APRIL 26 & MAY 4 | 2025
ELLIE
A NOTE FROM GREG CARPENTER
Dear Friends,
These performances of Il trovatore in Concert are among my final as Opera Colorado’s Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director—a role I’ve had the privilege of holding since 2007. As I reflect on this remarkable chapter, I’m filled with immense gratitude. It has been a incredible journey, filled with bold artistic leaps, transformative growth, and unforgettable moments on and off the stage.
This powerful ninety-minute concert version of Il trovatore is a testament to the creativity and dedication that defines this company. I’m especially grateful to Music Director Ari Pelto, Stage Director Christopher Mattaliano, Chorus Master Sahar Nouri, this extraordinary cast, and the Opera Colorado Chorus and Orchestra for bringing Verdi’s masterpiece to life in such a compelling and intimate way. Whether this is your first time hearing Il trovatore or you know every note, I’m certain this unique staging will move and captivate you.
Opera Colorado is poised for a bright future, and I truly believe that a change in leadership will bring fresh vision and new opportunities. Next season—which is already on sale—features two beloved masterworks, La traviata and Madama Butterfly, both productions that embody the emotional power and timeless beauty of opera. I encourage you to subscribe now for the best seats and added benefits; individual tickets will be available beginning July 28.
When I look back at what we’ve accomplished together, I’m proud of the foundation we’ve built: the Opera Colorado Orchestra and Chorus, our nationally recognized Artist in Residence Program, world premieres, professional recordings, and so much more. We’ve navigated challenges with resilience and celebrated triumphs with joy. I’ve been honored to work alongside so many incredible people who care deeply about Opera Colorado and the important role it plays in our community.
To our dedicated board, passionate staff, gifted artists, tireless crew, and you, our audience—I offer my deepest thanks. You’ve supported the work, championed the vision, and filled every performance with your energy and enthusiasm. I will forever be grateful.
Sincerely,
Greg Carpenter
The Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director
CHAIRMAN’S CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
Opera Colorado stands on the cusp of a transformative moment as we honor the twenty-year legacy of the Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director Greg Carpenter, who departs in May 2025. To mark this milestone, we present the Chairman’s Campaign—a fundraising initiative built on three vital pillars.
This campaign honors Carpenter’s extraordinary contributions to Opera Colorado, ensuring that his legacy is celebrated. It will also establish a firm financial foundation for our next chapter of leadership, enabling us to build on the momentum of the past two decades. Most importantly, it champions the art form we all cherish by funding our mainstage productions.
Thank you to our Campaign donors from July 1, 2024, through March 20, 2025. If you would like to give to the Chairman’s Campaign, visit operacolorado.org/chairman.
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Beethoven & Brahms with Christopher Dragon MAY 16-18
Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Augustin Hadelich MAY 30-JUN 1
Andrea Bocelli in Concert with the Colorado Symphony JUN 17
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – in Concert MAY 23-25
IN CONCERT
APRIL 26 & MAY 4 | 2025
ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE
There will be no intermission.
CAST IN ORDER OF VOCAL APPEARANCE
Ferrando Young Bok Kim
Inez Hallie Schmidt*^
Leonora Alexandra LoBianco
Count di Luna Ricardo José Rivera*
Ma nrico John Pickle
Azucena Deborah Nansteel*
Narrator Marcia Ragonetti
Dancer Rachael Harding
Ruiz Luke Thatcher*
Conductor Ari Pelto
Chorus Master Sahar Nouri
Stage Director Christopher Mattaliano
Répétiteur Lindsay Woodward
Choreographer Rachael Harding
Lig hting Designer Joe Beumer
Opera Colorado Chorus
Opera Colorado Orchestra
*Opera Colorado debut
^2024-25 Artist in Residence
Opera United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829 of the IATSE is the union representing Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, and Projection designers in Live Performance
SYNOPSIS
CHARACTERS
Count di Luna (baritone) – a nobleman and the commander of the Royalist Aragon troops. Manrico (tenor) – a troubadour and leader of the rebel forces.
Azucena (mezzo-soprano) – a Romani woman, supposedly Manrico’s mother.
Leonora (soprano) – a noblewoman who is in love with Manrico, but being courted by Count di Luna.
Ferrando (bass) – Count di Luna’s officer.
Ines (soprano) – Leonora’s friend and confidante.
SPAIN IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY.
Count di Luna, the commander of the Royalist Aragon troops, is enamored with Leonora, the queen’s lady-in-waiting, but she does not return his affection. The Count’s troops keep watch outside the palace, where they hear an unknown troubadour serenading Leonora. To pass the time, the captain, Ferrando, tells the troops about the Count’s history. The Count’s father once burned a woman at the stake for witchcraft. The woman’s daughter took revenge by kidnapping the Count di Luna’s infant brother and burning him to death. The Count’s father died of grief and the Count di Luna swore that he would find the woman and get vengeance for his family.
Meanwhile, Leonora confides in her friend Ines that she has fallen in love with a mystery troubadour who serenades her each night. Leonora rushes out to meet him, but mistakenly embraces Count di Luna instead. The troubadour, Manrico, reveals himself as the leader of the rebel forces. The Count is furious and challenges Manrico to a duel.
Azucena, the woman for whom the Count has been searching, is haunted by the memory of her mother’s death. Her son, Manrico, asks her for more details on the story. Azucena tells him that she kidnapped the Count’s infant brother, but mistakenly killed her own child instead.
Manrico is confused by this confession, but Azucena convinces him that he is indeed her son and that he must kill the Count to make things right for their family. A messenger arrives to tell Manrico that Leonora believes he has died, and she is about to enter a convent. Manrico leaves to stop her. The Count and his men arrive at the convent to take Leonora by force, but Manrico enters with his troops. In the chaos, Manrico and Leonora escape together.
The Count and his men have surrounded the fortress where Manrico and Leonora have taken refuge. The Count’s soldiers enter with Azucena, who was captured nearby. When Azucena hears the Count’s name, her reaction causes Ferrando to recognize her as the woman who murdered the Count’s brother. Azucena calls out to Manrico to rescue her as the Count orders a fire be built to kill Azucena.
Inside the castle, Manrico and Leonora are getting ready to be married. Manrico’s henchman arrives with news that Azucena has been captured and the Count is preparing to burn her at the stake. Manrico rushes off to save Azucena.
Manrico and Azucena have been captured and are being held captive in the Count’s castle. Leonora has escaped and comes to the prison. The Count arrives and Leonora offers herself to him in exchange for Manrico’s life. Leonora then secretly takes a slow-acting poison, showing that she would rather die than be married to the Count.
Leonora urges Manrico to escape, telling him that she has saved him by offering herself to the Count. Manrico denounces Leonora and refuses to escape. The Count appears as Leonora dies from the poison. The Count sends Manrico to his execution. Azucena hears Manrico’s cries as he is killed, and she reveals to the Count that Manrico was his own brother, who he thought was dead, and that her mother has been avenged.
JOE BEUMER | LIGHTING DESIGNER
Joe Beumer designs for opera, theatre, and dance nationally and internationally. Recent designs include Cavalleria rusticana (Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera), La traviata (Palm Beach Opera), and the world premiere of State of the Jews (American Opera Projects - NYC). Previous designs for Opera Colorado include Daughter of the Regiment, Don Giovanni, Rigoletto, Cavalleria rusticana, and The Barber of Seville. Other current projects include a new production of Der Schauspieldirektor & Iolanta (Göteborg Opera w/ Thomas C. Hase) and two new immersive shows for Virgin Voyages’ newest ship The Brilliant Lady. Additional credits and companies: Harmony (Broadway 2023), The Book of Mormon (Current National Tour), The Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol (First National Tour, Los Angeles), Prototype Festival, Atlanta Opera, Long Island Lyric Opera, Detroit Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Opéra de Montréal, Opéra National Bordeaux, Cincinnati Opera, Pacific Symphony, Portland Opera, Utah Opera, Playhouse on Park (CT), The Public, Atlantic Theater Company, Geva Theatre Center, Great Lakes Theatre, Syracuse Stage, BC/ EFA’s Broadway Bares, New York Musical Festival (NYMF), Norwegian Cruise Lines, Cincinnati Shakespeare, Kansas City Ballet, and Dayton Ballet. Joe calls Brooklyn home, and he is a proud member of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829.
RACHAEL HARDING | DANCER & CHOREOGRAPHER
For the past twenty-plus years, Rachael Harding has built her career around dance—as a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer. She received her B.F.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Arizona and a M.F.A in Dance from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She began her professional career as a dancer in Denver’s Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. She is currently the resident choreographer for Denver’s professional jazz dance company, Davis Contemporary Dance Company, a performer with Nu-World Contemporary Danse Theatre, coowner/director of Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop, and owner/director of Miss Rachael’s Dance in
Denver, where she is inspired to share her passion for the arts with young dancers every day. She has had the distinct honor of choreographing or dancing in past Opera Colorado productions, including Nixon in China, The Pearl Fishers, Rusalka, and Josephine, and choreographing for Rusalka, Aida, The Barber of Seville, Josephine, The Shining, and Samson and Delilah.
YOUNG BOK KIM | FERRANDO
Commanding bass Young Bok Kim has recently dazzled audiences in Attila (title role), The Magic Flute (Sarastro), Rigoletto (Sparafucile), Verdi’s Requiem (bass soloist), and La battaglia di Legnano (Barbarossa) at Sarasota Opera. A favorite with Sarasota audiences, he returned in 2024 for Lucia di Lammermoor (Raimondo) and reprised Rigoletto (Sparafucile) at Opera Delaware and Opera Baltimore. He made his Opera Colorado debut in 2023 in Turandot (Timur).
A native of Korea, Kim frequently performs on Korean stages, including Così fan tutte (Don Alfonso) at National Opera of Korea and Seoul Metropolitan Opera, Lucia di Lammermoor (Raimondo) and The Magic Flute (Sarastro) at National Opera of Korea, and Semiramide (Nino’s Ghost) at City Opera of Seoul. In the U.S., he made his New York City Opera debut in La bohème (Colline) and later appeared in Carmen (Zuniga), The Magic Flute (Sarastro), and Madama Butterfly (Bonze), the latter featured in the 2008 Emmy Award-winning broadcast. He has also performed with Dallas Opera, Utah Opera, Nashville Opera, Opera Boston, El Paso Opera, and Teatro Grattacielo, among others.
Kim’s extensive repertoire includes Aida (Ramfis), Il trovatore (Ferrando), Don Carlos (Philip II), Simon Boccanegra (Fiesco), Roméo et Juliette (Frère Laurent), La forza del destino (Padre Guardiano), Norma (Oroveso), Faust (Mephistopheles), Eugene Onegin (Prince Gremin), and I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Capellio). He holds degrees from ChungAng University, Mannes College of Music, and the Juilliard Opera Center and has performed under conductors such as Julius Rudel and James Conlon.
ALEXANDRA LOBIANCO | LEONORA
Praised for her “impassioned performance” (Seattle Times) in the title role of Aida at Seattle Opera, American soprano Alexandra LoBianco has established herself as a dramatic soprano of remarkable versatility, musicality, and consistency. This season, she performs Il trovatore (Leonora) in Opera Colorado’s semi-staged production and appears in concert with the Madison Symphony Orchestra. LoBianco’s career highlights include Fidelio (Leonore) at Wiener Staatsoper and North Carolina Opera, Die Walküre (Brünnhilde) at Seattle Opera and North Carolina Opera, La fanciulla del West (Minnie) at Des Moines Metro Opera, and Turandot (title role) at Des Moines Metro Opera, Palm Beach Opera, and Maryland Lyric Opera. She has also performed Cavalleria rusticana (Santuzza) at Seattle Opera, Falstaff (Alice Ford) at Santa Fe Opera, and Der Rosenkavalier (Marianne Leitmetzerin) at the Metropolitan Opera, featured in the Met’s Live in HD series. Additional roles include Elektra (Chrysothemis, Fourth Maid) and Die Walküre (Helmwige) at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Tosca (title role) at North Carolina Opera, Minnesota Opera, Seattle Opera, and Portland Opera, and Un ballo in maschera (Amelia) at Florida Grand Opera.
Recent seasons have included Rusalka (Foreign Princess) at Canadian Opera Company and Hansel and Gretel (Mother) at Lyric Opera of Chicago. LoBianco made a thrilling Wiener Staatsoper debut stepping in as Leonore in Fidelio while under contract for Turandot (title role) and later returned for Die Walküre (Helmwige) and Brünnhilde cover while on tour in Japan. Her repertoire also includes Die Walküre (Sieglinde), Suor Angelica (title role), Madama Butterfly (title role), Don Giovanni (Donna Elvira), La bohème (Mimì), The Consul (Magda Sorel), and Jonathan Dove’s abridged Ring Cycle (Brünnhilde).
CHRISTOPHER MATTALIANO | STAGE DIRECTOR
Christopher Mattaliano has directed opera productions for The Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Minnesota Opera, and New York City Opera. Internationally, he has worked with L’Opéra de Nice, L’Opéra de Montréal, Canadian Opera
Company, Spoleto’s Festival dei Due Mondi, and Den Norske Opera. Past engagements include The Magic Flute at Washington National Opera, The Barber of Seville at Dallas Opera and Cincinnati Opera, Rigoletto at Opera Colorado, and Anna Bolena at AVA in Philadelphia.
He has directed numerous world premieres, including Hugo Weisgall’s Esther at New York City Opera, Fred Ho’s Journey Beyond the West at Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Peter Westergaard’s The Tempest at Opera Festival of New Jersey. As General Director of Portland Opera from 2003 to 2019, he oversaw all artistic, financial, and administrative operations, directing acclaimed productions such as Pagliacci/Carmina Burana, Il viaggio a Reims, and Falstaff. He has also worked extensively with young artists, teaching and directing at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Yale University, and the Metropolitan Opera Young Artist Program.
Mattaliano is the founder of OrpheusPDX, a Portland-based opera company dedicated to producing professional opera on an intimate scale. Now in its third season, OrpheusPDX brings together an ensemble of artists in summer residence to create impactful and innovative performances.
DEBORAH NANSTEEL | AZUCENA
“A formidable display of vocal power and dramatic assurance,” mezzosoprano Deborah Nansteel made her début with The Metropolitan Opera in Lucia di Lammermoor (Alisa), her début with the Lyric Opera of Chicago in Roméo et Juliette (Gertrude), her Carnegie Hall début in Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and her New York Philharmonic début alongside Eric Owens in In Their Footsteps: Great African American Singers and Their Legacy. This season, she performed in Roméo et Juliette (Gertrude) with LA Opera and Aida (Amneris) with Dayton Opera.
In the 2023-24 Season, Nansteel had house débuts with LA Opera in Highway 1, USA (Aunt Lou), the Atlanta Opera in Die Walküre (Rossweisse), and she will sing Il trovatore (Azucena) with Opera Santa Barbara and Hänsel und Gretel (Mother) with Opera San Antonio. Nansteel will be seen with the Utah Symphony for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and act three of Wozzeck, and she joins the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola for their 150th Anniversary celebration of Verdi’s Requiem.
In the 2022-23 Season, Ms. Nansteel returned to the Metropolitan Opera in La traviata (Annina) and for their concert tour of Otello, and she had her house début with San Francisco Opera in their productions of Eugene Onegin and Dialogues des Carmélites Nansteel also débuted a role in Aida (Amneris) for both Opera Grand Rapids and Finger Lakes Opera, performed in Hänsel und Gretel (Gertrud) for New Orleans Opera, appeared as a soloist in Verdi’s Requiem for Orchestra Iowa, and performed in Suor Angelica (Mother Abbess) for Opera Omaha.
SAHAR NOURI | CHORUS MASTER
Iranian conductor and pianist Sahar Nouri has been Music Director of Lamont Opera Theater at University of Denver since 2019. She has also served at Opera Colorado as Chorus Master & Assistant Conductor since 2016. Ms. Nouri is the founder/director of Dandelion Opera Institute.
At the University of Denver, Ms. Nouri has conducted productions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Magic Flute, Alcina, Cabildo, Les mamelles de Tirésias, and The Little Prince. Her work with Opera Colorado has included productions of Samson and Delilah, The Flying Dutchman, Don Giovanni, Turandot, Die tote Stadt, Rigoletto, Carmen, The Shining, Tosca, Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci, The Marriage of Figaro, La traviata, Falstaff, The Barber of Seville, La bohème, La fanciulla del West, and the world premiere of Steal a Pencil for Me by Gerald Cohen.
Previously, Ms. Nouri has been part of the music staff at San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra at Bravo! Vail, Opera Parallèle, North Carolina Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Utah Opera, Aspen Opera Theatre, Opera Steamboat, Merola Opera, Boston Conservatory of Music, and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. An active performer, she has given numerous recitals around the US including those alongside international stars Mane Galoyan, Heidi Melton, and Matthew Polenzani. A multi-lingual coach, she has studied in Czechia, Italy, and Austria and is frequently in demand as a language coach.
Ms. Nouri is a former violinist who has performed with the Tehran Philharmonic Orchestra and has won several prizes, for both violin and piano, in national music festivals and competitions in Iran.
ARI PELTO | MUSIC DIRECTOR
Appointed Music Director at Opera Colorado in 2015, Ari Pelto has conducted acclaimed performances of La Traviata, Don Giovanni, Madama Butterfly, Aida, La bohème, Falstaff, La fanciulla del West, The Marriage of Figaro, Lucia di Lammermoor, The Barber of Seville, Pagliacci, Otello, Carmen, Rigoletto, Die tote Stadt, Turandot, The Flying Dutchman, Samson and Delilah, and Daughter of the Regiment for the company to date. Opera Colorado’s contemporary titles include The Shining, the world premiere of Lori Laitman’s The Scarlet Letter (a recording of which was released on the Naxos label), and the world premiere of Gerald Cohen’s Steal a Pencil for Me, also recorded. In 2023, Maestro Pelto was appointed Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor at Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera.
After earning his Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at Oberlin Conservatory, Ari Pelto studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem, and with Imre Palló at Indiana University. At the age of 24, he was appointed Assistant Conductor at the Spoleto Festival, a position he held from 1994 to 1998, and from 2000 to 2002 he was Associate Conductor of Sarasota Symphony. In the 2009-10 Season, he held the position of Artistic Advisor at Boston Lyric Opera, and from 2014 to 2017, he was Principal Guest Conductor at Opera Memphis. Ari Pelto has raised his baton before some of America’s leading symphonic orchestras, including the Detroit Symphony, San Diego Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, and the Virginia Symphony, as well as the country’s most prominent opera orchestras. A masterful collaborator with dancers, he has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Atlanta Ballet. He led the company in world premieres of Twyla Tharp’s first story ballet, The Princess and the Goblin; Helen Pickett’s Camino Real; Jean-Christophe Maillot’s ground-breaking production of Romeo and Juliet; and the Atlanta Ballet’s production of Prokofiev’s Cinderella.
JOHN PICKLE | MANRICO
Tenor John Pickle is an established and versatile force on both the operatic and concert stages. Recent performances include Turandot with Opera Delaware (Calaf), Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Akron Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem with Canton Symphony, and concerts with Cleveland Pops and Pittsburgh Festival Opera. In the 2022-23 Season, Pickle performed in Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu) with Opera Colorado, Carmen (Don José) with Pacific Opera Victoria, and a concert of opera’s greatest hits with Maryland Opera. Additional engagements include Pagliacci (Canio) with Opera Colorado, Michigan Opera Theatre, Opera Memphis, Dayton Opera, and Opera Delaware; The Flying Dutchman (Erik) with Los Angeles Opera, Michigan Opera Theater, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Mobile Opera, and Utah Festival Opera; Tosca (Cavaradossi) with Nashville Opera, Intermountain Opera Bozeman, Opera Southwest, Tri-Cities Opera, and Townsend Opera; Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton) at Pacific Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, Cleveland Opera Theater, and Dayton Opera; and Carmen (Don José) with Opera Tampa, Nevada Opera, and Opera Louisiane.
Concert engagements in recent seasons included Verdi’s Requiem with Dayton Philharmonic, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Akron Symphony, Opera Grand Rapids, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, and DCINY in Carnegie Hall and Barcelona’s famed Palau de la Música Catalana; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Dayton Philharmonic, Springfield Symphony, The Orchestra Now, Lima Symphony, Long Bay Symphony, and National Chorale; Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Dayton Philharmonic; Beethoven’s Missa solemnis with Utah Festival Opera; Kodaly’s Te Deum with Oregon Music Festival, Eugene Suchon’s Psalm of the Carpathian Land with Sonomento and Kenwood Symphonies; and operatic greatest hits concerts with Florentine Opera, Santa Barbara Symphony, Lyric Opera of Virginia, Northwest Arkansas Symphony, Mobile Opera, Intermountain Opera Bozeman, Opera Idaho and the Boise Philharmonic, and St. Bart’s Music Festival.
MARCIA RAGONETTI | NARRATOR
An esteemed mezzo-soprano, known as one of the Rocky Mountain region’s most celebrated artists, Marcia Ragonetti has been praised for her “captivating” characterizations (Cherubino, Carmen, Augusta Tabor, Rosina, Siebel, Nicklausse, Prince Orlofsky) as well as her “radiant, effervescent” singing over an illustrious forty-three-year career. That career had its start in 1982 as a chorister and quickly evolved under the expert tutelage of Nathaniel Merrill and Louise Sherman, co-founders of Opera Colorado, to her first featured role as Inez in Il trovatore in 1985, with over twenty OC productions to follow. A career highlight was appearing in the gala inauguration concert and stellar opening production of Carmen for the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in 2005. Her international debut was in Sweeney Todd as the Beggar Woman, a role she first sang with Opera Colorado and then toured to four Emilia-Romagna cities in Italy. Her concert repertoire is vast and varied and she is especially proud to claim a twenty-two-time guest appearance record with the Colorado Symphony alone. Musical theatre credits include garnering Henry nominations for “Outstanding Actress” for her virtuosic portrayals of Maria Callas in Master Class and Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Her love of intimate, cabaret-style shows finds her continuing to create and perform bio-based revues of Gershwin, Porter, Kern, Weil, and others. She is delighted and honoured to have come full circle—40 years later—as your insightful guide to this Verdi masterpiece.
RICARDO JOSÉ RIVERA | COUNT DI LUNA
Praised by The New York Times for “the evening’s richest instrument— powerful yet capable of softness,” Ricardo José Rivera makes several major Verdi role debuts in the 202425 Season, including Macbeth (title role) at Teatro Nuovo, Stiffelio (Stankar) at Sarasota Opera, and Il trovatore (Conte di Luna) in Opera Colorado’s semi-staged production. He also joins Pittsburgh Opera for Pagliacci (Silvio), Florida Grand Opera for Elixir of Love (Belcore), and Colorado Springs Philharmonic for Madama Butterfly (Sharpless), in addition to returning to Opera San José for The Magic Flute (Papageno). Future seasons include
debuts with the Metropolitan Opera, New National Theatre Tokyo, and Utah Symphony, as well as returns to Sarasota Opera and Opera San José.
A sought-after interpreter of bel canto repertoire, Rivera has performed in Poliuto (Severo) at Teatro Nuovo, Roberto Devereux (Nottingham) at Washington Concert Opera, Ernani (Don Carlo) at Sarasota Opera, and Un ballo in maschera (Silvano) with Riccardo Muti conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Other recent highlights include Pagliacci (Silvio) at Opera San Antonio, Carmen (Escamillo) at Opera de Puerto Rico, La bohème (Schaunard) and Cavalleria rusticana (Alfio) at CulturArte de Puerto Rico and Dialogues des Carmélites at Houston Grand Opera. With Lyric Opera of Chicago, he sang Madama Butterfly (Sharpless, Yamadori), La bohème (Schaunard), and La traviata (Baron Douphol) as a member of the Ryan Opera Center.
On the concert stage, Rivera has performed Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Carmina Burana with the National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, and El retablo de Maese Pedro (Don Quijote) at the Casals Festival. He is a recipient of the Richard F. Gold Career Grant, a first-prize winner of the Saengerbund Competition, and a third-prize winner in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Gulf Coast Region).
HALLIE SCHMIDT | INEZ
American soprano Hallie Schmidt has performed with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Seattle Opera, Tacoma Opera, Pacific Northwest Opera, and Vashon Opera, to name a few. Recent performances include Die Entfürung aus dem Serail (Blonde) and Le nozze di Figaro (Susanna) with Pacific Northwest Opera, Carmen (Frasquita) with Tacoma Opera, Der Rosenkavalier (Sophie), Ariadne auf Naxos (Zerbinetta), and The Magic Flute (Queen of the Night, filmed production) with Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Originally from Olympia, WA, Hallie received her Bachelor of Music from Oklahoma City University, and an Artist Diploma from William Jewell College in Kansas City, MO.
Hallie received awards from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Lotte Lenya Competition, the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, and was the 2023 winner of the Seattle Opera Guild Singer Development Awards. In the 2024-25 Season at Opera Colorado, Hallie covered Marie in Daughter of the Regiment and Musetta in La bohème. She also sings Gretel and Berta in the touring productions of Hansel and Gretel and The Barber of Seville.
LUKE THATCHER | RUIZ
Luke Thatcher is a local singer here in Colorado who has sung across the Front Range from Fort Collins to Central City. He has been with Opera Colorado since The Barber of Seville in 2019 and has been a part of other noteworthy productions at Opera Colorado such as The Shining, The Flying Dutchman, and recently in Daughter of the Regiment. He has also sung in The Magic Flute (Tamino) at the Ralph Opera Center in Fort Collins, The Enchanted Pig (The King of the West) with Opera Steamboat, Carmen (Don José) with Boulder Opera, and Gianni Schicchi (Rinuccio) at the international music festival La Musica Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy. Luke received his Bachelor of Music from CSU in 2018 and plans to pursue his master’s degree.
ORCHESTRA, CHORUS, & PRODUCTION STAFF
OPERA COLORADO ORCHESTRA
VIOLIN
Byron A. Hitchcock, concertmaster
Margaret Soper Gutierrez, principal second violin
Jackson Bailey
Angela Dombrowski
Rebekah Durham
Robyn Julyan
Regan Kane
Isaac Kay
Yon Joo Lee
Christine Menter
Becky Mothersbaugh
Kina Ono
Ava Pacheco
Gyongyer Petheo
Felix Petit
Veronica Sawarynski
Robyn Sosa
Leena Waite
VIOLA
Michael Brook, principal
Matthew Diekman
Koko Dyulgerski
Mary Harrison
Sarah Richardson
Lora Stevens
CELLO
Andrew Kolb, principal
Sarah Biber
Erin Patterson
Jeff Watson
Eleanor Wells
Carole Whitney
BASS
David Crowe, principal
Jeremy Nicholas
Jason Thompson
Yu-Chen Yang
FLUTE
Elizabeth SadilekLabenski, principal
Olga Shilaeva
OBOE
Ian Wisekal, principal
Amy Kolb
CLARINET
Michelle Orman, principal
Heidi Mendenhall
BASSOON
JJ Sechan, principal
Christopher Pawlowski
HORN
Lauren Robinson, principal
Colleen Shaffer
David Smalley
Daniel Skib
TRUMPET
Colin J.A. Oldberg, principal
Noah Lambert
TROMBONE
Andy Wolfe, principal
Drew Leslie
Sterling Tanner
TUBA
Adam Snider, principal
HARP
Janet Harriman, principal
TIMPANI
Carl Dixon, principal
PERCUSSION
Mark Foster, principal
Sean Case
Nena Lorenz Wright
OPERA COLORADO
CHORUS
SOPRANO
Lauren Bumgarner
Courtney Caston
Maria Fabara
Alyssa Jackson
Kayla Kramer
Regan Lewis
Anna McMahon
Stephanie Medema
Elizabeth Mirandi
MEZZO-SOPRANO
Mia Kopera
Claire Leborgne
Bella Mallow
Jessica Muniz Greco
Maya Munoz
Jill Skinner
Blair Whiteside
TENOR
Alejandro Izurieta
Danny McDonnall
Miguel Rangel
Jack Richard
Norman Spivy
Joeseph Taczak
Luke Thatcher
Keith Williamson
BARITONE
Shane Delavan
Liam Dooley
John Hansen
Michael Hansen
Chris Lilley
Luke North
James Rooting
Eliot Whittier
PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION STAFF
Kendra Green, Stage Manager
Olivia Darling, Assistant Stage Manager
Jamie K. Fuller, Assistant Stage Manager
MUSIC STAFF
Cody Garrison, Chorus Music Reh Accompanist
Oleg Bellini, Resident Collaborative Pianist
Angie Dombrowski, Orchestra Manager
Elle Wells, Orchestra Librarian
DESIGN STAFF
Jon Dunkle, Assistant Lighting Designer
TITLES SYSTEM STAFF
Alex Granito, Titles Operator: Over-Stage
Jeremy Sortore, English Subtitles
TECHNICAL STAFF
Michael Boswell, Head Carpenter
Dave Youngs, Shop/Production Carpenter
Greg Killpack, Assistant Carpenter
Rita Richardson, Head Electrician
Amanda Short, Assistant Electrician
Ashley Burns, Lighting Console Programmer
Hillary Clark, Head Property Master
Keven Soll,
Assistant Properties Master
Jeff Riedel, Head Flyman/Rigger
Thomas Berning, Head Audio Engineer
COSTUMES
Alison Milan, Costume Director
Carolyn Miller, Principal Wardrobe
HAIR AND MAKEUP
Lisa Pedraza, Principal Hair and Makeup
Brookanna Ware, Principal Hair and Makeup
Whitney Wolanin, Principal Hair and Makeup
ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE CREW
Derek Tovar, Props Head
Allen Olmstead, Head Carpenter
Francisco Mara, Sound Head
ARTIST HOSTS/VOLUNTEERS
Kevin O’Connor
Jeff Brown
Dino Maniatis
ANNUAL CONTRIBUTORS
The Board of Directors of Opera Colorado and the staff express their deepest appreciation to the individuals, corporations, and foundations who have contributed to the Annual Fund. This listing is current as of April 7, 2025. Although space limitations only allow us to list donors whose gifts were $150 and above, we are deeply grateful for the support of all our dedicated contributors.
PRODUCER CIRCLE
VISIONARY
$50,000+
Ken and Donna Barrow
Mike and Julie Bock
Don and Maron Hindman
Jeanie and Randal Martines
Patrick Spieles
BENEFACTOR $25,000 - $49,999
Jeff V. Baldwin
Linda Bjelland
Merle Chambers
Dr. Jan Kennaugh and Chip Horne
The Honorable and Mrs. Kenneth Laff
Marcia and Dick Robinson
AMBASSADOR $12,000 - $24,999
Ellie Caulkins
Joy and Christopher Dinsdale
Edie and Joe Fogliano
Richard Garvin
Ms. Donna E. Hamilton
Ms. Kelly A. Hodges
Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy F. Kinney
Richard Koseff
Judy La Spada
Gayle and Gary Landis
Jim and Patience Linfield
Maj. Dino Maniatis and Dr. Kristin Freestone-Maniatis
Dr. Bill and BK Maniatis
Muffy Moore
Lynnette Morrison
Kevin O’Connor and Janet Ellen Raasch
Ann and Gerald Saul
Merrill Shields and M. Ray Thomasson
Prem and Stephanie Subramanian
Charles I. Thompson
Valerie Wassill and Kevin Rudolph
Dan and Marie Welch
Robin and Eric Yaeger
ARTISTS CIRCLE
CONDUCTOR $7,000 - $11,999
B. Edward Balkin
Mr. Charles E. Berry and Mrs. Maria Garcia Berry
Jane and Bart Burnett
Emily and Mark Bussey
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cesafsky
Drs. Laurence and Cynthia Chan
Ms. Kathryn Codo
Mary and Tom Conroy
Joyce de Roos
Elizabeth and Matthew Dyer
Dr. Susan Rae Jensen and Mr. Tom Trainer
Gary and Judith Judd
Diana and Mike Kinsey
John W. Kure and Cheryl L. Solich
Penny Lewis
James Monroe, III and Marie Shannon Monroe
Robert R. Montgomery and Nancy Hawkins
Jon J. Olafson and Jerry Brindisi
Ronald Y. Otsuka
Alice Perlmutter
The Ponzio Family
Ayliffe and Fred Ris
Fern B. Seltzer and Andrew Heymsfield
Marta and Bernd Wachter
Ann Wise
Ms. Carole J. Yaley
COMPOSER $3,500 - $6,999
Anonymous
Robin E. Black
Richard Cohn and Susan Cooper
Diane and John Gallagher
Sally Haas
Christine Hollander and Michael McGee
Ms. Judy Johnston
Daniel and Karen McAuliffe
Mark and Kristin McKissick
Dr. Harold S. Nelson
Bonnie Perkins
Harriet P. Peterson
Christine and Harry Phillips
Zondra Rae Pluss
Bruce Polkowsky and Bill Powell
Nijole and Walter Rasmussen
Cynthia and Alexander Read
Myra and Robert Rich
Louise Lavender Rouse
Helen Scott Santilli
Jeremy and Susan Shamos
Susan and Harold Skramstad
Jack Trigg
Mr. Byron S. Watson
Nancy and William Wehner
Linda Weise
Erin Wenzel
Kenneth and Mary Willis
LIBRETTIST $1,500 - $3,499
Anonymous (2)
Mr. Douglas W. Barnert and Mrs. Ruth Jacoby
Peter Batty and Paula Kechichian
Brian Bennett and Bev Daniels
Sheila Bisenius
Sandra Mazarakis and Neil Burris
Nancy and Roger Celius
Barbara and Roger Chamberlain
Mr. David J. Chavolla
Alexander J. Conley and Alysia D. Marino
Susan Cotter
James and Kathleen Crapo
Cynthia Crews and Charles Henry
Nancy Crow and Mark Skrotzki
Ms. Cheryl M. Cruickshank
Jesse Daniel
Roger Day and Evelyn Wolf
Greg Diamond
Dave and Pam Duke
Lois N. Eckhoff
Michael and Susan Feliccissimo
Dr. Stacy Fischer and Dr. Henry Fischer
Cathy S. Foster
Karen Fukutaki, M.D.
Gary and Rebecca Gantner
Hugh Grant
Ms. Natalie Greene
Mark Groshek, M.D. and Carl Clark, M.D.
Celeste and Jack Grynberg
Beverlee B. Henry
Bernice Hernandez
Ginny Hersch
Mr. William T. Hoffman
Dr. Lawrence Kim and Nhung Van
Marvin Madorsky, CPA and Maria Coquillard
Veronica A. McCaffrey and Barbara A. Frank
V.W. McKnab and Margaret Jurado
Henry B. Mohr
Mr. Mike and Lisa Morgan
Jack Finlaw and Gregory Movesian
Marilyn Munsterman
Dr. and Mrs. Calvern E. Narcisi
Lisa and Pat Nicholson
Rick and Gail Nordheim
Dr. Edward and Mrs. Chris Null
Nancy and Paul Oberman
Debra J. Perry
Rick Poppe and Jana Edwards
Mrs. Christina Radichel Caulkins
T. R. Reid
Ms. Deborah M. H. Rohan
Mr. Paul Ruotolo
Charley and Amanda Samson
Grover Sardeson
Mr. John Shott
Ms. Judith Zee Steinberg
Mr. and Mrs. Francis J. Sullivan
Carson and John Taylor
Richard Tisinai
Dr. Kathleen R. Tower
Kathleen Trone
William Vaniman and Frances G. Matthews
Peter and Darcie Weiser
Marie Belew Wheatley
Larry and Brigitte Zimmer
PATRON CIRCLE
ASSOCIATE $700 - $1,499
Anonymous (4)
Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Benedict III
Sam and Matt Bergen
Anthony V. Berkley and Amanda Gomez
Lawrence Berliner and Barbara Anderson
Robert Bernhardt
Ms. Sandra D. Besseghini
John and Anne Blair
Brewster and Helen Boyd
Alan Boyer and Trudy Bortz
Elise Brenninkmeyer
Lew and Leslie Cady
Mr. Ian T. Caiozzi and Mrs. Neha Patel
George M. and Carol G. Canon
Mrs. Ella May Carpenter
George Case
Mr. David Clark
Everett B. Clark
Sue Cole
Bob and Georgi Contiguglia
Tom and Cheryl Cox
Brian D. Crane
Diana Degette and Lino Lipinsky
Ms. Marian O. Dines
Tyson Dines
Timothy James Donahue
François Dorémieux
David Driscoll and M. Loving-Droscoll
Tracy Dunlap
Margaret and Peter Dzwilewski
Helene Eckstein
Reine and Matthew Erzinger
Elizabeth A. Fischer and Don Elliott
Frances and Richard Frey
Jan Friedlander and Cynthia Kristensen
Dr. and Mrs. Burton Golub
Steven and Patricia Gulevich
Rich and Denise Gustafson
Ms. Lynn E. Harrington
Thomas Healy
Russell Hedman and Juwon Bahn
Carl F. Heller and Maureen F. Hallacy
Ms. Erin R. Hittle
Ruth Hopfenbeck
Rachelle and William Horton
Karen Howland and Gregory Mudge
Mr. Dennis R. Hurt
Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Huseby
Steve and Chryse Hutchins
Daniel Isaman and Ann Atkinson
Mr. Jeremy Johnson
John N. Kabalin, MD.
Anna Belle and Robert Kapelke
Diana and Mike Kinsey
Roberta and Mel Klein
Kunz Family Fund
Frieda Sanidas Leason
Terry Leech
Victoria Levine
Chris and Kris Lilley
Thomas Long
Patty Lorie
Rhonda and Donald Macy
Evan and Evi Makovsky
Jim and Carole McCotter
James P. McElhinney
J. Virginia Messick
Joanne Michalski and Mike Weeda
Jerri Lynn Modrall and Eric E. Doering
Sue and Bill Mohrman
William and Bonnie Moninger
The Morss Dehncke Family
Mary E. Moser
Margaret and John Moyer
Dr. Mary Kenny Moynihan and Dr. Michael Moynihan
Alan E. Muraoka
Ms. Diane O’Connor
Sheila Pack
Theresa and Norman Parker
Mr. Ari Pelto and Ms. Wendy Fisher
Frank and Linda Plaut
Steven and Joan Ringel
Ms. Karen Ritz
Kathleen Robertson
Mary Ann Ross
Elizabeth R. Rumely
Carol Rust
Ms. Ruth E. Schoening
Steven E. and Jane Schonfeld
Dr. Douglas and Mrs. Antoinette Shaller
Dr. and Mrs. Edwin R. Smith
Vicki Sterling
Dr. Laimute Stewart
Mrs. Marcia D. Strickland
Tepper Family Foundation
Sharon and John Trefny
Laurie and Robert Walcott
Keith Ward and Barbara Roidl
Pari and Mark Wilkins
Mark Wiltermuth
Robert and Jacklyn Writz
SUPPORTER $400 – $699
Anonymous (4)
Richard Akeroyd
Mr. Paul Alaback and Ms. Carol Brewer
Brian Thomas Beagle
Mark Bianchi and Pamela Jones
Richard Bottjer and Sara Peyton
Chris and Jennifer Bradley
Ms. Jay Breen
Mark Breese
Ms. Karen M. Bruggenthies
Mrs. Carol W. Byrd
Bonnie Camp
Jim and Sara Culhane
Carolyn E. Daniels
Ms. Anne Davis
Karen and Charles de Bartolomé
Nicole de Naray
Ronald L. Deal
Laurie and Ben Duke III
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin B. Eastman, Jr.
Gary J Emrich
Beverly and Bruce Fest
Jennifer Filipowski
Scott Foster
Ms. Carolyn Francis
Julie Gail
Ms. Randy Ganter
Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Garfein
David and Katherine Garon
Alan G. Gass
Ms. Rebecca Givens
Maria Gordon
Dr. and Mrs. Daniel J. Greenholz
Mrs. Carol and Dr. Fred Grover
The Honorable Alfred and Mrs. Dori Harrell
Mr. Shad Harsh
John R. Heckenlively, M.D.
Owen Herman
Catherine and Graham Hollis
Ms. Mary Ellen Holmes
Sarah Hopfenbeck and Susan Corle
Ken Rose and Nancy Hurwitz
James Ingram
Lynn Johnson
James and Christine Jorgensen
Allen Kemp
Jeffrey M. Koehler
Rex Kramer and Cindy Crater
Mr. Larry Lacert
D. Langdon
Mr. Richard S. Leaman
Nancy Leonard
Mr. James S. MacDonald
Ellen Martin
John Masserini and Abraham Kelley
Mrs. Hannelore McKinnon
Manon Merewether
Mr. Lawrence Moskow
Dr. and Dr. Hans Neville
Dr. and Mrs. David A. Norris
Kent and Ruth Obee
Kelli O’Brien and Michael Kolotylo
Roxana Pecchio
Emily and Kelly Pitts
Robert and Mary Quillin
Michelle Russell
Billy Seiber
Bob and Barbara Shaklee
Bobbi and Gary Siegel
Pete Stein
Mr. Gordon W. Stenger
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Straub
Prof. and Mrs. Joseph S. Szyliowicz
Judith Taubman
Dr. and Mrs. Frederil P. Tolin
David and Margaret Wolf
Scott and Karen Yarberry
Martin and Pamela Zadigan
Mark and Sondra Zardus
Charlotte Ziebarth
MEMBER $150 - $399
Anonymous (13)
Paul and Susan Ahlquist
Danica Anderson
Alice and Lee Anneberg
Patricia and Vincent Badolato
Ms. Helena Bagdasarova
Ms. Cherlyn S. Bailey
Don Bain
Steve and Lisa Bain
Cathy and John Bartle
Mr. Brian A. Baxter
Ms. Mariette H. Bell
C. F. Benoit
Mrs. Claire E. Benson
Mr. Mark Berge
Katherine Bermingham
Fran Berry
Ms. Dori Biester
David and Shannon Bird
Marie and Howard Blaney
Ms. Donna Boender
Earline Bohling
Libby Bortz
Joe and Gwen Bowers
Donald K. Braden
Thomas H. Brady
Janet Bruchmann
Suzanne Bufton
Dean Burton
Dr. Francine Butler
Gordon and Ron Butz
Jessica Cabral
Cactus Communications
Teresa Campos
Michael Canges and Nina Iwashko
Brad Case and William McMechen
Ms. Clare R. Cavanaugh
Samuel Chan
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Cirelli
Linda and Gray Clark
Patty S. Clark
Ms. Ethel K. Clow
Berdine Clumpus
Mr. Gerald N. Cohen
Bonita and Michael Collins
Dr. Alan Como and Mrs. InHye Como
Dr. David J. Cooper and Evelyn W. Cooper
Aubrey Copeland, M.D.
Ms. Jane Costain and Mr. Gary T. Moore
Ms. Corliss Curtis
John Danio
Connie Dines
Heidi and Rob Eadie
Ms. Arline Echandia
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne D. Eckerling
Evan Ela
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Evans
Ms. Judith H. Fahrenkrog
Amy Feaster
Ms. Shirley Feldkamp
Jeanine Figur
Ms. Kathryn Finley
Mr. Charles E. Fisher
Dr. and Mrs. Larry S. Fisher
Sheldon and Janet Fisher
Ruth Fleming
Terry Frazier and Kathy Wells
Keith French
Robert Fullerton
Dr. Tim Gensler
Jennifer Ruth Gentry
Richard and Julia George
Kazuo and Drusilla Gotow
William and Phyllis Hale
Nicold Hand
Mr. Timothy Harris
Dr. Jordan Harrison
Bradley Hartman Bakken
Mrs. Deborah A. Havas
Mr. Richard A. Haynes
Lizz Helmsen
Jessy Hennesy
Thomas E. Hinrichs
Ms. Ellen M. Hird
Dr. Marilyn J. Hitchens
Sarah C. Hite
Ms. Mary S. Hoadley
Graham and Sonia Hoffman
Mr. Saul D. Hoffman and Ms. Susan Parker
Rigoletto
Giuseppe Verdi
July 12, 16, 25, 29
August 7, 15, 20
Cheryl and James Hogan
Diane Hogue
Ian J. Hoyman
Megan Immerfall
Mrs. Philip Isely
Nancy Jackson
Christine and Michael Janeczko
Catherine and Brian Janonis
David Jilk
The Johnson-Milnew Family
Dr. Laurence Kaptain and Dolores Arce-Kaptain
Mr. and Mrs. Jhon M. Kehmeier
David Kelly
Patricia Kelly and Thomas Dufficy
Mishele Kieffer
Bonnie Kipple
Scott Kleger
Patrick Klem
Barbara and Kiplund Kolkmeier
Mrs. and Mr. Svetlana Komisarchik
Dorothy V. Lamm
David Lichtenstein and Donna Shmalberger
Lester Lockspeiser
John Lockwood
Delphina Luebke
Cecilia Lutz
Janet G. MacFarlane
Dana F. Maloney
Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Y. Marchand
Amanda A. Marshall
Mr. Gregg E. Marshall
Marian E. Matheson
William and Joy Mathews
Mr. and Ms. Robert McAlister
Bobby McCracken
Ms. Ann McCullough
Mr. Stephen D. McGavran
Rose and John Miller
Ms. Sharon K. Miller
Richard A. Minot
Lillian and Roger Moment
Robbie Monsma
James Moon
Douglas G. Moran and Laura B. Moran
James Morera
Carolyn Morse
Denny Muirhead
Susan Olenwine
Bernard Olshausen
David and Renee Parkhurst
Janet Pasterkamp
Mr. and Mrs. Travis B. Pate
Mr. Max Paulson
Margaret Peck
Jill D. Pedicord
Kathy McMahon Peeters
Elena Peschanskaia
Mary A. Peters
Dennis G. Peterson
Andrew R. Pleszkun
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Plowshay
Kate Raabe
James Rasmuson
Ms. Jennie Ridgley
Karyn K. Rieb
Michaelyn Rimar
Mr. Michael L. Ritchie
Mr. Gregory Roebuck
Patricia A. Romero
Paula and David Roney
Ms. Linda F. Rosales
Jon K. Rupp
Karen Sandstead
Sandy and Frank Sargent
Youlon D. Savage
Ms. Kim Savit
Mr. Bryan Penny and Mr. Matt Savoie
Leslie Sawyer
Mary Scarpino
Ms. Erika L. Schafer
John and Patricia Schmitter
Harvey and Mary Schuchman
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Segan
Ms. Laura Sheldon
David and Patricia Shelton
Frank Spaid
Ms. Marjorie Stanford
Kay Stevenson
Jenene and James Stookesberry
Brent Strausbaugh
Drs. Morris and Ellen Susman
Christopher J. Swahn
Juanita S. Tate
Roger L. Tate
Armando and Beatriz Telles
Chris Tremaroli
Mr. John B. Trueblood
Alan Turner
Charles and Deborah Turner
David Van Buskirk
Stephanie and Jaymie Vaughn
Michael Weeda
Dr. Adriana Weinberg
Lois Williams
Vincent Wincelowicz
Mr. Matthew Wolchak
Constance and Lawrence Wood
Allison and William Woolston
Kathleen and John Zaffore
The Zevallos Family
Deborah Zippel
GOVERNMENT AND FOUNDATIONS
Anonymous American Endowment Foundation
Art Mouth LLC
Bagby Foundation
Bliss Family Foundation
Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
Bortz-Boyer Family
Charitable Fund
Bucy Family Fund
Cactus Commmunications
Caulkins Family Foundation
Charlotte and Norman Codo Trust
Colorado Gives Foundation
Crawley Family Foundation
Denver Foundation
Denver Lyric Opera Guild
Denver Post Community Foundation
Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC
Fidelity Investments
Charitable Gift Fund
Galen & Ada Belle
Spencer Foundation
Genesee Mountain Foundation
Jeanne Land Foundation
Jewish Community Foundation Of Southern Arizona
Jewish Community Fund of Greater Kansas City
Kenneth King Foundation
Kortz and Pearle Rae Levey Foundation
Landis Family Philanthropy
Leonard and Alice Perlmutter
Charitable Foundation
Marcia Brady Tucker Foundation
McGoldrick Foundation
Merle Chambers Fund
Morgan Stanley
Nagel Foundation
National Philanthropic Trust
Opera America
Read Foundation Inc.
Renaissance Charitable Foundation
Schwab Charitable
Sidney E. Frank Foundation
Tepper Family Foundation
The Anschutz Foundation
The Schramm Foundation
Tulsa Community Foundation
US Charitable Gift Trust
Vanguard Charitable
Virginia W. Hill Foundation
William D. Radichel Foundation
CORPORATE ALLIANCE
5280 Magazine
CBS
Johnson Storage and Moving
Kaladi Coffee
Nocturne Jazz and Supper Club
Residence Inn by Marriott –Denver City Center
HONORARIUM/ MEMORIAL
In honor of Ellie Caulkins
Mr. David J. Chavolla
Mrs. Marcia D. Strickland
In honor of Mary and Tom Conroy
Jenene and James Stookesberry
In honor of the Ferrari Family
Ms. Anna Ferrari
In honor of The Honorable
Kenneth and Mrs. Barbara Laff
Ms. Patricia Brown
Anna Belle and Robert Kapelke
In honor of Dino Maniatis
Karen M. Sumner
In honor of Rene and the late Donald Morgan
Suzanne D. Bucy
In honor of Joyce de Roos
Mr. Miles Smith
In honor of Debi and Jerry Tepper
Marilyn Mishkin
In honor of Laura Scully and Rick Tisinai
Tiffany Baker
Jennifer Berry
Ellen Horn-Lamb
In honor of Isabella Thompson
Jeff Thompson
In honor of Pierce Wilson, Madi Wilson and Melony Mnatsakanyan
Jodie Wilson
In memory of Bill Belew
Barbara Davis
Darrell and India Mount
Carol Pfeiffer
Helen Scott Santilli
Troop 8 BSA
Marie Belew Wheatley
In memory of Kevin Conwick
Phil and Norma Heinschel
In memory of Dirk DeRoos
Mr. Miles Smith
In memory of Dr. Stephen L. Dilts
Chris and Karen Mohr
In memory of Dr. Jacqueline Frischknecht
Mr. Chuck Lawhead and Mr. Ronald Broome
In memory of William Paul Hurlbut
Katherine Hurlbut
In memory of Janis Keske
Jane and Bart Burnett
In memory of Gary Landis
Gary and Rebecca Gantner
Gayle Landis
Deanna Rose Leino
In memory of Margaret M. McMahon
T.R. Reid
In memory of Nathaniel Merrill
Ms. Clemmie Parker Engle
In memory of Eugenia Meyer who taught me to love opera
Dr. Stacy Fischer and Dr. Henry Fischer
In memory of William A. Richey
Mary E. Moser
In memory of Alicia Rodriguez
Paige and Juan Rodriguez
Helen and Diego Rodriguez
In memory of William E. Russell
Jane Russell
In memory of Gene Young
Linda Young
In memory of Larry Zimmer
Laura M. Huss
Elaine Merkert
Marcia and Dick Robinson
Robert J. Sterrett
Tom Kirkpatrick and Djuana Strauch
CRESCENDO SOCIETY
The following people have made arrangements to include Opera Colorado in their Estate Plan.
Anthony V. Berkley and Amanda Gomez
Sheila Bisenius
Ellie Caulkins
Ms. Donna E. Hamilton
Ms. Lynn E. Harrington
Dr. and Mrs. Charles B. Kafadar
Mr. and Mrs. Ron Kahn
Deanna Rose Leino
Mrs. Lee Roberts
Mary Ann Rose
Mr. Stephen Seifert
Fern B. Seltzer
Merrill Sields and M. Ray Thomasson
James and Jenene Stookesberry
Mr. Robert Van Buskirk
William and Nancy Wehner
Mrs. Carol C. Whitley
Larry* and Brigitte Zimmer
DENVER PERFORMING ARTS COMPLEX
The Denver Performing Arts Complex is owned and operated by Denver Arts & Venues for the City and County of Denver.
CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER
Mike Johnston, Mayor
DENVER ARTS & VENUES
Gretchen Hollrah, Executive Director
Jen Morris, Deputy Director
Tariana Navas-Nieves, Deputy Director
DENVER ARTS & VENUES, ARTS COMPLEX OPERATIONS
Mark Heiser, Venue Director
Jody Grossman, Assistant Venue Director, Booking
Todd Medley, Facilities Superintendent
Kelly Graham, Safety, Security and Garage Operations Manager
Carol Krueger, Patron Services Manager artscomplex.com | 720.865.4220 For immediate assistance & security 720.865.4200
SPONSORS
THE 2024-25 SEASON
Music Director Ari Pelto is sponsored by Mike & Julie Bock
EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS
Opera Colorado’s Education & Community Engagement Programs are made possible through the generous support of the following donors:
Pamela Beardsley
Denver Lyric Opera Guild
Sidney E. Frank Foundation –Colorado Fund
Genesee Mountain Foundation
Marilyn Munsterman
Scientific and Cultural Facilities District
Galen & Ada Belle Spencer Foundation
Carol Whitley
Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation
The 2024-25 Opera on Tour productions of The Barber of Seville and Hansel and Gretel and the Student Matinee of Daughter of the Regiment are sponsored by the Genesee Mountain Foundation.
2024-25 SEASON ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM
The Opera Colorado Artist in Residence Program is sponsored by Ken & Donna Barrow, with additional support from Patrick Spieles.
Hallie Schmidt, soprano Sponsored by Joyce de Roos and Donald K. Braden
Melanie Dubil, mezzo-soprano Sponsored by Joy & Chris Dinsdale
Daniel Miller, tenor Sponsored by Richard Garvin and Prem & Stephanie Subramanian
Alex Granito, baritone Sponsored by Robin & Eric Yaeger
Oliver Poveda Zavala, bass-baritone
Sponsored by Gayle & Gary Landis
James Eder, bass Sponsored by Ken & Barbara Laff and Laurence & Cynthia Chan
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
Opera Colorado recognizes the following organizations for their generous support:
Official Artist Housing Partner
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR OPERA COLORADO
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our donor lists. However, if your name is incorrectly listed, please accept our sincere apologies and contact Sara Buhr at 303-468-2027.
YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
As a non-profit organization, we rely on the generosity of donors in our community. With your support, we can fulfill our mission to connect our Colorado community to the emotions and stories of the world through traditional and innovative opera and educational programming that is accessible to all.
Your donation this season honors our legacy and builds a bright future for decades to come.
YOUR SUPPORT HELPS US...
PRESENT high-quality opera experiences that reflect the multicultural fabric of our community SERVE over 45,000 patrons every year
DEVELOP audiences by introducing children (and adults!) to their first opera experience
TRAIN the next generation of opera performers through our Artist in Residence Program
HOW TO MAKE A GIFT ONLINE: operacolorado.org/support BY PHONE: 303.468.2060
MAIL A CHECK TO: Opera Colorado 4121 S Navajo St, Ste 100 Englewood, CO 80110
For questions, please contact Opera Colorado’s Development Team at development@ operacolorado.org or 303.468.2060.
*denotes donor has passed away (Crescendo)
SCAN THE QR CODE:
Denver City Center
OPERA COLORADO STAFF
LEADERSHIP
Greg Carpenter, The Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director
Ari Pelto, Music Director
SENIOR TEAM
Jennifer Colgan, Director of Marketing & Communications
Ben Karasik, Associate Director of Production
Tom Kirkpatrick, Chief Financial Officer
Cherity Koepke, Director of Education & Community Engagement, Director of Opera Colorado’s Artist in Residence Program
Jordanna Rose, Director of Artistic Operations
STAFF
Sara Buhr, Associate Director of Development
Samantha Cantu, Patron Services Manager
Clair Clauson, HR Manager
Kendra Green, Resident Stage Manager
Megan Immerfall, Bookkeeper
Robin Lander, Patron Services & Office Coordinator
Alison Milan, Costume Director
Megan Pryor, Manager of Education & Community Engagement
Jocelyn Watson, Individual Giving & Donor Events Manager
MUSIC STAFF
Sahar Nouri, Chorus Master & Assistant Conductor
Nathan Salazar, Principal Repertoire Coach
Cody Guy Garrison, Chorus Repetiteur
Daniel Belcher, Artist in Residence Program Voice Teacher
Oleg Bellini, Resident Collaborative Pianist
2024-25 ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
Hallie Schmidt, soprano
Melanie Dubil, mezzo-soprano
Daniel Miller, tenor
Alex Granito, baritone
Oliver Poveda Zavala, bass-baritone
James Eder, bass
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Richard Koseff, Chair
Chevis F. (Chip) Horne, President
Dr. Laurence K. Chan, Vice President
Judy La Spada, Vice President
Prem S. Subramanian, MD, PhD, Secretary
Mark Bussey, Treasurer
DIRECTORS
Jeff V. Baldwin
Edward Balkin
Eleanor N. Caulkins, Lifetime Honorary Chair
Congresswoman Diana DeGette, Ex-Officio
Maria Garcia Berry
Richard Garvin
Mark Heiser, Ex-Officio
Don Hindman
Kelly Ann Hodges
Dr. Susan Rae Jensen
Laurence D. Kaptain, Ex-Officio
Hon. Kenneth Laff
Jim Linfield
MAJ. Konstantinos (Dino) G. Maniatis
William N. Maniatis, MD
Kevin O’Connor
The Honorable Jon J. Olafson
Marcia Robinson, Lifetime Honorary President
Keith Ward, Ex-Officio
Linda Weise, Ex-Officio
Daniel G. Welch
Evelyn Wolf
Robin Kolsky Yaeger
HONORARY DIRECTORS
Michael Bock
Hugh Grant
Jeremy Kinney
Mary French Moore
Jeremy Shamos
Susan Shamos
Merrill Shields
Martha Tracey
VOLUNTEERS
Dragana Acimovic
Wade Adams
Valerie Amburn
Stanley Anderson
Marianne Anderson
Eric Bard
Matthew Bell
Fran Berry
Barbara Bower
Jeffrey Brown
Monica Burkhardt
Leslie Cady
David Carson
Kristine Chiafos
Tobe Corazzini
Howard Evans
Thomas Gaffney
Jen Ganun
Victoria Gits
Lisa Goda
Jennifer Hale
Rodger Hara
Jan Heimer
Jennifer Hill
Claudia Iglesias
Alicia Irigoyen
Steven Jones
Robert Kahn
Kiplund Kolkmeier
Che Luera
Courtney Mara
Sequoyah Matibag
Laura Olson
Rebecca Palsmeier
Molly Parrish
Ashley Payne
Elena Peschanskaia
Eva Phibbs
Patty Pratt
Regina Rajewich
Michaele Reddy
Christina Richard
Donna Ries
Grover Sardeson
Erik Stattman
John Strauss
Gregory Veltri
Kathryn Wallisch
Marianne Weingroff
Marla Whipple
Matthew Wolchak
Angela Young
OPERA COLORADO’S PROGRAM BOOKS ARE PRODUCED BY THE PUBLISHING HOUSE
Angie Flachman Johnson, Publisher
Stacey Krull, Art Director
Wilbur E. Flachman, President Emeritus
FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION
303.428.9529 or ColoradoArtsPub.com
CONTACT OPERA COLORADO ADMINISTRATION
Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Opera Colorado Opera Center 4121 S Navajo St, Ste 100 Englewood, CO 80110
303.778.1500 info@operacolorado.org
PATRON SERVICES
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