Opera Colorado -- Die Tote Stadt -- February 25 & 28, March 3 & 5, 2023

Dear Friends,

We are thrilled to present Erich Korngold’s Die tote Stadt (The Dead City). This brand-new production of a rarely performed masterpiece is the kind of exciting undertaking we want to be known for in our community and on the national and international opera scene.

Die tote Stadt brings together the best of the three key elements that make up a great opera: an intensely dramatic story, lush, lyrical music, and visual opulence. We are honored to have director Chas Rader-Shieber and designer Robert Perdziola lend their vision and talent to this magnificent new production of one of opera’s hidden gems. We are enormously fortunate to have a cast, orchestra, and chorus who can present Die tote Stadt with all the drama and technical flair it demands.

Later this spring, one of opera’s biggest blockbusters comes to our stage—Puccini’s Turandot, with all the massive sound and spectacle you could ask for. Love conquers all in this mythological tale that boasts largerthan-life sets and some of the most famous and powerful music in the repertoire. Save your seats now—Turandot is already in high demand, and you will not want to miss this grand season finale.

Sincerely,

Greg Carpenter

The Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director

If you are seeking a night of glamour, our 40th Anniversary Season culminates in a spectacular gala on Saturday, May 13, featuring none other than the incomparable mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato. All proceeds will support our mission to connect our community to the emotions and stories of the world through traditional and innovative opera and educational programming that is accessible to all. Tables and tickets are available at operacolorado.org/gala.

If the remainder of this season weren’t enough to look forward to, we recently announced our upcoming 2023-24 Season! We’ll kick things off next November with a classic and opulent production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, then take to the high seas with our winter production, Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. And we simply can’t wait for next season’s finale—Saint-Saëns’s Samson and Delilah, which has not been seen on our stage since 1987. Season packages are available now at operacolorado.org, and tickets to individual shows will go on sale this summer.

Thank you for your support of everything we do. We welcome you to Die tote Stadt—we know it will be a memorable highlight of your operagoing season.

Elizabeth Caswell Dyer Board Chair

Ari Pelto Music Director

Deeply rooted in Colorado communities since 1962.

Beyond our love for Colorado is a passion for its spirit, its people, and its potential. Slifer Smith & Frampton is proud to be Colorado’s #1 independent global real estate and relocation network.

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FAMILY DAY

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2023 | 10:00 A.M. & 1:00 P.M.

We welcome our community to the opera house for a day of family-friendly events, including performances of our Touring Production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance.

FREE EVENT

Reserve your tickets in March 2023.

ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE

1385 CURTIS STREET, DENVER, CO 80204

MICHELLE DEYOUNG CONCERT

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2023 | 7:30 P.M.

We have partnered with the Newman Center at the University of Denver to bring you this exciting performance. Join Grammy Award-winning mezzosoprano Michelle DeYoung for a vocal recital with pianist Cody Guy Garrison, featuring a wide-ranging repertoire including the songs of Erich Korngold.

UPCOMING EVENTS

TURANDOT OPENING NIGHT DINNER

SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2023 | 5:00 P.M.

Join Opera Colorado on opening night of Turandot in the Chambers Grant Salon for our final Opening Night Dinner of the season! A ticket to Opening Night Dinner includes a delectable three-course meal before your scheduled performance and receptions during intermissions.

The Turandot Opening Night Dinner is sponsored by Elizabeth Caswell Dyer & Matthew Dyer a nd Edward Jones®

Kevin O’Connor, Financial Advisor

$150 PER PERSON

KEVIN TAYLOR’S AT THE OPERA HOUSE 1345 CHAMPA ST, DENVER, CO 80202

LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE EVENTS

VISIT OPERACOLORADO.ORG/EVENTS

Scan the QR code with the camera app on your phone to get tickets now!

$34-$62 PER TICKET

THE NEWMAN CENTYER CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER 2344 E ILIFF AVE, DENVER, CO 80210

OPERA COLORADO

FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY GALA

GALA CHAIRS

Joy and Chris Dinsdale

SATURDAY

MAY 13 2023

Toast forty years of exceptional artistry and grand storytelling at a glamorous gala celebration, taking place in two extraordinary acts.

ACT ONE

A One-Night-Only Performance by International Superstar Joyce DiDonato at the Ellie Caulkins

Opera House

ACT TWO

A Glittering Dinner and After Party at the Seawell Ballroom with Entertainment by Funkiphino

Proceeds support Opera Colorado’s expanding artistic initiatives and extensive educational programming that is accessible to all.

To reserve tables and tickets or for information, contact Gala Consultant Wendy Fisher at 415.317.4950 or wendyfisherevents@gmail.com or visit operacolorado.org/gala. SCAN TO ORDER TICKETS

Kevin Sloan, What the Soil Dreamed, 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 72 in

Be seduced by Mozart’s classic masterpiece, Don Giovanni, a tale about a serial womanizer who cares for nothing but fulfilling his own desires. Will Don Giovanni stop playing fast and loose, or will he follow his passion to a fiery demise?

Wagner’s supernatural drama makes landfall with Opera Colorado next winter. The captain of a legendary ghost ship is doomed to roam the seas and only come to land for one day every seven years. Will he find a love strong enough to break his lonely curse?

Opera Colorado closes the season with Saint-Saëns’s operatic take on the Biblical story of Samson and Delilah. Samson has one true weakness, and it’s the sultry Delilah’s job to find out what it is. Indulge in a performance of stunning visuals, epic dance, and gorgeous music.

SHARE OPERA WITH YOUR STUDENTS

IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOPS

September - May | 2022-23

Fun and informative workshops integrated into your curriculum and tailored to each classroom’s needs

SAVE THE DATE: STUDENT MATINEE

Mozart’s Don Giovanni | November 9 | 2023

Mozart’s classic masterpiece, Don Giovanni, adapted to a length perfect for students. This special matinee performance comes once a year. Students experience the opera, watch the set changes, and get a chance to meet the performers.

BACKSTAGE WORKSHOPS

March 1, 2, 3 | May 11 | 2023

E xplore the world backstage at interactive stations created to provide hands-on learning opportunities.

*The March 2 workshop is sold out!

STUDENT DRESS REHEARSAL

Puccini’s Turandot | May 4 | 2023

Join us for the final rehearsal before opening night, featuring full costumes, wigs and makeup, spectacular sets, and a live orchestra! Online guidebooks prepare your class for the experience. A wonderful introduction to live opera!

LEAR N M ORE

Opera Colorado offers programs and performances in schools and as field trips. Learn more about the dynamic live and virtual programs available by scanning the QR code or visiting our website at operacolorado.org/education.

TEACHER FEEDBACK

“Welcoming young people to become lovers of the arts is so important, and Opera Colorado does a fantastic job of helping them feel like opera is for them.”

OUR IMPACT

Opera Colorado’s education programs provide communities throughout the state with access to the arts, bringing the magic of opera to schools and communities across Colorado. In a typical year, our education programs serve over 40,000 students and life-long learners. The 2022-23 Season includes over fifty opera education performances and workshops for mountain and plains communities, libraries, senior groups, and schools serving children and adults with disabilities.

THE 2022-23 SEASON ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM

The Opera Colorado Artist in Residence Program is sponsored by Ken & Donna Barrow, with additional support from Patrick Spieles and Dr. Stephen L. Dilts.

Francesca Mehrotra is sponsored by Ken & Barbara Laff and Laurence & Cynthia Chan

Joanne Evans is sponsored by Joy & Chris Dinsdale

David Soto Zambrana is sponsored by Jason & Nathaly Ambos

Dante Mireles is sponsored by Robin & Eric Yaeger

Michael Leyte-Vidal is sponsored by Joyce de Roos and Donald K. Braden

Turner Staton is sponsored by Gayle & Gary Landis

Oleg Bellini is sponsored by David & Elizabeth Budd and Suzanne D. Bucy

Cherity Koepke | Director of the Artist in Residence Program

PAINT AND SIP

We partnered with Painting with a Twist to create our own versions of the brand-new sets for Die tote Stadt, designed by Robert Perdziola. Learn more at paintingwithatwist.com and check out the results...

Non metallic Pantone 4515 + Black (C-40%, M-50%, Y-50%, K-100%)

White + Black (C-40%, M-50%, Y-50%, K-100%)

Die tote Stadt

FEBRUARY 25 | 28 | MARCH 3 | 5 | 2023 ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE

AN OPERA IN THREE ACTS BY ERICH KORNGOLD

There will be one twenty-five-minute intermission after act one and one twenty-minute intermission after act two.

CAST IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

Brigitte Elizabeth Bishop*

Frank/Fritz Da niel Belcher

Pau l Jonathan Burton

Marietta/Marie Sara Gartland*

Ga ston/Victorin Jonathan Johnson

Jul iette Fra ncesca Mehrotra^

Lucienne Joanne Evans^

Count Albert Dav id Soto Zambrana^

Conductor Ari Pelto

Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor Sahar Nouri

Répétiteur Nathan Salazar

Chor us Music Rehearsal Accompanist Cody Guy Garrison

Stage Director Cha s Rader-Shieber*

As sistant Director and Intimacy Director Daniel Seth

Set and Costume Designer Robert Perdziola

Wig and Makeup Design Ronell Oliveri

Lighting Design Yi Zhao

Fight Director Sa mantha Egle

Choregographer Rachael Harding

Da ncers Abigail Corrigan and Brandon Welch

Opera Colorado Chorus

Opera Colorado Orchestra

*Opera Colorado debut

^Artist in Residence for the 2022-23 Season

Scenery constructed by Asolo Rep Scenic Studios

Additional scenery constructed by Theatrical Builds, LLC

Costumes constructed by Krostyne Studio

Millinery provided by Rodney Gordon

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

• Marie (soprano) – Paul’s deceased wife

• Marietta (soprano) – A lively performer who closely resembles Marie

• Brigitte (mezzo-soprano) – Paul’s maid who eventually leaves him to become a nun

• Gaston (tenor) – A member of the same performance group as Marietta

• Paul (tenor) – A painter who lost his wife, Marie

• Frank/Fritz (baritone) – Frank is Paul’s friend, Fritz is Pierrot in Marietta’s troupe

SETTING

1890s in the city of Bruges, Belgium

ACT I - AN ART STUDIO IN PAUL’S HOUSE

Paul’s housekeeper, Brigitte, and his friend Frank enter an art studio that houses mementoes of Paul’s late wife, Marie. For two years, Paul has mourned his dead wife, maintaining the room as a kind of shrine. It is filled with Marie’s portraits and belongings, including a braid of her long blonde hair displayed in a glass case. Before today, Brigitte tells Frank, Paul spoke often of how he and Bruges, the dead city, were one, both caught in worshipping the beauty of the past. Yesterday, however, Paul returned from his usual walk laughing and shouting with joy. “The dead are resurrected!” he cried, before ordering Brigitte to open the room and decorate Marie’s keepsakes with flowers.

Frank is astonished, but Paul soon arrives, bursting with excitement. Marie is alive, he tells Frank, restored to him through a woman he met yesterday, a woman who looks and sounds almost exactly like Marie. Paul believes Marie has returned to him in this woman. Frank warns Paul that trying to control death is a dangerous game. Paul, however, refuses to listen, enthralled by the idea that his wife has somehow come back to him in this woman, Marietta.

Frank leaves just as Brigitte announces the arrival of a woman. Marietta enters, and Paul marvels at what seems to be the presence of his dead wife returning to her rooms. At Paul’s request, Marietta dons a scarf and plays a lute, unaware these items once belonged to Marie.

A group of theatre performers passes by outside, singing a comic song about kissing a mistress. Marietta greets them and tells Paul she must follow them to rehearsal since she is a dancer at the theatre. When she dances, Marietta explains, she feels as if “a demon excites me, masters me, possesses me.”

Paul is shocked by Marietta’s profession and passion but declares heaven has sent her to him. He tries to embrace Marietta, who dances around the room to tease him. As she dances, Marietta becomes tangled in a curtain hiding Marie’s portrait. The curtain falls, revealing a painting of Paul’s wife with the same scarf and lute Marietta now holds. Marietta

understands Paul is using her to placate the loss of another woman and leaves for the theatre, where she is dancing the role of Helen in Robert le Diable.

Paul calls to Marietta, but she is gone. As he stands distraught, Marie steps out from the painting behind him. Marie tells Paul her presence still haunts the house and, through the power of the tresses she left behind, the braid in the glass case, she will keep watch over their home. Paul sinks in despair but then remembers Marietta dancing and calls her name once again.

ACT II - LATE EVENING A FEW MONTHS LATER, A CANAL AND STREET BORDERING MARIETTA’S HOUSE

Paul stands on the street corner, watching Marietta’s window. She did not appear at the theatre, and he has come to see if she is with another man. A group of nuns passes by on their way to mass. Paul recognizes one of the nuns, Brigitte, his former housekeeper. Brigitte maintains his sinful relationship with Marietta drove her away, but Paul believes he is not betraying Marie, who has returned to him in the form of Marietta. Brigitte says she does not understand him and follows her sisters into mass.

Frank arrives and notices Paul watching Marietta’s house. Frank confronts Paul, telling him to return home to the memory of his wife. Paul refuses. Frank confesses he is in a relationship with Marietta, and, to prove it, shows Paul the key Marietta has given him to her house. Paul snatches the key, and Frank staggers away.

Just then, a boat of Marietta’s fellow dancers floats along the canal towards her house. They are coming to see why she missed her performance at the theatre. Paul hides and watches as they sing and laugh. Marietta enters on the arm of a handsome man named Gaston. The dancers tease Marietta for abandoning her gloomy companion (Paul) in favor of this new relationship. Marietta drinks champagne and flirts as Paul spies on her. In an effort to win Marietta’s favor, the Pierrot Fritz sings to her about his life as an artist. In a festive mood, Marietta declares that since she missed the show, she will now perform her dance from Robert le Diable. Marietta and her fellow dancers enact the part of disgraced, resurrected nuns who entice Robert (acted by Gaston) to his doom. As they perform, actual nuns walk home after mass, adding to the surreal atmosphere.

Horrified, Paul rushes to stop the macabre act. Marietta’s friends leave, as she and Paul argue. Marietta accuses him of making a scene, and he accuses her of loving Frank. Finally, Paul reveals his secret to Marietta: he has loved her only as a shadow of his true love for Marie. Stunned, Marietta confronts Paul with the fact that she herself has brought him happiness. She insists Paul confess his love for her, Marietta, not Marie. Paul admits his love for Marietta and agrees to take her to his home, where she plans to banish Marie’s ghost forever!

ACT III - MORNING THE FOLLOWING DAY, IN THE ROOM OF MEMENTOS IN PAUL’S HOME

Marietta enters in her nightgown. She compares the powerless picture of the dead woman to her own vibrant desires. As she sings, an Easter celebration begins outside. Children in the procession sing of life as Paul rushes in, distraught. The prayers and music of the church have awakened his remorse for betraying his wife. Marietta laughs and sings of Gaston as Paul becomes enthralled with the procession, his guilt mounting until, finally, he bows in prayer as the relic passes by. Marietta declares she will not share Paul with the dead, whether they be saints or his wife, and demands a kiss. Repulsed and overwhelmed with grief, Paul envisions the procession entering the room, condemning him for betraying his sacred love for Marie.

Marietta is insulted that Paul prefers mourning the dead to love and life with her. Paul orders her to leave, but she insists she will triumph over her dead rival and shatters the glass case with Marie’s braided hair. Marietta then winds the braid about her neck like a scarf and dances mockingly before Marie’s portrait. Furious at this desecration, Paul strangles Marietta with the golden braid as darkness falls on stage.

The darkness lifts as Paul stands bewildered. The room looks untouched. Brigitte enters, telling him that the woman who was just with him has returned. Astounded, Paul watches as Marietta enters, retrieves her forgotten parasol, and leaves. Frank reappears, and tries again to convince Paul to leave Bruges. Paul contemplates his future, unsure but filled with possibility.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

The 40th Anniversary Season is generously sponsored by Marcia & Dick Robinson

Music Director Ari Pelto is sponsored by Mike & Julie Bock

Die tote Stadt is sponsored by an anonymous donor in honor of Dr. James K. Todd, with additional support from Robert R. Montgomery

The orchestra for Die tote Stadt is sponsored by Kevin O’Connor & Janet Ellen Raasch, with additional support from Gerald & Ann Saul, Jeff Baldwin, and Joyce de Roos

PHOTOGRAPHY INFORMATION

Photography is allowed in the lobby before the performance. We encourage you to share any photos you take with us on our social media. Photography and video are not permitted during the performance.

Share photos with us!

@operacolorado

We honor and acknowledge that we are on the traditional territories and ancestral homelands of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Nations. We acknowledge the land and history of this space we are fortunate to gather in today.

ARTISTS

DANIEL BELCHER | Frank/Fritz

GRAMMY® Award-winning baritone Daniel Belcher has performed in many of the world’s music capitals. With a repertoire of more than eighty roles, Belcher has championed roles from the Baroque to those composed expressly for him. He c ame to international attention in 2004 in Peter Eötvös’s Angels in America (Prior Walter) for the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. In the 2021-22 Season, Mr. Belcher joined the Metropolitan Opera for Ahknaten and Rigoletto. Recent engagements also included The Fall of the House of Usher (William) with Boston Lyric Opera, a return to On Site Opera for Amahl and the Night Visitors (Melchior), a concert with the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, and Glory Denied (Older Thompson) with Berkshire Opera Festival. In the 2018-19 Season, he created the role of Alfred Stieglitz in Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell, and Kimberly Reed’s world premiere of Today it Rains w ith Opera Parallele, made role debuts in Madame Butterfly (Sharpless) at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, A Little Night Music (Fredrik Egerman) at Madison Opera, and John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles (Beaumarchais) as well as reprising his role in The Barber of Seville (Figaro) at Chautauqua Opera.

ELIZABETH BISHOP | Brigitte

Recent highlights for American mezzo Elizabeth (Betsy) Bishop include her return to the Metropolitan Opera in their celebrated new production of Le nozze di Figaro (Marcellina); Dallas Symphony Orchestra in Salome (Herodias); and at Lyric Opera Chicago, she stole the show in Cendrillon (Madame de la Haltière). She also performed in Der Ring des Nibelungen (Second Norn/Fricka, cover)/Waltraute, cover) with the Met. In the 2021-22 Season, she revived her role in Le nozze di Figaro at the Met, and she made her debut in Hansel und Gretel (the Witch) under the baton of Donald Runnicles with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Past successes include her debut at Florida Grand Opera in Salome (Herodias), The Flying Dutchman (Mary) at Cincinnati Opera, Bluebeard’s Castle (Judith) at Portland Symphony, Dialogues of the Carmelites (Mère Marie) and Das Rheingold and Die Walküre (Fricka) at Washington National Opera, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Donald Runnicles and at the Grand Teton Music Festival, Verdi’s Requiem with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Tristan und Isolde (Brangäne) in concert at North Carolina Opera.

JONATHAN BURTON | Paul

Tenor Jonathan Burton is engaged to sing the most demanding roles in the tenor repertoire, including Tosca (Cavaradossi), Turandot (Calàf), Fanciulla del West (Dick Johnson), and Aida (Radames). He regularly receives rave reviews for his “bright, heroic tone, [and] clarion power.” For his performance in Tosca (Cavaradossi) with Opera Omaha, one reviewer said: “Tenor Jonathan Burton was revelatory as the painter and revolutionary sympathizer. His voice never faltered through the demands of the role and his

tortured humanity was palpable.” Recently, Burton joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera for the first time for their production of Turandot (Calàf) and also performed the role with Maryland Lyric Opera. He also sang in Carmen (Don José) for Palm Beach Opera and covered the title role in Tristan und Isolde for Santa Fe Opera.

SAMANTHA EGLE | Fight Director

Samantha (she/her) is thrilled to be joining Opera Colorado for this production of Die tote Stadt! Her work has been seen on the stages of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities, Colorado Springs Fine Arts, Denver Children’s Theatre, Mizel Center for Arts and Culture, Athena Project Festival, Lagoon Theme Park, Upstart Crow, New York Fringe Festival, The BiTSY Stage, University of Northern Colorado, University of Denver, and numerous other educational institutions in Colorado. She was a Resident Artist as an Intimacy Director at Arena Stage in Washington D.C. in 2019 and an apprentice with Intimacy Directors International. She is the founder of Humble Warrior Movement Arts, which produces international virtual and local inperson stage combat and intimacy training. She is a proud associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Union, and the Regional Representative for the Rocky Mountain Region and a Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors.

JOANNE EVANS | Lucienne

London-born mezzo soprano Joanne Evans is hailed as “a singer to watch” (Classical Voice America). She performanced in Verdi’s Falstaff (Meg Page) at Berkshire Opera Festival and Opera News wrote that her “striking personal timbre and refined artistry...made [for] a memorable Meg” In Eugene Onegin (Olga) with Music Academy of the West this summer, Joanne “was a magnificently earthy Olga, her rich mezzo tone and prescient temperament, perfect for the role” (Voice Santa Barbara). As an Artist in Residence with Opera Colorado for the 2022-2023 Season, she performed in the mainstage production of Rigoletto (Giovanna) and goes on tour in The Pirates of Penzance (Ruth) and Romeo & Juliet (Stéphano/Gertrude). Joanne was most recently named winner of the Marilyn Horne Song Competition and the Handel Aria Competition. Joanne is also a 2022 district winner of the Met Opera Laffont Competition and a beneficiary of a Career Bridges organization grant. Elsewhere, Joanne is credited as co-writer and vocalist of the theme song for the BBC show Pitch Battle (2017).

SARA GARTLAND | Marie/Marietta

Soprano Sara Gartland’s engagements in the 2021-2022 Season included the world premiere of A Thousand Acres (Rose), with libretto by Mark Campbell and music composed by Kristin Kuster for the fiftieth anniversary season at Des Moines Metro Opera, and exciting role and company debuts with Opera San Antonio and Dallas Opera. A lover of opera and operetta as well as contemporary works, Ms. Gartland has sung a

plethora of roles displaying her talent for dramatic storytelling and comedy. She has also developed close working relationships with some of the best regional opera houses in the country. Some of her performances include: the title roles in Rusalka a nd Jenůfa, Wozzeck (Marie), Roméo et Juliette (Juliette), and Regina (Alexandra) with Des Moines Metro Opera; La bohème (Musetta), Carmen (Micaëla), Norma (Adalgisa, cover), and Michel van der Aa’s 3D opera Sunken Garden (Zenna Briggs, cover) with Dallas Opera; Die Fledermaus (Rosalinde), La traviata (Violetta), Of Mice and Men (Curley’s Wife), and Regina (Alexandra) w ith Utah Opera; La traviata (Violetta), the title role in Rusalka, and HMS Pinafore (Josephine) with Arizona Opera, Fidelio (Marzelline) with Opera Omaha; Hansel and Gretel (Gretel) with Opera San Jose; Hansel and Gretel (Gretel) and La bohème (Musetta) with San Diego Opera; L’elisir d’amore (Adina) with Austin Lyric Opera; and the title role (cover) in Rusalka with the Canadian Opera Company.

RACHAEL HARDING | Dance 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; co-owner/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 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, and The Shining

JONATHAN JOHNSON | Victorin/Gastone

Tenor Jonathan Johnson returns to Opera Colorado for the first time since the 2020 production of Pagliacci (Beppe). In the 202122 Season, he made his debut at the Tulsa Opera in Gianni Schicci (Rinuccio), returned to Opera Omaha in Sweeney Todd (Anthony), and appeared in Harvey Milk with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. He recently appeared in The Love for Three Oranges (The Prince) at Opera Philadelphia’s Festival O19 and in Silent Night (Jonathan Dale) at Utah Opera. In concert, Mr. Johnson appeared as a soloist with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, with the Detroit Symphony for Messiah, and in recital with the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago. A graduate of the Patrick G. & Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s professional artist-development program, he appeared in the house’s main productions of Les Troyens, Lucia di Lammermoor, The Merry Widow, Der Rosenkavalier, Capriccio, The Magic Victrola, and Mieczysław Weinberg’s Holocaust opera The Passenger.

FRANCESCA MEHROTRA | Juliette

Francesca Mehrotra is an Indian-American soprano originally from Ashburn, Virginia. In the 2022-23 Season, Francesca performed in the student matinee performance of Rigoletto (Gilda) and the mainstage performance of Rigoletto (Countess Ceprano). Also at Opera Colorado, she sings in the touring productions of The Pirates of Penzance (Mabel) and Romeo & Juliet (Juliet). As an Apprentice Artist at Central City Opera this past summer, Francesca appeared in The Light in the Piazza (Clara cover) and Die Fledermaus (Ida). Previous performances include Hansel and Gretel (Gretel) with Fort Worth Opera’s Children’s Opera Theatre; Le nozze di Figaro (Susanna) and Giulio Cesare (Cleopatra) at Seagle Festival; The Ghosts of Gatsby (Zelda ’18) with Opera Birmingham at the Opera America New Works Forum; Don Pasquale (Norina) and Thumbprint (Mukhtar Mai) at Boston Conservatory; Serse (Atalanta) at Opera NEO; and Falstaff (Nannetta), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tytania), and Dark Sisters (Lucinda) at Texas Christian University.

SAHAR NOURI | Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor

Iranian pianist and conductor Sahar Nouri returns to Opera Colorado for a sixth season, serving as the company’s Chorus Master, Assistant Conductor, and Pianist Coach. Ms. Nouri is the Music Director of the Lamont Opera Theatre at the University of Denver. She is also the founder and director of Dandelion Opera Institute, a summer training program for young, talented opera singers, pianists, and conductors. While based in Denver, Ms. Nouri continues to serve as guest coach/faculty with various organizations, including San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Opera North Carolina, and more. Previously, Ms. Nouri has been a member of the music staff at Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Utah Opera, Aspen Opera Center, Opera Parallèle, and Opera in the Heights. Her repertoire includes numerous classic operas as well as many world premieres, such as: Prince of Players (Carlisle Floyd), O Columbia! (Gregory Spears), Steal a Pencil for Me (Gerald Cohen), and Today It Rains (Laura Kaminsky). Nouri has done studies in the Czech Republic, Italy, and Austria, and is frequently in demand as a language coach and recitalist.

RONELL OLIVERI | Wig and Makeup Design

Ronell Oliveri has been designing wigs and makeup for opera, theater, ballet, and film for the past eighteen years for such companies as Minnesota Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University. Currently, she is the resident Wig & Makeup Designer for Opera Colorado, Opera Omaha, and Central City Opera. In 2007, she was a Primetime Emmy Award nominee as key makeup artist for her work in television. As a wig and makeup artist her professional credits include engagements with Chicago Lyric Opera, LA Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, and Boston Ballet. Her work can also be seen in Wicked, All the Way, and Waitress. Other recent engagements include Miller Theater’s Proving Up, Boston Lyric Opera’s Cavalleria rusticana, and Opera Omaha’s Montagues and Capulets.

ARTISTS

ARI PELTO | Opera Colorado Music Director and Conductor

Ari Pelto was appointed in 2015 as Opera Colorado’s first-ever music director. His “breathtaking wizardry in the pit” (The Denver Post) has been widely celebrated, with Pelto in demand at opera houses and concert halls throughout the United States. At the age of 24, Pelto was appointed Assistant Conductor at the Spoleto Festival, and he has since gone on to conduct worldwide. International engagements include performances with Bochumer Philharmoniker and opera productions at New National Theatre of Tokyo and the Teatro Nacional Sucre in Quito, Ecuador. In 2004 he made his highly-praised debut with New York City Opera, conducting La traviata, after which he became a regular, returning for productions of Madama Butterfly, La bohème, and Carmen. Recent successes include performances of The Nutcracker with Atlanta Ballet and The Flying Dutchman with Utah Opera.

ROBERT PERDZIOLA | Set and Costume Designer

Robert Perdziola has designed sets and costumes for American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Saito Kinen Festival, San Francisco Opera, Opéra Monte Carlo, Garsington Opera, Opera Australia, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Cincinnati Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Opera Boston, and Glimmerglass Opera. Among these designs are those for Capriccio and Il pirata for the Met, La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein for Opera Boston, and Falstaff for the Saito Kinen Festival. In 2017, he designed two productions of Le nozze di Figaro, one for Garsington Opera in Wormsley, England, and the other for Hyogo Performing Arts Center in Japan. In the fall of 2016, Perdziola created sets and costumes for the Finnish National Ballet’s Alice In Wonderland Perdziola was nominated for a 2019 Benois de la Danse award.

CHAS RADER-SHIEBER | Stage Director

Known both for his bold and inventive productions and for his acute musical instincts, Chas Rader-Shieber has established himself as one of the most innovative opera directors of his generation. When reviewing his staging of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, Toronto’s Classical 96.3 FM praised Mr. Rader-Shieber’s “daring and visionary approach to staging” and declared him “a force to be reckoned with in the opera world.” In the 2021-2022 Season, Mr. Rader-Shieber continued his close collaboration with the Curtis Institute of Music, directing Dangerous Liasons, and returned to Des Moines Metro Opera for Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream His recent work includes a new production of Rameau’s Platée at Des Moines Metro Opera, Shining Brow at Arizona Opera, and a return to the Curtis Institute of Music to direct their productions of The Barber of Seville. Other past season highlights include, Hasse’s Artaserse and Monteverdi’s Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria with Pinchgut Opera; La finta giardiniera with Portland Opera; Ariadne auf Naxos with Kentucky Opera, Rusalka with Des Moines Metro Opera; Gluck’s Orfeo with Portland Opera; La traviata with Pittsburgh Opera; and Capriccio with the Curtis Insitute of Music. Mr. Rader-Shieber has

also become well known for his interpretations of Mozart operas, including Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, and Così fan tutte at companies including Opera Pacific, Opera de Montreal, Santa Fe Opera, and the Juilliard Opera Center.

DANIEL SETH | Assistant Director and Intimacy Director

Daniel Seth (he/him) proudly makes his house debut at Opera Colorado following recent opera credits that include Platée and Dangerous Liaisons (dir: Chas Rader-Shieber), and The Medium / Triple Sec (dir: Alek Shrader). As an acting coach, Daniel supports an array of leading artists on stage and screen. His recent coaching credits include projects for Netflix, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime Video, with upcoming work on HBO and Hulu. Directing highlights include the UK premiere of Ana Nogueira’s Empathitrax and collaborating with Kermit the Frog and The Muppets on Jim Henson’s Musical World, produced by the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. Daniel is a proud associate of SDC, member of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, and alumnus of NYU (BA, Character) and Mountview (MA, Directing).

DAVID SOTO ZAMBRANA | Count Albert

Tenor David Soto Zambrana is native of San Juan, Puerto Rico. He trained in the Bel Canto tradition at the University of Oklahoma, where he was awarded a prestigious Weitzenhoffer Opera Fellowship and a master’s degree. Recently, David sang for the Oklahoma premiere of Lori Laitman’s The Scarlet Letter (Arthur Dimmesdale). He was a Tomita Young Artist with Finger Lakes Opera, performed leading roles with Taconic Opera, and is an alumnus of Musiktheatre Bavaria in Oberaudorf, Germany. As an Artist in Residence, David performed in the student matinee of Rigoletto (Duke of Mantua), and he will appear in the mainstage performance of Turandot. He also appears in Opera Colorado’s Opera on Tour productions of The Pirates of Penzance (Frederic) and Romeo & Juliet (Romeo). David was awarded a Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition Encouragement Award, Marilyn Horne Performance Award, and the Dame Eva Turner Award for Vocal Performance.

YI ZHAO | Lighting Designer

Yi Zhao is a Beijing-born, Paris-raised, and U.S.-educated lighting designer currently based in Berlin and working internationally. His designs for theater, opera, live music, and dance are informed by a background in fine art photography and a passion for music. His lighting designs have been seen at Lincoln Center Theater, Sasha Waltz & Guests (Germany), New York Theatre Workshop, Signature Theatre, Soho Rep., Ars Nova, the Guthrie Theater, Mark Taper Forum, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, American Conservatory Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, The Wilma Theater, Yale Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Opera Omaha, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Curtis Institute of Music, ArtsEmerson, and Philadelphia FringeArts.

Given its blend of music, words, and stage action, opera can be a powerful tool for psychological exploration. It is not just a matter of what these characters are doing, but why they are doing it, and how they feel about themselves and their lives. Their inner selves become more vividly available with finely crafted music to express those feelings. The characters are fictional, but the music can make them seem almost real.

From Mozart to Puccini, many composers have worked to do more with their operas than just tell a story. But the results are even more compelling in the instance of Die tote Stadt, which combines a particularly young mind (Korngold was just 23 years old in 1920) living and working in the city of Vienna, where Freud was exploring the inner self. Freud’s developing theories about the power of the unconscious permeated arts and culture.

Korngold’s father, one of Vienna’s most eminent music critics, gifted his son a middle name which paid tribute to Mozart. The younger Korngold rapidly became the toast of Viennese musical society, which gratified his father. Die tote Stadt was already Erich’s third opera—not just the third he’d written, but the third to reach the public. At its December 12, 1920, premiere, some may have been startled by the excellence of its craftsmanship. However, those who had been paying attention to headlines would have known they were likely to find the opera to be a remarkable experience.

To enjoy this opera, it is helpful to have an explanation of the title, meaning “the dead city.” This is not a city where the undead walk the streets. Only Marie is dead, and she haunts just one individual, her widower Paul, who cannot get her out of his thoughts let alone his heart. Korngold borrowed the tale from Belgian writer Georges Rodenbach (1855 – 1898), whose 1892 novella Bruges le morte (Bruges the Dead) had been a Symbolist landmark. But what exactly does “the dead city” symbolize? It might help to know that Rodenbach illustrated his tale with photographs of the actual city of Bruges, perhaps more interested in its past than in its future. Beyond the name of the opera hinting at the character’s inability to move forward, music, too, can underscore ways of reading the characters, allowing listeners to sense what troubles and motivates them.

Chas Rader-Shieber, director of Opera Colorado’s production, observes that Korngold’s opera exists in “a surreal landscape of items that have their own life and sometimes suggest other realms and places.” Paul’s obsession with his memories of Marie “begins to blur the lines between reality and fantasy.” Has she been restored to life, or is it only Paul’s imagination? Are his actions what the character actually does, or just scenes from his subconscious? Rader-Shieber describes the shifting perspectives as “both thrilling and terrifying.” Are we to pity Paul, or loathe him? Therein lies the director’s task, though it was initially Korngold’s.

Forming that musical connection with the characters is part of the power of opera, and Korngold sets about it early in Die tote Stadt. In Paul’s act one aria “Glück das mir verblieb,” he muses with rapturous longing on love that survives. He imagines (or hears) Marie’s voice, which colors his feelings: gentle melancholy, but not anguish. The latter lies in Paul’s future, but first Korngold sought to give audience members a glimpse of the protagonist’s heart.

Paul’s friends and neighbors have a different, more cheerful reading on the world. In act two, they enjoy an exuberant boating party. Amongst the convivial gathering is the dancer Marietta, whom Paul is half convinced is his own Marie reborn. Bruges’ canals may not be those of Venice, but that does not mean one cannot sing spiritedly to the night sky. Their jovial voices—the only entirely festive music of the opera—provide a striking contrast to Paul’s troubled heart.

Bruges itself also has a musical voice. Frequently, one hears the tolling of bells, suggesting the church towers visible in the photographs found in the original novella. Additionally, the orchestra includes a wind machine, and, at times, Korngold calls for off-stage voices and sounds. Are they actually part of the scene, or is Paul imagining them? That distinction is largely left to the listener, or at least the director.

Die tote Stadt isn’t the first twentieth-century opera; at the very least, it was predated by Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (1904). However, the psychological aspects of the tale are reflective of its time. Emotional coloring would serve Korngold well in the last half of his career, which he spent in Hollywood, showing American composers how to write better for cinema. What Korngold had learned with Die tote Stadt served him quite well on the silver screen.

Article by Betsy Schwarm, author of “Operatic Insights.”

CHORUS, ORCHESTRA, & PRODUCTION STAFF

OPERA COLORADO ORCHESTRA

VIOLIN

Byron A. Hitchcock, concertmaster

Margaret Soper Gutierrez, principal second

Jackson Bailey

Michelle Davis

Angela Dombrowski

Ryan Jacobsen

Robyn Julyan

Regan Kane

Christine Menter

Gyongyver Petheo

Felix Petit

Zachary Ragent

Veronica Sawarynski

Robyn Sosa

Takanori Sugishita

Benjamin Tomkins

Leena Waite

Tori Woodrow

VIOLA

Matthew Dane, principal

Michael Brook

Koko Dyulgerski

Mary Harrison

Sarah Richardson

Lora Stevens

CELLO

Andrew Kolb, principal

Joseph Howe

Erin Patterson

Jeff Watson

Elle Wells

Carole Whitney

BASS

David Crowe, principal

Jeremy Nicholas

Matt Pennington

Jason Thompson

FLUTE AND PICCOLO

Susan Kerbs Townsend, principal

Elizabeth Sadilek

OBOE AND ENGLISH HORN

Sarah Bierhaus, principal

Max Soto

CLARINET AND BASS CLARINET

Michelle Joseph Orman, principal

Heidi Mendenhall

Art Bouton

BASSOON AND CONTRABASSOON

Charles Hansen, principal

Kyle Sneden

HORN

Peter Erb, principal

Lauren Varley

Devon Park

Marian Hesse

TRUMPET

Noah Lambert, principal

Colin J.A. Oldberg

Ryan Gardner

Leslie Scarpino

TROMBONE

Bron Wright, principal

Andy Wolfe

Jeremy Van Hoy

Richard Harris

TIMPANI

Peter Cooper, principal

PERCUSSION

Mark Foster, principal

Sean Case

Carl Dixon

Nena Lorenz Wright

Mike Tetreault

HARP

Janet Harriman, principal

MANDOLIN

Alex Komodore, principal

CELESTA

Nathan Salazar

PIANO

Cody Guy Garison

ORGAN

Oleg Bellini

ORCHESTRA MANAGER

Angie Dombrowski

ORCHESTRA LIBRARIAN

Elle Wells

OPERA COLORADO CHORUS

SOPRANO

Frannie Barrows

Maria Fabara

Rebecca Greenwalt

Alyssa Jackson

Sarah Kochevar

Stephanie Medema

Elizabeth Mirandi

Margarget OzakiGraves

Madison Williams

MEZZO-SOPRANO

Jennifer Beatty

Liz Gangware

Katelyn Harper-Griffith

Claire LeBorgne

Ellen Moeller

Jill Skinner

Jenny Thompson

TENOR

Joshua Cooper

Alexis Haro

Lars Preece

Jack Richard

Norman Spivy

Luke Thatcher

Keith Williamson

Joshua Zabatta

BASS-BARITONE

Shane Delavan

Michele Di Nuovo

John Hansen

Michael Leyte-Vidal

Daniel McDonnall

Dante Mireles

Patrick Saiff

Turner Staton

PRODUCTION STAFF

PRODUCTION STAFF

Megan Coutts, Assistant Stage Manager

Brian Elston, Assistant Lighting Designer

Gina Hays, Stage Manager

Nicholas Kostner, Set Design Assistant

Laurel McIntyre, Assistant Stage Manager

Beth Nielsen, Title Operator: In-Seat

Daniel Seth, Assistant Director

TECHNICAL STAFF

John Adams, Production Purchasing Agent

Thomas Berning, Head Audio Engineer

Michael Boswell, Head Carpenter

Hillary Clark, Head Property Master

Greg Killpack, Assistant Carpenter

Jeff Reidel, Head Flyman/Rigger

Rita Richardson, Head Electrician

Amanda Short, Assistant Electrician

Keven Soll, Assistant Properties Master

Shane Streight, Visiting Scenic Supervisor

Karen Thurow, Lighting Console Programmer

Michael Wingfield, Technical Director

Dave Youngs, Shop/Production Carpenter

ELLIE CAULKINS OPERA HOUSE CREW

James Gralian, House Sound

Allen Olmstead, House Carpenter

Derek Tovar, House Props

Dave Wilson, House Electrician

COSTUMES

Alison Milan, Costume Director

Madison Booth, Assistant Coordinator

Carolyn Miller, Wardrobe Assistant

Ann Murphy, Assistant Costume Coordinator

Caitlin Rain, Assistant Costume Designer

DRAPER

Ted Stark

Sarah Zinn

DRESSERS

Domino Douglas

Carly Peterson

Ann Piano

Sara Rutherford

Amanda Walsh

Elizabeth Woods

VOLUNTEER DRESSERS

Leslie Cady

Kathy Heider

Jan Heimer

SHOP ASSISTANTS

Amanda Bouza

Domino Douglas

Celeste Fenton

Elizabeth Woods

WIGS AND MAKEUP

Sarah Opstad Demmon, Associate Wig and Makeup Coordinator

Whitney Wolanin, Wig and Makeup Assistant

ENGLISH OR SPANISH SUBTITLES AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Follow these easy steps: Prior to the performance, the screen will automatically display a sponsored message. When singing begins, briefly press the red button to activate subtitles.

• P ress once for English.

• P ress twice for Spanish.

• P ress three times to turn titles off. Then, simply repeat these steps after intermission. Pressing the red button too many times or holding the button down may result in a system failure. If you experience difficulty with the system, please contact an usher for assistance. Opera Colorado does not offer refunds or exchanges in the event of a subtitle system failure.

Please Note: All Sunday matinee performances offer audio description for the visually impaired. Headsets are available at Coat Check. English subtitles are written by The Dallas Opera and coordinated by Jeremy Sortore for Opera Colorado. Spanish translations by Gina Razón.

2023 Festival

JUNE 24 - AUGUST 6

ROMEO & JULIET

KISS ME, KATE OTHELLO

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

centralcityopera.org

ILLUSTRATION BY PIERRE MORNET

Just like the grand, amenity-rich lifestyle you’ll enjoy at Holly Creek.

Proud to support another exhilarating season of Opera Colorado.

CABARET Chorale

MARCH 12, 2023 · 7:00 PM

Studio Loft at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House

Arias and art songs to musicals and opera choruses will be shared in the cabaret atmosphere of the Studio Loft at the DCPA. Join us for an evening of music, hors d’oeuvres, and a beverage as we present a fun journey through the art of singing.

5500 East Peakview Avenue, Centennial, CO 80121

303.974.4350

• hollycreekcommunity.com

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Q&A WITH JOYCE DIDONATO

Written by Jennifer Colgan, Opera Colorado’s Director of Marketing & Communications

Every spring, Opera Colorado presents a magnificent gala that is instrumental in raising funds to support our mission. On May 13, 2023, we are honored to welcome internationally-renowned mezzo-soprano

Joyce DiDonato as the featured performer at our 40th Anniversary Gala, which will take place at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and Seawell Ballroom at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. We recently got a chance to ask Joyce a few questions about the gala performance and her other passions as an educator and advocate.

Tell us a little about your program for our gala. What are you most excited about?

Pianist Craig Terry and I have planned a festive, soulful, heart-warming evening of music that we love, that offers a vivid glimpse into who I am as a singer. Hopefully, it will remind the wonderful patrons of Opera Colorado why we love gathering together to share in the experience of beautiful music.

What is the biggest difference between a recital, like you will perform for our gala, and performing in an opera?

There are no rules with a recital! An opera is a unified vision of telling a story through sets and costumes and a pre-ordained score. But with a recital, we have the opportunity to create something that can be completely unique, often breaking the “fourth wall” so that it can become a wildly personal and unique evening. No single recital is ever repeatable, and I love that element of it.

In addition to your extensive performing career, you lead masterclasses and other educational events around the globe. Why is music education important?

I think every single child needs the gift of having art in their lives. The benefits are endless, incredibly well documented, and without any question enrich and lift up the lives of children. I find it positively scandalous that music is not a part of every child’s education. And so when I have the chance, I am preaching that!

In TheGuardian , you said, “I’m trying to find the right balance between being an activist and reminding everyone of the joy of music.”

Why is activism such an important part of your work as an artist?

One of the principal reasons I was drawn to classical music is because of the ideals and the truth that is often aimed for in the works of Mozart and Handel and Strauss. We sing of love, search for understanding, and pursue nobility and beauty. As I look at the world around me, I find deep inspiration and guidance in the music and the poetry that I sing. I think some of the projects I have created are simply attempts to connect some of the “idealistic dots” from the stage into our every day lives.

Why do you think it is important to support the arts, especially today? How do the arts help humanity in times of crisis?

The arts are so often a vital lifeline for people. They offer comfort, understanding, inspiration, community, and oftentimes will be the one place troubled people feel they belong or are understood. Theater and music dare to hold a mirror up to our lives, offering a kind of introspection that invites real growth and evolution. We understand ourselves better, and each other, and this is what builds a healthy, caring, supportive community. I’m elated to help Opera Colorado celebrate four decades of bringing art into your community, and may this be the start of many, many more!

BEHIND THE SCENES

Opera Colorado’s production of Die tote Stadt debuts original costumes by awardwinning designer Robert Perdziola. Before you see the final products on the stage, take a look at the costume design sketches.

—The Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director Greg Carpenter

“The sets and costumes designed by Robert Perdziola reflect the 1890s period in which the novella was written, including all the elegance and opulence of the latest Paris fashions of the time.”

DENVER

Colorado’s oldest volunteer organization supporting university opera programs and opera companies

Collegiate Grants to:

Colorado State University

Metropolitan State University of Denver

University of Colorado

University of Denver

University of Northern Colorado

Young Artists Program Grants to:

Central City Opera

Opera Colorado

Opera Fort Collins

Opera Steamboat

Opera Theatre of the Rockies

• Opera tours

• Our annual juried/professionally judged Competition for Colorado Singers

INSIGHTS FROM THE DIRECTOR

CHAS RADER-SHIEBER DIRECTOR

Written by Angelica DiIorio, Opera Colorado’s Marketing Manager, Advertising & Content

It is not an easy feat to direct an entire opera, much less one that is rarely performed and being built from scratch. However, director Chas Rader-Shieber is up to the task for this production of Die tote Stadt (The Dead City). While Mr. Rader-Shieber is no stranger to stage direction, this production is the first time he is staging Die tote Stadt. This opera has been on his wish list for a while, so it was a delight for him to get the call asking him to direct. Before you enjoy the performance itself, get a glimpse into the mind of its director.

Die tote Stadt will take you on a journey that will leave you questioning what is real and what is only a dream. But why is this blurred reality so important to this opera? According to Mr. Rader-Shieber, “We’ve chosen to ground the production in the period of the novel, the time of Freud, and the beginning of understanding the subconscious mind. But the visuals take off from there and morph into a stunning kind of fantasy for the leading character.” Freud believed the unconscious mind shows a person’s true feelings, from desires to fears, and that there is power and meaning in our dreams. This mentality helped inform Mr. Rader-Shieber’s approach to this opera. Such an understanding of human natures allows the characters’ emotions to feel heightened and well-reflected in Korngold’s lush, dramatic music.

In fact, Mr. Rader Shieber and designer Robert Perdziola even made some additions to the opera to highlight the characters’ inner thoughts. For example, you will find much of the opera takes place in an artist’s studio because Paul is a painter. He is not an artist in the original novel or the libretto, but this addition was an important one for both the director and designer. Mr. Rader-Shieber says, “It’s not just the emotional difficulty of getting over Marie’s death, but the physical obsession—the shrine to her that he keeps—that got me thinking. I wanted to find a way to justify that obsession visually. The designer and I decided, perhaps Paul wasn’t just keeping the images of Marie around himself, but actually creating those images. And thus, he became a painter. The mind of the artist is an interesting one, and Paul as an artist helps tell the story (especially of his fantasy life) so well.”

The Freudian approach to this opera does not only impact the characters, but the sets as well. Throughout the entire opera, you will see a tower structure which helps set the scene for Paul’s artist studio. The tower was inspired by buildings in Bruges, Belgium where the story takes place. Mr. RaderShieber clarifies, “There is an abstract quality to Paul’s studio, where outside and inside co-exist, reflecting a mental state that is equally unsure of its center.” Likewise, a boat will float across the stage in the second act, carrying the lively dancer Marietta and her troop of performers. Is Paul simply dreaming this scene? The director shares, “But as in many dreams, things aren’t quite what they seem: solid ground becomes water (and vice-versa), buildings float in mid-air, and people assumed long dead, rise again.” Reality is blurred indeed!

“It’s a big opera! There are lots of forces at work here: singers, dancers, a huge orchestra, multiple scenic locations, and a visual world that has to amaze and delight,” Mr. Rader-Shieber summarizes. From the psychologically thrilling story of Die tote Stadt to the dreamy sets and colorful characters, it is truly a masterpiece we are sharing with you!

SET RENDERINGS FOR DIE TOTE STADT OPERA COLORADO /ROBERT PERDZIOLA

ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

The Board of Directors and staff of Opera Colorado express their deepest appreciation to the individuals, corporations, and foundations who have contributed to the Annual Fund, as of January 9, 2023. Although space limitations only allow us to list donors whose gifts were $100 and above, we are deeply grateful for the support of all our dedicated contributors.

INDIVIDUALS PRODUCER CIRCLE

VISIONARY

$50,000+

Ken and Donna Barrow

Mike and Julie Bock

Ellie Caulkins

Joy and Chris Dinsdale

Marcia and Dick Robinson

Patrick Spieles

BENEFACTOR

$25,000-$49,999

Linda Bjelland

Mr. Chip Horne and Dr. Jan Kennaugh

AMBASSADOR

$11,000-$24,999

Mr. Jeff Baldwin

Mrs. Joyce de Roos

Elizabeth & Matthew Dyer

Russell Hedman and Juwon Bahn

Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy F. Kinney

Judy La Spada

The Honorable and Mrs. Kenneth Laff

Jim and Patience Linfield

Dr. and Mrs. William N. Maniatis

Jeanie and Randal Martines

Robert R. Montgomery and Nancy Hawkins

Lynnette Morrison

Kevin O’Connor and Janet Ellen Raasch

Debra J. Perry

Ann and Gerald Saul

Merrill Shields and M. Ray Thomasson

Charles I. Thompson

Valerie Wassill and Kevin Rudolph

Dan and Marie Welch

Robin and Eric Yaeger

ARTIST CIRCLE

CONDUCTOR

$6,000-$10,999

Mr. Edward Balkin

Mr. Charles E. Berry and Mrs. Maria Garcia Berry

Suzanne D. Bucy

Jane and Bart Burnett

Emily and Mark Bussey

Merle Chambers

Ms. Kathryn Codo

Dr. Eric Coomer

Dr. Alan Cooper

Robert and Lenore Damrauer

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Fogliano

Karen Fukutaki, M.D.

Mr. and Mrs. Don Hindman

Gary and Judith Judd

Diana and Mike Kinsey

Richard Koseff

Gayle and Gary Landis

MAJ. Dino Maniatis and Mrs. Kristin Freestone-Maniatis

Muffy Moore

Raul and Vivian Murciano

Dr. Harold S. Nelson

Jon J. Olafson and Jerry Brindisi

Ronald Y. Otsuka

Zondra Rae Pluss

Louise Lavendar Rouse

Jeremy and Susan Shamos

Prem and Stephanie Subramanian

Martha and Will Tracey

Ann Wise

Ms. Carole J. Yaley

Larry and Brigitte Zimmer

COMPOSER

$3,000-$5,999

Anonymous

Robin E. Black

Donald K. Braden

Mr. Gregory A. Carpenter

Mr. and Mrs. George P. Caulkins, III

Mary and Tom Conroy

Dr. Cynthia K. Crews and Mr. Charles W. Henry

Sally Haas

Deborah Hayes and James L. Martin III

Ms. Judy Johnston

Joe Kelso

Tom Kirkpatrick and Djuana Strauch

Veronica A. McCaffrey and Barbara A. Frank

James P. McElhinney

Dr. Monica I. Minkoff

James Monroe, III and Marie Shannon Monroe

Ralph & Trish Nagel

Bob Nelson

Bonnie Perkins

Christine and Harry Phillips

Bruce Polkowsky and Bill Powell

The Ponzio Family

Nijole and Walter Rasmussen

Cynthia and Alexander Read

Myra and Robert Rich

Mr. Paul Ruotolo

Mr. and Mrs. Charley Samson

Helen Scott Santilli

Fern B. Seltzer and A ndrew Heymsfield

Mr. Byron S. Watson

Erin Wenzel

LIBRETTIST

$1,200-$2,999

Hartman Axley

Mr. Douglas W. Barnert and Mrs. Ruth Jacoby

Peter Batty and Paula Kechichian

Libby Bortz

Elise Brenninkmeyer

Leslie Coover Cady

Mr. and Mrs. Roger W. Celius

Barbara and Roger Chamberlain

Mr. David J. Chavolla

Mr. Alexander J. Conley and Ms. Alysia D. Marino

Bob and Georgi Contiguglia

Lois N. Eckhoff

Dr. Stacy Fischer and Dr. Henry Fischer

Mr. and Mrs. John Gallagher

George and Sissy Gibson

Stephen and Dorothy Gregory

Mark Groshek MD and Carl Clark MD

Mr. J. Lawrence Hamil

Beverlee B. Henry

Richard Hilty and Lesley Arbour

Christine Hollander and Michael McGee

Steve and Chryse Hutchins

Therese Ivancovich

Dr. Lawrence Kim and Nhung Van

John W. Kure and Cheryl L. Solich

Dr. and Mrs. Jeremy Lazarus

Bernard and Frieda Leason

Evan and Evi Makovsky

V.W. McKnab and Margaret Jurado

Jan McNally

Dr. and Mrs. Calvern E. Narcisi

Mr. Ari Pelto and Ms. Wendy Fisher

Profs. Jean-Pierre Habicht and Gretel H. Pelto

Rick Poppe & Jana Edwards

Ms. Marcia Ragonetti

Diedra O’Kelly and James & Helen Reed

T. R. Reid

Ayliffe and Fred Ris

Juan Rodriguez

Ms. Deborah M. H. Rohan

Carol L. Rust

Morris and Karen Sandstead

Ms. Barbara Sannwald

Ms. Ruth E. Schoening

Ms. Nancy J. Siegel

Ms. Judith Zee Steinberg

Linda M. Strauch

Mrs. Marcia D. Strickland

Jerry and Debi Tepper

Dr. Akiva M. Thomas and Mr. Ezekial Thomas

Ms. Kathleen R. Tower

Mr. John Trigg

Dr. Peter and Mrs. Kathy Van Arsdale

William Vaniman and F rances G. Matthews

Ms. Cia A. Wenzel

Marie Belew Wheatley

Mary and Ken Willis

PATRON CIRCLE

ASSOCIATE

$600-$1,199

Anonymous

Ms. Jane Anderson

Brian Thomas Beagle

Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Benedict III

Brian Bennett and Bev Daniels

Samantha Bergen

Lawrence Berliner and Barbara Anderson

Sheila Bisenius

Mr. John and Mrs. Anne Blair

Brewster and Helen Boyd

Gordon & Ron Butz

Mr. Ian T. Caiozzi and Mrs. Neha Patel

Ms. Grace Campbell

Carol G. Canon

Mrs. Ella May Carpenter

George Case

Gertrud Hische and Manfred Chemek

Mr. David Clark

Ms. Kathleen R. Clifton

Sue Cole

Dr. and Mrs. James D. Crapo

Lauren Crist-Fulk

Nancy Crow and Mark Skrotzki

Ms. Cheryl M. Cruickshank

George and Yonnie Dikeou

Ms. Marian O. Dines

The Divine Family

Margaret and Peter Dzwilewski

Carl and Nan Eklund

Mrs. J. Theodore Ellis

Frances and Richard Frey

Mr. and Mrs. John Fuller

Mr. and Mrs. David Garon

Dr. and Mrs. Burton Golub

Dr. and Mrs. Daniel J. Greenholz

Ms. Renee Gross

Steven and Patricia Gulevich

Mr. Richard Gustafson

Ms. Lynn E. Harrington

Jerry and Patty Hauptman

Mrs. Mary Hayes

Mr. Thomas E. Healy

Bernice Hernandez

Mr. and Mrs. Doug Herzberg

Mr. William T. Hoffman

Ruth Hopfenbeck

Ms. Karen Howland and Mr. J. Gregory Mudge

Mike Hughes and The Honorable Karen Brody

Bartok Concerto for Orchestra MAR 10-12

Brahms Requiem with Peter Oundjian MAR 24-26

Voice and Violin with Joshua Bell and Larisa Martinez APR 14

Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring with Peter Oundjian MAY 26-28

ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Michael E. Huotari and Jill R. Stewart

Mr. Daniel Isaman

Jon & Roxanne Isenhart

John N. Kabalin, MD.

Roberta and Mel Klein

PJ and Rhonda Kovach

Deanna Rose Leino

Patty Lorie

Tanya Mathews

Sandra Mazarakis and Neil Burris

J. Virginia Messick

Henry B. Mohr

Sue and Bill Mohrman

Mr. William R. Moninger

Mr. Mike and Lisa Morgan

Mr. Lawrence Moskow

Dr. Mary Kenny Moynihan and Dr. Michael Moynihan

Mary and John Muth

Lisa & Pat Nicholson

Kelli O’Brien & Michael Kolotylo

Ms. Diane O’Connor

Nancy & Paul Oberman

Bonnie M. Orkow

Theresa and Norman Parker

Linda Plaut

Armando Quiroz

Elaine and Robert Renz

Steven and Joan Ringel

Mr. Joe Ronnenberg

Doug Rooney

Steven E. and Jane Schonfeld

Mr. John Shott

Dr. and Mrs. Edwin R. Smith

Zach T. Smith

Mrs. Jennifer Sobanet

Vicki Sterling

Dr. Laimute Stewart

Bill and Shirley Stout

Mr. and Mrs. Francis J. Sullivan

Sharon and John Trefny

Dr. Keith Ward and Ms. Barbara Roidl

Mark and Pati Wilkins

Scott and Karen Yarberry

Pam and Martin Zadigian

SUPPORTER

$300-$599

Anonymous

Richard Akeroyd

Mr. Paul Alaback and Ms. Carol Brewer

Dr. Oksana Bantley

Ms. Tamara Barron

Dr. and Mrs. Henry J. Beckwitt

Ms. Mariette H. Bell

Marilyn Munsterman

Janet Bishop

Richard Bottjer and Sara Peyton

Ms. Jay Breen

Ms. Janet C. Bruchmann

Edwin T. Callahan and

D ulcy E. Wolverton

Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell Caulkins

Alan and In Hye Como

Tom & Cheryl Cox

Brian D. Crane

Jim and Sara Culhane

Carolyn E. Daniels

Ronald L. Deal

Greg Diamond

Timothy James Donahue

Peter and Marian Downs

Matt and Reine Erzinger

Amy Feaster

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce F. Fest

Terry Frazier and Kathy Wells

Ms. Randy Ganter

Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Garfein

Alan G. Gass

Tamara Gillespie

Dr. Brian Greffe & Dr. Mark Donovan

Mrs. Carol & Dr. Fred Grover

The Honorable Alfred and Mrs. Dori Harrell

Mr. and Mrs. Phil G. Heinschel

Ginny Hersch

Richard and Sandra Hilt

Ms. Erin R. Hittle

Mr. and Mrs. Graham Hollis

Sarah Hopfenbeck and Susan Corle

Drs. Terri Lynn and David Ingram

The Johnson-Milne Family

James and Christine Jorgensen

Barbara and Kiplund Kolkmeier

Rex Kramer and Cindy Crater

Mr. Richard S. Leaman

Clifford Lopate

Bob Mahoney and Pat Monroe

Mr. and Mrs. T. Scott Martin

Marian E. Matheson

Ms. Jeanine Matney

Dave and Miza McReynolds

Tom and Mary Meade

Dr. and Mrs. Charles F. Metzger

Jerri Lynn Modrall and E ric E. Doering

Jack Finlaw and Gregory Movesian

Margaret and John Moyer

Dr. and Dr. Hans Neville

Dr. and Mrs. David A. Norris

Mr. Mark J. O’Connor

Kent & Ruth Obee

Ms. Kimberly S. Opekar

Frederick Peters

Andrew R. Pleszkun

Robert and Mary Quillin

Richard Replin and Elissa Stein

Karyn K. Rieb

Ms. Luana Rubin

Ms. Mary Scarpino

John and Patricia Schmitter

Gary D. Schrenk

Mr. and Mrs. Bob Shaklee

Mr. and Mrs. David C. Shelton

Dr. Norman Spivy

Mr. Gordon W. Stenger

David and Carol Stern

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Straub

Prof. and Mrs. Joseph S. Szyliowicz

John Taubman

Normie and Paul Voilleque

Lois K Williams

Gene and Linda Young

Mr. Mark G. Zardus

Charlotte Ziebarth

MEMBER $100-$299

Anonymous

James and Lorraine Adams

Ms. Karen Adkins and Mr. Brian Moore

Paul and Susan Ahlquist

Danica Anderson

Ms. Susan Anderson

Alice and Lee Anneberg

Mrs. Donna Antonoff

Don Bain

Steve and Lisa Bain

Ms. Jennifer N. Bater

Ellen & Donald Bauder

Mr. Brian A. Baxter

C. F. Benoit

Mrs. Claire E. Benson

Anthony V. Berkley and A manda Gomez

Ms. Sandra D. Besseghini

Ms. Carol N. Betz

Ms. Dori Biester

Louise B. Blanchard

Marie and Howard Blaney

Leah Bobbey and Toby Wright

Ms. Louise T. Bohe

Mrs. Donna Bonne

Joe and Gwen Bowers

Alan J. Boyer

Mr. Thomas H. Brady

Katy Brown

Mr. Douglas F. Burns

Mr. and Mrs. Dean Burton

Dr. Francine Butler

Michael Canges and Nina Iwashko

Mr. Brad Case and Mr. William M. McMechen, Jr.

Charles Case and Phillip St. Cloud

Ms. Beatriz Castaneda

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel B. Chilcoat

Virginia Chrisco

Dr. Michael P. Cicerchi

Ms. Patty Clark

Ms. Christina E. Clayton

Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Close

Ms. Ethel K. Clow

Gerald Cohen and Caroline Stern

Mr. Matthew O. Cole

Mr. Curtis Cook

Dr. David J. Cooper and Evelyn W Cooper

Aubrey Copeland, MD

Vicki Cowart and Chris Hayes

Ms. Joanne Curran

Colin T. Currans-Sheehan

Ms. Lisa Curtis

Matthew Dane

Mr. Raphael Dangelo

Ms. Joan Daniels Manley Houlton

John Danio

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Doucette

Steven and Betsy Duff

Laurie and Ben Duke III

Guillaume and Lizeth Durvin

Mr. and Mrs. Wayne D. Eckerling

Kammi and Paul Eckhoff

Mr. John W. Ekeberg

Ted and Vivian Sheldon Epstein

Ms. Anne Esson

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Evans

Ms. Mary Lou Fenili and Ms. Karen F. Hansen

Ms. Anna Ferrari

Ms. Elizabeth A. Fischer and Mr. Don Elliott

Dr. and Mrs. Larry S. Fisher

Dr. Marc S. and Nancy Frager

L. Richard and Sigrid Halvorson Freese

Kristin and Heiko Freitag

Keith French

Jan Friedlander and C ynthia G. Kristensen

Deborah Friedman

Ms. Cynthia Gaertner

Mr. and Mrs. Caleb F. Gates, Jr.

Dr. Tim Gensler

Jennifer Ruth Gentry

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Goldburg

Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Goncalves

Steve and Donna Good

Mr. Matthew Grove

Ronald and Elnore Grow

Ms. Rosemarie Halchuk

Mr. Richard A. Haynes

Mr. Richard W. Healy

John R. Heckenlively, M.D.

Ms. Holly Hedegaard

Rebecca L. Hersey

Dr. Marilyn J. Hitchens

Sarah C. Hite

Ms. Mary S. Hoaldey

Ms. Elaine Hoaster

Mr. Graham Hoffman

Mr. Saul D. Hoffman and Ms. Susan Parker

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas L. Houston

Mr. Jason Huck

Nancy Huff

Katherine Hurlbut

Mr. William P. Hurlbut

Ms. Nancy Hyde

Megan Immerfall

Emily Anne Irwin

Ms. Olivia Jansons

Mr. and Mrs. Eric D. Johnson

Mr. Kendor P. Jones and Mrs. Sharon Harris

Nancy Juday and John Popovich

Mr. and Mrs. Ron Kahn

Edward Karg and Rick Kress

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Keatinge

Mr. and Mrs. Jhon M. Kehmeier

Ms. Patricia C. Kelly and Mr. Thomas E. Dufficy

Bonnie Kipple

Mr. Richard Kirwin

Sue Klein

Ms. Cherity Koepke

Mrs. and Mr. Svetlana Komisarchik

Scott and Margo Krawiec

ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Kreutzer

Ms. Lois A. Labanoski

Ms. Barbara Ladon

Tracy and Dan Lampl

D. Langdon

Mr. and Mrs. Jay S. Leaver

Rowdy B. Lemasters

Nancy A. Leonard

Paul and Nancy Levitt

Ms. Peggy Liao

Mr. David Lichtenstein

Judy and Dan Lichtin

Robert & Gloria Lilly-Cohen

Sarita List

Mr. Lester Lockspeiser

Mr. John A. Lockwood, Esq.

Mr. and Mrs. Alan M. Loeb

Thomas Long

Mr. Michael Lyster

Mr. James S. Macdonald

Janet and John MacFarlane

Dr. Melissa Malde

Mr. and Mrs. James E. Manuel

Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Y. Marchand

Mr. Gregg E. Marshall

Mr. and Mrs. William Mathews

Jim and Carole McCotter

Dr. Kurt and Dr. Marilyn Metzl

Ms. Janice Michael

Mr. John R. Miller

Ms. Betty Minor

Chris and Karen Mohr

Mrs. Robbie E. Monsma

Douglas G. Moran and

L aura B. Moran

Warren Morrow

Denny Muirhead

Mark A. Nachtigal

Susan and Mark Nagel

Rudi Hartmann and Kathy Newman

Mr. and Mrs. Denny O’Connell

Mr. Michael Ogborn

Stephanie and Roger Oram

Ms. Elizabeth Orr

Mr. David and Dr. Renee Parkhurst

Mr. Thomas Parrott

Dr. and Mrs. David S. Pearlman

Roxane Pecchio

Margaret Peck

Ms. Kathy Peeters

Dennis G. Peterson

Mr. Richard Pfeffer

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Plowshay

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Plummer

Rich and Kim Plumridge

Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Poehlmann

Dr. and Mrs. Dale H. Porter

Ms. Melinda Quiat

Kate Raabe

Ms. Barbara Rende

Mr. Reid T. Reynolds and Dr. Pamela P. Hanes

Mr. Nicholas A. Richie

Ms. Jennie Ridgley

Dr. Richard D. Roark

Ms. Janet Roberts

Jon K. Rupp

Dr. Thomas D. Russell

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Sale

Sandy and Frank Sargent

Mr. Bryan Penny and Mr. Matt Savoie

Kathleen Sawada

Ms. Karyn Sawyer

Ms. Erika L. Schafer

Mr. and Mrs. Stefan Scheuermann

Dr. and Mrs. Harvey Schuchman

Betsy Schwarm and Rick Glesner

Mr. Richard Scott

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Segan

Mr. Billy Seiber

Mr. Edward B. Seybert

Mrs. Marlene P. Siegel

Ms. Patricia K. Simpson

Dr. Andrew Sirotnak and Mr. James White

Catherine K. Skokan

Edie and William Sonn

Ms. Heather Sowell, M.D.

Mr. James W. Stalley Jr.

Ms. Lucie Stanish

Mr. and Mrs. Lyle B. Stewart

Susan Stiff

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Stinson

Jenene and James Stookesberry

Drs. Morris and Ellen Susman

Deborah T. Sycamore

Melanie J. Talbot

William Bradford and Chin Tan

Ms. Linda Tarpeh-Doe

Ms. Lois Thornton

Mr. Michael M. Tinetti

Ms. Jana Tompkins

Mr. and Mrs. Sal L. Tripodi

Ms. Carol Trotter

Mr. John B. Trueblood

Charles and Deborah Turner

Marta and Bernd Wachter

Norma and George Wagoner

Mr. Michael Walker

Ms. Robin Stewart and

Mr. Kirk Weber

Nancy and William Wehner

Dr. Adriana Weinberg

Ms. Ann Fails Westerberg

Sandra L. White

Katie Wilson

Mr. Matthew Wolchak

Mr. and Mrs. David Wolf

Constance and Lawrence Wood

Allison and William Woolston

Dr. and Mrs. Raymond Yost

Judith Graham and Jeffrey Zax

GOVERNMENT AND FOUNDATIONS

The Anschutz Foundation

Avenir Foundation

The Bagby Foundation For The Musical Arts

The Benevity Community Impact Fund

David B. and Gretchen W. Black Family Foundation

BNY Mellon Charitable Gift Fund

Bock Family Fund

Bonfils-Stanton Foundation

Bucy Family Fund

Cantors Assembly Foundation

Cars For Charity, Inc.

Caulkins Family Foundation

Charityvest

Charlotte and Norman Codo

Charitable Trust

Colorado Creative Industries

Community First Foundation

The Crawley Family Foundation

Daniels-Houlton Family Donor

Advised Fund

Deane Family Fund

The Denver Foundation

Denver Lyric Opera Guild

Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund

Dorothy and Donald Fleishaker

Philanthropic Fund

Joseph F and Edith A Fogliano Trust

Sidney E. Frank FoundationColorado Fund

Genesee Mountain Foundation

Virginia W. Hill Foundation

Ittelson Family Fund

Jewish Communal Fund

Jewish Community Fund of Greater Kansas City

Johnson Foundation of The Rockies

Kenneth King Foundation

Jeanne Land Foundation

Landis Family Foundation

Lindmor Fund

Merle Chambers Fund

Midfirst Bank

Nagel Foundation

Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.

William D. Radichel Foundation

Jess & Rose Kortz and Pearle Rae Foundation

Read Foundation

Riley and Cooper Fund

Rose Community Foundation

The Schramm Foundation

Schwab Charitable

Galen & Ada Belle Spencer Foundation

Temple Etz Chaim

Tulsa Community Foundation

UBS Financial

Vanguard Charitable

Welch Charitable Fund

Wilkins Charitable Giving Fund

Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation

CORPORATE ALLIANCE

5280 Magazine Deiter’s Chocolates

Kaladi Coffee

Nocturne Jazz and Supper Club

Northern Trust

PMG Colorado

Residence Inn by Marriott –Denver City Center

Terra

Vectra Bank of Colorado

TRIBUTES

In honor of Ellie Caulkins

Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell Caulkins

Mr. David J. Chavolla

Laurie and Ben Duke III

Mrs. Marcia D. Strickland

In honor of Drs. Larry and C ynthia Chan

Mrs. Robin Chotin

In honor of Joyce de Roos

Marilyn Mishkin

In honor of Chris and Joy Dinsdale

Arlene and Barry Hirschfeld

In honor of Dr. Stacy M. Fischer

Dr. Meg Lemon

In honor of Barbara and Ken Laff

Michael Canges and Nina Iwashko

Drs. Laurence and Cynthia Chan

Nancy Cherry

Arlene and Barry Hirschfeld

Charles A. Miller

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Plowshay

Ms. Melinda Quiat

Dan and Marie Welch

In honor of Sonja Mast

Christina L. Mast

In honor of the Opera Colorado Staff

Ms. Cherity Koepke

Dr. Andrew Sirotnak and Mr. James White

In honor of Shelia Peloso

Ms. Joanne Curran

In honor of Maestro Ari Pelto

The Divine Family

In honor of Marcia Robinson

Ellie Caulkins

In honor of the Ross Family

John and Patricia Schmitter

In honor of Gerry and Ann Saul

Mary Fiore

In honor of Erin Wenzel

T. R. Reid

In memory of Glory Balbinder

Rozanne A. Kobey

In memory of M. Richard Bufton

Anonymous

In memory of Dirk de Roos

Mr. Miles Smith

ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS

In memory of D r. Jacqueline Frischknecht

In memory of D r. Jacqueline Frischknecht

Mr. Chuck Lawhead and Mr. Ronald Broome

Mr. Chuck Lawhead and Mr. Ronald Broome

In memory of Max Grassfiled

In memory of Max Grassfiled

Dr. Lynn Donaldson

Dr. Lynn Donaldson

In memory of Hugh and Peggy McGee

In memory of Hugh and Peggy McGee

Sarah Hopfenbeck and Susan Corle

Sarah Hopfenbeck and Susan Corle

In memory of Pamela Merrill

In memory of Pamela Merrill

The Honorable and Mrs. Kenneth Laff

The Honorable and Mrs. Kenneth Laff

Marcia and Dick Robinson

Marcia and Dick Robinson

In memory of Domenic Meylor

In memory of Domenic Meylor

Marita G. Karlisch

Marita G. Karlisch

Elizabeth A. Meylor

Elizabeth A. Meylor

In memory of Rhea J. Miller

In memory of Rhea J. Miller

Sheila M. Cleworth

Sheila M. Cleworth

In memory of Norman O’Kelly

In memory of Norman O’Kelly

Diedra O’Kelly

Diedra O’Kelly

James & Helen Reed

James & Helen Reed

In memory of Eric Poehlmann

In memory of Eric Poehlmann

Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Poehlmann

Mr. and Mrs. Harry C. Poehlmann

In memory of Barbara Reed

In memory of Barbara Reed

Tamara Gillespie

Tamara Gillespie

Mr. Mark Fogg

Mr. Mark Fogg

Ms. Peggy Liao

Ms. Peggy Liao

Ms. Dixie Reynolds

Ms. Dixie Reynolds

In memory of D on and Barbara Ridgeway

In memory of D on and Barbara Ridgeway

Ms. Kathryn Taylor

Ms. Kathryn Taylor

In memory of Alicia Rodriguez

In memory of Alicia Rodriguez

Joyce B. Hutchens

Joyce B. Hutchens

Vicki Stinnett

Vicki Stinnett

In memory of William E. Russell

In memory of William E. Russell

Jane Russell

Jane Russell

In memory of Moe Sandstead

In memory of Moe Sandstead

Karen Sandstead

Karen Sandstead

In memory of Violet Santangelo

In memory of Violet Santangelo

Chris Santangelo

Chris Santangelo

In memory of Nat and Louise Sherman

In memory of Nat and Louise Sherman

Mrs. Claire E. Benson

Mrs. Claire E. Benson

In memory of Harry Sterling

In memory of Harry Sterling

Vicki Sterling

Vicki Sterling

In memory of James Wade

In memory of James Wade

Nancy J. Farley

Nancy J. Farley

Joanne L. Goldberg-Ahillas

Joanne L. Goldberg-Ahillas

Griffiths Law PC

Griffiths Law PC

Judge and Mrs. John P. Leonard

Judge and Mrs. John P. Leonard

In memory of Russell “Rusty” Joseph Wilkins II

In memory of Russell “Rusty” Joseph Wilkins II

Mary and Tom Conroy

Mary and Tom Conroy

Gayle and Gary Landis

Gayle and Gary Landis

Deanna Rose Leino

Deanna Rose Leino

Martin and Jane Long

Martin and Jane Long

Margaret Maupin

Margaret Maupin

Lynnette Morrison

Lynnette Morrison

Arthur and Patricia Pansze

Arthur and Patricia Pansze

Jessica and Menandro Peña`

Jessica and Menandro Peña`

Nancy A. Rogers

Nancy A. Rogers

Robert and Jacklyn Writz

Robert and Jacklyn Writz

CRESCENDO SOCIETY

CRESCENDO SOCIETY

The following people have made arrangements to include Opera Colorado in their Estate Plan.

The following people have made arrangements to include Opera Colorado in their Estate Plan.

Sheila Bisenius

Sheila Bisenius

Ellie Caulkins

Ellie Caulkins

Dr. Stephen L. Dilts

Dr. Stephen L. Dilts

Ms. Donna E. Hamilton

Ms. Donna E. Hamilton

Ms. Lynn E. Harrington

Ms. Lynn E. Harrington

Ms. Lisa R. James

Ms. Lisa R. James

Dr. and Mrs. Charles B. Kafadar

Dr. and Mrs. Charles B. Kafadar

Mr. and Mrs. Ron Kahn

Mr. and Mrs. Ron Kahn

Deanna Rose Leino

Deanna Rose Leino

Lynnette Morrison

Lynnette Morrison

Mrs. Lee Roberts

Mrs. Lee Roberts

Mary Ann Rose

Mary Ann Rose

Mr. Stephen Seifert

Mr. Stephen Seifert

Fern B. Seltzer

Fern B. Seltzer

Merrill Shields and M. Ray Thomasson

Merrill Shields and M. Ray Thomasson

Jenene and James Stookesberry

Jenene and James Stookesberry

Mr. Robert Van Buskirk

Mr. Robert Van Buskirk

Mrs. Carol C. Whitley

Mrs. Carol C. Whitley

Larry and Brigitte Zimmer

Larry and Brigitte Zimmer

DENVER PERFORMING ARTS COMPLEX

DENVER PERFORMING ARTS COMPLEX

The Denver Performing Arts Complex is owned and operated by Denver Arts & Venues for the City and County of Denver.

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

CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER

Michael B. Hancock, Mayor

Michael B. Hancock, Mayor

DENVER ARTS & VENUES

DENVER ARTS & VENUES

Ginger White, Executive Director Molly Wink, Deputy Director

Ginger White, Executive Director Molly Wink, Deputy Director

SPONSORS THE 2022-23 SEASON

SPONSORS THE 2022-23 SEASON

The 40th Anniversary Season is generously sponsored by Marcia & Dick Robinson

The 40th Anniversary Season is generously sponsored by Marcia & Dick Robinson

Music Director Ari Pelto is sponsored by Mike & Julie Bock

Music Director Ari Pelto is sponsored by Mike & Julie Bock

DIETOTESTADT

DIETOTESTADT

Die tote Stadt is sponsored by an anonymous donor in honor of Dr. James K. Todd, with additional support from Robert R. Montgomery

Die tote Stadt is sponsored by an anonymous donor in honor of Dr. James K. Todd, with additional support from Robert R. Montgomery

The orchestra for Die tote Stadt is sponsored by Kevin O’Connor and Janet Ellen Raasch, with additional support from Gerald & Ann Saul, Jeff Baldwin, and Joyce de Roos

The orchestra for Die tote Stadt is sponsored by Kevin O’Connor and Janet Ellen Raasch, with additional support from Gerald & Ann Saul, Jeff Baldwin, and Joyce de Roos

EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

EDUCATION & ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS

Opera Colorado’s Education & Community Engagement Programs are made possible through the generous support of the following donors:

Opera Colorado’s Education & Community Engagement Programs are made possible through the generous support of the following donors:

Pamela Beardsley

Pamela Beardsley

Crawley Family Foundation

Crawley Family Foundation

Denver Lyric Opera Guild

Denver Lyric Opera Guild

Sidney E. Frank Foundation –Colorado Fund

Sidney E. Frank Foundation –Colorado Fund

Genesee Mountain Foundation

Genesee Mountain Foundation

Marcia Ragonetti Scientific and Cultural Facilities District

Marcia Ragonetti Scientific and Cultural Facilities District

Galen & Ada Belle Spencer Foundation

Galen & Ada Belle Spencer Foundation

Carol Whitley

Carol Whitley

Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation

Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

Opera Colorado recognizes the following organizations for their generous support:

Opera Colorado recognizes the following organizations for their generous support:

Official Artist Housing Partner

Official Artist Housing Partner

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR OPERA COLORADO

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 Madeleine Snow at 303.468.2060.

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 Madeleine Snow at 303.468.2060.

YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

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.

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 forty-year legacy and builds a bright future for decades to come.

Your donation this season honors our forty-year legacy and builds a bright future for decades to come.

YOUR SUPPORT HELPS US...

YOUR SUPPORT HELPS US...

• PRESENT high-quality opera experiences that reflect the multicultural fabric of our community

• PRESENT high-quality opera experiences that reflect the multicultural fabric of our community

• SERVE over 55,000 patrons every year

• SERVE over 55,000 patrons every year

• DEVELOP audiences by introducing children (and adults!) to their first opera experience

• 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

• TRAIN the next generation of opera performers through our Artist in Residence Program

DENVER ARTS &

HOW TO MAKE A GIFT

HOW TO MAKE A GIFT

ONLINE: operacolorado.org/support BY PHONE: 303.468.2060

ONLINE: operacolorado.org/support BY PHONE: 303.468.2060

MAIL A CHECK TO: Opera Colorado

MAIL A CHECK TO: Opera Colorado

4121 S Navajo St, Ste 100

Englewood, CO 80110

VENUES, ARTS

DENVER ARTS & VENUES, ARTS

COMPLEX OPERATIONS

COMPLEX OPERATIONS

Mark Heiser, Venue Director

Mark Heiser, Venue Director

Jody Grossman, Assistant Venue Director, Booking

Jody Grossman, Assistant Venue Director, Booking

Todd Medley, Facilities Superintendent

Todd Medley, Facilities Superintendent

Kelly Graham, Safety, Security and Garage Operations Manager

Kelly Graham, Safety, Security and Garage Operations Manager

Carol Krueger, Patron Services Manager

Carol Krueger, Patron Services Manager

artscomplex.com | 720.865.4220

artscomplex.com | 720.865.4220

For immediate assistance & security 720.865.4200

For immediate assistance & security 720.865.4200

4121 S Navajo St, Ste 100 Englewood, CO 80110 For questions, please contact Opera Colorado’s Development team at 303.468.2060 or development@operacolorado.org. SCAN THE QR CODE:

For questions, please contact Opera Colorado’s Development team at 303.468.2060 or development@operacolorado.org.

SCAN THE QR CODE:

SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF OPERA

BECOME A DONOR

BECOME A DONOR TODAY!

TODAY!

PATRON CIRCLE PRODUCER CIRCLE

Member ($100-$299)

Member ($100-$299)

• Your name listed in mainstage Season Program Books

• Your name listed in mainstage Season Program Books

• Closer to the Art emails before each mainstage production to gain behindthe-scenes insight and learn something new about Opera Colorado

• Closer to the Art emails before each mainstage production to gain behindthe-scenes insight and learn something new about Opera Colorado

• Exclusive pre-sale opportunities to ticketed events throughout the season

• Exclusive pre-sale opportunities to ticketed events throughout the season

Supporter ($300-$599)

Supporter ($300-$599)

All previous benefits, plus:

All previous benefits, plus:

• Discounted admission to the Sitzprobe Supper and Rehearsal

• Discounted admission to the Sitzprobe Supper and Rehearsal

• Invitation to an exclusive backstage tour of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, where you will peek into dressing rooms, step on stage, and explore all that this historic building entails

• Invitation to an exclusive backstage tour of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, where you will peek into dressing rooms, step on stage, and explore all that this historic building entails

Associate ($600-$1,199)

Associate ($600-$1,199)

All previous benefits, plus:

All previous benefits, plus:

• Access to the Chambers Grant Salon Donor Recognition Lounge and complimentary prosecco during intermission

• Access to the Chambers Grant Salon Donor Recognition Lounge and complimentary prosecco during intermission

• Complimentary admission to the Artist in Residence concert(s)

• Complimentary admission to the Artist in Residence concert(s)

• Complimentary admission and discounted guest admission to the Sitzprobe Supper and Rehearsal

• Complimentary admission and discounted guest admission to the Sitzprobe Supper and Rehearsal

ARTIST CIRCLE

ARTIST CIRCLE

PATRON CIRCLE PRODUCER CIRCLE

Librettist ($1,200-$2,999)

Librettist ($1,200-$2,999)

All previous benefits, plus:

All previous benefits, plus:

• Complimentary admission to Artists in Conversation events, where you will learn more about upcoming productions from the artists themselves

• Complimentary admission to Artists in Conversation events, where you will learn more about upcoming productions from the artists themselves

• Invitation to a private Master Class with a leading industry artist and members of the Artist in Residence Program

• Invitation to a private Master Class with a leading industry artist and members of the Artist in Residence Program

• Personal staff liaison to assist you with opera tickets and special event reservations

• Personal staff liaison to assist you with opera tickets and special event reservations

Composer ($3,000-$5,999)

Composer ($3,000-$5,999)

All previous benefits, plus:

All previous benefits, plus:

• Invitation to a Sitzprobe Rehearsal and Dessert Reception

• Invitation to a Sitzprobe Rehearsal and Dessert Reception

• Invitation to the Luncheon with the Maestro event

• Invitation to the Luncheon with the Maestro event

Conductor ($6,000-$10,999)

Conductor ($6,000-$10,999)

All previous benefits, plus:

All previous benefits, plus:

• Complimentary parking for your Opera Colorado mainstage performances

• Complimentary parking for your Opera Colorado mainstage performances

• Access for two to each final dress rehearsal of Opera Colorado mainstage productions

• Access for two to each final dress rehearsal of Opera Colorado mainstage productions

Ambassador ($11,000-$24,999)

Ambassador ($11,000-$24,999)

All previous benefits, plus:

All previous benefits, plus:

• Invitation to a private cocktail reception with The Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director, followed by a rehearsal in the Opera Colorado Opera Center

• Invitation to a private cocktail reception with The Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director, followed by a rehearsal in the Opera Colorado Opera Center

• Private curated tour of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House for you and your guests

• Private curated tour of the Ellie Caulkins Opera House for you and your guests

Benefactor ($25,000-$49,999)

Benefactor ($25,000-$49,999)

All previous benefits, plus:

All previous benefits, plus:

• Behind the scenes access to rehearsals at the Opera Colorado Opera Center, including VIP access to artists

• Behind the scenes access to rehearsals at the Opera Colorado Opera Center, including VIP access to artists

• Invitation to an intimate dinner with The Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director and Music Director

• Invitation to an intimate dinner with The Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director and Music Director

Visionary ($50,000+)

Visionary ($50,000+)

All previous benefits, plus:

All previous benefits, plus:

• Private concert in your home or other chosen location

• Private concert in your home or other chosen location

QUESTIONS?

QUESTIONS?

Contact our Development Team at 303.468.2060 or development@operacolorado.org.

Contact our Development Team at 303.468.2060 or development@operacolorado.org.

PHOTOS Opera Colorado/Angelica DiIorio, Jamie Kraus, Matt Staver

PHOTOS Opera Colorado/Angelica DiIorio, Jamie Kraus, Matt Staver

OPERA COLORADO STAFF

LEADERSHIP

Greg Carpenter The Ellie Caulkins General & Artistic Director

Ari Pelto Music Director

SENIOR TEAM

Jennifer Colgan Director of Marketing & Communications

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

Erin Wenzel Director of Development

STAFF

Anthony Berkley Business Operations & Development Manager

Sandy Bucceri, Human Resources

SHRM-CP Manager

Samantha Cantu Patron Services Manager

Angelica DiIorio Marketing Manager, Advertising & Content

Megan Immerfall Bookkeeper

Ben Karasik Production Manager

Robin Lander Patron Services & Office Coordinator

Madeleine Snow Individual Giving & Donor Events Manager

Bethany Wood Manager of Education & Community Engagement

MUSIC STAFF

Sahar Nouri Chorus Master, Repetiteur & Assistant Conductor

Nathan Salazar Principal Repertoire Coach

Cody Guy Garrison Chorus Repetiteur

Daniel Belcher Voice Teacher

2022-23 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM

Francesca Mehrotra soprano

Joanne Evans mezzo-soprano

David Soto Zambrana tenor

Dante Mireles baritone

Michael Leyte-Vidal bass-baritone

Turner Staton bass-baritone

Oleg Bellini collaborative pianist

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Elizabeth Caswell Dyer, Chair

Marcia Robinson, President

Michael Bock, Vice President

Chevis F. (Chip) Horne, Vice President

Richard Koseff, Secretary & Chair Elect

James Linfield, Treasurer

Kevin O’Connor, Chair Emeritus

DIRECTORS

Jeff V. Baldwin

Edward Balkin

Mark C. Bussey

Eleanor N. Caulkins, Lifetime Honorary Chair

Dr. Laurence K. Chan

Dr. Alan Cooper

Joseph Fogliano

Maria Garcia Berry

Richard Garvin

Mark Heiser, Ex-Officio

Don Hindman

Kelly Ann Hodges

Laurence D. Kaptain, Ex-Officio

Hon. Kenneth Laff

Judy LaSpada

MAJ. Konstantinos (Dino) G. Maniatis

William N. Maniatis, MD

Vivian Murciano

Jon J. Olafson

Ronald Otsuka

Prem S. Subramanian, MD, PhD

Keith Ward, Ex-Officio

Valerie M. Wassill, MD

Daniel G. Welch

Diane K. Wengler

Robin Kolsky Yaeger

Larry Zimmer

HONORARY DIRECTORS

Suzanne Bucy

Hugh Grant

Jeremy Kinney

Mary French Moore

Gerald Saul

Jeremy Shamos

Susan Shamos

Merrill Shields

Martha Tracey

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

VOLUNTEERS

Wade Adams

Eric Bard

Barbara Bower

Marilyn Brock

Jeffrey Brown

Stephen Dilts

Thomas Gaffney

Lisa Goda

Sigrid Halvorson Freese

Debra Hoarty

Zoe Hoarty

Gwendolyn Jackman

Robert Kahn

Kiplund Kolkmeier

Susan Landers

Heather MacKinnon

Kathleen McQuaid

Eva Phibbs

Catharine Poe

Regina Rajewich

Michaele Reddy

Donna Ries

Grover Sardeson

Therese Schoen

Ruth Schoening

Henry Siegel

Lori Stevens

Christine Tanner

John Tanner

Judith Taubman

Marianne Weingroff

Matthew Wolchak

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

Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

303.468.2030

customerservice@operacolorado.org

OPERACOLORADO.ORG follow @operacolorado