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  • Home > Emmanuel Villaume

    The Dallas Opera Hart Institute for Women Conductors Update

     

    The Hart Institute’s Lina Gonzalez-Granados

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Wednesday, October 9, 2019

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

    Changing the Face of Classical Music

    The Dallas Opera Hart Institute

    For Women Conductors

    ~~~~

    Celebrating 5 Years of Transformational Success

    OCTOBER 27 – NOVEMBER 9, 2019

    ~~~~

    Outstanding New Faculty include: Ana De Archuleta,

    Elizabeth Buccheri, Rona Eastwood, Julia Lagahuzère,

    Sophie Joyce, Lee Anne Myslewski, and Dmitry Vdovin

    ~~~~

    In Partnership with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s

    Women in Classical Music Symposium

     

    DALLAS, OCTOBER 9, 2019 – The Dallas Opera is preparing to host twelve distinguished professionals (six conductors, three administrators, and three American Observers) selected to participate in the fifth annual residency of the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera taking place Oct. 27 – Nov. 9, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. The six conductors are:

    • Tiffany Chang (USA)
    • Jane Kim (USA) a 2019 Hart Institute Observer replacing Jiannen Cheng of China, who experienced delays in obtaining a U.S. visa.
    • Tamara Dworetz (USA)
    • Marta Kluczyńska (Poland)
    • Madeline Tsai (Taiwan)
    • Molly Turner (USA)

    Seeking to address a long-standing issue of gender-imbalance at the podium, The Dallas Opera in 2015 launched a unique multifaceted program—one of a handful in the world—designed to provide training and career support for distinctively talented women conductors on the cusp of major international careers.

    “I was beyond thrilled to hear of my acceptance to the 2019 Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute” wrote U.S. participant Tamara Dworetz.  “The opportunity to learn from world-class conductors, instrumentalists, opera singers and leaders will strengthen my skills and broaden my dimensionalism as a conductor while bolstering my career and professional network; I cannot thank Linda and Mitch Hart and The Dallas Opera enough for initiating and supporting this progressive and powerfully impactful program.”

    Ian Derrer, The Dallas Opera’s Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO explains: “Providing career advancement opportunities makes it possible for these talented women to compete for top-level positions in classical music. This is one of the most important contributions we could make to this art form, and it will be needed for years to come. After five years, the support and passion of the TDO Family burns brighter than ever.”

    A total of 90 women conductors and professional musicians heeded the call in 2019, despite even more stringent admissions requirements initiated last year.  Applicants from 27 countries included music directors, principal and assistant conductors, concertmasters and music staff from top-ranked symphonies, opera companies, and conservatories.

    “Even for the most talented artists, a journey to the forefront of the conducting profession is difficult, and particularly so for women,” wrote Taiwanese conductor Madeline Tsai.  “The Dallas Opera’s Linda and Mitch Hart Institute gives its residents a strong gust of wind forward as they sail toward their dreams on the horizon.

    “I am immensely grateful and honored for this incredible opportunity to learn from an amazing faculty and other talented artists at the Institute.”

    As is the case each year, talented U.S. Observers were chosen to audit the 2019 Institute: Rebecca Henry, Sarah Klein and Rachel Waddell.

    Reserved seating for the 2019 Hart Institute Showcase Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 9, 2019 is available for $25 or $50 per person (depending on the section) and can be purchased through The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or by visiting dallasopera.org/harttickets.

    ~~~~

    The Dallas Opera Hart Institute in 2019 will consist of hands-on master classes with the Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director, Emmanuel Villaume; TDO’s Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement and Carlo Montanaro, a renowned Italian conductor. Returning faculty include a variety of industry leaders and members of The Dallas Opera Senior Staff.

    Sessions include career advancement seminars; topical industry discussions; intensive one-on-ones and a variety of networking opportunities.

    American conductor Molly Turner noted: “As a young conductor, getting into the Hart Institute opens so many doors traditionally left open only for older and often male conductors.”

    “I’m humbled to have such a dedicated opportunity to focus on a genre and repertoire that are least familiar to me and to engage artistically with the excellent musicians and administration of The Dallas Opera” added US conductor Tiffany Chang.

    NEW HART FACULTY IN 2019:

    Ana De Archuleta is president and CEO of ADA Artist Management and has quickly established herself as one of the most sought-after managers in the operatic field, representing a thriving roster of vocalists, conductors and directors worldwide.

    Elizabeth Askren, Franco-American conductor, has guest conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris.

    Elizabeth Buccheri, chamber musician and vocal coach, was assistant conductor of Lyric Opera of Chicago from 1987 to 2013. A dedicated teacher, Ms. Buccheri has given master classes at The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, AMFS, Lawrence Conservatory, and the music academies of Lithuania and Latvia.

    Lisa Bury, Chief Advancement and Strategy Officer for The Dallas Opera, previously served in senior positions at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Florida Grand Opera.

    Rona Eastwood is Senior Associate Director of Conductors at Askonas Holt. The move across to artist management followed, initially assisting Martin Campbell-White with conductors and occasional touring projects. She has remained with the company ever since, ultimately building an independent list of artists.

    Sophie Joyce is the Director of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, the Metropolitan Opera’s elite program for leading young singers on the cusp of international opera careers.

    Julia Lagahuzère is the General Director of “Opera for Peace” and former Deputy Casting Director for Opéra National de Paris in the two theatres of Opéra de Bastille and Palais Garnier. She is also artistic consultant to the Queen Sonja International Music Competition in Oslo, Norway.

    Charlotte Lee is the President and Founder of Primo Artists, a boutique classical music agency in New York.

    Thomas Maddrey is the founding partner and lead attorney for Maddrey PLLC, a boutique firm dedicated to art law and creative business law.

    Lee Anne Myslewski oversees all aspects of Wolf Trap Opera, an artist-centric program whose alumni are singing in every opera house in the nation and in the most prestigious houses in the world and also serves as the executive producer and co-host of Center Stage from Wolf Trap, a nationally-syndicated radio program.

    Paolo Petrocelli serves as the Cultural and Music Diplomacy Officer for the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates and has become a leading member of some of the most prestigious international organizations, including the United Nations, UNESCO, and the World Economic Forum. He also acts as Director of Institutional Relations and International Affairs for UNESCO’S “Opera for Peace.”

    Stephanie Rhodes Russell, a renowned opera collaborator, is a Conducting Fellow with the Fort Worth Symphony and Associate Conductor for the Grand Teton Music Festival.

    Jennifer Spencer is currently working alongside Ivan Fischer on the artistic and touring planning for the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and (in October 2017) she created a small conductor roster which she operates in conjunction with IMG Artists Ltd from London.

    Beth Stewart is the founder of Verismo Communications, a classical music PR firm that prizes authenticity over plasticity, creates space and opportunity in clients’ lives, and operates with unswerving integrity.

    Dmitry Vdovin is founder and artistic director of the Bolshoi Theatre Young Artist Program. He is also the Artistic Director of UNESCO’S “Opera for Peace” initiative.

    Jenna Wolf, Development and Communications Consultant for “Opera for Peace – Leading Young Voices of the World” as well as the PR and Marketing Director for Lenny’s Studio, New York, New York.

    This year’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors is also partnering with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural “Women in Classical Music Symposium” taking place November 6-9, 2019 in the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, in order to provide even greater resources and connections for women in the field.

    “I am delighted to work alongside our colleagues at The Dallas Opera as the Dallas Symphony launches its Women in Classical Music Symposium. The Hart Institute has established itself as an important event for women conductors, and their input while designing the symposium has been invaluable,” said Kim Noltemy, President & CEO of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. “Together, we are showing that the Dallas performing arts community is committing to a sustained effort to make changes in the industry.”

     

    ~~~~

    “The Hart Institute has and will continue to transform the field, with alumnae being singled out for important appointments, projects, and commissions in both the opera and symphonic world,” notes TDO’s Director of Artistic Administration David Lomeli.

    Hart Institute alumnae accomplishments in just the past year include the appointment of Anna Skryleva as Music Director of the Magdeburg Opera and as the first female Chief Conductor of the Klassik Philharmonie Hamburg, Tianyi Lu as Welsh National Opera’s first “Female Conductor in Residence,” the appointment of Lina Gonzalez-Granados as a 2019-2020 Conducting Fellow for both Seattle Opera and the Philadelphia Orchestra; Chicago Opera Theater’s Lidiya Yankovskaya (Artistic Director of the Refugee Orchestra Project) leading refugee musicians in a performance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, the naming of Stephanie Mercier to the position of Director of Artistic and Production Operations at Washington National Opera, and the promotion of another Hart Administrator, Jennifer Rivera, to the position of Executive Director and CEO of Long Beach Opera.

    Additionally, two Hart Institute conductors (and one faculty member, Nicole Paiement) made the list of the “Top 20 Women Conductors in the World” in 2019 (Norman Lebrecht, Slipped Disc).

    ~~~~

    While the Hart Institute began with a focus on supporting talented conductors, the challenges faced by women opera administrators remain equally daunting.  To address this imbalance, The Dallas Opera added a new component to the Hart Institute: through 2022, TDO will invite between two and four American opera administrators to participate each season.  These women will be selected on the basis of their potential to become leaders of one of America’s top opera companies.

    The 2019 Hart Institute Administrators are:

    • Kristen Bigham (Lyric Opera of Chicago)
    • Beverly Love (Wilbanks Partners)
    • Suzanne Vinnik (artist & entrepreneur—founder of Shoperatic)

    The selected opera administrators will have access to all group sessions and special sessions during the annual residency in Dallas.

    One of the goals of the program is to construct a wide network of influential female leaders in the administrative offices of performing arts organizations, both large and small, as well as onstage and in the orchestra pit.

     

    HART INSTITUTE – NEW CONDUCTING FELLOW

    JANE KIM (USA) is the recipient of the 2018 Charles Schiff Conducting Prize. She currently serves as Assistant Conductor with the Little Orchestra Society. She has appeared with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra and Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, and, as cover conductor, she works with the New York Philharmonic, Canadian Opera Company, Juilliard Orchestra, and other ensembles. Previously, Jane served as Music Director of the Juilliard Pre-College String Ensemble and conductor of the Juilliard Lab Orchestra. Her summer activities include Aspen Music Festival, which she attended as a Conducting Fellow, and Pierre Monteux Music Festival, where she was named a Bernard Osher Scholar. Jane holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from The Juilliard School.

    ~~~~

    Naming Support for the Institute from Linda and Mitch Hart

    Initial Support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation

    Additional Support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, 

    Baker Botts LLP, Cindy and Charlie Feld, Jenifer and Peter Flynn,

    Susan and Mark Geyer, Holly and Tom Mayer, J.P. Morgan,

    Betty and Steve Suellentrop, Martha and Max Wells,

    Debra Witter and Scott Chase, and Texas Women’s Foundation

    Made Possible by an OPERA America Innovation Grant

    Supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation

     

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA:

    One of the leading opera companies in the country, The Dallas Opera has an extraordinary legacy of world-class productions and thrilling premieres featuring the greatest operatic artists of our time. Inaugurated in 1957 with a concert featuring the incomparable Maria Callas, TDO is known for the notable U.S. debuts of a host of legendary artists including Plácido Domingo, Dame Joan Sutherland, Jon Vickers, Franco Zeffirelli, and Sir David McVicar. The company has long been an industry leader and innovator through groundbreaking initiatives like the Hart Institute for Women Conductors, free public simulcasts, acclaimed art song recitals, the national vocal competition, special concerts, and outstanding family and award-winning education programs. TDO’s home is the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, a jewel in the Dallas Arts District. As one of the largest performing arts employers in North Texas, TDO is proudly committed to diversity, onstage and off, and is a major contributor to the economic vitality and international cultural reputation of this region.

    2019-2020 SEASON SPONSOR

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family
    ~~~~

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation;

    Texas Instruments Foundation; the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; 

    The Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

    American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera.

    Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera.

    Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

    All performances in The Dallas Opera’s 63rd International Season will take place in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, unless otherwise indicated. 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. Full and Flex subscriptions are designed to meet the needs of every budget. Prices range from just $57 (for three performances of your choice) to a top orchestra floor price of $777 for all five mainstage productions. Single tickets are priced from $25 to $289 (a few box seats may be higher). For additional information or to make your purchase, call 214.443.1000 or visit www.dallasopera.org.

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________

    ###

     

    The Dallas Opera and NorthPark Center Present “The Fabric of Opera: The Winspear World Premieres”

    Principal singers in costume for the 2015 world premiere of Mark Adamo’s “Becoming Santa Claus” (photo by Karen Almond, Dallas Opera)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Thursday, September 12, 2019

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

    The Dallas Opera and NorthPark Center Present

    THE FABRIC OF OPERA:

    The Winspear World Premieres

    ~~~~

    Exhibit of Historic Dallas Opera Costumes Sept. 13 – Nov. 6, 2019

    NorthPark Center, Dallas, TX

    ~~~~

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family – Season Sponsors of The Dallas Opera

     

    DALLAS, SEPTEMBER 12, 2019 – The Dallas Opera and NorthPark Center are proud to present rarely-exhibited historic costumes from the private collection of The Dallas Opera.

    The all-new FABRIC OF OPERA exhibition, building on the popular success of last year’s inaugural display, will be on view from September 13, 2019 through November 6, 2019 at NorthPark Center, 8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75225. The exhibition is located on Level One near Neiman Marcus.

    This year’s exhibition will consist of spectacular costumes created for The Dallas Opera by some of the finest design talents in the world—including Tony Award winners Jane Greenwood and Bob Crowley, renowned British set and costume designer Gary McCann, and Drama Desk Award winner David C. Woolard.  The new exhibition will showcase designs specifically created for The Dallas Opera world premieres at the Winspear Opera House (2009-2019) during the company’s first decade in this critically-acclaimed venue.

    “We were delighted by the chance to create a second edition of The Fabric of Opera, and happy to renew our partnership with NorthPark Center,” said Ian Derrer, The Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO.

    “As The Dallas Opera celebrates a successful decade in the Winspear Opera House, it seemed only natural to focus on the world premieres that helped put the company in the international spotlight.”

    The Fabric of Opera: The Winspear World Premieres, curated by Dallas Opera set and costume designer Tommy Bourgeois, will showcase characters and costumes—both real and fantastical.

    NorthPark Center visitors will get close-up views of the meticulously-researched outfits of nineteenth century seafarers, modern day mountaineers, contemporary opera stars, and the imaginary denizens of the North Pole—including sprightly elves and a young man named Nick.  It will also include revealing commentary from the composers and librettists who poured themselves into these important contemporary works.

    “From the start,” writes Moby-Dick (2010) composer Jake Heggie, “we imagined an innovative, modern set and physical production, but we always thought of the costumes in classic terms. So did the great Jane Greenwood and she delivered beautiful clothes that helped us to understand and identify the characters clearly at every turn.”

    Mark Adamo, the composer/librettist of Becoming Santa Claus (2015), worked closely with set and costume designer Gary McCann: “What Gary came up with is, to me, a designer’s equivalent to what Tolkien devised in The Lord of the Rings: a world made entirely of fantasy which is, at once, as persuasive as history. I tried to achieve that project in sound. Gary made that sound visible.”

    “Superb costume designs have always been an integral part of our company fabric,” explains Mr. Derrer. “The work of today’s best designers, seen in this exhibit, will undoubtedly inspire new generations of artists, designers, and Dallas Opera audiences.

    “We are deeply indebted to Nancy Nasher and David Haemisegger for their unwavering support for this project.”

    NorthPark Center, Dallas’ premier shopping destination, has long been associated with high style and luxury, as has opera design from the very beginning. As NorthPark is the long-term presenting sponsor of TDO’s FIRST SIGHT Fashion Presentation and Luncheon, it is the perfect place to host these exhibitions.

    “The amazing Nasher Sculpture Center was one of the first places I visited when I came to Dallas,” recalls Emmanuel Villaume, the Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director. “That world-class collection told me a great deal about the influence of the Nasher Family on the arts in North Texas. However, it was a subsequent trip to NorthPark Center that made me realize that there was so much more to be explored.

    “I embrace every opportunity for collaboration between our two companies,” Maestro Villaume adds. “They are always profoundly beautiful experiences.”

    ~~~~

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA:

    One of the leading opera companies in the country, The Dallas Opera has an extraordinary legacy of world-class productions and thrilling premieres featuring the greatest operatic artists of our time. Inaugurated by the incomparable Maria Callas in 1957, TDO is known for the notable U.S. debuts of a host of legendary artists including Plácido Domingo, Dame Joan Sutherland, Jon Vickers, Franco Zeffirelli, and Sir David McVicar. The company has long been an industry leader and innovator through groundbreaking initiatives such as the Hart Institute for Women Conductors, free public simulcasts, acclaimed art song recitals, the national and state vocal competitions, special concerts, and outstanding family and education programs. TDO’s home is the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, a jewel in the Dallas Arts District. As one of the largest performing arts employers in North Texas, TDO is proudly committed to diversity, onstage and off, and is a major contributor to the economic vitality and international cultural reputation of this region.

     

    2019-2020 SEASON SPONSOR

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

    ~~~~

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation;

    Texas Instruments Foundation; the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; 

    The Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

    American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera.

    Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera.

    Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

    All performances in The Dallas Opera’s 63rd International Season will take place in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, unless otherwise indicated. 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. Full and Flex subscriptions are designed to meet the needs of every budget. Prices range from just $57 (for three performances of your choice) to a top orchestra floor price of $777 for all five mainstage productions. Single tickets are priced from $25 to $289 (a few box seats may be higher). For additional information or to make your purchase, call 214.443.1000 or visit www.dallasopera.org.

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________

    ###

     

     

    The Dallas Opera Guild’s New Texas-Based Vocal Competition!

     

    2019 Guild Vocal Competition Winners by Karen Almond

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Monday, September 9, 2019

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

    One Competition Becomes TWO

    To Celebrate Our Proud Texas Roots!

    ~~~~

    THE DALLAS OPERA GUILD BIENNIAL

    LONE STAR VOCAL COMPETITION

    ~~~~

    For Accomplished Young Artists with Texas Connections

    ~~~~

    2020 Competition Chair Dr. Susan Fleming

    Honorary Chair, Martha Allday

    ~~~~

    Applications Will Be Accepted In January

    Same Day Semi-Finals and Finals: May 9, 2020

    Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House

    The AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, Texas

     

    DALLAS, SEPTEMBER 9, 2019 – The Dallas Opera and The Dallas Opera Guild are pleased to announce the revival of a state-based vocal competition to alternate every other year with The Dallas Opera National Vocal Competition sponsored by the Guild.

    The inaugural Texas-centric event, The Dallas Opera Guild Biennial Lone Star Vocal Competition, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 9, 2020 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas, TX.

    General Director and CEO Ian Derrer notes, “The Dallas Opera Guild has always had a special affection for homegrown talent. It’s easy to understand why the membership wished to return to that proud tradition and recreate that sense of excitement in an entirely new way.

    “This new competition has our full support and should complement—beautifully—The Dallas Opera National Vocal Competition in 2021, which will continue to feature the full Dallas Opera Orchestra,” Derrer adds.

    The Spring 2020 Competition—Chaired by Dr. Susan Fleming—will offer thousands of dollars in prize monies to Texas-based singers. The winner will also be guaranteed a spot in the Semi-Finals Round of The Dallas Opera’s national vocal competition taking place the following year, along with the chance to perform for an audience of Dallas Opera Board and Trustees.

    “Patsy and I,” says Dallas Opera Guild Co-Chair Bob Brooks, “along with Susan Fleming, as this year’s vocal competition chairperson—and the entire Dallas Opera Guild—are excited to sponsor this return to a biennial Texas-based competition to complement The Dallas Opera’s national vocal competition.”

     

    The competition is open to singers ages 18 through 30 (as of the actual date of the 2020 Competition) who are Texas residents or students. Applicants may not have participated in any Young Artist or Resident Artist Program with a professional opera company, or, had a principal artist contract with any opera company.

    Applications will be accepted only through YAP Tracker, beginning on January 10, 2020. Applications will close on February 14, 2020, and the competition semi-finalists will be announced on March 15, 2020. Additional details will be forthcoming later in the year.

    The Dallas Opera is very pleased to announce the return of former Artistic Director Jonathan Pell (long associated with the original statewide competition) as one judge in the blue-ribbon panel, along with TDO’s Director of Artistic Administration David Lomeli and renowned arts administrator, educator and adjudicator Dr. Brian Zeger.  On the faculty of The Juilliard School since 1993 and its Artistic Director of Vocal Arts since 2004, Dr. Zeger, who will head the panel, is also the former Executive Director of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program.

    “I am really delighted now to have been asked by the company and the Opera Guild to help re-launch this unique competition,” Jonathan Pell wrote. “In my long career in the arts, nothing ever brought me more satisfaction or joy than discovering and nurturing extraordinary young talent, and helping to foster the careers of a new generation of opera stars.”

    2020 Competition Chair Dr. Susan Fleming remarked, “The Dallas Opera Guild is extremely proud of the many professional voices in development that we have fostered for more than three decades. We are eager to hear those who will be selected to compete this year and look forward to hosting an enthusiastic hometown crowd in the Winspear next May!

    “We encourage YOU to come be part of the Lone Star cheering section!”

    This year’s Honorary Chair is longtime Dallas Opera supporter and Guild Member Martha Allday.

    Now in her fifth year as a member of The Dallas Opera Board, Martha Allday has given her enthusiastic support to The Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors, as well as the annual vocal competition.

    With her husband, Dr. Robert Allday, Martha served as Guild Co-President during our second season in the Winspear Opera House (2010-2011). It was in that capacity that she became involved in the Guild’s annual vocal competition.

    Beginning in the spring of 2010 with the world premiere production of Heggie and Scheer’s Moby-Dick, the Alldays have hosted numerous visiting artists (and, at times, their families) in their home during extended stays in Dallas.

    “Every artist has a unique story about how they came to their careers in opera, and vocal competitions are frequently a part of that story,” Martha Allday writes. “Recognizing the importance of the competitions to artists in the critical, nascent stages of their careers, I feel it is incumbent upon us to support their development in this way.”

    ~~~~

    HISTORY OF THE DALLAS OPERA GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION:

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

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

    However, for any program to remain dynamic, change and growth must occur. During these past 27 years there have been many changes. From the initial grants program, the concept evolved into The Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition which, until 2014, was focused on vocalists with a Texas connection, both natives and temporary residents. A “People’s Choice Award” and Encouragement Awards were added and, today, financial awards are given directly to the winners to use at their discretion. Through this event, the Guild continues to recognize and honor members of The Dallas Opera community who have demonstrated a special interest in promoting the careers of talented young singers, or, have given exceptional support to The Dallas Opera and the Guild. Jonathan Pell led the Judge’s panel for the first 26 years.

    The vocal competition was significantly re-imagined and expanded in its 27th year to allow applicants from all 50 states and U.S. Territories. Dr. Brian Zeger began chairing a judge’s panel that includes leading figures in American Opera administration and classical music.

    The national competition was reorganized to take place over a two-day period. Finalists were accompanied by The Dallas Opera Orchestra under the direction of the Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director Emmanuel Villaume through 2018 and under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Frizza in 2019.

    Now, the competition has evolved yet again to serve the needs of accomplished young artists at both the statewide and national level.

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

    ~~~~

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA:

    One of the leading opera companies in the country, The Dallas Opera has an extraordinary legacy of world-class productions and thrilling premieres featuring the greatest operatic artists of our time. Inaugurated by the incomparable Maria Callas in 1957, TDO is known for the notable U.S. debuts of a host of legendary artists including Plácido Domingo, Dame Joan Sutherland, Jon Vickers, Franco Zeffirelli, and Sir David McVicar. The company has long been an industry leader and innovator through groundbreaking initiatives such as the Hart Institute for Women Conductors, free public simulcasts, acclaimed art song recitals, the national vocal competition, special concerts, and outstanding family and award-winning education programs. TDO’s home is the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, a jewel in the Dallas Arts District. As one of the largest performing arts employers in North Texas, TDO is proudly committed to diversity, onstage and off, and is a major contributor to the economic vitality and international cultural reputation of this region.

    2019-2020 SEASON SPONSOR

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family
    ~~~~

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation;

    Texas Instruments Foundation; the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; 

    The Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

    American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera.

    Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera.

    Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

    All performances in The Dallas Opera’s 63rd International Season will take place in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, unless otherwise indicated. 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. Full and Flex subscriptions are designed to meet the needs of every budget. Prices range from just $57 (for three performances of your choice) to a top orchestra floor price of $777 for all five mainstage productions. Single tickets are priced from $25 to $289 (a few box seats may be higher). For additional information or to make your purchase, call 214.443.1000 or visit www.dallasopera.org.

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________

     

    ###

     

     

     

     

    Single Tickets for 19-20 Season – On Sale July 15!

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Tuesday, July 9, 2019

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

    GOING ON SALE JULY 15TH!

    SINGLE TICKETS

    FOR THE DALLAS OPERA’S

    2019-2020 SEASON

    CELEBRATING 10 YEARS IN THE

    WINSPEAR OPERA HOUSE

    STARTING AT $25

     

    ~~~~

    $5 Tickets Now Available for TDO’s Acclaimed

    Family Performance Series

     

    DALLAS, JULY 9, 2019 –The Dallas Opera is pleased to announce that single tickets for its star-studded 63rd International “Standing Ovation” Season go on sale to the general public on Monday, July 15, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. (Central Time).

    Highlights of the 2019-2020 Dallas Opera Season, which opens on October 18th, include

    • The company’s first-ever presentation of Sir Peter Hall’s renowned production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute from Los Angeles and Seattle Opera
    • TDO’s acclaimed co-production of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel, which opened two seasons ago at Santa Fe to outstanding reviews
    • The annual showcase concert for participants in the prestigious Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors
    • The 2020 Titus Art Song Recital in January with luminous soprano Angel Blue
    • A semi-staged version of Verdi’s epic Don Carlo featuring a world-class cast

     

    The “Standing Ovation” Season kicks into high gear this spring with a superb new TDO production of Stravinsky’s ballet with song, Pulcinella, marking its 100th Anniversary, on a double bill with Francis Poulenc’s riveting musical version of Jean Cocteau’s one-woman play, La voix humaine (The Human Voice).

    The season finale is a delightful production of Rossini’s ever-popular The Barber of Seville starring Lucas Meachem, Pretty Yende, Lawrence Brownlee and Xabier Anduaga in an international all-star cast!

    Additional details can be found at https://dallasopera.org/seasons/mainstage/ or at https://dallasopera.org/seasons/concerts/.

     

    Single tickets may be purchased for as little as $25.  Full and Flex subscriptions for every budget can be purchased today. Prices range from just $57 (for three performances of your choice) to a top orchestra floor price of $777 for all five mainstage productions.  Call The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or buy online at www.dallasopera.org/tickets.

     

    ~~~

     

    MAINSTAGE PRESENTATIONS

    2019-2020 DALLAS OPERA SEASON

    Season Sponsor

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

     

    THE MAGIC FLUTE

    By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    October 18, 20(m), 23, 26, November 1 and 3(m), 2019

     

    THE GOLDEN COCKEREL

    By Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    October 25, 27(m), 30, and November 2, 2019

     

    THE HART INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN CONDUCTORS

    SHOWCASE CONCERT

    November 9, 2019

     

    DON CARLO

    By Giuseppe Verdi

    March 20, 22(m), 25 and 28, 2020

     

    A Dallas Opera Double Bill:

    PULCINELLA & LA VOIX HUMAINE

    PULCINELLA: Ballet with Song by Igor Stravinsky

    LA VOIX HUMAINE (“The Human Voice”)

    By Francis Poulenc with a libretto by Jean Cocteau

    April 3, 4, 5(m) and 8, 2020

     

    THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

    By Gioachino Rossini

    April 24, 26(m), 29 and May 2, 8 and 10(m), 2020

     

    In an effort to present each work as it was intended to be experienced by the composer and librettist, The Dallas Opera will continue to produce each opera in its original language with English supertitles projected above the stage for maximum accessibility and enjoyment.

    Notable Company Debuts in the 2019-2020 Season Include:

    • Spanish tenor Xabier Anduaga (Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville)
    • Russian tenor Viktor Antipenko (Prince Guidon in The Golden Cockerel)
    • English tenor Barry Banks (Astrologer in The Golden Cockerel)
    • American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton (Princess Eboli in Don Carlo)
    • American tenor Lawrence Brownlee (Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville)
    • American soprano Andrea Carroll (Pamina in The Magic Flute)
    • American soprano Leah Crocetto (Elizabeth de Valois in Don Carlo)
    • Russian bass Nikolay Didenko (King Dodon in The Golden Cockerel)
    • Italian tenor Paolo Fanale (Tamino in The Magic Flute)
    • American tenor Brian Frutiger (Monastatos in The Magic Flute)
    • American mezzo-soprano Margaret Gawrysiak (Berta in The Barber of Seville)
    • Russian soprano Venera Gimadieva (Queen of Shemakha in The Golden Cockerel)
    • Italian baritone Renato Girolami (Doctor Bartolo in The Barber of Seville)
    • American mezzo-soprano Samantha Hankey (Second Lady in The Magic Flute)
    • American soprano Jeni Houser (Papagena in The Magic Flute)
    • American director Kyle Lang (The Magic Flute)
    • American mezzo-soprano Hannah Ludwig (Third Lady in The Magic Flute)
    • American director Christopher Mattaliano (directing The Barber of Seville)
    • American soprano Diana Newman (First Lady in The Magic Flute)
    • American bass-baritone Richard Ollarsaba, soloist (Pulcinella)
    • Polish mezzo-soprano Ewa Plonka (Tebaldo in Don Carlo)
    • Russian soprano Olga Pudova (Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute)
    • English set and costume designer Gerald Scarfe (The Magic Flute)
    • American costume designer Jamie Scott, deceased (The Barber of Seville)
    • American soprano Elizabeth Sutphen as A Celestial Voice (Don Carlo)
    • Canadian dancer/choreographer Sean Smith (Pulcinella in Pulcinella)
    • American tenor Angel Vargas (Count Lerma/The Royal Herald in Don Carlo)
    • American tenor Robert Watson (title role in Don Carlo)
    • Austrian baritone Markus Werba (Papageno in The Magic Flute)
    • American tenor Matthew White, soloist (Pulcinella)
    • South African soprano Pretty Yende (Rosina in The Barber of Seville)

    “The Dallas Opera has put together a tremendous 19-20 Season designed to appeal to single ticket purchasers of every musical taste and budget,” explains Dallas Opera Chairman Mark LaRoe.

    “From imaginative mainstage productions to brilliant concerts and recitals featuring the women conductors of the Hart Institute as well as stars like Angel Blue, we are committed to providing a top-quality entertainment experience to patrons who prefer the single ticket option.

    “And, with prices starting at just $25, we’re optimistic that our tenth-anniversary season in the Winspear Opera House will attract many North Texans who have never been to the opera,” LaRoe adds.  “We continue to build new audiences and work to make opera more accessible to everyone.  Now is the time to share in the beauty and excitement; there are incredible worlds waiting to be discovered at The Dallas Opera!”

    ~~~~

    Hot tickets going on sale July 15th include the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors Concert on Sunday, November 9, 2019. This extraordinary annual showcase caps the two-week residency of women conductors from around the world: https://dallasopera.org/community/artist-development/hart-institute/

    Come January, the New Year kicks off with the sizzling stylings of acclaimed American soprano Angel Blue, the 2020 Titus Art Song Recital Artist.  The Sunday afternoon concert on January 26, 2020 will take place in the intimate setting of Moody Performance Hall: https://dallasopera.org/performance/the-titus-art-song-recital-series-concert-2020/

    Tickets for Angel Blue’s recital will also go on sale to the public July 15th.

    ~~~~

    In addition to presenting world-class opera and providing support for outstanding young artists, established stars, and up-and-coming female conductors; The Dallas Opera is also committed to introducing the joys of opera to as many people as possible.  We strive to provide budget-minded, kid-friendly performances that can be enjoyed by all.

    Single tickets to the 2019-20 Family Performance Series will be available July 15th for just $5.

     

    2019-2020 FAMILY PERFORMANCE SERIES

    PRESENTED BY TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

     

    DOCTOR MIRACLE

    By Georges Bizet

    Saturday, October 6, 2019

    Saturday, March 21, 2020

    Georges Bizet’s charming and romantic, one-act operetta: https://dallasopera.org/performance/dr-miracle/

     

    THE BREMEN TOWN MUSICIANS

    By John Davies

    Saturday, October 13, 2019

    Saturday, April 4, 2020

    An operatic version of a Brothers Grimm fairytale: https://dallasopera.org/performance/the-bremen-town-musicians-2019/

     

    The Dallas Opera Family Performance Series is generously supported by the Betty and Steve Suellentrop Educational Outreach Fund.  TDO Family Performances are a part of the Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs.

    ~~~~

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

    One of the leading opera companies in the country, The Dallas Opera has an extraordinary legacy of world-class productions and thrilling premieres featuring the greatest operatic artists of our time. Inaugurated by the incomparable Maria Callas in 1957, TDO is known for the notable U.S. debuts of a host of legendary artists including Plácido Domingo, Dame Joan Sutherland, Jon Vickers, Franco Zeffirelli, and Sir David McVicar. The company has long been an industry leader and innovator through groundbreaking initiatives like the Hart Institute for Women Conductors; free public simulcasts; acclaimed art song recitals; the national vocal competition; special concerts; and outstanding family and award-winning education programs. TDO’s home is the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, a jewel in the Dallas Arts District. As one of the largest performing arts employers in North Texas, TDO is proudly committed to diversity, onstage and off, and is a major contributor to the economic vitality and international cultural reputation of this region.

    ~~~~

    The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation;

    Texas Instruments Foundation; the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; 

    The Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

    American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera.

    Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera.

    Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

     

    All performances in The Dallas Opera’s 63rd International Season will take place in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, unless otherwise indicated. 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. Full and Flex Subscriptions are available today; single tickets ranging from $25 to $289 (some box seats may be higher) go on sale July 15, 2019.  For additional information or to make your purchase, call 214.443.1000 or visit www.dallasopera.org.

    _____________________________________________________________________________________________

     

    ###

     

    Participants Announced for 2019 Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera

    2018 Hart Institute Conductors Taking Final Bows (photo by Karen Almond)

    The Dallas Opera is Proud to Announce the

    Conductors, Administrators, and Observers for The Fifth Annual

    Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for 

    Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera

    ~~~~

    Oct. 27 – Nov. 9, 2019 in Dallas, Texas 

    ~~~~

    Distinguished 2019 Hart Institute Conducting Faculty Include

    Emmanuel Villaume, Nicole Paiement, and Carlo Montanaro

    ~~~~

    Initial Support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation

    Additional Support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, 

    Baker Botts LLP, Cindy and Charlie Feld, Jenifer and Peter Flynn, Susan and Mark Geyer, Holly and Tom Mayer, 

    Betty and Steve Suellentrop, and Martha and Max Wells

    ~~~~

    Made Possible by an OPERA America Innovation Grant

    Supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation

    ~~~~

    Hart Institute Public Concert: Saturday, November 9, 2019

    The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House

     

    DALLAS, MAY 29, 2019 – The Dallas Opera is proud to announce the names of the twelve distinguished professionals (six conductors, three administrators, and four American  observers) selected to participate in the fifth annual residency of the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera taking place Oct. 27 – Nov. 9, 2019 in Dallas, Texas:

     

    • Tiffany Chang (USA)
    • Jiannan Cheng (China)
    • Tamara Dworetz (USA)
    • Marta Kluczyńska (Poland)
    • Madeline Tsai (Taiwan)
    • Molly Turner (USA)

     

    Working to address a long-standing issue at the podium, The Dallas Opera in 2015 launched a unique multifaceted program—one of a mere handful in the world—designed to provide training and career support for distinctively talented women conductors on the cusp of major international careers.  Female conductors, as well as accomplished women singers, opera coaches, accompanists, and instrumentalists with established careers seeking to further develop their skills at the podium, were encouraged to apply.

     

    “Big D is my Big W,” observed Polish conductor Marta Kluczyńska.  “I feel awesome.”

     

    “I was beyond thrilled to hear of my acceptance to the 2019 Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute” wrote U.S. participant Tamara Dworetz.  “The opportunity to learn from world-class conductors, instrumentalists, opera singers and leaders will strengthen my skills and broaden my dimensionalism as a conductor while bolstering my career and professional network; I cannot thank Linda and Mitch Hart and the Dallas Opera enough for initiating and supporting this progressive and powerfully impactful program.”

     

    This groundbreaking initiative received vital foundational support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation.  Naming support came through the generosity of Linda and Mitch Hart.

    Additional support for the 2019 Hart Institute comes from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Baker Botts LLP, Cindy and Charlie Feld, Jenifer and Peter Flynn, Susan and Mark Geyer, Holly and Tom Mayer, Betty and Steve Suellentrop, and Martha and Max Wells.

    Made possible by an OPERA America Innovation Grant, supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.

     

    Ian Derrer, The Dallas Opera’s Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO explains: “One of the ways we advance our art form and engage more people is by providing career advancement opportunities for gifted women conductors, ensuring they have the chance to compete for top-level positions in classical music.

    “That’s why the Hart Institute was founded and why it will be needed for years to come.

    “The support and passion of the TDO Family is behind this effort—more than ever.”

     

    A total of 90 women conductors and professional musicians heeded the call in 2019, despite even more stringent admissions requirements initiated last year.  Applicants from 27 countries included music directors, principal and assistant conductors, concertmasters and music staff from top-ranked symphonies, opera companies, and conservatories.

     

    “Even for the most talented artists, a journey to the forefront of the conducting profession is difficult, and particularly so for women,” wrote Taiwanese conductor Madeline Tsai.  “The Dallas Opera’s Linda and Mitch Hart Institute gives its residents a strong gust of wind forward as they sail toward their dreams on the horizon.

    “I am immensely grateful and honored for this incredible opportunity to learn from an amazing faculty and other talented artists at the Institute.”

     

    As is the case each year, four talented U.S. Observers were chosen to audit the 2019 Institute: Rebecca Henry, Jane Kim, Vera Volchansky and Rachel Waddell.

     

    ~~~~

    The 2019 Linda and Mitch Hart Institute will consist of hands-on master classes with the Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director, Emmanuel Villaume; TDO’s Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement and Carlo Montanaro, a renowned Italian conductor last seen on our podium conducting three world-class tenors (Michael Fabiano, Bryan Hymel and Matthew Polenzani) in TDO’s “One Night Only Gala.”

    Sessions include career advancement seminars with experienced professionals; topical industry discussions; intensive one-on-ones and networking opportunities; as well as the chance to conduct The Dallas Opera Orchestra in a public concert in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center on the evening of November 9, 2019 (additional details to be announced at a later date).

    This year’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors is partnering with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s inaugural “Women in Classical Music Symposium” taking place November 6-9, 2019 in the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, in order to provide even greater resources and connections for women in the field.

     

    “I am delighted to work alongside our colleagues at The Dallas Opera as the Dallas Symphony launches its Women in Classical Music Symposium. The Hart Institute has established itself as an important event for women conductors, and their input while designing the symposium has been invaluable,” said Kim Noltemy, President & CEO of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. “Together, we are showing that the Dallas performing arts community is committing to a sustained effort to make changes in the industry.”

    ~~~~

    American conductor Molly Turner noted: “As a young conductor, getting into the Hart Institute opens so many doors traditionally left open only for older and often male conductors.”

     

    “I’m humbled to have such a dedicated opportunity to focus on a genre and repertoire that are least familiar to me and to engage artistically with the excellent musicians and administration of The Dallas Opera” added US conductor Tiffany Chang.

     

    “The Hart Institute appears to be having a pronounced positive impact on the field, with alumnae being singled out for important appointments, projects, and commissions in both the opera and symphonic world,” notes TDO’s Director of Artistic Administration David Lomeli.

     

    Marc A. Scorca, President and CEO of OPERA America, earlier 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.”

     

    Chinese conductor Jiannan Cheng summed up: “I am honored and thrilled to be selected to participate in the Hart Institute at the Dallas Opera and I am looking forward to growing as a conductor through this world-class experience!”

     

    ~~~~

     

    While the Hart Institute began with a focus on supporting talented conductors, the challenges faced by women opera administrators are equally daunting.  To address this imbalance, The Dallas Opera last year added a new component to the Hart Institute: through 2022, TDO will invite between two and four American opera administrators to participate each season.  These women will be selected on the basis of their potential to become leaders of one of America’s top opera companies at some point in their careers.

     

    The 2019 Hart Institute Administrators are:

     

    • Kristen Bigham (Lyric Opera of Chicago)
    • Beverly Love (Wilbanks Partners)
    • Suzanne Vinnik (artist & entrepreneur—founder of Shoperatic)

     

    The selected opera administrators will have access to all group sessions and special sessions during the annual residency in Dallas.  This curriculum includes the role of the board, leadership development, personal branding, media and PR training, effective artist management, and navigating recruiting processes for senior level positions.  To continue to develop their musical skills, which is essential for any opera executive, the administrators will observe rehearsals with The Dallas Opera Orchestra and conducting master classes.  Special sessions on Development, Finance, and Marketing will be offered as well.

    One of the goals of the program is to construct a wide network of influential female leaders in the administrative offices of performing arts organizations, both large and small, as well as onstage and in the orchestra pit.

     

    ~~~~

     

     

     

    2019 Hart Institute Conductors

     

     

    TIFFANY CHANG (USA)

    Taiwanese-American conductor Tiffany Chang is the Visiting Assistant Professor of Conducting and Conductor at Oberlin Conservatory and Assistant Professor at the Berklee College of Music.  She also served impactful terms as Interim Director of Orchestral Studies at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory and Acting Director of Orchestral Activities at Boston University.  A 2017 Winner of The American Prize in Opera Conducting, Chang has been engaged by NEMPAC Opera Project, BlueWater Chamber Orchestra, OperaHub, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, ALEA III, Xanthos Ensemble, Brookline Symphony Orchestra, international music festivals such as IASAS and AMIS, among others.  She studied with David Hoose and Bridget-Michaele Reischl, receiving a DMA in orchestral conducting from Boston University and several degrees in cello performance, music education, composition, and music theory from Oberlin Conservatory.

     

    JIANNAN CHENG (CHINA)

    Jiannan Cheng, a native Chinese conductor, served as an assistant in the 2018 Opernfestspiele Heidenheim in Germany where she conducted a performance of Verdi’s Nabucco with the Stuttgart Philharmonic. Recently, Cheng worked with the City Lyric Opera in New York City as the répétiteur and the assistant conductor in a production of La Tragédie de Carmen. Cheng was the 2018 Conducting Fellow of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and served as the Music Director in the CCM production of Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito and the 2019 Interim Music Director of the CCM Concert Orchestra. Cheng was a candidate for the 2017 German Conductors’ Award, second prize winner of the 2016 4×4 Competition for Composers & Conductors and studied with Kurt Masur at the 2015 Aurora Music Festival in Sweden.

     

    TAMARA DWORETZ (USA)

    Tamara Dworetz is a 2019 Conducting Fellow for the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. Her upcoming commitments include serving as assistant conductor to Bramwell Tovey, Principal Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra at the BBC Proms in London. Recently, Tamara was awarded 2nd prize in the Boston Pops’ Bernstein-inspired conducting competition.  Previous positions include Assistant Conductor for the Austin Symphony Orchestra and the Butler Opera Center. A dedicated music educator, Tamara was the conductor for the Austin Youth Orchestra, University of Texas University Orchestra and Lakeside High School Orchestra program in Atlanta, Georgia. Tamara attended Indiana University, the University of Texas at Austin, and she is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at Boston University.

     

    MARTA KLUCZYŃSKA (POLAND)

    Marta Kluczyńska graduated with degrees in Symphony and Opera Conducting and Piano Studies from The Fryderyk Chopin University of Music Warsaw. At the age of 24 she made her opera debut at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw where she, as a resident conductor, has conducted numerous opera and ballet performances including A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Benjamin Britten, The Haunted Manor by Stanisław Moniuszko, The Nutcracker by Peter Tchaikovsky, and Romeo and Juliet by Sergej Prokofiev. In 2017, Kluczyńska made her critically acclaimed debuts at the Wrocław Opera with La Cenerentola and at Landestheater Coburg (Germany) with Le nozze di Figaro. She has led concerts with orchestras such as Sinfonia Varsovia, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (Katowice), Polish Radio Orchestra (Warsaw) and the Polish Sinfonia Iuventus.

     

    MADELINE TSAI (TAIWAN)

    Chi-Chen Madeline Tsai is a versatile musician who has been trained as a conductor, pianist, singer, organist, and timpanist. She was the only Asian female invited to the Solti International Conducting Competition in Hungary, where she won the People’s Choice Award. Following this award, she conducted the Pazardzhik Symphony Orchestra in Bulgaria and the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan. She has also conducted the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, the Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra Berlin, the Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra, the Lithuanian State Philharmonic Orchestra, and the National Radio Orchestra Bucharest. As a coach and accompanist, she assisted Grace Bumbry for her masterclasses on Aida and Cavalleria Rusticana in Vienna. Ms. Tsai is currently completing a doctorate in orchestral conducting at the University of Cincinnati.

     

    MOLLY TURNER (USA)

    Molly Turner is an emerging young conductor from Seattle, Washington. She recently completed her Bachelors in Music Composition at Rice University and will pursue a Masters in Orchestral Conducting at Juilliard in the fall.  Her primary conducting mentors include Larry Rachleff, Gerard Schwarz, and Jerry Hou.  At Juilliard, she will be working with David Robertson.  Recently, she has been featured with the Rice Campanile Orchestra, the Eastern Festival Orchestra, and the Shepherd Undergraduate Opera Scenes. She has also conducted The Philharmonia Orchestra (UK) and the Bay Area Youth Symphony (Houston). A strong advocate for new music, Ms. Turner regularly collaborates with Rice’s New Music Ensemble “Hear & Now” as a composer, violist, and conductor. She enjoys writing for the voice and conducts her own works.

     

    ~~~~

     

    2019 Hart Institute Administrators

     

     

    KRISTEN BIGHAM (USA)

    Kristen Bigham is the Gift Planning Associate at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Combining over five years of experience in the financial services industry with her background as a trained vocalist and director, she works to enhance and expand Lyric’s robust legacy giving program and community, The Overture Society. A native of Fort Worth, TX, she received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas and her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. Dedicated to promoting the presence, creativity, and leadership of women within the performing arts, Kristen is a passionate arts advocate and development professional, and has worked with numerous arts organizations throughout Chicago, including Rough House Theater, Piven Theatre, Links Hall, and Forte Chicago.

     

    BEVERLY LOVE (USA)

    Beverly Love is currently a search consultant and Chief Operations & Administrative Officer with Wilbanks Partners, a boutique asset management executive search firm. She previously worked in the office of the Chief Economist and Asia Chairman of Morgan Stanley & Company and subsequently spent three years in Russell Reynolds Associates’ asset and wealth management practice. Prior to that, Beverly was the founding Director of the Greater Atlanta Christian School of Music. A jugendlich dramatischer soprano, she has performed throughout the US and in Italy and Austria. She earned a Masters in Voice/Opera Performance from Southern Methodist University, summa cum laude and Phi Kappa Lambda, and a Bachelors in Vocal Performance from Abilene Christian University, where she graduated with Honors, summa cum laude, and Valedictorian.

     

    SUZANNE VINNIK

    Suzanne Vinnik is an award-winning international opera singer, photographer and arts entrepreneur known for her innate musical phrasing, daring fashion sense and ability to provide innovative marketing solutions to artists, brands and arts organizations. The soprano saw a need for a specialized social media network and marketplace for women in classical music thus creating, Shoperatic. The community stands at over 11k female identifying women in opera (the largest in the industry) and is responsible for generating well over $450k in income for artists since 2017 with zero outside funding or paid advertisement. As a cultural affiliate, the soprano enjoys volunteering and co-producing events with Sing For Hope. Vinnik is an alumnus of the Opera Studio di Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy.

     

    ~~~~

     

    2019 Hart Institute Observers

     

    REBECCA HENRY (USA)

    Rebecca Henry began the 2018-2019 season as Music Director for Georgetown Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s production of Ruddigore. This summer, she will be serving on the voice faculty of the Performing Arts Institute at Wyoming Seminary. A proponent of new music, Rebecca was music director for the world premiere of Do Not Disturb (Forgotten Opera Company) and premiered works in New Works Fest with Opera on Tap. Additional conducting credits include The Mikado, La Perichole, HMS Pinafore, Ruddigore, and Robin Hood (Victorian Lyric Opera Company). Future engagements include an appointment as Associate Conductor for Bel Canto in Tuscany. When she is not conducting, she can be seen performing as a mezzo-soprano throughout the country and abroad. She received her Undergraduate degree from Rice University and her Masters from McGill University in Montreal.

     

    JANE KIM (USA)

    Jane Kim is the recipient of the 2018 Charles Schiff Conducting Prize. She currently serves as Assistant Conductor with the Little Orchestra Society. She has appeared with the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra and Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect, and, as cover conductor, she works with the New York Philharmonic, Canadian Opera Company, Juilliard Orchestra, and other ensembles. Previously, Jane served as Music Director of the Juilliard Pre-College String Ensemble and conductor of the Juilliard Lab Orchestra. Her summer activities include Aspen Music Festival, which she attended as a Conducting Fellow, and Pierre Monteux Music Festival, where she was named a Bernard Osher Scholar. Jane holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from The Juilliard School.

     

    VERA VOLCHANSKY (USA)

    Vera Volchansky, described as conductor of “impeccable taste…whose artistic ability transforms a performance into a meaningful event,” has performed in the United States, Europe, Asia and Russia. Ms. Volchansky is the 2013 American Prize finalist in Conducting, and holds a master’s degree in Conducting from the Eastman School. She was chosen as Conducting Fellow with the American Academy of Conducting in Aspen. As a winner of the Fulbright Award, she studied music of the Russian Avant-Garde and the style of the St. Petersburg school of conducting. Her favorite performances include Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale, Lucia di Lammermoor, and a sold-out concert celebrating the newly-installed Reuter Organ with Grammy-Winning organist Paul Jacobs. Vera was also recently featured on the Moving Forward Podcast with John Lim.

     

    RACHEL WADDELL (USA)

    Rachel L. Waddell is an American conductor rapidly gaining acclaim for her innovative concert programming, and commitment to new music, education, and collaboration. In recognition of her concert programs, Waddell was recently named a finalist for the American Prize’s 2019 Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award in Orchestral Programming. Waddell is entering her third season as the Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of Rochester in New York. She previously served as the Associate Conductor of the Canton Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the award-winning Canton Youth Symphonies. While with Canton, Waddell conducted over eighty performances. Additionally, she has guest conducted around the country, including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Cleveland’s Suburban Symphony Orchestra, the Las Vegas Philharmonic, and the Flagstaff Light Opera Company.

     

    ~~~~

     

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

     

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

     

    2019-2020 SEASON SPONSOR

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

    ~~~~

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS

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

     

    The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Elsa von Seggern Foundation;

    Texas Instruments Foundation; the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs; 

    The Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

    American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera.

    Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera.

    Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

     

    TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE 2019-2020 DALLAS OPERA SEASON

    All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center unless otherwise indicated. Full and Flex Subscriptions are on sale now; single Tickets range from $19 to $289 and go on sale to the public on July 15, 2019. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

    THE DALLAS OPERA 2019-2020 MAINSTAGE SEASON

    The Dallas Opera celebrates its 63rd International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated.  English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired. With the exception of FIRST NIGHT, The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain, at most performances.

    THE MAGIC FLUTE by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    October 18, 20(m), 23, 26, November 1 & 3(m), 2019

    This magical production from LA Opera and Seattle Opera opens the season on a high note!

    Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder

    Time: Ancient times

    Place: An Egyptian-inspired mythological land

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Original Director: Sir Peter Hall

    Director: Kyle Lang*

    Set and Costume Designer: Gerald Scarfe

    Lighting Designer: TBA

    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Paolo Fanale* (Tamino), Andrea Carroll* (Pamina), Olga Pudova* (The Queen of the Night), Morris Robinson (Sarastro), Markus Werba* (Papageno), Diana Newman* (First Lady), Samantha Hankey* (Second Lady), Hannah Ludwig* (Third Lady), Brian Frutiger* (Monastatos), Jeni Houser* (Papagena), David Pittsinger (The Speaker), Aaron Short* (1st Man in Armor) and Ryan Kuster (2nd Man in Armor).

     

    THE GOLDEN COCKEREL by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    October 25, 27(m), 30, and November 2, 2019

    A Dallas Opera co-production that opened to rave reviews in Santa Fe!

    Libretto by Vladimir Belsky based on the poem by Alexander Pushkin

    Time: 19th century

    Place: The thrice-tenth tsardom, a faraway place in Russian folklore

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Director and Choreographer: Paul Curran

    Set and Costume Designer: Gary McCann

    Lighting Designer: Paul Hackenmueller

    Projections Designer: Driscoll Otto

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Wig and Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Starring: Venera Gimadieva* (Queen of Shemakha), Nikolay Didenko* (King Dodon), Viktor Antipenko* (Prince Guidon), Corey Crider (Prince Afron), Kevin Burdette (General Polkan), Barry Banks* (The Astrologer), Lindsay Ammann (Amelfa), and Jeni Houser (The Golden Cockerel).

     

    DON CARLO by Giuseppe Verdi in Concert/Semi-Staged

    March 20, 22(m), 25 & 28, 2020

    Father against son; Catholic against Protestant; friend against friend in this epic opera.

    Libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle after Friedrich von Schiller’s poem “Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien”

    Time: Around 1560

    Place: France and Spain

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Director: Edward Berkeley

    Lighting Designer: Krista Billings

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Leah Crocetto* (Elizabeth de Valois), Jamie Barton* (Princess Eboli), Robert Watson* (Don Carlo), Mariusz Kwiecien (Rodrigo), Morris Robinson (Philip II), Andrea Silvestrelli (The Grand Inquisitor), David Leigh (A Monk), Ewa Plonka* (Tebaldo), Elizabeth Sutphen* (A Heavenly Voice), and Angel Vargas (Count Lerma/The Royal Herald).

     

    PULCINELLA / THE HUMAN VOICE (La voix humaine) – a new Dallas Opera production!

    Pulcinella, a ballet with song in One Act by Igor Stravinsky

    La voix humaine an opera by Francis Poulenc with a libretto by Jean Cocteau (from his stage play)

    April 3, 4, 5(m) & 8, 2020

     

    PULCINELLA (100TH Anniversary Production)

    Conductor: Nicole Paiement

    Director: Candace Evans

    Set and Costume Designer: TBA

    Lighting Designer: Krista Billings

    Choreographer: Sean Smith

    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Starring: Sean Smith (Pulcinella), Lindsay Metzger (Rosetta), Richard Ollarsaba* (Fourbo & Dottore), Matthew White* (Caviello) with soloists and corp dancers from Dallas Black Dance Theatre.

     

    THE HUMAN VOICE (La voix humaine)

    Time: 20th century

    Place: Paris, France

    Conductor: Nicole Paiement

    Director: Patricia Racette

    Set Designer: Tommy Bourgeois

    Lighting Designer: Krista Billings

    Wig & Make-up Designer: TBA

    Starring: Patricia Racette (Elle)

     

    THE BARBER OF SEVILLE by Gioachino Rossini

    April 24, 26(m), 29, May 2, 8 & 10(m), 2020

    Your heart will be racing—but not for the exit!

    Libretto by Cesare Sterbini based on Beaumarchais’ play Le Barbier de Séville

    Time: 18th century

    Place: Seville, Spain and the surrounding countryside

    Conductor: Riccardo Frizza

    Director: Christopher Mattaliano

    Set Designer: Allen Moyer

    Costume Designer: Jamie Scott

    Lighting Designer: Krista Billings

    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Lucas Meachem (Figaro), Pretty Yende* (Rosina), Lawrence Brownlee* (Count Almaviva April 29 through May 19), Xabier Anduaga* (Count Almaviva April 24 & 26), Renato Girolami* (Doctor Bartolo), Adam Lau (Don Basilio), and Margaret Gawrysiak* (Berta).

     

    * Dallas Opera Debut

    ** American Debut

    _____________________________________________________________________________________

     

    ###

    Winners of the 2019 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Friday, May 3, 2019

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

    “AND THE WINNERS ARE…”

    Top Honors Announced This Evening

    In the 31st Annual

    Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition

    ~~~~

    Outstanding Young Artists Awarded

    $18,500 in Cash Prizes

    ~~~~

    Soprano Meghan Kasanders

    Takes Top Prize and $10,000 Cash!

    ~~~~

    Second Prize ($5,000) Goes to Reginald Smith, Jr.

    ~~~~

    Third Prize ($2,500) Awarded to Christopher Oglesby

    ~~~~

    The “Jonathan Pell People’s Choice Award” ($1,000) Determined by Audience Ballot Goes to Meghan Kasanders

    ~~~~

    Vocal Competition Co-Chairs, Susan Fleming and Linda McKown

    ~~~~

    Holly and Tom Mayer Honored for Their Leadership and Generous Support of The Dallas Opera and The Dallas Opera Guild

     

    DALLAS, MAY 3, 2019 – An elite group of twenty of the most talented young opera singers in the country competed this week for prestige and cash prizes in the 31st Annual Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition.  At the conclusion of this evening’s exciting Finals Round, hosted by Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin, the winners were announced from the stage of the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas:

    • The $10,000 Bessylee Penland First Prize, presented by 2019 Vocal Competition Honorees Holly and Tom Mayer was awarded to soprano Meghan Kasanders
    • The $5,000 Second Prize, presented by 2019 Dallas Opera Guild Co-Presidents Jan and James Clay went to baritone Reginald Smith, Jr.
    • The Third Prize of $2,500, was presented by competition Co-Chairs Susan Fleming and Linda McKown to tenor Christopher Oglesby
    • The $1,000 “Jonathan Pell People’s Choice Award,” newly renamed to honor former TDO Artistic Director Jonathan Pell, was presented by Katherine and Michael Phillips to Meghan Kasanders

    This year, the twenty semi-finalists were selected from a group of 307 applicants from 36 states (residents of the U.S. territories are eligible to apply for the prestigious competition, as well) by a panel of preliminary judges that included American pianist and educator Dr. Brian Zeger of the Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts at The Juilliard School, and David Lomeli, Director of Artistic Administration for The Dallas Opera.

    THE 2019 SEMI-FINALISTS

     THE DALLAS OPERA GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION

    • Lindsay Kate Brown, mezzo-soprano, Houston Grand Opera Studio / Des Moines Metro Opera Apprentice Artist Program
    • Jeff Byrnes, baritone, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Gerdine Young Artists Program
    • Anthony Ciaramitaro, tenor, Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program / Merola Opera Program
    • Lauren Decker, contralto, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago
    • Ben Edquist, baritone, Houston Grand Opera Studio
    • Calvin Griffin, bass-baritone, Marion Roose Pullin Arizona Opera Studio
    • Pureum Jo, soprano, Houston Grand Opera Studio
    • Meghan Kasanders, soprano, Artist Diploma in Opera Studies at the Juilliard School
    • Andrew Manea, baritone, Adler Fellowship at San Francisco Opera
    • Felicia Moore, soprano, Artist Diploma in Opera Studies at the Juilliard School
    • Rafael Moras, tenor, Santa Fe Apprentice Program / Domingo Colburn Stein Young Artists Los Angeles Opera
    • John Matthew Myers, tenor, Academy of Vocal Arts
    • Diana Newman, soprano, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago
    • Ndumiso Nyoka, tenor, Southern Methodist University
    • Christopher Oglesby, tenor, San Francisco Opera Adler Fellowship / Utah Opera Resident Artist
    • Emmett O’Hanlon, baritone, The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago
    • Christian Pursell, bass-baritone, Adler Fellowship at San Francisco Opera
    • Abigail Rethwisch, soprano, Santa Fe Apprentice Program / Utah Opera Resident Artist
    • Reginald Smith, Jr., baritone, Winner of Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions / Houston Grand Opera Studio
    • Xiaomeng Zhang, baritone, Artist Diploma in Opera Studies at the Juilliard School

     

    The Semi-Finals Round took place yesterday, Thursday, May 2nd, as twenty young artists vied for the coveted position of finalist. After lengthy deliberations from the judges’ panel, six singers were selected to move into today’s Finals Round: contralto Lauren Decker, soprano Meghan Kasanders, soprano Diana Newman, tenor Christopher Oglesby, bass-baritone Christian Pursell, and baritone Reginald Smith, Jr.

    The six finalists competed earlier this evening for a blue-ribbon judges panel, accompanied by the Dallas Opera Orchestra under the baton of the internationally renowned Music Director of the Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo, Italy, Maestro Riccardo Frizza.

    Only patrons in attendance were eligible to vote for “the people’s choice.”

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

     

    Judges for the 2019 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition:

     

    Stephanie Blythe

    Mezzo-soprano

     

    Peter Czornyj

    Vice President of Artistic Operations, The Dallas Symphony Orchestra

     

    Ian Derrer

    The Kern Wildenthal General Director & CEO, The Dallas Opera

     

    Dominic Domingo

    Director of Artistic Administration, San Diego Opera

     

    Riccardo Frizza

    Music Director of the Donizetti Opera Festival in Bergamo, Italy

     

    David Lomeli

    Director of Artistic Administration, The Dallas Opera

     

    Andreas Melinat

    Vice President, Artistic Planning, Lyric Opera of Chicago

     

    Brian Zeger, Chair

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

    The Juilliard School

     

    ~~~~

    WINNERS BIOS

    First Prize Winner and “Jonathan Pell People’s Choice Award”- MEGHAN KASANDERS

    Hailed by Opera News as “a wonderfully promising, rich dramatic soprano,” Meghan Kasanders “displays power and sheen at all dynamic levels.”  This past year, she made her Carnegie Hall debut singing in Bernstein’s Songfest under the direction of Marin Alsop and the role of Magda Sorel in Opera Saratoga’s critically acclaimed production of The Consul.  This year, she sings Sibelius’ Luonnotar with Maestra Barbara Hannigan and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at the Juilliard School, where she will receive an Artist Diploma in opera studies in May.  This summer, Meghan will attend the International Meistersinger Akademie in Neumarkt, Germany.  Ms. Kasanders has worked with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Saratoga, Des Moines Metro Opera, Union Avenue Opera and the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices.  Ms. Kasanders holds a Master’s degree from Rice University and a Bachelor’s from Simpson College.

    During this evening’s Finals Round, Ms. Kasanders performed “Zachem zhe eti slyozi” from Tchaikovsky’s Pique Dame and “To This We’ve Come” from Giancarlo Menotti’s The Consul.

     

    Second Prize Winner baritone REGINALD SMITH, JR.

    Baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. has been lauded as a “passionate performer” (The New York Times) with an “electric, hall-filling” (The Baltimore Sun) and “thrillingly dramatic” voice (Opera News) that is “one of the most exciting baritone sounds to come along in years” (Opera News).  A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Mr. Smith is a Grand Finals winner of the 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and graduate of the HGO Studio.  This season, he has or will appear as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Opera Memphis, Amonasro in Aida with Opera Idaho, the baritone solo in Carmina Burana for the Houston Symphony, a debut with the New Jersey Symphony as the bass soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (which he will also perform with the West Virginia Symphony), as well as a return to the rosters of Lyric Opera of Chicago and SFO.

    In today’s Finals Round, Reginald Smith, Jr. performed “O du mein Holder Abendstern” from Wagner’s Tannhäuser and “Eri tu che macchiavi quell’anima” from Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera.

     

    Third Prize Winner tenor CHRISTOPHER OGLESBY

    Tenor and first-year San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow, Christopher Oglesby, was most recently a Resident Artist at Utah Opera where he sang Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette and was the tenor soloist for Handel’s Messiah with the Utah Symphony.  As a participant in the 2018 Merola Opera Program, he debuted as Tom Rakewell in The Rake’s Progress.  As an education artist at The Dallas Opera, he appeared in Mozart’s Bastien and Bastienne as well as Davies’ The Three Little Pigs.  An active soloist and recitalist, Mr. Oglesby has performed with the Utah Symphony, the Abilene Philharmonic, Dallas Puccini Society, and in the Schwabacher Recital Series at San Francisco Opera.  He holds Bachelor of Music degrees in Vocal Performance, Choral Education, and Band Education from Lee University and a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of North Texas.

    In this evening’s Finals Round, Mr. Oglesby performed “Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön” from Die Zauberflöte by Mozart and “Vary the Song” from Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress.

    ~~~~

    Earlier, Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume noted, “This competition is one of the most rewarding aspects of our work at The Dallas Opera.  Although it doesn’t seem possible, the caliber of the singers improves every year, and inspires us to continue to support and develop this excellent and much-needed program.”

    ~~~~

    CONTRIBUTORS TO THE 2019 GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION INCLUDE:

    Underwriters:

    HOLLY AND TOM MAYER

    (Matching Challenge)

     

    KATHERINE & MICHAEL PHILLIPS

    (The Jonathan Pell People’s Choice Award)

     

    TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

    (Sponsor of Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin as

    Mistress of Ceremonies for the Finals Concert)

     

    CHRISTOPHER A. SALERNO

    (Donating the cost of lunches for all competition contestants, judges, accompanists and opera staff)

     

    ~~~~

    DIAMOND PATRONS ($5,000 AND ABOVE)

    HOLLY AND TOM MAYER

    KATHERINE AND MICHAEL PHILLIPS

     

    PLATINUM PATRONS ($2,500 – $4,999)

    RICHARD AND ENIKA SCHULZE

    TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

     

    GOLD PATRONS ($1,000 – $2,499)

    MARTHA AND DR. ROBERT ALLDAY

    ELAINE AND BILL BLAYLOCK

    PATSY AND BOB BROOKS

    JAN AND JAMES CLAY

    PATTI AND JOHN CODY

    CINDY AND CHARLIE FELD

    KETTY FITZGERALD

    SUSAN FLEMING

    SUSAN AND MARK GEYER

    MARILYN AND WARD HALLA

    SUE KRIDER

    TOM AND PHYLLIS McCASLAND

    JANE McCONNELL

    MARTHA ROCHELLE

    SANDRA AND BILL SANDERSON

    STEVE AND BETTY SUELLENTROP

    INGE AND SAM VASTOLA

     

    For additional information about the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition or any upcoming Dallas Opera Guild programs and special events, please contact The Dallas Opera Guild at 214-443-1040.

    ~~~~

     

    2018-2019 SEASON SPONSOR

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

    ~~~~

     

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA 

     

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

     

    ~~~~

     

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

     

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

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

     

    FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS

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

     

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

    Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

     

    The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by

    Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, and

    The Betty and Steve Suellentrop Educational Outreach Fund

    TDO Family Performances are a part of the

    Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs

     

    TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE 2018-2019 DALLAS OPERA SEASON

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

     

    THE DALLAS OPERA 2018-2019 MAINSTAGE SEASON: SPRING

    The Dallas Opera celebrates its 62nd International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated.  English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired. With the exception of FIRST NIGHT, The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain, at most performances.

     

    MANON LESCAUT by Giacomo Puccini

    Semi-Staged Concert, March 1, 3 (m), 6, 9, 2019

    Featuring images of select art works from the collections of The Dallas Museum of Art!

    The woman who has everything discovers too late that she has nothing – without true love!

    Libretto by Domenico Oliva and Luigi Illica

    Time: Late 18th century

    Place: France and America

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Director: Edward Berkeley

    Costume Designer: Tommy Bourgeois

    Lighting Designer: Krista Billings

    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Kristin Lewis* (Manon Lescaut), Musa Ngqungwana (Lescaut), Gregory Kunde (Chevalier des Grieux), Andrea Silvestrelli (Geronte de Ravoir), Jonas Hacker* (Edmondo), Mark S. Doss (Innkeeper), Alyssa Martin (Singer), Matthew Grills* (Dance Master), Clay Hilley* (Lamplighter), Mark McCrory (Sergeant of the Royal Archers) and David Leigh* (Naval Captain).

     

    LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini

    March 15, 17 (m), 20, 23, 29, 31 (m), 2019

    The most timeless love story in all of opera returns to break your heart!

    Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica

    Time: 19th century

    Place: The Latin Quarter of Paris, France

    Conductor: Giuliano Carella

    Director: Tomer Zvulun

    Set Designer: Erhard Rom

    Costume Designer: Peter J. Hall

    Lighting Designer: Robert Wierzel

    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Jean-François Borras* (Rodolfo), Pumeza Matshikiza** (Mimi), Anthony Clark Evans* (Marcello), Sara Gartland (Musetta), Will Liverman* (Schaunard), Nicholas Brownlee* (Colline), and Samuel Ramey (Benoit/Alcindoro).

     

    FALSTAFF by Giuseppe Verdi

    April 26, 28 (m), May 1, 4, 2019

    Shakespeare’s uproarious comedy brought to musical life!

    Libretto by Arrigo Boito

    Time: During the reign of Henry IV of England

    Place: Windsor

    Conductor: Riccardo Frizza

    Original Director: Lee Blakeley

    Revival Director: Shawna Lucey*

    Set and Costume Designer: Adrian Linford*

    Lighting Designer: Rick Fisher*

    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Mark Delavan* (Sir John Falstaff), Angela Meade (Alice Ford), Quinn Kelsey* (Ford), Mojca Erdmann* (Nanetta), Airam Hernández* (Fenton), Stephanie Blythe* (Dame Quickly), Megan Marino* (Meg Page), Alex Mansoori* (Bardolfo), Andrea Silvestrelli (Pistola), and Robert Brubaker (Dr. Caius).

     

    * Dallas Opera Debut

    ** American Debut

    ______________________________________________________________________________

     

    ###

     

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    The Dallas Opera

    • Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
    • 2403 Flora Street, Suite 500
    • Dallas, TX 75201
    • 214.443.1000
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