To enhance the cultural life of North Carolina by presenting artistically significant opera productions of the highest quality, strengthening and expanding audiences for opera in the region, and providing regional artists opportunities to participate in operatic productions and events.
2024-2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Nancy Hablutzel, Chair
Jean Wozencraft-Ornellas, Vice-Chair
John Lunsford, Treasurer
Carl Nold, Secretary
Joel Adams
Amanda Bambrick
Yvonne Bryant
Kelvin Currie
Paul Fomberg
Bryan Gilliam
James Gulick
James Hargrove
Douglas Holbrook
Valerie Johnson
C. Thomas Kunz, in memoriam (1949-2024)
Patricia McWaters
Florence Peacock
Ralph Roberson
William Rustin
Richard Sarles
Nerre Shuriah
Cathy Stuart
Rosemarie Sweeney
Shohreh Taavoni
Brigette Wilds
James Romano: 2010-2012
Stephen Prystowsky: 2012-2014
C. Thomas Kunz: 2014-2018
William Rustin: 2018-2019
James Gulick: 2019-2021
Ralph Roberson: 2021-2023
PAST CHAIRS OF NORTH CAROLINA OPERA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Connecting People With the Arts
The City of Raleigh Arts Commission nurtures creativity and enriches our community by championing the arts in Raleigh:
• Partnering with local cultural organizations
• Supporting arts programming
• Advocating for arts investment
• Presenting art exhibitions, public art and special events
Vinculando al Pueblo con las Artes
La Comisión de Artes de la Ciudad de Raleigh sustenta la creatividad y enriquece a nuestra comunidad, favoreciendo las artes en Raleigh por medio de:
• La asociación con organizaciones culturales locales
• El apoyo de la programación de las artes
• El fomento de la inversión en el arte
• La presentación de exposiciones artísticas, arte público y eventos especiales
2023-2024
Raleigh Arts Partners
• African American Cultural Festival
• Animazement
• Arts Access
• Arts Together
• Artspace
• Artsplosure
• Burning Coal Theatre Company
• CAM Raleigh
• Carolina Ballet
• Chamber Music Raleigh
• Community Music School
• Cultural Voice of NC
• Diamante Arts & Cultural Center
• El Pueblo
• The Justice Theater Project
• National Women’s Theatre Festival
• The NC Chamber Music Institute
• NC Master Chorale
• NC Museum of History
• NC Opera
• NC State LIVE
• NC State University Theatre
• NC Symphony
• NC Theatre
• North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theatre
• Nuv Yug Cultural Organization
• Performance Edge
• PineCone
• Pure Life Theatre Company
• Raleigh Civic Symphony Association
• Raleigh Little Theatre
• The Raleigh Ringers
• Raleigh Youth Choir
• ShopSpace
• Theatre in the Park
• Theatre Raleigh
• Triangle Youth Music
• VAE Raleigh
I first encountered Florencia en el Amazonas in 2003 when I heard the Houston Grand Opera recording. I was instantly taken by the opera. Its lush orchestration, beautiful vocal writing, and wonderfully evocative coloration all captured my imagination, as they have for thousands of opera lovers since the work’s 1996 premiere.
Florencia en el Amazonas is a nostalgic story of a search for lost love. Florencia is returning home to Brazil, to fulfill the promise she made to return and search for Cristóbal, the cazador de mariposas — the butterfly hunter whom she loved as a young woman. The story is at same time operatic in all the ways we mean that, and a faithful representation of the literary work of Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Márquez. Florencia had to travel abroad and then return in order fully to understand her home. So too did composer Daniel Catán, who left Mexico when he was 14, lived abroad for a further 14 years, before returning home to a greater understanding of his past and tradition. It was then, upon his return to Mexico, that he began composing operas.
We are very happy to welcome back our friends, conductor Joseph Mechavich, director John Hoomes, and video designer Barry Steele, who are bringing this remarkable production, in which the chorus itself is the river, to Raleigh. We have several returning favorite singers in this production, along with several artists making their local debuts. We are very grateful for the assistance of both the Consulate General of Mexico in Raleigh and Diamante Arts and Cultural Center for their friendly cooperation. We hope you will visit the art exhibition in the lobby, which features ten works by local artists inspired by Florencia en el Amazonas!
We would like to thank the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the National Endowment for the Arts for their underwriting of this production. It is additional support beyond ticket sales that allow us to bring opera to the Triangle. We hope you will consider making a contribution to North Carolina Opera to help keep this beautiful music before us.
Thank you.
Nancy Hablutzel
Eric Mitchko Board Chair General Director
FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS
Composed by Daniel Catán
Libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain
Based on the work of Gabriel Garcia Márquez
Presented under license from Associated Music Publishers, Inc., copyright owner
World Premiere: Houston Grand Opera, October 26, 1996
Production generously underwritten by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with additional support from Nancy and Philip Hablutzel
Setting: early 1900s, aboard the El Dorado on the Amazon river, between Leticia, Colombia, and Manaus, Brazil
Conductor – Joseph Mechavich Director – John Hoomes
Florencia Grimaldi Elaine Alvarez
Riolobo Richard Ollarsaba
Rosalba Marlen Nahhas
Arcadio Jason Karn
Paula Kate Farrar
Alvaro Levi Hernandez
Captain Ricardo Lugo
FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2025 | 7:30 PM
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2025 | 2:00 PM
RALEIGH MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM
MARTIN MARIETTA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Lighting and Video Designer Barry Steele
Chorus Master Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas
Scenic Designer Cara Schneider
Costumes designed by Glenn Avery Breed
Costumes provided by Wardrobe Witchery
Rehearsal pianists Catherine Miller, Kent Lyman
Production Manager Linda T. Carlson
Production Stage Manager Kathleen Stakenas
Assisant Stage Manager Rae Hedges
Costume Coordinator Denise Schumaker
Properties Master Pamela McLamb
Wig and Makeup Designer Martha Ruskai
Wig and Makeup Assistant Mark Boley, Tiffany Turley
Master Electrician C.J. Barnwell
Supertitle Operator Devon Carter
Fitness Consultant Gretchen Bruesehoff
An original production of Nashville Opera
Conceived by John Hoomes with Barry Steele and Cara Schneider
M
North Carolina Opera is funded in part by the City of Raleigh, based on recommendations of the Office of Raleigh Arts
This production of Florencia en al Amazonas is underwritten by the National Endowment for the Arts.
The performance will last approximately two hours, including one intermission.
FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS
In 1974 under the leadership of David Gockley, Houston Grand Opera began an ambitious program of commissioning new operas. These creations largely stayed away from the more challenging sounds of musical modernism; over the years the series included new works from Leonard Bernstein, Carlisle Floyd, John Adams, André Previn, Philip Glass, and Jake Heggie. In 1994 Gockley tasked Mexican composer Daniel Catán to write, “the most beautiful opera of the past fifty years.” The result was Florencia en el Amazonas. Its 1996 premiere met with great audience acclaim; the work has since become one of the most frequently performed new operas in the United States since that time. The initial hope was for an operatic setting of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Nobel laureate Gabriel Garcia Márquez. Coming to realize that none of his novels would be ideal for operatic adaptation, Márquez recommended Marcela Fuentes-Berain, to create a new story that would include some elements, characters, and themes from Márquez novels, most notably Love in the Time of Cholera of 1985.
Catán (1949-2011) was born in Mexico City, and later studied in England, at Princeton with Milton Babbitt, and in Japan, where he studied traditional Japanese music and drama. He had a gift for vocal writing, and found significant success with his opera La Hija de Rappaccini (Rappaccini’s Daughter) based on the Octavio Paz play which was itself based on a Nathaniel Hawthorne short story. This became the first Mexican opera to be programmed by a professional United States company when San Diego Opera presented it in 1994.
Though the story of Florencia can be seen as an example of the literary movement of magical realism, with its themes of nostalgic love and transformation it fits very comfortably into the European operatic tradition. In fact, a common initial response to both the music and the story of the opera — a grateful one in the case of audiences, a wary one for critics — has been surprise at how much Florencia feels like a work written much earlier. Despite its lush vocal and orchestral writing and warm sound world, Florencia is far from being an antiquarian piece. Florencia’s two arias, appropriately for a diva looking back on her career and her youth, could have come perhaps from Puccini. But the whole sound world is different, alive to colorful scene setting and with evocative use of percussion and winds. Catán artfully deploys instruments, such as the marimba and djembé that are rarely otherwise heard in opera. There are other set pieces such as arias, duets, and a quartet, but like similar episodes in Debussy, they don’t come to a conclusive end, but flow on imperceptibly — like a river — into the next moment. The Amazon is identified as a central component of the story. In this production, the chorus is itself the river, tying the visual and musical elements together.
Florencia received its world premiere in Houston in 1996, with Sheri Greenawald in the title role in a production directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Vjekoslav Šutej. Other noted interpreters of Florencia Grimaldi have included Ana Maria Martinez, Christine Goerke, Veronica Villaroel, and, at the Metropolitan Opera in 2023, Ailyn Perez. These performances are the Raleigh premiere of the work. – Eric Mitchko
Sheri Greenawald, Houston Grand Opera, 1996. Photo credit: Ken Howard.
Teatro Amazonas in Manaus
SYNOPSIS
ACT I
The steamboat El Dorado is sailing down the Amazon in the early 1900s. The passengers are travelling to hear the legendary but intensely private opera singer Florencia Grimaldi sing at the reopening of the theatre in Manaus. Riolobo, a mystical character who can assume many forms, introduces the embarking passengers: Paula and Alvaro, a middle-aged couple attempting to rekindle their marriage; Rosalba, a journalist researching a biography on Grimaldi; and Florencia herself, travelling alone and incognito, harboring a burning desire to find her long-lost lover Cristóbal, a butterfly-hunter, whose love unlocked her staggering powers of musical expression.
Once en route, Rosalba accidentally drops her research notes overboard. The Captain’s nephew, Arcadio manages to rescue them, and the pair becomes aware of a strong mutual attraction. The evening concludes as Paula and Alvaro’s attempt at a romantic dinner dissolves into a bitter quarrel. Initially unaware of her identity, the Captain tells Florencia of the fate of Cristóbal, who disappeared without trace in the jungle, thus dashing her dearest ambition. As a heated card game brings out the contrasting sexual and hostile tensions between Rosalba and Arcadio, and Paula and Alvaro, a violent storm brews outside. In saving the ship from being crushed, Alvaro is swept overboard; the Captain is knocked unconscious and despite Arcadio’s efforts at the helm, the ship runs aground.
INTERMISSION
ACT II
Paula mourns the loss of Alvaro, realizing that it was pride and not lack of love that stood between them. Riolobo appears again mysteriously to return Alvaro to the ship, claiming that Paula’s laments saved him from death. Rosalba, distraught that her notebook has been ruined in the storm, talks to the incognito Florencia about her research. During the ensuing discussion on Grimaldi, Florencia declares passionately that Grimaldi’s gift was a result of her love for Cristóbal. Rosalba realizs that she is talking to her heroine and, hearing her story, decides her own love for Arcadio shouldn’t be suppressed. To Rosalba’s joy and relief, Arcadio reciprocates her feelings. Paula and Alvaro have also rediscovered their joy and love for each other.
After a long voyage, the El Dorado reaches Manaus at last; however, the passengers learn that cholera has struck the town, and they cannot disembark. Florencia laments her loss of Cristóbal, but as she dreams of finding him, her spirit drifts towards his in a mystical transformation.
FOCUS ON PHILANTHROPY
YOUR LEGACY GIFT CREATES NORTH CAROLINA OPERA’S LEGACY OF OPERA FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
Make gifting a part of your resolutions. As you work to make exercise, eating well and reaching out to long-distance friends a regular habit this year, consider including donating to charity. By helping the North Carolina Opera, you will not only benefit the arts and the artists that perform, you will also get physical and mental rewards from the uplift in knowing you have done your part to support something that you adore so much.
THREE EASY WAYS TO MAKE YOUR LEGACY GIFT
1. Your Life Insurance
Life insurance that no longer serves its original purpose may be used to ensure that opera is enjoyed by and accessible to audiences in the future. Also consider using life insurance to leverage a gift and make it more impactful.
2. Your Retirement Plan
Designate the opera to receive all or a portion of the balance of your IRA, 401(K), or other qualified plan. You will avoid ordinary income taxes and you can leave other lower-taxed capital gain assets to your heirs. If you don’t need your required minimum distributions, consider the charitable IRA rollover which lets you gift up to $100K annually to the NC Opera and avoids income tax on the distribution.
3. Your Will or Trust
You can help NC Opera expand its productions and education programs for many years to come, continuing the rich tradition of the arts in the Triangle, simply by making a bequest of any amount in your will, trust or donor advised fund.
Making this kind of gift is cost-free during your lifetime, but the benefits are long-lasting to North Carolina Opera and those who love opera. You can make an impact on your community with your gift to the NC Opera and together we will ensure that the Triangle enjoys the delight of opera for many years to come!
– Nerre Shuriah, SVP, Senior Director of Wealth Planning at First Citizens Bank
To discuss a legacy gift, call Sarah Raffurty, Director of Development, at (919) 792-3855 or email sarah.raffurty@ncopera.org.
NORTH CAROLINA OPERA SUPPORTERS
North Carolina Opera extends its deepest gratitude to the following generous individuals who have contributed to making this season possible. This list represents gifts received between December 1, 2023 and January 15, 2025.
INDIVIDUAL GIVING
DIAMOND PATRON
Gifts over $100,000
Rosemarie Sweeney and C. Thomas Kunz
GOLD PATRON
Gifts between $50,000 and $99,999
Ross W. Lampe Jr.
SILVER PATRON
Gifts between $25,000 and $49,999
Rae and James Gulick
Nancy and Philip Hablutzel
UNDERWRITER
Gifts between $15,000 and $24,999
Jacobi Daley
Paul Fomberg and Roy Cromartie
E.T. Franklin, Jr.
Judith LeGrand
Elizabeth and John Lunsford
Amy Moss and Bill Brown
Francine and Ralph Roberson
Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas
GRAND SPONSOR
Gifts between $10,000 and $14,999
Joel R. Adams
Amanda and Michael Bambrick
Susan M. Curtis
Chancy and Keith Kapp
Anna and James Romano
Shohreh Taavoni and Alan Kronhaus
SPONSOR
Gifts between $5,000 and $9,999
Anonymous
Jane and Francis Acquaviva
Chip Anderson
Eva & Ruth Buck
Ruth and G. Sidney Cox
Kelvin Currie and Sandra Cook
Mary-Owens Fitzgerald
Peter Hamilton
William L. Hampton
Douglas R. Holbrook
Mia Kang and Tony Acquaviva
Dr. Bill and Dr. Margaret McCulloch
Vicky Kruckeberg and Carl R. Nold
Susan and Dale Oller
Aurora K. Pajeau, MD, MPH
Kelley Russell
Mary Louise and William Rustin
Drs. Lois T. Flaherty and Richard Sarles
Kay Schoellhorn
Nerre Shuriah
Cathy and Jim Stuart
Holly and Paul Tesar
Brigette Wilds and Michael C. Byrne
John Williamson
PATRON
Gifts between $2,500 and $4,999
Heather Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Byrne
David Casteel
Anne Faircloth and Fred Beaujeu-Dufour
Sofie Franzen-Moyle
Vivian Clark and Bryan Gilliam
George E. Hall, Jr.
William F. Hamlin, Jr.
Kim Kotlar and James Hargrove
Karen and Clark Havighurst
Emmett and Hubert B. Haywood, III
Thomas Kenan III
Lauren Kennedy-Brady and Charlie Brady
Larry Lisle
Patricia McWaters
Robert W. Morrison
Linda and Wendell Murphy
Susan Osborne and Stephen Reynolds
Carter Skinner and Chapman Williams
Sarah and Claude Snow
Ann and Steve Tyler
BENEFACTOR
Gifts between $1,000 and $2,499
John Beck and Wendy Lapish
Carol and Robert Bilbro
Earlene and Joseph Briggs
Amna Cameron
Linda Carlson and Cheryl Thomas
Governor and Mrs. Roy Cooper
Connie and Bob Eby
Sallie and Joe Exum
Donna and Richard Falvo
Alison and Ken Faulkner
Douglas Flint
Kimberly Gooden
James Gray
Paula S. Greenman
Ruth Gross and Hans Kellner
Margo Lynn Hablutzel
John Hammond
Dotty and Lee Hanson
Phyllis Pomerantz and Charles Hochman
Sally and William Johnson
Stefanie Kahn
Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf
Martha and Peter Klopfer
Ekaterina Korobkina and Robert Golub
Guy Lampe
Betsy and Steven Levitas
Joy Lewis
Jo Ann Lutz and Lawrence H. Muhlbaier
Jane Lynch
Susanna Martin
The Honorable Nancy McFarlane and Ron McFarlane
Ruth Mokeba-Ekangaki and Abie Ekangaki
Susan Moore and Doug Hammer
Nelson Oyesiku
Carol and Rusty Parks
Florence and James Peacock
Jane Pinsky
Donald and Pamela Raffurty
Tom Roberg
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sandman
John Sarratt
Sarah and Steve Shaber
Patrick Shanahan
Edwina Hardy Shaw
Rachel Starr
James S. Stringfellow
Sally Thomas
Sally and Robert Tiller
Susan and Dick Timmons
Edmund Tiryakian
Gary Travis
Josephine Walker
Mary Warlick
Diane and Floyd Whitney
Erna and Bill Womble
Rosemary and Smedes York
SUSTAINER
Gifts between $500 and $999
Anonymous
B. Jasmine Adams
Perri Anderson
Agnes F. Marshall and Robert M. Auman
Phyllis and Tyler Bennett
Sharon and Byron Braswell
The Honorable Ann Marie Calabria and Robert Calabria
Bill Carroll
Ellen Collins-Boyce
Rena and Philippe Courtay
Simmie Kastner and Jerome Davis
Cheryl and John Denardo
Cynthia and Roger Didio
Martha Dimes
Frank Dworsky
Elizabeth and Joseph Kahn Charitable Fund
Sydelle and Tarek Elshenawy
Jonathan Flescher
Kristine Forney and William Prizer
Patricia Friedman
John Gaitenby
John Gebhardt
Brenda and Ron Gibson
Judy and Richard Hendrickson
Suzanne Herman
Susan and Carl Hibbert, Sr.
Greg Hirsch
Martha Hsu
Mark Jalkut and Eloise Watson
Melissa and Robert Johnson
Mary and Rick Kane
Leigh and William Kempf
Martha N. Keravuori and Chuck Galle
NORTH CAROLINA OPERA SUPPORTERS
Moyra and Brian Kileff
Kathy and Tom Lada
Andy Lawrence
Carolyn Maness
Amy and David Marschall
Larry Mintz
Sarah and Frank Moorman Advised Fund of the Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc.
Melanie Rankin
Janet and James Rapp
Christie Roeder
Frances Rollins
Fran and Jack Steele
Emmett E. Stobbs, Jr.
Julie Kelly-Stump and Mark Stump
Lee Whitener
Suzanne Whitmeyer
Ginny Zehr
SUPPORTER
Gifts between $250 and $499
Anonymous
Judith and Jack Adler
Eugenie Almeida
Kelly and Landy Anderton
Susan and David Baker
Lee Baker
Anna Ball Hodge
Anna Bess Brown and Eric Hale
Louise and Charles Bryan
Joel Buccellato
Steven Burke
Dawn and David Burtt
P. Carrigan Byrd, Jr.
Linda and Philip Carl
Mary Lovelock and W. R. Chapman
Virginia Clark
David Clegg
Deborah and Andrew Dalgliesh
Mary and George Deaton
Georgia and Alec Donaldson
Ann Erickson
Mary Ann Felton
Ellen Fort
Katherine Tyson and Mark Foster
Mair Glosson
Angela Grant
Jim Konold and Tim Hackett
Robin Hammond
Leslie Harris
Donald Hartmann
Deborah Huff
Yana James
Carol and Rick Johns
Valerie Johnson and Linda Edwards
The Juliette Club
Rachel Kaplan and Jeremy Pienik
Deborah and Thomas Keefe
Lou and Donald Kline
Timothy A. Kuhn
Lewis Lampiris
Annie Lang
James A. and Elaine Lewis
Dorothy Lichtwardt
Rosemary Lunsford
Jordan Malik
James May and Richard Cox
Eric Mitchko
Christina and Thomas Mitchko
Alistair Nevius
Carolyn and Peter Olejar
Fran Page
Harry Rosenberg
Susan Russell
Mark Schornak
Margaret and Matt Segal
Susannah Smith
Donald Stoll
Perry and William Suk
Yvonne Terry
Roberta Titchener
Lizbeth and Jean-Marie Videau
Robert D. Wilson
MEMBER
Gifts up to $249
John Adams, III
Robin and Dwight Allen
Trish Anderton
Naomi André
Susi Lieff and Arthur Axelbank
Cortney and Scott Baker
Glenn and Abram Barefoot
Barbara and Robert Bell
Helen Koo and Richard Bilsborrow
Peter Bleckner
Natalie and Gary Boorman
Roy and Hermis Boston
Lars Bostrom
Dolores and Burton Carnegie
Laurel Carter and James Todd
Ching Chi Cheng
Rosalind Coleman and James Rolleston
Sandra Craig
Tammy and Bill Crook
Judith Bruno and Michael Cyzewski
Lester Czukor
Tanya and Alonzo Dean
Catherine Anderton and José Delgado
Yvonne DeWald
George Douglas
Amy Edge
Aldert Edmonson
Karen Edwards
Penelope Gallins
Phyllis and Stephen Gordon
Lynne and Cory Grant
John Graybeal
Dr. Gilbert Greggs
Robert Hablutzel
Carl and Sue Hamill
Sharon Henderson
Sara Oswald and Eric Hyman
Lewis H. Kairys
Jo and James Kalat
Gail and Eugene Karcher
Jason Karn
Joan and Howard Kastel
Devon Kearney
Kristen Keenan
Kathleen Klesh
Lynda and Charles Lankford
Lloyd and Susan Lense
Brigitte Abrams and Francis Lethem
Alexandra LoBianco
Erin Lunsford and Sean Norton
Margaret Maytan
Ida Merritt
Courtney Miller
Bob Mitchell
Eileen and James Mitchell
Loretta Mitchell
Allen and Maureen Murray
Elizabeth Nackley
Jodee Nimerichter and Gaspard Louis
Connie O’Neil
Phyllis and Paul Page
Linda Pukenas
Susan Royster
Stephen Schaeffer
Pat and Paul Scheible
Georgiana and Stephen Snyderman
Susan Swartz
David Taylor
Earleen Thomas
Allison Tolksdorf
Joe Tooley
Pamela Trent
Kristina Troost
Robert W. Upchurch
Alice Watkins
John Watson
Margaret Weir
Sally and Ron Wenda
Julie and George Williams
Marti and Dan Wilson
Pamela Wolf-Brewer
Mary and Peter Zimmerman
Robert W. Upchurch
Shirley Warren
Alice Watkins
John Watson
Margaret Weir
Sally and Ron Wenda
Julie and George Williams
Marti and Dan Wilson
Pamela Wolf-Brewer
Mary and Peter Zimmerman
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the gifts listed in our programs. If you notice an error or omission, please let us know by emailing sarah.raffurty@ncopera.org and we will promptly make a correction. Thank you!
NORTH CAROLINA OPERA SUPPORTERS
THE NORTH CAROLINA OPERA LEGACY SOCIETY
North Carolina Opera is honored to have been included in the estate plans of the following visionaries that are helping to ensure the future of opera in the Triangle.
The Joel R. Adams Trust: An Endowment for the Arts
Yvonne Bryant
Jacobi and Jerry Daley
Allison R. Northcutt
Rosemarie Sweeney and C. Thomas Kunz
The following is a list of gifts to North Carolina Opera in honor or in memory of beloved individuals. This list represents gifts to North Carolina Opera between December 1, 2023 and January 15, 2025.
HONORARY GIFTS
In Honor of Jane and Fran Acquaviva
Rachel Starr
In Honor of Claire Cooper
Roy Cooper
In Honor of Nancy & Philip Hablutzel
Margo Lynn Hablutzel
Robert Hablutzel
In Honor of Joanne Kearney
Devon Kearney
In Honor of Scott MacLeod
Margaret Maytan
In Memory of Ruth A. Benton
Anonymous
In Memory of Louie Eargle
Lee Baker
In Loving Memory of Dana Ann Hall
George E. Hall, Jr.
In Memory of Donald Hunter
Sandra Craig
In Memory of Tom Kunz
Joel R. Adams
Jean Carden
Karen Edwards
Donna and Richard Falvo
Paula S. Greenman
The Hablutzel Family
Carl and Sue Hamill
Vicky Kruckeberg and Carl R. Nold
Jo Ann Lutz and Lawrence Muhlbaier
Jane Lynch
Eric Mitchko
Jodee Nimerichter and Gaspard Louis
Connie O’Neil
Ralph and Francine Roberson
In Honor of Eric Mitchko
Lester Czukor
In Honor of Amy Moss
Judith and Jack Adler
In Honor of Carl Nold
Nancy Hablutzel
In Honor of Carter Skinner and Chapman Williams
Margaret Weir
In Honor of Brigette Wilds
Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Byrne
MEMORIAL GIFTS
Marjorie Satinsky
James S. Stringfellow
Rosemarie Sweeney
Triangle Wagner Society
Shirley Warren
Walter Family Foundation
Julie and George Williams
In Memory of Ruth and Thomas Martin
Susanna Martin
In Memory of Bernard Eugene Mitchell, Sr.
Loretta Mitchell
In Memory of John Russell
Sarah and Frank Moorman Advised Fund of the Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc.
In Memory of Iris E. Stoll
Donald Stoll
In Memory of Lawrence James Wathen, who taught me all I know about opera
Aurora K. Pajeau, MD, MPH
In Memory of Don Wilder, Former Music Director of the National Opera Company
Judith Bruno and Michael Cyzewski
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the gifts listed in our programs. If you notice an error or omission, please let us know by emailing sarah.raffurty@ncopera.org and we will promptly make a correction. Thank you!
NORTH CAROLINA OPERA SUPPORTERS
North Carolina Opera gratefully acknowledges the following community leaders for their generous support in making this season possible. This list represents gifts received between December 1, 2023 and January 15, 2025.
FOUNDATIONS AND GOVERNMENT
Gifts of $100,000 or more City of Raleigh
Gifts between $25,000 and $49,999
North Carolina Arts Council
North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The John William Pope Foundation
Gifts between $10,000 and $24,999
National Endowment for the Arts
United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County
Gifts between $5,000 and $9,999
Triangle Community Foundation’s Carver Fund for North Carolina Opera
The Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation
Walter Family Foundation
Gifts between $2,500 and $4,999
George Smedes Poyner Foundation
Gifts up to $2,499
Ella Ann and Fank B. Holding Foundation
Opera America, Inc.
CORPORATIONS
Gifts between $5,000 and $9,999
Meridian Financial Morningstar Law Group
Gifts up to $2,499
Cornerstone Custom Printing
English Speaking Union of the United States – Research
Triangle Branch
The FabFoo
Galloway Ridge at Fearrington
Habanero Architecture
International Young Artists Project
The Juliette Club
King’s Auto Service, Inc.
Meredith College
Mitchell•Casteel - A Fine Catered AffairThe Pavilion at the Angus Barn
Triangle Wagner Society
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
North Carolina Opera would like to thank
Jane Acquaviva
Carmen Buckner
Carolina Ballet
Gretchen Bruesehoff
David Casteel
Diamante Arts and Cultural Center
Epilogue Books Chocolate Brews
First Presbyterian Church
Ellen Fort
Maggie Gina
Jane and Francis Acquaviva
Dr. Yvonne Bryant
Anne Prince Cuddy
Martha Dimes
James Gray
Karen and Clark Havighurst
Mark Hogan
Ekaterina Korobkina and Robert Golub
Mónica Colin Gutiérrez
Audrey Hubbard
Carolina Fonseca Jimenez
Abby Jones
Angel Kelley
Barbara McGuire
Patricia McWaters
Meredith College Department of Music
Charlie Mitchko
Isabel Mitchko
CHARTER SUBSCRIBERS
Kathy and Tom Lada
Ross Lampe, Sr.
Dr. Bill and Dr. Margaret McCulloch
Christina and Thomas Mitchko
Robert W. Morrison
Linda and Wendell Murphy
JoAnn and Donald Parkerson
Florence and James Peacock
Maya Nelson
North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Kay Schoellhorn
Lorraine Snyder
Rosemarie Sweeney
Lizette Watko
Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas
Francine and Ralph Roberson
Mary Louise and William Rustin
Sally and Robert Tiller
Allison Tolksdorf
Lizbeth and Jean-Marie Videau
Brigette Wilds and Michael C. Byrne
Ellen Williams
John Williamson
Breakfast for two at Heron's is included. This intimate, 98 seat dining room features a full view kitchen, a meticulously curated private art collection and floor-to-ceiling windows with tranquil views of the surrounding gardens and grounds. Also included is a $500 gift certificate for you to spend as you wish, perhaps a romantic dinner at Heron's or a luxurious and rejuvenating spa treatment. The Umstead Spa is a haven of wellness and tranquility consistently acclaimed among the best spas in the Raleigh, North Carolina area.
SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2025
Opera Gala
JOSEPH MECHAVICH CONDUCTOR
American conductor Joseph Mechavich has established a leading position on the modern music podium with breakthrough productions of contemporary opera such as Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, Moby-Dick, Great Scott, If I Were You, Out of Darkness: Two Remain, Before It All Goes Dark, and Three Decembers, and Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah, Cold Sassy Tree, Of Mice and Men and Wuthering Heights, among others. As well as Perla’s An American Dream, Puts’ Silent Night, Bohmler’s Riders of the Purple Sage, and Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire.
Season 2024-2025 sees the eminent conductor on the podium for The Pirates of Penzance for Knoxville Opera and Florencia en el Amazonas for North Carolina Opera. Recent highlights include La bohème at Florida Grand Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor at New Orleans Opera, Albert Herring for the University of Maryland, as well as Flight and The ThreePenny Opera at Brevard Music Festival.
Past international engagements include Porgy and Bess at Deutsche Oper Berlin/Tell me what I need, honey Cape Town Opera, Silent Night at Canada’s Calgary Opera, and Nixon in China for a coproduction between Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and New Zealand Opera.
He can also be found conducting much of the standard repertoire in leading U.S. opera houses: Recent highlights include Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Washington National Opera and Minnesota Opera, Everest with Austin Opera, Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci with Madison Opera, Eugene Onegin with the Curtis Institute of Music, and Ariadne auf Naxos, Macbeth, and Madama Butterfly with Kentucky Opera. Prior productions with North Carolina Opera include La bohème. Don Giovanni, and La traviata.
JOHN HOOMES STAGE DIRECTOR
Nashville Opera’s CEO (Artistic Director since 1995), has directed over 175 productions of opera and musical theater in the US, South America, and Canada. In June 2010, an Opera News feature article acknowledged, “Hoomes has proved himself one of the most interesting stage directors in the regional market today with a seemingly limitless knowledge of repertoire.”
In Nashville, he has directed the company’s greatest successes including productions of Turandot, Hydrogen Jukebox, Carly Simon’s Romulus Hunt, Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers, La traviata, Salome, The Pearl Fishers, Pagliacci, Tales of Hoffmann, La Fanciulla del West, Andrea Chenier, The Marriage of Figaro, Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires, Carmen, Tosca, Robert Aldridge’s Elmer Gantry, Rigoletto, Der Rosenkavalier, Don Giovanni, La bohème, Samson et Dalilah, Il Trovatore, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, The Barber of Seville, Madame Butterfly, David Lang’s The Difficulty of Crossing a Field, The Magic Flute and Three Way, a world premiere, by Robert Paterson and David Cote in a joint production with Nashville Opera and American Opera Projects at BAM.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
ELAINE ALVAREZ FLORENCIA
During the 2024–2025 season, Cuban-American soprano Elaine Alvarez makes her North Carolina Opera debut in the title role of Florencia en el Amazonas. Ms. Alvarez also returns to the Metropolitan Opera for Tosca and Mimi in La bohème, Madama Butterfly for Amelia Opera, a Puccini Gala for Orchestra Miami and Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 at The Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Recent season highlights include Suor Angelica for Opera Omaha, Tosca for Chautauqua Opera, La Traviata for Fort Worth Opera, Desdemona in Otello for Livermore Valley Opera and Elisabetta di Valois in Don Carlo for Maryland Lyric Opera; Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 for Orchestra Miami and the Jacksonville Symphony, Verdi’s Requiem for the Charleston Symphony, Undine Smith Moore’s Scenes from the Life of a Martyr in collaboration with the Sphinx Organization and the Eugene Concert Choir and Orchestra, and a return to the Metropolitan Opera for Madama Butterfly and a new production of Florencia en el Amazonas.
Other notable engagements include Aïda for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Riccardo Muti, Tosca for Choregies d’Orange and Opera de Oviedo; Mimi in La bohème for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera National de Bordeaux, Teatro Carlo Felice and Oper Frankfurt, among others; La Traviata for Munich’s Bayerische Staatsoper, Oper Leipzig and Theater St Gallen; Magda in La Rondine for Oper Frankfurt; Kat’a Kabanova for Boston Lyric Opera; Florencia en el Amazonas for San Diego Opera; Cecilia Valdez for Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid; Elvira in Ernani, Hélène in Jerusalem, and Aïda for Opera Royal de Wallonie, as well as Donizetti’s infamous Tudor Queen, Anna Bolena, in Liege and on tour at the Royal Opera House Muscat.
MARLEN NAHHAS ROSALBA
Mexican-Lebanese-American soprano Marlen Nahhas has been described as an “Impassioned soprano” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “A soprano of power and grace” (Naples Daily News). Recent engagements include debuts with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in Daphne (First Maid), El Paso Opera in La traviata (Violetta), Opera Ithaca for Hansel and Gretel (Gretel) and Virginia Opera in La bohème (Musetta), a role she has performed with Opera Naples and Finger Lakes Opera, Detroit Opera for Frida (Cristina Kahlo) and La bohème (Mimì), Cincinnati Opera for La bohème (Mimì cover) and Pirates of Penzance (Edith), and Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival for Le nozze di Figaro (Contessa cover).
Ms. Nahhas completed the Cafritz Young Artists program with Washington National Opera and was seen in The Magic Flute (Pamina), La traviata (Violetta) directed by Francesca Zambello, Tesori’s The Lion, The Unicorn and Me (Flamingo), The Consul (Foreign Woman), the world premiere of Kamala Sankaram’s Taking Up Serpents (Queer Kid), and a Concert of Comedic Masterpieces under the baton of Maestro Joseph Coloneri. Marlen was also an Apprentice Artist at The Santa Fe Opera. Orchestral credits include the National Symphony Orchestra in excerpts from La bohème (Mimì) conducted by NSO music director Maestro Gianandrea Noseda and Kansas City Symphony for excerpts from Le nozze di Figaro (Susanna). Marlen was a member of the Merola Opera program at the San Francisco Opera Center where she performed scenes from Il tabarro, Don Giovanni, Don Carlo, and La rondine in the Schwabacher and Grand Finale concerts. She was also an Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera where she covered roles in Tosca (title role) and Così fan tutte (Fiordiligi). Additional performing experience includes Madama Butterfly (title role) and Die Fledermaus (Rosalinde).
Ms. Nahhas was a National Semi-Finalist in The Metropolitan Opera Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition (née National Council Auditions).
KATE FARRAR PAULA
Hillsborough, NC native
Mezzo-Soprano Kate Farrar is thrilled to return to North Carolina Opera where she has performed numerous roles including Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Wellgunde in Das Rheingold, and Claire in Cold Mountain. As an apprentice artist with Santa Fe, she covered Gertrude in the world premiere of The Thirteenth Child by Poul Ruders She has performed roles including the title role in La Cenerentola (Portland Opera, Opera Saratoga), Dorabella in Così fan Tutte (Portland Opera), Giovanna in Rigoletto (Portland Opera), and Siebel in Faust (Portland Opera). She also appeared as the Secretary in Baltimore Concert Opera’s The Consul. In concert, she has performed with the North Carolina Symphony as the soloist in de Falla’s El Sombrero de Tres Picos, and with North Carolina Opera as a soloist in their Opera in the Pines. Kate has been a resident with many companies including Chautauqua Opera, Opera Saratoga, Sarasota Opera, and Opera North. She performed a variety of roles with these and other regional houses including, Frau Mary in Der fliegende Holländer (Piedmont Opera, Baltimore Concert Opera), Mercedes in Carmen (Piedmont Opera, NY Opera Exchange), Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (North Carolina Opera, Chautauqua Opera), and Emily in The Ballad of Baby Doe (Chautauqua Opera). Kate is a graduate of the A.J. Fletcher Opera institute in Winston-Salem. She currently resides in Lexington Park, MD.
JASON KARN ARCADIO
Tenor Jason Karn is known for his vibrant tone and compelling portrayals. Recent performances include stepping in to sing Alfredo from the pit for NC Opera’s final performance of La Traviata (2023). Other NC Opera performances include — Harry in The Girl of the Golden West, Edmondo in the company’s premiere of Manon Lescaut,
Jaquino in their post-Covid return with Fidelio, and Beppe in Pagliacci.
Karn made his New York City Opera Debut as the Young Gypsy/Beppe in Aleko/Pagliacci. He returned to New York City Opera to perform Don José in Carmen on tour through Europe, Asia, and Bryant Park in 2018 and 2021.
Other notable appearances include the American Premier of Vincent d’Indy’s Fervaal at Avery Fisher Hal with the American Symphony Orchestra and his debut with Washington National Opera as Scaramuccio in Ariadne auf Naxos.
Karn holds degrees from the Universities of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Greensboro.
LEVI HERNANDEZ ALVARO
Levi Hernandez is a celebrated baritone known for his velvety tone and charismatic stage presence. Praised his “natural power” and “warm, inviting baritone” ( Opera News ), Hernandez has performed with leading opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Houston Grand Opera, where he made his Sharpless debut in Madama Butterfly. Prior North Carolina Opera appearances include Marcello in La bohème and Lescaut in Manon Lescaut.
In the upcoming 2024-2025 season, Hernandez will return to Madison Opera to portray Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia, sing Lescaut with Washington Concert Opera, and perform Handel’s Messiah with the Tucson Symphony. In addition, he will sing Mozart’s Requiem with the Utah Symphony.
Recent engagements include his performances with El Paso Opera for the Mozart by Moonlight concert, Opera San Antonio as the Father in Hansel and Gretel, and Dandini in La Cenerentola with Boston Lyric Opera. He has also performed Tonio in Pagliacci with Hawaii Opera Theatre, returned to Omaha as Diego Rivera in El último sueño de Frida y Diego, and appeared with the Virginia and Oregon Symphonies in Handel’s Messiah. Additional highlights include his appearances with Opera Idaho and covering Papageno in Die Zauberflöte at the Metropolitan Opera.
A finalist in the 2002 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and a recipient of numerous awards, Hernandez holds degrees from Westminster Choir College and the University of North Texas, and he has trained at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago.
RICHARD OLLARSABA RIOLOBO
Mexican-American bassbaritone, Richard Ollarsaba, praised by The Washington Post for his “meltingly smooth bass-baritone” and for “evoking a young Ruggero Raimondi in looks and manner,” represented the USA in the 2019 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, was a member of the prestigious Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago for three seasons, and a grand finalist in the 2013 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Prior North Carolina Opera appearances include Escamillo in Carmen and Ferrando in Il trovatore.
This season he makes his company debuts with Nashville Opera and Hawai’i Opera Theatre as Escamillo, and role debuts as Riolobo in Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas with North Carolina Opera and as Miguel de Cervantes/Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha with Piedmont Opera. He makes his return to the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera in the title role of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. Previous credits include the title role in Don Giovanni with Opera Hong Kong, Arizona Opera, Opera Grand Rapids, Opera Carolina, and Lyric Opera of Chicago, Escamillo in 13 productions of Carmen with the Glimmerglass Festival, Portland Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City among them, in Le nozze di Figaro in the role of Figaro with New Zealand Opera and Minnesota Opera, and in the role of Count Almaviva with Portland Opera and Virginia Opera, and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with Pensacola Opera
A native of Tempe, Arizona, Mr. Ollarsaba received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and his Masters of Music degree and post-graduate certificate from the UNCSA A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute. richardollarsaba.com
RICARDO LUGO CAPTAIN
Puerto Rican bass Ricardo Lugo is a versatile international artist who made his Metropolitan Opera début as Un Barnabotto in La Gioconda, Mr. Lugo has since been involved in many productions with the company including The Nose, Pelléas et Mélisande, Otello, Tannhäuser, Tosca, Manon Lescaut, Khovanshchina, Billy Budd, La fanciulla del West, Adriana Lecouvreur, Macbeth, Die Zauberflöte, Salome, and others.
Mr. Lugo’s 2023-2024 season brought his return to Virginia Opera as Fafner in Siegfried, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore with Opera de Puerto Rico, the Captain in Florencia en el Amazonas with Nashville Opera, and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor with New Orleans Opera. Additional recent engagements saw a return to Virginia Opera as Hunding in Die Walküre, Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro to Pittsburgh Opera, and Aldeanos #3 in El último sueño de Frida y Diego with San Francisco Opera. Upcoming he returns to Virginia Opera as the Commendatore in Don Giovanni and to the Metropolitan Opera for their production of Salome. In recent seasons, Mr. Lugo joined Virginia Opera as Fafner in Das Rheingold, bowed as Fasolt in Das Rheingold with Nashville Opera, and as Oroveso in Norma with Musica Viva Hong Kong. He has joined Detroit Opera as the Commendatore, Alfieri in Bolcom’s A View from the Bridge, and the French General in Silent Night. Additionally, he has sung Dulcamara with Opera Memphis, and Wachtmeister/ Der Holsteiner in Richard Strauss’ Friedenstag with the America Symphony Orchestra.
Mr. Lugo performs regularly with all the opera companies of his native Puerto Rico: Opera de Puerto Rico, Teatro de la Opera, and CulturArte, where he has performed in La Traviata, opposite Carol Vaness and Plácido Domingo; and Otello opposite June Anderson and Placido Domingo.
BARRY STEELE LIGHTING AND VIDEO DESIGNER
For three decades Barry Steele has created designs for opera, dance, and music productions in 56 countries. Notable engagements include San Francisco Opera Center, Lucinda Childs Dance Company, Ballet Stars of Moscow, Nantes Opera, and Carnegie Hall. New operas such as Vincent, and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat as well as rarities like The Fall of the House of Usher, and La Voix Humaine complement his considerable list of standard opera repertory gained from designing over one hundred productions as Resident Lighting Designer for Sarasota Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, and New Jersey Opera. Since 1989, Mr. Steele has lit dance in all styles for a diverse range of dance groups including ODC Dance Company, Anna Sokolow’s Players’ Project, Paco Peña’s Flamenco Theater, and Battery Dance Company.
JEANIE WOZENCRAFTORNELLAS CHORUS MASTER
Head of the Music Department and Associate Professor of Voice at Meredith College, Dr. WozencraftOrnellas made her professional debut with the Cleveland Opera in the role of Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi. Twice a regional finalist and award winner in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, she has performed recitals, opera, and oratorio throughout the United States and in 16 countries from New Zealand to Great Britain, China to Chile. In addition to her other professional engagements, Jeanie performed numerous benefit concerts which raised money for schools serving students with disabilities in South America, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Dr. WO’s students have won awards in such competitions as the Dallas Opera Competition, the McCammon Voice Competition, AIMS Meistersinger Competition, Opera Ithaca Edward M. Murray International Voice Competition, American International Czech and Slovak Competition and the Bellini International Voice Competition. Her former students are performing on Broadway and in opera companies in the US, Germany, and South America, as well as teaching in the public schools or universities and colleges across the US and in China.
In addition to serving on the board of North Carolina Opera, Dr. WO is a Distinguished Professor Emerita of Eastern New Mexico University, where she taught voice and directed the opera productions for 32 years. She holds degrees in Vocal Performance from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music (B.M.), Bowling Green State University in Ohio (M.M.), and Florida State University (D.M.). Dr. Wozencraft-Ornellas has presented clinics and masterclasses and judged choral festivals across New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Ohio, and Colorado. She is a member of the New Mexico Music Educators’ Hall of Fame, and received the Rollie T. Heltman distinguished Service Award from the same organization.
DANIEL CATÁN COMPOSER
The music of Daniel Catán is among the most significant and best loved of any composers in the 21st century. Known principally as a composer of operas, his oeuvre also spans works for orchestra, chamber music, and art song, as well as music for film and television, music theater, and even traditional Latin pop. He studied philosophy at the University of Sussex in England before enrolling in Princeton University as a PhD student in composition under Milton Babbitt, James Randall, and Benjamin Boretz. His opera La Hija de Rappaccini, which appeared at San Diego Opera in 1994, was the first opera by a Mexican composer ever produced by a professional opera company in the United States, while Florencia en el Amazonas was the first opera in Spanish commissioned by a major American company and premiered at Houston Grand Opera in 1996. The success of this opera led to the commission of Salsipuedes for Houston Grand Opera, and his fourth opera, Il Postino, was commissioned by LA Opera and also appeared in Vienna and Paris. At the time of his death in 2011, he was at work on his next opera, Meet John Doe.
MARCELA FUENTESBERAIN LIBRETTIST
Having studied with celebrated novelist Gabriel García Márquez, she provided the libretto for the world premiere of Florencia en el Amazonas at Houston Grand Opera in 1996. Her work has also appeared extensively across film, television, radio, and theater. Her screenplays include Mexican Spanish productions La Hija del Caníbal, starring Cecilia Roth, Hasta Morir, and Ciudad de Ciegos and Colombian director Víctor Gaviria’s Sumas y Restas, winner of Best Movie at the Cartagena Film Festival and Best Foreign Film by the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences. She also collaborated with director Tony Scott on Man on Fire, starring Denzel Washington. She has served as a script consultant for the Sundance Institute for more than 20 years, a member of the selection committee of Spain’s Huelva Ibero-American Film Festival since 2001, and as part of Mexico’s Bicentennial Film Committee in 2010. She is a member of Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and was part of Proimágenes Colombia evaluating movie projects. A pioneer and founder of the prestigious Bolivia Lab and an esteemed educator, she has been a teacher and advisor in many important Latin American films and books.
1ST VIOLIN
Carol Chung
Margaret Partridge
Ariadna Ilika
Anne Leyland
2ND VIOLIN
Emi Hildebrandt
Krista Cala
Suzanne Kelly
Cortney Baker
VIOLA
Simon Ertz
Matthew Chicurel
Kristen Beard
Emi Mizobuchi
CELLO
Nathan Leyland
Brian Carter
Rosalind Leavell
Lauren Dunseath
NORTH CAROLINA OPERA ORCHESTRA
BASS
Emily Rupp Buccola
Zachary Hobin
Rebecca Marland
FLUTE
Carla Copeland Burns
Whitney Pencina
OBOE
Courtney Miller
Carrie Shull
CLARINET
Mike Cyzewski
Todd Krueger
BASS CLARINET
Kevin Streich
BASSOON
Michael Burns
John Fanning
Jasmin Brown
Gretchen Bruesehoff
Joanna Burke
Shanna Collins
Alexia Della Valle
Tanya Hanano
Erica Jackson
Angela Santucci
Joncie Sarratt
Rachel Stenbuck
Bailey Sutton
FRENCH HORN
Christopher Caudill
Rachel Niketopoulos
Caleb Harris
TRUMPET
Judith Saxton
John Manning
TROMBONE
Michael Kris
Wes Parker
BASS TROMBONE
Russell McKinney
TUBA
Tony Granados
TIMPANI
Julia Thompson
NORTH CAROLINA OPERA CHORUS
Miles Jenkins
Matthew Lubin
Eric Luke
Coleridge Nash
Reginald Powell
Noah Sigsworth
Tedd Szeto
SUPERNUMERARIES
Darris Lindsey
Juan Matamoros
PERCUSSION
Krista Siachames
Alexander Skov
Joseph Spearman
HARP
Jacquelyn Bartlett
PIANO
Catherine Miller
PERSONNEL MANAGER
Paul Gorski
LIBRARIAN
Julia Thompson
NORTH CAROLINA OPERA STAFF
General Director – Eric Mitchko
Director of Marketing – Angela Grant
Director of Development – Sarah Raffurty
Company Manager – Julie Williams
Production Manager – Linda T. Carlson
Box Office Associate – Amanda Reyes
Education Coordinator – Rachel Stenbuck
Engagement Coordinator – Micaela Bundy
City Manager – Marchell Adams-David
Assistant City Manager – Evan Raleigh
Executive Director – Kerry Painter
General Manager – Michelle Bradley
Director of Theatre Operations – Christopher Bullock
Director of Finance – Laura Knott
Director of Security – Byron K Johnson II
Director of Talent Strategy – Antonio Cruz
Box Office Manager – Robert Leavell
Booking Manager – Melanie Margarum
Marketing Manager – Sarah McAlister
Events Experience Manager – Brittany Washington
Front of House Manager – Matthew Hester
Front of House Manager – Deanna Long
Production Manager – Dave McManus
Production Supervisors – Andrew Armas, EG Garcia, Brian Moore, Jason Morris
Security Supervisor – Shelly Westfall
Maintenance and Operations Superintendent – Blade Perdue
Facilities Supervisor – William Negron
Capital Projects Manager – Olivia Holbrook
Event Settlement Analyst – Keisha Peacock
Operation Staff – Nicole Ackman, Deshondre Bellinger, Gavin Brown, Alex Bryant, Kendra Burgess, Andrew Crane, Sean Delgado-Cruz, Mike Dreese, Gregory Dunn, William Goldrick, Michael Green, Favourite Htaw, Ehhteeku Htaw, Ulando Jones, Trevor Jordan, Tami Kaufmann, Liberty Lander, Noeree Lander, Anthony Letourneau, Matino Lin, Lisa Morgan, Keecia Rouse, Htee Shee, Noah Stancil, Mason Tierney, Avery Vanore, Trevon Vickers, Luke Watkins, Renee Wilson, Evan Woodard
MARTIN MARIETTA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS STAFF
Win a Caribbean Win a Caribbean
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Tickets to Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico
ONLINE RAFFLE TICKETS SALES END 2/14/2025 AT 11:00PM OR WHEN TICKETS SELL OUT, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. Winners will be selected by on February 15, 2025
ECHOES OF FLORENCIA
In the depths of the Amazon rainforest, where the currents of the river mirror the rhythms of the human soul, Florencia en el Amazonas weaves a story of love, transformation, and transcendence. Echoes of Florencia, invites you to step into a visual dialogue with the opera’s magical realism, emotional resonance, and cultural richness.
Through the lens of ten talented North Carolina artists, we explore the themes of Mexican composer Daniel Catán’s masterpiece, Florencia en el Amazonas. These works capture the lush landscapes of the Amazon, the ethereal qualities of the river, and the profound inner journeys of its characters. Just as Florencia’s voice echoes across time and space, these artworks reflect the spirit of connection, longing, and renewal that permeates the opera.
The selected pieces embody the interplay between the tangible and the mystical, revealing how nature, music, and memory shape our understanding of the world and ourselves. Each artwork is an invitation to pause and listen—to the whispers of our own dreams, desires, and possibilities.
Diamante Arts and Cultural Center in partnership with the North Carolina Opera is honored to present Echoes of Florencia, a celebration of local artistic voices that resonate with the beauty and depth of the human experience. May these visual interpretations enrich your journey through Florencia en el Amazonas.
Erik Valera
Diamante Arts and Cultural Center
January 2025
ARTWORK IS ON DISPLAY IN THE LOBBY
ANDREA FRANK
USA
Searching for Cristobal, 2024 Acrylic on canvas 16" x 20" | $450
BRIAN IMFELD
Costa Rica
Awakening Passion, 2024
Watercolor, Latex Paint, Acrylic & Paper on Panel 18" x 18" | $400
I was born in Beaufort, South Carolina in 1978. I earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking and Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Miami University in Oxford,
COLIN MURASKO
USA
Butterfly Dance, 2024
Acrylic on Canvas 20" x 24" | $500
Colin Murasko is an art teacher and residential faculty member at Saint Mary’s School. He holds an MFA in painting and drawing from Claremont Graduate University in California
KAREN ROSE
Mexico
Indigenous Flora of the Amazon 1, 2024 Oil on Canvas 20" x 16” | $400
Karen Rose has been a painter for over 30 years in New York City, San Francisco, and Raleigh. She holds a BA from UC Berkeley and an MFA from The School of Visual Arts. She has been painting an ongoing series of landscapes of the Mexican border, with the notion that landscapes transcend borders. Her identity and heritage straddle these places, as a half Mexican. A cancelled trip to the Mojave Desert during the pandemic led her to use film stills of movies shot near the border as reference.
Andrea is a retired physician who now spends her time as a full time artist. She enjoys color and motion in her works and has been inspired by the works of Matisse, Monet, and Hopper and others. She strives to encourage the viewer to feel calmness, playfulness and joy from her artwork, though maybe not all those feelings in one piece.
Ohio. I am currently the Art Teacher at Abbotts Creek Elementary School in Raleigh, North Carolina. My abstract paintings and mixed media drawings have been included in solo and juried exhibitions at various venues around the United States. I am passionate about sharing art experiences with my community. Through local arts organizations, I seek out meaningful art events and creative projects to engage with students and families, and collaborate with other artists.
and a BFA in sculpture and drawing from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas. Colin’s artistic practice spans across multiple mediums, including abstract drawing and painting, as well as urban and rural photography using both film and digital formats. His work often explores the interplay between color, texture, and memory. He remains actively involved in the art community, with his pieces regularly accepted into juried exhibitions.
She expanded this series to encompass the Spaghetti Westerns filmed in Spain to stand in for Mexico and worked on these during her printmaking residency in Barcelona. She also traveled in Morocco for 2 weeks with 40 teachers, 3 rabbis and a Palestinian peace activist who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She then painted the Atlas Mountains and other areas in Morocco. Subsequently, Rose produced a series of landscapes of conflict infused with textile design. She is currently reimagining the Bay Area before “Settlement” through pristine landscapes omitting present infrastructure. Karen Rose teaches Drawing/Mixed Media at the Urban School of San Francisco and lives and paints in both Richmond, CA and Raleigh, NC.
LUIS FUNK
Mexico Florencia, 2024 Oil paint, 18" x 24" | $1,400
With over 11+ years of experience in the advertising industry and a solid background in Graphic Design, Illustration & Photography, from the prestigious Universidad Loyola, Luis Funk is the creative mind behind Funkreative®. His
LUZ FRYE
Colombia
En los Tiempos de las Mariposas / In the Times of Butterflies, 2024 Mixed media 20" x 20" x 1.5" | $560
Luz Frye grew up in Colombia and finished her first oil painting at the age of five. Since then, Art and art studies have been a constant in her life, even through college where she received her degree in Linguistics and Modern Languages. Faith and creativity intersect in her abstracts and landscapes. Each of Luz’s works is created with an under painting containing a blessing. She wants
MICAH MULLEN
USA
An Appearance of Riolobo: In all his Magic and Colors, 2024 Acrylic on canvas 20" x 16" | $825
MYLES BROWN
USA
CHI LATIN ISLAND, 2024
Mixed Media 11" x 14" | $150
My name is Myles Brown, and I am an artist from North Carolina. My art is influenced by eastern mythology and vintage animation. I am the CEO
LADY NATALIA PEREZ LOZANO
Colombia
Between Water and Wings, 2024
Acrylic and oil painting on canvas 18" x 24" | $600
Lady Natalia Perez Lozano is a visual artist born in Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia. She is passionate about exploring emotions, ideas and symbolism through techniques such as oil, acrylics, watercolors,
PATRIZIA FERREIRA
Uruguay
The Vigil, 2024 Fiber Art/Embroidery 21" x 16.5" x 2.5" | $1,600
Patrizia’s work laboriously incorporates the debris of her surroundings namely, textiles and plastic, to create poetic pieces that speak of our society of over consumption, and the state of our environment. By giving life to otherwise inanimate materials, making something beautiful out of the discarded she invites the viewer to reflect upon the repercussions our actions cause on our planet. A native of Uruguay, being an immigrant and being a woman instruments in great part her work. Pieces
dedication to creativity, design, and innovation has made an impact on projects both nationally and internationally.
Since 2011, Luis Funk has been collaborating with companies in Acapulco and the vibrant, Riviera Maya, contributing to the development of projects in Cancún, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. He has worked with prominent brands, from renowned agencies to prestigious restaurant-clubs and business groups.
her art to be a reminder to others that there is hope and that they are loved.
Luz’s art has been exhibited at numerous juried shows and festivals:
The Center for Visual Artists, Greensboro, 311 Gallery, Raleigh, Golden Belt Studios, Durham, Cape Fear Studios, Fayetteville, Maria V. Howard Arts Center, Rocky Mount, Truist Gallery, Durham, VMRC Harrisonburg, VA. Cary Spring Daze, Boylan Heights Art Walk, Raleigh, and Festifall in Chapel Hill.
Luz’s paintings have made their homes across the USA, Europe and Latin America.
I consider my work a painted mosaic. Thousands of contrasting colors and shapes create a unique and vibrant composition. I exhibit in shows across the country and my paintings are found in many public and private collections in Raleigh and elsewhere.
of JUST A CRAZY ILLUSTRATOR LLC. I have art in stores including Munjo Munjo, and NC Crafts Gallery. I have also painted murals, including one I did for North Carolina restaurant Yagg Sii Tenn. It has been sold at The PEEL and Diamante Arts Cultural Center. I graduated from Wake Technical Community College with a degree in Business Administration: Marketing and a certificate in Advertising and Graphic Design: Graphic Design.
oil pastels and mixed media. She fuses natural and magical elements, addressing themes of empowerment, transformation and the connection between the inner and outer world. She often incorporates familiar elements and symbols, but also enjoys creating her own symbols to enrich the meaning of each piece. Through vibrant colors, symbolic compositions and body expressiveness, she seeks to convey deep feelings that connect with the viewer.
appear fragmented, torn, frayed, depicting the obvious, inevitable passage of time. A piece made of many disconnected parts. An analogy for how she feels. Made of many broken, fragmented pieces —yet, strongly rooted, undeniably human.
Patrizia Ferreira received a bachelor’s degree in textile design from the Institute of Industrial Design in Montevideo, Uruguay and a Master of Science degree in textile design for prints from Philadelphia University (currently Thomas Jefferson University). She is the recipient of the 2024 Emerging Artist in Residence at Artspace, Raleigh, NC. She is an artist and educator living in Raleigh, NC.
Thank you for enhancing our lives with the gift of music. At Curtis Media, we applaud your artistry and your talent as well as the many ways that you enrich North Carolina’s cultural fabric.
edicated to the Understanding & Insight of Richard Wagner’s Music
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2025, 10:00AM
Jeffrey Swann and Simon Williams: LIVE ALL DAY PROGRAM ON Die Meistersinger
SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2025, 2:00PM
Joshua Borths: LIVE PROGRAM ON The Art Surrounding Montsalvat
SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2025, 2:00PM
Jennifer Rhodes: ZOOM PROGRAM ON Literary Influences on Wagner and His Influences on the Early 20th-Century Novel
All TWS programs are recorded and made available to members and paying guests so they can listen at their convenience.
Dear North Carolina,
For 70 amazing years, you—the people of North Carolina—have been by our side. You’ve inspired us and cheered us on since our first telecast back in 1955. Together, we’ve welcomed Mister Rogers to our neighborhood, gotten our hands dirty with This Old House and gone on countless trips with NC Weekend. We’ve mastered the art of French cooking with Julia, found our roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. and rummaged through every yard sale looking for the next big Antiques Roadshow discovery.
Because of you, PBS North Carolina has expanded beyond broadcast television to educate, inform, entertain and inspire all North Carolinians—at home, in the classroom or on the go. Your support has made all of this possible, and for that we’re forever grateful.
So here’s to you for 70 wonderful years! And stay tuned as the best is yet to come.
