2023 Cincinnati Opera Program Book

CINCINNATI OPERA

SUMMER 2023 FESTIVAL

MONA Dermatology applauds Cincinnati Opera on a fantastic 2023 season.

TABLE OF CONTENTS LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR

14

THE KNOCK

4

20

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

26

MADAME BUTTERFLY

32

STUDIO SESSIONS: EMILY FONS

38

STUDIO SESSIONS: NMON FORD

40

Welcome from the General and Artistic Directors

6

In Memoriam

74

Greeting from the Board President

8

Celebrations and Honorariums

74

Board of Trustees

10

Opera Fusion: New Works

75

Season Artists

42

Community Engagement and Education

76

Orchestra and Chorus

56

Remembrances

78

Supernumeraries

57

Repertoire

80

Cincinnati Opera Guild

58

Staff

84

Donors

60

Acknowledgments

86

72

General Information

88

Society of Angels

PROGRAM CREDITS Editor-in-Chief Katie Syroney Art Direction and Design Aimee Sposito Martini Illustrations Lucia di Lammermoor, The Knock, The Barber of Seville: © Daria Petrilli—Licensee Chiara Roilo; Madame Butterfly: Daria Petrilli and Aimee Sposito Martini; Studio Sessions: Aimee Sposito Martini

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WELCOME

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hether you’re attending a Cincinnati Opera perforMANCE FOR THE l RST TIME OR THE HUNDREDTH WE ARE GLAD YOU RE HERE AND WE INVITE YOU TO ENJOY REm ECT AND LIS TEN !ND IF YOU RE MOVED TO DO SO FEEL FREE TO SHOUT h"RAVOåv )N ITS ESSENCE OPERA IS THE ULTIMATE COLLABORATIVE ART FORM RE QUIRING THE EFFORTS OF MANY PEOPLE TO REALIZE ITS POTENTIAL 7E ARE GRATEFUL TO THE SINGERS INSTRUMENTALISTS DANCERS ACTORS ARTISTS AND STAGE PROFESSIONALS WHO DEVOTE THEIR LIVES TO THE CREATION OF BEAUTI FUL SOUL STIRRING ART WE CELEBRATE YOUR PERSEVERANCE AND YOUR GIFTS 7E ARE THANKFUL TO OUR COLLEAGUES ON THE STAFF AND THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES LED WITH INSPIRING COMMITMENT BY "OARD 0RESIDENT -ELANIE #HAVEZ !LL OF US WORK YEAR ROUND TO PREPARE FOR THE 3UMMER &ESTIVAL AND TO NURTURE THE LONG TERM HEALTH OF THIS company.

-OST LIKELY YOU RE HERE AT -USIC (ALL TODAY BECAUSE AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE SOMEONE INVITED YOU TO ATTEND THE OPERA 0ERHAPS IT WAS YOUR %NGLISH TEACHER 0ERHAPS IT WAS YOUR GRANDMOTHER 0ER HAPS IT WAS A MEMBER OF THE CHORUS 4HIS SEASON WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO PASS IT ALONG 3HARE YOUR LOVE OF OPERA BY ASKING SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE TO JOIN YOU )T S ONE OF THE BEST GIFTS YOU CAN GIVE (ERE S WHY LIKE ALL GREAT ART OPERA ENGENDERS COMPASSION GRATITUDE AND SELF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCING THE THRILL OF LIVE OPERA IN PERSON EN HANCES SOCIAL CONNECTION 7E INVITE YOU TO RETURN AGAIN AND AGAIN )F WE VE DONE OUR JOB BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU LL BE ONE AMONG MANY FANS FOR LIFE 4HANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF #INCINNATI /PERA 7E HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SHOWå

Christopher Milligan The Harry Fath General Director & CEO

Evans Mirageas The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director

nnati i c n i C e l a ic Matin ée M u s

p re se nt s its

i n 2 02 3–20 2 4 ! n o s a e S s e i 1 1 0 th Rec it a l S e r pa rt of the gl ob e ! s f ro m e v e ry A se as on filled w ith ta le n te d a r t

is t

All recitals at 3 PM

Including a rare performance by spouses Pene Pati and Amina Edris

Pene Pati & Amina Edris

AMINA EDRIS CINCINNATI DEBUT

TENOR and SOPRANO

Robert Mollicone PIANO

Sunday, April 21, 2024

CINCINNATI DEBUT

“Pati surprises… the dazzling light of one of the most beautiful tenor voices of the moment...”

—Christophe Rizoud, Forum Opera “Edris…A magnetic presence.”

—Opera News

Sara Daneshpour PIANO

Sunday, September 17, 2023 “She created transfixing poetry.”

—The Washington Post CINCINNATI DEBUT

Julian Schwarz CELLO

Marika Bournaki

US DEBUT

PIANO

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Jasmine Choi FLUTE

“Schwarz’s deep tone shoots straight to the heart of a listener.”

—Shepherd Express

Yun Zeng FRENCH HORN

ChangYong Shin

Donna Loewy

PIANO

PIANO

Sunday, November 19, 2023

Sunday, March 3, 2024

“One of best flutists in the history of music” —Sinfini Magazine

Won First Prize in the Brass Category at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition

Tickets:

MemorialHallOTR.org or 513-977-8838 MatineeMusicaleCincinnati.org

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GREETING FROM THE BOARD PRESIDENT

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elcome to Cincinnati Opera’s 2023 Summer Festival! As the recently elected president of the board of trustees, I’m delighted that you’ve chosen to spend part of your summer with us here at Music Hall.

What is it about opera that makes it so special? For me, what lies at its heart is the power of voice. And I don’t mean just the voices of our featured artists … though they are truly incredible! I’m also referring to opera’s unique ability to stir our souls with extraordinary music and tell stories that resonate with people from all walks of life. Opera has the power to connect us with our shared humanity, to celebrate diverse cultures and experiences, and to inspire us to think deeply about the world around us.

Cincinnati Opera in particular has a rich history of championing stories that need to be told, and this summer is no exception. Through its productions of operas both historic and contemporary, it has given voice to important issues and highlighted the experiences of communities whose lives have not always been represented on the opera stage. The hope is to create a sense of belonging for all who set foot in the theater, including you.

By being here, you are not only saying yes to experiencing beautiful music and stunning performances. You are also helping to support an art form that has the power to challenge our assumptions, to enrich lives, and to make ours a more vibrant and connected community. For that, we thank you.

As we look ahead, I must thank outgoing Board President Liz Grubow for her guidance over the last three years. She is a compassionate leader who believes deeply in the power of opera to change lives, and I’m grateful for her mentorship. I’d also like to express my excitement for the opportunity to work alongside Chris Milligan, Evans Mirageas, and the entire opera board and staff. Together, we will continue to build an organization that is welcoming, inclusive, and dedicated to celebrating the power of voice.

Once again, thank you for joining us. Your presence matters, and we are grateful for your support.

Melanie M. Chavez President Board of Trustees

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES President Melanie M. Chavez Chair Liz Kathman Grubow

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Trustees Boris Auerbach* Flávia Bastos, Ph.D. Ronald T. Bates* Charles E. Baverman III Patricia K. Beggs Ryan Bergstrom Elaine Billmire, M.D. Robert Bitter* Thomas F. Boat, M.D. Walter Bruyninckx Otto M. Budig, Jr.* Vivienne Carlson Michael L. Cioffi* Sheila Cole Peter G. Courlas Alva Jean Crawford* Eric Dauer Alexander Donath, M.D. James T. Fitzgerald* Ralph A. Giannella, M.D. Barbara Hahn* Suzanne Hasl Julie Grady Heard Donald E. Hoffman* Jason Jackman Anne Jaroszewicz Kevin C. Jones* Mona Kerstine Amber Kincaid Judith Colemon Kinebrew* Maya LaLonde Katie Lanni

Nanci Wilks Lanni Lynn Larson Ashleigh Marable Michael Marrero* Everett McCorvey Julia B. Meister David Motch* Christine E. Neyer Robert W. Olson* Reena Dhanda Patil, M.D. Nicholas W. Puncer Regina Carswell Russo G. James Sammarco, M.D. Ruthann Sammarco Harry H. Santen Edward B. Silberstein, M.D.* Murray Sinclaire, Jr.* Bradbury Skidmore, M.D. Douglas Skidmore James Stapleton* Susan R. Strick, M.D. Mary Ann Taylor John M. Tew, Jr., M.D.* Brian Tiffany Catharina Toltzis, Ph.D. Angela Powell Walker* Sheila Williams Stanford T. Williams, Jr. Ronna K. Willis* Jeannine Winkelmann* Peg Wyant Anne M. Zaring* Mario Zuccarello, M.D. Advisory Members Vicki Alpaugh Christopher Baucom Robert W. Boden

Christopher J. Canarie Arthur B. Casper Cathy Crain Daniel B. Cunningham John G. Earls Harry Fath Peter Graham Theresa Henderson Barbara Hummel, M.Ed. Doug Ignatius Margaret LeMasters, M.D. Jenny Magro Sherie Marek Peggy Ann Markstein Donald S. Mendelsohn Beatriz Porras, M.D. Melody Sawyer Richardson Nydia C. Tranter Ray van der Horst Carla D. Walker Shelby O. Wood Ex-Officio Members Peter Koenig, Board President, Friends of Music Hall Christopher Milligan, The Harry Fath General Director & CEO The Honorable Aftab Pureval, Mayor of Cincinnati Brett Willson, Chair, Board Associates

Honorary Members Charlin Briggs Nicholas P. Ciafardini Vivian A. Dobur Courtis Fuller Patrick Korb Joanie Lotts Sue Alexander Mouch Zell Schulman Paul A. “Gus” Stuhlreyer III Board Associates Katherine Anderson Kiley Beale Brianna Bragg Kristy Davis Mustain Michael T. Dean Katie E. Fisher Jarvis T. Graham Ammon Hollister Sebastien Hue Janice S. Liebenberg Alex Lohmann C. Alek Lucke Jenna K. Morvay Avery Ozimek Aliya Riddle Will Selnick Nataly Wickham Brett Willson Christina P. Yardley Candice Young

*Denotes officer

Plan your visit to Philadelphia

VERDI

ORTH/MOSCOVITCH

S U L AY M A N

Simon Boccanegra

10 Days in a Madhouse

Unholy Wars

New Production

World Premiere

An 11-day celebration of groundbreaking opera, featuring a star-studded new production of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, a world premiere about trailblazing journalist Nellie Bly, a powerful reframing of the Crusades, and more.

Ticket packages on sale now at operaphila.org Tickets to individual shows on sale July 18

Philadelphia Premiere

Starring Ana María Martínez Quinn Kelsey Christian Van Horn Kiera Duffy Raehann Bryce-Davis Will Liverman Karim Sulayman

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JAMES DE BLASIS. Portrait by Carl J. Samson.

Remembering James de Blasis

The opera world lost an icon when James de Blasis died peacefully at age 91 last fall. Mr. de Blasis spent a lifetime in opera as a director, impresario, administrator, and vocal coach, but was best known for his many roles with Cincinnati Opera.

He joined the company in 1968, was named general director in 1973, and served as artistic director from 1987–1996.

He directed 100 productions for Cincinnati Opera and was celebrated for presenting unusual repertoire and innovative stagings. His “wild west” version of Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love was nationally broadcast on PBS in 1980. He also brought legendary voices to Cincinnati’s Music Hall stage during his tenure.

Perhaps his lasting legacy is the number of singers, directors, and opera administrators who credit him with launching their careers. He touched hearts, transformed lives, and left a lasting mark on the cultural landscape of our community and our nation.

Bravo, Jim, and thank you.

2023 – 2024 SEASON WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME

by Heidi Schreck

SEPT 9 – OCT 1

FIONA: THE MUSICAL

book by Zina Camblin | music & lyrics by David Kisor

NOV 29 – DEC 29

HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED

by August Wilson

FEB 17– MARCH 10

THE MATCH GAME

by Steven Strafford

APRIL 13 – MAY 5

HANDS ON A HARDBODY book by Doug Wright | lyrics by Amanda Green music by Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green

JUNE 8 – 30

SUBSCRIBE NOW AT (513) 421-3555

Cast of Hands on a Hardbody (2014). Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

SEASON FUNDER

www.ensemblecincinnati.org

OPERATING SUPPORT

Opening Weekend Sponsor The Chavez Family, in memory of Geraldine V. Chavez Performance Sponsors Thomas W. Busse Trust Mrs. Helen Merritt

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LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR Music by Gaetano Donizetti Libretto by Salvadore Cammarano Sung in the original Italian Based on The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott World premiere: September 26, 1835, at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, Italy Cincinnati Opera premiere: June 27, 1921, at Cincinnati Zoo Pavilion June 22 and 24, 2023, at Cincinnati Music Hall 53rd and 54th company performances of Lucia di Lammermoor

Conductor Stage Director Scenic & Costume Designer Lighting Designer Wig & Makeup Designer Chorus Master Production Stage Manager Assistant Director

Renato Balsadonna Jose Maria Condemi Philip Witcomb* Thomas C. Hase James Geier Henri Venanzi Hannah Holthaus Gregory Boyle

Cast in order of vocal appearance Normanno, a huntsman Lord Enrico Ashton, brother of Lucia Raimondo Bidebent, a chaplain Lucia Ashton, sister of Enrico Alisa, Lucia’s handmaid Sir Edgardo di Ravenswood Lord Arturo Bucklaw

Terrence Chin-Loy Anthony Clark Evans* Griffen Hogan Tracy* Raven McMillon Kayleigh Decker* Santiago Ballerini* Sahel Salam*

* Cincinnati Opera debut

Production originally designed for and created by the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theatre

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THE STORY

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Lammermoor Castle, previously owned by the Ravenswoods, now belongs to the rival Ashton clan.

Lord Enrico Ashton tells Normanno that the overthrow has made an enemy out of Edgardo, the last surviving Ravenswood heir. To improve his status, Enrico has arranged a marriage between his sister, Lucia, and Lord Arturo Bucklaw. Raimondo, Lucia’s tutor, cautions that she is too distressed over the recent death of her mother to marry. Normanno contradicts him, revealing that Lucia is visited by a mysterious man daily who he suspects to be Edgardo.

Enrico vows that his rival will pay for the insult in blood.

Lucia awaits the arrival of Edgardo with Alisa.

Lucia relates that, at the fountain, she has seen the ghost of a girl who was stabbed by her jealous lover.

Taking it as a bad omen, Alisa urges Lucia to forget Edgardo, but Lucia insists he is her only happiness. Edgardo arrives to tell Lucia that he must go to France on a political mission. But first, he wants to make peace with her brother. Lucia asks Edgardo to keep their love a secret, and they exchange vows.

Over the next months, Enrico intercepted correspondence between the lovers and procured a forged letter, allegedly from Edgardo, admitting to loving another. Enrico shows Lucia the forgery and she is heartbroken. Enrico insists that she marry Arturo to

save the family. Raimondo urges her to do a sister’s duty, and she reluctantly agrees.

As wedding guests gather, Enrico assures Arturo of Lucia’s willingness to marry him. Lucia enters and hesitantly signs the wedding contract. Edgardo bursts in, claiming his bride. Arturo and Enrico order Edgardo to leave, but he insists that he and Lucia are engaged. When Raimondo shows him the contract with Lucia’s signature, Edgardo curses her and leaves in despair.

A shaken Raimondo interrupts the wedding celebrations to announce that he found Arturo lying in a pool of blood after Lucia stabbed him to death.

Lucia stumbles in, ramblingly looking for Edgardo.

Shifting between tenderness, happiness, and terror, she recalls her love for Edgardo and dreams she is with him on their own wedding night. Enrico returns and is enraged at Lucia’s behavior, but soon realizes that she has lost her senses. After a chaotic and violent exchange with her brother, Lucia collapses.

At a cemetery, Edgardo laments his fate as he awaits to duel with Enrico. Guests returning from Lammermoor Castle tell him that the dying Lucia has called his name. As he is about to rush to her, Raimondo announces that she has died. Determined to join Lucia in heaven, Edgardo stabs himself.

IN PERFORMANCE Lucia di Lammermoor has forever been correlated with the term “Mad Scene” and rightfully so: Donizetti wrote an impressive scene, in which the title character spends 15 minutes hallucinating, reenacting past trauma, and magic-thinking her way out of it. The fascination with this famous moment has led to speculation that the composer’s ability to know psychosis was due to his own experience with it, caused by the debilitating brain effects of syphilis that ultimately killed him.

As a director, I can’t stage a nonspecific “madness.” My goal (and thrill!) is to poke and probe the material to find the individual way in which Lucia goes mad. How does a recently orphaned young woman, oppressed and bullied by her brother and trapped amid a brutal family feud in 17th-century Scotland, manage to survive? How do masculine and feminine psychological energies interact and entangle? Is going mad the only path out for poor Lucy? Who wins and who loses, and what do they have to do to get there? Lots to find out!

–Jose Maria Condemi, stage director The performance will last approximately 3 hours and 5 minutes.

There will be two intermissions.

BEAUTY IN THE MADNESS

BY E V E R E T T M C C O R V E Y

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SOPRANO SARAH COBURN in Lucia’s devastating final moments. Photo by Karli Cadel, courtesy of Lyric Opera of Kansas City.

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Between 1810 and 1848, a trio of composers dominated the Italian operatic scene: Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, and Gaetano Donizetti. Their operas were written in a style referred to as bel canto, which literally translates as “beautiful singing.” Bel canto operas are celebrations of the human voice, and performers in this style could typically sing long, slow, and beautiful phrases, then quickly execute fast, spirited melodies with lots of high (and low) notes.

The style is also known for its striking ensembles, in which multiple characters sing together with long, exquisite interweaving melodies, commanding our attention with both their collective beauty and dynamic individuality.

The stories in the bel canto tradition are typically easy to follow, and the orchestra provides very light accompaniment, allowing the voice to be the featured instrument. Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti understood very well what their audiences wanted and seized every opportunity to thrill them. Theirs were the people’s operas, and their works elevated the voice as the vehicle for transporting emotion and evoking musical frenzy.

One of the most famous operas in the bel canto repertoire is Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, which premiered in 1835 and has been a staple ever since.

But what makes it so popular? For me, the most thrilling aspect of the opera is the role of Lucia herself, which is a soprano tour de force. So many great singers have taken it on, and when they’ve succeeded,

their reward has typically been a stellar career around the world recreating this desperate, unwilling bride.

Lucia’s tragic ending is also the stuff of operatic legend, culminating in the “Mad Scene” (“Il dolce suono”). This is one of the most technically challenging soprano arias in the repertory—a true diva vehicle for any soprano who can conquer its perilous runs, leaps, vocal pyrotechnics, and high-octane vocal gymnastics.

When I was a young student, the reigning Lucia was Dame Joan Sutherland. She mastered every turn, every leap, and every virtuosic high note in the role, virtually owning it for more than 25 years. Before her, there was Maria Callas, Adelina Patti, Luisa Tetrazzini, Amelita Galli-Curci, and Lily Pons, whose voice was so high that she actually sang the

EVEN IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS OPERA, its beautiful melodies will have you glued to your seat, and it will reveal how riveting and enthralling an opera can be.

Mad Scene up a whole step! There have been other famous Lucias, including Gail Robinson, Nellie Melba, June Anderson, Mariella Devia, Sumi Jo, Natalie Dessay, Virginia Zeani, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Beverly Sills, Anna Moffo, and current singers like Anna Netrebko, Nadine Sierra, and South African soprano Pretty Yende, all of whom have mastered the role’s complex challenge. And with this production, we get to witness another dynamic soprano, Raven McMillon, taking on this singular role for the very first time.

Even if you are new to this opera, its beautiful melodies will have you glued to your seat, and it will reveal how riveting and enthralling an opera can be and how the power of the human voice can transport us all to a theatrical experience like no other. I hope you enjoy the ride!

Dr. Everett McCorvey is the OperaLex Endowed Chair of Opera at the University of Kentucky. He is also founder of the American Spiritual Ensemble and artistic director of the National Chorale in New York City.

LEGENDARY SOPRANO BEVERLY SILLS sang the title role in Cincinnati Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor in 1968 and 1971.

STRONGER ARTS FOR A STRONGER REGION

The growth of Cincinnati and its arts is inseparable. Creating a thriving region starts with each of us giving what we can to the arts. Help set the stage for the future of the region we all love.

Give today at artswave.org.

Lead Sponsor Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust Production Sponsor Harry and Ann Santen Additional Support Drs. Thomas and Barbara Boat Ms. Joyce Elkus Ginger and David Warner Performance Sponsors Cincinnati Opera Board Associates Cincinnati Opera Guild The Fullgraf Foundation Johnson Investment Counsel The Stephen H. Wilder Foundation

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THE KNOCK Music by Aleksandra Vrebalov Libretto by Deborah Brevoort Sung in English A Cincinnati Opera World Stage Premiere June 23 and 27, July 2, 5, and 7, 2023, at Wilks Studio, Cincinnati Music Hall

Stephanie Rhodes Russell* Alison Moritz* James Rotondo* Trevor Bowen* Thomas C. Hase James Geier Gina Hays Alison Pogorelc

Conductor Stage Director Scenic Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Wig & Makeup Designer Stage Manager Assistant Director

Cast in order of vocal appearance Soprano 1 Soprano 2 Alto/Commanding Officer’s Wife Joella “Jo” Jenner Aishah McNair Lt. Roberto Gonzalez

Felicity Tomkins* Erin Keesy Stephanie Sanchez* Mary-Hollis Hundley* Briana Elyse Hunter* Armando Contreras*

* Cincinnati Opera debut

A co-commission of Cincinnati Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival A new production constructed by Cincinnati Opera

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THE STORY

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Several military wives come home from work to empty houses while their husbands are deployed to Fallujah during the surge of Iraq. Aishah McNair prepares dinner and eats alone, before sitting at the window to look at the moon at the same time as Jarrett, her deployed husband. Jo Jenner compulsively channel surfs and talks to her newborn baby as she waits for a phone call from her husband, Kelsey.

Army Lt. Gonzalez watches war movies on TV and frets over why he was assigned to stay on the home front; he would much prefer to be in battle.

Lt. Gonzalez receives a call from his commanding officer, giving him an assignment in Fort Carson, Colorado. He has two hours to get there. The Commanding Officer’s Wife (C.O.W.) calls Aishah to tell her that she just received word that the base in Iraq is on “black out” again. She is gathering the wives together at her home, which is Army protocol whenever communications are cut off from the war front.

Lt. Gonzalez begins his drive. Aishah, Jo, and the other wives gather at the C.O.W.’s home. They distract themselves, but no one knows what is going on. Jo, who is new to Army life, becomes increasingly anxious as the evening progresses. Lt. Gonzalez is anxious too. This is a new assignment for him, and he doesn’t feel prepared.

When Lt. Gonzalez reaches Fort Carson, he pulls

off the road to find a place where he can change into his officer’s uniform. The only place he can find is a McDonald’s. Meanwhile, Aishah tries to comfort Jo, who has become distraught over having picked a fight with her husband on the day he left for Iraq.

Lt. Gonzalez arrives at the C.O.W.’s house. He reviews the Army protocol for how to deliver a death notification. It is his first “knock,” and he struggles emotionally with what he has to do. He decides to wait until the last minute, then slowly approaches the door. When he steps into the house, the women immediately know why he is there. But which one of them will receive the knock?

Lt. Gonzalez slowly marches up to Aishah and gives her the ritual salute. And then, he asks if she is Jo Jenner. Aishah, who is doubled over in grief, is instantly transported to joy when she realizes that the knock is not for her. But her grief quickly returns when she realizes that Jo, the young Army wife with the newborn, is the one who has just lost her husband. As she comforts Jo, Lt. Gonzalez holds Jo’s baby, realizing that delivering the knock is harder than anything he would have to do in battle.

Jo runs out of the house with her baby. Surrounded by the wives, she watches the stars fall as the sun rises and morning comes.

IN PERFORMANCE The Knock explores the friction between patriotism and personal loss, highlighting the sacrifices made by military families and the cost of war—the loss of human life. The dramatic narrative of the opera allows for an extreme range of musical expression, from tender and lyrical to horrific and solemn. I use a full palette of sound and harmonic density to draw on the deeply felt emotions of the protagonists of the opera. As a composer, I’m sometimes asked who I write for, but I often do not have a specific audience in mind. However, while composing The Knock, I found myself thinking about military wives and families who might be in the audience. It was an honor to be their voice and to express the emotions of loss, strength, and resilience through music. My hope is that this music offers insights, healing, and a deeper connection to a reality that is both urgent and relevant, even if it’s a reality that is extremely difficult to face.

—Aleksandra Vrebalov, composer

The performance will last approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes.

There will be no intermissions.

SONG FOR THE SOLDIER’S WIFE

BY DEBORAH BREVOORT

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SOPRANO MARY-HOLLIS HUNDLEY as Jo Jenner in The Knock. Courtesy of the Glimmerglass Festival.

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In 2010, I was commissioned to write The Comfort Team, a play about military spouses for the Virginia Stage Company in Norfolk, Virginia. At the time, the United States had been at war in Iraq and Afghanistan for nearly 10 years, and the Norfolk community—home to the world’s largest military installation—was filled with wives who were holding down the home front. Over a three-year period, I immersed myself in military life and conducted interviews with 43 spouses of all ages from every rank, culture, race, economic class, geographical region, and branch of the armed services.

Military culture, I quickly discovered, has a dizzying set of protocols and customs that are strictly observed. These protocols form the substance of military life and govern its rituals. It was important to honor them while writing The Knock; they form the structure for the libretto and score, and composer Aleksandra Vrebalov and I made every effort to ensure they were represented as accurately as possible.

The military is also a culture where gender roles fall along traditional lines, and we tried to represent that too. Wives are required to put the needs of the servicemen first and are expected to volunteer in activities to assist the smooth functioning of the military effort. One of those is the Spouse Club, which is how the Command Office communicates with wives during deployments. The gathering of wives in The Knock is a meeting of the Spouse Club.

During my time in Norfolk, I heard many stories about “the knock.” They were told to me in places like McDonald’s or Starbucks—everyday locations where we go about our everyday lives. As I sat listening to these stories, while watching other families

THE KNOCK PREMIERED in 2021 as a film produced by the Glimmerglass Festival. Here, baritone Armando Contreras appears as Lt. Gonzalez. Cincinnati Opera’s production of The Knock is the first time it will be presented live on stage. Image courtesy of the Glimmerglass Festival.

eat lunch or drink coffee, unaware of the nightmare taking place at my table, I was struck by the disconnect and how emblematic it was for our country, where most of us go through our lives unaware of the burdens being carried by the military families in our midst.

It was this disconnect that I tried to capture in the libretto when our young Army officer, who is given a gut-wrenching task, drives past box stores while others are shopping, and then has to change into his uniform in a McDonald’s men’s room while families are eating Happy Meals.

The military wives left behind on the home front is a story that continues to be overlooked in the flurry of operas and plays about soldiers coming home from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Thousands of women serve our country and make huge sacrifices for our war efforts—something most of us are not even aware of. These are characters we never get to see on the opera stage, and it is our hope that The Knock will bring their story to light.

A heartfelt thanks to all of the wives who opened their homes and hearts to me and who shared the struggles, rewards, pleasures, and travails of being married to the military. I dedicate The Knock to all of the wives I interviewed—and to military wives everywhere—who serve our country in the shadows.

We owe you much.

Deborah Brevoort’s operas have been produced at Glimmerglass, Ft. Worth, Chicago Opera Theater, Opera Colorado, ALT, and NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. She is the librettist mentor for Washington National Opera’s American Opera Initiative.

Production Sponsor Larry and Beth Uhlenbrock Performance Sponsors 1919 Investment Counsel The Estate of Frank and Janet Andress

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THE BARBER OF SEVILLE (IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA) Music by Gioachino Rossini Libretto by Cesare Sterbini Sung in the original Italian Based on the play The Barber of Seville by Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais World premiere: February 20, 1816, at the Teatro Argentina, Rome, Italy Cincinnati Opera premiere: July 11, 1920, at Cincinnati Zoo Pavilion July 6 and 8, 2023, at Cincinnati Music Hall 65th and 66th company performances of The Barber of Seville

Christopher Allen Christopher Mattaliano Allen Moyer James Scott Thomas C. Hase James Geier Henri Venanzi Peter Nictakis Seth Hoff

Conductor Stage Director Scenic Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Wig & Makeup Designer Chorus Master Stage Manager Assistant Director

27 Cast in order of vocal appearance Fiorello, a street musician Count Almaviva, a young nobleman Figaro, a barber Rosina, a ward of Dr. Bartolo Dr. Bartolo, an elderly physician Don Basilio, a music teacher Berta, Rosina’s governess An Officer

Thomas Dreeze Alasdair Kent* Rodion Pogossov Emily Fons* Peixin Chen Nicholas Newton* Kendra Beasley* Samuel Smith

* Cincinnati Opera debut

Scenery and properties for this production are jointly owned by Minnesota Opera, Washington National Opera, and Opera Omaha and were constructed by Minnesota Opera Shops

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THE STORY

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Count Almaviva (disguised as Lindoro, a student) arrives to serenade a young girl with whom he has become smitten. He runs into his former servant Figaro, the town barber, who identifies the girl as Rosina, the ward of Dr. Bartolo. Figaro offers to help him court Rosina. He suggests that Almaviva disguise himself as a drunken soldier and demand lodging with Bartolo.

At Bartolo’s house, Rosina resolves that Lindoro will be hers. Figaro comes to see her, but they are interrupted by Bartolo and Don Basilio, Rosina’s music teacher, who reports that Almaviva is in town. Feeling threatened, Bartolo decides to have a marriage contract quickly drawn up between himself and Rosina. Figaro, who has overheard their conversation, informs Rosina of the plot.

Rosina gives Figaro a note for Lindoro, but Bartolo catches sight of it, accusing her of writing to an admirer and threatening to lock her in. Almaviva, disguised as a drunken officer, arrives demanding lodging. While a frustrated Bartolo is distracted, Almaviva slips Rosina a note. Then, Almaviva threatens to fight Bartolo, while Figaro tries to intervene.

The militia arrives to restore order, and Bartolo is left confused.

Bartolo sits alone when Almaviva enters disguised as Don Alonso, a music teacher sent to replace Don

Basilio. Bartolo is suspicious, but “Alonso” gives Bartolo the letter from Rosina to Lindoro. Assured, Bartolo fetches Rosina for her lesson and listens as she sings of love.

Figaro arrives to shave Bartolo. Meanwhile, Almaviva whispers the escape plan to Rosina, saying he and Figaro will come for her at midnight. Bartolo overhears them and accuses them all of scheming.

Don Basilio arrives and Bartolo soon discovers that Alonso was an imposter. He realizes the urgency of marrying Rosina, and Basilio hurries off in search of a notary. Meanwhile, Bartolo attempts to make Rosina doubt her lover by showing her the letter that she wrote to Lindoro, convincing her that Lindoro and Figaro are hirelings for Almaviva. Rosina agrees to give up Lindoro and marry Bartolo that night.

Figaro and Almaviva appear, ready to escape with Rosina. She is at first furious, but her anger turns to delight when she finds out that Almaviva and Lindoro are one and the same. Their escape is thwarted

by Don Basilio, who enters with the notary. Threatened with a gun to his head, Don Basilio is persuaded to act as a witness as the notary marries Almaviva and Rosina. Bartolo arrives too late. Almaviva placates him by allowing him to keep Rosina’s dowry, and all express joy at the happy ending.

IN PERFORMANCE Much of the music in The Barber of Seville is well known, even for those new to the opera. The overture, with its rollicking melody and fast-paced rhythms, and Figaro’s famous entrance aria, “Largo al factotum,” will both be immediately recognizable. In addition to these hits, the opera teems with magical musical moments. Toward the beginning of Act I, Almaviva sings a serenade to his lover that brims with longing (“Ecco ridente”), and a little later on, Rosina performs “Una voce poco fa,” an aria that conveys the sweet and devious sides of her personality. The opera is also filled with action-packed ensembles, the funniest of which is the Act II quintet where Figaro, Rosina, and Almaviva try to convince Don Basilio that he is sick. The action concludes joyfully with the main characters all praising the virtues of a happy ending.

–Hilary Poriss

The performance will last approximately 3 hours.

There will be one intermission.

WHERE SILLINESS REIGNS SUPREME

BY H I L A R Y P O R I S S

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EMERGING FROM BARBER’S CHAOS is a happy ending for all. Photo by John Grigaitis, courtesy of Detroit Opera.

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but temporarily kept apart by a bumbling elder, the On February 20, 2016, Gioachino Rossini’s The Bararrogant Dr. Bartolo. The help that Figaro extends ber of Seville reached a significant milestone: it turned to the young lovers adds interest and intrigue to the 200 years old. From its earliest days, this work has story, and the antics of all these characters keep audienjoyed an almost unprecedented level of popularences laughing from beginning to end. ity and has maintained a consistent foothold in the Even more than the story, it is the music that has operatic repertory. Indeed, any attempt to provide kept audiences coming back to The Barber for centua complete catalogue of performances, published ries. From the opening notes of the overture to the scores, arrangements, and recordings of The Barber joyful finaletto, this opera is packed with some of that have emerged over the past two centuries would Rossini’s most iconic melodies and hummable tunes. represent a fool’s errand. So ubiquitous is this opera One of the most fascinating asthat it has been possible to witpects of this opera’s history, howness multiple productions every IT IS THE MUSIC ever, is that 19th- and early 20thsingle year, in numerous cities, century singers sometimes chose ever since its premiere. that has kept to ignore Rossini’s score. For the Its omnipresence extends audiences coming Act II lesson scene, for instance, beyond the opera house, firmly prima donnas rarely sang “Coningrained in popular culture as back to The un cor,” the aria Rossini wrote well. A quick search through Barber for centuries. tro for that moment. Instead, when YouTube and TikTok uncovers Almaviva asked them, “What references to Rossini’s music in would you like to sing,” they performed whatever some of the most unlikely and amusing places: the they wanted. Adelina Patti, one of the 19th century’s overture serves as background music for a Doritos most famous sopranos, provides the most fascinating commercial that first aired during the 2013 Super example. During this scene, she would perform two Bowl, and the same tune is woven throughout an epior three arias, none of which were composed by Rossode of Seinfeld in which Jerry attempts to sever ties sini, and she almost always concluded with “Home, with his longtime hairdresser. Most memorably, The Sweet Home” by Sir Henry Rowley Bishop. Her auBarber of Seville was adapted by Warner Bros. for the diences loved it and never complained that “Contro Looney Tunes short, Rabbit of Seville (1950), thus un cor” went missing! ensuring a place in the consciousnesses of innumerWhether singers follow Rossini’s score faithfully able cartoon-watching youth from the past 73 years or follow their own path by introducing arias of their and counting. Why has Rossini’s opera maintained choosing, The Barber of Seville never fails to delight. such consistent and widespread appeal?

With this opera, Rossini and his librettist tapped into In part, it’s because of its amusing story, which timeless sentiments and wove unforgettable melodies Rossini and his librettist, Cesare Sterbini, adapted around the charming narrative. The result is an opera from the 1773 play of the same name by Pierre Beauthat has been performed for centuries and is destined marchais. The story of Rosina and Almaviva is timeto grace opera houses for many more to come. less, two young lovers destined to end up together

Hilary Poriss is Professor of Music History at Northeastern University, Boston. She is a specialist in 19th-century Italian and French opera and is the author of Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (2021).

CHRISTOPHER KENNEY in the title role of Cincinnati Opera’s 2021 Summer at Summit abbreviated production of The Barber of Seville. Photo by Philip Groshong.

ʵʴʿˇʼˀ˂˅ʸ ˯ ʵʼ˅ˀʼˁʺʻʴˀ ˯ ʶʼˁʶʼˁˁʴˇʼ ˯ ʻ˂ˈˆˇ˂ˁ ˯ ˁʸˊ ˌ˂˅ʾ ˯ ˃ʻʼʿʴʷʸʿ˃ʻʼʴ ˯ ˆʴˁ ʹ˅ʴˁʶʼˆʶ˂ ˯ ˉʸ˅˂ ʵʸʴʶʻ

Lead Sponsor Sheila and Christopher Cole Set Sponsor The Estate of Dabby Blatt Costume Sponsors Michael L. Cioffi and Rachael A. Rowe Susan and John M. Tew, Jr., M.D. Performance Sponsors Mr. and Mrs. Gary T. “Doc” Huffman Edward B. Silberstein, M.D., and Jacqueline M. Mack Society of Angels

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MADAME BUTTERFLY Music by Giacomo Puccini Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica Sung in the original Italian Based on David Belasco’s play Madame Butterfly, itself based on a short story by John Luther Long World premiere: February 17, 1904, at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy Cincinnati Opera premiere: June 29, 1924, at Cincinnati Zoo Pavilion July 22, 27, and 29, 2023, at Cincinnati Music Hall 113th, 114th, and 115th company performances of Madame Butterfly

Conductor Stage Director Scenic Designer Costume Designer Lighting Designer Wig Master Chorus Master Production Stage Manager Assistant Director

Keitaro Harada Matthew Ozawa dots* Maiko Matsushima* Yuki Nakase Link* James Geier Henri Venanzi Hannah Holthaus Melanie Bacaling 33

Cast in order of vocal appearance B.F. Pinkerton Goro, a marriage broker Suzuki, Cio-Cio-San’s servant Sharpless, U.S. Consul at Nagasaki Cio-Cio-San, a geisha Imperial Commissioner Official Registrar The Bonze, Cio-Cio-San’s uncle Prince Yamadori Kate Pinkerton Yakusidé Trouble

Adam Smith* Julius Ahn Nozomi Kato* Nmon Ford Karah Son* Randell McGee* Joseph O’Shea* Peixin Chen Jacob Junbo Zhou* Kayleigh Decker Jared V. Esguerra* TBD

* Cincinnati Opera debut

A co-production of Cincinnati Opera, Detroit Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Utah Opera Scenery and properties constructed by Cincinnati Opera Costumes constructed by Cincinnati Opera, Costume Works Inc., and Utah Opera

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THE STORY

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In the present day, B.F. Pinkerton enters his apartment and dons a VR headset to escape into a fantasy. Within moments, he rejoins a game which transports him to Nagasaki, where he embodies his avatar as a U.S. Navy lieutenant. He inspects a house that he will occupy with his young bride, Cio-CioSan (a.k.a. Madame Butterfly). Sharpless, the U.S. Consul, arrives, and Pinkerton shares his vision of a sailor in search of pleasure and the beautiful Japanese girl who has captivated him. Sharpless tries to warn him of this view, but Pinkerton laughs, toasting the American girl who will someday be his “real” wife.

Butterfly, her colleagues, and family arrive for the wedding. She tells Pinkerton that since her father’s death, she now earns her living as a geisha. She also has secretly converted to Christianity. The Imperial Commissioner performs the marriage ceremony.

Then, Cio-Cio-San’s uncle, the Bonze, bursts in. He curses her, inciting the crowd. Protecting Butterfly, Pinkerton orders the guests away. Butterfly weeps and her new husband consoles her. As night falls in this pleasure fantasy, the lovers share a moonlit duet.

Three years later, modern-day Pinkerton and his American wife have grown distant. His only means of escape is through gaming, where he can manipulate his Japanese bride’s future. In the virtual world, Cio-Cio-San patiently waits for him. Her servant Suzuki implores the gods for aid, but Butterfly bids her to have faith—one day, Pinkerton will return and embrace his wife again.

Sharpless enters with a letter telling of Pinkerton’s marriage to an American. Before he can tell Butter-

fly, Goro interrupts along with a suitor, Prince Yamadori. Cio-Cio-San refuses his marriage proposal. She brings forth her young son, Trouble, and insists that as soon as Pinkerton knows of him, he will return. If not, she would rather die.

A cannon roars from the harbor, and Butterfly discovers Pinkerton’s ship coming into port. She and Suzuki strew the house with blossoms. As evening falls, she prepares to keep vigil through the night.

Modern-day Pinkerton turns off the game and goes to bed. In the middle of the night, the game turns on, luring him back to play the next level, where he chooses how he will impact Butterfly’s destiny.

Pinkerton chooses an American wife avatar, Kate. As the level continues, Butterfly still waits, though Suzuki persuades her to rest. Soon, Sharpless, Pinkerton and Kate arrive. Suzuki realizes who the woman is and reluctantly agrees to inform Butterfly. Pinkerton, now aware of Butterfly’s devotion, bids an anguished farewell and rushes away. Cio-Cio-San hurries in expecting to find her husband, and instead finds Kate.

She instantly guesses the truth and touchingly wishes Kate happiness. She says that Pinkerton may have his son if he will return for him.

Butterfly orders Suzuki and Trouble away. She has no choice but to escape this nightmare, and she pulls out the dagger with which her father committed suicide. As she raises the blade to her throat, Trouble appears. Cio-Cio-San drops the knife and embraces him. She then blindfolds him, takes the dagger, and stabs herself. As the fantasy dies, Pinkerton desperately tries to hold onto his creation, Butterfly.

IN PERFORMANCE As envisioned by Puccini–who never set foot in Japan–Madame Butterfly is a fantastical depiction of Japanese people and culture, a fact that our new production strives to emphasize. We’ve imagined that the opera’s events are actually the invention of a modern-day Pinkerton, who uses virtual reality (conveyed theatrically through our staging and designs) to step into Butterfly’s world. In Pinkerton’s fantasy, everything, including Butterfly, is under his control. Despite this, Butterfly quietly resists and ultimately seeks agency over her own fate. With this fresh framing of the opera, our hope is to encourage us all to reconsider how we view Butterfly’s story.

–Matthew Ozawa, Kimie Nishikawa of dots, Maiko Matsushima, and Yuki Nakase Link The performance will last approximately 3 hours.

There will be one intermission.

RELEASING BUTTERFLY

BY M AT T H E W O Z AWA

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A COSTUME RENDERING for Cio-Cio-San by designer Maiko Matsushima.

A 36

As we allow ourselves to become immersed in the fantasy of Japan portrayed in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, it’s illuminating to consider through whose lens we are viewing this opera. What experiences, perspectives, histories, and biases do we bring with us as we engage with Butterfly’s story?

When I investigate my own lens, I see that mine represents the East-West conflict that is core to Madame Butterfly. I am biracial–the son of a Caucasian mother and a Japanese father. I am an American whose family was interned during World War II. I grew up in Asia but spent holidays in California. I have spent most of my professional life devoted to the Western art form of opera, though I am often one of the only artists of color in the spaces where I work.

I have loved Western classical music as much as I have loved Eastern art forms. Like Butterfly, I have yearned for acceptance but never felt truly at home in any single culture or place.

Butterfly has spent most of her existence seen through the lens of Western white men. Her story was first told by French novelist Pierre Loti, and it then passed successively to American writer John Luther Long, American playwright David Belasco, and Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. Likewise, so many of the Butterfly productions we have enjoyed throughout history have presented her story primarily through a white male lens. This fantasy of Japan has been created not by those whose culture is meant to be represented in the opera—namely, Japanese people and, in particular, Japanese women—but by those who, in many cases, have had no direct connection to Japan. Has this tradition had an impact on those whose story Madame Butterfly has actually meant to represent? I believe it has.

SET RENDERING for Madame Butterfly by dots.

This new production of Madame Butterfly reclaims the opera’s narrative through the lens of an entirely Japanese and Japanese American creative team and amplifies the voices of an entirely female Japanese design collective. Together, we have grappled with the challenges of presenting this work for diverse American audiences. Just as Butterfly is trapped with little agency in the opera, we as Asian Americans have been trapped by many of the traditional depictions of Butterfly’s story. We seek now to release this opera’s wings for all to experience anew. To do this, we own that the fantasy of Butterfly that we have come to love is a Western fantasy. Instead of pretending that Butterfly is representative of our Japanese and Japanese American identity, our production aims to amplify that her story has been seen through the lens of a white man, Pinkerton.

For me, Madame Butterfly is an opera I have spent 20 years studying and directing. I have deep love for this work, but it has simultaneously made me, as an Asian American, feel ostracized, and I have felt a duty to reclaim its narrative. With this new production, we aim to acknowledge that there are many ways to view this opera. Our hope is that this journey enables our empathy to be open to the impact we have on each other, and the need for a more compassionate understanding of perspectives outside our own. May the voyage into this production’s fantasy capture your senses, sweep you up in the music’s emotional power, and awaken your own lens.

Matthew Ozawa is a stage director, artistic director, and educator who has directed more than 70 opera productions around the world. He is also Chief Artistic Administration Officer for Lyric Opera of Chicago.

About Tom Tsuchiya Tom Tsuchiya is best known for his public art, including the plaques for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, and the sculptures at Great American Ball Park. Because of his passion for our environment, Tsuchiya has been immersed in creating sustainability-themed sculptures, including Embrace No Evil. Tsuchiya is a Cincinnati native whose parents are from Japan.

He is a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Cincinnati and an apprentice of noted artist Carin Hebenstreit.

EMBRACE NO EVIL 2004 (receptacle version 2023)

Sculpture by Tom Tsuchiya In collaboration with Glen Carley and John Tsuchiya Throughout our production of Madame Butterfly, audiences are invited to interact with this special work by local sculptor Tom Tsuchiya in the Music Hall foyer.

Here’s a description of the work in Tsuchiya’s own words:

Japan popularized the proverb, “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” In Japanese, it reads, “Mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru.” Because zaru is similar to saru, the word for monkey, the simian-themed pun was born.

To help prevent old CDs and DVDs from ending up in the landfill, this unique interpretation of the no evil pun doubles as a receptacle for collecting discs including their cases.

The collected discs will be donated to local schools for sustainable art projects.

Feed the monkeys!

Un Bel Di, Vedremo Embrace No Evil fits perfectly with Madame Butterfly’s tragic theme of not seeing and not hearing by Cio-Cio-San and not speaking by Pinkerton. This opera’s most famous aria sums up Cio-Cio-San’s unwillingness to see the truth.

Featuring

Emily Fons, Mezzo-Soprano

with

Andrew Crooks, Piano

Wednesday, July 12, 2023 • 8:00 p.m.

Wilks Studio at Cincinnati Music Hall Program “Love Is Here to Stay” .............................................................… George and Ira Gershwin 38

“Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life” from Naughty Marietta …...Victor Herbert and Rida Johnson Young “The Lass from the Low Countree” .........................................................… John Jacob Niles “Hello, Young Lovers” from The King and I …............. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein “Lascia Ch’io Pianga” from Rinaldo …....…...................................................... G.F. Handel “Times Like This” from Lucky Stiff ....…............................ Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens “Goodbye, Emil” from Romance/Romance ....…................... Barry Harman and Keith Herrmann “My House” from Peter Pan ....…............................................................ Leonard Bernstein “The Tale of the Oyster” from Fifty Million Frenchmen ....….................................. Cole Porter “Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu”/“Les Anges Musiciens” from La Courte Paille ................................................... Francis Poulenc and Maurice Carême “Feldeinsamkeit” ....…......…..........................…........................................... Charles Ives “Voi Che Sapete” from The Marriage of Figaro ....…....…....................................W.A. Mozart “I Won’t Mind” ....…....................................... Jeff Blumenkrantz, Anne Kessler, Libby Saines “Il Cielo in Una Stanza” ................................................................................. Gino Paoli “Love Has No Pride” ...................................................................Erik Kaz and Libby Titus “Miłość Ci Wszystko Wybaczy” ............................................ Henryk Wars and Julian Tuwim “An die Musik” .........................................................................................Franz Schubert “That’s All” ..........................................................................Bob Haymes and Alan Brandt

Read more about Emily Fons on page 46.

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Featuring

Nmon Ford, Baritone

with

Evans Mirageas Narrator 40

Mary-Hollis Hundley Soprano

Wednesday, July 19, 2023 • 8:00 p.m.

Wilks Studio at Cincinnati Music Hall

Baritone Nmon Ford presents excerpts from his house music opera, House of Orfeus, a compelling reimagining of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth.

Set in the near future, House of Orfeus blends music genres and performance to tell the story of Orfeus, who confronts his true nature to save the beautiful poet, Euridice, from his father, Pluto, the fascist ruler of a dystopian empire.

Blurring the lines of opera, house music, and theatre, House of Orfeus will receive its world premiere in 2024 as a co-production with Lincoln Center and Opera Carolina.

Read more about Nmon Ford on page 46.

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SEASON ARTISTS CINCINNATI OPERA 2023 * Cincinnati Opera debut

JULIUS AHN Tenor (Seoul, South Korea) Goro, Madame Butterfly Cincinnati: Spoletta, Tosca (2021); Pang, Turandot (2015) Elsewhere: Goro, Madame Butterfly (San Francisco Opera); Mime, Das Rheingold (Atlanta Opera); Guang, Stuck Elevator (Nashville Opera) Upcoming: Goro, Madame Butterfly (Detroit Opera; Opera Philadelphia)

CHRISTOPHER ALLEN Conductor (New York, New York) Conductor, The Barber of Seville Cincinnati: Aida (2022); The Magic Flute (2017); Tosca (2016); Morning Star (2015) Elsewhere: The Magic Flute (Opéra de Montréal); La Traviata (Lyric Opera of Kansas City); Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo) Upcoming: Romeo and Juliet (Lyric Opera of Kansas City); Handel Messiah (Oregon Symphony) 42

SANTIAGO BALLERINI Tenor (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Edgardo, Lucia di Lammermoor* Elsewhere: Ernesto, Don Pasquale (Gran Teatre del Liceu); Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville (Teatro Regio di Torino); Alfredo, La Traviata (Ópera Nacional de Chile); Duke, Rigoletto (Opera San Antonio); Romeo, Romeo and Juliet (Opera Naples) Upcoming: Poliuto, Poliuto (Teatro Nuovo)

RENATO BALSADONNA Conductor (Venice, Italy) Conductor, Lucia di Lammermoor Cincinnati: The Barber of Seville (2021); La Traviata (2018) Elsewhere: Nabucco; La Traviata (Royal Opera House, U.K.); Norma (Ópera de Oviedo); Opera gala concert (Trondheim Symphony Orchestra) Upcoming: Rigoletto (Royal Opera House, U.K.); Don Pasquale (New National Theatre, Tokyo)

KENDRA BEASLEY Mezzo-soprano (Madison, Georgia) Berta, The Barber of Seville* Elsewhere: Berta, The Barber of Seville (New Orleans Opera); Raksha, The Jungle Book (Glimmerglass Festival); Madame de Croissy, Dialogues of the Carmelites (UC CollegeConservatory of Music); Fatima cover; Katie Ellen cover, Omar (Boston Lyric Opera) Upcoming: Girlfriend #3, Blue (New Orleans Opera)

TREVOR BOWEN Costume Designer (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Costume Designer, The Knock*

Elsewhere: Hamlet (Guthrie Theater); Bluebeard’s Castle/Four Songs (Boston Lyric Opera); The Color Purple (Denver Center for the Performing Arts); Taking Up Serpents; Holy Ground (Glimmerglass Festival) Upcoming: Shane (Guthrie Theater; Cincinnati Playhouse); Rocky Horror Show (Dallas Theater Center)

DEBORAH BREVOORT Librettist & Playwright (West Milford, New Jersey) Librettist, The Knock*

Elsewhere: My Lord, What a Night (Ford’s Theatre); Murasaki’s Moon (Metropolitan Museum of Art/On Site Opera/American Lyric Theater); Steal a Pencil for Me (Opera Colorado) Upcoming: My Lord, What a Night (Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts); Blue Moon Over Memphis (Theatre Nohgaku, Tokyo & Kyoto)

GINA CERIMELE-MECHLEY Fight & Intimacy Director (Cincinnati, Ohio) Lucia di Lammermoor; The Knock; The Barber of Seville; Madame Butterfly Cincinnati: 2022 season; Romeo and Juliet (2019); Another Brick in the Wall (2018); Tosca (2016); Silent Night (2014) Elsewhere: Romeo and Juliet (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis); Wozzeck (Des Moines Metro Opera) Upcoming: Susan, [title of show] (Cincinnati Actor’s Studio & Academy); Egeus/Ensemble/Fight director, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company) 43

PEIXIN CHEN Bass (Hulunbeier, Inner Mongolia, China)

Dr. Bartolo, The Barber of Seville; The Bonze, Madame Butterfly Cincinnati: King, Aida (2022) Elsewhere: Sarastro, The Magic Flute (Metropolitan Opera); Colline, La Bohème (Washington National Opera); Monk, Don Carlo (Lyric Opera of Chicago) Upcoming: Timur, Turandot (Metropolitan Opera); Fasolt, Das Rheingold (Seattle Opera); Commendatore, Don Giovanni (Los Angeles Opera)

TERRENCE CHIN-LOY Tenor (Coral Springs, Florida) Normanno, Lucia di Lammermoor

Cincinnati: Laurese Glover, Blind Injustice (2019) Elsewhere: Tamino, The Magic Flute (Arizona Opera); Don José, Carmen (MasterVoices, New York); Charlie, The Factotum (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Acis, Acis and Galatea (Eugene Opera) Upcoming: Pang, Turandot (Los Angeles Opera); Wesley Harris, Sanctuary Road (Virginia Opera)

JOSE MARIA CONDEMI Stage Director (Oakland, California) Stage Director, Lucia di Lammermoor

Cincinnati: Tosca (2021, 2016); Frida (2017); Il Trovatore (2015); La Traviata (2012); Ainadamar (2009); Don Giovanni (2004) Elsewhere: La Bohème (San Francisco Opera); Falstaff (Opera San José); Frida (Detroit Opera)

ARMANDO CONTRERAS Baritone (Phoenix, Arizona) Lt. Roberto Gonzalez, The Knock* Elsewhere: Dandini, La Cenerentola (Kentucky Opera; Tri-Cities Opera; Syracuse Opera); Papageno, The Magic Flute; Dandini, La Cenerentola (Salt Marsh Opera); Luca, Tenor Overboard (Glimmerglass Festival) Upcoming: Older Thompson, Glory Denied (Art Song Colorado); Guglielmo, Così Fan Tutte concert (Newport Classical)

KAYLEIGH DECKER Mezzo-soprano (Woodstock, Maryland) Alisa, Lucia di Lammermoor*; Kate Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly Elsewhere: Isolier, Le Comte Ory; Kate Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly; Second Cretan Woman, Idomeneo (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Dorabella, Così Fan Tutte (Dallas Opera); Ruggiero, Alcina concert (Les Violons du Roy, Québec City & Montréal) Upcoming: Dorabella, Così Fan Tutte (Welsh National Opera)

DOTS Design Collective (Japan, Columbia, South Africa) Scenic Design, Madame Butterfly* Elsewhere: The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (Brooklyn Academy of Music); Thumbprint (Portland Opera); Rinaldo (Minnesota Opera) Upcoming: Infinite Life (Atlantic Theater Company; National Theatre, London); Pray (Ars Nova); The Christians (Broadway)

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THOMAS DREEZE Baritone (Toledo, Ohio) Fiorello, The Barber of Seville Cincinnati: Benoit/Alcindoro, La Bohème (2022); Count Capulet, Romeo and Juliet (2019) Elsewhere: Marullo, Rigoletto (Rochester Philharmonic); Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem (Hilton Head Symphony); Soloist, Handel Messiah (Toledo Symphony) Upcoming: Handel Messiah (Collegium Cincinnati); Mahler Songs (The Hamptons Festival of Music)

JARED V. ESGUERRA Tenor (Chicago, Illinois) Yakusidé, Madame Butterfly* Elsewhere: Frank, Awakenings (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis); El Remendado, Carmen (Opera San José); Soloist, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 (Madison Symphony Orchestra); Bootleg Joe cover, The Factotum (Lyric Opera of Chicago)

ANTHONY CLARK EVANS Baritone (Owensboro, Kentucky) Enrico, Lucia di Lammermoor* Elsewhere: Rigoletto, Rigoletto (Opera Philadelphia); Germont, La Traviata (Houston Grand Opera); Third Noble, Lohengrin (Metropolitan Opera) Upcoming: Rigoletto, Rigoletto (Ópera Nacional de Chile); Riccardo, I Puritani (Dresden Philharmonic); Tonio, Pagliacci (Austin Opera); Sharpless, Madame Butterfly (Opera Philadelphia)

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EMILY FONS Mezzo-soprano (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) Rosina, The Barber of Seville*; Studio Sessions Elsewhere: Woman, Ghosts (San Diego Opera); Cherubino, The Marriage of Figaro (Canadian Opera Company); Hansel, Hansel and Gretel (New Orleans Opera); Rosina, The Barber of Seville (Santa Fe Opera); Prince Orlofsky, Die Fledermaus (Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, Japan) Upcoming: Hansel, Hansel and Gretel (Opera San Antonio)

NMON FORD Baritone (Pomona, California) Sharpless, Madame Butterfly; Studio Sessions Cincinnati: Crown, Porgy and Bess (2019); Don Pizarro, Fidelio (2016) Elsewhere: Escamillo, Carmen (English National Opera); Crown, Porgy and Bess (Dutch National Opera) Upcoming: Sharpless, Madame Butterfly (Detroit Opera); Orfeus, House of Orfeus (Opera Carolina); High Priest, Samson and Delilah (Opera Colorado)

JAMES GEIER Wig & Makeup Designer (Cincinnati, Ohio) Resident Wig & Makeup Designer Cincinnati: 2004–2022 seasons Elsewhere: Pittsburgh Opera, 2003–2022 seasons; The Nutcracker (Cincinnati Ballet) Upcoming: Pittsburgh Opera, 2023–2024 season; The Nutcracker (Cincinnati Ballet)

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KEITARO HARADA Conductor (Tokyo, Japan) Conductor, Madame Butterfly Cincinnati: Song from the Uproar (2017) Elsewhere: Music & Artistic Director (Savannah Philharmonic); Conductor (Tokyo Symphony Orchestra); Orpheus in the Underworld (Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre); Carmen (Sofia National Opera) Upcoming: The Daughter of the Regiment (Nissay Opera, Tokyo); La Fanciulla del West (North Carolina Opera)

THOMAS C. HASE Lighting Designer (Madison, Wisconsin) Resident Lighting Designer & Lighting Director Cincinnati: 1997–2022 seasons Elsewhere: Der Freischütz (Vienna State Opera); Company (Broadway); Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (Los Angeles Opera) Upcoming: Powder Her Face (Nederlandse Reisopera); The Marriage of Figaro (Opéra de Montréal); Woman with Eyes Closed (Opera Philadelphia); Tosca (The Dallas Opera)

MARY-HOLLIS HUNDLEY Soprano (Louisville, Kentucky) Joella “Jo” Jenner, The Knock* Elsewhere: Joella “Jo” Jenner, The Knock (Glimmerglass Festival); Freia, Das Rheingold (Dayton Opera); Frau Schmidt, The Sound of Music (Arizona Opera); Overseer, Elektra (New York Dramatic Voices); Maryam, We, the Innumerable (National Sawdust); Alecta, House of Orfeus concert preview (Opera Carolina)

BRIANA ELYSE HUNTER Mezzo-soprano (Malvern, Pennsylvania) Aishah McNair, The Knock*

Elsewhere: Dardano, Amadigi di Gaula (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco); Ruby/Sinner, Fire Shut Up in My Bones (Metropolitan Opera); The Mother, Blue (Glimmerglass Festival; Seattle Opera) Upcoming: Jade Boucher, Dead Man Walking; Mercédès, Carmen; Kate Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly (Metropolitan Opera)

NOZOMI KATO Mezzo-soprano (Tokyo, Japan) Suzuki, Madame Butterfly*

Elsewhere: Bersi, Andrea Chénier (Teatro Regio di Parma); Suzuki, Madame Butterfly (Teatro Comunale di Modena; Ópera de Oviedo); Carmen, Carmen (Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre); Enrichetta di Francia, I Puritani (Teatro Verdi di Trieste) Upcoming: Princess Eboli, Don Carlo (Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre)

ERIN KEESY Soprano (Lexington, Kentucky) Soprano 2, The Knock

Cincinnati: Mrs. Ford/Natalia Trotsky, Frida (2017) Elsewhere: Marzelline, Fidelio; Agathe, Der Freischütz (Queen City Opera); Abrams Mammoth featuring Yo-Yo Ma (Louisville Orchestra)

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ALASDAIR KENT Tenor (Subiaco, Perth, Australia) Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville*

Elsewhere: Belmonte, The Abduction from the Seraglio (Bayerische Staatsoper); Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville (Vienna State Opera, Dallas Opera) Upcoming: Narciso, Il Turco in Italia (Zürich Opera House); Orlando, Orlando Paladino (Teatro Real; Gran Teatre del Liceu); Achilles, Iphigénie en Aulide (Aix-en-Provence Festival)

YUKI NAKASE LINK Lighting Designer (Hudson Valley, New York) Lighting Designer, Madame Butterfly*

Elsewhere: Blood Moon (Baruch Performing Arts Center); In a Grove (Pittsburgh Opera); Orpheus and Eurydice (San Francisco Opera); Proving Up (Juilliard Opera) Upcoming: Orfeo (Santa Fe Opera); Angel Island (Brooklyn Academy of Music)

MAIKO MATSUSHIMA Costume Designer (Kobe, Japan) Costume Designer, Madame Butterfly*

Elsewhere: The Path of Pins or the Path of Needles (Josephine Decker/Pig Iron Theatre Company); Fat Ham (The Wilma Theater); My General Tubman (Arden Theatre Company); 4000 Miles (Westport Country Playhouse) Upcoming: Assassins (Arden Theatre Company); Hilma af Klint (The Wilma Theater)

CHRISTOPHER MATTALIANO Stage Director (Portland, Oregon) Stage Director, The Barber of Seville

Cincinnati: The Barber of Seville (1997) Elsewhere: The Magic Flute (Washington National Opera); The Barber of Seville (Michigan Opera Theatre; Portland Opera; The Florentine Opera); Rigoletto (Opera Colorado); La Calisto (Princeton University) Upcoming: Artistic Director/Producer, Il Re Pastore; Dark Sisters (OrpheusPDX)

RANDELL MCGEE Baritone (Saint Louis, Missouri) Commissioner, Madame Butterfly*

Cincinnati: West cover, Castor and Patience (2022) Elsewhere: Jacob, The Righteous (Opera Fusion: New Works); Apprentice artist (Sarasota Opera)

RAVEN MCMILLON Soprano (Baltimore, Maryland) Lucia, Lucia di Lammermoor

Cincinnati: Musetta, La Bohème; Ruthie, Castor and Patience (2022); Frasquita, Carmen (2021) Elsewhere: Pamina, The Magic Flute (Welsh National Opera); Gilda, Rigoletto (Opera Philadelphia); Johanna, Sweeney Todd (Austin Opera); Rosina, The Barber of Seville (New Orleans Opera); Peter, The Snowy Day (Houston Grand Opera) 48

ALISON MORITZ Stage Director (Saint Louis, Missouri) Stage Director, The Knock*

Elsewhere: Bernstein Mass (Kennedy Center); Così Fan Tutte (Washington National Opera); Candide (Ravinia Festival; Atlanta Opera); The Abduction from the Seraglio (Lyric Opera of Kansas City) Upcoming: Faust (Wolf Trap Opera); Sir John in Love (Bard Music Festival)

ALLEN MOYER Scenic Designer (Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania) Scenic Designer, The Barber of Seville

Cincinnati: Die Fledermaus (2016); Carmen (2004); The Barber of Seville (1997) Elsewhere: Fire Shut Up in My Bones; Champion (Metropolitan Opera); Paradise Square (Broadway); Harvey Milk; Awakenings (Opera Theatre of Saint Louis) Upcoming: Champion; The Flying Dutchman (Lyric Opera of Chicago)

NICHOLAS NEWTON Bass-baritone (San Diego, California) Don Basilio, The Barber of Seville*

Elsewhere: Don Basilio, The Barber of Seville (Santa Fe Opera); Peter, Hansel and Gretel (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Monterone, Rigoletto (The Dallas Opera) Upcoming: Alidoro, La Cenerentola (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Henry, Intelligence (Houston Grand Opera); Leporello, Don Giovanni; Jacob, The Righteous (Santa Fe Opera)

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JOSEPH O’SHEA Baritone (Mobile, Alabama) Official Registrar, Madame Butterfly*

Elsewhere: Senator Potter, Fellow Travelers; Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro (UC CollegeConservatory of Music); Figaro, The Barber of Seville; Escamillo cover, Carmen (Janiec Opera Company—Brevard Music Center)

MATTHEW OZAWA Stage Director (Chicago, Illinois) Stage Director, Madame Butterfly

Cincinnati: Romeo and Juliet (2019) Elsewhere: Chief Artistic Administration Officer (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Orfeo ed Euridice; Fidelio (San Francisco Opera) Upcoming: Fidelio (Canadian Opera Company); Madame Butterfly (Detroit Opera; San Diego Opera); Angel Island (Brooklyn Academy of Music/Beth Morrison Projects)

RODION POGOSSOV Baritone (Cincinnati, Ohio) Figaro, The Barber of Seville

Cincinnati: Marcello, La Bohème (2022, 2017) Elsewhere: Jaroslav Prus, The Makropulos Case (Malmö Opera); Figaro, The Barber of Seville (Teatro Regio Torino); Belcore, The Elixir of Love (Seattle Opera); Prince Yeletsky, The Queen of Spades (Gran Teatre del Liceu) Upcoming: Fra Melitone, La Forza del Destino (Royal Opera House, U.K.); Schaunard, La Bohème (Metropolitan Opera) 50

3

LA BOHÈME Bernstein/Wheeler CANDIDE Gounod/Barbier & Carré ROMEO AND JULIET Handel/Rossi RINALDO Morris/Fuentes THE RIP VAN WINKLES Puccini/Illica & Giacosa

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STEPHANIE RHODES RUSSELL Conductor (American Fork, Utah) Conductor, The Knock*

Elsewhere: The Barber of Seville (Austin Opera); The Daughter of the Regiment (Utah Opera); The Marriage of Figaro (Madison Opera); Susannah (Wolf Trap Opera) Upcoming: Don Giovanni (Wolf Trap Opera); The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me (Washington National Opera); La Traviata (Tulsa Opera)

JAMES ROTONDO Scenic Designer (Boston, Massachusetts) Scenic Designer, The Knock*

Elsewhere: Taking Up Serpents; Holy Ground; The Jungle Book (Glimmerglass Festival); Rigoletto (Intermountain Opera); The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson (Washington National Opera) Upcoming: Songbird (Washington National Opera); The Rip Van Winkles (Glimmerglass Festival)

SAHEL SALAM Tenor (Houston, Texas) Arturo, Lucia di Lammermoor*

Elsewhere: Ernesto, Don Pasquale; Rodolfo, La Bohème; Fernand, La Favorite (Academy of Vocal Arts); Tamino, The Magic Flute (Merola Opera Program) Upcoming: Pang, Turandot; Panatellas, Songbird (Cafritz Young Artists, Washington National Opera)

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STEPHANIE SANCHEZ Mezzo-soprano (Las Cruces, New Mexico) Alto/Commanding Officer’s Wife, The Knock* Elsewhere: Passenger 3, Proximity (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Dryad, Ariadne auf Naxos (Arizona Opera); Maddalena, Rigoletto (Intermountain Opera); Carlotta, Zorro (Opera Southwest) Upcoming: Frida Kahlo, El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego (Opera Omaha); Witch, Hansel and Gretel (Kentucky Opera)

ADAM SMITH Tenor (Wythenshawe, England) B.F. Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly* Elsewhere: Hoffmann, The Tales of Hoffmann (Greek National Opera); Cavaradossi, Tosca (English National Opera); Rodolfo, La Bohème (Opera Carolina); Duke, Rigoletto (Scottish National Opera) Upcoming: Turiddu, Cavalleria Rusticana (Lyric Opera of Kansas City); Romeo, Romeo and Juliet (Washington National Opera)

SAMUEL SMITH Bass (Cincinnati, Ohio) Officer, The Barber of Seville Cincinnati: Sergeant of Police, The Pirates of Penzance (2022); Sacristan, Tosca (2021); Antonio, The Marriage of Figaro (2019) Elsewhere: Don Pasquale, Don Pasquale (Anchorage Opera); Don Basilio, The Barber of Seville (Lake George Opera); Leporello, Don Giovanni (Metro Lyric Opera, New Jersey); King, Aida (Palm Beach Opera) 52

KARAH SON Soprano (Seoul, South Korea) Cio-Cio-San, Madame Butterfly* Elsewhere: Mimì, La Bohème (Opera Australia); Cio-Cio-San, Madame Butterfly (San Francisco Opera; Opera Australia; Opéra National de Bordeaux) Upcoming: Cio-Cio-San, Madame Butterfly (Detroit Opera; Royal Danish Opera); Soloist, Abramović 7 Deaths of Maria Callas (English National Opera)

FELICITY TOMKINS Soprano (Te Puke, New Zealand) Soprano 1, The Knock* Elsewhere: Madame Lidoine, Dialogues of the Carmelites; Jeannette, L’Amant Anonyme (UC College-Conservatory of Music); Countess Almaviva cover, The Marriage of Figaro (New Zealand Opera); Nedda cover, Pagliacci (Festival Opera, New Zealand); Giulietta, The Tales of Hoffmann (University of Waikato Conservatorium of Music)

GRIFFEN HOGAN TRACY Bass (Golden, Colorado) Raimondo, Lucia di Lammermoor* Elsewhere: Sparafucile, Rigoletto (Amarillo Opera); Commendatore, Don Giovanni; Colline, La Bohème; Prince Gremin, Eugene Onegin (Academy of Vocal Arts) Upcoming: Victor Fyodorov, Bel Canto; Soloist, Bach Magnificat (Aspen Opera Theater); Soloist, Mozart Requiem (Law Arts Institute, Denver)

WE SUPPORT VICTORIES FOR VETERANS

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HENRI VENANZI Chorus Master (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) Resident Chorus Master Cincinnati: Assistant Chorus Master, 1980–1986 seasons; Chorus Master, 1994–2022 seasons Elsewhere: Recital accompanist for Martina Arroyo, Kathleen Battle, Sondra Radvanovsky, Jerry Hadley; U.S. Artist in Residence (Xi’an, China); Guest opera conductor (University of Alabama Opera Theatre)

ALEKSANDRA VREBALOV Composer (New York, New York) Composer, The Knock* Elsewhere: “Chapel, Rainbows,” Kronos Quartet’s A Thousand Thoughts (Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin); My Desert, My Rose (Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam) Upcoming: Simic Songs (The Village Trip Festival, New York); Gold Came From Space (Kronos Quartet, Sixth & I, Washington, D.C.); Antennae (Cappella Romana; Cleveland Museum of Art)

PHILIP WITCOMB Scenic & Costume Designer (Middlesbrough, England) Scenic & Costume Designer, Lucia di Lammermoor* Elsewhere: Bonnie and Clyde (The Garrick Theatre, London); Mame (U.K. tour); Carousel (Kilworth House, U.K.); Atlantis (Tivoli Concert Hall, Copenhagen) Upcoming: Shrek the Musical (U.K. tour); Treason (U.K. tour)

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JACOB JUNBO ZHOU Baritone (Jinan, China) Prince Yamadori, Madame Butterfly* Elsewhere: Yakusidé, Madame Butterfly (Sarasota Opera); Don Basilio cover, The Barber of Seville (Opera San José); Bertrand, Iolanta; Ottokar cover, Der Freischütz (Queen City Opera); Badger, The Cunning Little Vixen (UC College-Conservatory of Music); John Brooke, Little Women (Georgia State University Opera Theater)

Highlights of CSO + Pops

23/24 SEASONS Louis Langrée’s final season as Music Director Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring Wagner’s Ring Without Words Stravinsky’s Firebird Thomas’ Hamlet Copland’s Lincoln Portrait with special guest narrator George Takei CSO Proof: El Niño

John Morris Russell and the music of America Defying Gravity: An Evening with Stephen Schwartz & Friends Audra McDonald Holiday Pops The Doo Wop Project Notorious B.I.G. x Tupac x Mahler ... and more

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW cincinnatisymphony.org/subscribe 513.381.3300

CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Violins I Stefani Matsuo Felicity James Philip Marten Eric Bates Kathryn Woolley Anna Reider Mauricio Aguiar Minyoung Baik James Braid Michelle Edgar Dugan Rebecca Kruger Fryxell Gerald Itzkoff Sylvia Mitchell Charles Morey Luo-Jia Wu

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Violins II Gabriel Pegis Yang Liu Scott Mozlin Kun Dong Cheryl Benedict Evin Blomberg Rachel Charbel Chika Kinderman Hyesun Park Paul Patterson Stacey Woolley

Violas Christian Colberg Christopher Fischer Julian Wilkison Rebecca Barnes Emilio Carlo Stephen Fryxell Caterina Longhi Gabriel Napoli Denisse Rodriguez-Rivera Dan Wang Joanne Wojtowicz Cellos Ilya Finkelshteyn Daniel Culnan Norman Johns Daniel Kaler Isabel Kwon Hiro Matsuo Theodore Nelson Alan Rafferty Basses Owen Lee James Lambert Stephen Jones Boris Astafiev Luis Arturo Celis Avila Gerald Torres Rick Vizachero

Harp Gillian Benet Sella

Contrabassoon Jennifer Monroe

Flutes Randolph Bowman Henrik Heide Haley Bangs

French Horns Elizabeth Freimuth Molly Norcross Lisa Conway Duane Dugger Charles Bell

Piccolo Rebecca Pancner Oboes Dwight Parry Lon Bussell Emily Beare English Horn Christopher Philpotts Clarinets Christopher Pell Joseph Morris Ixi Chen Bass Clarinet Ronald Aufmann Bassoons Christopher Sales Martin Garcia Hugh Michie

Keyboards Michael Chertock Julie Spangler

Trumpets Robert Sullivan Douglas Lindsay Steven Pride Christopher Kiradjieff

Librarians Christina Eaton Elizabeth Dunning Cara Benner

Trombones Cristian Ganicenco Joseph Rodriguez Tuba Christopher Olka

CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows Tyler McKisson, viola Luis Parra, cello Samantha Powell, cello

Stage Managers Brian P. Schott Phillip T. Sheridan Daniel Schultz Andrew Sheridan

Timpani Patrick Schleker Joseph Bricker Percussion David Fishlock Michael Culligan Joseph Bricker Marc Wolfley

CINCINNATI OPERA CHORUS Tyler Alessi Ahhyun Baek Avery Bargasse Kendra Beasley Malone Blaich Joy Burdette Tony Burdette Jaeyoon Choi Victoria Ellington

Emily Garcia Reed Gnepper Ellen Graham Stephen Hanna Earl Hazell Christina Hazen Mark Hockenberry Madeline Jentsch Cameron Johnson

Joshua Klein Tess Klibanoff Rachel Kobernick Haksung Lee Claire Lopatka Lauren McAllister Randell McGee Joseph O’Shea Will Reed

Arieh Sacke Stacey Sands Grant Shields Samuel Smith Mitchell Sturges Candace Williams Talia Zoll

SUPERNUMERARIES Lucia di Lammermoor Barry Clayton Danny Duncan Scott Lincoln Marc Padros Cajas Gary Paetzke Charles Wilkinson The Knock Deena Nurredin Rebecca Sartini

The Barber of Seville Anjali Alm-Basu Pia Alm-Basu Sierra Briscoe Jay Fry Marshanna McClellan Joseph Palascak Michael Sanchez Leah Yackanech

Madame Butterfly Michael Sanchez Brett Willson

Listing as of May 22, 2023. For an updated list of 2023 Summer Festival supernumeraries and stage volunteers, visit cincinnatiopera.org/supers.

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CINCINNATI OPERA GUILD AMBASSADORS The Cincinnati Opera Guild is a group of devoted opera lovers who strive to deepen their connection to the art form through educational, social, and volunteer events. Guild Ambassadors are invited to behind-the-scenes talks with opera professionals and meet-and-greets with mainstage artists, and they are encouraged to share their passion for opera with the community. We invite you to join in the fun by becoming a Guild Ambassador!

Marina Abanto Julie Alamin Jennifer M. Allen* Raye N. Allen Anne S. Arenstein Paule S. Asch, Ph.D. Barbara Bardes Patricia K. Beggs (H) Dr. Alfred J. Berger + Lois Brenner Cherylann D. Brinkman Nicholas P. Ciafardini (H) Penny P. Cobey Virginia K. Cover (H) * Nancy Dierckes Joanna Doerner Jocelyn Dunphy (H) * Christopher D. Edwards (H) Marlesa A. Gray (H) * Barbara Hahn (H) Suzanne Hasl (H) * +

Karlee L. Hilliard* Emily M. Hodges Linda Holthaus Marlene Johnson Sarajane King* Jennifer Kinnen (H) Bo-Kyung Kirby Patrick Korb (H) * + Mel E. Kuempel (H) * Elizabeth Kuresman (H) Mr. Bruce A. Lafferre J. Jeff Landen Richard Laskey * Sooncha Lee Adele Lippert Joanie Lotts (H) Alex J. Lukondi Janet P. McDaniel Ruth McDevitt (H) Rod M. McFaull Lawrence Mouch (H) Sue A. Mouch (H)

Christine E. Neyer (H) * + Tom Osterman Marchelle Owens + Lilián E. Pagani + Isabelle Paul (H) + Sandra Porada Daniel C. Rebhun (H) * Aileen B. Reinstatler (H) * Carol A. Rogers (H) Ellen J. Ross Louis Ross Mrs. Lois P. Rust Ellen Saenger G. James Sammarco + Ruthann Sammarco (H) * + Robert Schmidt + Charles R. Schuler + Charles H. Spencer Jeffrey Stambough + Nancy Stambough + Barbara Stegmaier +

Joseph Stegmaier + Kim Strubbe Janet V. Stuhlreyer + Paul A. Stuhlreyer III + Janet G. Todd + Nydia C. Tranter Carol Turni & Stephan Weigle Nancy Virgulak Robert Von Gerds Jeannine Winkelmann (H) * Shelby O. Wood Richard Zinicola Julie G. Heard (H) * EJ Wohlgemuth +

(H) Honorary member * Former president + Lifetime member

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Share your love of opera, connect with other opera lovers, and dive deeper into the fascinating world behind the scenes of grand opera.

Become a Cincinnati Opera Guild Ambassador and enjoy: • Invitations to behind-thescenes tours and events • Social gatherings with other opera lovers and professionals

VOLUNTEER. ADVOCATE. CELEBRATE.

• Exclusive meet-and-greet opportunities with our opera stars

ALL ARE INVITED! JOIN THE CINCINNATI OPERA GUILD TODAY. Memberships are available to anyone donating $100 or more to Cincinnati Opera.

For more information on becoming a Guild Ambassador, visit cincinnatiopera.org/opera-guild or call 513-768-5585.

Cincinnati Opera’s Young Professionals group creates fun, unique, and relatable opera experiences for the community, especially those between the ages of 21-40.

Singers & Spirits Enjoy a curated selection of operatic pieces paired with local drinks made by Cincinnati’s finest brewers, vintners, and mixologists.

Opera is a Drag A highbrow/lowbrow retelling of a classic opera featuring drag performers and Cincinnati Opera artists.

Opera & Wellness Explore the connection between opera, mindfulness, and movement.

Divas & Diamonds Prepare for Cincinnati Opera’s summer season surrounded by glitz and glam at Richter & Phillips!

A group for young opera lovers

INAUGURAL FUNDRAISING EVENT

Bacchanal LEARN MORE

@The Transept

Delight in a little decadence and debauchery while raising funds to support Cincinnati Opera’s 2024 Summer Festival. Drinks, dancing, and togas—oh my! Details coming soon for this raucous party with a purpose.

FOLLOW US

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C IN C IN N AT I OP ERA’S 15 T H

SATURDAY, JULY 8 MUSIC HALL

PRIDE NIGHT

JOIN US TO CELEBRATE THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY AND STAND WITH DRAG ARTISTS 6:30 P.M. PRIVATE SPONSOR RECEPTION 7:30 P.M. THE BARBER OF SEVILLE 10:45 P.M. PRIDE NIGHT CELEBRATION

PREMIER SPONSOR

EVENT CHAIRS DR. STEPHEN A. FERGUSON & NICHOLAS W. PUNCER

HONOREES JULIE JOHNSON & JULIA WESELKAMPER

To purchase tickets or make a donation in honor of Julie and Julia, visit cincinnatiopera.org/pride or call 513-768-5524.

MAJOR SEASON SUPPORT SEASON SUPPORT

SEASON SPONSORS Christopher Milligan, The Harry Fath General Director & CEO Harry Fath Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director The Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation Opera Fusion: New Works Sponsor Mellon Foundation 60 Opening Weekend Sponsor The Chavez Family, in memory of Geraldine V. Chavez Screen & Sky: Opera Returns to Summit Sponsor Western & Southern Financial Group Opera in the Park Sponsor Western & Southern Financial Group Opera Goes to Church Sponsor Josephine Schell Russell Charitable Trust through the PNC Charitable Trusts Grant Review Committee Opera Raps Sponsor Evelo|Singer|Sullivan Group, Merrill Private Wealth Management

Sensory-Friendly Sponsor The William Plott Sensory Fund Student Access Sponsor Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust The John L. Magro Resident Conductor, Stephen Mulligan The John L. Magro Artist Development Fund/Rev. Susan Pfeil Society of Angels Sponsor Johnson Investment Counsel Cincinnati Opera Young Professionals Sponsors ArtsWave Hindman Auctions Dr. Susan R. Strick The Tiffany Collective Veteran Community Outreach Partner Disabled American Veterans Media Sponsor Classical 90.9 WGUC

Pride Night Premier Sponsor 1919 Investment Counsel

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPONSORS ArtsWave Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust The Charles H. Dater Foundation Disabled American Veterans

H.B., E.W., and F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee The P&G Fund of GCF

ARTISTIC SPONSORS

LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR

THE KNOCK

Opening Weekend Sponsor

Lead Sponsor

The Chavez Family, in memory of Geraldine V.

Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust

Chavez Production Sponsor

Harry and Ann Santen Performance Sponsors Thomas W. Busse Trust

Additional Support

Mrs. Helen Merritt

Drs. Thomas and Barbara Boat Ms. Joyce Elkus Ginger and David Warner

Support for Jose Maria Condemi, Stage Director Robert and Debra Chavez Performance Sponsors

Support for Renato Balsadonna, Conductor

Cincinnati Opera Board Associates

Nydia Tranter

Cincinnati Opera Guild The Fullgraf Foundation

The Appearance of Raven McMillon

Johnson Investment Counsel

Dr. Alvin H. and Alva Jean Crawford

The Stephen H. Wilder Foundation

The Appearance of Santiago Ballerini Mr. and Mrs. W.M. James

Support for Aleksandra Vrebalov, Composer

In loving memory of Richard Lauf The Appearance of Terrence Chin-Loy Dr. Walter Bruyninckx and Dr. Anne-Marie B.

Support for Deborah Brevoort, Librettist

Blancquaert

In loving memory of Richard Lauf

The Appearance of Anthony Clark Evans

Support for Alison Moritz, Stage Director

Catharina Toltzis, Ph.D., and Robert Toltzis, M.D.

Dr. Susan R. Strick

The Appearance of Griffen Hogan Tracy

Support for Stephanie Rhodes Russell, Conductor

Alan L. Margulies and Gale D. Snoddy

The company debut of Stephanie Rhodes Russell was partially supported by OPERA America’s

The Appearance of Sahel Salam

Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and

Donald E. Hoffman

Conductors, generously funded by the Marineau Family Foundation

The Appearance of Kayleigh Decker Nanci Wilks Lanni and Nick Lanni

The Appearance of Armando Contreras

Kathleen Laurin-Martin and Joseph Martin The Appearance of Mary-Hollis Hundley

Jo Anne and Poul Pedersen The Appearance of Briana Elyse Hunter

Anonymous The Appearance of Stephanie Sanchez

Ellen Rieveschl

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ARTISTIC SPONSORS

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE

MADAME BUTTERFLY

Production Sponsor

Lead Sponsor

Larry and Beth Uhlenbrock

Sheila and Christopher Cole Set Sponsor

Performance Sponsors

The Estate of Dabby Blatt

1919 Investment Counsel The Estate of Frank and Janet Andress

Costume Sponsors

Michael L. Cioffi and Rachael A. Rowe Susan and John M. Tew, Jr., M.D. Support for Christopher Mattaliano, Stage Director Melanie M. Chavez Performance Sponsors

Support for Christopher Allen, Conductor

Mr. and Mrs. Gary T. “Doc” Huffman

Anonymous

Edward B. Silberstein, M.D., and Jacqueline M. Mack Society of Angels

The Appearance of Rodion Pogossov Kathleen Laurin-Martin and Joseph Martin Support for Kimie Nishikawa of dots, Set Designer

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The Appearance of Emily Fons

The Patricia K. Beggs Fund: Championing Women’s

Arthur B. Casper

Voices

The Appearance of Alasdair Kent

Support for Maiko Matsushima, Costume Designer

Debra Edelman

The Patricia K. Beggs Fund: Championing Women’s Voices

The Appearance of Peixin Chen Dr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Giannella

Support for Yuki Nakase Link, Lighting Designer

The Patricia K. Beggs Fund: Championing Women’s The Appearance of Nicolas Newton

Voices

James Stapleton and Dr. Elizabeth Shaughnessy Support for Matthew Ozawa, Stage Director

The Appearance of Kendra Beasley

Liz Kathman Grubow and Jerry Kathman

Edward Rosenthal Support for Keitaro Harada, Conductor

The Appearance of Thomas Dreeze

Joseph A. and Susan E. Pichler

Dr. Walter Bruyninckx and Dr. Anne-Marie B. Blancquaert

The Appearance of Karah Son

In loving memory of Richard Lauf The Appearance of Adam Smith

Sheila and Christopher Cole The Appearance of Nozomi Kato

Anonymous The Appearance of Nmon Ford

Dr. James D. Faulkner The Appearance of Julius Ahn

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bitter

ARTISTIC SPONSORS

MADAME BUTTERFLY

STUDIO SESSIONS

The Appearance of Jacob Junbo Zhou

Sponsors

Dr. John Tan

Arthur B. Casper Dr. James D. Faulkner

The Appearance of Kayleigh Decker

Nanci Wilks Lanni and Nick Lanni The Appearance of Peixin Chen

Dr. and Mrs. Ralph Giannella The Appearance of Trouble

Drs. Elaine and David Billmire

Sponsoring a season artist provides the opportunity to form a real connection with our artists, beyond seeing them perform onstage. Support from our artist sponsors allows Cincinnati Opera to continue bringing world-class talent to Cincinnati.

If you are interested in sponsoring one of our season artists, please contact Joe Peacock at 513-768-5565 or jpeacock@cincinnatiopera.org.

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THANK YOU! Opera on a grand scale takes the work and support of hundreds, both on the stage and off! Cincinnati Opera thanks our many generous donors who have stepped up to do your part to bring the 2023 Summer Festival season to the stage.

If you would like to make a gift towards our 2023 season, please call 513-768-5585 or visit cincinnatiopera.org/support.

Lucia di Lammermoor: Photo by Karli Cadel / Lyric Opera of Kansas City

CORPORATE, GOVERNMENT, AND FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTORS PRINCIPAL $25,000+

The Corbett Foundation

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DIRECTOR $12,000+

The Stephen H. Wilder Foundation

INVESTMENT COUNSEL

AMBASSADOR $6,000+

The Fullgraf Foundation

OFFICER $3,500+

The Alpaugh Foundation, Vicki and Peter Alpaugh

Mueller Family Foundation

Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation

EVENT HOSTS AND GIFTS-IN-KIND 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati

LPK

A Catered Affair

Lyric Opera of Chicago

Aglamesis Brothers

MadTree Alcove

Patricia K. and James D. Beggs

MadTree Brewing Company

Drs. Thomas and Barbara Boat

MadTree Oakley

Cherylann D. Brinkman

The Mercantile Library

Brown Bear Bakery

Mrs. Thomas L. Neyer, Sr.

Glen Carley

Oakley Wines

The Chavez Family

The Party Source

Melanie M. Chavez

Paycor

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati

Pepp & Dolores

Churchill’s Fine Teas

The Phelps: Top-of-the-Park

Cincinnati Art Museum

PIVOTstudio

Cincinnati Ballet

Refresh Collective

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

Revel OTR Urban Winery

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Rhinegeist Brewery

Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

Richter & Phillips Jewelers

Sheila and Christopher Cole

Salazar

The Columbus Koto Ensemble

Santa Fe Opera

Corkopolis

The Santangelo Group

CycleBar: Hyde Park

Skyline Chili

DelightMore

Sloane Boutique

Mrs. Vivian A. Dobur

James Stapleton and Dr. Elizabeth Shaughnessy

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

Brett Stover

Tina and Georges Feghali

Summit Park

FILLO Greek Bake Shop

Taft Museum of Art

Fort Thomas Armory

Taft’s Brewing Co.

Funky’s Catering

Thunderdome Restaurant Group

Goose & Elder

The Transept

Graeter’s Ice Cream Co.

John Tsuchiya

Thomas C. Hase

Tom Tsuchiya

Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza

Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey

Hindman Auctions

University of Cincinnati-DAAP

IDLEWILD Woman

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

Jane’s Bar Liz Kathman Grubow and Jerry Kathman The Kinley Cincinnati Downtown Krohn Conservatory Alex Lohmann Louvino OTR

Brett Willson and John C. Fredeking II Jeannine Winkelmann and John Winkelmann, M.D. Peg and Jack Wyant Yellow Canary Floral & Event Design Anne and Allen Zaring III

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ARTSWAVE PARTNERS Cincinnati Opera acknowledges the following partner companies, foundations, and their employees who generously participate in the annual ArtsWave Campaign at the $100,000+ level. Thank you! $2,000,000+

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

P&G

The Cincinnati Insurance Companies Cincinnati Reds

$1,000,000 to $1,999,999 Fifth Third Bank and the Fifth Third Foundation $500,000 to $999,999 GE Aerospace $300,000 to $499,999 altafiber Western & Southern Financial Group $100,000 to $299,999 Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation Cincinnati Business Courier

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Duke Energy The E.W. Scripps Company and Scripps Howard Foundation The Enquirer│Cincinnati.com Great American Insurance Group Greater Cincinnati Foundation The H.B., E.W. and F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Trustee The Kroger Co. Messer Construction Co. PNC U.S. Bank

TOI, TOI, TOI!

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EVENT AND TICKET INFORMATION CincinnatiArts.org • (513) 621-ARTS [2787]

INDIVIDUAL, FOUNDATION, AND CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS Cincinnati Opera acknowledges with deep appreciation the leadership and generosity of the many individuals, foundations, and corporations who have supported the company with contributions to the 2023 Annual Fund.

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Anonymous (15) 1919 Investment Counsel Marina Abanto Accent on Cincinnati Mrs. Christine O. Adams Virginia Wells Adams Karla L. Addess Julie and Khosrow Alamin, M.D. Ms. Jo-Ann Huff Albers Ms. Raye Allen Ms. Lisa Allgood Alpaugh Foundation, Vicki and Peter Alpaugh Ms. Ruth Alpers Mr. Jose Alvarez Ms. Christiane Anderson Katherine and Christopher Anderson Ms. Maureen Andreadis Mrs. Sofia Andreadis Frank and Janet Andress Family Fund Vic and Dolores Angel Mr. Gary J. Anglin Mrs. Norita D. Aplin and Mr. Stanley H. Ragle Dr. Richard S. Sarason and Anne S. Arenstein Reverend Christopher R. Armstrong Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Insurance ArtsWave At Your Service Cincinnati Boris Auerbach and Kathy Patchel Mr. Michael R. Bachmann and Ms. Mary Combs Mr. and Mrs. Allan J. Bailey Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bailey Gay Bain Miss Eleanor F. Banister Frances and Tom Bankston Barbara and Dale Bardes Flávia Bastos, Ph.D., and Larry Huston Ronald T. Bates and Randy Lasley Christopher and Annie Baucom Charles Baverman Kiley M. Beale Mr. Donald Beck and Lawrence E. Eynon, M.D. Ms. Lorraine Becker Dr. Stephen P. Becker Melvin and Kathleen Bedree Patricia K. and James D. Beggs Mallory Behan Jennifer and Adam Bellin

Benevity Community Impact Fund Ms. Patricia Beresford Dr. Alfred J. Berger Mr. Ryan Bergstrom Mr. Allen Bernard Glenda and Malcolm Bernstein Mr. Todd Bezold Drs. Elaine and David Billmire Garry N. Binegar, M.D. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bitter Blackbaud Giving Fund Blue Star Trading LLC Drs. Thomas and Barbara Boat Marlene and Robert Boden Sandra Bolek Mr. and Ms. Boone Mr. Gary Booth Mr. Neil Bortz Ms. and Mr. Lauren Bosse Mr. Steve Bowling Brianna Bragg Mr. David Brashear Lois and Joseph Brenner Mr. Hunter Bridewell Charlin Briggs Craig Brinkman and Jerod Stovern Mary and Joseph Brinkmeyer Kristin Brockett Mark Haggard and Daniel Brown Dr. Rachelle Bruno Dr. Walter Bruyninckx and Dr. Anne-Marie B. Blancquaert Mr. Otto M. Budig, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John Buescher Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Buford Donald L. and Kathleen F. Burns Thomas W. Busse Trust Ms. Angie Butterbaugh Mr. and Mrs. David M. Callif Dr. and Mrs. Lanthan Camblin Ms. Deborah Campbell Mr. and Mrs. Christopher J. Canarie Dr. Onassis Caneris Chris and Vivienne Carlson Ms. Julie Carnes Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation Mr. Thomas Carothers Dr. Arch Carson Jane Casavant Arthur B. Casper Terry Bazeley and John Castaldi Mr. Jeffrey Caywood and Dr. Robert Neel Dr. and Mrs. Charles L. Cerny Chabris Group

Contributions from April 19, 2022 to April 4, 2023

Mr. and Mrs. William Chang Chavez Properties Elizabeth R. Chavez Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Chavez Melanie M. Chavez Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Chavez Mr. Stanley M. Chesley and Judge Susan J. Dlott Mr. Richard Chizmadia and Mr. Richard Hobson Edmund Choi, Ph.D. Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Cicchinelli Cincinnati Stage Employees Local No. 5 The Cincinnati Symphony Club Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Candace Cioffi Michael L. Cioffi and Rachael A. Rowe Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Clark Susan and A. Burton Closson, Jr. Carol Cole Sheila and Christopher Cole Ms. Diane M. Collins Dr. George I. Colombel Mr. Randy Cook Thomas and Sondra Copanas Dr. Peter G. Courlas Mr. and Mrs. John P. Cover Cathy and Tom Crain Dr. Alvin H. and Alva Jean Crawford Mr. Daniel B. and Dr. Margaret G. Cunningham The Charles H. Dater Foundation Eric and Jennifer Dauer Mr. Louis M. Dauner Mrs. Thomas E. Davidson Kristy Davis Mustain and Mitchell Mustain Mr. and Mrs. Rafael de Acha Ms. Judith de Luce Michael and Leah Dean Ms. Nancy DeCastro Stephen and Cynthia DeHoff Deloitte & Touche LLP Dr. and Mrs. J. Randall Dennison William DePeter Mr. Frank J. DiCesare Mrs. Albert C. Dierckes Jr. Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust Mrs. Vivian A. Dobur Ms. Joanna Doerner Dr. and Mrs. Alexander Donath Mr. and Mrs. David Donnett

INDIVIDUAL, FOUNDATION, AND CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS Ms. Kathleen Dove Ms. Sharon Downing Mrs. Melodie Dunn Dr. Stewart and Ellen Dunsker Mrs. Anne K. Dusek Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dyson John G. Earls Mrs. Jack Edelman Ren and Cristina Egbert Ms. Joyce Elkus Ann Ellison The Evelo|Singer|Sullivan Group, Merrill Private Wealth Harry and Linda Fath Dr. James D. Faulkner Dr. and Mrs. William J. Faulkner Ms. Susan Feder and Mr. Todd Gordon Ms. Carol Fencl Tina and Georges Feghali David Fingerman Jack Fisher Mr. and Mrs. James T. Fitzgerald Mr. and Mrs. Ashley L. Ford Lyla Forlani Mary Anne Foss John and Julie Fox Mr. Michael Frabetti Brandon Fradd Ms. Judith Francis Mr. Ed Freeman Mr. Richard Freudenberger Yan Fridman Dr. and Mrs. Harry F. Fry The Fullgraf Foundation Ms. Amy Fuson Mr. Marshall Garrison Anne Pinckney Gay GE Foundation James D. Geier and Greg A. Smith Mrs. Janelle Gelfand Dr. Sheila C. Gelman and Dr. David Greenblatt Mrs. Elizabeth Gendreau-Maxwell and Mr. Don Maxwell Shelly Gerson Dr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Giannella Mr. L. Timothy Giglio Dr. and Mrs. Richard W. Goetz Miss Anna Gomez Judge Robert H. Gorman Barbara Gould Mr. and Mrs. Karl Graham Mary Ellen and Peter Graham Don Gray Ms. Deborah R. Grayson Mr. Joseph Greco Bob and Chris Groenke Ms. Molly Grogan

Philip and Mattie Groshong Mr. Leo Grote Liz Kathman Grubow and Jerry Kathman Dr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Gruppo The Gumbleton Family Mr. John A. Hadley Dr. Lisa Haglund Mr. and Mrs. Philip H. Hagner Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn Dr. and Mrs. Bruce Hamilton Mr. and Mrs. Carl Harcourt Linda Harpster Mr. Jeff Harris Chuck and Mary Harris Reid A. Hartmann Mrs. Robert J. Hasl Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius W. Hauck Louise and Joe Head Julie Grady Heard and Benjamin D. Heard Alice and John Hehman Bob Roesbery and Nancy Helwig Susan Hibbs Mr. Roger D. Hickman Mr. Mark Hill Ms. Karlee L. Hilliard Ms. Lori Hiltenbeitel Hindman Auctions Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors Ms. Emily M. Hodges and Mr. Charles H. Spencer Mr. Daniel J. Hoffheimer Don Hoffman Ammon Hollister Ms. Kelly Holterhoff Linda Holterhoff Linda Holthaus and Richard Zinicola Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Holzwarth Mr. Paul Horn Sebastien Hue Mr. and Mrs. Gary T. “Doc” Huffman Barbara Hummel, M.Ed. David Hunter and Margaret Bowman Doug Ignatius and Bruce Preston Ms. Janet Ignatius Ms. Judith Imhoff Ms. Spencer Ingerson IPA Source Amy and Jason Jackman Ms. Deb Jackson Mrs. Doris Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Howard Jackson Julia and William Jackson

Contributions from April 19, 2022 to April 4, 2023

Mr. and Mrs. W.M. James Mr. and Mrs. Thaddeus Jaroszewicz Johnson Controls Johnson Investment Counsel Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies Jim Johnson and Coleen Quinn Kay A. Johnson, M.D. Mr. and Mrs. Randy Johnson Ms. Brenda Jones Kevin Jones Mr. K.S. Kant Rabbi Kenneth A. Kanter Drs. Marcia Kaplan and Michael Privitera Dr. Marguerite M. Katchen Dr. James Kaya and Ms. Debra Gräuel Ms. Holly Keeler Ms. Misty Keeton Mr. and Mrs. Lorrence T. Kellar Keller Williams Seven Hills Ms. Arleene Keller Ms. Dara Kendall The Voice of Your Customer Douglas A. Kennedy Mona and Richard Kerstine, M.D. Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Kessler Mr. and Mrs. Brian Kincaid Judith Colemon Kinebrew Sarajane and Richard King Mrs. Marcene C. Kinney Ms. Lori Klinedinst Mr. Erik Koenig Lucy Hodgson and Peter Koenig Chase Kohn Ms. Carol Kosarko Doug Kridler Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Krug Carol L. Kruse Marilyn and Charles Kuntz, M.D. Peter and Sonia Kwiatkowski Natalie Ladd Mr. Bruce A. Lafferre Carol Edward Lahniers Mr. and Mrs. Greg LaLonde Ms. Margaret Landwehr Evelyn and Fred Lang Katie and Joseph Lanni Nanci Wilks Lanni and Nick Lanni Lynn and Don Larson Jim and Julie Laskey Susan Lauf Kathleen Laurin-Martin and Joseph C. Martin Ms. Sooncha Lee Ms. Betsy Leigh Margaret LeMasters, M.D. Ms. Heidi Leugers

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INDIVIDUAL, FOUNDATION, AND CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS

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Ms. Kathy Leugers Maxine F. Lewis Janice Liebenberg and Andy Holzhauser Dr. and Dr. Lynn Lin Adele Lippert Fund Carol and Mitchel Livingston, Ph.D. Alex Lohmann Whitney and Phillip Long Francisco J. Lopez Ms. Lupe Lopez Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund Mr. Jack C. Louiso Ms. Diana Lovelace Alek Lucke Mr. Alex J. Lukondi Mr. and Mrs. John-Peter Lund Mr. and Mrs. David C. Lundgren H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee Rev. and Mrs. Damon Lynch, Jr. Geoffrey Lyons Mr. Scott E. MacEachen Rick Maddux Jenny Magro James Mahon, Ph.D. Linda Marchant Alan L. Margulies and Gale D. Snoddy Peggy Ann Markstein Ms. Morita Marmo Candyse L. Jeffries, D.M.D., and Michael A. Marrero David L. Martin Mr. and Mrs. Ken Martin Ms. Aimee Sposito Martini and Mr. Gregory Kinne Mr. David Mason Raymond and Madelynn Matlock Mr. Karl Mattox Ms. Lindsay McCarren Ms. Nora McCormick Dr. Everett McCorvey Anne McCullough Dr. Janet P. McDaniel Mrs. Ruth McDevitt Mr. Rod M. McFaull Mr. Matthew McFee Mrs. William McKim Mr. and Mrs. James McLaughlin Ms. Margie McWhorter Ms. Julia B. Meister Mr. William Mellinger and Ms. Janie Reynolds Mellon Foundation Don and Marji Mendelsohn Mr. H. Gregory Mermel

Mrs. Helen Merritt Dr. Robert Miday and Dr. Karen Miday Dr. Patricia Marie Miller Martha and David Millett Chris and Molly Milligan Ms. Lois Milligan Dr. Stanley Milstein Miramar Charitable Foundation Ms. Danute Miskinis Mr. Larry A. Mizel Mr. Steven I. Monder Ms. Janet Moore and Mr. Neil W. Tollas Ms. Lorena A. Mora-Mowry Dr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Moravec Sally A. More Mr. and Ms. Carlos Moreno Ms. Heather F. Morris Mr. Jacob Morvay and Dr. Jenna Kamrass Morvay Mr. and Mrs. David W. Motch Mary Lou Motl Mueller Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. David Muller Therese Mulvaney Stetzer Nations Reliable Lending LLC Dr. Eljorn Nelson Kevin Newbury Mr. Gerald L. Newman Mrs. Thomas L. Neyer, Sr. Mr. James Nicholson and Ms. Patricia Callis Mrs. Hiroshi Nishiyama Ms. Dana C. Noeske Mr. and Mrs. Fred Norton Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth G. Oaks Ms. Kathleen O’Connell and Dr. H. Kenneth Peterson Mr. and Mrs. Neil O’Connor Ohio Department of Development Robert and Carol Olson OPERA America Mr. and Mrs. Tom Osha Margaret and Tom Osterman Avery Ozimek The P&G Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation Mr. Eric S. Paternoster Drs. Yash and Reena Patil Mr. Joe Peacock Ms. Mary Pearce Jo Anne and Poul Pedersen Dr. and Mrs. Alter G. Peerless Pepsico Ms. Helen Perkins Rev. Susan Pfeil Darren Phan Mr. and Mrs. Ken Phelps

Contributions from April 19, 2022 to April 4, 2023

Mr. and Mrs. T. Stephen Phillips Joseph A. and Susan E. Pichler Ms. Tera L. Pierce Marta Pisarska, M.D., and Michael Maloney, M.D. Cassandra and Glenn Plott Beatriz Porras, M.D., and Alvaro Ryes, M.D. Mr. Michael Porte Mr. Michael Powell Ms. Nelia R. Pozzuoli Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Pratt Mrs. Loretta and Mr. Bill Puncer Mr. Nicholas W. Puncer and Dr. Stephen A. Ferguson Mr. Peter Quinnan and Mr. Mark Boire Ms. and Mr. Leah Quortrup Nicolette and Adam Rader Ms. Jane G. Rainey Ms. Barbara N. Ramusack Mr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Randolph Mary and Andrew Redington Ms. Cheryl L. Reiman Pamela Spangler Reis and Richard Reis RELX Lissa Renk Mr. William Renwick and Ms. Debra Bowles Ms. Misty Richmond Richter & Phillips Jewelers Aliya Riddle Sandra L. Riegler, M.D. Ellen Rieveschl Dr. and Mrs. Eric D. Ringo Mary C. Roberts-Williams Ms. Elizabeth Rogers Dianne and J. David Rosenberg Edward Rosenthal Mr. and Mrs. Louis Ross Moe and Jack Rouse James Rubenstein and Bernadette Unger Ms. Lisa Ruff Jim and Susan Russell Regina Carswell Russo and Matthew J. Russo Mrs. Lois P. Rust Dr. James and Ms. Maris Ryan Schott Music Mr. Richard M. Sacksteder and Mr. Victor J. Canfield Mr. and Mrs. Eugene L. Saenger, Jr. Saenger Family Foundation Dr. G. James and Ruthann Sammarco Mr. and Mrs. Clarence P. Sampson Harry and Ann Santen

INDIVIDUAL, FOUNDATION, AND CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS Saul Schottenstein Foundation B Mr. and Mrs. Lee Schimberg George Palmer Schober Ms. Carol Schroeder Mr. and Mrs. Henry L. Schulhoff Ms. Janet R. Schultz Chris Schuster Rabbi Julie S. Schwartz Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Schwartz Suzanne Schweller Mr. James Michael Scott Jeffrey Seaman Maria Seffrin Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Segal The Louise Taft Semple Foundation Mrs. Barbara Seiver Mr. Will Selnick Mr. Steven Selss Jane and Mark Serrianne Ms. Jemannie Severson Luong and Mr. Eric Severson Ms. Diane Shank Mr. Hugh Shipley Jane Copper-Short and John Short Mr. and Mrs. Paul Shortt Ms. Maggie L. Shreve Mr. Brett Siereveld Edward B. Silberstein, M.D., and Jacqueline M. Mack Mrs. Gerald T. Silvers Melinda and Irwin Simon Ms. Michelle Simon Murray and Robin Sinclaire Mr. and Mrs. Matt Singleton Terri and Bradbury Skidmore, M.D. Laura and Douglas Skidmore Mr. Steven Slack Lisa Sloane Matthew J. and Cynthia L. Smith Ms. Michelle Smith Ms. Patricia Spalding Ms. Carol Sparks Cecilia Spencer Mr. John Spencer Mr. and Mrs. Andrew P. Speno Sandra and Henry Spitz James Stapleton and Dr. Elizabeth Shaughnessy Cynthia Starr Mr. and Mrs. William Steenken

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman Dr. Jean Steichen Amy Stier and Jef Brown Mr. and Mrs. Richard F. Stradling, Jr. Dr. Susan R. Strick Victoria Strickland, M.D. George and Linda Strietmann Mrs. Theodore W. Striker Mr. and Mrs. William Strubbe Tricia Suit and Eric Appleby Ms. Hemella L. Sweatt Katie and Jeff Syroney Carol Talbot Dr. John Tan Dr. Alan and Shelley Tarshis Mr. and Mrs. William Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Carlos R. Teran Jason Terwilliger Susan and John M. Tew, Jr., M.D. Brian L. Tiffany and Jerome Ewers The Tiffany Collective Catharina Toltzis, Ph.D., and Robert Toltzis, M.D. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Torre Nydia C. Tranter Mr. Timothy E. Troendle Ms. Amber L. Turner U.S. Bank Larry and Beth Uhlenbrock Mrs. E. Dieter van der Bent Ellen and Ray van der Horst Mr. Wayne Villanueva Christopher and Nancy Virgulak Mr. Richard A. Vogel Mr. Robert Von Gerds Ms. Mary Vondrak and Dr. Patrick G. Kirk Mr. James E. Waddle and Mr. Earl G. Rivers Ms. Celeste M. Wall Mr. and Mrs. Robert K. Wallace Mr. Michael L. Walton Mr. and Mrs. Frank Ward Ginger and David Warner Jonathan and Janet Weaver Dr. Scottie Weiss Mr. Mark Wert and Mr. Mark Johnson Mr. and Mrs. James E. Wesner Mr. and Mrs. Michael West

Western & Southern Financial Group Mr. and Mrs. Richard Westheimer Westland Investment Bonnie White Dr. and Mrs. Stephen P. Whitlatch Nataly Wickham Mr. Charles L. Wilhelm Mrs. Curt Wilhelm Mr. Charles A. Wilkinson Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Williams Ms. Mary Ann Williams Ms. Sheila Williams Mr. Stanford T. Williams, Jr. Ronna and Dr. James Willis The Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation Brett Willson and John C. Fredeking II The Stephen H. Wilder Foundation Anne Warrington Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wilson, Jr. Miss Tracy L. Wilson Susan and Dean Windgassen Fr. Barry Windholtz Jeannine Winkelmann and John Winkelmann, M.D. Howard Winston Mr. Lothar F. Witt, Jr. Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation Dr. Randall K. Wolf Shelby O. Wood Wow Windowboxes Ms. Susan Wulsin Wyant Family Foundation Peg and Jack Wyant John M. Yacher Mr. Scott Youger and Mrs. Andrea Shell VanDyk Mortgage and The Legacy Team Anne and Allen Zaring III Zaring Family Foundation Dr. Herbert D. Zeman Ms. Irene Zigoris Mr. and Mrs. John M. Zoller Dr. and Mrs. Mario Zuccarello

Contributions from April 19, 2022 to April 4, 2023

We have made every effort to be as accurate as possible in compiling our list of donors. If your name has been incorrectly listed or omitted, please contact the Philanthropy Department at 513-768-5561. Please accept our apologies for any errors.

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SOCIETY OF ANGELS Cincinnati Opera acknowledges with deep gratitude the generosity of the following donors who have notified the company of their planned gifts. These legacy gifts ensure Cincinnati Opera’s future excellence and are a lasting tribute to the foresight of the distinguished members of Cincinnati Opera’s Society of Angels.

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Members Anonymous Katherine and Christopher Anderson Mr. Boris Auerbach Dr. Diane Babcock Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey T. Baker Ms. Henrietta Barlag Mr. Albert M. Bary Christopher Baucom Mr. and Mrs.* Edward C. Bavaria Patricia K. and James D. Beggs Jennifer and Adam Bellin Elaine Billmire, M.D., and David Billmire, M.D. Marlene and Robert Boden Lois and Joseph Brenner Charlin and Peter* Briggs Mrs. Cherylann D. Brinkman Mary and Joe Brinkmeyer Dr. Walter Bruyninckx and Dr. Anne-Marie B. Blancquaert Arthur B. Casper Mrs. Jackson L. Clagett III Dr. Peter G. Courlas Virginia K. Cover Cathy and Tom Crain Alva Jean Crawford Mr. Daniel B. and Dr. Margaret G. Cunningham Mr. Harrison R.T. Davis Mrs. Albert C. Dierckes Jr. Thomas Dreeze and Evans Mirageas Scott Atkinson* and Christopher D. Edwards Harry and Linda Fath Ms. Gael T. Fischer Mr. Kingston Fletcher Dr. Donald W. Good Valeria and Frederick R. Good Madeleine H. Gordon Barbara Gould Marlesa A. Gray Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn Suzanne and Robert* Hasl, M.D. Janet* and Cornelius Hauck Hon. Dennis* and Berti Helmick Karlee L. Hilliard Ms. Emily M. Hodges and Mr. Charles H. Spencer Don and Donna* Hoffman Doug Ignatius and Bruce Preston Amy and Jason Jackman Julia M.F.B. Jackson Dr. and Mrs. Richard Kerstine Sarajane and Richard King Patrick M. Korb Roberta and Jeffrey P. Kuhn Elizabeth and Ken Kuresman Marjorie and Lawrence H. Kyte, Jr.

Mr. Barry Lapidus Richard* and Susan Lauf Kathleen Laurin-Martin and Joseph C. Martin Gail Lennig and Gene Santoro* Adele and Thomas* Lippert Joanie D. and William H.* Lotts Mr. and Mrs. William F. Lyon Susan Sterrit Meyer Chris and Molly Milligan Dr. Stanley Milstein Eleanor and Sam* Minkarah David and Vicky Motch Norbert and Linnea Nadel Robert and Carol Olson Marge and Tom Osterman Dr. and Mrs. John A. Parlin III Nicholas Payne and Cynthia Heinrich Mr. Joe Peacock Joseph and Susan Pichler Ellen and George* Rieveschl Edward and Nancy* Rosenthal Dr. G. James and Ruthann Sammarco Zell Schulman Kenneth C. Schonberg* and Deborah Schultz Edward B. Silberstein, M.D., and Jacqueline M. Mack Thomas S. Smith Cynthia and William* Starr Brett Stover Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Stuhlreyer III John M. Tew, Jr., M.D. Nydia C. Tranter Dick and Jane Tuten Barbara and Irwin Weinberg Anne M. Werner Ronna K. Willis Jeannine Winkelmann and John Winkelmann, M.D. Dr. Atsuko Yatani Anne and Allen Zaring III Estates Estate of Frank and Janet Andress Estate of Mary Elizabeth Andrews Trust Estate of Dorothy Anne Blatt Estate of Thomas F. Buck Estate of Ellen K. Burroughs Estate of Thomas W. Busse Estate of Wm. Rowell Chase Estate of Mrs. Marno Christensen Estate of Norma L. Clark Estate of Herbert and Betty Colker Estate of Patricia A. Corbett Estate of Wilma B. Cowley Estate of Miss Emilie T. Curry Estate of Virginia Curry

Estate of Mary E. Day Estate of Luba Matiuk Dorman Estate of Ed P. Dundon Estate of Helen T. Ehlers Estate of Miss Natalie Feld Estate of Kenneth J. Furrier Estate of Katherine H. Groll Estate of Mrs. Eleanor Hazelton Estate of Mrs. Jean L. Hermann Estate of Anita Mae Imholt Estate of Dr. Stanley Kaplan Estate of Tailitha P. Kluver Estate of Ruth Koehl Estate of Linda and Samuel Kramer, M.D. Estate of Maria Krocker-Tuskan Estate of Elizabeth W. Kyte Estate of Elma Lapp Estate of Anne and John Lawrence, Jr. Estate of Rosemary R. Longano Estate of Mrs. Richardson McKinney Estate of Mary and William Meyer Estate of Arnold and Gloria Morelli Estate Of Norbert A. Nadel Estate of Bill Nimmo The Louise Dieterle Nippert Trust Estate of Margaret Ohanian Estate of Maurice E. Oshry Estate of Marilyn Z. Ott Estate of Charles Parsons The Pearlman Charitable Remainder Unitrust Estate of James T. Peeler Estate of David and Marilyn Reichert Estate of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Roder Estate of Solveiga Rush Estate of Marilyn A. Russley Estate of Joanne T. Santangelo Estate of Emalee Schavel Estate of Anna Jo and William Selnick Estate of Miss Charlotte L. Shockley Estate of Miss Genevieve H. Smith Estate of Charlotte E. Smith Estate of Lois Staubitz Estate of Cynthia and Frank Stewart Estate of Carolyn and Fred Strebel Estate of Mrs. Italo Tajo Estate of Carol S. Thaman Estate of Phyllis Weston Estate of Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Wilson Estate of Lura Carnes Wine Estate of Harris W. Wright *Deceased

A Life Transformed by Music HOW A LIFELONG LOVE OF THE ARTS FUELED BRETT STOVER’S LEGACY OF GIVING

“M

usic gives. It has given to me all my life,” on numerous arts boards—including Cincinnati says Brett Stover. An arts-and-culture Opera’s—and co-founded ArtsWave Pride, the first omnivore and longtime member of arts-centered, LGBTQ+ advocacy organization of its Cincinnati Opera’s Society of Angels, Stover underkind in the U.S. stands first-hand the importance of equitable access Through his board service, Stover has grown to to arts experiences. His own life changed at age four understand that patrons need artists as much as artwhile singing with the church choir in his hometown ists need patrons, and that sustained financial supof Chillicothe, Ohio. The power and beauty of the port for artists and organizations is key for an arts music took hold and ecosystem like Greatformed the roots of er Cincinnati’s to what would become thrive. In addition to his lifelong love affair contributing his time with the arts. to Cincinnati Opera A student ticket as a board member, later enabled him to Stover has led by exattend his first Cinample by contributcinnati Opera perforing financially to the mance—a transfororganization through mational experience, hosting fundraising

by Stover’s account. events, donating to He went on to volunthe annual campaign, teer as an usher, allowand most importantly, ing him to see many including Cincinnati extraordinary producOpera in his estate tions for free. plan. He does so to These experiences ensure a healthy fuserved as fuel for Stoture for Cincinnati ver’s passion for the Opera and to suparts and, in particu- BRETT STOVER at Music Hall. Photo by Ross Van Pelt. port a shared vision of lar, all things musidriving broad-based cal. While carving out his impressive multi-decade arts access and inclusion, and, ultimately, to change marketing career, which included leadership roles people’s lives for the better. at Procter & Gamble, Kantar Retail, and Saatchi & Said Stover, “I was able to give through music, Saatchi, Stover simultaneously gave generously of his but what I received was far more profound and lifetime and expertise in support of many local and nachanging. I hope you will join me in making the Optional arts organizations. era part of your estate plans. We can ensure that our Passionate about the intersection of human rights, beloved art form will continue enriching and transeducation, performing arts, and visual arts, he served forming lives for generations to come.”

CREATE YOUR OWN LEGACY BY BRINGING OPERA TO THE NEXT GENERATION. For more than a century, Cincinnati Opera has been one of the nation’s leading opera companies. We invite you to play a role in Cincinnati Opera’s exciting future. Call Raye Needham Allen at 513-768-5527 or visit coa.planningyourlegacy.org.

Proud Sponsor of Cincinnati Opera’s Planned Giving Program

INVESTMENT COUNSEL

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IN MEMORIAM During the last year, these individuals have made contributions to Cincinnati Opera in memory of friends and family members. Cincinnati Opera is grateful for these thoughtful gifts.

In memory of Dr. Emmit Ackdoe Ms. Nelia R. Pozzuoli In memory of Charles E. Baverman Jr. Ronna and Dr. James Willis

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In memory of Dabby Blatt Julie and Khosrow Alamin, M.D. Patricia K. and James D. Beggs Laura S. Brzygot Arthur B. Casper Mr. and Mrs. John P. Cover Dr. Alvin H. and Alva Jean Crawford Susan Beth Dickson Thomas Dreeze and Evans Mirageas Pamela Greenberg Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn Donald E. Hoffman Chase Kohn Michelle Kohn Maxine F. Lewis Geoffrey Lyons Mrs. William McKim Christopher Milligan Mr. Larry A. Mizel Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth G. Oaks Edward Rosenthal Mr. and Mrs. Michael West Howard Winston Peg and Jack Wyant

In memory of Henry Payson “Peter” Briggs Thomas Dreeze and Evans Mirageas Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn Peggy and William Jackson Christopher Milligan Jeannine Winkelmann and John Winkelmann, M.D. In memory of Andres Miguel Chavez Patricia K. and James D. Beggs Cathy and Tom Crain Thomas Dreeze and Evans Mirageas Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn Westland Investment Company, Ltd. Ronna and James Willis, M.D. Jeannine Winkelmann and John Winkelmann, M.D. In memory of Thomas S. Cook Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert In memory of Janet Hauck Patricia K. and James D. Beggs In memory of Jonathan “Jacob” Magro Jenny Lamson Magro In memory of Robert J. McDevitt Sr., M.D. Mrs. Ruth McDevitt

In memory of Connie Mirageas Ms. Raye Allen Thomas Dreeze and Evans Mirageas Ms. Susan Feder and Mr. Todd Gordon Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn In memory of Danielle Nelloms Patricia K. and James D. Beggs In memory of Styrk Orwoll’s 100th birthday Mr. Joseph Greco In memory of Nancy Rosenthal Julie and Khosrow Alamin, M.D. Patricia K. and James D. Beggs Thomas Dreeze and Evans Mirageas Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn Keith-Dusek Family Christopher Milligan Dianne and J. David Rosenberg Dr. Richard S. Sarason and Anne S. Arenstein Dr. and Mrs. Harold B. Spitz In memory of Bruce Smith Dr. Jack and Barbara Hahn In memory of Dr. Helen “Scottie” Weiss Anonymous

CELEBRATIONS AND HONORARIUMS During the last year, these individuals have made contributions to Cincinnati Opera in honor or in celebration of friends and family members. Cincinnati Opera is grateful for these thoughtful gifts.

In honor of the induction of Patty Beggs to the OPERA America Opera Hall of Fame Thomas Dreeze and Evans Mirageas Donald E. Hoffman

In honor of Ellen G. van der Horst, named one of the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Women of the Year Patricia K. and James D. Beggs Dianne and J. David Rosenberg

In honor of Cincinnati Opera’s staff for their incredible job during this season; they are our beloved opera cornerstone.

Anonymous

In honor of Sherie Marek Ronna and James Willis, M.D.

In honor of Mrs. Suzanne Hasl Dr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Moravec

Contributions from April 19, 2022 to April 12, 2023

In honor of Robert Olson’s birthday Anonymous In honor of Dr. Randall Wolf Anonymous

All Eyes on Opera Fusion: New Works THE UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CINCINNATI OPERA AND UC’S COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC PROVES TO BE A VITAL RESOURCE FOR THE CREATION OF NEW AMERICAN OPERA A TALKBACK WITH THE CREATORS of the new opera Robeson after its OF:NW workshop: (L to R) conductor Kevin Miller, OF:NW co-artistic director Robin Guarino, composer and co-librettist Scott Davenport Richards, OF:NW co-artistic director Evans Mirageas, and co-librettist David Cote. Photo by Philip Groshong.

I

n a society that craves innovation, opera can sometimes seem like an anomaly. Popular sentiment has often deemed opera to be a throwback—an art form with rich history and traditions, but perhaps one that’s stuck in the past.

In fact, the evidence points to the opposite. A quick survey of opera houses across the country proves that new opera is springing up everywhere and that audiences’ appetite for new works is steadily growing.

Some credit for this shift can likely go to the success of Opera Fusion: New Works (or OF:NW, for short). Launched in 2011 with funding from the Mellon Foundation, OF:NW is a one-of-its-kind creative partnership between Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) that serves as an incubator for new American opera.

Through the program, composers and librettists are invited to a 10-day workshop in Cincinnati to

BASS-BARITONE JUSTIN HOPKINS sings the title role in the OF:NW workshop of Robeson.

take their operas-in-progress to the next stage.

They’re able to tap into the combined resources of Cincinnati Opera and CCM—namely, performing artists, stage personnel, and administrative and creative support—to work out the kinks and refine their pieces in preparation for a fully-staged production.

OF:NW’s successful track record serves as a key indicator of its value. Last season alone included full productions of the following operas that were originally workshopped by OF:NW: • Terence Blanchard’s Champion and Kevin Puts’s The Hours at the Metropolitan Opera • Ricky Ian Gordon and Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel at Lincoln Center Theater • Tobias Picker and Aryeh Lev Stollman’s Awakenings at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis • Castor and Patience by Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith, which premiered at Cincinnati Opera last summer and was dubbed a New York Times “Critic’s Pick” What’s more, Spears and Smith’s most recent work, The Righteous, received an OF:NW workshop in May 2023 and is slated for its 2024 world premiere at Santa Fe Opera.

Looking ahead, OF:NW will host a workshop for Cincinnati Opera’s next, yet-to-be-announced world premiere opera, which will be part of the company’s 2025 Summer Festival.

Keep your eyes on this special program—it’s arguably where some of our nation’s most exciting new opera is born. For more information, visit ofnw.org.

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IN SPRING 2023, Cincinnati Opera partnered with ROK (Roundabout Opera for Kids) Cincy to present the young people’s opera, Little Red Riding Hood, for students from Over-the-Rhine’s School for Creative and Performing Arts.

IN MARCH 2023, Newport High School in Northern Kentucky hosted a film screening of Cincinnati Opera’s original opera, Fierce, followed by a talkback and writing workshop with the opera’s librettist, Sheila Williams.

Photos: Philip Groshong, Jemannie Severson Luong, and Tracy L. Wilson

77 SOPRANO VICTORIA ELLINGTON performed as part of Music in Motion, a program for individuals with dementia and their caregivers to build connections through music and movement, presented in partnership with the Giving Voice Foundation.

CINCINNATI OPERA’S popular Opera Goes to Church series returned to Allen Temple A.M.E. Church in Bond Hill in November 2022 for a sold-out performance of opera, jazz, and sacred music.

WORLD-RENOWNED TENOR GEORGE SHIRLEY (second from right) visited Cincinnati and recorded a conversation with young singers about creating a career in opera: (L to R) Avery Bargasse, Randell McGee, Victoria Ellington, Mr. Shirley, and Sirgourney Cook.

REMEMBRANCES Wherever there’s an opera company, there’s an opera family. It’s a family of supporters, volunteers, singers, stage professionals, staff members, and fans. Each member does their part to sustain the company and animate its mission. In the past year, we have lost a number of dear members of the Cincinnati Opera family. This list is incomplete, but it’s our attempt at recognizing and remembering some who have left us. If we have missed someone, please let us know.

Dorothy Anne (“Dabby”) Blatt (1935–2022) was a Cincinnati Opera trustee from 1993 to 2022. A well-traveled and devoted opera fan, she enjoyed 11 performances of Wagner’s Ring cycle from Chicago to San Francisco, New York to Vienna. While serving on key Opera board committees including executive and artistic planning, she championed innovative works and new productions.

Peter Briggs (1932–2022) was on staff at Cincinnati Opera from 1996 to 1999. This followed his distinguished career as an educator and school administrator, including serving as the headmaster of The Seven Hills School from 1976 to 1995. Peter and his wife, trustee Charlin, were longtime supporters of both the Opera and Playhouse in the Park.

Janice Callahan Cook (1946–2022) was a Cincinnati Opera trustee from 1997 to 2000. With a bachelor’s degree in music education, she was a knowl-

edgeable board member and enthusiastic subscriber.

Although her primary instrument was piano, she was also a gifted soprano vocalist and participated in local choirs and choral groups.

Janet Hauck (1928–2022) was an active community volunteer, working tirelessly in a number of NON PROl T ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDING THE *OHN (AUCK House, to make Cincinnati a better place for all. She and her husband of 72 years, former trustee Corny, were members of Cincinnati Opera’s Society of Angels and shared a keen love of opera and theatre.

Sid Khosla (1962–2022), trustee from 2011 to 2022, was a professor and vice chair for research at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Medicine Department of Otolaryngology. A renowned expert in vocal cord and airway reconstruction, Sid served as the company’s go-to physician to assist singers with vocal problems.

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Allen Charles Klein (1938–2022) was a former emPLOYEE OF #INCINNATI /PERA AND A PROLIlC SCENIC AND costume designer. He collaborated frequently with his husband, director Bliss Hebert, and their productions appeared often at Cincinnati Opera, the most recent being the company’s well-received 2017 production of La Traviata.

Dr. O’dell Owens (1947–2022) was an esteemed local leader in public health and education. He was elected to two terms as Hamilton County Coroner and served as president of Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. He and his wife, Marchelle, were named lifetime members of the Cincinnati Opera Guild.

Karen McKim (1941–2023) served as the executive director of The Corbett Foundation from 1989 to 2015. Founded by J. Ralph and Patricia Corbett, The Corbett Foundation offered transformative support to Cincinnati’s arts community under Karen’s leadership. She also had a deep personal love of the arts and was a regular attendee at Cincinnati Opera performances.

Julia Reichert (1946–2022) was an Academy Award–winning documentarian and professor of lLM !LONG WITH HER HUSBAND AND lLMMAKING PARTner, Steve Bognar, Julia directed the documentary Making Morning Star, which followed the creative development of Cincinnati Opera’s world-premiere production of Morning Star BY 2ICKY )AN 'ORDON AND William M. Hoffman.

Marilyn Ott (1934–2023) was a longtime member of the Cincinnati Opera family, having been a subscriber, event sponsor, Guild member, and committee chair. In 2016, she was awarded the prestigious Partners in Excellence Award from the national organization Opera Volunteers International in recognition of her outstanding service to Cincinnati Opera.

Nancy Rosenthal (1936–2022), trustee from 1992 to 2022, was a trained music educator and awardwinning gardener who devoted her life to supporting dozens of charitable causes. Nancy and her husband, Ed, traveled the world to see opera. They also acquired an extraordinary Chinese art collection, which the Taft Museum exhibited in 2008.

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NOW ON VIEW IN THE P&G FOUNDERS ROOM

VOICES & VISIONS:

Expressions by Cincinnati Asian American Artists Throughout Cincinnati Opera’s 2023 Summer Festival, you’re invited to stop by Music Hall’s P&G Founders Room to enjoy this special exhibition, which highlights the creativity and achievements of regional Asian American artists. The original exhibition, curated by artist Yu Ling Huang, took place at the Walnut Hills Branch of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library and the Contemporary Arts Center, and featured nine artists from six different cultural heritages. The exhibit has been made possible in part by Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library and the Greater Cincinnati Chinese Cultural Exchange Association, with support from the Asian American Cultural Association of Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI OPERA REPERTOIRE 1920–2023 John Adams Nixon in China–2007 A Flowering Tree–2011

Claude Debussy Pelléas et Mélisande–2000

Charles Gounod Faust–1921-23, 1926, 1927, 1929, 1932, 1935-51, 1953-58, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1975, 1981, 1985, 1990, 1999, 2007 Romeo and Juliet–1922, 1923, 1933, 1945, 1971, 1982, 1989, 1994, 2002, 2019

Léo Delibes Lakmé–1922, 1924, 1929, 1930, 1955

Aldolphus Hailstork Rise for Freedom: The John P. Parker Story–2007

Gaetano Donizetti The Daughter of the Regiment (La Fille du Régiment)– 1973, 2004 Don Pasquale–1920, 1921, 1945, 1956, 1966, 1968, 1981, 1996, 2015 The Elixir of Love (L’Elisir d’Amore)–1924, 1926, 1942, 1946, 1948, 1951, 1954, 1958, 1968, 1969, 1983 Lucia di Lammermoor–1921, 1922, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1937, 1939-43, 1952-54, 1957, 1958, 1968, 1971, 1978, 1985, 1990, 1997, 2008, 2023 Roberto Devereux–1974

Fromental Halévy La Juive–1927, 1928

Georges Bizet Carmen–1921-24, 1926-33, 193560, 1962-1971, 1976, 1980, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1997, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2021

Friedrich von Flotow Martha–1920, 1924, 1926, 192830, 1932, 1935, 1936, 1943-45, 1947, 1948, 1955, 1956

Sidney Jones The Geisha–1932

Arrigo Boito Mefistofele–1922, 1924, 1930, 1931, 1939, 1972

Carlisle Floyd Of Mice and Men–1971 Susannah–1959, 1964, 1979, 1988

William Bolcom Medusa–2003

Charles Rudolph Friml The Firefly–1930, 1931

Benjamin Britten Peter Grimes–1960 The Turn of the Screw–1999

George Gershwin Porgy and Bess–2012, 2019

Franco Alfano Resurrection–1983 Daniel François Espirit Auber Fra Diavolo–1927 Michael William Balfe The Bohemian Girl–1927, 1928, 1936 Béla Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle–2001 Ludwig van Beethoven Fidelio–1931, 1932, 1980, 2016 Peter Bengtson The Maids–2004 Vincenzo Bellini Norma–1932, 1935, 1938, 1977, 1984, 2003 Il Pirata–1969 La Sonnambula–1960 80

Richard Danielpour Margaret Garner–2005

Daniel Catán Florencia en el Amazonas–2008 Francesco Cavalli La Calisto–2014 Francesco Cilèa Adriana Lecouvreur–1979 Emmanuel Chabrier L’Étoile–2006

Henry Louis Reginald de Koven Robin Hood–1929

Jake Heggie Dead Man Walking–2002 Victor Herbert Naughty Marietta–1929 Engelbert Humperdinck Hansel and Gretel–1920, 1921, 1923, 1927, 1938, 1939, 1942-44, 1973 Leos Janácek Jenufa–1998

Laura Kaminsky As One–2018 Jerome Kern Roberta–1985 Show Boat–1976 Franz Lehár The Merry Widow–1951-53, 1975, 1982

Umberto Giordano Andrea Chénier–1929, 1930, 1949, 1954, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1995 Fedora–1923

Ruggero Leoncavallo Pagliacci–1920, 1927, 1933-39, 1941-46, 1950, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1978, 1982, 1993, 2012 Zazà–1985, 1987

Philip Glass Galileo Galilei–2013

Frank Leoni L’Oracolo–1928, 1931

Osvaldo Golijov Ainadamar–2009

Frank Loesser The Most Happy Fella–1977

Ricky Ian Gordon Morning Star–2015

Pietro Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana–1921, 1922, 1926, 1928, 1933-37, 1941, 194446, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1970, 1978, 1982, 1993 Iris–1930, 1931 Jules Massenet Manon–1922, 1924, 1939-42, 1952, 1955, 1961, 1965, 1968, 1980 La Navarraise–1931 Thaïs–1933, 1938 Werther–1993

(L’Amore dei Tre Re)–1926, 1929, 1946, 1947, 1949 Claudio Monteverdi The Coronation of Poppea (L’Incoronazione di Poppea)–2018 Douglas Moore The Ballad of Baby Doe–1976

Giacomo Meyerbeer L’Africaine–1936 Dinorah–1929, 1930

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart The Abduction from the Seraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail)–1992 Così Fan Tutte–1963, 1966, 1976, 1983, 1989, 2007 Don Giovanni–1930, 1931, 1936, 1949, 1951, 1961, 1977, 1990, 1999, 2004, 2013 The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte)–1932, 1986, 1993, 2001, 2011, 2017 The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro)–1956, 1957, 1972, 1979, 1988, 1995, 2002, 2009, 2019

Italo Montemezzi The Love of Three Kings

Modest Mussorgsky Boris Godunov–1948, 1958, 1974

Missy Mazzoli Song from the Uproar–2017 William Menefield Fierce–2022 Gian Carlo Menotti The Medium–1967

Jacques Offenbach La Périchole–1974 The Tales of Hoffmann–1921, 1923, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1987, 1992, 2006 Ástor Piazzolla María de Buenos Aires–2012 Robert Planquette The Chimes of Normandy (Les Cloches de Corneville)–1930 Amilcare Ponchielli La Gioconda–1923, 1924, 1928, 1935, 1936, 1942 Francis Poulenc La Voix Humaine–2003 Giacomo Puccini La Bohème–1924, 1932, 1936-63, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1988, 1994, 1999, 2005, 2010, 2017, 2022 Gianni Schicchi–1975, 1982, 2012 Girl of the Golden West (La Fanciulla del West)–1933, 1938, 1986 81

Enjoy the classics all year.

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Madame Butterfly–1924, 1928-33, 1936-41, 1946-60, 1962-64, 1966, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996, 2001, 2008, 2014, 2023 Manon Lescaut–1959, 1964, 1974, 1983, 1991 La Rondine–1973, 1984 Suor Angelica–1975, 1982 Il Tabarro–1975, 1982 Tosca–1923, 1927, 1931, 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1943-45, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1970, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1993, 1998, 2006, 2016, 2021 Turandot–1955, 1956, 1972, 1975, 1980, 1987, 1995, 2003, 2015 Kevin Puts Silent Night–2014 Scott Davenport Richards Blind Injustice–2019 Richard Rodgers Carousel–1983 Oklahoma–1984 The Sound of Music–1982 South Pacific–1981

Robert Xavier Rodríguez Frida–2017 Sigmund Romberg The Student Prince–1978 Gioachino Rossini The Barber of Seville–1920, 1921, 1924, 1927, 1937-45, 1948, 1951, 1952, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1977, 1987, 1991, 1997, 2005, 2021, 2023 La Cenerentola–1966, 2000 Camille Saint-Saëns Samson and Delilah–1922, 1923, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1936, 1940-47, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1964, 1970, 1998

Johann Strauss Die Fledermaus–1928, 1950, 1951, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1972, 1980, 2016 The Gypsy Baron (Der Zigeunerbaron)–1932 Richard Strauss Ariadne auf Naxos–1961, 2019 Elektra–2002 Der Rosenkavalier–1948, 1950, 1957, 1958, 1967, 1986, 1994, 2013 Salome–1948, 1949, 1953, 1960, 1962, 1968, 1982, 2000

Arnold Schoenberg Erwartung–2001

Arthur Sullivan The Gondoliers–1985 H.M.S. Pinafore–1932, 1933, 1981 The Mikado–1928, 1979 The Pirates of Penzance–1933, 1980, 2022 Trial by Jury–1933

Bedrich Smetana The Bartered Bride–1931, 1954

Joseph Surdo Enter Pauline–1929

Gregory Spears Castor and Patience–2022 Fellow Travelers–2016

Deems Taylor The King’s Henchmen–1936

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CINCINNATI OPERA SUPERFANS Through generous donations made by their peers, the following individuals have been recognized as Cincinnati Opera SuperFans because of their love and support of Cincinnati Opera.

Boris Auerbach Patty Beggs Robert W. Boden Betsi Brockmeier Melanie M. Chavez Michael L. Cioffi Cathy Crain Alva Jean Crawford Dave Grome Liz Kathman Grubow Barbara S. Hahn Susanne Hasl Karlee L. Hilliard

Don Hoffman Doc Huffman Gary Kidney Nancy Wilks Lanni Nick Lanni Jacqueline M. Mack Miguel Martinez Chris Milligan Evans Mirageas Carol Olson Robert Olson Rachel A. Rowe

Regina Carswell Russo Edward B. Silberstein Murray Sinclaire, Jr. Brett Stover James D. Stapleton John M. Tew, Jr., M.D. Susan Tew Ilse van der Bent Angela Powell Walker Ronna K. Willis Jeannine Winkelmann Richard Zinicola

Recognize your favorite opera SuperFan with a donation of $50 or more to Cincinnati Opera. We’ll let them know of your gift and recognize them in the 2024 Summer Festival program. Email nrader@cincinnatiopera.org or scan this code with your mobile phone camera.

Piotr IIyich Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin–1984, 2011 Charles Louis Ambroise Thomas Mignon–1927, 1928, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1941-43, 1945, 1946 Viktor Ullmann Der Kaiser von Atlantis–2004 Isaac Van Grove The Music Robber–1926, 1927 Giuseppe Verdi Aida–1921-24, 1926, 1927, 1929-33, 1935-1956, 1959-62, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1976, 1981, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2007, 2013, 2022 Attila–1979, 1984 Don Carlo–1961, 1984, 1989, 2009 Falstaff–1926, 1930, 1997 La Forza del Destino–1932, 1965, 1969 Macbeth–1960, 1961, 1978 A Masked Ball (Un Ballo in Maschera)–1931, 1939, 1949, 1954, 1955, 1974, 1991, 2006 Nabucco–2001

Otello–1921, 1929, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1970, 1982, 1996, 2010 Rigoletto–1920-22, 1924, 1926, 1928-32, 1935-56, 1961-63, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1979, 1982, 1992, 2005, 2011 La Traviata–1923, 1924, 1926, 1931, 1935, 1938-58, 1960, 196264, 1966-68, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2018 Il Trovatore–1921, 1922, 1926-33, 1937-49, 1951, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1986, 1994, 2015

Parsifal–1929, 1930 Das Rheingold–1961, 1981 Tannhäuser–1926-30, 1932, 1935, 1937-40, 1945-48 Tristan und Isolde–1949 Die Walküre–1927, 1928, 1978 Roger Waters/Julien Bilodeau Another Brick in the Wall–2018 Carl Maria von Weber Der Freischütz–1933 Kurt Weill Seven Deadly Sins–2003 Jaromír Weinberger Schwanda the Bagpiper–1986

Aleksandra Vrebalov The Knock–2023 Richard Wagner The Flying Dutchman (Der Fliegende Holländer)–1975, 1996, 2018 Lohengrin–1921, 1922, 1924, 1926-28, 1931, 1933, 1935-37, 1947-49 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg–1928, 1929, 1983, 2010

Meredith Willson The Music Man–1983 Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari Jewels of the Madonna (I Gioielli della Madonna)–1927 The Secret of Susanne–1920, 1922, 1928, 1937, 1948, 1953

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CINCINNATI OPERA STAFF Christopher Milligan The Harry Fath General Director & CEO Patricia K. Beggs General Director Emerita Administration & Finance Jen DuBois Chief Financial Officer Julie Grady Heard Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Cory Battey Andrew Crooks Michael Delfin Elena Kholodova James Maverick Kevin Miller Matthew Umphreys Pianists Melanie Bacaling Gregory Boyle Seth Hoff Alison Pogorelc Assistant Directors

Matt Singleton Director of Technology

Kyle Chassels Justin Halle Alexander Robinson Directing Interns

Cecilia Spencer Controller

Eunjin Bang Artistic Assistant

Kelly Holterhoff Board Relations & Administration; Director, ROKCincy

Anna Hlinomaz Company Manager

Meg Booker Administrative Intern 84 Artistic Evans Mirageas The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director Morris Robinson Artistic Advisor Jane Hulburt Director of Artistic Operations Cayla Burton Artistic Coordinator Peggy Monastra New Works Consultant Henri Venanzi Chorus Master James Maverick Assistant Chorus Master

Jeysla Rosario Santos Company Management Intern Community Engagement & Education Tracy L. Wilson Director of Community Engagement & Education

Aimee Sposito Martini Senior Graphic Designer & Illustrator

Alex Mason Associate Lighting Director

Gillian Kokai Marketing Intern

Chad Phillips Costume Director

Sol de Maria Rodriguez Martel Communications Intern

James Geier Wig & Makeup Designer

Philip J. Groshong Company Photographer

Candace Leyland Wig & Makeup Design Assistant

Laurel Ellis Alison Hibschle Rebecca McNay Maggie Seibert Customer Service Representatives

Hannah Holthaus Production Stage Manager

Philanthropy Joe Peacock Chief Philanthropy Officer Raye Allen Director of Leadership Giving Tera Pierce Director of Institutional Giving Nicolette Rader Events Manager

Jemannie Severson Luong Education Manager

Maria Seffrin Individual Giving Manager

Ian Wisecup Community Engagement Intern

Andrea Davies Philanthropy Associate

Marketing & Communications M.Todd Bezold Director of Marketing Katie Syroney Director of Communications

Andrew Crooks Head of Music Staff

Zach Quortrup Director of Patron Services & Insights

Stephen Mulligan John L. Magro Resident Conductor

Colleen Ladrick Patron Services Manager

Grace Mattina Philanthropy Intern Production Lyla Forlani Director of Production Krista Billings Stage Operations Manager Olivia Cleri Interim Production Administrator Thomas C. Hase Lighting Director & Resident Lighting Designer

Gina Hays Peter Nictakis Stage Managers Megan Coutts Tracy Hofmann Jennelle John-Lewis Brooke Redler Jennifer Shaw Madison Stone Assistant Stage Managers Ruth Wartman Scenic & Prop Coordinator Gina Cerimele-Mechley Fight & Intimacy Director Sarah Farwell Production Management Intern Grace Caccavari Annalee Crosser Rowan Rozzi Lily Welsh Stage Management Interns Kate Ingram Charlie Raschke Lighting Interns Nick Rohr Wig & Makeup Intern Ali Flanagan Scenic Artist Intern Suzanne Barnes Properties Intern

Rehearsal Coltan Foster Rehearsal Administrator

Ray Teopfert Paul Sweet Engineers

John Parr Board Operator

Kevin Eviston Master Electrician

Kevin Barth Master of Properties

Paul Stafford Master Carpenter

Tim Fowler Property Second Hand

Terri Kidney Senior Event Manager

Technical Gary Kidney Technical Director

Cedric Collier Head Sound Technician

Angie Sandmann Event Manager

Leah Busse Master Carpenter

Cherl Beyersdoerfer Costumer

Kaitlyne Jones House Manager

Angela Felts Jans Tuada Security Associates

David Hall Construction Carpenter

Iris Harmon Assistant Costumer

Hope Holman Volunteer Manager

Beth Troendly Rentals Manager

Brad Kidney Carpenter Second Hand

Jackie Andrews Theresa Kramer Kendall Owings Noelle Wedig-Johnston Wardrobe Technicians

Tony Dees Custodial Services Manager

Alynn Rousselle Operations Administrative Assistant

Laura Reyes Rehearsal Assistant

Todd Cummins Flyman Kevin Eviston Master Electrician

Chris Jackson Concessions Manager Charita Schiele Safety & Security Coordinator

Jeff Enderle Chief Engineer

House Staff Gary Kidney Technical Director

85

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Artists’ Coffee Service: Refreshments donated

by Sheila and Christopher Cole Banking Services: PNC Bank; Huntington Bank DEIA Partner: Dr. Yasue Kawahara

86

Education Partners: Opera Goes to Church: Allen Temple A.M.E. Church; Music in Motion: Episcopal Retirement Services; The Giving Voice Foundation; Stacy Shirley, yoga instructor; Fierce Residency: City of Newport; Newport High School; Sheila Williams, librettist; SensoryFriendly Rehearsal: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital; Jennifer D. Smith, PsyD, BCBA-D, Division of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics (DDBP); Archdiocese of Cincinnati; Asian Food Fest, Asian American Cultural Association of Cincinnati, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Leadership CincinnatiUSA; Blue Ash Parks and Recreation; Chamber Music Cincinnati; Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired; Cincinnati Public Schools; Cincinnati Public Library; CincItalia Festival; College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation; Eye of the Artists; First United Methodist Church; I Hear Music, Inc.; Osher Lifelong Learning Institute; Princeton City Schools; ROK Cincy; Rockwern Academy; Roselawn Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation; The Carnegie Center of ColumbiaTusculum; University of Cincinnati/UC Classics Department; Voices and Visions: Expressions by Greater Cincinnati AAPI Artists; Franciscan Ministries, Inc. Cincinnati, Haircuts from the Heart Investment Managers: PNC Institutional Investments; Johnson Investment Counsel; 1919 Investment Counsel; Fort Washington Capital Partners Group; Huntington Bank Legal Assistance: Boris Auerbach; Robert W. Olson; Charles E. Baverman III, Jason Hilliard, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP; Sarah Clay Leyshock, Julia B. Meister, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Matching Gift Companies: Bank of America Charitable Foundation; The Benevity Community Impact Fund; GE Foundation; Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies; Messer Construction; PNC Bank; U.S. Bank Medical Advisor: Jennifer Wall Forrester, M.D., University of Cincinnati Medical Center

Media Partner: Classical 90.9 WGUC Official Piano Technician: Russell McNamara, Piano Perfect Preferred Hotel Partners: 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati; Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza; The Kinley Cincinnati Downtown Production Partners & In-Kind: AJG Risk Management; Cincinnati Arts Association; Cincinnati Ballet; Cincinnati Music Hall; Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Cincinnati Stage Employees Local 5 IATSE; Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Cincinnati Wardrobe Union Local 864 IATSE; Hase & Associates, Ltd.; Punky’s Pixels; School for Creative and Performing Arts; Spotted Yeti; Vincent Lighting Program Book: Produced by Cincinnati Magazine: Publisher Ivy Bayer; Director of Editorial Operations Amanda Boyd Walters; Senior Art Director Emi Villavicencio. Opera Editorial Assistance by Ashley Tongret.

Strategic Partners: ROKCincy; Young Professionals Choral Collective (YPCC) Underwriters of the School for Creative and Performing Arts Professional Trainee Program:

Cincinnati Opera is a proud member of: ArtsWave; Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau; Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber; First World War Centenary Partnership, Imperial War Museum, London; Friends of Music Hall; Greater Cincinnati Alliance for Arts Education; Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce; Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA; Ohio Alliance for Arts Education; Ohio Citizens for the Arts; Opera Volunteers International; Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce.

Cincinnati Opera is a proud partner of:

87

Save Savethe thedate! date! date

CINCINNATI OPERA GALA FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2023

Gala Chairs: Reena Patil, M.D., and Brian L. Tiffany

OPERA 2024GALA

GENERAL INFORMATION

Please Note...

• So as not to disturb audiences and performers, latecomers and those who exit during the performance will be admitted at the discretion of management.

• Please do not place coats or other objects on the Balcony or Gallery railings.

Elevators Elevators in Music Hall are located near THE -USIC (ALL BOX OFlCE IN THE 3OUTH (ALL AND IN the North Hall.

Restrooms All restrooms in Music Hall are accessible to people with disabilities and are located on all levels.

Broadcasts Cincinnati Opera’s 2023 season will be

• Please turn off all mobile devices and signal watches during performances.

aired on Classical 90.9 WGUC. Contributions Gifts of all sizes are welcome and

• Please refrain from talking or texting using a mobile phone during performances.

• Music Hall is a smoke-free building.

• With the exception of bottled water, drinking and eating inside the performance space is prohibited.

88

• Due to some subject matter and in consideration for all patrons, we strongly encourage that children be at least 7 years of age to be admitted to performances. Visit our website for information on Community Engagement & Education programming suitable for all ages.

important to Cincinnati Opera. To make a donaTION OR TO INQUIRE ABOUT DONOR BENElTS HONOR OR memorial gifts, or acknowledgments, please contact Maria Seffrin, Individual Giving Manager, at 513-768-5585 or mseffrin@cincinnatiopera.org.

Merchandise Our pop-up Bravo Shop of opera-

centric merchandise is located in the foyer for all Springer Auditorium performances. To shop online anytime, visit cincinnatiopera.org/bravo-shop.

Opera Insights An overview of each opera is pre-

Program Advertising Cincinnati Opera does not necessarily endorse the views, products, or services presented by program advertisers. For information about advertising in the program book, contact Katie Syroney at 513-768-5526 or ksyroney@ cincinnatiopera.org.

sented one hour prior to curtain in Music Hall’s Corbett Tower. Free to all ticket holders.

Box Office Hours Monday through Friday 12 p.m.

Meet the Artists Patrons may meet performers out-

side the stage door on Central Parkway.

to 5 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays on which there are performances from 12 noon through the lRST INTERMISSION

Assistive Listening System An infrared wireless receiver for the hearing impaired is available upon request at Guest Services in the foyer for all Springer Auditorium performances.

Audio Description Live descriptions of stage action

for the visually impaired are presented by trained describers for select performances. Please inquire with event personnel.

Accessible Seating Wheelchair access and assistance with other mobility issues are available.

Please request locations or assistance when ordering tickets, and please reserve early.

CONTACT INFORMATION Email: info@cincinnatiopera.org Website: www.cincinnatiopera.org Administration: 513-768-5500 Box Office: 513-241-2742 U.S. Mail: Cincinnati Opera 1243 Elm Street Cincinnati, OH 45202

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