Yale Opera
Doris Yarick-Cross, Artistic Director
A transformative journey guided by enchantment and devotion.
Feb 14–16 Shubert Theatre
Robert Blocker, Dean
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Yale School of Music · Robert Blocker, Dean Yale Opera · Doris Yarick-Cross, Artistic Director
Music by Daniel Catán Libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain Performed in Spanish with projected English surtitles
conductor stage director scenic designer projection designer lighting designer costume designer wig & makeup designer musical preparation
Christopher Franklin Candace Evans Izmir Ickbal Brittany Bland Carolina Ortiz Herrera Rebecca L. Welles Ali Pohanka (for Elsen Associates, Inc.) Douglas Dickson Timothy Shaindlin production stage manager Hannah Blaile chorus master Jill Brunelle A Yale Opera premiere There will be one fifteen-minute intermission following Act I. The approximate running time of the performance is two hours and five minutes.
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welcome from the Dean Dear Friends, The annual mainstage production of Yale Opera is always eagerly anticipated and enthusiastically received. Both the anticipation and our enjoyment are reflections of a vision for Yale Opera that Doris Yarick-Cross has imagined, shaped, and realized during her distinguished service as Artistic Director and Professor in the Practice of Voice since 1983. Yale Opera’s presentation of Florencia en el Amazonas marks the final mainstage curtain call for Doris, a finale that is also an overture for the future of Yale Opera. For almost four decades, Doris has led Yale Opera superbly. She would be the first to acknowledge a cast of faculty, staff, students, and patrons whose work and support have placed Yale Opera among the elite programs of its kind. Today, Yale Opera alumni sing on the world’s major stages, a fitting tribute to the teaching of both Doris and Richard Cross. Their work together constitutes a remarkable legacy. On this auspicious occasion, I know you join me in expressing profound gratitude to Doris for her visionary leadership, and to Doris and Richard for the many ways their friendship and work have enriched our lives, our school, and indeed our community. As we listen to these outstanding young artists from Yale Opera and Yale Philharmonia, we celebrate the tangible results of the devotion to artistic teaching that Doris and Richard have exemplified and inspired. robert blocker Henry and Lucy 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 unique pleasure to present the Yale Opera premiere of Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas, our first opera performed in the Spanish language. An evocative melding of Puccini-esque swells and South American imagery, this opera is a perfect showcase for our talented young singers both vocally and dramatically in these seven dynamic characters. It is my honor to introduce Maestro Christopher Franklin to our audience. In a wide-ranging career, he has conducted for prestigious companies worldwide including the San Francisco Opera and the London Philharmonic. His vibrant leadership from the podium for Catán’s emotive score ascends in this significant collaboration between the Yale Philharmonia and Yale Opera. At the helm of this production is Stage Director Candace Evans, a longtime favorite of the Dallas Opera. We’re thrilled that Evans could delve back into the Amazon rainforest once again after her previous, captivating production of Florencia with San Diego Opera and Indiana University. Her passion for this opera is infectious and inspires these poignant performances from the cast in this stunning new production. As some of you know, this is my final year at Yale. I wish to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your faithful support of Yale Opera. 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. These productions are vital to the education and enrichment of our singers as they embark on professional careers. 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 riolobo
Edwin Joseph f, su Phillip Lopez sa
Rosalba
Laura Nielsen f, su Nicole Leung sa
Paula
Theresa Kesser f, su Martina Myskohlid sa
Alvaro
Andres Cascante f, su Matthew Peterson sa
capitán
Hans Tashjian f, su Alireza Tousi sa
Florencia
Madeline Ehlinger f, su Greer Lyle sa
Arcadio
Ryan Capozzo f, su John Chongyoon Noh sa
f = Friday sa = Saturday su = Sunday
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chorus soprano Janet Aldrich Samantha Feliciano Catherine Kalonia Frances Pollock Meena Rajesh mezzo-soprano Alba Clark Sara Henry Nicole Rigo † Sara Trenner † Nancy Wilcox
tenor Alex Lubka Augie Miller Austin Rauschuber Bill Sorensen bass/baritone Stewart Battle* Martin Dodd Robert Scrofani † Dominic Sullivan †
* Soloist † Water People
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yale philharmonia violin i Hannah Tarley Boyu Li Erin White Ann Cho violin ii Shenae Anderson BingYang Li Hiraku Yonezaki Charissa Leung viola Harris Bernstein James Yoon Chris Rogers-Beadle Charlie Galante cello Atticus MellorGoldman Hye In Lee Jihyun Hwang Miriam LiskeDoorandish double bass Max Mulpagano Zhenyuan Yao
piccolo David Lassila flute Cameron Cullen David Lassila oboe Laurel Wellman Soo Min Ha clarinet Richard Adger Claudia Ng bass clarinet Cesar Palacio
trumpet Brian Voelz Connor Holland trombone Ryan Murray Samuel Anderson tuba Michael Fleming timpani Kevin Zetina marimba Arlo Shultis
bassoon Mateen Milan Molly Murphy
percussion Russell Fisher Shiqi Zhong Zach Gutierrez
contrabassoon Molly Murphy
harp Héloïse Carlean-Jones
horn Nathan Peebles Olivia Martinez Kyle Thompson
keyboard Douglas Dickson
principal conductor manager assistant manager/librarian conducting student
Peter Oundjian Jeffrey M. Mistri Samuel Bobinski Ryan Tani
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director’s note Take a journey down the Amazon River. Step on the boat and disappear from the realities that surround you and the self you were. Let nature and music wash into your spirit, as you allow yourself to emerge at a new destination. Unexpected, but essential, allow yourself to change. This is the invitation extended by Florencia en el Amazonas. Spun from a libretto in the magic realism style of Gabriel García Marquez, the intensely evocative score was written by the late Daniel Catán, as a commission for Houston Grand Opera. In preparation for this production, I considered the opera, an actual journey, from the viewpoint of each character. Why were they there; what was their story, their wish, and their eventual outcome. It is rare that every character has an essential need and a tangible transformation, but in this instance each role is part of an intricate and well balanced puzzle, with the river holding their world in absolute space and time. In consideration of this, it became clear to me that the river itself was the most imperative character. Down the mighty Amazon, the boat sails through dense rain forest, enduring powerful bursts of weather, and encounters astonishing creatures of the jungle. My production concept, to create a more tangible representation of this magic, was realized by my immensely talented design team. It’s easy for us to identify with the power of nature to take hold of us, even without the exoticism of an Amazonian jungle. From the viewing of a spectacular sunrise out of an airplane window, to standing at the edge of an enormous canyon, to the simple pleasure of tracing raindrops down a kitchen window, we are given a ‘life pause’ when we allow ourselves to really see. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Nature is made to conspire with spirit to emancipate us.” Throughout literature and music, plots have focused on how nature affects personal discovery; Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Sondheim’s Into the Woods, and myriad Shakespearean plays, most powerfully, The Tempest. In a strong parallel to this opera, that play tells of a ship isolated in a magical environment, with curious beings called forth by the main character, Prospero. In the words of Margaret Atwood about him: “Prospero uses his arts – magic arts, arts of illusion – not just for entertainment, though he does some of that as well, but for the purposes of moral and social improvement.”
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In the opera, Riolobo, a man/creature guides the journey and opens situations for each character to meet their own demons. Without force, he offers opportunity, through the magic of the river, the jungle, and the cleansing power of water. Riolobo is balanced against the character of the El Dorado’s Captain, a practical man whose very heart and soul are the river. The boat sails with Florencia, an opera singer searching for the lost love that gave her a voice, Rosalba and Arcadio, young hopefuls with aspirations for more fulfilling lives, and Paula and Alvaro, a more mature couple, with unspoken wishes are for a renewal of their love. Step aboard and journey with us. Allow the music, imagery and power of magic to become reality. Allow yourself to consider your lost loves, your wishes for a life more fulfilling, and a renewal of what really matters. In the words of Henry David Thoreau: “Not until we are lost do we begin to find ourselves.” Candace Evans Stage Director
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florencia en el amazonas Synopsis
Act I The steamboat El Dorado is sailing down the Amazon in the early 1900s. The passengers are travelling to hear the legendary but intensely private opera singer Florencia Grimaldi sing at the reopening of the theatre in Manaus. Riolobo, a mystical character who can assume many forms introduces the embarking passengers: Paula and Alvaro, a middle-aged couple attempting to rekindle their marriage; Rosalba, a journalist researching a biography on Grimaldi; and Florencia herself, travelling alone and incognito, harboring a burning desire to find her long-lost lover Cristóbal, a butterfly-hunter, whose love unlocked her staggering powers of musical expression. Once en route, Rosalba accidentally drops her research notes overboard. The Captain's nephew, Arcadio, manages to rescue them, and the pair becomes aware of a strong mutual attraction. The evening concludes as Paula and Alvaro's attempt at a romantic dinner dissolves into a bitter quarrel. Initially unaware of her identity, the Captain tells Florencia of the fate of Cristóbal, who disappeared without trace in the jungle, thus dashing her dearest ambition. As a heated card game brings out the contrasting sexual and hostile tensions between Rosalba and Arcadio, and Paula and Alvaro, a violent storm brews outside. In saving the ship from being crushed, Alvaro is swept overboard; the Captain is knocked unconscious and despite Arcadio's efforts at the helm, the ship runs aground.
Act II Paula mourns the loss of Alvaro, realizing that it was pride and not lack of love that stood between them. Riolobo appears again mysteriously to return Alvaro to the ship, claiming that Paula's laments saved him from death. Rosalba, distraught that her notebook has been ruined in the storm, talks to the incognito Florencia about her research. During the ensuing discussion on Grimaldi, Florencia declares passionately that Grimaldi's gift was a result of her love for Cristóbal. Rosalba realizes that she is talking to her heroine and, hearing her story, decides her own love for Arcadio shouldn't be suppressed. The boat arrives in Manaus, but a cholera outbreak prevents the passengers from going ashore. Florencia, in despair over the possibility of never seeing Cristóbal again, is magically transformed into a butterfly, so that perhaps she will be reunited with her beloved butterfly catcher.
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artistic & production team Equally at home on the concert stage and in the opera house, American conductor Christopher Franklin has been praised for his keen theatrical instincts and vibrant performances. His continued success in the Italian operatic repertoire is a natural result of having launched his career in Italy, conducting at several major Italian opera houses and festivals. A sought-after guest conductor, Mr. Franklin has conducted among others, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, SWR Orchester, Orchestre de la Monnaie in Bruxelles, Prague Philharmonia, Sinfonieorchester St. Gallen, Orchestra Verdi di Milan, Orchestra della Toscana, Orchestra Toscanini of Parma, the Münchner Symphoniker, and the Orchestra ‘900 of the Teatro Regio di Torino. He has performed in theatres throughout the world such as the Musikvereinssaal and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Herculessaal in Munich, Teatro Liceo in Barcelona, Teatro Real Madrid, Philharmonie in Köln, Musikhalle in Hamburg, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Festspielhaus in BadenBaden, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Teatro de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Konzerthaus in Dortmund, Cadogan Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London, Carnival Center of Miami, International House of Music and the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Dvořák Hall and the Smetana Municipal Hall in Prague, at the Ordway with the Minnesota Opera, and at the War Memorial Opera House with San Francisco Opera. Productions in the 2019–20 season include Hänsel und Gretel at the San Francisco Opera, La Bohème at the Teatro Verdi di Trieste, Aufsteig und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny at the Teatro Regio di Parma, concerts at the Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival with the Orchestre de l’Opera National de Lyon- with Juan Diego Florez and Lisette Oropesa, with the Prague Philharmonia at Dvořák Hall, and with the Tokyo New City Orchestra in Suntory Hall. He began studying the violin at the age of six in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. After completing a B.A. in violin and German literature at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, he earned his M.M. in conducting at the University of Illinois and his D.M.A. at the Peabody Conservatory with Frederik Prausnitz. He was awarded a scholarship to study at the Tanglewood Music Center, where he worked with Seiji Ozawa, Robert Spano, and Gustav Meier, and subsequently, a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the Musikhochschule in Saarbrücken. Franklin was first prize winner of the Gino Marinuzzi International Conducting Competition. He began his conducting studies with Charles Bruck at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Hancock, USA. Christopher lives in Lucca, Italy.
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artistic & production team (continued) Internationally praised for “a flawless sense of timing” (Opera News), whose work is “genuine gripping drama” (Opera Now), Candace Evans is known for incisive story-telling. Her Akhnaten was named "definitive" by the Philip Glass organization, and her production of Florencia en el Amazonas for San Diego Opera was acclaimed as “best illustrating composer intent.” La Viuda Alegre, at the legendary Teatro Colón, was named in the top three operas of the entire Argentinian season. Her own performance career included dancing with the Wisconsin Ballet Company, singing with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, international tours in Shakespearean roles, and national voice-over credits. This combination of talent and interest illustrate why her directorial style includes the integration of musical intent, dramatic text and the physical life of performers. Past engagements include: Dallas Opera, Santa Fe, Arizona, Palm Beach, Madison, Fort Worth, as well as international tours with the Montefeltro Festival. Upcoming: Pulcinella, La Traviata, Beatrice and Benedict.
Scenic Izmir Ickbal is a New York-based designer whose credits include Or An Designer Astronaut Play (The Tank), A Christmas Carol in Harlem (Classical Theatre of Harlem), La Negra (BRIC), Round Table (Fault Line Theater), Dead Are My People (Noor Theater), Queen (Hot! Festival, Dixon Place), 125th and FREEDOM, Serious Adverse Effects (National Black Theatre), Happy Days starring Dianne Wiest (Center Theater Group LA, Theater For A New Audience NY), The Late Wedding and 1001 (Teatro LATEA, Columbia Stages). Other credits include Big River (Unquowa Repertory Theater), The Comedy of Errors and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Elm Shakespeare Company); Nanyang: the musical (International Festival of Arts, Singapore). M.F.A., Yale School of Drama. » izmirickbal.com Projection Designer
Brittany Bland is a projection designer working in theater and live performance. She received her MFA in Design from the Yale School of Drama. Drawing from her diverse education and experience, Brittany’s work explores emerging media and technology's role in performance. Brittany’s design credits include Cendrillon (Yale Opera); Black History Museum (Here Arts Center); Twelfth Night (Yale Repertory Theater); as u like it, Tent Revival, Marty and the Hands that Could, and Three Sisters (Yale School of Drama); Where all Good Rabbits Go (Thrown Stone). Brittany received a B.A. in technical theater production and design from Catawba College in 2010.
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Lighting Designer
Carolina Ortiz Herrera is a Mexican-born and New York-based lighting designer for theater, dance, and opera. Regional: All’s Well That Ends Well (Oregon Shakespeare Festival); American Mariachi (Arizona Theater Company); Seven Guitars (Yale Repertory Theatre). Other theatre: Yellowman, nominated for Best Lighting Design at Audelco’s Awards (Billie Holiday Theatre); Sweeney Todd (Yale Dramatic Association); Titus Andronicus, Some Bodies Travel, Women Beware Women, and The Skin of Our Teeth (Yale University Theatre). Opera: The Silent Lyre (Lighten Theatre); Trouble in Tahiti (New Jersey University); and The Cunning Little Vixen (Opera Theatre of Yale College). Carolina has also assisted notable lighting designers including Jennifer Tipton, Duane Schuler, Pablo Santiago, and Jiyoun Chang at institutions such as Broadway, the Santa Fe Opera, San Francisco Symphony, The Public, BAM, NYT Workshop, LTC3 Lincoln Center, and the Atlantic Theatre Company. Education: M.F.A., Yale School of Drama. » carolinaeortiz.com
Costume Designer
Rebecca L. Welles YSD ’12 has been designing for Yale Opera since 2013. Credits include Eugene Onegin, The Magic Flute, 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. Regional credits include: Comedy of Errors (Elm Shakespeare Company); Million Dollar Quartet and Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Story (Ivoryton Playhouse); I Pagliacci, The Magic Flute, and La Bohème (Salt Marsh Opera); Il barbiere di Siviglia (Aspen Opera Center); Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci (Boheme Opera New Jersey). Rebecca is also an adjunct professor of performing arts at Eastern Connecticut State University, and the resident costume designer for the Educational Center for the Arts. She received her Bachelor's degree in Theatre Technology from SCSU in 2008 and her Master's degree in Design from Yale School of Drama in 2012.
Wig & Ali Pohanka designs for Elsen Associates Inc., wig and makeup designers for Makeup various companies, theatres, and institutions, including Washington National Designer Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Wolf Trap, Opera New Jersey, Opera Omaha, Des Moines Metro Opera, Syracuse Opera, Sarasota Opera, Yale University, Carnegie Mellon University, Manhattan School of Music, Shakespeare Theatre/ Washington, D.C., The Kennedy Center, and McCarter Theatre. International festivals include Edinburgh, Jerusalem, and Spoleto (USA, Italy, and Australia).
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artistic & production team (continued) Douglas Dickson earned his bachelor of arts degree from Princeton 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.
Musical A native of New York City, Timothy Shaindlin joined the Yale School of Music Preparation 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.
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Production Stage Manager
Hannah Blaile is a stage manager from Phoenix, Arizona who works in both opera and theater. She graduated from the University of Arizona in Tucson where she studied theatrical production with an emphasis in stage management and has been working around the country ever since. Notable companies on her resume include San Diego Opera, Aspen Music Festival and School, Utah Festival Opera, Opera in the Ozarks, Arizona Repertory Theater, and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Her production credits include Aida, Die Fledermaus, Carmen, The Rape of Lucretia, Rigoletto, The Barber of Seville, and The Marriage of Figaro. She has also worked as a production assistant for NPR’s From the Top and stage managed internationally with the Istropolitana Projekt Festival in Bratislava, Slovakia. Her upcoming engagements are The Tales of Hoffman with Opera Delaware and a summer at Brevard Music Center.
Chorus Jill Brunelle is a repertoire pianist at Yale University, working with Yale Opera, Master Yale Drama, the Institute of Sacred Music, and Yale College. Her recent music directing credits include The Fantasticks (Ivoryton Playhouse) and Pippin, The Addams Family, and Violet (Southern Connecticut State University). At Yale School of Drama, Ms. Brunelle has music directed Fun Home, Steven Sondheim’s Passion, The Apple Tree, Trouble in Tahiti, and The Medium. As Yale Opera Chorus Master, she has prepared ensembles for Eugene Onegin, Hansel and Gretel, The Magic Flute, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Le Nozze di Figaro, and La Bohème. Ms. Brunelle recently celebrated five years as Music Director at the Foote School Summer Theater. Her 2020 season includes Ragtime at Ivoryton Playhouse, and the world premiere of the new opera Salt. Ms. Brunelle has served as faculty/staff at Boston University, New England Conservatory, Tufts University, Hartt School of Music, Connecticut Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Opera Boston. As a collaborative pianist Ms. Brunelle is highly sought after as a recital partner, performing internationally as well as at Carnegie Hall and Jordan Hall, and has performed world premieres at numerous festivals, including the celebrated Bang on a Can festival in New York City. Ms. Brunelle also collaborates frequently with area companies and ensembles, including Orchestra New England and Long Wharf Theater.
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principal artists
Ryan Capozzo tenor • Arcadio Mamaroneck, NY b.m. & m.m. SUNY Purchase Captain Vere in Billly Budd*, Prunier in La Rondine* Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Nerone in L’incoranazione di Poppea, and Rev. Samuel Parris in The Crucible [recording released by Albany Records] (SUNY Purchase Opera). Also Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (Berlin Opera Academy) Upcoming Tinca in Il Tabarro and Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi (Yale Opera)
Hometown Education Yale Opera Recently
Andres Benavides Cascante baritone • Alvaro Hometown San Jose, Costa Rica Education b.a. Loyola University; m.m. Yale School of Music Yale Opera Onegin in Eugene Onegin, Samuel in The Pirates of Penzance*, Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro*, 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 (LA Vocal Arts & Loyola Opera), Falstaff in Falstaff (Harrower Opera), 2018 Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera, 2019 Emerging Artist with the Institute of Young Dramatic Voices Upcoming Michele in Il Tabarro (Yale Opera) Madeline Ehlinger soprano • Florencia Hometown Spring Green, WI Education b.m. DePaul University Yale Opera Tatiana in Eugene Onegin, Antonia in The Tales of Hoffmann*, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro*, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance* Recently Poppea in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Rose Maurrant in Street Scene (DePaul University Opera), 2019 Studio Artist with Central City Opera Upcoming 2020 Apprentice Artist with Central City Opera, Soprano Soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Yale Symphony Orchestra Edwin Joseph baritone • Riolobo Hometown Delhi, India Education b.a. St. Stephens College, Delhi Yale Opera Zeretsky in Eugene Onegin, Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief, Count in Le Nozze di Figaro*, Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance*, Tarquinius in The Rape of Lucretia*, Nottingham in Roberto Devereux* Recently Beast in Beauty and the Beast (Disney India National Tour), Jake/Messenger in The Threepenny Opera (Aadyam Theatre Festival), Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro (Prague Summer Nights Festival), 2019 Apprentice Artist with Chautauqua
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Opera, Babayan in ¡Figaro! (90210) and Wilhelm in Ghosts of Versailles (Chautauqua Opera) Upcoming Gianni Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi (Yale Opera), 2020 Glimmerglass Festival apprentice artist; Morald in Die Feen Theresa Kesser mezzo-soprano • Paula Hometown Poway, CA Education b.m. University of Denver; m.m. Indiana University Yale Opera Larina in Eugnene Onegin, Miss Todd in The Old Maid and the Thief, La Voix in The Tales of Hoffmann*, Olga in Eugene Onegin* Recently Wolf Trap Opera Studio Artist, Wallis in Listen, Wilhelmina! (Wolf Trap Opera), Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro (Miami Music Festival), Dido in Dido and Aeneas (Opera Steamboat Artist Institute), Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte (DU Lamont Opera Theatre), Meg Page in Falstaff (Utah Lyric Opera), Covers of Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos, Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Hippocratine in L’île de Merlin (Wolf Trap Opera) Upcoming Zita in Gianni Schicchi (Yale Opera), Mezzo-Soprano Soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Yale Symphony Orchestra Nicole Leung soprano • Rosalba Hometown Toronto, Ontario, Canada Education B.M. New England Conservatory Yale Opera Rosalba in Florencia en el Amazonas*, Lisette in La Rondine*, Héro in Béatrice et Bénédict* Recently Young Artist at Songfest; Nerone in L'incoronazione di Poppea (New England Conservatory), Soprano Soloist for Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem with New England Conservatory Concert Choir and New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra Upcoming Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi (Yale Opera), Soprano Soloist in Mozart Requiem with Waterbury Symphony Phillip Lopez bass-baritone • Riolobo Hometown Avon, IL Education b.m. Millikin University; m.m. Wichita State University Yale Opera Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro*, Riolobo in Florencia en el Amazonas*, Don Pedro in Béatrice et Bénédict* Recently Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro, Major Rose & Spc. Haldemann in An American Soldier, and Imperial Commissioner in Madame Butterfly (Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis); Gianni Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Frank Maurrant in Street Scene (Wichita State University Opera); Bass Soloist in Mozart Requiem (Southwestern * scenes productions
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principal artists (continued)
College), and Mardo in Die Gärtnerin aus Liebe. Upcoming Betto in Gianni Schicchi (Yale Opera), Bass Soloist in Mozart Requiem with Waterbury Symphony, 2020 Studio Artist with Central City Opera Greer Lyle soprano • Florencia Carrollton, GA Georgia State University Florencia in Florencia en el Amazonas*, Zemfira in Aleko* 2018 & 2019 Gerdine Young Artist with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; Mimi in La Bohème, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Mother in Hansel and Gretel (GSU Opera Theater) Upcoming Giorgetta in Il Tabarro
Hometown Education Yale Opera Recently
Martina Myskohlid mezzo-soprano • Paula Toronto, Ontario, Canada b.m. University of Toronto Béatrice in Béatrice et Bénédict*, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro* Elmire in Tartuffe, Despina in Così fan tutte, and Patience in Patience (Opera NUOVA) Upcoming La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi (Yale Opera), Mezzo-Soprano Soloist in Mozart Requiem with Waterbury Symphony
Hometown Education Yale Opera Recently
Laura Nielsen soprano • Rosalba Hometown London, Ontario, Canada Education b.m. University of Western Ontario Yale Opera Laetitia in The Old Maid and the Thief, the Cook in Le Rossignol, Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro*, Madga in La Rondine*, Gilda in Rigoletto*, Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail* Recently Micaëla in Carmen (Halifax Summer Opera); Soeur Constance in Dialogues des Carmelites, Nella in Gianni Schicchi, and Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (La Musica Lirica); Soloist in Poulenc's Gloria with Yale Symphony Orchestra, and Soprano Soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Waterbury Symphony Upcoming Nella in Gianni Schicchi (Yale Opera) John ChongYoon Noh tenor • Arcadio Hometown Seoul, South Korea Education b.m. Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University; m.m. The Juilliard School Yale Opera Lenski in Eugene Onegin* Hoffmann in The Tales of Hoffmann*, Arcadio in Florencia en el Amazonas*, Bénédict in Béatrice et Bénédict* Recently Tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah (New Haven Symphony Orchestra), Fenton
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in Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Juilliard Opera), Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore (Music Academy of the West), Ferrando in Così fan tutte (Charleston Symphony Orchestra and Peabody Opera Theater), Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore (Opera Theater of Connecticut); Priest in the world premiere of Murasaki’s Moon (On Site Opera) Upcoming Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi (Yale Opera) Matthew Peterson baritone • Alvaro Hometown Brush, CO Education b.a. Colorado Christian University; M.M. University of Denver Yale Opera Billy Budd in Billy Budd*, Major General The Pirates of Penzance*, Claudio in Béatrice et Bénédict* Recently 2018 & 2019 Young Artist with Central City Opera; Novice’s Friend and Billy Budd (cover) in Billy Budd, and Polyphemus in Acis and Galatea (Central City Opera); Commissionario in La Traviata (Opera Colorado); Barone Duphole in La Traviata and Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro (Boulder Symphony); Fisherman in Trish and the Fish (Virginia Opera) Upcoming Marco in Gianni Schicchi (Yale Opera) Hans Tashjian bass • Capitán Hometown East Concord, NY Education b.f.a. Carnegie Mellon University; m.m. Manhatan School of Music Yale Opera Gremin in Eugene Onegin, Emperor in Le Rossignol, Aleko in Aleko*, Claggart in Billy Budd*, Dr. Miracle in The Tales of Hoffmann*, Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail* Recently Sarastro in The Magic Flute (Central City Opera), Betto in Gianni Schicchi (Opera Delaware), Bass Soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (Jackson Symphony Orchestra), Il Podestà in La Gazza Ladra (Teatro Nuovo), Igor/ Mark in The Stonewall Operas (American Opera Projects), Bass Soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Charleston Symphony Upcoming Talpa in Il Tabarro (Yale Opera), Enrico in Anna Bolena (Baltimore Concert Opera) Alireza Tousi bass • Capitán Hometown Menifee, CA Education B.M. & M.M. University of Redlands Yale Opera Capitán in Florencia en el Amazonas*, Dansker in Billy Budd*, Old Gypsy in Aleko* Recently Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia (University of Redlands) Upcoming Simone in Gianni Schicchi (Yale Opera) * scenes productions
20 • YALE OPERA
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yale opera donors Become a patron of Yale Opera. Help support the comprehensive education of opera’s rising stars. Patrons enjoy benefits such as complimentary tickets and invitations to special events. Please email Erika Niemi Heltzel at erika.niemi@yale.edu, call the Concert Office at 203 432-4158, or make a gift online at music.yale.edu/support
Sponsor Laura and Victor Altshul Serena and Robert Blocker Carole and Arthur Broadus Walter and Mary Beth Buck Bill Butler and Barbara Endres Anne and Guido Calabresi Doris and Richard Cross Robert and Priscilla Dannies Richard Lalli and Michael Rigsby Richard and Jane Levin Dr. Jocelyn Malkin Peter Salovey and Marta Elisa Moret Stephanie Spangler and Robert Shulman Lorraine D. Siggins Dr. and Mrs. Dennis D. Spencer
List as of February 6, 2020
Patron Charles and Maryan Ainsworth Paul and Joanne Bailey Elisabeth and Frank Bohlen David Black Belinda Chan and Peter Schott Anne Curtis Andrew Drabkin and Brian Hughes Susan Lewis Duffy Anne Fitzgerald Auguste and Oi Fortin Joy and Brin Ford Toddie and Chris Getman Dr. William Goldberg Carolyn Gould Alva Greenberg Paul and Susan Hawkshaw Erica and Raimond Herzog Richard Kibbey and Ania Jastreboff Penelope Laurans and Charles Long Fiona Scott Morton and Stephen Latham Stephanie Lim Dr. and Mrs. Timothy Niemi Drs. Kitt Falk Petersen and Gerald Shulman Alexander Purves Anne Ryan Lalitha Shivaswamy Damon Smith Dr. Richard S. Steen Elsa Stone and Steve Wolfson Gail and Michael Yaffe
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yale opera production staff Erika Niemi Heltzel Alison Andersen Lauren McQuistin Danilo Gambini Carol Koumbaros Samantha Shoffner Don Cieslik Camilla Tassi Elizabeth Schweitzer Evanna Lai Ricky Feng Nan Julia Orosz
Manager Technical Director Assistant Stage Manager Assistant Director Assistant Costume Designer Properties Supervisor Projection Engineer & Operator Assistant Projection Designer Lighting Supervisor & Programmer Surtitle Operator Student Assistant Student Assistant
Scenery built by Upstate Scenic
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yale school of music staff Krista Johnson Kate Gonzales Winona Van Alstyne Katie Kelley David Brensilver Jenny Reed Travis Wurges Tara Deming Christopher Melillo Matthew LeFevre
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Manager of Concert Programs Concert Office Coordinator Assistant Concert Office Coordinator Director of Communications Communications Officer Design Manager Video Producer Operations Manager Operations Assistant Manager Media Production Manager
special thanks Victor Altshul Carole Broadus Richard Cross Wendall K. Harrington Robert Heltzel Art Lavis Chris Melillo Neil Mulligan Chris Murrah Doug Schreck
Lalitha Shivaswamy Mark Smith Kyle Swann Don Titus Jack Vees Arthur Vitello Southern Connecticut State University Yale School of Drama 4 Wall Entertainment
22 • YALE OPERA
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up next Il Tabarro & Gianni Schicchi May 1 & 2 · Morse Recital Hall in Sprague Memorial Hall Friday & Saturday | 7:30 p.m. Yale Opera presents a double bill of Puccini's Il Tabarro and Gianni Schicchi featuring stage direction by Eve Summer and music direction by Timothy Shaindlin and Douglas Dickson. This fully-staged production will be performed with piano accompaniment. Tickets $10–$20 • Students $5 For tickets, call 203 432-4158, visit music-tickets.yale.edu, or visit the box office in Sprague Hall.
Yale Opera Student Recitals Morse Recital Hall in Sprague Memorial Hall • free julia orosz, mezzo-soprano, Saturday, February 22, 4:30 p.m. theresa kesser, mezzo-soprano, Sunday, February 23, 7:30 p.m. ryan capozzo, tenor, Tuesday, March 3, 4:30 p.m. andres benavides cascante, baritone, Tuesday, March 3, 7:30 p.m. matthew peterson, baritone, Monday, March 23, 4:30 p.m. john chongyoon noh, tenor, Monday, March 23, 7:30 p.m. phillip lopez, bass-baritone, Sunday, March 29, 4:30 p.m. laura nielsen, soprano, Sunday, March 29, 7:30 p.m. alireza tousi, bass, Sunday, April 19, 4:30 p.m. edwin joseph, baritone, Sunday, April 19, 7:30 p.m.
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yale school of music events Zukerman Trio february 18 Oneppo Chamber Music Series Violinist Pinchas Zukerman, cellist Amanda Forsyth, and pianist Angela Cheng perform Beethoven’s “Kakadu” Variations; Arensky’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor; and Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 2 in C major. Morse Recital Hall | Tuesday | 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $26 • Students $13 Philharmonia in Sprague february 28 Yale Philharmonia YSM conducting student Ryan Tani leads the Yale Philharmonia, with percussionist Ji Su Jung, in Prokofiev's Classical Symphony, Kevin Puts' Marimba Concerto, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36. Morse Recital Hall | Friday | 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $10 • Yale Faculty/Staff $8 • Students free* Lucille Chung and Allesio Bax, piano march 4 Horowitz Piano Series A performance of Stravinsky's piano four-hands arrangement of Petrushka, Ravel's piano four-hands arrangement of Debussy's Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and music by Lutoslawski and Poulenc. Morse Recital Hall | Wednesday | 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $23 • Students $11 Bernie Williams Collective march 6 Ellington Jazz Series The former New York Yankees center fielder is a musician “whose talent as a guitarist is evident” (The Washington Post) and whose album Moving Forward was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award. Morse Recital Hall | Friday | 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $22 • Students $10
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