Book of Mountains and Seas

LAWRENCE EDELSON LAWRENCE EDELSON

EDLIS NEESON EDLIS NEESON GENERAL DIRECTOR GENERAL DIRECTOR

LIDIYA YANKOVSKAYA LIDIYA YANKOVSKAYA

ELIZABETH MORSE & GENIUS ELIZABETH MORSE & GENIUS MUSIC DIRECTOR MUSIC DIRECTOR

January 26-28

The Chicago Premiere of The Chicago Premiere of Book of Mountains

WELCOME FROM LAWRENCE EDELSON

EDLIS NEESON GENERAL DIRECTOR

s e e e e d k

During those workshops, I got to see the excitement and magic that Huang Ruo brings to everything he does first hand

Excitement and magic are certainly words one could use to describe Book of Mountains and Seas. If you ’ ve been to a Chicago Opera Theater performance before, you ’ ve come to expect the unexpected… but you ’ ve likely never seen an opera like this! We are similarly thrilled to welcome Basil Twist to Chicago, whose visually stunning production is brought to life by a gifted group of puppeteers and the singers from Ars Nova Copenhagen, one of the most versatile and inventive vocal ensembles in the world This truly is opera as a living art form – bringing COT’s mission alive on stage.

Book of Mountains and Seas marks the mid-point of our 50th Anniversary celebrations at COT. We launched the season in the fall with a riveting performance of David T. Little’s Soldier Songs, and in December we presented the Chicago premiere of Shostakovich’s The Nose In April, we will present Gillian Rae Perry and Marcus Amaker's The Weight of Light, the fifth concert premiere commissioned through COT's Vanguard Initiative; and in May, we conclude our season with the world premiere production of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer's Before It All Goes Dark, based on a story by Chicago's own Howard Reich, in partnership with Music of Remembrance. We would love to see you at these upcoming performances.

Of course, we can’t celebrate fifty years without throwing a party! On Friday, April 5th, we invite you to join us at Venue West in the West Loop for Fifty & Fabulous: A Golden Night of Song and Celebration This very special Gala will be a night to remember, complete with extraordinary performances, delectable cuisine, and a celebration of the incredible legacy that COT has established over five decades Tickets for the Gala are on sale now at cot.org/gala.

Whether you are joining us for the first time today, or are a regular attendee of COT performances, thank you for your support. By being here, by purchasing tickets, by making donations, and by attending other events at both Chicago Opera Theater and the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, you are letting us know that you are excited by the future of opera and theater in this incredible city Continue to expect the unexpected from us… and we will continue to surprise and entertain you!

With all best wishes,

Lawrence Edelson

Edlis Neeson General Director

PROGRAM NOTE FROM HUANG RUO COMPOSER & LIBRETTIST

Book of Mountains and Seas《山海經》is a work of vocal theatre for 12 singers, six puppeteers, and two percussionists It is inspired by the ancient Chinese compilation of early myths of the same title, which was first transcribed in 4th century B.C. Over the years, these mythological stories have become part of Chinese written and oral history, shifted and reshaped to match our contemporary times. The vocal-theatre work Book of Mountains and Seas is a 21st-century adaptation and expansion of four of these tales. Its lyrics are based on the original Chinese texts from the book, with additional newly created words to complete the soundscape and symbolic drama As the four tales are ancient, they are abstract and timeless Book of Mountains and Seas contains timeless codes about the Universe, creation, planet, nature, life, human ambition and fate, the relationship and interaction between mankind and the planet, etc

Scene One: The Legend of Pangu《盤古開天地》 The creation of our planet is told through The Legend of Pangu 《盤古開天地》. The Legend of Pangu illuminates Earth’s birth from a cosmic egg, which contained the hairy giant Pangu. He separates the egg ’ s parts the yin and the yang to create the Earth and the sky, which he held apart for 18,000 years As Pangu grew, the sky moved further from the Earth; when he died, his body became the Sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, animals, minerals, vegetation, rains, winds, and finally, humans of our planet.

Scene Two: The Spirit Bird 《精衛填海》 Spirit Bird focuses on the relationship between a tiny helpless bird and the vast powerful sea through a tale of an impossible yet persistent revenge. A princess named Nü Wá drowns at sea Her spirit takes over the body of a bird, and for the rest of time she attempts to exact revenge on the water, filling the sea with twigs and pebbles

Scene Three: The Legend of Ten Suns 《后羿射日》 A continuation of the creation story, scene three is based on the story of the 10 Suns, who are the children of Mother Xī Hé and Dì Jùn, God of the Eastern Heaven. The 10 Suns peacefully resided on a mulberry tree in the eastern sea. Each Sun revolved around Earth in formation riding a Sun bird, a routine that they tired of. One day, the 10 Suns decided to fly out together, which shriveled the crops, dried up the water, and caused animals and humans to die Hou Yì, God of Archery, was called upon to help control his children Hou Yì killed nine of the suns, sparing the last to leave Earth with light. Out of fear, the remaining sun remains faithful to his fixed schedule of flight, which creates night and day.

Scene Four: Kuā Fù Chasing the Sun 《誇父逐日》 Kuā Fù is a giant who wished to capture the Sun. Kuā Fù was perplexed by the Sun’s whereabouts at night and decided to chase and catch the Sun With each stride he gets closer to the Sun, however, he could never catch up to it He followed the Sun from the East to the West, draining all rivers and lakes crossing his path as sources of water to quench his burning thirst as he closed in on the star. However, he couldn’t finish his quest because he died of the extreme heat and exhaustion. When he died, he dropped his walking stick on the ground, which grows into forests of peach blossom trees.

These myths will be reinterpreted through the lens of our modern-day relationship with the world we live in The two creation stories conjure a sense of respect and awe for the Universe and environment In The Legend of Pangu, the humble lesson to learn is that humans, although are the rulers of our planet now, are created last. They are created as equally as with everything else. However, do humans respect the nature and the natural process of Universal order? In The Spirit Bird, this intriguing story asks important questions: is weak force always meant to submit and surrender to strong force? Is endless revenge always meaningless? In Kuā Fù Chasing the Sun, it is illustrated that the ambition of human beings and the belief that nature can be conquered and consumed endlessly will eventually backfire on us Maybe in this orld, nature gets the last laugh and will survive beyond us

First Production 2021

Royal Danish Opera

Composer & Librettist: Huang Ruo

Director: Basil Twist

ARSNOVACOPENHAGEN

AnnaSchubert

Ann-ChristinWesserIngels

MariØyrehagen

HanneMarieleFevre

LauraLamph

IrisOja

LuísToscano

JamesRobinson

JakobSkjoldborg

AsgerLyngePetersen

RasmusKureThomsen

MikkelTuxen

PUPPETEERS

EmilyBatsford

LuteBreuer

BenElling

RosaElling

RachelSchapira

AshleyWinkfield

ARTISTIC

Composer&Librettist

HuangRuo

Conductor

MilesLallemant

Director&ProductionDesigner

BasilTwist

LightingDesigner

AyumuPoeSaegusa

PRODUCTION

AssistantDirector

KateBrehm

StageManager

NatalieWagner

ProductionManager

TonyCrawford

ORCHESTRA

Percussionists

MichaelMurphy

JohnOstrowski

BOOK OF MOUNTAINS AND SEAS

BETHMORRISON PROJECTS-BOARD

BoardChair

NancySanders

President

BethMorrison

Vice-chair

Dr.MichaelSiegal,M.D.,Ph.D.

Vice-chair

RichardEllingsen

Treasurer

MilesBenickes

Secretary

CharlotteIsaacs

RalphDandrea

NicholasFirth

KikiRamosGindler

MarianA.Godfrey

HelenLittle

ScottLord

FrederickPeters

SandyPressman

MorrisRobinson

KamalaSankaram

GregorySpears

MarkWanek

ADVISORYBOARD

LindaBrumbach

RenéeFleming

NathanGunn

DavidHowse

ColleenJennings-Roggensack

JosephV Melillo

STAFF

PresidentandCreativeProducer

BethMorrison

ExecutiveDirector

SamLinden

DirectorofDevelopment

KendraWieneke

DirectorofProduction

RoderickMurray

DirectorofTouring

VictoriaVoketaitis

PrototypeFestivalProducer

SarahBellin

GeneralManager

LizUchtman

SeniorAssociateProducer

JuliaMendes

DevelopmentAssociate

NoelHolloway

Touring&ArtistServices

Associate

MelanieHolm

MellonProducingFellow

BetsyPodsiadlo

Bookkeeper

CynthiaBastidas

Communications&Marketing Coordinator

PattyTBD

Artistic&ManagementAssistant MiaKong

UnisonMedia&PressAgent

AndrewOusley

COMMISSIONINGCREDITS

Thisproductionisdedicatedto thelovingmemoryofStuart Nelson.

BookofMountainsandSeaswas commissionedbyBethMorrison Projects,ArsNovaCopenhagen, MossArtsCenter/VirginiaTech, Soundstreams,Koorbiennale,and HongKongNewVisionArts Festival,andLinda&Stuart Nelson Thisproductionisalso supportedbytheCanadaCouncil fortheArts

#BringingTheArtsToLife.

BookofMountainsandSeasis madepossiblebytheJimHenson Foundation,andtheNewYork StateCouncilontheArtswiththe supportoftheGovernor’sOffice andtheNewYorkState Legislature

Additionalcommissioningsupport providedbytheFrancisGoelet CharitableLeadTrusts.

CHICAGO OPERA THEATER BOARD AND STAFF

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President

Susan J. Irion

Secretary

Allen Heinemann

Immediate Past President

Henry Fogel

DIRECTORS

Alissa Andraski

Peter Ascoli

Ron Bauer

Merrill Blau

Paul E Freehling

Michael G Hansen

Stephanie Hart

Mary Lunz Houston

Maria Lagios

James G. McCormick

David McNeel

Susan Noel

Dorothy Osborn

Pavrita Ramachandran

Robert E. Shapiro

Virginia Tobiason

HONORARY TRUSTEES

Roger Baskes

Nancy Dehmlow

Joan W. Harris

Gael Neeson

Gregory J. O’Leary

STAFF

Edlis Neeson General Director

Lawrence Edelson

Elizabeth Morse & Genius Music Director

Lidiya Yankovskaya

Director of Artistic Operations

Brittany Nelson

Director of Development

Meaghan Smallwood

Director of Operations & Audience Services

Scott Gryder

Director of Community Programming

Veronica Chamberlain

Marketing Manager

Emmelly Villagran

Development Manager

Korey Pimental

Artistic Operations Assistant

Andrew Wolffking

Roosevelt CCPA Young Artist Program Liaison

Shannon McGinnis

PUPPETEERS

Emily Batsford

RECENT: Book of Mountains and Seas (Puppeteer) on the International Tour, Song of the North (Puppeteer) at Hamid Rahmanian / Two Chairs Productions, PACKRAT (Puppeteer) at Concrete Temple Theatre, Unfolding (Puppeteer) at Margarita Blush Productions), Ernie’s Secret Life (Puppeteer) at Concrete Temple Theater

Ben Elling

RECENT: (Audio/video engineer, and freelance technical director) at several Off-Broadway productions, Rite of Spring (Puppeteer) at Lincoln Center, and HERE (Puppeteer) at Symphonie Fantastique

Rachel Schapira

RECENT: (Puppeteer/Puppet Build Chief/Co-Founder) at Eat Drink Tell Your Friends Puppetry Collective, (Puppeteer) with Basil Twist, (Puppeteer) with Welcome to Campfire, (Puppeteer) with Ripe Time, (Puppeteer) with The Story Pirates, and (Puppeteer) with New Georges

Lute Breuer

RECENT: WarHorse (Puppeteer) at Lincoln Center, The Pee Wee Herman Show (Puppeteer) at The Stephen Sondheim Theater, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Puppeteer) at Radio City Music Hall

Rosa Elling

RECENT: (Fabricator) at Nick Barnes Studios, (Puppeteer) at Tandem Otter

Ashley Winkfield

RECENT: (Puppeteer) at Two Fold, The Paper Piece (Puppeteer), Animal Magnetism (Puppeteer) at the China Tour, and The Paper Hat Game and Dreaming (Puppeteer)

ORCHESTRA - PERCUSSIONISTS

Michael Murphy

RECENT: Solo and chamber musician (North America, Japan, Myanmar, Armenia, Denmark, and Europe), xylophone (Cuphead), new series of works (Shō)

Composer & Librettist

gel Island (Composer & t Brooklyn Academy of Music, ntains and Seas (Composer & ouring Internationally, An dier (Composer) at Perelman Arts Center, Folk Songs

The Butterfly Exchange Center for the Performing Santa Fe Opera

Miles Lallemant | Conductor

RECENT: Book of Mountains and Seas (Conductor) Touring Internationally, (Chorus Master) at Ars Nova Copenhagen; Dido and Aeneas (Director), Messiah (Director) , Berliner Messe (Director) at Kensignton Olympia Festival of Music and the Arts

John Ostrowski

RECENT: (Freelance percussionist) at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York City Ballet Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of St Luke’s, The American Ballet Theatre Orchestra, and (Accompanied) Paul Taylor Dance Company

Basil Twist | Director & Production Designer

RECENT: My Neighbour Totoro (Puppetry Designer & Director) at Royal Shakespeare Company, Book of Mountains and Seas (Director and Production Designer) Touring Internationally, Cinderella (Puppetry Designer) at San Francisco Ballet, The Nutcracker (Puppetry Designer) at The Joffrey Ballet, Dogugaeshi (Creator) at the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival, Symphonie Fantastique (Creator) at Festival de Casteliers

Ayumu Poe Saegusa | Lighting Designer

RECENT: (Freelance Lighting Designer) at New York Fringe festival and Lincoln Center Festival, Looking At You (Lighting Designer) at HERE Main stage, and Rite of Spring (Lighting Designer) at White Light Festival at Lincoln Center

PRODUCTION

Kate Brehm | Assistant Director

RECENT: The Poofs (Director/Designer), Dark Space (Director/Designer), Things Fall Apart (Director/Designer), Discrepancies (Director/Designer), and Hansel and Gretel (Director/Designer) at Michigan Opera Theater; Dorothy and the Prince of Oz

(Director/Designer) at Tulsa Ballet/ Ballet Met

Tony Crawford | Production Manager

RECENT: (Operations and Production Manager) at Jacob's Pillow, (Assistant Technical Director) at Richmond Ballet, (Technical Director) at Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, (Assistant Technical Director) at New York City Ballet, and (Production Coordinator) at Brooklyn Academy of Music

ARS NOVA COPENHAGEN

Natalie Wagner | Stage Manager

RECENT: Turandot (Production Stage Manager), Le Comte Ory (Production Stage Manager), Zorro (Production Stage Manager) at Opera Southwest; Sky on Swings (Assistant Stage Manager) at Opera Saratoga; Le Nozze di Figaro (Assistant

Stage Manager) at Manhattan School of Music, The Servant of Two Masters (Stage Manager) at Synetic Theater Company

ARS NOVA Copenhagen, founded in 1979, is widely recognized as one of the world's finest vocal ensembles. Ars Nova has worked with Paul Hillier, Bo Holten, Tamás Vetö (former chief conductors), Kaspars Putnins, Andrew Lawrence King, Anthony Rooley, Kees Boeke, Michael Bojesen and Søren K Hansen (all of whom have appeared as guest conductors).

The ensemble specializes in the interpretation of the polyphonic choral music of the renaissance and new vocal music. Ars Nova is also building collaborations with creative artists in different fields such as drama, film, and ballet, as well as cultivating new modes of concert performance and innovative repertoire.

The group's performances are marked with precision and nerve with a sound that attracts attention worldwide. With an annual concert season in Copenhagen, numerous concerts in the rest of Denmark and recurring tours worldwide, the group is now more in demand than ever. In 2015 Ars Nova completed a longer tour to China with more than ten concerts as a significant part of the Danish cultural campaign in the country. In 2016 they co-organized The Nordic Choir Expedition presenting the leading Nordic choirs and vocal ensembles in each of the Nordic capital cities Other recent and upcoming tours include Spain, The Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Holland, Finland, Italy, Orkney, England, USA, Canada and Hong Kong

Ars Nova has recorded a large number of CDs winning numerous awards, including a Grammy for ‘The Little Match Girl Passion’ with music by David Lang (Harmonia Mundi). Among the most recent records are ‘Gallos y Huesos’ with music by Pablo Ortiz, a contemporary Argentinian composer (Orchid Classics), ‘First Drop’ – a recital CD featuring music by Howard Skempton, Michael Gordon, David Lang, Kevin Volans, Pablo Ortiz, Louis Andriessen, Gabriel Jackson, Steve Reich and Terry Riley (Cantaloupe), and ‘Crossing Borders’ featuring music by Danish composers such as Niels W. Gade, Carl Nielsen, Vagn Holmboe and Line Tjørnhøj (Dacapo Records).

For many years, Heinrich Schütz has occupied an important place in Ars Nova’s repertoire and during the years 2008-2011 the group recorded his complete ‘dramatic' works for Easter and Christmas. The four CDs (also available as a box-set) have all received enthusiastic reviews in the international music press. This was reflected when, in 2014, Ars Nova was invited to be artist in residence at the German Heinrich Schütz Musikfest in and around the composer's hometown of Dresden.

Other notable recent releases are ‘Creator Spiritus’ with music by Arvo Pärt (Harmonia Mundi) and ‘The Golden Age of Danish Part Songs’ (Dacapo Records) featuring a line-up of top Danish vocal composers from the past 200 years.

BETH MORRISON PROJECTS

Beth Morrison Projects (BMP) is one of the foremost creators and producers of new opera-theatre and music theatre, with a fierce commitment to leading the industry into the future, cultivating a new generation of talent, and telling the stories of our time.

Founded by “contemporary opera mastermind” (LA Times) Beth Morrison, who was honored as one of Musical America’s Artists of the Year/Agents of Change in 2020, BMP has grown into “a driving force behind America’s thriving opera scene” (Financial Times), with Opera News declaring that the company, “more than any other has helped propel the art form into the twenty-first century ”

Operating across the US and internationally, with offices in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, BMP’s unique model offers living composers the support, guidance, and freedom to experiment, allowing them to create singularly innovative and impactful projects. Since forming in 2006, the company has commissioned, developed, produced and toured over 50 works in 14 countries around the world, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning chamber operas Angel’s Bone and p r i s m

In 2013, BMP co-founded the PROTOTYPE Festival with HERE, which has been called “utterly essential” (The New York Times), “indispensable” (The New Yorker), and “one of the world’s top festivals of contemporary opera and theater” (Associated Press).

CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL

THE CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL is the preeminent event dedicated to the artform in the U.S.

In the heart of winter, the Festival spans 11 days and dozens of Chicago venues, sharing 100+ puppetry performances and events for 14,000+ audience members. Since its launch in 2015, the Festival has highlighted artists from nations such as Chile, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Korea, and South Africa, as well as from Europe, Chicago and across the U.S. with the goal of promoting peace, equality, and justice on a global scale.

The Festival is a collaboration among more than 20 Chicago cultural institutions and is made possible by generous philanthropic support from organizations and individuals

Blair Thomas, Artistic Director & Festival Founder Sandy Smith Gerding, Executive Director

WITH GRATITUDE TO OUR DONORS

Leadership Circle

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Ellen Benjamin & Fredrick Bates

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Mercat a la Planxa

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Susan Noel*

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Richard O Ryan^

Sahara Enterprises, Inc Fund at The Chicago Community Foundation

Ilene and Michael Shaw Charitable Trust

Meaghan & Michael Smallwood^

R John & Kathleen Solaro^

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Texas Instruments Foundation

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$1,000-$4,999 CONTINUED

Mary & Michael Woolever

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Friends of COT

$500-$999

Anonymous (2)

Judith Bauer

Ross Beacraft

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John P Blosser

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*Board Member

^President’s Council Member

+Deceased

Donors listed from September 1, 2022 to January 1, 2024 We regret the omission of anyone who contributed after this date, but look forward to recognizing these gifts in future publications

PRESIDENT’SCOUNCIL

TheChicagoOperaTheaterPresident’sCouncilwasfoundedbyformerBoardPresident GregoryJ.O’Leary.President’sCouncilmembersplayanintegralroleinthefutureofthecompanyas advocatesandsupportersMembershipisopentodonorscontributingatleast$1,500annually,and membersenjoyspecialbehindthescenesaccessonasponsoredproduction,aswellasexclusiveevents andoptionalboardcommitteeservice.Inthe2023/24season,thePresident’sCouncil sponsorsShostakovich’sTheNose

Anonymous (4)

Judith Barnard & Michael Fain

Mrs. Arthur A. Billings

Shaun & Andy Block

John & Claudia Boatright

Fred & Phoebe Boelter

Richard Boyum & Louie Chua

Joyce Chelberg

Howard & Anne Conant

Dale Connelly & Donna Van Eekeren

Nancy Dehmlow

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Bud Dobbins

Ingrid & Rich Dubberke

Kent Dymak & Theodore Foss

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Anne Egger

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Janet Eyler & Edwin Walker

Megan Fellman & Anthony Rosso

Geoffery Flick

Stephen & Elizabeth Geer

ENCORESOCIETY

James K. Genden+ & Alma Koppedraijer

Ethel & Bill+ Gofen

Gerald & Dr. Colette Gordon

Mary Lunz* & James Houston

William Jentes

Ronald B. Johnson

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Masahiro Kasai & Bill Myers

Patricia A. Kenney & Gregory J. O’Leary

A Jeanne LaDuke

Moses Lee

Kevin McGirr

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David Miller

Frank Modruson & Lynne Shigley

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Laura Vesecky

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Lidiya Yankovskaya & Daniel Schwartz

Dean Yannias

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*COT Board Member +Deceased

ChicagoOperaTheater’sEncoreSocietyisaninspiringgroupofforward-thinkingoperaloverswhowantto supportthefutureofboldoperainChicago.ThesecommitmentsareintegraltoCOT,helpinguscontinueto presentexcitingpremieresanduniqueproductionstothecommunityforyearstocomePatronswhohave madeadesignationofanysizethroughbequests,insurancepolicies,IRAs,oranyotherlegacy-givingasset provisionareeligibletobecomemembersofCOT’sEncoreSociety.Membersenjoyspecialcommuniques andexclusiveinvitationstodonorevents

Anonymous

Peter* & Lucy Ascoli

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David Boyce

Janet Eyler & Edwin Walker

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Allen Heinemann* & William Borden

Mary Lunz* & James Houston

Susan Irion* & Rob DeLand

Ruth Kane

Maria* & Peter Lagios

Edward T. Mack+

Laura G & James G * McCormick

John H Nelson

Ed & Gayla Nieminen

Dorothy F Osborn* & Bud Dobbins

Florence Siefkins+

Dan Tarlock

Virginia Tobiason*

Albert Walavich

Claude Weil

*COT Board Member +Deceased

HOW COT IS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OPERA

THE VANGUARD INITIATIVE

The Vanguard Initiative is Chicago Opera Theater's fully-comprehensive program for composers ready to delve into the world of opera. This immersive two-year residency includes participation in all COT productions, sessions with top industry leaders, extensive study of repertoire and vocal writing, direct insight into administrative and other behind-the-scenes processes, and culminates with the development of a full-length chamber opera commissioned by COT. The program aims to bridge the gap between general compositional skills and the dramatic storytelling, vocal writing, practical considerations, and real-world experience that help inform an operatic composer’s work. Launched in 2018, the program identifies skilled composers who have not yet had sufficient opportunities for writing opera and provides them with a two-year comprehensive course of study and full immersion in the company, culminating with a commission together with an established librettist.The program is guided and overseen by COT Music Director Lidiya Yankovskaya, with Composer Advisors Jake Heggie, Kamala Sankaram, and Gene Scheer. Learn more about the Vanguard Initiative at www.cot.org/vanguard

nguard Initiative is generously provided by the Mellon Foundation.

Gillian Rae Perry 2022-2024

UNG ARTIST PROGRAM

Carlos Carrillo 2023-2025

Chicago Opera Theater’s Young Artist and Professional Diploma in Opera Program is offered in partnership with with Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. The COT/CCPA Young Artist Program is a specialized opportunity for emerging professional singers and pianists. It allows developing artists with exceptional career promise and mastery of basic skills to focus on all areas of their artistic growth. The program affords them professional experience, particularly in the development and performance of innovative new work, while also supporting them with voice lessons, vocal coaching, and dramatic training from the illustrious music and performance faculty at CCPA. Participants receive a full-tuition scholarship, as well as a monthly stipend during the performance season, which runs from September to April annually. Learn more about the COT/CCPA Young Artist Program at www.cot.org/yap

Contact Meaghan Stainback Smallwood at msmallwood@cot.org if you would like to learn how you can sponsor a member of the Young Artist Program.

OPERA FOR ALL

Chicago Opera Theater believes that the future resides in giving students the opportunity to experience opera as active, generative artists – so opera becomes their art form. Opera for All (OFA) is COT’s comprehensive program for Chicago Public Schools students. Opera for All inspires students to understand the art by participating in it, both in production and in performance. During OFA sessions, Teaching Artists guide each classroom through the stages of creating, producing, and performing their own musical shows In addition to script writing, composing, painting, dancing, and performing, students are able to attend a professional opera performance Learn more about Opera for All at www.cot.org/ofa

Leadership support for Opera for All is generously provided by Marijane Deters, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, Mary Lutz and James Houston, Polk Bros. Foundation, and The Siragusa Family Foundation.

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Enter the restaurant through The Blackstone Hotel lobby located on Balbo. A discounted parking rate is available with validation from Standard Parking located in the Chicago Hilton

Dinner Service Sunday - Saturday 5 - 10 PM

Bar Sunday - Saturday 4-10 PM

Brunch Saturday & Sunday 7:30 AM-1:30 PM

638 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605 (312) 765-0524

www.mercatchicago.com

APRIL