JANUARY 9, 2025
KINGSBURY HALL
Carmen Inside Out the LIVE Concert
adapted from the opera CARMEN by George Bizet
Book by Kirstin Chávez and Johnathon Pape
January 9, 2025
Kingsbury Hall | 7:00 PM
Johnathon Pape, stage director
Robert Baldwin, conductor Members of the Utah Philharmonia
Kirstin Chávez and Johnathon Pape, co-creators
SYNOPSIS
Carmen has been stabbed by her former lover, a fate that was foretold in the cards she read for herself weeks earlier. Now, in the liminal space between life and death, she revisits the relationships and choices that brought her to this moment. She recalls meeting Don José, a handsome soldier with a conventional life and devoted girlfriend. He has never encountered someone with Carmen’s level of passion, confidence, and allure. Their combustive attraction is mutual, and when he helps her escape going to jail, it changes the course of their lives forever.
Days later, Carmen is at the tavern of her friend Lillas Pastia in Seville’s Gypsy Quarter. José is due to be released from jail, where he was sent after helping Carmen escape. While she awaits his arrival, she exults in the freedom of her way of life. Escamillo, the famous toreador, arrives at the tavern and is also drawn to Carmen. She is intrigued by him, but rejects his advances, as well as the entreaties of her friends to join them as they smuggle some contraband into the city. When José arrives, Carmen dances for him, but the bugle sounds calling him back to the barracks for roll call. José interrupts Carmen’s seduction, and they argue, bitterly. José explains that while he was in jail, he kept the rose that she had thrown at him and its scent solidified his love for her. She convinces José to abandon his regiment and begin a new life of freedom with her.
At first, Carmen and José are happy, but before long he grows jealous and possessive. Things come to a head while they are in the smuggler’s camp in the mountains. Escamillo has come in search of Carmen, and José provokes a fight with him. Carmen and the others intervene and Escamillo leaves, but not before making his intentions clear about Carmen. José is about to accost Carmen, when José’s former girlfriend Micaëla arrives. She has come to tell José that his mother is dying. He reluctantly leaves with Micaëla, but warns Carmen that they will meet again.
Back in Seville, Escamillo and Carmen are now happily coupled. But in time, a broken and disheveled José finds Carmen, and begs her to take him back. When she refuses, he becomes violent, sealing the fate that Carmen had seen in the cards.
It has been a great pleasure and privilege for me to have spent the last twenty-five years traveling the world and offering up this operatic art form that I love and I have been especially grateful whenever I was sought out to share my version of this iconic character which is Carmen. Embodying her in so many different situations, on so many stages, and with so many creative partners has not only taught me a great deal about who she is and who she is not, but it has taught me, also, a great deal about myself. In many ways, I have evolved as a person in part thanks to the pieces of her that I have chosen to keep with me and I believe that she has made me stronger, more resilient, and more grateful for the many joys this life has to offer.
When approached with the idea of delivering Carmen’s story as a onewoman artistic venture, I was not sure if such a thing could be possible. But, I knew that, if it were, it would be because Johnathon Pape--the wonderful stage director with whom I had worked on Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking–would help me find a way to make it so. And, he did. Through his creative spirit and my intimate familiarity with Carmen’s whys and wherefores, we set out to fashion a story that she could tell through her own words, illuminating her deepest thoughts and feelings and giving shape to her reasonings and convictions. First under the name of Carmen: Fire and Fate, our show came to life at the Cervantes Theater in London, England and then, as Carmen Inside Out, it has traveled around the USA, and into France, Switzerland, and Japan. No matter where the story is told, audiences respond enthusiastically and empathetically to this intimate view into Carmen’s life.
Buoyed by this emphatic response, Johnathon and I felt compelled to find a way to bring her story to a much wider audience and so, in 2020, we began envisioning how we might transform her story to the movie screen. The journey has had many ups and downs and various delays along the way, but we know that we are now finally on the path to bringing this dream to
fruition. In June of 2025, we will shoot Carmen Inside Out, the Film on the state-of-the-art Sound Stage in the Department of Film and Media Arts at the University of Utah through their generous cooperation. And, thanks to our partnership with the Dallas Opera, we have a world-class orchestra for our soundtrack and a world-class global streaming platform on which the film will have its first streaming.
The culmination of this enormous project has come this far only because of the passion and dedication of a large number of people, and I am forever indebted to each of them for imagining this dream coming true with me.
KIRSTIN CHÁVEZ
Co-Creator, CARMEN INSIDE OUT Director, CIO PARTNERS
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
It perhaps goes without saying that Bizet’s Carmen is one of the most popular operas in the canon. As a result, a great many people feel that they know who Carmen is, whether or not they have seen the opera or read the novella upon which it is based. But all too often our understanding of this complicated woman is filtered through a decidedly patriarchal lens that reduces her to various stereotypes —femme fatale, seductress, spit-fire, gypsy, manipulator. Kirstin Chávez, who has performed the role all over the world, longed to explore the full range of this woman’s story and to allow any contradictions and complexities to add nuance and texture to the portrait of a woman who above all refuses to relinquish her agency. As Carmen sings, “et sur tout le chose enivrante: la liberté” (“and above all, that intoxicating thing: freedom”).
Kirstin and I worked together to create Carmen Inside Out as a onewoman show, which premiered in the U.K. in 2017 and has since played to enthusiastic audiences in France, Switzerland, Japan, and various venues within the U.S. The idea of presenting Carmen from the inside out, i.e. with the character’s rich emotional life creating and supporting her physical life, was critical in telling a fuller, more interesting, and, we think, more accurate version of her story. Further, the idea of starting the show at the moment of her death transports us back to her “card aria” where she sees her future in the cards. This provided the opportunity for her to recall the events of her life from the perspective of the liminal space between life and death.
We are now in the process of developing a film version of Carmen Inside Out. Rather than just “capturing” a live performance of the one-woman show on video, we decided to keep the focus on Carmen, but open the story to include her interactions with the other people in her life. The Dallas Opera orchestra, conducted by Emmanuel Villaume, Dallas Opera’s Music Director, has recorded the orchestral music and Kirstin’s vocals have now been added to the soundtrack. We hope to begin filming this spring with an autumn release on Dallas Opera’s streaming platform.
The live concert performance you are attending tonight is yet another iteration of Carmen Inside Out. Although it is still focused on a more complete representation of Carmen and telling the story from her point of view, the other characters also sing. There is also substantial material from the opera — arias, duets, ensembles — that is not included in the film version. As you meet Carmen on her terms and come to understand her life from the inside out, we believe you will gain a new appreciation of this fascinating and complex woman.
JOHNATHON PAPE
Co-Creator and Stage Director, CARMEN INSIDE OUT
CAST
CARMEN
Kirstin Chávez
DON
JOSÉ
Richard Troxell
ESCAMILLO
Luis Ledesma
MICAËLA
Julia Gershkoff
MERCEDES
Paula Nesticó
FRASQUITA
Rocio Valle Lucero
DANCAÏRE
James Bobick
REMENDADO
Sam Plumb
ZUNIGA
Gustavo Isla Salazar
LILLAS PASTIA
Isacc Martinez-Trinidad
FLAMENCO SOLOIST
Sol 'La Argentinita' Koeraus
FLAMENCO
DANCERS
Isabella Grimaldo-Reeder and Nic Lee
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH PHILHARMONIA
Robert Baldwin, conductor
Oswaldo Machado, personnel and cover conductor
Michael Trachalios, library and score preparation
VIOLIN 1
Kristen Olson+
Mason Lunceford
Alina Baron
Sydney Lofthouse
Lauren Peck
Melanie Hansen
Melodee Valentine
VIOLIN 2
Abby Morrell*
Paul Petersen
Aubrey Harmon
Emma Lamb
Elizabeth Gardner
Wen Rui Zhao
VIOLA
Tobias Roth*
Caitlyn Curry
Eli Wilson
Dallas Bitter
CELLO
Lydia Mitchell*
Marcos Rangel
Stella Wadsworth
Kaitlin Booth
Julia Fierro
Yasmine Abuelhija
BASS
Megan Hall*
Adeline Hiemstra
FLUTE
Siyoung Kim*
Nick Anderson
OBOE
Anna Larson*
ENGLISH HORN
Karen Hastings*
CLARINET
Leila Sereki*
Zane Jensen
BASSOON
Luke Pfeil*
Jane Pugmire
HORN
Tanner Chipman*
Kiri Maza
Justice Nugent
Chris Hansen
TRUMPET
Kris Gilmore*
Ann Bateman
TROMBONE
Kade Gordon*
Lance Tran
BASS TROMBONE
MJ Berry*
TIMPANI
Drew Fallon*
PERCUSSION
Ryan Hushaw*
Jake Harker
Rebekah Hall
Ellie Foote
Tanner Wise
HARP
Marienna Smith*
+Concertmaster
*Principal
PRODUCTION TEAM
JOHNATHON PAPE
Stage Director
ROBERT BALDWIN Conductor
JAMES BOBICK
Producer
LIZ WIAND
Production Stage Manager
SOL KOERAUS Choreographer
ROBIN FARNSLEY-BECKER Costume Design
ARIKA SCHOCKMEL
Properties Design
MITCHELL GIAMBALVO
Rehearsal Pianist
EMILY HANSEN
Social Media Manager
MIKE COTTLE
Sound Engineer and Recording - Studio
JOHNATHON PAPE Supertitles
CASEY MORRIS
Supertitle Operator
KATIE MUNSON
Image/Sound Operator
UTAHPRESENTS
CHLOE JONES Executive Director
AJA VOGELMAN Operations Director
ASHLEY BEHUNIN Production Manager
DAVID BRAITHWAITE Technical Director
JACOB MARTINEZ Head Audio
KIRSTIN CHÁVEZ
Kirstin Chávez is considered one of the most riveting and significant performing mezzo-sopranos today. Her powerful voice with its expansive range, the dramatic intensity of her acting, and her natural sensuality combine to make her an arresting and unique presence on the operatic and concert stages.
Ms. Chávez has captured attention and acclaim in her signature roles and is recognized as one of the definitive Carmens of today; Opera News reported that her Carmen in Graz, Austria was “the Carmen of a lifetime. With her dark, generous mezzo, earthy eroticism, volcanic spontaneity and smoldering charisma, Chávez has it all, including a superb command of French and a sense of humor.” Ms Chávez’ Carmen has taken her all around globe and into such celebrated venues as Lincoln Center in New York, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and the Arena di Verona, in Italy.
Kirstin Chávez has earned praise for her performances in modern operas, as well, with Ultima in Armienta's world premier opera Bless me, Ultima on the celebrated novel of the same name by Rudolfo Anaya. She was Thérèse, in Tobias Picker’s Thérèse Raquin (San Diego Opera) and Sondra Finchley in Picker’s An American Tragedy, which was her Metropolitan Opera principal debut in 2005. She then added Sister Helen Prejean in Heggie's Dead Man Walking, of which the Tulsa World reviewer referred to her performance as “Searing and Incandescent,” and Sharon Falconer in Aldridge’s Elmer Gantry, of which the Tulsa World reviewer spoke of the “otherworldy quality to her singing; a mix of the earthy and the ethereal.” In 2017, Ms. Chavez premiered the role of Glenda Ramos in the wildly successful world premier hybrid opera We Shall Not Be Moved, with Opera Philadelphia, and then taken to the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY and Amsterdam Opera in the Netherlands, and on to Pittsburgh Opera in 2023..
Ms. Chavez made a role debut as Lucretia in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, at Maggio Musicale in Florence, Italy and her subsequent travel to the United Kingdom, resulted in her debut with two major companies: The Welsh National Opera, as Carmen, and at The Royal Opera House in London with the role of Marquise de Merteuil in the contemporary opera Quartett by Luca Francesconi; a production with which she then made her Swedish debut with Malmö Opera.
In 2018/19, Kirstin was seen as Flora in the highly anticipated production of La Traviata at the Metropolitan Opera which marked the beginning of Yannick
Nézet-Séguin’s tenure as music director. As a part of this production, Kirstin was seen and heard in movie theaters around the world in the HD broadcast on December 15, 2018.
Over the past 8 years, Kirstin and several talented colleague/friends have created and prepared Kirstin’s new ‘one-woman Carmen show’ called CARMEN INSIDE OUT. This is a dream realized for Kirstin because it provides an outlet for her to share the depths and intricacies of the character of Carmen who has come to be so much a part of her during her 20+ year professional career. She has now offered five mini-tours of the show in the UK, the US, France, Switzerland and Japan. In summer of 2025, Ms. Chávez will release CARMEN INSIDE OUT, the FILM, in partnernship with the Dallas Opera and the University of Utah College of Fine Art
Kirstin is well known on the concert stage, having performed in numerous oratorios and concert productions, including such works as Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s Magnificat, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Verdi’s Requiem, the Mahler’s 2nd Symphony and Rückert Lieder, and Manuel de Falla’s El Amor Brujo.
Kirstin Chávez was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but spent most of her childhood in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where her parents worked as English and Music teachers. She received a Bachelor of Music degree, with Honors, from New Mexico State University, and a Master of Music degree in Performance, and the Performer’s Certificate, from the Eastman School of Music. After beginning an Artistic Residency with the Orlando Opera, Ms. Chávez won several major international competitions, including The Sullivan Foundation, The George London Foundation, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, the Opera Index Foundation, The Gerda Lissner Foundation, the Jensen Foundation, and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions (National Finalist).
RICHARD TROXELL
Richard Troxell’s beautiful lyric tenor voice has been thrilling audiences in leading roles in opera houses and on concert stages around the world for over 25 years. Richard’s career has ranged from the starring role of Pinkerton in Martin Scorcese’s Sony Film of Madama Butterfly to being a recurring guest on Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night, to climbing out of the sewers of Seville as Don José at the Sydney Opera House in Carmen, to singing the National
Anthem for MLB’s ALCS to sharing the stage with Opera star’s Denyce Graves and Roberto Alagana to costarring on Broadway with the beloved Broadway soprano, Melissa Errico, to singing the role of the dwarf in Zemlinksy’s “Der Zwerg” at Avery Fisher Hall to directing “Eugene Onegin” at the Academy of Vocal Arts.
An extremely versatile singer, Richard runs the gamut of musical genres from his recordings of Jazz, Broadway and Opera to performing at Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera. He has worked with Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Placido Domingo, James Conlon, Lorin Maazel, , Georges Pretre, Bertrand de Billy, Emmanuel Villaume, Michel Plasson, Joel Levy, Erich Kunzel, Keith Roberts, , Jeff Tyzik, Anton Coppola, Steven Mercurio, Quest Love and the Roots and the list goes on….
Mr. Troxell’s star turn as Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton in the award winning Sony film Madame Butterfly, presented by Martin Scorcese, received high praise following its premiere in Paris and the U.S. in 1996. Film critics Siskel and Ebert gave him “two thumbs up” and said of Richard’s performance ”His voice is splendid and his manner assured.” The New York Times deemed his performance “the most dramatically satisfying vocal characterization” in the film. His Pinkerton is one of the most viewed performances of this role.
Richard’s continued success in film is evidenced in two other DVDs. First on the EMI label, Marta Domingo’s production of La Rondine from the Washington Opera which was later broadcast on the PBS series Great Performances and secondly with Deutsche Grammophon label Franco Alfano’s opera Cyrano de Bergerac in which he portrays the handsome officer Christian opposite the Cyrano of Roberto Alagna.
In 2015-16 Richard made his Metropolitan Opera debut in Michael Mayer’s production of Rigoletto followed just 5 months later by his Broadway Debut in the New York City Center’s Tony Award “Encores” Series in Rodgers’ and Sondheim’s Do I Hear a Waltz alongside Broadway Star, Melissa Errico. His performance of Pablo Neruda in Daniel Catan’s Il Postino with Opera Saratoga was his debut into the world of Spanish Opera.
Equally at home on the concert stage, Mr. Troxell has been seen with the San Francisco Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Saint Louis Symphony in his signature role as Tenor Soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana. Other concert engagements of note include Handel’s Messiah with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Mahler’s Die Lied von der Erde with the Detroit
Symphony, and Mendelsshon’s Walpurgisnacht with the Denver Symphony. At Avery Fisher Hall, Mr. Troxell performed the Title Role in Zemlinsky’s opera Der Zwerg under the baton of Leon Botstein with the American Symphony Orchestra. Opera News called his interpretation” the afternoon’s most successful performance.”
Starting out as an actor in musical theater at the beginning of his career, Richard loves returning home to the Broadway and Pops standards. He has been a favorite with the Boston Pops, the Cincinnati Pops with Erich Kunzel, the Naples Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony, and the Erie Pops singing the hits of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Lerner and Lowe, Rogers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd-Webber and many more.
Richard Troxell’s talents as an actor and singer are evidenced in the wide variety of roles he has sung ranging from a punk-rocker in a contemporary staging of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut for the Spoleto Festival USA , to the wide-eyed innocence of Candide for Portland Opera, to the maniacal Don José in Carmen, to the love-struck Roméo in Roméo et Juliette at Teatro de la Maestranza.
Away from the stage, Richard appeared with Garrison Kellior on his show 'A Prairie Home Companion' when he was in Minnesota appearing at the opera. And baseball fans have not been denied the opportunity to hear Richard for 15 years in a row as he sang The Star Spangled Banner at the Opening Day ceremonies in Camden Yards for his beloved Baltimore Orioles.
Mr. Troxell’s recording credits include, his latest 2 solo Cd’s So in Love with the Tom Lawton Trio, Classic Broadway with the Czech National Symphony under the baton of maestro Steven Mercurio, the role of Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly for the Sony label, the role of Beppe in I Pagliacci for the Deutsche Gramophone label under the baton of Georges Prêtre, the role of Christian in Cyrano de Bergerac for the Deutsche Gramophone label, the role of Galieo in Philip Glass' Galileo Galilea for the Orange Mt. label, and numerous recordings for the Milken Archive of Jewish Music on the Naxos Label, including Masada by Marvin David Levy with the Berlin Radio Symphony and his first sold out solo CD Wonderful World.
Richard Troxell is from Thurmont, Maryland where he started singing at the age of four along with his parents, belting out Broadway tunes at Lions Club benefits and singing hymns in the church choir. He received his operatic training at the Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in Philadelphia, PA. He currently
resides in the countryside of Chester County, PA with his wife dancer/ choreographer Lisa Lovelace and their two sons Wilder and Shane. When not performing, he enjoys spending time with his family, cooking, motorcycling, hiking , and long-distance bicycle riding.
LUIS LEDESMA
Mexican American baritone Luis Ledesma has established a reputation as a “rich and well controlled baritone” (Opera News). He frequently portrays the heroes and villains of Puccini, Verdi and the bel canto masters as well as roles in recent new works in Spanish including Florencia en el Amazonas and El pasado nunca se termina which featured debuts with Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, San Diego Opera and a return to NYCO Opera.
Recent engagements include Opera Colorado as Scarpia in Tosca and the title role of Gianni Schicchi with On Site Opera. Last season, Luis sang the role of the Payador in Astor Piazzola’s opera Maria de Buenos Aires with Kentucky Opera, Tonio in I pagliacci with Sacramento Symphony and was a featured soloist with the Toledo Symphony in their Puccini concert which featured the Messa di Gloria of Puccini and Il tabarro. This season, Mr. Ledesma will be seen singing the role of Rigoletto for Portland’s Opera in the Park.
Other recent engagements include Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Opera Omaha and Pacific Symphony, Augustino in El pasado nunca se termina with Fort Worth Opera, Carmina Burana with the Acadiana Symphony, and the title role of Macbeth with Syracuse Opera.
In the United States, Mr. Ledesma has sung with many companies, including Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Diego Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Washington Opera, New York City Opera, Arizona Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, Atlanta Opera, Santa Barbara Opera, Anchorage Opera, Santo Domingo, Madison Opera, Nashville Opera, Portland Opera, Indianapolis and Connecticut Opera, Opera Pacific, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Carolina, Memphis Opera, San Antonio Opera, New Jersey Opera, Minnesota Opera, Florentine Opera, and Hawaii Opera, Opera Omaha, Pacific Symphony, Fort Worth Opera and Syracuse Opera. He also sang two tours with Andrea Bocelli, performing in famous venues such as Madison Square Garden, Hollywood Bowl, Hard Rock Café in Hollywood, Florida, and
the Auditorio Nacional Mexico City.
Mr. Ledesma made his Carnegie Hall debut in the Faure Requiem and returned for Dvorak’s Te Deum. He has sung Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Mann Music Center with The Philadelphia Orchestra and with The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. He has performed a variety of orchestral repertoire including Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Louisville Orchestra, a series of Christmas concerts in Hannover with the NDR Radiophilharmonie and a Verdi concert presented in Die Alte Opera Frankfurt. He also performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for the Filarmonica de Jalisco and Gala concerts with Tampa Opera and with Festival Cultural Zacatecas, and a solo recital with Festival Classique des HautesLaurentides in Mont-Tremblant, Canada. His concert performances include La bohème (Marcello) at the Vail Festival and the Mann Music Center with The Philadelphia Orchestra and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Handel’s Messiah in Spain with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Asturias. He recently added appearances with Pacific Symphony, Sacramento Symphony and Toledo Symphony.
JULIA GERSHKOFF
Julia Gershkoff is a Soprano in Salt Lake City. Some highlights of her recent local performances include singing Mozart selections with the Salt Lake Choral Artists, Silence in The Romance of Silence by Anthony Buck with Opera Contempo, Water/ A Rose in The Little Prince with Utah Opera, and Guido’s Mother in Nine with Hart Theater Company.
Julia was the Soprano Resident Artist with Utah Opera from ‘20-‘22 where she performed Micaëla in La tragédie de Carmen, Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Tina in Flight, and Kate in The Pirates of Penzance. With the Utah Symphony, she has performed Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Handel’s Messiah, and the Annual Christmas Pops concert. Other local performances include Bach’s Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben with the Cathedral of the Madeleine and excerpts from Dowland’s The First Book of Songs or Ayres with the NOVA Chamber Music Series.
Julia received her M.M. in Vocal Arts and Opera at the University of Southern California in ‘20 and her B.M. in Vocal Performance at Ithaca College in ‘18. Outside of singing, Julia works as an Organizational Development Specialist
on the HR team at Odyssey House of Utah and loves evening walks with her dog and fiancé.
PAULA NESTICÓ
Argentine-American mezzo soprano, Paula Sofía Nesticó, has been praised for her warm and rich voice. Devoted to promoting reconciliation between the Americas, she has introduced audiences to several vocal works of Argentine composers in the native castellano accent. These include Carlos Guastavino’s Cuatro canciones coloniales, Flores Argentinas, and La rosa y el sauce.
Ms. Nesticó has recently organized and participated in several recitals including "An Evening in Nature Recital" and "Ariafest Recital." Her upcoming engagements for 2024 include Mercedes in Carmen Inside Out and "An Evening of German Lieder Recital" in Salt Lake City, UT. Notable appearances include: Madame de la Haltière in Cendrillon, L'écureuil in L'enfant et les sortilèges and an invitation to perform a selection from Logan Skelton’s song cycle Letters to Santa. Other credits include: Dritte Dame and Dritte Knabe in Die Zauberflöte at the German Vocal Arts Institute, scenes as Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus and Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, at the International Performing Arts Institute, Germany, and Mercedes in Carmen, Nursemaid in Street Scene, Zweite Dame in Die Zauberflöte and Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with Union University's Opera Workshop.
ROCIO VALLE LUCERO
Rocio Valle is an accomplished opera singer, born in Mexico. She began her vocal training at a young age as a church choir member and went on to earn a degree in vocal performance in Ciudad, Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Rocio has performed as chorister and soloist in northern Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Nebraska. She has also worked with renowned coaches and teachers such as Anthony Laciura, Dr. Isaac Hurtado and Deborah Voight. She has studied at the studio of tenor Jesus Suaste and vocal coach Judith Natalucci.
Some of Rocio's most notable performances include Suor Dolcina in Suor
Angelica, Opera To Go concert series, and Frida 1 and Gualupe Ponti in El último sueño de Frida y Diego with Opera Omaha. In addition to her operatic work, Rocio has performed in various concerts and festivals around Mexico and the U.S. Currently, she is pursuing her master's degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Utah in the studio of mezzo soprano Kirstin Marie Chavez.
JAMES BOBICK
Baritone James Bobick has enjoyed a versatile career, from leading operatic roles in the works of Donizetti, Verdi, Bizet, and Mozart to those in the operas of contemporary composers including Heggie, Adamo, Eaton, and Little. Mr. Bobick was seen in over twenty roles at New York City Opera including a Primetime Emmy-winning broadcast of La bohème. He has also appeared with companies including Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, Portland Opera, Opera Colorado, Connecticut Opera, Opera Omaha, Opera Pacific, Opera Delaware, Virginia Opera, Central City Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and the Bard Festival, among others. James can also be heard as Howard on the on the Grammy-nominated original cast recording of David T. Little’s Dog Days, a role he originated.
In addition to his work in the standard operatic repertoire, Mr. Bobick has extensive stage experience performing the new works of contemporary composers, including those by Jake Heggie, Mark Adamo, John Eaton, Peter Schickele, and David T. Little. In concert and on recording, he has performed leading roles in works by Robert Manno, Robert Aldrich, John Eaton, Hershel Garfein, Timothy Geller, Stephen Colantti, Robert Patterson, Matt Marks, Sergio Cervetti, Michael Dellaira, and Ted Hearne.
James Bobick is also a frequent concert soloist. At Carnegie Hall, he has been heard in Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass. He has performed at David Geffen Hall in concert works by Orff, Beethoven, Haydn, Bach, and Handel, and internationally, he has bowed as a soloist with the Prague Symphony, the National Symphony of Costa Rica, the Orchestre Pasdeloup in Paris, Reims, and Chartres, and as the featured soloist in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris.
SAM PLUMB
Sam Plumb has been storytelling via song his whole life. A child of military veterans, Sam was raised in several American states, settling in Utah as an adult. After spending his grade school years in choirs and community theatre productions, he decided to dedicate his life to the art of singing and music education. Following initial studies at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, He received his B.M. in Vocal Performance, Summa Cum Laude, from Utah Valley University He is currently working towards completion of a M.M. in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Utah, where he was most recently seen as The Mad Hatter/White Rabbit in Scurria’s A.L.I.C.E.. During the Summer 2024 season he enjoyed performing the title role in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring in his company debut with Chicago Summer Opera. As a Teaching Assistant, he performs as part of the University of Utah Graduate Vocal Quartet, and has a wonderful time teaching private lessons to undergraduate students. It is his great privilege to share his voice with the art-lovers of Salt Lake and beyond.
SOL 'LA ARGENTINITA' KOERAUS
Glenda Sol Koeraus, known as "La Argentinita," is a renowned Flamenco dancer, singer, and choreographer based in New York, with an impressive international career. As a soloist, she has performed at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater, and the Metropolitan Opera, where she was featured in La Traviata and Carmen. She also served as the Principal Dancer and Choreographer in Carmen at the Portland Opera in Portland, OR. Additionally, she has been featured in the pre-production of Tony Award-winning Christopher Gatelli’s In Your Arms at Powerhouse Theater and in Zorro! The Musical at Alliance Theater in Georgia. Sol has toured with Soledad Barrios and Noche Flamenca, sharing the stage with flamenco legends, and has worked as the Flamenco Ambassador for P&O Cruises. In 2007, she founded Flamenco y Sol Flamenco Company, a New York City-based touring company.
As a teacher, she has led numerous workshops at prestigious New York City studios such as the Alvin Ailey Dance Center, Mark Morris Dance Center, and Flamenco Vivo. Her work has earned her several notable grants, including
the NYSCA Grant in Choreography, the MAP Fund, the Jacob's Pillow Scholarship, the City Artists Corps grant, and the Jubilation Foundation grant. Known for both preserving flamenco’s traditions and pushing its boundaries, Sol continues to inspire audiences and students alike, both on stage and in classrooms worldwide.
ISACC MARTINEZ-TRINIDAD
Isacc Martinez-Trinidad is currently a senior in the ATP. He was born and raised around the Salt Lake Valley and is proud to be of Latino descent. Isacc’s previous acknowledgments include Ferdinand in The Tempest (Babcock Theatre), Alexander in Somewhere: A Primer For The End Of Days (Studio 115), Much Miller in The Heart of Robinhood (Meldrum Theatre), and Adam/US Orlando in As You Like It (Studio 115). He is thankful for an opportunity to perform in Kingsbury Hall and would also like to thank his parents for their continual support.
ISABELLA GRIMALDO-REEDER
Isabella is excited to be working with the cast and crew of Carmen Inside Out! She is a dancer with Tablado Dance Company under the direction of Solange Gomes. She was most recently seen in Plan B’s Radio Hour program, Sherlock Holmes and the Final Problem. She is a U of U ATP alum.
Isabella would like to thank her family for their support!
NIC LEE
Dance has been an integral part of Nic’s life for a long time. It’s defined by love. He started his dancing journey in his first year of high school at Alta. Following his first class there he tried out for the ballroom team a the school. He made it. Nic was on the Alta dance team and use a Showcase Ballroom dance style. Upon graduation he continue to take dance classes and improving his skills. Again, following passion. Nic began learning Flamenco Dance as side project, taking a local community course. He quickly advanced. Flamenco is about passion, soul, and heart. Nic has that! He
met Solange Gomez, who directs Tablado Flamenco, when taking a class at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. With Toblado he fell deeply in love with flamenco. He joined Toblado and has been performing 8+ years. The soul of Flamenco is togetherness. Nic has met many friends who border on family. This is Flamenco! He often takes a very central role in performances. Carmen Inside out will be his first production performance using flamenco dance style and is excited to help contribute to the show!
GUSTAVO ISLA SALAZAR
Gustavo Salazar is thirty-one years old and hails from Chile. His artistic career began with a knowledge of Chilean and Latin American folklore. He has spent twelve years in folk dance and taking contemporary dance classes, as well as several workshops related to dance. In 2014, he began his theater studies at the Macul Theater School, Santiago de Chile. His first play was Hechos Consumados by the Chilean playwright Juan Radrigán and directed by Marcelo Bailey, Director and Professor of the Macul Theater School. From that point, he has been seen in many dramatic and musical works, including La Ópera de 3 Centavos by Bertolt Brecht, La Pérgola de las Flores by Isidore Aguirre, as well as favorites including The Lion King and Hercules. He used the experiences he was given at the Macul Theater School to continue auditioning and working with theater companies. In 2019, to formalize his education, he began to study acting at the ARCOS Professional Institute, where he trained for two years.
JOHNATHON PAPE
Stage Director
Johnathon Pape has directed opera, musical theatre, and theatre throughout the US and abroad. Highlights include the world premiere of Griffelkin by Lukas Foss for NYC Opera; the US premiere of Daniel Catán’s La Hija de Rappaccini for San Diego Opera; Terrence McNally’s Master Class for HaBimah, the National Theater of Israel; Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking and Janáček’s Cunning Little Vixen for Tulsa Opera; Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd for The Skylight in Milwaukee; and Janáček’s Jenůfa for Portland Opera. Most recently, he has co-written and directed Carmen Inside Out—a one-woman version of Carmen that he created
with mezzo-soprano Kirstin Chávez, which has played in the US, UK, France, and Japan, and is currently being adapted for film. He and Chávez have also written 'Living the Dream: Building a Sustainable Career in the Performing Arts', published by Routledge/Taylor and Francis.
Pape was Director of Opera Studies at Boston Conservatory from 20112021, where he directed many productions, including Jonathan Dove’s Flight, Tom Cipullo’s Glory Denied, and Kamala Sankaram’s Thumbprint. He revised the graduate curriculum to focus on the skills necessary for students preparing to enter today’s opera industry, and taught various classes including Characterization, Audition Techniques, and The Business of the Opera Business. He has taught workshops and masterclasses for a variety of companies and training programs. He has a special affinity for the Czech repertoire, having received a Fulbright to the Czech Republic in 1994. Pape is a long-standing member of SDC—the Stage Directors and Choreographer’s Society—and AGMA—the American Guild of Musical Artists, as well as the Performer Development Network with Opera America. Prior to his appointment at Boston Conservatory, he was on the faculty of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.
ROBERT BALDWIN Conductor
Robert Baldwin is the Director of Orchestras and Professor of Conducting at the University of Utah and is the Music Director and Conductor for the Salt Lake Symphony. He is the founding conductor for Sinfonia Salt Lake, and also holds an honorary adjunct professor position at Wuhan University Center for the Arts in China. In the past two Decembers, he conducted the National Chorale’s Messiah SingIn at Lincoln Center in New York. International appearances include the Eutin Festspiele in Germany, Kuopio Academy in Finland, Hermitage Camerata in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Busan Maru Music Festival in South Korea, and the Hunan, Wuhan University, and Wuhan Conservatory Symphonies in China. He holds degrees from the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Iowa, and the University of Arizona. Also, a published poet, his works have appeared in various publications, including Poetry Quarterly and Haiku Journal. 'Desert Crossing', his second chapbook of poems, will be published in the spring of 2024.
LIZ WIAND
Stage
Manager
Liz Wiand is honored to be a part of Carmen Inside Out. As an alumni of the University of Utah’s Stage Management program, it is always a joy to be back on campus and perform at the Kingsbury Theatre. Since graduating Liz has worked around the valley at Pioneer Theatre Company, Utah Opera, and is currently serving as the Stage Manager and Production Operation Coordinator of Ballet West. With Liz’s strong passion for all forms of the performing arts, Carmen has been on her dream list of productions for many years.
ROBIN FARNSLEY-BECKER
Costume Designer
Costume designer Robin Farnsley-Becker is widely known for her meticulous attention to detail. Her costume creations are well-researched with accurate historical or modern creations. They are made with breath-taking opulence when called for or heart-breaking poverty or simplicity that mirrors a composer or director’s vision. Being a singer and performer herself, she knows how to accomplish all of this with no-detail-too-small quality and the knowledge that comfort is “key” to singing that supports that adage, “You are (can be) what you wear”!
ARIKA SCHOCKMEL
Properties Designer
Arika has worked extensively in props and costume crafts for theatre, television, and film. She is the resident Prop Manager for Plan B Theatre and the University of Utah Department of Theatre, where she teaches Prop Design and Construction and Scenography. Arika has propped, crafted, and designed throughout the West, including Pioneer Theatre Co., University Opera, Egyptian Theatre, Utah Festival Opera, Grand Teton Theatre, Dark Horse Company, Salt Lake Acting Company, Utah Contemporary, Lyric Repertory Co. and many more. Proud member of S.P.M., the Society of Prop Managers. Other projects include AEA stage management, emceeing, costume design, and the occasional acting gig. Arika holds a BFA from Utah State.
CIO PARTNERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
KIRSTIN CHÁVEZ,
Director
James Bobick
Kathie Horman
Justin Morgan
Johnathon Pape
Jeff Shields
Cassie Taylor
SUPPORTERS
University of Utah Seed Grant
Jim and Judy Michie
Kathie and Chuck Horman
Stephanie Valdez
Emrys Tate
Tanya Flores
Carol Ann and Brady Allred
Michael Bunchman
University of Utah Dee Council
Stephen Penrose
Steven and Ruth Ryave
Olivia Custodio
Seth Hoff
McCall Long
Jay and Jean Whitehead
Jackie Sheehan
Arlene Johnsson
SPECIAL THANKS
The CIO Partners Board of Directors
Dr. Kimberly Councill
Olivia Custodio
Petra Recter
Edwin Wall
