The Listeners Program Book

SEPTEMBER 25, 27, 29, 2024 ACADEMY OF MUSIC

AMERICAN PREMIERE OPERAPHILA.ORG

CURTIS OPERA THEATRE

The Comet / Poppea Nov. 1–2 at 7:00 p.m., Nov. 3 at 2:00 p.m.

23rd St. Armory Experience the East Coast premiere of The Comet / Poppea with Curtis Opera Theatre. This unique production blends MacArthur-winner George Lewis’ operatic adaptation of W.E.B. Du Bois’s The Comet with Claudio Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea, presented on a rotating stage that immerses you in both worlds simultaneously. Directed by fellow MacArthur-winner Yuval Sharon and featuring Curtis’ talented singers, this performance promises a captivating visual and sonic journey.

2024/25 Season: Great to Groundbreaking Step into the heart of our centennial celebration as Curtis unveils a season brimming with passion, energy, and greatness.

Tickets from $24 | Full performance calendar: curtis.edu/100

THE LISTENERS Music by Missy Mazzoli Libretto by Royce Vavrek Based on an original story by Jordan Tannahill Claire Devon Paul Devon Ashley Devon Howard Bard Kyle Harris Angela Rose Dillon Hortense Thom Vince Danica Coyote Sina Emily Bram Theresa Alvarez Mrs. Moreno Jess Lee Ann Offstage Voice Student 1 Student 2 Conductor Director Choreography Set Design Costume Design Lighting Design Projection Design Sound Design Hair and Make-up Design Chorus Master Dramaturgy Stage Manager

Nicole Heaston* Troy Cook Lindsey Reynolds Kevin Burdette Aaron Crouch Rehanna Thelwell John Moore Lucy Schaufer Joseph Lim* Daniel Taylor Diana Newman* Sydney Donovan Jessica Beebe Taylor-Alexis DuPont* Zachary Altman Guadalupe Paz* Alissa Anderson Amanda Sheriff* Lauren Cook John David Miles Matteo Adams Michael Miller Corrado Rovaris Lileana Blain-Cruz* Raja Feather Kelly* Adam Rigg Kaye Voyce Yi Zhao* Hannah Wasileski* Daniel Neumann* Amanda Clark Elizabeth Braden Cori Ellison Jennifer Shaw

*Opera Philadelphia debut Performed in English with English supertitles Co-commissioned and co-produced with Norwegian National Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago Opera Philadelphia’s 2024-2025 Season is brought to you by the Artistry Now Matching Fund and Barbara Augusta Teichert Academy of Music productions are made possible with support from Judy and Peter Leone and Ms. Lisa D. Kabnick and Mr. John H. McFadden Major support for The Listeners has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Female Composers program, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, Stephen A. Block, Robert N. Braun, M.D., Marcus Innovation Fund, and Ashley and Eli Wald By arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.

OPERA PHILADELPHIA STAFF LEADERSHIP An thony Roth Costanzo, General Director & President Corrado Rovaris, Jack Mulroney Music Director Dr. Derrell Acon, Vice President of People Operations & Inclusion Ve ronica Chapman-Smith, Vice President of Community Initiatives David Levy, Vice President of Artistic Operations Gi na J. Range, Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Ken Smith, Chief of Staff Lawrence Brownlee, Artistic Advisor

Aubre Naughton, Major Gifts Officer Jeffrey Mason, Guest Services Manager Co lby Calhoun, Development Relations Coordinator Ad rian Heningburg, Institutional Giving Coordinator Yi mika Osinulu, Marketing Communications Coordinator Coniyah McKinney, Guest Services Associate Frank Luzi, Public Relations Consultant Haeg Design, Graphic Design La ura Jannetta, Marketing & Digital Content Intern

MUSIC Mi chael Eberhard, Director of Casting & Artistic Administration Sa rah Williams, Director of New Works & Creative Producer El izabeth Braden, Chorus Master & Music Administrator Grant Loehnig, Head of Music Staff J. Robert Loy, Orchestra Librarian & Personnel Coordinator Na than Lofton, Orchestra Contractor & Personnel Manager

COMMUNIT Y INITIATIVES Christa Sechler, Education Manager Al ex Graham, Education & Accessibility Coordinator Ab by Weissman, Assistant Manager of Youth and Community Programs Chloe Lucente, Teaching Artist Elizabeth Gautsche, Teaching Artist Valentina Sierra, Lead Teaching Artist Chabrelle Williams, Community Arts Facilitator Dr. Lily Kass, Scholar in Residence Julian Nguyen, T-VOCE Accompanist Whitney Covalle, T-VOCE Director Dan Amadie, Backstage Pass Consultant

PRODUCTION Bridget A. Cook, Director of Production Drew Billiau, Director of Design & Technology Stephen Dickerson, Technical Director Millie Hiibel, Costume Director Em ily Wanamaker, Artistic Operations Coordinator

PEOPLE OPERATIONS & INCLUSION Ca therine Reay, Director of Employee Engagement SCENE Daniel Jin Applebaum Courtney Beck Cordelia Istel Gwyneth Muller

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Re becca Ackerman, Senior Director of Development Claire Frisbie, Director of Marketing Michael Knight, Director of Guest Services Derren Mangum, Director of Institutional Giving Adele Mustardo, Director of Events Aisha Wiley, Director of Research St even Humes, Associate Director of Advancement

FINANCE Jeremiah Marks, CFO Client Consultant COUNSEL Ballard Spahr, LLP, General Counsel 4

DEAR FRIENDS You’re at the opera!

I can’t tell you how excited I am that you’re here.

For the past 30 years, I have devoted myself to this art form as a singer and now as a leader, and sometimes in life you have to take a step back and ask yourself, “why?” If I think hard about it, I realize there are probably three reasons.

First, I love how collaborative the final product is. What you’re about to see on stage of course contains music and theater, but there is also art in the set design, fashion in the costumes, technology in the way things work behind the scenes, poetry, history, sociology, philosophy – it’s all there. Second, I think that seeing human stories with the emotional backdrop of incredible music helps create more empathy in us. We can feel someone else’s joy or pain, and we can see ourselves in another character’s journey. Third, and I know this sounds cheesy, I really believe that art can change our lives. It gives meaning, it gives context, and live performance especially is the antidote to so much of the isolation we can feel.

Photo by Lisa Pavlova

My belief in this art form is why I wanted to make any ticket available for $11 or Pick Your Price, and whether you’re a long-time fan or a first-time newbie, I want you to know that you are the crucial ingredient in every performance.

All that goes into making a powerful and masterful work like The Listeners is there so that art can start a dialogue with you and within you. It is my commitment to you to make each experience at Opera Philadelphia unique, exhilarating, and beautiful, and I can’t wait to see you at many more.

Warmest,

Anthony Roth Costanzo General Director & President 5

Photo by Marylene Mey

MISSY MAZZOLI

COMPOSER

Three-time GRAMMY® nominee Missy Mazzoli was recently deemed “one of the more consistently inventive, surprising composers now working in New York” (NY Times) and “Brooklyn’s post-millennial Mozart” (Time Out NY).

Her music has been performed by the Kronos Quartet, LA Opera, the New York Philharmonic, eighth blackbird, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the BBC Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, Scottish Opera and many others. In 2023 she was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards, in the categories of “Best Classical Composition” and “Best Classical Compendium.” In 2018, she became, along with Jeanine Tesori, one of the first women to receive a main stage commission from the Metropolitan Opera and was nominated for her first GRAMMY award in the category of “Best Classical Composition.” From 2018-2021, she was Mead Composer-in-Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and from

2012-2015 was Composer-in-Residence with Opera Philadelphia.

Mazzoli has been praised for her many operatic compositions; her latest opera Lincoln in the Bardo will premiere at the Metropolitan Opera and LA Opera in 2026, and her opera The Listeners will be performed at the Essen Opera in Germany and Lyric Opera of Chicago following the American Premiere at Opera Philadelphia. Her 2016 opera with longtime collaborator librettist Royce Vavrek, Breaking the Waves (commissioned by Opera Philadelphia and Beth Morrison Projects) was called “one of the best 21st-century American operas yet” by Opera News. Breaking the Waves received its European premiere at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival; future performances are planned for Opera Australia and Houston Grand Opera.

Mazzoli is also working on a new opera about the opioid crisis, The Galloping 6

ROYCE VAVREK

Cure, which will premiere at venues across the world in 2026-2027. In 2016, Missy and composer Ellen Reid founded Luna Composition Lab, a mentorship program for young female, non-binary, and gender nonconforming composers.

Mazzoli teaches composition at Bard College and her works are published by G. Schirmer.

LIBRETTIST

missymazzoli.com Royce Vavrek is a Canadian librettist whose opera Angel’s Bone, with composer Du Yun, was awarded the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Music. His collaborations include works with Missy Mazzoli (Song from the Uproar, Breaking the Waves, Proving Up, and The Listeners), Mikael Karlsson (Melancholia, Crypto, and So We Will Vanish), David T. Little (Dog Days, Vinkensport, or the Finch Opera, Am I Born, and JFK), Ricky Ian Gordon (27 and The House Without a Christmas Tree), Paola Prestini (The Hubble Cantata, Silent Light, and The Old Man and the Sea), Rachel J. Peters (The Wild Beast of the Bungalow), Luna Pearl Woolf (Jacqueline), Mary Kouyoumdjian (Adoration) and Gregory Spears (O Columbia), as well as a musical with Joshua Schmidt (Midwestern Gothic).

Photo by Hello Reynisson

supported by the Canada Council for the Arts: The Cremation of Sam McGee with Matthew Ricketts, and My Family // Cambodia 1975 with Vivian Fung.

Vavrek received the Marc Blitzstein Memorial Award, presented by the American Academy of Arts and Letters, alongside Missy Mazzoli in 2023, as well as the Music Critics Association of North America award for Best New Opera in 2017 for Breaking the Waves.

Upcoming projects include an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander with Mikael Karlsson for La Monnaie De Munt; Agnes, with Daníel Bjarnason for Icelandic Opera; Indians on Vacation, an adaptation of Thomas King’s novel, with Ian Cusson, for Edmonton Opera/Against the Grain; Lincoln in the Bardo, after the Booker Prize-winning novel by George Saunders, created with Missy Mazzoli for The Metropolitan Opera; and two operas

He is an alum of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, Concordia University, Montreal (BFA) and NYU’s Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program (MFA) as well as American Lyric Theater’s Composer Librettist Development Program. roycevavrek.com

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HISTORY IS HAPPENING IN

PHILADELPHIA

BEGINS OCTOBER 29 EnsembleArtsPhilly.org

Academy of Music

Photo by Erik Berg for The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet

THE LISTENERS

SYNOPSIS

A middle-class mother living in a southwestern U.S. suburb notices a “hum,” a high-frequency environmental noise that only a select few people, the “Listeners,” can hear. A community organization quickly forms to solve the mystery of the hum, but when a de facto leader suggests a spiritual significance the meetings become increasingly cult-like, ritualized experiences, it becomes clear that this community of “Listeners” is on a collision course of destruction.

The Listeners examines the lengths to which we, as Americans, are willing to go in order to find a sense of place and purpose, and the way in which charismatic leaders can exploit these needs to their own ends.

An enduring part of our American identity is a sense of deserved and inevitable success and happiness. When this imagined future collides with the realities and struggles of everyday life, dazzling and predatory leaders offering a “quick fix” can easily prey on the vulnerabilities of the lonely and lost.

The runtime of The Listeners is approximately 2 hours and 23 minutes including one 20-minute intermission.

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THE CULT OF THE AMERICAN DREAM AS TOLD THROUGH AN AMERICAN OPERA

BY ALEXANDRA SVOKOS

"Everybody is looking for something. Everybody wants to belong. And I think that these groups provide a really intoxicating membership and a belonging. They satisfy this human need for connection."

—Royce Vavrek, librettist

Photos by Erik Berg for The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet

What does it mean to be an American opera? We can sing "hello!" along with the miners of Puccini's Fanciulla del West and marvel at an early, grungy New Orleans in your choice of Manon, but it's still a new feeling to be an American audience member watching an American opera set in contemporary America. What stories represent us as a culture, this blended, evolving, self-built society? And what does it mean when what we see in our onstage reflection is a cult?

The Listeners, composer Missy Mazzoli says, is “about the power of charismatic leaders to manipulate vulnerable people. Howard, the cult leader, is this very charismatic man offering easy solutions to complicated problems.” Claire, our lead character, hears a “hum.” Seeking answers and validation, she meets Howard. As we saw in documentaries like Wild Wild Country and The Vow, most people don't join cults “because they wanted to participate in nefarious schemes” and face abuse, says director Lileana Blain-Cruz. Rather, “they were looking to make their lives better.”

Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek collaborated with writer Jordan Tannahill to create this original story. They wanted to tell a modern tale about curdling power and were drawn to stories of cults, and The Listeners' plot “was an idea that wouldn't let us go,” Vavrek says. The creators hope to build an opera that feels like a suspenseful documentary you'd binge, from familiar vernacular down to video confessionals.

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When people feel powerless, burdened and lonely and someone makes them feel heard and offers to stick up for them, like Howard does, there's an obvious enticement – and Mazzoli wants us to feel that pull. Four years after the enforced isolation of the pandemic, we're facing a national loneliness epidemic so bad the surgeon general is urging us to just join a book club already instead of staying home alone binging Manson documentaries. Who wouldn't want to join “an automatic community that loves you unconditionally,” as Mazzoli puts it?

“We're still feeling disconnected from our fellow community members, and there's a real danger in a charismatic leader pretending to offer a kind of connective tissue when really it's creating more divisiveness,” Blain-Cruz says. Maybe that charismatic leader will build bridges and enact changes positive for all society. Or maybe that leader will brag about assaulting women, tell people to drink bleach when crisis strikes, and direct cult members under their sway to attack the seat of government.

Set in the American West where, per Blain-Cruz, intimacy and vastness interlace, The Listeners is not an explicitly political or feminist opera, Mazzoli says. But growing up as a woman in Pennsylvania and existing in the context of the politics of the country in which she lives “infects and affects the work,” the composer explains. The Listeners premiered in Norway in 2022, and returning to it this fall, Mazzoli says, there “is a pretty clear parallel to what is happening right now.”

That's because The Listeners tells the story of a man who abuses his charm, but it also tells the story of a woman who has been told to wait her turn, swallow her ambition and tread a “line of acceptable behavior [that] is razor thin,” as Mazzoli puts it. This summer in the United States, we saw a radical plot-twist when President Joe Biden stepped away from the campaign and Kamala Harris, the first female, Black and Asian American vice president and now the second woman to be a major party's presidential nominee, stepped into the ring to face Donald Trump.

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Mazzoli “has devoted so much of her writing to telling stories of women in impossible situations,” librettist Vavrek says, and The Listeners carries that torch. “We're still living in a time when there's not a lot of imagination happening when we think about what a woman can do,” Mazzoli says, and she sees Claire's arc as a response to that lack of imagination and stifling of women's potential.

Like a hungry coyote in the desert, a woman boxed in can curl up and give in—or she can find a way to persist in a pressure-cooker environment where, Blain-Cruz says, “the beauty and the terror coexist.”

Alexandra Svokos, MBA, is the senior digital editor of the financial magazine Kiplinger.

She covered the 2016 election for Elite Daily and was the senior editor at ABC News’ site during the 2020 election.

THE HUM: A MARKEDLY REAL ENIGMA

Imagine you’re stepping into bed and as you sink into your pillow you notice a sound. At first, it seems like a car revving outside, so you close the window: but the noise persists. Perhaps it’s the AC, the faucet, the TV, the refrigerator, the power grid? All turned off, the noise is somehow louder. Imagine, worse still, that when you tell someone, they don’t believe you. This is the painful reality for hundreds of thousands of people across the globe who hear the hum.

BY DR JACOB MALLINSON BIRD

The hum is an auditory phenomenon experienced everywhere from Bristol, United Kingdom, to Taos, New Mexico, but its cause remains largely unknown.

Some describe the sound as a car racing toward them but never arriving; for others it’s more like the gurgling of an ultrasound machine. What all share, however, is the inescapability of the sound and the deleterious effects it has on their daily lives. Whether quitting jobs because of the stress or moving home in a bid to escape the clamor, what’s certain is the hum has very real effects.

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Conspiracy theories as to the cause of the hum abound—5G towers, military subaudible weaponry, Doomsday prophecies—but Glen MacPherson, creator of The World Hum Map, a website devoted to learning more about the hum, believes the answer is more mundane.

MacPherson holds that the hum is an internally generated auditory phenomenon, similar but not equivalent to conditions like tinnitus; you can turn off as many appliances as you like, but the hum drones on inside you. However, without the means to test his hypothesis more rigorously, MacPherson’s theory remains just one of many in a fascinating slew of possibilities.

Even with more evidence to support the internally generated theory, it’s debatable as to whether listeners would be satisfied. MacPherson describes people who hear the hum as feeling special, unique in witnessing the phenomenon. Mystery is more interesting than fact, and the desire to tend toward the fantastical means retaining a sense of magic in what might otherwise be a humdrum life.

Living in mystery, listeners are forever battling against the disbelief of their peers. One possible reason for this disbelief is that the hum is often experienced by middle-aged women, a demographic historically marginalized by the medical community: what if the hum sits in a similar place to illnesses like endometriosis, extremely real for those who suffer it but ignored by the institutions designed to help?

Another is the age-old belief that sound cannot harm us. In what Jonathan Sterne names the audio-visual litany, sounds are understood to be ephemeral, diaphanous, unable to cause lasting damage in the way that more physical forms of harm can. But with sonic forms of torture rife in detention camps across the world, we’d do well to take seriously the harm that sound can cause, mentally and physically.

The hum is an enigma, but one that is markedly real. Amidst the noise of theories surrounding the hum, it is easy to see why, as with The Listeners’ Claire, people could latch onto the charisma and control of someone with answers.

Dr Jacob Mallinson Bird is Lecturer in Music at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

His first book, on drag lip-sync performance, will be published by Bloomsbury in 2025.

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ARTISTS MATTEO ADAMS he/him Student 1 Beaumont, TX

Recent: Parpignol, La bohème, Opera Philadelphia. Arturo (cover), Lucia di Lammermoor, St Petersburg Opera, Rinuccio, Gianni Schicchi, Queens Summer Vocal Institute Next: Geppetto, Pinocchio, St. Petersburg Opera

ALISSA ANDERSON she/her Mrs. Moreno San Antonio, TX

Recent: Marquise de Berkenfield, La fille du Regiment, Opera Company of Middlebury; Soloist, Dvořák's Stabat Mater, Highland Park Presbyterian; Erda, Siegfried, Virginia Opera Next: Old Lady, Candide, South Florida Symphony; Soloist, La Damoiselle élue, Alabama Symphony; Lola Allen, Loving v. Virginia, Virginia Opera

ZACHARY ALTMAN he/him Bram Philadelphia, PA

Recent: Bottom, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Malmö Opera; Leporello, Don Giovanni, Scottish Opera; Dreieinigkeitsmoses, Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, Komische Oper Berlin Next: Nekrotzar, Le Grand Macabre, Teatro Massimo di Palermo

JESSICA BEEBE she/her Sina Landenberg, PA

Recent: Luna, The Wake World, Opera Philadelphia, Traveler/Ice Demon, Atlas, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Dido, Dido and Aeneas, Choral Arts Philadelphia Next: Soprano Soloist, Messiah, Asheville Symphony and Tallahassee Symphony

LILEANA BLAIN-CRUZ she/her Director

Opera Philadelphia debut

New York, NY Underwritten by Linda and David Glickstein Recent: Director, El Niño, Metropolitan Opera; Director, Stranger Love, LA Philharmonic; Director, White Girl in Danger, Vineyard Theatre Next: Director, Purple Rain, State Theater, Minneapolis 14

ARTISTS ELIZABETH BRADEN she/her Chorus Master Easton, PA

Recent: Chorus Master, Madame Butterfly, Opera Philadelphia; Conductor, Penn Chorale, University of Pennsylvania; Director of Music, Old Pine Street Church, Philadelphia Next: Chorus Master, The Anonymous Lover, Opera Philadelphia

KEVIN BURDETTE he/him Howard Bard

Knoxville, TN Underwritten by Mariko Ikehara & Jeffrey Cunard and Jane Ginsburg & George Spera Recent: Bartolo, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Seattle Opera; Bottom, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Atlanta Opera; Papinou, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Dallas Opera Next: Death, Der Kaiser von Atlantis, New World Symphony

AMANDA CLARK she/her Wig Designer Highlands Ranch, CO

Recent: Hair and Makeup Designer, Opera Philadelphia, Madame Butterfly, Hair and Makeup Designer, Opera Maine, La cenerentola, Associate Hair and Makeup Designer, National Tour, Les Misérables Next: Hair and Makeup Designer, Opera Philadelphia, Don Giovanni

LAUREN COOK she/her Lee Ann Fort Worth, TX

Recent: Rosina, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Virginia Opera. Stéphano, Roméo et Juliette, Arizona Opera. Featured Soloist, The Dream, Philadelphia Ballet Next: Soloist, Recital: Femme Fatale, TBA

TROY COOK he/him Paul Devon

Eminence, KY Underwritten by Carolyn Horn Seidle Recent: Tonio, Pagliacci, Glimmerglass Festival, Athanaël, Thaïs, Utah Opera, Germont, La traviata, Florida Grand Opera Next: Bernard Cohen, Loving v. Virginia, Virginia Opera 15

ARTISTS AARON CROUCH he/his Kyle Harris Bowie, MD

Recent: Roderigo, Otello, National Symphony Orchestra, Count Almaviva, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Virginia Opera, The Son, Blue, Washington National Opera Next: Tenor Soloist, Santa Fe Symphony, Handel's Messiah

SYDNEY DONOVAN she/her Coyote Cherry Hill, NJ

Recent: Semele Goddess, Dancer, Opera Philadelphia, Choreographer+ Performer, TRINE witch, OmenThrice Dance Company, Collaborator, Dancer in The Other Shore, Zoe | Juniper Next: Choreographer + Dancer, Jack and Jill, Paul Matteson/Sydney Donovan

TAYLOR-ALEXIS DUPONT she/her Emily

Opera Philadelphia debut

Orlando, FL

Recent: Flora, La traviata, Cincinnati Opera, Hannah, Ruinous Gods, Spoleto Festival USA, Celeste, Songbird, Washington National Opera Next: Phoebe, The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, North Carolina Opera, Treemonisha, Opera Orlando, Isabella, L'italiana in Algeri, Hawaii Opera Theatre

NICOLE HEASTON she/her Claire Devon

Opera Philadelphia debut

Chicago, IL Underwritten by Katherine and John Karamatsoukas Recent: Thaïs, Thaïs, Utah Opera, Alice Ford, Falstaff, Houston Grand Opera, Vanessa, Vanessa, Spoleto Festival USA Next: Armida, Rinaldo, Detroit Opera

RAJA FEATHER KELLY he/him Choreographer

Opera Philadelphia debut

Fort Hood, TX

Recent: Conceiver/Writer/Director, Absolute future, NYU Skirball, Writer, the fires, Soho Rep, Choreographer, Lempicka, Broadway Next: Choreographer, Teeth, New World Stages

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ARTISTS JOSEPH LIM he/him Thom

Opera Philadelphia debut

Seoul, South Korea

Recent: Le Dancaïre, Carmen, Metropolitan Opera, Silvio, Pagliacci, Nashville Opera, Tiger/Rooster, The Big Swim, Houston Grand Opera Next: Thom, The Listeners, Lyric Opera of Chicago

MICHAEL MILLER he/him Student 2 Meadville, PA

Recent: King Melchior, Christmas in July (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Opera Philadelphia; Custom-House Officer, La bohème, Opera Philadelphia; Masetto, Don Giovanni, Florida Grand Opera Next: Chorus, Don Giovanni, Opera Philadelphia Opera Philadelphia debut

JOHN MOORE he/his Dillon Milford (Okoboji), IA

Recent: Steve Jobs, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, San Francisco Opera; Leon Klinghoffer, The Death of Klinghoffer, Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw, Rasheed, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Seattle Opera Next: Steve Jobs, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Washington National Opera

DIANA NEWMAN she/her Danica

Opera Philadelphia debut

Malibu, CA

Recent: Tovah, Émigré, New York Philharmonic; Soloist, Hisaishi Conducts Hisaishi, Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Woglinde, Götterdämmerung, Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood Next: First Lady, Die Zauberflöte, Atlanta Opera

GUADALUPE PAZ she/her Theresa Alvarez San Diego, CA

Recent: Frida, El último sueño de Frida y Diego, San Diego Opera; La Mujer, El Milagro del Recuerdo, San Diego Opera; Mahler’s 2nd Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería; Paula, Florencia en el Amazonas, San Jose Opera Next: El amor brujo by Manuel de Falla with Orquesta Sinfonica de Porto Alegre 17

LINDSEY REYNOLDS she/her Ashley Devon

ARTISTS

New Orleans, LA Underwritten by Judith Durkin Freyer and Charles Freyer Recent: Barena, Jenůfa, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Celestial Voice, Don Carlos, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Soprano Soloist, Poulenc's Stabat Mater, Grant Park, Adina, L'elisir l'amore, New Orleans Opera, Amine, Morgiane, ou Le sultan d’Ispahan, Opera Creole & Opera Lafayette (World Premiere) Next: Soprano Soloist, Poulenc's Gloria, Utah Symphony

CORRADO ROVARIS he/him Conductor

Milan, Italy Underwritten by Mrs. John P. Mulroney Recent: Conductor, Le nozze di Figaro, Deutsche Oper Berlin; Conductor, La traviata, Santa Fe Opera; Conductor, Simon Boccanegra, Opera Philadelphia Next: Conductor, Don Giovanni, Opera Philadelphia

LUCY SCHAUFER she/her Hortense Carpentersville, IL

Recent: Helena, Marx in London! Scottish Opera (UK Premiere), Woman III, The Blue Woman, Royal Opera House (World Premiere), Cecilia March, Little Women, Opera Holland Park (UK Premiere) Next: Marcellina, Le nozze di Figaro, Santa Fe Opera

AMANDA SHERIFF she/her Jess

Opera Philadelphia debut

Houston, TX

Recent: L’eternita/Satirino, La Calisto, The Glimmerglass Festival; Musetta, La bohème, Opera Montana; Contessa Ceprano, Rigoletto, Atlanta Opera Next: Papagena, Die Zauberflöte, Atlanta Opera

DANIEL TAYLOR he/him Vince Lansdale, PA

Recent: Breath in a Ram's Horn (Daniel Asia), Network for New Music, Sin-Eater (David T. Little), The Crossing, Lucio, Otello (Rossini), Opera Philadelphia Next: Concert with Variant Six and Brooklyn Art Song Society 18

ARTISTS

REHANNA THELWELL she/her Angela Rose Avenel, NJ

Recent: Julia, Two Corners (World Premiere), Finger Lakes Opera; Forester's Wife/Owl, The Cunning Little Vixen, Detroit Opera; Hippolyta, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Atlanta Opera Next: Kendra Smith, The Cook Off (World Premiere), Nashville Opera

HANNAH WASILESKI she/her Projections Designer

Opera Philadelphia debut

Berlin, Germany

Recent: Projection Designer, El Niño, Metropolitan Opera; Stranger Love, LA Philharmonic; The Skin of Our Teeth, Lincoln Center Theater Next: Projection Designer, Lincoln in the Bardo, LA Opera & Metropolitan Opera

YI ZHAO he/him Lighting Designer

Opera Philadelphia debut

Beijing, China

Recent: Lighting Designer, El Niño, Metropolitan Opera; Stranger Love, LA Philharmonic; The Skin of Our Teeth, Lincoln Center Theater Next: Lighting Designer, Lincoln in the Bardo, LA Opera & Metropolitan Opera

COVERS Claire Devon Jazmine Saunders

Danica Jessica Beebe

Paul Devon/Dillon Daniel Rich

Sina Christine Nass

Ashley Devon Amanda Sheriff

Emily Katilyn Tierney

Kyle Harris/Vince Ethan Burck

Bram Brenton Mattox-Scott

Howard Bard Zachary Altman

Ms. Moreno Lucy Schaufer

Angela Rose Taylor-Alexis DuPont

Theresa Alvarez Lauren Cook

Hortense Alissa Anderson

Jess Jessica Moreno

Thom Kevin Godínez

Lee Ann Marissa Chalker

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CHORUS SOPRANO Natalie Esler Julie-Ann Green Valerie Haber Jessica Moreno Jorie Moss Jessica Mary Murphy Christine Nass Aimee Pilgermayer Amy Spencer

TENOR Matteo Adams Gabriel Anthony-Muhammad Sang B. Cho Corey Don Colin Doyle Toffer Mihalka Andrew Skitko George Somerville Steve Williamson

ALTO Tanisha L. Anderson Marissa Chalker Joanna Gates Megan McFadden Meghan McGinty Maren Montalbano Natasha Nelson Ellen Grace Peters Kaitlyn Tierney

BASS Jeff Chapman Lucas DeJesus Matthew Fisher Loren Greer James Osby Gwathney, Jr. Brenton Mattox-Scott John David Miles Michael Miller Frank Mitchell

Barbara Teichert and composer David Herzberg. Photo by Sofia Negron.

Last season, more than 400 supporters participated in the Artistry Now Matching Fund raising $2.5 million, which was matched by Barbara Augusta Teichert.

Thank you!

ORCHESTRA VIOLIN 1 Max Tan, concertmaster Na tasha Colkett, assistant concertmaster Meichen Liao-Barnes Donna Grantham Elizabeth Kaderabek Gared Crawford Mary Loftus Lisa Vaupel Guillaume Combet Maria Im Rebecca Ansel VIOLIN 2 Tess Varley, principal Luigi Mazzocchi Maya Shiraishi Paul Reiser Sarah DuBois Yu-Hui Tamae Lee Emily Barkakati Catherine Kei Fukuda Yoori Kim Williams VIOLA Jonathan Kim, principal Yoshihiko Nakano Elizabeth Jaffe Caleb Paxton Elias Goldstein Hannah Nicholas Steven Heitlinger

CELLO Branson Yeast, principal Vi vian Barton Dozor, assistant principal David Moulton Jennie Lorenzo Brooke Beazley Noelle Casella Grand BASS Da niel McDougall, principal Anne Peterson Stephen Groat Mary Javian FLUTE Frances Tate, principal Kim Trolier, piccolo OBOE Geoffrey Deemer, principal Oliver Talukder CLARINET Doris Hall-Gulati, principal Allison Herz, bass clarinet BASSOON Emeline Chong, principal Za ch Feingold, contrabassoon

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HORN John David Smith, principal Emerson Miller Karen Schubert Ryan Stewart TRUMPET Brian Kuszyk, principal Steve Heitzer TROMBONE Robert Gale, principal Matthew Moran TUBA Paul Erion, principal PERCUSSION Ralph Sorrentino, principal Chris Hanning HARP Rong Tan, principal PIANO Michael Lewis

ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION STAFF Associate Director ...................................................................................... Mikhaela Mahony* Assistant Stage Managers ......................................... Brianna Thompson, Savannah Valigura Assistant Scenic Designer ............................................................................. Josh Oberlander* Associate Sound Designer ...................................................................... Ian Douglas-Moore* Assistant Conductor ........................................................................................... Micah Gleason Principal Pianist ..................................................................................................... Grant Loehnig Associate Pianist ................................................................................................... Michael Lewis Properties Supervisor ....................................................Avista Custom Theatrical Services, LLC Assistant Lighting Designer ............................................................................ Sasha Anistratova Supertitle Operator ................................................................................................... Tony Solitro Supertitle Author ....................................................................................................... Tony Solitro Audio Description .............................................................................................. Nicole Sardella Head Electrician ............................................................................................ Chris Hetherington Head Properties .......................................................................................................... Paul Lodes Head Flyman ................................................................................................... Jay Wojnarowski Programmer /Assistant Electrician ................................................................ John Allerheiligen Automation ................................................................................ Michael Troncone, John Shiner Wardrobe Supervisor .............................................................................................. Elisa Hurley Costume Associate ................................................................................................. Becca Austin Projection Programmer .................................................. Larry Barnes (10th Floor Productions) Projection Technician ......................................................Colin J. Sass (10th Floor Productions) Supernumeraries: Lexi Mignogna, Ginger Moore, Kristerpher Henderson, Sam Oberle, Jed Krivisky, Scott Ross, Timothy Gardocki, Madison Claus *Opera Philadelphia debut Opera Philadelphia thanks the following labor organizations whose members, artists, craftsmen, and craftswomen greatly contribute to our performances: American Federation of Musicians, Local 77 is the collective bargaining agent for Opera Philadelphia Orchestra musicians.

American Guild of Musical Artists / The American Guild of Musical Artists, the union of professional singers, dancers, and production personnel in opera, ballet, and concert, affiliated with the AFL-CIO, represents the Artists and Staging Staff for all purposes of collective bargaining.

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees / Local 8 Theatrical Wardrobe Union / Local 799, I.A.T.S.E. United Scenic Artists / Local 829, I.A.T.S.E. Box Office and Front of House Employees Union / Local B29, I.A.T.S.E. Highway Truck Drivers and Helpers / Local 107, Teamsters

22

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Revolutionizing opera one ticket at a time

With deep gratitude, we recognize the leading generosity of those who make it possible for Opera Philadelphia to bring great opera to so many people: Opera Philadelphia’s Special Innovation Initiative Underwritten

by E.A. Michelson Philanthropy Steven K. Klasko, M.D., M.B.A. and Colleen Wyse Judy and Peter Leone Barbara Augusta Teichert Ira Brind and Stacey Spector Judith Durkin Freyer and Charles C. Freyer Katherine and John Karamatsoukas With additional support from Donald Schwarz and Andrew Gelber, members of Opera Philadelphia’s Board of Directors, and individual donors

Help us bring more people to opera! Your donation to Pick Your Price will help ensure that Opera Philadelphia can continue to offer audience members the opportunity to select the ticket that works best for them.

Show your support by visiting operaphila.org/givepyp 25

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS Stephen K. Klasko, M.D., M.B.A. | Board Chair Anthony Roth Costanzo* | President Willo Carey | Vice Chair Charles C. Freyer | Vice Chair Thomas Mahoney | Treasurer Alexander Hankin | Secretary

MEMBERS Ira Brind Lawrence Brownlee Willo Carey Katherine Christiano William Dunbar David Ferguson Charles C. Freyer Deena Gu Alexander Hankin John Karamatsoukas Stephen K. Klasko, M.D., M.B.A. Beverly Lange, M.D. Peter Leone, Immediate Past Chairman Thomas Mahoney Sarah Marshall Taneise S. Marshall Agnes Mulroney

Colleen O'Riordan Bob Schena Carolyn Horn Seidle Barbara Augusta Teichert Kathleen Weir Yueyi (Kelly) Zhou HONORARY MEMBERS Dennis Alter H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest† Stephen A. Madva, Esq., Chairman Emeritus Alan B. Miller Alice W. Strine, Esq. Charlotte Watts † Deceased * Ex officio

26

THANK YOU

Opera Philadelphia expresses our deepest gratitude to the individuals and institutions whose support allows us to bring you The Listeners.

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE Barbara and Amos Hostetter Judy and Peter Leone Op era Philadelphia’s Special Innovation Initiative Underwritten by E.A. Michelson Philanthropy Ar tistry Now Matching Fund and Barbara Augusta Teichert

CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL Willo Carey and Peter A. Benoliel Katherine and Andrew Christiano Ms. Joan DeJean† Mrs. Marjorie E. Garwig† Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Huff Christian Humann Foundation Independence Foundation Donald and Gay Kimelman Joel and Sharon Koppelman The H.F. Lenfest Fund Ms. Jacqueline B. Mars PA Dept. of Community and Economic Development The Presser Foundation Dr. Renée Rollin Ellen Steiner Charlotte Watts

St ephen K. Klasko, M.D., M.B.A. and Colleen Wyse Mellon Foundation Jean and Gene Stark The William Penn Foundation Judith Durkin Freyer and Charles C. Freyer The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation Ms . Lisa D. Kabnick and Mr. John H. McFadden Mrs. John P. Mulroney Carolyn Horn Seidle The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Wyncote Foundation

Paul M. Angell Foundation Cunningham Piano Company Linda and David Glickstein Ms . Deena Gu Laties, in honor of Willo Carey Hamilton Family Charitable Trust Mark and Helene Hankin Family Ms. Caroline J. Mackenzie Kennedy Mrs. Sheila Kessler Ms. Maria Maccecchini National Endowment for the Arts

Mr. John R. Alchin and Mr. Hal Marryatt Anonymous Mrs. Sandra K. Baldino Ira Brind and Stacey Spector Th e Waterman Trust at the Recommendation of David Haas Katherine and John Karamatsoukas Sarah and Brad Marshall Mr. Robert J. Schena Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation

Eugene Garfield Foundation OPERA America Estate of Robert Schoenberg Michael L. Spolan

27

GENERAL DIRECTOR’S COUNCIL Platinum Patron Myron and Sheila S. Bassman Connelly Foundation Dr. Frank F. Furstenberg Bonnie and Lon Greenberg Independence Blue Cross Ro and Martin King Mr. Thomas Mahoney Marcus Innovation Fund Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer and Joe Neubauer David and Susan Rattner Katie Adams Schaeffer and Tony Schaeffer Donald Schwarz and Andrew Gelber Ashley and Eli Wald Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Wechsler Wells Fargo Private Bank

Silver Patron Anonymous (2) Robert and Julie Jensen Bryan Georgette Ciukurescu Ad y L. Djerassi, M.D., and Robert Golub, M.D. William and Fay Dunbar David M. Ferguson, Ph.D. De borah Glass, in memory of Leonard Mellman Gray Charitable Trust Thomas S. Heckman and Mary Jo Ashenfelter Mr. Kenneth Klothen and Ms. Eve Biskind Anne Silvers Lee and Wynn Lee The Leone Family Carol and Howard Lidz Liddy Lindsay Susan M. Long and Andrew J. Szabo Monica Taylor Lotty and Brendan Lotty Dr. and Mrs. Michael B. Love Tom and Jody O'Rourke Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rollins Drs. Richard and Rhonda Soricelli Mr . Jonathan H. Sprogell and Ms. Kathryn Taylor Jeralyn Svanda Truist Robert L. Turner Universal Health Services Victory Foundation Leslie Whipkey Laura A. Williamson Charitable Fund Ms. Linda Wingate and Dr. William Liberi Mrs. Kelly Zhou and Dr. Brett Frankel Karen A. Zurlo Ph.D.

Diamond Patron Aaron Copland Fund for Music Lorraine Alexander† Anonymous Sylvia Lanka-Barone and William Barone Mr. Jeffrey P. Cunard and Ms. Mariko Ikehara Mark and Peggy Curchack Carol S. Eicher Drs. Bruce and Toby Eisenstein Al len R. and Judy Brick Freedman Venture Fund for New Opera Jane Ginsburg and George Spera Feather O. Houstoun Estate of Joel Jensen Jeffrey R. Jowett In memory of Joseph G. Leone The Samuel P. Mandell Foundation The McLean Contributionship Dr. Stanley Muravchick and Ms. Arlene Olson PECO The Philadelphia Cultural Fund Dr. Joel and Mrs. Bobbie Porter Alice and Walter Strine, Esqs.

Ethel Benson Wister

Bronze+ Patron Joan and Frederick Cohen Laura Drake Dr. Garrett FitzGerald Joan and William Goldstein Ms. Rhoda K. Herrold Ms. Lisa R. Jacobs William Lake Leonard, Esq. Philip E. Lian and Joan L. Mueller Helen E. Pettit Dr. Leah Whipple

PATRON PROGRAM Gold Patron Anonymous Stephen A. Block Robert N. Braun, M.D. Mr . James P. Macelderry† and Ms. Marilyn S. Fishman Susan and Graham McDonald Remmel Foundation Seán and Colleen O'Riordan Kathleen and Nicholas Weir 28

David Craig and Jackie Renner Robert and Florence Dolceamore Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation Vivian Barton Dozor Dr. Andrew F. Drake Dr. Jerome and Ms. Judy Draper Robert and Monica Driver Mr. and Ms. Robert S. Duplessis Barbara Eberlein and Jerry Wind John Erickson and Harry Zaleznik James R. Fairburn Ma ry Fallon, in loving memory of Steven Wayne Parr Thomas Faracco Andrew Franzone Jim and Kay Gately Mr . Andrew R. Gelber in memory of Sylvia Gelber George Graham Dr . and Mrs. Henry J. Greenwood and Ms. Marilyn Greenwood Michelle and Fred Harde David and Ann Harrison, Esqs.

Frederic Harwood Mr. Charles Head, Jr. and Mr. John Faggotti Eileen Kennedy and Robert Heim Ms. Susan Henry Drs. Christina L. and Richard J. Herring Laura Jacobson Drs. Jason Karlawish and John Bruza Ms . Deborah Kostianovsky, in memory of Jorge Kostianovsky Ms. Laura LaRosa Robert and Elizabeth Legnini Mr. Joseph J. Leube, Jr. Murray and Lonnie Levin Fran Levy and Leon L. Levy Mr. William A. Loeb Ruth Marcon Mr . John Mastrobattista and Ms. Madeline Leone Drs. Joseph and Jane McGowan Dr. Judy Catherine Miner Mr. Benjamin F. Minick Steven Z. Mitchell Maris A. Ogg and Robert Smith W. Larz Pearson and Rick Trevino Patricia Perfect The Philadelphia Contributionship Shelly Power Merle Raab Gina J. Range Mrs. Louise H. Reed Bill Robling and Deborah R. Kravetz Ms. Nancy R. Roncetti Eileen Rosenau

Bronze Patron Lydia Alvarez, in memory of Isabelle Ferguson Anonymous (5) Ms. Susan Asplundh Eugene and Virginia Beier El aine Woo Camarda and A. Morris Williams, Jr. James Cohen Mr. Stephen Cohen and Mr. John McNett Mr. Mark Cornish Tobey and Mark Dichter Barbara Donnelly Bentivoglio Mr. Arthur F. Ferguson Ms . Juliet J. Goodfriend and Dr. Marc R. Moreau St uart A. Schwartz and Sheila Jamison-Schwartz Corey Kinger Camille Dickinson LaBarre Charles B. Landreth Mr. and Mrs. David Levy Matthew Ligman The Marshall's Art Endowment Dwight and Christina McCawley Dr. and Mrs. A. H. Nishikawa Ms. Katherine L. Niven Kate Olver and Jeremy Young Dr. Elida Rouby Joyce Seewald Sando Mr. and Mrs. Curtis E. Sawyer The Rev. Richard L. Ullman Mark Luis Villamar and Esther Milsted Dr. R.J. Wallner Peter J. Wender Carol Westfall Ms . Ana-Maria V. Zaugg and Mr. David W. Anstice Mr. Robert Zimet MEMBERSHIP Mr. George J. Ahern Sarah Alderfer Mr. and Mrs. James Alexandre Joseph T. Anderer and Virginia Benz Anonymous Ellen Berelson and Lawrence Franks Mrs. Joanne Berwind Carrie and J. Bradley Boericke Thomas Broadt Nicholas Alexander Brown Jim & Maddy Carlson Bruce Chemel Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Thomas Collins Jeffrey Cooper Robert Cottone 29

Anne Faulkner Schoemaker Mr. and Mrs. Henry G. Scott Paul and Susan Shaman Janet Wilson Smith Kobie Smith Marion and Richard Taxin Laurie Wagman Bond Wann Robert Washburn, Esq. and Judith Drasin, Esq. Arnold Weiss Dr. Dilys V. Winegrad Tom Woodward

Mrs. Margaret S. Griffin and Mr. Scott Sillars Cheryl Gunter and Paul Rabe Tom Harder Lee M. Huber Mr. Wallace Hussong Dr. and Mrs. William Jantsch Ms. Lisa Kahn Alan Karr Richard and Grace Karschner Dr. Richard B. Kent Jo Ann Klein Beste Kuru Laura A. Lane and David R. DeVoe Dr. Thomas S. Lin Janice Longer Sarah Lutman and Robert Rudolph Mr. Robert J. McShea, Jr. and Mr. Bill Ward Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Munson Michael Presser Ms. Jane Rath Mr. and Mrs. Bert Redgrave Alice Reyes Dr. Keith M. Robinson Robert Rohde Ms. Willa Rosenbloom Mr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Ross Jeanne Ruddy and Victor F. Keen Katherine Sachs Mr. Walter Schlosser Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Corey R. Smith Mary Sproat Mr. Daniel Szyld and Ms. Kathleen Ross Rosemary and Umit Turunc Marta Varela Peggy Wachs Kenneth and Susan Weiss Margaret Wellert Scott Wilds and Martin Bodtmann Stephen Zeller List as of September 5, 2024

Janis† and Robert Ackerman Anonymous Jean W. Arnold Marilyn P. Asplundh Naomi Balzer Haas Mrs. Valerie Baselice Frances and Michael Baylson Karen Bedrosian-Richardson Drs. Deidre and Michael Blank Dr. Howard and Mrs. Tova Brooks Mr. Leo M. Carey and Ms. Sonya D. Mouzon Vistula Chapman-Smith Ms. Ilene Chester Peter Cline Jonathan Conant Ann Csink Paul DeSanctis Romulo Diaz and Dennis Bann Elise Drake Mikael Eliasen Ms. Anne C. Ewers Amy Finkelstein Barry Fisch Ms. Lois Fried Dennis Gallagher Linda Dubin Garfield Leila Christine Grad, M.D.

BECOME A MEMBER Join Opera Philadelphia as a member to support the art you see on stage as well as community and educational programs while enjoying great benefits like backstage tours, member talks, and special receptions. A year of Membership begins with a gift of $100, with monthly payment options available.

Visit operaphila.org/membership or call 215.732.8400 30

C O R P O R AT E G I V I N G S O C I E T Y The Corporate Giving Society generously supports Opera Philadelphia’s artistic and educational programming through contributions and in-kind donations.

Official Piano Service Provider

C O R P O R AT E S P O N S O R S Official Piano

Affairs to Be Remembered, Inc. Ballard Spahr LLP Exelon Business Services FCM Hospitality

Media Copy Termini Brothers Bakery Universal Health Services

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, EITC contributions, or to join Opera Philadelphia’s Corporate Giving Society please contact Steven Humes, Associate Director of Advancement, at 215.893.5903 or humes@operaphila.org.

Help students explore the magic of opera!

Businesses that support Opera Philadelphia may be eligible for Pennsylvania’s Education Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC). Help students explore the magic of opera AND earn tax credits! Learn more at operaphila.org/eitc 31

L E GATO S O C I E T Y If you love the special magic of an Opera Philadelphia experience, consider including the Opera in your estate plans. In doing so, you will join a community of supporters that help to ensure great operatic memories for generations to come.

When you bequeath a gift of cash or stock, or make the Opera the beneficiary of your IRA or life insurance policy, you make a truly meaningful gift that costs nothing now, yet benefits the company later. Plus, estate gifts like these help the Opera weather unforeseen events like COVID-19.

Making a legacy gift admits you into the Legato Society, which brings you closer to the art you love and connects you to others who share your legacy goals. We are proud to salute our Legato Society members in all Opera Philadelphia performance programs.

To learn more about making a planned gift or about the Legato Society, visit operaphila.org/legato, or contact Rebecca Ackerman, Senior Director of Development, at 215.893.5904 or ackerman@operaphila.org.

Anonymous (12) Lorraine and Ben† Alexander Eleanor M. Allen† Mary Jo Ashenfelter and Thomas S. Heckman Eileen Baird† Mr. Kenneth H. Barr Myron and Sheila S. Bassman Mr.† and Mrs. Robert Bergen Ms. Jane A. Berryman Dr. Claire Boasi Dr. Rita B. Bocher Mr. Michael Bolton Mrs. Sheila Buckley Constance G. Burton† Ms. Willo Carey Dr. and Mrs. Peter Cassalia† Dr. Thomas A. Childers and Dr. John B. Hall Dr. Maria Elisa Ciavarelli† Miss Lucy Clemens Joan and Frederick Cohen Dianne and Don Cooney Mr.† and Mrs. Arthur Covello Ms. Ginny L. Coyle Mr. W. Kenneth Cressman and Mr. Lloyd Christy† Ms. Joan DeJean† Ms. Virginia Del Sordo† Robert and Monica Driver Mrs. Antoinette DuBiel Dr. Bruce Eisenstein Eddie and Rachel Eitches Mr. James Fairburn Mr. and Mrs.† Joseph P. Fanelli, Jr.

Ms. Joanne D. Fidler† Susan and Bill Firestone Aron and Joan Fisher Ms. Harriet Forman† Judith Durkin Freyer and Charles C. Freyer Mr. Timothy V. Gardocki Linda Dubin Garfield Sylvia Green† Dr. Mark H. Haller† Mrs. Dorrance H. Hamilton† Gail Hauptfuhrer Mr. Charles Head, Jr. and Mr. John Faggotti Stephen T. Janick Karl Janowitz Jeffrey R. Jowett Mrs. Sheila Kessler Gabrielle & Ernest Kimmel Mr. Michael Knight Dr. Beverly Lange Mr. Tom Laporta Gabriele Lee† Anne Silvers Lee and Wynn Lee John T. Lehman Marguerite and Gerry† Lenfest Mrs. Renee T. Levin† Karen† and Michael Lewis Carol and Howard Lidz Mr. William A. Loeb Sonja E. Lopatynskyj† Mr. Larry Thomas Mahoney Dwight and Christina McCawley Drs. Joseph and Jane McGowan Eugene C. Menegon† 32

Mrs. Lois Meyers Mrs. Ellen Cole Miller† Mr. Siddhartha Misra Mrs. Naomi Montgomery† Constance C. Moore Mgsr. Felix M. O'Neill† Helen E. Pettit Mr. William Reily† David Rhody Dr. Scott F. Richard Mr. Laurence T. Robbins† Dr. Renée Rollin Jeffrey and Kendell Saunders Robert Schoenberg† Carolyn Horn Seidle Mr. Jonathan Sprogell and Ms. Kathryn Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Morton F. Steelman† Mrs. Alise (Lee) Steinberg† Ellen Steiner Mr. Kenneth R. Swimm Mr. Andrew J. Szabo Mr. Victor Tees Mr. Michael Toklish Christina M. Valente, Esq. Charlotte Watts Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Wechsler Esther C. Weil† George P. White† Drs. Anne and Jim† Williamson Richard and Kelley Wolfington Ms. Karen A. Zurlo Ph. D. † Deceased List as of September 5, 2024

BREAKING FREE FREEDOM’S CALL—SUNG THROUGH CENTURIES OF OPERA

2024–2025 season

Sinéad Campell Wallace as Leonore in Fidelio photo by Matthew Karas

Oct. 25–Nov. 4

Fidelio

Oct. 26

Gods & Mortals: A Celebration of Wagner Macbeth

Nov. 13–23

Jungle Book

Dec. 13–15

Marian Anderson Vocal Award: Key’mon Murrah

Dec. 17

American Opera Initiative

Jan. 18

The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs

May 2–10

American Rhapsody Porgy and Bess

May 3 May 23–31

Kennedy-Center.org

Groups 20+ call (202) 416-8400.

The ONLY OFFICIAL WEBSITE of the Kennedy Center 33

For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540

(800) 444-1324

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BECOME A VIVACE MEMBER

Opera Philadelphia’s Community for Young Friends

VIVACE (vee-VA-che) offers a curated suite of performance events and social outings, exclusively for young friends ages 21–45. Transform your experience, meet the artists, and support the next generation of operatic talent in Philadelphia.

Throughout the 2024–2025 Season, VIVACE members support baritone Kevin Godínez in his Opera Philadelphia debut as Masetto in Don Giovanni.

12-month membership pledge starting at $7/month

operaphila.org/vivacemember