At BNY Mellon, we believe the arts are part of every vibrant community. It is our great pleasure to support The Metropolitan Opera Guild.
RICHARD J. MILLER, JR. PRESIDENT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD, INC.
WINTHROP RUTHERFURD, JR. CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD THE METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD, INC.
STEPHANIE BLYTHE
MET OPERA GUILD ARTISTS’ COUNCIL MEMBER LYADP ALUM
JONAH HOSKINS LYADP CURRENT YOUNG ARTIST KATELAN TRA
N TERRELL, PIANO LYADP ALUM
MICHELLE BRADLEY LYADP ALUM CRAIG KETTER, PIANO
MET OPERA GUILD ARTISTS’ COUNCIL MEMBER LYADP ALUM
ANTHONY V. MANOLI, PIANO REMARKS
St. George’s School has a soundtrack that is a regular part of our lives on the Hilltop. Our 30-member choir sings during chapel services; a cappella groups perform to SRO crowds in Madeira Hall; and musicians play solo, with an ensemble or a full orchestra at school events, such as Family Weekend in October. Many sing their way through the day, too. Music is a part of what makes St. George’s a happy and vibrant school.
St. George’s School is an independent coeducational boarding and day school offering a comprehensive college preparatory program to students in grades 9-12. For more information please contact admission@stgeorges.edu or call 401-842-6705.
st. george’s school, 372 purgatory road, middletown, ri 02842 www.stgeorges.edu
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU to the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s 88th Annual Luncheon—Shaping Stars. We are thrilled to return to Cipriani 42nd Street to celebrate the legacy and impact of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at our first in-person Luncheon in three years.
Founded in 1980, and later endowed by the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. George Lindemann, the LYADP was created to nurture new generations of opera singers, coaches and pianists. Through personally curated training, master classes and unparalleled performance opportunities at the Met, the LYADP shapes these young artists to become the next stars of opera. The program has produced more than 200 graduates, who now perform at the highest standards in productions at the Met and opera houses around the world. At today’s Luncheon, we look forward to speeches and performances from alumni including Stephanie Blythe, Michelle Bradley and Sondra Radvanovsky, and cur rent LYADP Young Artist Jonah Hoskins.
At the Metropolitan Opera Guild, we seek to further music education, appreciation and accessibility through our ongoing school and community programs and publications. Making opera accessible to the youth of today is paramount. Without exposure to the arts through programs such as ours, we would be at risk of losing future audiences, artists and creatives in the field of opera. It is thus fitting that we honor the LYADP, whose mission aligns with our desire to further the longevity of our cherished lyric art form and the Metropolitan Opera.
J. Miller, Jr., President
To all supporters of the Guild and attendees of this celebra tion, I extend my gratitude for your continued belief in and commitment to the Guild’s educational mission and programs.
I also want to express special thanks to our Event Chairs and Host Committee members, the Guild Board of Directors and staff, and especially to our Development Committee Chairman, Marc Chazaud, and his wife, Diana Reid, for their generous sponsorship of this gala’s video presentation, given in loving memory of Yveta Synek Graff and F. Malcolm Graff, Jr.
I now invite you to join us in celebrating the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and the future of opera.
...salutes The Lindemann Young Artist Development Program
for its contributions in shaping the next generation of opera stars!
To learn more about membership please call (212) 799-3552 or visit our website: operaclub.org
The Denyce Graves Foundation salutes the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program
1/Ying Fang as Podtochina's daughter in The Nose, 2013
2/Stephanie Blythe as Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, 1995
3/Diana Soviero with Alexandra Deshorties and Thomas Studebaker, 1998
4/Lisette Oropesa as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, 2007
5/Ryan Speedo Green as the Bonze in Madama Butterfly, 2004
6/ Nathan Gunn (right) as Pâris, with William Burden as Tybalt, in Roméo et Juliette, 1996
Innate talent or years of dedicated educa tion? As Berg so persuasively writes, it is most certainly a combination of both.
In 1980, the necessity for this amalgamation drove Maestro James Levine to develop the Metropolitan Opera’s Young Artist Development Program—later named the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program in recognition of the generous support of Mr. and Mrs. George Lindemann.
For years, talented young singers had been brought into the Met to sing small roles and cover larger ones, but there was no guidance or oversight of their careers. Without proper counsel, these green artists risked singing without proper technique, moving into roles before their voices had matured and perhaps burning out before their career had truly begun. This realization spurred Levine to form the LYADP—to create a space where extraordinarily talented young singers,
“MUSIC IS AT ONCE THE PRODUCT OF FEELING AND KNOWLEDGE, FOR IT REQUIRES NOT ONLY TALENT AND ENTHUSIASM… BUT ALSO KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTION, WHICH ARE THE RESULT OF PROTRACTED STUDY AND REFLECTION.”
w- ALBAN BERG2021–22 LYADP Young Artists pal around with maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin © BETH BERGMAN (PREVIOUS SPREAD AND ALL PHOTOS OPPOSITE PAGE); COURTESY OF THE LYADP (THIS PAGE)
pianists and coaches could be nurtured through highly curated training and performance opportunities.
While many opera companies across the country now conduct young-artist training programs, the Met’s was among the first of its kind and has often been used as a template for programs at other opera houses. To this day, the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program is unparalleled for the quality and scope of resources available to its participants.
Entry into the LYADP is extremely competitive and is offered via a variety of routes. The Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition is one major source of identifying talent. LYADP staff members and the Met’s artistic department also travel to aca demic institutions, opera companies and festivals and adjudicate international competitions to further the scouting process. In addition, there is an open
audition to ensure that the best global talent is selected for admission.
Young Artists are provided with a weekly stipend to ensure that their artis tic education commands their full focus. The LYADP avoids a rigid formal struc ture, but the participants are far from idle. Training includes private coachings, master classes, weekly vocal lessons, role study, dramatic interpretation, move ment, industry discussions, performance opportunities, and a stipend to travel for language immersion during the summer.
Throughout their instruction, Young Artists are provided with unparalleled access to stage rehearsals, where they can observe opera’s greatest singers and conductors preparing for the current Met repertory. These revered singers also rou tinely provide LYADP participants with master classes and coachings. Previous master teachers have included Sir Thomas Allen, Joyce DiDonato, Yannick
Kate Lindsey as Tebaldo, with Olga Borodina as Eboli, in Don Carlo, 2006 Dwayne Croft (foreground) as Schaunard, with Paul Plishka as Colline, in La Bohème, 1991 © BETH BERGMAN (ALL)Nézet-Séguin, Birgit Nilsson, Renata Scotto, Patricia Racette, Diana Soviero and Dolora Zajick.
Participants are given the opportunity to audition for Met productions; pianists serve as assistant conductors, and singers perform in supporting roles. This hands-on approach to teaching provides them with the chance to per form alongside and learn from some of opera’s greatest names. These once-in-alifetime opportunities provide the Young Artists with the confidence to command the stage and eventually move to more demanding roles or conducting ventures.
For more than forty years, the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program has fostered world-class talent in emerging artists; the program has produced more than 200 graduates. Notable alumni include Stephanie Blythe, Ying Fang, Christine Goerke, Ryan Speedo Green, Nathan Gunn, Mariusz
Resident
Kwiecien´, Erin Morley, Lisette Oropesa, Sondra Radvanovsky, Craig Terry and Dawn Upshaw.
The program has shaped a new generation of celebrated American and international opera singers, as well as coaches and pianists, who now perform at the highest standards in productions at the Met and opera houses around the world. Thanks to the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, the stars of tomorrow are nurtured and launched, so that this art form will live on for years to come.
Christine Goerke at the 1996 James Levine Gala staging/acting coach Dona D. Vaughn with Danielle de Niese, 2001Amsellem, Norah Baikoff, Erika Batista, Amanda* Black, Jennifer Bradley, Michelle Bureau, Karen Cambridge, Alyson Check, Jennifer Claire, Layla Cole-Felder, Amani* de Niese, Danielle D'Eramo, Sylvia Deshorties, Alexandra Dix, Marjorie Elinor Doronzio, Grazia Durkin, Rachelle El-Khoury, Joyce Emerson, Ashley Fang, Ying Faselt, Jessica Gilbert, Angela Goerke, Christine Gonzales-Redman, Yvonne Gormley, Clare Gruber, Andrea Harmer, Wendy Bryn Hawkins, Leah Johnson, Anita Kotoski, Dawn Kuźma, Magdalena* Laguna, Yunuet Lee, Mary-Jane Logan, Brittany Olivia* Lopez, Sandra Lyons, Clarissa Martin, Marvis Merritt, Myra
Millo, Aprile Mills, Courtney Morley, Erin Murphy, Heidi Grant Oropesa, Lisette Park, Hera Hyesang Petrova, Lyubov Radvanovsky, Sondra Reyes, Gabriella Rom, Natalia Romphf, Joslin Savoy, Emalie Skok, Heidi Trebnik, Andrea Upshaw, Dawn Welch-Babidge, Jennifer Wray, Margaret Jane Xu, Lei Zhang, Meigui MEZZOSOPRANO Beer, Lucille Blythe, Stephanie Byrd, Cierra* Chaieb, Rihab Cooke, Sasha Costa-Jackson, Ginger D'Angelo, Emily DeYoung, Michelle Dubinbaum, Gail Giunta, Wallis Hall, Cecelia Hastings, Emily Johnson Cano, Jennifer Johnsson, Hillary Kesling, Diane Lattimore, Margaret Lindsey, Kate Molteno, Siphokazi* Mumford, Tamara Pérez, Jossie Pluzhnikova, Valentina Tatum, Renée Vaughn, Tichina Vera, María Isabel Verrez, Virginie
Couden, Sara Grey, Megan Esther COUNTERTENOR/
Forest, Michael
Appleby, Paul Ayan, Atalla Bahg, Mario Bliss, Benjamin Cairns, Matthew* Castagner, Philippe Castronovo, Charles Chang, Mario Cook, Edward Cutler, Eric Fowler, John Freeman-McDaniels, John Glassman, Allan Griffey, Anthony Dean Groves, Paul Hoskins, Jonah* Kalil, Anthony Koziara, Ian Kwas´nikowski, Maciej
Latu, Manase* Lewis, Alexander Matz, John Moore, Brian Michael Murray, John Horton Nekoranec, Petr Olsen, Stanford Osborn, John Pittas, Dimitri Plenk, Matthew Redmann, Kirk Sorenson, Garrett Stamm, Jeffrey Stenson, Andrew Stevenson, Tony Studebaker, Thomas Suárez, Rafael Tarver, Kenneth Thomas, Russell
Turay, Gregory Wang, Kang Yakovlev, Arseny
Bernard, David Choi, Kidon Croft, Dwayne Gunn, Nathan Kastón, Motti Kwiecien´, Mariusz Lavrov, Alexey Madore, Elliot Moore, John Oswald, Mark Parks, Edward Pogossov, Rodion Qave, Luthando Rich, Daniel* Schaldenbrand, Christopher Schexnayder, Brian Schroeder, Andrew Seo, Jung-Hack Setu, Samson Taylor, Charles Timpau, Adrian Trakas, Christopher Wang, Yunpeng Won, David Zeller, Richard
Bu, Le* Buialskyi, Vladyslav* Cedel, Brandon Green, Ryan Speedo Hughes, Evan Shenyang Singletary, Donovan
Aceto, Raymond Bisch, Jordan Cook, Terry Leigh, David Mbali, Msimelelo Robinson, Morris
Sedov, Denis Uhlemann, Mark Vemić, Sava Walker, Alfred Wilkinson, Ashley Howard Yannissis, Yanni
Ainsley, Richard Robert Aoki, Yuri Brown, Lydia Chu, Katherine Churchwell, John Daws, Rebecca Deleu, Ekaterina Dover, Dimitri Glen, Lachlan Goff, Derrick Gothmann, Mary Jo Hak, Rakefet Hallak, Mikhail Iftinca, Vlad Jourdois, Bénédicte Katyukova, Natalia Kelber, Zalman Lázaro, Juan José* Lee, Justina Lee, Keun-A Levine, Caren Matheson, Carrie-Ann Mentuccia, Giuseppe Moore, Bradley Muñoz, Sophia Murphy, Kevin Naumenko, Alexandra Pfeffer, Nimrod David Poe, Laura Polunina, Valeria Raskin, Nathan Soloway, Alexander* Suh, In Sun Terrell, Katelan Trâ ` n Terry, Craig Wagorn, Bryan Wang, Pei-Yao Watkins, Howard Woodard, William*
Duerr, Robert Stewart, Daniel
Founded by Maestro James Levine
1980–90
Lawrence Stayer, Executive Director YADP 1990–97 Gail Robinson, Executive Director YADP/ National Council Auditions
1997–2001 (became LYADP in 1998) Peter Russell, Executive Director (L)YADP 2001–03
Gayletha Nichols, Executive Director LYADP/ National Council Auditions 2003–08
Lenore Rosenberg, Executive Director LYADP 2008–16
Brian Zeger, Executive Director LYADP 2016–18
Michael Heaston, Executive Director LYADP 2018–20
Sophie Joyce, Executive Director LYADP 2020–21
Diane Zola, Executive Director LYADP
2021–present Melissa Wegner, Executive Director LYADP/ Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition
TTHE 2021–22 SCHOOL YEAR was unlike any other, to say the least. As students returned to in-person learning, the Guild and its partner schools continued to contend with extraordinary circumstances (masks, vaccinations and Covid-19 variants), which created an ever-moving target.
This year, the Guild’s arts education programming continues to feel the force of the Covid-19 pandemic through significant cuts to school budgets. Almost $300 million in cuts to the New York City public-school budget are in effect, affecting two thirds of public schools in the city. Instead of rebuilding programming during the 2022–23 school year, principals are faced with slashing teaching positions and enrichment programs that are vital for student recovery. Historically, arts specialists and programs are always on the chopping block.
For schools that struggle to offer arts-education program ming on their own, the Guild provides opera-based music programs that are customized to each school based on learning goals, student needs, timeline, and budget. To serve as many schools and students as possible, we rely on funding from government agencies, foundations, and individuals like you. With your continued support, we can ensure that schools have the resources they need to bring engaging and inspirational music education into their students’ classrooms year after year.
If you are interested in learning more about our programs and how you can support the Guild, please contact Amanda Lee, Associate Director of Development, at alee@metguild.org.
Palm Beach Opera celebrates Dr. Frayda B. Lindemann for her unwavering commitment, passion, and support for the continued training of young artists. She remains an inspiration for this vital need in our industry, and we are deeply grateful for her work with the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, as well as her support with other opera companies in the nation, including Palm Beach Opera. Congratulations Frayda!
Northern Trust is proud to support The Metropolitan Opera Guild. For more than 130 years, we’ve been meeting our clients’ financial needs while nurturing a culture of caring and a commitment to invest in the communities we serve. We’re proud to play a supporting role.
Glenda Pedroso, President Wealth Management – East Region 40 West 57th Street, Ste 2100 New York, NY 10019 ggp1@ntrs.com; 305-789-1554 northerntrust.com
Corporate
Carol E. and David A. Domina Fiduciary Trust International G. William Haas
John Hargraves and Nancy Newcomb
Elaine and Arie Hochberg Lisa Hunt and Malcolm McCulloch Susan and Stuart H. Johnson, III Ted and Addie Kurz Dr. Frayda B. Lindemann Ellen F. Marcus Louis Miano
Carol and Richard J. Miller, Jr. Christopher S. Moore Win and Mary Rutherfurd Celeste M. Sant'Angelo (in memoriam) and Stephen C. Koval Diana Reid and Marc Chazaud Garry, Susan and Melanie Spector Tad and Kara Van Norden Ann Ziff
Christian Alfonsi
Jeffrey C. and Mary Dale Allen Betsy Shack Barbanell Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Truman and Ludmila Bidwell Susan S. Braddock Mrs. Schuyler G. Chapin Mary Ellen Dundon James Gandre, Manhattan School of Music Marifé Hernández Judith M. Hoffman Bruce Horten Clyde Jones Sandra and David Joys Carol Ann Leibner Montie and Terry Meehan Amy Conford Roth Mr. and Mrs. Ernst Rothe Sarah Billinghurst Solomon Christine and George Stonbely Elizabeth S. Tunick Arete Warren George C. White
G. William Haas Elaine and Arie Hochberg Dr. Frayda B. Lindemann Carol and Richard J. Miller, Jr. Diana Reid and Marc Chazaud Win and Mary Rutherfurd Garry, Susan and Melanie Spector Ann Ziff
Carol E. and David A. Domina John Hargraves and Nancy Newcomb Lisa Hunt and Malcolm McCulloch Ellen F. Marcus
Louis Miano
Celeste M. Sant'Angelo (in memoriam) and Stephen C. Koval
Tad and Kara Van Norden
Fiduciary Trust International
Ted and Addie Kurz Louis Miano Carol and Richard J. Miller, Jr. Christopher S. Moore
Christian Alfonsi
Jeffrey C. and Mary Dale Allen Betsy Shack Barbanell Mrs. Mercedes T. Bass Truman and Ludmila Bidwell Susan S. Braddock Mrs. Schuyler G. Chapin George M. Cozonis Mary Ellen Dundon Nicholas Firth and Sophie de Brignac James Gandre, Manhattan School of Music Marifé Hernández Judith M. Hoffman
Frank Holozubiec and Giovanni D. Favretti (in memoriam) Bruce Horten Clyde Jones Sandra and David Joys Carol Ann Leibner Lynne and Burt Manning Montie and Terry Meehan Joseph Piropato
Amy Conford Roth Mr. and Mrs. Ernst Rothe Sarah Billinghurst Solomon Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak Christine and George Stonbely Elizabeth S. Tunick Arete Warren George C. White
Carol Salomon Gold Anne R. Kline Paolo M. Martino and Frank A. Riti Daniel Nichols
SUPPORTERS
Mrs. James Houghton Susan and Stuart H. Johnson, III Paul and Sandra Montrone Mr. and Mrs. Michael B. Stubbs Horacio and Paula Verdon (Lists as of October 24, 2022)
Congratulations to the Met Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, which for more than four decades has nurtured outstanding young talent, including these Manhattan School of Music (MSM) alumni:
Le Bu* (BM ’22) • Kidon Choi (MM ’15) • Katherine Chu (MM ’93)
Alexandra Deshorties (BM ’98) • Andrea Gruber (BM ’87)
Rakefet Hak (MM ’97) • Dawn Kotoski (MM ’87)
Juan José Lázaro* (MM ’19) • Justina Lee (MM ’02)
Keun-A Lee (PS ’07) • Clarissa Lyons (MM ’09)
Marvis Martin (BM ’80) • Carrie-Ann Matheson (PS ’00)
Brian Michael Moore (BM ’15, MM ’17) • Daniel Rich* (MM ’19)
Renée Tatum (MM ’06) • Craig Terry (MM ’99)
Dawn Upshaw (MM ’85, HonDMA ’98)
Bryan Wagorn (DMA ’14, MSM faculty) • Yunpeng Wang (MM ’13)
David Won (MM ’00) • William Woodard* (MM ’19)
*current participants
congratulations to MSM alumni Melissa Wegner (MM ’05) and Myra Huang (MM ’01, MSM faculty), Executive Director and Head of Music of the Lindemann program, respectively.
This production is presented in honor of the Gart Family Foundation and in recognition of their ongoing generosity. MSM Opera Theatre productions are made possible in part by the Joseph F. McCrindle Endowment for Opera Productions.
We are proud to join the Metropolitan Opera Guild in honoring the impact and legacy of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Progra m
Your commitment to stewarding the next generation of opera performers inspires us all.
THE GUILD WISHES TO THANK: AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA PETER GELB
Since 1972, the Council for Canadian American Relations has enhanced the public's appreciation of the arts by supporting cultural institutions in Canada and the U.S.
I support the Guild in honor of my mother, Gretchen Nicholas, a long-term Guild Board member.
The Metropolitan Opera and the Guild in particular were what she deeply loved. They gave her both great joy and meaning in her life.
Eleanor Robson Belmont (1878-1979)
Winthrop Rutherfurd, Jr. CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Richard J. Miller, Jr. PRESIDENT
Susan S. Braddock PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Theodore A. Kurz CHAIR, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT
Sandra S. Joys VICE-PRESIDENT
Louis Miano VICE-PRESIDENT
Langdon Van Norden, Jr. VICE-PRESIDENT
Christopher S. Moore TREASURER
Dr. Garry Spector
SECRETARY
Vanessa Kubach
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND ASSISTANT TREASURER
Christian Alfonsi
Betsy Shack Barbanell
Catia Z. Chapin
Marc Chazaud
George M. Cozonis John M. Dowd
Nicholas L. D. Firth G. William Haas John Hargraves
Elaine Hochberg Alice N. Hunt
Stuart H. Johnson, III
Sandra S. Joys Hon. John G. Koeltl
Stephen C. Koval
Theodore A. Kurz
Ellen F. Marcus
Louis Miano
Richard J. Miller, Jr. Merri C. Moken
Christopher S. Moore
Winthrop Rutherfurd, Jr.
Dr. Garry Spector Christine Stonbely
Langdon Van Norden, Jr. Susan Zohn
EX-OFFICIO
Dr. Frayda B. Lindemann Ann Ziff
Martina Arroyo
Harolyn Blackwell
Stephanie Blythe
Lawrence Brownlee Anthony Roth Costanzo
Michael Fabiano
Susan Graham
Denyce Graves
Thomas Hampson Ana María Martínez Eric Owens
Ailyn Pérez Patricia Racette Sondra Radvanovsky Frederica von Stade
Susan S. Braddock
Diana Russell Deacon
Mrs. Richard Durkes Mrs. Anthony L. Geller Mrs. Randolph H. Guthrie Mrs. James R. Houghton Mrs. James B. Hurlock Patricia F. Sullivan Elizabeth S. Tunick George C. White
Vanessa Kubach
Managing Director
Nisreen Nor-Flores Assistant Director, Human Resources & Payroll
AJ Kiehner Associate Director, Development and Special Events
Amanda Lee Associate Director of Development
Stuart Holt
Director of Learning and Engagement
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Elise Lawson Manager, Community Engagement
Danielle Barnett Senior Associate, Community Engagement Elspeth Davis Senior Associate, Community Engagement
Joseph Hudson
Assistant Director of School Programs
Stefanie Izzo Assistant Director of Education Partnerships
Alyson Sheehan School Programs Senior Associate
F. Paul Driscoll
Editor in Chief
Elizabeth Diggans Production Director
Trent Johnson Design Director
Louise T. Guinther Senior Editor
Adam Wasserman Digital Editor
Henry Stewart Deputy Editor
Evelyn G. Kocak Associate Editor Clark Rahman National Advertising Sales and Operations Manager
Kisha Walton Controller
Frederick Reissig Network Administrator and Accounts Payable Manager
