After looking at a friend’s tickets for a single pre-season game for a major sports franchise; I don’t want to hear any more complaints about opera being “too expensive.” In fact, I want you to more-or-less empty your wallet, grab the kids or grandkids, and come to the Winspear for some outstanding family friendly programs at the AT&T Performing Arts Center that won’t make a dent in your checking account–courtesy of the Dallas Opera. See the release that follows.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, August 27, 2012
Contact: Suzanne Calvin 214.443.1014 Or Megan Meister 214.443.1071
suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org megan.meister@dallasopera.org
Fall Brings Charming and Uplifting
TDO Family Programming
Presented by
The Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs,
Chase, Kimberly-Clark Corporation
& Texas Instruments, Inc.
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JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
TDOpage2stage
Saturday, October 27th 2:00 p.m.
At the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House
AT&T Performing Arts Center
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THE DALLAS OPERA FAMILY CONCERT
With Mezzo-Soprano Amanda Crider, Baritone David Pershall and Maestro Christian Capocaccia
Sunday, November 4th 2:00 p.m.
At the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House
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DOCTOR MIRACLE
$5 FAMILY PERFORMANCE,
Saturday, November 10th 2:00 p.m.
At the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House
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DALLAS, AUGUST 27, 2012 – The Dallas Opera is delighted to offer three consecutive weekends of family-friendly programming designed to introduce “you and yours” to the extraordinary world of opera. TDO will present a brand new program for the fall called TDOpage2stage on Saturday, October 27, 2012. At 12:30 p.m., the lobby of the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House in the AT&T Performing Arts Center will open for a special kick-off event with a legendary special guest from the world of sports to introduce you to our new TDO Kids Book Club, along with lots of other lobby activities as well.
The excitement doesn’t end there—TDO will host the first public performance of John Davies’ witty opera adaptation of the familiar tale of JACK AND THE BEANSTALK starting at 2:00 p.m., featuring soprano Hannah Riggs as Jack, mezzo-soprano Emily Hueske as Mother/Wife and Bass Travis McGuire as Giant/Trouble. The cast will be accompanied by TDO’s Music Director for Education and Family Programming, Mary Dibbern.
This timeless children’s story was brought to life by Dallas Opera Production Designer Tommy Bourgeois. Dallas Children’s Theater’s Education Director Nancy Schaeffer staged the work for the Dallas Opera.
Single tickets for this event go on sale on Monday, September 10th at 10:00 a.m. for just $5 apiece!
On Sunday, November 4th the Dallas Opera will host a fun-filled afternoon of free arts-related activities starting at 12:00 p.m. and concluding with the Dallas Opera Family Concert at 2:00 PM featuring mezzo-soprano Amanda Crider, fresh off her crowd-pleasing TDO debut as Violetta’s friend “Flora” in our critically acclaimed romantic hit, LA TRAVIATA. She will appear with baritone David Pershall, who is “as handsome as it gets,” with an effortless legato line, according to Larry Kellum of the Connecticut Town Times. “One can see why the Metropolitan Opera has added him to their roster next season.”
These rising stars and the Dallas Opera Orchestra will perform under the baton of Maestro Christian Capocaccia, former Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Opera.
Ms. Crider will be performing “Voi che sapete”, and Mr. Pershall will sing “Hai gia vinta la causa” from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (“The Marriage of Figaro), among other concert highlights. Mr. Pershall will also perform an aria from Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s 2010 Dallas Opera world premiere, Moby-Dick, “Captain Ahab, I must speak with you”. Both Ms. Crider and Mr. Pershall will perform selections from Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia (“The Barber of Seville”), along with memorable arias from Bizet’s always sizzling Carmen.
Don’t miss out on this tremendous (and perfectly priced) program!
Just $5 per ticket! Buy on-line, 24/7, at dallasopera.org or call 214.443.1000. First four tickets FREE for ALL current TDO subscribers to use at any performance in the TDO Family Series. What better chance to introduce the extraordinary music, the magic, and the incredible excitement of opera to your children, grand-children or loved ones!
The Dallas Opera Educational/Family Series is presented by The Perot Foundation Education and Community Outreach Programs, Chase, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and Texas Instruments, Inc., and made possible in part by grants from The David M. Crowley Foundation, the Rosewood Foundation, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
On Saturday, November 10, 2012 a Family Matinee performance of Georges Bizet’s romantic, one-act operetta about love and omelets, DOCTOR MIRACLE, at the Margot & Bill Winspear Opera House located at 2403 Flora Street, Dallas 75201. Tickets for the 2:00 p.m. performance are family budget-priced at $5 apiece! Contact the Dallas Opera at 214.443.1000 or purchase online at dallasopera.org. Tickets will also be available at the door.
DOCTOR MIRACLE was composed for a competition when Georges Bizet (world-renowned for his operas Carmen and The Pearl Fishers) was just eighteen years old. A youthful vitality permeates this story, set in 19th century Padua, Italy, in the home of the Mayor, his wife Veronica, and his love-struck daughter, Laurette. She’s enamored of the ever-resourceful Silvio, an army captain, who dons one disguise after another to infiltrate the household, in order to win the hand of the girl he adores. Sound simple? Guess again!
The SMU cast of DOCTOR MIRACLE features soprano Coretta Smith as Laurette, mezzo-soprano Rachel Alexander as Veronica, baritone Njabulo Mthimkhulu as The Mayor, and tenor Zach Hess in the triple role of Silvio/Pasquin/Doctor Miracle.
The cast and the Dallas Opera Orchestra will perform under the baton of Maestro Christian Capocaccia, former Assistant Conductor of the Dallas Opera.
The classic storybook set and costumes were designed by Production Designer Tommy Bourgeois.
These performances feature a new English translation by Dr. James Hampton, who has also staged the work for the Dallas Opera.
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Subscriptions for the three mainstage productions of the Dallas Opera’s “Pursuits of Passion” Season are on sale now, starting at just $75, through the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or online at dallasopera.org. Single tickets for all Family Performances and AÏDA go on sale September 10th at 10 a.m., starting at a new low price of just $19! Student Rush best-available tickets can be purchased at the lobby box office for $25 (one per valid Student I.D.) ninety minutes prior to each performance.
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“JACK & THE BEANSTALK” KEY BIOS:
MARY DIBBERN (Music Director for Education and Family Programs)
The American pianist Mary Dibbern joined the Music Staff of The Dallas Opera as Music Director for Education and Family Programs in June 2012. She is an internationally known specialist in the field of vocal coaching, recital accompaniment, recordings, University level master classes, Young Artists Program teaching, television and radio appearances in Europe, the United States and Asia. Dibbern was graduated summa cum laude from SMU with a Master of Music in accompaniment under the direction of Maestro Paul Vellucci. She then moved to Paris to work with the great French musicians Nadia Boulanger and Pierre Bernac. She resided in France from 1978 to 2009, where she was guest coach for the Opéra National de Paris (Bastille), and the operas of Nice, Bordeaux, Lyons, Toulouse, Dijon, Châtelet, the Opéra-Comique, the Festival de Radio France-Montpellier and in Europe at the Théâtre Municipal de Lausanne, the Círculo Portuense de Opera, the Lithuanian National Opera (Vilnius), the Latvian National Opera (Riga) and at the Shanghai Opera House where she was in charge of musical and language preparation for the first French-language productions. In the US, she was guest coach at Seattle Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Kentucky Opera, Opera Memphis and Hawai’i Opera Theatre. She was Head of Music at Minnesota Opera for three seasons, where she collaborated closely with composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell on their world premiere “Silent Night” which subsequently won the Pulitzer Price for Music 2012. Mary Dibbern is the author of seven books on French music published by Pendragon Press and is the Editorial Consultant for Musik Fabrik’s publications of works by French composer Jacques Leguerney She is a recording artist for Harmonia Mundi France, Claves and Maguelone.
NANCY SCHAEFFER (Stage Director)
Nancy Schaeffer has served Dallas Children’s Theater since its founding in 1984, first as a teacher and actor and now as Director of all Education Programs and outreach activities. A graduate of Western Kentucky University, Ms. Schaeffer has directed numerous DCT productions including Junie B. Jones…; How I Became a Pirate; don’t u luv me?; Madeline’s Christmas; EAT (It’s Not About Food); Goodnight Moon; The Secret Life of Girls; Stuart Little; If You Give a Mouse a Cookie; The Island of the Skog; Honk!; Babe, the Sheep-Pig; Jack & the Giant Beanstalk; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Bunnicula; Lyle the Crocodile; Miss Nelson is Missing (1999 &2010); Miss Nelson is Back!; If You Give a Moose a Muffin and If You Give a Pig a Party (both of which she adapted for the stage); and twelve productions of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! Ms. Schaeffer also directed DCT’s highly successful touring production of The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fair(l)y (Stoopid) Tales which toured the US and then traveled to Shanghai, China playing at the 2006 Shanghai International Children’s Culture and Arts Expo. As Education Director, Ms. Schaeffer oversees numerous programs including: DCT Academy, which offers year-round classes to more than 1,800 young people, ages 3 through 18; Curtains Up On Reading, an in-school residency program that integrates drama, literature, language arts, social studies, and history; After School and Summer Drama Classes that benefit “at-risk” youth through eight after-school satellite arts programs, and DCT’s Teen Scene, which nurtures the theater audiences and professionals of tomorrow by opening communication between teens, theater professionals and the community at large. She is also the primary contact with area Educators and District Leaders as well as other Education Directors from area cultural institutions. She also recently directed Shared Stories- a museum theater project with the 6th floor museum being created as a part of the upcoming programs honoring the 50th anniversary of the death of President John F. Kennedy.
TOMMY BOURGEOIS (Production Designer)
Tommy Bourgeois has been associated with The Dallas Opera for over 25 years. He has been an integral part of our Costume Shop and is the Head of the Properties Department. Mr. Bourgeois has designed costumes and scenery for Ballet Austin, including Romeo and Juliette, The Nut Cracker and an original production of Taming of the Shrew commissioned by the Kennedy Center. Other costume designs include Six Flags over Texas’ Christmas Show, Jazz land in New Orleans and Dixie Stamped in Tennessee. In addition to designing costumes for various theatres in Dallas, Tommy served as Master Carpenter and Costumer for the Lyric Opera Of Dallas for 4 years from 1986- 1989. He is currently the set designer for the Order of the Alamo Coronation that takes place in San Antonio every spring during Fiesta. Tommy earned a MA in Theatre Design and Dramatic Criticism at Southwest Texas University and went on to earn an MFA at Southern Methodist University where he studied with Bill and Jean Eckhart. In New York, Mr. Bourgeois was the assistant to Beni Montressor on ballets and operas in New York, NY and abroad and worked in the Fashion industry for Joseph Abboud and Emanuel Ungaro.
“JACK & THE BEANSTALK” CAST:
HANNAH RIGGS (Jack)
Soprano Hannah Rigg, a native of Tomball, TX, received her B.M. in Vocal Performance (2010) from East Texas Baptist University and her M.M. in Vocal Performance (2012) from The Meadows School of the Arts at SMU. Her operatic and musical theatre roles include Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Minerva (Orpheus in the Underworld), Belinda (Dido and Aeneas), Hansel (Hansel and Gretel), Dorothy (The Wizard of Oz), Ruth (The Pirates of Penzance), and Dina (Schoolhouse Rock Live!). In concert performances in the Dallas area, Hannah has been heard as soloist in John Rutter’s Gloria and Mozart’s Requiem. Among her numerous awards, scholarships and honors are the Roy and Sue Johnson Opera Theatre Award (2012), Sigma Alpha Iota Scholastic Award (2010), Outstanding Music Student Award (2010), Dexter Lee Riddle Music Scholarship Award (2009), Sharon Faulkner Memorial Scholarship (2008) and the Janice Walker Wrotenbery Scholarship (2007). Hannah was recently named to “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges” and in the fall, she continues her studies at SMU, working towards a Performer’s Diploma in Voice with her teacher Dale Dietert.
EMILY HUESKE (Mother/Wife)
Mezzo-soprano Emily Hueske of Tolland, Connecticut has quickly established herself in the Dallas/Fort Worth music community. She has been heard as a soloist with the Arts District Chorale in a performance of Rossini’s Petite messe solonnelle at the Dallas Museum of Art and has also been a soloist with the Plano Civic Chorus and the Women’s Chorus of Dallas. She is a member of both the Fort Worth Opera Chorus and The Dallas Opera Chorus. This coming season she will be singing the role of Mother/Giant’s wife in The Dallas Opera’s outreach production of Jack and the Beanstalk. As a member of UNT Opera she has sung the role of Alisa in Lucia de Lammermoor and was invited to perform selected opera scenes at the Center for Contemporary Opera’s 2012 Gala in New York City. In the New England region Ms. Hueske has performed with a wide variety of ensembles including the Boston Opera Project, Manchester Symphony Orchestra, Nashua Symphony Orchestra, Old North Festival Chorus and Opera Boston. She has also been a soloist with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the Hartford Chorale and the Simsbury Light Opera. She has sung the role of Madame de la Haltiere in Massenet’s Cendrillon with the New England Conservatory Opera Theatre, as well as the role of Cecilia March in Adamo’s Little Women. In the summer of 2006 she was selected to sing the role of Mrs. Gibbs in the Western Regional premiere of Ned Rorem’s Our Town with the Aspen Opera Theatre Center. Ms. Hueske received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the University of Connecticut and completed a Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance at the New England Conservatory in Boston, MA. She is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of North Texas studying with Dr. Stephen Austin.
TRAVIS McGUIRE (Giant/Trouble)
Travis Wiley McGuire graduated from Southern Methodist University with an M.M. in Voice Performance, studying under Virginia Dupuy, Martha Gerhart, and Simon Sargon. His B.A. Degrees in Music and Biblical Text are from Abilene Christian University, where he studied under Julie Pruett. In Abilene, he appeared as Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro, as Gianni Schicchi, and as Frank Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene. He also sang with the Abilene Opera Association as the Imperial Registrar in Madama Butterfly, as Sonora in La Fanciulla del West, and as Smee in Peter Pan. McGuire’s appearance as Prison Warden Frank in the Abilene Tri-Collegiate Opera’s Die Fledermaus was described in the Abilene Reporter News as displaying a “well-developed comedic bent” and “great vocal abilities.” In 2008, McGuire participated in the Los Angeles-based program, OperaWorks! where he worked with noted coach, Ann Baltz. He has also recently appeared in several of the the SMU Opera Ensemble’s “Opera Free for All” series concerts, in addition to appearances as the Narrator in The Old Maid and the Thief, the Sorceror in Dido and Aeneas, Alcindoro in La Boheme, Grandpa Moss in an award-winning production of Aaron Copland’s The Tender Land, and the Learned Judge in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury.
“DOCTOR MIRACLE” KEY BIOS:
CHRISTIAN CAPOCACCIA (Conductor)
Italian conductor Christian Capocaccia continues to distinguish himself as an artist of keen insight and musicianship. His ease on the podium and comfortable coaching style with singers throughout each season have made him a favorite with orchestras, opera companies and vocalists. 2012 begins with Mr. Capocaccia assuming the post of Music Director of the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic. In September, Mr. Capocaccia will lead performances of Donizetti’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi with AsLiCo (Associazione Lirica e Concertistica Italiana). In October, he returns to the Dallas Opera for performances of Bizet’s Dr. Miracle, his first production with the company since leaving in 2011. During the 2011/12 Season, Mr. Capocaccia coached emerging vocalists at the 10th International Opera Program of Artescénica in Torreón and Saltillo, Mexico. Later on in the season he led Manhattan School of Music’s Opera Scenes production, with director Richard Gammon. In the spring, Mr. Capocaccia was called upon to fill in last minute for rehearsals of Golijov’s La Pasión según San Marcos for the Argentine premier of the piece at the Teatro Colon, where he displayed tremendous confidence and skill, learning the piece overnight, and delivering insight and direction to the great appreciation of the theatre staff and musicians alike. 2011 saw the conclusion of three years as assistant conductor with the Dallas Opera, under Maestro Graham Jenkins. In the 10/11 season, Mr. Capocaccia made his Winspear Opera House debut conducting the Dallas Opera Orchestra and guest singers in a program of opera highlights, in addition to assisting on productions of Don Giovanni, Roméo et Juliette and Rigoletto. Born in Rome, he began studying the violin at the age of 9. He attended the Santa Cecilia Music Conservatory. He earned his Diploma under Paolo Ciociola and completed his studies with world-renowned violinist Nina Beilina in New York. Subsequently he studied composition under Boris Porena and Luciano Pelosi, and conducting with Piero Bellugi and Donato Renzetti. A graduate of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington under David Effron he has participated in Master classes with Herbert Blomstedt, Gustav Meier and Leonard Slatkin.
JAMES HAMPTON (Stage Director)
James Hampton has received critical acclaim as both a stage director and singer. The Washington Post applauded his “pungent”, “tightly paced” direction of Ned Rorem’s opera Our Town at The Catholic University of America. For The University of Texas at Austin, he has directed productions of Handel’s Rinaldo, Orff’s Antigone, Robert Ward’s Roman Fever, and numerous opera scenes evenings. He has directed Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor and Menotti’s The Medium for East Carolina University. On stage, he has been praised for his “mellifluous tenor” (The Towson Times) and “flair for comedy” (The Washington Post). He has been a soloist with the Metro Opera Project, The Texas Early Music Project, The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Austin, Cockpit in Court Summer Theater, The Johns Hopkins Chorale, and the Handel Choir of Baltimore. Ensemble credits include the Washington Opera, Baltimore Opera, Washington Concert Opera and the Deutsch Oper Berlin. James received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin and is the Artistic Services Manager for The Dallas Opera.
TOMMY BOURGEOIS (Production Designer)
Tommy Bourgeois has been associated with The Dallas Opera for over 25 years. He has been an integral part of our Costume Shop and is the Head of the Properties Department. Mr. Bourgeois has designed costumes and scenery for Ballet Austin, including Romeo and Juliette, The Nut Cracker and an original production of Taming of the Shrew commissioned by the Kennedy Center. Other costume designs include Six Flags over Texas’ Christmas Show, Jazz land in New Orleans and Dixie Stamped in Tennessee. In addition to designing costumes for various theatres in Dallas, Tommy served as Master Carpenter and Costumer for the Lyric Opera Of Dallas for 4 years from 1986- 1989. He is currently the set designer for the Order of the Alamo Coronation that takes place in San Antonio every spring during Fiesta. Tommy earned a MA in Theatre Design and Dramatic Criticism at Southwest Texas University and went on to earn an MFA at Southern Methodist University where he studied with Bill and Jean Eckhart. In New York, Mr. Bourgeois was the assistant to Beni Montressor on ballets and operas in New York, NY and abroad and worked in the Fashion industry for Joseph Abboud and Emanuel Ungaro.
“DOCTOR MIRACLE” CAST BIOS:
CORETTA SMITH (Laurette)
Lyric Soprano Coretta Smith is a second year graduate in the Master of Music program in Vocal Performance at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and a student of Barbara Hill-Moore. Coretta received her Bachelor of Music Degree from Abilene Christian University in May of 2010. In February 2012, she sang the role of La Contessa in the SMU opera production of Le Nozze di Figaro. In July 2012, Ms. Smith made her European debut as Pamina from Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte with the Amalfi Coast Music Festival. Other roles include the title role in Cendrillon and the Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Ms. Smith has been a Finalist in regional competitions for the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Dallas Chapter of the Negro Business and Professional Women’s Organization.
RACHEL ALEXANDER (Veronica)
Rachel graduated as a music performance major from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi in 2011. Rachel continued as a freshman in graduate school, furthering her education of the voice at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she has studied with Virginia Dupuy (voice teacher), Simon Sargon (coach), Hank Hammett (acting director), in addition to Maestro Paul Phillips. She has worked on pieces by Handel, Massenet, Gounod, De Falla, Obradors, and Schubert, among others. Rachel sings in the University Park United Methodist Church Choir. In February 2012, Rachel played Cherubino in SMU’s production of the opera Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart. In regards to her future career plans, Rachel expresses a “hope to have an active performing career, do some teaching and masterclasses, and then come back to Mississippi to build up Mississippi Opera. Mississippi has one of the oldest opera companies in the nation, but most Mississippians don’t even know that it exists. It is such a great opportunity, and it is begging to be put in the spotlight.”
NJABULO MTHIMKHULU (The Mayor)
Njabulo Mthimkhulu makes his TDO2Go and Student Performances @ the Winspear debut with these performances. He has sung Marullo in Rigoletto and de Bretigny in Manon with the Cape Town Opera and was a soloist for Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Missa Cellensis, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Schubert Mass in G. His repertoire includes the title role in Don Giovanni, the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Rambaldo in La Rondine. He made his European debut in Sweden as Jean in Boesman’s Julie. Upcoming engagements include the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro with Southern Methodist University. Mr. Mthimkhulu is currently working on his Artist Diploma at Southern Methodist University.
ZACH HESS (Silvio/Pasquin/Doctor Miracle)
Zachary Hess has been described as “marvelous” by the Nashville Scene and “outstanding” by the Nashville Parent. Mr. Hess’ roles in Doctor Miracle will mark his debut with TDO2Go. Mr. Hess was most recently seen in Opera Avanti’s scenes program, singing Faust in Boito’s Mefistofele and Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. Other roles include Alfredo in La traviata with Repertory Opera Theater of Washington, DC, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Captain Tarnitz in The Student Prince for Nashville Opera, and Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd with Tennessee Repertory Theatre. Mr. Hess was also a member of the Mary Ragland Young Artist Program at Nashville Opera. On the concert stage, Mr. Hess has sung the tenor solo in Theodore Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ in Harrisonburg, Virginia, as well as the tenor solo in Mozart’s “Coronation” Mass with the Masterworks Chorus of the Shenandoah Valley.
“FAMILY CONCERT” KEY BIOS:
CHRISTIAN CAPOCACCIA (Conductor)
Italian conductor Christian Capocaccia continues to distinguish himself as an artist of keen insight and musicianship. His ease on the podium and comfortable coaching style with singers throughout each season have made him a favorite with orchestras, opera companies and vocalists. 2012 begins with Mr. Capocaccia assuming the post of Music Director of the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic. In September, Mr. Capocaccia will lead performances of Donizetti’s I Capuleti e I Montecchi with AsLiCo (Associazione Lirica e Concertistica Italiana). In October, he returns to the Dallas Opera for performances of Bizet’s Dr. Miracle, his first production with the company since leaving in 2011. During the 2011/12 Season, Mr. Capocaccia coached emerging vocalists at the 10th International Opera Program of Artescénica in Torreón and Saltillo, Mexico. Later on in the season he led Manhattan School of Music’s Opera Scenes production, with director Richard Gammon. In the spring, Mr. Capocaccia was called upon to fill in last minute for rehearsals of Golijov’s La Pasión según San Marcos for the Argentine premier of the piece at the Teatro Colon, where he displayed tremendous confidence and skill, learning the piece overnight, and delivering insight and direction to the great appreciation of the theatre staff and musicians alike. 2011 saw the conclusion of three years as assistant conductor with the Dallas Opera, under Maestro Graham Jenkins. In the 10/11 season, Mr. Capocaccia made his Winspear Opera House debut conducting the Dallas Opera Orchestra and guest singers in a program of opera highlights, in addition to assisting on productions of Don Giovanni, Roméo et Juliette and Rigoletto. Born in Rome, he began studying the violin at the age of 9. He attended the Santa Cecilia Music Conservatory. He earned his Diploma under Paolo Ciociola and completed his studies with world-renowned violinist Nina Beilina in New York. Subsequently he studied composition under Boris Porena and Luciano Pelosi, and conducting with Piero Bellugi and Donato Renzetti. A graduate of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington under David Effron he has participated in Master classes with Herbert Blomstedt, Gustav Meier and Leonard Slatkin.
AMANDA CRIDER (Mezzo-Soprano)
Amanda Crider made her Dallas Opera debut last season as Flora Bervoix in La traviata. Her current season includes Prince Orlofsky in Knoxville Opera’s production of Die Fledermaus, an appearance with the Greeley Philharmonic, and her return to both Apollo’s Fire and Seraphic Fire in Handel’s Messiah. Recently she appeared as Clarina in La cambiale di matrimonio (Opera Omaha), First Secretary in Nixon in China(Eugene Opera), mezzo soloist in Chansons Madécasses with New World Symphony, and symphonic debuts with the Eugene Symphony (Mozart’s Requiem) and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (Handel’s Messiah). She has appeared numerous times with Florida Grand Opera including performances as Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro and Mercédès inCarmen. She has also sung with New York City Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, and the Tanglewood Music Center. Showing her versatility, she has sung Nellie Forbush in South Pacific for Anchorage Opera and Opera Boston. She has been lauded for her early music interpretations including two seasons with Glimmerglass Opera (Pastore #3 in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and Sesto in Handel’s Giulio Cesare) and performances with Apollo’s Fire, Seraphic Fire, and The Bach Festival Society of Florida. She has been a finalist in competitions such as the José Iturbi International Voice Competition and Jensen Foundation Voice Competition, and is a recipient of a Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation.
DAVID PERSHALL (Baritone)
American baritone David Pershall is quickly making a name for himself on stages around the world with his seductive voice and engaging stage presence. This year he joins the roster at the Metropolitan Opera as the first cover of Lord Cecil in Maria Stuarda. He will also be making his premier as Zurga in Les Pêcheurs de Perles at VirginiaOpera and appearing in concert performances with Dallas Opera. Other recent performances include Schaunard in La Bohème with the Den Norske Opera & Ballet, Robert Baker in Bernstein’s Wonderful Town with the Giuseppe Verdi Orchestra di Milano, Vaughn Williams’ Sea Symphony with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Carmina Burana with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia & Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Opera Theater of Connecticut, as well as the title role of Don Giovanni at Yale School of Music. David has won many prestigious vocal competitions including 1st Prize in the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition, 1st Prize in the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition, 1st Prize in the Connecticut Opera Guild Competition, 1st Prize in the Hugo Kauder Competition for Voice, the Presser Music Foundation Award, and the Thomas Stewart Award for Vocal Excellence. His other awards include prizes in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the Giulio Gari Foundation Competition, the Opera Index Competition, the George London Foundation, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, the David L. Kasdon Memorial Prize for the Outstanding Singer in the Yale School of Music, and an Artist Grant Award from the National Bel Canto Vocal Competition.
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EVENTS AND GUEST ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT “AUGUST AT THE DALLAS OPERA”
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VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS
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Ticket Information for the 2012-2013 Dallas Opera Season
All performances are in the new Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Subscriptions start at just $75 and are on sale now. For more information, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org.
THE DALLAS OPERA 2012-2013 SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Sixth International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in downtown Dallas. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00 p.m. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance. Assistance is available for the hearing impaired.
AIDA by Giuseppe Verdi
October 26: The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance
Featuring Latonia Moore, The Charron and Peter Denker Rising Star (2012)
October 28(m), 31, November 3, 9, 11(m), 2012
Verdi’s Complex and Intimate Love Story Set in Spectacular Ancient Egypt!
An opera in four acts first performed at Khedivial Opera House, Cairo on December 24, 1871.
Text by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette.
Time: Old Kingdom
Place: Egypt
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Stage Director: John Copley
Costume Design: Peter J. Hall
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Latonia Moore (Aida), Antonello Palombi (Radames), Nadia Krasteva* (Amneris), Lester Lynch (Amonasro), Orlin Anastassov* (Ramfis), Ben Wager (The King of Egypt), Jonathan Yarrington* (Messenger), and NaGuanda Nobles* (Priestess).
TURANDOT by Giacomo Puccini
April 5, 7(m), 10, 13, 19 & 21(m), 2013
Puccini’s Last Masterpiece—Riddled with Passionate Romance and Unforgettable Music!
An opera in three acts first performed in Milan at La Scala, April 25, 1926
Text by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, based on Carlo Gozzi’s fable, Turandot.
Time: Legendary times
Place: Peking, China
Conductor: Marco Zambelli
Stage Director: Garnett Bruce
Production Design: Allen Charles Klein
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Lise Lindstrom* (Princess Turandot), Antonello Palombi (Calaf), Hei-Kyung Hong (Liu), Christian Van Horn* (Timur), Jonathan Beyer (Ping), Joseph Hu (Pang), Daniel Montenegrio* (Pong), Ryan Kuster* (A Mandarin), Steven Haal (Emperor Altoum).
THE ASPERN PAPERS by Dominick Argento
April 12, 14(m), 17, 20, 28(m), 2013
The Games People Play—Both Young and Old—To Achieve Their Twisted Desires!
An opera in two acts first performed in Dallas, November 19, 1988.
Text by Dominick Argento, based on a Henry James novella.
Time: Legendary
Place: Lake Como, Italy
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Stage Director: Tim Albery
Scenic Design: Andrew Lieberman*
Costume Design: Constance Hoffman*
Lighting Design: Thomas Hase
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Assistant Director: Michael Mori
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Susan Graham* (Tina), Alexandra Deshorties (Julianna Bordereau), Nathan Gunn (The Lodger), Joseph Kaiser* (Aspern), Dean Peterson (Barelli), Sasha Cooke* (Sonia), Eric Jordan* (A painter), Jennifer Youngs* (Olimpia).
* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut
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The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; TACA; the Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera. Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera. Cartier is the official jeweler and watchmaker of The Dallas Opera. Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News. A special thanks to Mrs. William W. Winspear and the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for their continuing support.
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