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Yale opera Doris Yarick-Cross, Artistic Director

Eugene Onegin February 15-17 shubert theatre

Robert Blocker, Dean

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Yale School of Music · Robert Blocker, Dean Yale Opera · Doris Yarick-Cross, Artistic Director

Eugene Onegin Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Libretto by the composer and Konstantin Shilovsky, after Pushkin’s verse novel of the same name Performed in Russian with projected English surtitles

conductor stage director scenic & projection designer lighting designer costume designer wig & makeup designer musical preparation

Perry So Paul Curran Edward T. Morris Solomon Weisbard Rebecca L. Welles Melissa Sibert (for Elsen Associates, Inc.) Timothy Shaindlin Mark Lawson Douglas Dickson production stage manager Stephanie Canada chorus master Jill Brunelle A Yale Opera premiere

The approximate running time of the performance is two hours and forty-five minutes. There will be one 15-minute intermission following Act I. There will be a gun shot sound in Act II.

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welcome from the Dean Dear Friends, It is with great anticipation and excitement that I welcome you to Yale Opera’s new production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Stage director Paul Curran has ignited dazzling performances from the next generation of opera singers. YSM is proud to be contributing to the legacy and the future of the art form, and to be sharing this music with enthusiastic audiences in New Haven’s Shubert Theatre. This production celebrates the legacy of Doris and Richard Cross. When Doris first joined the YSM faculty, she was given the responsibility of developing the opera program here at Yale. Today, we express our gratitude to Doris and Richard for developing the Yale Opera program into one of the most respected in the world. Together, Doris and Richard have prepared young opera singers for careers on the world's greatest stages. As they prepare to retire in the coming year, we marvel at what they and their colleagues have accomplished. One need only attend a Yale Opera production to appreciate the artistry this program nurtures. Last year’s Yale Opera season featured an unforgettable program of opera scenes, a boldly futuristic staging of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and a provocative presentation of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel. So far this year, we have been treated to a program of scenes from classic works and a Russian liederabend. In May, Yale Opera will stage a double-bill that includes Hoiby’s The Scarf and Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol. As you sit here in this historic venue, listening to our magnificent singers and their peers in the extraordinary Yale Philharmonia, conducted by Perry So, I know you will appreciate the privilege we all have to experience these young artists and the opportunity they have to study with a faculty who are as dedicated as they are distinguished. We are grateful for your support of the Yale Opera program and for your presence here tonight. robert blocker The Lucy and Henry Moses Dean of Music

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welcome from the Artistic Director Dear Friends, Welcome once again to Yale Opera’s mainstage production at New Haven’s historic and beautiful Shubert Theatre. It is a true pleasure to present the Yale Opera premiere of Tchaikovsky’s timeless opera Eugene Onegin. Originally performed by students of the Moscow Conservatory, this Russian masterpiece, with its lush score and complex characters, is a fitting yet ambitious undertaking for our gifted young singers. For this production, Yale Opera welcomes Maestro Perry So back to New Haven. A Yale College alumnus and young conductor on the rise, Perry previously worked with our singers on another epic Russian piece, Stravinsky’s Renard. Also, we are thrilled to introduce internationally acclaimed director Paul Curran to our audience. His exuberance and deep wealth of knowledge have inspired and instructed our singers throughout the rehearsal process, culminating in the extraordinary performances this weekend. This team is of the finest caliber, and we couldn’t be happier with this stunning production. It is through the support of our audiences and patrons that we are able to continue to bring professional-level productions to the Shubert Theatre. We thank you for joining us and hope you enjoy the performance. doris yarick-cross Artistic Director, Yale Opera

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cast in order of vocal appearance tatiana

Lauren McQuistin f, su Madeline Ehlinger sa

olga

Rachel Weishoff

madame larina

Theresa Kesser

filipyevna

Julia Orosz

a peasant

Zachary Johnson*†

vladimir lenski

Luis Aguilar Regalado f, su John Noh sa

eugene onegin

Matthew Cossack f, su Andres Benavides Cascante sa

captain/zaretsky

Edwin Joseph

monsieur triquet

Fidel Angel Romero

prince gremin

Brady Muth f, su Hans Tashjian sa

f = Friday sa = Saturday su = Sunday * Guest Artist † YSM alumnus

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yale philharmonia violin i Julia Mirzoev Eva Wetzel Cameron Daly Max Yiming Mao Albert Yamamoto Xiaoxuan Shi violin ii Brandon Garbot Beatrice Hsieh Yun Jae Choi Jessie Chen Yoon Be Kim James Poe viola Alex McLaughlin Minkyoung Lee Arjun Ganguly Minji Kim

cello Guilherme Nardelli Monegatto Megan Yip Harry Doernberg Hongli Diao bass Samuel Zagnit Ross Wightman flute Brendan Dooley Hannah Creswell oboe Amelia Merriman Elliot Lichtenberg clarinet Juan Martinez Amy Hur

principal conductor manager assistant manager/librarian

bassoon Eleni Katz Andrew Sledge horn Griffin Botts Gabriel Mairson Antonia Chandler Nivanthi Karunaratne trumpet Kenny Chauby Melissa Munoz trombone Ingram Lee timpani Kevin Zetina harp Anna Ellsworth Peter Oundjian Jeffrey M. Mistri Samuel Bobinski

chorus soprano Samantha Feliciano Lena Goldstein Catherine Kalonia Shannon Murray Frances Pollock Anuradha Rajesh Sara Speller mezzo-soprano Sara Henry

Evanna Lai Anne Maguire Nicole Rigo Lisl Wangermann tenor Nikhil Harle Alex Lubka Paul Mortilla Jonathan Nazario

bass/baritone Stewart Battle Martin Dodd Zachary Johnson Grant Luhmann Robert Scrofani Kohl Weisman

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director’s note PROGRESS THROUGH PROCESS Directing a production at any learning institution is always both a joy and a unique challenge all at once. On one hand you want to give young singers the benefit of the best production you can create and, on the other, you are very much there to teach them many of the skills they'll need to be able to be part of such a production professionally. Having directed several productions for music schools and universities around the world, I strongly believe the job is a directing and teaching position in equal parts: skills seldom come “naturally”… like any musician or even athlete, skills need to be taught – and practiced over and over again. The “process” is the only way to achieve any progress. In taking on Eugene Onegin, Tchaikovsky's 1878 masterpiece, which was written for students at the Moscow Conservatory, my team and I have taken a very simple and bold approach to both the story and the music – a simple and at times intimate playing space for the young singers and musicians to shine. An intimate and mainly bare space where they can work on developing both characters and relationships within the confines and challenges of Tchaikovsky’s enormously complex music and story. This is a story to challenge even the bravest of hearts and is a real test of both singing and acting technique in how to deal with the extremities of the darkest obsessions and passions of human nature while maintaining both vocal and acting clarity when every bone in your body screams at you to break down. The impact of Tchaikovsky's signature opera is visceral for both performers and audience alike. Over our five weeks of rehearsal I believe we have met many challenges and searched and managed to overcome some preconceived ideas about performing, as well as some major discoveries about ourselves. Acting is scary – it really is! It is the essence not only of allowing yourself to be in someone else's skin and mind, but also to find and explore just how much of that person might actually be inside yourself. Onegin is not a pleasant character: egotistical, cold and entirely narcissistic, he is someone we’d perhaps hope not to find within ourselves. But exploring this complex and difficult character takes both great bravery and acute self-realization. Similarly, the naivety and borderline stupidity of Tatiana could be seen as “that is

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so not me,” but perhaps discovering this fascinating young woman's vulnerability and deeply felt passion is actually a quality more of us share than we might imagine. Being in your 20s and imagining how much slower and stiffer a body might be when in its 60s or 70s takes a vivid imagination and a discipline to spend most of your day walking around deliberately slowly and with your toes curled underneath you to simulate arthritic pain. I am very full of admiration for the extensive and continuous research all of these young singers have explored both before and during the rehearsal process. The production presented here tonight is still one very much of a “work in progress.” I hasten to add that does not mean it is left unfinished! By that I mean that there are many aspects of performing an artist can only experience in actual performance with a real audience in front of them. It is easy to theorize – but the process of rehearsal and performance has to run its entire course in order that any progress might be made. And some of my own (and many of my colleagues’) most valuable advances have come when the process has pushed us to limits we perhaps did not know we possessed. I hope this will be the case for the two exceptional casts we have here at Yale. Paul Curran Stage Director

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eugene onegin Synopsis

Act I In the garden of her country estate, Madame Larina and her servant Filipyevna reminisce of their youth after hearing Larina's two daughters, Tatiana and Olga, singing in the distance. Peasants enter the garden bringing their harvest and celebrating. Olga joins in the merriment and teases Tatiana for reading her romance novels instead. Lenski arrives and introduces his friend Eugene Onegin. Tatiana falls in love with Onegin at first sight. Lenski professes his love to Olga. Meanwhile, Onegin and Tatiana meander through the garden talking about life. Later that night, Tatiana asks Filipyevna about love and marriage. After Filipyevna leaves, Tatiana stays up all night writing a passionate love letter to Onegin. The following morning, she convinces Filipyevna to deliver the letter to Onegin. Tatiana anxiously awaits for Onegin to arrive and answer her letter. Admittingly moved by her letter, Onegin asserts that he is not suited for marriage. Though she possesses all the qualities he finds attractive in a woman, he turns her down and condescendingly advises her to control her emotions. Returning her letter, Onegin leaves Tatiana heartbroken. Act II Several months later, Madame Larina hosts a party to celebrate Tatiana's name day. Onegin has begrudgingly tagged along at Lenski's request. Onegin quickly becomes annoyed with the country folk and decides to dance with Olga in order to make Lenski jealous as revenge for

bringing him. Flattered, Olga flirts back. Lenski is overcome with jealousy, and soon the men quarrel interrupting the party. Unwilling to be swayed, Lenski challenges Onegin to a duel. The following morning, Lenski awaits for Onegin's arrival. Lenski, regretful of the previous evening's events, reflects on his life and love for Olga. Finally, Onegin shows up. Both friends – now adversaries – sing how they would rather reconcile than duel. Sadly, neither one of them can set aside their pride to call it off. Onegin shoots Lenski dead. act iii After spending several years traveling abroad, Onegin is now at a ball in St. Petersburg still feeling guilty for Lenski’s death. Suddenly, Onegin sees an exquisitely gowned Tatiana across the room. Onegin pulls aside his cousin, Prince Gremin, to ask about her. Gremin proudly replies that Tatiana is his wife and saving grace. Once Gremin and Tatiana depart, Onegin is overwhelmed with passion for Tatiana. Onegin meets Tatiana alone and confesses his love for her. Cynically, Tatiana wonders if he is truly in love with her or just her new social standing. He swears that his love for her is genuine, but she does not give in. She reflects how close they were to happiness. Tatiana admits that while she still loves him they could never be together. She will remain faithful to her husband. She exits the room leaving the frantic Onegin to wallow in despair.

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artistic & production team

Conductor Conductor Perry So recently made his European operatic debut at the Royal Danish Opera in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and debuted with the Szczecin Philharmonic and the Nürnberger Symphoniker, including a tour to Milan. Recent highlights include return visits to the Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife, a residency with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias, and a seven-week tour of South Africa including a performance of Verdi's Requiem in Cape Town. Upcoming debuts include concerts with orchestras in Pamplona and Malaga, Spain, and in Tucson, Arizona. Recent debuts include the Cleveland and Minnesota orchestras and the Houston, Detroit, Israel, and Shanghai symphony orchestras. He has been a frequent guest at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl following his stint as a Conducting Fellow of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has been the Assistant and the Associate Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He toured the Balkan Peninsula with the Zagreb Philharmonic in the first series of cultural exchanges following the breakup of Yugoslavia. So received the First and Special Prizes at the Prokofiev Conducting Competition in St. Petersburg. His recording of Barber and Korngold's violin concertos with Alexander Gilman and the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra was awarded the Diapason d’Or in 2012. He has recorded extensively with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Born in Hong Kong, Perry So holds a degree in literature from Yale University. This is his North American operatic debut. Stage Scotsman Paul Curran is an internationally acclaimed stage director Director who has led productions at the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, La Scala Milan, La Fenice, Royal Opera Copenhagen, LA Opera, Lyric Opera Chicago, National Theatre Tokyo, Covent Garden Festival, Paulau Valencia, Mariinsky Theatre St. Petersburg, Garsington Opera, and Maggio Musical Florence, among others. A graduate of the National Institute of Dramatic Art Sydney, he was Artistic Director of the Norwegian National Opera from 2007 until 2011. Recent productions include Der Fliegende Holländer (Maggio Musicale Firenze), Khovanshchina (BBC Proms), My Fair Lady (Teatro San Carlo), The Bartered Bride (Garsington Opera), Carmen (Opera Philadelphia, Seattle Opera, Irish National

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artistic & production team (continued) Opera), Lady MacBeth of Mtsensk, Tosca, and Otello (Canadian Opera), Tristan und Isolde (Teatro La Fenice Venice), and Peter Grimes (Norwegian National Opera, Washington National Opera). www.paulcurranopera.com

Scenic & Edward T. Morris previously designed La Cenerentola for Yale Opera. Projection Edward has designed for Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, Yale Repertory Designer Theatre, Martha Graham Dance Company, LaMama, The Barrow Group, Goodspeed Opera House, Steinhardt Opera, Opera Memphis, Cherry Lane Theater, Minetta Lane Theatre, Magic Theatre, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Weston Playhouse, Westport Country Playhouse, and comedian Colin Quinn. Education: BFA, University of Michigan; MFA, Yale School of Drama. Lecturer: New School for Drama. Member: United Scenic Artists Local 829 and Wingspace Theatrical Design. www.edwardtmorris.com Lighting Solomon Weisbard is an Oregon-born lighting designer for all types Designer of performance. As a collaborator with legendary director/designer Robert Wilson, he’s created works in some of the most famous theaters across Europe: Il Trovatore (Verdi Festival, Parma, and Teatro Comunale di Bologna), Oedipus (Ancient Theatre of Pompeii, Teatro Olimpico di Vicenza, Teatro Mercadante di Napoli, Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, Greece), Turandot (Teatro Real, Madrid), and the upcoming Otello (Festspielhaus Baden Baden, Germany). He also designed the lighting for last season’s The Magic Flute with Yale Opera and for L’Egisto, Xerse, and the upcoming Orfeo with the Yale Baroque Opera Project. As an educator and guest artist, Solomon has taught and worked with students at Bard, Barnard, Connecticut College, City College, Columbia, DeSales, East Stroudsburg, Fordham, NYU/Tisch, New School, Princeton, University of the Arts, University of Rochester (where he was visiting adjunct faculty), and Quinnipiac. MFA: Yale Drama. www.solweisbard.com Costume Rebecca L. Welles YSD ’12 has been designing for Yale Opera since Designer 2013. Credits include The Magic Flute, the fall 2017 and 2018 Yale Opera Scenes, Hansel and Gretel, Le pauvre matelot, The Bear, Don Quichotte, La Cenerentola, Le nozze di Figaro, Gianni Schicci, Riders to the Sea, Bon Appétit!, and Iolanta. Rebecca is also an adjunct professor of performing arts at Eastern Connecticut State University, the costume shop manager for the Aspen Summer Music Festival’s Aspen Opera Center, and the resident costume designer for ACES

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Educational Center for the Arts. Other recent Connecticut design credits include Million Dollar Quartet and Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Story at Ivoryton Playhouse. Wig & Melissa Sibert designs for Elsen Associates Inc., wig and makeup Makeup designers for various companies, theaters, and institutions including Designer the Washington National Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera New Jersey, Opera Omaha, Des Moines Metro Opera, Syracuse Opera, Sarasota Opera, Yale Opera, Carnegie Mellon University, Manhattan School of Music, Shakespeare Theatre Company, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and McCarter Theatre, as well as international festivals including Edinburgh, Jerusalem, and Spoleto (United States, Italy, and Australia). Musical A native of New York City, Timothy Shaindlin joined the Yale School Preparation of Music faculty in 2008. After studies at The Juilliard School and Indiana University, he worked for the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, San Diego Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, and Pittsburgh Opera. He has also coached for the Glimmerglass Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Hawaii Opera Theatre. In Europe, he worked for Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu and played master classes for Tito Gobbi. He has also played classes and coachings for such artists as Joan Sutherland, Birgit Nilsson, Beverly Sills, Marilyn Horne, Natalie Dessay, Ben Heppner, Luciano Pavarotti, Eleanor Steber, Samuel Ramey, Régine Crespin, Carlo Bergonzi, Sherrill Milnes, Thomas Hampson, and Frederica von Stade. Mr. Shaindlin’s work on the podium includes conducting engagements with the Wolf Trap Opera, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, Chicago Light Opera Works, and Eugene Opera. He has assisted such renowned conductors as Christoph Eschenbach, Sir Andrew Davis, Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, Richard Bonynge, Bruno Bartoletti, Donato Renzetti, Louis Langrée, Edoardo Müller, Yves Abel, Daniele Gatti, Antonio Pappano, and Paul Gemignani. Mr. Shaindlin has chorus-mastered 40 operas at the Pittsburgh Opera and was the director of the Children’s Chorus at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Musical Mark Lawson was born in Mason City, Iowa. Coming from a musical Preparation family, he received his first piano lessons at the age of 8. At the age of

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artistic & production team (continued) 18, he began his studies at The Juilliard School in New York, then completed his doctorate at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He then worked as a freelance pianist in New York and as a coach for Yale Opera at the Yale School of Music. In 1997 he accepted a position as a repetitor at the Aalto Theater in Essen, and from 1999 until 2017 he was Principal Repetitor at the Bavarian State Opera. Mark now works as a freelance pianist and opera coach for companies including Teatro Real (Madrid, Spain), Dutch National Opera, and the Bavarian State Opera.

Musical Douglas Dickson earned his bachelor of arts degree from Princeton Preparation University and his master of musical arts degree from the Yale School of Music. On various occasions, The Washington Post has called him an “intelligent, sensitive” pianist with “super technique” and a “skillful pianist” and has praised him for the “finely integrated oneness” he achieves as an accompanist. Mr. Dickson has performed in the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America in venues ranging from Japan’s Expo Hall to the Cincinnati Coliseum. While still in college, he was the accompanist for the American Boychoir. As part of Duodecaphonia, a prize-winning piano duo, he has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and elsewhere. Mr. Dickson has been the music director for productions at Quinnipiac University, the Yale School of Drama, Opera Theater of Connecticut, and Connecticut Experimental Theater. He was the music director and conductor for Yale Opera’s production of Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, and he conducted a concert featuring the Yale Opera with Orchestra Verdi in Milan. He has taught at Quinnipiac University since 1993 and joined the Yale faculty in 1998. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in an all-Ives concert at Weill Recital Hall. For Naxos, he has recorded more than 80 Charles Ives songs. Production Stephanie Canada is a multidisciplinary stage manager who has Stage worked across the United States and Europe. Most recently, she Manager completed work on Opera Colorado’s production of La Traviata. Next, she will be working with Fort Worth Opera on the Glimmerglass production of Porgy and Bess. Her home base is in Orlando, Florida, working with the Blue Man Group in Universal’s City Walk.

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Chorus Jill Brunelle is a repertoire pianist at Yale University, working with Master Yale Opera, Yale Drama, the Institute of Sacred Music, and Yale College. Her recent music directing credits include The Fantasticks at Ivoryton Playhouse and The Addams Family and Violet at Southern Connecticut State University. At Yale School of Drama, Ms. Brunelle has directed Steven Sondheim’s Passion, The Apple Tree, Trouble in Tahiti, and The Medium. As Yale Opera Chorus Master, she has prepared ensembles for Hansel and Gretel, The Magic Flute, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Le nozze di Figaro, and La Bohème. Ms. Brunelle is celebrating five years as Music Director at the Foote School Summer Theater. She has served as faculty/staff at Boston University, New England Conservatory, Tufts University, the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music, Connecticut Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Opera Boston. As a collaborative pianist, Jill has performed at Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, and the contemporary music festival Bang on a Can. As a recitalist, she performs frequently with area companies and ensembles, including Orchestra New England and Long Wharf Theatre.

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principal artists

Luis Aguilar Regalado tenor • Lenski Hometown Torreon, Mexico Education b.m. University of Hartford’s Hartt School; m.m. Yale School of Music Yale Opera Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia*, Roberto Devereux in Roberto Devereux*, Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Tamino in The Magic Flute, Ferrando in Così fan tutte, Father Grenville in Dead Man Walking*, Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia*, Tanzmeister in Ariadne auf Naxos*, Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore* Recently Spoletta in Tosca (Opera Connecticut), Conte Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia (Opera de Nuevo Leon), Tenor II in Renard (Orchestra New England), Candide in Candide (Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra), Tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah (Waterbury Symphony) Andres Benavides Cascante baritone • Onegin Hometown San Jose, Costa Rica Education b.a. Loyola University Yale Opera Rigoletto in Rigoletto*, Father in Hansel and Gretel, Sprecher in The Magic Flute, Marcello in La Bohème*, Pandolfe in Cendrillon* Recently Gianni Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi (Loyola Opera), Falstaff in Falstaff (Harrower Opera), 2018 Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera Upcoming 2019 Emerging Artist with the Institute of Young Dramatic Voices Matthew Cossack baritone • Onegin Hometown Brooklyn, NY Education b.m. SUNY Purchase; m.m. Mannes College Yale Opera Hamlet in Hamlet*, Junius in The Rape of Lucretia*, Father in Hansel and Gretel, Sprecher in The Magic Flute, Joseph De Rocher in Dead Man Walking*, Musiklehrer in Ariadne auf Naxos* Recently Old Doctor in Vanessa, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, and John Brooke in Little Women (Mannes Opera), Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (SUNY Purchase Opera), Maximillian in Candide (Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra) Upcoming Chamberlain in Le Rossignol (Yale Opera), 2019 Apprentice Artist with Chautauqua Opera, Paul Conti in Figaro 90210 (Chautauqua Opera), Deutsche Oper Berlin for 2019–2020 Season as winner of the Opera Foundation Scholarship Competition