Up Next:
Tender Land he
Aaron Copland’s
In celebration of America’s 250th
July 18-19 Temple Har Shalom
AUGUST
21 & 23
Eccles Center Park City
by Charles Gounod
Park City Opera
Welcome Welcome to Park City Opera, and welcome to The Tender Land. Opera is often considered the art form of the grand gesture; you think opera, and you think soaring declarations and spectacular special effects. The Tender Land offers something different, but just as powerful. Aaron Copland's opera is humble in its subject, but quite profound in its impact. The plot follows one family over the course of a single day, grappling with cyclical patterns, the passing of time, and vulnerability in the face of change. Often, the story feels inconclusive, as if we're given just a snapshot of what the Moss family's life has been and will be. To me, this portrait of family life is what makes this opera most human. To present this deeply intimate piece, we’re thrilled to be in a venue that showcases the closeness of these characters and this story. This is one facet of our work that makes Park City Opera unique: we choose venues that allow pieces to shine. The Tender Land is only the beginning of what Park City Opera has to offer this summer. In August, we're back with Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at the Eccles Center in downtown Park City. The production features a forty-player orchestra, an international cast of singers, and our inaugural collaboration with Ballet West. It's the biggest step this organization has taken yet, and we hope you'll join us for it. With gratitude, Lena Goldstein Executive Director
About Park City Opera Park City Opera, in its third season, reimagines what vocal art can be: community-driven and inspired by the spirit and natural beauty of Utah. We bring exceptional artists and enthusiastic audiences together in distinctive spaces that celebrate both music and community.
Our Staff Lena Goldstein, Executive Director Benjamin Beckman, Artistic Director Lisl Wangermann, Operations & Development Director Chloe Webster, Administrative Assistant Lila Baker Stein, Intern Natalie Boberg, Orchestra Manager
Our Board of Directors Amy Englebrecht Neylan McBaine Susanne Mentzer Diane Zack
Our Giving Circle You can ensure that opera has a home in our community for many years to come! Join a growing circle of patrons who believe in music’s power to connect and enrich us all:
Membership Circle: Gifts of $250+ Summit Circle: Gifts of $2,500+ Enjoy early access to tickets, invitations to exclusive donor events, access to select open rehearsals, reserved seating by name & more!
The Park City Opera Experience American folk music (fiddle, guitar, dulcimer) by Kate MacLeod and Dylan Schorer. Plein-Air painting by Olga Hegner. Bar service by Top Shelf Utah. American bites by Chef Galen Zamarra.
Upcoming Events Opera Around the World – Every Monday at 6:30 PM This summer, every Monday evening at the City Park Bandstand, grab your passports and embark on a free operatic journey around the world presented in partnership with Mountain Town Music. Blankets, chairs, coolers, and dogs welcome. Gourmet picnic baskets from Union Patisserie are available for pre-order.
Opera History Lecture – Wednesday, July 29th, 5:00 PM
Synopsis ACT I: AFTERNOON On an American farm, Laurie's younger sister Beth daydreams about her future while their mother, Ma Moss, reflects on her daily responsibilities. Mr. Splinters, the postman, arrives with a parcel containing Laurie's graduation dress and is invited to the evening's graduation celebration. Before departing, he warns Ma Moss of two drifters recently seen in town, whom he suspects may be criminals. Ma Moss and Beth go inside to prepare for the festivities. Laurie returns from school, pausing to reflect on how quickly time has passed. When Ma Moss scolds her for being late, Laurie voices her frustration with the rigid constraints of her life. Ultimately, Laurie promises to behave at her graduation party that night. Two drifters, Top and Martin, enter the yard. Laurie is initially wary but is soon charmed by their tales of life in the outside world. When Grandpa Moss returns, he agrees to hire them to help with the harvest and invites them to attend the party. Intermission ACT II: EVENING The community gathers to celebrate Laurie's graduation. Speeches, dances, and general merriment ensue. Amid the celebration, Ma Moss voices suspicions about the drifters to Mr. Splinters, who leaves to fetch the sheriff.
Join us at the Park City Museum Education and Collections Center for an evening lecture titled Shakespeare’s Legacy: From the Globe to Grand Opera. Ahead of Park City Opera’s production of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, join us to learn more about Shakespeare’s enduring legacy in opera, the history of Shakespeare performance in Utah, and the story behind Gounod’s masterpiece.
Laurie and Martin share a dance that deepens into a profound connection. Martin resolves to stay on the farm and build a life with Laurie, but their moment is interrupted by Grandpa Moss, who reacts with fury. Ma Moss openly accuses Top and Martin of being criminals. Mr. Splinters returns with news that the real criminals have already been apprehended. Grandpa Moss abruptly ends the party and orders the drifters to leave at daybreak, ignoring Laurie’s pleas.
Arias After Dark – Sunday, August 2nd, 8:00 PM
ACT III: THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT Laurie and Martin rendezvous in the yard, where she begs him to take her with him when he leaves. He agrees, and they plan to depart together at dawn. Martin shares his decision with Top, who reacts with alarm and persuades him to leave Laurie behind. Though conflicted, Martin ultimately yields, and the two men depart before sunrise.
Hosted at Old Town Cellars on Main Street, this event is the perfect way to end your day. Our singers go head-to-head in a showcase (or showdown!) of arias. Wine, cocktails, and light bites available. Lounge seating, low lights, and limited capacity mean this one will sell out fast; get your tickets before they're gone.
Songs of the Sea Dinner – Thursday, August 6th, 6:30 PM Set sail for an evening where opera meets the ocean. Enjoy live performances from The Pearl Fishers, The Pirates of Penzance, and more, paired with a thoughtfully crafted dinner and fine wine under the Park Meadows Country Club tent.
At daybreak, Laurie realizes Martin has broken his promise. Beth and Ma Moss try to comfort her, but, abandoning both her graduation and the only life she has known, she leaves the farm. Left behind, Ma Moss turns to Beth to begin again.
Production Team Benjamin Beckman Conductor
Lisl Wangermann Director
Hayley E. Wallenfeldt Scenic Designer
Caitlin Denney-Turner Stage Manager
Julian Kelley Projection Designer
Chea Kang Graphic Designer
Lila Baker-Stein Assistant Stage Manager
Sara Schwartz Lighting Designer
Mac Merchant Rehearsal Pianist
Jeff Blake Set Builder
Natalie Boberg Orchestra Manager
Our Cast Rachel Kobernick Laurie (Sat., July 18th)
Lena Goldstein Laurie (Sun., July 19th)
David Silvano Martin
Joseph O’Shea Top
Laura Zahn Ma Moss
Erik Danielson Grandpa Moss
Sam Plumb Mr. Splinters
Emily Hubert Beth
Ellie Niver Mrs. Jenks
Akshay Ghiya Mr. Jenks
Chelsea Alexandra Mrs. Splinters
Jacob Kenison Daniel
April Clayton Flute
Erin Voellinger Clarinet
Fabio Valery Villanova Bassoon
Mac Merchant Piano
Natalie Boberg Violin (Concertmaster)
John Shin Violin
Kate Mayfield Violin
Sarah Francis Violin
Sunny Gish Johnson Viola
Madison Marshall Viola
Megan Richards Cello
Cassie Olson Cello
Our Orchestra
Performed in English.
Liz Rhodes Bass
Approx. 1 hour, 45 minutes with one 20-minute intermission. Please respect the audience and creative team. Photographing, videotaping, or recording this production is prohibited. Orchestral reduction by Murry Sidlin. By arrangement with B&H Music Publishing Inc. d/b/a Boosey & Hawkes, exclusive publisher for The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., copyright owner.
Annette Jarvis
Joan Meixner
Deborah Sheldon
Pam & David Knecht
Kyle Niedzwiecki
Annsley & George Strong
Sonia Levitin
Annelise Pedersen & Chris Spafford
Melissa & Philip Urofsky
Carol Levy
Robert & Suzanne Rosenberg
Terri Poli & Craig Weakley
Laura Little
Tomoko Schlag
CJ & Cady Wolf
Artist Bios Rachel Kobernick Laurie (Sat., July 18th) | Soprano
Cincinnati, Ohio PCO Debut, Role Debut Engagements: Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro (Indianapolis Opera), Berginella, Songbird (Kentucky Opera), La Statue Animée, Pygmalion (Kentucky Opera), Marguerite, Faust (Heartbeat Opera), Tzeitel, Fiddler on the Roof (Cincinnati Opera). Upcoming: Despina, Così fan tutte (Queen City Opera).
This list acknowledges donations made between July 11, 2025 and July 11, 2026. Please contact Lisl Wangermann, Operations & Development Director, at lisl@parkcityopera.org if you have any questions.
Lena Goldstein Laurie (Sun., July 19th) | Soprano
Park City, Utah Engagements: Berta, The Barber of Seville (Park City Opera), Angelica, Orlando (San Francisco Conservatory Historical Performance), Zerlina, Don Giovanni (Vox Opera), Eurinda, Doriclea (Yale Baroque Opera Project). Upcoming: Chorus, Simon Boccanegra (San Francisco Opera).
Organizational & Community Support:
David Silvano Martin | Tenor
Salt Lake City, Utah Engagements: Zorro, Zorro (Pacific Opera Project), Martin, The Tender Land (University of Utah Opera), The Duke, Rigoletto (Mobile Opera), El Remendado (Don José Cover), Carmen (Indianapolis Opera), Theodore Billings, The Copper Queen (Marble City Opera). Upcoming: Benvolio, Roméo et Juliette (Park City Opera). Joseph O’Shea Top | Baritone
Mobile, Alabama PCO Debut, Role Debut Engagements: Samuel (Major-General Cover), The Pirates of Penzance (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis), William Dale, Silent Night (Florida Grand Opera), Papageno, Die Zauberflöte (Mobile Opera), Figaro (Cover), Il barbiere di Siviglia (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis). Upcoming: General and Doctor, The Rising and The Falling / Angelotti and Jailer, Tosca (Pensacola Opera), Cascada, The Merry Widow (Mobile Opera).
Artist Bios (cont.)
Our Supporters
Laura Zahn
This production is made possible, in part, with the generous support of the following organizations and individuals:
Ma Moss | Mezzo-soprano
West Chester, Pennsylvania PCO Debut, Role Debut Engagements: Maddalena, Rigoletto (Indianapolis Opera), Dalila (Cover), Samson et Dalila (St. Pete Opera), Santuzza, Cavalleria rusticana (MidAtlantic Orchestra), Romeo, I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Bel Cantanti Opera Company). Upcoming: Mary, The Flying Dutchman (Opera Orlando), Mother, Amahl and the Night Visitors (Uptown Performing Arts Center), Leah, Eliza (Jonathan Green Cultural Center). Erik Danielson Grandpa Moss | Bass-baritone
Dallas, Texas PCO Debut, Role Debut Engagements: Escamillo, Carmen (Opera Arlington), Guglielmo, Così fan tutte (Opera Arlington), Silvio, Pagliacci (Opera West), Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni (Opera Arlington), Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof (Mainstage Classic Theatre), Bill Sikes, Oliver! (Mainstage Classic Theatre). Sam Plumb Mr. Splinters | Tenor
Salt Lake City, Utah Role Debut Engagements: Elvino (Cover), La sonnambula (Teatro Nuovo), Chorus, The Gift of the Magi (Park City Opera), Chorus, The Barber of Seville (Park City Opera). Upcoming: Alfredo, La traviata (Lyrical Opera Theater), Chorus, Roméo et Juliette (Park City Opera). Emily Hubert Beth | Soprano
West Jordan, Utah PCO Debut, Role Debut Engagements: Giannetta, L’elisir d’amore (La Musica Lyrica), Laurie, The Tender Land (University of Utah Opera). Upcoming: Micaëla, Carmen (University of Utah Opera).
Individual Support: $50,000+
Fred & Annette Keller
Deborah Lambert
Sarah Ratchye & Ed Frank
Patricia Kravtin & Jonathan
Rachel MacKay
Horwitz
Paul & Alison Mayfield
$15,000–$49,999
Lorin Michaels
Beano Solomon
$1,000–$2,499
Brandon & Amanda Murray
Diane Zack
Mary Bing
Sallie Rinderknecht
Lisa Dang & Paul Zane Pilzer
Jeff & Johnna Smith
$10,000–$14,999
Amy Englebrecht
Nancy & Gary Tenzer
Jaynee & Eric Beckman
Richard Lalli
Judi & David Victor
Gail & Andrew Goldstein
Neylan McBaine & Elliot Smith
James Walker
Carrie & Steve Parsons
Susanne Mentzer
John & Maureen Wangermann
Robin & Shane Robison
Josh & Carey Pickus Drs. Helena & David Rodbard
$250–$499
$5,000–$9,999
Susan & Glenn Rothman
Alan Agle
Cathy & Steven Collins
Robert & Wynne Shapiro
David & Mary Ashkenaze
Ruth & Phil Davidson
Melanie Smith
Eric & Heather Barnhill
Dorothy Hancock
Bruce & Joy Soll
Mary Bourke
Tom Litle
Scott & Brenda Sorensen
Brooke Bunker
Nancy McCormick
James & Kelly Whitcomb
Joyce Butler
The Napier Family
Anne & Rupert Cox
Karen & Casey O'Keefe
$500–$999
Linda Elbert
Matt & Jen Rhodes-Kropf
Christine Adams
Catherine L. Fishbach
Jeff & Hanna Skovronsky
Nancy & Greg Annick
Ellen Frank & David Kupfer
Mari & Dan Skovronsky
Allison DeBona & Rex Tilton
Marilyn & Robert Gellert
Kat White
Lucy Ellis
Sylvia Goff
Adele & Jim Forman
Amy Goodman
$2,500–$4,999
Tara Freifeld
Ronny Michael Greenberg
Nancy Bartmess & Richard
Jamison Frost
Mike Grey
Burroughs
Amy Grossman
Marty & Jim Harger
Cecilia Deaton
Mary Lynne Hulme
Julie & Adam Harris
Tamara & Jim Hughes
Lara Kaplan
Susan & Mike Heitmann
Musically, The Tender Land falls at the end of Copland’s great populist period. His early and late work engages directly with modernism, dissonance, and experimentation; but in the 1930s and 1940s, ending in 1954 with the composition of this opera, Copland (moved in part by patriotism surrounding the outbreak of World War II) aimed to write music for the everyday American – music that emotionally actualized his and their own belonging to a shared great American project. On surface level, The Tender Land is a story about Laurie, a farm girl on the eve of her high school graduation, who must make a choice to take her life into her own hands. Copland never knew life on a farm, but perhaps the reason this music speaks so personally is that Laurie’s choice resembles that of Copland’s parents, who crossed an ocean in search of a better life. It belongs to Copland himself, who made a place for his own musical voice in a country that did not always know what to do with him. And it reminds us in America that our own families, in one way or another, have been shaped by the hope that life might become larger than the world we inherited: the great American dream.
Artist Bios (cont.) Ellie Niver Mrs. Jenks | Soprano
Kaysville, Utah Role Debut Engagements: Frasquita, Carmen (Reno Philharmonic), Fiordiligi, Così fan tutte (Brigham Young University), Rosalinde, Die Fledermaus (Brigham Young University), Valencienne, The Merry Widow (Brigham Young University).
Akshay Ghiya Mr. Jenks | Baritone
Salt Lake City, Utah Role Debut Engagements: Marcello, La bohème (University of Utah Opera), Father, Hansel and Gretel (University of Utah Opera), Belcore, L’elisir d’amore (University of Northern Colorado), Chorus, The Barber of Seville (Park City Opera). Upcoming: Gregorio, Roméo et Juliette (Park City Opera).
–Benjamin Beckman
Chelsea Alexandra Mrs. Splinters | Soprano
Saratoga Springs, Utah Role Debut Engagements: Pamina, Die Zauberflöte (Lyrical Opera Theater), Hera, Protectress (Opera Contempo), Billie Jo Casta, Oedipus Tex (Opera Contempo), Juliette, Roméo et Juliette (Shakespeare Opera Theatre), Micaëla, Carmen (Lyrical Opera Theater). Upcoming: Desdemona, Otello (Lyrical Opera Theater). Jacob Kenison Daniel | Tenor
Tooele, Utah Role Debut Engagements: Tamino, Die Zauberflöte (Lyrical Opera Theater), Fenton, Falstaff (Lyrical Opera Theater), Prisoner 1, Fidelio (Utah Opera), Chorus, The Barber of Seville (Park City Opera). Upcoming: Chorus, Roméo et Juliette (Park City Opera).
Artist Bios (Cont.) Benjamin Beckman Conductor
Benjamin Beckman is a Los Angeles-based conductor, composer, and pianist. Ben has served on the music staff for productions with Sarasota Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Opera Company of Middlebury Vermont, Chicago Summer Opera, USC Thornton Opera, and the Opera Theater of Yale College, assisting on more than two dozen operas. In Summer 2025, following his fellowship at the Manetti Shrem Opera Program at Festival Napa Valley, Ben led Park City Opera's inaugural mainstage production (of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia) to a sold-out run. In 2025/2026, he makes his company debut at The Atlanta Opera assistant conducting Glass’s La Belle et la Bête and returns to Pacific Opera Project as rehearsal pianist and chorusmaster for Fra Diavolo, Zorro, The Abduction from the Seraglio, and Turandot, and USC Thornton Opera for The Cunning Little Vixen and The Turn of the Screw. With Park City Opera, this season he conducts Conte’s The Gift of the Magi, Copland’s The Tender Land, and Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. In Fall 2026, Ben will make his company debut with Utah Opera as guest pianist reprising Armienta’s Zorro, and returns to Pacific Opera Project to conduct Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. He holds a B.A. in Music from Yale College and an M.M. in Composition from the USC Thornton School of Music.
From the Director At Park City Opera, we start every production with a "libretto read,” where we sit down as a team and read through the entire text of the opera like a play. For The Tender Land, this was an incredibly important step in our process. Although Copland gives us some details about the Moss family, their community, and the drifters, there are moments in this opera that can be presented in many different ways. In order to create a compelling and cohesive production, we first needed to decide some things together. Where is Laurie’s father? Did Top really go to jail? What is the final straw for Martin? Even after this thorough conversation, we still explored different options. If you were a fly on the wall during our rehearsal process, you would have heard me say many times, "Can we do this again, but can we see a version where..." Over the course of the past few weeks, we have coalesced around some answers that depict a world where people make mistakes and decisions are not clearly right or wrong. However, this world is still beautiful, tender, and loving. This production would be nothing without the amazing singers who patiently and thoughtfully answered my questions and tried every suggestion fearlessly. They are brilliant, and I hope you enjoy their performances as much as I do!
–Lisl Wangermann
From the Conductor
Lisl Wangermann Director
Winner of the 2021 Yale University Louis Sudler Prize in the Performing and Creative Arts and recipient of an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Lisl Wangermann is a lyric soprano and director from Dallas, TX. Her recent roles range from Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) to her "standout performance" (Cleveland Classical) as Sophy in the world premiere of Margi Griebling-Haigh's The Higgler. In 2023, Lisl was a semifinalist for the Dallas Opera’s Lone Star Vocal Competition, and in 2024, Lisl was a finalist for the Gerda Lissner Art Song and Lieder Competition and received an encouragement award. In 2025/2026, Lisl directed Park City Opera’s productions of The Barber of Seville and The Gift of the Magi and served as Assistant Director for Bronx Opera’s productions of Idomeneo and Ariadne auf Naxos. Lisl holds degrees from Yale University (B.A.) and the Cleveland Institute of Music (M.M., A.D.).
Aaron Copland is often called the “Dean of American Music,” and rightly so; for familiar listeners, his name immediately conjures wide skies, open intervals, square dances, Shaker hymns, and visions of the American landscape. When we think of the “American” sound in classical music, it is Aaron Copland who made it. But Copland himself complicates any simple idea of American-ness: Copland is an anglicization of “Kaplan.” He was born in Brooklyn to Lithuanian-Jewish immigrant parents, in a family with little formal musical background. He was gay, he held communist sympathies, and during the Red Scare he was investigated by the FBI and questioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee under McCarthy. In other words, the composer whose music came to symbolize America was also someone America was willing to suspect. That tension sits at the heart of The Tender Land. Copland did not grow up on a farm himself – the opera was inspired by Depression-era images of American farm life. For the libretto, Copland turned to Erik Johns, his close associate and former lover, who wrote under the pseudonym Horace Everett. Neither Copland nor Johns lived in rural America, let alone worked on a farm: their opera is an outsider’s dream of the American heartland.
Artist Bios (Cont.) Benjamin Beckman Conductor
Benjamin Beckman is a Los Angeles-based conductor, composer, and pianist. Ben has served on the music staff for productions with Sarasota Opera, Pacific Opera Project, Opera Company of Middlebury Vermont, Chicago Summer Opera, USC Thornton Opera, and the Opera Theater of Yale College, assisting on more than two dozen operas. In Summer 2025, following his fellowship at the Manetti Shrem Opera Program at Festival Napa Valley, Ben led Park City Opera's inaugural mainstage production (of Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia) to a sold-out run. In 2025/2026, he makes his company debut at The Atlanta Opera assistant conducting Glass’s La Belle et la Bête and returns to Pacific Opera Project as rehearsal pianist and chorusmaster for Fra Diavolo, Zorro, The Abduction from the Seraglio, and Turandot, and USC Thornton Opera for The Cunning Little Vixen and The Turn of the Screw. With Park City Opera, this season he conducts Conte’s The Gift of the Magi, Copland’s The Tender Land, and Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. In Fall 2026, Ben will make his company debut with Utah Opera as guest pianist reprising Armienta’s Zorro, and returns to Pacific Opera Project to conduct Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. He holds a B.A. in Music from Yale College and an M.M. in Composition from the USC Thornton School of Music.
From the Director At Park City Opera, we start every production with a "libretto read,” where we sit down as a team and read through the entire text of the opera like a play. For The Tender Land, this was an incredibly important step in our process. Although Copland gives us some details about the Moss family, their community, and the drifters, there are moments in this opera that can be presented in many different ways. In order to create a compelling and cohesive production, we first needed to decide some things together. Where is Laurie’s father? Did Top really go to jail? What is the final straw for Martin? Even after this thorough conversation, we still explored different options. If you were a fly on the wall during our rehearsal process, you would have heard me say many times, "Can we do this again, but can we see a version where..." Over the course of the past few weeks, we have coalesced around some answers that depict a world where people make mistakes and decisions are not clearly right or wrong. However, this world is still beautiful, tender, and loving. This production would be nothing without the amazing singers who patiently and thoughtfully answered my questions and tried every suggestion fearlessly. They are brilliant, and I hope you enjoy their performances as much as I do!
–Lisl Wangermann
From the Conductor
Lisl Wangermann Director
Winner of the 2021 Yale University Louis Sudler Prize in the Performing and Creative Arts and recipient of an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Lisl Wangermann is a lyric soprano and director from Dallas, TX. Her recent roles range from Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) to her "standout performance" (Cleveland Classical) as Sophy in the world premiere of Margi Griebling-Haigh's The Higgler. In 2023, Lisl was a semifinalist for the Dallas Opera’s Lone Star Vocal Competition, and in 2024, Lisl was a finalist for the Gerda Lissner Art Song and Lieder Competition and received an encouragement award. In 2025/2026, Lisl directed Park City Opera’s productions of The Barber of Seville and The Gift of the Magi and served as Assistant Director for Bronx Opera’s productions of Idomeneo and Ariadne auf Naxos. Lisl holds degrees from Yale University (B.A.) and the Cleveland Institute of Music (M.M., A.D.).
Aaron Copland is often called the “Dean of American Music,” and rightly so; for familiar listeners, his name immediately conjures wide skies, open intervals, square dances, Shaker hymns, and visions of the American landscape. When we think of the “American” sound in classical music, it is Aaron Copland who made it. But Copland himself complicates any simple idea of American-ness: Copland is an anglicization of “Kaplan.” He was born in Brooklyn to Lithuanian-Jewish immigrant parents, in a family with little formal musical background. He was gay, he held communist sympathies, and during the Red Scare he was investigated by the FBI and questioned by the House Un-American Activities Committee under McCarthy. In other words, the composer whose music came to symbolize America was also someone America was willing to suspect. That tension sits at the heart of The Tender Land. Copland did not grow up on a farm himself – the opera was inspired by Depression-era images of American farm life. For the libretto, Copland turned to Erik Johns, his close associate and former lover, who wrote under the pseudonym Horace Everett. Neither Copland nor Johns lived in rural America, let alone worked on a farm: their opera is an outsider’s dream of the American heartland.
Musically, The Tender Land falls at the end of Copland’s great populist period. His early and late work engages directly with modernism, dissonance, and experimentation; but in the 1930s and 1940s, ending in 1954 with the composition of this opera, Copland (moved in part by patriotism surrounding the outbreak of World War II) aimed to write music for the everyday American – music that emotionally actualized his and their own belonging to a shared great American project. On surface level, The Tender Land is a story about Laurie, a farm girl on the eve of her high school graduation, who must make a choice to take her life into her own hands. Copland never knew life on a farm, but perhaps the reason this music speaks so personally is that Laurie’s choice resembles that of Copland’s parents, who crossed an ocean in search of a better life. It belongs to Copland himself, who made a place for his own musical voice in a country that did not always know what to do with him. And it reminds us in America that our own families, in one way or another, have been shaped by the hope that life might become larger than the world we inherited: the great American dream.
Artist Bios (cont.) Ellie Niver Mrs. Jenks | Soprano
Kaysville, Utah Role Debut Engagements: Frasquita, Carmen (Reno Philharmonic), Fiordiligi, Così fan tutte (Brigham Young University), Rosalinde, Die Fledermaus (Brigham Young University), Valencienne, The Merry Widow (Brigham Young University).
Akshay Ghiya Mr. Jenks | Baritone
Salt Lake City, Utah Role Debut Engagements: Marcello, La bohème (University of Utah Opera), Father, Hansel and Gretel (University of Utah Opera), Belcore, L’elisir d’amore (University of Northern Colorado), Chorus, The Barber of Seville (Park City Opera). Upcoming: Gregorio, Roméo et Juliette (Park City Opera).
–Benjamin Beckman
Chelsea Alexandra Mrs. Splinters | Soprano
Saratoga Springs, Utah Role Debut Engagements: Pamina, Die Zauberflöte (Lyrical Opera Theater), Hera, Protectress (Opera Contempo), Billie Jo Casta, Oedipus Tex (Opera Contempo), Juliette, Roméo et Juliette (Shakespeare Opera Theatre), Micaëla, Carmen (Lyrical Opera Theater). Upcoming: Desdemona, Otello (Lyrical Opera Theater). Jacob Kenison Daniel | Tenor
Tooele, Utah Role Debut Engagements: Tamino, Die Zauberflöte (Lyrical Opera Theater), Fenton, Falstaff (Lyrical Opera Theater), Prisoner 1, Fidelio (Utah Opera), Chorus, The Barber of Seville (Park City Opera). Upcoming: Chorus, Roméo et Juliette (Park City Opera).
Artist Bios (cont.)
Our Supporters
Laura Zahn
This production is made possible, in part, with the generous support of the following organizations and individuals:
Ma Moss | Mezzo-soprano
West Chester, Pennsylvania PCO Debut, Role Debut Engagements: Maddalena, Rigoletto (Indianapolis Opera), Dalila (Cover), Samson et Dalila (St. Pete Opera), Santuzza, Cavalleria rusticana (MidAtlantic Orchestra), Romeo, I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Bel Cantanti Opera Company). Upcoming: Mary, The Flying Dutchman (Opera Orlando), Mother, Amahl and the Night Visitors (Uptown Performing Arts Center), Leah, Eliza (Jonathan Green Cultural Center). Erik Danielson Grandpa Moss | Bass-baritone
Dallas, Texas PCO Debut, Role Debut Engagements: Escamillo, Carmen (Opera Arlington), Guglielmo, Così fan tutte (Opera Arlington), Silvio, Pagliacci (Opera West), Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni (Opera Arlington), Tevye, Fiddler on the Roof (Mainstage Classic Theatre), Bill Sikes, Oliver! (Mainstage Classic Theatre). Sam Plumb Mr. Splinters | Tenor
Salt Lake City, Utah Role Debut Engagements: Elvino (Cover), La sonnambula (Teatro Nuovo), Chorus, The Gift of the Magi (Park City Opera), Chorus, The Barber of Seville (Park City Opera). Upcoming: Alfredo, La traviata (Lyrical Opera Theater), Chorus, Roméo et Juliette (Park City Opera). Emily Hubert Beth | Soprano
West Jordan, Utah PCO Debut, Role Debut Engagements: Giannetta, L’elisir d’amore (La Musica Lyrica), Laurie, The Tender Land (University of Utah Opera). Upcoming: Micaëla, Carmen (University of Utah Opera).
Individual Support: $50,000+
Fred & Annette Keller
Deborah Lambert
Sarah Ratchye & Ed Frank
Patricia Kravtin & Jonathan
Rachel MacKay
Horwitz
Paul & Alison Mayfield
$15,000–$49,999
Lorin Michaels
Beano Solomon
$1,000–$2,499
Brandon & Amanda Murray
Diane Zack
Mary Bing
Sallie Rinderknecht
Lisa Dang & Paul Zane Pilzer
Jeff & Johnna Smith
$10,000–$14,999
Amy Englebrecht
Nancy & Gary Tenzer
Jaynee & Eric Beckman
Richard Lalli
Judi & David Victor
Gail & Andrew Goldstein
Neylan McBaine & Elliot Smith
James Walker
Carrie & Steve Parsons
Susanne Mentzer
John & Maureen Wangermann
Robin & Shane Robison
Josh & Carey Pickus Drs. Helena & David Rodbard
$250–$499
$5,000–$9,999
Susan & Glenn Rothman
Alan Agle
Cathy & Steven Collins
Robert & Wynne Shapiro
David & Mary Ashkenaze
Ruth & Phil Davidson
Melanie Smith
Eric & Heather Barnhill
Dorothy Hancock
Bruce & Joy Soll
Mary Bourke
Tom Litle
Scott & Brenda Sorensen
Brooke Bunker
Nancy McCormick
James & Kelly Whitcomb
Joyce Butler
The Napier Family
Anne & Rupert Cox
Karen & Casey O'Keefe
$500–$999
Linda Elbert
Matt & Jen Rhodes-Kropf
Christine Adams
Catherine L. Fishbach
Jeff & Hanna Skovronsky
Nancy & Greg Annick
Ellen Frank & David Kupfer
Mari & Dan Skovronsky
Allison DeBona & Rex Tilton
Marilyn & Robert Gellert
Kat White
Lucy Ellis
Sylvia Goff
Adele & Jim Forman
Amy Goodman
$2,500–$4,999
Tara Freifeld
Ronny Michael Greenberg
Nancy Bartmess & Richard
Jamison Frost
Mike Grey
Burroughs
Amy Grossman
Marty & Jim Harger
Cecilia Deaton
Mary Lynne Hulme
Julie & Adam Harris
Tamara & Jim Hughes
Lara Kaplan
Susan & Mike Heitmann
Annette Jarvis
Joan Meixner
Deborah Sheldon
Pam & David Knecht
Kyle Niedzwiecki
Annsley & George Strong
Sonia Levitin
Annelise Pedersen & Chris Spafford
Melissa & Philip Urofsky
Carol Levy
Robert & Suzanne Rosenberg
Terri Poli & Craig Weakley
Laura Little
Tomoko Schlag
CJ & Cady Wolf
Artist Bios Rachel Kobernick Laurie (Sat., July 18th) | Soprano
Cincinnati, Ohio PCO Debut, Role Debut Engagements: Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro (Indianapolis Opera), Berginella, Songbird (Kentucky Opera), La Statue Animée, Pygmalion (Kentucky Opera), Marguerite, Faust (Heartbeat Opera), Tzeitel, Fiddler on the Roof (Cincinnati Opera). Upcoming: Despina, Così fan tutte (Queen City Opera).
This list acknowledges donations made between July 11, 2025 and July 11, 2026. Please contact Lisl Wangermann, Operations & Development Director, at lisl@parkcityopera.org if you have any questions.
Lena Goldstein Laurie (Sun., July 19th) | Soprano
Park City, Utah Engagements: Berta, The Barber of Seville (Park City Opera), Angelica, Orlando (San Francisco Conservatory Historical Performance), Zerlina, Don Giovanni (Vox Opera), Eurinda, Doriclea (Yale Baroque Opera Project). Upcoming: Chorus, Simon Boccanegra (San Francisco Opera).
Organizational & Community Support:
David Silvano Martin | Tenor
Salt Lake City, Utah Engagements: Zorro, Zorro (Pacific Opera Project), Martin, The Tender Land (University of Utah Opera), The Duke, Rigoletto (Mobile Opera), El Remendado (Don José Cover), Carmen (Indianapolis Opera), Theodore Billings, The Copper Queen (Marble City Opera). Upcoming: Benvolio, Roméo et Juliette (Park City Opera). Joseph O’Shea Top | Baritone
Mobile, Alabama PCO Debut, Role Debut Engagements: Samuel (Major-General Cover), The Pirates of Penzance (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis), William Dale, Silent Night (Florida Grand Opera), Papageno, Die Zauberflöte (Mobile Opera), Figaro (Cover), Il barbiere di Siviglia (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis). Upcoming: General and Doctor, The Rising and The Falling / Angelotti and Jailer, Tosca (Pensacola Opera), Cascada, The Merry Widow (Mobile Opera).
Production Team Benjamin Beckman Conductor
Lisl Wangermann Director
Hayley E. Wallenfeldt Scenic Designer
Caitlin Denney-Turner Stage Manager
Julian Kelley Projection Designer
Chea Kang Graphic Designer
Lila Baker-Stein Assistant Stage Manager
Sara Schwartz Lighting Designer
Mac Merchant Rehearsal Pianist
Jeff Blake Set Builder
Natalie Boberg Orchestra Manager
Our Cast Rachel Kobernick Laurie (Sat., July 18th)
Lena Goldstein Laurie (Sun., July 19th)
David Silvano Martin
Joseph O’Shea Top
Laura Zahn Ma Moss
Erik Danielson Grandpa Moss
Sam Plumb Mr. Splinters
Emily Hubert Beth
Ellie Niver Mrs. Jenks
Akshay Ghiya Mr. Jenks
Chelsea Alexandra Mrs. Splinters
Jacob Kenison Daniel
April Clayton Flute
Erin Voellinger Clarinet
Fabio Valery Villanova Bassoon
Mac Merchant Piano
Natalie Boberg Violin (Concertmaster)
John Shin Violin
Kate Mayfield Violin
Sarah Francis Violin
Sunny Gish Johnson Viola
Madison Marshall Viola
Megan Richards Cello
Cassie Olson Cello
Our Orchestra
Performed in English.
Liz Rhodes Bass
Approx. 1 hour, 45 minutes with one 20-minute intermission. Please respect the audience and creative team. Photographing, videotaping, or recording this production is prohibited. Orchestral reduction by Murry Sidlin. By arrangement with B&H Music Publishing Inc. d/b/a Boosey & Hawkes, exclusive publisher for The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., copyright owner.
The Park City Opera Experience American folk music (fiddle, guitar, dulcimer) by Kate MacLeod and Dylan Schorer. Plein-Air painting by Olga Hegner. Bar service by Top Shelf Utah. American bites by Chef Galen Zamarra.
Upcoming Events Opera Around the World – Every Monday at 6:30 PM This summer, every Monday evening at the City Park Bandstand, grab your passports and embark on a free operatic journey around the world presented in partnership with Mountain Town Music. Blankets, chairs, coolers, and dogs welcome. Gourmet picnic baskets from Union Patisserie are available for pre-order.
Opera History Lecture – Wednesday, July 29th, 5:00 PM
Synopsis ACT I: AFTERNOON On an American farm, Laurie's younger sister Beth daydreams about her future while their mother, Ma Moss, reflects on her daily responsibilities. Mr. Splinters, the postman, arrives with a parcel containing Laurie's graduation dress and is invited to the evening's graduation celebration. Before departing, he warns Ma Moss of two drifters recently seen in town, whom he suspects may be criminals. Ma Moss and Beth go inside to prepare for the festivities. Laurie returns from school, pausing to reflect on how quickly time has passed. When Ma Moss scolds her for being late, Laurie voices her frustration with the rigid constraints of her life. Ultimately, Laurie promises to behave at her graduation party that night. Two drifters, Top and Martin, enter the yard. Laurie is initially wary but is soon charmed by their tales of life in the outside world. When Grandpa Moss returns, he agrees to hire them to help with the harvest and invites them to attend the party. Intermission ACT II: EVENING The community gathers to celebrate Laurie's graduation. Speeches, dances, and general merriment ensue. Amid the celebration, Ma Moss voices suspicions about the drifters to Mr. Splinters, who leaves to fetch the sheriff.
Join us at the Park City Museum Education and Collections Center for an evening lecture titled Shakespeare’s Legacy: From the Globe to Grand Opera. Ahead of Park City Opera’s production of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, join us to learn more about Shakespeare’s enduring legacy in opera, the history of Shakespeare performance in Utah, and the story behind Gounod’s masterpiece.
Laurie and Martin share a dance that deepens into a profound connection. Martin resolves to stay on the farm and build a life with Laurie, but their moment is interrupted by Grandpa Moss, who reacts with fury. Ma Moss openly accuses Top and Martin of being criminals. Mr. Splinters returns with news that the real criminals have already been apprehended. Grandpa Moss abruptly ends the party and orders the drifters to leave at daybreak, ignoring Laurie’s pleas.
Arias After Dark – Sunday, August 2nd, 8:00 PM
ACT III: THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT Laurie and Martin rendezvous in the yard, where she begs him to take her with him when he leaves. He agrees, and they plan to depart together at dawn. Martin shares his decision with Top, who reacts with alarm and persuades him to leave Laurie behind. Though conflicted, Martin ultimately yields, and the two men depart before sunrise.
Hosted at Old Town Cellars on Main Street, this event is the perfect way to end your day. Our singers go head-to-head in a showcase (or showdown!) of arias. Wine, cocktails, and light bites available. Lounge seating, low lights, and limited capacity mean this one will sell out fast; get your tickets before they're gone.
Songs of the Sea Dinner – Thursday, August 6th, 6:30 PM Set sail for an evening where opera meets the ocean. Enjoy live performances from The Pearl Fishers, The Pirates of Penzance, and more, paired with a thoughtfully crafted dinner and fine wine under the Park Meadows Country Club tent.
At daybreak, Laurie realizes Martin has broken his promise. Beth and Ma Moss try to comfort her, but, abandoning both her graduation and the only life she has known, she leaves the farm. Left behind, Ma Moss turns to Beth to begin again.
Welcome Welcome to Park City Opera, and welcome to The Tender Land. Opera is often considered the art form of the grand gesture; you think opera, and you think soaring declarations and spectacular special effects. The Tender Land offers something different, but just as powerful. Aaron Copland's opera is humble in its subject, but quite profound in its impact. The plot follows one family over the course of a single day, grappling with cyclical patterns, the passing of time, and vulnerability in the face of change. Often, the story feels inconclusive, as if we're given just a snapshot of what the Moss family's life has been and will be. To me, this portrait of family life is what makes this opera most human. To present this deeply intimate piece, we’re thrilled to be in a venue that showcases the closeness of these characters and this story. This is one facet of our work that makes Park City Opera unique: we choose venues that allow pieces to shine. The Tender Land is only the beginning of what Park City Opera has to offer this summer. In August, we're back with Gounod's Roméo et Juliette at the Eccles Center in downtown Park City. The production features a forty-player orchestra, an international cast of singers, and our inaugural collaboration with Ballet West. It's the biggest step this organization has taken yet, and we hope you'll join us for it. With gratitude, Lena Goldstein Executive Director
About Park City Opera Park City Opera, in its third season, reimagines what vocal art can be: community-driven and inspired by the spirit and natural beauty of Utah. We bring exceptional artists and enthusiastic audiences together in distinctive spaces that celebrate both music and community.
Our Staff Lena Goldstein, Executive Director Benjamin Beckman, Artistic Director Lisl Wangermann, Operations & Development Director Chloe Webster, Administrative Assistant Lila Baker Stein, Intern Natalie Boberg, Orchestra Manager
Our Board of Directors Amy Englebrecht Neylan McBaine Susanne Mentzer Diane Zack
Our Giving Circle You can ensure that opera has a home in our community for many years to come! Join a growing circle of patrons who believe in music’s power to connect and enrich us all:
Membership Circle: Gifts of $250+ Summit Circle: Gifts of $2,500+ Enjoy early access to tickets, invitations to exclusive donor events, access to select open rehearsals, reserved seating by name & more!
Up Next:
Tender Land he
Aaron Copland’s
In celebration of America’s 250th
July 18-19 Temple Har Shalom
AUGUST
21 & 23
Eccles Center Park City
by Charles Gounod
Park City Opera