North Carolina Opera | THE PASSION OF MARY CARDWELL DAWSON
CO-CHAIRS
KAY SCHOELLHORN
ROSEMARIE SWEENEY
SATURDAY MARCH 15, 2025
THE PARK ALUMNI CENTER AT NC STATE CENTENNIAL CAMPUS
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
BEYOND THE STAGE
ALL WEEKEND
Special Exhibit: Mary Cardwell Dawson – Building The Stage Through artifacts, photographs, and narratives, Building the Stage highlights Dawson’s determination to create opportunities for Black opera singers in the mid-20th century, at a time when access to the arts was severely limited for African Americans. The exhibit celebrates Dawson’s contributions to the world of opera, and will be on display in the lobby throughout the weekend. Doors open 90 minutes prior to each performance.
Building the Stage exhibit originally designed for and created by The Denyce Graves Foundation.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13
The Theater is a Sanctuary: Exploring Mental Health, Self- Expression, and Healing Through Art Join Darkness RISING Project, artists, mental health advocates, and community leaders to explore how the performing arts create safe spaces for self-expression, emotional healing, and fostering mental well-being. The conversation will delve into the transformative power of storytelling and performance in addressing mental health challenges, breaking stigmas, and cultivating community. Darkness RISING will share their insight on how they have utilized creative expression through their organization, to provide mental health resources and tools to those navigating life’s complexities, empowering through advocacy, and those actively rising to REBUILD. This discussion will follow the Friday evening performance and is free for Friday night ticketholders.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14
Honoring the Legacy of Mary Cardwell Dawson: Equity and Access for Black Musicians in Opera and Classical Music NC Opera’s Engagement Coordinator, Micaela Bundy, hosts artists, music historians, and representatives from The Denyce Graves Foundation to discuss systemic inequities that continue to limit access for Black musicians in opera and classical music. The conversation will highlight the role of HBCUs and other institutions in nurturing Black talent, and successful initiatives for increasing diversity in classical music through the role of mentorship, scholarships, and community programs. This event will follow the Saturday evening performance and is free for Saturday night ticketholders.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15
Trusting Your Voice and Standing Your Ground: A Roundtable Discussion with Angela Connor, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of ASCENDING Magazine Mary Cardwell Dawson’s refusal to perform in segregated venues required immense trust in her own voice, and an unwillingness to relent in the face of pressure. We’ll chat about how outside influences often make us question ourselves, and ways women in the workplace can focus on self-reliance and trusting their own judgment over outside opinions. This discussion will follow the Sunday matinee performance and is free for Sunday afternoon ticketholders.
THE PASSION OF MARY CARDWELL DAWSON
Play by Sandra Seaton
Original music by Carlos Simon
Text for original music by Sandra Seaton Commissioned by the Glimmerglass Festival
Mary Cardwell Dawson Denyce Graves
Frank Johnnie Felder
Isabelle Diana Thompson-Brewer
Phoebe Taylor-Alexis Dupont
Pianist Donald Lee, III
Director Kimille Howard
Lighting Designer Jessica Drayton
Music Director Donald Lee, III
Stage Manager Dustin Z. West
Production Manager Linda T. Carlson
Properties Master Pamela McLamb
Master Electrician Charlie Raschke
Costume Coordinator Denise Schumaker
Wig and Makeup Director Martha Ruskai
Original Sound Design Andrew Harper
Sound Designer Sean Loepp
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2024 | 7:30 PM
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2024 | 7:30 PM
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2024 | 2:00 PM
A.J. FLETCHER OPERA THEATER
MARTIN MARIETTA CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Scenery designed by James F. Rotondo III
Costumes designed by Jessica Jahn
The scenery and costumes were originally created for the Glimmerglass Festival
The Passion of Mary Caldwell Dawson
The Play and Text for the original music of The Passion of Mary Caldwell Dawson,
Produced by arrangement with Sandra Seaton, Carlos Simon, The Barbara Hogenson Agency, Inc., and Bill Holab Music
The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson is generously underwritten by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and by the John William Pope Foundation.
North Carolina Opera is funded in part by the City of Raleigh, based on recommendations of the Office of Raleigh Arts.
This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
The performance will last approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.
FOCUS ON PHILANTHROPY
EMPOWERING VOICES — THE IMPACT OF GIVING ON EQUITY IN THE ARTS
When Mary Cardwell Dawson founded the National Negro Opera Company in 1941, her mission was clear: to give Black artists a stage they’d been denied elsewhere and to uplift voices that had long been marginalized. Her pioneering work created opportunities where there were none, setting a powerful precedent for diversity and inclusion in the arts. Today, North Carolina Opera continues in this spirit, striving to ensure that every voice has a chance to be heard and celebrated.
Your support plays a critical role in this mission. Donations to North Carolina Opera not only help bring incredible stories like The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson to life, but also fuel programs that champion inclusion in the arts. Philanthropy enables us to provide educational outreach, support emerging artists, and produce works that reflect a broad range of experiences and voices.
When you give, you are investing in a future where the arts are inclusive, accessible, and representative of the diverse world we live in. Just as Mary Cardwell Dawson opened doors for the next generation of singers, your contribution helps us continue that legacy, creating space for the next trailblazing artists to shine. Together, we can build a vibrant, equitable cultural landscape that honors the past and looks boldly toward the future.
Join us in empowering the next generation of voices. Make a gift today at ncopera.org/ donate to ensure everyone has a chance to take center stage.
Production photos by Eric Waters.
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 October 1, 2023 and November 15, 2024.
INDIVIDUAL GIVING
DIAMOND PATRON
Gifts over $100,000
Rosemarie Sweeney and C. Thomas Kunz
GOLD PATRON
Gifts between $50,000 and $74,999
Ross W. Lampe Jr.
SILVER PATRON
Gifts between $25,000 and $49,999
Nancy and Philip Hablutzel
UNDERWRITER
Gifts between $15,000 and $24,999
Amanda and Michael Bambrick
Paul Fomberg and Roy Cromartie
Jacobi Daley
E.T. Franklin, Jr.
Rae and James Gulick
Judith LeGrand
Elizabeth and John Lunsford
Amy Moss and Bill Brown
Francine and Ralph Roberson
GRAND SPONSOR
Gifts between $10,000 and $14,999
Joel R. Adams
Anna and James Romano
Mary Louise and William Rustin
Cathy and Jim Stuart
Shohreh Taavoni and Alan Kronhaus
Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas
SPONSOR
Gifts between $5,000 and $9,999
Jane and Francis Acquaviva
Chip Anderson
Kelvin Currie and Sandra Cook
William L. Hampton
Douglas R. Holbrook
Mia Kang and Tony Acquaviva
Chancy and Keith Kapp
Dr. Bill and Dr. Margaret McCulloch
Vicky Kruckeberg and Carl R. Nold
Susan and Dale Oller
Aurora K. Pajeau, MD, MPH
Drs. Lois T. Flaherty and Richard Sarles
Nerre Shuriah
Holly and Paul Tesar
Brigette Wilds and Michael C. Byrne
John Williamson
PATRON
Gifts between $2,500 and $4,999
Anonymous
Heather Brown
Ruth Buck and Eva Buck
Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Byrne
Ruth and Sidney Cox
Anne Faircloth and Fred Beaujeu-Dufour
Mary-Owens Fitzgerald
Vivian Clark and Bryan Gilliam
George E. Hall, Jr.
Peter Hamilton
Kim Kotlar and James Hargrove
Karen and Clark Havighurst
Emmett and Hubert B. Haywood, III
Thomas Kenan III
Larry Lisle
Patricia McWaters
Robert W. Morrison
Linda and Wendell Murphy
Susan Osborne and Stephen Reynolds
Tom Roberg
BENEFACTOR
Gifts between $1,000 and $2,499
Carol and Robert Bilbro
Amna Cameron
Linda Carlson and Cheryl Thomas
David Casteel
S. Worth Dunn, III
Connie and Bob Eby
Sallie and Joe Exum
Sofie Franzen-Moyle
James Gray
Paula S. Greenman
Margo Lynn Hablutzel
William F. Hamlin, Jr.
John Hammond
Phyllis Pomerantz and Charles Hochman
Sally and William Johnson
Stefanie Kahn
Martha and Peter Klopfer
Ekaterina Korobkina and Robert Golub
Guy Lampe
Jo Ann Lutz and Lawrence H. Muhlbaier
Jane Lynch
Ruth Mokeba-Ekangaki and Abie Ekangaki
Susan Moore and Doug Hammer
Nelson Oyesiku
Florence and James Peacock
Jane Pinsky
Kelley Russell
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sandman
John Sarratt and Kathy Klotzberger
Kay Schoellhorn
Sarah and Steve Shaber
Patrick Shanahan
Edwina Hardy Shaw
James S. Stringfellow
Sally and Robert Tiller
Susan and Dick Timmons
Edmund Tiryakian
Gary Travis
Ann and Steve Tyler
Josephine Walker
Mary Warlick
Diane and Floyd Whitney
Rosemary and Smedes York
SUSTAINER
Gifts between $500 and $999
Judith and Jack Adler
Perri Anderson
Agnes F. Marshall and
Robert M. Auman
Sharon and Byron Braswell
Earlene and Joseph Briggs
Stanford Brown
Governor and Mrs. Roy Cooper
Simmie Kastner and Jerome Davis
Cheryl and John Denardo
Martha Dimes
Frank Dworsky
Elizabeth and Joseph Kahn Charitable Fund
Donna and Richard Falvo
Alison and Ken Faulkner
Douglas Flint
Patricia Friedman
John Gaitenby
John Gebhardt
Brenda and Ron Gibson
Kimberly Gooden
Ruth Gross and Hans Kellner
Dotty and Lee Hanson
Susan and Carl Hibbert, Sr.
Martha Hsu
Mark Jalkut and Eloise Watson
Melissa and Robert Johnson
Mary and Rick Kane
Deborah and Thomas Keefe
Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf
Martha N. Keravuori and Chuck Galle
Moyra and Brian Kileff
Lou and Donald Kline
Kathy and Tom Lada
Andy Lawrence
Joy Lewis
Dorothy Lichtwardt
Carolyn Maness
Susanna Martin
Sarah and Frank Moorman Advised Fund of the Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc.
Carol and Rusty Parks
Melanie Rankin
Janet and James Rapp
Christie Roeder
Frances Rollins
Chapman Williams and Carter Skinner
Rachel Starr
Fran and Jack Steele
Emmett E. Stobbs, Jr.
Sally Thomas
Lee Whitener
Suzanne Whitmeyer
Ginny Zehr
NORTH CAROLINA OPERA SUPPORTERS
SUPPORTER
Gifts between $250 and $499
Anonymous (2)
B. Jasmine Adams
Eugenie Almeida
Kelly and Landy Anderton
Susan and David Baker
Lee Baker
Anna Ball Hodge
Joel Buccellato
Steven Burke
Dawn and David Burtt
P. Carrigan Byrd, Jr.
The Honorable Ann Marie Calabria and Robert Calabria
Linda and Philip Carl
Mary Lovelock and W. R. Chapman
David Clegg
Deborah and Andrew Dalgliesh
Mary and George Deaton
Georgia and Alec Donaldson
Gayle Eisner
Saskia Ziolkowski and Martin Eisner
Ann Erickson
Mary Ann Felton
Ellen Fort
Mair Glosson
Jim Konold and Tim Hackett
Leslie Harris
Greg Hirsch
Deborah Huff
Carol and Rick Johns
Valerie Johnson and Linda Edwards
Rachel Kaplan and Jeremy Pienik
Timothy A. Kuhn
Annie Lang
Betsy and Steven Levitas
James A. and Elaine Lewis
Rosemary Lunsford
Jordan Malik
Amy and David Marschall
Patty Matthews
Larry Mintz
Eric Mitchko
Christina and Thomas Mitchko
Alistair Nevius
Carolyn and Peter Olejar
Fran Page
Linda Pukenas
Susan Russell
Meg and Matt Segal
Susannah Smith
Perry and William Suk
Yvonne Terry
Roberta Titchener
Pamela Trent
Lizbeth and Jean-Marie Videau
Katherine and James Wilson
MEMBER
Gifts up to $249
Virginia Adams & Martin Salzman
Robin and Dwight Allen
Lydia Alleyne
Pearla and Gregg Alston
Trish Anderton
Susi Lieff and Arthur Axelbank
Cortney and Scott Baker
Helen Koo and Richard Bilsborrow
Peter Bleckner
Natalie and Gary Boorman
Hermis and Roy Boston
Anne Margaret and Richard Braham
Anna Bess Brown and Eric Hale
Louise and Charles Bryan
Jean Carden
Linda and Philip Carl
Dolores and Burton Carnegie
Bill Carroll
Rosalind Coleman and James Rolleston
Sandra Craig
Tammy and Bill Crook
Judith Bruno and Michael Cyzewski
Tanya and Alonzo Dean
Catherine Anderton and
José Delgado
Yvonne DeWald
Susanne and Robert Dodder
Genevieve Domalain
George Douglas
Lori Drum
Amy Edge
A.R. Edmonson
Karen Edwards
Jennifer Errande
Dr. Richard Felder
Sally Fessler
Katherine Tyson and Mark Foster
Caryl Glickman
Phyllis and Stephen Gordon
Angela Grant
Lynne and Cory Grant
John Graybeal
Dr. Gilbert Greggs
H.M. Guttmann
Robert Hablutzel
Eva and Sheldon Hamburger
Carl and Sue Hamill
Rich Haney
Elizabeth Hely and Bruce Simon
Sharon Henderson
David Hoover
Eleanor Ninestein and V. Dwight House
Barbara Houze
Sara Oswald and Eric Hyman
Yana James
Lewis H. Kairys
Jo and James Kalat
Gail and Eugene Karcher
Jason Karn
Joan and Howard Kastel
Deborah and Thomas Keefe
Lubomyra Sawczyn and Tadeusz Kleindienst
Kathleen Klesh
Peggy and Chuck Korte
Michael Kris
Lewis Lampiris
Lynda and Charles Lankford
Brigitte Abrams and Francis Lethem
Alexandra LoBianco
Maria and Josmar Lopes
Erin Lunsford and Sean Norton
Rebecca and Scott MacLeod
Erica Manley
James Marrow
James May and Richard Cox
Margaret Maytan
Courtney Miller
Bob Mitchell
Eileen and James Mitchell
Loretta Mitchell
Allen and Maureen Murray
Lynda R. Myers
Elizabeth Nackley
Jodee Nimerichter and Gaspard Louis
Connie O’Neil
Cheryl Ann Peterson
Renna Pye
Mona Roberts
Susan Royster
Marjorie Satinsky
Stephen Schaeffer
Pat and Paul Scheible
Meg and Matt Segal
Barbara Smalley
Georgiana and Stephen Snyderman
Donald Stoll
Susan Swartz
Earleen Thomas
Allison Tolksdorf
Joe Tooley
Kristina Troost
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
Alexander Zakel
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
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 October 1, 2023 and November 15, 2024.
HONORARY GIFTS
In Honor of Jane and Fran Acquaviva
Rachel Starr
In Honor of Nancy Hablutzel
Margo Lynn Hablutzel
Robert Hablutzel
In Honor of Nancy and Phil Hablutzel
Margo Hablutzel
In Honor of Joanne Kearney
Devon Kearney
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 Amy Moss
Judith and Jack Adler
In Honor of Carter Skinner and Chapman Williams
Margaret Weir
In Honor of Brigette Wilds
Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Byrne
In Honor of Brigette Wilds and her support for tickets for underrepresented individuals Advance Auto Parts Foundation
MEMORIAL GIFTS
Marjorie Satinsky
James S. Stringfellow
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!
THE NORTH CAROLINA OPERA LEGACY SOCIETY
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 to North Carolina Opera between October 1, 2023 and November 15, 2024.
FOUNDATIONS • GOVERNMENT • CORPORATIONS
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
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 Freedom Forum
Meredith College
Morningstar Law Group
The Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation
Walter Family Foundation
Gifts between $2,500 and $4,999
Advance Auto Parts Foundation
Cornerstone Custom Printing
English Speaking Union of the United States –
Research Triangle Branch
The FabFoo
Galloway Ridge at Fearrington
International Young Artists Project
The Juliette Club
King’s Auto Service, Inc.
Mitchell•Casteel - A Fine Catered Affair -
The Pavilion at the Angus Barn
George Smedes Poyner Foundation
Triangle Wagner Society
Gifts up to $2,499
Ella Ann and Fank B. Holding Foundation
Opera America, Inc.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
North Carolina Opera would like to thank
Jane Acquaviva
Carmen Buckner
Carolina Ballet
David Casteel
Ellen Fort
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
Maggie Gina
Audrey Hubbard
Abby Jones
Angel Kelley
Barbara McGuire
Patricia McWaters
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
Meredith College Department of Music
Charlie Mitchko
Maya Nelson
Lorraine Snyder
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
I knew, from my own family, that there were stories that had not been told. After speaking with Karen Bryan, Mary Cardwell Dawson’s biographer, and delving into the life of this remarkable woman, I was fired with the ambition to write a play that would dramatize this world of “unrecorded history,” the world of Mary Cardwell Dawson, a woman whose life story challenges generally held assumptions about African Americans of her era, assumptions about gender roles and the contributions of African Americans to the arts. This play is my tribute to a woman who would not allow herself to be defined by racism but who would instead live fully, dedicated to her art, whatever the obstacles.
During the era of segregation, middle-class white people would rarely come in contact with African Americans who were teachers, doctors, morticians, businesspeople or even more rarely an artistic director of an opera company. Typically, only maids and servants would come to a white family’s home. My family, and many others like them, lived behind the veil in a whole society hidden from view.
In The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, I was channeling my mother, my grandmother and their friends in order to create a world of real people, not bound by racial stereotype, but portrayed in their actual circumstances, a way of life entirely different from views held about African Americans during that era. I ask the audience to help me pull the veil aside, take my hand and enter the world of Mary Cardwell Dawson.
DENYCE GRAVES
MARY CARDWELL DAWSON
Recognized as “an operatic superstar of the 21st century” by USA Today, mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves’ career has garnered unparalleled popular and critical acclaim. Ms. Graves’ acclaimed appearances as Carmen and Dalila in Samson et Dalila have resounded in the world’s greatest opera houses, and her success has been recognized in notable television appearances, interviews, masterclasses, and magazines. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution exclaims, “If the human voice has the power to move you, you will be touched by Denyce Graves.”
In the 2023-2024 season, Ms. Graves returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Sally in The Hours and makes her Seattle Opera debut in Das Rheingold as Erda. In addition, Ms. Graves will be the director for the world premiere of Loving v. Virginia with Virginia Opera in a co-production with the Richmond Symphony for their 2024-2025 season.
In the 2022-2023 season, Ms. Graves returned to Minnesota Opera and The Glimmerglass Festival for her directorial debut in two new productions of Carmen. Minneapolis’ Star Tribune wrote, “...in her first directing job, opera star Denyce Graves delivers a superlative staging.” Ms. Graves also returned to the Metropolitan Opera in Peter Grimes as Auntie and in the world premiere of The Hours as Sally, as well as the title role in Glimmerglass Festival’s production of The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson. In recital, Ms. Graves continues to collaborate with Laura Ward, notably presenting her recital program Cotton with Lyric Fest and Washington Performing Arts where she was presented with the Inaugural Ruth Bader Ginsburg Memorial Fund Award.
Her full opera recordings include Gran Vestale in La vestale, recorded live from La Scala with Riccardo Muti for Sony Classical; Queen Gertrude in Thomas’s Hamlet for EMI Classics; Maddalena in Rigoletto with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra under James Levine; and Emilia in Otello with Plácido Domingo and the Opéra de Paris, Bastille Orchestra under MyungWhun Chung, both for Deutsche Grammophon.
Ms. Graves is a native of Washington, D.C., where she attended the Duke Ellington School for the
Performing Arts. She continued her education at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory. She is the Artistic Director and Founder of The Denyce Graves Foundation which aims to promote equity and inclusion in American classical vocal arts through an unprecedented approach: championing the hidden musical figures of the past while uplifting young artists of world-class talent from all backgrounds. The foundation has been featured on Good Morning America and The New York Times Style Magazine for its successful programs. Ms. Graves’ dedication to the singers of the next generation continues to be an important part of her career; she is a member of the voice faculty at the Peabody Institute, and a distinguished visiting faculty member at The Juilliard School.
Please visit the artist’s website at thedenyce gravesfoundation.org.
JOHNNIE FELDER FRANK
American Tenor, Johnnie J. Felder, is a native of Vance, South Carolina and holds bachelor and graduate music degrees from Benedict College and the University of South Carolina respectively. In 2022, Mr. Felder earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance. Felder has also undergone extensive vocal training in the opera studio of the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria, and in the soloist program of the Varna International Music Academy Festival (VIMA) in Varna, Bulgaria. An expressive opera singer known for his impressive range, lyricism, and captivating vocal power, Felder made his 2019 European debut in Varna, Bulgaria as Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. Felder’s leading roles include Beppe in Donizetti’s Rita, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni (Mozart), Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore (Donizetti), Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (Mozart), and Collin in L’amant Anonyme (Bologne). Most recently, Felder was an inaugural member of the Spoleto Festival USA Choral and Vocal Fellowship (Charleston, SC). Felder was a featured member of the brilliantly captivating chorus in the world premiere of Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’ opera, Omar, conducted by Maestro John Kennedy. He made his North Carolina Opera debut as Peter in Porgy and Bess
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
Felder stepped in, at a moment’s notice, for renowned tenor, Paul Groves, in three performances on the Spoleto Festival Chamber Music Series in a world premiere of 5 Songs of Stevie Wonder with internationally acclaimed pianist, composer and arranger, Stephen Prutsman.
Felder is a Principal Resident Artist with Opera Carolina (Charlotte, NC) and has been featured as Reverend Jessie Jackson in I Dream (Douglas Tappin), Peter/Honey Man in Porgy and Bess (Gershwin), and Frank/Don Jose in Carlos Simon’s The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson
DIANA THOMPSONBREWER ISABELLE
Díana Thompson-Brewer’s professional credits include the roles of Magda in Puccini’s La rondine, Musetta in Puccini’s La bohème, Eden in the world premiere of Galaxies in Her Eyes, Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Clara in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (the role of her North Carolina Opera debut), Zerbinetta in Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, Susanna in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro , Mlle Silberklang in Mozart’s Die Schauspieldirektor, Beth & Amy in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Adelle in Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus, Vi in Gershwin’s Blue Monday, and Mrs. McDowell in Hailstork’s Rise for Freedom. She has sung with L’Orchestre de Chambre de Genève, Opera Carolina, Opera on the James, Greensboro Opera, Mobile Opera, Augusta Opera, Opera Wilmington, Miami Lyric Opera, GLOW, and other regional companies and festivals. In addition to opera, Díana has been a soprano soloist in Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Haydn’s The Creation, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Cantata 4, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War, Vivaldi’s Magnificat, and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. She also made her professional Musical Theatre debut as Sarah in Flaherty’s iconic musical Ragtime. Díana has been teaching privately for over 15 years and served as Interim Director of Opera and Voice at a local college in her hometown just last year. Dr. Thompson-Brewer holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Georgia (Presidential
Fellow), a Master of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Augusta State University, all in Vocal Performance.
TAYLOR-ALEXIS DUPONT PHOEBE
Hailed by The Washington Post as a singer with a “beautifully rich & spirited” voice, mezzosoprano Taylor- Alexis DuPont is a First Prize Winner of the 2023 Lotte Lenya Competition & the recipient of the inaugural Rebecca Luker Award from the Kurt Weill Foundation in 2021. Taylor-Alexis is proud to have been involved in the Grammy Award winning production of Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera in their 2019-2020 season. Other performance highlights include the roles of Phoebe in The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson with Washington National Opera, Hannah in the world premiere of Ruinous Gods at the Spoleto Festival, Musetta in La Boheme with Florida Grand Opera, the Archangel Gabriel in the world premiere of Damien Geter’s Holy Ground with the Glimmerglass Festival, Flora in La traviata with Cincinnati Opera, Isabella in L’italiana in Algeri with Hawaii Opera Theatre and The Witch in Into the Woods with Union Avenue Opera.
DONALD LEE III PIANIST, MUSIC DIRECTOR
American Conductor and Pianist Donald Lee III is quickly becoming known for his versatility and charisma both on the podium and at the keyboard. Lee has appeared in concert with the Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Lee has been engaged as a cover conductor with the Gateways Festival Orchestra and Des Moines Metro Opera. Recent productions include Salome, Carmen, Champion, and the world premiere of American Apollo. Recent highlights as a pianist include appearing as soloist with the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra, and recital performances with tenor Lawrence Brownlee and baritone Will Liverman.
As an advocate for the performance of new music by under-represented composers, Lee has conducted the music of Jasmine Barnes, Damien Geter, and Carlos Simon. Lee appeared as the guest conductor for Montgomery Presents The Blacknificent 7, part of the CSO MusicNOW concert series. He also conducted the first workshop of The Highlands, a new opera by Carlos Simon, Lynn Nottage, and Ruby Aiyo-Gerber at Cincinnati Opera. As a pianist, Lee has been a part of the creation of six new operas through Opera Theater St. Louis’ New Works Collective. He was also the pianist for Will Liverman’s The Factotum , improvising in multiple genres throughout the opera.
Lee previously studied conducting with Enrique Mazzola and Emanuele Andrizzi, and studied piano from Awadagin Pratt. Lee holds degrees from James Madison University and University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Lee was the inaugural conductor/pianist member of the Ryan Opera Center, the training program of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
KIMILLE HOWARD DIRECTOR
Kimille Howard is a director, deviser, writer and filmmaker. She’s an Assistant Stage Director at the Metropolitan Opera, Artistic Director of the Lucille Lortel Theatre’s NYC Public High School Playwriting Fellowship, and a founder of the Black Diaspora Theatre Collective. Recent directing credits: Orlando the musical (Theatre Row), Two Corners (Finger Lakes Opera), The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson (Glimmerglass/ Washington National Opera, Opera Carolina/ Pittsburgh Opera), The 2024 New Works Collective (Opera Theatre of St. Louis), Sanctuary Road (Virginia Opera), The Oscar Micheaux Project (The National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival), Treemonisha (Opera Theatre of St. Louis), Songs in Flight (Sparks and Wiry Cries/Met Live), The Italian Girl (Tulsa Opera), American Apollo (DMMO), B.R.O.K.E.N Code B.I.R.D Switching (Berkshire Theatre Group), Quamino’s Map (Chicago Opera Theater). Her work has also been seen at The Village Theater, Bay Street Theater, Clear Space Theater, Playwrights’ Horizons, 59E59, Wolf Trap Opera, Cherry Lane Theatre, among others. Broadway: Ain’t Too Proud (Assistant Director) Met Opera: Champion, Die Zauberflöte, Porgy and Bess,
Tosca (Assistant Stage Director). Fellowships: NYTW 2050 Fellowship, MTC Jonathan Alper Directing Fellowship, New York Stage and Film’s inaugural NYSAF NEXUS project. She is a recipient of OPERA America’s 2023 Robert L. B. Tobin Director-Designer Prize and won Best Direction of a play for the 2022 BroadwayWorld Berkshires Award. kimillehoward.com
SANDRA SEATON PLAYWRIGHT
Sandra Seaton is an awardwinning librettist and playwright. Her libretto for the solo opera From the Diary of Sally Hemings, set to music by composer William Bolcom and commissioned by mezzo soprano Florence Quivar, has been performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and a number of other venues. A video with soprano Alyson Cambridge can be viewed on the Glimmerglass Opera Website.
In January 2020, the opera Night Trip, music by Carlos Simon and libretto by Sandra Seaton, premiered at the Kennedy Center. Among her fifteen plays, The Bridge Party, Seaton’s first play, portrays a group of Black women who fight to maintain their dignity and sense of self in the face of racism. Seaton’s other works include The Will, about a Black family during Reconstruction, her Civil Rights era play Music History or a Play about Greeks and SNCC in 1963, Call Me By My Name, a performance piece about Henrietta Lacks, Sally, a one-woman drama, in which a determined Sally Hemings recalls her life with Jefferson, the spoken word piece, King: A Reflection on the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with spirituals sung by tenor George Shirley, and Chicago Trilogy, three one-act plays featuring Dr. Shirley.
The First Bluebird in the Morning, with Carlos Simon, about a prisoner soon to be paroled, premiered with LA Opera. Seaton’s ploratorio, Dreamland: Tulsa 1921, with composer Marques L.A. Garrett, published by Just A Theory Press, was nominated for the 2023 Pulitzer Prize.
For additional information, go to sandraseaton.com.
CARLOS SIMON COMPOSER
“My dad, he always gets on me. He wants me to be a preacher, but I always tell him, ‘Music is my pulpit. That’s where I preach,’” Carlos Simon reflected for The Washington Post. Having grown up in Atlanta, with a long lineage of preachers and connections to gospel music to inspire him, GRAMMY-nominated Simon proves that a well-composed song can indeed be a sermon. His music ranges from concert music for large and small ensembles to film scores with influences of jazz, gospel, and neo-romanticism.
Simon is the current Composer-in-Residence for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and frequently writes for National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera. Simon also holds the position of inaugural Composer Chair of Boston Symphony Orchestra, the first in the institution’s 143year history.
In the 2024/25 season, Simon will have premiere performances with National Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra for the Last Night of the Proms (in his BBC Proms commissioning debut), Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Carnegie Hall for National Youth Orchestra of the USA. The season also features the premiere of Simon’s Good News Mass with Gustavo Dudamel and LA Philharmonic, a work reimagining the traditional mass with gospel soloists and choir, with visual creations from Melina Matsoukas (Beyoncé Formation, Queen and Slim).
This follows previous commissions from the likes of San Diego Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera (in collaboration with Mo Willems), New York Philharmonic and Bravo! Vail, Minnesota Orchestra, American Ballet Theatre, and Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
As well as his composition work, Simon frequently curates concert programs, which often highlight his own music as well as that of close collaborators. Curation concerts have recently been programmed
by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Boston Chamber Players, Tanglewood Festival for Contemporary Music, and Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Simon also curated and arranged Coltrane: Legacy for Orchestra, a new project co-commissioned by TO Live (for Toronto Symphony Orchestra) and San Francisco Conservatory of Music, in partnership with the Coltrane Estate.
August 2024 saw the release of Simon’s first full-length orchestral album, Four Symphonic Works, comprised of live concert recordings by National Symphony Orchestra from the Kennedy Center Concert Hall, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Simon also composed the original soundtrack for the PBS documentary Shame of Chicago: Shame of the Nation, which was released as a digital album in April 2024.
Simon was nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for his previous album, Requiem for the Enslaved. The requiem is a multi-genre musical tribute to commemorate the stories of the 272 enslaved men, women, and children sold in 1838 by Georgetown University, released by Decca in June 2022. This work sees Simon infuse his original compositions with African American spirituals and familiar Catholic liturgical melodies, performed by Hub New Music Ensemble, Marco Pavé, and MK Zulu.
Simon earned his doctorate degree at the University of Michigan, where he studied with Michael Daugherty and Evan Chambers. He has also received degrees from Georgia State University and Morehouse College. He is an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Sinfonia Fraternity and a member of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Society of Composers International, and Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society. He has served as a member of the music faculty at Spelman College and Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia and now serves as Associate Professor at Georgetown University. Simon was also a recipient of the 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization to recognize extraordinary classical Black and Latinx musicians, and was named a Sundance/Time Warner Composer Fellow for his work for film and moving image.
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
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
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edicated to the Understanding & Insight of Richard Wagner’s Music
UPCOMING EVENTS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 12, 2025, 2:00PM
Francesca Zambello: LIVE LECTURE ON Wagner’s Tannhäuser
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
All TWS programs are recorded and made available to members and paying guests so they can listen at their convenience.
Darkness RISING, a 501(c)3 arts and mental health nonprofit. Empowering Minds, Healing Communities
Check out our FREE programs and resources for the NC community:
• Darkness RISING: Live - May 17, 2025, Moore Square
A Broadway-style block party bringing joy, entertainment, and access to mental health resources directly to communities of color.
• Find Me a Therapist - findmeatherapist.org
Connecting individuals to FREE culturally competent Black mental health professionals with options for low-cost and sliding scale services.
• REBUILD
Supporting individuals returning from incarceration with free, culturally sensitive therapy to reduce recidivism and foster healing.
• Wellness Workshops
Interactive experiences featuring singing, dance, sound baths, and mental health education for holistic self-care.
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