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  • Home > Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors

    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

    _____________________________________________________________________________________

     

    ###

    2018 Hart Institute Concert – Saturday, Nov. 10 at the Winspear

    Conductor Priscila Bomfim, one of six chosen for this year’s Hart Institute

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Thursday, November 1, 2018

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

    The Dallas Opera is Proud to Present

    In Concert – For One Night Only!

    The Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for 

    Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera

     

     

    SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

    The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House

    At the AT&T Performing Arts Center

    $10 General Admission Seats

    214.443.1000 or dallasopera.org/harttickets

    ~~~~

    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, and Martha and Max Wells, and

    Debra Witter and Scott Chase

    ~~~~

    Made Possible by an OPERA America Innovation Grant

    Supported by the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation

     

    DALLAS, NOVEMBER 1, 2018 – The Dallas Opera is pleased to present an evening of arias and orchestral favorites on Saturday, November 10th at 7:30 p.m. in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House.  This extraordinary concert event will feature The Dallas Opera Orchestra and international opera artists conducted by the six women selected to participate in the fourth annual residency of the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors taking place Oct. 28 – Nov. 10, 2018 at the Dallas Opera.

    General admission seating for this “Hart Institute Showcase Concert” is available for just $10 per person at https://dallasopera.org/harttickets or, through The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000.  The 2018 Hart Institute Concert conductors will be:

    • Sonia Ben-Santamaria (UK/France)
    • Priscila Bomfim (Brazil)
    • Sarah Penicka-Smith (Australia)
    • Audrey Saint-Gil (France/USA)
    • Maria Sensi Sellner (USA)
    • Emily Senturia (USA)

     

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

    “For me, the Hart Institute embodies the American Dream,” wrote Audrey Saint-Gil. “Work hard, dream big, and grab your opportunity tight with both hands when it comes.”

    The 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 2018 Hart Institute comes from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Baker Botts LLP, Dallas SEO Geek, Cindy and Charlie Feld, Jenifer and Peter Flynn, Susan and Mark Geyer, the Honorable Deborah Hankinson, Holly and Tom Mayer, J.P. Morgan, Betty and Steve Suellentrop, Martha and Max Wells, Debra Witter and Scott Chase.

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

    The November 10th concert will also showcase a host of exciting young opera artists: countertenor Ryan Belongie, baritone Jeff Byrnes, mezzo-soprano Daryl Freedman, bass William Meinert, soprano Toni Marie Palmertree, mezzo-soprano Gina Perregrino, soprano Haley Sicking, and tenor Angel Vargas.

    ~~~~

    A total of 51 women conductors and professional musicians heeded the call in 2018, despite even more stringent admissions requirements this year.  Applicants from 19 countries included music directors, principal and assistant conductors, concertmasters and music staff from top-ranked symphonies, opera companies, and conservatories.

    “Getting into the Hart Institute will be a game-changer for me,” observed conductor Sarah Penicka-Smith. “I value the existence of a program which addresses the whole conductor, not just her technique, and I hope this will allow us to develop as many unique models of what it means to be a conductor as there are women to fill those positions.”

    Maria Sensi Sellner agrees: “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the team of exceptional mentors and advisors assembled by The Dallas Opera, and to broaden my community of female colleagues, as we work towards equity on the podium.”

    Adds conductor Emily Senturia, “I look forward to learning from industry leaders and the other talented women who have been chosen to participate in this groundbreaking program.”

    As is the case each year, four talented U.S. observers were chosen to “audit” the 2018 Institute: Laurann Gilley, Laura Giuli, Amy Owens, and Sara Parkinson.

    ~~~~

    “Although still in the early stages,” says Dallas Opera Director of Artistic Administration David Lomeli, “The Institute appears to be having a pronounced positive impact on the field, with Hart Institute alumnae being singled out for important appointments, projects, and commissions in both the opera and symphonic world.  This concert is the public’s opportunity to show enthusiastic support for women in positions of leadership.”

    This year’s faculty reads like a music industry “Who’s Who”:

    • Jamie Bernstein, author, narrator and filmmaker (guest speaker on Nov. 8th)
    • Annie Burridge, General Director, Austin Opera
    • Peter Czornyj, Dallas Symphony Orchestra Director of Artistic Planning
    • Ana De Archuleta, ADA Artists, panelist for the NEA’s 2017 Arts Works Opera Grants
    • Zenetta Drew, Exec. Director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre
    • Rona Eastwood, Senior Associate Director, Conductors Askonas Holt
    • Kathleen Kelly, conductor, pianist, répétiteur and coach, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; San Francisco’s Merola program; recent recitals with Jamie Barton, Caitlin Lynch, Michael Kelly and more
    • Jeffrey Larson, artist development and management; Founder/Pres. L2 Artists
    • Gianluca Macheda, Founder/Pres. GM Art and Music
    • Erik Malmquist, artist manager, Zemsky Green Artists Management
    • Anthony Manoli, conductor, pianist and coach (Washington National Opera; the Spoleto Festival in Italy and the U.S.; L.A. Opera; Opera New England, etc)
    • Lynn McBee, Chairman, The Dallas Opera and the Board of the Bridge Homeless Shelter; CEO of Young Women’s Preparatory Network; board of directors for AT&T Performing Arts Center, The Salvation Army, etc.
    • Carlo Montanaro, Music Dir. at Teatr Wielki (Warsaw, Poland), opera and symphonic conductor for companies including Bavarian State Opera, Paris Opera, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Tokyo NNT, etc.
    • Kim Noltemy, President & CEO, Dallas Symphony Association
    • Timothy O’Leary, Gen. Director, Washington National Opera
    • Deborah F. Rutter, President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
    • Joanie Schultz, Artistic Dir., WaterTower Theatre (Dallas)
    • Marc Scorca, President/CEO, OPERA America
    • Sarah Segner, Director, Digital & Creative Media, 21 Media Group
    • Neil Shicoff, internationally renowned tenor
    • Matthew Shilvock, General Director, San Francisco Opera
    • Debbie Storey, Interim President and CEO, AT&T Performing Arts Center
    • Sean Waugh, Artistic Planning Manager, San Francisco Opera
    • Lidiya Yankovskaya, Music Director, Chicago Opera Theater; Refugee Orchestra Project – alumna of the Hart Institute
    • Francesca Zambello, Gen. Dir., The Glimmerglass Festival; Artistic Dir. of Washington National Opera

    Dallas Opera personnel serving on the 2018 Hart Institute faculty include:=

    • Ian Derrer, The Kern Wildenthal General Dir. and CEO
    • Emmanuel Villaume, The Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director
    • Nicole Paiement, The Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor
    • And David Lomeli, TDO Director of Artistic Administration

    ~~~~

    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 a later point in their careers.

    The 2018 Hart Institute Administrators are:

    • Nicole Eubanks (Lyric Opera of Kansas City)
    • Laura Smalley (Chicago Opera Theater)
    • Brooke Tolley (Opera Roanoke)

    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.

    ~~~~

    2018 Hart Institute Conductors

     

    SONIA BEN-SANTAMARIA (UK/FRANCE)

    Sonia Ben-Santamaria is the first female conductor to be associated with the Royal Opera House Jette Parkers young artists programme 2017/2018. Highlights of her season includes shadowing Sir Antonio Pappano on Shostakovitch’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, leading the Youth Opera Company chorus on Barrie Kosky’s Carmen and conducting the presentation of The Monstrous Child. Originally Spanish but French born, Sonia trained at the Conservatoire de Toulouse, the Royal Academy of Music, the National Opera Studio, London, and was subsequently offered a position at the English National Opera as trainee repetiteur and vocal coach.  Sonia is the proud founder of Glass Ceiling Orchestra, a socially engaged chamber orchestra which promotes equal opportunities, female conductors and composers. Future engagements include Un Ballo in Maschera for Opera Holland Park.

     

    PRISCILA BOMFIM (BRAZIL)

    Priscila Bomfim was born in Braga, Portugal, where she began her musical studies and won her first piano competition when she was nine years old. At the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro / Brazil (UFRJ), she graduated “Summa cum laude” with a Bachelor in Piano Performance. In that same institution, she obtained her Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and also a Bachelor’s Degree in Orchestral Conducting. As a conductor, Priscila performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Minas Gerais, the Cesgranrio Symphony Orchestra, the Santo André Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Chile. She was the first woman to conduct at Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro in a main stage production conducting Serse by Handel and Carmen by Bizet in the 2016-2017 season.

     

    SARAH PENICKA-SMITH (AUSTRALIA)

    Dr. Sarah Penicka-Smith is a freelance conductor and vocal coach. She is Director of Music at St Andrew’s College, Principal Conductor with Macquarie Singers, Artistic Director of Opera Prometheus and Pacific Pride Choir, and a partner of Penicka-Smith Arts & Event Management, along with her wife Melanie.  From 2005-2017, Sarah was Music Director of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir, where she worked on a range of pioneering projects. She has worked with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs since 2005 as a chorusmaster and workshop presenter, and conducted orchestras that include the University of Sydney Intercol Orchestra, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, Kuringai Philharmonic Orchestra, and Penrith Symphony Orchestra. Sarah is an alumna of the Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program and holds a PhD from the University of Sydney.

     

    AUDREY SAINT-GIL (FRANCE/USA)

    French conductor, Audrey Saint-Gil graduated summa cum laude in solo piano concurrent with her PhD in Greek Philosophy. Her career and operatic passion began at the Théâtre du Capitôle, Toulouse, followed by appointments as Head Vocal Coach of the Ecole Normale, Paris and as assistant conductor to Bertrand de Billy in Vienna. A US resident since 2007, Ms Saint-Gil was engaged as assistant conductor at NYCO, WNO, Cincinnati and Ravinia Festivals, and frequently with LA Opera alongside James Conlon and Plácido Domingo. She is the French Opera specialist at Philadelphia’s AVA and guest vocal coach at the ROH, Covent Garden and Bayerische Staatsoper. Current projects include conducting La Traviata, Narnia Festival, Italy; Bizet at HGO and recitals in Salzburg, Copenhagen and San Francisco with her partner, Christopher Maltman.

     

    MARIA SENSI SELLNER (USA)

    Maria Sensi Sellner is recognized for her artistry and versatility as a conductor of opera, orchestras, and choruses. Praised as “mightily impressive,” she was the first three-time winner of the American Prize for Opera Conducting and serves as the Artistic & General Director of Resonance Works Pittsburgh, which she founded in 2013. Recent engagements include the Center for Contemporary Opera, Syracuse Opera, Symphoria, Hubbard Hall Opera, cover conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (assisting Manfred Honeck, Sir Mark Elder), and conducting staff for the world premiere of David Lang’s “the public domain” at Lincoln Center.  Previous positions include Acting Music Director of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (chorus for the Pittsburgh Symphony), interim faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, and Director of the Akron Symphony Chorus.

     

    EMILY SENTURIA (USA)

    Ms. Senturia made her mainstage debut with Houston Grand Opera in 2018 conducting Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, followed by her Kennedy Center debut leading the same opera for Washington National Opera. In the summer of 2018 she makes her West Coast debut leading Mata Hari for West Edge Opera. Emily Senturia will make her Hawaii Opera Theatre debut in the spring of 2019 leading La traviata. After graduating from the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Ms. Senturia joined the HGO music staff during which time she conducted performances of L’elisir d’amore, The Little Prince, and The Magic Flute. Recently, Ms. Senturia has been on the music staff at The Atlanta Opera (Sweeney Todd), Opera Philadelphia (O17 Festival and O18 Festival), and at Wolf Trap Opera where she has conducted two Studio Spotlight programs.

    ~~~~

     

    2018 Hart Institute Administrators

     

    NICOLE EUBANKS (USA)

    Nicole Eubanks is the Individual Giving Director at Lyric Opera of Kansas City where she is responsible for the annual fund and individual giving strategies that center on funding the company’s mission of producing transformational opera for the community. Prior to her time in Kansas City, Eubanks held the position of Assistant Director of Donor Services and Special Events at Lyric Opera of Chicago where she managed donor benefits, donor services, key company events, and all operations pertaining the William B. and Catherine Graham Room, the private dining space in the opera. Eubanks holds bachelor’s degrees in Music with an emphasis in Vocal Performance and Interdisciplinary Studies in Music and Business from MidAmerica Nazarene University and is a member of the Kansas City Symphony Chorus.

     

    LAURA SMALLEY (USA)

    Laura Smalley is a Marketing & Communications Associate of Chicago Opera Theater as well as the Development Director for Chicago Fringe Opera.  She is passionate about expanding the reach of opera and championing the art form for modern audiences.  Laura has worked in marketing and development for many prominent arts organizations, including Des Moines Metro Opera and Stage 773.  A lifelong lover of music, Ms. Smalley holds a BM in Vocal Performance from DePaul School of Music.  While in school, she founded two student music ensembles that self-produced and performed contemporary and original works.  She works regularly as a singer and performer in the Chicago area.

     

    BROOKE TOLLEY (USA)

    Brooke Tolley is a native of Roanoke, Virginia and was recently named Chief Operating Officer of Opera Roanoke, where she handles all aspects of daily operation including finance, marketing, special events and production management.  She is also the newly appointed Director of the opera’s innovative Apprentice Artist Program, which guides regional college students to the next step in their professional careers.  Brooke holds music degrees from Liberty University and Radford University and is an incoming member of Leadership Roanoke Valley’s 2018-19 class.  As an opera administrator and active performer, she is passionate about using her unique skill set to connect with close-knit communities, helping to build viable arts and culture programs that create lasting impact.  She has been at Opera Roanoke since 2015.

    ~~~~

     

    2018 Hart Institute Observers

     

    LAURANN GILLEY (USA)

    Laurann Gilley has been on faculty with the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago since 2005, and on faculty at Northwestern University since 2010. She has worked as coach, pianist, assistant conductor, recitative accompanist, and chorus director for companies such as Glimmerglass Opera, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, San Diego Opera, and Vancouver Opera, with conductors including Sir Andrew Davis, Richard Bonynge, Edoardo Müller, Leon Botstein, and Stewart Robertson.  As a recital accompanist, she has appeared at venues including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, the Chicago Cultural Center, and San Francisco’s Schwabacher Series.  A regular accompanist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, Ms. Gilley holds degrees from The Manhattan School of Music, The Eastman School of Music, and Southern Methodist University.

     

    LAURA GUILI (USA)

    Laura Guili is a versatile musician and freelance conductor currently based in the Midwest. She travels extensively to pursue professional opportunities and has held music director and assistant conductor positions with Midwest-based orchestras and opera companies. In addition, she conducts studio recording sessions for film and world music. A horn player and former string educator, she received her MM from Northwestern University and has studied with Kenneth Kiesler and Victor Yampolsky. Passionate about the arts, Ms. Guili furthers her involvement in artistic philanthropy as a seven-year member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Young Professionals board. In addition to her professional successes in music, she works as an actress and model in TV, film and print, currently represented by Modelogic and The Helen Wells Agency.

     

    AMY OWENS (USA)

    Amy Owens enjoys a diverse singing career in concert work, opera, new music, and alternative pop. She has appeared in concert in venues ranging from the Filene Center at Wolf Trap to Carnegie Hall. Her operatic engagements have taken her to Santa Fe Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Dallas Opera, Utah Opera, Central City Opera, and others. She appears regularly with the New York Festival of Song, and she has collaborated with many composers including Matthew Aucoin, William Bolcom, Bright Sheng, Paola Prestini, and David Hanlon. Her debut album of original music, HAETHOR, was released Spring 2018 to acclaim in the electronica world. She has received awards from the Sullivan Foundation, the George London Foundation, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the Santa Fe Opera.

     

    SARA PARKINSON (USA)

    Sara Parkinson enjoys a varied career as conductor, vocal coach and pianist. She served on the staff and faculties at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Cornell College and Metropolitan State University of Denver. Recent and upcoming performance engagements include Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Boulder Bach Festival, Colorado Ballet Orchestra and the Colorado Symphony. Sara was Music Director of Boulder Opera Company for their 2017-2018 season where she made her operatic conducting debut with Massenet’s Cendrillon followed by Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Sara has been a member of Central City Opera Ensemble since 2012 and worked with numerous singers. Sara received degrees from the University of Iowa, New England Conservatory of Music and CU-Boulder. Principal teachers include Victor Rosenbaum, Anne Epperson and Maestro Nicholas Carthy.

    ~~~~

    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.

    ~~~~

    2018-2019 SEASON SPONSOR

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

    ~~~~

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

     

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

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

     

    FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS

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

     

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

    Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

     

    The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by

    Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, and

    The Betty and Steve Suellentrop Educational Outreach Fund

    TDO Family Performances are a part of the

    Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs

     

    TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE 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. Full and Flex Subscriptions are on sale now; single Tickets range from $19 to $289. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

     

    THE DALLAS OPERA 2018-2019 MAINSTAGE SEASON

    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.

     

    THE FLYING DUTCHMAN by Richard Wagner

    October 12, 14 (m), 17 & 20, 2018

    The season sets sail with Wagner’s sweeping, romantic masterpiece – not seen in Dallas since 1994!

    Time: the German Expressionist 1920s

    Place: the coast of Norway

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Original Director: Christopher Alden

    Set Designer: Allen Moyer

    Costume Designer: Allen Moyer

    Lighting Designer: Anne Militello*

    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Greer Grimsley (The Dutchman), Anja Kampe* (Senta), Jay Hunter Morris (Erik), Mark S. Doss* (Daland), Luretta Bybee* (Mary) and Andrew Stenson* (Steersman).

     

    CARMEN by Georges Bizet

    October 19, 21 (m), 24, 27, November 2 & 4 (m), 2018

    The woman who won’t be owned returns to The Dallas Opera stage!

    Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

    Time: 19th century

    Place: Seville, Spain and the surrounding countryside

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume and Pierre Vallet (10/24 and 11/2)

    Original Director: Sir David McVicar

    Revival Director: Jack Furness**

    Set Designer: Michael Vale*

    Costume Designer: Sue Blane*

    Lighting Designer: Clare O’Donoghue*

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Original Choreographer: Andrew George

    Revival Choreographer: Andrzej Glosniak**

    Starring: Stephanie d’Oustrac* (Carmen), Stephen Costello (Don José), Sara Gartland* (Micaëla), Alexander Vinogradov (Escamillo), Sarah Tucker* (Frasquita), Lindsay Metzger* (Mercédès), Rafael Moras* (Le Remendado), Corey Crider* (Le Dancaire), Ben Wager (Zuniga), Gideon Dabi* (Morales).

     

    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: Ed 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-Francois 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

    ______________________________________________________________________________

     

    ###

     

    Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement Featured in Theater Jones Interview

    Gregory Sullivan Isaacs of Theater Jones conducts a fascinating interview with The Dallas Opera’s Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor. Nicole Paiement shares highlights about the wonderful benefits of the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors, which culminates in a Concert Saturday, November 18, 2017.

    Check out this fabulous video!

    Women Conductors Chosen for 2017 Hart Institute

    Hart_Institute-BtmRocker

    Photo by Karen Almond, Dallas Opera

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
    Friday, June 23, 2017
    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Celeste Hart at 214.443.1071
    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org celeste.hart@dallasopera.org

    The Dallas Opera is Proud to Announce the
    Conductors and Observers for Third Annual
    Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for
    Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera
    ~~~~
    Nov. 5 – 19, 2017 in Dallas, Texas
    ~~~~
    Six Selected for Elite Opera Program from
    161 Applicants Representing 33 Countries
    ~~~~
    Distinguished Faculty Include Marin Alsop, Nicole Paiement, Carlo Montanaro, and Alec Treuhaft
    ~~~~
    Initial Support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation Additional Support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,
    Baker Botts LLP, Susan and Mark Geyer, Holly and Tom Mayer,
    Betty and Steve Suellentrop, and Martha and Max Wells

    DALLAS, JUNE 23, 2017 – The Dallas Opera is proud to announce the names of the six distinguished professionals selected to participate in the third annual residency of the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera taking place November 5 – 19, 2017 in Dallas, Texas:
    • Alba Bomfim (Brazil)
    • Mélisse Brunet (France)
    • Lina Gonzalez-Granados (USA/Colombia)
    • Karin Hendrickson (USA)
    • Carolyn Watson (USA/Australia)
    • Monika Wolinska (Poland)

    Working to address a long-standing career issue in the opera world, The Dallas Opera in 2015 launched a unique, new residential program—one of only three in the world—designed to provide training and career support for distinctively talented women conductors. Female conductors, as well as accomplished women singers, opera coaches, accompanists, and instrumentalists with established careers seeking to develop new skills at the podium, were encouraged to apply.
    A total of 161 women conductors and professional musicians heeded the call in 2017 and applied by the April 30th deadline.
    Other nations represented in this year’s applicant pool are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, and Mexico; as well as New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
    Applicants from these 33 countries included music directors, principal and assistant conductors, concertmasters and music staff from top-ranked symphonies, opera companies, and conservatories. Alba Bomfim described her selection as “an inspiring gift and a watershed in my career” while Mélisse Brunet revealed she “can’t wait to learn a lot, to meet new mentors and colleagues, and to build new connections.” Karin Hendrickson added, “I can’t wait to begin collaborating with the exceptional staff, and meeting with other talented women conductors from around the world.”

    As is the case each year, four U.S. observers were chosen to “audit” the 2017 Institute: Marie Bucoy-Calavan, Catherine O’Shaughnessy, Maria Sensi Sellner, and Hannah Threlkeld.

    The institute had vital foundational support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation. Naming support came through the generosity of Linda and Mitch Hart. Additional support comes from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Baker Botts LLP, Susan and Mark Geyer, Holly and Tom Mayer, Betty and Steve Suellentrop, and Martha and Max Wells.
    The 2017 Linda and Mitch Hart Institute will consist of hands-on master classes with Marin Alsop (Music Director, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, and the only conductor ever to receive the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship); The Dallas Opera’s Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement and Carlo Montanaro, a renowned Italian conductor who will soon make his official Dallas Opera debut guiding our November performances of La Traviata.
    The institute will include career advancement seminars with experienced professionals like Alec Treuhaft, retired senior vice-president of IMG Artists; industry discussions; intensive one-on-ones and networking opportunities; as well as the chance to conduct The Dallas Opera Orchestra in two public concerts in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center on the evenings of November 11th and November 18th (additional details to be announced).
    As part of TDO’s five-year commitment to each institute “class” of conductors, alumnae will be invited to summer reunions for additional masterclasses with piano and singers, and a series of introductory seminars about the business of music.
    Conductor Carolyn Watson writes: “The program is indeed groundbreaking – a unique opportunity and one which offers continuing support and mentorship over a number of years. I look forward to not only this year’s Institute, but also my ongoing association with The Dallas Opera and the Hart Institute, as well as all the wonderful women colleagues I will be fortunate to work with over the course of my career.”
    The program may already be having a pronounced positive impact: Just this week, Chicago Opera Theater announced that Hart Institute Fellow Lidiya Yankovskaya (Inaugural Class, 2015) will assume the role of company music director.
    ~~~~
    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 is adding a new component to this year’s institute: Beginning in 2017, and for the next six years, TDO will invite between two and four American opera administrators to join the program each season. These women will be selected on the basis of their potential to become leaders of one of America’s top opera companies later in their careers.
    The selected opera administrators will attend all 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 build a network of talented leaders. In addition to the residency, selected administrators will be invited to participate in quarterly conference calls to continue to develop their personal networks and leadership skills.
    This facet of the program is open to women who are American citizens or green-card holders. There is no age limit and, in an effort to encourage greater diversity, The Dallas Opera is inviting women of various backgrounds to apply by the July 15, 2017 deadline. For more information, or to apply, visit https://dallasopera.org/learn/womens-conducting-institute/ or go directly to yaptracker.com. Institute Fellows will receive a stipend, travel, and housing for the duration of this year’s Hart Institute.

    Keith Cerny, The Dallas Opera’s Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO notes: “The Dallas Opera has demonstrated its commitment to reshaping the opera field through the use of innovative public outreach, by exploring new technologies, commissioning new works to expand the operatic repertoire, and programming with passion, courage and imagination.”
    “This already proven program,” Mr. Cerny added, “will enable more women conductors and general directors to add their perspectives to our collective understanding of this art form, while encouraging industry-wide conversation about the necessity of women in a variety of leadership roles.”

    2017 Hart Institute Fellow Lina Gonzalez-Granados concurs: “I’m honored to have been invited to be a part of this amazing group of talented individuals who are working tirelessly to push the boundaries of Opera. It is necessary for artists like us to contribute to a musical world in which all qualified women, regardless of background, are welcomed into visible positions of leadership.”

    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.”

    2017 Hart Institute Conductors

    ALBA BOMFIM (BRAZIL)
    The Brazilian conductor Alba Bomfim was the winner of the 2009 Eleazar de Carvalho Prize in Conducting. She has participated in masterclasses by conductors Christopher Zimmerman, Kirk Trevor, Colin Metters, Fabio Mechetti, Harold Farberman, Dirk Brossé, John Farrer and Marin Alsop. Ms. Bomfim has conducted orchestras including: Minas Gerais Philharmonic, Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra, Astoria Symphony, Rose City Chamber Orchestra, Berlin Sinfonieta, Bohuslav Martinu, Orquestra Filarmonia das Beiras, NY Chamber Orchestra and BBC Concert Orchestra. Since 2012, Ms. Bomfim has worked as adjunct professor in conducting and orchestral activities at the Music Department of Federal University of Piauí (Brasil), and since October 2014 she has excelled as a Ph.D. candidate in Orchestral Conducting Studies at the University of Aveiro under Maestro António Lourenço’s guidance.

    MÉLISSE BRUNET (FRANCE)
    French-born conductor, Mélisse Brunet, is entering her third season as the Assistant Conductor of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, and her second season as the Music Director of the Appalachian Symphony Orchestra and the Appalachian Symphony Opera. Brunet recently conducted the operas Dead Man Walking by Jake Heggie, Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, Die Zauberflöte by Mozart, and will conduct the musical Sweeney Todd by Sondheim in April 2018. She assisted the productions of Carmen with Lionel Bringuier, Magdalena Kožená, Calixto Bieito, and Die Zauberflöte with Jeannette Sorrell and Apollo’s Fire. Brunet is the regular guest conductor of Symphoria in Syracuse, NY, and the following orchestras in France: Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier, Opéra de Rouen, Orchestre Symphonique et Lyrique de Nancy, Orchestre d’Auvergne, and Orchestre Régional de Normandie.

    LINA GONZALEZ-GRANADOS (USA/COLOMBIA)
    Praised for her “geniality” and “lightning changes in tempo, meter and effect” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), Lina Gonzalez-Granados has established herself as a talented conductor in orchestral and operatic worlds. Upcoming engagements include productions with Odyssey Opera and touring with Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra of the U.S. Ms. Gonzalez-Granados was recently appointed the 2017-19 Taki Concordia Conducting Fellow, and has worked with a number of Boston-area opera companies in critically acclaimed productions, including Odyssey Opera, Boston Conservatory, and OperaHub. Lina is the founder and Artistic Director of Unitas Ensemble, a chamber orchestra specializing in Latin-American repertoire, and was recognized as one of the “Latino 30 Under 30” by El Mundo Newspaper in 2016. Gonzalez-Granados has served as Assistant Conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas and the Filarmonica Joven de Colombia.

    KARIN HENDRICKSON (USA)
    Nominated for the 2016 Salzburg Festival/Nestle Young Conductors Award, Karin Hendrickson’s operatic work includes: Music Director for the premiere and tour of Opera for the Unknown Woman (Melanie Wilson/National Theatre), Music Director for the Garsington Youth Opera, and Music Director for Bloomsbury Opera. Symphonic debuts include the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Kammer-symphonie Graz, Sao Paulo Symphony, Ensemble Eroica, Southbank Sinfonia and Britten-Pears Orchestra. In 2016/17 Karin Hendrickson was Assistant Conductor to the BBC Proms Verdi Requiem under Marin Alsop, and cover conductor for the Royal Ballet. Upcoming projects include music direction for an independent performance of Strauss’ Die Ägyptishce Helena, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s Musical Leadership project, and Chorus Master for Monteverdi’s Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria with The Royal Opera.

    CAROLYN WATSON (USA/Australia)
    A major prizewinner at the 2012 Emmerich Kálmán International Operetta Conducting Competition in Budapest, Carolyn Watson was also a Fellow of the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival. Ms. Watson has conducted throughout Europe including Staatsoper Berlin, Brandenburger Symphonkier, BBC Concert Orchestra, North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Kodály Philharmonic. Carolyn has participated in master classes with Marin Alsop, Peter Eötvös, Yoel Levi, Martyn Brabbins and Alex Polishchuk; conducted musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic in Interaktion 2010; served as resident assistant at the Israeli National Opera in 2009; and has worked with conductors including Sir Charles Mackerras, Simone Young and Karen Kamensek. She is the recipient of the Brian Stacey Award for Emerging Australian Conductors, Charles Mackerras Conducting Prize awarded by the Australian Music Foundation in London, Nelly Apt Scholarship and Opera Foundation Australia’s Bayreuth Opera Award and Berlin New Music Opera Award. www.carolyn-watson.com

    MONIKA WOLINSKA (POLAND)
    Monika Wolinska, recipient of the honorary medal, “Meritorious for Polish Culture,” from the Polish Government, enjoys an active conducting career around the world. After her successful performance at Carnegie Hall in 2009, the venue’s first performance by a Polish female conductor, New York critics praised her saying, “Monika has what many contemporary conductors lack – a great sensitivity and a wonderful sense of the sound of instruments.” In October 2014 she conducted a concert in the Gorzów Philharmonic Hall with the world-famous baritone Thomas Hampson, and in February 2015 a concert dedicated to Marina Jaszwili with the outstanding violinist Roman Simovi?. From 2013-2017, Ms. Wolinska served as Artistic Director of Gorzów Philharmonic Orchestra, and since 2013 she has been Artistic Director of Wojciech Kilar Contemporary Music Festival.

    ~~~~

    2017 Hart Institute Observers

    MARIE BUCOY-CALAVAN (USA)
    Marie Bucoy-Calavan is currently the Director of Choral Studies at The University of Akron, Artistic Director of Summit Choral Society, and serves as the Chorus Director for the Akron Symphony. She served as Assistant Conductor to Robert Porco for the May Festival Chorus, the symphonic chorus for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She has also conducted various opera performances in California and Ohio, including Donizetti’s Elixir of Love and Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and Cosí fan Tutte. Ms. Bucoy-Calavan is regularly invited to serve residencies, in order to teach conducting across the nation and abroad, including at the Hochschule für Musik und Theatre in Munich, Germany. She completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Conducting at University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music.

    CATHERINE O’SHAUGHNESSY (USA)
    Catherine O’Shaughnessy is a rising opera conductor in the United States and abroad. Avidly committed to Chicago’s dynamic opera scene, she has worked with numerous companies and is currently principal conductor of the Floating Opera Company and music director of Chicago Fringe Opera, an organization committed to providing a platform for new and underrepresented voices. Reviewers have praised her “great skill, alertness and sensitivity” as well as her “resourcefulness…fierce concentration…and…spirit of a modern collaborator.” During her doctoral studies with Dr. William Reber at Arizona State University, Ms. O’Shaughnessy learned to appreciate and work in a wide variety of styles and genres. This stylistic flexibility has led to performances throughout Europe and to masterclasses with such teachers as Yuri Simonov, Julius Kalmar, and Maurizio Arena.

    MARIA SENSI SELLNER (USA)
    Maria Sensi Sellner is widely recognized for her versatility and artistry as a conductor of opera, orchestras, and choruses. The first three-time winner of the American Prize for Opera Conducting, Ms. Sellner is the founder and Artistic Director of Resonance Works Pittsburgh, Artistic Advisor for Hubbard Hall Opera, and previously has held positions as Director of the Akron Symphony Chorus and Acting Music Director of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (chorus of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra). An alum of Carnegie Mellon University, Ms. Sellner recently conducted the American premiere of Sir James MacMillan’s Gloria, and in 2016 was a strand leader conductor for the world premiere of David Lang’s “the public domain” for 1000 singers at the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center.

    HANNAH THRELKELD (USA)
    Hannah Threlkeld is an active conductor of orchestral, opera, and ballet repertoire. She has recently served as Assistant Conductor for the Meadows Symphony Orchestra and as Conductor for the new music ensemble, SYZYGY. Ms. Threlkeld assisted with Meadows Opera Theater’s 2017 production of L’Elisir d’Amore and their 2016 production of Die Zauberflöte. In 2016, she was selected to be a conducting fellow for the Eastern Music Festival where she worked alongside music director Gerard Schwarz and conducted the Eastern Festival Orchestra. Additionally, Ms. Threlkeld studied conducting in Weimar, Germany and holds a Bachelors in Music Education and a Masters in Orchestral Conducting from Southern Methodist University, where she studied with Dr. Paul Phillips.

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

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

    ~~~~
    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA
    IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7. VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG

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

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

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

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

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

    SAMSON & DALILA by Camille Saint-Saëns
    October 20, 22 (m), 25, 28, and November 5 (m), 2017
    A passionate drama of biblical proportions!
    Libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire
    Time: 1150 B.C.E.
    Place: Ancient Palestine
    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
    Director: Bruno Berger-Gorski*
    Set Designer: Peter Dean Beck*
    Costume Designer: Carrie Robbins*
    Lighting Designer: Alan Burrett
    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Choreographer: Nycole Ray*
    Starring: Olga Borodina* (Dalila), Clifton Forbis (Samson), Richard Paul Fink (High Priest of Dagon), Michael Chioldi* (Abimélech) and Ryan Kuster (Old Hebrew)
    A traditional period production from Pittsburgh Opera!

    LA TRAVIATA (“The Fallen Woman”) by Giuseppe Verdi
    October 27, 29 (m), November 1, 4, 10 and 12 (m), 2017
    Come toast the greatest love story in all of opera!
    Time: Mid-19th century
    Place: Paris, France and the French countryside
    Conductor: Carlo Montanaro*
    Original Director: Frank Galati*
    Revival Director: Stefania Panighini**
    Production Designer: Desmond Heeley
    Lighting Designer: Alan Burrett
    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Choreographer: John de los Santos
    Starring: Georgia Jarman (Violetta Valery), René Barbera* (Alfredo Germont), Vladislav Sulimsky (Giorgio Germont), Abigail Levis* (Flora Bervoix), Brenton Ryan* (Gastone), Dale Travis (Baron Douphol), Daniel Armstrong* (Marchese D’Obigny), Ryan Kuster (Doctor Grenvil) and Rachel Sterrenberg* (Annina)
    A gorgeous, classic production from Lyric Opera of Chicago!

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

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

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

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

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

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

    ###

    Hart Institute Featured on PBS NewsHour Tonight

    Check It Out!

    THE DALLAS OPERA’S
    LINDA AND MITCH HART INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN CONDUCTORS WILL BE FEATURED TONIGHT ON PBS NewsHour

    ~~~~
    6:00 to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, January 31, 2017
    On Your Local PBS Station (times may vary)
    http://www.pbs.org/newshour/tv-schedule/
    ~~~~
    Distinguished Faculty included Marin Alsop, Nicole Paiement, Carlo Montanaro, Alice Farnham and Alec Treuhaft
    ~~~~
    Initial Support for the Hart Institute from
    The Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation
    Additional Support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Baker Botts LLP, Susan and Mark Geyer, Holly and Tom Mayer, Betty and Steve Suellentrop, Martha and Max Wells, Jenifer and Peter Flynn, Cindy Feld, and the TACA Bowden & Embrey Family Foundations Artist Residency Fund

    DALLAS, JANUARY 31, 2017 –The Dallas Opera is pleased to announce that—barring urgent, late-breaking news, PBS NewsHour will present a news story tonight (6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on the North Texas PBS affiliate, KERA-TV) focused on the recent Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera.
    The behind-the-scenes segment was recorded in Dallas during the 2016 Hart Institute which ran from late November through mid-December and attracted 156 applicants from 34 countries. Six were selected to participate in the elite program for women conductors on the cusp of major careers in opera. An additional four American observers also took part.
    The story, produced by PBS NewsHour Chief Arts and Culture Correspondent Jeffrey Brown and Deputy Senior Producer/Art and Culture Producer Anne Azzi Davenport, allows viewers to step into the world of rarely-seen conducting masterclasses, industry seminars, orchestra rehearsals, and specialized career guidance. However, the story also examines the life and work of several women participants through exclusive interviews, personal photographs, and adrenaline-pumping public performances. Here’s an advance look from PBS:
    https://www.facebook.com/newshour/videos/10155038978803675/

    Faculty for the most recent Hart Institute included Marin Alsop (Music Director, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, and the only conductor ever to receive the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship); The Dallas Opera’s own Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement, as well as Carlo Montanaro, a renowned Italian conductor; distinguished British conductor and educator Alice Farnham and the former chorus master of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Renato Balsadonna.
    The institute also addressed career advancement challenges and opportunities for women conductors in sessions with experienced professionals like Alec C. Treuhaft, former senior vice-president of IMG Artists; Zizi Mueller, former president of Boosey & Hawkes; Carol Lazier, president, San Diego Opera; Marc A. Scorca, president and CEO of OPERA America; and a senior client partner and co-managing director of Korn Ferry’s Global Education Practice, Paul Hsun-Ling Chou. The Texas opera company also hosted intensive one-on-ones and networking opportunities for the Institute participants; and offered the six fellows the chance to conduct The Dallas Opera Orchestra in two public concerts.
    The Dallas Opera will begin accepting applications for the 2017 Hart Institute on February 27, 2017. For more information, visit dallasopera.org.
    PBS NewsHour airs on 356 affiliate stations across the U.S. and can be viewed online at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/ as well. The award-winning program is one of the most-watched, and most-respected daily news programs on American television today.

    2016-2017 SEASON SPONSOR
    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family
    ~~~~

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

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

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

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

    TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE 2016-2017 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 $275. Full Subscriptions (five opera productions) begin at $95; Flex Subscriptions (three-performances of your choice) begin at $75. Family performance tickets are just $5. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

    THE DALLAS OPERA 2016-2017 SPRING SEASON INFORMATION

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

    MADAME BUTTERFLY by Giacomo Puccini
    March 10, 12(m), 15, 18, 24, & 26(m), 2017
    The must see, heart-wrenching Italian opera!
    Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa & Luigi Illica
    Time: 1904
    Place: Nagasaki, Japan
    Conductor: Donato Renzetti
    Stage Director: John Copley
    Set Designer: Michael Yeargan
    Costume Designer: Anita Yavich
    Lighting Designer: Duane Schuler
    Wig & Make-up Designer: Stephanie Williams
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Starring: Hui He* (Cio-Cio-San), Gianluca Terranova* (B.F. Pinkerton), Manuela Custer (Suzuki), Lucas Meachem* (Sharpless), David Cangelosi (Goro), Reginald Smith, Jr.* (The Bonze), Will Hughes (Prince Yamadori), Mark McCrory (Imperial Commissioner), Samuel P.J. Lopez (Registrar), Angela Turner Wilson (Kate Pinkerton), Sorrow (TBD)
    A classic, period production (new to Dallas) from the San Francisco Opera!

    THE TURN OF THE SCREW by Benjamin Britten
    March 17, 19(m), 22 & 25, 2017
    A dark and gripping tale!
    Libretto by Myfanwy Piper
    Time: 1950s
    Place: Bly, an English country house
    Conductor: Nicole Paiement
    Original Production: Jonathan Kent
    Stage Director: Francesca Gilpin*
    Set Designer: Paul Brown
    Costume Designer: Paul Brown
    Original Lighting Designer: Mark Henderson
    Lighting Design Recreated by: David Manion
    Wig and Make-up Designer: Stephanie Williams
    Starring: William Burden (Prologue/Peter Quint), Emma Bell* (Governess), Oliver Nathanielsz* (Miles), Ashley Emerson* (Flora), Dolora Zajick* (Mrs. Grose), Alexandra LoBianco* (Miss Jessel)
    An acclaimed production from Glyndebourne!

    NORMA by Vincenzo Bellini
    April 21, 23(m), 26, 29, May 7(m), 2017
    A thrilling and suspenseful masterpiece!
    Libretto by Felice Romani
    Time: 50 B.C.
    Place: Roman-occupied Gaul
    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
    Stage Director: Nic Muni
    Set Designer: John Conklin
    Costume Designer: John Conklin
    Lighting Designer: Thomas Hase
    Wig & Make-up Designer: Stephanie Williams
    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
    Starring: Elza van den Heever (Norma), Marina Costa Jackson* (Adalgisa), Yonghoon Lee* (Pollione), Christian Van Horn (Oroveso), Mithra Mastropierro* (Clotilde), Charles Karanja (Flavio)
    An atmospheric production from Cincinnati Opera!

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

    ###

    Participants Selected for 2016 Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors

    IWC ImageFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Monday, June 20, 2016

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014                            Or Celeste Hart 214.443.1071

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org                                    celeste.hart@dallasopera.org

                                                                   

    Participants Named for Second Annual

    Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for

    Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera

    ~~~~

    Nov. 26 – Dec. 11, 2016 in Dallas, Texas

    ~~~~

    Six Selected for Elite Opera Program from

    156 Applicants Representing 31 Countries

    ~~~~

    Distinguished Faculty include Marin Alsop, Nicole Paiement, Carlo Montanaro and Alec Treuhaft

    ~~~~

    Initial Support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation Additional Support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,

    Baker Botts LLP, Susan and Mark Geyer, Holly and Tom Mayer, Martha and Max Wells, and the TACA Bowden & Embrey Family Foundations Artist Residency Fund

     

    DALLAS, JUNE 20, 2016 – The Dallas Opera is proud to announce the names of the six distinguished professionals selected to participate in the second annual session of the Linda and Mitch Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera taking place November 26 – December 11, 2016 in Dallas, Texas:

    • Elizabeth Askren (USA)
    • Mihaela Cesa-Goje (Romania)
    • Alexandra Cravero (France)
    • Tianyi Lu (New Zealand)
    • Chaowen Ting (USA/Taiwan)
    • Zoe Zeniodi (Greece)

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

    A total of 156 women conductors and professional musicians heeded the call and applied by the April 22nd deadline.  Of that number, approximately one-third of the IWC applicants (59) came from the United States. 

    Other nations represented in this year’s applicant pool were from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Lithuania, and Mexico; as well as New Zealand, Poland, Finland, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

    Applicants from these 31 countries included music directors, principal and assistant conductors, concertmasters and music staff from top-ranked symphonies, opera companies, and conservatories.

     

    As is the case each year, four U.S. observers were chosen to “audit” the 2016 Institute: Ching-Chun Lai, Michelle Rofrano, Carolyn Watson and Parisa Zaeri.

     

    The institute had key, foundational support from the Richard and Enika Schulze Foundation.  Naming support came through the generosity of Linda and Mitch Hart.  Additional vital support comes from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Baker Botts LLP, Susan and Mark Geyer, Holly and Tom Mayer, Martha and Max Wells, and the TACA Bowden & Embrey Family Foundations Artist Residency Fund.

    The 2016 Linda and Mitch Hart Institute will consist of hands-on master classes with Marin Alsop (Music Director, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra, and the only conductor ever to receive the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship); The Dallas Opera’s Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor Nicole Paiement and Carlo Montanaro, a renowned Italian conductor. 

    The institute will include career advancement seminars with experienced professionals like Alec Treuhaft, former senior vice-president of IMG Artists; industry discussions; intensive one-on-ones and networking opportunities; as well as the chance to conduct The Dallas Opera Orchestra in two public concerts on the evenings of December 4th and December 10th (additional details to be announced at a later time).

    As part of TDO’s 5-year commitment to each institute “class” of conductors, alumnae will be invited to summer reunions for additional masterclasses with piano and singers, and a series of introductory seminars about the business of music: General Management, Marketing and Communications, Development and Finance.  In our inaugural program last December and the first round of follow-up discussions this spring, the 2015 class of conductors reiterated their interest in this type of training on multiple occasions. 

     

    Keith Cerny, The Dallas Opera’s Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO notes: “The Dallas Opera has demonstrated, in multiple ways, its commitment to reshaping the opera field through the use of innovative public outreach, by exploring new technologies, commissioning new works to expand the operatic repertoire, and programming with passion and imagination.”

    “This much-needed program,” Mr. Cerny added, “will enable more women conductors to add their talents and perspectives to our collective understanding of this art form, while encouraging conversation about the necessity of women in leadership roles.”

     

    The Dallas Opera’s Martha R. and Preston A. Peak Principal Guest Conductor, Nicole Paiement, who also serves as the Artistic Director and Conductor for San Francisco’s renowned contemporary opera company, Opera Parallèle, commented, “In tandem with my work as a professional conductor, I have spent many years striving to develop and support exceptional young talent, both onstage and in the orchestra pit.  I am tremendously pleased to be able to continue this aspect of my career in a leadership role here in Dallas and I sincerely hope my work with the women in this institute can serve as a source of both valuable insights and inspiration.”

    Nicole Paiement’s residency for the institute is supported by the TACA Bowden & Embrey Family Foundations Artist Residency Fund.

    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.”

    2016 IWC FELLOWS:

     

     

    ELIZABETH ASKREN (USA)

    Elizabeth Askren has worked as Assistant Music Director in leading European venues (Théâtre des Champs Elysées, The Concertgebouw, etc.) and has guest conducted orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.  Débuts for the 2015-16 season include concerts with the Romanian National Opera in Cluj and the Opera Orchestra of Toulon.  Ms. Askren is a laureate of France’s ADAMI, and has received fellowships from the Salzburg Mozarteum, the Royaumont Foundation, and the Aldeburgh Festival.  A finalist candidate for the Mahler Competition, she was invited by Lorin Maazel as “Apprentice Conductor” for the inaugural season of the Castleton Festival in Virginia. She is the subject of several radio and press interviews, and is currently a Young Leader of the French American Foundation.  Ms. Askren holds diplomas in piano and conducting from the Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, and the Conducting Institute of Bard in the United States, and the Schola Cantorum and the Ecole Normale de Musique in France. 

     

    MIHAELA CESA-GOJE (ROMANIA)

    Mihaela Cesa-Goje gained widespread attention in 2009 as the winner of the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship founded by Marin Alsop and in 2010, a Conducting Grant from the League of American Orchestras.  In 2011, she was awarded the Dudamel Fellowship from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and later that same year, was selected from a field of 160 candidates for a masterclass with Bernard Haitink and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra.  Earlier in her career, Ms. Cesa-Goje received the “Sandor Vegh Prize” from the Romanian Mozart Society for an outstanding performance of Mozart’s “Der Schauspiele Direktor” at the Cluj National Opera, Romania.  In 2005, she completed her Conducting Diploma at the Royal Academy of Music in London and was awarded the Irene Burcher Prize.  In 2013, she earned a graduate degree in conducting from Gh Dima Music Academy in Cluj, Romania, where she studied with Florentin Mihaescu. She also studied with Harold Farberman, Gustav Meier, Patrick Russill and Roland Börger.  Ms. Cesa-Goje is regularly invited to Cluj National Opera. In her first season (2014) she conducted eight different titles.

     

    ALEXANDRA CRAVERO (FRANCE)

    As a musician of many talents with a charismatic personality and artistic sensibility, Alexandra Cravero has quickly earned the reputation of being one of this generation’s conductors to watch.  With a National Diploma and Masters in viola and conducting from the National French Conservatory, Alexandra was also finalist at the Besancon, Pedrotti, and Cadaques competitions.  She has assisted Pierre Boulez, Kurt Masur, Tito Ceccherini, Patrick Davin and directed the BBC, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, the Sofia Radio, the Theatre de La Monnaie and the Opera National du Rhin Orchestras.  On the operatic stage, she has directed, among others, Annick Massis, Michael Spyres, Magdalena Kožená, and Etienne Dupuis.  Her vast operatic repertoire spans many centuries: Carmen, The Pearl Fishers, Norma, Faust, Porgy and Bess, The Cunning Little Vixen, Reigen, and Doctor Atomic, to name a few.  Upcoming engagements will see Alexandra Cravero direct The Tales of Hoffmann, Tosca, La traviata, and the Orchestre National de Lille at the Paris Philharmonic Hall.

    TIANYI LU (NEW ZEALAND)

    Now based in the United Kingdom, Tianyi Lu is the Junior Fellow in Conducting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Music Director Designate of the Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra. She has been assistant conductor to Thomas Søndergård with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Sir Mark Elder with the Hallé, Alice Farnham with the Welsh National Youth Opera and Carlo Rizzi at the RWMCD.  She is regularly engaged by orchestras throughout Wales and New Zealand and was Music Director of The Magic Flute with Opera Otago.  Ms. Lu has studied with David Jones, John Hopkins and Uwe Grodd and has attended masterclasses with Bernard Haitink, Neemi Järvi, Sian Edwards, Alexander Polynichko, Marin Alsop and Kenneth Kiesler.  She was voted as a finalist at the twelfth ‘Interaktion’ conducting workshop by players of the Berlin Philharmonic and professional players in Germany.

     

    CHAOWEN TING (USA)

    Winner of the 2009 International Conductors’ Workshop and Competition, Chaowen Ting currently serves as Conductor of the Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra. A protégé of Bernard Haitink, Ting studied with the maestro at Lucerne Festival and was later invited by Haitink to observe his work with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  Outside of the U.S., she has conducted the Lucerne Festival Strings (Switzerland), Mihail Jora Bac?u Philharmonic (Romania), Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra (Croatia), St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic (Russia), and Orquesta Filarmónica de Honduras (Honduras).  She won the 2013 Bruno Walter Memorial Scholarship and was a Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.  In addition to her symphonic repertoire, opera productions she directed received honors from National Opera Association’s Opera Production Competitions for two consecutive years.

     

    ZOE ZENIODI (GREECE)

    Zoe Zeniodi has conducted productions at the Florida Grand Opera, Greek National Opera, the Onassis Cultural Center and guest conducted all the major Greek orchestras as well as Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra, the Brno Philharmonic, Palm Beach Symphony, New Florida Philhamornic, and JONDE, among others.  She is currently the Music Director of Broward Symphony Orchestra, Momentum Athens Chamber Orchestra and the Associate Music Director of the Festival of the Aegean.  Previous positions include: Chief Conductor of MOYSA, Assistant/Cover Conductor for Florida Grand Opera, Music Director of Alhambra Orchestra and Associate Conductor of Frost Symphony Orchestra. She has released five CD recordings of contemporary music.  Ms. Zeniodi holds a DMA in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Miami and also studied at the Royal College of Music and the Mozarteum, Salzburg.

     

    (Headshots of this year’s class are available.  Contact suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org)

     

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    2016 IWC OBSERVERS:

     

    CHING-CHUN LAI (USA)

    Ching-Chun Lai, Director of Orchestras at the Crane School of Music, SUNY-Potsdam, has worked on opera productions of Pelléas et Mélisande, Don Pasquale, L’elisir d’amore, Maria Stuarda, Alcina, Thaïs, and The Turn of the Screw. Her performances of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion were described in Isthmus as “consistently excellent.”  During her tenure, the Crane Symphony Orchestra has performed in Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Recent engagements include the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and its youth orchestra.  Dr. Lai studied conducting with Gunther Schuller and James Smith. Additional studies include Gstaad Menuhin Festival and Academy, Gustav Meier, and JoAnn Falletta.  She received her DMA degree from UW-Madison, where she received the Church Memorial Conducting Award, and earned her Master’s degree with Distinguish Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music.

     

    MICHELLE ROFRANO (USA)

    Michelle Rofrano recently completed her master’s degree in conducting at the Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with Marin Alsop, Gustav Meier, and Markand Thakar. She will serve as assistant conductor for the upcoming Oberlin in Italy 2016 summer festival.  Ms. Rofrano recently led a production of Così fan tutte with D.C. Public opera, and she was the assistant conductor for Baltimore-based new music ensemble Symphony Number One during its 2015-16 Season. Previous engagements include serving as cover conductor for productions with Lyric Opera Baltimore and Opera Birmingham, performances with the Opera Project of New Jersey and Rutgers Symphony Orchestra, and masterclasses with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Rofrano holds a bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Rutgers University.

     

    CAROLYN WATSON (USA)

    Conductor Carolyn Watson is Director of Orchestral Studies at Texas State University. From 2013-2015 she held the position of Conductor of the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra.  A Fellow of the American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival, Ms. Watson was a major prizewinner at the 2012 Emmerich Kálmán International Operetta Conducting Competition in Budapest.  She has participated in master classes with Peter Eötvös, Yoel Levi and Alex Polishchuk and conducted musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic in Interaktion.  Ms. Watson is the recipient of the Brian Stacey Award for Emerging Australian Conductors, the Charles Mackerras Conducting Prize and Opera Foundation Australia’s Bayreuth Opera Award. She holds a PhD in Performance (Conducting) from the University of Sydney where her doctoral thesis was Gesture as Communication: The Art of Carlos Kleiber. www.carolyn-watson.com.

     

    PARISA ZAERI (USA)

    A native of Dallas, Texas, Parisa Zaeri maintains an active career as a conductor, collaborative pianist, and vocal coach.  Her recent musical engagements include serving as Music Director for Boulder Opera’s upcoming production of Carmen (Fall 2016), as Cover Conductor for the American premiere of Philip Glass’s Witches of Venice at Opera Saratoga (Summer 2016), and as Assistant Conductor for the recent Southern Methodist University production of  Die Zauberflöte (Spring 2016).  Notable mentors include Paul Phillips and Grant Wenaus.  Ms. Zaeri graduated with her Master’s degree in Piano Performance – Collaborative Piano from New York University in May 2015 and currently resides in Denver, Colorado, with her husband and two dogs.

     

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    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

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

     

    FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS

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

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

    ~~~~

    The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by

    Texas Instruments and the Betty and Steve Suellentrop

    Educational Outreach Fund.

    ~~~~

    TDO Family Performances are a part of the

    Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs

     

    Ticket Information for the 2016-2017 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 $275.  Full Subscriptions start at $95, Flex Subscriptions (three-performances of your choice) begin at $75.  Family performance tickets are just $5.  For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

     

     

    THE DALLAS OPERA 2016-2017 FALL SEASON INFORMATION The Dallas Opera celebrates its Sixtieth Year 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 language translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired.  The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talk will begin one hour prior to curtain at most performances, excluding FIRST NIGHT of the season.

     

    EUGENE ONEGIN by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    October 28, 30(m), November 2, 5, 2016

    A tumultuous and lush romantic opera!

    Libretto by K.S. Shilovsky, after Pushkin

    Time: Late Nineteenth Century

    Place: Czarist Russia

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Stage Director: Jean-Claude Auvray*

    Costume Designer: Maria Chiara Donato

    Lighting Designer: Laurent Castaingt

    Choreographer: Cooky Chiapalone

    Wig & Make-up Designer:

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Andrei Bondarenko (Eugene Onegin), Svetlana Aksenova* (Tatyana), Stephen Costello (Lensky), Kai Rüütel** (Olga), Mikhail Kazakov (Prince Gremin), Elizabeth Batton (Larina), Meredith Arwady (Filipievna), Greg Fedderly (Triquet), Musa Ngqungwana* (Zaretski)

    A classic, period production originally created for the Israeli Opera Tel-Aviv-Jaffa!

     

    MOBY-DICK by Jake Heggie

    November 4, 6(m), 9, 12, 18, & 20(m), 2016

    Back by Popular Demand!

    Libretto by Gene Scheer

    Time: Nineteenth Century

    Place: Whaling Ship on the High Seas

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Stage Director: Leonard Foglia

    Set Designer: Robert Brill

    Costume Designer: Jane Greenwood

    Lighting Designer: Gavan Swift

    Projections Designer: Elaine J. McCarthy

    Wig and Make-up Designer:

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

    Starring: Jay Hunter Morris (Captain Ahab), Stephen Costello (Greenhorn), Morgan Smith (Starbuck), Musa Ngqungwana* (Queequeg), David Cangelosi (Flask), Jacqueline Echols* (Pip), Peter McGillivray* (Stubb)

    Our internationally acclaimed production!

     

    * Dallas Opera Debut

    ** American Debut

    _____________________________________________________________________________________

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

     

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    The Dallas Opera

    • Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
    • 2403 Flora Street, Suite 500
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