North Carolina Opera | PORGY AND BESS

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

2022-2023

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

• El Pueblo

• The Justice Theater Project

• Marbles Kids Museum

• 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

• Philharmonic Association

• PineCone

• Raleigh Boychoir

• Raleigh Civic Symphony Association

• Raleigh Little Theatre

• The Raleigh Ringers

• Theatre in the Park

• Theatre Raleigh

• TheGifted Arts

• VAE Raleigh

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.

2022-2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ralph Roberson, Chair

Brigette Wilds, Vice Chair

John Lunsford, Treasurer

Nancy Hablutzel, Secretary

Francis Acquaviva

Joel Adams

Amanda Bambrick

Ria Battaglino

Andrew Blass

Yvonne Bryant

Richard Falvo

Bryan Gilliam

James Gulick

James Hargrove

Douglas Holbrook

C. Thomas Kunz

Candyce Marsh

Carl Nold

Florence Peacock

William Rustin

Richard Sarles

Shohreh Taavoni

Jean Wozencraft-Ornellas

PAST PRESIDENTS 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

The Gershwins®’ PORGY AND BESS®

by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward and Ira Gershwin

World premiere: Boston, September 30, 1935

This production of Porgy and Bess is generously underwritten by Inserv.

HBCU Night at the Opera is sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Co-production with Opera Carolina

Conductor: James Meena

Director: Dennis Robinson, Jr.

Porgy Kenneth Overton

Bess Nicole Cabell

Crown Donovan Singletary

Sporting Life Victor Ryan Robertson

Clara Díana Thompson-Brewer

Jake Kendrick Williams

Serena Michelle Johnson

Maria Lucia Bradford

Mingo Ernest Jackson

Robbins Elliott Brown

Peter (the Honeyman) Johnnie Felder

Strawberry Woman Brittany Currie

Jim George Washington, III

Lawyer Frazier Sean Buggs

Undertaker Jarvis Miller

Annie Kimberly Butler

Nelson Lindon Pearson

Crab Man Jared Payton

Lily Carly Jones

Detective Noah Rice

Policeman Ted Willis

Coroner Scott MacLeod

FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2023 | 7:30 PM

APRIL 16, 2023 | 2:00

Chorus

Lighting Designer

Assistant Director

Fight Director

Production Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager

Technical Director

Properties Master

Costume Coordinator

Sound Designer

Wig and Makeup Designer

Wig and Makeup Assistant

Master Electrician

Supertitle Operator

Rehearsal pianists

Scott MacLeod

Michael Baumgarten

Linda T. Carlson

Dale Girard

Valerie Wheeler

Brenna Skinnon

Nathan Hamilton

Tim Stettler

Pamela McLamb

Denise Schumaker

Sean Loepp

Martha Ruskai

Mark Boley

Kirt Landry

Rachel Stenbuck

Daria Ruzhynska, Kent Lyman, Ben Blozan

Set Design by John Farrell

Costume Design by Ildiko Debreczeni

Scenery, Props, and Costumes by New York City Opera

English captions for Porgy and Bess written and owned by Jonathan Dean, © 2018

Additional support for Porgy and Bess provided by BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina.

PORGY AND BESS is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com

The worldwide copyright in the music of George and Ira Gershwin® for this presentation are licensed by the Gershwin Family.

GERSHWIN is a registered trademark and service mark of Gershwin Enterprises. PORGY AND BESS is a registered trademark and service mark of Porgy and Bess Enterprises.

M North Carolina Opera is funded in part by the City of Raleigh, based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission.

M North Carolina Opera is supported by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County.

M This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Master, Assistant Conductor

Photos by Chris Janaro (l-r) El Pueblo, CAM, NC Museum of History, Town of Zebulon, African American Cultural Festival, Justice Theater Project, IBMA, Hum Sub, WCPSS Pieces of Gold

Porgy and Bess is the great American opera, one that has become an indelible part of our cultural identity. Its hit tunes have spread far beyond the lyric stage and have achieved a familiarity nearly unmatched by other operas. Yet of course this music belongs in the theater, where it describes and inhabits the drama and the characters. We are proud to be presenting this for the first time in our company’s history, and are delighted to be co-producing this with our sister company in Charlotte, Opera Carolina.

We are grateful to InServ for their sponsorship of the production, and to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources for their sponsorship of our second annual HBCU Night at the Opera, an evening that is now on its way to becoming a North Carolina Opera tradition!

We have just announced our 2023-2024 season, which features beloved works of Verdi, Rossini, and Puccini. Subscribing to the whole season is the best way to get the seats you want, and we hope you’ll join us for another fantastic year of opera here in Raleigh.

Thank you, and enjoy the show!

Ralph Roberson Eric Mitchko Board President General Director

PS: Visit the table in the lobby during intermission or after the performance to subscribe to our 2023/2024 season!

Catfish Row, a neighborhood of Charleston, South Carolina, in the 1920s.

The inhabitants of Catfish Row are relaxing after a day’s work. Clara sings the lullaby “Summertime” to her baby. Some of the men shoot craps under the disapproving eye of Serena. Porgy arrives and is about to join the craps game when Crown and Bess arrive. The bully Crown joins the game. Drunk and high on drugs, he loses, starts a fight and kills Robbins in a rage. Crown runs off to hide, telling Bess that he’ll be back for her. The community shuns Bess as they wait for the police. Sporting Life offers to take her to New York with him, but she refuses. Only Porgy is sympathetic. He offers her shelter and his protection, which she accepts.

Robbins’ widow Serena leads the mourners at her husband’s funeral. A collection is being taken to pay for the burial. Porgy enters with Bess. The police officers arrive and accuse Peter, the Honeyman, of Robbins’ murder. Peter tells them that Crown was responsible, but the police arrest him anyway. Bess leads everyone in an exultant spiritual.

A month later, Jake and the other fishermen are mending their nets. Sporting Life enters, but before he has the chance to peddle any of his “happy dust,” Maria, the matriarch of Catfish Row, chases him away. “Lawyer” Frazier sells Bess a divorce, even though she and Crown were never married. Everyone is preparing to leave for a church picnic on Kittiwah Island. Porgy and Bess reflect on their newfound happiness. Porgy insists that Bess should go to the picnic without him.

INTERMISSION

At the picnic on Kittiwah Island, Sporting Life describes his cynical view of religion. The steamboat whistle announces it’s time to leave. Bess hurries along until Crown, who has been hiding on the island since Robbins’ murder, calls out to her. She tells him she now has a new life with Porgy. Crown forces her to stay with him.

Fishermen leave for a day’s work at sea despite a storm warning. Bess is heard talking deliriously from Porgy’s room; she has been feverish since returning from Kittiwah Island. Serena leads the group in prayer for Bess. Her prayers are answered: Bess walks out of Porgy’s home, free of the fever. Different vendors of Catifsh Row peddle their wares. Bess tells Porgy that she wants to stay with him but that Crown will force her to go back to him. Porgy tells her that she doesn’t have to go with Crown, and he and Bess reaffirm their love for each other. The wind begins to rise, and the hurricane bell sounds.

At dawn the following day, everyone has taken shelter in Serena’s room. They pray for deliverance from the hurricane. Suddenly, Crown enters looking for Bess. She refuses Crown mocks Porgy, and ridicules the townspeople. Clara sees Jake’s boat has overturned, and rushes out to save her husband. Bess calls for one of the men to go after her. Crown is the only one to respond.

The next evening, the storm has passed. The women grieve for those who have been lost, including Jake, Clara and presumably Crown. Sporting Life appears and hints that Crown is still alive. Under the cover of darkness, Crown steals in and approaches Porgy’s door, but Porgy is ready for him. They fight, and Porgy kills Crown.

The next afternoon, a detective and the coroner come to Catfish Row to investigate Crown’s murder. They tell Porgy he has to identify Crown’s body. Porgy refuses to go and has to be dragged off. Seeing his moment, Sporting Life convinces Bess that Porgy will be locked up for certain, and he attempts to lure her away to a new life. Desperate about Porgy, she leaves with Sporting Life.

A week later, Porgy returns from jail in a jubilant mood. He calls out for Bess, but there is no answer. Serena and Maria tell him that Bess has gone to New York with Sporting Life. Porgy decides to follow her—he can’t live without Bess. The people of Catfish Row optimistically send Porgy on his way to New York.

STIRRING S BRAVE B POWERFUL P

The thrill of anticipation, the warm buzz of the crowd. The theater lights dim and a performer seizes the stage, grabbing your attention and never letting go.

PBS North Carolina brings the stage to you every week, transporting you to a bold and inspiring world of theater, music and creative expression— no ticket required.

Follow your curiosity pbsnc.org

Great Performances at the Met: Fire Shut Up in My Bones

George Gershwin (1898 – 1937) was the most popular Broadway composer of the day, with numerous hit shows and bestselling songs to his credit. Yet he craved the status and respectability of a “classical” composer, and sought out the approval of such figures as Ravel, Berg, and Stravinsky. One element of this would be to compose an opera, a piece in the established tradition of Carmen or Die Meistersinger. Gershwin brought to the template of opera his matchless melodic gift and sure sense of theater, successfully bridging the gap between classical and popular music at a time when that gap was widening.

In Dubose Heyward’s 1925 novel Porgy, Gershwin found a subject that intrigued him. Heyward’s best-selling novel told the story of Porgy and other denizens of “Catfish Row,” a fictitious African-American neighborhood in Charleston, South Carolina, Heyward’s home. In 1927 Dorothy Heyward, Dubose’s wife, successfully adapted the novel for the stage. The Heywards insisted that all the actors in the play be AfricanAmerican, with absolutely no white actors in blackface. Gershwin kept this rule as he adapted the play into an opera; for decades, Porgy and Bess was the principal vehicle of employment for African-American opera singers. Gershwin visited the Heywards in South Carolina to learn more about Gullah, the language spoken in the low country (the opera uses the Heywards’ own awkward version of this), and to learn about local traditional music.

The compelling music, powerful drama, and affecting characters draw us into Porgy and Bess. Yet at the same time the piece is problematic. Some of the characters can be seen to have their roots in minstrelsy; moreover, this is a work in which white creators depict an African-American community whose salient features seem to be gambling, drugs, and prostitution (and faith). It’s one thing for, say, Leoncavallo in Pagliacci to depict murder and cruelty in the town he grew up in; for Gershwin to come in from New York and show these scenes from Charleston is rather different, and accounts for the mixed feelings the work has elicited since its premiere.

The opera Porgy and Bess opened in Boston on September 30, 1935, and two weeks later moved to New York for a star-studded gala opening. The piece was a hit with the public and with theater critics, less so with music critics. For the original cast Gershwin selected baritone Todd Duncan, a voice professor at Howard University, for Porgy, and Anne Brown, a gifted Juilliard soprano, for Bess. Sporting Life went to John Bubbles, a vaudeville performer. Despite the immediate popularity of the music, the costs of opera production led the show to close after 124 performances, still a respectable run.

Gershwin’s untimely death from a brain tumor at age 38 was a terrific blow to American music, and delayed any possible remounting of Porgy and Bess In 1942 Carol Crawford produced the first Broadway revival, with some significant cuts and adjustments, most notably replacing much of the sung recitative with spoken dialogue (the opposite of what was done to Carmen after its first run). Ten years later, during the Cold War, Porgy and Bess was a strong piece of international diplomacy for the United States, and the State Department sponsored a worldwide tour of the opera that included in the cast Leontyne Price, Cab Calloway, and Maya Angelou. In between those events, the opera received its unlikely European premiere in 1943 in Germanoccupied Copenhagen, sung in Danish translation.

Houston Grand Opera’s landmark 1976 production and recording, along with subsequent national tours, secured the work’s status in operatic circles. The Metropolitan Opera premiere finally came in 1985, with Simon Estes and Grace Bumbry in the title roles; that first Met run included in the role of Maria, Elvira Green, who sings in our production this weekend. These are the first North Carolina Opera performances of the opera, co-produced with Opera Carolina.

– Eric Mitchko

Elvira Green

Donnie Ray Albert and Esther Hinds in the Houston Grand Opera production.

Photo by Martha Swope.

North Carolina Opera extends its deepest gratitude to the following generous individuals who have contributed to making this season possible. This list represents gifts made to NCO between October 1, 2021 and March 31, 2023.

INDIVIDUAL GIVING

PLATINUM PATRONS

Gifts of $75,000 or more

Rosemarie Sweeney and C. Thomas Kunz

Ross W. Lampe Jr.

GRAND UNDERWRITERS

Gifts between $25,000 and $49,999

Anna and James Romano

UNDERWRITERS

Gifts between $15,000 and $24,999

E. T. Franklin Jr.

Rae and James Gulick

Aurora Pajeau

Francine and Ralph Roberson

GRAND SPONSORS

Gifts between $10,000 and $14,999

Mia Kang and Anthony Acquaviva

Susan and Dale Oller

SPONSORS

Gifts between $5,000 and $9,999

Jane and Francis Acquaviva

Joel R. Adams

Chip Anderson

Anonymous

Amanda and Michael Bambrick

Danielle and Andrew Blass

Brigette Wilds and Michael C. Byrne

Jacobi Daley

Donna and Richard Falvo

William L. Hampton

Douglas R. Holbrook

Shohreh Taavoni and Alan Kronhaus

Judith LeGrand

Ria Battaglino and Lawrence Loughlin

Elizabeth and John Lunsford

Barbara McGuire

Amy Moss and Bill Brown

Linda and Wendell Murphy

Florence and James Peacock

Mary Louise and William Rustin

Lois T. Flaherty and Richard Sarles

Holly and Paul Tesar

Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas

PATRONS

Gifts between $2,500 and $4,999

Anonymous

Heather Brown

Virginia and Michael F. Byrne

David Casteel

Ruth and G. Sidney Cox

DD Donates

Mary Owen Fitzgerald

Roy Cromartie and Paul Fomberg

Vivian Clark and Bryan Gilliam

Peter Hamilton

Kim Kotlar and James Hargrove

Karen and Clark Havighurst

Tom Kenan III

Candyce Marsh

Margaret and Bill McCulloch

Robert W. Morrison Jr.

Vicky Kruckeberg and Carl Nold

Susan Osborne and Stephen Reynolds

June and Tom Roberg

Kelley Russell

Edwina Shaw

Sarah and Claude Snow

Cathy and Jim Stuart

Mr. Stephen W. Teitsworth

Susan and Dick Timmons

Alice and Patrick Turner

BENEFACTORS

Gifts between $1,000 and $2,499

Anonymous

Agnes F. Marshall and Robert M. Auman

Susan and David Baker

Larae Bennett

Lauren Kennedy and Charlie Brady

Ruth and Eva Buck

Sandra Cook and Kelvin Currie

Marcella Cooperberg

Anne Prince Cuddy

Cheryl and John Denardo

Georgia and Alec Donaldson

Connie and Bob Eby

John Elmo

Sallie and Joe Exum

Jennifer and John Fogarty

Sofie Franzen-Moyle

Kimberly Gooden

Linda and Rob Grew

William Hamlin Jr.

Lisa and Don Hirsh

Phyllis Pomerantz and Charles Hochman

Brooke and Michael Huckabee

John Idler

Sally and Bill Johnson

Chancy and Keith Kapp

Alan Karr

Moyra and Brian Kileff

Martha and Peter Klopfer

Myra Kornbluth

Ekaterina Korobkina and Robert Golub

Andrew O. Lawrence

Betsy and Steven Levitas

Larry Lisle

The Honorable Nancy McFarlane and Ron McFarlane

Carol and Rick McNeel

Ruth and Abie Ekangaki

Jo Ann Lutz and Lawrence Muhlbaier

Eliza Craft Olander

Carolyn and Peter Olejar

Kellie Falk and Joe Patterson

Rochelle and Stephen Prystowsky

Linda and Orage Quarles

Raleigh Fine Arts Society

Sarah and Terry Reeves

Frances Rollins

Harry Rosenberg

Kay Schoellhorn

Sally Thomas

Sally and Robert Tiller

Ann and Steve Tyler

Josephine Walker

Betsy Blackwell and John Watson

Erna and Bill Womble

Melissa and Bryan Yeazel

SUSTAINERS

Gifts between $500 and $999

Anonymous

Courtney and Scott Baker

Wendy Lapish and John Beck

Sharon and Byron Braswell

Eva Buck

Kay Burgess

The Honorable Ann Marie Calabria and Robert Calabria

Cheryl Thomas

Mary Lovelock and W. R. Chapman

Paula Hostettler and Francis Cianfrocca

Kristin and Roy Cooper

Simmie Kastner and Jerome Davis

Carlos Delgado

Martha Dimes

Pat and Paul Elstro

Douglas Flint

William Gilkeson

Jane and Frank Gray

James Gray

Dotty and Lee Hanson

Joy Heath

Susan and Carl Hibbert

Valerie Hillings and William Scheessele

Caroline and Justin Howe

Eloise Watson and Mark Jalkut

Carol and Rick Johns

Melissa and Robert Johnson

Joan and Howard Kastel

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA SUPPORTERS

Suzanne Kennedy-Stoskopf

Lou and Donald Kline

Annie Lang

Joy Lewis

Dorothy Lichtwardt

Jane Lynch

Amy and David Marschall

Susanna Martin

David Midvidy

Larry Mintz

Elizabeth and Daniel Palmieri

Patricia and Stuart Phoenix

Janet and James Rapp

John Sarratt

Sarah and Steven Shaber

Art Sperry and Paul Otto

Rachel Starr

Emmett E. Stobbs, Jr.

Katherine Swartz

Benjamin Sweezy

Catalina and Eric Vander Elst

Mary Warlick

Diane and Floyd Whitney

Nelson E. Williams

Marylin Ehrenshaft and John Williamson

Carole and Brad Wilson

Rosemary and Smedes York

SUPPORTERS

Gifts between $250 and $499

Judith and Jack Adler

Anonymous

Barbara and Robert Bell

Joyce and David Buening

Helen P. Koo and Richard Bilsborrow

Sarah Beth Briggs

P. Carrigan Byrd, Jr

Julia and Michael Carpenter

Nancy and Tom Carstens

Denice Cline

Ellen Collins-Boyce

Deborah and Andrew Dalgliesh

Mary and George Deaton

Catherine Anderton and José Delgado

Anthony Downs

Ann and Glenn Dunn

Saskia Ziolkowski and Martin Eisner

Ann Erickson

Syntheia Finklepott

Ginger and Ed Finley

Barbara and Rod Gerwe

Ruth Gross and Hans Kellner

Margo Lynn Hablutzel

Jim Konold and Tim Hackett

Anna Bess Brown and Eric Hale

Rich Haney

Emmett and Hubert Haywood

Deborah Huff

Sara Oswald and Eric Hyman

Gail and Eugene Karcher

Deborah and Thomas Keefe

Wendy Kelly

Martha N. Keravuori

Timothy Kuhn

Kathy and Tom Lada

Ross Lampe, Sr.

Lewis Lampiris

Marylin and Don Lummus

Rosmarie Lunsford

Rose and Clifford Meltzer

Christina and Tom Mitchko

Frank Modruson

Betsy and James Neese

Phyllis and Paul Page

Rachel Kaplan and Jeremy Pienik

Melanie Rankin

Marjorie Satinsky

State Employees Combined Campaign

Fran and Jack Steele

Marylin and Hugh Stevens

Dell and Blake Strayhorn

Julie Kelly-Stump and Mark Stump

Perry H. and William A. Suk

Roberta and James Summers

Yvonne Terry

Roberta Titchener

Joe Tooley

Beth and Michael Van Amburgh

Nicole Vetter

Robert Wiley III

Mary Zehr

MEMBERS

Gifts up to $249

Barbara Jasmine Adams

Eugenie Almeida

Carmelle Alipio

Pearla and Gregg Alston

Patricia Anderton

Elizabeth and Thomas Archie

Richard Arnold

Sandra and Mark Barr

Maureen Berry

Denise and Peter Bleckner

Natalie and Gary Boorman

Hermis and Roy Boston

Louise and Charles Bryan

Dawn and David Burtt

Linda and Philip Carl

Dolores and Burton Carnegie

Virginia Clark

David Clegg

Susan and Paul Colman

Larry E. Cox

Sandra Craig

Lester Czukor

Celia Dickerson

Kay Dolphin

Genevieve Domalain

Judith Larson and Henry Dozier

Lori Drum

Jane Duncan

Frank Dworsky

Amy Edge

Margaret and Matt Segal

Jane and Jim Ericksen

Rebecca Brent and Richard Felder

Sally Fessler

Stephanie and Steve Fordham

Katherine Tyson and Mark Foster

Ann Fox

Phyllis and Stephen Gordon

Angela Grant

John Graybeal

Martha and David Green

George Hall

Eva and Sheldon Hamburger

Susan Moore and Doug Hammer

Robin Hammond

Leslie Harris

Jane and Richard Hawk

Michael Edward Heath

Judy and Richard

Gregory E. Hirsh

Linda Whitney Hobson

Eleanor Ninestein and Dwight House

Darrell Jones

Lewis H. Kairys

Kathleen Klesh

Donna Knowles

Peggy and Chuck Korte

Michael Kris

Naomi and Charles Lambert

Brigitte Abrams and Francis Lethem

Margaret Link

Maria and Josmar Lopes

Jodee Nimerichter and Gaspard Louis

Erin Lunsford and Sean Norton

Julian Mann

Connie Margolin

James Marrow

Cindy and Merrill Mason

Margaret Maytan

Earl McClanahan

Judith McDaniel

Emily McNair

Patricia McWaters

Virginia Middleton

Loretta Mitchell

Joan and Gustavo Montana

Maureen and Allen Murray

Eloise and Alan Neebe

Carolyn Nickols

Jane Norris

Paulette Notari

JoAnn and Donald Parkerson

Kathryn Langenkamp and Peter Peroutka

Deborah Ravin

Margaret Rich

Sylvianne Roberge

Rosalind Coleman and James Rolleston

Jane and Thomas Rooker

Susan Royster

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA SUPPORTERS

Susan Russell

Mary and Neil Saunders

Mary Dalton and Bob Schall

Pat and Paul Scheible

Sue Scott

Margaret and Matt Segal

Lucia and John Sehon

Mark Self

Jill Shires and John Aiken

Jennette Skinner

Harriet and John Smith

Susannah and Ralph Smith

Jeff Hall and David Snider

Georgiana and Stephen Snyderman

Libby and Jason Spain

Sam Spence, Molly Spence Ward, and Anna Spence

Timmothy Stammers

Fred Stang

Rachel Stenbuck

Iris and Donald Stoll

Robert Sullivan

Marguerite Summers

Susan Swartz

David Taylor

The Templeton Family

Earleen Thomas

Pamela Trent

Kristina Troost

Matt Tyson

Robert W. Upchurch

Mary Van Name

Jean Renze-Eilers and George Verghese

Derek Via

Wendy Wagner

Hank Wall

Alice Watkins

David Webb

Margaret Weir

Sally and Ron Wenda

Adela and Jerry Whitten

Katie Dixon and Daniel Wilkinson

Marti and Dan Wilson

Katherine and James Winslow

Elaine Wood

Ed Zahurak

Nary and Peter Zimmerman

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA SUPPORTERS

The following is a list of gifts to North Carolina Opera in honor of or in memory of beloved individuals. This list represents gifts made to NCO between October 1, 2021 and March 31, 2023.

GIFTS IN HONOR OF

In Honor of Jane & Fran Acquaviva

Rachel Starr

In Honor of Bill Carroll

Joel R. Adams

In Honor of Philip Hablutzel for Father’s Day 2022

Margo Lynn Hablutzel

In Honor of Bill Hampton’s Board Service

Rosemarie Sweeney and C. Thomas Kunz

In Memory of Ruth Cannon

Loretta Mitchell

In Loving Memory of Dana Ann Hall

George E. Hall, Jr.

In Memory of Don Hunter

Sandra Craig

Lewis Lampiris

In Memory of Ivan Korobkin

Ekaterina Korobkina & Robert Golub

In Memory of Ruth and Thomas Martin

Susanna Martin

In Memory of Tom McGuire

Julian Mann

In Honor of Eric Mitchko

Lester Czukor

In Honor of Susan Oller’s Board Service

Rosemarie Sweeney and C. Thomas Kunz

In Honor of Steve Shaber’s Board Service

Rosemarie Sweeney and C. Thomas Kunz

In Honor of Brigette M. Wilds

Virginia and Michael F. Byrne

MEMORIAL GIFTS

In Memory of June Roberg

Rosemarie Sweeney and C. Thomas Kunz

Robert W. Morrison

In Memory of John Russell

Denise Cline

Betsy and Steven Levitas

Emily McNair

Margaret Smedes Poyner

In Memory of Susan Stoker

Anonymous

PLANNED GIVING FOCUS: Joel Adams

Meeting Joel Adams it is easy to feel his passion for opera. From his knowledge and ease in speaking about the art form, it would also be easy to assume that he grew up in a house filled with music aficionados. Scratch the surface and you will find that, while he made a career out of singing and music (he is a retired choral music teacher,) his story is not unlike those of many of us.

“I grew up in Angier, in rural Harnett County, NC. On entering fourth grade my mother asked me to start piano lessons, but I was reluctant. One could be excused from a class to take private piano lessons back then, in a studio furnished by a public school. (How times have changed!) Not an easy quitter, my mother convinced my best friend’s mother to encourage him to join me in taking lessons and so we both did. The next year, my friend became more interested in sports and decided not to continue, but I was hooked. I couldn’t stop!”

will never forget a soprano was engaged to sing The Holy City. That was the first time I ever heard a soaring voice like that and something inside me flipped on.

attend, and I will never forget one near Easter when a soprano was engaged to sing The Holy City. That was the first time I ever heard a soaring voice like that and something inside me flipped on. Now, you must remember we are talking about a rural farm boy. I drove a tractor long before ever thinking of driving a car. My family had no TV, no telephone, no phonograph, and no recordings. I didn’t know what to do about my newly found passion. Time moved on and I studied piano through the 10th grade.

Joel’s discovered opera was also rather random. “At a young age, I was captivated by the operatic voice rather than opera, per se. In the 1940’s we had cultural assemblies at Angier School where all students would

“In adolescence a friend of my mother’s came to visit from Ohio for an extended period, and she had these old opera recordings with her. She must have brought a phonograph too. She would say ‘Joel come and hear this.’ We listened to recordings of Gladys Swarthout, Blanche Thebom, Lily Pons, Lauritz Melchior and Helen Traubel. That was the first time I heard opera. Those recordings opened a new window in my world!”

When asked “what makes opera so special to you,” Joel replied, “In a nutshell it’s the way it makes me feel inside. It’s an emotion I get from hearing what the human

I

voice is capable of — from the softest pianissimo to the loudest fortissimo on a high “c”. There is something utterly compelling in how a human being can produce sounds like that, controlled and yet capable of singing over an 80-piece orchestra. The experience is euphoric and cathartic, and I get teary-eyed at the sheer beauty of it all.”

Joel began thinking about NCO in his estate plans after 13-years of diligent brainstorming and decided to go to an attorney and make it official. “I wanted to make sure that the financial resources I would leave behind would go to the artistic entities that have shaped and so

enriched my life. I have a son and his family who are remembered in my plans, but I wanted something more left here when I am gone — a part of me still here contributing to the opera and other art forms. It is important to me that in a distant future others know I was here and cared about North Carolina Opera.”

P. CARRIGAN BYRD, JR

If you are considering leaving a legacy with North Carolina Opera, please contact Director of Development, Cary Byrd at 919.792.3852 or at cary.byrd@ncopera.org.

MULTI-YEAR GIVING

Long-range planning is critical to North Carolina Opera’s continued success and growth as we strive to bring the Triangle Area world-class opera productions, performances, and musicians. An essential component of this planning is accurately forecasting contributed revenues from our generous donors — contributed revenues that comprise some 70% of NCO’s budget!

North Carolina Opera is profoundly grateful to the following individuals who have pledged their financial support to the organization over multiple seasons. Please join us in thanking these tremendous donors for their commitment to our current and future success.

DIRECTORS CIRCLE

Individuals having made multi-year pledges totaling $250,000 or more

Rosemarie Sweeney and C. Thomas Kunz

Individuals having made multi-year pledges totaling $150,000 or more

Ross W. Lampe, Jr.

Individuals having made multi-year pledges totaling $30,000 or more

Francine and Ralph Roberson

Individuals having made multi-year pledges totaling $15,000 or more

Joel Adams Anonymous

Danielle and Andrew Blass

Elizabeth and John Lunsford

Lois T. Flaherty and Richard Sarles

Shohreh Taavoni, MD and Alan Kronhaus, MD

Brigette Wilds and Michael C. Byrne

Jeanie Wozencraft-Ornellas

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

Individuals having made multi-year pledges totaling $7,500 or more

Jane and Francis Acquaviva

Vivian Clark and Bryan Gilliam

Roy Cromartie and Paul Fomberg

Douglas R. Holbrook

Candyce Marsh

Individuals having made multi-year pledges to North Carolina Opera

Kim Kotlar and James Hargrove

Melissa and Bob Johnson

Robert Wiley

For information on becoming at part of the Directors Circle or Leadership Circle, please contact the NC Opera office of Development at 919.792.3855 or Cary Byrd at cary.byrd@ncopera.org.

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 made to North Carolina Opera between October 1, 2021 and March 31, 2023.

FOUNDATIONS AND GOVERNMENT

GRAND UNDERWRITER

Gifts of $100,000 or more City of Raleigh

UNDERWRITER

Gifts between $25,000 and $49,999

North Carolina Arts Council

The John William Pope Foundation Wake County

SPONSOR

Gifts between $10,000 and $24,999

The National Endowment for the Arts United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County

CO-SPONSOR

Gifts between $5,000 and $9,999

The George Smedes Poyner Foundation (multi-year pledge)

Triangle Community Foundation’s Carver Fund for North Carolina Opera

SUPPORTER

Gifts between $2,500 and $4,999 Advance Auto Parts Foundation

FRIEND

Gifts up to $2,500

Amazon Smile Foundation

Baird Foundation

Bell Family Foundation

Ella Ann and Frank B. Holding Foundation

Elizabeth and Joseph Kahn

Charitable Fund

Eddie and Jo Allison Smith Family Foundation

Swearingen Foundation

UNDERWRITER

Gifts between $25,000 and $49,999

INSERV

CO-SPONSOR

Gifts between $5,000 and $9,999

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina

Morningstar Law Group*

CORPORATIONS

SUPPORTER

Gifts between $2,500 and $4,999

Elliott Davis, LLC

Galloway Ridge*

Goldman Sachs Matching Program

Ruggero Piano

FRIEND

Gifts up to $2,500

Bank of America Private Bank

K & L Gates RTP

KDB Law Firm

Raleigh Beer Garden

Summit Hospitality Group

York Properties*

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

North Carolina Opera offers special thanks to the following individuals, organizations, and businesses for their support during the last year:

Jane Acquaviva

Naomi André

Carmen Buckner

S. Worth Dunn

Paul Fomberg

Kim Gooden

Judy and Richard Hendrickson

Audrey Hubbard

Valerie Johnson

Abby Jones

Chancy Kapp

Ariana Loughlin

Meredith College Department of Music

Mitchell·Casteel — A Fine Catered Affair

Christina Mitchko

Isabel Mitchko

The Staff of the North Carolina Executive Mansion

Raleigh Music Collective

Dennis Robinson, Jr.

Marco Rodriguez

Anna Romano

Shaw University

Lorraine Snyder and Jerry Espy

Tyanna West

Jeanie Wozencraft-Orenllas

*Denotes sponsors of the 2023 North Carolina Opera Gala

General Director – Eric Mitchko

Director of Development – P. Carrigan Byrd, Jr.

Director of Marketing – Angela Grant

Company Manager – Julie Williams

Production Manager – Linda T. Carlson

Box Office Associate – Rebecca Edmonds

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA STAFF

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

JAMES MEENA CONDUCTOR

James Meena consistently earns critical acclaim for his artistic vision and dynamic presence on the podium in concert, opera and ballet. Mo. Meena serves as Artistic Director for Opera Carolina (Charlotte), and Artistic Director for Opera Grand Rapids.

Recent engagements include acclaimed performances of Turandot in the historic amphitheaters in Siracusa and Taormina (Sicilia), Tosca at the Luglio Festivale Trapani in Sicilia, a double-bill of Rachmaninoff’s rarelyperformed Aleko paired with Pagliacci as well as La fanciulla del West, both with the restored New York City Opera; La fanciulla del West for five prestigious Italian theaters: Teatro del Giglio, Lucca Italy, Teatro Verdi in Pisa, Teatro Alighieri di Ravenna, Teatro Pavarotti di Modena and Teatro Goldoni di Livorno, plus La bohème for the acclaimed Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago Italy, and a Gala concert with Renee Fleming and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra.

Before coming to Charlotte, he was principal conductor for the Toledo Opera, Resident conductor of the Toledo Symphony and conductor for the Cleveland/San Jose Ballet. Mo. Meena has conducted legendary singers Renee Fleming, Denyce Graves, James McCracken, Diana Soviero, Mignon Dunn, Marilyn Horne, Sherril Milnes, Jerome Hines and Marcello Giordani.

DENNIS ROBINSON, JR. STAGE DIRECTOR

Dennis Robinson, Jr. is a sought after stage director and arts administrator. He continues to create a diverse body of work telling stories through music and drama. Dennis’ previous engagements include productions with The Glimmerglass Festival, Pittsburgh Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Toledo Opera, Virginia Arts Festival, New Jersey State Opera, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Trilogy Opera Company, Undercroft Opera.

Outside of opera, he has collaborated with Pittsburgh Playwrights Theater Companyand Kinetic Theater. Dennis currently serves as Director of Programs & Partnerships for Seattle Opera where he leads the organization’s engagement programming and Racial Equity and Social Impact initiatives. Dennis has previously served on the staffs of Palm Beach Opera, City Theatre Company, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

KENNETH OVERTON PORGY

Lauded for blending his opulent baritone with magnetic, varied portrayals that seemingly “emanate from deep within body and soul,” Kenneth’s symphonious baritone voice has sent him around the globe. He is a 2020 Grammy Award winner for Best Choral Performance in the title role of Richard Danielpour’s The Passion of Yeshua with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by JoAnn Falletta. This season, Overton led two productions for the Welsh National Opera, the new work Migrations, and the world premiere of The Shoemaker. Overton reprises his most celebrated role in Porgy and Bess as Porgy, a role he has performed more than 100 times at international opera houses such as the Deutsche Oper Berlin, in the critically-acclaimed production from South Africa’s Cape Town Opera, Palacio Bellas Artes in Mexico City, and L’Opera de Montreal. He triumphed in Tony Award Winning Director John Doyle’s new staging for The Royal Danish Opera in Copenhagen and debuted the role at various houses on tour throughout the British Isles

Kenneth recently made his American Symphony Orchestra debut at Carnegie Hall, and returned to The Kennedy Center with The Washington Chorus as the soloist for Duruflé’s Requiem and Undine Smith Moore’s Scenes from the Life of a Martyr

Upcoming engagements include a concert staging of Porgy and Bess with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra in Hamburg, and solo performances at Harlem Songfest, IlluminArts (Wolfsonian - FIU), and the New York premiere of Adolphus Hailstork’s new cantata A Knee on the Neck at Lincoln Center.

NICOLE CABELL BESS

The 2005 Winner of the BBC Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff and Decca recording artist Nicole Cabell is one of the most sought-after lyric sopranos of today. Her solo debut album, “Soprano” was named “Editor’s Choice” by Gramophone and has received incredible critical acclaim and several prestigious awards, including the 2007 Georg Solti Orphée d’Or from the French Académie du Disque Lyrique.

Recently, she performed with the San Francisco Opera in Così fan tutte, plus a tour of the UK with the London Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Last season included a debut with Opera Theatre of St Louis as Mary in William Grant Still’s Highway 1, USA with Leonard Slatkin and a virtual performance of Britten’s Les Illuminations and Lumee’s Dream, an aria by Ellen Reid, with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Nicole has performed with the world’s leading orchestras, including the London Symphony, Boston Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony and Atlanta Symphony. She has graced the stages of the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Dutch National Opera, and Frankfurt Opera, as well as Carnegie Hall in New York, Minnesota Opera, Detroit Opera, San Francisco Opera and Opéra National de Paris.

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Nicole Cabell’s numerous awards include first place in both the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition and the Women’s Board of Chicago Vocal Competition, semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and first place in the American Opera Society competition in Chicago. She is the winner of the Union League’s Rose M. Grundman Scholarship and the Farwell Award with the Woman’s Board of Chicago.

VICTOR RYAN ROBERTSON SPORTING LIFE

Season highlights include the role of Raymond Santana in Anthony Davis’s Central Park Five at Portland Opera, Alfredo in La traviata at Orlando Opera and I Dream for Opera Carolina. The tenor takes on the two roles of Elijah and Street in X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X at Michigan Opera Theater, in a concert recording with Boston Modern Orchestra Projects for commercial release, and at Opera Omaha in a future season. Victor has sung his signature role, Count Almaviva Il barbiere di Siviglia, at Minnesota Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Manitoba Opera, Portland Opera, Arizona Opera, Opera Carolina, Sarasota Opera, Toledo Opera and with Santa Cruz Symphony.

Other roles in the artist’s repertoire include Tonio in La Fille du Regiment at Lyric Opera of Kansas, Ramiro in La Cenerentola, and the title role in Roméo et Juliette at Spoleto Festival, Fenton in Falstaff at Cleveland Lyric Opera, Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore at Kentucky Opera, title role of Les Contes d’Hoffmann at Dallas Opera, Nadir Les pêcheurs de perles at Toledo Opera, and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi at Opera Carolina.

In Terrence Blanchard’s celebrated 2017 world premiere Champion, Victor inaugurated the role of Benny “Kid” Paret at Washington National Opera, later at Michigan Opera Theatre and at Opéra de Montréal. Also in 2017, made his Metropolitan Opera debut in

their new production of The Merry Widow as Raoul, and in the same year, his Broadway debut in its longest running show, Phantom of the Opera as Piangi. Other significant highlights include the title role of Candide at Opera National de Lorraine in France, the title role of Orpheus at New York City Opera, and Sportin’ Life in Francesca Zambello’s production of Porgy and Bess on tour worldwide; he also appeared as Rodolfo in Zambello’s La bohème at Royal Albert Hall in London.

MICHELLE JOHNSON SERENA

Soprano Michelle Johnson, a Grand Prize Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions where she was described as “a clear audience favorite” (New York Times), has been lavished with praise for her “extraordinary breath control and flawless articulation… Her voice is velvety and pliant – a dulcet dream.”

During the 2021-2022 season, Ms. Johnson made her Boston Lyric Opera debut singing Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, made a role debut with Opera Columbus as Tosca, sang Mimi in La bohème with both the Columbus Symphony and Florentine Opera, made her Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra debut as the soprano soloist in Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, and Mahler’s 4th Symphony, and joined Fort Worth Opera for their Evening of Black Excellence. Other recent engagements include Ms. Johnson’s house and role debut with Chicago Opera Theater as Zemfira in Ramaninov’s Aleko, a featured soloist performance with Madison Symphony Orchestra, a debut with Waterbury Symphony for their Holiday Pops and a return to Chautauqua to perform Strauss’ “Vier letzte Lieder” with Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. Johnson made recent returns to Lyric Fest for “I Hear America Singing”, Sarasota Opera as Madame Lidoine in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites, and Boston Landmark Orchestra as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. She has also made a name for herself as one of the most in demand sopranos for the title role in Aida in the opera world today, performing Verdi’s tragic heroine with Glimmerglass Music Festival, Opera Santa Barbara, Opera Columbus, Knoxville Opera, Opera Idaho, and Sarasota Opera.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

DÍANA THOMPSON-BREWER CLARA

Coloratura soprano Díana

Thompson-Brewer is lauded for her “aplomb and sparkling” vocal pyrotechnics and her nuanced character portrayals. Some of Díana’s operatic credits include Magda (La rondine), Musetta (La bohème), Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte ), Lucia ( Lucia di Lammermoor ) , Zerbinetta ( Ariadne auf Naxos ), Susanna in ( Le nozze di Figaro ), Adele ( Die Fledermaus ), Mlle Silberklang ( Die Schauspieldirektor ), Amy and Beth (Little Women), Eden in the world premiere of Galaxies in Her Eyes , Vi ( Blue Monday ), Mrs. McDowell (Rise for Freedom), and more. Díana has performed with L’orchestre de chambre de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland, Opera Carolina, Greensboro Opera, Mobile Opera, Opera Wilmington, Miami Lyric Opera, Augusta Opera, GLOW, and other regional companies. In addition to opera, Díana has sung the role of Sarah in the musical Ragtime and has been the soprano soloist in 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

This 2022-2023 season, Díana returned to the role of Musetta ( La bohème ) with Greensboro Opera in November, made her role debut with Mobile Opera as Magda ( La rondine ) in March , and will serve as Soprano Soloist in Carmina Burana (Georgia Symphony Orchestra) in May. This Fall, Díana will perform Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Aiken Symphony Orchestra and the University of South Carolina’s Symphony Orchestra. Díana is making her NC Opera and role debut as Clara in this production of Porgy and Bess.

Díana holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Georgia, a Master of Music degree from the University of NC at Greensboro, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Augusta State University. For more information, please visit DianaDarleneThompson. com.

DONOVAN SINGLETARY CROWN

During the past two seasons, Donovan Singletary sang Jake in Porgy and Bess in the productions performed by The Metropolitan Opera, Dutch National Opera and English National Opera in addition to singing Crown in Porgy and Bess with Grange Opera in London and Atlanta Opera, performances of Philip Glass’ Passages

with the Pacific Symphony at Carnegie Hall and the role of Figaro in Minnesota Opera’s Le Nozze di Figaro.

Recent seasons are highlighted by his debut with Teatro alla Scala as Jake in Porgy and Bess under the baton of Alan Gilbert and The Metropolitan Opera in their productions of Giulio Cesare, Un Ballo in Maschera, Macbeth, Salome, Don Carlo, Pelleas et Melisande, Tosca, La bohème, The Enchanted Island, The Tales of Hoffmann , as well as performances with Seattle Opera of Zuniga in Carmen , Monterone in Rigoletto, and Jake in Porgy and Bess where he provided “a beautiful and powerful bass-baritone.” (The Sun Break)

He is a Metropolitan Opera National Council Grand Finals Winner, where he was the youngest male competitor to ever win the competition. He also won the Met’s then-General Director, Joseph Volpe Award. Mr. Donovan is also a graduate of the prestigious Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera and Juilliard School.

LUCIA BRADFORD MARIA

A native of Brooklyn, NY, Lucia Bradford has performed a number of operatic roles including Carmen in Bizet’s La Tragedie de Carmen , Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi , La Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica , The Mother in Ravel’s L’Enfant des Sortileges , Mercedes in Bizet’s Carmen , Mrs. Quickly in Verdi’s Falstaff, The Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Gertrude in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet , Hippolyta in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Miss Todd in Menotti’s Old Maid and the Thief, the Duchess of Plaza Toro in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers, Azelia Dessalines in William Grant Still’s opera Troubled Island, Douglas Tappin’s I Dream as Grandma, and Mary Watkins’ Emmett Till as Mamie Till.

Her concert works include Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de Confessore, Hadyn’s Lord Nelson Mass, De Falla’s El amor Brujo, William Grant Still’s And They Lynched Him, Nathanial Dett’s The Ordering of Moses , Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater, Handel’s Messiah and the Mozart Requiem, Durufle Requiem, Bach B minor Mass with the Voices of Ascension, Mendelssohn’s Elijah at Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society of NY.

Ms. Bradford has had the privilege of singing at Carnegie Hall, the Kimmel Center, Merkin Hall and touring in Russia, Budapest, Spain, the Caribbean and throughout the United States. She also enjoys performing a variety of genres including contemporary opera, jazz, gospel and blues.

KENDRICK WILLIAMS JAKE

Entrepreneur, mentor and singer, Kendrick D. Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music from Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC and a Master’s Degree in Music Performance from Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also the founder of The FORTE Music Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to high school seniors entering college to pursue a degree in voice, along with a Vocal Studio. Williams has performed several roles in operas ranging from the classical works of Mozart to the verismo operas of Puccini. He has appeared in leading roles with Claflin University Lyric Opera, Loyola University Opera Theater, New Orleans Opera Association, Opera Creole, and Opera at USC seen in Porgy and Bess, Die Zauberflöte, Amahl & the Night Visitors, La bohème, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Carmen, Gianni Schicchi & Minette Fontaine. While making appearances with the Charleston Chamber Orchestra and the Louisiana Philharmonic for oratorio works that include Handel’s Messiah and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. On a state and regional platform, Williams has competed in the Atlanta Heritage Festival Solo Spiritual Competition, the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Competition, won for the state of South Carolina in the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM) scholarship competition, the Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition in New York and the Heafner/Williams Vocal Competition. More recently, Williams was seen in Bernstein’s Mass with Opera at USC, soloist of debut work “GLORY”, composed by Grammy-nominated flutist Valerie Coleman and as a soloist for Brahms Requiem, Op. 45 with Columbia Choral Society.

ELLIOTT BROWN

ROBBINS

A native of Bloomfield, Connecticut, Elliott Brown is a proud alumnus of Benedict College, Columbia, South Carolina, where he studied with Dr. Angela Small Blalock. Mr. Brown is currently a student of Dominic Armstrong. Known for his rich timbre and captivating stage presence, Mr. Brown has performed as featured soloist with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, The Hartford Bushnell, Connecticut Opera’s 1998 production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and was a featured soloist for the 105 HBCU Voices of History, The National Black Caucus, and National Anthem soloist for John G. Rowland, former governor of Connecticut More recently Mr. Brown made his role debut as Don

José in Bizet’s Carmen, with Varna International, and has also performed and covered roles in Rossini’s il barbiere di siviglia, Spoletta in Puccini’s Tosca, Verdi’s Aida, and Wesley Harris in Moravec’s Sanctuary Road. He has performed in many recitals throughout the eastern seaboard and abroad, and recently completed an international tour in Rome, Italy and Tokyo, Japan. He was featured on The Word Network; the largest African American Religious Network in the world. Mr. Brown is the 2019 finalist for the Marian Anderson Voice Competition, NANM, and produced and performed in “Soprano”, Angel Blue’s Generation Next. Opera Gala. Lastly, Mr. Brown was the recipient of the 2020 Opera Training Studio Audition Award, and finalist for the New York International Opera Panel Auditions. Most recently, Elliott was a finalist for the 2020 Harlem Opera Theater’s Voice Competition.

KIMBERLY BUTLER ANNIE

Kimberly Butler started her singing career with Charlotte’s Opera Carolina in the 2003 production of Porgy and Bess and is proud to take the stage once again in this production. Her recent performances have included Soprano soloist for Requiem by Michael John Trotta, soloist in I Dream and chorus member in The Falling and The Rising

BRITTANY CURRIE STRAWBERRY WOMAN

An equal lover of both operatic and musical theater repertoire, Brittany Currie has performed the role of Claudette Colvin in Douglas Tappin’s I Dream with Toledo Opera and Opera Carolina. Concert roles include Clara in Porgy and Bess, Christine Dae in an Andrew Lloyd Webber review, and Armelia in Ain’t Misbehavin’. Past leading roles include Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Sister Matilda in Dialogues of the Carmelites, The Witch in Into the Woods, Mrs. Corry in Mary Poppins at Children’s Theater of Charlotte, Sarah in Ragtime, Gina (Tina Turner) in Beehive: The ‘60s Musical, Dragon in Shrek, Griddlebone in CATS, and Medda Larkin in Newsies. Brittany has performed with Broadway Dreams and is an artist with the RWS Entertainment Group.

JARVIS MILLER UNDERTAKER

Jarvis Miller is a resident of Rock Hill, SC, with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance – Voice from Winthrop University. He has been a member of Opera Carolina for 15 seasons as a member of the Opera Chorus Association, cArtwheels and Opera Xpress touring artist, Artist in Residence, and has appeared in nearly 50 mainstage productions, including L’Imperial Commissario in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Jarvis contributes to the musical vitality of the Charlotte, NC

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

region by participating in various musical ensembles including Caritas, Inspirar, and The Royal Voices of Charlotte. Past voice teachers are Jerry Helton, John Fowler, and Victoria Livengood.

SEAN BUGGS

LAWYER FRAZIER

Bass Baritone Sean Buggs began his opera studies at Benedict College in Columbia, SC working on a BA in Vocal Performance under Dr. Angela Blalock. In 2015, he was selected to sing the national anthem for the President. Currently, Mr. Buggs sings with Opera Carolina and as a concert soloist in Columbia, SC and Savannah, GA, with singing engagements that include The Messiah and Seven Last Words of Christ. This past year he made his debut with Opera Carolina in Charlotte as Belcore in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’Amore. Mr. Buggs is from Augusta, Georgia and loves to cook and make people smile by singing when volunteering at a homeless shelter. He aspires to travel the world and one day sing a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera.

JARED PAYTON

CRAB MAN

Jared Payton is a native of Spring Lake, North Carolina and a graduate of Manna University where he studied music and received vocal training from Professor Jordan Tate. His musical training goes back to childhood when he studied under his very own mother, Dr. Denise Payton. Jared performed in the starring role of Amahl and the Night Visitors at the young age of 11. He is the founder and director of the award-winning ensemble Jared Payton and the Voices, which has won critical acclaim in Cumberland County. Jared is the Minister of Music at Cornerstone Christian Empowerment Center, and is also the assistant under his mother at his home church, Bethel AME Zion Church. Jared has won critical acclaim as a dramatic tenor soloist in many oratorios, concerts, and requiems, and received an honorable mention for the International Medici Music Competition 2021 and the golden prize at the Global Genius Music Competition 2022.

ERNEST JACKSON MINGO

American tenor Ernest Jackson has been a principal artist with numerous companies in the US including Atlanta Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Seattle Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Fort Worth Opera. His past roles include Mingo, Nelson, and Robbins in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, Malcolm in Verdi’s Macbeth, Dancaire in Bizet’s Carmen, Villager 1 in Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci

and the German Sentry in Puts’ Silent Night. In May 2020, Jackson would have debuted with Washington National Opera as Nelson in Porgy and Bess, however the production was cancled due to COVID-19. Last season he returned to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for their production of Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up In My Bones. In April 2022, He debuted the role of Police Buddy 2/ Congregant 2 in Tesori’s Blue with Pittsburgh Opera, and recently revisited the role with Toledo Opera.

JOHNNIE FELDER PETER / HONEYMAN

Johnnie Felder is a South Carolina native, and holds bachelor and graduate music degrees from Benedict College and the University of South Carolina, respectively. He has also undergone extensive vocal training in the opera studio of the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria; the American Singers’ Opera Project; and as a solo artist at the Varna International Music Academy in Varna, Bulgaria. Enjoying an ever-flourishing career as a young, vibrant teaching artist, solo, and concert performer, Felder has completed the Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance from the University of South Carolina, and has been featured in bel canto and classic opera roles such as Beppe, Don Ottavio, Nemorino, Tamino, Count Belfiore, and as the Preacher in Opera at USC’s 2018 presentation of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass. He made his European debut in the summer of 2019 in Bulgaria as Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. He is currently on the music faculty at Paine College and Augusta University Georgia.

CARLY JONES LILY

Carly Prentis Jones is a vocalist and theatre artist who has performed on stages throughout the Triangle. She is a versatile artist – spanning opera, musical theatre, classic and contemporary theatre. Some of her most favorite performance credits include: Ensemble in Aida (NC Opera), Camila in In The Heights (NC Theatre); Nettie in Carousel (Theatre Raleigh); Lady In Green in For Colored Girls…, and Dorothy in The Wiz (Burning Coal Theatre); Nettie in The Color Purple, Sarah in Ragtime, and Lily in The Secret Garden (Justice Theatre Project). Carly received her training at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where she earned degrees in Vocal Performance, Black Music History, and Arts Administration. When she is not on stage, she serves as the President + CEO of Artspace in downtown Raleigh.

carlyprentisjones.com

GEORGE WASHINGTON III JIM

A longtime performer with Opera Carolina and the Opera Carolina Chorus in Charlotte, he has been in productions since 1998 including roles in Madame Butterfly, La traviata, Cold Sassy Tree, Tosca, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Rigoletto. He has also performed as a soloist with the Peoria (IL) Symphony Orchestra and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra Lollipops Series. George is a voice actor based in Pineville, NC.

LINDON PEARSON NELSON

A native of Atlanta, GA, tenor Lindon Pearson has been performing with North Carolina Opera since 2008, and more recently appeared in NCO’s 2022 world stage premiere of Campbell and Moravec’s Sanctuary Road Of significance, Lindon is among the ensemble on the NPR Classics’ release of a recording of spirituals, entitled “Angels Watching Over Me” featuring the worldrenowned mezzo-soprano, Denyce Graves.

MICHAEL BAUMGARTEN LIGHTING DESIGNER

Michael Baumgarten has been Opera Carolina’s Director of Production and Lighting Designer since 2005 and has designed lighting for more than 400 opera productions at regional and international opera companies including New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Opera Lyra Ottawa, Manitoba Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Austin Opera, Arizona Opera, Lyric Opera Kansas City, Palm Beach Opera, Toledo Opera, Opera Grand Rapids, Michigan Opera Theater and Virginia Opera. A graduate of the Yale School of Drama and member of United Scenic Artists-Local 829, Mr. Baumgarten is equally at home with digital design and innovative technologies. He has designed and created new digital imagery for over fifteen Opera Carolina productions including Turandot, Les pêcheurs de perles, Nabucco, Macbeth, Roméo et Juliette, La fanciulla del West, and I Dream

SCOTT MACLEOD CHORUS MASTER

Scott MacLeod has served as chorus master for North Carolina Opera since the 2013 production of Aida. He also maintains an active musical career as a singer. Notable solo performances include Frederik in A Little Night Music with Piedmont Opera, the world premiere of Rime of the Ancient Mariner with Carolina Ballet, three tours of Messiah with the National Symphony of Costa Rica, and a solo recital of original compositions by J. Mark Scearce at the historic Municipal House in Prague. On stage with North Carolina Opera he performed Hercules in Patrick Morganelli’s Hercules v. Vampires, Marullo in Rigoletto, and Pangle and Monroe in the North Carolina debut of Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain.

In 2022 he played Father in Piedmont Opera’s production of Ragtime and was featured in North Carolina Symphony’s Independence Day tour and The Polar Express. He also received a state department grant from the US Consulate in Marseille, France, to perform an ocean conservation-themed recital tour, “Musique pour l’Océan” (“Music for the Ocean”), which culminated in a performance in Monaco for Prince Albert II and invited guests; he will repeat this program at the Washington National Gallery on Earth Day 2023.

Scott is Associate Professor of Voice at High Point University, where he received the 2020/2021 “Innovation and Creativity in Teaching” Award. He spent two summers as a guest artist/lecturer in China and was awarded an honorary faculty post at Shaoguan University (Guangdong, China) in 2017.

1ST VIOLIN

Carol Chung

Margaret Partridge

Ariadna Ilika

Anne Leyland

Leah Peroutka

Nonoko Okada

Ashley Kovacs

Krista Cala

2ND VIOLIN

Lucas Scalamogna

Tasi Matthews

Sarah Griffin

Cortney Baker

Robert Rempher

Jaimi Grether

VIOLA

Simon Ertz

Matthew Chicurel

Kristen Beard

Emi Mizobuchi

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA ORCHESTRA

CELLO

Brian Carter

Lauren Dunseath

Erica Leavell

Joyu Lee

BASS

Emily Buccola

Chris Buddo

FLUTE

Erin Munnelly

Abby Simoneau

OBOE

Stephanie Wilson

Carrie Shull

CLARINET

Mike Cyzewski

Kevin Streich

CLARINET/ SAXOPHONE

Gregg Gelb

Jon Goodman

BASSOON

Michael Burns

FRENCH HORN

Emily Schaefer

Aleksandr Serbinowski

Addison Kotulski

TRUMPET

Alex Fioto

Don Eagle

Ganesh Om

TROMBONE

Michael Kris

Wes Parker

NORTH CAROLINA OPERA CHORUS

TUBA

Tony Granados

TIMPANI

Alexander Skov

PERCUSSION

Krista Siachames

Victoria Nelson

BANJO

Drew Lile

PIANO

Daria Ruzhynska

PERSONNEL MANAGER

Paul Gorski

LIBRARIAN

Julia Thompson

WOMEN

Micaela Bundy

Frances Bushman

Kimberly Butler

Brittany Currie

Detra Davis

Danielle Dorsett

Elvira Green

Jondra Harmon

Carly Jones

Stacee Lyles

Monique McLeod

Tina Morris-Anderson

Carmen Robinson

Safiatou Souare

Kellie Williams

MEN

Sean Buggs

Trevor Lamar Davis

Ra’Saun Elliott

Tyquon Garrett

Jarvis Miller

Jared Payton

Lindon Pearson

Reggie Powell

George Washington, III

Markel Williams

SUPERNUMERARIES

Darris Lindsay

Isaac McBean

Lila McBean

Warté Moore

Samir Shakur

Gabrielle Williams

Stan Williams

City Manager – Marchell Adams-David

Assistant City Manager – Evan Raleigh

Director/General Manager – Kerry Painter

Assistant General Manager – Michelle Bradley

Director of Theatre Operations – Christopher Bullock

Director of Finance – Laura Knott

Director of Security – Byron K Johnson II

Director of Operations – Brian Clark

Box Office Manager – Robert Leavell

Assistant Box Office Manager – Gavin Brown

Booking Manager – Melanie Margarum

Marketing Manager – Sarah McAlister

Maintenance Supervisor – Russell Denton

Facilities Supervisor – William Negron

Capital Projects Manager – John Long

Event Settlement Analyst – Keisha Peacock

Production Manager – Lucas Johnson

Production Supervisors – Andrew Armas, Dave McManus, EG Garcia

Front of House Managers – Matthew Hester, Brittany Washington

Operation Staff – Deshondre Bellinger, Alex Brickley, Alex Bryant, Ricky Cherry, Megan Clark, Andrew Crane, Scott Gibson, Michael Green, Robert Hall, Ehhteeku Htaw, Trevor Jordan, Tami Kaufmann, Liberty Lander, Noeree Lander, Lisa Morgan, Hae Paw, Briana Pedroza, Keecia Rouse, Rusty Sharpe, Htee Shee, Mi Than, Mason Tierney, John Verdejo, Luke Watkins

SURVEY OF ARTS & CULTURAL AUDIENCES IN WAKE COUNTY

Please scan the QR code and complete a quick survey about today’s event. This information will be confidentially incorporated into an economic impact report for the county to help prove the financial value of the arts.

This survey is being conducted by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County to measure the economic and social impact of arts and culture on Wake County.

North Carolina Opera wishes to express its deepest appreciation and gratitude to the Co-Chairs of the 2023 Opera Gala for their leadership.

francine netter roberson, sarah snow, cathy stuart, rosemarie sweeney

Through their hard work and generosity, Summertime in Charleston, not only realized the highest attendance of any Opera Gala but broke all records in terms of raising funds to support North Carolina Opera.

NCO also extends its most sincere thanks to everyone

Summertime in Charleston.

And so it begins…

We WON! Jane and Francis Acquaviva

we look forward to seeing each of you at the 2024 opera gala!

The Big Dipper!

Anne Marie Stanley

Anna Nguyen and Ross Lampe

Cathy Stuart, Kelley Russell, and Dell Strayhorn

Tom Kunz, Rosemarie Sweeney, and Eric Mitchko

Anna and Jim Romano

Gooden Group: Warren and Carmella Hart, Robbin King, Joseph and Earlene Briggs, Kimberly Gooden

A third-generation family-owned business serving the Triangle and beyond since 1958. Offering an educational approach to new & used piano selection, piano service & more!

FULL SUITE HOTEL ROOFTOP BAR AND DINING WALK TO DOWNTOWN

Raleigh Downtown

HEART OF GLENWOOD SOUTH SOPHISTICATED DESIGN ROOFTOP BAR

Raleigh Downtown

Whether you're looking to explore a state park, visit a museum event, or step back in time at a historic site, you're in the right place!

We help tell North Carolina's story, which is your story too.

Join us at www.ncdcr.gov to learn more.

DELIVERING SAFE, HIGH-QUALITY, ON-TIME SOLUTIONS.

InServ is a full-service industrial contractor focused on the advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and food and beverage industries.Our work demands attention to safety, commitment to quality, and adherence to schedules.

We specialize in four trades (mechanical, electrical and instrumentation, hygienic piping and process services), working from multiple locations across North Carolina, and for clients across the Southeast.