Sleepers Awake Program Book

Sleepers Awake

World Premiere April 22, 24, 26, 2026 Academy of Music

An opera by Gregory Spears

operaphila.org

Ways of Listening with Nathalie Joachim

Friday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m.

Old Pine Street Church Join Opera Philadelphia Composer in Residence Nathalie Joachim— with soprano Tiffany Townsend, baritones Johnathan McCullough and Michael Miller, and pianist Michael Lewis—for a concert and talk that explores, challenges, and reclaims the ways we hear, feel, and understand opera.

VIVA VERDI! Friday, May 15 at 1:00 p.m.

The Athenaeum of Philadelphia A special screening of the Oscarnominated documentary about Casa Verdi, a retirement community in Milan established by composer Giuseppe Verdi. A panel conversation about creative aging will follow.

operaphila.org

World Premiere April 22, 24, 26, 2026 Academy of Music An opera by Gregory Spears with a libretto adapted by the composer from the writings of Robert Walser, Arthur Quiller-Couch, and Philipp Nicolai Thorn Rose Susanne Burgess* The Stranger Jonghyun Park* Court Poet Brian Major* Godmother Sophia Santiago* Godmother Annalise Dzwonczyk* Godmother Maren Montalbano Godmother Robin Bier Lady-in-Waiting Kaitlyn Tierney King Brenton Mattox-Scott* Chamberlain Michael Miller Cook Allison Deady* Scullery Maid Jessica Mary Murphy* Mamselle Veronica Chapman-Smith

Conductor Corrado Rovaris Director Jenny Koons* Set Designer Jason Ardizzone West* Lighting Designer Yuki Link Costume Designer Maiko Matsushima* Hair & Make-Up Designer Amari Callaway Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden Translations Ron Sadan (Walser), Frances Cox (Nicolai) Dramaturgy Jenny Koons, Ron Sadan Stage Manager Jennifer Shaw *Opera Philadelphia debut Performed in English with English Supertitles Sleepers Awake is presented by arrangement with Schott Music, New York, publisher and copyright owner Brian Major appears courtesy of The Metropolitan Opera Jenny Koons was partially supported by OPERA America’s Opera Grants for Women Stage Directors and Conductors, generously funded by the Marineau Family Foundation Robert Walser, author of the preexisting works “Dornröschen” and “Mikrogramme,” is represented by the Société Suisse Des Auteurs.

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OPERA PHILADELPHIA STAFF LEADERSHIP An thony Roth Costanzo, General Director & President Co rrado Rovaris, Judy and Peter Leone Music Director David Levy, Executive Vice President G reg Robertson, Interim Chief Philanthropy Officer Ve ronica Chapman-Smith, Vice President of Community Initiatives Ca therine Reay, Vice President of Administration & Human Resources

ADMINISTRATION Brianna Thompson, Office Manager MARKETING & GUEST SERVICES Claire Frisbie, Director of Marketing Mi chael Knight, Director of Guest Services Je ffrey Mason, Guest Services Manager Yv ette Bedgood, Guest Services Associate COMMUNITY INITIATIVES Ky leigh Archer, Manager of Youth and Community Programs Kyle Chastulik, Teaching Artist Dicky Dutton, Teaching Artist Elizabeth Gautsche, Teaching Artist Chloe Lucente, Teaching Artist Maedeh Mehdipour, Teaching Artist Em ilie Kaelani, Community Arts Facilitator Va lentina Sierra, Program Manager, Residency Ch abrelle Williams, Community Arts Facilitator Dr . Lily Kass, Scholar in Residence & Program Manager, Dress Rehearsal Karim Boyd, Backstage Pass Consultant Luke Jones, Intern, Project Career Launch

MUSIC Mi chael Eberhard, Director of Casting & Artistic Administration El izabeth Braden, Director of Music & Chorus Grant Loehnig, Head of Music Staff Na than Lofton, Orchestra Contractor & Personnel Manager Ti mothy M. Ressler, Orchestra Librarian & Personnel Coordinator J. Robert Loy, Assistant Orchestra Librarian PRODUCTION Br idget A. Cook, Director of Production Dr ew Billiau, Director of Design & Technology Stephen Dickerson, Technical Director Millie Hiibel, Costume Director Em ily Wanamaker, Associate Director of Production Will Vence Jr., Artistic Operations Coordinator

SCENE Daniel Jin Applebaum Courtney Beck Gwyneth Muller Aisha Wiley FINANCE RADAR Nonprofit Solutions

PHILANTHROPY Ad ele Mustardo, Director of Events & Donor Engagement Ve ronika Perez, Philanthropy Manager & Board Liaison Me ghan Dunne, Associate Director of Foundation & Government Grants Sarah Diggins, Philanthrophy Associate

COUNSEL Ballard Spahr, LLP, General Counsel PUBLIC RELATIONS Luzi Media GRAPHIC DESIGN Haeg Design

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WELCOME FRIENDS! Time in opera is a funny thing. Sometimes an hour passes in the blink of an eye, and sometimes you feel a single aria can transport you to eternity. As words are stretched over many pages of music, as dramatic entanglements are compressed from years to mere minutes, opera lends a kind of quantum malleability to the feeling of time, and in doing so, it functions as a waking dream.

Ever since I first encountered the music of composer Gregory Spears over 20 years ago, I was struck by his ability to suspend us in a liminal space that is full of emotion, just like a dream. Here, he plunges us in and out of reverie with master craftsmanship and the collective power of Opera Philadelphia’s blazing chorus, led by Elizabeth Braden.

Corrado Rovaris and his baton may show us that the music is built upon concrete beats, but he can wind the watch backwards and forwards with his imaginative musicality.

As their partner in storytelling, director Jenny Koons brings a communal ritual to life as the driving force of this dreamscape which makes us question what reality we live in, and how we should spend our time there.

The theater is a space where, just like the sleepers, we want to lose track of time, and yet we emerge feeling that much more awake.

Anthony Roth Costanzo General Director & President

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SYNOPSIS PART ONE The opera opens in a palace where courtiers, workers, and townspeople have been asleep for 100 years, surrounding a princess, Thorn Rose. The space feels both like a banquet hall and also like a tomb. A Stranger enters and kisses Thorn Rose. She awakens and complains, along with everyone else, that they have been rudely awakened from their carefree dreaming. They are unimpressed with the nearly silent Stranger, whom they find to be presumptuous. The Stranger begins to explain the story he’s heard about the cursed palace. The Court Poet interrupts him, so that the courtiers, workers, and townspeople might enact how they ended up asleep for a century.

They start by recalling Thorn Rose’s birth and her christening as a baby, during which the Godmothers bestow gifts of beauty and grace upon her. This celebration is interrupted by Carabosse, an outcast who was left off the invitation list, and who, in revenge, foretells that Thorn Rose will prick her finger on a spindle and die on her 16th birthday. Sixteen years later, Thorn Rose hears a whirring from the top of a tower and runs up the stairs to find a spinning wheel and spindle, on which she pricks her finger. All the courtiers run up to the turret to find her in a swoon. The Godmothers intervene and transform the curse. They inform everyone that instead of Thorn Rose dying, all the palace will fall asleep.

This retelling of the past, which began as a play-within-a-play pageant for The Stranger, has become in the reenactment indistinguishable from the actions of the present. Thus, at the end of the tale the whole palace falls asleep, forming the same tableau that began the opera.

One hundred years pass.

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PART TWO As at the beginning, The Stranger enters. He kisses Thorn Rose as if for the first time. She awakens, as do the courtiers, workers, and townspeople. As if meeting him for the first time, she asks him how he found his way to the palace, and why he has interrupted their dreaming. He responds this time with a philosophical aria concerning the mysterious relationship between dreaming and waking (“Isn’t reality itself a kind of dream?”). He then describes his quest for Thorn Rose (“I heard you were sleeping in a tower”), a journey he took up in response to his own aimlessness at his father’s court. He recounts how only he was able to reach the palace and wake everyone, while many other men died trying.

Thorn Rose, inspired and disturbed to hear of the many adventurers who risked their lives and perished in search of the palace, responds with her own aria (“Poor souls”).

Thorn Rose remains disappointed that the humble and awkward Stranger is the one who has succeeded, and yet she decides to accept him as he is. The whole community rejoices in preparation for their wedding, a celebration that eventually leads to exhaustion. Everyone around the couple falls asleep, one by one. The Stranger and Thorn Rose struggle to stay awake, traveling along the edge of slumber, drifting between waking and dreaming. Then they fall asleep as well.

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COMPOSER’S NOTE

by Gregory Spears

I have always felt opera characters share a quality with sleepwalkers, whose movements and speech are guided through the dreamlike world of the theater by invisible forces (the orchestra, a musical score). About halfway through Robert Walser’s dramolette “Sleeping Beauty”, a prince-like character asks whether the palace inhabitants he has just awakened aren’t in fact “Sleepwalkers, even in broad daylight?” Walser’s characters, even on the page, have a similar, uncanny operatic quality. This doubleness, as if there’s an inner logic to their motions and emotions, remains hidden from both the reader and the characters themselves as they meander through Walser’s enchanted world, half dreaming, half awake. Inspired by this same sensibility, the opera Sleepers Awake retells the familiar fairy tale of “Sleeping Beauty” in a way that further dissolves the border between sleeping and waking.

Sleepers Awake is also an exploration of the repetitive cycles of work and dreaming that structure our world. In the opera, a community awakens to face the drudgery of real life and drifts back asleep, only to awaken again.

Are they in the same place or somewhere different? The opera centers this group (the chorus) as the main player in a story that unfolds musically in a series of tableau-like ensemble scenes. I created the libretto by adapting three Robert Walser texts (parts of the unusual 1920 dramolette “Dornröschen,” fragments from an article with the same title from 1919, and a fragment of one of his famous micro scripts from 1927) with Arthur Quiller-Couch’s early 20th-century rendering of the same fairytale. Verses adapted from the traditional 1599 hymn “Sleepers Awake” by Philipp Nicolai (translated by Frances Cox) were adapted and inset along the way. This process was guided by my close collaborator, director Jenny Koons, while Walser specialist Ron Sadan provided new translations and guidance on the selection of the Walser source material.

In Walser’s world, nothing is quite what it seems. Or rather, things often are two things at once: sleep can represent both ignorance and enlightenment; repetition can feel nightmarish or soothing. Our protagonist Thorn Rose — a rendering of Dornröschen, the Brothers Grimm’s name for “Sleeping Beauty” — is named in honor of such opposites existing side-by-side. Is this paradoxical world a puzzle to solve, a trap to escape, or simply a mystery to inhabit? The music — shot through with obsessive repetition, harmonic cycles, rhythmic labyrinths, and recurring motifs — asks similar questions. A counterpoint of musical styles, including evocations of the Medieval, the Baroque, the Classical, the 19th century, and the Minimalist, move forward and backward through time, accompanying the journey of our palace community — who at any moment might fall asleep for a century. These styles often combine

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in unusual ways, where disparate musical traditions might synthesize for a moment. Throughout the piece, more literal sounds of time passing are evoked — clocks, watch gears, bells, alarms, and skipping record players. This layer of the music is trying to wake the audience up while another vein — full of yawning motifs and lullaby-esque repetitions — is trying to lull. Meanwhile, the choral part often fractures the text into a web of sound, as if an idea can become a sonic space that we inhabit. All this is done in an attempt to realize Walser’s philosophically layered, unsettling, enchanted, eerie, childlike, and fascinatingly cryptic world onstage and in time.

ROBERT WALSER, 1899.

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL RENFER, BIEL.

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

Just Another Kind of Dream by Jenny Koons Gregory Spears and I were brought together — I like to say we were “matchmade” — because of a common excitement to 1) create something for a large group of people and 2) create something haunted. In a way, perhaps we arrived there in the end, but I suppose tonight you’ll decide.

In our first conversations, it became clear we shared common interests far beyond spooky collectives, and we were offered the opportunity to dream together to make a choral opera, blending Greg’s genius in writing communal sound and my deep obsession with the dynamics and power of a group.

We were both excited by mythical and heightened worlds, worlds where spells could be cast, where humans could fall asleep for 100 years and wake up again whole, and where strangers could walk into a community and change everyone’s trajectory. And we wanted a story that centered a community rather than a single protagonist. This desire led us very quickly to “Sleeping Beauty,” a story where the mistake of one, the King, results in a grave consequence for the entire community. But Walser’s retelling of “Sleeping Beauty” was curiously distinct. Rather than gratitude for The Stranger that breaks the spell, the town is annoyed to be awakened from their rest and inserted back into the drudgery and labor of their daily lives. Walser poked holes at the assumption that being awake is somehow better. Simultaneously, 9

he questioned whether our waking lives were perhaps just another form of dreaming, a different kind of sleep.

The language of Walser’s questioning — of being awake, of being asleep, of yearning for something to shake us from our slumber — felt so close to contemporary questions and discourse. The metaphor of being “woke,” the desire to crawl into bed to escape the chaos of the daily news, the yearning for something to “wake us up” from the repetitive, everyday trance we can find ourselves in. And yet, no matter how hard we try to stay awake, sleep is inevitable. Our bodies require it. Our sleep cycles follow the lunar cycles of the world we inhabit. How do we hold all things? A desire to escape the patterns that bind us. A desire to stay awake. And a desire for the comfort and nest of slumber.

In Sleepers Awake, we meet a community caught in a familiar cycle of waking and sleeping. Our hero, Thorn Rose, must decide whether she wants to step out of the cycle, or if it’s even possible. When The Stranger arrives to interrupt this loop, Thorn Rose has an opportunity to take a different path, a chance to discover a new trajectory. But can she stay awake? Can they keep each other awake? Does love offer us an opportunity to step beyond our familiar? Or is reality and the blurred line between waking and sleep just another kind of dream?

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE Let Sleepers Sleep by Ron Sadan

Robert Walser returned to the “Thorn Rose” (Sleeping Beauty) fairy tale three times, in 1916, 1919, and 1920, and each time he told a different story. The first is a rhapsodic prose poem; the second a wry counter reading; the third a dramatic scene that recasts them both. What begins as celebration turns, by degrees, to ambivalence, then irony. Translating all three, I found myself circling a question they raise but won’t settle: is waking worth it?

Sleepers Awake takes up that question. Its libretto draws on Walser’s 1920 text, with elements from his 1919 version, and inherits his habit of leaving the fairy tale unresolved. Five tensions run through the opera, each a different angle on that question.

Liberation vs. Intrusion The Stranger’s kiss is both the fairy tale’s defining act of rescue and a violation.

In 1916, waking is pure liberation: “A world was freed!” The court rises, and with it civilization. By 1919, the same act appears differently. Thorn Rose “was by no means badly off in her sleep. Now some clumsy oaf has to disturb her.

How inappropriate! Did he not know that one should let sleepers sleep?” In the

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opera, the whole court makes this complaint. Each voice recounts what sleep spared them: labor, obligation, effort. The kiss awakens everyone – and no one asked to be.

Fate vs. Timing Why does the Stranger succeed where others fail? In the early version, the answer is simple. He is a prince, and the thorns yield to his “kingly will.” By 1919, he is no longer a prince, and his success becomes suspect. Through the narrator, Thorn Rose wonders whether the others came “at the wrong time, and he at the right one.” The difference is no longer merit, but timing.

By 1920, the Stranger himself admits he is “almost embarrassed” to have succeeded. What looks like destiny begins to look like accident. He is not better. He is on time.

Dream vs. Reality The 1916 text treats sleep as a problem and waking as its solution. Later versions dissolve that distinction. “Isn’t reality itself a kind of dream?” the Stranger asks. “Understanding arrives in fragments, never otherwise.” If waking is a dream, then what has changed?

Convention vs. Consent Who decides that the story ends in marriage? In 1916, Thorn Rose “belonged” to the Stranger “as bride and wife,” and Walser’s narrator pauses only to praise the fairy tale for not making more of it. In 1919, a narrator speaks on her behalf: “how can a pretty young lady give her affection, even her hand, to the first fellow who happens along – without reservation?” By 1920, she speaks for herself. She accepts the Stranger, but without illusion. “I would have wished for the hero to be different… I must now simply take him as he is.” Does Thorn Rose settle or choose? The libretto leaves that open. The music may know.

Heroic Individual vs. Collective The heroic act, if there is one, stands between two collectives: the fallen knights and the revived court. In 1916, the fallen knights serve as heroic backdrop. Their deaths make the Stranger’s success look earned. Later, they return as a problem. Thorn Rose lingers on them. She has just met this man, never knew the knights, and immediately vows to think of them “like breathing.” Is her elegy sincere? The text won’t say, and either way, the dead stay dead.

Does the second collective fare better? The rescue does not culminate in a hero. It disperses into a chorus – courtiers, townspeople, workers – who don’t simply frame the story but become it. Everyone pledges to “form a thriving company.” But does that hold? One by one, the chorus members drift back to sleep, as if waking were always merely borrowed time. The court goes to sleep, which may be the most natural thing it can do.

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ARTISTS Robin Bier (she/her) Godmother

Simon Boccanegra 2023

Alto | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Recent: Alto soloist, Beethoven Missa Solemnis, Glacier Symphony and Chorale; Alto soloist, Handel’s Messiah, Choral Arts Philadelphia; Alto soloist, Vivaldi Amor, hai vinto, Valley Vivaldi Next: Alto soloist, Bach BWV 99 Was Gott tut, das ist wohlgetan, Philadelphia Bach Collective

Elizabeth Braden (she/her) Chorus Master

Il viaggio a Reims 2025 The Listeners 2024

Easton, Pennsylvania

Recent: Chorus Master, Il viaggio a Reims, Opera Philadelphia; Chorus Master, Don Giovanni, Opera Philadelphia; Director of Music, Old Pine Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia Next: Conductor, Long Live the Queen, ArtPhilly’s What NOW: 2026 Festival

Susanne Burgess (she/her) Thorn Rose

Opera Philadelphia debut

Soprano | Atlanta, Georgia

Recent: Four Heroines, Les contes d'Hoffmann, The Florentine Opera; Frasquita, Carmen, Metropolitan Opera; Norina, Don Pasquale, Opera Theatre of St. Louis Next: Gilda, Rigoletto, Pittsburgh Opera

Amari Callaway (they/them) Hair & Make-up Designer

10 Days in a Madhouse 2023

Las Vegas, Nevada

Recent: Wig Designer, Jelly's Last Jam, Bristol Riverside Theatre; Wig Designer, A Delicate Balance and Sherlock Holmes: The Great Detective, Walnut Street Theatre Next: Wardrobe Supervisor, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Curtis Opera Theatre

Annalise Dzwonczyk (she/her) Godmother

Opera Philadelphia debut

Mezzo-soprano | Avon Lake, Ohio

Recent: Soloist, Haydn’s Theresienmesse, West Shore Chorale; Cinderella, Cinderella Trilogy, Dayton Opera; Tisbe, La cenerentola, Dayton Opera

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Sleepers Awake

Jenny Koons (she/her) Stage Director

Opera Philadelphia debut

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Recent: Director, Amazing Humans Doing Amazing Things with David Byrne, Town Hall; Director/Adaptor, The Importance of Being Earnest, Baltimore Center Stage; Director, Regretfully, So the Birds Are, Playwrights Horizons Next: Director, Warriors

Yuki Link (she/her) Lighting Designer

Complications in Sue 2026

Kyoto, Japan

Recent: Lighting Designer, Madame Butterfly, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Lighting Designer, Parsifal, San Francisco Opera; Lighting Designer, Così fan tutte, Detroit Opera Next: Lighting Designer, Elizabeth Cree, Music Academy of the West

Brian Major (he/him) Court Poet

Opera Philadelphia debut

Baritone | Neptune, New Jersey Recent: Nabucco, Nabucco, Theatro Municipal de São Paulo; Captain Gardiner, Moby Dick, Metropolitan Opera; Amonasro, Aida, Boston Lyric Opera Next: Baron Douphol, La traviata, Metropolitan Opera

Maiko Matsushima (she/her) Costume Designer

Opera Philadelphia debut

Kobe, Japan

Recent: Costume Designer, Madame Butterfly, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Costume Designer, Caesar, Philadelphia Theater Company; Costume Designer, Franklin's Key, Pig Iron Theater Company Next: Costume Design, Madame Butterfly, Washington National Opera

Maren Montalbano (she/her) Godmother

Sky on Swings 2018

Mezzo-soprano | Willingboro, New Jersey Recent: Chorus, Il viaggio a Reims, Opera Philadelphia; Soloist, Actus Tragicus, Philadelphia Bach Collective; Soloist, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Bucks County Choral Society Next: Minerva, The Temple of Minerva, Tempesta di Mare 13

ARTISTS

Sleepers Awake

Jonghyun Park (he/him) The Stranger

Opera Philadelphia debut

Tenor | Seoul, South Korea

Recent: Sergeant, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Metropolitan Opera; Ferrando, Così fan tutte, Opera San José; Sailor’s voice, Tristan und Isolde, Metropolitan Opera Next: Second Priest and First Armored Man, Die Zauberflöte, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence

Corrado Rovaris (he/him) Conductor

The Seasons 2025 Il viaggio a Reims 2025

Bergamo, Italy

Recent: Conductor, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Teatro de la Maestranza; Conductor, The Seasons, Opera Philadelphia; Conductor, Il barbiere di Siviglia, New National Theatre, Tokyo Next: Conductor, Enrico di Borgogna, Teatro La Fenice

Sophia Santiago (she/her) Godmother

Opera Philadelphia debut

Soprano | Ellicott City, Maryland Recent: Dede, A Quiet Place, Manhattan School of Music; Belinda, Dido and Aeneas, Mendelssohn Chorus; Soprano soloist in “To the Hands: Cutting Edge Art” with Vocal Arts Ensemble of Cincinnati

Jason Ardizzone West (he/him) Set Designer

Opera Philadelphia debut

Worcester, Massachusetts

Recent: Production Designer, Lady Gaga’s Mayhem Ball Tour; Set Designer, Redwood, Broadway; Set Designer, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hollywood Bowl Next: Set Designer, Blood Love, Theater 555, New York City

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COMPOSER Gregory Spears

Spears’ music has been commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, Seraphic Fire, The Crossing, Bang on a Can, and JACK Quartet, among many others. Spears’ opera The Righteous (libretto by Tracy K. Smith) premiered at Santa Fe Opera in 2024, earning a “Critic’s Pick” in The New York Times.

Earlier collaborations with Smith include Castor and Patience (2022, Cincinnati Opera) and Love Story, commissioned and premiered by PHOTO BY DARIO ACOSTA the New York Philharmonic. His first Praised for “astonishingly beautiful” opera, Paul’s Case (written with music (The New York Times) and librettist Kathryn Walat), was called a “singular compositional voice, “a masterpiece” by The New York unlike any that has been heard in Observer. Beyond opera, Spears opera before” (The New Yorker), has developed a wide-ranging composer Gregory Spears is catalog of orchestral, choral, and acclaimed for blending romanticism, chamber works. His Requiem (2010) minimalism, and early music and Seven Days (2021) showcase influences into works celebrated his gift for balancing intimacy with for their melodic richness and dramatic scale. emotional clarity.

A graduate of Eastman, Yale, and The 2025-2026 season brings the Princeton, and a former Fulbright world premieres of Spears’ newest Scholar, Spears teaches at New opera, Sleepers Awake (Opera York University, and his music Philadelphia), as well as Secrets is published by Schott Music (The Frick Collection) and Bartleby and Schott PSNY. Learn more at (Tucson Desert Song Festival). His gregoryspears.com. best-known opera, Fellow Travelers (libretto by Greg Pierce), marks its 10th anniversary in 2026 with the launch of a national, multi-year tour.

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ORCHESTRA VIOLIN I Max Tan, concertmaster Na tasha Colkett, assistant concertmaster Donna Grantham Meichen Liao-Barnes Elizabeth Kaderabek Maria Im Yoori Kim Williams Emily Barkakati Gared Crawford Lisa Vaupel Mary Loftus

CELLO Branson Yeast, principal Vi vian Barton Dozor, assistant principal David Moulton Brooke Beazley Elizabeth Thompson Benjamin Hildner BASS Anne Peterson, principal Stephen Groat Tim Ressler Elan Simon

VIOLIN II Tess Varley, principal Luigi Mazzocchi Paul Reiser Karen Banos Sarah DuBois Heather Zimmerman Messé Natalie DaSilva Yu-Hui Tamae Lee Kei Fukuda

BASSOON Emeline Chong, principal HORN John David Smith, principal Lisa Dunham THEORBO Kevin Payne, principal

VIOLA Jonathan Kim, principal Jay Julio, assistant principal Yoshihiko Nakano Elizabeth Jaffe Ellen Trainer Julia DiGaetani Steven Heitlinger

KEYBOARD Michael Lewis, principal HARP Ruth Bennett, principal Maryanne Meyer PERCUSSION Ralph Sorrentino, principal Brad Loudis

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CHORUS SOPRANO Veronica Chapman-Smith Natalie Esler Noël Graves-Williams Julie-Ann Green Valerie Haber Jessica Moreno Jorie Moss Jessica Mary Murphy Christine Nass Megan Nielson Amanda O’Toole Aimee Pilgermayer Sophia Santiago Evelyn Santiago Schulz Amy Spencer

TENOR Matteo Adams Gabriel Anthony-Muhammad Nathaniel Bear Matthew Coules Stephen Dagrosa Gabriel Feldt Steven Humes Christian Johnson A. Edward Maddison Toffer Mihalka Andrew Skitko Evan L. Snyder Daniel Taylor Cory O’Niell Walker Steve Williamson

ALTO Tanisha L. Anderson Jennifer Beattie Robin Bier Allison Deady Annalise Dzwonczyk Joanna Gates Megan McFadden Meghan McGinty Maren Montalbano Natasha Nelson Ellen Grace Peters Sam Rauch Paula Rivera Rebecca Roy Kaitlyn Tierney

BASS Kyle Chastulik Lucas DeJesus Dicky Dutton Matthew Fisher Loren Greer James Osby Gwathney, Jr. Matthew Maisano Brenton Mattox-Scott John David Miles Michael Miller Frank Mitchell Daniel Neer Nicholas Provenzale Josef Samargia John T. K. Scherch

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The Individuals of the Collective

by Elizabeth Braden, Director of Music & Chorus

The chorus has been an important part of opera since its inception hundreds of years ago, and an integral part of storytelling for even longer than that. So many famous opera scenes involve the chorus: the bustling crowd on Christmas Eve at Café Momus in La bohème; the excited spectators at the bullfight in Carmen; the community watching the prince answer the three riddles in Turandot; and of course, the throngs of people singing the “Triumphal March” in Aida. Sometimes, the chorus helps tell the story, sometimes they comment on what’s happening, sometimes they reflect the emotion of the stage. But even when they have a huge part to play, they are always there to support the main characters, the principal singers starring in the show.

Well, almost always. In Gregory Spears’ new opera Sleepers Awake, the script is literally flipped upside down. The chorus is the protagonist of the opera — they lead the narrative, they communicate the emotions of the story, they take center stage.

For the choristers, this is an exciting opportunity, especially onstage at the Academy of Music.

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THE OPERA PHILADELPHIA CHORUS PERFORMS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE WAKE WORLD, 2017.

The Opera Philadelphia Chorus is made up of a wonderfully eclectic group of singing artists. We have singers who have been part of the chorus for more than 25 years, and singers who will be making their debut with the chorus in this show. Some of the singers live the gig life: they sing in the Opera chorus, in church choir, in other professional choruses, as well as doing some solo singing. Others work in non-singing fields; we have college professors, public school teachers, travel agents, and baristas. But everyone, whether veteran or new, is a member of this chorus because they love to sing, and they love to be on stage sharing music and telling stories to the world.

Being in a chorus is a unique experience. It requires both individual and collective excellence. Each singer needs to focus on their individual vocal contributions while remaining constantly aware of all the other voices in the ensemble. This is especially true in this opera, where Spears has written intricate and beautiful choral music — music that challenges the singers, but creates an exciting new sonic world: a choral opera.

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ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION STAFF Assistant Director .......................................................................................... Edward Sturm Assistant Stage Managers ........................................ Brianna Thompson, Lillian Welsh Principal Pianist ............................................................................................. Grant Loehnig Associate Pianist ............................................................................................ Michael Lewis English Diction Coach ........................................................................................ Lynn Baker Properties Supervisor ................................. Avista Custom Theatrical Services, LLC Assistant Lighting Designer ........................................................................... Kaia Merrell* Supertitle Author & Operator ........................................................................ Tony Solitro Audio Description ....................................................................................... Nicole Sardella Head Electrican ....................................................................................... John Allerheiligen Head Properties ..................................................................................... Samantha Higgins Head Flyman ................................................................................................. James Murphy Assistant Electrician .................................................................................... Heather Pynne Associate Costume Director ........................................................................ Becca Austin Wardrobe Supervisor ........................................................................................ Elisa Hurley Draper/Tailors: Althea Unrath, Kara Morasco, Sarah Mitchell, Julie Watson First Hands/Stitcher: Patrick Mulhall, Joy Rampulla, Morgan Porter, Catherine Blinn Cover Singers: Olivia Prendergast (Thorn Rose); Fran Daniel Laucerica (The Stranger); Søren Pedersen (The Court Poet); Jessica Moreno, Jorie Moss, Jennifer Beattie, Joanna Gates (Godmothers) *Opera Philadelphia debut Opera Philadelphia thanks the following labor organizations whose members, artists, craftsmen, and craftswomen greatly contribute to our performances: Opera Philadelphia Orchestra Musicians are proud members of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 77.

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

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Charles C. Freyer | Chair Anthony Roth Costanzo*| President Barbara Augusta Teichert | Vice Chair Alexander M. Hankin | Secretary David Low | Treasurer Stephen K. Klasko | Immediate Past Chair

MEMBERS Ira Brind Lawrence Brownlee William Dunbar David Ferguson Charles C. Freyer Deena Gu Laties Alexander M. Hankin Benjamin Hildner Peter Leone Helen Little David Low Sarah Marshall Agnes Mulroney Katherine L. Niven Nabila Sajid Nancy Sanders Carolyn Horn Seidle Ellen Steiner Barbara Augusta Teichert Lisa Washington Kathleen Weir Yueyi (Kelly) Zhou

HONORARY MEMBERS Dennis Alter H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest† St ephen A. Madva, Esq., Chairman Emeritus Alan B. Miller Alice W. Strine, Esq. Charlotte Watts ADVISORY BOARD Betsy Z. Cohen Renée Fleming John Hunter Henry Timms

† Deceased 23

* Ex officio

THANK YOU Opera Philadelphia expresses our deepest gratitude to the individuals and institutions whose support of the Annual Fund allows us to bring you Sleepers Awake. List current as of March 9, 2026.

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE

Ms . Lisa D. Kabnick and Mr. John H. McFadden Mrs. John P. Mulroney The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation The William Penn Foundation Le slie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation The Buck Family Foundation TF Cornerstone Mr . Jeffrey P. Cunard and Ms. Mariko Ikehara Ju dith Durkin Freyer and Charles C. Freyer Paul L. King David Low Nancy and Barry Sanders Ka tie Adams Schaeffer and Tony Schaeffer Edith Carol Stein

Wy ncote Foundation at the Recommendation of Frederick R. Haas Barbara and Amos Hostetter E.A. Michelson Philanthropy Carolyn Horn Seidle Barbara Augusta Teichert Ira Brind and Stacey Spector Wy ncote Foundation at the Recommendation of David Haas Judy and Peter Leone The Estate of Bud and Betty Shapiro Jean and Gene Stark Bloomberg Philanthropies Cohen & Company Ba rbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel, Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation Sarah and Brad Marshall

CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL

Comcast NBC Universal Cunningham Piano Company Eugene Garfield Foundation Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia Friends of Education Linda and David Glickstein Mark and Helene Hankin Family Katherine and John Karamatsoukas Mrs. Sheila Kessler Joel and Sharon Koppelman The H.F. Lenfest Fund Mr. and Mrs. William E. Little Jr. Andrew J. Martin-Weber Constance C. Moore† National Endowment for the Arts Steven Pesner Michael L. Spolan Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Wechsler

Anonymous Ellen Steiner Lorraine Alexander† Willo Carey and Peter A. Benoliel† Ms . Deena Gu Laties, in honor of Willo Carey Hamilton Family Charitable Trust Christian Humann Foundation Independence Foundation Donald and Gay Kimelman The Presser Foundation Dr. Renée Rollin The Tang Fund Paul M. Angell Family Foundation Bells Grocery Store Katherine and Andrew Christiano 24

GENERAL DIRECTOR’S COUNCIL Platinum Patron Wi lliam A. Barone and Sylvia K. Lanka-Barone Myron and Sheila S. Bassman Lawrence Brownlee Peggy and Mark Curchack Al len R. and Judy Brick Freedman Venture Fund for New Opera Hauser & Wirth Feather O. Houstoun Je anette Lerman-Neubauer and Joe Neubauer PECO Dr. Joel and Mrs. Roberta Porter David and Susan Rattner Ashley and Eli Wald Lisa Washington Ms. Leslie Whipkey Mrs. Kelly Zhou and Dr. Brett Frankel

Gold Patron Mr . James P. Macelderry† and Ms. Marilyn S. Fishman The Leone Family William S. Mulherin and Joseph Baker Silver Patron Anonymous Truist Ms. Sarah Billinghurst Solomon Robert and Julie Jensen Bryan Ge orge S Day, Ph.D. and Alice Donavin Day Kay Deaux Dr . Bruce Eisenstein in memory of Dr. Toby Eisenstein Dorothea Endicott De borah Glass, in memory of Leonard Mellman Joan and William Goldstein Gray Charitable Trust Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Mr. and Mrs. Jim Groch Michelle Harde Ms. Rhoda K. Herrold Benjamin Hildner Howell Lockhart Seiple Trust Mr . Kenneth Klothen and Ms. Eve Biskind KPK Development Co. Anne Silvers Lee and Wynn Lee So-Chung Shinn and Tony W. Lee In memory of Joseph G. Leone Carol and Howard Lidz Liddy Lindsay Dr. and Mrs. Michael B. Love Dwight and Christina McCawley Susan and Graham McDonald Mrs. Naomi Montgomery† Ms. Katherine L. Niven OPERA America

Diamond Patron Aaron Copland Fund for Music Anonymous Chubb Limited Carol S. Eicher Dr. Garrett FitzGerald Bonnie and Lon Greenberg Alan Levin Ms. Jacqueline B. Mars The McLean Contributionship Tom and Jody O'Rourke Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Bill Robling and Deborah R. Kravetz Drs. Richard and Rhonda Soricelli Mrs. Keith R. Straw Alice and Walter Strine, Esqs.

Barbara Tober Universal Health Services Kathleen and Nicholas Weir Ann Ziff

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Colleen and Sean O'Riordan Th e Dean and Zoe Pappas Family Foundation St uart A. Schwartz and Sheila Jamison-Schwartz Andrew Gelber and Don Schwarz Dr. Barry R. Shatzman Esther Spear Mr . Jonathan H. Sprogell and Ms. Kathryn Taylor Mr . Andrew Szabo and Ms. Susan M. Long Mr s. Monica Taylor Lotty and Mr. Brendan Lotty The Philadelphia Contributionship Ms. Marta Barbeosch Varela Judith W Whellan Ms . Linda Wingate and Dr. William Liberi

Georgette Ciukurescu James Cohen, PE Mr . Stephen Cohen and Mr. John McNett Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Carl Flaxman Eduardo Glandt and George Ritchie Ms . Juliet J. Goodfriend and Dr. Marc R. Moreau Dr s. Christina L. and Richard J. Herring Brad M. Hoppenfeld M.D. Jeffrey R. Jowett Matthew Ligman Ninja Transfers LLC Dr. and Mrs. A. H. Nishikawa Rush Order Tees David Craig and Jackie Renner Joyce Seewald Sando Mr. and Mrs. Curtis E. Sawyer Ms . Jan Shaeffer and Mr. Dennis Bianchi Kobie Smith Nancy and Joel Streim The Rev. Richard L. Ullman Laurie Wagman Carol Westfall Dr. Leah Whipple Janet Yaseen Foundation Ms . Ana-Maria V. Zaugg and Mr. David W. Anstice Mr. Robert Zimet

Bronze+ Patron Th omas S. Heckman and Mary Jo Ashenfelter Jim & Maddy Carlson Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation Mr. and Ms. Robert S. Duplessis Dr. Frank F. Furstenberg Barbara Glauber Mrs. Louise H. Reed Dr. R.J. Wallner Bronze Patron St even C. Abbott and James Stephens Ly dia Alvarez, in memory of Isabelle Ferguson Anonymous (3) Apgar-Black Foundation Ms. Susan Asplundh Cynthia and George Balchunas Eugene and Virginia Beier Mrs. Joanne Berwind Carrie and J. Bradley Boericke Nancy Brodie El aine Woo Camarda and A. Morris Williams, Jr.

DONOR CIRCLE Partner Anonymous (2) Judy S. Allison Marcia and Larry Arem Mr. Fred Allen Barfoot Karen Bedrosian-Richardson Drs. Deidre and Michael Blank Dr. Regina Blaszczyk & Lee O’Neill Rita B. Bocher Ph.D. Dr . Harmar Brereton and Mrs. Leslie W. Brereton

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Ch ristian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Ms. Julie Cohen and Mr. Nigel Blower Robert and Florence Dolceamore Vivian Barton Dozor Ms. Thérèse M. Esperdy James R. Fairburn Evan Fenaroli & Darren White Lorraine Gallard and Richard H. Levy Jim and Kay Gately Jane W. Goldblum Ms. Sandra E. Goodstein Mr . George Graham and Mr. Kyle Merker Thomas and Debra Lew Harder Ms. Susan Henry Mr. Daniel Holmes Elbrun and Peter Kimmelman Beste Kuru Laura LaRosa Mr. and Mrs. David Levy Fran Levy and Leon L. Levy Elizabeth Burns Mahoney Mr . John Mastrobattista and Ms. Madeline Leone Drs. Joseph and Jane McGowan Mr. Thomas Miller Dr. Judy Catherine Miner Mr. Benjamin F. Minick Steven Z. Mitchell Abigail & Mark Nestlehutt Ms. Jane G. Pepper Helen E. Pettit Anne Faulkner Schoemaker Estate of Robert Schoenberg Mr. and Mrs. Henry G. Scott George R. Smith Janet Wilson Smith St even A Gold Charitable Educational Institutions Trust Mr . Daniel Szyld and Ms. Kathleen Ross Ms. Judith Tannenbaum Jadwiga Villa Arnold Weiss

Kenneth and Susan Weiss Reverend Margaret A. Wellert Peter J. Wender Barbara Eberlein and Jerry Wind Sustainer Anonymous (2) George Ahern Jenna and Abraham Axler Sandra Baldino Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Broadt Tim Broadt Mr . Leo M. Carey and Ms. Sonya D. Mouzon Dr. and Mrs. Nicholas P. Cernansky Frank Tobin & Ilene Chester Jonathan Conant Paula Cook Mark Cornish Judith-Ann Corrente Ms. Micaela de Lignerolles Mr. Paul Desanctis Mr. John Driscoll Mr. Scott Dyer Mr. and Mrs. Norman S. Ellman Jo hn H. Erickson and Harry I. Zaleznik David L. Eskin Barry Fisch Ryan Fleur and Laura Banchero Linda Dubin Garfield Michael Gealt Ph.D. Jane Ginsburg and George Spera Ma rsha Lynn Gordon and Javier Garcia Leila Christine Grad, M.D. F. John Hagele David and Ann Harrison, Esqs.

Mr. and Mrs. Philip Hauser Mr . Charles Head, Jr. and Mr. John Faggotti, In Memory of John Ventura Clark Hooper Baruch Lee M. Huber

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Richard and Judith Hurtig Mr. Wallace Hussong Brian Hylton Judith Insell Dr. and Mrs. William Jantsch Richard and Grace Karschner Ms. Carol Sue Klein Jo Ann Klein Amanda Kunze Charles B. Landreth Laura A. Lane and David R. DeVoe William Lake Leonard, Esq. Dr s. Jerry D. and Julie Meranze Levitt Mr. Jeffrey Lienert Dr. Thomas S. Lin Lawrence and Nancy Ludgus Ms. Maria Maccecchini Cirel and Howard Magen Paul J. Martin John McGinley Jon McMillan Mr. George H. McNeely Mr . Robert J. McShea, Jr. and Mr. Bill Ward Carol and Tom Miller Moscow Philanthrpoic Fund

Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Munson Rochelle L Ostroff-Weinberg Andrew Paciocco Mr. Stephen Perry Cheryl Gunter and Paul Rabe Paul Reid Laurie A Rofini Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Rohde Dr . Pamela Rootenberg and Dr. David T. Springer Ms. Elise Michelle Rosen Mr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Ross Ms. Lesley Seitchik Susan Shaman Barbara and George Smith Mr. and Mrs. Corey R. Smith Susan Solomon Mary M Sproat Termini Bros. Bakery Mrs. Sallie Van Merkensteijn Mrs. Peggy Wachs Clint Walker Ms. Geraldine Wang Dr. Steven and Janet Weinberger Stephen Zeller

Scan to view our entire community of supporters.

To join, visit operaphila.org/support or call 215.732.8400 28

CORPORATE GIVING SOCIETY The Corporate Giving Society generously supports Opera Philadelphia’s artistic and educational programming through contributions and in-kind donations.

Official Piano Service Provider

Official Piano

CORPOR ATE PARTN ERS Ballard Spahr LLP Termini Brothers Bakery Steve Voudouris

For more information about sponsorship opportunities and EITC contributions, or to join Opera Philadelphia’s Corporate Giving Society, contact Greg Robertson, Interim Chief Philanthropy Officer, at robertson@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 29

LEGATO SOCIETY 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.

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 Greg Robertson, Interim Chief Philanthropy Officer, at robertson@operaphila.org.

Anonymous (12) Lorraine† and Ben† Alexander Eleanor M. Allen† Mary Jo Ashenfelter and Thomas S. Heckman Eileen Baird† Dr s. Frederic Joshua Barnett† and Heidi Kolberg 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

List as of December 31, 2025

Drs. Joseph and Jane McGowan Eugene C. Menegon† 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

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50TH ANNIVERSARY GALA SPONSORS Thank you to the following generous supporters of Vox Ex Machina, Opera Philadelphia’s 50th Anniversary Gala.

PRESENTING SPONSOR George Condo and Hauser & Wirth

BENEFACTORS Courtney Beck and Jonathan Harris Frank and Nancy Bissinger James and Alyse Bodine Willo Carey Dr. Thomas A. Childers and Dr. John B. Hall Tobey and Mark Dichter Robert B. Driver Helen Drutt Ms. Teresa Fink and Mr. Stephen Varenhorst Amy Finkelstein Anne Gottleib Dr. Allan Greenspan Independence Foundation Drs. Jason Karlawish and John Bruza Dr. Alan F. Karr Jon McMillan Irene R. Miller Ms. Katherine L. Niven Ms. Marta Nottebohm Helen E. Pettit Eileen Rosenau Katherine Sachs Ronald Schafer Jessica Stow Barbara Augusta Teichert Ms. Kristine Terrado Barbara A. Walkowski Dr. R. J. Wallner Elizabeth B. Warshawer Mrs. Kelly Zhou and Dr. Brett Frankel

LEAD SPONSORS Sarah and Brad Marshall PLATINUM SPONSORS Elaine Woo Camarda and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Betsy and Ed Cohen Judith Durkin Freyer and Charles C. Freyer Judy and Peter Leone GOLD SPONSORS Mrs. Sandra K. Baldino Ballard Spahr LLP Sylvia Lanka-Barone and William Barone Ira Brind and Stacey Spector Laura Drake David Haas and Lisa Clark Ms. Lisa D. Kabnick and Mr. John H. McFadden Mr. Brian D. Pedrow Nancy and Barry Sanders Katie and Tony Schaeffer Carolyn Horn Seidle Mr. and Mrs. William A. Slaughter, Esq. SILVER SPONSORS David Low Mrs. Jacqueline B. Mars The Philadelphia Inquirer Lisa Washington Ms. Leslie Whipkey

Photo: Sofia Negron

BRONZE SPONSORS Anonymous Maddy & Jim Carlson Mr . Jeffrey P. Cunard and Ms. Mariko Ikehara Barbara Eberlein and Jerry Wind Ms. Deena Gu Laties Mrs. Sheila Kessler Ro and Martin King Dr. Joel & Mrs. Roberta Porter Ellen Steiner Susan M. Long and Andrew J. Szabo Robert Taglieri and Timothy Moir Kathy and Nick Weir

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Photo: Steven Pisano

OPERA PHILADELPHIA'S FIRST MAJOR CAMPAIGN: OPERA, BUT DIFFERENT WHEN INNOVATION MEETS INTENTION In celebration of Opera Philadelphia’s 50th Anniversary, the company has embarked on its first-ever major campaign, Opera, but Different, marking a defining moment of visionary transformation. With an initial goal of $33 million, this ambitious, three-year comprehensive effort strengthens our artistic and financial foundation, ensuring continued innovation, responsiveness to audiences, and long-term financial sustainability.

THE CAMPAIGN CENTERS ON FOUR FOUNDATIONAL PILLARS THAT BALANCE AMBITION AND RESILIENCE Radical creation and artistic excellence – Investing in bold new works and reimagined classics, making opera accessible both inside and beyond the hall Opera as a civic right – breaking down barriers to participation Daring leadership – embracing risk to resonate with audiences in today’s cultural landscape Financial resilience – building meaningful financial reserves to support long-term viability To date, we have secured $21 million, reflecting extraordinary early momentum toward our goal. These gifts encompass commitments to both the Campaign and the Annual Fund, demonstrating a shared belief that opera can — and must — be a living, evolving art form.

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WITH GRATITUDE TO SUPPORTERS OF OPERA PHILADELPHIA'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN We are profoundly grateful to the following early Leadership Supporters, whose generosity of $25,000 and above is advancing Opera Philadelphia’s vision for a vibrant, thriving future. Gifts below represent three-year commitments encompassing both Annual and Campaign support.

LUMINARY CIRCLE $1,000,000+

The Buck Family Foundation Ju dith Durkin Freyer and Charles C. Freyer Mr . Jeffrey P. Cunard and Ms. Mariko Ikehara Paul L. King David Low Sarah and Brad Marshall Nancy and Barry Sanders Edith Carol Stein Ellen Steiner TF Cornerstone

Th e Wyncote Foundation at the Recommendation of Frederick R. Haas Barbara and Amos Hostetter E. A. Michelson Philanthropy Carolyn Horn Seidle Barbara Augusta Teichert CRESCENDO CIRCLE $500,000–$999,999 Ira Brind and Stacey Spector Judy and Peter Leone The Estate of Bud and Betty Shapiro

SUSTAINER CIRCLE $50,000–$99,999 Ms. Dominique Laffont Steven Pesner The Tang Fund Lisa Washington

VANGUARD CIRCLE $250,000–$499,999 Cohen & Company Ba rbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel Diamonstein-Spielvogel Foundation Donald and Gay Kimelman Mrs. Agnes Mulroney

COLLABORATOR CIRCLE $25,000–$49,999 Betsy Cohen Ms. Deena Gu Laties Helen Little

INNOVATOR CIRCLE $100,000–$249,999 Ka tie Adams Schaeffer and Tony Schaeffer Bloomberg Philanthropies

Annual support is also recognized separately under Annual Fund recognition.

For more information about the Opera, but Different campaign or to explore ways to make your own impact, please contact Greg Robertson, Interim Chief Philanthropy Officer, at robertson@operaphila.org.

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Up Next The Black Clown Philadelphia Premiere May 14–17, 2026 Miller Theater

Creator and opera revolutionary Davóne Tines fuses gospel, opera, jazz, and spirituals to bring a Langston Hughes’ poem to life in a searing night of theatrical brilliance. The Black Clown embodies the evolving, divided soul of Black America and animates a Black man’s resilience against a legacy of oppression.

The Black Clown has been hailed as “pure poetry” by The Boston Globe, and The New York Times lauds “this rich, seamless production” which “melds the past and present of African American history into an electrifying ambivalent whole.”

Tines makes his Opera Philadelphia debut alongside an ensemble of 12 performers in this genre-bending, visually arresting piece, juxtaposing dazzling cathartic performances with Hughes’ enduring work.

All tickets are Pick Your Price, starting at $11 | operaphila.org