THE ARTISTS third lady Mezzo-soprano Victoria Vargas was most recently seen at Minnesota Opera as Mrs. Lowe in The Manchurian Candidate and as the title role in Carmen. Previously, she has sung Tisbe in Cinderella, Anna in Mary Stuart, Flora in La traviata, Nelly in Wuthering Heights, Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor, Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Fenena in Nabucco, Smeton in Anna Bolena, Adelaide in Arabella, Rambova in The Dream of Valentino and the Third Lady in The Magic Flute. She has also appeared as Carmen with Lyric Opera of the North. At Chautauqua, Ms. Vargas was seen as Laura in Luisa Miller and the Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, and covered Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria rusticana. She has also been at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, covering the role of Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, and in 2013, was a second place Upper Midwest regional finalist at the Met auditions. Most recently, Ms. Vargas appeared as Kate Pinkerton in Minnesota Orchestra’s Madame Butterfly and as a soloist with the Phoenix Symphony. She will soon debut with the South Dakota Symphony and will sing Dido in Dido and Aeneas with MacPhail Center and the University of Minnesota.
Andrew Wilkowske
papageno Andrew Wilkowske — when singing a “virile, sturdy Marcello” or a “garrulous yet endearing” Papageno — displays an engaging combination of musical talent and masterful stage presence. Wilkowske, whose voice has been described as “nimble,” with an “impressively open top,” is one of the most versatile performers on the stage today. His Papageno “stole the show” according to the Washington Post, and was a “lusty-voiced fellow,” according to Opera News. It is a role he also has toured in China with the Komische Oper Berlin. Engagements have included Ponchel in Silent Night with Minnesota Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City and Opera Philadelphia; the Vicar in Albert Herring with Florentine Opera; and La Rocca in Un giorno di regno with Glimmerglass Opera. Other roles include Dulcamara in The Elixir of Love, Geronte in Manon Lescaut, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Dandini in Cinderella and Sharpless in Madame Butterfly with Minnesota Opera; Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow with Boston Lyric Opera; the world premiere of The Rivals with Skylight Opera; and Belcore in Elixir with Utah Opera.
Minnesota Opera Orchestra Violin I
Cello
Bassoon
Allison Ostrander Concertmaster
Teresa Richardson
Coreen Nordling
Natalia Moizeeva Assistant Concertmaster
Rebecca Arons
Laurie Hatcher Merz
Kirsten Whitson
Julia Persitz David Mickens Angela Waterman Hanson Heidi Amundson Conor O’Brien Colin McGuire
Violin II Laurie Petruconis Elizabeth Decker
Dale Newton
Timothy Bradley
Bass
Margaret Humphrey Elise Parker
Viola Emily Hagen Susan Janda Laurel Browne
Charles Hodgson
John Michael Smith Constance Martin
Trumpet John G. Koopmann
Flute
Christopher Volpe
Michele Frisch Amy Morris double piccolo and pan flute
Stephan Orsak Melinda Marshall
Horn
Oboe Michael Dayton Jeffrey Marshak
Clarinet Karrin Meffert-Nelson Nina Olsen
Coca Bochonko
Trombone Phillip Ostrander John Tranter David Stevens
Timpani Kory Andry
Offstage Percussion Matthew Barber
Fortepiano; Keyed Glockenspiel Lindsay Woodward
Minnesota Opera Chorus Matthew Abbas
Hye Won Kim
Grant Scherzer
Alex Barnett
Elizabeth Kohl
Ashley Sievers
Michael Burton
Rick Latterell
Jonathan Sill
Corissa Bussian
Laura LeVoir
Justin Spenner
Lisa Butcher
Michelle Liebl
Lauren Stepka
Christina Christensen
Maggie Lofboom
Kelly Turpin
Deanna Davis
Elizabeth Longhurst
Colyn Tvete
Stefan Egerstrom
Michael Mayer
Eryn Tvete
Jason Hernandez
Jessica Nesbit
Lu Zang
Benjamin Hills
Tyler Raad
Tracey Zavadil
Timothy James
Alex Ritchie
Supernumeraries Molly Boynton, Thomas Lorendo, Tom Ringberg
| THE MAGIC FLUTE
Victoria Vargas
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