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LA DIVINA

The Art of Maria Callas

LA DIVINA The

The Art of Maria

The Art of Maria Callas

Art of Maria Callas

Callas

Celebrating the 100-year birth anniversary of the great opera diva

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the great diva’s birth

Celebrating the 100-year birth anniversary of the great opera diva

FRI, NOVEMBER 10, 2023

Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara

SUN, NOVEMBER 12, 2023

Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara

Lobero Theatre

Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks

Bank of America Performing Arts Center

SUN, NOVEMBER 12, 2023

Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks

Eleni Calenos Soprano

Jana McIntyre Soprano

Kostis Protopapas Conductor

Jana McIntyre Soprano

In collaboration with

Kostis Protopapas Conductor

In collaboration with

Argyropoulos Chair of Hellenic Studies at UC Santa Barbara

MARIA CALLAS

Maria Callas is so mythologized, such a legend, that it is hard to write about her without replicating the passionate reactions that she elicited in her lifetime. “Not just unequalled – unequalable!” declared the Italian movie, opera and stage director Luchino Visconti. “The Voice of the Century” said Kiki Morfoniou, who sang Neris to Callas’s Medea at Epidaurus in 1961. And for the Italian press, simply “La Divina”, an epithet that highlights her preeminence in the pantheon of singers, and her otherworldliness.

November 2023 is the one hundredth anniversary of her birth. Born in Manhattan to Greek immigrant parents and educated in Greece at the Athens Conservatoire, Maria Callas (née Maria Kalogeropoulos) played early roles at the Greek National Opera, and would become one of the most renowned sopranos and influential opera singers of all time. She died in 1977, aged 53. For the centennial of her birth UNESCO has named 2023 “Maria Callas Year”. The Mayor of Athens has just inaugurated a Maria Callas Museum next to Athens Cathedral. Angelina Jolie is playing Callas in a new movie directed by Pablo Larraín. Opera Santa Barbara has partnered with UCSB to contribute to the celebrations by bringing you a stunning concert of Callas’ greatest arias.

The centennial of her birth also gives us a moment to pause and cut through some of the mythologizing, especially the aspects that we now recognize as somewhat sexist (her celebrated weight loss, the fascination with her famous lovers, the anecdotes about how difficult and unreliable she was), and focus on what her made her a transformative force in opera. It was her power and technical agility: the soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf called her ‘the greatest technician I ever met! She could do everything’. It was her revival of the ‘bel canto’ Italian vocal technique. And it was the impact of her performances. As James Levine, former Artistic Director of the Metropolitan Opera explains, “Callas’s career was revolutionary. She invested opera with an unprecedented degree of musical/dramatic unity and dramatic credibility. This ‘Callas Revolution’, as it came to be known, was so profound, thorough and far-reaching that, (aided by inspired stage directors such as Luchino Visconti, it transformed opera into believable theatre, an art form that could survive and thrive in an era such as ours, whose criteria of dramatic credibility have been shaped and dominated by cinema, television and now also by digital media. So, one is fully justified in talking about opera BC and AC –before and after Callas.”.

HELEN MORALES

Argyropoulos Chair in Hellenic Studies at UCSB

We thank the Argyropoulos family and Gefyra for their generosity in making this event possible.

presents LA DIVINA: THE ART OF MARIA CALLAS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2023 AT 7:30PM - THE LOBERO THEATRE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12, AT 2PM - BANK OF AMERICA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Overture - Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Gioachino Rossini

“Una voce poco fa” - Il Barbiere di Siviglia Gioachino Rossini

Jana McIntyre, soprano

Act 1 Duet - Tosca ............................................................................................................. Giacomo Puccini

Eleni Calenos, soprano Robert Stahley, tenor

“Ah, non credea mirarti … Ah! non giunge”

- La Sonnambula Vincenzo Bellini

Ms. McIntyre, soprano

“Vissi d’arte” - Tosca Giacomo Puccini

Ms. Calenos, soprano

“Caro nome” - Rigoletto Giuseppe Verdi

Ms. McIntyre, soprano

Act 3 Quartet - Rigoletto .................................................................................................Giuseppe Verdi

Ms. McIntyre, soprano Xavier Prado, tenor

Max Potter, mezzo-soprano Matthew Peterson, baritone

INTERMISSION

Overture - Norma Vincenzo Bellini

“Casta Diva” - Norma....................................................................................................... Vincenzo Bellini

Ms. Calenos, soprano

“O mio babbino caro” - Gianni Schicchi Giacomo Puccini

Ms. McIntyre, soprano

“Io son l’umile ancella” - Adriana Lecouvreur Francesco Cilea

Ms. Calenos, soprano

“Regnava nel silenzio” - Lucia di Lammermoor Gaetano Donizetti

Ms. McIntyre, soprano

“Salce, salce … Ave Maria” - Otello Giuseppe Verdi

Ms. Calenos, soprano

Act 3 Quintet - Un ballo in maschera Giuseppe Verdi

Ms. Calenos, soprano Ms. McIntyre, soprano

Matthew Peterson, baritone Colin Ramsey, bass

Omar Rodriguez, baritone

KOSTIS PROTOPAPAS, Conductor

Sponsored by Duncan and Suzanne Mellichamp

Kostis Protopapas was named General Director of Opera Santa Barbara in December 2017, after twoand-a-half seasons as Artistic Director.

During his time as Artistic Director and principal conductor, Kostis brought a unified vision to OSB’s musical and production values, strengthening the orchestra and chorus, engaging some of the country’s most promising young directors and singers, building a high-performing production team, and increasing focus on contemporary American opera. As General Director Kostis assembled Team OSB, a group of enthusiastic overachievers with a passion for innovation and the desire to strengthen the company’s bond with the community, who consistently exceed patrons’ expectations for programs, experiences and communications. Performance highlights from Kostis’ tenure include grand opera classics like Madama Butterfly, Manon, and Eugene Onegin as well as contemporary works like Daniel Catan’s Il Postino, the mariachi opera Cruzar la cara de la luna, and Laura Kaminsky’s As One. In the fall of 2022, the Santa Barbara Independent wrote: “From contemporary work to obscurities from the early 19th century, from staple repertoire to surprise elements, OSB continues to raise the bar on what an opera company can and should be, even in Santa Barbara.”

Between March 2020 and June 2021, under Kostis’ leadership Opera Santa Barbara remained active and fully staffed. It was the first performing arts organization in Santa Barbara to offer streaming programming, and one of only two opera companies in California to present three live operas in the 2020-21 season. Additionally, Opera Santa Barbara became an advocacy leader for the reopening of the performing arts, and funded live performances by local musicians through “Operation Eurydice”. For his work during the pandemic, Kostis was listed among the Santa Barbara Independent’s 2021 Local Heroes.

Before coming to Santa Barbara, Kostis was the Artistic Director of Tulsa Opera since 2008. He previously was an Assistant Conductor with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, LA Opera and Santa Fe Opera. At the Lyric Opera of Chicago, he also served as Assistant Chorus Master under Donald Palumbo for two seasons.

Born in Athens, Greece, Kostis Protopapas studied Archaeology and History of Art at the University of Athens before coming to the United States in 1993, on an Onassis Foundation scholarship, to study piano at The Boston Conservatory and conducting at Boston University. He became an American citizen in 2011. He loves living in Santa Barbara, sits on the Board of the Santa Barbara University Club, and enjoys sailing on the Santa Barbara Channel.

ARTISTS

JANA MCINTYRE, Soprano

Jana McIntyre begins the 23/24 season with a return to Opera Santa Barbara for La Divina: The Art of Maria Callas. Additional season engagements include debuts with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra for Carmina Burana, the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera for An Evening of Rogers and Hammerstein as well as the title role in The Ballad of Baby Doe with Opera Buffs Los Angeles.

Last season saw Jana step into the role of Aminta in Bard Summerscape’s production of Die Schweigsame Frau by Richard Strauss, the first ever time the opera was presented live in its entirety. Other engagements included a return to Tulsa Opera for Into the Woods (Cinderella) and Opera Santa Barbara for La Scala di seta (Giulia). She debuted Carmina Burana with the Santa Barbara Symphony and the Seattle Symphony. Additionally, Jana made her Carnegie Hall debut with the American Symphony Orchestra in Richard Strauss’ rarely heard Daphne (Title Role) conducted by Music Director Leon Botstein. Additional recent roles with Opera Santa Barbara include Semele, Semele (2022), and Norina, Don Pasquale (2021).

Ms. McIntyre is a George and Nora London Foundation Competition top prize winner as well as a finalist in The Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition. Jana also holds awards from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the Giulio Gari Foundation, the Jensen Foundation, the Santa Fe Opera, the Shoshana Foundation and the Art Song Preservation Society. www.janamcintyre.com

ELENI CALENOS, Soprano

Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, Eleni Calenos earned a Cello Performance diploma at the Municipal Conservatory of her hometown and a Vocal Performance degree from the National Conservatory of Athens, Greece. She completed her postgraduate studies in vocal performance at Queens College in New York and at the Opera Institute of Boston University. She performs worldwide, but mainly in Europe and the United States. Her repertoire includes numerous leading roles - almost 30 - such as Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Mimi (Bohème), Countess (The Marriage of Figaro), Liu (Turandot), Desdemona (Othello), Nedda (Pagliacci), Santuzza (Cavalleria), Antonia (The Tales of Hoffmann), Michaëla (Carmen), Donna Anna and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), etc. She appears with major orchestras in major theaters worldwide (Glyndebourne, Wiesbaden Staatstheater, Palm Beach Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Avery Fisher Hall, Greek National Opera, State Symphony Orchestra of Athens and Thessaloniki, Megaro Concert Hall of Athens & Thessaloniki etc).

She also appears as a soloist in oratorios, symphonies, requiems and recitals, singing works ranging from the Baroque era to the 20th century and contemporary music. She has recorded Mascagni’s opera Zanetto with the Boston Odyssey Opera, as well as Giorgos Tsontakis’ work Mirologia with the Albany Symphony Orchestra and KOCH International Classics. She has won numerous awards. www.elenicalenos.com

ROBERT STAHLEY, Tenor

HOMETOWN: Groveland, MA

LIVES IN: Los Angeles, CA

PREVIOUSLY AT OSB: Semele (Jupiter), 2022; Die Walküre (Siegmund), 2023

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Tosca (Cavaradossi), Opera Theater of Saint Louis; Der Fliegender Holländer (Erik), Utah Opera; Tristan und Isolde (Young Sailor/Melot), Los Angeles Philharmonic; Der Freischütz (Max), Wolf Trap Opera

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: La Fanciulla del West (Dick Johnson), North Carolina Opera WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU: robertstahleytenor.com

XAVIER PRADO, Tenor

HOMETOWN: Rancagua, Chile

LIVES IN: Los Angeles, CA

PREVIOUSLY AT OSB: OSB Debut

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Il Viaggio a Reims (Zeffirino), Rossini Opera Festival; L’Italiana in Algeri (Lindoro), Opera San Jose; Don Pasquale (Ernesto cover), Sarasota Opera.

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Il Trovatore (Ruiz), Opera Santa Barbara; Lucia di Lammermoor (Edgardo) Barskaya Independent Co.; Zorro (Zorro) Opera Santa Barbara. WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU: xavierprado.com

MAX POTTER, Mezzo-soprano

HOMETOWN: Rockville, MD

LIVES IN: Santa Barbara CA

PREVIOUSLY AT OSB: Carmen (Mercedes), 2023; La Traviata (Flora), 2022; Das Rhinegold (Flosshilde), 2021.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Der Rosenkavalier (Octavian), Pacific Northwest Opera; Mezzo Soloist in Elijah at the Washington National Cathedral; The Mother of Us All (Jenny Reefer), Chautauqua Opera.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU: @maxpottermezzo

ARTISTS

MATTHEW PETERSON, Baritone

HOMETOWN: Brush, CO

LIVES IN: Santa Barbara, CA

PREVIOUSLY AT OSB: A Light in the Piazza (Signor Nacarelli), 2023; La Scala di Seta (Blansac), 2022; La Traviata (Barone Duphole), 2023.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Billy Budd (cover), Central City Opera; Florencia en el Amazonas (Alvaro), Yale Opera; Acis & Galatea (Polyphemus), Central City Opera.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU: matthewpetersonbaritone.com

OMAR RODRIGUEZ,

Baritone

HOMETOWN: Watsonville, CA

LIVES IN: Castroville, CA

PREVIOUSLY AT OSB: Carmen (Le Dancaïre), 2023; The Light in the Piazza (Giuseppe), 2023; The Pirates of Penzance (The Major General and the Pirate King), 2022.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: The Pirates of Penzance (The Major General), Pacific Opera Project; The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Phoebus de Martin), Cabrillo Stage; La bohème (Marcello), Santa Cruz Opera Project.

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: El Gato con Botas at Opera Santa Barbara, and a solo recital of Mexican music and Mariachi at Pacific Opera Project

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU: omaralejandrorodriguez.com

COLIN RAMSEY, Bass

HOMETOWN: Greenwich, CT

LIVES IN: Santa Barbara, CA

PREVIOUSLY AT OSB: Die Walkure (Hunding), 2023; Semele (Cadmus and Somnus), 2022; Das Rheingold (Fafner), 2022; The Crucible (Reverend Hale), 2019; Manon (Count des Grieux), 2017.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Romeo et Juliette (Capulet) and La bohème (Colline), San Diego Opera; Lucia di Lammermoor (Raimondo), Festival Lyrique en Mer and Opera San Jose; Dr. Atomic (Edward Teller, cover), Santa Fe Opera.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU: colinramsey.com

HELENA KUUKKA

Lighting Designer

HOMETOWN: Helsinki, Finland

LIVES IN: Santa Barbara, CA

PREVIOUSLY AT OSB: Barber of Seville, Eugene Onegin, Semele, An American Dream, Tosca, La Scala di Seta

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Aida, Vancouver Opera; Dracula, Ballet Memphis; The Prom, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Mary Poppins, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma.

KOURTNI DALE-NOLL MITCHINER

Production Stage Manager

HOMETOWN: Plano, TX

LIVES IN: Camarillo, CA

PREVIOUSLY AT OSB/CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Celebrating my 11th season at OSB!

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: PSM for The Hallelujah Project with Santa Barbara Choral Society. PSM for Il Trovatore at OSB.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU: cosoc.com/KidKourt13

TIMOTHY ACCURSO

Principal Pianist & Director of the Chrisman Studio

HOMETOWN: Glen Lyon, PA

LIVES IN: Santa Barbara, CA

PREVIOUSLY AT OSB: Joined Team OSB Fall of 2018

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: La Traviata, Opera Las Vegas; Pirates of Penzance, Utah Opera; The Light in the Piazza, Opera Santa Barbara; Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (conductor), Arlington Theater.

UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Santa Barbara Gay Men’s Chorus (Artistic Director) at First United Methodist Church on December 11th, 2023

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU: around Santa Barbara

OPERA SANTA BARBARA

ORCHESTRA

VIOLIN 1

Steven Zander, Concertmaster

Ji Young An, Associate Concertmaster

Mona Tian

Maia Zander

Hannah Murray Yaeri Choi

VIOLIN 2

Anna Kostyuchek, Principal

Luke Santonastaso

Jeanne Ullom

Anthony Navarro

VIOLA

Diane Gilbert, Principal

Karen Long

CELLO

Christopher Ahn, Principal

Hillary Smith

Allan Hon

BASS

Ryan Baird, Principal

James Bergman

FLUTE / PICCOLO

Gary Woodward, Principal

Suzanne Duffy

CONDUCTOR

Kostis Protopapas

PRINCIPAL PIANIST & DIRECTOR OF THE CHRISMAN STUDIO

Timothy Accurso

OBOE/ ENGLISH HORN

Catherine Del Russo, Principal

Trey Farrell

CLARINET

Lawrence Hughes, Principal Rory Mazzela

BASSOON

Duncan Massey, Principal

Eric Johnson-Tamai

TRUMPET

John Ernest, Principal

Michael Davis

HORN

Preston Shepard, Principal

Christian Thomas

Adrian Dunker

Rachel O’Connor

TROMBONE / BASS TROMBONE

Lori Stuntz, Principal

Amy Bowers

Callan Milani

TIMPANI / PERCUSSION

Jon Nathan, Principal

HARP

Michelle Temple, Principal

ORCHESTRA MANAGER

Suzanne Duffy

SUPERTITLE TRANSLATIONS

Dr. Robert Weinman

SUPERTITLE OPERATOR

Olivia Barker

MUSIC STAFF

OPERA SANTA BARBARA

TEAM OSB

ARTISTIC & GENERAL DIRECTOR

Kostis Protopapas

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

Helena Kuukka

PRINCIPAL PIANIST & DIRECTOR OF THE CHRISMAN STUDIO

Timothy Accurso

EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR

Jessica Hetrick

INTERIM CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Gail Anikouchine

BOOKKEEPER

Laura Teague

CONSULTANTS

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Karen Kowalski

PHOTOGRAPHY

Zach Mendez

AUDIO RECORDING

Opus 1 Mobile Recording

MARKETING & GRAPHIC DESIGN

Joyce Familara

THANK YOU TO OUR HOUSING DONORS

Carol Greene

Marilyn Gilbert

PRODUCTION

CONDUCTOR

Kostis Protopapas

LIGHTING DESIGN & DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

Helena Kuukka

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

Kourtni Dale-Noll Mitchiner

PRINCIPAL PIANIST & DIRECTOR OF THE CHRISMAN STUDIO

Timothy Accurso

SPECIAL THANKS

The Lobero Theatre

Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks

Helena Matheopoulos

Helen Morales, Argyropoulos Chair of Hellenic Studies at UC Santa Barbara

THE THOUSAND OAKS PERFORMANCE IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY:

THE LOBERO THEATRE STAFF

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

David Asbell

ADMINSTRATIVE DIRECTOR

Marianne Clark

CONTROLLER

Don McGreevy

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR & PRODUCTION MANAGER

Todd Jared

BANK OF AMERICA

BOX OFFICE MANAGER

Gina Graham

ASSISTANT BOX OFFICE MANAGER

Joshua James

TICKETING SERVICES DIRECTOR

Genevieve Rhiger

CONCESSIONS MANAGER

Betsy Craig

HOUSE MANAGER

Rick Villa

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER STAFF

CULTURAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR

Jonathan Serret

GENERAL MANAGER

Marisa Hanke

GUEST SERVICES MANAGER

Dave Barr

TECHNICAL OPERATIONS MANAGER

Sean Jones

FRONT OF HOUSE SUPERVISOR

Nancy Loncto

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Colleen Debler

RENTAL COORDINATOR

April Carter