PLAN YOUR WOLF TRAP OPERA SUMMER
JUNE 4 STEVEN BLIER MASTER CLASS | 7 PM
7 UNTRAPPED: NOI + FESTIVAL, MENDELSSOHN, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM | 7:30 PM
11 TAMARA WILSON MASTER CLASS | 7 PM
14 UNTRAPPED: NOI + FESTIVAL, MAHLER, SYMPHONY NO. 2 (“RESURRECTION”) | 7:30 PM
15 UNTRAPPED: NOI + FESTIVAL, MAHLER, SYMPHONY NO. 2 (“RESURRECTION”) | 6 PM
20 THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO | 7:30 PM
22 THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO | 2 PM
24 THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO | 7:30 PM
25 SALON SERIES | 7:30 PM
26 THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO | 2 PM
28 THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO | 7:30 PM
29 ARIA JUKEBOX | 2 PM
JULY 1 SALON SERIES | 7:30 PM
9 UNTRAPPED: WTO STUDIO ARTISTS IN CONCERT | 7 PM
18 DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES | 7:30 PM
20 DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES | 2 PM
22 SALON SERIES | 7:30 PM
24 DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES | 2 PM
25 CARMINA BURANA WITH THE NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 8 PM
26 DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES | 7:30 PM
29 RENÉE FLEMING MASTER CLASS | 3 PM
31 STUDIO SPOTLIGHT | 7 PM
AUGUST 15 CARMEN | 8 PM
Scan to reserve your seats now!
LEE ANNE MYSLEWSKI WOLF TRAP VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERA AND CLASSICAL PROGRAMMING
Actor John Spencer, who played one of my favorite television characters — Leo McGarry on The West Wing — once said, “Art, at best, holds a mirror up to humanity.” He’s in good company, as similar sentiments weave their way through so many works including Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Brecht’s writings, and dare I say, the works on our stages this summer.
The pieces that have stayed with me over the years, like The West Wing, are notable for the strength of their characters; I find inspiration from them as they struggle (as we all do) with the trials of everyday life. As a student, I remember watching Babette’s Feast as many times as I could afford. The story of the chef and her lottery winnings — all spent crafting an incredibly indulgent meal for her adopted community — showed me the power of integrity and generosity, lessons that I return to time and time again.
When I think about the pieces we’ll produce this summer, it is again the characters that show me ways of navigating the world: the dexterous problem-solving that Figaro and Susanna achieve with such humor; the faith of the Sisters of Carmel, somehow simultaneously humble yet strong beyond measure; and the power in Carmen’s unpredictability and indelible sense of self. Even though these pieces were written many years ago, their lessons find a willing audience in me.
I can’t talk about generosity without mentioning two incredible sopranos who’ll be spending time with us this summer. Renée Fleming joins the Wolf Trap Opera team as our Artist Development Advisor; she will steward our singers in projects designed to advance their artistry and connect them to important members of our shared artistic community. And our 2025 Filene Artist in Residence, Tamara Wilson (’08), will bring her renowned expertise in interpreting Verdi and Wagner’s repertoire to our artists.
Please join us this summer, get to know our singers, and let these wonderful characters delight and inspire you!
2025 SEASON AUDITIONS BY
THE NUMBERS
RECEIVED A RECORD 1,401 APPLICATIONS
HELD AUDITIONS IN 8 CITIES: NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, CHICAGO, CINCINNATI, ATLANTA, HOUSTON, LA, AND VIENNA, VA
HEARD 486 AUDITIONS, WHICH TRANSLATES TO 81 HOURS OR ABOUT 5 ½ RING CYCLES
39 ARTISTS SELECTED FOR A 2.78% ACCEPTANCE RATE
WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mrs. Melania Trump
Honorary Chair
Mr. Daniel A. D’Aniello
Chairman
Mr. Arvind Manocha
President and CEO
Ms. Margaret Gupta
Vice Chair and Secretary
Mr. Matthew R. Korn
Treasurer
Mr. Raj Ananthanpillai
Mrs. Andrita J. Andreas
Mr. C.E. Andrews
Mr. Kevin T. Boyle
Ms. Jan Brandt
Mr. Richard K. Bynum
Mr. Bruce L. Caswell
Mr. David O. Childress
Mr. Dante D’Egidio
Dr. Melissa A. Delgado
Ms. Lynn R. Dillon
Mr. Dominic E. Dragisich
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Ms. Hillary Baltimore
Mr. Jeremy Blank
Mrs. Marcia M. Carlucci
Mr. Enrico A. Della Corna
Mr. Ric Edelman
Mr. Amr ElSawy
Mr. Vincent L. Ferraro
Mr. Gil Guarino
Mr. Stanley J. Gutkowski
Mrs. Jean Edelman
Ms. Virginia McGehee Friend
Mr. William R. Hanlon
Mr. Kenneth R. Hayduk
Ms. Sue J. Henry
Mr. Donald “Blue” Jenkins
Mr. Broderick D. Johnson
Mr. Eric J. Kadel, Jr.
Ms. Tracy K. Kenny
Ms. Alka M. Kesavan
Mrs. Susie King
Ms. Anne R. Kline
Ms. Nancy J. Laben
Mr. David H. Langstaff
Mr. Robert S. Lutz
Ms. Christina Co Mather
Mr. Prabu Natarajan
Ms. Katherine Newland (Ex Officio)
Mr. Christopher Raymond
Mr. James C. Reagan
Mr. Kevin Robbins
Mr. David Samuels
Mrs. Shelly S. Hazel
Dr. Ashok G. Kaveeshwar
Mr. John E. King
Mr. Gerald L. Kohlenberger*
Mr. John C. Lee, IV*
General Lester L. Lyles
Ms. Ramona Mockoviak
The Honorable Sean O’Keefe
Mr. Patrick Pacious
WOLF TRAP ASSOCIATES BOARD
Mrs. Suzanne Youngkin
Honorary Chair
Ms. Katherine Newland
Chair
Mr. Steven C. Job
Vice Chair and Secretary
Mrs. Sarah Choi
Ms. Rhonda Fleming
Mr. Leo F. Fox III
Ms. Bonnie Haukness
Mr. Pardha Karamsetty
Mr. William P. Krokowski
Mrs. Bambi Landew
Mr. David J. Martin
Mr. James E. P. Miller
Mrs. Linda Moses
Mrs. Pat Menster Neuman
Mr. Srikant Sastry
Ms. Anu Saxena
Mr. Fredrick Schaufeld
Mrs. Monica Schmude
Mr. Julian M. Setian
Mr. Kevin P. Smithson
Mr. Todd Stottlemyer
Mr. Kenneth Todorov
Ms. Jennifer L. Toole
Mr. Robert G. Van Hoecke
OTHER OFFICERS
Ms. Beth Brummel
Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Stephen D. Kahn
General Counsel
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
Mr. Terrence D. Jones
DIRECTOR EMERITUS
The Hon. Dirk Kempthorne FOUNDER
Mrs. Jouett Shouse (1896–1994)
Mrs. Norma G. Ramsey
Mr. John J. Robertson
Ms. Danielle O. Saunders
Ms. Karen Schaufeld
Ms. Theresa Thompson
Mr. Ranvir K. Trehan
Mr. David A. Winston
Mr. John B. Wood
*Former Foundation Board Chair
Mr. Daniel W. Quirk
Mrs. Chelsea Rao
Mrs. Amy Rossi
Mr. Jiten “Jay” Shah
Dr. Dru A. Smith
Mr. Brett Snyder
Mr. Dean Souleles
Mrs. Joan Stansfield
Mr. Douglas A. Tyson
Mrs. Cortney Weber
Mr. Jake Zatzkin
A Kay Shouse Great Performance
MUSIC BY GEORGES BIZET
LIBRETTO BY HENRI MEILHAC AND LUDOVIC HALÉVY
FILENE CENTER FRIDAY, AUGUST 15 | 8 PM
SPECIAL THANKS TO VIRGINIA McGEHEE FRIEND AND ANNE R. KLINE AND GEOFFREY POHANKA, PERFORMANCE SPONSORS
THE STORY
ACT I
In a town square in Seville, Micaëla passes by a cigarette factory in search of a soldier, Don José. Officer Moralès invites her to wait with him, but she decides to return for the changing of the guard.
Later, Don José’s military unit arrives, led by commanding officer Zuniga
The factory bell rings for a break and the square fills with women, including Carmen, who attracts the most attention. Before returning to work, she tosses a flower to José. Micaëla gives José a letter from his mother.
Suddenly, screams are heard from the factory: Carmen has been involved in a fight. She refuses to answer Zuniga’s questions. While Zuniga is writing out her arrest warrant, Carmen seduces José, who lets her escape.
ACT II
Carmen and her friends, Frasquita and Mercédès, are entertaining Zuniga and Moralès. Celebrated bullfighter Escamillo arrives and is instantly attracted to Carmen. Dancaïre and Remendado try to convince Carmen and her friends to accompany them on their next mission, but Carmen refuses, saying she is in love with José and is awaiting his release from prison.
Don José returns and declares his love for Carmen, who dances for him. When the roll call sounds from the barracks, José is torn between his military duty and his feelings for Carmen. In the moment José decides to leave, Zuniga returns. José is fiercely jealous and starts a fight with his superior officer. Realizing his army career is over, José now has no choice but to join Carmen.
ACT III
On a treacherous mountain pass, the smugglers relish the perils of their assignment. Carmen and José’s love affair has run its course: she has grown tired of him, though he is still obsessed with her. Frasquita and Mercédès read their fortunes in a pack of cards, but when Carmen cuts the cards, they foretell her death. The women leave to distract the customs guards, and José remains behind in the camp.
Micaëla and Escamillo converge on the deserted encampment, seeking José and Carmen, respectively. Micaëla hides as José confronts and fights Escamillo. Carmen and the smugglers return and stop them, and Escamillo invites the whole party to his next bullfight. Micaëla begs José to return to his dying mother.
ACT IV
A crowd has gathered for Escamillo’s bullfight, and Carmen arrives with Escamillo. After Escamillo enters the arena, Carmen meets José for a final confrontation.
Bizet - Carmen, Act I Setting, Mairet, The Victrola Book of the Opera, Victor Talking Machine Company, Samuel Hollad Rous, 1917.
THE UBIQUITOUS PRESENCE OF CARMEN
DR. NICOLE STEINBERG
From Bizet to Beyoncé, why has the story of Carmen captivated us for 150 years? Based on the 1845 French novel Revue des Deux Mondes by Prosper Mérimée, Georges Bizet’s opera follows a passionate gypsy woman’s seduction of a naïve soldier. Carmen betrays the soldier, Don José, pursuing another man instead. Don José, driven mad by his jealous obsession with Carmen, murders her. Since its 1875 premiere at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, Carmen has scandalized audiences with its erotic heroine and on-stage murder. The scandal, however, rather than spoiling the work’s success, has contributed to its lasting popularity even through today — opera goers continue to rush to the theater in droves for this guilty pleasure.
Over the past 150 years, Carmen has maintained its popularity both within the operatic canon and in popular media. From the concert hall to Broadway, from television to the silver screen, Carmen has been extracted and adapted. Bizet’s masterpiece has attained such a ubiquitous place due to the allure of the Carmen archetype and his sublime musical composition.
The titular character, Carmen, is a Spanish gypsy, exoticized or “Othered” by European society. A pejorative characterization of the Roma people, gypsies began to penetrate Spanish literature and theater as character archetypes as early as 1499. As literary scholar Lou Charnon-Deutsch writes, they were loathed for their presence and yet exalted for their perceived freedoms and rebel behavior. The most common trope for the male gypsy became that of the thief, while the most common trope for the female gypsy became that of the seductress, able to lure even the strongest men into impious action. In the Romantic period, when Bizet was writing his opera, the gypsy seductress, in particular, inspired a European fixation on the notion of “Romantic bohemianism” and desire.
Women Making Shells, Henrietta Mabel May, 1918.
To mark Carmen as both the exotic other and the epitome of desire, Bizet imbued her music with Spanish inflections and chromatic excess — constructing coaxing, taunting melodies to provocatively flaunt her sexual independence. Look no further than the most famous aria from Carmen: the “Habanera,” “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle,” which is actually not a melody Bizet wrote himself, but one originally composed by a Spanish composer named Sebastián Yradier! Bizet’s orchestration, however, brings Carmen to life. Outside the cigarette factory in Act I, the solo cello, in the syncopated rhythm of the “Habanera,” hypnotizes us with an arpeggio in D minor. Carmen, above this spellbinding pattern, sings an aria on the capricious nature of love: “Love is a rebellious bird that none can tame…”
“ Bizet’s Carmen , an extraordinary example of dramatic intensity and melodic genius, will no doubt continue to inspire countless adaptations.”
Though Carmen is untamable, it seems we have not been able to shake our obsession with her, and more specifically, her “Habanera.” Charlie Chaplin parodied the opera in his film A Burlesque on Carmen (1916) and featured excerpts of Bizet’s orchestral score, including the “Habanera.” Oscar Hammerstein II adapted the opera for a Broadway musical called Carmen Jones (1943), set in a Black community during World War II. Hammerstein also used the music of Bizet, rewriting the lyrics of the “Habanera” — “When your love bird decides to fly / There ain’t no door that you can close / She just pecks you a quick good-bye / And flicks de salt from her tail and goes.” Ten years later, Carmen Jones (1953) was adapted for film, directed by Otto Preminger and starring Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte.
In 2001, Beyoncé Knowles — yes, that Queen B — starred as Carmen Brown in Carmen: A Hip Hopera, her acting debut. Directed by Robert Townsend and debuted on MTV, the film only loosely followed the plot of the opera, featuring a completely original Hip Hop and R&B score by Kip Collins. Not to worry, though — there were still plenty of nods to Bizet. Beyoncé’s first appearance was in a red dress to a Hip Hop adaptation of Bizet’s “Habanera,” featuring the genre’s quintessential drum machine.
More recently, Bizet’s “Habanera” has been featured in such box-office busting features as Disney Pixar’s Up (2009) and 20th Century Fox’s Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). Excerpts from Bizet’s opera, primarily the “Habanera” and the “Toreador Song,” have also been prominent in television. Both make their way into an episode of Tom and Jerry (1962), and Denyce Graves sings the “Habanera” to Elmo as an “Operatic Lullaby” in an episode of Sesame Street (1998).
Bizet’s Carmen, an extraordinary example of dramatic intensity and melodic genius, will no doubt continue to inspire countless adaptations. You may encounter unexpected variations on the Carmen archetype (like Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct), and you may even hear tunes like the “Habanera” where you least expect them (like the 2008 Doritos Super Bowl commercial). Wherever you encounter Carmen, know that her legacy will continue to endure.
Dr. Nicole Steinberg recently earned her Ph.D. in Musicology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her research is centered on opera, trauma, and memorialization. She has lectured at Towson University, Annapolis Opera, Opera Baltimore, and Wolf Trap Opera.
(LE NOZZE DI FIGARO)
MUSIC BY WOLFGANG
AMADEUS MOZART
LIBRETTO BY LORENZO DA PONTE
NEW PRODUCTION
THE BARNS AT WOLF TRAP
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 | 7:30 PM
SUNDAY, JUNE 22 | 2 PM
TUESDAY, JUNE 24 | 7:30 PM
THURSDAY, JUNE 26 | 2 PM
SATURDAY, JUNE 28 | 7:30 PM
SPECIAL THANKS TO ED AND ANDY SMITH, PERFORMANCE SPONSORS
THE STORY
ACT I
Figaro and Susanna, both servants to Count Almaviva, are soon to be married. Susanna is worried about the Count’s advances towards her, but Figaro vows to outmaneuver him. Dr. Bartolo and his housekeeper, Marcellina, scheme to make Figaro repay his overdue loan to Marcellina. She reminds him that he vowed to marry her if unable to pay. The Count’s page, Cherubino, asks Susanna for help with the Count, who caught him with Antonio’s daughter, Barbarina, and intends to send him away to the military.
ACT II
Countess Almaviva laments her husband’s infidelity when Susanna arrives to dress the Countess for the day. Figaro enlists the help of the music teacher Basilio to deliver an anonymous letter to the Count, warning him of adulterers, in the hope of distracting him during the wedding that evening and keeping him away from Susanna. Susanna also has a plan to disguise Cherubino as a woman and entrap the Count in an act of infidelity. As they are finding a dress for him, the Count suddenly appears, highly suspicious after reading Figaro’s letter. Cherubino barely escapes. Marcellina arrives to demand that Figaro honor his promise to marry her. The Count happily announces that the wedding is postponed until Figaro’s debt is resolved.
ACT III
Figaro argues that he cannot marry without the permission of his parents, which he cannot obtain because he was stolen from them as a baby. Accompanied by a lawyer, Don Curzio, Marcellina comes to realize that Figaro is her own long-lost son, fathered by Bartolo. Figaro’s debt is called off, the wedding is back on, and everybody rejoices. Meanwhile, Susanna and the Countess hatch a plan to entrap the Count. They send him a letter inviting him to meet Susanna that night in the garden.
ACT IV
The Countess and Susanna swap clothes to fool the Count. When he arrives in the garden and sees “Susanna,” he declares his love for her. Figaro arrives and recognizes his bride disguised as the Countess. The Count witnesses Figaro proudly declaring his love for “the Countess” and, fooled by Susanna’s disguise, shouts for the guards and orders Figaro’s arrest. Suddenly the Countess reveals her true identity and the Count, realizing he’s been caught red-handed, begs forgiveness. All’s well that ends well…right?
A SPECIAL RECEPTION
June 28: Following the last performance, Wolf Trap Opera invites attendees to a post-performance reception and toast to the happy couple (and cast!). Festive formal attire optional.
REFRAMING FIGARO THROUGH PICASSO
Each time I approach a production, I begin by asking: Why is it important to tell this story now? The Marriage of Figaro is an iconic piece that has endured for centuries, yet it remains deeply relevant, particularly in today’s political and social climate. At its core, the opera is a story of power — who wields it, who resists it, and how it shifts over time. The Count’s relentless pursuit of Susanna, his disregard for his wife, and his sense of entitlement over those around him reflect dynamics that are as urgent now as they were in Mozart’s time. In exploring how to bring these themes to life in a way that speaks to our present moment, I found myself drawn to another towering artistic figure: Pablo Picasso.
Picasso was a revolutionary artist, reshaping how we see the world, yet he was also a man whose personal relationships with women were fraught with contradiction. He revered and immortalized them in his art while simultaneously exerting control over them in his personal life. Women in his life — muses, lovers, and wives — were often transformed in his work, fragmented and reassembled in ways that spoke to both admiration and domination. This duality felt eerily parallel to the Count, who both desires and diminishes the women around him.
With this in mind, we approached the production through the lens of Picasso’s art and life, allowing his aesthetic and personal history to inform the world of Figaro. Working with a brilliant design team — set designer Laura Fine Hawkes, costume designer Loren Shaw, and lighting designer Colin K. Bills — we have crafted a space where the boundaries of reality and abstraction blur. The visual world draws inspiration from Picasso’s many artistic periods, from his Cubist deconstructions of form to the stark, emotional rawness of his Blue Period. In our production, men and women exist in different visual planes: the men, rooted in Picasso’s own wardrobe and era, move through the world as figures of realism and tradition, while the women begin as abstract, fragmented figures, embodying the distortion seen in Picasso’s portraits. Over the course of the opera, the women reverse the power dynamic — piece by piece, stroke by stroke — until, by the final moments, the women have reclaimed their clarity, while the Count is left in fractured abstraction.
Our set, really our environment, mirrors this transformation. The space is based on several of Picasso’s studios and is minimal, allowing the characters to enrich the area with colors, textures, and shapes that are layered in — echoing the way Picasso’s art reshaped perspective. An artist ladder, frames, and shifting panels create a sense of a living space, a canvas that moves and changes as the characters struggle for agency.
At its heart, The Marriage of Figaro is a story of resistance — of the powerless challenging the powerful, of women fighting to reclaim their agency. In reimagining the opera through Picasso’s world, we invite audiences to look at this classic through a different frame, one that reflects not only Mozart’s time but our own. The questions it asks — about power, control, and the perception of identity — are ones we are still wrestling with today. I hope this production offers a new way of seeing this masterpiece and, perhaps, ourselves.
— E.
LOREN MEEKER, DIRECTOR
He talks about love. He is the only male in the opera (before the last act, at any rate) who has the slightest interest in that emotion. Certainly, the breathlessness of “Non so più” expresses the promiscuous quality, as well as the confusion, of adolescent infatuation. But it also contains romantic and poetic sentiments. This passion is evident in the beautiful aria “Voi che sapete,” which is remarkable for its utter difference from the arias of all the other males. Cherubino simply talks about love, is eager to learn, and makes no attempt to conceal his vulnerability.
“ Life together in society requires something like an unjaundiced trust in the possibility of love, and, perhaps above all, a sense of humor about the world as it is.”
How did Cherubino get to be this way, a way that promises real reciprocity in passion? He was brought up by women and kept a stranger to the men’s world. I would argue that he is therefore the opera’s pivotal character, a male who can be both delightful and loving.
What, then, happens at the opera’s close, when the Count begs his wife for forgiveness? Temporarily, at least, the male world yields before the female world, asking for pardon. And then there is a pause. And what, in this silence, might the Countess be thinking before she says, “Yes”?
If she has any sense — and we know that she has a great deal — she will be thinking, “What on earth does this promise of renewed love really mean?” When, after that pause, she answers, “I am nicer, and I say yes,” with a
phrase that arcs downward, she is saying yes to the imperfection in all their lives, accepting the fact that love will always be uneven and far from blissful. She is agreeing to love, and even trust, in a world of inconstancy and imperfection — an affirmation requiring more courage than any of the battlefield exploits mentioned by Figaro in “Non più andrai.”
And here’s where we arrive at politics, at a subtler and deeper level. What she agrees to, here, is what the ensemble also agrees to: “Ah, all of us will be happy in that way.” What that seems to mean is that all present say yes to a world that seeks and aims at reciprocity, respect, and attunement without being starry-eyed about perfection. Life together in society requires something like an unjaundiced trust in the possibility of love, and, perhaps above all, a sense of humor about the world as it is.
These ideas of love, trust, and reciprocity are not clear in the text, and far more emphatically brought out in the music. But Mozart’s music is not in some unattainable heaven, it is in the middle of our world, and in the bodies of those who sing it; it reshapes the world by reshaping breath itself. “This day of torment, of craziness, of foolishness — only love can make it end in happiness and joy.” Indeed.
Martha C. Nussbaum is Professor of Philosophy and Law at the University of Chicago. Her most recent books are Justice for Animals (2023), The Tenderness of Silent Minds: Benjamin Britten and his War Requiem (2024), and the forthcoming The Republic of Love: Opera, Breath, and Freedom.
This article is edited from its original version, which was commissioned by and appeared in the official program book for The Marriage of Figaro production by Lyric Opera of Chicago. It is used here by permission.
(DIALOGUES DES CARMÉLITES)
MUSIC & LIBRETTO BY FRANCIS POULENC
ORCHESTRAL REDUCTION BY NICHOLAS GREER
WOLF TRAP OPERA PREMIERE & NEW PRODUCTION
THE BARNS AT WOLF TRAP
FRIDAY, JULY 18 | 7:30 PM
SUNDAY, JULY 20 | 2 PM
THURSDAY, JULY 24 | 2 PM
SATURDAY, JULY 26 | 7:30 PM
SPECIAL THANKS TO ED AND ANDY SMITH, PERFORMANCE SPONSORS
THE STORY
ACT I
Paris, April 1789: The French Revolution is gaining momentum. Returning home after a terrifying encounter with a mob, Blanche de la Force announces to her father and brother — Marquis de la Force and his son, the Chevalier — her intention to join the Carmelite Order of Compiègne as a nun. Once at the convent, the aged prioress Madame de Croissy makes clear to Blanche that the church is a place of prayer, not refuge.
Blanche and Sister Constance discuss their fear of death, which Constance claims to have overcome. However, Constance shocks Blanche by telling her that she knows they will both die young and on the same day.
Madame de Croissy is lying on her deathbed. She entrusts Blanche, as the newest member of the order, to the care of Mother Marie. The prioress confesses her fear in the hour of death, then falls back lifeless.
ACT II
That night in the chapel, Blanche and Constance keep vigil over the body of the prioress. Constance hopes that Mother Marie will be the new prioress, but Madame Lidoine is appointed instead. She gathers the nuns to reassure them as the Revolution intensifies. The Chevalier de la Force arrives to persuade his sister to flee Paris with him, but Blanche vows not to leave her sisters.
The Chaplain, stripped of his office by the revolutionaries, performs one final mass in the convent. They are interrupted by the arrival of two Commissioners. All religious houses have been dissolved, and the nuns must immediately put aside their habits and rejoin the community or face execution.
ACT III
In the devastated chapel, the nuns take a vote to become martyrs. Overcome with emotion, Blanche flees.
Blanche is forced to work as a servant in her family’s ransacked home. Mother Marie visits and urges her to rejoin her sisters. Later, Blanche learns that the nuns have been arrested.
At the Conciergerie prison, Madame Lidoine joins the sisters in their vow of martyrdom. The Jailer enters and reads the death sentence.
On the Place de la Révolution, the Carmelites walk towards the guillotine while singing the “Salve Regina.” With each stroke of the blade, their voices are cut off one by one, finally leaving only Constance. On her way to the scaffold, Blanche steps up from the crowd and follows Constance to her death.
THE POWER OF DIALOGUE
Dialogue: Old English dialogas (plural), Latin from Greek dialogos, from dia ‘through’ + logos ‘word.’ Definition: to take part in a conversation or discussion to resolve a problem.
Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites is a window into 18th-century Paris during the final years of the revolution, ending with the death of 16 Carmelite nuns by the guillotine’s blade. The opera approaches these events through the personal discussions between the characters as they reckon with the surrounding events.
Carmelites begins with the age-old question: How do you solve a problem like Blanche? The Marquis de la Force, her father, paints a detailed picture of the young woman by discussing her troubling constant fear. He believes a sturdy marriage will provide Blanche with the foundation she needs. Blanche offers her own solution to this concern: she wishes to join the Carmelite nuns, offering herself up in prayer. Blanche sways her surprised father to understand her side, and by the end of scene one, we’ve had our first dialogue.
From the seed of Blanche’s choice grows the opera’s more prominent and urgent problems. Each complication is addressed in a similar way — through a dialogue. Throughout the piece, characters never proclaim a solution that is instantly adopted; rather, alternative viewpoints are heard and considered by the group. The nuns are ultimately faced with an almost impossible problem: a mob at their doorstep proclaims that religion is now punishable by death. How will they, as a group, overcome this challenge? While the answer may be evident from history, the process by which this group of women arrives at an answer is not a straight path. This process — these dialogues — makes this opera one of the most intriguing in the repertoire.
As a director, part of my role is facilitating dialogues. I believe in the collective power of creatives coming together to collaborate on building a world, while finding solutions for the obstacles that arise. Listening with an open mind is a vital skill during this process. When we consider a solution that is not our own, we can come to a fuller, more expansive vision. This production is the product of hours of dialogue in the form of the design process, score preparation, rehearsal, tech, emails, phone calls, and images — a tangible culmination of the power of conversation.
Almost exactly 231 years ago (July 17, 1794), the 16 Carmelite nuns marched to the guillotine, united by their resolve to die for their faith. Their decision exemplifies how we, too, can face any problematic challenge in the world around us through intentional dialogue.
— KATHERINE M. CARTER, DIRECTOR
The Carmelites of Compiègne were to attain their greatest renown, however, through the unlikeliest of advocates. Francis Poulenc (1899–1963), a wealthy, worldly, and gay Parisian, ran with the iconoclastic disciples of Cocteau and Satie known as Les Six, establishing himself as a musical enfant terrible through ballets, chamber works, and songs redolent of café, street, and circus music. That is, until 1936, when this self-described “half monk, half hooligan” rediscovered his Catholic roots and began creating the richest trove of French sacred music since the Baroque era. This culminated in Dialogues des Carmélites, which Poulenc himself adapted from Bernanos’ play, composed from 1953–1956 and premiered at La Scala on January 26, 1957.
“ …as Constance puts it, ‘Perhaps we do not die for ourselves, but for each other, or even instead of each other.’”
Realizing just how radical it was to write an old-fashioned opera during the staunchly serialist 1950s, Poulenc apologized, “It seems that my Carmelites can only sing tonal music. You must forgive them.” In the score’s dedication, Poulenc acknowledged his debt to Mussorgsky, Monteverdi, Debussy, and Verdi. And Dialogues des Carmélites surely does combine the epic sweep of Boris Godunov and Don Carlos with the conversational intimacy of Pelléas et Mélisande and L’incoronazione di Poppea Poulenc also claimed to have modeled the vocalism of his female protagonists after Thaïs (Blanche), Zerlina (Constance), Kundry (the Old Prioress), Desdemona (the New Prioress), and Amneris (Mother Marie). For all his homage to the past, though, Poulenc synthesized these elements in a wholly personal manner, and one completely in
tune with the opera’s main dramatic idea, the transference of grace from one soul to another; as Constance puts it, “Perhaps we do not die for ourselves, but for each other, or even instead of each other.”
Dialogues des Carmélites was not the first, nor would it be the last, time that Poulenc would show an immense empathy for women. Each of his three operas is driven by a strong female protagonist: the plucky, gender-bending Thérèse in Les mamelles de Tirésias (1947); the timorous Blanche in Carmélites; and the desperate Elle in La voix humaine (1959), who Poulenc claimed to have based upon himself. Though the three operas could not be more different in most respects, their prime donne show musical affinities, at least partly because all three were conceived for the remarkable Denise Duval, the Folies Bergères chanteuse turned prima donna who became Poulenc’s muse and close friend.
Poulenc’s three operatic heroines also show dramatic affinities; they each strive, with varying degrees of success, to find and live their truth. Poulenc’s Carmelite sisters struggle mightily to hew to their faith — a faith that first eludes Blanche — when all else is wrested from them. For this “crime,” they are punished by the State. May the memory of the brave Carmelites of Compiègne, so vividly kept alive by Poulenc, inspire us all to live with integrity in an increasingly bruised world. We forget them at our own peril.
Cori Ellison has served as staff dramaturg at New York City Opera, Glyndebourne Opera, and Santa Fe Opera and is a member of the Vocal Arts faculty at The Juilliard School and the Composer Librettist Development Program faculty at American Lyric Theater.
Wolf Trap Opera’s (WTO) home stage performances embody its core mission to discover and promote the finest emerging talent in the opera field. Whether inside at The Barns or outside at the Filene Center, WTO relies on the venue’s resources to mount the high-quality productions that define its training program and reputation.
Although WTO’s cornerstone programming remains on campus, the company continues to expand its reach beyond these boundaries to engage with new audiences and share fresh perspectives. These exciting performance opportunities — and the partnerships that make them possible — are the essence of UNTRAPPED.
Through UNTRAPPED, WTO artists bring the thrill of live vocal music to new places and unexpected spaces.
Marin Alsop with the National Orchestral Institute + Festival.
SALON SERIES
SCOTTISH BARN | THE BARNS AT WOLF TRAP
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25 | 7:30 PM
Cecelia McKinley
Keely Futterer
Joseph Li, piano
TUESDAY, JULY 1 | 7:30 PM
Arianna Rodriguez
Sam Dhobhany
Renate Rohlfing, piano
TUESDAY, JULY 22 | 7:30 PM
Brittany Olivia Logan
Laureano Quant
Joseph Li, piano
The intimate essence of the recital is celebrated during these limited-capacity, artist-curated evenings. Come early for dinner and stay for a bespoke musical journey crafted by the performers. Each not-to-be-missed salon will showcase wildly different programs and artists. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear these singers in this intimate space.
SPECIAL THANKS TO DEBORAH F. AND DAVID A. WINSTON, PERFORMANCE SPONSORS
ARIA JUKEBOX
The audience gets to choose the songs!
SUNDAY, JUNE 29 | 2 PM
THE BARNS AT WOLF TRAP
No really, the AUDIENCE chooses! Vote for your favorite arias sung by your favorite Filene Artists. Don’t miss this high-energy afternoon, which is perfect for opera newbies and experts alike. Aria voting begins at 1 PM.
MASTER CLASSES
STEVEN BLIER
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4 | 7 PM
CENTER FOR EDUCATION AT WOLF TRAP
Recitalist, raconteur, and longtime Wolf Trap Opera favorite, Steven Blier works with Wolf Trap’s Studio Artists in this public master class focusing on art song and interpretation.
TAMARA WILSON
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11 | 7 PM
CENTER FOR EDUCATION AT WOLF TRAP
2025 Filene Artist in Residence and Grammy-winning soprano Tamara Wilson (’08) works with Wolf Trap Opera’s Studio Artists in this public master class. Wilson has garnered international recognition for her interpretations of Verdi, Mozart, Strauss, and Wagner and is the recipient of the prestigious Richard Tucker Award.
RENÉE FLEMING
TUESDAY, JULY 29 | 3 PM
CENTER FOR EDUCATION AT WOLF TRAP
Renowned soprano and Wolf Trap Opera’s newly appointed Artist Development Advisor, Renée Fleming works with the next generation of opera stars.
SCAN TO RESERVE NOW
Master Class events are free, but reservations are required and limited to two seats per household. wolftrap.org/masterclasses
RENÉE FLEMING ARTIST DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR
“
One of the most rewarding things about opera and classical music is the tradition of each generation nurturing the next group of rising artists. I am delighted to be expanding my mentorship of young singers with a new role at Wolf Trap Opera. Each summer, the WTO program attracts some of the most gifted young vocalists in the world, and I am looking forward to helping these phenomenally talented singers grow and develop their artistry.
”
Renée Fleming, the incomparable and internationally acclaimed soprano, joins Wolf Trap Opera as Artist Development Advisor. With her bold vision and deep passion for nurturing the next generation of singers, she will help shape the future of opera at the nation’s premier training ground for emerging opera talent.
In this role, Fleming will personally enhance WTO’s training programs with immersive guidance, seamlessly blending performance opportunities with mentorship. Over the next three years, she will launch a series of initiatives that reflect her commitment to developing rising artists. This summer her partnership will commence by working directly with WTO artists in individual and group settings, addressing topics such as audition skills and breadth of repertoire, and equipping young artists with the skills to thrive in the opera industry.
• American Impressions: Fleming will connect WTO artists and composers at the forefront of contemporary American opera in study and performance opportunities.
• NexGen: Fleming will hand-select members of the 2025 company and mentor them in planning and performing a recital at The Barns at Wolf Trap during the 2025–2026 season.
ABOUT RENÉE
Renée Fleming is one of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time and a leading arts and health advocate. Winner of five Grammy Awards and the US National Medal of Arts, she sings at the world’s greatest opera houses, concert halls, and occasions, including at Buckingham Palace and the Super Bowl. A WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health, she is an inaugural member of the WEF/Davos Global Arts and Culture Council. Fleming’s anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, was published in 2024. Other awards include the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal and honorary doctorates from 10 leading universities.
Watch Renée work with Wolf Trap Opera’s Filene Artists during her free Master Class on July 29 at 3 PM at Wolf Trap’s Center for Education. Scan to reserve your spot now!
SPECIAL THANKS TO DAN AND GAYLE D’ANIELLO, PROGRAM UNDERWRITERS AND 2025 WOLF TRAP SEASON UNDERWRITERS
Generations of WTO talent unite in December for Porgy and Bess with Denyce Graves (’89), Tichina Vaughn (’89, ’90), Alfred Walker (’99), Ryan Speedo Green (’13, ’14), and Jazmine Saunders (’23), and The Met’s holiday presentation of The Magic Flute includes four notable alums: Erin Morley (’07, ’08), Michael Sumuel (’10, ’11), Joshua Blue (’19), and Le Bu (’24)
FROM WOLF TRAP TO THE WORLD’S STAGES
WTO alumni perform in every corner of the globe! Heidi Stober (’06) assumed the role of Pamina in Die Zauberflöte in Dresden and was a soloist for Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in Lusławice and Warsaw, Poland. Diego Torre (’08, ’09) celebrates Bizet’s Carmen by singing for a 150th anniversary concert with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra before bringing Don José to life at Opera Australia this summer.
In Germany, this summer’s Filene Artist in Residence Tamara Wilson (’08), known as the world’s leading Verdi soprano, performed in Oper Frankfurt’s visionary Macbeth earlier in the year. Wilson sang Lady Macbeth alongside alumnus Nicholas Brownlee (’13) as Macbeth. Taking it to South America, Craig Colclough (’12, ’13) makes his mark on the same role in São Paulo, Brazil this fall.
FOUR FOR FIGARO AND CARMELITES
It is hard to find a major production in the US that doesn’t include a WTO alum, or multiple. While WTO presents Dialogues of the Carmelites and The Marriage of Figaro this summer, the two operas recently showcased alumni success at other top opera houses.
When The Met last performed Carmelites in their 2022–2023 season, the production featured alumni Christine Goerke (’95), Jamie Barton (’09), Ailyn Pérez (’06), and Piotr Buszewski (’18). Plus, the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s rollicking production of The Marriage of Figaro last year saw alumni Ying Fang (’13, ’14) as Susanna, Nicholas Newton (’18, ’20, ’21) as Dr. Bartolo, and current Filene Artist Gemma Nha as Barbarina. Matt Boehler (’03, ’05, ’06), who performed in WTO’s 2006 production, could be seen as Antonio.
STUDIO SUCCESS
Congratulations to former Studio Artists
Sadie Cheslak (’24) and Emma Marhefka (’22), two of the 2025 winners of The Met’s Laffont Competition, as well as Jazmine Saunders (’23) and Tessa McQueen (’23) who recently completed their first season with The Met’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program!
From left: Alumni J’Nai Bridges, Brenton Ryan, Will Liverman, and Kerriann Otaño in WTO’s 2016 production of The Rape of Lucretia
Alum Ying Fang in WTO’s 2014 production of Giulio Cesare
WOLF TRAP OPERA’S VISIONARY WOMEN
A free spirit who lives life on her own terms, a countess and maid who conspire to flip traditional power dynamics, and a sisterhood of nuns who unite to stand up for their faith: these are the dynamic female characters at the forefront of Wolf Trap Opera’s 2025 productions.
The conviction and strength of this season’s female characters are similarly found in the influential women who have shaped Wolf Trap Opera’s (WTO) history. That legacy starts with Wolf Trap’s illustrious founder Catherine Filene Shouse, who created WTO (then known as Wolf Trap Company) in 1971.
Catherine Filene Shouse
Wolf Trap Company members in 1971
However, Zambello claims her “breakout” occurred when she returned in 1985 to direct new productions of Viva la Mamma and Il Signor Bruschino at The Barns, just four years after its opening. In her words, “Having the chance to put together my own shows at an early age as a director is an opportunity that’s very hard for young directors to get today. Being in that leadership role was a wonderful experience.”
Some of Zambello’s fondest memories that summer were forging lifelong friendships with opera artists, some of whom she still works with today, and being invited into Mrs. Shouse’s kitchen to share iced tea, lemonade, and conversations about the founding of Wolf Trap.
“At that age, I certainly didn’t understand what that kind of sponsorship and generosity meant. Mrs. Shouse was truly an inspirational figure because she cared about the artists so much.”
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
This care and commitment to bettering young artists continued in the ensuing years, and in 1997, Kim Pensinger Witman was appointed head of opera and classical programming.
Witman discovered her passion for piano early on, but her enthusiasm and natural gift for opera coaching emerged later. During her 22-year tenure leading WTO, she cast and produced over 70 productions of 57 operas and, including her time as an associate, heard over 15,000 auditions.
“It was her first foray into [arts] administration, but boy howdy, did she take to it,” says McKee, who worked with Witman for years. “I was just in awe of the scope of her knowledge. There could have been no more perfect person for that role than Kim. She would say she had to grow into it over the years. From my perspective, that growth happened overnight.”
Under Witman’s guidance, in 2004 WTO commissioned its first opera, Mark Campbell and John Musto’s Volpone, which later earned the company a Grammy nomination for Best Opera Recording. Coincidentally, Lee Anne Myslewski was an administrative intern for Witman at the time and an assistant director to Leon Major for the same production. Myslewski would return two years later to join the Wolf Trap Opera team.
“The two of them together made a fabulous team,” McKee recalls. For Myslewski, the years of training and audition tours alongside Witman sharpened her ability to work with young artists as well as directors, conductors, and administrators.
Myslewski reflects, “There is a collaborative aspect in women’s leadership that I find really gratifying. That’s one of the big lessons that Kim and Ann both taught that I’m glad to carry forward: the importance of keeping your ears open, really listening, and being able to communicate and respond.”
Kim Pensinger Witman
Ann McKee
EXPANDING THE PROGRAM
In addition to the apprentice and Filene Artist programs, in 2007 WTO created the Studio Artists program for singers currently enrolled in a university or conservatory. By 2015, the opera program had more than doubled — something Wolf Trap’s longtime Costume Shop Manager Sue Chiang observed in a very tangible way.
“When I first started working at Wolf Trap [in 2001], we occupied what is now the hair and makeup area in The Barns and we spilled out into the green room…Finally in summer 2015, [after] we did Carmen at the Filene Center, we had three big shows in the shop and we had boxes literally from floor to ceiling,” says Chiang.
Outgrowing their space, the costume shop moved to its current location in the Shouse House — one of Mrs. Shouse’s former residences — near The Barns. With more room came even more opportunities for the program to expand. The following year, Myslewski spearheaded the UNTRAPPED series featuring artistic partnerships with local organizations and furthering performance opportunities for WTO artists around the DMV.
“Interestingly enough, when I was working at the University of Maryland back in the early 2000s, Lee Anne was an opera student there and I costumed her. It’s lovely to be working with her on another level now and see her growth as an artist and administrator,” says Chiang.
BEYOND WOLF TRAP OPERA
After Witman’s retirement, Myslewski became vice president of Wolf Trap Opera and classical programming in 2019. Not long after, a new opera dream team formed, including Manager of Artistic Administration Arianna Zukerman. With the help of other team
members, plus the recent addition of Artist Development Advisor Renée Fleming (read more on page 28), they are leading WTO into the future.
“ Why I keep coming back [to Wolf Trap Opera] is I love the fact that they are fostering the next generation of artists. That’s really important to me.”
– Sue Chiang, Costume Shop Manager
In 2024, Myslewski was appointed Board Chair for OPERA America, an organization dedicated to connecting and advancing the opera industry nationwide. In her new position, Myslewski hopes to shepherd the organization into a more contemporary and collaborative era and further WTO’s impact on the industry.
Meanwhile, back at Wolf Trap, Myslewski will continue to honor and advance Mrs. Shouse’s original mission. She shares, “I am proud to be part of this truly visionary line of leaders. Mrs. Shouse created an incredible structure within which opera has continued to thrive, and I’m grateful to be able to steward and expand her vision for current — and future — artists and audiences.”
Lee Anne Myslewski
FILENE ARTISTS
The 2025 Filene Artists were the catalyst for this season’s repertoire choices, and those selected represent the top 2.6% of singers who applied for this year’s Filene Artist roster. Wolf Trap Opera’s artist-centric approach makes a Filene Artist residency a coveted engagement for the best of the next generation of classical vocal talent. Filene Artists are emerging professionals on their way to significant careers who have already finished their academic or conservatory study.
AMANDA BATISTA* soprano
Manchester, NJ
Micaëla (Carmen)
TRAINING: Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, The Metropolitan Opera; Fleming Artist, Aspen Music Festival; Merola Opera Program, San Francisco Opera; The Juilliard School; Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University; Wolf Trap Opera (Filene ’24)
HIGHLIGHTS: High Priestess (Aida), The Metropolitan Opera; Mimi (La bohème), Atlanta Opera, Wolf Trap Opera; Bianca (La Rondine), First Lady (The Magic Flute), The Metropolitan Opera; Elettra (Idomeneo), Aspen Music Festival; Frau Fluth (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor), The Juilliard School
GABRIELLE BETEAG* mezzo-soprano
Lilburn, GA
Alto Soloist (Mahler Symphony No. 2), Mother Marie (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
TRAINING: Adler Fellowship, Merola Opera Program, San Francisco Opera; Studio Player, Atlanta Opera; Studio Artist, Chautauqua Opera; Georgia State University; Wolf Trap Opera (Filene ’24)
HIGHLIGHTS: Alto Soloist (Das Lied von der Erde), San Francisco Ballet; Mother (The Handmaid’s Tale), Iras (Anthony and Cleopatra, John Adams, World Premiere), San Francisco Opera; Mercédès (Carmen), Atlanta Opera
BLAKE DENSON*^ baritone
Paducah, KY
Marquis de la Force (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
TRAINING: Houston Grand Opera Studio; The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University; Wolf Trap Opera (Studio ’19, ’20; Filene ’24)
HIGHLIGHTS: Monterone (Rigoletto), Los Angeles Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Opéra national de Paris; Marcello (La bohème), Wolf Trap Opera; Ford (Falstaff), Houston Grand Opera; Donner (Das Rheingold), English National Opera; Schaunard (La bohème), Washington National Opera; Prince Yamadori (Madama Butterfly), Pastor/Kaboom (Fire Shut Up in My Bones), The Metropolitan Opera
SAM DHOBHANY^ bass-baritone
Brooklyn, NY
Bartolo (The Marriage of Figaro), Salon Series 7/1, Zuniga (Carmen)
TRAINING: Butler Studio Artist, Houston Grand Opera; Apprentice, Santa Fe Opera; Wolf Trap Opera (Studio ’22)
HIGHLIGHTS: Terry (Breaking The Waves), Houston Grand Opera; Marquis d’Obigny (La traviata), Santa Fe Opera; Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro), University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
CHARLES H. EATON* baritone
Storrs, CT
Count Almaviva (The Marriage of Figaro), Dancaïre (Carmen)
TRAINING: Resident Artist Program, Minnesota Opera; Apprentice Artist Program, The Glimmerglass Festival; Apprentice Artist Program, Des Moines Metro Opera; Resident Artist Program, Opera Colorado; University of Minnesota; University of Connecticut; Wolf Trap Opera (Filene ’24)
HIGHLIGHTS: Don Giovanni (Don Giovanni), Madison Opera; Silvio (Pagliacci), Pensacola Opera; Mercutio (Roméo et Juliette), Minnesota Opera; Ponchel (Silent Night), Wolf Trap Opera; Soloist (Duruflé Requiem), Carnegie Hall; Schaunard (La bohème), Sam (Trouble in Tahiti), Minnesota Opera
KEELY FUTTERER* soprano
Russellville, Arkansas
Salon Series 6/25, Madame Lidoine (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
TRAINING: Resident Artist Program, Minnesota Opera; The Glimmerglass Festival; Handorf Resident Artist Program, Opera Memphis; Filstrup Resident Artist Program, Tulsa Opera; Opera Saratoga; Si Parla, Si Canta; Eastman School of Music; Wolf Trap Opera (Filene ’24)
HIGHLIGHTS: Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Virginia Opera, Opera Memphis; Rosina (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Léontine (Anonymous Lover), Madison Opera; Anna Sørenson (Silent Night), Wolf Trap Opera; Musetta (La bohème), Minnesota Opera; Armida (Rinaldo), The Glimmerglass Festival, Minnesota Opera; Angostura LaBelle (Tenor Overboard), The Glimmerglass Festival
BRITTANY
OLIVIA LOGAN*^ soprano
Garden Grove, CA
Countess Almaviva (The Marriage of Figaro), Salon Series 7/22
TRAINING: Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, The Metropolitan Opera; Vocal Fellow, Ravinia Steans Institute; Young Artist, Cincinnati Opera; Wolf Trap Opera (Studio ’20, ’21; Filene ’22)
HIGHLIGHTS: Gerhilde (Die Walküre), Rotterdam Philharmonic; Bridget/Emelda (Migrations), Welsh National Opera; Anna (Nabucco), The Metropolitan Opera; Musetta (La bohème), Opera Maine; Liu (Turandot), Lyric Opera of Kansas City
SOPHIA MAEKAWA
mezzo-soprano
Kyoto, Japan
Cherubino (The Marriage of Figaro), Sister Anne of the Cross (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
TRAINING: Opera Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Renée Fleming Artist, Aspen Music Festival; Apprentice Artist, Santa Fe Opera; Gerdine Young Artist, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; Curtis Institute of Music
HIGHLIGHTS: Lee Ann (The Listeners), Tisbe (La Cenerentola), Pestuchyna (Jenůfa), Lyric Opera of Chicago; Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro), Aspen Music Festival; Ariodante (Ariodante), Curtis Opera Theatre
MIDORI MARSH*
soprano
Cleveland, OH
Soprano Soloist (Mahler Symphony No. 2), Sister Mathilde (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Frasquita (Carmen)
TRAINING: Young Artist Ensemble, Canadian Opera Company; University of Toronto; Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity; Wilfred Laurier University; Wolf Trap Opera (Filene ’24)
HIGHLIGHTS: Sydney (Sanctuary Song), Tapestry Opera; Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Calgary Opera; Musetta (La bohème), Wolf Trap Opera; House (Rocking Horse Winner), Tapestry Opera; Frasquita (Carmen), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Annina (La traviata), Canadian Opera Company; Norina (Don Pasquale), Under the Spire Festival
CECELIA McKINLEY^ contralto
Sterling, VA
Salon Series 6/25, Madame de Croissy (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
TRAINING: Cafritz Young Artist Program, Washington National Opera; Merola Opera Program; Wolf Trap Opera (Studio ’22); The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University; Institute for Young Dramatic Voices; James Madison University
HIGHLIGHTS: Schwertleite (Die Walküre) in Gods & Mortals: A Celebration of Wagner, Gertrude (Roméo et Juliette), Mastrilla (Songbird), Zweite Magd (Elektra), Washington National Opera; Mrs. Mister/Ella (Cradle Will Rock), InSeries Opera; Tardigrade (Forever), American Opera Initiative
GEMMA NHA
soprano
Sydney, AU
Sister Constance (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
TRAINING: Ryan Opera Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Apprentice Singer, Santa Fe Opera; The Juilliard School; University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
HIGHLIGHTS: Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Page (Rigoletto), Jess (The Listeners), Lyric Opera of Chicago; Flerida (Erismena), Ruth Baldwin (Later the Same Evening), The Juilliard School; Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Volksoper Wien; Tuptim (The King and I), Seefestspiele Mörbisch; Zerlina (Don Giovanni), University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
DANIEL O’HEARN
tenor
Chicago, IL
Don José (Carmen)
TRAINING: Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, The Metropolitan Opera; Young Artist Program, Pittsburgh Opera; Apprentice Singer Program, Santa Fe Opera; Young Artist Program, Utah Opera; DePaul University
HIGHLIGHTS: Matteo (Arabella), Deutsche Oper Berlin; Duca Cover (Rigoletto), Lyric Opera of Chicago; Rodolfo (La bohème), Steuermann (Der fliegende Holländer), Pittsburgh Opera; Roméo (Roméo et Juliette), Vashon Opera; Duca (Rigoletto), Vashon Opera; Ruiz (Il trovatore), Master of Ceremonies (The Queen of Spades), The Metropolitan Opera
ELISSA PFAENDER
mezzo-soprano
Delafield, WI
Marcellina (The Marriage of Figaro), Carmen (Carmen)
TRAINING: Gaddes Festival Artist, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; Vocal Fellow, Ravinia Steans Music Institute; Resident Artist, Tulsa Opera; Apprentice Artist, Sarasota Opera; Oberlin Conservatory; Westminster Choir College
HIGHLIGHTS: Anna Kennedy (Maria Stuarda), Teatro Real; Waltraute (Die Walküre), Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte), Deutsche Oper Berlin; Carmen (Carmen), Opera North; Mrs. McLean (Susannah), Dr. Landau (Awakenings), Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; Zulma (L’italiana in Algeri), Tulsa Opera; Soloist (Tchaikovsky Spectacular), Chicago Symphony Orchestra
LAUREANO QUANT* baritone
Barranquilla, Colombia
Salon Series 7/22, Escamillo (Carmen)
TRAINING: Ryan Opera Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Voice Fellow, Ravinia Steans Music Institute; Wolf Trap Opera (Filene ’24); Merola Opera Program; Songstudio, Carnegie Hall; Yale School of Music; Manhattan School of Music; Songfest; Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
HIGHLIGHTS: Bill (Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny), Staatsoper Stuttgart; El Payador (Maria de Buenos Aires), Madison Opera; Starek (Jenufa), Dancaïre (Carmen), Le Comte de Lerme (Don Carlos), Lyric Opera of Chicago; Belcore (L’elisir d’amore), Yale University Opera
ARIANNA RODRIGUEZ soprano
Burke, VA
Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro), Salon Series 7/1, Sister Alice (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
TRAINING: Merola Opera Program, Adler Fellowship, San Francisco Opera; Opera North; Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University; George Mason University
HIGHLIGHTS: Frasquita (Carmen), Moira cover (The Handmaid’s Tale), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Gianetta (L’elisir d’amore), Julie cover (Omar), Chrisanne Brennan cover (The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs), San Francisco Opera; Musetta, (La bohème), Opera North; Luisa (Zorro), Opera San José
CHRISTIAN SIMMONS bass-baritone
Washington, DC
Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro)
TRAINING: Cafritz Young Artist Program, Washington National Opera; Stipendiat Opernsänger, Deutsche Oper Berlin; Apprentice Artist, Santa Fe Opera; University of Maryland; Morgan State University
HIGHLIGHTS: Escamillo (Carmen), Opera Memphis; Colline (La bohème), Opera Carolina; Zuniga (Carmen), Florentine Opera; Colline (La bohème), Opera Delaware; High Priest of Baal (Nabucco), Lord Rochefort (Anna Bolena), Zuniga (Carmen), Deutsche Oper Berlin; Colline (La bohème), Atlanta Opera
ERIN WAGNER*
mezzo-soprano
El Paso, TX
Blanche de la Force (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Mercédès (Carmen)
TRAINING: Butler Studio, Houston Grand Opera; The Juilliard School; The Manhattan School of Music; Wolf Trap Opera (Filene ’24); Renée Fleming Artist Fellowship, Aspen Music Festival; Merola Opera Program
HIGHLIGHTS: Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Wolf Trap Opera; A Voice of the Unborn (Die Frau ohne Schatten), The Metropolitan Opera; Drummer (Der Kaiser von Atlantis), Louisville Orchestra; Winner of The Gerda Lissner Foundation Lieder, Opera Index, George & Nora London Foundation, Young Concert Artists, Schwabacher Recital Debut, and Naumburg Foundation competitions; Recitals: Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center
TRAVON D. WALKER^ tenor
Hinesville, GA
Chevalier de la Force (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Remendado (Carmen)
TRAINING: Eastman School of Music; The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University; Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago; Wolf Trap Opera (Studio ’22)
HIGHLIGHTS: Valcour (The Anonymous Lover), Opera Philadelphia; The Son (Blue), Lyric Opera of Chicago; The Navigator (Another City), Houston Grand Opera; Sam Kaplan (Street Scene), The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University
*Returning Filene Artist
^Former Studio Artist
STUDIO ARTISTS
The Wolf Trap Opera Studio program helps facilitate the transition from student to professional singer. Studio Artists are singers of significant potential who are either currently or recently enrolled in a university or conservatory voice program. They understudy principal roles, perform small roles, and sing in the chorus. They also work with a curated group of master teachers to continue their artistic and practical development.
TIMOTHY ANDERSON tenor
Plano, TX
TRAINING: University of North Texas
ROLES: First Commissioner (Dialogues of the Carmelites); Basilio (The Marriage of Figaro); Chorus (Dialogues of the Carmelites, The Marriage of Figaro)
NATHANIEL BEAR tenor
Melville, NY
TRAINING: Tanglewood Music Center; Boston University Opera Institute; Northwestern University; The Eastman School of Music
ROLES: The Chaplain (Dialogues of the Carmelites); Chorus (Dialogues of the Carmelites, The Marriage of Figaro)
COVER: Don José (Carmen)
CHANDLER BENN baritone
Amherst, WI
TRAINING: Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music; University of Wisconsin — Stevens Point
ROLES: The Jailer (Dialogues of the Carmelites); Chorus (The Marriage of Figaro, Dialogues of the Carmelites)
COVERS: Count Almaviva (The Marriage of Figaro); Dancaïre, Moralès (Carmen)
ADAM CATANGUI tenor
Sioux Falls, SD
TRAINING: Eastman School of Music; The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University; The Juilliard School; Opera Theatre of St. Louis; The Verbier Festival; Chautauqua Opera Conservatory
ROLES: Don Curzio (The Marriage of Figaro); Chorus (The Marriage of Figaro, Dialogues of the Carmelites)
COVERS: Chevalier de la Force (Dialogues of the Carmelites); Remendado (Carmen)
CATHERINE CREED soprano
Highlands, NJ
TRAINING: The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University; The Eastman School of Music; Prague Summer Nights; Songfest
ROLES: Barbarina (The Marriage of Figaro); Chorus (The Marriage of Figaro, Dialogues of the Carmelites)
COVER: Constance (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
ROBERT FRAZIER bass-baritone
Star Lake, NY
TRAINING: Curtis Institute of Music; Des Moines Metro Opera; Ravinia Festival; Music Academy of the West; SUNY Purchase
ROLES: Antonio (The Marriage of Figaro); Chorus (The Marriage of Figaro, Dialogues of the Carmelites)
COVERS: Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Escamillo (Carmen)
COLE HARVEY tenor
Milford, MI
TRAINING: Michigan State University
ROLES: Chorus (The Marriage of Figaro, Dialogues of the Carmelites)
COVERS: Don Basilio, Don Curzio (The Marriage of Figaro)
FRANCESCA HERRERA soprano
Atlanta, GA
TRAINING: Seagle Festival; University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance; Duke University
ROLES: Chorus (The Marriage of Figaro, Dialogues of the Carmelites); Soprano Soloist (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
COVERS: Susanna (The Marriage of Figaro); Frasquita (Carmen)
MADISON KAVANAUGH mezzo-soprano
Bossier City, LA
TRAINING: Louisiana State University; The Institute for Young Dramatic Voices; Sewanee Summer Music Festival, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
ROLES: Chorus (The Marriage of Figaro, Dialogues of the Carmelites)
COVER: Madame de Croissy (Dialogues of the Carmelites)
AYANNA LEWIS soprano
Lynwood, CA
TRAINING: University of Houston; California State University, Fullerton
ROLES: Chorus (The Marriage of Figaro, Dialogues of the Carmelites)
COVERS: Micaëla (Carmen); Barbarina (The Marriage of Figaro)
ARIA MINASIAN^ mezzo-soprano
Bainbridge Island, WA
TRAINING: Herndon Foundation Emerging Artist, Virginia Opera; Wolf Trap Opera (Studio ’24); University of Michigan; Lawrence University
ROLES: Chorus (The Marriage of Figaro, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Carmen)
COVERS: Blanche de la Force (Dialogues of the Carmelites); Carmen (Carmen)
FELLOWS
Coaching and Directing Fellows are emerging professionals that make critical contributions to WTO’s music and directing teams. Former Fellows have gone on to positions at leading opera companies and have developed thriving freelance careers as conductors and directors.
JESSICA BURTON directing fellow
Austin, TX
TRAINING: Resident Artist Director, Indianapolis Opera; University of Texas at Austin; West Texas A&M University
HIGHLIGHTS: Director: Il barbiere di Siviglia, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, Gallantry, Veteran Journeys, Indianapolis Opera; Cendrillon, Pomme d’api, Franco-American Vocal Academy (FAVA); Little Women, At the Statue of Venus, Speed Dating Tonight, Butler Opera Center at UT Austin; Assistant Director: Indy Opera; Austin Opera; LOLA; Amarillo Opera
CLAIRE CHOQUETTE directing fellow
Dallas, TX
TRAINING: Gerdine Young Artists Program, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; The Dallas Opera Outreach; Louisiana State University; University of North Texas
HIGHLIGHTS: OPERA America’s Robert L.B. Tobin Director/Designer Prize Winner, Salome; Little Women, Fort Worth Opera; Lucia di Lammermoor, Painted Sky Opera; La bohème, Shreveport Opera; The Impresario, Opera Baltimore; Scalia/Ginsburg, Charlottesville Opera; Alice Tierney and Siren Song, Boston University Opera Institute
JULIAN GARVUE coaching fellow
Seattle, WA
TRAINING: LA Opera Domingo/ Colburn/Stein Young Artist; Merola Opera Program; Music Academy of the West; Castleton Vocal Immersion Program; SongFest
HIGHLIGHTS: Rehearsal Pianist/Keyboard: Ainadamar; Rehearsal Pianist: Così fan tutte, LA Opera; Rehearsal Pianist/Continuo/Keyboard: Don Giovanni, La finta giardiniera, Sweeney Todd, Merola Opera Program, Indiana University
PEI-HSUAN LIN coaching fellow
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
TRAINING: Cafritz Young Artist Program, Washington National Opera; Merola Opera Program; SongStudio; Aspen Music Festival; Collaborative Piano Institute; University of Maryland; Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University
HIGHLIGHTS: Assistant Conductor/Coach: The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, Washington National Opera; The Jungle Book, Partenope, Roméo et Juliette, Washington National Opera; The Rape of Lucretia, Merola Opera Program, Indiana University
VLADIMIR SOLOVIEV coaching fellow
Barnaul, Russia
TRAINING: Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, Opera Theater of Saint Louis Gerdine Young Artist Program, University of Toronto, Eastman School of Music, Mannes College
HIGHLIGHTS: La bohème, Barber of Seville, Galileo Galilei, Opera Theater of Saint Louis; Tosca, Salome, Carmen, Magic Flute, Madama Butterly, Fantasma, Gianni Schicchi, Canadian Opera Company
E. LOREN MEEKER
Director: The Marriage of Figaro
General & Artistic Director, OPERA San Antonio; Stage Director, Madama Butterfly, OPERA San Antonio, Austin Opera; Stage Director, Acis & Galatea, Florentine Opera; Stage Director, La bohème, The Glimmerglass Festival; Stage Director, La Traviata, Opera Omaha
ANNE NESMITH
Wig & Makeup Design:
The Marriage of Figaro, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Carmen Wolf Trap Opera, Atlanta Opera, Seiji Ozawa Music Festival, Hyogo Performing Arts Center, Washington National Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Boston, Ford’s Theatre, Arena Stage, Signature Theatre, The Washington Ballet, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
EMILY SENTURIA
Conductor: The Marriage of Figaro
Le Nozze di Figaro, Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera; Bulrusher (World Premiere), West Edge Opera; Rinaldo, The Glimmerglass Festival, Minnesota Opera; Fellow Travelers, Florida Grand Opera, Boston Lyric Opera
LOREN SHAW
Costume Design: The Marriage of Figaro Romeo et Juliette, Washington National Opera; Tenor Overboard, The Queen of Spades, Glimmerglass Festival; Peter Pan and Wendy, Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare Theatre Company; The Girl with the Alkaline Eyes, Chase Brock Dance Experience
ASHLEY SOLIMAN
Costume Design: Carmen Fantastic Mr. Fox, Opera Omaha; Rusalka, Manhattan School of Music; I AM, Camille A. Brown & Dancers; Double Helix, Bay Street Theater; Angel Island, BAM & Beth Morrison Projects; The Rake’s Progress, The Juilliard School; Sweet Potato Kicks The Sun, Santa Fe Opera
MUSIC STAFF
DOMENICO BOYAGIAN
Diction Coach: The Marriage of Figaro Conductor, Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Suburban Symphony Orchestra; La bohème, Opera Delaware; L’Elisir d’Amore, Florentine Opera; Tchaikovsky/Bach, Delaware Symphony Orchestra; Verdi’s Requiem, National Symphony of Costa Rica
JOCELYN DUECK
Diction Coach: Carmen Language preparation and coaching at Manhattan School of Music, The Juilliard School, Bard College, New York University, Mannes College, The Metropolitan Opera, Glimmerglass Festival, Tanglewood Festival
DAVID HANLON
Head of Music; Assistant Conductor: Carmen Washington Concert Opera (Chorus Master), Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Diego Opera, Arizona Opera, New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera
KIRIL KUZMIN
Principal Coach/Chorus Master: The Marriage of Figaro Harpsichordist, Così fan tutte, Seiji Ozawa Music Academy (Tokyo); Pianist, How Do I Find You (Grammy-nominated album); Pianist/Coach, Götterdämmerung, Houston Grand Opera; Senior Coach, Hänsel und Gretel, Aspen Music Festival
JOSEPH LI
Pianist: Salon Series
Vice President, Artistic, Minnesota Opera; Houston Grand Opera; Arizona Opera; Aspen Music Festival; Rice University; Baylor University
MARIE-FRANCE LEFEBVRE
Principal and Diction Coach: Dialogues of the Carmelites Wolf/Goethe Mignon Lieder with Murrella Parton and Cincinnati Song Initiative; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Music Recital with Søren Pedersen, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; Music Staff, Les contes d’Hoffmann, The Metropolitan Opera
RENATE ROHLFING
Pianist: Salon Series
Cincinnati May Festival, Ravinia Festival, Carnegie Hall, Muziekgebouw, Royal Albert Hall, Lincoln Center
ORCHESTRA & CHORUS
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO
Violin I
Claudia Chudacoff, concertmaster
Jennifer Himes
Jennifer Rickard
Heather Haughn
Timothy Macek
Sarah Sherry
Violin II
Laura Miller, principal
Laura Knutson
Sonya Chung
Sandy Choi
Viola
Jennifer Rende, principal
Tiffany Richardson
Stephenie Knutsen
DIALOGUES OF THE CARMELITES
Violin I
David Salness, concertmaster
Sally McLain
Paula McCarthy
Allison Bailey
Cristina Constantinescu
Douglas Dube
Violin II
Xi Chen, principal
Sandy Choi
Leslie Silverfine
Alexandra Mikhlin
Viola
Jennifer Rende
Tiffany Richardson
Jim Kelly
CARMEN
Violin I
Claudia Chudacoff, concertmaster
Susan Midkiff
Karen Lowry-Tucker
Jennifer Himes
Jennifer Rickard
Cristina Constantinescu
Laura Knutson
Douglas Dube
Violin II
Laura Miller, principal
Paula McCarthy
Harriette Hurd
Sonya Chung
Leslie Silverfine
Sandy Choi
Viola
Jennifer Rende, principal
Tiffany Richardson
Stephenie Knutsen
Jim Kelly
Chorus
Cello
Lori Barnet, principal
Kerry van Laanen
Bass
Christopher Chlumsky, principal
Flute
Beverly Crawford, principal
David Lonkevich
Oboe
Fatma Daglar, principal
David Garcia
Mark Christianson (6/15)
Clarinet
Kathleen Mulcahy, principal
Jeremy Eig
Cello
Lori Barnet
Kerry van Laanen
Bass
Edgardo Malaga
Flute
David Lonkevich
Beverly Crawford
Oboe
Fatma Daglar
Megan Owens
Clarinet
David Jones
Kathleen Mulcahy
Bassoon
Samuel Blair
Eric Dircksen
Cello
Todd Thiel, principal
Kerry van Laanen
Lori Barnet
Bass
Bob DiImperio, principal
Edgardo Malaga
Flute
Beverly Crawford, principal
David Lonkevich
Oboe
Fatma Daglar, principal
Mark Christianson
Clarinet
David Jones, principal
Kathleen Mulcahy
Bassoon
Eric Dircksen, principal
Jonathan Zepp
Bassoon
Christopher Jewell, principal
Eric Dircksen
Horn
Amy Horn, principal
Joy Hodges
Trumpet
Matthew Harding, principal
Kurt DuPuis
Timpani
William Richards, principal
Horn
Amy Horn
Chandra Cervantes
Trumpet
Phil Snedecor
Stephen Taylor
Trombone
Bryan Bourne
Harp
Eric Sabatino
Timpani
William Richards
Percussion
Joseph Connell
Piano
Vladimir Soloviev
Horn
Amy Horn, principal
Chandra Cervantes
Joy Hodges
Shona Goldberg-Leopold
Trumpet
James White, principal
Phil Snedecor
Trombone
Bryan Bourne, principal
Myles Blakemore
John McGinness
Percussion
Joseph Connell
Willian Richards
Soprano: Hana Abrams, Sarah Baumgarten, Luciana Carter, Melissa Chavez, Ashley Larkin, Ketti Muschler, Erin Ridge, Ashlyn Rock, Annie Schwartz; Mezzo-Soprano: Anamer Castrello, Julie Silva, Catrin Davies, Alexandra Coburn, Jihanna Davis, Grace Gori, Brittani MacNeill, Reyna Sawtell, Louisa Waycott; Tenor: Nicholas Carratura, Keith Craig, Aurelio Dominguez, Douglas Dykstra, Jason Gonzalez, Sammy Huh, Jerry Kavinski, Andrew Sauvageau, Lejerian Williams; Baritone/Bass: Alex Alburqueque, Eduardo Castro, Gene Galvin, David Gradin, Justin Harrison, DK Kim, Eliot Matheny, Sean Pflueger, James Shaffran
Children’s Chorus of Washington: Robbie Jacobs, Executive Director and Margaret Nomura Clark, Artistic Director
of
of the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO.
The musicians employed in this production are members of and represented by D.C. Federation of Musicians, AFM Local 161-710.
Members
AGMA appear through the courtesy
STAFF
WOLF TRAP OPERA ARTISTIC & ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
LEE ANNE MYSLEWSKI
Vice President
RONALD LEE NEWMAN
Director, Artistic Operations
ARIANNA ZUKERMAN
Manager, Artistic Administration
CHRISTEN CAIN Coordinator, Company Management
TIM McCORMICK
Director of Production, The Barns
DAVID HANLON
Head of Music
DAVID MARGULIS
Rehearsal Administrator
PATRICK COOK
Social Media Consultant
PHIL SNEDECOR
Orchestra Contractor
MARCIA FARABEE
Orchestra Librarian
SCENE SHOP
CHRIS STOUTJESDYK
Technical Director
ZOE TOMPKINS
Assistant Tech Director
MASON ALLEN
Production Assistant
DAVIS BARNEY
Audio Assistant
MITCHELL ROBINSON
Lighting Supervisor
LINNIE HAMPTON
Lighting Assistant
JOSHUA DAVIS BARNEY
Audio Assistant
GEORGE BURGTORF Props Master
SAM WRIGHT SPAGNOLA Props Assistant
SAM DAHNERT
Master Carpenter
DANELLE LEINONEN Carpenter
MOLLY MURILLO Carpenter
GIBSON CAMERON Carpenter
YARITZA PACHEKO
Charge Artist
NADYA YAKSICH
Scenic Artist
COSTUME SHOP
SUSAN CHIANG
Costume Shop Manager
LILLIAN KOMAROW
Design Assistant
LOGAN BENSON
Design Assistant
DENISE AITCHISON
Draper
ANNE GORMAN
Draper
DENNIS KITMORE
Draper
SAM EISENSTIEN BOND First Hand
AUTUMN GAMBLE First Hand
AMY VANDER STAAY First Hand
ILANA MONGILIO Stitcher/Wardrobe
JENNA HALEEN
Stitcher/Wardrobe
CLAY PISTO
Stitcher/Wardrobe
APPRENTICES
WTO Apprentices are part of Wolf Trap Foundation’s Internship and Apprenticeship program. Having honed their skills through academic training, they now receive hands-on experience in a professional setting as well as mentorship from Wolf Trap Opera staff.
DARREN JACKSON-WILKINS
Artistic Administration
SARA PORJOSH
Artistic Administration
ERIN GEOUQUE
Admin Communications
SUSAN WEINHARDT
Stage Management
RACHEL HENEY
Stage Management
HEATHER LOWERY
Technical Apprentice
XANDER PARENTE
Technical Apprentice
KATHERINE KEMP
Lighting Apprentice
HELEN MALEENY
Props Apprentice
DANIEL FORTUNO
Scene Painting Apprentice
EVELYN WALYUS
Costume Apprentice
ELLA BOWCUT
Wig & Makeup Apprentice
WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION
LEADERSHIP
ARVIND MANOCHA
President and CEO
BETH BRUMMEL
Chief Operating Officer
SARA BEESLEY
Vice President, Program and Production
BERNARD BERRY, III
Senior Director, Ticket Services
DAMON EFFINGHAM
Senior Director, Government Affairs
JOHN GIAMBALVO
Vice President, Finance
ELIZABETH SCHILL HUGHES
Senior Director, Human Resources
SARA P. JAFFE
Vice President, Development
FRASER KADERA
Vice President, Facilities
LUCIEN KONAN
Senior Director, Hospitality
AKUA KOUYATE-TATE
Vice President, Education
JO LaBRECQUE
Vice President, Communications & Marketing
LEE ANNE MYSLEWSKI
Vice President, Opera and Classical Programming
GUIDE CONTRIBUTORS
LEE ANNE MYSLEWSKI
Vice President, Opera and Classical Programming
ARIANNA ZUKERMAN
Manager, Artistic Administration, Opera and Classical Programming
JO LaBRECQUE
Vice President, Communications and Marketing
SARA SHAFFER
Director, Creative
SANDRA RODRIGUEZ
Director, Communications
EMILY HUNT
Manager, Publications
DANA ARMSTRONG
Coordinator, Editorial Content
ANDY KIEL
Graphic Designer
TIMMY CHEN Manager, Marketing
GUIDE PHOTOGRAPHERS
NICK KLEIN
ANGELINA NAMKUNG
SCOTT SUCHMAN
DANIEL WELCH
KAIDEN YU
CAMPAIGN FOR WOLF TRAP
THANK YOU to these Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts donors for their commitments to the Campaign for Wolf Trap: Our Next Chapter, an initiative to support facility enhancements and programs for future generations.
Reflects donations through 2024.
VISIONARY DONORS
Dan and Gayle D’Aniello
$2,500,000+
Jacqueline B. Mars
Hillary and Tom Baltimore
Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation
Shashikant and Margaret Gupta
Gary D. Mather+ and Christina Co Mather
Karen and Fred Schaufeld
$1,000,000 TO $2,499,999
John and Susie King
Jean and Ric Edelman
Anne R. Kline and Geoffrey Pohanka
Matt Korn and Cindy Miller
BENEFACTORS: $500,000 TO $999,999
The Setian Family
Janet+ and Calvin Hill
Ed and Andy Smith
F. Chapman and Grace Taylor
Robert and Lisa Van Hoecke
PATRONS: $250,000 TO $499,999
C.E. and Jean Andrews
Brickman Family Foundation
Bruce Caswell and Lauren Deichman
Melissa Delgado and Anthony Colangelo
The ElSawy Family Foundation
Virginia McGehee Friend
Alka and Sudhakar Kesavan
Janet and Jerry Kohlenberger
John C. Lee, IV and Cindy Lee
Bob and Lisa Lutz
Chris and Paige Nassetta
National Park Foundation/
The Boeing Company
Edward and Susan O’Connell
Donna and Jim Reagan
The Robbins Family
Kevin and Beth Smithson
Trehan Foundation
Nell V. Weidenhammer+
John and Jessica Wood
SUSTAINERS: $100,000 TO $249,999
Anonymous
Steven and Marjie Alloy
The Ananthanpillai Family
Christopher and Andrita (AJ) Andreas
Michael and Ana Beckley
The Bedrock Community Fund
Kevin and Cynthia Boyle
Jan Brandt
Capital One
Marcia and Frank C.+ Carlucci III
Denise Chen and Tim Maas
L. William Derrow+
John and Lynn Dillon
Ken and Vickie Hayduk
Shelly and Jack Hazel
Sue J. Henry and Carter G. Phillips
Eric and Heather Kadel
Leana and Marc Katz
Ashok and Stuti Kaveeshwar
Nancy Laben and Jonathan Feiger
Denise Riedel Lewis and Kenneth J. Lewis
General Lester and Mina Lyles and Family
Arvind Manocha and Gideon Malone
Ann McPherson McKee
Robert and Judy Might
Reed and Pat Menster Neuman
PNC Foundation
Norma and Russ Ramsey
James Roth
Srikant Sastry and Manjula Pindiprolu
Todd and Elaine Stottlemyer
Theresa Thompson
Victoria Trumbower
Lynn and Carl Verboncoeur
Deborah F. and David A. Winston
SUPPORTERS: $50,000 TO $99,999
Anonymous Foundation
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
Jeff and Jacqueline Copeland
The Ithaka Foundation
Broderick Johnson and Michele Norris
Robert M. and Joyce A. Johnson
Philip and Sandy+ Marcum
Donna and Buzz Miller
Janet M. Osborn
The Pence Group, Inc.
Jonathan and Virginia Shames
John and Gina Wasson
Karen A. Zavinsky+
PARTNERS: $25,000 TO $49,999
Jeremy and Stephanie Blank
Richard and Evelyn Bynum
Tenley Carp and David Samuels
Karen and Jim Cleveland
Vincent Ferraro and Laura Forte
Gil and Janice Guarino
Lisa and Richard Jeanneret
Mars Foundation
Jodi and Darren Morton
Boofie and Joe O’Gorman
Dion and Michelle Rudnicki
Craig and Christina Sharon
CONTRIBUTORS: $10,000 TO $24,999
Anonymous
Sam Barnes
Jennie and Mark Bishof
Beth Brummel and Michael Beresik
Janice Z. and H. Lawrence Clark
Steve and Christie Day
Enterprise Knowledge
Gerald W. and Marlene K. Fischer
Bette S. Gorman
Lynda Lonshein Hellman
Estaste of Alexine Clement Jackson
Donald and Sherlyn Jenkins
Scott and RaSheeda Keir
Tracy K. Kenny
William J. Long+
Dana and David Martin
Nanette and Charles Mees
Katherine Newland
Patrick and Annie Pacious
The Page Family
Dennis Peery and Anu Saxena
Michael and Brigette Polmar
Meg Porta and Matt Swayhoover
Gerry and Lynn Rubin
Ann Sanfacon
Bernadette and Ed Saperstein
Lisa Schievelbein
Virginia and Alan Strauss
Sally A. Turner and Jerry G. Bridges
The Janice and Robert Vitale Charitable Fund
Marjorie H. Wax and Brian P. Hochheimer
Judith and Ronald+ Wilgenbusch
Bill and Terry Witowsky
Doug and Melanie Wolfe Giving Fund
Theresa and John B. Wood
Ann Ziff
+ Deceased
ANNUAL FUND DONORS
Wolf Trap Foundation is deeply grateful to each of the following individuals for supporting the Foundation through membership gifts, events and other annual sponsorships, endowment gifts, and special project support made between April 1, 2024, and April 1, 2025. Donations to the Campaign for Wolf Trap: Our Next Chapter are listed separately in this program, at wolftrap.org/campaign, and on designated signage throughout Wolf Trap. To donate, please contact Wolf Trap Development at 703.255.1927 or visit wolftrap.org/give.
SEASON UNDERWRITERS
Dan and Gayle D’Aniello
$100,000+
Anonymous
Christopher and Andrita (AJ) Andreas
Jan Brandt
Melissa Delgado and Anthony Colangelo
Kimberly Engel Haber and Brett Haber/ The Dennis and Judy Engel Charitable Foundation
Michael Saylor
F. Chapman and Grace Taylor
The Webber Family
Deborah F. and David A. Winston
$50,000 TO $99,999
Bruce L. Caswell and Lauren Deichman
Craig and Valerie Dykstra
Jean and Ric Edelman
Virginia McGehee Friend
Shashikant and Margaret Gupta
Sue J. Henry and Carter G. Phillips
Alka and Sudhakar Kesavan
Anne R. Kline and Geoffrey Pohanka
Matt Korn and Cindy Miller
Dan and Gloria Logan | The Revada Foundation
Gary D. Mather+ and Christina Co Mather
Donna and Jim Reagan
Srikant Sastry and Manjula Pindiprolu
Karen and Fred Schaufeld
Scuba Mike
Ed and Andy Smith
Ashley Stow
Governor Glenn and First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin
$25,000 TO $49,999
Anonymous (5)
Steven and Marjie Alloy
Raj Ananthanpillai and Radhika Rajagopalan
C.E. and Jean Andrews
Michelle and David Baldacci
Hillary and Tom Baltimore
Michael and Ana Beckley
Marcia and Frank C.+ Carlucci III
Tenley Carp and David Samuels
Teri and Tom Dungan
Leo and Mary Fox
William and Elizabeth Gould
William Hanlon
Jacqueline and George Hinman
The Ithaka Foundation
Broderick Johnson and Michele Norris
Robert M. and Joyce A. Johnson
Eric and Heather Kadel
John and Susie King
Janet and Jerry Kohlenberger
Nancy Laben and Jon Feiger
Youn Nim Lord+ and Linda L. Lord+
Bob and Lisa Lutz
Gen. (Ret.) Lester L. and Mina Lyles
Nanette and Charles Mees
Samuel Meisner
Julie Myers Wood and John Wood
Diane and Tim Naughton
Edward and Susan O’Connell
Peterson Family Foundation
Samantha and Troy Poppe
The Robbins Family
Peri and William Ross
Gerry and Lynn Rubin
Ann Sanfacon
The Setian Family
Jiten (Jay) and Sujani (Jen) Shah
Kevin and Beth Smithson
Todd and Elaine Stottlemyer
Paul and Tracy Tartaglione
Robert and Lisa Van Hoecke
Lynn and Carl Verboncoeur
Julin and Michael Williams
Ann Ziff
$15,000 TO $24,999
Erin and Derek Arrison
Edward J. and Laura G. Asher
Mrs. Mary Astley
Cynthia and Kevin Boyle
Beth B. Buehlmann
Sid Chowdhary
Jeff and Jacqueline Copeland
John and Lynn Dillon
Diana and Douglas Dykstra
Bonnie Feld
Dr. and Mrs. Gerald W. Fischer
Ken and Victoria Hayduk
Shelly and Jack Hazel
Alexander and Jacqueline Henry
Suneetha and Pardha Karamsetty
Clark Hoyt and Linda Kauss
Frank Huynh and Leandro Toledo
Jeff and Tori
Ashok and Stuti Kaveeshwar
Ross and Kaye Kory
Barry and Bambi Landew
Matt Lerner/Frederick Coin Exchange
Leviton Family
Mr. and Mrs. James F. MacGuidwin
Dana and David Martin
Kara McCabe and Andrew Leblanc Foundation
Ann McPherson McKee, Gift in Remembrance of Burtt & Rebecca Gray McKee and Douglas & Ann McKee Seeley
Susie and Josh Metz
Ryan and Krista Miller
Boofie and Joe O’Gorman
Michael and Cynthia O’Kane
Patrick and Annie Pacious
Rita and D. Raymond
Brenda and William Romenius
Dr. James Roth
Ronald and Deborah Sindler
Judith M. Stehling and Edgar J. Ariza-Niño
Caroline Morris Van Kirk
Daniel and Bobbie Webster
Miriam C. Flaherty Willis and MG Simon V. L. Willis
$10,000 TO $14,999
Anonymous (7)
Michael and Tricia Antonis
Susan and Jim Arnold
Jay and Terry Bachmann
Beaudin Trust
Gregory and Nancy Beronja
Jennie and Mark Bishof
Paul Blakely
K. David Boyer, Jr. and Family
Rick and Debbie Bress
Donald Brown
Dan and Leslie Burpee
Victoria and Madison Calvert
Gregory and Jane Castanias
David and Stacie Childress
Sarah and James Choi
Cynthia Chormann Hann
The Cornelius J. and Ellen P. Coakley Family Foundation
Erin Collier
Ann Cook Charitable Fund
Coolie Doolie
Jon and Patty Craver
Mary Cristler
Jeff and Natalie Davis
Trevor and Ingrid Dearman
Meghan and John Deese
Enrico and Linda Della Corna
Dominic and Nedda Dragisich
Juliana Dunlap and James Corrigan
Bryan and Laurian Eckle
Sara and Sam Feder
Vincent Ferraro and Laura Forte
Jennifer Flynn
In Honor of Jim and Mary Beggs, Allen and Maureen Fox
Verena Gibbs and Bo Cappabianca
Bonnie L. Goldschmidt and Michele Shimek
Jordan Goldstein
Chris and Jennifer Greenlee
Gil and Janice Guarino
Stanley J. and Cynthia M. Gutkowski
Allen Haid and Sandra Cummins-Haid
Lawrence Halff and Randy Windham
$4,000 TO $5,999
Anonymous (17)
Christopher and Kathryn Adams
Robert and Sara Adler
Melchora Alexander
Melinda Ampthor
Marian and Jay Andre
Richard and Rosemarie Andreano
Billy Armstrong
Elizabeth and John Armstrong
Jeanine Aronowitz
James and Juliet Arrighi
Lawrence and Kathleen Ausubel
Keith and Sherry Babb
John C. Backus, Jr.
Morgan Baker
Sam Barnes
Rose Bates
Raymond S. Baxter, III & Denise Detwiler Baxter/ Baxter & Associates, Inc.
Donna and Barry Beach
David and Cecilia Beck
Amy Beckman and Steven Gaba
Jeffrey Bedell
Susan and Marc Benezra
B. Michael and Sandra Berger
Kevin and Jane Bise
Andrea Bitz and William Schwartz
Jeremy and Stephanie Blank
Joshua Bolten
Regina and Bill Bouie
Kevin M. Breslin
Gary Broadwater
Barbara Brocker
Diane S. Bronfman
Rex Brouillard and Michelle Henry
Dennis Brown and Jane Platt-Brown
Dennis and Julie Bruns
James and Phyllis Bruyette
Tim Bryan
Andrew and Jennifer Buckreis
Sarah Buescher
David B. Bundren, Sr.
Jessica Bunin and Alexis Albano
Robyn Burdett
David and Carolyn Burgess
Laina Bush and Michael Zajkowski
Donna Callejon and Deborah Whiteside
Joseph and Donna Cantara
Barbara and Marcus Canzoneri
Lori and Robert Caplan
Christopher Carpenter and Lora Shimp
James and Karen Chamberlain
Christopher and Jennifer Chatman
Denise Chen and Tim Maas
Col. (R) Lary and Sabine Chinowsky
Joseph and Michelle Chotkowski
John Claringbould and Patricia Loughrey
Joanna Claustro
Susan R. Clayman and Frank Starks
Karen and Jim Cleveland
Beth and Michael Coakley
Stephen Coates
Bob and Kellie Cochran
Mark and Jane Cohen
Franklin C. Coleman
Rachel Coll
Wendy Connell
Jennifer Conroy
Phyllis and Wes Corley
Jeffrey Couillard
Taylor Craig
Nina Cron
Hussein Damirji
Dan and Bekki Danner
Maria Coakley David
Steve and Christie Day
Susie and Oscar De Soto
Kathleen K. Deal
Lawrence+ and Sharon Deibel
Kathy and Andrew Ditmore
Stefanie Doebler
Joseph and Pat Donahue
Hank Dorochovich and Julie Johns
Christian Downs
Elizabeth Dresing and Craig Goodman
Kristin and Eric Dubelier
Julie and Bill Duncan
Jim and Timoney Dunlap
Robert J. Eatinger, Jr.
Rear Admiral and
Mrs. Thomas J. Eccles, USN (Ret)
James and Diane Ecklund
George and Karen Eichert
Michael J. Eidsness
Robert and Alison Eisiminger
Eddie and Rachel Eitches
Randall Eliason and Chérie Kiser
Holly and Richard Ellis
Ariel Elmann
Thomas Evans
Suzanne and John Feigert
Ginny Kogan Feldman
Gerard F. Fiala
Taryn Fielder and Ryan Forsythe
Brian and Debbie Fields
Ross Fishkind and Kimberly Hamilton
Brian Flanigan
Rhonda Fleming and Mike Cooley
James and Mary Flounlacker
Benjamin and Peg Flowe
Roger and Nancy Fones
Gary Fontaine and O’Shelya S. Brown
Nico Foris
Carol and Jorge Fortine Ochoa
Russell Frey and I-Min Chao
Dan Frisby and Suzanne Dougherty
J. H. Gaddis
Christina and Louis Gadrinab
Richard Gaiani
Jesus and Erika Garcia
Carol Ann Garner
Glenn Gaynor
David Gearin and Jean Lynn
Barbara Gernon and Valerie Kimball
Michael Gilliam
Chris and Clare Girolamo
Don and Mary Goddard
Scott and Colleen Gold
Rocio and Raul Gonzalez
Ira and Tamara Gordon
Jennifer and Chris Graham
Sherry and Todd Gray
Jeffrey Graybeal
Steven and Akemi Greco
Lauren and Brian Greenberg
Tracy K. Griggs
Brian and Deb Grosner
Kenneth Grunley
Bruce and Kathryn Gudenberg
Norene and Tim Guilford
Nicole Alfandre Halbreiner
Jeffrey Hall
Amy and Jay Halpern
Jeffrey and Elizabeth Harris
Luke and Emily Harris
Frank and Teresa Hearl
Sharon Heinle and Chris DeLashmutt
Lynda Lonshein Hellman
Leigh and Peter Henry
Lisa and Ron Hodge
Amanda and Jim Holmberg
Caroline and Benjamin Holt
Robert and Linda Horrigan
J. Timothy and Debra M. Howard
Andrew Howell
Kevin and Barbara Hutto
Rylan and Carl Hutzler
Kathy and Richard Igercich
Joseph and Robin Jackson
Richard and Anna Jackson
John and Tracie Jacquemin/ The Jacquemin Family Foundation
Paul D. Jensen
Richard and Laurie Johnson
Andrea Jolly
Terre and Polly Jones
Lisa Junker
Stephen and Toby Kahn
Allan and Fran Kalkstein
Sharon Karaffa and Grant Fleming
Brian Keller
Roger and Teresa Keller
Jodie Kelley and Scott Sinder
Patrick and Ellen Kelsay
Laura, Jess, Mike, and Tim Kennedy
Robin and Michael Kennedy
Carol King
Mr. and Ms. W. Russell King
Stephen and Mary Sue Kitchen
Clare and Thomas Klanderman
John and Mary Kleinhans
Kimmy & Paul Knapp
in Honor of G&L Knapp Trust
Tara T. Kochis
Carl and Joanna Krause
David Kriegman
Phyllis Krochmal
Sanjai Kumar
Lori LaFave and Steve Murphy
William and Nancy LaForge
Joni and Don Langevoort
John and Nancy Larue
Kim Latkiewicz
David and Michele Lawrence
Tammy Le and Garry Ho
Dale Lefebvre
Barry A. Leffew
Stuart and Brock Lending
Sue Leonard
Patsy and Marty Lerman
Stephan Levy
Denise Riedel Lewis and Kenneth J. Lewis
Ted and Vivian Lewis
Dennis and Tracey Liberson
Kathleen and Michael Liddick
Dr. Diana Locke and Mr. Robert Toense
Brian Lockhart
Megan Lockhart
Kent Logsdon
Julie Lonardo
Aldys London
George Lowden
Marcia and Adrian Lund
Jennifer Lyons and Derek Morrissette
Namita Magoon
Jerold Mande
Joey and Anna Maranto
Paul and Rendall Marino
Mitchell and Cheryl Marovitz
Kevin and Sarah Martin
Albert and Terri Martinez
Dorothy McCartney
John and Deanne McGranahan
Mary and Bernie McKay
Cristina F. and Michael A. McLaughlin
Alice Miller
Devon Miller and Darryl J. Anderson
Jill Minneman
Jax, Lilly and Lee Monsein
Ann and Keith Montgomery
Linda Moran
Ronald and Maria Morgan
Bob Moskal
Robert and Barbara Moss
Amy and Will Mudge
James and Karen Murray
Leanne and James Myers
Joanne Nanna
Sarah and John Nash
Paul J. Nevins and Sheila LaFalce
Katherine Newland
Kathleen and Kevin Newmeyer
Lloyd C. Noland
Jill and James Norcross
Bob and Lee Norstern
Jill Norton
Timmy and Amanda Norton
Judith and Mary O’Brien
Christopher Olsen and Elizabeth Dean
Theodore B and Lady Olson
Rebecca Onuschak
Renee Orr
The Page Family
David Paight
Alex and Michael Pascarella
Margaret Payne
Laura Peebles and Ellen Fingerman
Dennis Peery and Anu Saxena
Katie Pehrson
John Pittas
Christopher Poell
Michael and Brigette Polmar
Meg Porta and Matt Swayhoover
Chris and Katie Poteat
Dr. Suzanne Powers
Matthew Pozun
Jeff and Jill Purdy
Daniel and Roberta Quirk
James Raba and Maureen Nelson
Rabaut Family Foundation
Eileen Rader
David Rand
Everett Karyl Reinauer
Reinsch Pierce Family Foundation
by Lola C. Reinsch
Jonathan Remson
James and Linda Rettberg
Dave and Aimee Richardson
H. Mac and Michele-Anne Riley
Cheryl Roberts
Jim Roberts and Julie Carter Roberts
Rick and Faith Roberts
Michael and Laura Romano
Michael and Jane Rowny
Horacio and Cinthia Rozanski
Kathryn Tucker Rutkowski
Alicia Saffer and Kris Hatlelid
Eric Salzberg
Drs. Stephen and Mary Sapp
Jennifer and Andy Schenker
Ned and Elizabeth Scherer
Jim Schwenke
Harold and Adele Seifried
Dr. Steven & Mrs. Gretchen Seiler
Joshua K. Sekoski and Ashleigh D. Rabbitt
Sean Sharifi
Ritika and Rohit Sharma
John Sheridan and Marlet Bazemore
Edward and Sarah Shin
Jules and Judy Shore
Gina Shultz
Mr. Louis and Dr. Kathleen K. Sichenze
Joseph Sifer
Suzan Sigmond
Linda B. Singletary
Dru and Marie Smith
Eric and Donella Smith
Martha Nell Smith and Marilee Lindemann
Linda and Nigel Smyth
Brett and Anne Snyder
Amy and Patrick Souders
Dean and Sandra Souleles
Chris and Diane Spina
Valentin Sribar
Joan Stansfield,
Stansfield Signature Real Estate
Dave Steadman and Daphne Kiplinger
Mark Stendts
Michael L. Stevens and Elizabeth M. Munno
Kathleen and Scott Stewart
Kimberly and Gary Stewart
Bill and Pat Stipe
James and Geraldine Stockdale
Jeff and Jaci Stoltz
Richard and Genevieve Strand
Lisa Stransky
Thomas and Heather Stroup
Gretchen and Christopher Strub
Aruna Subramaniam and Prabu Natarajan
Sinclair and Cathleen Szebrat
Cornell and Anne-Wesley Teague
Brooke Terry
Ray and Stacey Thal
Paul and Pam Thieberger
Donald and Gloria Thorson
Kristine and David Timmerman
Rob Timmins and Jeff Kaplan
Tim and Corina Trainer
Rick R. Treviño and W. Larz Pearson
Amy and Jeff Turcotte
Douglas A. Tyson and Dr. Tessa Cholmondeley
Stephanie and Fernando+ van Reigersberg
Ronald Van Winkle
William and Patricia Vance
Drs. Virginia Steen and Joseph Verbalis
Chris and Karen Warack
Kathy and C. Eric Warden
Roger and Diane Warin
Rick Watson
Elizabeth A. Way and Dorothy Dougherty
Greg Wells
Tim and Anne Whipple
John and Marylou Whisler
Gary and Lisa White
Jason and Shannon White
Robert Whiteman
Diane Whitmoyer
Elizabeth F. Wickersham and Charles Schmitz
Judith and Ronald+ Wilgenbusch
David and Joy Willey
Janet Wilson
Stephen and Rosemarie Wilson
The Witt Family
Sara Nelson Wolff
Mark W. Wollschlager
Cheryl A. Wooden and Dr. Deb Bobbitt
Alan and Sandra Yamamoto
Joseph and Gwendolyn Zanin
Jacob and Whitney Zatzkin
+ Deceased
CORPORATE, FOUNDATION, AND GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
Wolf Trap Foundation sincerely appreciates each of the following institutions for supporting the Foundation through grants, corporate partnerships, and fundraisers between April 1, 2024 and April 1, 2025.
$500,000+
Department of the Interior, National Park Service
PNC
$250,000 TO $499,999
The Boeing Company
Capital One
$100,000 TO $249,000
Anonymous Foundation
County of Fairfax, Virginia
Danaher Foundation
Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation
General Dynamics
National Park Foundation
Northrop Grumman
Science Applications International Corporation
(SAIC)
Tickets.com
The Volgenau Foundation
$50,000 TO $99,999
Battelle
Booz Allen Hamilton
Choice Hotels International
A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation
CrossCountry Consulting
Gensler
HII
KPMG LLP
National Endowment for the Arts PwC
Virginia Commission for the Arts
$25,000 TO $49,999
Acentra Health
Alston & Bird
American Airlines
The Theodore H. Barth Foundation, Inc.
Bender Foundation, Inc.
Brown-Forman Corporation
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
Charina Endowment Fund
Cherry Bekaert
Cox Business
The Edens Group, LLC
Ernst & Young
FTS International, LLC
Hilton Supply Management
HITT Contracting
Host Hotels & Resorts
Kearney & Company
L.F. Jennings
LMI
Maximus
The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation
Our Purpose Foundation
SOSi
South Carolina Arts Commission
Telos Corporation
Washington Gas
Washington Harbour Partners
WHITE64
WilmerHale
$15,000 TO $24,999
Anthem
Chevy Chase Trust
DLA Piper
The Richard Eaton Foundation
Hilton McLean Tysons Corner
Holland & Knight LLP
Johnson Brothers Service Distributing, Inc.
Karin’s Florist
Laird Norton Family Foundation
Mars Foundation
The Mather
McGuireWoods LLP
Nauticon Office Solutions
Park Hotels & Resorts
Pinnacle Financial Partners
QXO
Reston Limousine
Starr Hill Brewery
Stratos Solutions
The Venable Foundation
V2X
$10,000 TO $14,999
Advance Concepts
Aon Corporation
ArentFox Schiff
Arnold F. Baggins Foundation, Inc.
ArtsFairfax
ASRC Federal
Dorothy G. Bender Foundation, Inc.
CACI
CERT LLC
CohnReznick
Covington
Deloitte
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
Dexian
Enterprise Knowledge
Expedition Technology
Forvis Mazars
Guidepost Solutions
M&T Bank
Marriott International
Nancy Peery Marriott Foundation, Inc.
Maximus Foundation
McKinsey & Company
Merrifield Garden Center
Mount Vernon Printing, An RR Donnelley Company
Ohio Hometown Heroes
Playa Hotels & Resorts
rand* construction corporation
RLJ Lodging Trust
Rulo Strategies LLC
Saval Foods LLC
Signal Hill Technologies
Tiny Jewel Box
Unison Software Inc.
United Bank
$5,000 TO $9,999
Avalon Consulting
Blank Rome LLP
BOWA
Brown Advisory
CBRE
The Dallas Morse Coors Foundation
for the Performing Arts
DFIN
Focused Image, Inc.
Frontier Technology Inc.
HHMI Janelia Research Campus
J.P. Morgan
K Street Financial
Lockton Companies
Marika Meyer Studio
Monumental Sports & Entertainment
Mortgage Bankers Association
National Security Space Association
Peraton
The Nora Roberts Foundation
Sapporo-Stone Brewing
The Siegfried Group LLP
WOLF TRAP FOUNDATION
NAMED
ENDOWMENT FUNDS
The following Endowment Funds were established with $100,000 or more to support Wolf Trap Foundation’s programs.
Baltimore Family Fund
Mary H. Beggs President’s Fund
The Howard and Sondra Bender Family Fund for Education
Patrice King Brickman Family Fund
Caswell/Deichman Family Fund for Wolf Trap
Capital One Fund for Education
Denise Chen and Tim Maas Fund for Wolf Trap
The Coffelt Fund for Wolf Trap Opera and Education
The Colangelo Family Fund for the Arts
The Cox Communications Fund for Education Initiatives
in the Performing Arts
D’Aniello Fund for Opera
L. William Derrow Fund for Wolf Trap Opera
in Honor of Amy E. Schaffer
Lynn and John Dillon Endowment Fund
Nancy K. Eberhardt | Howard and Dorothy Kahn Education Fund
The ElSawy Endowment for Education
The Freed Fund for Early Childhood Education
in the Performing Arts
The Lee Anne F. Geiger Fund for Early Learning
Through the Arts
General Dynamics Fund for Early Learning Through the Arts
Gupta Fund for Early Learning Through the Arts
Carol V. Harford Fund for Wolf Trap Opera
in Memory of Catherine Filene Shouse
Shelly and Jack Hazel Family Fund for Wolf Trap
Hearst Foundation, Inc.
Sue Henry and Carter Phillips Fund for Wolf Trap
Janet and Calvin Hill Fund for Wolf Trap
The Jacquemin Family Fund for Master Teaching Artists
The Paula A. Jameson Fund for Wolf Trap Opera
Stuart C. and Nancy M. Johnson Fund for Wolf Trap
Terre and Polly Jones Endowed Fund for Artistic Initiatives
Kadel Family Fund for Wolf Trap
Ashok and Hariastuti Kaveeshwar Fund for Wolf Trap
Alan and Carol Kelly Fund for Education
The King Family Fund for Early Learning Through the Arts
Janet and Jerry Kohlenberger | The Trojanger Fund for Wolf Trap
Matthew Korn and Cynthia Miller Family Foundation Fund for Education
Nancy Laben and Jonathan Feiger Fund for Wolf Trap
Youn Nim Lord and Linda L. Lord Fund for Early Learning Through the Arts
Robert and Lisa Lutz Fund for Wolf Trap
The General Lester L. Lyles and Family Fund for Education Fund for Wolf Trap in Honor of Arvind Manocha and Gideon Malone
The Sandy “Tanta” Marcum Fund for Early Learning Through the Arts
Fund for Artistic Excellence in Honor of Audrey M. Mars
Mars Fellowship Fund for Wolf Trap Opera
Gary D. Mather and Christina Co Mather Fund for Wolf Trap
The Suzann Wilson Matthews Internship Fund
Ann McKee Fund for Opera
The Linda and Tobia Mercuro Fund for Early Learning Through the Arts
The Mullaney Family Fund for Education
National Endowment for the Arts
NEA Packard Challenge Fund
Reed and Pat Neuman Fund Celebrating Arts and Education
The Terry Noack Master Teaching Artists in Dance Fund
Edward and Susan O’Connell Family Fund for Wolf Trap
Packard Fund
PNC Fund for Early Childhood Education
Geoffrey P. Pohanka and Anne R. Kline Fund for Wolf Trap Opera
Carol S. Popowsky Parrot Fund for Education
James A. Roth Family Fund for Wolf Trap
Sastry-Pindiprolu Family Fund for Wolf Trap
Julian Setian Family Fund for the Arts
Catherine Filene Shouse Education Fund
Kay Shouse Great Performance Fund
Jon and Pat Simons Fund for Wolf Trap
Ed and Andy Smith Fund for Wolf Trap Opera
Kevin and Beth Smithson Family Fund for Wolf Trap Education
Peter and Jennie Stathis Fund for Early Learning Through the Arts
Arthur Tracy Fund for Wolf Trap Opera
Hans and Mimi Tuch Fund for Wolf Trap Opera Conductors
Van Hoecke Family Fund for Technology in Education
RADM Ronald C. and Judith A. Wilgenbusch Fund
for Wolf Trap Opera and Classical Programs
Earle C. and June A. Williams Fund for Wolf Trap
Deborah and David Winston Fund for Classical Music
Kim Witman Fund for Opera Coaching
Explore More at the Filene Center
Or Carmina Burana
National Symphony Orchestra
Tianyi Lu, conductor
Midori Marsh, soprano
Travon Walker, tenor
Charles H. Eaton, baritone
Choral Arts Society of Washington
Children’s Chorus of Washington
July 25
“O Fortuna!” Carmina Burana’s towering first movement rolls in like thunder, announcing a celebration of spring, the delightful debauchery of nights at a tavern, and the joys and sorrows of love. Although the words were written by medieval monks, this outrageous cantata is an unstoppable force brimming with bawdy, irreverent satire on the ever-changing fate of man. The National Symphony Orchestra, two choirs, and stars of the Wolf Trap Opera come together for Carl Or ’s epic choral masterwork.
HAUSER
June 25
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert
National Symphony Orchestra
Steven Reineke, conductor
July 17
Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays Gershwin
National Symphony Orchestra
Katharina Wincor, conductor
July 18
DEBORAH F. AND DAVID A. WINSTON, PERFORMANCE SPONSORS
Disney ’80s–’90s Celebration in Concert
National Symphony Orchestra
Sarah Hicks, conductor
July 26
One Night Only
Sutton Foster & Kelli O’Hara
National Symphony Orchestra
Emil de Cou, conductor
August 1
Back to the Future in Concert
National Symphony Orchestra
Emil de Cou, conductor
August 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ Part 2 in Concert
National Symphony Orchestra
Steven Reineke, conductor
September 5
Cynthia Erivo
National Symphony Orchestra
Steven Reineke, conductor
September 6 + 7
Côté Danse
Hamlet
Prince of Denmark
September 17
