Press Release: Terrence McNally Given 2020 Maria Callas Award
Photo by Robert Kusel for Lyric Opera of Chicago
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, July 13, 2015
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Celeste Hart 214.443.1071
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org celeste.hart@dallasopera.org
THE DALLAS OPERA IS THRILLED
TO ANNOUNCE
SINGLE TICKETS
FOR THE 2015-2016 SEASON
“SEEKING THE
HUMAN ELEMENT”
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PRESENTED BY TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
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GO ON SALE WEDNESDAY, JULY 15TH
Single tickets Start at Just $19
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Family Performance Singles – $5 apiece!
DALLAS, JULY 13, 2015 – Single tickets for The Dallas Opera’s magnificent 2015-2016 “Seeking the Human Element” Season, and popular TDO Family Performances will go on sale to the general public Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. The season, which includes five spectacular operas including two highly-anticipated world premieres, is presented by Texas Instruments. Mainstage performances take place in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2403 Flora Street, in the Dallas Arts District.
Often considered the ultimate art form, opera combines fabulous singing and acting, innovative sets and costumes, a full orchestra and chorus and the greatest stories and music of all time.
An incredible value, single tickets start at the low price of $19 and may be purchased, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org or by calling our friendly TDO ticket office professionals at
214-443-1000—beginning July 15th.
Enjoy excellent savings and wonderful subscriber benefits by purchasing a Full Season or Flex subscription available now. Full subscriptions (five productions) begin at the incredibly low price of just $95; Flex subscriptions (three productions) start at just $75. Four opera packages are also available upon request. Benefits include ticket exchange privileges, promotions, optimal seat selection, payment plans, invitations to exclusive events, discounted parking and free ticket replacement.
Here are some highlights of the upcoming Dallas Opera season:
• GREAT SCOTT is a world premiere featuring a stellar cast of internationally renowned performers and a production “dream team” led by composer Jake Heggie, librettist Terrence McNally, conductor Patrick Summers and stage director Jack O’Brien. Superstar mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato leads the cast in the title role of Arden Scott. Also starring soprano Ailyn Pérez, the legendary Frederica von Stade, and magnetic baritone Nathan Gunn. (Oct. 30 The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance, Nov. 1(m), 4, 7 & 15(m), 2015)
• TOSCA, the classic, passionate Italian opera set in Rome centers around the character Floria Tosca, an opera diva (soprano Emily Magee). Giacomo Puccini’s tale of love, lust, political intrigue and abuse of power also stars Chilean tenor Giancarlo Monsalve as Cavaradossi, the artist who loves her. (Nov. 6, 8(m), 11, 14, 20 & 22(m), 2015)
• BECOMING SANTA CLAUS, a warm-hearted world premiere, likely to become a new holiday tradition, is by American composer Mark Adamo. The family-friendly opera stars mezzo-soprano Jennifer Rivera as Queen Sophine and features charismatic young tenor Juan José de León in the role of Prince Claus. (Dec. 4, 6(m), 9 & 12, 2015)
• MANON is a French opera by Jules Massenet about a naive young lady who learns that true love and romantic dalliances don’t necessarily bring happiness. The alluring and versatile lovely soprano Ailyn Pérez stars in the title role. (Mar. 4, 6(m), 9 & 12, 2016)
• SHOW BOAT features some of musical theater’s greatest hits including the show-stopping “Ol’ Man River” and “Make Believe.” The 20th century masterpiece by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II will be enriched with the power of the operatic voice. (Apr. 15, 17(m), 20, 23, 29 & May 1, 2016)
“Our goal is to present a wide range of productions providing an inspiring artistic and entertainment experience,” explains Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny. “We commissioned two premieres by some of the best composers and librettists of today to continue to add outstanding works to the operatic canon. Complementing these premieres are two classics of the repertoire, and TDO’s first-ever great American Musical. Newcomers to opera are invited to be thrilled by this uniquely diverse art form, and aficionados will continue to experience world-class opera performed by extraordinary talent.”
Starting the season off on a high note, The Dallas Opera presents the world premiere of Great Scott by acclaimed composer Jake Heggie (Moby-Dick) and Terrence McNally, an award-winning playwright. In Mr. McNally’s original story and libretto, international opera star Arden Scott (Joyce DiDonato, The Marnie and Kern Wildenthal Princpal Artist) returns to her hometown to try to save the struggling opera company that launched her to fame and fortune. She faces unexpected competition from an ambitious young soprano (Ailyn Pérez) as well as community excitement surrounding the local pro-football team’s first national championship game (Go Grizzlies!). Great Scott is made possible through support from Presenting Sponsor, The Eugene McDermott Foundation, and additional support from Hoblitzelle Foundation, Carol Franc Buck Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts and the Opera Fund, a program of OPERA America.
Next, TDO will present Tosca, a beloved, beautiful yet riveting traditional production by Puccini. Audience members will be on the edge of their seats as Tosca (Emily Magee) fends off the evil and pathological Baron Scarpia (portrayed by Raymond Aceto) in an effort to save her lover’s life. This captivating opera will be conducted by internationally renowned Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume of whom the Financial Times wrote he “reinforced a delicate balance between lyrical restraint and dramatic exuberance.”
The third production is the world premiere of the whimsical-yet-poignant holiday opera Becoming Santa Claus by renowned American composer and librettist Mark Adamo. With a magical set and costumes, glorious music, the power and beauty of operatic voices as well as some delightful surprises, this new production will inspire everyone in the family! The opera stars exceptional performers Jennifer Rivera as Queen Sophine, Juan José de León as Prince Claus and Matt Boehler in his company debut as Donkey. This world premiere production is made possible through generous underwriting support from Dr. and Mrs. Tom Mayer and Maile and Charles Shea.
TDO’s fourth production, the much-loved Manon, is the compelling story of a beautiful young woman (acclaimed soprano Ailyn Pérez) whose character transforms from an innocent, to a seductress, to a woman mired in shame. Tenor Stephen Costello (Moby-Dick) stars as Chevalier des Grieux, the man who truly loves Manon and hopes to save her from exile. Dallas Opera Music Director Emeritus Graeme Jenkins returns to conduct The Dallas Opera Orchestra in what many consider to be Massenet’s greatest work!
The season finale is Show Boat, which tells the story of a young couple, Magnolia Hawks (radiant soprano Andriana Chuchman) and the irresistible Gaylord Ravenal, a riverboat gambler (baritone Michael Todd Simpson), who fall madly in love. They begin performing together on her parent’s show boat, “The Cotton Blossom.” But after her mother disapproves of their marriage, their performing career ends, Ravenal starts gambling again and their love hits choppy waters. The musical also addresses issues of racism and addiction. The brilliant production created by Francesca Zambello, will be conducted by TDO Music Director Emmanuel Villaume.
“Our single tickets present a fantastic opportunity to see some of the best entertainment available in North Texas and are a great option for those that desire more flexibility! We welcome your calls and clicks starting on July 15 to help ensure your favorite seats are available,” adds Dallas Opera Marketing Director Carrie Ellen Adamian. “Subscriptions are also an extremely attractive option for ticket buyers and offer multiple benefits like discounts, tickets exchanges and payment plans.”
Guest stars making highly anticipated Dallas Opera debuts this season include:
• Joyce DiDonato, soprano, making her TDO debut as Arden Scott in Great Scott, is an internationally renowned performer. “…even Carnegie Hall didn’t seem large enough to contain her voice and expressive presence…Every mood and dynamic seems addressed directly to the listener with no dramatic barrier,” raved George Grella, New York Classical Review.
• Giancarlo Monsalve, tenor, will portray the role of Mario Cavaradossi, Tosca’s lover. “The climax of the evening was a young Chilean tenor…Nearly six feet high, with an athletic physique and a spectacular sensual look, Monsalve is nothing but a typical tenor.” Cyril Veselago Becenaro, Opera News
• Jennifer Rivera: According to the New York Times “Jennifer sang…with a luminous mezzo-soprano and reacted keenly to the opera’s swiftly changing moods.” She will create the role of Queen Sophine in Becoming Santa Claus in her TDO debut.
• Matt Boehler, bass, has been hailed by the New York Times as “a bass with an attitude and the goods to back it up.” Making his TDO debut, he will create the roles of Donkey and Messenger in Becoming Santa Claus.
• Edwin Crossley-Mercer, baritone, stars as Lescaut in Manon in his TDO debut. “Edwin Crossley-Mercer makes us appreciate the great French baritone tradition again with its original singing, precise expression and simple vocal beauty.” Concert Classique
• David Pittsinger makes his TDO debut as Le Comte in Manon. “His brilliant, knife-clean bass-baritone voice, impeccable enunciation-even with a French accent-and his authoritative, passionate delivery provide the perfect mix of romance, passion, and traditional masculine bravado.” The Washington Times
• Andrianna Chuchman, soprano, has been praised by The Chicago Tribune for radiating “enough vocal allure, physical beauty and charm to light up the stage,” in her starring role of Magnolia Hawks in Show Boat.
• Alyson Cambridge: Opera News raved “Alyson Cambridge’s sparkling soprano was matched by her confident, thoroughly believable characterization.” The soprano makes her TDO debut as Julie in Show Boat.
Returning to the Dallas Opera stage this season are many highly regarded artists:
• Frederica von Stade: Adding to the stellar cast of Great Scott, the mezzo-soprano will portray the character of Mrs. Edward “Winnie” Flato. New York Newsday has raved, “Her singing was polished yet warm, like china under whose thin glase are painted scenes of extraordinary delicacy…It was something close to ecstasy.”
• Nathan Gunn, stars as the love interest Sid Taylor in Great Scott. “Gunn tailors his impressive baritone arsenal of robust legato climaxes, snarly macho lower notes and beautiful floating upper tones…” Opera News
• Ailyn Pérez: The highly sought-after soprano stars as Tatyana Bakst in Great Scott and the title role of Manon. “…the bewitching young American soprano puts her heart into every twist of the drama…her performance was glorious, the quiet passages magical.” The Observer (UK)
• Emily Magee, soprano stars as the Floria Tosca. She is described by Robert Levine of Classics Today as “a super Tosca, singing with clarity and grand tone, delivering outrage and tenderness in equal proportions. Her ‘Vissi d’arte’ is gorgeous.”
• Stephen Costello, tenor, stars as des Grieux in Manon, has been described by Opera News as “A first-class talent…An intelligent, well trained singer whose enormous talent and natural musical instincts mark him for potential greatness.”
• Kevin Burdette, bass, will create the role of Eric Gold in Great Scott. According to a review from the San Francisco Chronicle “…his performance was a tour de force of vocal splendor and comic timing.”
• Raymond Aceto garnered high praise from Opera News for his portrayal of the Baron Scarpia in Tosca. “Raymond Aceto’s powerful, pathologically evil baron could have carried the night on his own. The varying colors of Aceto’s bass and the nuances of his acting brought realism and depth to the character—predatory, slithering, manipulative in Act I; cruel, taunting and wolfishly greedy in Act II.”
The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by Texas Instruments
and the Betty and Steve Suellentrop Educational Outreach Fund. TDO Family Performances are a part of the Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs.
In addition to the July 26, 2015 performance of The Billy Goats Gruff at Dallas Children’s Theater, $5 single tickets are on sale now at 214-443-1000 for these upcoming, eagerly anticipated TDO Family Performances:
• Mozart’s Bastien and Bastienne, a little romance with The Dallas Opera Orchestra conducted by Paolo Bressan: Winspear Opera House, 2:00 p.m. December 5, 2015 and March 5, 2016.
• Rossini and Company, the composer’s greatest hits performed by The Dallas Opera Orchestra and guest artists: Winspear Opera House, 2:00 p.m. curtain on November 21, 2015 under the baton of guest conductor Peter Manning and March 13, 2016, under the baton of guest conductor Paolo Bressan.
• The Billy Goats Gruff featuring outstanding young artists and The Dallas Opera Orchestra led by guest conductor Peter Manning: Winspear Opera House, 2:00 p.m., April 16, 2016.
The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House is conveniently located in the heart of the Arts District at 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201.
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EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT “JULY AT THE DALLAS OPERA”
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, 2015-2016 SEASON SPONSOR FOR THE DALLAS OPERA’S “SEEKING THE HUMAN ELEMENT” SEASON
Ticket Information for the 2015-2016 Dallas Opera Season
All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise described. Single Tickets range from $19 to $275 and will be available July 15. Full and Flex Subscriptions are on sale now starting at $75. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.
THE DALLAS OPERA 2015-2016 FALL SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Ninth 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. The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain, at most performances excluding FIRST NIGHT of the season.
GREAT SCOTT by Jake Heggie
October 30, November 1(m), 4, 7 & 15(m), 2015
A Thrilling Dallas Opera World Premiere!
Libretto by Terrence McNally*
Time: Present Day
Place: A Major American City
Conductor: Patrick Summers
Stage Director: Jack O’Brien*
Set and Costume Design: Bob Crowley
Lighting Design: Brian MacDevitt*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Joyce DiDonato* (Arden Scott), Ailyn Pérez (Tatyana Bakst), Frederica von Stade (Mrs. Edward “Winnie” Flato), Nathan Gunn (Sid Taylor), Anthony Roth Costanzo* (Roane Heckle), Kevin Burdette (Eric Gold), Michael Mayes* (Wendell Swan).
A Brand-New Dallas Opera Production!
TOSCA by Giacomo Puccini
November 6, 8(m), 11, 14, 20 & 22(m), 2015
A passionate and timeless masterpiece in a beloved period production
An opera in three acts first performed in Rome, Italy on January 14, 1900
Text by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa after Victorien Sardou’s 1887 French-language play, La Tosca
Time: Early 19th century
Place: Locations in and around the City of Rome
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Ellen Douglas Schlaefer*
Set and Costume Design: Ulisse Santicchi
Lighting Design: Marie Barrett
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: TBA
Starring: Emily Magee (Floria Tosca), Giancarlo Monsalve* (Mario Cavaradossi), Raymond Aceto (Baron Scarpia), William Ferguson (Spoletta), Dale Travis* (A Sacristan) and Ryan Kuster (Angelotti).
One of The Dallas Opera’s Most Popular!
BECOMING SANTA CLAUS by Mark Adamo
December 4, 6(m), 9 & 12, 2015
An Eagerly Awaited Dallas Opera World Premiere!
Libretto by the composer, Mark Adamo.
Time: Now
Place: An Elven kingdom in the far, far north; also, the stable of the first Christmas
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Paul Curran
Set and Costume Design: Gary McCann*
Video Design: Driscoll Otto*
Lighting Design: Paul Hackenmueller*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Jennifer Rivera* (Queen Sophine), Juan José de León (Prince Claus), Matt Boehler* (Donkey)
Another New Dallas Opera Production
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
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The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Texas Instruments Foundation, TACA, 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. A special thanks to the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for its continuing support.
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103 Applicants for Elite Program; Institute Makes Room for Four Additional Women Conductors to Observe
An International Inaugural Session of The Institute for Women Conductors At The Dallas Opera
Nov. 28 – Dec. 6, 2015
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Launched with Generous Support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation
DALLAS, JUNE 5, 2015 – The Dallas Opera is proud to announce the names of the six distinguished professionals selected to participate in the inaugural session of the Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera:
Working to address a long-standing career issue in the opera world, The Dallas Opera is launching a unique, new residential program designed to provide training and career support for distinctively talented women conductors. Female conductors age forty and younger, as well as accomplished women singers, opera coaches and accompanists, and instrumentalists with established careers seeking a new career at the podium, were encouraged to apply.
A total of 103 women conductors and professional musicians heeded the call and applied by the April 15th deadline. Of that number, nearly half the applicants (44%) came from the United States. Other nations making a strong showing included Germany, Italy, Israel and Taiwan (followed by Greece, Canada, Australia and Spain).
Applicants from 27 countries included principal and assistant conductors, concertmasters and music staff from top-ranked symphonies, opera companies, and conservatories.
“As a female conductor,” explained IWC Fellow Anna Skryleva, “I’m interested, of course, in programs supporting women—there are still so few of them; I don’t know of any other program of this type in the opera field. These days in Dallas promise to be very intensive.”
Jennifer Condon heartily agreed, writing: “The Dallas Opera’s recognition of the need for encouragement and support of women conductors is fabulous. The programme – so generously offered – touches on all aspects relevant to a career in conducting. So far as I am aware, there is no programme of its kind anywhere else in the world.
“I simply leapt at the chance to be included.”
“I was so thrilled to see The Dallas Opera offer such an innovative initiative for female conductors to further develop their opera skills on the podium,” responded Jessica Gethin. “As a young, female, Australian conductor based in Perth, the opportunity to be a part of the inaugural Institute for Women Conductors is invaluable at this stage of my conducting career.
“Through a generous combination of intense masterclasses on the podium with international mentors, seminars on the challenges we face within the industry and networking opportunities provided, I am looking forward to developing my technical skills and broadening my repertoire knowledge in a uniquely supportive environment and earning my place as an alumna in this brilliant and vital program, watching it grow and nurture the careers of many female conductors from around the world.
“I can’t wait to get my hands on the scores,” added Ms. Gethin, “and head over to the other side of the globe to get started!”
This new institute will be inaugurated on November 28, 2015 and run through December 6, 2015, with key support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation.
The IWC will consist of master classes and one-on-ones with Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume and Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement; seminars, discussions, and networking opportunities; as well as the chance to conduct The Dallas Opera Orchestra in a public concert performance the evening of December 5, 2015 onstage in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, Texas.
When asked what she hoped to gain from the experience, Stephanie Rhodes replied: “Everything! The insights of both Emmanuel Villaume and Nicole Paiement into conducting technique, interpretation, and the various business aspects of the profession are something I imagine will be invaluable, given the wealth of experience they bring to the table.
“I’m particularly looking forward to building relationships with fellow female conductors,” Ms. Rhodes added, “as I think the support, strength, and perspective we can offer each other now will be critical throughout our careers.”
IWC Fellow Natalie Murray Beale expressed similar sentiments: “This program is a vital acknowledgement of female conducting talent and a rare opportunity for women conductors.
“I have great hopes to develop my conducting at the Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera and to make new, positive working relationships with artists and managers alike. I look forward,” she added, “to emerging a stronger and more visible conductor.”
In addition to the six Institute participants, four more conductors – all from the United States – have been invited to observe the proceedings. They are: Arianne Abela, Luçik Aprahämian, Avlana Eisenberg and Co Boi Nguyen.
Those attending will also be encouraged to take part in an annual two-day networking event, beginning in the summer of 2016.
Stated Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny: “The Dallas Opera has demonstrated, in multiple ways, its commitment to reshaping the opera field through the use of innovative public outreach, by exploring new technologies, commissioning new works to expand the operatic repertoire, and programming with passion and imagination.”
“This much-needed program,” Mr. Cerny added, “will enable more women conductors to add their talents and insights to our collective understanding of this art form, while encouraging conversation about the necessity of women in leadership roles.”
The Dallas Opera’s Principal Guest Conductor, Nicole Paiement, who also serves as the Artistic Director and Conductor for San Francisco’s renowned contemporary opera company, Opera Parallèle, commented, “In tandem with my work as a professional conductor, I have spent many years striving to develop and support exceptional young talent, both onstage and in the orchestra pit. I am tremendously pleased to be able to continue this aspect of my career in a leadership role here in Dallas, and to be responsible for guiding each carefully selected group through this newly developed Dallas Opera program.
“The women taking part in this program will have the all-too-rare opportunity to observe another woman in this leadership role, “ Paiement added, “something that, regrettably, I never experienced in my early career as I sought role models from among my professional peers. I sincerely hope my work with the women in this institute can serve as a source of both valuable insights and inspiration.”
Marc A. Scorca, President and CEO of OPERA America, remarked: “The Dallas Opera continues to expand its influence and stature among American opera companies, as shown by this exciting new initiative. The company is to be applauded for taking a significant step to remedy the existing gender imbalance on the podium. This effort complements OPERA America’s support of the work of female opera composers and promises to enrich the art form by encouraging more gifted artists to express themselves through opera.”
Lidiya Yankovskaya, another IWC Fellow, wrote: “The Dallas Opera is known for doing innovative and exciting work that has placed the company at the forefront of American Opera and continues to inspire many within the field, myself included. I relish the opportunity to see this work from the inside and to learn from the company’s phenomenal leadership.
“Taking part in Dallas Opera’s program for Women Conductors will be crucial in giving me the push I need to gain exposure and move forward into more regular high-level work in the opera world. The institute will not only provide the opportunity to receive experience working with the company’s fantastic artists and feedback on my work, but it also represents a chance to gain exposure, and to discover how to make the leap into the next career level.”
Internationally renowned Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume observed: “No conductor ever stands at the podium alone. We raise our baton with those who came before us, and those who will follow in our footsteps.
“It takes a lifetime to become completely at home on the podium,” Villaume adds. “It was my privilege to be guided and taught by geniuses like Spiros Argiris and Seiji Ozawa, who, in turn, always quoted their own masters. In fact, they claimed that, only near the end of their performing careers, did they entirely understand some of the comments and advice they received from their mentors.
“We are always trying to perfect our work. I feel I am now at a place in my career, where I can begin to effectively share my experiences with the next generation of conductors.”
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2015 IWC FELLOWS:
JENNIFER CONDON (Australia/Germany)
Jennifer Condon has been passionate about opera from an absurdly young age – since her teens she has been fortunate to have fellow Australian, Simone Young, as mentor. Jennifer studied piano in Sydney, and conducting in Melbourne and Vienna before commencing work as a souffleuse at the Hamburg State Opera in 2008. She now has a repertoire of over 55 operas. During her time in Hamburg, Jennifer also brought Peggy Glanville-Hicks’ opera Sappho (1963) from the composer’s hand-written manuscript to the recording studio. The CD, with an eminent cast including Deborah Polaski, Sir John Tomlinson and Wolfgang Koch with the Gulbenkian Orchestra, has been released to considerable critical acclaim. Jennifer lives in Berlin and works as a free-lance vocal coach and prompt as she pursues a conducting career. Assistant conducting engagements to date include Lohengrin in Zurich and Salome in Vienna. Future engagements include Reimann’s Lear in Budapest and Ariadne auf Naxos in Tokyo.
JESSICA GETHIN (Australia)
Australian-born conductor Jessica Gethin has won praise from audiences and critics alike for her dynamic energy, outstanding musicianship and abounding presence on the podium. A graduate of the exclusive Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program, Ms. Gethin commenced her official appointment as Chief Conductor of the Perth Symphony Orchestra (Perth, Australia) in 2011. Jessica Gethin has performed on stages throughout Europe, USA, UK, Canada, Asia and Australia as conductor, concert presenter, program writer, orchestrator, guest lecturer, music educator and adjudicator. With a diverse background working across a variety of genres ranging from classical, jazz, opera and ballet to musical theatre, contemporary and film score; Jessica has recorded for numerous CDs, television documentaries, live radio broadcasts and television commercials. Artist collaborations include conducting Welsh bass baritone Bryn Terfel, Divinyl’s Chrissy Amphlette, The Ten Tenors, soprano Rachelle Durkin, Australian screen star Lisa McCune, soprano Marina Prior, tenor David Hobson, jazz trumpeter James Morrison and Dutch violinist Rudolf Koelman, to name a few. Ms. Gethin currently resides in Western Australia with her husband and two children.
NATALIE MURRAY BEALE (UK)
Conductor Natalie Murray Beale is a BBC Performing Arts Fund Fellow and is being mentored by Esa-Pekka Salonen. She has performed with the Welsh National Opera, Opera Holland Park, Spitalfields Festival, Chamber Orchestra of London and the City of London Sinfonia. Ms. Murray Beale has also gained valuable experience as Assistant Conductor for the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Festival d’Aix, Wiener Festwochen and Den Nye Opera with the Philharmonia, Bergen Philharmonic, B’Rock Orchestra, Le Cercle de l’Harmonie and the Freiburger Barockorchester. Previous positions include serving on the music staff of Welsh National Opera; as coach at the Royal Opera House, Young Artist Programme; and as Guest Chorus Director of London Symphony Chorus.
Ms. Murray Beale enjoys collaborating with composers and recently conducted the soundtracks to the video game Alien:Isolation (BAFTA nominated) and the British film Robot Overlords. Her performances of the new opera, We are Shadows, received a Royal Philharmonic Society award. This year she will make her debuts with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.
STEPHANIE RHODES (USA)
Stephanie Rhodes is a renowned opera collaborator, having served on the music staff of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, The Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, LA Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera and Wolf Trap Opera, amongst others. She has garnered experience as a conductor, assistant conductor, prompter, chorus master, rehearsal pianist, orchestral keyboardist and diction coach. This summer she joins the Miami Summer Music Festival as the Studio Program Director and conductor of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, additionally participating as a fellow in the festival’s Orchestral Conducting Institute. As a Fulbright award recipient, Ms. Rhodes spent the 2012/13 season in Moscow specializing in Russian repertoire and pronunciation for non-native singers. She was recently commissioned by The Dallas Opera to transliterate Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and is currently working on a book to standardize Russian diction for singers. An alum of the Houston Grand Opera Studio and San Francisco’s Merola Opera program, she holds degrees from the University of Michigan and Utah State University in Collaborative Piano and Piano Performance.
ANNA SKRYLEVA (Russia/Germany)
Russian conductor Anna Skryleva has lived and worked in Germany for the past 15 years. Currently, Ms. Skryleva is engaged as principal resident conductor at The State Theatre, Darmstadt, in addition to performing as a concert pianist and a chamber musician in Russia, other European nations and Mexico. Anna Skryleva’s career as a conductor began in 2002 in Karlsruhe, where she was engaged at the Music College as music assistant of the conductor Prof. Alicja Mounk. From 2007 to 2012, Anna Skryleva was engaged at the State Opera Hamburg as musical assistant of Simone Young, where she acquired a wide repertoire, from German Romanticism to Italian bel canto to modern music of the 20th century. After successfully conducting Richard Strauss’ Salome at the State Theatre Darmstadt in 2013, Anna Skryleva was named Darmstadt’s Principal Resident Conductor. Since then, she has conducted new productions and revivals of works including Otello, Tristan und Isolde, Il trittico, Madame Butterfly, La traviata and many more. The German publication Main-Echo named Anna Skryleva “Person of the Year 2013.” Earlier this year, she was nominated for the “Emotion Award 2015” in the Category “Women in Leadership”; winners will be announced later this month.
LIDIYA YANKOVSKAYA (USA)
Lidiya Yankovskaya’s recent work as a symphonic and opera conductor has been hailed as “superb,” “expert,” and “coax[ing] every possible expressive note from the instrumentalists.” Currently, Ms. Yankovskaya serves as Music Director of Harvard University’s Lowell House Opera, Artistic Director of Juventas New Music Ensemble, and Music Director with Commonwealth Lyric Theater. She also works regularly with Gotham Chamber Opera, Center for Contemporary Opera, and New York Lyric Opera. Last summer, Ms. Yankovskaya served as a conducting fellow under renowned conductor Lorin Maazel at the Castleton Festival, where she had the privilege of assisting Maestro Maazel and filled in for him regularly in rehearsal and performance. Recent productions have received multiple awards ranging from The American Prize to the National Opera Association Award. In addition to her work as a conductor, Lidiya is a pianist and coach, recently serving as Music Director for Opera Boston’s education tours. Presently, she is working as a Russian Diction Coach and occasional rehearsal conductor for Tanglewood Festival Chorus (the chorus of the Boston Symphony). www.LidiyaYankovskaya.com
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2015 IWC OBSERVERS:
ARIANNE ABELA (USA)
Known for her work promoting charitable organizations, conductor Arianne Abela has appeared on NBC’s Today Show and America’s Got Talent as artistic director of “3 Penny,” a non-profit chorus and orchestra, and co-founder of “House of Clouds.” Arianne served as music director of Saybrook College Orchestra and has conducted the Yale Symphony Orchestra, Wesleyan University Orchestra and the Vidin State Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria. As a chorusmaster, Abela has prepared choirs for Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Slatkin, Rafael Payare, and Martin Katz, as well as for the University of Michigan Opera in productions of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. As a soloist and professional ensemble singer, Abela has performed with major ensembles across North America, Europe and Asia. Abela is currently a doctoral candidate in conducting at the University of Michigan under the tutelage of Jerry Blackstone. She holds a master’s degree in conducting from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree from Smith College.
LUÇIK APRAHÄMIAN (USA)
Luçik Aprahämian’s versatility as a conductor makes her equally at home in front of an orchestra, leading a vocal ensemble, or guiding outstanding performances on the opera stage. With her profound passion for opera, Dr. Aprahämian has served as co-artistic director of Southern Arizona Opera, worked with Opera Parallèle and Bayshore Lyric Opera (both located in the Bay area), and served as assistant conductor and director of the Opera Theatre Program at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She is an avid exponent of new music and has commissioned and premiered works for choir, orchestra, and opera with ensembles in the Bay Area and Arizona. Recent premieres include Andrew Pascoe’s opera, God: The Opera and David Evan Jones’s chamber opera, The Rehearsal. Dr. Aprahämian received her bachelor’s degree in fortepiano performance practice, as well as a master’s degree in conducting, from the University of California at Santa Cruz. She pursued additional graduate studies to earn her doctorate in conducting from the University of Arizona.
AVLANA EISENBERG (USA)
Music Director of the Boston Chamber Symphony, Avlana Eisenberg has conducted orchestras throughout the United States and in France, Germany, Austria, Scotland, Spain, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Her debut CD, with soloist Zina Schiff and the Budapest Symphony Orchestra MAV, features violin concertos by Sibelius and Barber and the world premiere orchestral recording of Ben-Haim’s Three Songs without Words. Eisenberg received a Fulbright Fellowship for conducting study in Paris and apprenticeship at the Paris National Opera and was one of Glamour magazine’s “Top Ten College Women of the Year.” As an undergraduate at Yale University, she founded and directed the Silliman Symphony and was honored with Yale’s “V. Browne Irish Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts.” An alumna of Interlochen Arts Camp and the Aspen Music Festival, Eisenberg holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Michigan and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Institute.
CO BOI NGUYEN (USA)
Ms. Co Boi Nguyen has been on the faculty of the University of Redlands, School of Music since 2006, serving as music director of the University of Redlands Orchestra and Opera. From 2005 to 2007, Ms. Nguyen was conductor and faculty member of the C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival at Long Island University, New York. At the same time, she also worked as assistant conductor to Oscar-winning composer Tan Dun in New York. As an alumna of the Vietnam National Academy of Music, Ms. Nguyen returns to Hanoi regularly to perform and to give master classes. She made her highly acclaimed debut with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra at the Hanoi Opera House in July 2002, making her the first woman ever to lead the ensemble. Ms. Nguyen is a graduate of the conducting programs at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and the Juilliard School in New York.
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EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For high-resolution, digital photographs suitable for print or to arrange an interview
Please contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and Public Relations
214.443.1014 or suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, 2015-2016 SEASON SPONSOR FOR THE DALLAS OPERA’S “SEEKING THE HUMAN ELEMENT” SEASON
All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise described. Single Tickets range from $19 to $275 and will be available July 15. Full and Flex Subscriptions are on sale now starting at $75. Family performance tickets (available June 1) are just $5.
For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.
THE DALLAS OPERA 2015-2016 FALL SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Ninth 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. The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain, at most performances excluding FIRST NIGHT of the season.
GREAT SCOTT by Jake Heggie
October 30, November 1(m), 4, 7 & 15(m), 2015
A Thrilling Dallas Opera World Premiere!
Libretto by Terrence McNally*
Time: Present Day
Place: A Major American City
Conductor: Patrick Summers
Stage Director: Jack O’Brien*
Production Design: Bob Crowley
Lighting Design: Brian MacDevitt*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Joyce DiDonato* (Arden Scott), Ailyn Pérez (Tatyana Bakst), Frederica von Stade (Mrs. Edward “Winnie” Flato), Nathan Gunn (Sid Taylor), Anthony Roth Costanzo* (Roane Heckle), Kevin Burdette (Eric Gold) and Michael Mayes* (Wendell Swan). A Brand-New Dallas Opera Production!
TOSCA by Giacomo Puccini
November 6, 8(m), 11, 14, 20 & 22(m), 2015
A passionate and timeless masterpiece in a beloved period production
An opera in three acts first performed in Rome, Italy on January 14, 1900
Text by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa after Victorien Sardou’s 1887 French-language play, La Tosca
Time: Early 19th century
Place: Locations in and around the City of Rome
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Ellen Douglas Schlaefer*
Production Design: Ulisse Santicchi
Lighting Design: Marie Barrett
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: TBA
Starring: Emily Magee (Floria Tosca), Giancarlo Monsalve* (Mario Cavaradossi), Raymond Aceto (Baron Scarpia), William Ferguson (Spoletta), Dale Travis* (A Sacristan) and Ryan Kuster (Angelotti).
One of The Dallas Opera’s Most Popular!
BECOMING SANTA CLAUS by Mark Adamo
December 4, 6(m), 9 & 12, 2015
An Eagerly Awaited Dallas Opera World Premiere!
Libretto by the composer, Mark Adamo.
Time: Now
Place: An Elven kingdom in the far, far north; also, the stable of the first Christmas
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Paul Curran
Production Design: Gary McCann*
Video Design: Driscoll Otto*
Lighting Design: Paul Hackenmueller*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Jennifer Rivera* (Queen Sophine), Juan José de León (Prince Claus), Matt Boehler* (Donkey) Another New Dallas Opera Production
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
________________________________________________________________________The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Texas Instruments Foundation, TACA, 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. A special thanks to the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for its continuing support.
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FIRST NIGHT/FIRST SIGHT Chair Lynn Mock lends a warm-yet-elegant air to the proceedings wherever she goes–whether in the real world or in cyberspace. She gives us her personal take on the newly developed FIRST SIGHT high fashion event, the inspiring Dallas Opera season, and the black-tie extravaganza that is FIRST NIGHT on Jeanne Prejean’s must-read philanthropy blog: “My Sweet Charity.”
Enjoy the article right here.
Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media and Public Relations
July 8th at 10:00. Single tickets go on sale for the upcoming Dallas Opera Season – have your credit card standing by!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014
Suzanne.Calvin@dallasopera.org
Or Megan Meister 214.443.1071
Megan.Meister@dallasopera.org
THE DALLAS OPERA IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE
SINGLE TICKETS
FOR THE 2013/2014 SEASON
“BY LOVE TRANSFORMED”
Presented by Texas Instruments Foundation
GO ON SALE MONDAY, JULY 8TH
Single Tickets Start at Only $19!
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Two-Opera Subscriptions
Also Go on Sale, Starting at Just $50
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Three-Opera Subscriptions
For as Little as $75
DALLAS, JULY 2, 2013 – The Dallas Opera is pleased to announce that single tickets for the 2013/2014 “By Love Transformed” Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center will go on sale to the general public next Monday, July 8, 2013 at 10:00 am.
Single tickets for each of the four productions, starting at the low price of $19, may be purchased at your convenience online at dallasopera.org or by contacting the friendly staff at the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000.
The Dallas Opera, that same day, will also begin selling two-performance and three-performance subscriptions. Season 2-Pack subscriptions for our mainstage productions begin at the low, low price of $50. Take your pick of two mainstage productions you’ve been yearning to see. Season 3-Pack subscriptions start at just $75.
Season subscriptions for TDO’s mainstage productions begin at the exceptional price of $76—that’s for all four productions! The 2013-2014 “By Love Transformed” Season presented by Texas Instruments Foundation consists of:
• CARMEN by Georges Bizet, with Clémentine Margaine making her American debut in the title role.
(Oct. 25 – The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance, 27m, 30, Nov. 2, 8, 10m, 2013)
• DEATH AND THE POWERS by MIT Media Lab’s Tod Machover, with Robert Orth as Simon Powers, a man transformed by the best technology that money can buy.
(Feb. 12, 14, 15 & 16m, 2014)
• DIE TOTE STADT (“The Dead City”) by late-Romantic Viennese composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, with Ann Petersen as Marietta and Jay Hunter Morris as Paul.
(March 21, 23m, 26, 29, April 6m, 2014)
• THE BARBER OF SEVILLE by Gioachino Rossini, with Nathan Gunn as the ever-resourceful Figaro!
(March 28, 30m, April 2, 5, 11 & 13, 2014)
“The upcoming Dallas Opera season beautifully combines popular favorites, a remarkable rarity and a thrillingly high-tech, twenty-first-century opera,” explains Dallas Opera Marketing Director Carrie Ellen Adamian, “and, as always, each of these works will be presented with world-class singers in phenomenal stage productions.
“These operas have a very distinct look, as well as sound: from a classic San Francisco Opera Carmen with sets by the legendary Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, to the extraordinary projections of the Royal Danish Opera’s Die tote Stadt, the Magritte-inspired surrealism of Chicago Lyric’s Barber of Seville, and the amazing designs of Steven Spielberg collaborator, Alex McDowell (“Minority Report”), for Death and the Powers.” Adds Ms. Adamian, “If you have ever had the slightest interest in discovering what opera is all about, this is the perfect season to begin that journey.”
Attention-grabbing Dallas Opera debuts this season include:
• Hal Cazalet, a British tenor, making his company debut, originated the role of Nicholas in Tod Machover’s Death and the Powers in 2010. The Chicago Tribune noted Cazalet “uses an athletic body and agile tenor to fine effect as the assistant Nicholas.”
• Isabel Leonard, The Classical Review after seeing Miss. Leonard said she has “genuine star quality is a rarity on the opera stage – or anywhere – but it’s abundantly clear that Isabel Leonard has it in spades.” She is making her TDO debut as Rosina in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.
• Clémentine Margaine, “a rich, gorgeous blooming, warm mezzo-soprano” caused the Opera Currently to say “a great promise of a career!” is making her American Debut in the title role of Bizet’s Carmen.
• Ann Petersen, the Danish soprano making her American Debut as Marietta in Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt. Seen and Heard praised her for “an easy flexibility to her sound…that adds enormously to the intrinsic beauty of her singing.”
• Bruno Ribeiro, Portuguese tenor making his TDO debut as Don José (Nov. 2, 8 & 10) who “gives rich voice to soulful pleadings” and was praised by Examiner.com for allowing “vulnerability to color his expressive tenor.”
• Alek Shrader, making his TDO debut as Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville, “showed himself gifted with a still youthful, energetic personality, and an emotional fire that burns passionately” according to San Francisco Classical Voice.
Among the notable artists returning to the Dallas Opera stage this year are:
• Donato DiStefano, one of the most sought-after buffo basses in the world, who most recently charmed Dallas audiences in the title role of Don Pasquale, and he rarely fails to steal the show. Wrote Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of Theater Jones, “Musically, he was unassailable; as an actor, he was believable and funny” in that critically acclaimed production.
• Mary Dunleavy “melds outstanding acting ability with a flexible and gorgeous voice” (William Thomas Walker, cvnc.org), characteristics on display in her tour de force portrayal of all four love interests in the Dallas Opera’s 2005 production of Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, earning rave reviews and that season’s “Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award.”
• Nathan Gunn, charmed TDO audiences in the much darker role of The Lodger in Argento’s The Aspern Papers last season. TheaterJones noted that “Gunn has one of the most beautiful baritone voices around, and is handsome in a Cary Grant sort of way.” Nathan is sure to continue his love affair with Dallas audiences as Figaro in The Barber of Seville.
• Brandon Jovanovich, an American tenor singing the role of Don José (Oct. 25, 27 & 30), enthralled Dallas audiences in our 2010 production of Madame Butterfly (and was described by Huffington Post’s Rodney Punt as the definitive Pinkerton of our time). He has been dazzling critics recently in the title role of Wagner’s Lohengrin. San Francisco Chronicle Classical Music Critic Joshua Kosman wrote: “Jovanovich combined sweet-toned lyricism and ardent heroism in just the proportions required for this tricky role. His singing was thrillingly pure and tireless, his stage presence simultaneously tender and aloof.”
• Jay Hunter Morris has been conquering the opera world, one production at a time. About his performance in the San Francisco revival of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick, Mercury News critic Richard Scheinin wrote: “He sang with a pressurized fury that practically shook the seats of the War Memorial Opera House. Think Old Testament. Think King Lear.” As Siegfried in the Metropolitan Opera’s new Ring, Morris “found his own way to sing this heldentenor role with a lighter yet athletic and youthful sound. His clarion top notes projected nicely over the orchestra” (Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times).
• Robert Orth, “one of the finest singer/actors working in opera today” (Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, Theater Jones) made memorable Dallas Opera appearances as Officer 2/Blazes in our critically acclaimed 2012 production of Peter Maxwell Davies’ The Lighthouse and as Stubb in the Dallas Opera world premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick, was praised by Heidi Waleson of The Wall Street Journal for giving the opera “a touch of levity.”
• Morgan Smith made an indelible impression on Dallas audiences in the world premiere production of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick. Critic Joshua Kosman of The San Francisco Chronicle felt that same depth of humanity in Smith’s recent recap of the role: “The real star of the cast was baritone Morgan Smith, whose Starbuck joined vocal splendor, moral authority and deep empathy in a phenomenal combination.”
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Single tickets for the 2013-2014 Season are subject to dynamic pricing (the earlier they are purchased and the less-in-demand, the lower the price). Subscriptions are on sale now, starting at just $76. Inner Circle seating may be priced higher.
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EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT “JULY AT THE DALLAS OPERA”
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS
For high-resolution, digital photographs suitable for print
To arrange an interview
Or for additional information
Please contact Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR
214.443.1014 or suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org
The Dallas Opera’s 2013-2014 “By Love Transformed” Season
Is Coming Soon to an Opera House Near You!
Presented by Texas Instruments Foundation
THE DALLAS OPERA WISHES TO EXPRESS ITS GRATITUDE TO OUR EXCLUSIVE PARTNERS:
AMERICAN AIRLINES – OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
LEXUS – OFFICIAL VEHICLE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
Ticket Information for the 2013-2014 Dallas Opera Season
All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Subscriptions are now on sale to the general public, starting at just $76. Single Tickets starting at $19 and Flex Subscriptions (2 or 3-performance) go on sale Monday, July 8. Family performances are $5 (Family Performance Subs are $12 for three family performances) are on sale now. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.
THE DALLAS OPERA 2013-2014 SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Seventh 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 will 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.
CARMEN by Georges Bizet
October 25, 27(m), 30, November 2, 8 & 10(m), 2013
The most irresistible bad girl in opera—How can you possibly say “non”?
An opera in four acts first performed in Paris on March 3, 1875
Text by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy based on the novella by Prosper Mérimée
Time: 19th century
Place: Seville, Spain
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Bliss Hebert
Scenic Design: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Costume Design: Werner Iverke
Lighting Design: Thomas Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: Melinda Cotten
Starring: Clémentine Margaine**(Carmen), Brandon Jovanovich (Don José Oct. 25, 27, 30), Bruno Ribeiro* (Don José Nov. 2, 8, 10), Mary Dunleavy (Micaëla), Dwayne Croft (Escamillo), Danielle Pastin*(Frasquita), Audrey Babcock*(Mercédès), Kyle Albertson*(Zuniga), Steven LaBrie (Le Dancaïre), Victor Ryan Robertson (Remendado), John David Boehr*(Moralès).
DEATH AND THE POWERS by Tod Machover
February 12, 14, 15 & 16(m), 2014
Science fiction and poignant family drama combine in a major regional premiere!
An opera in one act first performed in Monte Carlo, Monaco at the Salle Garnier on September 24, 2010.
Text by Robert Pinsky, based on a story by Pinsky and Randy Weiner
Time: Unknown time in the future
Place: Earth, the home of billionaire Simon Powers
Conductor: Nicole Paiement
Stage Director: Diane Paulus*
Associate Director: Andrew Eggert*
Scenic Design: Alex McDowell*
Costume Design: David Woolard*
Lighting Design: Don Holder
Choreography: Karole Armitage*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Starring: Robert Orth (Simon Powers/Robot One), Joélle Harvey (Miranda/Robot Four), Patricia Risley(Evvy/Robot Three), Hal Cazalet*(Nicholas/Robot Two), Frank Kelley*(The United Way), David Kravitz*(The United Nations), Tom McNichols*(The Administration).
DIE TOTE STADT (“THE DEAD CITY”) by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
March 21, 23(m), 26, 29 and April 6(m), 2014
The Hitchcock-like tale of one man’s dark obsession with the woman he loved and lost.
An opera in three acts first performed in Hamburg & Cologne, Germany on December 4, 1920
Text by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Paul Schott based on a novel by Georges Rodenbach, Bruges la morte
Time: End of the 19th century
Place: The city of Bruges in northwestern Belgium
Conductor: Sebastian Lang-Lessing*
Stage Director: Mikael Melbye
Scenic Design: Mikael Melbye*
Costume Design: Dierdre Clancy*
Video Design: Wendall Harrington*
Lighting Design: Mark McCullough
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Choreography: Matthew Ferraro*
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Anne Petersen**(Marietta) , Jay Hunter Morris (Paul), Morgan Smith (Fritz), Weston Hurt (Frank), Katherine Tier*(Brigitta), Andrew Bidlack (Albert), Jan Lund**(Victorin), Jennifer Chung (Juliette), Angela Turner Wilson (Lucienne).
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE by Gioachino Rossini
March 28, 30(m), April 2, 5, 11 & 13(m), 2014
Figaro, a scheming barber and jack-of-all-trades plots to release a headstrong girl from her gilded cage!
An opera in two acts first performed in Rome on February 20, 1816
Text by Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais, from his comedy Le Barbier de Séville
Time: 18th century
Place: Seville, Spain
Conductor: Giuliano Carella*
Stage Director: Herb Kellner
Original Production: John Copley
Scenic Design: John Conklin
Costume Design: Michael Stennet
Lighting Design: TBD
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Nathan Gunn (Figaro), Isabel Leonard*(Rosina), Alek Shrader*(Count Almaviva), Donato DiStefano (Dr. Bartolo), Burak Bilgili*(Don Basilio), Nathan De’Shon Myers (Fiorello), Christian Teague*(Ambrogio).
DALLAS OPERA FAMILY PERFORMANCES
Jack and the Beanstalk: October 26, 2013 and April 5, 2014
Family Concerts: November 3, 2013 and February 1, 2014
The Elixir of Love: November 9, 2013 and April 12, 2014
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
______________________________________________________________________________________
The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; TACA; 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. A special thanks to Mrs. William W. Winspear and the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for their continuing support.
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Four thrilling mainstage operas featuring the art form’s greatest hits, cutting-edge contemporary works, and music by the master of Hollywood film music. You, too, could be “By Love Transformed” for as little as $76! Starting today!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, May 13, 2013
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Megan Meister 214.443.1071
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org megan.meister@dallasopera.org
THE DALLAS OPERA IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE
SUBSCRIPTIONS
NOW ON SALE FOR THE 2013/2014 SEASON
BY LOVE TRANSFORMED
FOUR MASTERPIECES THAT DEFIED CONVENTIONS
BY BIZET, MACHOVER, KORNGOLD AND ROSSINI
Subscriptions Start at Just $76
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DALLAS, MAY 13, 2013 — The Dallas Opera is proud to announce that subscriptions for the company’s boldly constructed 2013-2014 Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center went on sale to the general public today, Monday, May 13, 2013, starting at just $76. Tickets may be purchased at your convenience online, 24/7, at dallasopera.org or by contacting the friendly staff at the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000.
The 57th International Season, “BY LOVE TRANSFORMED” consists of works spanning three centuries—each of which challenged the musical or dramatic conventions of their day.
The new season will commence the evening of Friday, October 25, 2013 at 8:00 p.m. (please note new time for the Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance in conjunction with the Dallas Opera’s FIRST NIGHT) and continue through the final curtain calls on Sunday, April 13, 2014.
The 2013-2014 Season will include two much-loved classics, in addition to the Dallas premiere of an important twentieth-century work for the opera stage. This Dallas Opera season (the first completely programmed under the direction of Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny) will also include the regional premiere—and, worldwide, only the fourth set of performances—of a thought-provoking, new twenty-first century opera. Among the upcoming season highlights are two major American debuts; however, every TDO performance will feature internationally renowned singers, conductors, and other artists of the top rank.
Each TDO production will feature the outstanding talents of the Dallas Opera Orchestra and Dallas Opera Chorus, led by some of the finest conductors at work in the world today— including our newly appointed Music Director, Emmanuel Villaume, conducting Georges Bizet’s mesmerizing CARMEN.
As always, these masterpieces will be performed in their original languages, with English translations projected above the stage at every performance.
The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera house is located in the heart of the Arts District at 2403 Flora St., Dallas TX 75201.
2013-2014 Dallas Opera Season
CARMEN by Georges Bizet
October 25, 27(m), 30, Nov. 2, 8 & 10(m), 2013
DEATH AND THE POWERS by Tod Machover
February 12, 14, 15 & 16(m), 2014
DIE TOTE STADT by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
March 21, 23(m), 26, 29 and April 6(m), 2014
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE by Gioachino Rossini
March 28, 30(m), April 2, 5, 11 & 13(m), 2014
The benefits of becoming a Dallas Opera subscriber include priority seating, lost ticket replacement, invitations to special events and dramatic savings over the price of single tickets.
Single tickets are expected to go on sale to the general public in July. All single tickets for individual performances are subject to availability. Tickets may be purchased at the door – throughout the 2013-2014 Season – or in advance by calling 214.443.1000. Subscriptions and single tickets will also be available for purchase online throughout the season at www.dallasopera.org.
For more information, consult the friendly staff in the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214-443-1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org.
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The 2013-2014 “By Love Transformed” Season officially opens on the evening of Friday, October 25th at 8:00 PM—The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance—with our first CARMEN in the critically acclaimed acoustic of the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House.
She’s the woman no man can resist and, as performed by renowned French mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine in her American debut, who would want to say “non”? Hailed as “Best Newcomer” in the 2011 French Classical Music Awards, Margaine will have her hands full with two head-turning, heart-melting Don Josés: tenors Brandon Jovanovich, who last captivated us as Pinkerton, and Bruno Ribeiro (making his company debut).
This truly phenomenal cast, from Mary Dunleavy in the role of Micaëla to Dwayne Croft as Escamillo the Toreador, will bring on the sizzle—as well as the steak! Featuring classic Jean-Pierre Ponnelle scenery from the San Francisco Opera, this production conducted by Maestro Emmanuel Villaume will make all the other good/bad girls of opera seem tame, if not lame, in comparison.
Georges Bizet’s colorful, sensual and passionate nineteenth-century masterpiece will be staged by veteran American director Bliss Hebert, who last directed our critically acclaimed 2012 production of La traviata, the notable U.S. debut of Greek soprano Myrtò Paptanasiu, our “Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year.”
American tenor Brandon Jovanovich will sing the role of Don José on Oct. 25, 27, and 30, while TDO newcomer, Portuguese tenor Bruno Ribeiro will portray the obsessed lover on Nov. 2, 8 and 10, 2013.
This outstanding international cast includes soprano Danielle Pastin in her company debut as Frasquita; mezzo Audrey Babcock in her Dallas Opera debut as Mercédès; bass Kyle Albertson (another company debut) as Zuniga; baritone Stephen LaBrie as the smuggler, La Dancaire; tenor Victor Ryan Robertson as Remendado and baritone John David Boehr in his TDO debut as Moralès.
Mr. Jovanovich, who enthralled Dallas audiences in our 2010 production of Madame Butterfly (described by Huffington Post’s Rodney Punt as the definitive Pinkerton of our time), has been dazzling critics recently in the title role of Wagner’s Lohengrin. San Francisco Chronicle Classical Music Critic Joshua Kosman wrote: “Jovanovich combined sweet-toned lyricism and ardent heroism in just the proportions required for this tricky role. His singing was thrillingly pure and tireless, his stage presence simultaneously tender and aloof.”
Portuguese tenor Bruno Ribeiro, on the other hand, “gives rich voice to soulful pleadings” and has been praised for allowing “vulnerability to color his expressive tenor” (examiner.com).
Soprano Mary Dunleavy “melds outstanding acting ability with a flexible and gorgeous voice” (William Thomas Walker, cvnc.org), characteristics on display in her tour de force portrayal of all four love interests in the Dallas Opera’s 2005 production of Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, earning rave reviews and that season’s “Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award.”
Bass-baritone Dwayne Croft swept Dallas Opera goers off their feet as Marcello in our 2009 production of La bohème. A singer praised by The Classical Review for his “musical intelligence” and an onstage presence that is both “dashing and ardent.”
Soprano Danielle Pastin impressed reviewer James O. Welsch with her “stunning lyrical beauty and tone.” And Catherine Reese Newton of The St. Louis Tribune praised mezzo-soprano Audrey Babcock as “a vocal and dramatic knockout.” Bass Kyle Albertson, on the other hand, was applauded by ConcertoNet for his “splendid interpretation” of the role of Henry Kissinger in Long Beach Opera’s production of Nixon in China; while baritone Steven LaBrie caught the ear of The Opera Critic “with his rich yet flexible voice, good looks and charismatic personality” and tenor Victor Ryan Robertson “made a fine impression” on Opera News. Baritone John David Boehr earned the praise of Michael Anthony of MinnPost.com for his “welcome energy and adroit singing” at Minnesota Opera.
As for Maestro Villaume, Lawrence A. Johnson recently wrote that “he displayed his considerable bona fides in French repertoire once again, conducting a performance that conveyed the melodic richness of Bizet’s music with elegance, delicacy and dramatic point as needed.”
Costume design is by Werner Iverke in his company debut, with lighting design by Thomas C. Hase.
The Dallas Opera Chorus will be prepared by Chorus Master Alexander Rom and the children’s chorus by Children’s Chorus Master Melinda Cotten.
Performances will continue on October 27(m), 30, November 2, 8 & 10(m), 2013 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, selected by Southern Living as the best new venue for opera. All evening performances besides the Opening Night of the Season will begin promptly at 7:30 PM. Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 PM.
A free, pre-performance lecture (“The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talks”) will be conducted one hour prior to curtain at most performances. The Dallas Opera Guild also hosts “Opera Insights,” a lively panel discussion featuring artists, directors and designers, on the Sunday afternoon prior to opening. For more details, visit dallasopera.org.
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The second production of the Dallas Opera’s “By Love Transformed” Season, opening on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 7:30 p.m., is composer Tod Machover and librettist Robert Pinsky’s mind-bending DEATH AND THE POWERS.
Science Fiction and poignant family drama combine in one of the most stunning new operas of the 21st century, coming to the stage of the Winspear Opera House in a production directed by Diane Paulus, designed by Alex McDowell (Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, David Fincher’s Fight Club), conducted by contemporary music specialist, Maestra Nicole Paiement (TDO’s 2012 production of Peter Maxwell Davies’ The Lighthouse), and featuring spectacular cutting-edge technology designed by the MIT Media Lab.
This visually spectacular robot pageant tells the story of a terminally ill billionaire, sung by baritone Robert Orth, who downloads his consciousness into “the System” and proceeds to use all his powers to persuade his loved ones to join him there.
Without bodies, without the possibility of touch, sex, suffering, and death—are we still genuinely human? Explore these existential questions and much more in a piece Variety described as “playful, lyrical and…mesmerizing.”
This Dallas Opera production of DEATH AND THE POWERS will be supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and a host of new initiatives, in partnership with the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. These include a special exhibit in the Texas Instruments Engineering and Innovation Hall; jointly developed lectures, demonstrations and workshops; website integration; and collaborative educational materials incorporating both music and technology—an initiative announced this afternoon by Nicole Small, CEO of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, at Cowboys Stadium:
“Death and the Powers is an opera that is a unique combination of technology, innovation and musical artistry … a wonderful blend of science and art … and it wholeheartedly supports the Perot Museum’s mission ‘to inspire minds through nature and science,’” said Small. “It also demonstrates that science and engineering can be thrilling and genuinely ‘cool.’ Mr. Machover’s work represents the ideal opportunity for the Opera and the Perot Museum to forge an unexpected and exciting collaboration.”
And I’m so pleased,” Ms. Small added, “that Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny understands—as we do—that life and learning have no set limits and can ultimately take many forms.”
DEATH AND THE POWERS is a dynamic one-act opera created in 2010 by composer Tod Machover, Professor of Music and Media at the MIT Media Lab (Cambridge, Massachusetts) and American poet laureate Robert Pinsky, the librettist. The work was commissioned by the Monaco-based Association Futurum, to promote futuristic projects combining the arts and sciences, and originally presented at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo where it earned rave reviews as a “grand, rich, deeply serious new opera” (Andrew Porter, Opera), also praised as “envelope-pushing, thought-provoking and brilliantly executed” (Lawrence A. Johnson, Chicago Classical Review).
Working with members of the MIT Media Lab, Machover produced “a challenging opera that questioned how far the human race can push technological development toward immortality.” The action centers on a terminally ill billionaire who downloads his consciousness into an artificial construct and then attempts to persuade his loved ones to join him there. Critic Stephen J. Mudge of Opera News added: “Any worry that the opera might be taking itself too seriously is answered by Pinsky’s witty and at times lighthearted libretto, which treats the situation with respect but levity.”
Jeremy Eichler of The Boston Globe wrote that the sci-fi opera, subsequently performed in Boston and Chicago, “sets its gaze on subjects both ancient and ultra-modern. In the former camp is the question of whether the soul, or something beyond the body, can live after our death. In the latter camp is the question of the deeper meanings of our infatuation with technology — the way we experience our lives increasingly through its prism…That trailblazing technology is itself put to the service of exploring these points is one of the work’s many ironies that cumulatively leave you with plenty to think about after the robots have powered down for the night.”
The Chicago Tribune gave the new work four stars: “Death and the Powers is a must-see for anybody who cares about the exciting new techno-driven direction music theater is taking in the early 21st century.”
“Programming this important and genre-stretching work by Tod Machover underscores the Dallas Opera’s unwavering commitment to significantly broadening our programming, both by presenting 20th and 21st century works as well as lesser-known works deserving a permanent place in our repertoire,” explains Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny.
“This major regional premiere will allow us to reach out to those North Texans who are excited by the prospect of experiencing a work that overlays contemporary technology on traditional operatic practice. Especially when it marries the Dallas Opera’s reputation for exceptional artistry and vivid imagination with the twenty-first century technologies the state-of-the-art Winspear Opera House can provide.”
Tod Machover has been called “America’s most wired composer” by the Los Angeles Times. He is widely recognized as one of the most significant and innovative composers of his generation, and is also celebrated for inventing new technology for music, including Hyperinstruments. Mr. Machover is the Muriel R. Cooper Professor of Music and Media at the MIT Media Lab (Cambridge, MA) – where he has worked since the Lab was founded in 1985 – and is Director of the its Hyperinstruments and “Opera of the Future” groups. Since 2006, Machover has also been Visiting Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Tod Machover’s music has been acclaimed for breaking traditional artistic and cultural boundaries, offering a unique and innovative synthesis of acoustic and electronic sound, of symphony orchestras and interactive computers, and of operatic arias and rock songs. Wrote Ray Kurzwell of The New York Times: “Tod Machover is the only person I am aware of who contributes on a world-class level to both the technology of music creation and to music itself. Even within these two distinct areas, Tod’s contributions are remarkably diverse, and of exquisite quality.”
The Dallas Opera has twice brought Mr. Machover to Dallas to discuss his wide-ranging, cutting-edge work in public forums hosted by D Magazine’s Arts Editor Peter Simek and most recently with Art&Seek Producer/Reporter Jerome Weeks (KERA) as part of TDO’s “Composing Conversations” Series.
This production—only the fourth set of performances, worldwide—will also star soprano Joélle Harvey as Miranda, mezzo-soprano Patricia Risley as Evvy, and British tenor Hal Cazalet as Nicholas in his Dallas Opera debut. Additional cast members include countertenor Frank Kelley (“The United Way”), baritone David Kravitz (“The United Nations”) and bass Tom McNichols (“The Administration”) in their company debuts.
Robert Orth, “one of the finest singer/actors working in opera today” (Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, Theater Jones) made memorable Dallas Opera appearances as Officer 2/Blazes in our critically acclaimed 2012 production of Peter Maxwell Davies’ The Lighthouse and as Stubb in the Dallas Opera world premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick, praised by Heidi Waleson of The Wall Street Journal for giving the opera “a touch of levity.”
Joélle Harvey was applauded by The New York Times’ Anthony Tommasini for her “bright, agile soprano and winsome presence, while Robert Levine of Classics Today wrote with enthusiasm about her “melting lyricism one moment, merry fireworks the next, and all sung dead-center with feeling.”
An earlier performance of DEATH AND THE POWERS prompted Stephen J. Mudge of Opera News to note the “sensual mezzo contribution from Patricia Risley as Evvy,” while Chicago Classical Review appreciated Hal Cazalet’s “vibrant tenor.” Jonathan Levi of The New York Times wrote in his review of DEATH AND THE POWERS: “While the composer plumbs the depths and heights of the male larynx with the oceanic bass of Tom McNichols and the piercing counter tenor of Frank Kelley, the dramatic challenge of singing to walls of flashing lights—even walls beautifully crafted by movie designer Alex McDowell—is enormous.”
Maestra Nicole Paiement made an impressive Dallas Opera debut last season with The Lighthouse, prompting Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of Theater Jones to declare “the real star of the production is conductor Nicole Paiement. She conducted the complex score with such feeling and understanding that every one of the myriad of time-signature changes vanishes into a free-flowing score….the orchestra was able to play the difficult and thorny score with musicality because they were secure in the knowledge that she would always be there for them.”
Stage director Diane Paulus is the Artistic Director at the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University. At the A.R.T. her recent work includes The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, a new production adapted by Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, and OBIE-winning composer Diedre Murray; and Prometheus Bound, with music composed by Grammy Award-winning “System of a Down” lead singer Serj Tankian. Her other recent theater and opera credits include The Public Theater’s Tony-Award winning revival of HAIR on Broadway and London’s West End; Kiss Me, Kate (Glimmerglass Opera); and Don Giovanni, Le nozze di Figaro, Turn Of The Screw, Cosi fan tutte, and the Monteverdi trilogy Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, L’incoronazione di Poppea, and Orfeo at the Chicago Opera Theater. Ms. Paulus is a Professor of the Practice of Theater in Harvard University’s English Department and was recently named one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Boston by Boston Magazine.
Wrote Richard Ouzounian in The Star, “These days, Diane Paulus is truly the Queen of the Night…the woman of the moment when it comes to putting musical magic onstage.”
This production will mark Ms. Paulus’ Dallas Opera debut.
Production designer Alex McDowell is one of the most innovative and influential designers working in narrative media, with the impact of his ideas extending far beyond his background in cinema. Mr. McDowell advocates an immersive design process that acknowledges the role of design in storytelling. With Death and the Powers, McDowell brings his considerable experience in film design and animatronics to the stage for the first time.
The Winspear stage will represent the home of billionaire Simon Powers, but this room will gradually reveal itself to be a vast, interconnected, intelligent system. To accomplish this affect, McDowell and the “Opera of the Future” team at the MIT Media Lab designed “robotic architecture” that appears to change its shape—undulating, vibrating, pulsating or pounding.
The System, programmed to create sculptural images, moving patterns, and even human-like gestures and expressions, will reveal Simon’s fleeting thoughts and memories throughout the performance.
Costume design is by David Woolard in his company debut, lighting design by Don Holder (Moby-Dick) and choreography by Karole Armitage—another TDO debut.
Sung in English, with English language translations projected above the stage, DEATH AND THE POWERS can be experienced at one of three additional performances on February 14, 15, and 16(m), 2014.
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The third production of the 2013-2014 “By Love Transformed” Season is another first for the Dallas Opera: the North Texas premiere of German composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s twentieth-century masterpiece, DIE TOTE STADT (“The Dead City”), which opens in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House on the evening of Friday, March 21, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.
Before Hitchcock filmed “Vertigo,” Korngold created Die tote Stadt, the tale of one man’s dark obsession with the woman he loved and lost.
Featuring state-of-the-art projections and composed by a prodigy who evolved into one of the great masters of music for the Golden Age of Cinema (“The Adventures of Robin Hood,” “Deception,” “The Sea Hawk”), Die tote Stadt features an extraordinary cast that includes tenor Jay Hunter Morris in the role of Paul, fresh from his triumphs as Ahab in the San Francisco Opera revival of Moby-Dick and as Siegfried in the Met’s new Ring Cycle; Danish soprano Ann Petersen in her American debut as Marietta; and baritone Morgan Smith, the poignant voice of reason in TDO’s world premiere production of Moby-Dick, as Fritz.
Other principal singers include Australian mezzo-soprano Katherine Tier in her TDO debut as Brigitta; baritone Weston Hurt (La bohème) as Frank and tenor Andrew Bidlack (The Lighthouse) as Albert; with Jennifer Chung as Juliette, Angela Turner Wilson as Lucienne, and Danish tenor Jan Lund in his American debut as Victorin.
Jay Hunter Morris has been conquering the opera world, one production at a time. About his performance in the San Francisco revival of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick, Mercury News critic Richard Scheinin wrote: “He sang with a pressurized fury that practically shook the seats of the War Memorial Opera House. Think Old Testament. Think King Lear.” As Siegfried in the Metropolitan Opera’s new Ring, Morris “found his own way to sing this heldentenor role with a lighter yet athletic and youthful sound. His clarion top notes projected nicely over the orchestra” (Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times).
Singing Isolde, Ann Petersen “is immediately perfection,” said Stephen Walsh of TheArtsDesk.com, adding “Hers is a lighter, more lyrical voice than the conventional Wagner soprano, and she floats Isolde’s lines as if they were Schubert, lovely and effortless, through with ample power when needed.”
Morgan Smith made an indelible impression on Dallas audiences in the world premiere production of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby-Dick. Critic Joshua Kosman of The San Francisco Chronicle felt that same depth of humanity in Smith’s recent recap of the role: “The real star of the cast was baritone Morgan Smith, whose Starbuck joined vocal splendor, moral authority and deep empathy in a phenomenal combination.”
Maestro Sebastian Lang-Lessing, the music director of the San Antonio Symphony, will conduct in this, his Dallas Opera debut. Writing about a concert appearance in Portland, Oregon, critic James McQuillen noted that “under the direction of…Lang-Lessing, who led with sweeping gestures and never missed an opportunity for a fortissimo punch at the close, the orchestra sounded superb.”
This production is both staged and designed by director Mikael Melbye, with video projections designed by Wendall Harrington. The duo have earned the applause of critics for their designs of ballets as well as operas, prompting Lisa Jo Sagolla of backstage.com to observe: “Melbye’s and Harrington’s designs hug the space with gorgeous period video images…making it look like the characters are actually in a setting, as opposed to a stage set.” It “also allows the dream-like narrative to jump-cut from ballroom to boudoir,” adds Louise Levene of The Telegraph (U.K.) “with a flick of a switch.”
Costume design is by Dierdre Clancy (TDO debut); with lighting design by Mark McCullough; choreography by Assistant Director Matthew Ferraro and chorus preparation by Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom.
Paul’s fierce grip on the memory of his dead wife will be challenged by the equally determined Marietta. Can he let go of his fantasy in order to live again? This production of a too-long-neglected twentieth-century masterpiece will leave you wondering “Where has this opera been all my life?”
DIE TOTE STADT will be sung in the original German with English language translations projected above the stage. Additional performances are planned for March 23(m), 26 and 29, concluding with a final Sunday afternoon matinee on April 6, 2014.
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The Dallas Opera’s 2013-2014 Season Finale is Gioachino Rossini’s wildest and most popular romp: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE, opening the evening of Friday, March 28, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.
Disguises and false identities abound as men—young and old—vie for the hand of the beautiful Rosina in one of the funniest and most frenetic operas ever composed! Rossini’s delightful 19th century romp centers on “Figaro, Figaro, Figaro!” a scheming barber and jack-of-all-trades, sung by Dallas Opera favorite Nathan Gunn, who plots with Count Almaviva to release Bartolo’s ward from her gilded cage.
The all-star ensemble includes acclaimed mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as the gorgeous-yet-spunky Rosina, lyric tenor Alek Shrader as the love-struck Almaviva, and commanding Turkish bass Burak Bilgili as Don Basilio in their much-anticipated TDO debuts. It also marks the welcome return of the inimitable Donato DiStefano, a comic genius (La Cenerentola) known from previous Dallas Opera productions of Barber in a role he has mastered for audiences around the world: Dr. Bartolo.
The cast also includes baritone Nathan De’Shon Myers as Fiorello and soprano Jennifer Aylmer in her company debut as Berta.
Maestro Giuliano Carella will conduct in his company debut, with chorus preparation by Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom.
Baritone Nathan Gunn has delighted Dallas audiences as Guglielmo and Malatesta, as well as introducing Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s song cycle “A Question of Light” in partnership with the Dallas Museum of Art. Dallas Morning News Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell, reviewing a recent concert, wrote: “aside from his movie-star looks and wonderfully natural stage presence, he has a rich, creamy voice and unself-conscious expressivity that never flirts with affectation. How many singers can claim all those assets?”
Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times called Mr. Gunn “A born actor (who) sings as if speaking the words.”
John W. Freeman of Opera News praised mezzo Isabel Leonard’s voice, “secure in coloratura agility, (it) carried its fresh, lucid tone upward on flights into the soprano register, then transitioned smoothly into warmer, more shaded tone in the longer mezzo range, without break or change of character.”
Tenor Alek Shrader, making his TDO debut, was earlier teamed with Ms. Leonard in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2012 production of The Tempest: “Isabel Leonard sings with lovely fluid sound as Miranda and is well matched by Alek Shrader’s sweet, youthful Ferdinand. Their duet, marked by ecstatic high tones and dizzying descents, is a highlight.”
Italian Donato DiStefano, one of the most sought-after buffo basses in the world, most recently charmed Dallas audiences in the title role of Don Pasquale, and he rarely fails to steal the show. According to Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of Theater Jones, “Musically, he was unassailable; as an actor, he was believable and funny” in this critically acclaimed production.
Turkish bass Burak Bilgili earned high marks as Zaccaria in Washington National Opera’s Nabucco, prompting The Washington Times to observe: “Mr. Bilgili’s voice strongly resembles the profound, dark-hued bass voices with which the Russians seem to be uniquely gifted. And it’s this dark but clear and authoritative instrument that allows him to command each scene in which he appears.”
Meanwhile, soprano Jennifer Aylmer’s “coloratura sounds at first as natural and easy as giggling,” but she’s not to be underestimated. Wrote Sarah Bryan Miller of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “She took charge of the stage whenever she occupied it in a first-rate performance.”
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE remains one of opera’s best-loved comedies.
From the first notes of one of the world’s most famous overtures to the final curtain, your heart will be racing—but not for the exit!
Additional performances of BARBER will take place on Sunday, March 30(m) and April 2, 5, 11 &13, 2014 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House. All evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise indicated) and matinees have a 2:00 p.m. curtain time.
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The Dallas Opera has presented five American premieres, as well as three world premiere works in its illustrious 56-year-history. It also continues to create fresh, new productions of established masterpieces of the genre.
Evening performances during the 2013-2014 Season productions will begin at 7:30 PM, unless otherwise stated (including an 8:00 p.m. curtain for the Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance). All Sunday matinees are slated to begin at 2:00 p.m.
The “Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talks,” a free background lecture for the opera being performed that day, takes place in Nancy B. Hamon Hall located off the Winspear Opera House lobby one hour prior to each performance, except for Opening Night of the Season.
Easy-to-read English translations are projected above the stage during every Dallas Opera performance and special headsets are available at Coat-Check for the hearing impaired.
Season subscriptions for the 2013-2014 Season will range from $76 to $960.
No late seating is permitted once the house doors are closed.
For information about next season, call The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214-443-1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org.
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EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
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VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS
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The Dallas Opera’s 2013-2014 “By Love Transformed” Season
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Ticket Information for the 2013-2014 Dallas Opera Season
All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Subscriptions went on sale to the general public May 13, starting at just $76. Single Tickets starting at $19 and Flex Subscriptions will go on sale July 1, 2013. Family performances are $5 (subs $12 for three family performances) and will go on sale July 1. For more information, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org.
THE DALLAS OPERA 2013-2014 SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Seventh 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 will 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.
CARMEN by Georges Bizet
October 25, 27(m), 30, November 2, 8 & 10(m), 2013
The most irresistible bad girl in opera—How can you possibly say “non”?
An opera in four acts first performed in Paris on March 3, 1875
Text by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy based on the novella by Prosper Mérimée
Time: 19th century
Place: Seville, Spain
Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Stage Director: Bliss Hebert
Scenic Design: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Costume Design: Werner Iverke
Lighting Design: Thomas Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: Melinda Cotten
Starring: Clémentine Margaine**(Carmen), Brandon Jovanovich (Don José Oct. 25, 27, 30), Bruno Ribeiro* (Don José Nov. 2, 8, 10), Mary Dunleavy (Micaëla), Dwayne Croft (Escamillo), Danielle Pastin*(Frasquita), Audrey Babcock*(Mercédès), Kyle Albertson*(Zuniga), Steven LaBrie (Le Dancaïre), Victor Ryan Robertson (Remendado), John David Boehr*(Moralès).
DEATH AND THE POWERS by Tod Machover
February 12, 14, 15 & 16(m), 2014
Science fiction and poignant family drama combine in a major regional premiere!
An opera in one act first performed in Monte Carlo, Monaco at the Salle Garnier on September X, 2010.
Text by Robert Pinsky, based on a story by Pinsky and Randy Weiner
Time: Unknown time in the future
Place: Earth, the home of billionaire Simon Powers
Conductor: Nicole Paiement
Stage Director: Diane Paulus*
Associate Director: Andrew Eggert*
Scenic Design: Alex McDowell*
Costume Design: David Woolard*
Lighting Design: Don Holder
Choreography: Karole Armitage*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Starring: Robert Orth (Simon Powers/Robot One), Joélle Harvey (Miranda/Robot Four), Patricia Risley(Evvy/Robot Three), Hal Cazalet*(Nicholas/Robot Two), Frank Kelley*(The United Way), David Kravitz*(The United Nations), Tom McNichols*(The Administration).
DIE TOTE STADT (“THE DEAD CITY”) by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
March 21, 23(m), 26, 29 and April 6(m), 2014
The Hitchcock-like tale of one man’s dark obsession with the woman he loved and lost.
An opera in three acts first performed in Hamburg & Cologne, Germany on December 4, 1920
Text by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Paul Schott based on a novel by Georges Rodenbach, Bruges la morte
Time: End of the 19th century
Place: The city of Bruges in northwestern Belgium
Conductor: Sebastian Lang-Lessing*
Stage Director: Mikael Melbye
Scenic Design: Mikael Melbye*
Costume Design: Dierdre Clancy*
Video Design: Wendall Harrington*
Lighting Design: Mark McCullough
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Choreography: Matthew Ferraro*
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Anne Petersen**(Marietta) , Jay Hunter Morris (Paul), Morgan Smith (Fritz), Weston Hurt (Frank), Katherine Tier*(Brigitta), Andrew Bidlack (Albert), Jan Lund**(Victorin), Jennifer Chung (Juliette), Angela Turner Wilson (Lucienne).
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE by Gioachino Rossini
March 28, 30(m), April 2, 5, 11 & 13(m), 2014
Figaro, a scheming barber and jack-of-all-trades plots to release a headstrong girl from her gilded cage!
An opera in two acts first performed in Rome on February 20, 1816
Text by Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais, from his comedy Le Barbier de Séville
Time: 18th century
Place: Seville, Spain
Conductor: Giuliano Carella*
Stage Director: Herb Kellner
Original Production: John Copley
Scenic Design: John Conklin
Costume Design: Michael Stennet
Lighting Design: TBD
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Nathan Gunn (Figaro), Isabel Leonard*(Rosina), Alek Shrader*(Count Almaviva), Donato DiStefano (Dr. Bartolo), Burak Bilgili*(Don Basilio), Nathan De’Shon Myers (Fiorello), Christian Teague*(Ambrogio).
DALLAS OPERA FAMILY PERFORMANCES
Jack and the Beanstalk: October 26, 2013 and April 5, 2014
Family Concerts: November 3, 2013 and February 1, 2014
The Elixir of Love: November 9, 2013 and April 12, 2014
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
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The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; TACA; 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. A special thanks to Mrs. William W. Winspear and the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for their continuing support.
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