North Carolina Opera | FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS

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OUR MISSION 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

PAST CHAIRS OF NORTH CAROLINA OPERA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 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 NORTH CAROLINA OPERA | 1

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WELCOME TO FLORENCIA 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 Board Chair

Eric Mitchko General Director NORTH CAROLINA OPERA | 3

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 Riolobo Rosalba Arcadio Paula Alvaro Captain

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Elaine Alvarez Richard Ollarsaba Marlen Nahhas Jason Karn Kate Farrar Levi Hernandez 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 Chorus Master Scenic Designer Costumes designed by Costumes provided by Rehearsal pianists Production Manager Production Stage Manager Assisant Stage Manager Costume Coordinator Properties Master Wig and Makeup Designer Wig and Makeup Assistant Master Electrician Supertitle Operator Fitness Consultant

Barry Steele Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas Cara Schneider Glenn Avery Breed Wardrobe Witchery Catherine Miller, Kent Lyman Linda T. Carlson Kathleen Stakenas Rae Hedges Denise Schumaker Pamela McLamb Martha Ruskai Mark Boley, Tiffany Turley C.J. Barnwell Devon Carter Gretchen Bruesehoff

An original production of Nashville Opera Conceived by John Hoomes with Barry Steele and Cara Schneider

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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.

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FLORENCIA EN EL AMAZONAS NOTES 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.

Teatro Amazonas in Manaus

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, Sheri Greenawald, Houston Grand Opera, 1996. alive to colorful scene setting and with evocative Photo credit: Ken Howard. 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

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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.

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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 | 9

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!

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SEASON SPONSORS

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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 Eric Mitchko Lester Czukor

In Honor of Claire Cooper Roy Cooper

In Honor of Amy Moss Judith and Jack Adler

In Honor of Nancy & Philip Hablutzel Margo Lynn Hablutzel Robert Hablutzel

In Honor of Carl Nold Nancy Hablutzel

In Honor of Joanne Kearney Devon Kearney In Honor of Scott MacLeod Margaret Maytan

In Honor of Carter Skinner and Chapman Williams Margaret Weir In Honor of Brigette Wilds Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Byrne MEMORIAL GIFTS

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

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!

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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 $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 $25,000 and $49,999 North Carolina Arts Council North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources The John William Pope Foundation

Gifts between $2,500 and $4,999 George Smedes Poyner Foundation

Gifts between $10,000 and $24,999 National Endowment for the Arts United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County

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 Affair The 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

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

Maya Nelson North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Kay Schoellhorn Lorraine Snyder Rosemarie Sweeney Lizette Watko Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas

CHARTER SUBSCRIBERS

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

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

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 NORTH CAROLINA OPERA | 13

Breakfast for two at Heron's is included. This intimate, 98 seat dining room features a full view Opera kitchen, a meticulously curated Gala private art collection and floor-to-ceiling windows with tranquil views of the surrounding gardens SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2025 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.

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ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES 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.

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.

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.

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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).

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ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES 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 O p era’s f ina l 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.

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA | 17

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES 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

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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.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES 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 He ad of t he Music Department and Associate Professor of Voice at Meredith College, Dr. WozencraftOr nellas 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.

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ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES DANIEL CATÁN COMPOSER The music of Daniel Catán is among the most significant and best loved of any c omp o s e rs i n t h e 2 1 st 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.

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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.

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA ORCHESTRA 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

BASS Emily Rupp Buccola Zachary Hobin Rebecca Marland

FRENCH HORN Christopher Caudill Rachel Niketopoulos Caleb Harris

PERCUSSION Krista Siachames Alexander Skov Joseph Spearman

FLUTE Carla Copeland Burns Whitney Pencina

TRUMPET Judith Saxton John Manning

HARP Jacquelyn Bartlett

OBOE Courtney Miller Carrie Shull

TROMBONE Michael Kris Wes Parker

CLARINET Mike Cyzewski Todd Krueger

BASS TROMBONE Russell McKinney

BASS CLARINET Kevin Streich BASSOON Michael Burns John Fanning

PIANO Catherine Miller PERSONNEL MANAGER Paul Gorski LIBRARIAN Julia Thompson

TUBA Tony Granados TIMPANI Julia Thompson

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA CHORUS Jasmin Brown Gretchen Bruesehoff Joanna Burke Shanna Collins Alexia Della Valle Tanya Hanano Erica Jackson Angela Santucci Joncie Sarratt Rachel Stenbuck Bailey Sutton

Miles Jenkins Matthew Lubin Eric Luke Coleridge Nash Reginald Powell Noah Sigsworth Tedd Szeto SUPERNUMERARIES Darris Lindsey Juan Matamoros

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA | 21

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

MARTIN MARIETTA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS STAFF 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

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DIAMANTE ARTS & CULTURAL CENTER

Raffle Fundraiser Win a Caribbean Includes: Three (3) Nights in a Beautiful Beachfront Oceanview Condo for Two 1-Bedroom, 1 Bathroom in a Private Gated Building Located in the Trendy Condado Beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico Amenities - Pool, Gym, and More with Restaurants and Bars Within Walking Distance and 10-Minute Ride to Old San Juan Airline Airfare Voucher Tickets to Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico

Four Additional draws will include: $100 Food Lion Gift Card 2 $50 The Cheesecake Factory Gift Cards Dinner and a Movie package 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

All proceeds benefit the charitable mission of: 5104 WESTERN BLVD. RALEIGH, NC

TICKETS $25 or 5 for $100 | Available by scanning QR code Travel dates and times are subject to availability.

Must be 18 years or older to participate in raffle. Contest rules available at raffle site.

1,000 maximum number of tickets available. A minimum of 100 tickets must be sold for the raffle drawing to take place. If fewer than 100 tickets are sold, the raffle will be canceled, and all participants will receive a full refund. Winners are selected by numerical randomizer software.

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA | 23

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

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.

BRIAN IMFELD Costa Rica Awakening Passion, 2024 Watercolor, Latex Paint, Acrylic & Paper on Panel 18" x 18" | $400

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.

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.

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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

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.

MICAH MULLEN USA An Appearance of Riolobo: In all his Magic and Colors, 2024 Acrylic on canvas 20" x 16" | $825

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.

MYLES BROWN USA CHI LATIN ISLAND, 2024 Mixed Media 11" x 14" | $150

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.

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

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 Lady Natalia Perez Lozano is a visual artist born in meaning of each piece. Through vibrant colors, Ibagué, Tolima, Colombia. She is passionate about symbolic compositions and body expressiveness, exploring emotions, ideas and symbolism through she seeks to convey deep feelings that connect with techniques such as oil, acrylics, watercolors, the viewer.

PATRIZIA FERREIRA Uruguay The Vigil, 2024 Fiber Art/Embroidery 21" x 16.5" x 2.5" | $1,600

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’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

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.

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA | 25

MOZART

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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.

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edicated to the Understanding & Insight of Richard Wagner’s Music UPCOMING EVENTS

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.

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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.

GBH, (c) WGBH 2023 Photo credits: Antiques Roadshow, Meredith Nierman for

So here’s to you for 70 wonderful years!

And stay tuned as the best is yet to come.

With gratitude,

Your friends at PBS North Carolina

YEARS