secondary roles in mainstage performances, in second stage productions, and in school and community tours.

Adopt an Artist patrons Andrea Brussa & David Lyons Terence & Judith Dalgleish Beverley & David Foy Cos & Eleanor Gabriele Brian Grasmuck Gibson Energy Don Swystun & Kerrie Penney Marian Williams

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

Including the 2015-2016 Ensemble, 72 young artists have participated in the Emerging Artist Program since its pilot year in 2005. The Emerging Artists have proudly represented Calgary Opera in the community at multiple free recitals and special events. They have embarked on 11 tours to schools and communities across Alberta to an audience of over 100,000, performed in seven second stage productions and in countless roles on Calgary Opera’s mainstage.

Calgary Opera is excited to welcome Andrea Núñez, Chelsea Van Pelt, Melissa Peiou, Jason Ragan, and Nathan Keoughan to the Emerging Artist Program, and welcome back 2014-2015 Emerging Artists Stephanie Tritchew, Kevin Myers, and David Diston for a second intensive and exciting year.

The Emerging Artist Program is fueled through private funds. Our Corporate Supporters and Individual Adopters are helping secure the future growth of opera in Canada by ensuring our most promising artists have access to some of Canada’s best vocal coaches, advanced technical training, and performance opportunities that will make them more complete performers.

Emerging Artist Development Program Supported by

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Setting the Stage

By Director

Tom Diamond

I must confess that when I was first approached about directing LAKMÉ, I was largely unfamiliar with this opera. I knew the work primarily because of the famous “Flower Duet.”

British Airways put that sumptuous tune to great use and it imbedded itself into our collective consciousness as a seductive earworm.

As I first listened to a recording – sung by ‘La Stupenda’ Joan Sutherland (our Lakmé, Aline Kutan is pretty ‘stupenda’ herself!), I realized that the most famous tune occurred ten minutes into the opera. “Yikes,” I thought, “what will we do for the next two plus hours?!” But, to my delight, there is so much great music in this score that I fell in love with it. I was truly inspired and happy to say ‘YES’ and come back to Calgary Opera after 23 years!

I told the gifted cast on the first day of rehearsal that if our audience was not intoxicated by the ardent unabashed romance of this piece – then we have either not done our jobs well – or they have hearts of stone!

I am hoping that we have created a wave of romance that sweeps you into the heart and soul of this often neglected work and are forced to wonder, as I did, why it is not done more often.

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Conductor | Gordon Gerrard Stage Director | Tom Diamond Lighting Designer | Harry Frehner Movement/Dance Consultant | Kyrsten Blair Sets and Costumes designed by Mark Thompson Presented by arrangement with Opera Australia and Opéra de Montréal CAST Lakmé | Aline Kutan Gérald | Ryan MacPherson Mallika | Andrea Hill Nilakantha | Valerian Ruminski Hadji | Kevin Myers* Frédéric | David Diston* Rose | Chelsea Van Pelt* Ellen | Andrea Núñez* Mistress Bentson | Jennifer Sproule Cast subject to change

Calgary Opera Chorus Chorus Director | Sandra Atkinson Accompanied by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Repetiteur | Christopher Mokrzewski Chorus Repetiteur | Rachel Baljeu Opera Titles Operator | John Bouz 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 Scenic Carpenter | John Bouman 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

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Nov 21, 25 & 27, 2015

synopsis Background The story of the Brahmin girl Lakmé was based on a novel by Frenchman Pierre Loti, who had traveled abroad and brought back stories filled with exoticism. Librettist Edmond Gondinet suggested the story to composer Léo Delibes. Gondinet wanted to write a libretto specifically for a young American soprano named Marie van Zandt who had starred in another French opera, Ambroise Thomas’s Mignon, in 1880. Gondinet gave Delibes a copy of Loti’s novel to read on a train ride, and Delibes loved it. He composed the score in a year’s time.

Lakmé brings together many popular themes of opera in the 1880s: an exotic location — already in vogue thanks to Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers — mysterious religious rituals, the beautiful flora of the Orient, and the general novelty of Western colonials living in a foreign land.

Composers Jules Massenet and Giacomo Meyerbeer wrote operas with similar elements, and those dramas were also popular in Paris.

Act I

Act II

Lakmé is set in British India in the 19th

Nilakantha is in a marketplace, among a crowd of English

century. Nilakantha, a Brahmin priest, is bent on rebelling against the occupying British, who have forbidden him from practicing his religion. When Nilakantha goes to attend a gathering of the faithful, his daughter Lakmé and her servant Mallika are left behind.

The two go off toward a river to gather flowers and sing the famous “Flower Duet.” As they approach the water, Lakmé removes her jewelry and leaves it on a bench.

soldiers and Indians, and he has a plan. He asks Lakmé to sing, knowing Gérald will be drawn to her voice. She sings the “Bell Song,” an aria famous for its exotic musical colors and spectacular, high coloratura.

Nearby, British officers Gérald and Frédéric are on a picnic with two young English girls and their governess. The girls notice Lakmé’s jewelry and want sketches of the pieces. Gérald agrees to stay behind to make the drawings.

Act III

Lakmé and Mallika return, and Gérald hides. Then Mallika goes off, leaving Lakmé alone. When Lakmé spots Gérald, she’s frightened and cries out. But when people come to help, she sends them away. Lakmé’s heart is doing flip-flops over this young stranger, and he’s taken with her as well. But Lakmé knows it’s dangerous for them to be seen together, and she tells Gérald to forget he ever saw her. When Nilakantha returns, he’s furious at finding Gérald with Lakmé and says the officer will pay for his affront to Lakmé’s honour.

14 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

The song does attract Gérald, but when Lakmé sees him, she stops singing and faints. When Gérald rushes to help her, Nilakantha steps out of the crowd and stabs him. Seeing that Gérald is only slightly injured, Nilakantha flees. Lakmé and a servant, Hadji, take Gérald to a safe hiding place.

GÉrald is recovering in the forest, with Hadji watching over him, when Lakmé arrives. They hear singing far in the distance, and Lakmé tells Gérald it’s a band of lovers going to drink from a sacred spring whose waters confer the gift of eternal love. Lakmé wants to get water from the spring herself, and when she leaves, Gérald’s friend Frédéric turns up. He reminds Gérald that he’s been ordered to a new post, far away. Gérald knows he must fulfill his duty and leave Lakmé behind.

When Lakmé returns from the spring, she senses what’s happening. Knowing she’s about to lose Gérald, she finds a flower that’s known to be poisonous and swallows it. Overwhelmed by her act of devotion, Gérald drinks from the cup of sacred spring water. Doing so is a holy declaration of love — a vow of fidelity that even Nilakantha can’t revoke. The poisonous blossom takes effect, and Lakmé dies in Gérald’s arms as her father looks on.

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Calgary Opera is a professional company that has presented opera for 41 years at the Jubilee Auditorium Praised for her "bell-like, bright-timbred voice," Canadian Soprano Andrea Núñez is quickly making her mark as an emerging young artist.

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16 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

Strategic Group and Calgary Opera The saying, “There are big ships and small ships but the best ships are friendships” should actually end with, “…and partnerships.”

Our mission at Calgary Opera is to enhance our community and spur civic pride through a variety of opera experiences, and without great partnerships, it would be difficult for us to do this.

Recently, we’ve found a new partner, one we know will add value to our organization and help us achieve our mission. For these reasons, it brings us great pleasure to officially announce our newest partnership with Riaz Mamdani, CEO of Strategic group.

The partnership starts with the renaming of our head office to the Mamdani Opera Centre. This historic building in the Beltline plays a vital role to the success of Calgary Opera. It’s the administrative hub of our organization, the rehearsal space for our productions and home to many events throughout the year – for Calgary Opera and other non-profit organizations.

“This building has a rich heritage but also plays an important role in providing much needed facility space for today’s cultural community,” said Calgary Opera General Director & CEO, W.R. (Bob) McPhee C.M. “We are proud to continue to call it home and thank Mr. Mamdani for his support of opera and culture in Calgary.”

Supporting our community’s art and culture initiatives is very important to Mr. Mamdani and Strategic Group who have established values of making an impact with partnerships and in their commitment to building a legacy through continued involvement. “I am very aware of the impact the opera has on our city. In my view, to be able to make an impact to our community with an organization that is creative and unconventional makes for a great partner,” Mr. Mamdani says.

Strategic Group lives by the mandate of “creating value others can’t by seeing what others don’t.” We are delighted Mr. Mamdani, and Strategic Group, have seen the value Calgary Opera creates in the community, and are eager to help us continue to do so.

Here’s to partnerships!

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

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biographies Gordon Gerrard

Kyrsten Blair

Conductor

Movement/Dance Consultant

Gordon Gerrard is a widely respected figure in the new generation of Canadian musicians.

Maestro Gerrard currently holds the position of Associate Conductor of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and he has been appointed as Music Director of the Regina Symphony Orchestra. He will make his debut with The National Ballet of Canada with their production of The Nutcracker in December.

Guest appearances this season include appearances with the Regina, Victoria and Sudbury symphonies. Having spent four seasons as the Conductor-in-Residence of Calgary Opera, Maestro Gerrard last conducted Candide in 2014.

Tom Diamond Stage Director Winnipeg-native Tom Diamond’s acclaimed productions include premieres of Chan Ka Nin’s Iron Road (Dora Mavor Moore Award), Timothy Sullivan’s Florence the Lady with the Lamp (Chalmers Award), five productions for Pacific Opera Victoria (upcoming Britten’s Midsummer Night’s Dream) and nine for the Canadian Opera Company. His production of Squonk was an off-Broadway hit which transferred to Broadway where it won the American Theatre Wing’s Hewes Award. In 2015, Mr. Diamond has staged Turandot and Fidelio (Opera Carolina), Turandot (Manitoba Opera), Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel (Sarasota Opera) and Nozze Di Figaro (Opera Lyra Ottawa).

He is perhaps most often recognized for his participation in the Gemini Award-winning television series Bathroom Divas. Mr. Diamond is delighted to return to Calgary for the first time since directing Roger and Hammerstein’s Carousel in 1992.

Harry Frehner Lighting Designer 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.

Kyrsten Blair is an educator, choreographer, performer, rehearsal director, and holds a BFA in Drama and Dance from the University of Calgary. Her diverse training has taken her across Canada, USA, Cuba, and Indonesia. Recent presenters of her work include Equinox Vigil, The School of Alberta Ballet, Revv 52, Corps Bara Dance Theatre, Dancing Parkinson’s YYC, and Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Program. She draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, incorporating eastern movement traditions such as Javanese Court Dance, Classical Indian, Yoga and Tai Chi, with Contemporary, Jazz, Body Percussion, and Improvisational practices. When away from the stage, Kyrsten is an avid gardener, volunteer, outdoor enthusiast, Freecycler, and loves a good giggle with her young son.

Aline Kutan Soprano

Lakmé Canadian soprano Aline Kutan is a versatile artist acclaimed for her crystalline voice, amazing virtuosity and powerful scenic presence. Early in her career, she won prestigious prizes including the Metropolitan Opera and Toulouse International Voice Competitions. She has sung over 30 roles including Lakmé, Queen of the Night, Violetta, working with many illustrious conductors on international stages such as La Scala de Milano, Opera de Paris, Teatro de Colon in Buenos Aires. She has sung concerts and recitals around the world and recorded for BMG Sony, Atma and Analekta labels. She teaches voice at the Conservatory of Music and the McGill Schulich School of Music. This is Ms. Kutan’s debut with Calgary Opera.

Ryan MacPherson Tenor

Gérald Ryan MacPherson’s 2015-16 season engagements include his return to Chicago Opera Theater in the title role of Lucio Silla, Curley in Floyd’s Of Mice and Men with Austin Opera, Camille in Die lustige Witwe with Pensacola Opera, and Nanki-Poo in The Mikado with Anchorage Opera. Recent successes include Alfredo in La traviata (Central City Opera), Alfred in Die Fledermaus (Portland Opera); and Horace in Gounod’s La colombe and Kornélis in Saint-Saëns’ La princesse jaune (Buxton Festival). He sang Jack’s Father in Wuorinen’s Brokeback Mountain (world premiere) with Teatro Real, Madrid, released on DVD by Bel Air Classiques. This is Mr. MacPherson’s debut with Calgary Opera.

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biographies Andrea Hill Soprano

Mallika In 2007 Mezzo-Soprano Andrea Hill was awarded the Vancouver Opera Guild Prize and in the same year made her professional debut in Hof, Germany. She was a member of the Paris National Opera’s Atelier Lyrique, and had the rare honour of receiving two awards as part of the Aix-en-Provence Festival 2010 – the Prix des Amis du Festival, and the HSBC award. Ms. Hill has performed with Paris National Opera, La Scala, the Opéra de Tours, and French National Orchestra, among others. This season Ms. Hill makes her anticipated debut at the Metropolitan Opera and Royal Opera House. A former Calgary Opera Emerging Artist, Ms. Hill last performed with Calgary Opera as Siebel in Faust (2008).

Valerian Ruminski

David Diston Baritone

Frédéric David Diston is excited to return to Lakmé after performing as Pish-Tush in The Mikado. His performance credits include Mr. Gedge (Albert Herring), Dr. Dulcamara (L’Elisir d’amore) and Dr. Malatesta (Don Pasquale) with the U of T, Don Giovanni with Opera NUOVA, Falke (Die Fledermaus) and Count Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Western University, and Don Alfonso (Così fan tutte) and Leporello (Don Giovanni) with the Accademia Europea Dell’Opera in Milan. Mr. Diston recently made his Toronto Symphony Orchestra debut, and his debut with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as part of their Orchestra Moves concert series. Credits with Calgary Opera include William Dale in the Canadian Premiere of Silent Night, Moralès in Carmen, and Des Grieux in Christmas at the Opera.

David is excited to return to Calgary Opera for a second year as a member of the Emerging Artist Program for the 15/16 season.

Bass

Nilakantha Valerian Ruminski has performed at The Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall. He also appears with Opéra de Montréal, Canadian Opera Company, Vancouver Opera, Opéra de Québec, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Dallas Opera, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, Hawaii Opera, Opera de Monte Carlo, New Israeli Opera and Opera Ireland. His repertoire includes Daland, Banquo, Don Pasquale, Don Magnifico, Figaro, Raimondo, Frère Laurent, Olin Blitch, Leporello, Commendatore, Figaro, Sparafucile, Sarastro, Don Alfonso, Rocco, Timur and Gremin. Upcoming engagements include Lodovico (Otello) Opera de Montreal, President McKinley (Shot) Nickel City Opera where he is the founder and Artistic Director, Crespel (Tales of Hoffman) Hawaii Opera and a European Recital Tour. Mr. Ruminski last performed with Calgary Opera as Daland in The Flying Dutchman (2014).

Kevin Myers Tenor

Hadji 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. Mr. Myers last performed with Calgary Opera as Professor Hornsby/Set in Opera in Schools tour of The Scorpions’ Sting (2015).

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Chelsea Van pelt Soprano

Rose 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. This is Ms. Van Pelt’s debut with Calgary Opera.

Andrea Núñez Soprano

Ellen Praised for her “bell-like, bright-timbred voice,” Soprano Andrea Núñez is quickly making her mark as an emerging young artist. Hailing from Markham, Ontario, she has recently performed the roles of Norina in Don Pasquale (Jeunesses Musicales Canada, UofT Opera) and Yniold in Pelléas et Mélisande (Against the Grain Theatre). In 2014 she made her Toronto Symphony Orchestra debut in Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 3 under the baton of Thomas Dausgaard. In June 2015 she joined the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Singer Program where she performed the roles of the Page in Rigoletto and Laura in the world premiere of Cold Mountain composed

by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon. This is Ms. Núñez’s debut with Calgary Opera.

LAKMÉ Jennifer Sproule

Nicole Bergen

Mezzo-Soprano

Assistant Stage Manager

Mistress Bentson With a passion for opera, classical and new works, Mezzo-Soprano Jennifer Sproule thrives on being involved in unique music experiences. Proud to be an Alberta-based Calgary Opera Emerging Artist alumna, she was last seen in the company’s productions of The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor and The Inventor. In 2014 Ms. Sproule was thrilled to be representing Canada and Calgary Opera in Anamchara, a new work composed for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow Scotland. Other unique performances include: an opera cruise traveling the Mediterranean, four Opera School-Tours and workshopping nine new operas.

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).

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), 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 is thrilled to return to Calgary Opera. Favourite credits include: as ASM: I’ll Be Back Before Midnight (Vertigo Theatre); 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 (Calgary Opera and Vancouver Opera); Das Reingold (OSM). As Stage Manager: Kruger Brothers (Banff Centre); Je m’appelle Marilyn (GlobeBulle Rouge); The Magic Flute, La Veuve Joyeuse (CEGEP of St-Laurent); Les Amis (CEGEP of StHyacinthe); Zoofest. As an Apprentice: The Italian Girl in Algiers (Calgary Opera), Lillian Alling (Banff Centre).

Donna Sharpe Stage Manager Donna Sharpe is in her 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 Emerging Artists (The Rape of Lucretia, Così fan tutte and Christmas at the Opera), and has stage-managed with Green Mountain Opera Festival (Vermont), Opera on the Avalon (Newfoundland).

LAKMÉ 21

Feel emotion beyond emojis.

Join Calgary Opera’s Allegro Group and have a real experience.

Are you a

Cultural Savant?

Opera is timeless. It tells human stories of love, loss, passion and persuasion that any age group can relate to.

This is why we created Allegro Group, for young professionals who are opera lovers (or soon to be opera lovers).

Allegro Group is a new initiative from Calgary Opera that aims to ease accessibility to our productions and events, by lowering ticket prices for those cultural savants, movers, shakers, risk-takers and leaders. We feel this is another way for us to engage with, and enhance our community – something we value at Calgary Opera.

Allegro Group will not only provide a cost effective way to see the world class opera’s Calgary Opera produces, but will also bring like-minded people – who want to learn, grow and connect with their community – together.

Membership is free, but the benefits are priceless.

If you, or someone you know, would be interested in joining, visit www.calgaryopera.com/allegro.

Thanks to TD for their continued support of Allegro Group.

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

John Armstrong Calgary Opera would like to recognize the contributions of John Armstrong to our community as he celebrates his 50th year since he was called to the Bar of Alberta, in 1965.

John is an experienced estates and trusts lawyer. Actively involved in the local community, he is a former trustee of The Calgary Health Trust, Senator of the University of Calgary, and director of The Calgary Stampede Foundation. John is an honorary life director of The Calgary Foundation and the Hong Kong Canada Business Association (Calgary). He is a director of Scouts Canada Foundation, the Chinook Scout Foundation, the Trinity Place Foundation of Alberta, and the Harry B. and Martha Cohen Foundation. John is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of England and Wales, and the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He is a life member of The Estate Planning Council of Calgary.

Calgary Opera thanks John for his generous donation of time, effort, skill, and knowledge over the years, and we congratulate him on this most impressive milestone in his career.

22 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

LAKMÉ 23

calgary opera chorus SOPRANOS

MEZZO-SOPRANOS

TENORS

BARITONES/BASSES

Catherine Brown Anna Casurella Nicole Helena Cates Abby Curzon Sarah Heckbert Melissa Jackson Karen Shippey-Heilman Janel Snider Laura Styler

Carolyn Dahl Rees Val Hudson Jennifer Hutchinson Eswina Ngai Aisha Rea Cathy Robinson Donna Romano Rosemary Van Dyk

RĂŠjean Campbell David Hume Troy Lewis Stuart Miller Josh Paynter J.T. Steenkamp Carey Unger Ted Wall Payam Zandiyeh

Sean Brandenburg Doug Cheke David Daly Jeff Davis Mark Hahle Kal MacDonald Graham Paynter Richard Taylor-Kerr Tim Vollhoffer

SUPERNUMERARIES Kimberly Ilott Sarah Tabler

calgary philharmonic orchestra Music Director Roberto Minczuk FIRST VIOLINS

VIOLaS

FLUTES

TRUMPETS

John Lowry - Concertmaster David Lakirovich - Associate Concertmaster Bonnie Louie Olga Kotova Sandra Baron Andrea Neumann Emily Westell Elisa Milner Kathryn Corvino Theresa Kraucunas

Laurent Grillet Carl Boychuk Jeremy Bauman Michael Bursey Arthur Bachmann Peter Blake

Sara Hahn Gwen Klassen

Adam Zinatelli Howard Engstrom

PICCOLO

TROMBONES

Gwen Klassen

James Scott Michael Thomson

CELLI

Jean Landa David Sussman

BASS TROMBONE

CLARINETS

TUBA

Steve Amsel Jocelyn Colquhoun

Michael Eastep

BASSOONS

Alex Cohen

SECOND VIOLINS Lorna Tsai Stephanie Soltice-Johnson Richard Van de Geer Theresa Lane Adriana Lebedovich Lenora Leggatt Jeremy Gabbert Steven Lubiarz Diane Valentine

Thomas Megee Josue Valdepenas Karen Youngquist Tom Mirhady Janet Kuschak Joan Kent

BASSES Charles Garrett Sheila Garrett Matthew Heller Graeme Mudd Patricia Reid Patrick Staples

OBOES

Christopher Sales Michael Hope

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

David Reid

TIMPANI PERCUSSION Tim Rawlings Mike Schuett Malcolm Lim

HARP Tisha Murvihill

LIBRARIAN Rob Grewcock

24 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

One week after Lakmé closes, the 2015-2016 Emerging Artist Ensemble build on a new Christmas tradition that began last year with Christmas at the Opera. Last year’s Showcase production by the Emerging Artists was a hit with audiences and a perfect way to celebrate the holidays with a little opera music.

Christmas at the Opera 2015 follows last year’s format with a one-act holiday themed opera, followed by a second half of staged Christmas Carols and seasonal favourites. This season’s first Act will be Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges (The Enchanted Child), a story about a child whose toys have come to life to teach him a valuable lesson about treating others more kindly.

Long-time favourite director Rob Herriot returns to direct his second Christmas at the Opera, while award winning designer Terry Gunvordahl returns to Calgary Opera to create a set inspired by Christmas Cards, pop-up books, and fond memories of the Department Store Christmas catalogues of years past. Calgary Opera’s own Resident Conductor, Christopher “Topher” Mokrzewski leads a small chamber ensemble.

Christmas at the Opera will also feature a bake sale with offerings prepared by our amazing volunteers. Last year’s event sold-out almost every performance, so purchase your tickets today before it’s too late.

Christmas at the Opera performs at the Mamdani Opera Centre December 3-5, with three evening performances and two matinees. Tickets are $40 (general admission seating) and are available online at tickets.calgaryopera.com.

CALGARY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

HANDEL’S MESSIAH FRIDAY, 11 + SATURDAY, 12 DECEMBER – 7:30PM JACK SINGER CONCERT HALL

Conducted by Ivars Taurins, Tafelmusic, Toronto Featuring an impressive cast of guest soloists and the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus.

BORAK FORTE PROGRAM

CALGARYPHIL.COM | 403.571.0849 LAKMÉ 25

Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt receives its Canadian premiere January 30, February 3 & 5 at the Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets are on-sale now.

Opera is often the story of great genius seldom recognized, and in that way the story of Erich Wolfgang Korngold truly fits the operatic mold. Born in the Czech Republic in 1897 to a well-known Viennese music critic, Julius Korngold, Erich quickly became recognized as an outstanding child prodigy in the style of his namesake, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (and composer of our upcoming production of The Magic Flute). Other well-known composers of his time (Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss and Giacomo Puccini, among others) considered him a genius and important up-and-comer. At just 11 years of age, Korngold premiered his first ballet, Der Schneemann (The Snowman), and received rave reviews, including special command performances for the Emperor Franz Joseph.

Only three years later, at 14 years, Korngold composed his first orchestral score, and three years after that, he composed his first opera.

Die Tote Stadt was Korngold’s first international success. At only 23, Erich was at the height of his fame as a composer of operatic and concert music, receiving rave reviews and substantial attention for his talent. Not only had the young composer unveiled yet another hit opera, he also wrote the libretto with his father Julius, under the pseudonym of “Paul Schott” (Paul being the main character’s name, and Schott being the name of the publisher).

In 1934 the well-known actor Max Reinhart (who had previously collaborated with Korngold in other projects) approached Korngold to come to Hollywood to adapt

26 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Reinhart’s film version of the Shakespearean play, which was Korngold’s first taste of Hollywood, cinematic music and American culture. When Warner Bros. approached Korngold in 1938 to compose a new score for The Adventures of Robin Hood, he agreed and set out for the United States. 1938 also marked the beginning of the German Anschluss, as the German army marched into Austria on March 12th of that year, and Korngold found himself just barely escaping Jewish persecution, and cut off from his homeland. As Korngold later maintained, The Adventures of Robin Hood saved his life. “We thought of ourselves as Viennese, but Hitler made us Jewish.”

Not only did The Adventures of Robin Hood save Korngold from Nazi oppression, it garnered him an Academy Award for Best Original Score. As Korngold composed more and more cinematic scores, he received further nominations still for The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) and The Sea Hawk (1940). Korngold is now recognized as the father of modern cinematic music, and much of what you hear in modern cinematic music is due to the work of this innovative, ground-breaking composer.

Despite Korngold’s staggering contributions to both classical and cinematic music in the last century, he remains largely unrecognized in North America, with his works only now experiencing revival in the United States. Korngold’s memory lives in through his lush, complex and emotional scores, and his body is buried in the Hollywood Forever cemetery.

The Magic Flute plays at the Jubilee Auditorium April 16, 20 & 22. Tickets are on-sale now.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s, The Magic Flute, is one of the most well-known and popular operas in the world. What is lesser known, is the alleged influence of Mozart and Schikaneder’s (the opera’s librettist, the original Papageno and friend of Mozart) Freemason connection.

The Freemasons/Freemasonry is the largest worldwide secret society. Its size directly correlates with the spread of the British Empire. Mozart was admitted as an apprentice to the Viennese Masonic Lodge, December 14th 1748. Within a year he was promoted to journeymen, and then Master Mason.

Mozart’s nature within the Masonry was that of rationality and enlightenment. Other like-minded Masons gathered to become known as Illuminati. This faction of Masons believed that those of low social rank could be noble of spirit, just as those of noble rank could be mean spirited (among other beliefs). This particular view is reflected in Mozart’s opera, The Marriage of Figaro, where the lowly born Figaro is the opera’s hero.1 On the surface, The Magic Flute can be seen as a fairy-tale, where the forces of good win over evil to save a damsel in distress. However, at closer inspection, the story could represent the path to knowledge and enlightenment through freemason symbols.2 The most prominent symbol in both the Freemasons and The Magic Flute is the number three. The connection to the holy trinity and/or the three virtues of faith, hope and love/charity are two of the main theories on why the number three is so highly regarded within the Freemasons. Within The Magic Flute, there are three boys, three ladies, three slaves, three musical passages featuring three chords or stanzas.

Another Freemason reference, can be attributed to the conflict between Empress Maria Theresa, a devout Catholic and opposer of the Freemasonry, and her husband Francis I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and avid Freemason. They loved each other, but were at odds over their sources of enlightenment. The year they were married, Pope Clement XII denounced Freemasonry and excommunicated all members. This had a large and negative effect on Masonic lodges in those countries ruled by the Catholic Church such as Vienna, home to Mozart. Through time, laws would change in favour of the Freemasons, but Maria Theresa would eventually ban all lodges before her death.

It could be deducted that Mozart based The Queen of the Night, a character representing malice, oppression and darkness, on Maria Theresa, and Sarastro, a character representing rationality, possibility and enlightenment, on the duke.3 The Magic Flute is Calgary Opera’s final mainstage production of our 2015-16 season. If you’ve seen it before, this might give you another view of what comes across as a simple fairy-tale. If you’ve never seen it, you’ll experience Mozart’s genius ability to enfold complex themes in story and score.

1 wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozart_and_Freemasonry 2 britannica.com/topic/The-Magic-Flute 3 blo.org/magic-flute-digging-deeper/

LAKMÉ 27

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

Community Outreach Sponsor Cenovus Energy

Season Sponsor Husky Energy

Emerging Artist Development Program Sponsors

Playhouse Publications Swerve

Official Suppliers

Heavens Fitness Group Kensington Wine Market Peaseblossoms Structured Abstraction

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

Individual Donors Naming Benefactor Mamdani Opera Centre Riaz Mamdani

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 Heather Peters Helen M. Wells

Bronze

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

Voce Eterna Future Fund

Impresario Circle

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

Opera in the Village Presenting Sponsor

Platinum

Core

Enbridge Inc. RBC Financial Group through RBC Emerging Artists Project

Mainstage Media Sponsor The Calgary Herald

Performance & Program Sponsors

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

Media Sponsors Calgary Herald Global Calgary Pattison Outdoor

Major Gift Donors

The Late Evelyn C. Kings Dick Matthews Memorial Fund at The Calgary Foundation Pyke Family Marian Williams We acknowledge the generous support of Dr. R.G. (Bud) Williams, Emerging Artist Scholarship Fund Brian Grasmuck

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 Tunde Agbi Carolyn Dahl Rees Lilien Dobish Don & Joanne Edie Susan & Dan Ezinga Cos & Eleanor Gabriele Rebecca Hotchkiss Christel & Ben Johansson McLean & Partners Geri & Alan Moon Kathy & Richard Sendall C.A. Siebens

28 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

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 Marilyn Conley Kirsten Cook-Zaba & Dwayne Zaba David Daly 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 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 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 (16) 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 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 Sheila Kirkland Mr. Robert Kitchen Dennis Kreptul & Anne Tierney 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 Chere Reilly Paul Sacco Mr & Mrs James Scott Bruce Seifred Robert & Tamara Seiler Doris & Gerard Sheilan Geoffrey & Joan Simmins In Memory of Judith Kellock 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 Andrea Brussa & David Lyons Judith & Terry Dalgleish David & Beverley Foy Cos & Eleanor Gabriele Brian Grasmuck Monica Sloan & John Evison Don Swystun & Kerrie Penney Marian Williams

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 Verne & Dawn Johnson Lee Krywitsky Joe & Vivian Lougheed Mr. R.N. Mannix Peter Mansbridge Marilyn Milavsky Marlin Miller Leah Morton Susan O’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

2015 Opera Gala Silent Auction Donors

Amy Dryer of Fragments of Soul Audrey Mabee The Van Ginkel Art Gallery Nathalie Boisvert Tracy Proctor Francis A. Willey SEITIES Studio Bill Duma The Banff Centre Vertigo Theatre Stratford Festival Vancouver Opera Early Music Voices Michelle Minke Rachel Goldenberg Cineplex Front Row Centre Events Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra & Sunesis Consulting The Cookbook Company Cooks Blue Flame Kitchen Bonterra Trattoria Laurier Lounge Jerome’s Appliance Gallery Willow Park Wines & Spirits Kensington Wine WineCollective John Evison & Monica Sloan Taste First & Krafty Kitchen by Chris Shaften Park Place Lodge, Fernie BC Parkside Hotel & Spa Fairmont Banff Springs Fairmont Palliser Hotel Purcell Mountain Lodge Opera Santa Barbara Calgary Polo Club Cheryl Swan Jerilyn Wright & Associates Interior Design Consultants Lilien Dobish Contemporary Office Interiors WOW Lighting & Controls Eisenbergs Fine Furniture

RGO Office furnishings Jim Norton Glass Artist Rox Gems Rubaiyat Sol Optix Fishman’s Personal Care Cleaners Office Concepts and Haworth WestJet Airlines Sparkling Hill Resort and Spa FOGO Island Inn

2015 California Wine Fair Silent Auction Donors

Alberta Ballet Alberta Theatre Projects Leilani Griffiths blink Restaurant & Bar Calgary Folk Fest Cibo Cottonwood Golf & Country Club Cowtown Opera Company Culinaire Magazine David’s Tea Decidedly Jazz Danceworks Fleur De Sel FRESH! Wellness Group Gabor Nagy Glenbow Museum Greg Gerla Photography Heavens Fitness Heritage Park Historical Village Inglewood Beauty Bar Janet Horbacio Jim Norton - Glass Artist Keurig Keys Please Neil Zeller Photography One Yellow Rabbit Theatre Personal Trainer Sarah Long Purcell Mountain Lodge Remington Carriage Museum Cheryl Swan Stage West Theatre Restaurant Teatro Ristorante TELUS Spark, the new science centre The Home Vintner The Laugh Shop The Old Trout Puppet Workshop Theatre Calgary Trail Appliances UrbanTrend Vine & Dine White Owl Ceramic Wine Kitz Yoga Mandala

Memorials

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

LAKMÉ 29

30 CALGARY OPERA 2015-16 SEASON

ONE NATION UNDER THE ARTS We live in a country with a rich and deep appreciation for arts and culture, and we’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.

Mount Royal University Conservatory

CALGARY YOUTH ORCHESTRA IN CONCERT

Northern Soul Music from Russia and Canada

Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015 7:30 p.m.

Bella Concert Hall, Mount Royal University

Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto featuring renowned Russian pianist Konstantin Shamray Première of Bella by George Fenwick, commissioned to commemorate the opening of the Bella Concert Hall, and Scriabin’s Symphony #1, with the Mount Royal Kantorei and Artio choirs, Cum Vino Cantus and guest vocal soloists Stephania Romaniuk and Jerald Fast Presented by

$30/$45/$75

tickets.mru.ca

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