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    Dolce&Gabbana Will Command Centerstage at FIRST SIGHT 2019

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Monday, July 29, 2019

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

    THE DALLAS OPERA IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE

    THE INTERNATIONAL FASHION HOUSE

    Dolce&Gabbana

    Will be Center Stage in the 2019

    FIRST SIGHT

    Fashion Presentation and Luncheon

    Thursday, October 17, 2019

    The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House

    At the AT&T Performing Arts Center

    ~~~~

    NorthPark Center, Presenting Sponsor

    Kim and Greg Hext, Chairs for

    FIRST SIGHT/FIRST NIGHT 2019

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    Gourmet Luncheon by Wolfgang Puck Catering

    Ellen Winspear, Fashion Presentation & Luncheon Chair

     

    DALLAS, JULY 29, 2019 – Fashionistas and opera lovers alike are marking their fall calendars for one of the early highlights of the season, The Dallas Opera’s FIRST SIGHT Fashion Presentation and Luncheon (NorthPark Center, Presenting Sponsor) taking place Thursday, October 17, 2019, beginning with a late-morning reception in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center (2403 Flora St., Dallas, TX 75201).  The highlight of the 2019 FIRST SIGHT Fashion Presentation will be head-turning designs created by the acclaimed international design house of Dolce&Gabbana.

    The Chairs for this year’s FIRST SIGHT/FIRST NIGHT, as announced during the Opening Night Dinner last October, are Kim and Greg Hext.

    “I am delighted that The Dallas Opera will be partnering in 2019 with the ultra-sophisticated Dolce&Gabbana brand to enable FIRST SIGHT—which in a few short years has become a firmly established fashion institution—to expand the scope of its influence,” says Kim Hext.

    “I am profoundly grateful to Nancy Nasher and our presenting sponsor, NorthPark Center and, of course, to Dolce&Gabbana for their enthusiastic support of The Dallas Opera’s FIRST SIGHT celebrations.

    “We will have other exciting partnership announcements to share later this summer,” Ms. Hext adds.

     

    Additional Chairs for the upcoming events are:

    • Ellen Winspear, FIRST SIGHT Fashion Presentation and Luncheon Chair
    • Carol and Don Glendenning, Dinner Chairs for FIRST NIGHT
    • Honorary Chairs for 2019 FIRST SIGHT & FIRST NIGHT: The Winspear Family

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    FIRST SIGHT – 2019

    ELLEN WINSPEAR, FASHION PRESENTATION & LUNCHEON CHAIR

    Socialites, benefactors, and avid supporters of the performing arts in North Texas will gather in the C. Vincent Prothro Lobby for a reception, while a superb seated luncheon is meticulously prepared by Wolfgang Puck Catering.  A fashion presentation will follow the reception.

    “This October, the people of Dallas will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House and the AT&T Performing Arts Center,” explains 2019 FIRST SIGHT Fashion Presentation and Luncheon Chair Ellen Winspear.  “These festivities will showcase the many ways in which these venues have created opportunities for world-class performances and quality entertainment right in the heart of the city.

    “The Winspear Family is tremendously pleased to serve as Honorary Chairs for FIRST SIGHT and FIRST NIGHT, and it is my special privilege to help launch these celebrations on October 17th with support from an amazing array of sponsors and underwriters.

    “FIRST SIGHT is one of my favorite events on the fall calendar and just when I thought it couldn’t possibly top last year—we found a new and exciting partner in Dolce&Gabbana!” she adds.

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    Established in 1985, Dolce&Gabbana is an international leader in the fashion and luxury goods sector.  The founders, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, have always been the creative and stylistic source of all the brand’s activities as well as the drivers behind the development strategies.

    The Group creates, produces and distributes high-end clothing, leather goods, footwear, accessories, jewelry and watches.  The brand is present in the Prêt-à-porter segment with Men’s, Women’s and Children’s collections and has Alta Moda, Alta Sartoria, Alta Gioielleria and Alta Orologeria collections.

    The only activities entrusted to licensee partners are the production and distribution of Eyewear and Beauty lines.

    ~~~~

    Early sales have begun for both FIRST SIGHT (Thurs. October 17, 2019) and FIRST NIGHT (Friday, October 18, 2019).

    FIRST SIGHT tables will range from $5,000 to $25,000.  Individual tickets are also on sale starting at $500.

    For additional information about FIRST SIGHT and FIRST NIGHT or to purchase tables for either event, please visit www.dallasopera.org/firstsight or contact Special Events Manager Tracy Mott at 214.443.1063 or tracy.mott@dallasopera.org.

     

    2019 FIRST SIGHT/FIRST NIGHT CHAIR BIOS

     

    About Kim Hext:

     

    From 1991 through 2012, Kim Hext was a National Spokesperson for Buick Motor Division.  Prior and concurrent to that role, she was a Feature Correspondent on the “Scuba World Television Series” which was syndicated to The Travel and Discovery Channels. Additionally, from 1982 to 1998 she was a Corporate Meeting Planner for Hugh Hunt Productions. Kim was also with the premier Kim Dawson Agency from 1988 to 2008 where she had various modeling and acting roles. Kim’s love of fashion and modeling, as well as her strong philanthropic involvement, has led her to her position as a 2019 NorthPark Luxury Ambassador.

    Kim has made it her life’s work to positively impact the community around her. She currently sits on the Board of Governors for the Texas Ballet Theater and The Dallas Symphony Orchestra.  She serves on the Board of Directors for The Dallas Opera, the Aging Minds Foundation and serves as Vice-Chair of the board for Hope Supply Co. Kim has been involved with a number of other Non-Profits. She is a member of The Crystal Charity Ball Committee and loves the Dallas Zoo.  In 2018, Kim and her husband, Greg, chaired Zoo To Do raising over $1 million for the zoo.

    The American Heart Association is another organization that has been near and dear to Kim’s heart. She was the Cotes du Coeur Gala Co-Chairman in 2017, and helped to raise $4.61 million at the annual Celebrity Chef Dinner and wine auction. Kim has been involved with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for many years and in 2018, she was the Savor the Symphony Chair for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League. She continues her involvement as a Board of Governors member and serves on the Development Committee.

    In 2017, Kim began working with The Arts Community Alliance (TACA). She is a member of their Nominating Committee and has served as a Grant Panelist.  She also sits on their Board of Directors. In 2020, Kim will be the Party on the Green Chair.

    In 2003, Kim began volunteering with Dallas Salvation Army Auxiliary.  She has a passion for the Angel Tree Program and has served in the Christmas Distribution Center and as an Angel Tree Volunteer. In 2020, she will be the Dallas Salvation Army Auxiliary’s Fashion Show and Luncheon Chair.

    Kim is so thrilled to be the 2019 First Sight/First Night Gala Chair (along with husband Greg Hext) for the Dallas Opera. She has been involved with the Opera in the past serving on the FIRST SIGHT/FIRST NIGHT Advisory Committee and as a member of the Women’s Council. Kim also serves as a 2019 NorthPark Center Ambassador, a recognition of her commitment to our community.

     

    About Greg Hext:

     

    From 1974 through 1979, Greg Hext was President of a closely held, family-owned corporation, which was diversified in its business endeavors.  In 1979, Greg joined the Houston office of Benson, Wells & Co., a regional CPA firm.  In 1980 the Houston office formed the firm of Shelby, Rucksdashel & Jones (SRJ).  Greg continued with the new firm.

    In 1984, Greg opened the Dallas office of SRJ as Partner-in-Charge. He continued as an Audit and Consulting Partner as well as Partner-in-Charge of the Dallas office until 1989. In 1990, he became the Shareholder in charge of Audit and Consulting, for Chapman, Hext & Co. (CH&Co).  In 2006, Greg assumed the role of majority shareholder of the firm and CEO of the firm and its family of companies.

    Currently he is the CEO and sole shareholder of Chapman, Hext &Co and the family of companies, which consist of White Rock Advisors (WRA), CH Wealth Management and the White Rock Venture Fund.

    WRA is a registered FINRA Broker Dealer and provides Investment Banking services to private and public companies across the United States and globally. CH Wealth Management provides wealth management and investment advisory services to family office and high net worth individuals. The White Rock Venture Fund operates as a family office and invests in companies needing expansion and growth capital. Greg has extensive experience in consulting, merger & acquisition transactions, financial reporting, along with a breadth of experience in corporate finance, debt and equity financing transactions.

    Mr. Hext is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and various civic and religious organizations.  He also holds a Series 7, 24, 63 and 79 securities licenses. In addition, he sits on various corporate and advisory boards.

    Greg and his wife Kim live in Dallas. They have a son Preston who attends SMU at the Cox School of Business. Greg and Kim are involved with SMU. Kim pursues her passion for philanthropy and sits on the Board of a number of non-profits in Dallas.

     

    About Ellen Winspear:

     

    Ellen Winspear is a native Dallasite having graduated from the Hockaday School. Following her undergraduate degree at TCU, she completed her graduate education at SMU as a Certified Academic Language Therapist.  She then engaged in a successful career as a teacher and private tutor at schools focusing on children with learning differences.

    Ellen has many interests in Dallas ranging from the arts, animals, and education.  She either has or currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Dallas Opera, the Dallas Zoo, the Annette Simmons School of Education at SMU and the Dallas Film Society.  She has served as Chair of First Sight/First Night twice for The Dallas Opera. Ellen and Don also served as NorthPark Ambassadors in 2017.

    Ellen has been married to Don for 38 years.  Together, they have two sons and three grandsons.  The older son serves as a Sergeant First Class in the United States Army.  The younger is also married and is a maritime engineer residing in the area following his education at the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

     

    About Carol and Don Glendenning:

     

    Carol and Don Glendenning have been attending and supporting the Dallas Opera since they married and moved to Dallas 40 years ago after meeting in law school at Stanford.  Don jokes that he was an unwilling attendee of the Opera for the first 17 years, but has enjoyed the last 23.  Carol served on the Board of Directors of The Dallas Opera from 1988-1997 and, again, from 2009 until 2014.

    Carol and Don are also ambassadors for The Dallas Opera, having served as Chairs of the 2013 Dallas Opera Magnifique Gala, and having chaired the Ovation Champagne Dessert Celebrations, part of the celebratory events that opened the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House in 2009. Through Carol’s leadership, Strasburger & Price, now Clark Hill Strasburger, was a supporter of the Dallas Opera Offices Campaign, making it possible for the Opera to enjoy rent-free office space in the Winspear Opera House.  In 2014, Carol and Don received the Juanita and Henry S. Miller, Jr. Founders Award from the Women’s Board of The Dallas Opera.

    Together, Carol and Don are deeply involved in the Dallas community, giving their time and talent to many different organizations encompassing not only the arts, but human rights and social justice, public health, education and the environment.  Currently, Carol serves as a Director of the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Foundation and of North Texas Public Broadcasting, Inc.  Don currently serves as a Director of the SMU Tower Center, the Trinity Park Conservancy, the Texas Trees Foundation and Year Up.  Don was a 2015 recipient of the TACA Silver Cup Award, and Carol and Don are 2019 Recipients of the TACA Founders Circle Award. They recently co-chaired the TACA Silver Cup Award luncheon honoring Opera supporters Margot Perot and Davis Hamlin.

     

    About The Winspear Family, Honorary Chairs:

     

    Music and, in particular, Opera has been a part of the Winspear family for generations.  It has been the foundation for music education, for awareness of the art form and for love.

    Even as university students, both Bill Winspear and Margot Macleod enjoyed opera.  When Bill proposed to Margot, they were listening to an AM Radio.  Just as he reached for the ring, something amazing happened.  Bill had arranged for the radio station to play the trio—their favorite aria from Gounod’s opera, Faust—at that specific time.  So, as the radio personality announced that the following was by special request, Bill got down on one knee and asked Margot to marry him; hence, cementing a lifelong love affair of each other and of opera. The one constant in each of the cities they lived in was their involvement with the local opera company. They were both extremely active on the Opera Boards and guilds of Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto and ultimately, Dallas.

    While all five children were attending opera by the time they were living in Toronto, some were exposed to the art form many years prior. Don remembers his first opera: Gounod’s Faust from his time in Edmonton.  Despite finding it a “sappy” love story, he was most pleased that it had the devil and demons. Oldest sister Deb remembers that Ermanno Mauro, whom Bill and Margot discovered in Edmonton, was slated to perform at her wedding until he had to decline at the last minute for a performance at La Scala.

    Seven sets of season tickets were purchased in the lower orchestra.  Attendance was compulsory, all homework was to be completed. This was in the early 70’s which predated subtitles, so reading the plot summary beforehand was extremely beneficial.  The children all learned to appreciate the art form that was one of their parents’ biggest passions. Some have continued to support the art in cities around North America with Don and his wife Ellen being ardent supporters of the opera here in Dallas.

    The pinnacle of Bill and Margot’s affection for opera would be their donation of $42 million towards the creation of a world class opera house in Dallas.  In his announcement of the donation, his final words were from the movie, Field of Dreams.  He told those in attendance that “if you build it, they will come.”  And come they have.  They made the donation because, as Bill said, “We love opera, and we love Dallas.”

     

    About NorthPark Center

     

    NorthPark Center is the preeminent shopping center in the Southwest and one of the finest shopping experiences in the world with more than 230 stores and restaurants, including more than 60 market exclusives. Anchored by Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Dillard’s, NorthPark offers an unparalleled collection of luxury boutiques set amid internationally acclaimed 20th and 21st century art, award-winning architecture, and extraordinary landscaping—as well as a 1.4-acre garden, CenterPark, and a state-of-the-art movie theatre, AMC NorthPark 15. NorthPark consistently ranks as one of the top five performing shopping centers in the United States and is North Texas’ number one visitor destination. NorthPark is conveniently located 7 miles from downtown Dallas and 35 miles from Fort Worth. northparkcenter.com, 214.363.7441, 8687 N. Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75225.

     

    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

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    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. 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.

     

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    Featured Artist – Drew Field

    What is your official position at TDO and how long have you worked with us?
    I am the Director of Production and Technical Operations and, at this time, I am working on my 28th season with The Dallas Opera.

    How did you get started in the industry? 
    I started in the opera world in 1976 while a student at the Yale School of Drama. I was hired by the Yale Symphony to build a production of Peter Grimes in Battell Chapel. While doing that, I was offered a job at The Santa Fe Opera for the 1977 season.

     

    What are some of the challenges you anticipate during the upcoming 2019-2020 season?
    We have the usual challenge of producing two large shows in rotating repertory. The Golden Cockerel and The Magic Flute are both fairly large shows with multiple scenes (Magic Flute has 12 with several of those having two parts) as well as a few tricks each–such as the aerial entrance of the Queen of the Night in Flute and the trap elevator in Cockerel. So the challenge is assembling the productions quickly, hanging 500 or so lights, focusing all those lights, and then sitting down and developing the light cues that give life to the production and enable the transition from one scene to another make sense.  In addition to that, we have to rehearse with the crews on just how to transition from one scene to another and also work out how we do the change over from Flute to Cockerel and back.  During all this, we have to rehearse the singers and the orchestra on the stage as well as figure out the logistics of adding several hundred costumes into the mix.  And not to be forgotten, is the work to be done to simulcast The Magic Flute to Klyde Warren Park.

    What are you most looking forward to in the 2019-2020 season at TDO?
    Working with my colleagues.  Opera is a wonderful world in that it brings people from all over to collaborate in one place for a number of weeks in order to produce a product. This season, I welcome back several artists whom I have enjoyed working with and sharing laughs with for a number of years, while also welcoming new artists to the Dallas Opera mix.

    what has been your favorite production to work on?
    I have been in the opera business for 42 years, so, it is a bit hard to pin down one favorite production.  Rather than a single favorite, I have a number of favorites. It should be noted that, sometimes, what makes them a personal favorite is not necessarily the quality of the piece but, rather, the circumstance and the process involved in producing the piece.  Here they are:  The American premiere of the full three-act Lulu in Santa Fe in 1979; the production of Leonard Bernstein’s  Mass at the Opera Company of Boston with Sarah Caldwell conducting and directing; The production of Robert Di Domenica’s Balcony at the Bolshoi in 1991.  And here in Dallas, I would have to say Billy Budd, The Manuel de Falla Trilogy, Moby-Dick and Everest.

    What opera trends do you see on the horizon? 
    Video, video, video.  Video is taking over the stage, both as projections and as video content incorporated into the structure of stage scenery.The other trend I have observed, first hand, is the production of more and more new works, particularly American ones. I have worked on and seen more new works in the last 10 years than I did in the first 30 years of my time on the opera stage.

    Featured Artist – Krista Billings

    Resident Lighting Designer: The Dallas Opera

    Q: A Lighting Designer is a very niche position. How did you know you wanted pursue that career?  Starting in high school I would help with set construction and lighting for the musicals, but I had no idea you could make a living at it. Right out of high school I went to LA for Interior Design School and after a year decided that it was not for me. After spending the summer and part of the winter working at a resort outside of Yellowstone, I went to the University of Wyoming to try to decide where to go next. While I was considering what degree to pursue, I got a job in the theatre department and just stayed. It was there that I realized that you could make a career out of theatre. When I decided that Grad school was the next step, I had to choose a field and lighting felt like the natural choice.

     

    Q:? How did you begin your process for designing this show?  I begin by reading and listening to the synopsis, libretto, and music. After that, I enter discussions with the director and designers to see how we want to tell the story. Are we playing it traditional or are we putting a twist to it? If we are stepping away from traditional, how far will we go? What season is it? What time of day? What mood are we trying to set? That all ends up influencing the design approach: the colors, the equipment, the angle and so on. After we agree on the design approach, I look for paintings or images that reflect the emotional journey of the story. This gives me a starting point for each scene from which I can develop the full arc.

     

    Q: Lighting is more than just the audience’s ability to see the actors on stage. Can you elaborate on what lighting a show really means?
    Lighting helps tells the story through mood, ambience, color, and focus. For example, even if you’re in a very bright scene, I can make one area a little brighter and that is where the audience will focus their attention. The quality of the light in a scene has a major effect on how the action and emotion is perceived. Lighting can really help propel the story forward.

    Q: Where do you get your inspiration?
    Everywhere. Walking down the sidewalk, seeing shadows of the trees. The light reflecting off of buildings, paintings in museums, concerts. What the sky is like in different parts of the country or the world: Dallas vs Wyoming or Santa Fe, for example. The world is a festival of lighting design choices.

    Q: What would you say to the next generation wanting to work in this industry? What do they need to bring?
    They need to be a gap-filler. By that I mean they need to take every chance they can get no matter how small, i.e. don’t be afraid to be an assistant. The knowledge you can get from a position like that is invaluable. Everything moves so fast, the better you can educate yourself, the better you’ll be at your craft.

    Q: What are you most looking forward to in the 2019-2020 season at TDO?
    I am most looking forward to designing Pulcinella. I’m excited to design a dance piece; this is an exciting opportunity to tell a story through primarily movement. And dancers are fun to light!!

    Fabiano, Hymel and Polenzani Headline a Gala Evening of Cocktails and Classics!

    Together Onstage – for the Very First Time!

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Monday, March 25, 2019

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

    Time is Running Out!

    Don’t Miss Your One Chance to Experience

    Three of the Finest Tenors of Our Time:

     “FABIANO, HYMEL & POLENZANI”

    With The Dallas Opera Orchestra

    Conducted by Maestro Carlo Montanaro

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    SATURDAY, MAY 11, 2019, 7:00 P.M.

    The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House

    AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas TX

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    Centerpiece of 2019 Dallas Opera Gala

    https://dallasopera.org/performance/one-night-only/

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    Concert Tickets Include Access to After Party With Complimentary Wine, Beer and Band!

    DALLAS, TX, MARCH 25, 2019 – The Dallas Opera is proud to present three of the most sought-after tenors of the 21st century as they perform a tremendously exciting program of classic opera arias, Broadway favorites and American standards.

    “Fabiano, Hymel, and Polenzani” will perform together onstage for the very first time on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. (please note special time) in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, as the centerpiece of The 2019 Dallas Opera Gala, an elegant annual spring fundraiser.

    “The V.I.P. Experience” includes pre-concert reception, premium concert seats, seated dinner and the After Party.  Additional information and pricing are available at https://dallasopera.org/performance/tdo-gala/.

    Concert tickets may be purchased separately by calling The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or visiting https://dallasopera.org/performance/one-night-only/.

    Single tickets for the concert are priced at $50 to $275 each and include free access to the exciting post-performance After Party—with live music and complimentary beer and wine—in the magnificent lobby of the Winspear Opera House.

    Internationally-acclaimed American tenors Michael Fabiano, Bryan Hymel and Matthew Polenzani will perform with The Dallas Opera Orchestra under the baton of renowned Italian guest conductor Carlo Montanaro.

    Each of these magnificent artists is “at the top of his game.”  This season alone, their schedules reveal an impressive array of “must see” concerts and performances including:

    • Michael Fabiano – Boito’s Mefistofele at the Metropolitan Opera; Puccini’s La bohème at the Met and Lyric Opera of Chicago; Concert in Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, Moscow; Massenet’s Werther at Sydney Opera House; Gounod’s Faust at London’s Royal Opera House; Rigoletto at Berlin State Opera and Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco at Madrid’s Teatro Real.
    • Bryan Hymel – Verdi’s Les vêpres siciliennes at Bavarian State Opera; Puccini’s La bohème at Vienna State Opera; Bizet’s Carmen at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; and a solo concert in Prague with the Janáček Philharmonic.
    • Matthew Polenzani – Mozart’s Idomeneo for Lyric Opera of Chicago; Concert, New World Center, Miami; La bohème at Teatro Massimo, Palermo, Italy; Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta at the Met (role debut); Carnegie Hall recital; La clemenza di Tito at the Metropolitan Opera; Carmen (role debut) at San Francisco Opera.
    • Carlo Montanaro – Lucia di Lammermoor for Opera Australia (Sydney Opera House); Rigoletto for Montréal Opera; The Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera (faculty); Madama Butterfly for Polish National Opera; Il trovatore at Seattle Opera’s McCaw Hall; Werther in the Sydney Opera House for Opera Australia; and Mozart’s Requiem at Teatro Regio di Parma (Italy).

    The Dallas Opera, with support from Holly and Tom Mayer, invites you to experience these four world-class artists performing together for the first time.  The trio, conducted by Maestro Montanaro, will sing a selection of Opera’s most memorable moments from Turandot, Pagliacci, Werther, L’elisir d’amore, Fedora, Eugene Onegin and La Gioconda.  The program will also include an American Song medley and unforgettable songs from some of the finest productions of the twentieth-century musical stage.

    “Maestro Montanaro and these incredibly gifted tenors have come together in the prime of their careers to create an unforgettable evening of poignant and passionate performances,” explains Ian Derrer, The Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO.  “The trio will perform highlights from the opera repertoire that have made them world famous, as well as audience favorites that originated under the bright lights of Broadway.

    “It’s easy to see why true opera lovers are willing to travel long distances to experience these artists onstage, and why our patrons are already buzzing with anticipation.

    “This opportunity to hear Michael Fabiano, Bryan Hymel and Matthew Polenzani, side by side,” Derrer adds, “is not likely to be repeated here in Dallas.  Music lovers should take note and make the most of it!”

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    V.I.P. Gala Tickets include an exclusive pre-performance reception, the concert, a post-performance dinner curated and prepared by Wolfgang Puck Catering, and a lively After Party featuring complimentary wine and beer.

    Gold Box Gala Tickets start at $1,250 apiece – Tenor Orchestra Gala Tickets start at $1,000.

    For additional information about the full gala package, please contact Dallas Opera Special Events Manager Tracy Mott at 214.443.1063 or tracy.mott@dallasopera.org.

    For single tickets and information regarding the concert itself, consult the friendly people in The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000 or online at https://dallasopera.org/performance/one-night-only/

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    MICHAEL FABIANO Tenor

    Of Michael Fabiano’s debut as Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin at the Royal Opera, The Sunday Times in London wrote: “I can’t think of a Lensky at Covent Garden who has held the audience so spellbound in 40 years of Onegin-going… a glorious debut.” The recipient of the 2014 Beverly Sills Artist Award and the 2014 Richard Tucker Award, Mr. Fabiano is the first singer to win both awards in the same year, and is considered one of the greatest tenors in the world today.

    In the 2018/19 season, Mr. Fabiano made his Lyric Opera of Chicago debut as Rodolfo, opening their season in a new production of La bohème. He returns to the Metropolitan Opera for his role debut as Faust in Boito’s Mefistofele followed by Rodolfo in La bohème, and portrays a second incarnation of Faust when he assumes the title role in the Gounod opera at the Royal Opera. His debut at Staatsoper Berlin follows, where he will sing the Duke in a new production of Rigoletto, followed by another role debut as Carlo VII in Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco (Joan of Arc) at the Teatro Real.  This season, Fabiano opened the Royal Opera in a new production of La bohème conducted by Antonio Pappano, and sang the Duke in Rigoletto, a role in which he made his debut at the Los Angeles Opera. Mr. Fabiano sang his first Des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon at the San Francisco Opera, with subsequent performances in Bilbao at ABAO-OLBE. He performed in recital for Oper Frankfurt, returned to the Metropolitan Opera for Rodolfo in La bohème, and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, a role he will reprise for Opera Australia, and sang Corrado in Il Corsaro at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia. Both the La bohème and the Rigoletto from the Royal Opera as well as the La bohème from the Met received international HD broadcasts. In celebration of the Bernstein centennial, Mr. Fabiano finishes his season with a performance of excerpts from West Side Story at the Napa Valley Festival, and a Bernstein concert at the Ravinia Festival.

     

    BRYAN HYMEL Tenor

    Hailed by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung for his “range of expression and vocal power combined with the subtle art of characterization,” tenor Bryan Hymel is the winner of the 2013 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera for his trio of performances in Les Troyens, Robert le diable, and Rusalka at London’s Royal Opera House. The New York Times praised his “unflagging stamina and impetuous abandon” during his 2012 Metropolitan Opera debut as Énée in Les Troyens, for which he was presented with the Metropolitan Opera’s Beverly Sills Artist Award. An exclusive recording artist for Warner Classics, his first solo album Héroïque debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Classical Music chart, and earned Hymel the coveted Georges Thill Prize by the Académie Nationale du Disque Lyrique and the Newcomer of the Year Award from ECHO Klassik.

    On the concert stage, Hymel has been seen in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 led by Gustavo Dudamel at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala; the Verdi Requiem with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra under Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and at the Edinburgh Festival under Donald Runnicles; Walter Braunfels’ Jeanne d’Arc with the Salzburg Festival; a European Tour of La Damnation de Faust with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse; Roger Waters’ Ça Ira at the Gothenburg Culture Festival and in its US debut with the Nashville Symphony; and in Berlioz’ Requiem with The Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse. A frequent collaborator with the PKF – Prague Philharmonia, he appeared at the Royal Opera House in Oman for a special New Year’s concert under Music Director Emmanuel Villaume, as well as concerts in Prague’s Smetana Hall and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. He made his debut in recital at London’s Wigmore Hall in 2016.

     

    MATTHEW POLENZANI Tenor

    One of the most gifted and distinguished lyric tenors of his generation, Matthew Polenzani’s elegant musicianship, innate sense of style, dramatic commitment, and timeless artistry have established his continued presence at leading operatic, concert and recital venues worldwide.

    In his triumphant 2017-18 Season, Matthew returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago in two of his signature roles: the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto and Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles. His reprisal of Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Metropolitan Opera was praised by The New York Times for his “pliant strength and clarion tone” and was broadcast on PBS, as well as “The Met: Live in HD.”  Mr. Polenzani traveled to Zürich Opera for his role debut as Rodolfo in Verdi’s Luisa Miller and to the Bavarian State Opera as Fernand in Donizetti’s La favorite, receiving rave reviews for both.  He ended last season singing Rodolfo in La bohème at the Royal Opera House, heralded for his “pleasant lilt and clear timbre (Bachtrack).

    Notable concert highlights last season included his performances as the tenor soloist in Haydn’s Creation with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival and his “A Night at the Opera” concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra, led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

    Other recent season highlights include his Don Ottavio in Michael Haneke’s acclaimed staging of Don Giovanni for Paris National Opera.  He sang Werther at both the Bavarian and Vienna State Operas.  His role debuts at the Metropolitan Opera include Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles and the title role of Roberto Devereux in a production by Sir David McVicar.  Both operas were featured on the Met’s “Live in HD” series and subsequently released on DVD.  To date, the acclaimed tenor has starred in more than 300 performances at New York’s Metropolitan Opera.

    Matthew Polenzani was the recipient of the 2004 Richard Tucker Award, the Metropolitan Opera’s 2008 Beverly Sills Award, and a 2017 Opera News Award.

    ~~~~

    2018-2019 SEASON SPONSOR

    The Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family

    ~~~~

    ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA 

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

    ~~~~

    EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE DALLAS OPERA

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

     

    FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHS

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

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

    Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.

    The Dallas Opera Family Performances are generously supported by

    Texas Instruments, Lockheed Martin, and

    The Betty and Steve Suellentrop Educational Outreach Fund

    TDO Family Performances are a part of the

    Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs

     

    TICKET INFORMATION FOR THE 2018-2019 DALLAS OPERA SEASON

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

    THE DALLAS OPERA 2018-2019 MAINSTAGE SEASON: SPRING

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

     

    MANON LESCAUT by Giacomo Puccini

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

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

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

    Libretto by Domenico Oliva and Luigi Illica

    Time: Late 18th century

    Place: France and America

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Director: Edward Berkeley

    Costume Designer: Tommy Bourgeois

    Lighting Designer: Krista Billings

    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

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

     

    LA BOHÈME by Giacomo Puccini

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

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

    Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica

    Time: 19th century

    Place: The Latin Quarter of Paris, France

    Conductor: Giuliano Carella

    Director: Tomer Zvulun

    Set Designer: Erhard Rom

    Costume Designer: Peter J. Hall

    Lighting Designer: Robert Wierzel

    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

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

     

    FALSTAFF by Giuseppe Verdi

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

    Shakespeare’s uproarious comedy brought to musical life!

    Libretto by Arrigo Boito

    Time: During the reign of Henry IV of England

    Place: Windsor

    Conductor: Riccardo Frizza

    Original Director: Lee Blakeley

    Revival Director: Shawna Lucey*

    Set and Costume Designer: Adrian Linford*

    Lighting Designer: Rick Fisher*

    Wig & Make-up Designer: Dawn Rivard

    Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

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

    * Dallas Opera Debut

    ** American Debut

    ______________________________________________________________________________

    ###

    Featured Artist – Kristin Lewis

    Soprano
    Role: Manon Lescaut in Manon Lescaut

    1. Originally from Arkansas and now you call Vienna home. How did that come about for an opera singer with an international career?
    I am very proud of being both a native Arkansan and an Austrian resident. The latter came about as an opportunity for me to study privately with my current voice teacher who also lives in Vienna, after receiving my Master’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Since being based in this city, my hard work and dedication has led to my receiving many opportunities to perform in many wonderful theaters all over the world.

    2. What inspired you to become an opera singer?
    Since childhood I’ve always been drawn to the performing arts. While in undergraduate school, I began formal lessons with my voice teacher at that time, Dr. Martha Antolik. We discovered that my voice is best suited for operatic repertoire. During those early years of study, l listened to the recordings of many fantastic singers, while also being surrounded by my family, many of whom also studied classical music and also had careers in music or enjoyed their passion for it as a hobby. All of these factors served as a great source of inspiration for me in pursuing my goal of having a sustained career in opera performance.

    3. Do you have a favorite role? Perhaps a character to whom you particularly relate, or a part that perfectly suits your soprano voice?
    This question always makes me smile because my long standing and initial honest response to this question is whatever role is next on my performance calendar! However, my overall favorite role/opera to listen to and sing is Elisabetta/Don Carlo by Verdi. Every measure of this piece is sublime. The story, (traditional) setting and costumes are all splendid. The contrasts between the characters enhance the strengths and weaknesses of the others. Everything in this opera “works.” I’ve sung both the Italian four and five act versions, and I love them both.

    4. This year’s production of Manon Lescaut is billed as a semi-staged production, have you performed this type of production before?
    Yes. Even though billed as semi-staged versions, many productions that have been presented in this way are still highly effective. What remains more important is that the voices are not limited; therefore, the audience is still given the opportunity to experience the music in all its depth and beauty.

    5. What do you hope audiences will take away from your performance?
    I hope that the audience will leave each performance feeling as if they have experienced the profundity of each character’s emotions. This is one of the challenges each artist faces while onstage. While focusing on vocal technique, we must also aim to present the nuances and emotional complexity of the characters we portray.

    6. What are you most looking forward to during your time here in Dallas?
    I am really looking forward to my performances with Dallas Opera! I am so very excited about this. In addition it will be a joy to be amongst my friends and family. I always love returning to my country. It has not been very often that I’ve had the opportunity to perform in front of so many of the people I’ve known all or most of my life. My most recent experience of returning home was for my debut performances of Verdi’s Aida at the Metropolitan Opera. I feel rather lucky to have another opportunity to return to America so quickly and this time experience the culture, the culinary and scenic delights of Dallas.

    7. Who was or still is your mentor?
    I have many mentors, including my voice teacher for all of my opera career, Carol Byers; my mother, Rev. Bettye Lewis; Dr. Martha Antolik; opera living legends Dr. Grace Bumbry and Martina Arroyo and many other strong and dynamic women in my life who have always led by example.

    8. What is the Kristin Lewis Foundation and how can Dallas Opera patrons get involved.
    In 2014 and in 2018, I established the Kristin Lewis Foundation Inc, based in America, and the Kristin Lewis International Association for the Encouragement and Development of Young Artists, based in Vienna, Austria. Both organizations are independent, nonprofit corporations designed to connect young artists with developmental and professional experiences. The competitive scholarships offered by the Foundation and other invaluable resources provided by the International Association serve as a means for those involved to further refine their talents toward careers in performance. Patrons are so very welcome in joining me in supporting the next generation of vocal and artistic excellence by visiting the Foundation’s website at www.kristinlewisfoundation.com and making a donation and/or volunteering in one of our exciting activities.

    9. Lastly, if you met someone who never listened to music before which song would you have them listen to and why?
    If asked to recommend an opera to someone who has never seen or heard one, I would offer Aida or The Magic Flute or La bohème. The story lines of these operas are easy to follow without understanding the languages. In addition there are many memorable and captivating moments within the music that new performance goers are very likely to leave the experience remembering at least one the more memorable melodic lines.

    Tenor Simon O’Neill & Pianist Terence Dennis – The 2019 Titus Art Song Recital

    Tenor Simon O’Neill

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    Monday, November 26, 2018

    Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014

    suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

     

    The Dallas Opera Proudly Presents

    Tenor Simon O’Neill

    In an Exclusive Afternoon Recital Accompanied by Terence Dennis

    ~~~~
    SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2019, 2:00 P.M.

    MOODY PERFORMANCE HALL (Dallas Arts District)

    ~~~~

    THE 2019 ROBERT E. AND JEAN ANN TITUS ART SONG RECITAL

    MARKING THE INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH OF A NEW DECCA/UNIVERSAL CD:

    “DISTANT BELOVED”

    Available for Purchase On Site

    ~~~~

    TICKETS GO ON SALE WEDNESDAY

    NOVEMBER 28, 2018

    $15 and $25

     

    DALLAS, TX, NOVEMBER 26, 2018 – The Robert E. and Jean Ann Titus Art Song Recital Series will feature internationally-acclaimed New Zealand-born heldentenor, Simon O’Neill, a principal artist at The Metropolitan Opera; the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; Teatro alla Scala; and both the Bayreuth and Salzburg Festivals; in an exclusive recital produced by The Dallas Opera.

    The eagerly-anticipated performance will take place on Sunday, January 27, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. in Moody Performance Hall (a 749-seat venue located at 2520 Flora Street—across the street from the Winspear Opera House in the Dallas Arts District).  Tickets go on sale at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday for $15 and $25 and may be purchased at www.dallasopera.org/titus or by contacting the friendly professionals in The Dallas Opera Ticket Office at 214.443.1000.

     

    “Simon O’Neill is the heroic tenor of choice for many of the world’s top opera companies,” explains Ian Derrer (The Kern Wildenthal General Director and CEO) “and The Dallas Opera is proud to present him in person to North Texas opera lovers.

    “The opportunity to enjoy Simon’s titanic voice and presence in the most intimate of art songs is an experience not to be missed – especially for those left spellbound by his recent appearance with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.  We are incredibly grateful for the Titus Family’s continued generous support of these annual recitals.”

     

    Earlier this year Classical Music Critic William Dart wrote in the New Zealand Herald that his recent performances “confirmed (Simon O’Neill) is still the Heldentenor of our dreams.”

    ~~~~

    Simon O’Neill will be accompanied by renowned pianist, Terence Dennis, the head of Performance Studies at the University of Otago Department of Music in his native New Zealand.  Mr. Dennis frequently accompanies some of the world’s most renowned vocalists, ranging from Dame Kiri Te Kanawa to Sir Bryn Terfel and has collaborated with Mr. O’Neill for more than a decade.

    The Dallas Opera’s Titus Recital will also mark the launch of the international release of the first collaboration of these artists on CD: “Distant Beloved,” a Decca/Universal release featuring works by Wagner, Beethoven, Schumann and Richard Strauss performed by O’Neill and Dennis.

    The CD will be available for sale the day of the recital at Moody Performance Hall.

    ______________________________________________________________________________

     

    The 2019 Titus Recital will include a variety of much-loved material from the disc repertoire including; Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte, lieder by Robert Schumann and Richard Strauss, and Richard Wagner’s Wesendonck Lieder. Throughout the Titus recital the acclaimed duo will also be performing selections from O’Neill’s operatic repertoire including; Wagner’s Die Walküre and Parsifal and Richard Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten (program specifics may be subject to change).

    Simon O’Neill explains that the genesis of the new recording is surprisingly personal:

    “The inspiration for this recording of German lieder is distance.

    Travel plays a significant part in the life of any opera singer, and, whilst I am privileged to have the opportunity to sing Siegmund, Siegfried, Parsifal and many other dream roles in the great opera houses and concert halls of the world, my career takes me away from home and loved ones for over nine months each year. Such is the singer’s lot.

    The title of this album is deeply evocative for me. Though I may be performing on the opposite side of the world, my thoughts are never far from my beautiful wife and children, and our wonderful family home in New Zealand, overlooking endless majesty of the Pacific Ocean.

    I began my musical life in New Zealand as a pianist and brass player, before embarking upon my vocal studies as a lieder baritone. Schubert and Schumann featured heavily in this early period of my vocal training. Further study at the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School in New York, saw me develop into a young lirico-spinto tenor.

    It was around that time that I first heard Fritz Wunderlich’s 1963 lieder album (on the Philips label), pairing An die ferne Geliebte with some of the same Richard Strauss songs which appear on this album. ‘Distant Beloved’ is something of a tribute to that album, and to Wunderlich himself, who was, for me, the greatest lieder tenor of all.

    Since those early days, much has changed in my singing life. Travel has taken me ever further from home, and time and experience have seen my voice graduate from that earlier lirico-spinto repertoire into the more dramatic, heroic repertoire of Wagner and Strauss. Throughout that long journey, I never stopped singing these magnificent songs. It brings me great joy and satisfaction to sit at the piano, playing and singing them.

    I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.”

    ~~~~

    “Heading into the sixth year, our family continues to be impressed with the high caliber of singers The Dallas Opera presents for the series,” writes Dallas Opera Trustee Sarah Titus.  “Ian’s selection of tenor Simon O’Neill and pianist Terence Dennis continues in this tradition,” she adds. “We anticipate a moving and memorable performance in January.”

    Mr. O’Neill also appears this season as Siegmund in concert performances of Die Walküre. He has also scheduled stage productions with Oper Leipzig under Ulf Schirmer, the Bayerischer Staatsoper conducted by Kirill Petrenko and the Berlin Staatsoper with Daniel Barenboim.

    ~~~~

    SIMON O’NEILL, Tenor

     

    A native of New Zealand, Simon O’Neill has established himself as one of the finest helden-tenors on the international stage. He is a principal artist with the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Teatro alla Scala and both the Bayreuther Festspiele and Salzburger Festspiele, appearing with a number of illustrious conductors including James Levine, Riccardo Muti, Valery Gergiev, Sir Antonio Pappano, Daniel Barenboim, Pietari Inkinen, Pierre Boulez, Sir Charles Mackerras, Sir Colin Davis, Daniele Gatti, Edo de Waart, Fabio Luisi, Donald Runnicles, Sir Simon Rattle, Thomas Hengelbrock, Jaap van Zweden and Christian Thielemann.

    Simon’s performances as Siegmund in Die Walküre at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden with Pappano, Teatro alla Scala and Berlin Staatsoper with Barenboim, at the Metropolitan Opera with Runnicles in the celebrated Otto Schenk production returning with Luisi in the Lepage Der Ring des Nibelungen and in the Götz Friedrich production at Deutsche Oper Berlin with Rattle were performed to wide critical acclaim. He was described in the international press as “an exemplary Siegmund, terrific of voice”, “THE Wagnerian tenor of his generation” and “a turbo-charged tenor”.

    Notable debuts have included: Jenik in The Bartered Bride at the Royal Opera House with Mackerras (2005), Die Zauberflöte at the Salzburg Festival with Muti (2005), Gran Sacerdote in Idomeneo at the Metropolitan Opera under Levine (2006), Sergei in Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk with Armstrong for Opera Australia (2009), Siegmund in Die Walküre at Teatro alla Scala with Barenboim (2010) and the Bayerische Staatsoper with Nagano (2013), Lohengrin (title role) for the Bayreuth Festival with Nelsons (2010), Parsifal (title role) with Gatti (2011), Chairman Mao in Nixon in China with Lawrence Renes with the San Francisco Opera (2012), and Parsifal at the Wiener Staatsoper with Thielemann (2012).

    Simon made his Bayreuth festival debut in the title role of Lohengrin in the new Hans Neuenfels production and returned as Parsifal in the celebrated Stefan Herheim production. Other recent engagements have included opening La Scala’s season as Siegmund in Die Walküre with Barenboim, the Wiener Staatsoper with Welser-Möst, his return as Siegmund in the Keith Warner’s celebrated Der Ring des Nibelungen, Lohengrin, Fidelio, Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and the title role of Parsifal in the Stephen Langridge production at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Tambourmajor in Wozzeck with Levine at the Metropolitan Opera, Erik in Der Fliegende Holländer at the Ravinia Festival with Conlon and the Chicago Symphony, Cavaradossi in Tosca in Tokyo, Berlin and Hamburg, Florestan in Fidelio, and Die Walküre at the Houston Grand Opera and Hamburg Staatsoper. Simon also made his debut in the role of Siegfried in concert performances of Götterdämmerung with the Orquesta Sinfonica Galicia, reprised Parsifal with the Balthasar-Neumann Ensemble and Hengelbrock at Teatro Real Madrid and returned to Opera Australia and Houston Grand Opera as the title role in Otello. Recent highlights include: Die Walküre in his debut with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Boris in Katya Kabanova at the Berliner Staatsoper and Gurrelieder at the 2017 BBC Proms, all with Sir Simon Rattle; he also recently performed Die Walkure with Andrew Davis at the Edinburgh Festival, made his debut in the title role of Siegfried with Jaap van Zweden and the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and performed Siegfried in Götterdämmerung for the first time on stage at the Houston Grand Opera.  Forthcoming projects include Das Lied von der Erde at the Barbican Centre and in Luxembourg with Rattle, a return to the Hamburgische Staatsoper as Tambourmajor in Wozzeck, Die Walküre with La Fura dels Baus in Taipei, performances under Jaap van Zweden with the New York Philharmonic and Dallas Symphony orchestras, a tour with the Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and Paavo Järvi to China, and a return to the Bayerischer Staatsoper with Petrenko. At extremely short notice, short notice Simon made his debut in the title role of Verdi’s Otello in concert at the Barbican with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Colin Davis (2009). His performance was widely acclaimed by critics, who described his musical and dramatic portrayal of the infamous protagonist as “thrilling”, “a triumph”, “an immense performance”, “a tremendous debut in the title-role, giving notice that he is the best heroic tenor to emerge over the last decade.”

    Simon has appeared in many of the world’s leading concert halls including Carnegie Hall for Das Lied von der Erde with Levine and The Met Orchestra, Missa Solemnis with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Florestan at the Salzburger Festspiele and BBC Proms with Barenboim, Florestan with the National Symphony Orchestra with Eschenbach at the Kennedy Center Washington, Gurrelieder in the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, Das Lied von der Erde and Parsifal in concert at Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia with Pappano and Gatti, Act Three Parsifal with Nelsons and the Bayerischer Rundfunks Orchestra at the Herkulessaal München, Der Freischütz with Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra, Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass with Dutoit at Tokyo’s NHK Hall and with Boulez in the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, Mahler’s Symphony No.8 at the Sydney Opera House with Ashkenazy and Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 for the reopening of London’s Royal Festival Hall. He also had the honour of touring Europe with Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra performing Act One of Die Walküre in concert and performing complete the ring cycle with the Staatskapelle Berlin at the BBC Proms.

    Multi-Grammy nominated, his discography includes his debut solo award winning album Father and Son, Wagner Scenes and Arias (Lohengrin, Parsifal, Siegmund and Siegfried) with Pietari Inkinen and the NZSO for EMI, the title role Parsifal on Blu-ray and DVD with Sir Antonio Pappano from Covent Garden, the title role Otello and Max in Der Freischütz with Sir Colin Davis for LSO Live, Die Walküre on Blu-ray and DVD with Daniel Barenboim from La Scala, Die Zauberflöte for the Salzburger Festspiele Mozart 25 DVD with Riccardo Muti, Mahler’s Symphony No.8 with Vladimir Ashkenanzy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven Symphony No.9 with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie conducted by Paavo Järvi and with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Kent Nagano, Frank Martin’s Der Sturm with the Netherlands Radio Symphony and Thierry Fischer, Chausson’s Le Roi Arthus with Leon Botstein and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and most recently Voices of German Opera on EMI.

    Simon became an Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours list, he is an alumnus and holds a Doctor of Music (Honoris Causa) from Victoria University of Wellington and is an alumnus of the University of Otago, the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard Opera Center. He is a Fulbright Scholar, was awarded the 2005 Arts Laureate of New Zealand and was a grand finalist in the 2002 Metropolitan Opera National Auditions returning as guest artist in 2007. He also appears on the 1998 New Zealand one-dollar performing arts postage stamp.

     

    TERENCE DENNIS, PIANIST

     

    Terence Dennis was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and is a graduate of the University of Otago and of the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik, Cologne, Germany where he obtained his Konzertexamen with distinction. He is currently Blair Professor and Head of Performance Studies at the University of Otago, Department of Music in Dunedin, New Zealand—the first performance staff member to be appointed to a professorial chair in that nation. Terence Dennis has been acclaimed both overseas and in New Zealand for his performances, teaching, masterclasses and presentations, regularly partnering leading resident musicians and distinguished visiting artists in recital including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa (more than 50 concerts, including two Royal Recitals), Sir Bryn Terfel, Sir Donald McIntyre, Sarah Walker and cellist Maria Kliegel. He has been official pianist for seven international string competitions and guest adjudicator for regional finals of the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions competition in the United States. Terence Dennis was appointed to the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004, and in 2009 appointed a Fellow of the New Zealand Academy of Humanities. Professor Dennis is also a member of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

     

    ~~~~

    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: SPRING

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

     

    MANON LESCAUT by Giacomo Puccini

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

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

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

    Libretto by Domenico Oliva and Luigi Illica

    Time: Late 18th century

    Place: France and America

    Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

    Director: 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

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