From walking down the aisle to hosting an annual fundraiser, the theater is all yours. Michigan's premier venue is unmatched, offering versatile spaces for any celebration. Home to world-class performances and legendary productions, the historic Detroit Opera House offers a backdrop of elegance and drama. Between our exclusive lounges, main stage, grand lobby, and 360° panorama-view Sky Deck, this iconic venue is guaranteed to impress your guests.
Discover why we’re Detroit’s destination for show-stopping experiences.
A message from Patty Isacson Sabee
Welcome to the Detroit Opera House—we are thrilled to have you with us today.
Whether you are here to enjoy the jazzy offerings of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the chilling, dystopian landscape of Poul Ruders’ opera The Handmaid’s Tale, or the groundbreaking approach to modern dance embodied by the Paul Taylor Dance Company—or all three!—you already know Detroit Opera as a producer of world-class opera and a presenter of internationally acclaimed dance companies.
But we’re also the steward of an amazing historic opera house, with one of the largest stages in the country, built by and for our community. Detroit Opera embodies the innovative spirit and diverse perspectives of our city. We weave together incredible artistry, spellbinding drama, magical stagecraft, and stories that hit home—all in a spectacular venue. Detroit Opera is creating an ambitious standard for American opera and dance that emphasizes community, accessibility, artistic risk-taking, and collaboration. Beyond opera and dance, we’re committed to bringing you more opportunities to enjoy performing arts and cultural events that shine on our stage and stretch our imaginations. We hope you’ll visit our website often to find out more about what is on offer here.
Every time you attend a performance or event at the Detroit Opera House, you are supporting the arts in Detroit and our mission to bring unforgettable opera and dance to our region. So many people have asked me what they can do to help Detroit Opera—please continue to be our advocates! Tell others about your experiences here and encourage them to check us out. You can make a difference.
Patty Isacson Sabee President & CEO, Detroit Opera
SATURDAY / MAY 02 / 2:00PM
Detroit Opera Youth Chorus at the Detroit Opera House
SCAN
Sip & Stroll at the DOH
Have you ever strolled by the Detroit Opera House and wanted to know what it looks like inside? Join us for a 90-minute “Sip & Stroll” experience at the Detroit Opera House. Tours offer participants the chance to see our beautiful, historic 1922 theater, designed by renowned architect C. Howard Crane, and include the mainstage and backstage areas, plus a visit to the rooftop for spectacular views of downtown Detroit from our SkyDeck (weather permitting). Sip & Stroll tours include a glass of premium red or white wine, bottled water, and snacks. Must be 21 years old with a valid ID. Visit DetroitOpera.org for available dates and to purchase tickets.
Volunteers are the heart of all we do.
For lovers of opera, dance, theater, history, and community.
Join Detroit Opera’s volunteer community and share your gifts and talents. Have fun and make friends while participating in a multitude of opportunities all supporting Detroit Opera’s mission. Our volunteers are ambassadors for Detroit Opera and the city of Detroit, warmly welcoming patrons from near and far to the beautiful, 103-year-old Detroit Opera House for an experience they will cherish forever.
Easily sign up for events using our online volunteer portal!
“Once, my body belonged to me.”
SUN / MAR 01 / 2:30PM
THU / MAR 05 / 7:30PM SAT / MAR 07 / 7:30PM
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE, IN ASSOCIATION WITH POLYARTS, PRESENTS with Eimear Noone
A message from Jon H. Teeuwissen
We’re delighted to usher in the new year by continuing our season-long exploration of the evolution of American dance! The second half of the season focuses on the development of theatrical jazz dance and modern dance.
If we trace the history of these genres, it takes us back to the Denishawn Dance Company, which started with the Denishawn school in Los Angeles. The company, co-founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, toured extensively in the early 1900s. Ted Shawn would go on to create an all-male dance troupe that built Jacob’s Pillow, America’s oldest continuously running dance festival, located in the Berkshires.
The Denishawn Dance Company produced Jack Cole, the “father of theatrical jazz dance,” and Martha Graham, the “mother of modern dance.” Jack Cole developed a dance vocabulary that became very popular on the Broadway stage and on film—he basically had his own dance company, courtesy of Columbia Pictures. Among his protégés was Bob Fosse, known for his films Cabaret and All That Jazz ; his Broadway shows Sweet Charity, Chicago, and Dancin’; and his television work such as Liza with a Z
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago was founded by Lou Conte, who created a company aesthetic that combines balletic strength and discipline with jazz drive and showmanship, and repertoire that leaned toward the theatrical. The company evolved to do more modern works in the ’90s with the successful addition of Twyla Tharp’s The Fugue, Sue’s Leg, The Golden Section, Nine Sinatra Songs, and Baker’s Dozen —all masterpieces, exquisitely danced.
Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Hubbard Street’s current artistic director, is actively involved in the Verdon Fosse Legacy, with two Bob Fosse pieces in the repertoire: Percussion IV and Sweet Gwen Suite, both on our January program. The latter is both for and co-choreographed by Gwen Verdon, who was Fosse’s muse and wife. Also on the program is Amy Hall Garner’s As the Wind Blows, Johan Inger’s Impasse, and Beauty Chasers, a new work by Alvin Ailey Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing.
In April, we will conclude our 25/26 Dance season with the Paul Taylor Dance Company. The company's all-Taylor program will open with Brandenburgs, his beautiful, inventive piece danced to Bach, followed by Company B, recalling the turbulent era of the Great Depression through music of the Andrews Sisters, and Taylor’s signature piece Esplanade. In Paul Taylor’s own words, “Each dance is a new beginning, a new place to discover.”
Thank you for joining us for this celebration of American dance. Enjoy!
Jon H. Teeuwissen Artistic Advisor for Dance
As the Wind Blows by Amy Hall Garner Beauty Chasers by Matthew Rushing
Sweet Gwen Suite by Bob Fosse & Gwen Verdon
Percussion IV by Bob Fosse
IMPASSE by Johan Inger
Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Artistic Director
David McDermott, Executive Director
Lou Conte, Founder
THE COMPANY
Kyle Anders Alexandria Best* Dominick Brown
Jacqueline Burnett* Aaron Choate Morgan Clune
Michele Dooley Elliot Hammans Bianca Melidor
Shota Miyoshi Andrew Murdock David Schultz*
Simone Stevens Cyrie Topete*
Seasonal Guest Artist
Malachi Ashley Stevens
HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO STAFF
Leadership
Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Artistic Director
David McDermott, Executive Director
Artistic Staff
Jonathan E. Alsberry, Senior Rehearsal Director & Director of Summer Intensives
Craig D. Black, Jr.*, Rehearsal Director
Administrative Staff
Abby Olson, General Manager
Jessica Adler, Corinne Kibler, Jen Soloway, Arts FMS, Financial Management Services
External Affairs
Mollie Alexander, Director of Development
Haley Gillespie, Associate Director of Development
Emily Horowitz, Development Coordinator
Erik Kaiko, Director of Marketing & Communications
Megan Moran, Associate Director of Marketing & Communications
Brandon Jones, Content Creation Specialist
Youth, Education, And Community Programs
Eboné Harden, Director of Education
Production
Harrison Pearse Burke, Director of Production
Kate Darby, Stage Manager and Head of Props
Bill Green, Head of Audio
Jenah Hensel, Head of Wardrobe
Jack Horwitch, Head Electrician
Kevin Upham, Head Carpenter
*Denotes Princess Grace Award Recipient
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago performances at Detroit Opera House are supported by
SAT / JAN 24 / @7:30PM
PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK
@6:30PM WITH LINDA-DENISE FISHER-HARRELL AND CRAIG BLACK
SUN / JAN 25 / @2:30PM
PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK
@1:30PM WITH LINDA-DENISE FISHER-HARRELL AND JONATHAN ALSBERRY
No photography or video is allowed during the performance. Please silence all phones.
RUN TIME: 2 HRS W/ 2
The Mission of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is to awaken the human spirit through contemporary dance, envisioning a dance landscape that is relevant and accessible to all. We fulfill our mission by nurturing diverse voices in contemporary dance, opening new pathways to growth, learning, and discovery in Chicago and throughout the word. We are guided by our Values of Artistry, Belonging, and Curiosity.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago grew out of the Lou Conte Dance Studio at LaSalle and Hubbard Streets in 1977, when Lou Conte gathered an ensemble of four dancers to perform in senior centers across Chicago. Barbara G. Cohen soon joined the company as its first Executive Director. Conte continued to direct the company for 23 years, during which he initiated and grew relationships with both emerging and established artists including Nacho Duato, Daniel Ezralow, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and Twyla Tharp.
Conte’s successor Jim Vincent widened Hubbard Street’s international focus, began Hubbard Street’s collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and cultivated growth from within, launching the Inside/Out Choreographic Workshop and inviting Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo to make his first work. Gail Kalver’s 23 years of executive leadership provided continuity from 1984 through the 2006–07 season, when Executive Director Jason Palmquist joined the organization. Glenn Edgerton became Artistic Director in 2009 and, together with Palmquist, moved this legacy forward on multiple fronts.
In 2021, former company dancer Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell was named the fourth Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Season 44: RE/CHARGE marked her debut season as the artistic leader of the organization, with the goal of continuing to diversify the company’s repertoire and ensemble while building on the incredible legacy and reputation that HSDC has already established. Along with David McDermott, Executive Director since 2017, the company is looking forward to expanding its audience reach and increasing the local, national, and global reputation of Hubbard Street.
For 48 years, Hubbard Street has been one of the most original forces in contemporary dance—bringing top choreographers and works to Chicago and beyond. Hubbard Street’s everevolving repertory, created by today’s leading choreographic voices, makes them a company that dancers aspire to join and performance venues all over the world are eager to host. To date, the main company has performed globally in 19 countries and 44 U.S. states.
At home in Chicago, Hubbard Street performs 20 times a year and delivers renowned education programs in 50 classrooms across 17 Chicagoland schools. HSDC Education utilizes the choreographic process to teach essential problem-solving skills, creativity, and collaboration— expanding our reach beyond traditional concert dance audiences, ensuring that everyone has access to world-class dance and instruction.
AS THE WIND BLOWS (2022)
Amy Hall Garner, Choreography
Laura Nashman, Carl Craig, Aaron Copland, Francesco Tristano, Music
Nathan Rohrer, Costume Design
Harrison Pearse-Pollack, Lighting Design
Dancers
The Company
Music: Syrinx, for solo flute, L. 129 performed by Laura Nashman; Technology—Versus Beatless Versions by Carl Craig, performed by Carl Craig, Francesco Tristano, François-Xavier Roth, Les Siècles; Four Piano Blues: III. For William Kapell by Aaron Copland, performed by Mark Anderson; A Soft Shell Groove by Francesco Tristano, performed by Alice Sara Ott, Francesco Tristano, produced by Friedemann Engelbrecht.
BEAUTY CHASERS (2025)
Matthew Rushing, Choreography
Dante Giramma, Original Composition
Matthew Rushing and Jonathan E. Alsberry, Arrangement
Elinor Ahlstrand, Alice Coltrane, David & Steve Gordon, Matthew Halsall, Reiki Healing Music Ensemble, Music
Dante Anthony Baylor, Costume Design
Jason Lynch*, Lighting Design
Dancers
Michele Dooley, Bianca Melidor, Shota Miyoshi
Music: Original sound design by Dante Giramma. Faro by Elinor Ahlstrand, published by 2020 Quiet Records. Thunder Drum Dream by David & Steven Gordon, music courtesy of Sequoia Records. Cherry Blossom by Matthew Halsall, courtesy of Gondwana Records. Journey in Satchidananda by Alice Coltrane, performed by Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, produced by Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra, courtesy Wood Work Music. Animal Sounds by Reiki Healing Music Orchestra, music courtesy of Equilibriummusicgroup.com.
PAUSE —
SWEET GWEN SUITE (2021)
COMPANY PREMIERE: 2024
Bob Fosse & Gwen Verdon, Choreography
Linda Haberman, Staging & Additional Choreography & Direction
Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass, Johnny Mandel, Lalo Schifrin, Music
Lynne Shankel, Arranger/Orchestrator
Bobby Pearce*, Costume Design
Harrison Pearse-Pollack, Lighting Design
Dancers
Dominick Brown, Aaron Choate, Cyrie Topete
Music: Mexican Shuffle by Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass; Cool Hand Luke by Lalo Schifrin, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI); Mexican Breakfast by Johnny Mandel, WC Music Corp. (ASCAP).
Sweet Gwen Suite has been commissioned by New York City Center for the 2021 Fall for Dance Festival. Support for new dance works at City Center is provided by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.
Please be advised: Sweet Gwen Suite incorporates prop cigarettes (non-tobacco, non-nicotine).
— PAUSE —
PERCUSSION IV (1978)
COMPANY PREMIERE: 1991
Bob Fosse, Choreography
Linda Haberman, Staging & Direction
Gordon Lowry Harrell, Music
Willa Kim, Costume Design
Harrison Pearse-Pollack, Lighting Design
Dancer: Elliot Hammans
Music: Percussion IV by Gordon Lowry Harrell.
IMPASSE (2020)
COMPANY PREMIERE: 2023
Johan Inger, Choreography
Fernando Hernando Magadan, Stager
Amos Ben-Tal, Ibrahim Maalouf, Music
Johan Inger, Scenic Design
Bregje van Balen, Costume Design
Tom Visser, Lighting Design
Annie Tådne, Video Design
Doef Beernink, Lighting Assistant
Dancers
The Company with Craig D. Black, Jr. (Princess Grace Award winner)
“IMPASSE investigates our shared humanity by illuminating how societal pressures contribute to the loss of self. Obsession with “newness” and the seductions of peer pressure prohibit us from meaningful growth. The paradox of this is that together we are stronger as a community; alone, we are less.”
—Johan Inger
*United
Music: Diagnostic (2011) by Ibrahim Maalouf, copyright Mi’ster Productions IBM3, distributed by Harmonia Mundi— Lily (is 2), Will Soon Be a Woman, Maeva in the Wonderland, Your Soul, and Never Serious Original composition by Amos Ben-Tal.
Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE is the union representing Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, and Projection designers in Live Performance
DANCER PROFILES
KYLE
ANDERS (he/him, Sykesville, MD) is from Sykesville, Maryland, where he trained at Savage Dance Company under the direction of Nichole Savage and Brandy Fry for 13 years. He is a 2024 graduate of the University of Arizona, where he received his BFA in dance and BSBA in business management. During his four years studying at Arizona, Kyle received numerous performance opportunities, such as being a featured soloist in Thang Dao’s Nevermore and performing in Duane Cyrus’s Boléro at The Joyce Theater, alongside roles in works by Martha Graham, Frank Chavez, Paul Taylor, Jason Hortin, and more. Additionally, he is an alumnus of The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, directed by Milton Myers, and attended Orsolina28, focusing on Marco Goecke repertoire.
ALEXANDRIA BEST
(she/her, Raleigh, NC) is a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, where she began her pre-professional dance training. During that time, she acquired knowledge from instructors across such institutions as American Ballet Theatre, Arts Umbrella, Carolina Ballet, Damiani Dance, French Academie of Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She is a 2021 graduate of Pace University, where she earned her BFA in dance, with a concentration in performance and pedagogy, and a minor in business. Immediately following graduation, Alexandria joined Hubbard Street as a company artist under the direction of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. Now going into her fifth season, she has had the opportunity to perform a diverse body of repertoire by many great-minded artists. She was honored to be named a 2023 Princess Grace Foundation Award winner in dance, and to join its legacy of artists. Alexandria is thrilled to continue her time growing her artistry and community with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in its upcoming season.
DOMINICK BROWN
(he/they, Oklahoma City, OK) is a professional dance artist originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Dominick began their training under the direction of CeCe Farha and attended summer intensives with The Washington School of Ballet and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Dominick received a BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield as a Director’s Scholar in 2021. While at the university, Dominick worked with Ballet Preljocaj in Aix-en-Provence, France. Dominick also attended the American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina. They have previously danced as a company artist with Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers and SALT Contemporary Dance. Dominick joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as a main company dancer in 2024. Dominick has performed works by Merce Cunningham, Ihsan Rustem, Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, Ohad Naharin, Aszure Barton, Matthew Rushing, James Gregg, Johan Inger, and Peter Chu. Dominick is thrilled to embark on their second season with Hubbard Street.
JACQUELINE BURNETT (she/her, Pocatello, ID) received her formative classical ballet training in her hometown of Pocatello, Idaho, from Romanian ballet master Marius Zirra. She moved to New York City in 2005 to pursue the Ailey School/Fordham University joint BFA degree, graduating magna cum laude with departmental honors in 2009. She joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago in January 2008 as a center apprentice while completing her degree and became a member of the main company in August 2009. She received a 2011 Princess Grace Honorarium for dance and was a member of the Hubbard Street contingent for DanceMotion USA 2013, a U.S. State Department/Brooklyn Academy of Music cultural diplomacy tour in Algeria, Morocco, and Spain. In addition to dancing with Hubbard Street, Jacqueline teaches company class, has choreographed for the CREATE Summer Intensive, serves as a repetiteur for choreographies by Penny Saunders (Ballet Idaho, Grand Rapids Ballet, Seattle Dance Collective, Royal New Zealand Ballet), and is a freelance dancer with Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists. Her choreography has been commissioned by Chicago Movement Collective for the Claire Bataille Legacy Program, Danza Visual in Mexico City, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater for its production of Murder on the Orient Express under the direction of Annika Boras.
AARON CHOATE
(they/them, Lexington, KY) is a graduate of The Juilliard School, class of 2022. After studying at Diana Evans School of Dance in their hometown of Lexington, Kentucky, they were named a 2018 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. They have performed the works of renowned choreographers, such as Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, Ohad Naharin, Justin Peck, Matthew Rushing, Jamar Roberts, Bobbi Jene Smith, Rennie Harris, Lar Lubovitch, and Ted Shawn. They are also an avid choreographer. In 2025, they were an Emerging Choreographer for Springboard Danse Pittsburgh’s 25th anniversary. In the same year, they created a work for the Princeton composition department’s semi-annual “Sound Kitchen.” In the summer of 2023, they had a process at Gibney Dance called the Moving Toward Justice fellowship, created by Scott Autry, and in 2022, they presented a work at 92nd Street Y as part of the Future Dance Festival.
MORGAN CLUNE (she/her, Barrington, IL) graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts in 2018. That same year, she was recognized as a national YoungArts award winner for contemporary dance in New York, where she performed solo at Baryshnikov Arts Center. Morgan attended The Juilliard School under the direction of Alicia Graf Mack from 2018 to 2022, where she worked with renowned choreographers such as Bobbi Jene Smith, Justin Peck, Jamar Roberts, Ohad Naharin, and more. Upon graduation from Juilliard, Morgan received the Martha Hill Award for her achievement and leadership in dance, as well as a Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship for her promise as an entrepreneur and her engagement in the arts. She is an emerging choreographer, choreographing at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s CREATE Summer Intensive (2023 and 2024) and the Juilliard Summer Dance Intensive (2023). Morgan is currently in her fourth season with Hubbard Street under the direction of Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell.
MICHELE DOOLEY (she/he/they, Philadelphia, PA) is a dance artist and teacher from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Michele began training at the Institute of the Arts, continued studying at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, and later earned a BFA in dance from the University of the Arts. Michele has had the pleasure of working with numerous choreographers throughout their professional career, such as Gary Jeter, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Donald Byrd, Aszure Barton, Jermaine Spivey, Spenser Theberge, and Matthew Rushing, amongst others. Michele has worked with Eleone Dance Theatre and Spectrum Dance Theater, and they are beyond thrilled to continue their artistic journey with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
ELLIOT HAMMANS (he/him, Santa Fe, NM) began his formal dance training in 2008 with Robert Sher-Machherndl and continued his ballet and modern dance education with Moving People Dance in his hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico, under the direction of Curtis Uhlemann. He joined Moving People Dance as an apprentice in 2010, trained on full scholarship at the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center in San Francisco, and attended Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s 2011 and 2012 Summer Intensives. Following studies abroad at Austria’s SEAD (Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance), he earned his BFA in dance in 2014 from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. He joined Hubbard Street 2 in August 2014 and was promoted to Hubbard Street’s main company in August 2016. Elliot also works at Athletico Physical Therapy as a rehabilitation aide and enjoys practicing and teaching somatic methods.
BIANCA MELIDOR (she/her, Dacula, GA) comes from Atlanta, Georgia, where she received her dance training at the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre under the artistic direction of Lisa Sheppard Robson and Wade Walthall. Bianca then furthered her training in jazz at Point Park University under the direction of Rubén Graciani and Garfield Lemonius. In addition, she has spent many of her summers training at intensives with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Mark Morris Dance Group, Ballet West, Atlanta Ballet, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre. She graduated magna cum laude from Point Park University with a BFA in dance and soon after joined Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s DBDT: Encore! under the artistic direction of Nycole Ray. After three seasons, she joined the main company of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, with Melissa Young as artistic director, and performed in countless programs by Matthew Rushing, Christopher Huggins, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and many more. Bianca is delighted to continue her professional career with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
SHOTA MIYOSHI (he/him, Kanagawa, Japan) trained extensively in jazz, ballet, tap, and hip-hop before moving to the U.S. to pursue his studies at SUNY Purchase College, where he earned his BFA in dance in 2022. Upon graduation, he joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, performing works by acclaimed choreographers including Aszure Barton, Ohad Naharin, Matthew Rushing, Rena Butler, FLOCK (Alice Klock and Florian Lochner), and James Gregg, among others. Expanding his artistry into choreography, Shota was commissioned to create new works for The Joffrey Ballet’s Winning Works 2025 and New Dances 2025.
ANDREW MURDOCK (he/him, St. Alberta, AB, Canada) is a dancer, stager, stagehand, teaching artist, and rehearsal director from St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, based out of Chicago, Illinois. He holds a BFA from The Juilliard School and has spent the majority of his dancing career at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Aszure Barton & Artists (AB&A), Ballets Jazz Montréal, and Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists (RMW&A). He is a former Rehearsal Director for Ballets Jazz Montréal and guest Rehearsal Director for PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, and he provides company classes and pre-professional training in the Chicago metropolitan area. He has also staged work and assisted creations for Springboard Danse, AB&A, Ballets Jazz Montréal, RMW&A, PARA.MAR, Moonwater Dance Project, Arts Umbrella, American Ballet Theatre, Canada’s National Ballet School, Ballet BC, Oklahoma City Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Steps Repertory Ensemble, and New York University, and is a former Artistic Lead for Hubbard Street’s Summer Intensives and Inside/Out choreographic workshop.
DAVID SCHULTZ (he/him, Grand Rapids, MI) began his training at the Grand Rapids Ballet School and then performed for four seasons with the Grand Rapids Ballet. He joined Hubbard Street 2 in 2009 and was promoted in 2011 to the main company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where he has worked with many of the world’s leading contemporary choreographers. He is a recipient of a 2012 Princess Grace Award. As a choreographer, he has had the honor of creating works for DanceWorks Chicago, Chamber Squared, and Boston University, and a co-choreographed piece with Jacqueline Burnett for Danza Visual in Mexico City. When not dancing or choreographing, David has spent many years studying music, and has performed and scored many pieces for Hubbard Street and his own works.
SIMONE STEVENS (she/her, Atlanta, GA) received her dance training in her hometown of Stone Mountain, Georgia, at En Pointe School of Dance before graduating from Kennesaw State University with a BA in dance and a minor in anthropology. Upon moving to Chicago, Simone studied on scholarship at the Lou Conte Dance Studio, receiving mentorship from the incomparable Claire Bataille, Laura Wade, and Ethan Kirschbaum. Concurrently, she performed as a freelance artist throughout the city, working closely with Hanna Brictson and Katlin Bourgeois, among others. In addition to performing with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Simone has been recognized as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” served as creative lead for the company’s Summer Intensives, and expanded her network as an instructor at The Rooted Space, Red Clay Dance Center, and her alma mater. Forever grateful for the spaces and communities that continue to welcome and uplift her, Simone looks forward to embarking on a fifth year with Hubbard Street.
CYRIE TOPETE
(she/they, Peoria, AZ) Following in her father’s footsteps, she began as a breakdancer and started training in competitive dance at the age of 13. She was recognized as a YoungArts Merit winner in 2018 before moving to New York City. She graduated with a BFA from The Juilliard School in 2022, where she received the FENDI Vanguard Award. Following graduation, Cyrie was featured in an On sportswear ad choreographed by Justin Peck and joined the company at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Entering her fourth season, she’s had the opportunity to perform works by Aszure Barton, Johan Inger, Ohad Naharin, Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, James Gregg, Rennie Harris, Kyle Abraham, FLOCK (Alice Klock and Florian Lochner), Rena Butler, and more. She’s been featured in Dance Magazine’s “On the Rise” and has choreographed for the Hubbard Street CREATE Summer Intensive in 2024 and 2025. She is ecstatic to be announced as a 2025 Princess Grace Honorarium recipient and to be a part of a prestigious community of artists. Cyrie is honored to contribute to the enduring and impactful legacy that Hubbard Street carries forward.
MALACHI ASHLEY STEVENS
(they/them, Abingdon, MD) is a multidisciplinary artist who blends dance, choreography, and poetry to tell powerful stories. Their journey began in the church, where movement became a spiritual expression and foundation for their artistic voice. They trained at Divine Dance Institute and graduated from the Baltimore School for the Arts (class of 2021), later earning a BFA from USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance with a minor in communications, and receiving the Artistic Excellence scholarship. They have performed works by renowned choreographers including Kyle Abraham, Hope Boykin, Tessandra Chavez, Peter Chu, E. Moncell Durden, Micaela Taylor, Justin Peck, Helen Pickett, and Jiří Kylián. Their training includes prestigious programs such as The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Program, Nederlands Dans Theater, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Gallim dance company, and Springboard Danse Pittsburgh. They are passionate about blending physicality and narrative to move and challenge audiences—and they are thrilled to begin their professional career with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
ARTISTIC LEADERSHIP PROFILES
LINDA-DENISE FISHER-HARRELL
(Artistic Director, she/her) is the Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, appointed in 2021 after an extraordinary career as a professional dance artist and educator. Her appointment marked a historic first: she is the first alumna, woman, and person of color to lead the organization. Under her visionary leadership, Hubbard Street has experienced a revival, returning to pre-pandemic vibrancy with sleek, memorable programming and a renewed era of artistic excellence. Her impact has been recognized in The New York Times (“At Hubbard Street: Making a Place for ‘the Other Folks’”) and on the cover of Dance Magazine (August 2023, “Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is Returning to Stability—And Its Roots”). Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Linda-Denise trained at the Baltimore School for the Arts with Sylvester Campbell and Stephanie Powell, apprenticed with the Capitol Ballet under Doris Jones, and studied on full fellowship at The Ailey School before attending The Juilliard School. She began her professional career with Hubbard Street at the invitation of founder Lou Conte. She performed with the company for three years before becoming a Principal Dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, under the legendary Judith Jamison. During her 13-year tenure with Ailey, Linda-Denise toured globally and was featured in works by Alvin Ailey, John Butler, Ronald K. Brown, Ulysses Dove, Rennie Harris, Judith Jamison, Alonzo King, Lar Lubovitch, Donald McKayle, Elisa Monte, and Dwight Rhoden. Career highlights include guest artist performances at Les Étoiles du 21e Siècle in Paris and Toronto, and World Stars of the Opera in Budapest, and special appearances at the White House State Dinner in honor of the President of Kenya, and the Kennedy Center’s 12th Annual Gala alongside Nancy Wilson and Liza Minnelli. As an educator and leader, Linda-Denise has had a profound impact in her hometown of Baltimore. A Professor of Dance at Towson University (TU) since 2005, she also served on the faculty of the Baltimore School for the Arts, served as director, founder, and principal grant writer for AileyCamp Baltimore at TU, and facilitated nine Ailey II residencies at TU. Her mentorship has shaped the next generation of artists, many of whom now perform in professional companies and productions worldwide. Linda-Denise holds an MFA in dance from Hollins University. Her pedagogy is dual focused, employing both the Horton Technique and her training as an ABT® Certified Teacher; she remains a sought-after instructor for universities, companies, and organizations nationwide. Her scholarship includes the entry “Alvin Ailey” in the Routledge Encyclopedia of Modernism. In 2025, she was honored with the Martha Hill Mid-Career Award for her artistic excellence, visionary leadership, and enduring impact in the field of dance.
DAVID MCDERMOTT (Executive Director, he/him)
leads Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s organization-wide strategy and administration, overseeing the company’s finances, operations, marketing, and development. Before joining Hubbard Street, he served as First Deputy Commissioner at the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, where he managed daily operations and helped shape major initiatives including the Chicago Cultural Plan and the launch of the Chicago Architecture Biennial. Earlier in his career, McDermott served as Political and Community Outreach Director for U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and managed political campaigns at the congressional, county, and municipal levels. He is a graduate of Trinity College at the University of Dublin with a degree in Public Policy and recently completed a fellowship at the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy.
LOU CONTE (Founding Artistic Director, he/him)
After a performing career that included roles in Broadway musicals such as Cabaret, Mame, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, established the Lou Conte Dance Studio in 1974. Three years later, he founded what is now Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Originally the company’s sole choreographer, he developed relationships with emerging and world-renowned dancemakers Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Margo Sappington and Daniel Ezralow as the company grew. He continued to build Hubbard Street’s repertoire by forging a key relationship with Twyla Tharp in the 1990s, acquiring seven of her works as well as original choreography. It then became an international enterprise with the inclusion of works by Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato and Ohad Naharin. Throughout his 23 years as the company’s artistic director, he received numerous awards including the first Ruth Page Artistic Achievements Award in 1986, the Sidney R. Yates Arts Advocacy Award in 1995, and a Chicagoan of the Year award from Chicago magazine in 1999. In 2003, he was inducted as a laureate into the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, the state’s highest honor, and in 2014, was named one of five inaugural recipients of the City of Chicago’s Fifth Star Award. He has been credited by many for helping raise Chicago’s international cultural profile and for creating a welcoming climate for dance in the city, where the art form now thrives.
J ONATHAN E. ALSBERRY (Senior Rehearsal Director & Director of Summer Intensives, he/him). As Senior Rehearsal Director and Director of Summer Intensives, Jonathan shapes the daily practice of the company dancers while fostering connectivity across departments. He designs physically mindful schedules that ensure seamless transitions between repertory stagings, new creations, and performances. He also leads morning company classes rooted in wellness, joy, and excellence. As Director of Summer Intensives, he curates four dynamic programs, bringing in diverse choreographers and instructors, highlighting Chicago’s cultural richness, and attracting aspiring dancers ages 13–25 from across the globe. Jonathan’s dance journey began at his mother’s Agape Dance Center, continued at The Chicago Academy for the Arts, and led to a BFA from The Juilliard School, where formative collaborations with Aszure Barton and Lar Lubovitch launched long-standing creative partnerships. Affectionately known as “Jojo,” he is a Creative Associate with Aszure Barton & Artists, assisting on works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hamburg Ballet, Malpaso Dance Company, and Teatro alla Scala. He also performed with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company for over a decade, continuing his work as a stager and teaching artist. He has performed internationally with legends including Mikhail Baryshnikov and Alessandra Ferri, and with organizations such as Despertares, The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and LA Opera. Other collaborations include Luna Negra Dance Theater, Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, The Chase Brock Experience, and Pier Group Dance. Now in his ninth season with Hubbard Street, Jonathan brings joy, rigor, and artistry into every space he enters. Through partnerships with organizations like Springboard Danse, Arts Umbrella, and the Chicago Dance Health Fund, he remains committed to nurturing the next generation and uplifting the spirit of dance.
CRAIG D. BLACK JR. (Rehearsal Director, he/they) from San Jose, CA is a dancer, educator, stager, and the Rehearsal Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He was appointed to this role in 2022 for the company’s 45th Anniversary: Sapphire Season. At the age of ten Craig began dancing at South Bay Dance Center and continued his dance training at Abraham Lincoln High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. In 2011, Craig received his BFA from The Juilliard School. He obtained additional training at Springboard Danse Montréal, Nederlands Dans Theater, and the School at Jacob’s Pillow. Craig is a recipient of the 2010 Princess Grace Award in Dance as well as the 2011 Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence from the School at Jacob’s Pillow. For six seasons Craig performed and toured with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet under the direction of Tom Mossbrucker and Jean-Philippe Malaty. In 2017, Craig joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago where he danced for five seasons before transitioning into the HSDC Rehearsal Director position. Now in his fourth season as rehearsal director, Craig has been a guest artist with HSDC and the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, a guest rehearsal director for FLOCK, and a stager for Alejandro Cerrudo. He has had the privilege of dancing works by Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Cherice Barton, Rena Butler, Alejandro Cerrudo, Peter Chu, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo, William Forsythe, Rennie Harris, Johan Inger, Jirí Kylián, Fernando Melo, Robyn Mineko-Williams, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, and Cayetano Soto Ramirez among many others. Craig has had the pleasure of co-choreographing and rehearsal directing Cardi B and Offset’s 2019 BET Awards performance as well as assisting Robyn
Mineko-Williams with the official music video for Sen Morimoto’s Pressure on the Pulse. Craig is a passionate teacher and mentor. He is certified in IMAGE TECH for Dancers™ introductory through advanced level. He has been a guest company class instructor for DanceAspen, Giordano Dance Chicago, and South Chicago Dance Theatre. Additionally, Craig is on faculty for Dupree Dance and has served as guest faculty for the Hubbard Street Professional Program, The Joffrey Academy, New York City Dance Alliance, Peridance Center, and Steps on Broadway. Craig is a recipient of the 2010 Princess Grace Award in Dance, the 2011 Lorna Strassler Award for Student Excellence from the School at Jacob’s Pillow, and a 2025 Make A Wave Awardee from 3Arts.
CHOREOGRAPHER PROFILES
BOB FOSSE is one of the most internationally recognized figures in the history of the performing arts for his groundbreaking, genre-defining work as a director, choreographer, performer, and writer across various mediums on both stage and screen. In 1973, he became the first director in history to win an Oscar, Tony Award, and Emmy Award in a single year for his spectacular triumphs with Cabaret on film, Pippin on Broadway, and Liza with a “Z” on television. Though Fosse got his start as a performer, his career as a creative force on Broadway began in 1954 when he served as choreographer for the original Broadway production of The Pajama Game, earning him the first of his nine Tony Awards. He went on to choreograph Damn Yankees, Bells Are Ringing, New Girl in Town, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and direct and choreograph Redhead, Little Me, Sweet Charity (which he also conceived), Pippin, Liza, Chicago (for which he also co-wrote the book), Dancin’, Big Deal (for which he also wrote the book), and the 1986 revival of Sweet Charity. On film, he served as director and choreographer for Sweet Charity, Cabaret, All That Jazz (also co-screenwriter), and Star 80 (also co-screenwriter), earning him an Academy Award and two additional nominations for Best Director, as well as a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. All That Jazz also won the Palme d’Or at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival. His additional film credits include choreography for The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, and The Little Prince. Born in Chicago, Fosse began dancing at age nine and made his first professional appearance at 13 with his childhood friend Charles Grass under the name “The Riff Brothers.” After serving with the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Islands during World War II, he reignited his career as a dancer, performing alongside Mary Ann Niles in Call Me Mister, Make Mine Manhattan, and Dance Me a Song. He also appeared in the MGM films Give a Girl a Break, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis, and Kiss Me Kate. His last performing engagements were with New York City Center, dancing the title role in their revival of Pal Joey and the role of The Serpent in The Little Prince on screen. Fosse passed away in 1987, on the opening night of the national tour of Sweet Charity. Fosse’s work constantly finds new life in productions like the long-running Broadway revival of Chicago (1996), Fosse (1999), and the Broadway revival of Dancin’ (2023), as well as in the Emmy Award–winning FX series Fosse/Verdon (2019) and the trio of dances Sweet Gwen Suite (2021). The Verdon Fosse Legacy®, founded by his daughter, Nicole Fosse, ensures Fosse’s enduring legacy will continue to help shape the entertainment landscape for years to come.
GWEN VERDON is “widely regarded as the best dancer ever to brighten the Broadway stage” (The New York Times). Her early career was marked by her close working relationship with Jack Cole, for whom she worked as both a performer and assistant choreographer. Her most enduring professional partnership, however, was with the man she would marry, Bob Fosse. Together, Verdon and Fosse ran up a string of iconic theatrical successes not rivaled by a director/choreographer and star before or since. After Verdon earned her first of four Tony Awards in her breakout role as Claudine in Can-Can, her collaboration with Fosse began. She starred in Damn Yankees (Tony Award), New Girl in Town (Tony Award), Redhead (Tony Award), Sweet Charity (Tony nomination), and Chicago (Tony nomination). Her work in feature films includes roles in On the Riviera, David and Bathsheba, The Mississippi Gambler, Damn Yankees, Cocoon, Cocoon: The Return, The Cotton Club, Nadine, Marvin’s Room, Alice, Bruno, and Walking Across Egypt Early in her career, she helped stage Marilyn Monroe’s performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. She served as Artistic Advisor for Steam Heat, the Emmy Award–winning documentary about Fosse. She also appeared on the television programs M*A*S*H ; Fame ; Trapper John, M.D.; Webster ; Magnum, P.I.; The Equalizer ; Dream On; Dear John; Homicide: Life on the Street ; and Legs. Her work in the concert dance world spanned decades and continents, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Beijing Ballet School in China, the Houston Ballet, and the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Counted among the hundreds of partners with whom she danced throughout the course of her career were Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev. Among her many accolades, Verdon won a Grammy Award for Redhead and received a National Endowment for the Arts & Humanities Award.
AMY HALL GARNER is a native of Huntsville, Alabama, and a graduate of The Juilliard School. Her work has been praised internationally and commissioned by Ailey II, ABT Studio Company, Collage Dance Collective, The Juilliard School, The Ailey School, Barnard College, the University of the Arts, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, Point Park University, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Recently, she has received virtual commissions from BalletX, Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Guggenheim Museum’s Works & Process digital series, ABT Studio Company, and Boulder Ballet, and took part in a virtual collaboration between Miami City Ballet and Paul Taylor American Modern Dance. She personally coached Grammy Award winner Beyoncé, providing additional choreography for The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. Theatrical choreography credits include The Color Purple (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), and Invisible Thread as associate choreographer (Second Stage Theater, New York City). In 2018, she was selected to participate in the Alvin Ailey New Directions Choreography Lab supported by the Ford Foundation. Garner was one of the first recipients of The Joffrey Ballet’s Choreographers of Color Award (now titled Winning Works). Recently, she created a new children’s ballet titled Rita Finds Home for Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet and reimagined Baltimore School for the Arts’ new production of The Nutcracker. Garner is an adjunct professor at New Studio on Broadway at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and is the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation Choreographer-in-Residence at BalletX.
The Swede JOHAN INGER (Stockholm, 1967) joined Nederlands Dans Theater 1 (NDT 1) in 1990 and was a high-profile dancer of the company until 2002. His debut as choreographer (1995), also for NDT, quickly became promising with immediate recognition for his ballets Dream Play and Walking Mad. He received the Lucas Hoving Production Award in October 2001. Walking Mad was later also awarded the 2005 Danza & Danza Award. Inger left NDT to take on the artistic leadership of Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm in 2003 where he created numerous works. Since 2008, Inger has worked as a freelance choreographer and creates for many companies around the globe such as GöteborgsOperan, Ballet Basel, Swedish National Ballet, Compañía Nacional de Danza (CND), Aterballetto, Lyon Opera Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and, of course, NDT, holding the position as Associate Choreographer from 2009 to 2016. Between 2016 and 2022, Inger choreographed his own versions of the narrative pieces Petrushka and Sleeping Beauty (Aurora’s Nap), and full evenings such as Carmen, Peer Gynt, and Don Juan. He was honored with the Benois de la Danse prize in 2016 for his Carmen (CND, Madrid) and the piece One on One (NDT 2), and with the Danza & Danza Award in the same year for his piece Bliss, as well in 2020 for his Don Juan (Best Italian Production). In 2022, Inger also became artistic director of Take Off Dance, a training program for pre-professional dancers between the ages of 18 and 24 based in Seville.
MATTHEW RUSHING was born in Los Angeles, California. He was a scholarship student at The Ailey School, became a member of Ailey II, and in 1992 became a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. During his career, he has performed for Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. During his time with the company, he has choreographed four ballets: Acceptance In Surrender (2005), a collaboration with Hope Boykin and Abdur-Rahim Jackson; Uptown (2009), a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance; ODETTA (2014), a celebration of “the queen of American folk music”; and Testament (2020), a tribute to Alvin Ailey’s Revelations created in collaboration with Clifton Brown and Yusha-Marie Sorzano. Rushing became Rehearsal Director in 2010, was appointed Associate Artistic Director in January 2020, and was interim Artistic Director during the 65th-anniversary season of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
The mission of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is to awaken the human spirit through contemporary dance, envisioning a dance landscape that is relevant and accessible to all.
For 48 years, Hubbard Street has been one of the most original forces in contemporary dance—bringing top choreographers and works to Chicago and beyond. Hubbard Street’s ever-evolving repertory, created by today’s leading choreographic voices, makes us a company that dancers aspire to join and performance venues all over the world are eager to present. To date, the main company has performed globally in 19 countries and 44 US states.
At home in Chicago, Hubbard Street performs 20 times a year and delivers renowned education programs in 50 classrooms across 17 Chicagoland schools. HSDC Education utilizes the choreographic process to teach essential problem-solving skills, creativity, and collaboration—expanding our reach beyond traditional concert dance audiences, ensuring that everyone has access to worldclass dance and instruction.
“Hubbard
Street Dance Chicago ought to bottle itself as a cure for the ills of the era.”
—The New York Times
“Oh,
those dancers, the mighty Hubbard Streeters, at once a unified force and a community of individuals.”
—The Boston Globe
“The company, under the leadership of artistic director Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, seems to be evolving… toward a commitment to the legacy and the here-andnow of Chicago and American dance.” Chicago Reader
“Hubbard Street is back and better than ever!”
See Chicago Dance
HUBBARD STREET DANCER AND INTENSIVE FACULTY MEMBER BIANCA MELIDOR. PHOTO BY MICHELLE REID.
Detroit Opera Needs You
Dance thrives on vision, rigor, and community— values shared by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Detroit Opera alike.
Your support helps Detroit Opera present bold dance and opera, champion groundbreaking artists, and engage our city through movement and performance. As a donor, you’ll enjoy benefits like priority ticket access, invitations to exclusive events, behind-thescenes experiences, and special opportunities to connect more deeply with the art you love. Join us in sustaining the future of dance and live performance in Detroit.
For more details or to make a gift, visit DetroitOpera.org/support or call 313.309.8255.
Thank you to our donors Contributors to Detroit Opera
Detroit Opera gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our corporate, foundation, government, and individual donors whose contributions were received between July 1, 2024, and December 19, 2025. Your generosity is essential to sustaining Detroit Opera as a vibrant cultural resource for our community.
Foundations, Corporate & Government Support
$500,000-$999,999
William Davidson Foundation
John. S. and James L. Knight Foundation
State of Michigan
$250,000-$499,999
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Ford Foundation
$100,000-$249,999
Ford Philanthropy
General Motors
Gilbert Family Foundation
Mellon Foundation
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation
$50,000-$99,999
J. Addison Bartush and Marion M.
Bartush Family Foundation
Max M. & Marjorie Fisher Foundation
Milner Hotels Foundation
$25,000-$49,999
The Fred and Barbara Erb
Family Foundation
Hudson-Webber Foundation
Kresge Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
The Ruth F. Rattner and Ann F. & Norman D. Katz Charitable Foundation
Kurt Weill Foundation For Music
Matilda R. Wilson Fund
$10,000-$24,999
DTE Energy Foundation
MGM Grand Detroit
Oliver Dewey Marcks Foundation
OPERA America
Penske Corporation
Ralph L. and Winifred E. Polk Foundation
Ida and Conrad H. Smith Endowment for MOT
The Mary Thompson Foundation
Burton A. Zipser and Sandra D. Zipser Foundation
$5,000-$9,999
C&N Foundation
Co-Ette Club, Inc.
Aaron Copland Fund For Music
Gerson Family Foundation, Inc.
James and Lynelle Holden Fund
The Karen & Drew Peslar Foundation
Louis and Nellie Sieg Fund
Donald R. and Esther Simon Foundation
Somerset Collection Charitable Foundation
Strum Allesee Family Foundation
The Samuel L. Westerman Foundation
$1,000-$4,999
ABM Janitorial Services
John A. & Marlene L. Boll Foundation
Joyce Cohn Young Artist Fund
Detroit Children’s Choir
The Gilmour-Jirgens Fund
Marjorie & Maxwell Jospey Foundation
Josephine Kleiner Foundation
Warsh-Mott Funds
Individual Support
The National Circle
Introduced in 2024, the National Circle unites Detroit Opera’s foremost supporters at a pivotal moment in our history. With annual contributions of $25,000 or more, these visionary donors affirm their belief in the transformative power of live performance to inspire meaningful change—both in our city and across the nation.
$100,000+
Ethan & Gretchen Davidson
Linda Dresner & Ed Levy Jr.
David & Christine Provost
Matthew & Mona Simoncini
Richard Sonenklar & Gregory Haynes
Barbara A. Walkowski
$50,000-$99,999
Richard Alonzo
Enrico & Kathleen DiGirolamo
Patricia Isacson Sabee & David Sabee
Mary Kramer
Denise J. Lewis
Lorna Thomas, MD
Jesse & Yesenia Venegas
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
$25,000-$49,999
Lisa A. Applebaum
Richard and Joanne Brodie
Alex Erdeljan
Carl & Mary Ann Fontana
Barbara Lucking Freedman*
Jane Iacobelli
Barbara & Michael* Kratchman
The Hon. Jack & Dr. Bettye Arrington Martin
Susanne McMillan
The DiChiera Society
Ali Moiin & William Kupsky
Allan & Joy Nachman Philanthropic Fund
Ann & James B. Nicholson
Ebbie & Ayana Parsons
Mrs. Ruth F. Rattner*
Barbara Van Dusen
KEY * Deceased
DiChiera Society members honor the legacy and vision of our founder, David DiChiera, while advancing Detroit Opera’s future as one of the nation’s most significant and innovative opera and dance organizations. Their commitment supports our ongoing focus on community engagement, accessibility, and bold artistic exploration under the leadership of Barbara Walkowski Artistic Director Yuval Sharon.
$10,000-$24,999
Gene P. Bowen
Mr. Thomas Cohn
Kevin Dennis & Jeremy Zeltzer
Dr. Raina Ernstoff & Mr. Sanford Hansell
Maxine & Stuart Frankel Foundation
Bharat & Lynn Gandhi
Toby Haberman
Jody & Tara Ingle
Nancy & Bud Liebler
Ms. Mary C. Mazure
Donald & Antoinette Morelock
Mr. Cyril Moscow*
William & Wendy Powers
Dr. & Mrs. Samir M. Ragheb
Dr. Irvin D. Reid & Dr. Pamela Trotman Reid
Evan & Kelsey Ross
Salome E. Walton
Prof. Michael Wellman
$5,000-$9,999
Nina Abrams
Ms. Christine Ammer
Dr. Lourdes V. Andaya
Dr. Harold M. Arrington
Gregory & Mary Barkley
Wayne Brown & Brenda Kee
Albert & Janette Cassar
Sue Cutler & Jeff Fessler
Ms. Violet Dalla Vecchia
Reverend Bill Danaher
Walter & Lillian Dean
Lisa DiChiera
Maria & David Duey
Nell Duke & David Ammer
Marianne Elrick & Kenneth Myers
Fern Espino & Tom Short
Mr. Michael Fisher
Joseph Fontana & Nada Jurisich-Fontana
Ralph & Erica Gerson
Andrew Glancy
James & Nancy Grosfeld
Beverly Hall Burns
Barbara Heller
Ellen Hill Zeringue
Julie & Peter Hollinshead
William Hulsker & Aris Urbanes
Addison & Deborah Igleheart
Andy Levin & Mary Freeman
Don Manvel
Mrs. L. William Moll
Robert & Susan Morris
Mr. George & Mrs. Jo Elyn Nyman
Joshua & Rachel Opperer
Ms. Linda Orlans
Sara A. Pozzi, Ph.D.
Waltraud Prechter
Carrie & Ted Pryor
Janice Ross
Anthony & Sabrina Rugiero
Leon & Debbie Saperstein
Mrs. Rosalind B. Sell
Terry Shea & Seigo Nakao
Simmons & Clark Jewelers, Michael & Stacey Simmons
Christopher Stavrou
Ned & Joan Winkelman
$3,000-$4,999
Thomas & Gretchen Anderson
Sandra & Doug Bitonti Stewart
Paul & Lee Blizman
Bob & Rosemary Brasie
Dr. & Mrs. Ronald T. Burkman
Carolyn Demps & Guy Simons
Marla Donovan
Marjory Winkelman Epstein
James & Margo Farber
Sally & Michael Feder
Ms. Laurie R. Frankel
Dr. Glendon M. Gardner & Leslie Landau
Mr. Lawrence Glowczewski
Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Christine Hage
Ms. Carole Hardy
Richard & Involut Jessup
Roberto Kalb & Mane Galoyan
Ann Katz
Max Lepler & Rex Dotson
Mary B. Letts
John & Arlene Lewis
Stephan & Marian Loginsky
Mr. Loreto A. Manzo
Ms. Mary McGough
Patrick & Patricia McKeever
Benjamin Meeker & Meredith Korneffel, MD
Brian & Lisa Meer
Ms. Evelyn Micheletti
Eugene & Lois Miller
Phillip Minch
Van Momon & Pamela L. Berry
Brian Murphy & Toni Sanchez-Murphy
Geoffrey Nathan
Friends of Detroit Opera
George & Nancy Nicholson
Brock & Katherine L. Plumb
Lois & Mark Shaevsky
Susan Sills-Levey & Michael Levey
Susan A Smith
Frank & Susan Sonye
Sharon Tevis Finch
Buzz Thomas & Daniel VanderLey
Joseph & Rosalie Vicari
Stanley Waldon
Dr. John Weber & Dr. Dana Zakalik
Bret & Susanna Williams
Dr. Lucia Zamorano
Every gift helps ensure that opera and dance continue to flourish in our community, bringing to life the indescribable magic that begins when the curtain rises. Friends of Detroit Opera—among our most loyal and essential supporters—sustain this work through annual contributions of $500 or more & enjoy exclusive benefits in recognition of their generosity.
$1,000-$2,999
Ms. Geraldine Atkinson
Mr. Jason Batke
Martin & Marcia Baum
Ms. Kanta Bhambhani
Mr. Stanislaw Bialoglowski
Constance Bodurow
Ms. Nicole A. Boelstler
Mrs. Marlene L. Boll
Marsha Bruhn
Ilse Calcagno
Mrs. Judith Christie
Harriet Clark
John & Doreen Cole
Tonino & Sarah Corsetti
Cristina DiChiera & Neal Walsh
Ms. Mary J. Doerr
Mr. David Egner
Ms. Judith Ellis
Burke & Carol Fossee
Carol Gagliardi & David Flesher
Marcelo Ganasevici
Arline Geronimus
Mr. Nathaniel Good
Rober & Ann Greenstone
Kimberly Hastie
Fay & Allen Herman
Adriana Herrera
Christina Hopkins
Joel Howell
Mary Ellen Hoy & Jim Keller
Paul Jednak & Tim Kasunic
Marc Keshishian & Susanna Szelestey
Mr. & Mrs. Gerd H Keuffel
Sam Logan Khaleghi
Justin & Joanne Klimko
Gregory Knas
Jennifer Lindsay Kott
Ms. Vera C. Magee
Federico Mariona & Clara Sumeghy-Mariona
Ms. Janet Groening Marsh
Mr. Ronald Michalak
Mary F. Miller
Ms. Maryanne Mott
Iuliana & Ovidiu Niculescu
Ms. Pamela Patton-Cone
Margaret Pehrson
Mark & Kyle Peterson
Ankur Rungta & Mayssoun Bydon
Professor Alvin* & Mrs. Harriet Saperstein
Mary Schlaff & Sanford Koltonow
Kingsley & Lurline Sears
Anthony & Theresa Selvaggio
Timothy & Kelli Shaheen
Ms. Brenda Shufelt
Joe Skoney & Luisa Di Lorenzo
Ms. Theresa Spear & Mr. Jeff Douma
Gabriel & Martha Stahl
Ms. Mary Anne Stella
Andrew J. Sturgess
Manuel Tancer & Claire Stroker
Mr. Jon Teeuwissen
Dr. Jewlee Weah Tweh
Jeff & Amy Voigt
Gary L. Wasserman & Charles A. Kashner
Eileen Weiser & Richard Caldarazzo
Erica White
Katina Zaninovich
$750-$999
David A. Agius
Eric Alonas
D.L. Anthony, Ph.D.
Frank & Jenny Brzenk
Mr. Michael Clyne
Murray & Alice Ehrinpreis
Dr. Anne Missavage & Mr. Robert Borcherding
Maury Okun & Tina Topalian
Mr. Carl R. Smith
Dr. Andrew James Stocking
Dennis & Jennifer Varian
$500-$749
Antonia Abbey & James Lee
Wallace Ayotte
Ms. Allison Bach &
Mr. Michael Cool
Ms. Mary Anne Barczak
Marceline Bright
Ms. Susan Burns
Stephen Calkins & Joan Wadsworth
Oliver & Susan Cameron
Paula Lisa Cole
Gerald Davis
Mr. John R. DiLodovico
Manisha Dostert
Daniel H Ferrier
Barbara Fisher & William Gould
Yvonne Friday & Stephen Black
John Gierak & Dona Tracey
Joseph & Lois Gilmore
Gil Glassberg & Sandra Seligman
Ms. Anita DeMarco Goor
Philip & Martha Gray
Henry Grix & Howard Israel
Ms. Rosemary Gugino
Beth Hoger & Lisa Swem
Ms. George-Ann Howell
Lawrence John & Lilian Lai
Kimberly Johnson
Carol Johnston
Geraldine & Jacqueline Keller
Ms. Lee Khachaturian
Ms. Cynthia Kratchman
William & Jean Kroger
Mary Jane & Jeff Kupsky
Albert Kurt
Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Levin
Mr. John Lovegren & Mr. Daniel Isenschmid
John & Kimi Lowe
Mrs. Marsha Lynn
Jane Panikkar
Bertram & Elaine Pitt
Elaine & Bertram Pitt
Garry Post & Robert Hill
Shawn Rieschl Johnson & Christian Kirby
Adam D. Rubin, M.D, Lakeshore Professional Voice Center
Mr. Richard Lee Ruby
Mr. Rodney Michael Rusk
Charles & Pamela Schiffer
Demetrius Shields
Anthony Smith & Leland Calloway
Catherine Strumbos
Mr. Bruce Tackett
Frank Tenkel
Dr. Gretchen Thams
Pete Tully
Maria Urquidi
Salvatore Ventura
Ms. Janet Beth Weir
Meredith Weston-Band & Jeffery Band
Elliot & Dr. Susan Zeltzer
Gifts in Tribute
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to those who have made generous gifts to Detroit Opera in honor or in memory of loved ones. The names of those being honored or remembered are listed in bold below.
IN HONOR OF
Ethan D. Davidson
Reverend Bill Danaher
Carl Fontana
Mrs. Nina Dodge Abrams
Paul & Orvilla Ashely
Thomas E Barron
Michael J Bartoy
Beverly Anne Bloomberg
Andre Boulanger
Wilson Curle
Mary Jo & Donald Dawson
David Feeny
Pamela Fontana
Cynthia Gitt
Peter Gude
Patricia Isacson Sabee & David Sabee
Theresa Johnson
Mary Kramer
Allen A Lewis
James Peggs & Margaret Talburtt
Sarah Siwek
Teresa Taranta
Sara Valenti
Rick Warner
Robert Wittenberg
Patricia Isacson Sabee
William Austin
Juliano Bitonti Stewart
Katrina Fasulo
Angela Nelson-Heesch
Brenda Kee
Dr. Ali Moiin & Dr. William Kupsky
Dr. Ali Moiin & Dr. William Kupsky
Mary Jane & Jeff Kupsky
William & Elizabeth S. Kupsky Household
Jon Teeuwissen
Manisha Dostert
Lorna Thomas, MD
Paul & Lee Blizman
Barbara Walkowski
Neal S. Goren
IN MEMORY OF
Wickam Allen
Beth Buzzelli Carlson
Betty Brooks
Ethan & Gretchen Davidson
Cathy Mosseau
Nicoangelo Corsetti
Tornino & Serafina Corsetti
Armando Delicatio
Patricia Bentley
Judith Gordon & Lawrence Banka
Jacqueline Shuster
Carol DeVore
Mr. Mark S. DeVore
Shirley DiGirolamo
Enrico & Kathleen DiGirolamo
Sandy Duncan
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
Grant Eldridge
Tracy Barr
Drs. Julie B. Finn & Bradley Rowens
Heather Gehring
Shawn Rieschl Johnson & Christian Kirby
Joseph Katulic
Stuart Grigg
Alphonse S. Lucarelli
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
George & Ann Marisl
Thomas Dickson & Carol Dick
Ruth Rattner
Jody & Gary Astrein
David & Nancy Barbour Household
Ms. Lori Cohn
Elle Elder
Marianne Elrick & Kenneth Myers
Beth & Earle Erman
Ann Fishman
Amy Folbe
Richard & Eleanore Gabrys
Marilyn Goldberg
Renee Handelsman
David & Rose Handleman
Barbara Heller
Patricia Isacson Sabee & David Sabee
Ann Katz
Richard Katz
Mrs. Barbara Kratchman
Michael* & Barbara Kratchman
Victor Lebovici
Dr. Jay Levinson
Nancy & Bud Liebler
Howard Luckoff
Alex & Lisa MacDonald
Angela Nelson-Heesch
Ali Moiin & William Kupsky
Bluma Schechter
Mrs. Bluma Schechter
Ms. Lisa Schwartz
Grace Serra
Martha Siefman
Mr. Mark Sussman
Mr. William Volz
Gary L. Wasserman & Charles A. Kashner
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
Sharon Zimmerman
Suzann Kaye Ripple
Ms. Catherine Pappas
Miss Alison Piech
Gladys Santiago
Ruth Roby Glancy
The Glancy Foundation
Angeline Rooks
Maria McMullen
Karol Ross
Susan Stepek
William Sandy
Julie & Peter Hollinshead
Tamara Whitty
Phyllis Osler
Every effort has been made to accurately reflect donor, honoree, and memorial names for gifts received between July 1, 2024 and December 19, 2025. Should you find an error or omission please contact Angela Nelson-Heesch at anelsonheesch@detroitopera.org or 313.237.3438.
Avanti Society Members Setting the Stage for Tomorrow
Found throughout Italian opera, the word avanti means “ahead” or “forward.” The Avanti Society— Detroit Opera’s planned giving recognition program—honors a special group of donors whose generosity is guided by vision and foresight. By including Detroit Opera in their estate plans, members ensure that the transformative power of opera and dance will continue to inspire audiences in our community and across the nation for generations to come. With deep gratitude, we thank our Avanti Society members for shaping the future of Detroit Opera.
Douglas* & Sarah Allison
Richard & Mona* Alonzo
Janet Ames
Dr. Lourdes V. Andaya§
Mr. & Mrs. Agustin Arbulu§
Chester* & Emilia Arnold§
George & Joanne Arrick
Dr. Leora Bar-Levav
Lee & Floy Barthel
Brett & Veronica Batterson§
Richard & Gwen Bowlby
Mrs. Doreen Bull
Roy E.* & Ilse Calcagno§
Dr. & Mrs. Thomas & Dorothy* Carson
Dr. & Mrs. Victor J.* & Katherine Cervenak
Father Paul F. Chateau
Mary Christner
Mr. Gary L. Ciampa
Prof. Kenneth Collinson
Douglas & Minka Cornelsen
Dr. Robert A. Cornette§#
Mr. Thomas J. Delaney
Walter & Adel Dissett
Ms. Mary J. Doerr§
Mrs. Helen Ophelia Dove-Jones
Marianne T. Endicott§#
David & Jennifer Fischer
Herbert & Betty Fisher§
Mrs. Barbara Frankel* & Mr. Ronald Michalak§#
Mr. & Mrs. Herman Frankel§#
Byron & Marilyn Georgeson§
William Gipperich
Albert & Barbara Glover
Robert Green
Mr. Ernest Gutierrez
Stephen & Aline Hagopian
Mr. Lawrence Hall§
Jerome & Margot Halperin§
Heather Hamilton
Charlene Handleman
Preston* & Mary Happel
Mr. Kenneth E. Hart§
Eugene* & Donna Hartwig§
Dr. & Mrs. Gerhardt A. & Rebecca P. Hein
Fay & Allen Herman
Derek & Karen* Hodgson
Andrew & Carol Howell
Dr. Cindy Hung§
Eleanor & Alan Israel
Ms. Kristin R. Jaramillo§
Don Jensen & Leo Dovelle§
John Jickling
Patrick J.* & Stephanie
Germack Kerzic
Josephine Kessler
Edward & Barbara Klarman
Robert & Wally Klein#
Erwin H. & Suzanne Klopfer§#
Myron & Joyce LaBan
Max Lepler & Rex Dotson
Linda Dresner & Ed Levy, Jr.
Mr. Hannan Lis
Florence LoPatin
Stephen Lord
Ms. Denise Lutz
Laura & Mitchell Malicki
Ms. Jane C. McKee§
Bruce Miller
Orlando & Dorothy Miller§
Ms. Monica Moffat
Drs. Stephen & Barbara Munk
Harold Munson & Libby Berger
Tiffany Nance
Mr. Jonathan F. Orser
Ms. Julie Owens
Mr. Dale J. Pangonis§
Charles A. & Mary Parkhill
Allison Prost
Mr. Richard M. Raisin§#
Ms. Deborah Remer
Dr. Joshua Rest
James & Marguerite S. Rigby§
Mr. Bryan L. Rives
Ms. Patricia H. Rodzik§
David & Beverly Rorabacher
Dulcie Rosenfeld
Professor Alvin* & Mrs. Harriet Saperstein
Ms. Susan Schooner§
Mark & Sally Schwartz
Arlene Shaler§
Ms. Ellen Sharp
Ms. Edna J Pak Shin
Harold & June Siebert
Mrs. Loretta Skewes
Ms. Anne Sullivan Smith
Richard* & Roberta Starkweather§#
Ms. Mary Anne Stella
Stanford C. Stoddard
Ronald F. Switzer§ & Jim McClure
Lillie Tabor
Peter & Ellen Thurber
Alice* & Paul Tomboulian
Jonathan* & Salome E. Walton
Susan Weidinger
Mr. Andrew Wise
Larry* & Mary Lou Zangerle
We express profound thanks to these Avanti Society members whose planned gifts to Detroit Opera have been realized.
Robert G. Abgarian
Robert & Margaret Allesee#
Mona Alonzo
Serena Ailes Stevens
Mr. & Mrs. J. Addison Bartush§#
Mr. & Mrs. Mandell Berman
Margaret & Douglas Borden
Charles M. Broh
Milena T. Brown
Charlotte Bush Failing
The Gladys L. Caldroney
Mary C. Caggegi
Allen B. Christman
Miss Halla F. Claffey
Ms. Virginia M. Clementi
Hon. Avern Cohn & Ms. Lois Pincus Cohn
Robert C. & RoseAnn B. Comstock
Mrs. Mary Rita Cuddohy
James Danaher
Marjorie E. DeVlieg
Nance Dewar
James P. Diamond
Dr. David DiChiera
Mrs. Karen V. DiChiera
Nina S. Drolias
Charles & Mary Jane Duncan§
Mr. Wayne C. Everly
Dr. Evelyn J. Fisher
Mrs. Anne E. Ford
Ms. Pamela R. Francis§
Mrs. Rema Frankel
Barbara Lucking Freedman
Edward P. Frohlich
The Priscilla A.B. Goodell
Freda K. Goodman
Priscilla R. Greenberg, Ph.D. §#
Maliha Hamady
Ms. Nancy B. Henk
Mary Adelaide Hester
Ms. Patricia Hobar
Gordon V. Hoialmen
Carl J. Huss
Aaron E. Jabbour
Mr. John Jesser
H. Barbara Johnston
Maxwell & Marjorie Jospey
Ida King
Mrs. Josephine Kleiner
Misses Phyllis & Selma Korn§#
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Krolikowski§
Leslie Lazzerin
Mr. Philip Leon
Dores & Wade McCree
Vivien McDonald
Lucie B. Meininger
Helen M. Miller
Ella M. Montroy
Ronald K. Morrison
Ruth Mott
Clarice Odgers Percox
Elizabeth M. Pecsenye
Thomas G. Porter
Magdalena Predeteanu
Mrs. Ruth F. Rattner
Mitchell Romanowski
Ms. Joanne B. Rooney
Concetta Ross
Mr. & Mrs. Giles L. & Beverly Ross
Ms. Merle H. Scheibner
Drs. Heinz & Alice Platt Schwarz§
Ms. Laura Sias
Mrs. Marge Slezak
Ida & Conrad H. Smith
Ms. Phyllis Funk Snow§
Edward L. Stahl
Dr. Mildred Ponder Stennis
Mary Ellen Tappan
Margaret D. Thurber
Mr. & Mrs. George & Inge Vincent§#
Herman W. Weinreich
J. Ernest Wilde
Mrs. Ruth Wilkins
Helen B. Wittenberg
Mr. & Mrs. Walter & Elizabeth Work§
Joseph J. Zafarana
George & Pearl Zeltzer§
KEY
§ Founding Members
# Touch the Future donors
* Deceased
Membership in the Avanti Society is open to all who wish to declare their intention for a planned gift to Detroit Opera. Call Demetrius Shields to learn more, 313.309.8255.
Detroit Opera Honor Roll
Detroit Opera gratefully acknowledges these distinguished donors for their lifetime giving. Their extraordinary generosity has shaped the history of our company—from its founding in 1971 by Dr. David DiChiera as Michigan Opera Theatre, to the opening of the Detroit Opera House in 1996, and to our bold transformation into Detroit Opera in 2022 under the leadership of Barbara Walkowski Artistic Director Yuval Sharon.
Their visionary support sustains the vitality of Detroit Opera today, making possible world-class opera and dance performances as well as acclaimed community programs that inspire and engage audiences throughout our region.
$10,000,000+
The William Davidson Foundation
Ford Motor Company Fund
The State of Michigan
$5,000,000+
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
General Motors
John S. & James L. Knight Foundation
The Kresge Foundation
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
$2,000,000+
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas* & Sarah Allison
Mr. Lee & Mrs. Floy Barthel
Marvin, Betty & Joanne Danto
Dance Endowment & Marvin & Betty
Danto Family Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Herman & Sharon Frankel
Lear Corporation
Linda Dresner & Ed Levy Jr. Masco Corporation
McGregor Fund
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Skillman Foundation
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
KEY
* Deceased
$1,000,000+
Richard & Mona* Alonzo
AT&T
Bank of America
Mandell L. & Madeleine H. Berman Foundation
Mr.* & Mrs. John A. Boll Sr. Compuware Corporation
Robert & RoseAnn Comstock
Joanne Danto & Arnold Weingarden
Ethan & Gretchen Davidson
DTE Energy Foundation
The Fred A. & Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation
Mrs. Margo Cohen Feinberg & Mr. Robert Feinberg
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
Mrs. Barbara Frankel* & Mr. Ronald Michalak
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Frankel*
Hudson-Webber Foundation
JPMorgan Chase
Paul Lavins
National Endowment for the Arts
Matthew & Mona Simoncini
Richard Sonenklar & Gregory Haynes
Dr. & Mrs. Sam B. Williams*
Matilda R. Wilson Fund
Every effort has been made to accurately reflect donor names and gift levels. Should you find an error or omission, please contact Angela Nelson-Heesch at anelsonheesch@detroitopera.org or 313.237.3438
Orchestra
Detroit Federation of Musicians, Local #5, of the American Federation of Musicians
VIOLIN
Daniel Stachyra
Interim Concertmaster
Yuri Popowycz
Acting Asst. Concertmaster
Emelyn Bashour
Principal Second Violin
Anna Bittar-Weller
Solveig Geenen
Molly Hughes
Bryan Johnston
Henrik Karapetyan
Velda Kelly
Beth Kirton
Jenny Wan
Andrew Wu
VIOLA
John Madison
Principal
Jacqueline Hanson
Scott Stefanko
Chloé Thominet
CELLO
Ivana Biliskov
Principal
Benjamin Maxwell
Andrea Yun
Open Position
BASS
Derek Weller
Principal
Clark Suttle
HARP
Juan Riveros
Principal
FLUTE
Collin Stavinoha
Principal
Andrea Velasquez
PICCOLO
Andrea Velasquez
OBOE
Eli Stefanacci
Principal
Mark Doerr
ENGLISH HORN
Mark Doerr
CLARINET
Roi Karni
Principal
J. William King
BASS CLARINET
J. William King
BASSOON
Daniel Fendrick
Principal
Open Position
HORN
Colin Bianchi
Principal
Natalie Sweasy
TRUMPET
David Ammer
Principal
Elijah Leonard
TROMBONE
Jordan Dove
Principal
Dustin Nguyen
TIMPANI
Eric Stoss
Principal
PERCUSSION
John Dorsey
Principal
Administration & Staff
LEADERSHIP
Patty Isacson Sabee, President & CEO
Yuval Sharon, Barbara Walkowski Artistic Director
Roberto Kalb, Music Director
Daniel T. Brinker, General Manager, Detroit Opera House & Parking Center
Shawn Rieschl Johnson, Chief Programming & Production Officer
Jon Teeuwissen, Artistic Advisor for Dance
Samantha Teter, Chief Marketing Officer
Ataul Usman, Senior Director of Human Resources
ADMINISTRATION
William Austin, Executive Assistant
ARTISTIC DEPARTMENT
Nathalie Doucet, Head of Music & Director of Detroit Opera Resident Artist Program
Elizabeth Anderson, Artistic Administrator
DANCE
Kim Smith, Dance Administrator
DETROIT OPERA YOUTH CHORUS
Twannette Nash, Chorus Administrator
Jane Arvidson Panikkar, Preparatory Chorus Conductor
Rebecca O-G Eaddy, Principal Chorus Conductor
Maria Cimarelli, Preparatory Chorus Accompanist
Joseph Jackson, Principal Chorus Accompanist
DEVELOPMENT
Juliano Bitonti Stewart, Director of Development
Chelsea S. Kotula, Director of Institutional Giving
Angela Nelson-Heesch, Director, Data Analytics & Operations
Valentino Peacock, Manager of Data & Operations
Demetrius Shields, Manager of Individual Giving
Stephani Davis, Development Coordinator
EDUCATION
Branden Hood, Director of Education
Alaina Brown, Program Coordinator: Education & Community Programs
Eliza Beutler, Program Administrator
FACILITIES
Vanessa Boyd, Facilities Manager
Juan Benavides, Building Engineer
Kevie Crumb, Facilities & Event Technician
FINANCE
Kimberley Burgess, Accountant
Rita Winters, Accountant
HUMAN RESOURCES
Denver Harvey, Human Resources Coordinator
MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS
Leah Hill, Director of Marketing
Anna Herscher, Lead Graphic Designer
Jennifer Melick, Communications & Media Relations Manager
Deirdre Michael, Website Administrator
Austin Richey, Digital Media Manager & Storyteller
Arthur White, Director of Community & Audience Engagement Position is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
MUSIC
DEPARTMENT
Katherine Kozak, Chorus Director & Music Administrator
Molly Hughes, Orchestra Personnel Manager
Jean Posekany, Orchestra Librarian
PRODUCTION
Elizabeth Anderson, Production Coordinator
Kathleen Bennett, Production Finance Administrator
Jeff Beyersdorf, Technical Director
Eden Cope, Assistant Technical Director
Brian Dambacher, Production Manager
Monika Essen, Property Master
Suzanne Hanna, Costume Director
Kaila Madison, Technical Assistant
Brodrick Whittley, Assistant Technical Director
COSTUMES
Michaela Tanksley, Wardrobe Supervisor
Patricia Sova Jr., First Hand
Mary Ellen Shuffett, Fitting Assistant
Eileen Thorna , Tailor
Maureen Abele, Paul Moran, Lupe Vazquez, Stitchers
WIGS & MAKEUP
Erika Broderdorf, Wig & Makeup Crew Coordinator
STAGE CREW
John Kinsora, Head Carpenter
Jerome Bowie, Head Electrician
Pat McGee, Head Propertyman
Chris Baker, Head of Sound
Pat Tobin, Head Flyman
Dee Dorsey, Surtitle Operator
Mary Ellen Shuffett, Head of Wardrobe
IATSE Local #38 Stage Crew
IATSE Local #786 Wardrobe
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Rock Monroe, Director of Safety & Security
Lieutenant Lorraine Monroe
Sergeant Demetrius Newbold
Officer Gary Cabean
Officer A.M. Hightower
Officer Michelle Johnson
Officer Terrence Hunter
Officer Khalil Nalis
TICKETING & BOX OFFICE
Amy Brown, Director of Ticketing and Booking
Stephanie Stoiko, Box Office Manager
Evan Carr, System Administrator
Alex Robinson, Box Office Associate
Chris Simpson, Box Office Associate
Ellen Smith, Group Sales Associate
VENUE OPERATIONS
Alexis Means, Director of Operations & Patron Experiences
Holly Clement, Senior Manager of Events & Rentals
Jennifer George-Consiglio, Manager of Venue Operations
Michael Hauser, Curator of History & Architecture
Kathie Booth, Volunteer Coordinator
USHERS
Max Aghili, Christine Berryman, Ellen Bishop, Kathie Booth, Lori Burkhardt, Randall Davis, Erin Doakes, Suzanne Erbes, Pamela Fergusson, Sue Hargrave, Myrna Mazure, Ennis Mcgee, S teven McReynolds, Heddie O’Connor, Bill Ried, Kim Ried, Edna Rubin, Ida Vance, Sheryl Weinan-Yee
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Please observe the lighted exit signs located throughout the theater. In the event of an emergency, remain calm and walk, do not run, to the nearest exit. Ushers and security personnel are trained to assist. An emergency medical technician (EMT) is on-site during most events. Contact an usher or staff member if you need medical assistance.
GUEST SERVICES:
Vincent Lobby and Broadway Lounge
There are a variety of amenities for your comfort and use located in both guest services locations. Wheelchairs, booster seats*, earplugs, assisted listening devices, feminine hygiene products, basic first aid items, and more are complimentary and available for your convenience. Coat check is also available. The Vincent Lobby is located on the Madison Street side of the building and the Broadway Lounge is located on the Broadway Street side of the building.
*Limited quantity
PHOTOGRAPHY, RECORDING, AND CELL PHONE USE
Photography and/or recording during any performance is strictly prohibited. Photographs taken in the lobby areas, before or after a performance, and during intermission are welcome. As a courtesy to all guests, please turn off all electronic devices and refrain from use during the performance.
RESTROOMS
Women’s restrooms are located off the Ford Lobby (Broadway Street entrance) and down the stairs, and on third floor (Madison Street entrance). Men’s restrooms are located under the Grand Staircase and on the third floor (Broadway Street side). There are two sets of elevators or stairs available to access all third-floor restrooms. All third-floor restrooms are wheelchair accessible (women’s restroom, press 3R in the elevator). There are single-use unisex wheelchair accessible restrooms on the first floor of the Broadway Street side of the building and the Madison Street side of the building. There is also a wheelchair accessible women’s restroom on the Broadway Street side of the building.
NO SMOKING
The Detroit Opera House is a non-smoking facility. This includes e-cigarettes, vapes, and other “smokeless” products.
USHERS
Ushers are stationed throughout the building to assist patrons as needed. Please direct questions, concerns, and feedback to them during your visit. Enjoy volunteering? Please go to guest services or the Detroit Opera website, DetroitOpera.org/support/volunteer, for information on becoming a volunteer.
LOST AND FOUND
During the performance, lost and found is located in guest services. Unclaimed items are logged and taken to the Safety and Security office after each performance. To inquire about a misplaced or lost item, please call 313.961.3500. Items left over 30 days will be discarded or donated.
RECORDING IN PROGRESS
Entry and presence on the event premises constitute your consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded, and to the release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of any and all recorded media for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with Detroit Opera and its initiatives. By entering the event premises, you waive and release any claims you may have related to the use of recorded media of you at the event.
