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    Don Giovanni Opens April 13th for Six Performances

    Photo by Todd Rosenberg

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
    Tuesday, March 20, 2018
    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014
    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

    THE DALLAS OPERA IS PROUD TO PRESENT
    ROBERT FALLS’ ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF
    DON GIOVANNI
    by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Conducted by Music Director Emmanuel Villaume
    ~~~~
    MARIUSZ KWIECIEŃ HEADS AN ALL-STAR CAST:
    LAURA CLAYCOMB, DAVID PORTILLO, KATIE VAN KOOTEN,

    KYLE KETELSEN, VIRGINIE VERREZ, CRAIG VERM AND MORRIS ROBINSON
    ~~~~
    APRIL 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 and 29(m), 2018
    The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
    At the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX

    DALLAS, TX. MARCH 20, 2018 – The Dallas Opera is proud to present one of the most talked about Mozart productions of the decade: DON GIOVANNI in a critically acclaimed production created by Goodman Theatre Artistic Director Robert Falls for Lyric Opera of Chicago and conducted by Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume.
    Don Giovanni will open Friday, April 13th at 7:30 p.m. (The Enrico Foundation Performance) in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX for the first of six performances. Tickets start at just $19 and can be purchased online at www.dallasopera.org or by contacting The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000.
    Additional performances are scheduled for April 15 (2:00 matinee), 18, 21, 27 and 29 (a second 2:00 matinee), 2018. All evening performances begin promptly at 7:30 p.m.

    Based on the legendary Spanish lothario, Don Juan, librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte conjures up a character who is attractive-yet-deeply disturbing in both behavior and attitude. George Bernard Shaw, who regarded Don Giovanni as the greatest of all operas, singled it out for “its uncommon share of wisdom, beauty, and humor.”
    Director Robert Falls (the James R. Seitz Stage Director in Honor of John Gage), speaking to Lawrence B. Johnson for “Chicago on the Aisle,” noted: “In Mozart, we’re dealing with a supreme genius, like Shakespeare, who understood the human condition profoundly. Don Giovanni is comic but it’s also deeply personal and painful, an intense examination into humanity in all its desires, darkness and cruelty.”

    “Robert Falls’ brilliant production of Don Giovanni is the most admired in recent memory,” explains Dallas Opera Interim General Director and CEO Kern Wildenthal. “Mariusz Kwiecień is THE Don Giovanni of our day,” he continues, “The stellar principal cast is simply unbeatable—the best of the best singing each and every role. Under the inspired leadership of Maestro Emmanuel Villaume, this ‘must see’ production promises to be one of the high points in The Dallas Opera’s history.”

    The late Andrew Patner of Classical Voice North America observed: “Falls’ Giovanni production solves several problems off the bat, including the most important one — how can the music, story, and characters be communicated to a living audience? That’s the only “concept” that matters. A big man who works in a big theater, Falls is a master at using large spaces and stages…a gifted theater artist can show us that the Don, and Mozart of course, are ever our contemporaries.”
    The outstanding ensemble cast will be led by one of the world’s leading baritones and the reigning Don Giovanni of our day: Mariusz Kwiecień, also praised as “one of opera’s most intelligent actors.” Mr. Kwiecień’s engagements this season have included the roles of Marcello in La Bohème at London’s Royal Opera House, Zurga in The Pearl Fishers for Chicago Lyric, Count Almaviva in the Metropolitan Opera’s Le nozze di Figaro, the title role in Eugene Onegin at Vienna State Opera, and Malatesta in Opera Kracow’s Don Pasquale.
    William Burnett of Opera Warhorses notes “The sex-obsessed Don is a favorite character of the Polish baritone Mariusz Kwiecień, who played him memorably in the production of Sir David McVicar. (Robert) Falls gave Kwiecień license to further explore Don Giovanni’s nature, and the resulting portrait was extraordinary: an utterly charming but lethally sociopathic bad boy who, except for some bad luck and an error in judgment in the final few hours of his life on earth, might have added another thousand or so names to Leporello’s catalogue….Kwiecień’s Giovanni is a masterpiece…an engaging anti-hero, in a performance that is wonderfully sung and impressively acted.”
    The starry ensemble also includes local favorite and Grammy Award-winning soprano Laura Claycomb in her role debut as Donna Anna. This Texas native won the 2011 Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award for her unforgettable company debut as Gilda in Rigoletto.
    “Claycomb’s voice is pliant and rich” writes Opera News. She frequently performs with Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and at additional opera companies, major festivals, and symphony orchestras, worldwide, where Ms. Claycomb has earned consistent accolades for her amazing coloratura soprano, impeccable musicianship, ethereal high notes, and dramatic stage presence.
    The role of Don Ottavio will be sung by tenor David Portillo, a native of San Antonio, who appeared in two Metropolitan Opera productions earlier this season, including one of the most critically acclaimed works of the current season: The Exterminating Angel. Although Mr. Portillo attracted favorable notices in the world premiere of Breaking the Waves, he is making a name for himself in classic operatic repertoire, from Beethoven to Wagner, prompting a Sydney, Australia publication to write, “His voice is well suited to Mozart: clear, well-projected and with a comfortable top register that showed no (sign) of strain.”
    Soprano Katie Van Kooten will make her Dallas Opera debut as the unstoppable Donna Elvira. In demand on both the opera and concert stage, performances of Beethoven’s Ninth and Verdi’s Requiem bookend her appearances in Dallas. The Daily Telegraph described her as “a major operatic talent. Her singing has something of the same glow radiated by a Te Kanawa or a Freni…a winning stage personality.”
    Bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen will take his first bow on the Winspear stage in what has become a signature, scene-stealing role: Giovanni’s man servant, Leporello. No stranger to bad boys himself, last season Mr. Ketelsen earned rave reviews for his portrayal of Méphistophélès in Gounod’s Faust in Zurich and Escamillo in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Carmen, not to mention his earlier turn at Covent Garden as Nick Shadow in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. Opera-Brittania was prompted to write that Mr. Ketelsen was “a joy to hear from the moment he first opened his mouth, with smooth chocolate tones ringing out effortlessly.”
    Although French mezzo-soprano Virginie Verrez won First Prize at the 2016 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, her appearance in this production as the coquettish Zerlina marks her official company debut. Other highlights of her 2017-18 Season include Dorabella in Così fan tutte for Opéra de Lille, Flora in La traviata for Paris National Opera, and Erika in Barber’s Vanessa – a new Keith Warner production opening at the Glyndebourne Festival next August.
    Baritone Craig Verm made an indelible mark on Dallas audiences as the doomed Doug Hansen in the 2015 world premiere of Joby Talbot and Gene Scheer’s Everest and returns as the not-willing-to-be-duped Masetto. Mr. Verm’s performance is made possible with support from the Charron and Peter Denker Rising Stars Endowment Fund. And bass Morris Robinson returns to TDO to reprise the role of The Commendatore – with verve, dignity, and power.

    ~~~~
    Critically acclaimed Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume (The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director) will conduct all six performances. Opera Wire praised Villaume for his conducting of Thaïs at the Metropolitan Opera: “From the opening chords to the final ones, the polish of one of Massenet’s finest scores was felt.” The New York Times also touted his conducting prowess in the much-discussed new production of Tosca: “He brings shape, nuance and pliancy to the score.” Maestro Villaume’s most recent triumph was his conducting of Faust for Lyric Opera of Chicago. Seen and Heard International observed “Villaume’s expert hand was evident in the carefully-voiced sonorities, blending of the brass and percussion. Villaume supported the solo voices with fine attention to the stage, as well as care with the details, such as his tasteful stretching of measures and passages to accentuate lyricism.”
    Currently in his fifth season as music director of The Dallas Opera, Maestro Villaume guided our successful Samson & Dalila before turning his attention to engagements in Prague and at the Met, and also conducted the rarely performed Korngold one-act, The Ring of Polykrates earlier this year. Last summer, he also presided over a new Paul Curran production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel at Santa Fe Opera (a co-production with The Dallas Opera designed by Gary McCann).

    Don Giovanni stage director Robert Falls recently staged the world premiere of Rogelio Martinez’s Blind Date and adapted and directed a new production of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People in the Albert Theatre. This summer, he will direct the return engagement of Jim McGrath’s Pamplona in the Goodman’s Owen Theatre.
    Recent productions for the Chicago-based director include The Iceman Cometh for the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Rebecca Gilman’s Luna Gale for the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, Measure for Measure and the world and off-Broadway premieres of Beth Henley’s The Jacksonian.
    Among his other credits are The Seagull, King Lear, Desire Under the Elms, John Logan’s Red, Jon Robin Baitz’s Three Hotels, Eric Bogosian’s Talk Radio and Conor McPherson’s Shining City; the world premieres of Richard Nelson’s Frank’s Home, Arthur Miller’s Finishing the Picture, Eric Bogosian’s Griller, Steve Tesich’s The Speed of Darkness and On the Open Road, John Logan’s Riverview: A Melodrama with Music and Rebecca Gilman’s A True History of the Johnstown Flood, Blue Surge and Dollhouse; the American premiere of Alan Ayckbourn’s House and Garden; and the Broadway premiere of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida.
    The Associate Director on this revival is Jodi Gage in her Dallas Opera debut.

    ~~~~
    Other members of the experienced production team for Don Giovanni include set designer Walt Spangler, costume designer Ana Kuzmanic, choreographer August Tye Pauley, and fight director Nick Sandys Pullin – all in their Dallas Opera debuts. The associate fight director is Katherine Coyl.
    The original lighting designer for this production was Duane Schuler; lighting for this revival will be designed by Chris Maravich. Wig and make up design is by Dawn Rivard.
    Expert Chorus preparation is by Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom.
    The assistant conductor is Paolo Bressan. The assistant director is Mo Zhou.

    ~~~~
    The season finale will last approximately three-and-a-half hours, including a 25-minute intermission. The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk can be enjoyed in nearby Hamon Hall (adjacent to the audience chamber) one hour prior to curtain.
    Performed in Italian with English translations projected above the stage, ticket prices for this eighteenth-century masterpiece range from $19-$289. Discounted group rates and Student Rush Tickets are also available.
    For more information, call The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214-443-1000 or obtain more information online (including a full synopsis and complete cast and production team biographies) at www.dallasopera.org/season/don-giovanni.
    The Winspear Opera House is located in the Dallas Arts District at 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, Texas, 75201.
    ~~~~

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA
    Founded in 1957, The Dallas Opera is an internationally-recognized innovator dedicated to the overall advancement of the operatic art form and the support of established and emerging artists, as well as the education and development of new opera audiences in North Texas—and beyond. These goals are achieved by commissioning and producing world-class opera; through ground-breaking institutes, national competitions and topical programs; and by presenting opera in both traditional and non-traditional formats and venues in order to attract patrons of every age, background, educational level, and ethnicity—while engaging with more than 87,000 people in our community each year. TDO is equally committed to the task of responsible stewardship and is managed with efficiency and accountability, to the highest possible standards.

    ~~~~
    2017-2018 SEASON SPONSOR
    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

    ~~~~
    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA
    IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7. VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG

    FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS
    Contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and PR at suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

    The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation; Texas Instruments Foundation; the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; the Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
    American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera. Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera. Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

    The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by
    Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, and the Betty and Steve Suellentrop
    Educational Outreach Fund.

    TDO Family Performances are a part of the
    Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs

    TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE 2017-2018 DALLAS OPERA SEASON
    All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise indicated. Single Tickets range from $19 to $289. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

    THE DALLAS OPERA 2017-2018 SPRING SEASON MAINSTAGE INFORMATION
    The Dallas Opera celebrates its Sixty-First International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired. With the exception of FIRST NIGHT, The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain, at most performances.

    THE RING OF POLYKRATES & VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MAJOR
    A sweeping Viennese concerto paired with a charming domestic comedy!
    By Erich Wolfgang Korngold
    February 9, 11 (m), 14 and 17, 2018

    Violin Soloist (KORNGOLD CONCERTO): Augustin Dumay*
    The Dallas Opera Orchestra conducted by Emmanuel Villaume

    THE RING OF POLYKRATES
    Sumptuous Viennese music laced with orchestral color and wit!
    Libretto by Leo Feld
    Time: Early 20th century
    Place: Vienna, Austria
    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
    Director: Peter Kazaras
    Set Designer: Donald Eastman*
    Costume Designer: Tommy Bourgeois
    Lighting Designer: Krista Billings
    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard
    Starring: Paul Groves* (Wilhelm Arndt), Laura Wilde* (Laura), Brenton Ryan (Florian Döbllinger), Susannah Biller* (Lieschen), and Craig Colclough* (Peter Vogel).
    One of the most rarely performed opera gems! In its third professional U.S. production!

    SUNKEN GARDEN by Michel van der Aa
    March 9, 11 (m), 14 and 17, 2018
    A phenomenal visual, musical and emotional adventure – live and in 3-D!
    Libretto by David Mitchell
    Time: Present Day
    Place: Unknown
    Conductor: Nicole Paiement
    Director: Michel van der Aa*
    Set Designer: Theun Mosk**
    Costume Designer: Astrid Schulz**
    Lighting Designer: Theun Mosk**
    Sound Designer: Tom Gelissen*
    Starring: Roderick Williams* (Toby Kramer), Katherine Manley* (Zenna Briggs), and Miah Persson* (Iris Marinus).
    Combining live actors and 2-D and 3-D film, to take you where opera has never gone before!

    DON GIOVANNI by W.A. Mozart
    April 13, 15 (m), 18, 21, 27 and 29 (m), 2018
    Mozart’s operatic masterpiece brought vividly to life under the baton of Music Director Emmanuel Villaume!
    Time: 20th century
    Place: Seville, Spain and the surrounding countryside
    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
    Director: Robert Falls*
    Set Designer: Walt Spangler*
    Costume Designer: Ana Kuzmanic*
    Original Lighting Designer: Duane Schuler
    Lighting Designer: Chris Maravich
    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Starring: Mariusz Kwiecień (Don Giovanni), Laura Claycomb (Donna Anna), David Portillo* (Don Ottavio), Katie Van Kooten* (Donna Elvira), Kyle Ketelsen* (Leporello), Virginie Verrez* (Zerlina), Craig Verm (Masetto), and Morris Robinson (The Commendatore).
    An evocative and thrilling production from Lyric Opera of Chicago!

    * Dallas Opera Debut
    ** American Debut

    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    ###

    Outstanding Semi-Finalists Announced for Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition!

    The Dallas Opera and The Dallas Opera Guild
    Are Proud to Announce the 20 Outstanding Semi-Finalists of the 30th Annual
    “Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition”

    Competition Dates
    Semi-Finals: Friday, April 27, 2018, 11:00 a.m.
    Finals: Saturday, April 28, 2018, 7:30 p.m.
    Finals Feature The Dallas Opera Orchestra
    Conducted by Music Director Emmanuel Villaume
    Visit www.dallasopera.org/vocal for details.

    Also Announcing the Springs Gala Benefiting The Dallas Opera Education Programs
    Gala Co-Chairs Susan Geyer and Lynn Mock

    2018 Vocal Competition Honorees: Phyllis and Tom McCasland

    ~~~~

    The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
    At the AT&T Performing Arts Center
    2403 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201

    DALLAS, JANUARY 31, 2018 – Twenty of the finest young opera singers in the United States will be competing in the 30th Annual Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition presented, jointly, by The Dallas Opera and The Dallas Opera Guild.

    The artists will compete onstage in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas on April 27 & 28, 2018.  At stake are thousands of dollars in cash awards and prestigious honors including the “People’s Choice Award” selected during the Finals Round by audience ballot.  The competition will serve as the centerpiece of The Dallas Opera’s glamorous Springs Gala, an annual fundraising celebration of opera’s fast-rising stars benefiting The Dallas Opera’s highly acclaimed Education Program. Tens of thousands of children across North Texas benefit from this program.

    The quest for these gifted young singers will begin with the Semi-Finals Round of the Vocal Competition on Friday, April 27, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. Tickets are free.

    Six finalists will be selected to return the following evening for the Finals Round Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 7:30 p.m., to perform with The Dallas Opera Orchestra, conducted by the internationally renowned Emmanuel Villaume (The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director). Tickets are $5 and available at the door, at www.dallasopera.org/vocal, or by calling 214-443-1000.

    Emmanuel Villaume SM
    Internationally acclaimed Music Director Emmanuel Villaume will conduct The Dallas Opera Orchestra for the Finals Competition. (Photo by Akos Photography)

    The Springs Gala features a gourmet dinner on Saturday, April 28, at 5:30 p.m.; one Vocal Competition Finals ticket with early seating (event begins at 7:30 p.m.); and an invitation to the festive post-competition celebration at the Winspear Opera House. Tickets start at $750 for a single ticket; tables are available starting at $7500. For more information about the 2018 Springs Gala, visit dallasopera.org/gala or contact Special Events Manager Tracy Mott at tracy.mott@dallasopera.org. Proceeds will go to support the multifaceted education programs of The Dallas Opera, which serves thousands of students and teachers throughout the region.

    Two great Dallas Opera traditions create one truly remarkable evening of music, competition and celebration!  It is certain to be an affair—and a weekend—you won’t want to miss!

    ~~~~

    This year, the twenty semi-finalists were selected from a group of 364 applicants from 35 states—and one competitor currently residing in Germany (residents of the U.S. territories are eligible to apply for the prestigious competition, as well) by a panel of preliminary judges that included American pianist and educator Dr. Brian Zeger of the Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts at The Juilliard School, and David Lomeli, Casting and Hart Institute for Women Conductors Manager.

    “We are very proud to collaborate with our Guild on this extraordinary showcase,” says Kern Wildenthal, The Dallas Opera’s Interim General Director and CEO.  “This is a great opportunity for the entire community to experience opera’s exciting ‘next wave,’ and to show their enthusiastic support for the dreams of these outstanding young artists who will be the opera stars of the future.”

    THE 2018 SEMI-FINALISTS OF THE DALLAS OPERA GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION

    • Lawson Anderson, bass-baritone, 1st Prize Gerda Lissner
    • Anush Avetisyan, soprano, Opera Theater of Saint Louis Gerdine Young Artist Program, Academy of Vocal Arts
    • Vanessa Becerra, soprano, Glimmerglass Artist
    • Bille Bruley, tenor, Indiana University
    • Alex DeSocio, baritone, San Francisco Merola Opera Program
    • Patrick Guetti, bass, Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago
    • Josh Lovell, tenor, Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago
    • David Margulis, tenor, Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio, Zurich Opera Studio
    • Alyssa Martin, mezzo-soprano, Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio, Glimmerglass Artist
    • Lindsay Metzger, mezzo-soprano, Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago
    • Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, countertenor, San Francisco Merola Opera Program, Houston Grand Opera Studio, San Francisco Opera Adler Fellowship
    • Richard Ollarsaba, bass-baritone, Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago
    • Takaoki Onishi, baritone, Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago
    • Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, San Francisco Merola Opera Program, San Francisco Opera Adler Fellowship
    • David Pershall, baritone, San Francisco Merola Opera Program, Vienna Staatsoper Ensemble
    • Alexandra Razskazoff, soprano, San Francisco Merola Opera Program, Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program, Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program, Academy of Vocal Arts
    • Mario A. Rojas Calleja, tenor, Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago
    • Sarah Tucker, soprano, Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio, Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program
    • Julia Wolcott, soprano, Juilliard School of Music
    • Xiaomeng Zhang, baritone, Juilliard School of Music

    Competitors in the 2017 Competition took home prize monies totaling $18,500.  Although this competition has as its primary focus artists in the 18 to 34 age range, singers of any age were eligible to apply and considered on a case-by-case basis.

    The Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition originally focused on young artists with Texas roots or Lone Star academic connections, and its many distinguished alumni include luminaries from throughout the opera world: Latonia Moore, Clifton Forbis, Marjorie Owens, Weston Hurt, Steven LaBrie, Amanda Woodbury, Jesus Garcia, J’nai Bridges, Anthony Clark Evans, Kang Wang, Virginie Verrez—and, most recently, Samantha Hankey (the 2018 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Finals winner), Laura Wilde and Kihun Yoon.

    As the competition sought to gain even greater prominence and significance, The Dallas Opera and The Dallas Opera Guild made significant changes in 2015, prompting Dallas Morning News Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell to write that the competition had “considerably upped its ante.”  The evolution didn’t stop there:

    • In order to attract the most talented applicant pool with the greatest potential, the eligibility criteria for applicants changed. Today, it is open to residents of all 50 states and U.S. Territories, including international students attending American colleges, universities, and music conservatories.  Also eligible are active members of any young artist program associated with an American opera company.
    • The Finals Round, now taking place on as part of The Dallas Opera’s annual Springs Gala, will be accompanied by The Dallas Opera Orchestra, conducted by TDO’s internationally acclaimed Music Director, Emmanuel Villaume. Up to six finalists will participate, singing two arias each.

    The impact of these changes was immediately perceived.  Senior Classical Music Critic Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of theaterjones.com wrote: “The results surely exceeded expectations for this newly re-envisioned competition…It won’t take long to situate itself at the top of such events and become an important gold star on any young artist’s résumé.”

    Dallas Opera Guild Co-Presidents Jan and James Clay explain, “Our exciting annual competition is the most high-profile facet of The Dallas Opera Guild’s year-long commitment to support exceptionally talented young opera artists.  The future of opera, not only in Texas, but throughout the world, is dependent on the discovery and development of bright new talent.  The Guild takes that part of our mission very seriously, and we encourage everyone in the community to turn out next spring to show their support for these fine young singers!”

    Dallas Opera Guild 2018 Vocal Competition Chairs Patsy and Bob Brooks write: “The Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition gives singers pursuing a professional opera career the opportunity to showcase their talents and compete with other singers for financial rewards.  Best of all is the chance to perform before a panel of distinguished judges celebrated throughout the opera world.”

    Lexus Red Parking is available for just $5 at both the Semi-Finals Round, from 11:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 27 as well as the Finals Round of the competition the following evening, Saturday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the Winspear Opera House.

    The list of esteemed judges for the 2018 Vocal Competition reads like a music industry “Who’s Who”:

    Judges for the 2019 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition:

    Brian Zeger, Chair

    Artistic Director of the Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts

    The Juilliard School

    Emmanuel Villaume

    The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director, The Dallas Opera

    Peter Czornyj

    Vice President of Artistic Operations, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra

    Kathleen Kelly

    Associate Professor of Music, University of Michigan

    Former Director of Music Studies, Vienna State Opera

    Alain Lanceron

    President of Warner Classics

    Andreas Melinat

    Vice President Artistic Planning, Lyric Opera of Chicago

    Pål Moe

    Casting Director, Bavarian State Opera;

    Casting Consultant, Glyndebourne Festival and Opéra de Lille

    However, the judging isn’t left entirely to the professionals; “amateur” music lovers will have the opportunity to express their views, too. Audience participation is part of the fun at each year’s Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition. For the nineteenth consecutive year, attendees will be given the chance to vote on their personal favorites to receive the coveted “People’s Choice Award.”

    ~~~~

    HISTORY OF THE DALLAS OPERA GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION:

    In February of 1987, then-Dallas Opera Guild Presidents Connie and Jerry Klemow proposed establishing a Guild-sponsored scholarship fund to financially assist qualified singers seeking a career in opera. With the approval of The Dallas Opera management and the enthusiastic support of Artistic Director Nicola Rescigno, a committee comprised of Pat Blankenship, Nora Sands and Maria Santarelli, chaired by Connie Klemow, was entrusted to formulate a plan. Soon, the committee welcomed the assistance of then-General Director Plato Karayanis, company dramaturg Roger Pines and Dallas Morning News Classical Music Critic John Ardoin.

    Mr. Ardoin suggested a grants program be established in lieu of a scholarship fund or a competition. His suggestion was considered and the concept accepted. It was decided to focus on applicants from North Texas, ages 18-35 with some professional experience. Roger Pines named the program “The Career Development Grant for Singers” (CDGS) and after 20 months of planning the first CDGS program was presented on October 8, 1988 at SMU’s Caruth Auditorium.

    However, for any program to remain dynamic, it must grow and evolve. During these past three decades there have been many changes, including the additions of Encouragement Awards, a “People’s Choice Award,” and a significant name change to “The Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition” in 2004.

    From the initial grants program, the concept evolved into an annual competition that, until 2014, focused on vocalists with a Texas connection, both home-grown and temporary residents. Through this event, the Guild continues to recognize and honor members of The Dallas Opera community who have demonstrated a special interest in promoting the careers of talented young singers, or, have given exceptional support to The Dallas Opera and the Guild. Jonathan Pell, former Artistic Director of The Dallas Opera, led the Judge’s panel for the first 26 years.

    The vocal competition was significantly reimagined and expanded in its 27th year, under the leadership of former Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny, to allow applicants from all 50 states and U.S. Territories. Dr. Brian Zeger, Artistic Director of Juilliard’s Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts and former Executive Director for the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program of the Metropolitan Opera now chairs a judge’s panel that includes leading figures in music administration and classical music.

    The competition was expanded to take place over a two-day period.  Participants in 2018 will be heard during Friday’s semi-finals and the selected finalists will perform again Saturday evening, accompanied by The Dallas Opera Orchestra under the direction of the Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director Emmanuel Villaume.

    The Dallas Opera Guild remains dedicated to its original commitment to recognize, honor and support exceptionally talented young singers. The distributed award monies are funded anew each year. Guild members graciously donate their time, energy, money and talents to ensure that this prestigious annual competition succeeds in cultivating the next generation of world-class artists.

    ~~~~

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

    Founded in 1957, The Dallas Opera is an internationally-recognized innovator dedicated to the overall advancement of the operatic art form and the support of established and emerging artists, as well as the education and development of new opera audiences in North Texas—and beyond. These goals are achieved by commissioning and producing world-class opera; through ground-breaking institutes, national competitions and topical programs; and by presenting opera in both traditional and non-traditional formats and venues in order to attract patrons of every age, background, educational level, and ethnicity—while engaging with more than 87,000 people in our community each year.  TDO is equally committed to the task of responsible stewardship and is managed with efficiency and accountability, to the highest possible standards

    ~~~~

    SPECIAL THANKS

    TO THE AT&T PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND STAFF

    FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE

    2018 DALLAS OPERA GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION

     

    2017-2018 SEASON SPONSOR

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

    ~~~~

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

    IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7.  VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG

     

    FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS

    Contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and PR at suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

    Or Celeste Hart, Communications Manager at celeste.hart@dallasopera.org

     

    The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation; Texas Instruments Foundation; the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; the Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

    American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera. Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera. Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

     

    The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by

    Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, and the Betty and Steve Suellentrop

    Educational Outreach Fund.

     

    TDO Family Performances are a part of the

    Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs

    Presenting the Delightful Comedy The Ring of Polykrates

    THE RING OF POLYKRATES By Erich Wolfgang Korngold

    The Third U.S. Production in a Century

     

    Tenor Paul Groves, Soprano Laura Wilde, and Bass-Baritone Craig Colclough Star!

    Conducted by Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume

    ~~~~

    Programmed with Korngold’s Iconic Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 (1945)

    Featuring Renowned Violinist Augustin Dumay

    OPENING NIGHT: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018, 7:30 PM

    The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House,

    AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas TX

    ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES: February 11 (m), 14, 17

    With Support from the National Endowment for the Arts

     

    DALLAS, TX, JANUARY 11, 2018 – A sizzling blend of domestic comedy and romance, symphonic music and opera, thrilling virtuosity and extraordinary artistry, will melt the icy grip of winter this February as The Dallas Opera presents a once-in-a-lifetime pairing: Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s rarely performed 1916 opera, The Ring of Polykrates, preceded by the composer’s famous Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 that premiered nearly three decades later in 1945.

    The unique program opens on Friday, February 9, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. for the first of four performances in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, Texas. Additional performances are scheduled to take place in the Winspear on:

    Sunday, February 11, 2018 at 2:00 pm

    Wednesday, February 14, 2018 at 7:30 pm

    Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 7:30 pm

    This Dallas Opera production is made possible by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

    Revered French violinist Augustin Dumay (with more than 40 recordings in his discography) will be the featured guest soloist with The Dallas Opera Orchestra for the concerto. Mr. Dumay is considered “an absolute master of using changes in tone color as an expressive device” (Fanfare) and many of his recordings are considered the “gold standard” in their repertoire.  Heather Kurzbauer of The Strad put it simply: “This is the stuff that dreams are made of.”  As for his live concert hall performances, Geoffrey Norris of The Daily Telegraph writes: “Mr. Dumay is a violinist of remarkable individuality…excitingly musical, stimulatingly original, a marvelously fresh but idiomatic interpretation with a strength of personality that made it so powerfully communicative and memorable.”

    The concerto will be paired with Korngold’s very first opera, The Ring of Polykrates, a one-act domestic comedy composed in 1913-14 when he was just sixteen years old. The opera premiered in Munich in 1916 on another double bill.

    Korngold is known today as one of the great proponents of early twentieth-century “neo-romanticism” and one of the fathers of the modern movie score, whose masterful work during Hollywood’s “Golden Age” (The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Sea Hawk, Anthony Adverse, Deception, Between Two Worlds, Juarez, Kings Row) has influenced generations of composers, studios, and film-makers.

    Polykrates_Final (640x427)

    The plot revolves around a happily married professional musician, Wilhelm Arndt, whose career is on the upswing, along with his finances.  His joy, he tells his wife Laura, would be complete if only he could once again see his long-lost friend Peter Vogel. Without giving too much away, we will refer you to the old adage, “Be careful what you wish for!”

    The name of the opera is taken from a late eighteenth-century poem by Friedrich Schiller, which is based on the ancient tale of the Greek ruler, Polycrates, who was deemed much too successful for the Fates to ignore–and advised to throw away his most valuable possession, a bejeweled ring, in a superstitious bid to avoid future disaster.

    Critically acclaimed Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume (The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director) will conduct all four performances. Opera Wire praised Villaume for his conducting of Thaïs at the Metropolitan Opera: “From the opening chords to the final ones, the polish of one of Massenet’s finest scores was felt.” The New York Times also touted his conducting prowess in the much-discussed new production of Tosca: “He brings shape, nuance and pliancy to the score.”

    Currently in his fifth season as music director, Maestro Villaume guided our successful Samson & Dalila before turning to engagements in Prague and at the Met.  Last summer, he presided over a critically acclaimed new production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel at Santa Fe Opera (a Dallas Opera co-production).

    Directed by Peter Kazaras (La Bohème), The Ring of Polykrates stars tenor Paul Groves, soprano Laura Wilde (Phyllis A. McCasland and Thomas H. McCasland, Jr. Young Artist) and bass-baritone Craig Colclough in their eagerly-anticipated TDO debuts.

    “It is a great privilege to be able to give Dallas Opera patrons the opportunity to experience this opera live,” says Interim General Director and CEO Kern Wildenthal.  “Even recordings of Polykrates are rare, but that could change quickly with the growing appreciation for Korngold’s early works.

    “This brilliant young cast, guided by Emmanuel Villaume and Peter Kazaras, will not only charm us, they will heighten our awareness of Korngold’s distinctive musical voice, which was already exceptional at the age of sixteen.”

    Director Peter Kazaras currently serves as the Director of Opera and Music Theater at UCLA.  Previously, he was Seattle Opera’s Artistic Advisor and Artistic Director of the company’s young artist program.  This season, Mr. Kazaras will also be directing La Gazza Ladra at Glimmerglass and Le Nozze di Figaro for Washington National Opera.

    American tenor Paul Groves (Wilhelm Arndt) is a frequent guest of the world’s leading opera houses and concert halls.  He returns to his native New Orleans later this season to sing the title role of Faust.  He can also be heard singing Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Cleveland Orchestra and the Indianapolis Symphony, Berlioz’ Requiem with the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Charles Dutoit, and Stravinsky’s Perséphone with the Oregon Symphony.

    American soprano Laura Wilde (Laura), winner of a 2016 Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation and the Luminarts Women’s Voice Fellowship, recently made her role debut as Freia in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s new production of Das Rheingold. Other engagements include the role of Jane Withersteen in the world premiere of Riders of the Purple Sage, Micaëla for Nashville Opera, and Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.

    American bass-baritone Craig Colclough (Peter Vogel) returned to London as Scarpia for English National Opera, the role that also served as his debut at Canadian Opera Company.  His most recent appearances include the title role of Falstaff for Opera Saratoga and Arizona Opera; Timur in Turandot under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel; Jack Rance in La Fanciulla del West and Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde at English National Opera; and Simone in Gianni Schicchi for LA Opera.

    Rounding out the cast are tenor Brenton Ryan (Florian Döblinger) now appearing as Spoletta in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Tosca, conducted by Maestro Villaume (both will be seen in the Met’s “Live in HD” simulcast of Tosca on January 27, 2018); and soprano Susannah Biller (Lieschen) who earned rave reviews in the title role of Madame White Snake for Beth Morrison Projects, as well as numerous other roles.

    ~~~~

    Set Designer Donald Eastman, who designs for opera companies and theaters here and overseas, will make his TDO debut. His work has been seen at Canadian Opera Company, Lincoln Center Festival, New York City Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Opéra de Montréal and the San Francisco Opera Center.

    This Dallas Opera production will also feature period costumes by TDO’s Costume Design Consultant Tommy Bourgeois, with lighting by Dallas Opera Lighting Director and Associate Technical Director Krista Billings, and wig and make-up design by Emmy Award-winning designer Dawn Rivard.

    Performed in German with English translations projected above the stage, the Korngold program will have three additional performances: February 11(m), 14 (a romantic Valentine’s Day evening) and February 17, 2018.  Ticket prices range from $19-$289. Discounted group rates and Student Rush Tickets are available. For more information, call the ticket office at 214-443-1000 or visit https://dallasopera.org/season/the-ring-of-polykrates.

    The Winspear Opera House is located in the Dallas Arts District at 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, Texas, 75201.

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

    Founded in 1957, The Dallas Opera is an internationally-recognized innovator dedicated to the overall advancement of the operatic art form and the support of established and emerging artists, as well as the education and development of new opera audiences in North Texas—and beyond. These goals are achieved by commissioning and producing world-class opera; through ground-breaking institutes, national competitions and topical programs; and by presenting opera in both traditional and non-traditional formats and venues in order to attract patrons of every age, background, educational level, and ethnicity—while engaging with more than 87,000 people in our community each year.  TDO is equally committed to the task of responsible stewardship and is managed with efficiency and accountability, to the highest possible standards.

    ~~~~

    2017-2018 SEASON SPONSOR

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

    ~~~~

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

    IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7.  VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG

    FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS

    Contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and PR at suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

    Or Celeste Hart, Communications Manager at celeste.hart@dallasopera.org

     

    The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation; Texas Instruments Foundation; the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; the Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

    American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera. Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera. Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

     

    The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by

    Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, and the Betty and Steve Suellentrop

    Educational Outreach Fund.

    TDO Family Performances are a part of the

    Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs

     

    TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE 2017-2018 DALLAS OPERA SEASON

    All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise indicated.  Single Tickets range from $19 to $289. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

    Dallas Opera Names Interim Gen. Dir. & CEO

    Wildenthal solo shot UTSW2008

    Dr. Kern Wildenthal

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
    Thursday, December 21, 2017
    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Celeste Hart 214.443.1071
    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org celeste.hart@dallasopera.org

    The Dallas Opera Announces
    The Appointment of
    Dr. Kern Wildenthal
    Former Dallas Opera Board Chairman
    As Interim General Director and CEO
    ~~~~
    Transition Team in Place
    The Search for Permanent General Director Begins

    DALLAS, TX, DECEMBER 21, 2017 – The Dallas Opera has announced the appointment of longtime Dallas Opera Board member, Executive Committee member, and former Board Chairman Kern Wildenthal as Interim General Director and CEO of the company. He will serve in a volunteer capacity, with no compensation, until a permanent general director is appointed.
    Dr. Wildenthal, who chaired TDO’s Board from 2008 to 2012 (during its move to the Winspear Opera House), has been a loyal supporter of the company for many years. In 2015, Mrs. Eugene McDermott and the McDermott Foundation made major 7-figure gifts to endow the company’s top job and to honor Dr. Wildenthal by naming the position—in perpetuity—the “Kern Wildenthal General Director.”

    “I have always had the highest regard for Kern Wildenthal’s ability to apply his wide-ranging experience and leadership skills to The Dallas Opera, We are so fortunate that he has agreed to assume the responsibility to steer the company through this transitional time,” says Board Chairman Holly Mayer.

    DR. KERN WILDENTHAL BIO:

    Kern Wildenthal, M.D., Ph.D., was the second President of UT Southwestern Medical Center, serving in that position from 1986–2008, after a ten-year stint as Dean. Under his administrative leadership, UT Southwestern quintupled in size; four faculty members were awarded the Nobel Prize; two million square feet of research buildings were constructed; two hospitals and six clinics were added to the campus, while referral medical services increased ten-fold. Also during this period, the institution’s endowment grew from $40 million in 1986 to $1.3 billion in 2008.
    Following his retirement as President of UT Southwestern, he became President and Senior Consultant of Southwestern Medical Foundation from 2008–2013. From 2013 to 2016, he served as President of Children’s Medical Center Foundation and Executive Vice President of Children’s Health System of Texas. Since his retirement from those roles in September 2016, he holds appointments as Past President of the Foundation and Consultant for Children’s Health, as well as President Emeritus and Professor Emeritus at UT Southwestern.
    Dr. Wildenthal received his medical education at UT Southwestern and New York University Medical Center and his research training at UT Southwestern; the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and the University of Cambridge in England, where he earned a Ph.D. in cell physiology in 1970.
    He has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship and was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, as well as being selected to chair multiple medical and educational organizations and committees.
    Locally, Dr. Wildenthal has been a member of numerous civic, arts, and philanthropic boards, including the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Citizens Council, Dallas Assembly, Science Place, Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony Association, The Dallas Opera, Moncrief Cancer Foundation, Hamon Foundation, Reves Foundation, and Hoblitzelle Foundation.
    He has received the Excellence in Community Service Award from the Dallas Historical Society, the Virginia Chandler Dykes Award for Public Service from Texas Woman’s University, the TACA Silver Cup Award for Volunteer Leadership in the Arts, the Spirit of Generations Award of Dallas’ Senior Source, and the 2017 Ruth and Ken Altshuler Callier Care Award. He has been awarded honorary Doctor of Science degrees by Austin College and Southern Methodist University. In 2008, he was elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame, the first leader of a nonprofit organization to be so recognized.
    In 2014, the Board of Regents of the University of Texas System honored him by naming the newest research building on the UT Southwestern campus as the “C. Kern Wildenthal Research Building.”
    ~~~~

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA
    Founded in 1957, The Dallas Opera is an internationally-recognized innovator dedicated to the overall advancement of the operatic art form and the support of established and emerging artists, as well as the education and development of new opera audiences in North Texas—and beyond. These goals are achieved by commissioning and producing world-class opera; through ground-breaking institutes, national competitions and topical programs; and by presenting opera in both traditional and non-traditional formats and venues in order to attract patrons of every age, background, educational level, and ethnicity—while engaging with more than 87,000 people in our community each year. TDO is equally committed to the task of responsible stewardship and is managed with efficiency and accountability, to the highest possible standards.

    2017-2018 SEASON SPONSOR
    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

    ~~~~
    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA
    IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7. VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG

    FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS
    Contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and PR at suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
    Or Celeste Hart, Communications Manager at celeste.hart@dallasopera.org

    The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation, Texas Instruments Foundation, the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera. Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera.
    Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

    The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by
    Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, and
    The Betty and Steve Suellentrop Educational Outreach Fund
    TDO Family Performances are a part of the
    Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs

    TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE 2017-2018 DALLAS OPERA SEASON
    All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise indicated. Single Tickets range from $19 to $289. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

    THE DALLAS OPERA 2017-2018 SPRING SEASON INFORMATION
    The Dallas Opera celebrates its Sixty-First International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired. With the exception of FIRST NIGHT, The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain, at most performances.

    THE RING OF POLYKRATES & VIOLIN CONCERTO IN D MAJOR
    A sweeping Viennese concerto paired with a charming domestic comedy!
    By Erich Wolfgang Korngold
    February 9, 11 (m), 14 and 17, 2018
    Violin Soloist (KORNGOLD CONCERTO): Augustin Dumay*
    The Dallas Opera Orchestra conducted by Emmanuel Villaume

    THE RING OF POLYKRATES
    Sumptuous Viennese music laced with orchestral color and wit!
    Libretto by Leo Feld
    Time: Early 20th century
    Place: Vienna, Austria
    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
    Director: Peter Kazaras
    Set Designer: Donald Eastman*
    Costume Designer: Tommy Bourgeois
    Lighting Designer: Krista Billings
    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard
    Starring: Paul Groves* (Wilhelm Arndt), Laura Wilde* (Laura), Brenton Ryan (Florian Döbllinger), Susannah Biller* (Lieschen), and Craig Colclough* (Peter Vogel).
    One of the most rarely performed opera gems! In its third professional U.S. production!

    SUNKEN GARDEN by Michel van der Aa
    March 9, 11 (m), 14 and 17, 2018
    A phenomenal visual, musical and emotional adventure – live and in 3-D!
    Libretto by David Mitchell
    Time: Present Day
    Place: Unknown
    Conductor: Nicole Paiement
    Director: Michel van der Aa*
    Set Designer: Theun Mosk**
    Costume Designer: Astrid Schulz**
    Lighting Designer: Theun Mosk**
    Sound Designer: Tom Gelissen*
    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard
    Starring: Roderick Williams* (Toby Kramer), Katherine Manley* (Zenna Briggs), and Miah Persson* (Iris Marinus).
    Combining live actors and 2-D and 3-D film, to take you where opera has never gone before!

    DON GIOVANNI by W.A. Mozart
    April 13, 15 (m), 18, 21, 27 and 29 (m), 2018
    Mozart’s operatic masterpiece brought vividly to life under the baton of Music Director Emmanuel Villaume!
    Time: 20th century
    Place: Seville, Spain and the surrounding countryside
    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
    Director: Robert Falls*
    Set Designer: Walt Spangler*
    Costume Designer: Ana Kuzmanic*
    Original Lighting Designer: Duane Schuler
    Lighting Designer: Chris Maravich
    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Starring: Mariusz Kwiecień (Don Giovanni), Laura Claycomb (Donna Anna), David Portillo* (Don Ottavio), Nino Machaidze* (Donna Elvira), Katie Van Kooten* (Donna Elvira), Kyle Ketelsen* (Leporello), Virginie Verrez (Zerlina), Craig Verm (Masetto), and Morris Robinson (The Commendatore).
    An evocative and spine-tingling production from Lyric Opera of Chicago!

    * Dallas Opera Debut
    ** American Debut
    _____________________________________________________________________________________________

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