Welcome to the BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT BERKLEE
FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2018
Boston Conservatory at Berklee provides a progressive learning environment where students are challenged to realize their potential as artists and inspired to pursue their dreams. Long recognized for its specialized training in dance, music, and theater, the Conservatory’s merger with Berklee now combines this rigorous, focused instruction with unparalleled access to a broad range of academic and creative opportunities. Set in the cultural, historical, and educational hub of Boston, this extraordinary institution represents the future of performing arts education.
JOHN P. AND STEPHANIE F. CONNAUGHTON
proudly welcome you to their home for the BOSTON CONSERVATORY AT BERKLEE
Spring Soirée FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2018 WITH THANKS TO OUR COHOSTS:
Artistic Excellence Champions
Performing Arts Advocates
Martin* and Tristin Mannion Snow Qin and Charles Zhang
John P.* and Stephanie F. Connaughton Susan Whitehead,* Board Chair
*Berklee Trustee Designed and Produced by EMRG Events
To our friends, old and new,
T
hank you so much for joining us at this magical event, at the beautiful home of John and Stephanie Connaughton. We could not be more grateful for your generous support of Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and we hope that you can sit back, relax, and enjoy a memorable evening that will bring you closer to the Conservatory and the incredible people who make our community unlike any other. Our students come here in pursuit of their dreams to become the next generation of provocative, cutting-edge artists, but what makes Boston Conservatory different is that
we’re interested in so much more than producing strong performers. The performing arts are changing every day, and we want to provide our students with an education that not only prepares them for a career on the stage, but also builds versatile skills that inspire and enable an entrepreneurial mind. Our students receive some of the best training in the world so that they can pursue any artistic passion— whether that’s in performance, administration, production, education, or something entirely new that we haven’t even thought of yet. Tonight, let our students immerse you in their passion for
the arts, tell you their stories, and show you the skills they’ve learned at Boston Conservatory, thanks to you. With your partnership, our potential knows no bounds. This event is just a taste of what we know is ahead, and I hope you’ll join us on that journey. Enjoy!
Cathy Young Executive Director Boston Conservatory at Berklee
SPRING SOIRÉE
FEATURED PERFORMANCES
Cocktail Reception
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
Dinner and Program
to Titania and Oberon’s Act I Duet Music by Benjamin Britten Text by William Shakespeare
7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Many thanks to Lilly Rose Valore, B.M. ’19, contemporary dance, for sharing her Conservatory story
Romeo and Juliet
Dessert Reception
Red Walls
9:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m.
Written and performed by Stephanie Colavito, B.M. ’18, musical theater
Choreography by Joe Chvala
Special Guest Performance
Cristina Pato from Silkroad Ensemble, Galician bagpipes
Finale
PERFORMERS Dance Sofia Blustein Brittany Brown SĂŠarlait Carr Emmitt Cawley John Chin Dylan Contreras Hannah Cyr Margaret Falcone Laila Franklin Megan Gerhardt Kate Gow
Aileen Leon-Echeverria Amit Levit Andrea Muniz Jacqueleen Schweighardt Esther Reilly Kiana Thoreson Lilly Rose Valore Diana Worby Whitney Wilson
Music
Theater
Brett Bode Bizhou Chang Ben Cuba# Daniel Hallett^ Rudy Giron* Cristina Pato# Daniel Reifsteck Masaaki Saito^
Lucas Blankenhorn Gabriella Carrubba Stephanie Colavito Makai Hernandez Michael Hicks Austin Iovonna Isaiah Reynolds Lance Strickland *alumni #guest artist ^Berklee College of Music student
ARTISTIC STAFF Nathan Troup, Artistic Director Sarah Ford, Stage Manager John Bitsas, Project Coordinator Rachel Padula-Shufelt, Costume Coordinator and Hair/Makeup Designer Lilly Rose Valore, Student Artistic Director
Patricia Au and Bret Silverman, Pianists Olivier Besson, Improv Dance Coordinator Kurt Douglas, Slip Rehearsal Director Ruka White, Red Walls Rehearsal Director Larry Sousa, Finale Choreographer
WE EXTEND OUR DEEPEST THANKS TO ALL WHO MADE THIS MAGICAL EVENING POSSIBLE. Artistic Excellence Champions, Cohosts
Performing Arts Advocates, Cohosts
Martin and Tristin Mannion Snow Qin and Charles Zhang
John P. and Stephanie F. Connaughton Susan Whitehead
Patrons of the Arts
Premier Supporters
Supporters
Cynthia and Oliver Curme Mimi Hewlett Alfred and Patricia Houston Laura Kunkemueller and John Andreini Jane Mendillo and Ralph Earle Megan O’Block Anthony and Creelea Pangaro Geraldine R. and Stephen J. Ricci Katherine and David Scott Sloan Marillyn Zacharis Tania Zouikin
Katie and Paul Buttenwieser Caroline McMillan Collings and Robert Collings Tony and Ani Fernandez Miles A. Fish, III ’63 Kitty Flather Mark and Karen Green Dean Goodermote B. J. Krintzman, Esq. Darius Sidebotham and Cara Quackenbush Jan Steenbrugge ’99 and Young-Shin Choi ’98 ’00 Northern Trust
Anne N. Cuervo and Philip J. Poinelli Frederick T. Miller and Kathryn E. Cade Warren A. Seamans Susan and Alan Solomont Joshua and Ann Connolly Tolkoff List as of May 10, 2018
B
oston Conservatory at Berklee is steeped in more than 150 years of history, but innovation and discovery have always been at the forefront of our work. When the school was founded in 1867, it took a radical approach to conservatory training that challenged conventional schools of thought—just like we are doing today. We are proud pioneers of conservatory firsts: we are among the first to admit African American and female students, the first to form an opera department, the first conservatory to integrate ballet with modern and contemporary dance, the first to offer degrees in contemporary dance and musical theater, and the first to train music educators in teaching music to students on the autism spectrum. And with your continued support, that’s just the beginning.
When I feel totally isolated in a new place and don’t know the language, music always speaks to me and says something meaningful. —Snow Qin and Charles Zhang
“The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional benefit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.”—Charles Baudelaire Congratulations to the faculty, staff and students at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. —The Mannion Family
T
oday, Boston Conservatory at Berklee boasts the country’s topranking musical theater and contemporary dance programs. Additionally, we are pursuing advanced work in contemporary classical music and chamber music performance to create a new music legacy for this generation of great composers and performing artists. Boston Conservatory is a community cornerstone, changing lives through the arts each and every day with more than 700 performances per year—150 of which are presented in the community to underserved audiences.
Every generation tells their stories through the arts. Boston Conservatory at Berklee students are incredibly talented, passionate performing arts ambassadors, who are enthusiastically crafting their generation’s stories. —Katherine and David Scott Sloan
Growing up, my mother gave me tickets to a Broadway show each year at Christmas. That is how I discovered the magic of musical theater. Today, I continue to be dazzled by Boston Conservatory’s amazing performances—the talent here is top notch. Bravo, and, thank you! —Megan O’Block
The sincere enthusiasm, love, and devotion that the students display for the school and their classmates at mainstage and other productions is outstanding. The students clap, whistle, and shout their approval with such zeal after each performance, and the friendliness they show us as patrons is always appreciated. —Alfred and Patricia Houston
B
oston Conservatory at Berklee places our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the center of our vision for the future. Every aspect of our school—from our community to our curriculum, from our pedagogy to our performances—will reflect these values. We aim to educate artist citizens who are in dialogue with other creators around the world by offering our students opportunities to study abroad, engage with international partner schools, and become global citizens with collaborators and networks worldwide.
Dance, music, theater… Bring heart, soul, and color… To our lives, our world, our humanity. Thank you Boston Conservatory! — John F. and Stephanie P. Connaughton
It is a privilege to get to know Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Remarkable talent, passion, building a better world—I am so proud to be standing alongside you! —Susan Whitehead
Y
our generosity and creative spirit inspire us to pursue creativity without limits. We aren’t just teaching technique and repertoire, we are teaching entrepreneurial thinking and skills to forge new career pathways in the arts never seen before—dancers using virtual reality to track their movements, musicians receiving lessons across the world via livestream video, and performers using advanced projections to create otherworldly theatrical settings. These are a few of the many ideas coming to life, and we hope you’ll dream big with us.
Congratulations to Roger Brown, Cathy Young, and the Trustees of Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music. Your work, together with a superb faculty and staff, ensure a bright future for each of our young performing artists. Bravo! —Mimi Hewlett
Boston Conservatory students learn to touch the hearts and souls of their audiences through music both old and new. This helps build strong communities and enables human connections not otherwise achieved. How wonderful! —Laura Kunkemueller and John Andreini, and Pam Kunkemueller
T
he importance of scholarship support cannot be overstated. We dream of a day when every single student who is accepted to the Conservatory can study and graduate without being burdened by student debt. That’s a big dream, but we believe we all have a responsibility to give the next generation of artists the opportunity to develop and use their art to change the world. We would not be the vibrant and creative community we are without the influence and inspiration of a diverse group of artists, and scholarship support is the key that opens the door for many of our students.
The future never looked better—Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music make great music together. —Jane Mendillo and Ralph Earle
Congratulations on training the next generation of top performing artists. We look forward to many more creative collaborations in dance, music, and theater. —Anthony and Creelea Pangaro
The performing arts affect our emotions. My grandson said, “I don’t know why I love music; I just do.” Boston Conservatory develops talented students who in turn will share their gifts with the rest of us. —Geraldine R. and Stephen J. Ricci
T
ucked away in the heart of Boston, the Conservatory has always been a hidden gem that enchants those who discover it. Most importantly, we have benefited from the generosity of the many people who have given our students opportunities to shape culture and change the world. Thanks to you, our light is shining brighter than ever and capturing the attention of people across the globe. We’ve entered a new era of artistic excellence, one in which great artists, thinkers, advocates, and entrepreneurs will come together to shape Boston Conservatory into the premier conservatory for 21st-century dance, music, and theater training. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Music, of all genres, provides a window into the soul of humanity. We have just begun to explore and understand its profound power. Boston Conservatory at Berklee is leading the unleashing of its students’ spirit and creative potential. What a journey it promises to be.
Our warmest thanks and congratulations to Roger Brown, Cathy Young, the Board of Trustees, and the dedicated and devoted faculty and staff of Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music in making the joining of these two institutions a success!
—Tania Zouikin
—Ollie & Cindy Curme
Talent, hard work, excellent instruction, opportunity—all converge at Boston Conservatory at Berklee and provide us with inspiring performances today and promise for the future of the arts. —Marillyn Zacharis
Boston Conservatory has a 150-year history of preparing dancers, actors, and musicians for exciting and productive careers. The talent of the students is stunning. I am so delighted that Berklee has become part of this story and that, together, we can envision a powerful role for the future of the performing arts. —Roger H. Brown, Berklee President
WITH THANKS TO OUR LEADERSHIP Board of Trustees Susan Whitehead, Chair Jeff Shames, Chair Emeritus Michael R. Eisenson, Vice Cochair Martin J. Mannion, Vice Cochair Roger H. Brown, President David Abrams G. Leonard Baker, Jr. Michael A. Brown David Clem John Connaughton Cynthia K. Curme^ Emilio Estefan Gloria Estefan Monica Giraldo Dean F. Goodermote David Gross-Loh Joshua Gruss Dan Harple Kristine Moyer Higgins
Charles Hirschhorn Steven Holtzman Bill Kaiser Joel Katz B. J. Krintzman^ Laura D. Kunkemueller^ Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot Miky (Mie Kyung) Lee Demond Martin Marc Mayer Jane L. Mendillo Frederick T. Miller^ Peter Muller Robert S. Murley Anthony Pangaro^ Alex Rigopulos Darius Sidebotham^ David Scott Sloan^ Susan Solomont Marillyn Zacharis^ Barry Zubrow
Executive Director’s Advisory Council* Teresa Koster, Chair Laura D. Kunkemueller,^ Board Liaison Elizabeth S. Boveroux Gregory E. Bulger Davi-Ellen Chabner Caroline McMillan Collings Diana Dohrmann '71 Kate Sides Flather Karen F. Green Mimi Hewlett Kelly C. McKernan Lyle J. Micheli Pamela A. Murray Megan O'Block Christopher D. Perry Santosh Perumbadi Wanda Reindorf Geraldine R. Ricci Jan Steenbrugge '99 Peter J. Wender Edward G. Wertheim Tania Zouikin
Leadership Circle**
Trustees Emeriti /ae^
Ivy C. Scricco, Chair Anne N. Cuervo, Vice Chair Brendan Murphy, Vice Chair Howard H. Bengele, Ph.D. Joan M. Broderick Frederic D. Carter, III Miles A. Fish, III '63 John S. Foster Remmi Franklin Jennifer A. Fraser Ricardo Lewitus, M.D. Michele Manganaro Sean M. Murphy '94 '96 Barbara G. Papesch Snow Qin Suzanne H. Rollert Warren A. Seamans Ann C. Tolkoff Rosamond B. Vaule Amy K. Wertheim George C. White
Caroline McMillan Collings Franklin Warren Hobbs, III Alfred D. Houston Gary R. Mikula Robert P. Moncreiff, Esq. Glendora M. Putnam, Esq. William A. Seymour, President Emeritus Donald R. Sohn, Ph.D.
Boston Conservatory Executive Director Cathy Young ^Legacy Conservatory Trustees *Formerly the Leadership Council **Formerly the Overseers
We’d love to see you again! Get to know Boston Conservatory and our students even better by attending a performance or speaking with a member of our team. Contact Dana Grider, senior director of institutional advancement, at dgrider@berklee.edu or 617-747-2439 with questions or for opportunities to visit or become involved with the Conservatory.
The next stage BOSTONCONSERVATORY.BERKLEE.EDU