Così fan tutte (2022) Program Book | Boston University Opera Institute

TSAI PERFORMANCE CENTER 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston

MUSIC BY W. A. MOZART MUSIC BY W. A. MOZART

MUSIC BY W. A. MOZART TSAI PERFORMANCE CENTER 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston TSAI PERFORMANCE CENTER 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston

WELCOME FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Choosing to study and pursue a career in the arts can be a risky venture, especially in these uncertain times. It is through this lens that we must recognize the incredible commitment and resilience of the students who have made that decision to believe in the power of art to effect change. Their dedication to the task has never failed during these recent months when others would have thrown in the towel. This production is but a small sample of the many examples of the creative and artistic efforts of the students at the School of Music and the School of Theatre. This assemblage of students who are singers, instrumentalists, along with students of design and production, is a hallmark of our program, and we are deeply grateful to the School of Theatre’s Design and Production faculty and students without whom none of this would be possible. Please enjoy this awesome display of tenacity and, dare I say, the audacity of these inspiring young artists.

William Lumpkin Artistic Director & Conductor

Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Music: Opera Institute and School of Theatre present

COSÌ FAN TUTTE Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte William Lumpkin, Conductor Nathan Troup, Stage Director Samantha Mastrati, Scenic Design Lauren Reuter, Costume Design Kevin Fulton, Lighting Design Steven Doucette, Properties Master Natalie Main, Production Stage Manager Allison Voth, Principal Coach & Chorus Master Matthew Larson, Coach Angela Gooch, Repetiteur James Templeton, Production Manager Oshin Gregorian, Managing Director There will be one 15-minute intermission.

Edited for the New Mozart Edition by Faye Ferguson and Wolfgang Rehm. Used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, U.S.and Canadian agent for Bärenreiter-Verlag, publisher and copyright owner.

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CAST Fiordiligi........................*Kira Kaplan, +Stephanie Pfundt

Addison Pattillo, cover Dorabella...............*Gabrielle Barkidjija, +Olivia Schurke Guglielmo.........................*Yunus Akbaş, +Jacob O’Shea Ferrando........................*Ryan Lustgarten, +Jangho Lee Despina.....................*Helena Losada, +Savannah Panah Don Alfonso.................*Hyungjin Son, +Ryan Mewhorter

* Thursday/Saturday Performers + Friday/Sunday Performers

CHORUS Carli Mazich-Addice, William Benoit, Ektoras Georgiou, Marcus Huber, Rozime Lindsey, Grace Manning, Ashleigh Ortiz, Anthony Pilcher, Marin Sewell, Cortney Towns PRODUCTION & DESIGN TEAM Assistant Stage Managers.......Chris Daly, Autumn Munsell Production Assistant............................Rebecca Kleeman Assistant to the Stage Director.................Addison Pattillo Assistant Scenic Designer..........................Anna Vidergar Assistant Lighting Designer...........................Isaak Olson Wardrobe Head........................................Emily Keebler Run Crew..........................Theodore Doyle, Aaron Lamm SOM Director of Production.............Christopher Dempsey SOM Ensemble Manager................................Mary Gerbi Tsai Center Production Manager.....................JoLaine Hall Supertitles..................................................Allison Voth

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BOSTON UNIVERSITY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA William Lumpkin, Conductor Violin I Jennifer Hsuan Wang, principal Maggie Ernst Reyna Flores Will Peltz Smalley Lorenzo Gallegos Stella Faux Violin II Juliet Kim, principal Yi-Cheng Shia Hayoung Oh Peng Yi Maya Lynn Kelly Tsai

Flute Courtney Regester, principal Jackie Bartling-John Oboe Alessandro Cirafici, principal Camden Christenson Ward Clarinet Sam Day, principal Richard Frederick Bassoon Valerie Curd, principal Francesca Panunto Horn Jess Young, principal Eliana Lontok

Viola Taisiya Sokolova, principal Jiaming Wang Isabel Wheat

Trumpet Di Yue, principal Brendan Mathieson

Cello Chao Du, principal Alexander Norberg Jewel Kim Molly Farrar

Timpani Lauren Girouard Continuo *Maria Rabbia +Kimly Wang

Bass Nicholas Caux, principal Yu-Hsuan Huang

* Thursday/Saturday Performer + Friday/Sunday Performer

Assistant Conductor Ken Yanagisawa Manager Jackie Bartling-John

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PROGRAM NOTE At the heart of Così fan tutte resides a brilliant score and a clever libretto with a somewhat problematic story tightly wedged between the two. The title alone draws a distinctive line between the sexes with its inherent, seemingly single-sided assertion which translated means “all [specifically women] are like that.” The direct quote from the libretto –uttered by our three male characters– rings a bit differently 232 years after the piece’s premiere (though the work wasn’t exactly a huge hit, taking well into the 20th century to become considered part of the popular operatic canon).

Since we continue to relish the opportunity to tell the story as told through the artistic lens of Mozart and DaPonte, it seemed natural to place our characters in a similar world while simultaneously making the most of the ossia title “School for Lovers.” Here, they discover a little about love and a lot about themselves through their own evolving artistic sensibilities and nonsense-abilities as influenced by the multitude of artistic interpretations that transcend time and continue to inform our perceptions and expectations of love, for better and for worse.

‘Til death due us part. Or not.

Nathan Troup Stage Director

In honor of Opera Institute founder, Metropolitan Opera Soprano and CFA Dean Emerita Phyllis Curtin, the following students have been named

Opera Institute Phyllis Curtin Artists for 2021-2022 ~ Gabrielle Barkidjija Hyungjin Son Phyllis Curtin Artists are chosen based on the qualities of professionalism, artistry, diligent study, and collegiality consistent with both the Opera Institute’s mission and Ms. Curtin’s example.

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SCENE BREAKDOWN ACT I Scene i, Don Alfonso tells his friends Ferrando and Guglielmo that their fiancés Fiordiligi and Dorabella are incapable of being faithful. The boys wager a bet with Don Alfonso to prove him wrong.

Scene ii, While waiting for Ferrando and Guglielmo to arrive, Fiordiligi and Dorabella gush over their respective fiancés and men in general.

Scene iii, Don Alfonso arrives instead and announces that their lovers have been drafted.

Scene iv, The boys arrive to say good-bye.

Scene v, The ship is waiting and the regiment must board.

They vow to write.

Scene vi, The ship has sailed and Don Alfonso and the girls wish the boys a safe journey and a final farewell.

Scene vii, Finally alone, Don Alfonso pats himself on the back for his fine acting and remains incredulous at the naiveté of his friends.

Scene viii, Despina, the girls’ maid, complains bitterly over her life as a maid.

Scene ix, The girls enter distraught and tell Despina what’s happened. Dorabella is suicidal, but Despina assures them that this is their chance to have a little fun since their fiancés will surely do the same.

Scene x, Don Alfonso decides to pay Despina a visit while his friends are getting into disguise. He offers her a little incentive to join his caper. Loving money, she agrees to help him out.

Scene xi, Don Alfonso brings his longtime “mysterious friends” to meet Fiordiligi and Dorabella. The girls flat-out reject the advances of the mysterious seducers.

Scene xii, Ferrando and Guglielmo are in fits of laughter over their victory over Don Alfonso. He warns them not to celebrate before the plan is seen to its finish.

Scene xiii, The women, still pining for their fiancés, are rudely interrupted by the mysterious suitors who threaten to take poison if the ladies do not acquiesce to their advances. They drink the ‘poison’, and all hell breaks loose, but the women hold their ground.

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ACT II Scene i, Despina makes one more attempt to convince the girls that it is time to seize the day and live a little.

After all, she asks, are you not human?

Scene ii, Fiordiligi and Dorabella discuss Despina’s advice and decide that she is right: having a little fun will not change their hearts. It’s then time to choose.

Scene iii, The mysterious friends return for their second round of wooing. Don Alfonso and Despina encourage the reluctant lovers.

Scene iv, The four lovers find themselves in a park, feeling nervous and awkward. Fiordiligi makes the first bold move, and before long, the couples are paired off with each other’s lover. Guglielmo quickly seduces Dorabella.

Scene v, Ferrando has less success with Fiordiligi, despite her bold move. She is left alone, confused and flustered.

She soon regains her resolve and asks forgiveness for her straying thoughts.

Scene vi, The boys compare notes: Ferrando had no success with Fiordiligi, but Guglielmo cannot say the same about Dorabella. Ferrando is devastated, and Guglielmo assuages his anger by complaining about women.

Scene vii, Alone, Ferrando is left to ponder his betrayal.

Scene viii, Dorabella fesses up to Despina: she gave in to Guglielmo. Fiordiligi is outraged. Despina says that Fiordiligi, too, will give in. Fiordiligi rejects her prediction, and Dorabella philosophizes on her new revelations about love.

Scene ix, Fiordiligi decides they must join their fiancés on the field. She orders Despina to find their lovers’ old uniforms so they can go in disguise.

Scene x, Fiordiligi ponders her plan, but is interrupted by Ferrando. She finally succumbs.

Scene xi, Guglielmo has heard the news that Fiordiligi, too, succumbed. He declares war on the girls, but Don Alfonso reminds the boys that, deep down, they still love their girls, so why not accept them faults and all? After all: All women are alike.

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ARTISTIC BIOS William Lumpkin (CONDUCTOR), Associate Professor of Music, is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Opera Institute at Boston University where he conducts Opera and Chamber Orchestra performances. He has conducted Boston Lyric Opera productions of Cosí fan tutte and Dove’s Flight and conducted the premiere of Flight and Hansel and Gretel with Opera Theatre of St. Louis. In 2002, Lumpkin led performances of Philip Glass’ Galileo Galilei as part of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s New Wave Festival. Mr. Lumpkin was Assistant to the Music Director at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis where he made his company debut conducting performances of La bohème, followed by Magic Flute and Lucia di Lammermoor. He has appeared as guest conductor at Indiana University and University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. Other professional credits include Wolf Trap Opera Company, Boston Lyric Opera, Aspen Opera Theatre Center, Chicago Opera Theater, and the Los Angeles Opera. Mr. Lumpkin holds a BM from the Eastman School of Music and a D.M.A. in Collaborative Piano from the University of Southern California.

Nathan Troup (STAGE DIRECTOR), Recent projects include Wozzeck with Boston Symphony Orchestra and upcoming engagements with Des Moines Metro Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Tanglewood. Previous engagements include Los Angeles Opera, Arizona Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Omaha, Castleton Festival, Glimmerglass Festival, Wexford Festival, Santa Fe Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera in addition to those with Boston’s own Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera, Emmanuel Music, Guerilla Opera, Museum of Fine Arts, and Institute of Contemporary Art. His diverse body of work spans standard operatic repertoire, new work premieres, uniquely curated site-specific projects, gala events, distinct collaborations with multidisciplinary artists and boasts international acclaim as well as a regional Emmy award for Best Arts & Entertainment feature for Iowa PBS. A graduate of the CFA, Troup currently serves on the faculty as a Lecturer in Opera teaching and directing all levels of opera.

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Matthew Larson received his Doctorate in Collaborative Piano from Arizona State University under the tutelage of Eckart Sellheim. An accomplished recitalist, Dr. Larson has played over 1,000 performances in the US and Europe.

He has worked with such varied artists as Metropolitan Opera stars Carol Vaness, Maria Spacagna, Eric Owens, and Lawrence Brownlee; Academy of Ancient Music director Christopher Hogwood; vocal pedagogy pioneer Richard Miller; and the eminent collaborative artist Dalton Baldwin, with whom Matthew was invited to study in New York. Past positions include Assistant Conductor for Boston Lyric Opera; Music Director for the University of Connecticut Opera Program; Staff Pianist for Yale University Opera; Vocal Coach at Brown University; Staff Pianist for The American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria; Music Director of Opera Providence; Vocal Coach at Walnut Hill School for the Arts; Pianist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus; Music Director of Cape Cod Opera; and Vocal Coach for Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artist Vocal Program. Currently, Dr. Larson is on faculty at Boston University; Music Director of Seaglass Theater Company of New Bedford MA; and Minister of Music at First Congregational Church of Milton, Massachusetts. In January 2020 he earned a Grammy Award as pianist on Boston Modern Opera Project’s recording of Tobias Picker’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. Allison Voth is an Associate Professor of Music at Boston University and Principal Coach at BU’s Opera Institute.

A well-known coach with a specialty in diction, she has worked with such companies and festivals as Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Boston, Chautauqua Opera, Opera North, Opera Unlimited, The Florence Voice Seminar, and the Athens Music Festival. Also a recognized supertitlist, her titles have been used nationwide, including at Washington Opera and the Chicago Symphony, and, internationally, at the Barbican Festival in London. As a specialist in7 the music of Paul Bowles, in 1992, she produced and performed in a multi-media performance piece entitled Paul Bowles: One Man, Two Voices at Merkin Hall in New York, and in 1995, she premiered a set of piano preludes in the EOS Ensemble’s Bowles Festival. Ms. Voth is also the Music Director of the Cantata Singers’ Chamber Series and can be heard on CRI recordings.

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Angela Gooch joined the opera faculty in 2018 as pianist, coach, and music director of Opera Project. She also serves on the faculty at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and the Longy School of Music of Bard College. She has been honored by the NFAA and named in the Who’s Who Among American Teachers as one the arts most distinguished teachers. Ms. Gooch served on faculty at The Walnut Hill School for the Arts where she served ten years as the Head of the voice program. Ms. Gooch served as music director of the Opera Theatre of Weston in VT for 10 years where she most recently music directed the east coast premiere of Nolan Gasser’s The Secret Garden.

Ms. Gooch has also spent a great deal of her career as an operatic soprano. Most recently she recorded Rorem’s Our Town and Barber’s Hand of Bridge with Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Other Credits include Voice of the Fountain in Golijov’s Grammy award winning Ainadamar, Ward’s opera The Crucible, and Sawyer’s Our American Cousin, in which she created the role of Mary Lincoln with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.

Oshin Gregorian is the Managing Director and Producer for the Boston University Opera Institute. Previous positions include Director of Operations with the ProArte Chamber Orchestra, and General Manager for Collage New Music. Mr. Gregorian holds a BM in vocal performance from Boston University, a MM in vocal performance from Manhattan School of Music, and is a graduate of the Opera Institute with honors. With the Opera Institute, he has been seen as Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Il Podesta in La Finta Giardiniera, and Junius in The Rape of Lucretia, among others. He has performed in numerous concerts and oratorio works with ensembles such as the Tanglewood Festival Chorus/Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Newburyport Choral Society, and Boston Youth Symphony, among others. Mr. Gregorian made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2005 under the auspices of Music Armenia.

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Natalie Main (she/her) is a recent graduate from Boston University with a degree in Stage Management. Recent Boston University Credits include The Midsummer Project, Make Way for Ducklings and Mansfield Park. Since graduating, Natalie has worked on Dido and Aeneas (Central City Opera), Cavalleria Rusticana (Boston Lyric Opera), Attila and The Daughter of the Regiment (Sarasota Opera.) This summer, Natalie will be working at the Santa Fe Opera. She is very grateful for the opportunity to be back at BU and work with this wonderful cast and crew. She is incredibly grateful for her supportive friends and family.

Find out more information at nataliemain.com Samantha Mastrati is a graduating senior studying Scene Design at Boston University's School of Theater.

Along with her interests in scenic design, she is also skilled in the areas of scenic painting and props artistry.

Her true passion is storytelling, and as a scenic designer she finds great joy in creating the worlds where these stories unfold! Some of her recent work has been The Corruption of Morgana Pendragon at Boston University and Walking the Tightrope at Wheelock Family Theatre.

Japanese-American conductor Ken Yanagisawa is the Assistant Conductor of the Boston Civic Symphony. A recipient of the Yale University Joseph Lentilhon Selden Memorial Award and the Stanton Wheeler Award, Ken recently completed a research residency at the Kyoto City University of Arts, holds a Master of Music and Professional Studies Certificate in Orchestral Conducting from the Manhattan School of Music, and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Boston University under the guidance of James Burton. While a student at MSM, he was selected to participate in the Manhattan School of Music/Leonard Slatkin Conductors Project and was subsequently invited to work with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as a Conducting Fellow in March 2020. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Yale University, and prior to Yale he attended the New England Conservatory as an Undergraduate Diploma candidate for Oboe Performance under the tutelage of John Ferrillo.

Isaak Olson (he/him) – (Assistant Lighting Designer) Isaak is a Junior pursuing a major in Lighting Design at 10

BU, where he is training to be a lighting technician, designer, programmer and theatre educator. Most recently he was the Co-Lighting Designer and Programmer on the Elements XX Dance Competition hosted by BU's Fusion.

His other past work at the BU School of Theatre includes Assistant Lighting Designer on If I Were You, Supervising Production Electrician on the Fall 2021 Fringe Festival, and Production Electrician on Walking the Tightrope. For the Summer of 2022 he will be working as the Staff Electrician at Weston Theatre Company in his home state, Vermont.

James D. Templeton (he/him) is a 1st Year MFA Production Management candidate from Rochester, NY. Prior to BU James was a stage manager working with companies such as Kansas City Rep, Kansas City Ballet, and Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Production Management credits at BU include Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace, Proving Up and Passage. This summer he will be working at Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre.

Anna Vidergar (she/her) is a Theatre Arts - Design and Production sophomore concentrating in scenic design from Denver, Colorado. Previous Boston University credits include: Colossal (Assistant Scenic Design/Props Master); Laure (Scenic Design); Passage (Props Master); Ain Gordon Project (Props Master); and The Corruption of Morgana Pendragon (Assistant Stage Manager). She looks forward to continuing her work in opera this summer at Cincinnati Opera as their painting intern.

Rebecca Kleeman is a Maryland native who very excited to be participating in her first show with the Opera Institute. She’s currently majoring in Stage Management at Boston University and will be graduating in 2025.

Autumn Munsell is a sophomore undergraduate student in the College of Fine Arts studying technical theater. She has recently worked as the Technical Director for BU’s School of Theater’s production of The Legend of Georgia McBride. Last semester she worked as the Assistant Technical Director for BU’s School of Theater’s Fringe Festival. Along with her work at Boston University, Autumn has also worked at Playhouse on Park in West 11

Hartford Connecticut on their productions of Into the Woods(2021), A Midsummer Night’s Dream(2021), and Five Guys Named Moe(2022). This summer Autumn looks forward to working with Berkshire Theatre Group as a carpenter during their 2022 summer season. Autumn would like to thank the cast and crew for their hard work and enthusiasm throughout the process, she would especially like to thank the stage management team for helping her through this new process. Autumn would also like to thank her family and friends for their support, especially her Dad. Maria Rabbia hails from New Hartford, New York, and is finishing her first year of her DMA in Collaborative Piano studying under Shiela Kibbe. Previously, Maria received her MM in Collaborative Piano from Ithaca College and a BA in Piano from the College of Saint Rose. Coaching and collaborative credits include International Performing Arts Institute in Kiefersfelden, Germany, The Voice Institute of the Finger Lakes, and participation as a Young Artist with Opera Company of Middlebury. Maria worked with Opera Ithaca on productions of La bohème and Carmen. This summer she will be the pianist of the newly formed Opera Studio as part of the Opera Direction Certificate Program in Ithaca, NY. Born in China, pianist Kimly Mengyin Wang studied at Musikgymnasium C.P. E. Bach in Berlin, Germany, before immigrating to Canada. She is currently pursuing a Doctor in Musical Art degree in collaborative piano at Boston University under the tutelage of Shiela Kibbe. Kimly holds a Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano and a Bachelor’s degree in Solo Piano Performance from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She studied at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she received a performance diploma.

As an emerging young artist, Kimly has appeared on stage in North America, Europe, and China, playing in a broad range of settings including solo recitals, chamber music concerts, and opera performances.

She was the prize winner of the KAWAI Music Competition and Germany Youth Music Competition. Kimly maintains a strong interest in vocal repertoire, which has been enhanced through her work as vocal coach and rehearsal pianist.

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Lauren Reuter is a Massachussettes based costume designer. She received her BFA in Costume Design at Boston University in 2018 and has been teaching Costume Design & Production at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts since then.

While in college, she always loved working with the Opera Institute working on shows such as assisting on “Vinkensport” to design on “Werther” and “The War Reporter”.

After graduating, Lauren has designed for Boston Opera Collaborative, UMASS Amherst Opera, Berklee College of Music Musical Theatre, PVPA & Five Town College. She had a wonderful time working on this opera and hopes you enjoy the show!

SINGER BIOS Yunus Akbaş is a Turkish Baritone in his first year at Boston University’s Opera Institute where he studies with David Guzman. This spring Yunus will perform the role of Guglielmo in Boston University Opera Institute’s production of Così fan tutte. Most recently Yunus was seen as Paul in Jake Heggie’s If I Were You and as Charles Babbage in The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace by Kamala Sankaram, both performed with the Opera Institute. In 2019, Yunus completed his Bachelor of Music degree in Opera and Concert Singing at Haliç University under the tutelage of mezzo-soprano Nilgün Onat. Yunus was a twotime award winner of İstanbul Baroque Competition, placing 2nd in 2018 and receiving an Encouragement Award in 2017.

Gabrielle Barkidjija is a mezzo-soprano originally from Chicago, Illinois. At BU, Gabrielle was most recently seen as Brittomara (If I were you), and was praised for her “damnable commitment and satisfying vocal chops” (Boston Musical Intelligencer). Also at BU, Gabrielle performed as Ada Lovelace (The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace) and Fanny Price (Mansfield Park). At Northwestern, Gabrielle most notably performed as Captain (Dog Days), Beatrice (Beatrice et Benedict), Zerlina (Don Giovanni), Mother Marie (Dialogues of the Carmelites), and Estelle (Later the Same Evening). She has been a young artist with the Merola Opera Program, Central City Opera, and the Aspen Music Festival. This summer, she will return to Central City Opera as an Apprentice Artist, and will sing the role of Zosia in Jake Heggie’s “Two Remain.” She is in her 2nd year at the Boston University Opera Institute and studies 13

voice under Penelope Bitzas, and she received her Bachelors and Masters of Music in Voice and Opera Performance from Northwestern University in 2018 and 2020 respectively.

William Benoit is a Tenor from Gresham, Oregon. He is currently in his first year in the MM Voice Performance program at Boston University, under the tutelage of Dr. David Guzman, and has previously received a BM in Voice Performance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he studied under Michael Hanley. With the Opera Institute, she recently sang the role of David in Jake Heggie’s If I Were You. Ektoras Georgiou, tenor, from Nicosia, Cyprus, is currently a first year Master's student at BU studying with Prof. Penelope Bitzas. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Voice), Magna Cum Laude, from Berklee College of Music. Previous performances include the Sailor in Dido and Aeneas with the Cyprus Opera Organization, and at the Boston Symphony Hall with the Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, he participated in a virtual series of musical theatre productions for the state theatre of Cyprus Marcus Huber, tenor, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is a first year Master of Music student studying voice un der the tutelage of Penelope Bitzas. Marcus received a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance from Temple University in 2021. With the Opera Institute, he performed the role of William in Kamala Sankaram’s The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace as part of Boston University’s Fringe Festival. Previous roles performed include Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance with Sketch Club Players, Dr. Blind in Die Fledermaus, and Pisandro in Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria with Temple University Opera Theater, where he also covered the roles of Alfred in Die Fledermaus and Laurie in Little Women.

Kira Kaplan, soprano, originally from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is in her first year at the Boston Opera Institute under the tutelage of Penelope Bitzas. Kira earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Furman University, and a Master of Music from Mannes School of Music. With the Opera Institute, Kira has performed as 14

Harriet Beecher Stowe in Kamala Sankaram’s The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace, and Diana in Jake Heggie’s If I Were You. Kira has been seen previously in the roles of Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Le Feu in L’enfant et les sortilèges, and Anne Truelove in The Rake’s Progress. Kira has received awards from the 2021 Friends of Eastman Opera Competition, and the 2020 MI Opera Opera Competition. In January 2022, Kira was named a winner in the North Carolina district of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, receiving the prestigious Rustin Family Award.

JangHo Lee, Tenor, from Seoul, South Korea, is a second-year of Opera Institute student under the tutelage of Penelope Bitzas. JangHo Lee earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, and a Master of Music degree from Mannes School of Music in New York. With the Opera Institute, JangHo Lee has performed the roles of Mr. Rushworth in Mansfield Park, Miles Zegner in Proving Up, and Fabian in If I Were You. With the Yonsei University, He has performed the roles of Don Basilio in Le Nozze di Figaro and with the Mannes School of Music, He has performed the roles of Peter Quint in The Turn of The Screw. JangHo took Illinois District Winner Prize at the Metropolitan Opera National Council, Encouragement Prize at the Gerda Lissner Lieder Competition.

Rozime Lindsey is a baritone from Philadelphia Pa and is a Junior Voice Performance major under the tutelage of Penelope Bitzas. Così fan tutte marks Rozime’s first opera ever. He recently received the Ellalou Dimmock Award and will be performing a recital next fall in honor of Miss.Dimmock.

Helena Losada, soprano, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and grew up in Brazil. She is a first-year Master of Voice student under the tutelage of Sharon Daniels.

Helena earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Despina is her role debut at Boston University. During her time in Brazil, she sang the role of Lauretta in Pergolesi’s “Il maestro di musica’’ and performed several times as solo 15

ist with the Porto Alegre Symphony Orchestra (OSPA) and the Theatro São Pedro Chamber Orchestra (OCTSP). She won 2nd Prize in the 17th edition of the Maria Callas International Singing Competition, and she was granted the Lory Keller/OSPA performance award in the International Singing Competition Linus Lerner in its Brazil edition. This summer, she will perform Pamina with the Berlin Opera Academy, and join SongFest as a Young Artist and Colburn Foundation Fellow.

Ryan Lustgarten was born in Seattle, WA and is currently a second-year member of the Boston University Opera Institute. He received his Bachelor of Music in Voice and Opera Performance from Washington State University in 2016, and his Master’s Degree in Voice & Opera from Northwestern University in 2020, during which he per formed numerous operatic roles. As an Apprentice Artist at Central City Opera in Colorado, Ryan sang the role of Borsa in Verdi’s Rigoletto. He reprised this role in March for his debut with Shreveport Opera in Louisiana. This season at the Opera Institute, Ryan has already performed the role of Miles in Missy Mazzoli’s contemporary opera Proving Up, and the role of Fabian in Jake Heggie’s If I Were You. Immediately following Così fan tutte, Ryan will begin rehearsing with City Lyric Opera in New York City, where he will play the Knave of Hearts in Elizabeth Raum’s The Garden of Alice. This summer, Ryan will be joining Des Moines Metro Opera as an Apprentice Artist where he will be covering the roles of Flute in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and John Singer Sargent in a workshop of American Apollo by Damien Geter.

Grace Manning, soprano, from Winston-Salem, NC is a recent graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she received her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and German Studies Minor. She is currently a first year Master of Music student at Boston University studying under the tutelage of Penelope Bitzas.

Manning has appeared in several productions with the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute and UNCSA’s Undergraduate Opera Workshop. Her most recent roles include the Dew Fairy, from Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, Juno, from Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, and Lucile from Offenbach’s Monsieur und Madame Denis. While living in 16

North Carolina, she performed as a member of the Piedmont Opera Chorus under the direction of Maestro James Allbritten in productions including Puccini’s La bohème, Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, and Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda.

Outside of music, Manning is a registered yoga instructor and enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

Carli Mazich-Addice is a mezzo-soprano from Point Pleasant, NJ. She is a first year masters student under the tutelage of Penelope Bitzas. With the Opera Institute, she recently sang the role of Rachel in Jake Heggie’s If I Were You. Ryan Mewhorter, baritone, from Clifton Park, New York, is a second-year Master of Voice student under the tutelage of James Demler. Ryan earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Syracuse University.

With the Opera Institute, Ryan has performed the roles of Charles Babbage in The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace and Jona thon in If I Were You. Ryan has also played the roles of Don Bartolo and the Count from Le Nozze di Figaro. Ryan was the recipient of Syracuse University’s Carol Hall Nichol’s memorial prize.

Ashleigh Ortiz, Soprano, from Glendale, California, is a first-year Master of Voice student under the tutelage of Dr. Guzmán at Boston University. Ashleigh Ortiz received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from CSU Sacramento. With the CSU Opera Theater, Ashleigh has performed the roles of Adele in Die Fledermaus, and Gretel from Hansel and Gretel. Ashleigh was the 1st place winner for the Sacramento Saturday Club and 2nd place winner of the NATS San Francisco Bay Area Competition.With BU Opera Theater, Ashleigh will be performing as Doncella from El Caminante on May 11th.

Jacob O’Shea, bass-baritone, from Clifton Park, NY, is a first-year Opera Institute student under the tutelage of Penelope Bitzas. Jacob earned his Bachelor of Music from Syracuse University in 2019, and received his Master’s in Music from Boston University in 2021. With the Opera Institute, he has performed the roles of Joe Harland in Later the Same Evening, Keeper of the Madhouse in The Rake’s Progress, Sodbuster in Proving Up and most recently Paul 17

in If I Were You. Additionally, he has performed the roles of Colline in La Bohème at the Seagle Festival, Moralès in Carmen with Syracuse Opera. This summer, Jacob will be a studio artist with Central City Opera, performing the ensemble in their upcoming production of Die Fledermaus.

Savannah Panah, soprano, from Portland, Oregon, is a second-year Master of Voice student studying under the tutelage of Professor Sharon Daniels. Savannah received her Bachelor of Music degree from Portland State University. With the Opera Institute, she has performed the role of Little Daughter in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up. Savannah’s previous roles include Sandrina in La finta giardiniera, Thérèse in Les Mamelles de Tirésias, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, Maguelonne in Pauline Viardot’s Cendrillon, and Belinda in Dido & Aeneas. Ms. Panah has participated in the Astoria Artist Apprentice Program as a young artist and the Student Opera Association of PSU. Grants and competition accolades include the Petri Scholarship Competition, the BU School of Music Student Life and Honors Committee Award, Oregon Music Teachers Association Lina Belle Tartar Award, and the Van Buren Concerto Young Artist Debut.

Alaskan soprano and composer, Stephanie Pfundt, is a second-year master’s candidate and current student of Dr. David Guzman. An alumna of Pacific Lutheran University where she earned her undergraduate degree, she is grateful to have also been a student of acclaimed coloratura soprano, Cyndia Sieden. At BU, with the Opera Institute, Ms. Pfundt performed the role of Ma Zegner in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up. Other past roles include Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, Second Handmaid in Dido and Aeneas, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, and Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro. A Seattle District winner in the 2018 MONC Auditions, she was most recently a 2021 Laffont Competition Encouragement Award Winner. An insightful chamber musician, she composed and premiered her first song cycle, “Ocean Airs,” for soprano and piano in the fall of 2020.

This May, she will perform the composition along with the art song of Rachmaninoff, Grieg, Boulanger, and Strauss in recital.

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Anthony Pilcher, baritone, from Buffalo, New York, is a first-year Master of Voice student under the tutelage of James Demler. Anthony earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance and Music Education from Ithaca College. With the Opera Institute, Anthony has performed the roles of Jonathan in If I Were You, and Butler in The Infinite Energy of Ada Lovelace. Previously, Anthony has performed the roles of Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Dottore Malatesta in Don Pasquale, and He/ chorus in Dido and Aeneas. This summer, Anthony will be performing the role of Marcello in La Bohème at the Bay View Music Festival in Petoskey, MI. Olivia Schurke is a mezzo-soprano pursuing a Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance at Boston University, where she is currently finishing her first year. Last fall, she made her role debut at Boston University as the Taller Daughter in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up. Originally from Minnesota, Olivia attended St. Olaf College where she earned her Bachelor of Music Degree in 2018 and was a recipient of the Christiansen Music Scholarship. During her studies, Olivia performed the roles of Mad Margaret in Ruddigore and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with the St. Olaf Lyric Theater. Most recently, Olivia was an award winner in the student category of the Orpheus Vocal Competition. In the 2018-19 season, Olivia performed as soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Rochester Symphony Orchestra in 2019 and the Minnetonka Choral Society in 2018. In 2019 she sang in Il cappello di paglia di Firenze with Minnesota Opera and La belle Hélène with Lakes Area Music Festival. In addition to singing, Olivia began studying violin at age three and continues to play for enjoyment.

Marin Sewell, mezzo-soprano, from Deer Lodge, Montana, is a first-year Master of Voice student under the tutelage of Dr. Lynn Eustis. Marin earned her BA in Musical Studies from the University of Montana, and this will be her second appearance with BU Opera Institute. Ms. Sewell’s previously performed roles include the title role in Handel’s Julius Caesar, Mother Teresa in Milton Granger’s The Proposal, Mother Superior in The Sound of Music, and Marmee in Little Women.

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Hyungjin Son, Baritone, from Seoul, South Korea, is a second-year Opera Institute student under the tutelage of Sharon Daniels. Hyungjin Son received a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Seoul NationalUniversity. With the Opera Institute, Hyungjin Son has performed the roles of Sir. Thomas in Mansfield Park, Pa Zegner in Proving up, and William Putnam in If I were you. Recently, Mr. Son performed in the Brahms Requiem Op. 45 as a soloist with Boston University Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at Symphony Hall. He won the encouragement award in 2020 and the district winner in 2022 from Metropolitan Laffont Competition Boston District. Later this season, he will prepare and cover the role of Ford in Verdi’s Falstaff with the Aspen Opera Theater and VocalARTS(AOTVA).

Cortney Towns, soprano, from St. Louis, Missouri, is a first-year Master of Voice student under the tutelage of Dr. David Guzman. Ms. Towns received her Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Fisk University.

While at Boston University, she has performed the role of the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro in the Opera Institute’s opera scenes production of Fall 2021 and now making her second appearance with the Boston University Opera Institute in the chorus of Cosi fan futte. Ms. Towns will be making her third appearance with the Boston University Opera Institute opera scenes production in the Spring of 2022, performing the role of Euridice in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice.

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BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS Established in 1954, Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) is a community of artist-scholars and scholarartists who are passionate about the fine and performing arts, committed to diversity and inclusion, and determined to improve the lives of others through art. With programs in music, theatre, and visual arts, CFA prepares students for a meaningful creative life by developing their intellectual capacity to create art, shift perspective, think broadly, and master essential 21st-century skills. CFA offers a wide array of precollege, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as a range of online degrees and certificates. Learn more at bu.edu/cfa.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SCHOOL OF MUSIC: OPERA INSTITUTE The Opera Institute at CFA School of Music is an intensive, highly selective two-year performance-based training program for emerging operatic artists. A professional faculty and renowned guest artists provide personal support and training in all areas pertinent to a career in opera, including voice, acting, languages, and movement styles. Additionally, the Opera Institute also selects undergraduate and graduate singers from the School of Music who demonstrate true operatic potential and have mastered an intermediate integration of acting, vocal, and movement skills for the Opera Theater, Opera Workshop, and Opera Project programs.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SCHOOL OF THEATRE The School of Theatre at the College of Fine Arts at Boston University is a leading conservatory for the study of acting, stage management, design, production, and all aspects of the theatre profession. These programs of study are enriched by the School’s access to the greater liberal arts programs at Boston University. The School of Theatre values the notion of “the new conservatory” and seeks to provide students with opportunities for artistic growth through a rigorous curriculum, professional connections, and an emphasis on collaboration and new work.

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS ADMINISTRATION Harvey Young, Dean Gregory Melchor-Barz, Director, School of Music Susan Mickey, Director, School of Theatre Dana Clancy, Director, School of Visual Arts 21