Edmonton Opera Winter Intermezzo by Suggitt Publishers

INTER mezzo EDMONTON OPERA

WINTER 2013

A DARK

fairytale under the

BIG TOP DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

HONOURING

Barbara Poole

Jacques Offen bach

BILLETING CREATES

enriching experience

Pa s s i on at e P u rv e y or s of C a n a d i a n - M a d e F ur n i t u r e

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contents

LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN • Offenbach 4 Message from Sandra Gajic, CEO Message from Irv Kipnes, Chair

7 Composer Bio

Cast and Production Credits

8 Director’s Message

10 Synopsis

12 Program Notes

15 Artists’ Profiles

28 Billeting for Edmonton Opera

32 Honouring Barbara Poole

Administration Office: 9720 102 Ave., Edmonton, AB T5J 4B2 Ph: 780-424-4040 Fax: 780-429-0600 Email: info@edmontonopera.com www.edmontonopera.com

37 Rob Hood Fund

39 Planned Giving

51 Edmonton Opera Chorus and Orchestra

53 Edmonton Opera Board and Staff

55 Director’s Circle

56 Friends of Edmonton Opera

61 Endowment Fund

64 Partners and Sponsors

66 Upcoming Events

The Edmonton Opera magazine is published by Playhouse Publications Ltd. 950 Bell Tower 10104-103 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta T5J 0H8 Ph: 780-423-5834 • Fax: 780-413-6185 • www.playhousepublications.ca

Going to the theatre should be a great experience. Here are some tips on how to make your night memorable without making a scene of your own. the lines at intermission by pre-ordering your refreshments 1 Skip at any of our concessions. it true “High Def” by asking about infrared listening devices 2 Make and binoculars at Patron Services.

3 Take an extra long limo – Ride Public Transit.

It’s a great way to avoid traffic before and after the show.

Giving Props... The Jube is proud to have Edmonton Opera as one of its Resident Companies. With a proud 49 year history, Edmonton Opera is committed to producing opera of the highest possible calibre and making their productions as accessible as possible in the community.

Message from

SANDRA GAJIC, CEO

onight, we are excited that you have joined us for a wonderful look into a haunting and gorgeous world, told through Jacques Offenbach’s dark fairytale Les Contes d’Hoffmann. In the circus, nothing is as it seems. That concept seemed to combine very well with Offenbach’s story of the three women the poet Hoffmann has loved (and lost), and so tonight, almost exactly 132 years after its debut in Paris, the Edmonton Opera presents a version of Offenbach’s opera, set in a 1900s, pre-war travelling circus. Not only is this a new take on the opera, but this is the first complete set that has been built in our new production facility, in north Edmonton. Thus, we have been talking about this opera for a long time, as set and costume designer Camellia Koo visited a handful of times in the fall and early winter, providing feedback on the ongoing build of set and costumes. We’ve watched the tarps for the circus tents be stretched, laid and painted, as well as all the set pieces be built in the carpentry shop. Our 49th season is a mix of both old and new — the classic operas on the main stage, drawing on composers from around the world, while the brandnew ATB Canadian Series is a new venture for the Edmonton Opera, to offer contemporary and intriguing productions. Offering a new concept of Hoffmann also speaks to our mandate of producing thought-provoking, high-quality and memorable opera, and it is impossible to do without the support of Edmontonians. Without a doubt, opera is three things: one of the world’s oldest art forms, one of the most complex, and one of the most expensive. Its magic also lies in a combination of numerous elements: live performance, gorgeous melodies, convincing sets, and of course, the power and grace of the unamplified human voice. Bringing all of this together is thanks to the support of numerous people who have seen fit to keep opera alive in Edmonton. We are always grateful for the donations and contributions that so many people make, but it is an ongoing effort. With Aida, Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Eugene Onegin this season, we think it is going to be one to remember. And, if there’s anyone who remembers the very first Edmonton Opera production in 1963, the choice to include Madama Butterfly next season, following Salome and Die Fledermaus, will make perfect sense — it was the first opera the Edmonton Professional Opera Association presented, with Ermanno Mauro and Diane Gibson Nelsen in the title roles. But for now, ladies and gentlemen, the curtain is about to rise.

4 LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN

Message from

IRV KIPNES, CHAIR

elcome to Les Contes d’Hoffmann, the second mainstage production of the Edmonton Opera’s season. This year, both the Edmonton Opera and the board are excited to present three operas that come from various parts of the world, starting in Italy, moving to France and finally finishing in Russia. Tonight, though the opera comes from 19th-century Europe, we invite you into the world of a 1900s travelling circus, where characters appear and disappear in magic and trickery. With five operas this season — three on the main stage and two as part of the ATB Canadian Series — it is a busy period both on the stage and behind the scenes for the opera company. In addition, there are the signature events scattered throughout the year that we spend months planning and organizing. The next one, of course, is the wonderful Valentine’s Gala, where you can spend a romantic evening enjoying circus-themed food and entertainment, in the same concept as Les Contes d’Hoffmann, while supporting two great organizations: Edmonton Opera and the CapitalCare Foundation. Events like these allow us to bring the opera beyond the stage, and contribute even more to Edmonton’s vibrant arts and culture scene. Of course, none of this can happen without the generous individuals, corporations, foundations and grantors who continue to support the arts. At the halfway mark of the season, we are so pleased to see so many familiar faces entering the doors of the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, as well as welcoming new patrons to the art form. With the new season announced recently, we hope to attract even more Edmontonians to appreciate Salome, Die Fledermaus and Madama Butterfly during our 50th anniversary season next year. Sharing the magic of opera becomes even more powerful in new concepts of productions such as Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Enjoy!

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Edmonton Opera presents

Composer

LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN

BIOGRAPHY

February 1, 3, 5, 7

A new production sponsored by PCL

Jacques Offenbach

Music by Jacques Offenbach Libretto by Jules Barbier Premiere: Feb. 10, 1881, Paris

(1819-1880)

Jacques Offenbach was born June 20, 1819, in Cologne, Prussia (what is today Germany). This citizenship would cause him some issues later in life, as the German-born French composer was unwelcome in France during the Franco-Prussian War. Though his family name was originally Eberst, his father, a cantor, was known as “der Offenbacher,” after his hometown of Offenbach am Main, and so Offenbach became the family name. He was the seventh of 10 siblings, and became a cello student at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 14, along with one of his brothers. At this point, he adopted the French version of his name, changing Jakob into Jacques. Offenbach did not enjoy the conservatory, however, and left after a year. He played cello at the Opéra Comique before becoming the conductor at the Théâtre Française; he then started his own theatre company, Bouffes Parisiens, in 1855 and directed there for 11 years. He married Hérminie d’Alcain in 1844 and they had five children together. Though they lived in Paris, they relocated briefly to Cologne during the 1848 revolutions, before returning to Paris. His style has been described as fluent and elegant with highly developed characterization and satire. He often parodied music of other composers, which was both appreciated and frowned upon by colleagues. He became known for a type of light, burlesque opera known as the opérette or operetta, and wrote over 100 stage works in his life. His first full-length operetta was Orphée aux enfers (October 1858), and his last opera was Les Contes d’Hoffmann. He died at the age of 61 on Oct. 5, 1880, in Paris, before finishing Hoffmann and three months before it premiered at the Opéra Comique on Feb. 10, 1881. Ernest Guiraud orchestrated and added recitatives, finishing the opera after Offenbach’s death. Though other composers may not have appreciated his parodies, Arthur Sullivan of Gilbert and Sullivan, and Johann Strauss Jr. have noted Offenbach’s influence on their work.

Conductor Director

Christoph Campestrini Joel Ivany

The Cast (in order of vocal appearance)

Daniel Okulitch Lindorf/Coppelius/Dappertutto/ Dr. Miracle Steven Cole Andrès/Pittichinaccio/Frantz/ Cochenille Doug MacNaughton Luther/Crespel/Schlemil Benjamin Covey Hermann Michael Barrett Spalanzani/Nathanael David Pomeroy Hoffmann Lauren Segal Nicklausse/A Voice/Muse Teiya Kasahara Olympia Ileana Montalbetti Antonia Krisztina Szabó Giulietta Twilla MacLeod Stella*

*non-equity member

with members of the Edmonton Opera Chorus and The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Scenery and Costumes Designed by Lighting Designer Chorusmaster Repetiteur Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Apprentice Assistant Stage Manager Apprentice Assistant Stage Manager Production Intern

Camellia Koo Jason Hand Michael Spassov Peter Dala Ha Neul Kim Gina Moe Candace Maxwell JoAnna Black Jessica Parr Lianne Seykora

There will be one 20-minute intermission between Acts 2 and 3. The performance is approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes including intermission. Projected titles by Joel Ivany Edmonton Opera is a professional company operating within the jurisdiction of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Edmonton Opera is a member of the Professional Opera Companies of Canada and Opera America. LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN 7

Message from

the director

Concept description

“We are led to a vision of the world which is topsy-turvy, one in which madness is the only sanity, because the world is itself a lunatic asylum.” - E.T.A. Hoffmann

Les Contes d’Hoffmann was the first opera that I ever worked on. I’ve had a fascination with this story and opera since that early experience and am delighted to come to Edmonton and create a new production for such a wonderful company. The story of a man telling the painful memories of his three great loves is also the story of a man who desperately wants to be in love. A poetic man, storyteller and artist, we see Hoffmann progress from a young, naïve worker, to an established dreamer and finally the jaded elder. Every good story has great characters. This opera contains some of the most moving music, but also some of the most disturbing characters that any opera or theatrical show has ever known. A crazed inventor displays his newest creation, a beautiful singing automaton. A star singer is brought to the edge of the underworld as her dead mother is conjured by an evil magician. Finally, a seducing mistress is coaxed to steal the reflection of our hero in exchange for diamonds. In searching for the ideal framework to place these characters (and the others that you will meet throughout the show), we ran away to join the circus. Welcome to the Canvas City. Our version of Les Contes d’Hoffmann is set in the mysterious, dark, and often seedy backstage world of a turnof-the-century travelling circus and the carousel of characters that inhabit it. In 1953 Ernest Hemingway described the circus as “The only ageless delight that you can buy for money. …In the circus it is like a dream. …There have to be a few villains in the best of dreams in order that there be giants for Jack and Goliaths for Young David with the sling and the pebble. …Pick out a couple of villains and hate them hard.” This quote is an accurate description of our version of Les Contes d’Hoffmann because the focus of this production is on its characters, the heroes and the villains who will both excite and fascinate us. They appear and disappear through turn-of-the-century machinery, magic and trickery, smoke and mirrors.

Our research revealed that opera and the circus have a long history. Swedish opera singer Jenny Lind, known as the “Swedish Nightingale,” joined P.T. Barnum’s circus in the 1850s as one of its stars. Another connection comes from small-town Ontario at the turn of the century. After the circus had exhibited in Guelph, Ont., the local paper commented, on July 18, 1907: “Circus bands are always good bands, but the band which accompanied Hargreaves Circus was without exaggeration one of the finest that has been heard, judging from the magnificent harmony, delicate shading and deep rich organ tones produced in their selections from Il Trovatore.” As Offenbach died in 1880, before the opera’s premiere in 1881, there has been controversy around the authentic edition of this opera. Though there are countless versions and transcriptions, we feel we’ve achieved a version of Hoffmann that is both dramatically engaging and musically satisfying. It has some of opera’s most well-known tunes. Even Elvis borrowed from this opera as he used Offenbach’s tune in the Barcarolle to set his Tonight Is So Right For Love. I encourage you to let the music envelop you as you are drawn into these wonderful stories from a stunning cast of singers. I leave you with a quote by Henry Ringling, one of the famed brothers from The Ringling Bros. Circus. “The circus is a jealous wench. Indeed that is an understatement. She is a ravening hag who sucks your vitality as a vampire drinks blood — who kills the brightest stars in her crown and will allow no private life for those who serve her; wrecking their homes, ruining their bodies, and destroying the happiness of their loved ones by her insatiable demands. She is all of these things, and yet, I love her as I love nothing else on earth.” – Joel Ivany

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SYNOPSIS

Prologue:

Act II

A travelling circus in the early 1900s, between the circus tents

Antonia, based on “Rath Krespel”: Main Circus Ring

The curtain reveals a drunk Hoffmann. He continues to drink while the ghosts of Wine and Beer tempt him further. The prima donna Stella, an opera singer performing in the circus, has sent a letter and a key to Hoffmann. However Councillor Lindorf intercepts the courier because he wants Stella for himself. Lindorf becomes the first of several incarnations of evil personae who will persistently block Hoffmann’s attempts at love throughout the opera. Meanwhile, workers (roustabouts) enter, ready to be fed and exhort Hoffmann to sing a clever song. He entertains them with the legend of Kleinzach the dwarf (“Il était une fois à la cour d’Eisenach”), a faintly self-mocking portrait. When Hoffmann gets carried away in mid-song with a vision of ideal love, he is ridiculed by Lindorf, and the two men trade insults. Lindorf gets Hoffmann to sing about his life’s three great loves. Hoffmann praises his ideal woman, Stella, and then sings his tales.

An older Hoffmann has found his true love, Antonia, and has sought her out for some time. Antonia, one of the leading singers of the circus, sings, much as her mother did when she was alive, but her father forbids her to sing, begging her to stop. Antonia has a mysterious illness that threatens her life. Antonia longs for Hoffmann to return (“Elle a fui, la tourterelle”), but Crespel, her father, forbids her to see Hoffmann. Crespel considers Hoffmann dangerous because he induces Antonia to sing and therefore presents a danger to her life. Before Crespel leaves, he tells Frantz, a clown, to stay with his daughter and not to let anyone see her. But Frantz is hard of hearing and misunderstands him (“Jour et nuit je me mets en quatre”). After Crespel leaves, Hoffmann surreptitiously enters and is reunited with Antonia (“C’est une chanson d’amour”). Crespel returns, and soon after the quack Dr. Miracle arrives. As this act’s villain, Dr. Miracle claims he will heal Antonia, thereby permitting her to sing. Crespel tries to get rid of him and his phony medicine. Hoffmann overhears that Antonia may die if she sings, and asks her to give up her career. Antonia reluctantly accepts. However once she is alone, Dr. Miracle re-enters Antonia’s room and persuades her to follow her mother’s glorious career path, condemning Hoffmann’s insensitivity to her ambitions. Dr. Miracle conjures a vision of Antonia’s dead mother who inspires Antonia to sing. Crespel and Hoffmann arrive just as she dies. Crespel flies into a murderous rage, blaming Hoffmann for his daughter’s death and leaving Hoffmann completely broken and turning to alcohol.

Act I Olympia, based on a portion of “Der Sandmann” (The Sandman): The Freak Show Tent Spalanzani, an inventor and showman, has created a wind-up lifelike mechanical doll named Olympia. He hopes the doll will be a big attraction in order to recover the money he lost when his bank folded. He writes Coppelius a bad cheque for 500 dollars to pay him for Olympia’s eyes, and sends him away. A young Hoffmann and Nicklausse, Hoffmann’s best friend, arrive, ready to work. Hoffmann believes Olympia to be Spalanzani’s daughter and falls in love with her at first sight (“Allons! Courage et confiance ... Ah! Vivre deux!”). Nicklausse tries to warn Hoffmann by singing a story to him of a life-like doll, but Hoffmann is too taken with Olympia to heed Nicklausse’s cautionary song (“Une poupée aux yeux d’émail”). Coppelius, the villain for this act, sells Hoffmann magic eyeglasses and when Hoffmann puts them on, Olympia appears as a real flesh-and-blood woman. Spectators arrive at the freak show tent, and Olympia is grandly revealed. When Olympia is activated, she sings the famous Doll’s Song (“Les oiseaux dans la charmille”). Hoffmann and Olympia have an awkward interaction which leads to Hoffmann’s glasses falling from his face and breaking. An angry Coppelius returns, having discovered he has been fleeced by Spalanzani of his money, and tears Olympia apart. Hoffmann, humiliated by the spectators who are laughing at him, realizes that he was in love with an automaton.

10 LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN

by Stephan Bonfield Writer/musicologist

Act III Giulietta, based loosely on Die Abenteuer der Silvester-Nacht (A New Year’s Eve Adventure): Late at night, the Hoochie-Koochie Tent To set the scene, the act begins with the famous barcarolle, Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour. Hoffmann has now given up all hope of love (“Amis, l’amour tendre et rêveur”). However, Giulietta is working hard to seduce Hoffmann under the orders of the con man Dappertutto, in exchange for a diamond. Dappertutto coaxes her to steal Hoffmann’s reflection from a mirror (“Scintille, diamant”), in effect substituting for Giulietta his eternal soul’s reflection for the transiently attractive glint of the diamond. Hoffmann cannot resist Giulietta (“O Dieu! De quelle ivresse”) and gives her his reflection. Schlemil, who has already been victimized by Dappertutto’s ruse when he gave Giulietta his shadow, challenges Hoffmann to a duel over the affections of the dancer. Hoffmann kills him in a knife fight. As per her agreement with Dappertutto, Giulietta abandons Hoffmann immediately to the sinister delight of Dappertutto. The act ends with Giulietta leaving with Dappertutto as Hoffmann crumples in further despair and once again grabs for the alcohol bottle.

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Epilogue Stella: Between the circus tents once again Hoffmann is now more drunk than before and renounces love. He understands that Olympia, Antonia and Giulietta are, in fact, three facets of Stella representing different angles of the singer. Nicklausse reveals that she is Hoffmann’s inspiration and encourages him to love her as his Muse. Hoffmann sings “O Dieu! De quelle ivresse” once again, this time affirming that it is the Muse/alcohol whom he loves, and not the previous women he has known. Stella enters, impatient at Hoffmann who seems to have stood her up, and, finding him drunk yet again, leaves with Councillor Lindorf. Hoffmann is left with nothing but new-found inspriration.

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PROGRAM NOTES LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN (The Tales of Hoffmann)

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) The events of 1870-1871 had a huge impact on the life of German-born Jacques Offenbach, as it had on so many of his fellow Parisians. Paris had been besieged in the FrancoPrussian War (which Offenbach had managed to sit out, mostly in Spain). France’s glorious Second Empire had collapsed, and the Third Republic was established.

The Empire had made Offenbach famous. His witty, racy, infectious comic operettas had epitomized the gaiety and extravagance and colour of Empirical Paris. His little opera house, the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens was one of the fashionable centres of the city. Such works as Orphée aux enfers or La vie parisienne became known the world over. Emperor Napoleon III himself had personally made Offenbach a French citizen (in 1860), and he was made a chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur in 1861. That reputation and those honours were of little avail after Paris had suffered the siege and the subsequent turmoil of the Paris Commune. Offenbach was now, to the press, Herr Offenbach, stigmatized for both his Jewish heritage and his German origins, and his operettas were inevitably associated with the now-derided Second Empire. He continued, though, to have some success with presenting works at the Théâtre de la Gaîté, whose management he had taken over, until a failed extravagant production of a new opera by Sardou in 1874 led to bankruptcy. That his fortunes weren’t permanently destroyed was thanks first to a string of successes in England, and second to a successful tour of the United States in 1876. However, Offenbach had suffered from gout since the 1860s, and his health was gradually deteriorating. Like his counterpart Sullivan across the Channel, he wanted to be remembered not only for his comic works, but for something more substantial, a “serious” work, a genuine opera. Unlike Sullivan, Offenbach knew where his strengths lay, and he chose a subject that would play to his musical styles while probing deeper than his lighter works. He had first seen the play Les contes fantastiques d’Hoffmann, by Jules Barbier and Michael Carré over two decades earlier, in 1851, and the subject now became his major project. The two playwrights were themselves distinguished librettists (perhaps best known for Gounod’s Faust and Roméo et Juliette); Carré had died in 1872, but Barbier undertook the libretto for the new opera.

12 LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN

The original play had been based on three tales by the extraordinary poet, musician and caricaturist E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776-1822). The style of these stories, and their treatment in the play, is on the one hand almost surrealistic, and on the other, full of the spirit of fantasy that appealed to Offenbach the operetta composer. Indeed, their underlying zeitgeist seems ahead of their times, as this combination came into its own in the more uncertain age of the 20th century — and perhaps Offenbach responded to that spirit in his own uncertain times of the 1870s. It did, though, puzzle some audiences — when Beecham did a production in 1910, he was besieged by requests to print something that explained what was going on. What was going on was a structure that, in our post-modernist age, we can perhaps more easily appreciate. The central conceit is the loves of Hoffmann himself — or rather, as it turns out, the failed loves. The central construction is a frame (acts 1 and 5), in which Hoffmann, prompted by his friends in Luther’s tavern in Nuremberg, tells of three episodes in his life (acts 2, 3 and 4) revolving around three women (Olympia, Giulietta and Antonia). What binds these tales together, and helps provide the darker, surrealist undercurrent, is first the device of having a number of characters (or character types) that thread through the opera. In Offenbach’s original scheme, the three women were to be sung by the same singer (though this is rarely done now). A kind of cynical servant reappears in each episode in different guises (sung in this production by Steven Cole), and of course Hoffmann appears throughout, accompanied by his student friend, Nicklausse, a kind of representation of his (wiser) Muse. But throughout there reappears a darker, more sinister figure (sung here by Daniel Okulitch). He is initially seen in the opening as Lindorf, a disturbing enemy of Hoffmann, and then takes on more and more destructive guises. There is little doubt that that figure is the Devil himself. The text is littered with references to the devil or to Lucifer, and its motto might well be Nicklausse’s lines, “Take care, the devil is coming.” The opening scene reminds us of Faust in similar circumstances in Goethe’s play, and the idea of Giulietta wanting Hoffmann’s reflection fits the satanic tradition. This undercurrent of dark forces, of an

by Mark Morris inevitable fate, was reinforced by Offenbach’s original plan of each of the women dying — Olympia by a mechanical failure, Giulietta by poison, and Antonia by death through singing. However, Offenbach never completed the opera, and died just before he finally achieved one of his life’s goals — having a work of his performed at Paris’ Opéra-Comique, where the opera was premiered on Feb. 10, 1881. The piano score was complete, as was some of the orchestration — the rest was finished by Ernest Guiraud — but the work has been subject to a bewildering number of changes, additions and editions. The Germans objected to Giulietta dying, so her section now usually ends with her sailing off, happily alive, in a gondola, losing in the process Dappertutto’s marvellous cynical closing

line, “Ah, Giulietta! ... Clumsy!” Even the famous Barcarolle (which Offenbach reused from an earlier work) was originally purely orchestral, though to revert to that now would be unthinkable. What does survive unscathed is the gradual realization that all Hoffmann’s loves are chimeras — literally, infatuations, symbolically, snares from the Devil, as he falls in love with an automaton, a courtesan and a woman forbidden to sing. For, as the epilogue tells us, Hoffman’s true love is his Muse, and his voice, like that of Offenbach himself, is that of singing. It is music that drives away those forces of darkness, confounds the Devil himself, and gives us Offenbach’s final, disturbing, and strangely uplifting masterpiece.

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PROFILES Christoph Campestrini Conductor

Recognized widely as a young conductor of enormous musical talent and deep introspection, Austrian native Christoph Campestrini has been lauded by critics for his “youthful energy and nice sense of phrasing” (The New York Times) and “vibrant eloquence” (Le Soleil). Such accolades have given rise to a career that brought him together with over 90 orchestras on five continents, such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Radio Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra and Houston Symphony. Christoph is equally in demand as an accomplished opera conductor. He has served as principal conductor of the Essen Aalto Musiktheater and the Essen Philharmonic Orchestra, where he conducted more than 15 different operas in over 100 performances, as well as opera productions with the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Duesseldorf, Minnesota Opera, National Arts Centre Ottawa, Sakai City Opera Osaka and the Teatro Lirico di Cagliari. In the past two seasons he has conducted operas and symphonies in Canada, the U.S., Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, France, Belgium, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. In 2011 Christoph was also appointed music director at the prestigious Oper Festival Klosterneuburg outside Vienna.

Joel Ivany

Camellia Koo

Set & Costume Designer Camellia is a Toronto-based set and costume designer for theatre, opera, dance and sitespecific installations. Designs for opera include Maria Stuarda (Pacific Opera Victoria), The Lighthouse (Boston Lyric Opera), Turn of the Screw and La Bohème (Against the Grain), and The Shadow (Tapestry New Opera). She has also been an associate designer for Michael Levine on The Magic Flute (Budapest State Opera) and Candide (Châtelet/Hyogo PAC) amongst others. Designs for theatre include collaborations with numerous independent to regional companies including Tarragon Theatre and the Shaw Festival. She is a graduate of Ryerson, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design (U.K.) and the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (Utrecht). Camellia has received five Dora Awards, a Sterling Award, a Chalmers Award Grant, shared the 2006 Siminovitch Protégé Prize, and received third prize at the 2011 European Opera Directing Prize with Joel Ivany and Jason Hand. Plans include Don Giovanni (RCM), Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave (Tarragon), Peace in Our Time (Shaw Festival) and Marilyn Forever (Aventa New Music).

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Stage director Joel Ivany’s recent projects include directing Britten’s The Turn of the Screw (Against the Grain Theatre) to great acclaim, working as associate director on Nabucco at both Washington National Opera and Minnesota Opera, and as associate director for Le Roi Malgré Lui at the Wexford Festival, Ireland. He was a recent finalist and winner in the European Opera – Directing Prize for his concept of Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi. He has revived Thaddeus Strassberger’s production of Le nozze di Figaro (Norwegian National Opera), as well as assisting Robert Carsen for Orfeo ed Euridice (Canadian Opera Company), Iphigénie en Tauride (COC), La Fanciulla del West (Norwegian National Opera) and L’amour des trois oranges (Deutsche Oper Berlin). He is the founder and artistic director of Against the Grain Theatre in Toronto. Upcoming engagements include a new production of Le nozze di Figaro (Against the Grain Theatre) and a new opera Marilyn Forever, commissioned by Aventa Ensemble and written by Gavin Bryars.

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Artists’

PROFILES (in order of vocal appearance)

Daniel Okulitch

Lindorf/Coppelius/ Dappertutto/Dr. Miracle Canadian bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch has performed in some of the most prestigious opera companies and orchestras throughout Europe and North America, including Le Châtelet, Teatro alla Scala, Teatro Colon, Dallas, Washington and Los Angeles. This season he debuts the four villains in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Edmonton Opera, sings the role of Don Giovanni with Portland Opera, then joins the cast of the Metropolitan Opera for their production of Don Giovanni. He also returns to Santa Fe Opera as the count in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and debuts at Arizona Opera as Figaro in the same opera. Future engagements include the lead role of Ennis Del Mar in the world premiere of Brokeback Mountain at Madrid’s Teatro Real, the role of Escamillo in Carmen and Giove in La Calisto with Cincinnati Opera, the title role of Don Giovanni with Vancouver and a return to Calgary Opera.

Steven Cole

Andrès/Pittichinaccio/ Frantz/Cochenille American tenor Steven Cole last appeared with the Canadian Opera Company as Goro in Madama Butterfly, and previously as the Witch in Hänsel und Gretel. He made his operatic debut as Monsieur Triquet (Eugene Onegin) with the Boston Symphony under Seiji Ozawa, and his Metropolitan Opera debut under James Levine as the Tanzmeister (Ariadne auf Naxos). Recent appearances include Die Zauberflöte (Treviso), La Belle Hélène (Nantes), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Houston), La Fanciulla del West (San Francisco), La Belle Hélène (Strasbourg) and Die Zauberflöte (Paris). His recordings include Die Zauberflöte (Christie), The Rake’s Progress (Nagano), Orphée aux enfers (Minkowski) and Le Grand Macabre (Salonen).

Doug MacNaughton Luther/Crespel/Schlemil

Doug MacNaughton began his operatic career with Edmonton Opera in 1982, touring productions such as HMS Pinafore and Cinderella throughout the province. Career highlights include Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte (Pacific Opera Victoria), Wozzeck in Wozzeck (Banff Centre), Cervantes/Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha (Stirling Festival Theatre), Enjolras in Les Misérables (Mirvish Productions), Messiah with many orchestras across Canada, H.K. Gruber’s Frankenstein (Victoria Symphony, Saskatoon Symphony) and Dave Brubeck’s The Light in the Wilderness (Elora Festival Singers). The baritone singer also commissions Canadian compositions for baritone and guitar, which he performs to his own accompaniment as a 21st Century Troubadour. Performances in the 2011/12 season included John Beckwith’s Crazy to Kill (Toronto Masque Theatre), King Leontes in Like an Old Tale, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale (Jumblies Theatre); a one-man cabaret as part of the Green Door Cabaret series, and Maestro Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi with the Canadian Opera Company, where he’ll return as Thierry in Dialogues of the Carmelites this spring.

Benjamin Covey Hermann

Benjamin Covey is one of Canada’s most dynamic young singers, recognized in Tapestry New Opera Works 2011 Pub Operas for his “rich, resonant and powerful voice” (Keira Grant, Mooney on Theatre). After completing his master’s in opera at University of Toronto, Benjamin joined Calgary Opera’s Emerging Artist Program and in 2010 attended San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Merola Program, singing Belcore in Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore. Recent debuts for Benjamin include Morales/Doncairo in Manitoba Opera’s Carmen, Schaunard in Edmonton Opera’s La Bohème and Baron Douphol in Vancouver Opera’s La Traviata. In 2011, Benjamin sang Escamillo in Ottawa’s Carmen Unbound, and sang Papageno in The Magic of Mozart with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Benjamin returned to Calgary Opera as Captain Gardiner in Moby Dick and sang Achilla in Handel’s Giulio Cesare with Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings. Future engagements include Messiah with Kingston Symphony and Venus and Adonis with Toronto Masque Theatre.

LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN 17

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Artists’

PROFILES Michael Barrett

David Pomeroy

Spalanzani/Nathanael

Michael Barrett is a former member of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio. Recent roles with the COC include Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte, High Priest of Neptune in Idomeneo, El Remendado in Carmen, Lieutenant Bonnet and Aide de Camp to General Compans in War and Peace, First Prisoner in Fidelio, the Gamekeeper in Rusalka, Captain of Archers in Simon Boccanegra, Parpignol in La Bohème, Snout in A Midsummer’s Night Dream, and Ferrando in the Ensemble Studio production of Così fan tutte. Michael regularly appears with the Aldeburgh Connection, where he performed in Our Story for the 25th anniversary celebrations. He has been heard as the Witch in the COC’s touring production of Hansel and Gretel. Further highlights include the world premiere of Taptoo! (Toronto Operetta Theatre), Messiah (Newfoundland Symphony) and Spalanzani in Les Contes d’Hoffmann (COC). During the 2012/13 season, Michael will reprise the role of Spalanzani and add Nathanael in Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Edmonton Opera). He also sings Monostatos in Die Zaberflöte for Vancouver Opera and appears as the Third Jew in Salome and the First Commissary in Dialogues of the Carmelites for the COC.

Hoffmann

David Pomeroy made his Metropolitan Opera debut in the title role of Faust and recently performed the title role in Les Contes d’Hoffmann under the baton of James Levine. He has performed in Toronto, Ottawa, St. Louis, Fort Worth, Detroit, Connecticut, Michigan and Ireland, and has appeared with the Canadian Opera Company, Opera de Montreal, Florida Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Manitoba Opera, Fort Worth, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Calgary Opera, Vancouver Opera, Scottish Opera and every major orchestra across the country. David created the role of Stefano for the world premiere of Filumena (Calgary Opera) and recently sang Edgardo in Calgary Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor. 2011/12 appearances included Carmen (Opera Company of Philadelphia), Les Contes d’Hoffmann (COC), Faust (Metropolitan Opera), New Year’s Eve gala at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall, and La Traviata (New York City Opera). David’s 2012/13 season began as Alfred in Die Fledermaus (COC). He then returned to Manitoba Opera to perform the role of Duke in Rigoletto before coming to Edmonton. He concludes his season with a debut recital at the CBC Glenn Gould studio in Toronto followed by a return to the Met as Faust.

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Artists’

PROFILES Lauren Segal

Teiya Kasahara

Nicklausse/A Voice/Muse

Olympia

Former member of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal has appeared regularly with the company in roles such as Sonya in War and Peace, Mercedes in Carmen, Aljeja in From the House of the Dead and Nicklausse/Muse in Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Further credits include Maddalena in Rigoletto for Opéra de Montréal, Manitoba Opera and Hamilton Opera, Carmen (cover) in Bari, Italy, Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus and Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia for Opera Hamilton, Dorabella in Così fan tutte with Pacific Opera Victoria, and Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly with Manitoba Opera and Opera Hamilton. On the concert stage, Lauren has sung with the Grand Philharmonic Choir, the Bach Elgar Choir, the Vancouver Bach Choir and Orchestre Metropolitain du Grand Montréal. Lauren appeared for the last two summers with Brott Summer Music Festival featured in several concerts, as well the title role in Bizet’s Carmen. Born in South Africa, Lauren holds a master’s of science degree from the department of physics at the University of Toronto.

Canadian lyric coloratura soprano Teiya Kasahara is becoming known to audiences for her “flair for drama and blazing high notes” (La Scena Musicale). She is quickly making her mark as the next Queen of the Night of our generation (Vancouver Opera, Highlands Music Festival, Opera Kitchener). Alongside the traditional coloratura repertoire Teiya is discovering a niche in 20thand 21st-century music and theatre. Last season she debuted with Tapestry New Opera Works, CanStage and the Queer Arts Festival – Vancouver, collaborating with contemporary librettists and composers such as Leslie Uyeda and Anusree Roy. She has also taken these talents to the recital stage performing with saxophonist Aaron T. Patterson and pianist Maureen Zoltek in New York. Later this season she will understudy the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Canadian Opera Company (COC). Teiya is a two-time regional finalist of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a national finalist of the Canadian Music Competition. She is also a COC Ensemble Studio graduate.

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Artists’

PROFILES Ileana Montalbetti Antonia

Canadian soprano Ileana Montalbetti is a recent graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio where she recently performed as Antonia’s mother in Tales of Hoffmann, Elettra in Idomeneo and First Lady in The Magic Flute in the Ensemble Studio Performance. She also covered Nella in Gianni Schicchi in May 2012. Further recent highlights include productions of Moise et Pharaon and Elektra (Teatro dell’Opera di Roma), Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni (Saskatoon Opera), and Clorinda in La Cenerentola and Anna Kennedy in Maria Stuarda (Canadian Opera Company). Other assignments for the Canadian Opera Company include covering Pat Nixon in Nixon in China, High Priestess in Aida, Elisabetta in Maria Stuarda and the Cook in Stravinsky’s The Nightingale. The soprano singer was a winner of the 2010 Four City District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a 2010 Laureate of the Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques.

Twilla MacLeod* Stella

Twilla MacLeod is an Edmonton-based musician and theatre artist. A graduate of the University of Lethbridge music program and the University of Alberta acting program, Twilla has won a Sterling Award for her work in Blarney Productions’ production of Orange Flower Water. She also sang the role of Anima in the Ordo Collective’s touring production of Hildegard von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum. Twilla is a co-founder of Booming Tree Taiko (boomingtree.ca), a professional drum duo whose work is rooted in Japanese drumming. Performing over 50 times annually, Booming Tree’s highly energetic shows are a celebration of the strength and power of the human form. *non-equity member

Krisztina Szabó Giulietta

Recently, Krisztina Szabó sang Bach’s B Minor Mass (Chicago’s Music of the Baroque), Messiah (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra), Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Talisker Players), Mozart’s Coronation Mass (Atlanta Symphony) and St. Matthew Passion (Brooklyn Accademy of Music). She has also performed as Le Pèlerin in Saariaho’s L’Amour de loin, Idamante in Idomeneo and Dorabella in Così fan tutte (Canadian Opera Company), Sesto in La Clemenza de Tito (Vancouver Opera), Dido in Dido and Aeneas (Music of the Baroque), Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro (Stadttheater Klagenfurt), Susanna in The Ghosts of Versailles and Rosalind in The Mines of Sulphur (Wexford Festival Opera), Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Calgary Opera), Ruggiero in Alcina and Haydn’s Arianna a Naxos (Les Violons du Roy), Dorabella in Così fan tutte (Mostly Mozart Festival) and Nerone in Agrippina (L’Opéra de Montréal). In summer 2012 she sang Handel arias at Grand Teton Music Festival under Bernard Labadie.

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Artists’

PROFILES Peter Dala Repetiteur

Peter has worked for the Basel Ballet, Zurich Ballet in Switzerland, the Hungarian State Opera and the National Ballet of Hungary, with performances in Monte Carlo, Germany, Israel, New York, Spain and China. As Edmonton Opera’s chorus master from 1996 to 2012 and resident conductor from 2001 to 2012, he prepared the chorus for roughly 40 operas and conducted numerous mainstage productions. In 2001 he began his affiliation with Alberta Ballet and was appointed music director in 2005. Most recent performances were Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker in Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. In the spring, he will conduct Mozart’s Requiem — choreographed by Jean Grand-Maitre, with the Richard Eaton Singers, and soloists Nathalie Paulin, Allyson McHardy, Ben Butterfield and John Fanning — and Yukichi Hattori’s world premiere of Pomp without Circumstance. In the fall, he was the repetiteur for Edmonton Opera’s Aida.

Ha Neul Kim

Gina Moe

Assistant Stage Manager Gina Moe has been the assistant stage manager for Edmonton Opera productions of Aida, Tosca, Abduction from the Seraglio, La Bohème, Otello, Pirates of Penzance, Rigoletto and The Flying Dutchman. Her stage manager credits include Concrete Theatre’s 2012 Sprouts Festival, Boeing Boeing (Mayfield Dinner Theatre), 6.0, Heroine, Jailbait and Victoria Martin: Math Team Queen (Northern Light Theatre), Angels on Horseback, A Grand Time in the Rapids, Mrs. Lindeman Proposes and Witness to a Conga (Teatro la Quindicina), Seasons and StageLab Festival (University of Alberta) Enchanted April, The Retreat from Moscow and Trying (Theatre Calgary), Three Mo Tenors, Three Mo Divas, Cookin’ at the Cookery, Trying, Einstein’s Gift, Wit and Skylight (Citadel Theatre), and BitchSlap! (Guys in Disguise). Gina has also spent seven seasons as a stage manager for the River City Shakespeare Festival (Freewill Players), was the assistant producer at the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival from 2008 to 2010 and was the touring stage manager for the AWHC’s production of Work Plays. Gina is a two-time winner of the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes award for the Outstanding Achievement in Production.

Stage Manager

The 2012/13 season is Ha Neul Kim’s 11th season with Edmonton Opera. A graduate from the University of Alberta with her BFA degree in technical theatre production specializing in stage management, she has been the Edmonton Opera’s stage manager since 2007. She was also the assistant stage manager for many past Edmonton Opera and Manitoba Opera productions. Ha Neul also stage managed many special events including Main Stage for the Queen’s royal visit and Field Stage for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2005 World Masters Games, as well as working in theatres across Canada. Previously, she taught opera stage management at the U of A to produce future opera stage managers.

Candace Maxwell Assistant Stage Manager

Candace is thrilled to be returning to the Edmonton Opera. She has been busy working across Canada this season with opera and ballet. Selected credits include Rigoletto, Carmen and Transit of Venus (Manitoba Opera), The Boys in the Photograph (Mirvish Productions and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre), Nutcracker (Royal Winnipeg Ballet), Fighting Days, Fiddler on the Roof, Driving Miss Daisy (RMTC), and Bingo! and The Savannah Disputation (Prairie Theatre Exchange). Candace majored in theatre production and design at the University of Winnipeg, and attended the Banff Centre for their professional theatre program and opera as theatre program. Banff Centre credits include Pride & Prejudice (with Citadel), Siren Song and La Tragedie de Carmen. Candace will return home to Winnipeg after this show to assistant stage manage Manitoba Opera’s version of Aida. She would like to thank her family and friends for their constant love and support. Enjoy the show!

LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN 25

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Artists’

PROFILES Michael Spassov

Jason Hand

Chorusmaster

Lighting Designer

Conductor and pianist Michael Spassov comes to Edmonton Opera from Atlanta Opera, where he was principal coach and assistant conductor. As a repetiteur, he has assisted conductors including Philippe Auguin, Plácido Domingo, Arthur Fagen, Julia Jones, Richard Bradshaw, Victor DeRenzi and Will Crutchfield. He has worked at the Canadian Opera Company, Washington National Opera, Sarasota Opera, Bel Canto at Caramoor, and has conducted at Des Moines Metro Opera and Pineda Lyric Opera in New Jersey. An enthusiastic collaborative pianist, he has been seen in recital at La Scala, the Kennedy Center and the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre in Toronto. Michael was hand-picked by Plácido Domingo to be a member of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera, and also trained at San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program. With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in composition from The Julliard School, his compositions have been performed by the Julliard Orchestra, eighth blackbird and Toronto’s Continuum Ensemble.

Jason Hand’s theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale (Canadian Stage), The Trespassers (Stratford), The Amorous Adventures of Anatol (Tarragon Theatre), The Ugly One (Theatre Smash), See How They Run (Theatre Aquarius), Gorey Story, Peer Gynt (The Thistle Project), Man of Mode, Princess Ivona (George Brown College), and The Melville Boys, Self Help, and The Fly Fisher’s Companion (Lighthouse Theatre Festival). He has worked on operas including Turn of the Screw, La Bohème (Against the Grain Theatre), Dido & Aeneas (Opera on the Avalon) and Guilio Cesare (Orchestra London). He has been the assistant lighting designer on over 25 operas at the Canadian Opera Company. Upcoming projects include This (Canadian Stage), Blue Planet (Young People’s Theatre) and Figaro’s Wedding (Against the Grain). A previous collaboration with Joel Ivany and Camellia Koo on a production of I Capuletti e i Montecchi placed third in the biennial European Opera – Directing Prize. This year, Jason was named as a protégé in the 2012 Siminovitch Prize in Theatre.

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billeting

for Edmonton Opera

In a narrow hallway in his Saskatchewan Drive home, Ed Wiebe stops to look at the pictures that hang on the wall, from nearly floor to ceiling. Each one is signed, usually accompanying a personal message to Wiebe and his wife, Marcia Johnson, and feature images of opera singers who have billeted with the couple since 2003 while being engaged by the Edmonton Opera. “It started with Francis Price, actually, or Francis Price’s wife,” Wiebe said. “(Marguerite Trussler) and my wife sat on a committee and during one of the breaks, my wife, Marcia, she was talking to Marguerite, and Marguerite was talking about the opera and the need for billets. “It was a different house, it wasn’t this house, but at the time we were living actually even a little closer to the Jubilee, and we had a basement with two guest bedrooms, so Marcia said if (the opera) ever needed a billet, we would be happy to billet people.” Since then, they’ve billeted singers or directors during the run of nearly every production Edmonton Opera has put on. Once an artist stays with them, Wiebe said, they often request to stay again when they find out they’ll be returning to Edmonton.

“I

t has given us a chance to meet and get to know some fascinating artists, and they in turn are glad to stay (and come back again).”

Trussler and Price have also had a lot of repeat requests for billets to stay with them; in an email the couple estimated that since 1998, they have had between 20 and 25 artists stay with them. Neither Price and Trussler nor Wiebe and Johnson said they had any expectations about what to expect when they first started billeting, but that the experience has definitely turned out to be worthwhile. Not only does it provide a sense of normalcy for the artists, but the couples’ opera experiences have been enriched as well. “It has given us a chance to meet and get to know some fascinating artists, and they in turn are glad to stay (and come back again),” Trussler and Price wrote.

28 LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN

Both couples will often host a dinner party during the production run for the cast — during Aida, with director Dejan Miladinovic staying with them, Trussler and Price opened their home to the cast for Thanksgiving, ensuring the artists didn’t miss out on the traditional family holiday. “The stories they tell allow us to see and learn about the inside workings of the professional life of an opera singer,” Price and Trussler continued. “They have a thousand stories about the ‘business’ of opera. And then there is opera ‘gossip,’ with stories of great singers and some real characters, stories of performances that went horribly wrong or perfectly right.” The experience has also given Wiebe’s three sons appreciation for the art form, he added. “They don’t think twice about going to the opera, and most of the time, when we’re here, they like to come to the opera, because they know these people at home, they have dinner with them, and then they see them in this other life,” Wiebe said, adding that some of the more frequent billets have literally seen his youngest son, now 20, grow up. And other than personal space, Wiebe said, there’s not a lot of requirements for hosts to billet. The couples show the artists how everything works in the home — their downstairs suite also has a small kitchen if the billet would prefer to cook down there — and try to make them as comfortable as possible. While Wiebe and Johnson have a piano in the house, it’s used by the artists only on occasion, he added. Trussler and Price also noted that each of their guests are different. “We may not see a director as much, as he/she will need to attend production meetings after the principals have been released,” Price wrote. “Once the staging rehearsals start, if I am in the chorus, the billeted guest may go to and come back from rehearsals with me, if we are rehearsing a scene they are in.

Francis Price & Marguerite Trussler

Ed Wiebe and Marcia Johnson have displayed images from all the opera productions where they’ve hosted billets, in the entrance to their basement suite.

“We’ve had guests with extraordinary amounts of energy and others who are almost shy and reserved until they get to know you. We’ve had guests who rehearse hard for upcoming roles — great to listen to! — and others who work out fairly faithfully to stay in shape.”

“We’ve met a lot of singers through this, and for us it’s been a lot of fun. It’s been very enriching, and I encourage people to think about billeting singers, because it’s a very good crowd to hang around with, we’ve really enjoyed it.”

In the end, the relationships they’ve built are very rewarding, Wiebe said, adding that one of the artists they’ve billeted was recently asked to cover a role at the Metropolitan Opera. If she was able to give Wiebe and Johnson more than 48 hours’ notice that she would be performing, Wiebe said, they would have been happy to fly to New York to see her, though it turned out she didn’t go on.

If you would like more information about billeting artists engaged by the Edmonton Opera, please contact Ha Neul Kim, company manager, at 780.392.7839 or haneul.kim@edmontonopera.com.

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Honouring

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epresentatives from numerous Edmonton organizations all had one thing in common at a December luncheon recently: in some way, shape or form, the organizations have been supported by Barbara Poole and her late husband John.

Joined by local dignitaries, the event was to honour Edmonton’s first lady of philanthropy, 83-year-old Barbara Poole. Over the years, the Pooles’ extensive record of community involvement has been recognized with numerous awards and honours, but a complete list of their volunteer efforts and community investments is hard to compile, as the couple often contributed quietly and without fanfare. But of note on the list would be the Edmonton Community Foundation, which Barbara and John helped rejuvenate in 1989 by providing funds, along with George and Rae Poole, and Robert and Shirley Stollery. The list continues through a wide range of areas, including educational institutions, and health, environmental and arts organizations, such as the Edmonton Opera.

“W

ithout Barbara and her husband John, Edmonton would not be the city it is.”

Francis Price, vice chair of the Edmonton Opera board of directors, remembered that he and his wife Marguerite Trussler were introduced to Barbara by Doug Stollery. “He introduced us to Barbara in the 1990s, and like so many others, we fell in love with her,” Price wrote in an email. “She and her husband John gave so much support to arts organizations in Edmonton, Alberta and Canada, and gave founding support to both the Victoria School Foundation and to Edmonton Opera’s Endowment Fund, where their knowledgeable advice and support has led to great success in both ventures.” John’s family had moved to Edmonton from Regina in 1932, while Barbara’s father moved the family to the capital city from 32 LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN

Coronation in 1939. John and Barbara met during the winter of 1952, during a ski trip to Banff and were married that same year, settling in Edmonton to raise a family. Both had attended university where they received bachelor’s degrees — John’s in civil engineering from the University of Alberta in 1937 and Barbara’s in interior design from the faculty of architecture at the University of Manitoba in 1952. Over the years, John contributed to several notable projects in the city and the province, including working on Edmonton Pumping Station No. 1 as a structural engineer, and helping to build Poole Construction, which eventually would become PCL Construction. The couple’s induction to the Alberta Order of Excellence in 2004 was the first time that a couple or team had been jointly named for the honour. In addition, John was presented with an honourary laws degree from the University of Alberta and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1996, as well as holding numerous business and engineering honours. Both he and Barbara received Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee medals and share additional joint honours such as the Northern Lights Award of Distinction from the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, the Distinguished Citizens Award from Grant MacEwan College and induction into the Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame. “Without Barbara and her husband John, Edmonton would not be the city it is,” said Sandra Gajic, Edmonton Opera CEO. “We would like to sincerely thank them for their years of support and dedication to so many arts and culture organizations in the city.” Barbara Poole passed away on Dec. 17, 2012, pre-deceased by her husband John. The opening night of Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Feb. 1, 2013, will be dedicated to Barbara Poole.

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The Edmonton Opera is the grateful recipient of a generous gift from the Rob Hood Fund.

Mr. Hood’s direction was that these legacy funds be used to attract operatic singers of the highest calibre. The first gift from the Rob Hood Fund was an award to Metropolitan Opera stars Angela Brown and Carl Tanner, who were two of the lead singers in Aida. At the time of writing, Edmonton Opera is working with the Edmonton Community Foundation and the Rob Hood Fund trustees to select artists for ongoing support. Dr. Irving Guttman, artistic director emeritus of the Edmonton Opera, shares his memories of Mr. Hood. “I first met Robert when he joined our chorus in 1965. Two things were clear between us, we both loved opera and while he was serious and dedicated about his singing, we agreed that it was important

to pursue one’s passions but not necessarily aspire to singing on the Met stage. He contributed to Edmonton Opera as both a board and guild member. That said, I believe his work in our chorus was seminal to his fine appreciation of the power and presence of the human voice. With his personal experience as a bass, his respect grew for the voices of the operatic greats of the time. He liked to call it ‘fine singing!’ “Rob was very principled in his belief that there were certain ways to do things, which extended to being a rather private person, to dressing properly and to being immensely loyal to his friends and colleagues. “Aside from his avocation, Rob was well placed in his work with the Alberta government’s culture portfolio. He was always committed to high standards, personally and professionally, and I am certain those were valued qualities in his work, thus making him known and respected in the arts community in the province and beyond.”

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PLANNED GIVING by SHELLY K. CHAMASCHUK

It takes a lifetime to build up an estate, and yet it seems little time, in comparison, is

spent to determine what should happen with an estate after passing. Everyone is encouraged to put a will in place to ensure that the distribution of their estate is properly planned.

A basic will can be done, leaving your estate to your family and those who matter to you. However, you may also wish to consider the ability to continue to give back to the community by leaving a charitable gift in your will. A charitable gift leaves money or other assets to those organizations which have given you joy, such as the opera. This would be such a wonderful legacy to you and a thoughtful way to give back on your way out. There is also a significant tax benefit to charitable gifts.

hen you include Edmonton Opera in your estate plans, you provide a foundation for great opera in Edmonton to future generations. If you wish to know more about giving to the opera, you are welcome to contact Sandra Gajic, Edmonton Operaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CEO, at 780.424.4040. Shelly K. Chamaschuk is a partner with the law firm of Reynolds Mirth Richards and Farmer LLP who practises in the area of estate planning. Shelly can be reached at schamaschuk@rmrf.com or 780.497.3364.

For discerning readers AvenueEdmonton.com

LES CONTES Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;HOFFMANN 39

Within moments of wandering into Provisions, a mug of tea in one hand, co-owner Garner Beggs has struck up a lively conversation with a customer about one of the cookbooks on the shelves. And likely, the ingredients for the recipe they were discussing can all be found on the other shelves lining the cozy rectangular shop next door to Duchess Bake Shop, on 124th Street. “We didn’t feel like it was fair to have all this amazing access to quality and not share that with the public,” said Beggs, who co-owns Duchess and Provisions with Giselle Courteau and Jacob Pelletier. “So that’s what Provisions is. Every ingredient we use (at Duchess), we sell.” The store, which opened earlier this year, came together rather quickly after Duchess expanded, leaving a small space behind. Eventually, they want to put a dessert bar in, moving Provisions elsewhere, but for now, a shop offering good, affordable ingredients seemed like the right choice. Not only does it offer everything in one spot — the cookbooks take up one-third of one long wall, flanked by baking tins and utensils, while the other wall is lined with household-friendly sizes of various flours, sugars and decorations — but encouraging the use of quality products is paramount to the store’s mandate.

“W

People shouldn’t be afraid to experiment with good ingredients, Beggs said, comparing it to hand soap his mom used to buy. “My mom would always have the fancy hand soap, but she would never open it to use it because it was too expensive, so it would just sit there wrapped up — well, what’s the point?” Beggs asked. “That’s ridiculous. I hate that idea. I want people to go in there, buy 20 pods of vanilla, and start putting it in everything, just experimenting, playing with it, because it’s such a beautiful product. “Put it in your yogurt in the morning, put it on some pancakes, put it in your coffee, whatever. That’s really important.” And if anyone is looking for ideas, Beggs has it on good authority that there’s plenty to be found at Provisions. “Our (Duchess) chefs are always going over there, raiding the bookshelf, getting inspiration,” he said. “It’s totally inspiring, some of the stuff. There are some very entry-level things, but we have some insane professional level cookbooks over there too. We look at them and think, ‘Oh my God, this is mental.’ It’s nice to have that inspiration.”

e didn’t feel like it was fair to have all this amazing access to quality and not share that with the public.”

40 LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN

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LES CONTES Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;HOFFMANN 43

“T

hanks to PCL and their suppliers, we have an exceptional space to create the magic that goes into every opera.”

Proud to Play a Leading Role PCL is a proud supporter of the Edmonton Opera.

We have a long-standing partnership with the organization and we take pride in a relationship that goes beyond just including our logo at the bottom of the program. We are the title sponsor of the annual Edmonton Opera Golf Tournament, now in its 18th year. This year’s event is on June 10, 2013, at the prestigious Glendale Golf and Country Club. Last year’s tournament sold out six weeks in advance, so we encourage you to secure your spot early. We are also the production sponsor for Les Contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann) running in early February. Over the past year we have been able to expand our partnership even further, by doing what we do best — building. We provided construction consulting expertise to the Edmonton Opera Production Facility. This 22,500-sq.-ft. industrial warehouse space in northwest Edmonton was converted for set building, storage and costume building, allowing the company to consolidate similar operations scattered across three inadequate spaces in the city.

46 LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN

The Edmonton Opera’s refurbished production facility where the set for Les Contes d’Hoffmann is being built.

“Thanks to PCL and their suppliers, we have an exceptional space to create the magic that goes into every opera,” said Clayton Rodney, Edmonton Opera’s technical director. “Our wardrobe shop now rivals the large wardrobe shops at major companies, and we have a bright, clean and happy workplace for the carpenters and properties departments.” As part of the makeover we installed appropriate lighting, painted the warehouse and modified the layout of the existing office space, with new flooring and paint. Construction is PCL’s business and giving back is our passion. That’s why this project is so special to us, because we are able to combine both — which benefits the opera company, and the entire community. We hope you enjoy the show and the rest of the Edmonton Opera’s season.

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edmonton opera Chorus SOPRANOs

Altos

TENORs

Bass/Baritones

Circus performers

Afton Forsberg Jill Hoogewoonink Betty Kolodziej Joyce LaBriola Lydia-Ann Levesque Christina O’Dell Glynis Price Cristina Weiheimer

Stephanie Bent Sable Chan Seang Youn Choi Linda Farrah-Basford Dilys Kulchitsky Krista-Marie Lessard Joanne Linden Patrece Maluzynsky Laura Winton

Garreth Borgstrom Tom Hall Dave Kantor Ron Long Cole MacIver Mike Otto Robert Rock Daniel Rowley

John Adria Gavin Belik Taylor Fawcett Nick Horobec Walter Hsu Greg Maluzynsky Andrae Marchak Evan Westfal John Yun

Charmaine Gibson Kevin Ouellet Mariann Sinkovics

SUPERNUMERARIES Adults: Autumn Ballek Haley Brannon Adam Clarke Chris Faye

Kendra Lamonthe Stephen Noble Trevor Robert Rebecca Sykes

Youth: Filip Bojic Emma Hynes-Sykes Claire Kulchitsky

Dana Parry Kahin Ryu Elizabeth Ziegler

edmonton symphony orchestra William Eddins, Music Director Violin 1

Viola

flute

trumpet

Eric Buchmann Virginie Gagné Broderyck Olson Richard Caldwell Joanna Ciapka-Sangster Anna Kozak Neda Yamach Jim Cockell Marie Krejcar Alison Stewart

Stefan Jungkind Charles Pilon Rhonda Henshaw Jeannette Comeau Mikiko Kohjitani Andrew Bacon

Elizabeth Koch Shelley Younge

Robin Doyon Bill Dimmer

oboe

Trombone

Lidia Khaner Paul Schieman

cello

clarinet

Christopher Taylor John McPherson Kathryn Macintosh

Colin Ryan Sheila Laughton Ronda Metszies Gillian Caldwell Derek Gomez Victor Pipkin

Julianne Scott David Quinn

tIMPANI

bassoon

Percussion

William Harrison Edith Stacey

Brian Jones

bass

horn

Jan Urke John Taylor Janice Quinn Rob Aldridge

Allene Hackleman Megan Evans Gerald Onciul Donald Plumb

Nora Bumanis

Violin 2 Dianne New Susan Flook Heather Bergen Zoë Sellers Robert Hryciw Tatiana Warszynski Regine Maier Kate Svrcek

Barry Nemish

Harp

Personnel Manager Eric Filpula

Librarian Sheila Jones

Circus performers courtesy of Charlie Wilson Entertainment, in association with Firefly Theatre and Circus.

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edmonton opera board of directors 2012-2013 season

Irv Kipnes, Chair Francis Price, Vice Chair Ken Keenleyside, Treasurer Kyle Murray, Past Chair Robert Bessette Bill Campbell Richard Cook

Craig Corbett Jeffrey Jansen Bertrand Malo

Melanie Nakatsui Robert Rock Katie Soles

Stella Varvis Duane Vienneau

edmonton opera staff CEO

Production and technical staff

Sandra Gajic

Gina Moe, Assistant Stage Manager Candace Maxwell, Assistant Stage Manager JoAnna Black, Apprentice Assistant Stage Manager Jessica Parr, Apprentice Assistant Stage Manager Vincent Forcier, Fight Choreographer* Deanna Finnman, Head of Wardrobe Brenda Inglis, Assistant Head of Wardrobe Michelle Warren, Head Dresser/Assistant Head of Wardrobe Jaylene Wiebe, Milliner/Assistant Head Dresser Judith Darough, Cutter Morgan Mackintosh, Cutter Julie Davie, Stitcher Ava Diehl, Stitcher Kayla Fulton, Stitcher Kathleen Mulder, Stitcher Kathryn Neuman, Stitcher Danine Regenwetter, Stitcher Nancy Horn, Wigs and Hair Judy Morley, Wigs and Hair Michael Devanney, Wigs and Hair Cathy Nicoll, Make-up Noreen Jani, Assistant Head Make-up Chantel Fortin, Head Properties and Head Scenic Art Katie Hartfeil, Assistant Head Properties Geoff Bacchus, Head Carpenter Greg Brown, Head Scenic Carpenter Kathy Cooper, Assistant Head Scenic Carpenter Andre-Michel Lavoie, Scenic Carpenter Al Kliss, Head Fly Alison Hardy, Head Lighting Joseph Race, Assistant Head Lighting Shanna Orgovan, Head Scenic Artist Melanie Brasch, Scenic Artist Jacquie Dawkins, Title Cuer

AdminIstrative Assistant Jessica McMillan

Finance Analee Roman, CFO Serene Yau, Accounting Assistant

Community Relations Jelena Bojic, Director of Community Relations Amanda MacRae, Education & Community Outreach Coordinator Cameron MacRae, Creative Coordinator Kelly Sheard, Grant Writer Catherine Szabo, Communications Coordinator Lauren Tenney, Marketing & Fund Development Coordinator Stacy Young, Special Events Coordinator

Box Office Tara-Lee LaRose, Box Office Manager Rebecca Anderson, Box Office Supervisor

Artistic Administration Michael Spassov, Artistic Administrator and Chorusmaster Ha Neul Kim, Company Manager and Stage Manager

Production Tim Yakimec, Director of Production Clayton Rodney, Technical Director Jeffrey McAlpine, Assistant Technical Director

Stage crew courtesy of I.A.T.S.E. Local 210

*equity member

LES CONTES Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;HOFFMANN 53

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The Director’s Circle recognizes those patrons whose significant financial support and ongoing commitment enable Edmonton Opera to continue to produce award-winning and compelling art in our community. Bravo and thank you! For more information about the Director’s Circle or to become a member, please call the donor services line at 780.392.7837.

Hoffmann production Sponsor $300,000 PCL Season SponsorS $250,000 Dianne & Irving Kipnes Rob Hood Fund Onegin Production Sponsors $150,000 Francis Price & Marguerite Trussler Visionaries $50,000+ Jim & Sharon Brown $25,000 Shelley & Guy Scott Family Foundation MaestroS $20,000 Dr. Thomas & Melanie Nakatsui $10,000+ Barbara Poole Oline Markine Russell M. & Marjorie Purdy Glen & Sandra Woolsey Gerhard & Inge Zmatlo

LEADERS $9,000+ Frederic & Alma Gojmerac $7,000+ Laurence Jewell $6,000+ Sandra Gajic Jack & Esther Ondrack $5,000+ Derek & Joanne Beaton Larry & Ellen Eberlein Mark & Nancy Heule Jeffrey Jansen Steven & Day LePoole Olson Management Ltd. Arnold & Grace Rumbold Ed Wiebe & Marcia Johnson PATRONS $4,000+ Richard S. Cook Arliss Miller Eira Spaner Chris & Vivian Varvis $3,000+ John & Susan Hokanson Fath Group – O’Hanlon Paving Gabe & Connie Shelley BenefactorS $1,750-$2,999 Tricia Abbott Hon. Darlene Acton James Archibald & Heidi Christoph Sam & Sonia Azer Rhonda Baker Douglas K. Bingham & Sheila Janki-Bingham Cheryl Lee Bosgoed

Branko & Jasna Calic Carol & David Cass David & Patricia Cassie Dr. Mary Chisholm Bill & Carole Clark Marian Clarke Elaine Coachman Patrick & Joan Dea Christine & Peter Dirksen Heinz & Donna Feldberg Joseph & Pat Fernando Fillmore Construction Management Peter & Astrid Griep Linda Hamilton Brian & Jeanne Hetherington Karen & Pamela Hofmann Icon Fox Developments Ltd. William Johnston & Mary Ritchie Brian Kucey & Elena Hernandez-Kucey Dr. Christine Kyriakides Joan Lopatka & Bill Rutledge Hilliard & Nancy Macbeth Laurel Mckay Stephen & Lynn Mandel Rod & Heleen McLeod Carman & Averie McNary Hugh McPhail & Yolanda Van Wachem Michael & Mariette Meier Ken & Gerda Miller Neil & Susan Miller John Oberg Eleanor Olszewski Aline Pratch Leonard Ratzlaff Kelly & Renee Redinger James E. & Vivian Redmond Alan Rose & Judy Schroder Robert & Hilary Rose Douglas & Kathleen Sabo Margaret Slate/Slate Personnel Katie Soles David Steer & Larissa Whiting Robert A. Wilson Stella Varvis & Paul Grossman Paola Zanuttini LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN 55

FRIENDS of Edmonton Opera

Sincere thanks go to the following individuals who, through their gifts, have demonstrated their belief in making opera a vital part of our cultural community. To donate or for additional information, phone the donor services line at 780.392.7837 or email individual.giving@edmontonopera.com. SustainerS

($1,000-$1,749) Architecture Arndt Doug Cannam Sheila Davidson John & Ann Dea Robert Edmunds Robert and Doreen Fessenden Gabor Gyenes & Erika Mullner Brent Hosjo Douglas O. Goss Professional Corporation Dwayne Hunka Ron Johnson Joseph Kim Juri & Helle Kraav Alan Kuysters Judy & Stuart Mackay Bertrand Malo Devon J. Mark & Allen Vander Well Alan Mather & Helgard Proft-Mather Bob & Bev McNally Axel Meisen & Barbara Girard Risha Milo Kyle & Colleen Murray Kevin Neveu Larry Pals Protostatix Engineering Consultants Inc Maria Schneider Angus Watt

SUPPORTERS

($500-$999) John Adria Peter & Barbara Allen Katrina Beatty Joan Bensted Bruce & Carol Bentley Robert Bessette Bob Bowhay Katherine Braun John Burlet Anne Marie Decore Glen & Kristie Demke Design Dialog Ivan & Ksenia Fedyna Robert Gilles Bill Grace A.R. Grynoch Stewart & Julie Hamilton Andy Hladyshevsky James & Hasmik Houlder Rob Jolley Bernadette Kollman Libuse Kuzel Igor & Galia Kwetny Peter & Jean Langford-Jones Neil & Jean Lund

Brenda MacDonald Rachel Mandel Denis & Ruth McGettigan Les Moss Wesley M. Pedruski George & Teresa Pemberton Linda & Gene Pilarski Fay Plomp Clarence & Elizabeth Preitz Robert Prybysh Dwayne & Salwa Samycia George Schluessel Kelly Sheard Devin Sears & Hayley Wan Sergie Ewaschink All Star Construction Ltd Michael & Nance Smith Geri & Lloyd Strain Joan Welch

CONTRIBUTORS

($250-$499) Stella & Walter Baydala Jim & Barb Beck Dr. Grace Bokenfohr Jennifer Brown Helen Buck Janet Carle Central Alberta CA Club Challenger Homes Craig Corbett Donald Cranston Brenda Dale Sharon & Milton Davies Ken & Judith Duffin Elisea Mori Professional Corporation Eng-Con Holdings Karin Fodor Kevin & Rachel Foster Shirley & Jim Funk Stacey Gibson Brad Gilewich Richard Groom Sheila Gynane Dave & Janet Hancock Lois Hawkins Lois Hingley Michael Hobart Douglas & Dorothy Hollands Elizabeth Hurley Roger & Rose Hutlet Louis & Mary Hyndman Ruben Jeffery Pavel & Sylva Jelen Robert & Dr. Erika Juthner-Krtschan Kent Kanfield HaNeul Kim Richard Kirby Loretta Klarenbach

56 LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN

David & Sandra Kraatz Franklin C. Loehde Kelly MacFarlane Beth Macintosh Peter Mantyniuk Paul Manuel Peggy & John Marko Maxi Consulting Inc. Kevin T. Mott Edward & Geri Papp Raj Pisani Terry O’Flynn Aaron & Jean Oshry Dr. Hanne Ostergaard David Rees Orla Ryan Alison Seymour Doug & Devika Short Sinclair Supply Ltd. Barbara Diane Sinn Kierstin Smyth Lillian Strangway C T S & Rosalind Sydie Karen Trace Frank Van Veen G. Vermeulen Jim Ward Dr. Lorraine Wilgosh Tim Yakimec

MEMBERS

($100-$249) Sonia Allore Laurie Anderson Bradley Armstrong Steve Baker Henry Banman Vicki Barrow Lavina Belik Brian Bengert Tim Berrett Gino S. Bit Dennis Blumenthal Jelena Bojic Dr. Vivien Bosley Robert Bradford Ailsa & Tom Bray Diane Brirner Annabel Brophy Ryan Brown Dr. Aubrey Burrowes John Cameron Janet Carle Orietta Caterina Tony Caterina Frank Cavaliere Donald Chisholm Chris J. Chodan Bruce Clark Janet M. Clark Roger & Carol Cohen

Joseph & Marta Collier Karin Conradi Heather Coon Dr. Diane Cox Gwen C. Davies Kathy Demuth Julie Denep Dan & Lorna Dennis R.J. & Janet Dmytruk Betty Lou Docherty Peter Doig Wendy Doughty & Jim Klingle Maggie Dower Arthur & Heather-Belle Dowling Harvey & Elizabeth Duff Dwayne Dufva Frank & Muriel Dunnigan Tim Eckert Casey Edmunds Marion Elder Elizabeth Ruthanna Elson Kevin Erker Noella Fagnan Alfred & Coleen Falk Werner Fenske Lois Field Ferdinand Filiplic David Finlay Joan Forge Derrick Forsythe Randy Garvey Allan Gatenby Shirley Gifford F.S. & Margaret Golberg George & Judy Goldsand Robert Gomez Karen Good Jon Goor Carol Graham Charles & Ann Grant Deanna Gupta Dr. Mary Ellen Haggerty Donald Harbridge Zenia J. Hawrysh Dr. T. Hayashi Kenneth & Jean Heavenor Dr. R. Henderson Dr. Judith Hibberd Barb Hiller Georgette Holyk Fred Horne Gwen Horvath Barbara Howarth Arlene Howell Marianne Howell Dr. Jiri Hrazdil Prof Corp Dr. Sheila L. Hughes Barr S. Humphreys W.H. Hurlburt Investors Group Matc

Erik & Franziska Jacobsen Christian Albert Jager Janet Jansen Ryan Jones Valerie Keates Richard Kennedy Hugh & Shirley Kent Adam Kilbrun Betty Kolodziej Valerie Kneteman Dr. Elizabeth Krause Lorraine & Stan Kucey Michelle Kuysters John Kuzyk Thierry Lacaze-Masmonteil Walter & Kay Lachman Nancy Lang Tara-Lee LaRose Jack & Diane Latham Dr. Vincent P. Lee Ursula Leipziger Leo Levasseur Rena Liviniuk Doug & Joan Longley Ronald Lucas Tom Lumsden Richard Lyne Lowell & Donna Lyseng David Malka Berniece Malone Greg & Patrece Maluzynsky John & Cathleen Matthews Antoinette Marchand Joan H. Marshall Graeme Marr Robert Mauro Linda Medland-Davis Ronald & Carole Middleton Janet Millar Dallas & Laura Miles Shauna Miller Renn Moodley Marion Morgan Chris Morrison Marney Mustard Larry Newton Danny & Erin Nianchuk Chris Nicholas Brent Nimalovitch John Ogilvy Michael O’Dell Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Arthur O’Leary Tim Paetkan Frank Palko C.H. Parks Fred Parton Anixa Patel Mary Pemberton Bruce Picton Sam Prochazka & Andrea Neilson

Chris Samycia Kathleen L. Savey Jelena & Dusan Savic Tom & Bev Sawyer Don Schultz Dr. Werner Schulze Tony Scozzafava Philip Sembaliyk Sheelagh & Andrew Semper Charles Shelley Paul Shelley R. & W. Sherbaniuk Anurag Shourie Chris Sieben

David Sparrow Michael Spassov Joseph Stang Mike Staines John & Sparkle Steeves Sheila Steinhauer-Mozejko Anne Strack Lord Ronald Streeter Martin & Heike Stribrny Jean Sult Louis Te Michael & Heime Thwaites William Tonn Darrell E. Ungstad

Donations made in memory of Dr. Robert J. Buck:

Donations made in memory of Ernie LeMessurier:

Donations made in memory of KIMBERLEY HEARD:

Isabelle A. Donald

Sandra Gajic Louis & Mary Hyndman Dianne & Irving Kipnes Stephen & Lynn Mandel Hilary Rose

Monique & Curtis Bandura James & Kelly Barnie Reta Berte Gail Dennis-Moisey Nicole Duhamel

Shawna Wenchulak Tim Winton Kim Wheaton Morley & Patricia Workun Doug & Mary Wright Frank & Melinda Wuest H.C. Yip Daniel Zalmanowitz Mark Zutz Christine Zwozdesky

Dennis Vance Maureen Vandenberg Harold Vanderschoe Terry & Michele Veeman Trudy Velichka Joe Viana Duane Vienweau A.C. Visman Jackson von der Ohe Tom Wakeling Todd Wandio Sherri Wawrow Jolanta Wiens Donna & Marv Weisler

Natalie Prytuluk Eugene & Jeanne Ratsoy Raywalt Construction Yvonne Rekken Lindsay Reynolds Mary Richardson Dr. Dean Rokosh Analee Roman Alex & Mary Lou Rose Hilary & Robert Rose Carolynne E. Ross Dr. E J Rudnisky Ena Rudovics Kathleen Ryks

Christine Jones Maureen Yates-Millions & Keith Millions Motion Industries (Canada) Ltd. Derek & Glenda Pickering

Salisbury Composite High School Laura Svajlenko Dennis & Sharon Turner

Only 2012/13 season donations and/or pledges processed until Dec. 31, 2012 are listed. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our donor information. If we have made an error or omission, please call the donor services line at 780.392.7837. We apologize for any inconvenience. Although space limitations allow us to list only charitable contributions of $100 or more, we gratefully acknowledge all donations. Each gift, regardless of size, helps to make Edmonton Opera performances possible. Thank you!

FRIENDS OF THE OPERA

benefits

MEMBER

CONTRIBUTOR SUPPORTER SUSTAINER BENEFACTOR

$100+

Tax receipt Acknowledgment in Intermezzo magazine and on website Access for two to our new Friends of the Opera Lounge Complimentary poster from our current season

• • •

Invitation for two to each dress rehearsal and VIP reception Two tickets at 30% off for each mainstage production Exclusive VIP event (per season) Two invitations to the exclusive DC Lounge Courtesy Jubilee parking during performances Two complimentary tickets to Edmonton Opera’s Film Series Backstage tour of a mainstage production Two complimentary Opera Brunch tickets Invitations to each Sitzprobe rehearsal Invitation to cast dinner Two complimentary mainstage subscriptions Recognition as a production or principal artist sponsor Invitation for dinner with Edmonton Opera’s CEO Access to private recitals

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE

$250+

• • •

$500+

• • • •

$1,000+

• • • • •

$1,750+

• • • • • • • • • •

PATRON

LEADER

$3,000+

$5,000+

• • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

MAESTRO

VISIONARY

$10,000+ $25,000+

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN 57

Presents In Support Of

This past November marked the sixth annual Experience Wine, Spirits & Beer Charity Auction. Since The Experience’s inception in 2007, the event has raised in excess of $3.5 million for charitable and non-profit causes. This year’s event raised a record $1 million for Alberta-based non-profit organizations. The recipients of this year’s proceeds were the Edmonton Opera and the University Hospital Foundation. The success of our annual Experience charity event is due to the generous support of our many sponsors and donors, to whom we are extremely grateful.

We would like to specially thank our platinum sponsors, who alone helped us raise $390,000 at this year’s event!

HELPING YOUR BUSINESS HIT THE RIGHT NOTE EVERY TIME. The business world is a lot like an opera, with drama, intrigue and suspense held in a mysterious balance. To find out what happens next, contact one of MNPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business advisors. Our professionals provide clear, straightforward business advice tailored to you and your operation. To find out how MNP can help you, contact James Gillespie, CA at 780.453.5380. MNP. Proudly supporting the Edmonton Opera 2012/2013 season.

Bravo, Edmonton Opera. We are proud to support original opera productions—made by Canadians... for Canadians.

SAVING І BORROWING І INVESTING І KNOW-HOW

Aria Legacy Help Edmonton Opera Sing Forever Edmonton Opera creates award-winning and compelling art, and strives to keep that art accessible for the Edmonton community. Aria Legacy is your opportunity to share that dream in a focused and personal way, with a gift to our endowment program that will last into perpetuity. Endowment gifts of any size are appreciated. For more information on how you can help sustain Edmonton Opera for generations to come, please call the donor services line at 780.392.7837.

Edmonton Opera

ENDOWMENT FUNDS Edmonton Opera applauds the following visionaries for contributing to or establishing a legacy of support for the future of opera in our community. Many of these contributions have been matched by the Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program. Thank you. Edmonton Operaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Endowment Funds: Sam & Sonia Azer Family Fund Frederic & Alma Gojmerac Family Fund Canadian Arts and Heritage Fund Edmonton Opera Staff Contributions Fund Edmonton Opera Endowment Fund Irving Guttman Opera Endowment Fund The Dianne and Irving Kipnes Opera Fund John and Barbara Poole Family Fund Francis Price and Marguerite Trussler Family Fund Dwight Purdy Memorial Fund David Cook Fund for Edmonton Opera Oline and Roderick Markine Family Fund

Endowment Donors & Aria Legacy Members John Adria Tricia Abbott Darlene Acton Peter & Barbara Allen Rebecca Anderson Sam & Sonia Azer Alan and Alice Bell Robert Bessette Jelena Bojic Grace Bokenfohr Katherine Braun Erin Clyde Richard Cook Glenda Dennis Maggie Dower Ivan & Ksenia Fedyna

Laura Fitzgerald Karin Fodor Sandra Gajic Karen Good Fred & Alma Gojmerac Andy Hladyshevsky John & Susan Hokanson Dorothy & Douglas Hollands Gwen Horvath W.H. Hurlburt Jeffrey Jansen Laurence Jewell Ha Neul Kim Betty Kolodziej Juri and Helle Kraav

Tara-Lee LaRose Franklin C. Loehde Stephen & Lynn Mandel Amanda MacRae Cameron MacRae Devon J. Mark & Allen Vander Well Roderick & Oline Markine Brenda MacDonald Alan Mather & Helgard Proft-Mather Jeff McAlpine Jeff McCune Bob McNally Arliss Miller

Kyle & Colleen Murray Wesley Pedruski Clarence and Elizabeth Preitz Francis Price Protostatix Engineering Consultants Barbara Poole Russell & Marjorie Purdy Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP Clayton Rodney Analee Roman Hilary & Robert Rose Arnold & Grace Rumbold

Kelly Sheard Katie Soles Michael Spassov Darren Staten Catherine Szabo Lauren Tenney Marguerite Trussler Chris & Vivian Varvis Stella Varvis Angus Watt Joan Welch Adrienne E. Wong Stacy Young Tim Yakimec Gerhard & Inge Zmatlo

Additional financial contributions from members of the Edmonton Opera Chorus. A generous endowment gift has been made by the Edmonton Opera Guild in honour of the Edmonton Opera Chorus.

LES CONTES Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;HOFFMANN 61

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File Name: LOG11024_RM_BF_AD_EdmontonOpera Trim: 7.25” x 4.625” Bleed: 0" Safety: 0.5” Mech Res: 300dpi Colours: CMYK

Publication: Material Deadline: Dec 5, 2012 Insertion Dates:

Singing in the new. Scotiabank is proud to be the Edmonton Opera Emerging Artists sponsor. The future of opera looks brighter because of these talented young Canadian artists. Enjoy the rich, absorbing season.

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Trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia. Trademarks used under authorization and control of The Bank of Nova Scotia. Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia.

LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN 63

PARTNERS

SPONSORS OF

GOVERNMENT & FOUNDATION SUPPORT

SEASON SPONSORS

the canadian series Sponsor

Dianne and Irv Kipnes

Production Sponsor

Education Dress Rehearsal Sponsor

Emerging Artist Sponsor

Surtitle Sponsors