the artists Bergen Baker second lady
Hailed by the Star Tribune as having a “fetching blend of grace, warmth and humor on stage,” Bergen Baker currently serves as Teaching Artist for Minnesota Opera. In addition to performing as a concert soloist across the upper Midwest, Ms. Baker has been heard in operatic venues both locally and abroad. Most notably, she has sung the roles of Nanette in Mlle. Modiste with Skylark Opera, the Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte with the Minnesota Orchestra and Tisbe in La Cenerentola with La Musica Lirica in San Marino, Italy. Her concert and oratorio experience includes performances of Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Mass in C minor, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Igor Stravinsky’s Les noces. Ms. Baker holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from DePaul University and the University of Minnesota, respectively. At the U of M, she appeared in the role of Sharon Falconer in the Midwest premiere of the Grammy-award winning American opera Elmer Gantry, by Robert Aldridge. Most recently, she was asked to return as a guest artist to create the title role in the world premiere workshop of Aldridge’s Sister Carrie.
Julien Behr
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Tenor Julien Behr was awarded the “singers’ revelation of the year” in 2009 by the French musicians’ association adami. In 2013, he was among the three nominees in the category “singers’ revelation of the year” at the Victoires de la musique classique. In 2009, he made his international debut at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in the title role of Offenbach’s Orphée aux enfers. Elsewhere, he performed Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) in St. Gallen, Rouen and Bordeaux; Ferrando (Così fan tutte) in Nancy; Arbace (Idomeneo) at the Mozartwoche Salzburg and at the Theater an der Wien; Acis (Acis and Galatea) in Aix-en-Provence and at the Teatro La Fenice; Gonzalve (L’heure espagnole) at the Barbican Centre; Camille de Rossillon (The Merry Widow) in Avignon; and Antonin (Ciboulette) at the Opéra Comique and at the Saint-Etienne Opera. Further plans include Die Zauberflöte (Tamino) at the Theater Bern; a world premiere at the Opéra National du Rhin (Quai Ouest by Régis Campo) and his debut at the Opéra National de Paris (Tamino). In concert, he has collaborated with Les Musiciens du Louvre, Les Arts Florissants, the bbc Symphony, the Mozarteumorchester and the Akademie für Alte Musik. Mr. Behr’s appearance is generously sponsored by Donald E. Benson.
Esther Bialas set and costume designer
Esther Bialas studied costume design in Hamburg. She has a longstanding collaboration with director Nicolas Stemann, designing costumes for his productions of Hamlet (Schauspiel Hannover), Jelinek’s The Work (Burgtheater, Vienna) and Schiller’s The Robbers (Thalia Theater, Hamburg). Together with director Christiane Pohle, she founded the women’s theater company LaborLavache, presented at the Schauspielhaus Zurich. She has designed for the Basel Theater, Vienna Burgtheater and the Deutsche Theater Berlin for opera productions in Lucerne and Basel as well as for the film. Her collaborations with director Barrie Kosky include Strindberg’s A Dream Play at the Deutsche Theater Berlin, Strauss’ The Silent Woman at Munich’s Bavarian State Opera, as well as Ball im Savoy, Seven Songs/The Seven Deadly Sins and West Side Story, all at the Komische Oper in Berlin. Since 2004, she has taught stage design at the Lerchenfeld University in Hamburg.