Tell Tale Heart and Annabel Program Online

T LeL tAlE HEART

Music & Libretto by Stewart Copeland

Music by Deborah Kavasch Libretto by Linda Bunney-Sarhad

OPERA MODESTO GENERAL DIRECTOR

It is exciting to return with our 4th annual Story Into Song Literacy Initiative Production, this year featuring two wonderful works based on the writing of Edgar Allan Poe. We are proud of our nationally unique Literacy Initiative in which great literature (that is currently being taught in schools) is brought to dramatic life through the power of the performing arts and the amazing human voice. This year 2,000 middle school, high school homeschool and university students from three counties who are reading Edgar Allan Poe will experience this production through six school day performances!

Please join us on April 30 for the Opera Modesto 40th Anniversary Gala Concert as we celebrate 40 years as the professional opera company of the San Joaquin Valley. There will be something for everyone in concert filled with great tunes, great singing, stars, chorus and dance.

T T L L e eL L T Ta alle e a aR RT T H He e

I-CHEN WANG STAGE DIRECTOR

n this thrilling dark ted, caring people. me to life if not for the talent and good energy of all the amazing artists involved and everyone at Opera Modesto. It's an honor to meet and work with you all on this opera. I'm very thankful for this.

In TELL TALE HEART, we see what happens to someone after murdering a friend in the name of fighting evil.

The protagonist, Edgar, tries so hard to make sure people hear his side of the story, in which he is a wise man who successfully eliminated the evil blue eye. However, some weird noise that only he could hear gets in his way.

The blue eye in this story reminds me of a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche, "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby becomes a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." The monstrous blue eye could be the reason for the killing, or what Edgar sees in the abyss.

The Tell-Tale Heart is a story about the aftermath of killing a person. Maybe the scariest part is never the accusations of murder or the possible penalty. It's the guilt that grows within one, with the inescapable sound of the heartbeats from the night of the crime, driving one crazy.

T T L L e eL L T Ta alle e a aR RT T H He e

SYNOPSIS

Edgar Allan Poe’s short story follows an unnamed narrator whose psychological state is extremely precarious, though he insists that he is sane. This narrator has murdered an old man who he describes as having a ‘pale blue eye’. This was not a crime of passion, but was carefully planned by the narrator in advance. After the murder, he cuts the body into pieces and hides them under the floorboards of his house. However, the narrator’s psychological state begins to decline as he is haunted by a hallucination in which he believes that he can still hear the old man’s heart beating underneath the floorboards of his house.

In Stewart Copeland’s musical dramatization of the story, the murderer is named Edgar and the old man is named Alan. As part of the psychological echo chamber that is the entire story, Copeland has added a “Shadow Edgar,” a kind of internal doppelganger version of Edgar himself. Other characters help bring the story to life; two policemen and two neighbor women.

In Opera Modesto’s staging, director I-Chen Wang has updated the entire story to a modern courtroom, where Edgar is being tried for the brutal murder of Alan…or is this all in Edgar’s fevered imagination? Additional characters include a judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, court reporter and journalists.

I-Chen Wang offers this guideline to the story: Edgar is upset. Not because he is being escorted by police, nor for being charged with murder. It's the way people talk about his story: they don't seem to appreciate his patience, intelligence, and competence in fulfilling this great plan of eliminating the evil blue eye. It really makes him angry that people think he is crazy (“mad”). Someone has to talk sense to them. And Edgar is ready to make his case.

nnaBeL nnaBeL

ANNALISA WINBERG STAGE DIRECTOR

It is an amazing experience and a great honor to collaborate with a composer and librettist team in creating a new work. It has been a real highlight for me as a director to be actively involved in this opera from its inception.

Poe’s poem was written all in first person and all from the perspective of “The Lover”. Poe didn’t give this narrator a name, but rather an identity. He is the man who loved so truly and sincerely that he could never recover from the death of his sweetheart. "Lover" is both his identity and his fatal flaw. By adding additional characters, we get to see the backstory and experience the tragedy as it is unfolding. The “lover” is transformed into a player, and the ensemble of eight voices (S,A,T,B) take on both the role of the storytellers/Greek Chorus, and at other times they become players in the story (Annabel’s family, Angels, Demons). Allowing the audience to meet Annabel in life gives us a chance to see the joyful, happy moments which Annabel and her love shared, and heightens the tragedy when she dies. The part of the Kinsman, who represents Annabel’s family, gives life to the antagonist, the family who want to keep the sweethearts apart. The ensemble who are now the storytellers, experience their own tragedy as they are

nnaBeL nnaBeL

forced to tell a story that seemingly will not end. The Lover cannot move on in his life, and the storytellers are also caught in this endless woe. They cannotescape the story, and they become changed and damaged by the unending misfortune. By the end of the opera, we have resolution, but it has taken its toll not only on The Lover, but the storytellers as well.

This opera takes place almost completely out of doors. The elements of the cliffs, the sea, the wind, and the storms are all integral to creating the mood of the story. Our set and projections evoke this natural setting, but in a surrealistic way. In a sense, the whole story is created in the mind and the memory of our leading man. Therefore we take some liberties in our setting, and in the physicality of the singers, in order to remind the audience that we are in not just in a tragedy about love, but we are also caught up in the warped and twisted imagination of the protagonist and of Edgar Allan Poe.

The text of Annabel was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's final poem, Annabel Lee, with additional inspiration from other classics of that age, such as works of the Brontë sisters, Emily and Anne. The inventive use of parallel texts in this way serves to meld together two very different ages: the Victorian Age and ours.

nnaBeL nnaBeL

SYNOPSIS

ANNABEL, based on Edgar Allen Poe’s final completed poem, “Annabel Lee,” makes use of repeated fragments from Poe’s poem and their associated musical themes, to create the sense of a dream sequence, even as it moves ever closer to nightmare.

The opera opens to Annabel and her fiancé (“Lover” – a person in love) sharing a glorious waltz on cliffs overlooking the sea. They celebrate their love and their freedom away from disapproving family. They believe that even the angels in heaven covet their happiness. Soon, however, a storm sweeps in, and in her refusal to run from it, already-frail Annabel is chilled. Once the lovers reach their makeshift shelter, she begins to fall very ill. Still, the couple comfort each other with the thought that their love gives them strength, even in the face of the angels’ envy. Bursting upon their cozy scene, Annabel’s Highborn Kinsman demands to take Annabel home, but she refuses to go. The stress of the encounter puts Annabel into respiratory distress, and finally, after the lovers pledge their eternal devotion to each other, she dies. The day of the funeral, the distraught fiancé, excluded from the sad cortège, tries to throw himself upon the funeral bier but is pushed away by Annabel’s Kinsmen. Angels and Demons in Chorus compete for his despondent soul and reflect his emotional turmoil.

nnaBeL nnaBeL

SYNOPSIS

Some years later, he is still at Annabel’s tomb, distraught and taunted by the Demons of his grief. In his mind, he hears Annabel sing of their love and is tempted from despair. However, in the end, he cannot find the grace to move forward into life. His solution for his life’s pointlessness is to join Annabel in death, and to lie down next to Annabel in her coffin.

ANNABEL

CAST

DARBY SCHMIDT

A native to Oakdale California, Darby Schmidt currently attends the Eastman school of music as a junior vocal performance major. In January 2020, Darby performed Maria in Opera Modesto’s Mansfield Park by Johnathan Dove. This past summer she attended the AIMS opera program in Graz Austria. She most recently performed Lyla Lear in Anthony Davis’s Lear on the Second Floor at the Eastman School of Music. As a teenager, she soared to national prominence by winning a prize in the Schmidt Vocal Arts Competition (no relation) and being chosen as one of only 10 participants nationwide for the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s High School Opera Singers Intensive.

CAST CHAD SOMERS

The San Francisco Chronicle recognizes Chad as among the “who’s who of Bay Area operatic luminaries” (SF Chronicle), known for his “uniquely personal and eloquent” performances (Stage Magazine). 2022-23 season sees Chad singing Nicolas in Britten’s St. Nicolas with MBU and Choral Society. He will present the orchestral premiere of Laitman’s Becoming A Redwood with Sonoma Philharmonic. Chad will also appear as the Tenor Soloist in Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2: Lobegesang with Sacramento Choral and Orchestra Society. Recently on the opera stage, Chad appeared as Fritz in Offenbach’s The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein with Pocket Opera and Kudrjaš in West Edge Opera’s Kat’a Kabanova, for which he received specific praise for his “resplendent” singing that brought “freshness and wit to the performance” (SF Chronicle). Collaborations with Jake Heggie, Helmut Lachenmann, Adam Guettel, Matt Curlee, and Lori Laitman. Premiers with West Edge Opera, Opera Modesto, Philadelphia Opera Collective, Philadelphia Composers’ Ink and Eastman School of Music. Winner of the Philadelphia Classical Singer Competition, finalist for Friends of Eastman Opera Competition. He was previously an Artist in Residence at Opera Saratoga. Doctor of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music. When not singing, you can find him hiking through Briones Regional Park with his wife and two children in Martinez, CA.

CAST

JASON DETWILER

With nearly sixty roles to his credit, Detwiler has become well-known for his magnetic and energizing stage performances. His voice and acting have been described as “emotionally fervid”, “richly expressive”, and “commanding”, garnering acclaim as Eugene Onegin, Conte di Luna (Il trovatore), Zurga (Les pêcheurs de perles), and John Proctor (The Crucible) among others. Last season saw the baritone take on Counts Almaviva and di Luna, Owen Hart, Germont, Scarpia, Lescaut, and the world premiere of Aeneas (in Jake Landau’s & Aeterna) in Idaho, New York, New Jersey, and Italy. This spring marks his role and company debut as Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus) with Mississippi Opera. The baritone has performed nationally and abroad with San Diego Opera, Virginia Opera, Wichita Grand Opera, Opéra Théâtre d'Avignon, Teatro Comunale di Narni, Opera Santa Barbara, Opera Parallèle, Syracuse Opera, Sacramento Opera, Opera San Jose, Opera Idaho, Shreveport Opera, Vallejo Symphony Orchestra, and the Boise Philharmonic among others. Mr. Detwiler is a 2023 Idaho Commission on the Arts recipient and studies with New York’s Andrea DelGiuduice. He currently lives in Boise, Idaho with his wife, mezzo-soprano Michele Detwiler.

CAST

ROSA ARANDA

Rosa Aranda is an emerging professional performing artist (singer/actress). She earned her BA in Music from CSU Stanislaus in 2021 and has since been performing across the central valley as a freelance musician for weddings and special events. She was in two productions with Lightbox Theatre of Turlock last year: Aesop’s Fables (as Sid), and The Night Fairy (as Spider). She also had the pleasure of singing in Playhouse Merced’s We Are Merced showcase, the International Heritage Festival in Modesto, and one of Red Tie Arts Summer fundraiser dinners. Rosa has been involved in several productions with Opera Modesto including Bless Me, Ultima (as Ruca Trementina), La Boheme, La Cenerentola, and Frankenstein (in association with Central West Ballet and Prospect Theater Project). She received a scholarship from CSU Summer Arts and was fortunate to attend their intensive course AfroCaribbean Jazz: From Bomba to Timba at Fresno State University which culminated in a showcase concert where she sang a solo with a big band an unforgettable experience. Rosa teaches voice and beginner piano lessons at Valentine’s Music School in Los Banos and currently studies voice with Annalisa Winberg. She would like to thank her scholarship donors, sponsors, and supporters for all the wonderful opportunities: Red Tie Arts, CSU Summer Arts, Opera Modesto and Judy Deidrich for their support and inspiration. Si se puede!

CAST

MICHAEL BALERITE

Michael Balerite native, having recently graduat e is a sophomore at Modesto Junior College studying music. He has been studying voice under Annalisa Winberg since 2013, and has performed with Opera Modesto since 2018, participating in all their Summer Opera Institutes and mainstage productions as a chorus member since that year, and starring as The Bear in the world premiere of Opera Modesto's SISLI youth opera THE RACE in 2020. He has studied stage acting in an unorthodox way, through his captaincy of the speech and mock trial programs at his high school, on top of his work with Opera Modesto. He recently sang as the sole American representative with the Voices of Tolerance, a musical initiative of the Emirati Ministry of Tolerance, singing for international dignitaries and royals at Expo 2020 Dubai in 2022. He currently serves as a resident artist at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Modesto under the direction of Svetlana Avetisyan, working as a cantor, conductor, and pianist for their adult and Filipino choirs. He hopes to pursue a career which intermixes his love of music with his interests of liturgics, FilipinoAmerican culture, law, and international relations.

CAST

ASHLEY DAHLIN

Ashley Dahlin is a ng her musical journey when sh Opera Players at the age of 7. Fr ated in many Townsend produ throughout school, & landed her first lead role as Meg in the Beyer/Johansen High production of Little Women during her Junior year. She has also participated in shows with MJC & MPA. She is currently involved with Opera Modesto & has participated in their productions of Carmen & The Magic Flute, as well as our Celtic Diaspora Concert this past spring. Ashley can also be found soloing at the local Christian Science Church along side her father who mentored her passion for music.

CAST

ALLISON HARRIS

Allison is a 4-tim p p p Modesto’s youth program, the Summer Opera Institute, and a participant in the film “The Race” , which was filmed in the midst of Covid-19 and eventually received numerous film awards for its production. After her long history with the performing arts, she is now a student at Brigham Young University pursuing Vocal Performance. Allison is taking part in ensemble roles in both Tell Tale Heart and Annabel.

CAST

LUCA MITCHELL

Luca Mitchell is a SU Stanislaus in the music program as a vocal performance major. He studied voice under Analisa Winberg throughout high school, performing in the opera chorus for The Barber of Seville, Carmen, Madame Butterfly, and Our Town as well as the role of Mr. Rushworth in the Orchestral premiere of Mansfield Park. He has been singing throughout high school in local performance venues, at fundraisers, in folk and culture festivals, and at his own High school concerts and musicals. Luca has also had the privilege to perform in the CCDA honor choir up to the All-state level. At CSU Stanislaus, Luca is studying under Dr. Joseph Wiggett to further his vocal study, performing with the CSU Chamber Singers and the CSU Concert Chorale. In addition to vocal performance, Luca plays the piano, composing and giving private lessons.

CAST

STEPHANIE ORTIZ

Stephanie Ortiz B the California’s central valley, 23-year old soprano Stephanie Ortiz is an emerging young artist known for her radiant vocalism and engaging stage presence. Stephanie has performed in dozens of Opera Scenes productions at Stanislaus State University in addition to her work with the University Chamber Singers and the Jazz Ensemble. Some of her favorite roles in scenes she has performed include the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Frasquita in Carmen, and Maria in West Side Story.

Outside of her university studies, she also cantors for two churches and teaches voice lessons. In 2019, Stephanie competed in the NATS vocal competition, winning first place in the Classical Division category ages 17-20. Future engagements include her role as a member of the soprano ensemble in Opera Modesto’s world premiere of the newly commissioned opera, Annabel, by the award-winning composer, Dr. Deborah Kavasch, as well as preparing for a Senior recital that is set to take place next Spring. Stephanie is currently a senior in the Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance degree at CSU Stanislaus, where she studies voice with Dr. Joseph Wiggett.

Originally from Bake , nia, Christopher Rodriguez is an emerging baritone whose work spans a diverse repertoire. He has recently performed the roles of Antonio and Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro), Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Sam (Trouble in Tahiti), Narciso (Bless Me, Ultima), and created the roles Stanton (State of Jefferson) and Everybody (Lucinda y las Flores de la Nochebuena).

An avid concert singer, Christopher has recently sung the baritone solos for Peter Maxwell Davies’ Eight Songs for a Mad King, Herbert Howells’ Requiem, Ligeti’s Aventures, Duruflé’s Requiem, and Fauré’s Requiem. On the opera stage, later this season he will sing Le Dancaïre (Carmen) with UNT Opera. He attended California State University, Fresno, where he received his Bachelor and Master of Arts in Vocal Performance, and was the inaugural recipient of the Edna Garabedian Vocal Performance Award. Christopher is currently a second-year doctoral student and Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas.

CAST

JONATHAN SAATMAN

Jonathan Saatman is a professional tenor specializing in operatic and classical singing. He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from CSU Sacramento where he performed the role of Rinuccio in the Opera Theater Program's production of Gianni Schicchi, and is looking forward to playing the role of Prince Charming in its spring production of Viardot's Cendrillon.

He placed 2nd in Opera Modesto's 2022 Kristina Townsend Memorial Competition and was awarded with an honorable mention the year prior. He performed in the ensemble of Opera Modesto's 2021 production of Bless Me, Ultima and is very excited to be returning for Annabel and Tell Tale Heart.

ARTISTIC TEAM

I-CHEN WANG

I-Chen Wang (she/they) is an international stage director and projection designer based in NYC. Her directorial view ties closely to her observation and personal experiences navigating national and gender identities as a Taiwanese woman. She creates through various forms, including new plays and experimental operas. She holds a BA in drama from the National Taiwan University of Arts (NTUA) and an MFA in directing from the New School of Drama. i-chenwang.com

ARTISTIC TEAM

ANNALISA WINBERG

ANNALISA WINBERG – Stage Director (Annabel) and Opera Modesto’s Artistic Director. She is an international opera singer who has performed with many orchestras and opera theatres around the world, including the Dallas Opera, Boston Opera Theatre, German National Theatre of Weimar, New Israeli Opera, Tirole Festspiele, National Theatre of Guatemala, New York Opera Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and many others. She was part of the Albanian national Wagner premiere, performing both Elizabeth and Venus in Tannhaüser. She sang in Arjuna’s Dilemma in Nepal, performed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Patan Durbar Square. She starred as Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth with Opera Panama in a unique site-specific UNESCO World Heritage Site production in the ruins of Panama Viejo.

Annalisa has directed Modesto’s productions of the US premiere of Sotelo’s Dulcinea, La Cenerentola, The Magic Flute, La Boheme, Rigoletto, Carmen and Madama Butterfly. Next season, she will direct a reprise of both of the two one-act operas in Opera Modesto’s 23-24 Story Into Song Literacy Initiative, Dulcinea and Bless Me Ultima, as well as Tosca at the Gallo Center for the Arts. She is a founding director of Opera Modesto’s Summer Opera Institute training program for teens.

ARTISTIC TEAM

LIISA DÁVILA

Liisa Davila has gained momentum as a conductor, attracting national and international recognition. Ms. Davila began conducting with Opera Modesto as the Chorus Director in 2013 and continues to hold this title with the company. In 2018 she added the position of Assistant Conductor and she conducts staging rehearsals for Opera Modesto’s main-stage opera productions such as Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, Rigoletto, and Die Zauberflöte. With the development of the company’s youth program, the Summer Opera Institute for Teens, Ms. Davila started to lead musical rehearsals and added the position of Musical Director for the summer program in 2022, leading over twenty teens through their opera scenes program with repertoire spanning from the baroque to modern opera. With the benefit of such an active local opera company Ms. Davila has had the opportunity to develop conducting through twentieth and twentyfirst century operas with their Story Into Song Literacy Initiative such as Mansfield Park by Jonathan Dove, Bless Me,Ultima by Hector Armienta, Dulcinea by Mauricio Sotelo, and a newly-commissioned youth opera by Deborah Kavash, The Race.

ARTISTIC TEAM

LIISA DÁVILA

Due to the pandemic altering original plans to produce this new youth opera, Opera Modesto produced the work as an opera movie. Ms. Davila led the orchestra and young singers through recording sessions for background tracks for the singers to act to for the filming of the movie. The Race went on to earn over 80 national and international awards including an award to Ms. Davila as the Winner in the conducting category from the Milan Gold Awards in 2021. Ms. Davila conducted a new ballet, Frankenstein, in October 2022, a collaboration with Central West Ballet, Prospect Theater Project and Opera Modesto

ARTISTIC TEAM

YI-HSUAN MA（ANT MA）

Taiwanese, a scenic and production designer. She is interested in exploring the relationship between characters and the environment, involving the audience's participation immersively in storytelling.

Coming from a different culture and background of literature training, her approach to design is interdisciplinary and inclusive.

https://yihsuanma.wixsite.com/ant-setdesign

ARTISTIC TEAM

VANCE WHITAKER

Vance Whitaker has been the resident makeup artist, wig master, and occasional special effects artist for Opera Modesto for over 30 years. In his first show for Opera Modesto he created blood-squirting straight razor blades for SWEENEY TODD. He has designed makeup for theater companies throughout the valley, including the lizard suits and makeup for SEASCAPE at Prospect Theater Project, Disney’s Beast for YES Company’s production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, tattooed dancers for CABARET for Modesto Performing Arts, and many others. In 2020 he won a Makeup and Hairstyling Award from The Florence Film Awards for Opera Modesto’s “The Race” . His current non-makeup project can be seen in the lobby as he has faithfully re-created Edgar Allan Poe’s Gravestone.

ARTISTIC TEAM

SHANNON CARMACK-MIZE

Shannon is a local costumer who’s been costume designing as the lead costumer on over thirty shows for six different companies for roughly ten years now. Five years before that she walked into the costume shop at her kids youth program and said, “I’d like to help but I don’t know how to sew.” Now, she can sew an entire ballgown in one afternoon. Shannon is a big fan of sustainable costuming. Almost every piece on the stage for these two shows started life as something else. And most everything is modified or adjusted in a way that the piece can continue to be used on stage in other capacities for future shows. Art should never be disposable.

ARTISTIC TEAM

SARAH GUADALUPE HOSNER

Sarah Guadalupe Hosner is a professional theatrical production specialist and instructor working in the performing arts and specialized events for more than 40 years. She produced the first 10 years of the very successful Valley Talent Project and two years of the popular A Very Choral Christmas for the Gallo Center for the Arts among numerous other private and specialized events in the region.

She is a lecturer in Theatrical Stage Management and Indigenous Perspectives in Theatre at California State University Stanislaus in Turlock. Sarah is extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this production.

ARTISTIC TEAM LARRY

ZABEL

Larry first came to the world of theater as a singer and has performed many different roles in musical theater and non-musical theater during the last six decades. Three decades into his theater life, he developed a strong interest in backstage activity which culminated in working for twenty years as a theater technician at Modesto Junior College. Since retiring in 2006, he has used the variety of skills gained in a theater environment to upgrade and then sail a large sailboat to Mexico where he lived and puttered on the boat (as his wife likes to call it) for about five years.

Returning to the area around 2015, Larry has slowly renewed his connection to the Modesto theater world where he has performed several stage roles – singing and non - and built some small productions in the last few years. Productions he has built include Rigoletto, Mansfield Park, The Magic Flute, and La Boheme for Opera Modesto and Little Women for Gallo Center Repertory Company. He also enjoyed performing onstage in productions of Rigoletto and The Magic Flute.

ARTISTIC TEAM JORDAN WILLIAMS

Jordan Williams is an active pianist across the San Joaquin Valley. He has been involved with musical theatre productions at the Selma Arts Center, Fresno State, Blossom Trail Players (Sanger), Center Stage Clovis, StageWorks Fresno, and Reedley's River City Theatre Company as rehearsal pianist, show pianist, or music director at various times. His recent projects include La Cenerentola (Opera Modesto, rehearsal pianist), Into the Woods (Blossom Trail Players, rehearsal and orchestra pianist), and RENT (Fresno State, music director).

Jordan received his Bachelor of Arts (2014) and Master of Arts (2016) degrees in Piano Performance from Fresno State. He is currently the Minister of Music at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Selma where he also directs an ecumenical community church choir, coordinating events for the ensemble in the City of Selma. In addition, he coordinates a concert series at the church, giving local artists opportunities to share their talent with the community in traditional concert settings.

ARTISTIC TEAM MARGARET ZABEL

Margaret received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from San Francisco State University where she worked with singers and instrumentalists as a staff accompanist. Forty years ago, she moved to Modesto where she became involved in music productions with Modesto Junior College, Modesto Performing Arts, Denair Gaslight Theatre, and Townsend Opera Players which is now Opera Modesto. In the early ‘00s, she met Roy Stevens and Annalisa Winberg when they invited her to accompany them in a local recital. More recently, Ms. Winberg offered Margaret the rare opportunity to play the role of the accompanist in Master Class which was produced by Prospect Theater Project in 2018.

Since retiring from a career in the construction industry, Margaret has been pleased to remain active as a piano accompanist for Opera Modesto’s main stage production rehearsals and various other performances. She is especially thrilled to be part of the Summer Opera Institute program which has become a unique and special activity in the lives of the students it serves and the staff who support them.

1st VIOLIN Kathleen Gallagher

2nd VIOLIN Brittany Thorne

VIOLA Joshua Choi (1/14/23) Wayland Whitney CELLO Eric Sheaffer

BASS Jim Dell FLUTE/PICCOLO Xin Jing OBOE Terry Halvorson

CLARINET/BASS CLARINET Luis Cruz BASSOON Taylor Sabado

FRENCH HORN Ron Crisco (1/14/23) Braydon Ross HARP Matthew Verona

PIANO Jordan Williams

PERCUSSION Fernando Barragan

TIMPANI Christopher Harris

Story Into Song Literacy Initiative Sponsors ANNABEL Sponsor

City Ministry Network

Denise Jaynes & Associates

Kiwanis Club of North Modesto Foundation Leamer Family Chiropractic Modesto Irrigation District Modesto Kiwanis Modesto Rotary Club Foundation Red Tie Arts

The State Theatre

HHillari DeSchane, PoeCon Committee

Jim Beggs, PoeCon Committee

Lynne Marcus, PoeCon Committee

Alex Sugar, Raymus Foundation

Franklin & Downs Funeral Home

Mayol and Berringer Law Offices

Mercy Spring Ranch

Mistlin Art Gallery

MOCSE Credit Union

Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center

The Village Butcher

Townsend Opera League

Kristi Ah You

Tiffany Baxter

Kathryn Casey

Pat Clark

Joe Cortez

Tony Delgado

Lorraine Headrick

Jennifer Hindman

Tom Hindman

Ben Hoover

Dan Ogden

Aaron Rowan

Shirlee Rudell

Robert Saunders

David Schroeder

Anastasia Schultz

Josia Schultz

Katarina Schultz

Marla Schultz

Michael Cohn-Schultz

Micah Schultz

Rick Schultz

Wendy Scott

Jan Smith Cody Stark

MM & Shel Thompson

Wewouldalsolik thankour donors andaudiencefortheircontinuedsupport.

Norm VanSpronsen & Nancy Silva

Gala 40anniversary th

Join Opera Modesto and a star-studded cast of singers as we celebrate 40 years of opera in the Central Valley.

Erik “Buck" Townsend founded Townsend Opera Players in 1983, and here we are! Whether you've been a fan since the beginning or are brand new to Opera Modesto productions, you won't want to miss this extraordinary afternoon of famous opera hits—arias, duets, choruses and instrumental interludes. And lots of great memories, too!