RIDER UNIVERSITY
Westminster Choir College
Hänsel und Gretel Humperdinck
Westminster Opera Theatre Susan Shiplett Ashbaker, Director
Friday, November 19, 2021 | 7:30 p.m. Saturday, November 20, 2021 | 7:30 p.m. Yvonne Theatre Rider University Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Susan Shiplett Ashbaker, Music Director and Conductor Nicholas Wuehrmann, Stage Director Music by Engelbert Humperdinck Original Libretto by Adelheid Wette Opera Titles by Susan Shiplett Ashbaker After the tale by The Brothers Grimm Chamber Orchestration by Michael Withers For further information contact: michael@theatremusiceditions.co.uk
A special thank you to Louise Grafton’s Prop Emporium for supplying many of the props used in the production.
Join the directors and cast for a talk-back after each performance.
PLEASE NOTE The unauthorized use of any recording device, either audio or video, and the taking of photographs, either with or without flash, is strictly prohibited. Out of courtesy to the performers and everyone in the audience, please refrain from using cell phones and electronic devices during the performance. Westminster College of the Arts gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Herbert B. Mayo Performance Endowment.
Director’s Note Composer Engelbert Humperdinck was born in Siegberg, Germany in 1854, and against the wishes of his parents who wanted him to be an architect, he pursued a career in composition. Early in his career, he assisted Richard Wagner in the premiere of Parsifal. Wagner’s influence can be heard in Humperdinck’s works, though Hänsel und Gretel also incorporates many German folk tunes. The opera premiered in December 1893 in Weimar at the Court Theatre, though work on the piece began three years earlier. He composed four songs for his nieces who were creating a puppet show based on the fairy tale, and he later expanded the work as a singspiel, finally completing the full opera with orchestration in 1893. The opera remains Humperdinck’s most popular work and was an instant success with the public. It remains the finest example of a Märchenoper (fairy-tale opera) from the late 19th to early 20th century. Humperdinck died in 1921 after suffering a heart attack while attending a performance of von Weber’s Der Freischutz. The Brothers Grimm (Jacob Grimm, 1785-1863 and Wilhelm Grimm, 1786-1859) were born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Germany. They collected fairy tales passed on orally from generation to generation, many of which, including Hänsel und Gretel, were told by Wilhelm’s wife, Dortchen Wild, and her family. Their classic collection, Kinder-und Hausmärchen (Children’s-and Household Tales) was published in two volumes, in 1812 and 1815. In addition to Hänsel und Gretel, it included the stories of Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, Snow White, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and many more. Many of the tales are violent and seemingly unsuitable for children. The Brothers Grimm altered their writing periodically throughout the years to appeal to a wider audience and stories such as Hänsel und Gretel, which included the unappealing plot twist of the consumption of children by a witch, were deemed “moral tales” or “fables.” There is nothing in the original story about turning the children into gingerbread cookies. The design team chose to update the story to current day, and we set it in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens (the spookiest local forest substituting for the opera’s original setting of the Harz Mountains in Germany). Many thanks to our designers for their wonderful work in what I know has been a very busy semester. And many thanks to Professor Susan Ashbaker (we met in the early 1990s when she conducted a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard in which I played Colonel Fairfax) for bringing me on board to direct this production! — Nicholas Wuehrmann
Hänsel und Gretel Plot Synopsis Setting: Somewhere in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, current day ACT ONE As the prelude to the opera begins, we see mysterious, spectral children in an abandoned and dilapidated mansion somewhere in the Pine Barrens. They are searching for something. Hänsel and Gretel enter, dancing and playing games. This is their current home. As the shadow children disappear, the siblings set about to complete the tasks their mother has given them. They are hungry and Hänsel has trouble concentrating on his chores. Gretel tries to lift his spirits and they’re soon back to playing games. Gretel shows Hänsel a container of milk their mother’s been saving for a meal and Hänsel takes a taste, much to Gretel’s chagrin. Unable to concentrate for very long, they begin to show each other the latest dance moves they’ve learned. Mother comes home, tired and dismayed from lack of a job and food, and her anger explodes when she sees the children having fun and not completing their chores. She accidentally topples the container of milk and then sends her kids into the forest to collect berries. She prays to Heaven for help, soon falling asleep. Father comes home in a jolly mood for he has sold many of his brooms and has been able to shop for food, anticipating a grand night of eating and celebrating with his family. Father and Mother make merry with his purchases, but he soon finds out that Mother has sent the children off into the woods alone, and he sings of the haunted woods and the terrible Witch who lives there who sets traps for children and then bakes and eats them! As the act ends, Father and Mother rush off into the forest to find their children. ACT TWO The act begins with the famous “Witches’ Ride,” an orchestral prelude in which we are introduced to some of the magic of the witch as she appears and disappears, and zooms about on her broomstick. Hänsel and Gretel wander about the forest searching for berries. Gretel makes a crown out of twigs and flowers, and soon the brother and sister sit and, imitating the cuckoo bird they hear, hungrily consume all the berries they’ve collected. As night descends, they realize they’ve lost their way, and they become frightened by the sounds of the forest. Hänsel bravely shouts, “Who’s there?” but is answered by the ghostly echoes of those who’ve gone before them. Petrified and unable to find their way, the children see a mysterious figure seemingly born from the nearby beaches and shore, approaching and singing softly to them. It is the Sandman who calms their nerves, moving them to sing their evening prayer to the 14 angels who will protect them. As they fall asleep in each other’s arms, 14 angels appear. But who are they?
ACT THREE As the final act opens, it is dawn, and the Dew Fairy, also a manifestation of the forest, appears and wakens Hänsel and Gretel. Gretel awakens first, and imitates the birdsong she hears, singing “Ti-re-li-re-li!” Hänsel is a bit grumpier upon wakening but is soon excited to hear that Gretel had the same dream as he, of the 14 angels. As the mist clears, suddenly appearing before them is a magical house made of candy and cookies and gingerbread. Or has a spell been cast on them and it’s all in their imaginations? Hänsel takes a bite of candy and soon they hear a voice asking who’s been nibbling on her house. The Witch appears and casts a spell on them. She entices them to come to her with the promise of cooking them wonderful treats. Mistrusting the old woman, the children attempt to escape but the Witch uses her magic wand and entraps Hänsel in a cage while Gretel is rendered motionless. The Witch attempts to feed Hänsel to fatten him up and instructs Gretel to set the table. The Witch fantasizes about cooking and eating and spins into a frenzied song and dance, and overcome with the excitement of her forthcoming meal, she takes a ride on her broomstick. The Witch tests Hänsel to see if he’s plump enough for eating yet, but having poor eyesight, she doesn’t realize he’s showing her a stick rather than his finger. She decides to bake Gretel first and encourages Gretel to stoke the fire in the oven. Gretel asks the Witch to show her how to do it, and when she does, Hänsel and Gretel shove the Witch into her own oven and shut the door! Astonished, the siblings see the ghostly spirits of children from the past, freed now that the Witch is dead. These are the angels from the forest, the specters searching for their wings, finally able to ascend to Heaven. Mother and Father finally arrive for a joyous reunion with Hänsel and Gretel. — Nicholas Wuehrmann
Cast — Friday, November 19 Hänsel
Mary Fetterman
Gretel
Isabelle Schelbaum
Mother
Alicia Barry
Father
Joseph Richwine
Witch
Jacob Keleman
Sandman
Summer Rae Kuhns
Dew Fairy
Alexandra Thomas
Cast — Saturday, November 20 Hänsel
Michaela Carey
Gretel
Lillie Judge
Mother
Kathryn Corbino
Father
Chris Fistonich
Witch
Chelsea Holbrook
Sandman
Sienna Grinwald-Alves
Dew Fairy
Claire Fritz
Ensemble
Adrianna Barnett, Zoe Bennett, Emily DeMerchant, Claire Fritz, Sienna Grinwald-Alves, Summer Rae Kuhns, Eleanor Rees, Elizabeth Rosenberg, Alexandra Thomas, Morgen Zwicharowski
Interns
Gretel — Alexandra Thomas; Mother — Morgen Zwicharowski; Father — Craig Peters; Witch — Anthony Pinkerton; Sandman — Emily DeMerchant; Dew Fairy — Eleanor Rees
Artistic Staff and Crew Set Designer & Technical Director
Buck Linton
Costume & Make-up Designer
Robin Shane
Lighting Designer Properties Manager
Christopher Gorzelnik Kathryn Elliott
Production Stage Manager
Sidney Martinez
Stage Manager
Krystal Vaughan
Assistant Stage Manager 1
Maddie Sullivan
Assistant Stage Manager 2
Emily Siegel
Rehearsal Pianists
Jaeyeon Chung, Seth Trumbore
Orchestra Violin
Ruotao Mao
Violin
Elena Chernova-Davis
Cello
Mark Kosmala
Percussion/Timpani
William Wozniak
Piano
Seth Trumbore
Special Thanks A special thank you to all the wonderful and supportive voice teachers that provide the base of learning for all we do. A special thanks also to our colleagues in the Music Theatre and Dance departments as we navigate our new environment.
About the Cast and Student Crew ADRIANNA BARNETT (Ensemble) mezzo-soprano: sophomore Bachelor of Music and Music Education student (studies with Robin Massie). Hometown: West Grove, PA. Past Engagements: Eponine (Les Misérables) with Avon Grove High School. ALICIA BARRY (Gertrude) mezzo-soprano: senior Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance student (studies with Sally Wolf). Hometown: Huntingdon Valley, PA. Past Engagements: scenes as Carmen (Carmen) with Westminster Opera Workshop and CoOPERAtive at Westminster Program; Scenes as Miss Todd (The Old Maid and The Thief); Role as Carmen (Carmen) with Vincerò Academy; Dorabella Intern (Così fan tutte) with Westminster Opera Theatre, Chorus (Duruflé Requiem) with Westminster Symphonic Choir. Awards: Westminster Voice Awards, 2019, 2020, 2021. ZOE BENNETT (Ensemble) soprano: sophomore Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance student (studies with Sally Wolf). Hometown: Malvern, PA. Future Engagements: Chorus with Westminster Choir and Westminster Schola Cantorum. Awards: 2nd Place, Westminster Voice Awards, 2021. FELICIA BETTS (Supertitles Operator): first-year Master of Music student (studies with Christopher Arneson). Hometown: Mays Landing, NJ. Past Engagements: Esprit (Cendrillon) with Westminster Opera Theatre. MICHAELA CAREY (Hänsel) mezzo-soprano: senior Bachelor of Music and Vocal Performance student (studies with Margaret Cusack). Hometown: York, PA. Past Engagements: Chorus (Cendrillon) with Westminster Opera Theatre; Dorabella Intern (Così fan tutte) with Westminster Opera Theatre. Awards: Westminster Voice Awards 2021. KATHRYN CORBINO (Gertrude) soprano: second-year Master of Music student (studies with Lauren Athey-Janka). Hometown: Havertown, PA. Past Engagements: Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) with Westminster Opera Theatre; scenes as Alice (Falstaff) with CoOPERAtive; Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) with West Chester University Opera Theatre; Awards: 1st place, Westminster Voice Awards 2021; 2nd place category winner, Eastern Region NATS Festival of Singing 2019. EMILY DEMERCHANT (Ensemble/Sandman Intern) soprano: first-year Master of Music student (studies with Christopher Arneson). Hometown: Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Past Engagements: Cherubino understudy (Le Nozze di Figaro) with The Western University Opera and Canadian Operatic Arts Academy summer program. MARY FETTERMAN (Hänsel) soprano: senior Bachelor of Music in Music Education student (studies with Sally Wolf). Hometown: Boyertown, PA. Past Engagements: La Fée (Cendrillon) and Despina (Così fan tutte) with Westminster Opera Theatre; Zweite Dame and Zweite Knabe (Die Zauberflöte) with the Lyric Opera Studio in Weimar, Germany; participation in the CoOPERAtive program and the Curtis Mentor Network in 2021.
CHRIS FISTONICH (Peter) baritone: second-year Master of Music student (studies with Christopher Arneson). Hometown: Los Angeles, California. Past Engagements: Pandolfe (Cendrillon) with Miami Music Festival; Marco (Gianni Schicchi) with Opera Pannonica. Future Engagements: Chorus (Oedipus Rex) with Opera Philadelphia. CLAIRE FRITZ (Dew Fairy/Ensemble) soprano: sophomore Bachelor of Music Education student (studies with Lauren Athey-Janka). Hometown: Elizabethtown, PA. Future Engagements: Chorus with Westminster Choir. Awards: 4th place, Westminster Voice Awards 2021. SIENNA GRINWALD-ALVES (Sandman/Ensemble) soprano: sophomore Bachelor Music Education student (studies with Christopher Arneson). Hometown: Barnegat, NJ. Past Engagements: Junior (O What a Night) with Paper Mill Playhouse Summer Conservatory; Little Girl (Brain Busters) with National Geographic; Shepherd (Amahl and the Night Visitors) with Ocean County College in Toms River, NJ. Awards: 1st place, Westminster Voice Awards 2021; 1st place, The Turton Talent Show 2019. CHELSEA HOLBROOK (The Witch) soprano: senior Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance student (studies with Robin Massie). Hometown: Quakertown, Pa. Awards: 2nd place category winner, New Jersey NATS Festival of Singing 2019. LILLIE JUDGE (Gretel) soprano: senior Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Sacred Music student (studies with Sally Wolf). Hometown: Charlotte, NC. Past Engagements: Despina (Intern) (Così fan tutte) with Westminster Opera Theatre; scenes as Michaela (Carmen) with Westminster Opera Workshop; Laetitia (The Old Maid and the Thief) with Westminster Singing in Lyric Theatre. Awards: 2nd Place, Westminster Voice Awards 2021; 1st Place, Westminster Voice Awards 2021. JACOB KELEMAN (The Witch) tenor: senior Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance student (studies with Lauren Athey-Janka). Hometown: Larchmont, NY. Past Engagements: Ferrando (Così fan tutte); Lorenzo (A Flourish of Green) with Westminster Opera Theatre. Awards: 1st place category winner, New Jersey NATS Festival of Singing 2019; 1st place category-winner, Eastern Regional NATS Festival of Singing 2020. SUMMER RAE KUHNS (Sandman/Ensemble) soprano: junior Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance student (studies with Lauren Athey-Janka). Hometown: Anchorage, AK. Past Engagements: Soprano soloist (Lord Nelson Mass) with the Alaska Chamber Singers, Ensemble (Marie Begins) with Westminster Opera Theatre. Awards: 2nd place, Westminster Voice Awards 2021; 2nd place category winner, New Jersey NATS Festival of Singing 2020. SIDNEY MARTINEZ (Production Stage Manager): junior Bachelor of Technical Theater and Sociology. Hometown: Englewood, NJ. Past Engagements: Rider Dances Negotiating Balance (Production Stage Manager), Rider New Works (Stage Manager), Girls Like That (Assistant Stage Manager), and Bright Star (Assistant Stage Manager) with Rider University. Awards: The Kennedy Center’s Certificate of Merit: Excellence as a Stage Management Team (2019).
CRAIG PETERS (Peter Intern) baritone: junior Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Composition student (studies with Jay Carter and Christian Carey). Hometown: Palmerton, PA. Past Engagements: Guglielmo Intern (Così fan tutte) with Westminster Opera Theatre, Chorus (Duruflé Requiem) with Westminster Symphonic Choir. ANTHONY PINKERTON (The Witch Intern) Baritone: senior Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and Music Education student (studies with Mark Moliterno). Hometown: Orlando, FL. ELEANOR REES (Ensemble/Dew Fairy Intern) soprano: sophomore Bachelor of Music Voice Performance student (studies with Faith Esham). Hometown: Huntington, NY. Future Engagements: Chorus with the Westminster Williamson Voices Treble Ensemble and Westminster Schola Cantorum. JOSEPH RICHWINE (Peter) baritone: junior Bachelor of Music student (studies with Carolann Page). Hometown: Dillsburg, Pa. Past Engagements: Guglielmo (Così fan tutte) with Westminster Opera Theatre. Awards: 1st Place, Westminster Voice Awards 2021. ELIZABETH ROSENBERG (Ensemble) mezzo-soprano: sophomore Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance student (studies with Faith Esham). Hometown: Rising Sun, MD. Past Engagements: Ensemble (Princess Ida) with Arden Singers of Wilmington, Delaware. Future Engagements: Chorus with the Westminster Williamson Voices Treble Choir and Westminster Schola Cantorum. ISABELLE SCHELBAUM (Gretel) soprano: first-year Master of Music student (studies with Lauren Athey-Janka.) Hometown: Princeton, NJ. Past Engagements: Musetta (La bohème) with Rowan University’s Opera Company; scenes as Zerlina (Don Giovanni) with Westminster’s CoOPERAtive program, Chorus, (Duruflé Requiem) with Westminster Symphonic Choir. Awards: 4th place, New Jersey NATS Festival of Singing 2019. ALEXANDRA THOMAS (Dew Fairy/Ensemble/Gretel Intern) soprano: senior Bachelor of Music student (studies with Kathy Price). Hometown: State College, PA. Past Engagements: Chorus (L’enfant et les sortilèges) with Westminster Symphonic Choir, Chorus (Duruflé Requiem) with Westminster Symphonic Choir. MORGEN ZWICHAROWSKI (Ensemble/Gertrude Intern) soprano: senior Bachelor of Music in Music Education student (studies with Robin Massie). Hometown: Hagerstown, MD. Past Engagements: Chorus (Bach B Minor Mass) with Westminster Symphonic Choir 2019; featured soloist for the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts alumnae concert 2019, Chorus (Duruflé Requiem) with Westminster Symphonic Choir. Awards: 2nd place, Westminster Voice Awards 2019.
About the Artistic Staff and Crew SUSAN SHIPLETT ASHBAKER, (Associate Professor/Director of Westminster Opera Theatre for Westminster Choir College at Rider University and Director for the CoOPERAtive Program at Westminster) brings over 35 years of experience in the performing arts. Ms. Ashbaker is active in the opera/vocal world as an independent artistic advisor/consultant, master class presenter, lecturer and opera/ vocal coach. Her experience on both sides of the opera industry gives her a rare and comprehensive approach to key elements of career advancement for singers, as well as a unique vantage point in the administration of opera companies, arts organizations and institutions of higher learning. She is in demand as a master-class presenter, having taught recently at Boston Conservatory, University of Miami, Binghamton University, Seagle Festival, and Ithaca College. Ms. Ashbaker was affiliated with Tri-Cities Opera for five years; four as general and artistic director, and one as artistic director, and “transformed the company in every way imaginable,” according to the former Board Chair. Additionally, Ms. Ashbaker served Opera Company of Philadelphia (OCP) for 16 years, the last 11 as director of artistic and music administration. She led casting practices and reestablished the Company as a pioneer in offering advancements to young singers before they achieved national or international recognition; gave unique opportunities to wellestablished artists; and supervised all activities of the artistic and music departments. Under her direction, OCP established an intern program with the Curtis Institute of Music. Ms. Ashbaker has worked with New York City Opera, European Center for Opera and Vocal Arts, Israeli Vocal Arts Institute, International Vocal Arts Institute in Montreal, Theater am Goetheplatz (Bremen, Germany), Academy of Vocal Arts and the Curtis Institute of Music. A frequent judge for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and former participant on the MET Quiz Show, Ms. Ashbaker has participated as panelist with Opera America, National Association of Teachers of Singing, New York State Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts and as a judge for the Jensen Foundation, Marian Anderson Emerging Artist Competition and the Richard Tucker Foundation Auditions.
NICHOLAS WUEHRMANN, Director. Mr. Wuehrmann has directed productions around the country and in Europe, with Tri-Cities Opera (H.M.S. Pinafore), Ohio Light Opera (Countess Maritza, The Pirates of Penzance, The Merry Widow), North Mississippi Symphony (El Capitan, The Mikado), Delaware Valley Opera (H.M.S. Pinafore, Cox and Box), Kids-for-Classic Theater Kiel with Prager Kammeroper (European tour of
Die Zauberflöte which has toured for more than 12 years) and Great Performances with Ballet Classique de Paris/Polish Music Theatre (European tour of Hänsel und Gretel). He is also known for his university directing, with University of Iowa, Miami University, Bowling Green State University, Morningside College, Santa Fe College, and University of Central Florida, where his production of Baby garnered him a Kennedy Center award. Also a singer and actor, Mr. Wuehrmann has performed in nearly 400 productions in his career, including with the London Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Carolina, Virginia Opera, Toledo Opera, Delaware Valley Opera, Mad Cow Theatre, Salt Lake Acting Company, Nevada Opera, the Baton Rouge Symphony, LaMama, Ohio Light Opera and Seaside Music Theater. He recently made his debut with the Sharon Playhouse in The Sounds of Broadway: A Tribute to Jonathan Tunick, conducted by Eric Stern. Favorite roles include Colonel Fairfax in Yeomen of the Guard, Tolloller in Iolanthe, Mr. Box in Cox and Box, Frederik Egerman in A Little Night Music, Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast, Gus/Growltiger in Cats, Emerson in Charm, Gabriel in James Joyce’s The Dead, Floyd in Floyd Collins, Chairman in The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Bumerli in The Chocolate Soldier, Malvolio in Twelfth Night and Jacques in As You Like It. Film and television credits include Tesla (as Ed the Organist), BlacKkKlansman, The Wolf of Wall Street, St. Vincent, Redrum, Celebrity Ghost Stories and Gotham. He can be heard on several Albany Records recordings of Ohio Light Opera productions, including Falsacappa in The Brigands, the title role in El Capitan, and The Notary in The Grand Duke. In December, he will direct The Gift of the Magi for Delaware Valley Opera.
BUCK LINTON (Technical Director) Between earning his MFA in Scenography and Technical Design (Virginia Tech) and joining Rider as its Technical Director in 2012, he professionally produced nearly 200 productions with such venues as The Kennedy Center, Paper Mill Playhouse, Manhattan Theatre Club, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse and McCarter Theatre. Selected works include Travesties, Sleeping Beauty Wakes, Take Flight, Herringbone, Lookingglass Alice and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Falstaff, Die Zauberflöte, Pelléas et Mélisande, Dialogues des Carmélites, La Clemenza di Tito, Oreste, Sunjata Kamalenya, The Odyssey Experience, Die Fledermaus, Rigoletto, Turandot, Chicago, EDDA (Ping Chong & Sequentia Ensemble, international tour). Since then, he has produced over 100 productions for Rider University’s Westminster College of the Arts in theater, dance, and opera
ROBIN I. SHANE is an Assistant Professor of Theatre in the School of Fine and Performing Arts of Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ, where she has been the resident costume designer since 2012. She has been a professional costume designer for over 25 years and has designed for theatre, dance, opera, film and TV in New York, Philadelphia and regionally in such varied theaters as the Yale Rep, Berkeley Rep, The New Victory Theatre, Theatre Exile, Philadelphia Artist’s Collective, EgoPo, Passage Theater, Shakespeare Theater of NJ, The National Constitution Center, The Revision Theater, the Jean Cocteau Repertory Theater, Soho Rep and The
Harrisburg Opera. She holds an MFA from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU and a BA in Theater and Psychology from Wesleyan University, and is a proud member of United Scenic Artists Local 829.
CHRISTOPHER GORZELNIK (Lighting Design) is delighted to follow Susan Ashbaker to Opera Theater’s next venue. He lit nine productions at the Playhouse. His credits include lighting for; dance, theater, industrials, galleries, museums, and the band Rogue Oliphant.
KATHRYN ELLIOTT (Props Master) is a graduate of Westminster Choir College where she received a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Pedagogy. Her previous operatic roles include Marcellina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Háta (The Bartered Bride), La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica), Suor Zelatrice (Suor Angelica), Maman (L’enfant et les sortilèges), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Meg Page (Falstaff), and Miss Todd (The Old Maid and the Thief). She has sung as a chorister with The Princeton Festival (Peter Grimes, Fidelio, Madama Butterfly, Nixon in China) and has been featured as the alto soloist in performances of Handel’s Messiah, Stanford’s Requiem, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Schubert’s Mass in F, Vivaldi’s Magnificat, and Vivaldi’s Gloria. She has also served as stage manager (Dialogues des Carmélites) and props master (Cendrillon) as part of Westminster Opera Theatre. She currently sings as part of the professional quartet at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Doylestown, PA.
RIDER UNIVERSITY’S WESTMINSTER COLLEGE OF THE ARTS is composed of four divisions: Westminster Choir College; the School of Fine and Performing Arts; Westminster Conservatory, the community music school, and Westminster Continuing Education. Mission Westminster College of the Arts inspires, prepares, and empowers emerging artists through a supportive, immersive, and unique arts community. Our students achieve a high level of artistry and acquire the professional skills to become contemporary leaders who transform local and global communities through humanity, inclusion, and access for all. Vision Westminster College of the Arts aspires to be a flourishing arts destination for creative students, artists, community members, and industry professionals; a center for public-facing artistic projects supported by faculty and student research; and a catalyst for innovation through the arts. Westminster Choir College is a four-year music college and graduate school that prepares musicians for careers as leaders in schools, universities, and churches; on concert stages and in professional and community organizations. Renowned for its tradition of choral excellence, Westminster has become a center of excellence in solo performance as well. The college has three curricular choirs, including the Westminster Symphonic Choir, which has performed and recorded with virtually all of the major orchestras and conductors of our time, and four choirs selected by audition. Celebrating 95 years of music excellence, Westminster Choir College of Rider University has significantly influenced the cultural life of our nation.
RIDER UNIVERSITY’S COVID-19 POLICY FOR PUBLIC PERFORMANCES Rider University’s Westminster College of the Arts is pleased to return to presenting live performances. The health and well-being of the Rider community remain our top priority, and we have instituted the following policies for live performances in the fall 2021 semester. Audience Guests at all events who are not current Rider students, faculty or staff will be asked to accept a required assumption of risk agreement when purchasing tickets. Based on current university policy, masks are required indoors at all times and must be worn for the entirety of the performance. Performers All students, faculty, and staff involved with a staged production or an ensemble performance are required to test the week before and the week of the dress rehearsal and performance(s). Vaccinated individuals with negative Covid-19 tests are permitted to remove their masks for approved dress rehearsals and performances. If they prefer, they also have the option to wear a mask for the performance. We look forward to welcoming audiences back to performances on campus and in the community.
Westminster College of the Arts WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE
2083 Lawrenceville Road Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
R I D E R.E D U/A RT S