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La Traviata GIUSEPPE VERDI Kim Gaynor, General Director Jonathan Darlington, Music Director Emeritus
VO Administration and Ticket Centre The Michael and Inna O’Brian Centre for Vancouver Opera 1945 McLean Drive Vancouver, BC V5N 3J7 Administration: T: 604 682 2871 F: 604 682 3981 VO Ticket Centre:
(sponsored by Mission Hill Family Estate)
T: 604 683 0222 tickets@vancouveropera.ca www.vancouveropera.ca
Vancouver Opera acknowledges that we work and perform on the unceded and traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
CONTENTS 7
The Cast
23
Opera Allsorts
8
Synopsis
27
Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program
31
The Spark Light Theatre Collective
44
Patron Information
45
VO Board, Staff & Foundation Board
10
Notes from the Conductor
11
Notes from the Director
12
Opera in Context: The Fallen Woman
14 Biographies 20
VO Orchestra, Chorus & Production
Publication Manager: Vincent Wong Design & Layout: Annie Mack Yvonne Olivotto Cover Artwork Art Director: Illustrator:
COMING UP NEXT AT VANCOUVER OPERA Annie Mack Nomi Chi
Vancouver Opera is a professional company. It operates under the jurisdiction of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, Vancouver Musicians’ Association, and IATSE, and is a member of OPERA America and Opera.ca
the barber of seville GIOACHINO ROSSINI
February 13–23 QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE
TICKETS vancouveropera.ca 604 683 0222
From
audition to premiere
Blakes appreciates the importance of supporting the arts, and we are proud to sponsor Vancouver Opera’s production of La Traviata. Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP | blakes.com
|
WELCOME |
LA TRAVIATA
GENERAL DIRECTOR KIM GAYNOR
As the director of an opera company, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what makes some operas, and the music of some composers, more popular than others. It is undeniable that Giuseppe Verdi is at, or very near the top, of anyone’s list of the most popular opera composers. Perhaps it is because he wrote such big, lush orchestrations and beautiful melodies which just seem to stick in your memory. Or because he seems able to express the fragility of life and love through his music. Or perhaps because the stories and characters in his operas are so familiar to us, and so timeless. He seemed to have a special attraction to marginalized characters—the fallen woman in La Traviata, the deformed jester in Rigoletto, or the enslaved or oppressed in Nabucco and Aida. Are those the reasons so many people are drawn to his operas over and over again?
PHOTO BY EMILY COOPER
La Traviata has been performed ten times previously at Vancouver Opera, with the first production in 1961—Vancouver Opera’s second season. This new production is the fruit of a collaboration between five Canadian opera companies, and that means it will be seen by audiences across the country. I hope you enjoy the fine cast of young singers we have assembled, and I am thrilled to welcome Maestro Yves Abel to the conductor’s podium. Maestro Abel has conducted in the world’s most famous opera houses and makes his Vancouver Opera debut in La Traviata. Keep your tissues close to hand as we journey to Paris with Verdi’s timeless masterpiece.
Kim Gaynor General Director, Vancouver Opera
WELCOME |
VO BOARD CHAIR BILL MACLAGAN
Welcome to the 59th season of Vancouver Opera. What a season it will be! This year, we offer you wonderful productions of La Traviata, The Barber of Seville, Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera, and our Vancouver Opera in Schools production of The Flight of the Hummingbird. Two old favourites and two new exciting Canadian operas. We hope you enjoy them all. Special thanks tonight to our production sponsor, Mission Hill Family Estate. We greatly appreciate your support in bringing world-class performing arts to our stages. Thank you to all our Vancouver Opera and Vancouver Opera Foundation patrons, subscribers, donors, sponsors, government supporters, Opera Round Table members, Vancouver Opera Guild members, board members, and volunteers. You allow all of this to happen. Without your contributions, there would be no Vancouver Opera.
PHOTO BY RYAN WEST
Thank you also to our wonderful cast, chorus, and musicians who breathe life into the fine performance you are about to see. Finally, thank you to all of our dedicated Vancouver Opera employees. Working in the arts is an absolute labour of love and our great employees show it everyday. They all deserve a standing ovation. On with the show!
Bill Maclagan Board Chair, Vancouver Opera VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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WINNER 2019 WINERY OF THE YEAR Canada’s only 5 time winner of Winery of the Year Tours & Tast i ngs | Concert s & Eve n t s | Sea s o n a l Te rra ce Re st a u ra n t M I S S I O N H I L LW I N E R Y. C O M
La Traviata
QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE OCTOBER 17, 19, 24, 27M, 2019
Opera in Three Acts | In Italian with English SURTITLES™ projected above the stage
By Giuseppe Verdi | Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave after the play La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils
Conductor Yves Abel
THE CAST
Director Alain Gauthier
(in order of vocal appearance)
Violetta Valéry, a courtesan Emily Dorn
Baron Douphol Nicholas Borg*
Alfredo Germont Andrew Haji
Giorgio Germont, his father Chenye Yuan
Flora Bervoix, her friend Gena van Oosten* Marchese d’Obigny Willy Miles-Grenzberg
Doctor Grenvil Angus Bell
Annina, Violetta’s maid Irina Medvedeva*
Messenger Kevin Armstrong
Gastone de Letorières, a young man about town Daevyd Pepper*
Giuseppe, servant to Violetta Sergio Augusto
Flora’s Servant Brandon Thornhill
With the Vancouver Opera Chorus as ladies and gentlemen, servants, dancers, and guests and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. Associate Conductor/ Chorus Director Leslie Dala
Choreographer & Assistant Director Tracey Power
Principal Répétiteur / Assistant Chorus Director Kinza Tyrrell
Stage Manager Marijka Asbeek Brusse
Musical Preparation Andrea Van Pelt* Angus Kellet Ting Chang
Assistant Stage Manager Michelle Harrison Rebecca Mulvihill
Scenic & Costume Designer Christina Poddubiuk
Lighting Designer Kevin Lamotte
Head of Costumes Parvin Mirhady
Assistant Lighting Designer Sophie Tang
Makeup Designer Carmen Garcia
English surtitles™ Translations Sheldon Johnson
Wig Stylist/Production Wigs Dianne Holme Wig Builder Christine Hackman
*Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program A co-production with Manitoba Opera, Edmonton Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria,Vancouver Opera, and Opéra de Montréal. Sets built by Edmonton Opera. Properties and costumes built by Pacific Opera Victoria First performed at Teatro La Fenice, Venice, 06 March 1853. First performed at Vancouver Opera, 04 May 1961. The performance will last approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes. There will be two intermissions. PRODUCTION PATRONS
Martha Lou Henley, C.M. Michael and Inna O'Brian
PRODUCTION SPONSOR VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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SYNOPSIS |
LA TRAVIATA
ACT I Violetta Valéry, recently recovered from a bout of sickness, hosts a lavish party where she meets Alfredo Germont, who has loved her from afar for over a year. At Violetta’s request, Alfredo leads the guests in a toast to wine and love (Libiamo ne’ lieti calici— Drink from the joyful glass); Violetta counters that life is meaningless, love fleeting, and pleasure the only thing worth living for. As the guests are invited to dance in another room, Violetta becomes faint. Alfredo lingers protectively and ardently declares his love (Un dì, felice, eterea— One happy, heavenly day). Although Violetta is intrigued by the possibility of true love (Ah, fors’è lui—Perhaps he is the one), she declares that it’s madness to expect such happiness and resolves to remain
LA TRAVIATA (2018) PHOTOGRAPHY BY NANC PRICE, COURTESY OF EDMONTON OPERA.
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free and live only for pleasure (Sempre libera—Forever free). Meanwhile Alfredo praises the mysterious power, the torment and the delight of love (Misterioso, altero, croce e delizia al cor).
ACT II—SCENE I Three months later, Violetta and Alfredo are living an idyllic life in the countryside (Di miei bollenti spiriti—The violent fire of my youthful spirits). Dismayed on learning that Violetta has sold her possessions to meet their expenses, Alfredo leaves for Paris to arrange to pay her back. Meanwhile Alfredo’s father Germont arrives to urge Violetta to leave Alfredo. Although he quickly realizes Violetta is not the mercenary woman he expected, Germont insists that their scandalous relationship jeopardizes his daughter’s pending marriage (Pura siccome un angelo—Pure as an angel). When he points out that Alfredo will soon tire of Violetta anyway, she acquiesces (Dite alla giovine—Oh, tell your daughter), and begs Germont to one day tell Alfredo of her sacrifice. As Violetta is writing a farewell letter to Alfredo, he returns. Overwhelmed with grief, she pleads with Alfredo to always love her as she loves him (Amami, Alfredo). She then departs for a party in Paris at her friend Flora’s. Germont appears and attempts to comfort Alfredo, reminding him
of his childhood home and the family who loves him (Di Provenza il mar, il suol—The sea, the hills of Provence). But Alfredo, certain that Violetta has returned to her former lover Baron Douphol, heads for Paris, followed by Germont.
ACT II—SCENE II At Flora’s party Alfredo creates a scene, gambling recklessly, then hurling his winnings at Violetta to pay her back for her services. The guests are shocked, and Baron Douphol challenges Alfredo to a duel.
ACT III Deathly ill and nearly out of money, Violetta rereads a letter from Germont: Alfredo has gone abroad after wounding the baron; Germont has told Alfredo of Violetta’s sacrifice, and both are on their way to her. When they arrive, the lovers dream of leaving Paris forever (Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo—From Paris dear, we shall go away). But Violetta knows it is too late (Ah! Gran Dio! Morir si giovine!—Ah, dear God! To die so young!). She gives Alfredo her picture, telling him to marry and give it to his wife as a remembrance of one who will be in heaven, praying for them both. Suddenly Violetta’s pain subsides and she feels a surge of strength. But even as she cries out for joy, she dies.
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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NOTES FROM THE CONDUCTOR |
La Traviata is one of the world’s most popular operas today. But it wasn’t always that way. At its premiere at La Fenice in Venice in 1853, it was quite a scandal. Not only was the subject matter considered immoral, but it seems that the singers were not up to the challenge. From the highly unusual quiet opening, we are drawn in to Violetta’s world of love, joy, sickness and pain, foreshadowing her demise but also all the facets of her complex character. Never before had such an original overture been composed for an Italian theatre. The opera is full of contrasts, and this introspection is immediately followed by the frenzied party scene in which Violetta first meets and falls in love with Alfredo. Her world is suddenly turned upside down, and she sings one of the most challenging arias, both technically and dramatically, ever written. But the heart of the opera is surely the grand duet between Violetta and Alfredo’s father Germont, who comes to ask her to leave his son. From the beginning there is a tense standoff as he accuses Violetta of spending all of Alfredo’s money and destroying his family’s reputation. She agrees to leave in the most heart-rending music of love and sacrifice. Alfredo is shocked, and in a grand scene humiliates Violetta publicly. But all is not well; an attempt by both Germont and Alfredo to reconcile with her in a duet and subsequent trio fails, and our heroine succumbs to tuberculosis.
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YVES ABEL
What makes this one of the greatest operas ever written? Surely the richness of the characters and their harsh condemnation of 19th century society’s hypocrisy, but most importantly the timeless human frailty with which we are all able to identify. Yves Abel is Chief Conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philarmonie, Germany, and Principal Conductor of the San Diego Opera from 2020/21. A frequent guest with the world’s great opera companies, Yves Abel has conducted performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Opéra National de Paris, La Scala, and Vienna State Opera, among others.
NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR |
ALAIN GAUTHIER
“A free woman is exactly the opposite of a flighty woman.” –Simone de Beauvoir As she aims to achieve her freedom—freedom to love and to be loved— Violetta Valéry, our heroine, hastens her descent into hell. Used to being surrounded by admirers in a world of fantasies, she is rejected when she claims the right to live a respectable life. In a world where we now try to acknowledge the injustices committed against women and where we attempt to repair the errors of the past, the drama of Violetta Valéry seems to resonate in a very contemporary way. Attempting to live a free woman’s life and even daring to defy certain established conventions, Violetta will encounter obstacles that challenge her with the cruel rules of a too-conservative society. Wishing to portray this controversial character with a sensibility more in line with our times, we’ve transformed the original courtesan into a music-hall celebrity. Artists, like courtesans, make people dream, but they are often prisoners of the image they project. Trying to run away from it, even to get closer to who they really are, can sometimes lead to tragedy. Inspired by the audacious, sometimes scandalous, but always free-spirited Joséphine Baker, we’ve decided to move the action into Paris of the 1920s, with its joie de vivre and its glamorous lifestyle. After World War I, an insatiable taste for life led Europeans—and Parisians in particular—to an immoderate taste for money, luxury, pleasure, extravagance, arts… and women. In post-war Paris—the capital of all pleasures—cabaret artists were considered the first modern-style celebrities; reporters followed them everywhere, and newspapers reported on their doings, including their pastimes and rivalries. Stars like Baker were admired and marginalized, just as Violetta Valéry is in La Traviata. Worshiped in their own environment, these women could have easily been rejected when confronted by a more conventional segment of society. The sometimes shocking aspects of their lives, as well as the freedom they exercised in their life choices, may have kept them from being accepted as respectable women. Sempre libera… Always free—even if the price to pay is death. Montreal-born stage director Alain Gauthier is regarded by critics as a “sure bet” in today’s opera milieu. He is a regular collaborator with the Opéra de Montréal, a recipient of the Opus Award (Quebec’s highest distinction in classical music), and has also directed productions in Edmonton, Calgary, and across the United States.
LA TRAVIATA (2018) PHOTOGRAPHY BY NANC PRICE, COURTESY OF EDMONTON OPERA.
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VANCOUVER OPERA | #TraviataVO
OPERA IN CONTEXT |
THE FALLEN WOMAN
La Traviata (The Fallen Woman) remains one of the most popular operas from the nineteenth century. Violetta and Alfredo’s tragic love story is instantly recognizable to contemporary audiences. They meet, fall in love, face opposition and reconcile just before they are separated, in this case by her death. Accompanied by Verdi’s stunningly emotional score, Violetta and Alfred’s love story has moved audiences since its premiere in 1853. In writing La Traviata, Verdi challenged the status quo. When it premiered, the opera was situated in modern-day Europe and was inspired by real women. Both Alexandre Dumas, who wrote the novel that inspired the play that led to the opera, and Verdi himself had long-standing relationships with “fallen women”. Verdi acknowledged a known truth in higher society—men consorted with prostitutes. This was too scandalous for censors and critics (though audiences loved it!) and the setting was changed to the early 1700s after its premiere. Verdi was also asked to change the libretto to reduce the sensual nature of Violetta. This request was met by Verdi with the statement “a whore must always be a whore” and he refused to do so. Over time Verdi has received praise for centering the story around Violetta. Here is a female character who was able to love a man of her choosing and live with him despite not being married. The relationship between Violetta and Alfredo is clearly a physical one. In Violetta, Verdi created a character that existed outside the lived experience of most women who were limited by the norms of society and its rules of behaviour. However, at the same time Verdi participated in the romanticism of prostitution that was deeply embedded in popular French literature. The “highclass courtesan saved by love” is a trope that sold well. This fictionalization of prostitution glosses over the poverty, violence, and stigma that is the reality of prostitution both in Verdi’s time and today. Opera is a societal mirror. Regardless of when it was written, it is an art form that reflects the values of the time in which it was created. In Violetta, Verdi created a character that had not been seen before, who challenged the status quo, and sparked a dialogue about prostitution within the major cities of Western Europe. Verdi also created a fictional version of prostitution that fails to address the hypocrisy, misogyny, and politics that perpetuate the marginalization of women in society. For today’s audiences, La Traviata is a reminder of how little things have changed. Colleen Maybin, Director, Education and Community Engagement at Vancouver Opera
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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BIOGRAPHIES
YVES ABEL CONDUCTOR Brooklyn, NY & Florence, Italy
KEVIN ARMSTRONG MESSENGER Nelson, BC
MARIJKA ASBEEK BRUSSE STAGE MANAGER Vancouver, BC
SERGIO AUGUSTO GIUSEPPE Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
VO DÉBUT
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Chorus in Faust, 2019
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Assistant Stage Manager fo La Cenerentola, 2019
VO DÉBUT
RECENT APPEARANCES: Conductor for Romeo et Juliette with San Francisco Opera; Conductor for Les Pecheurs de Perles with Gran Teatro del Liceo, Barcelona; Conductor for Hamlet with Deutsche Opera Berlin UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Conductor for L’Elisir d’Amore with Royal Opera Covent Garden; Conductor for Suor Angelica/Gianna Schicchi with San Diego Opera; Conductor for Tosca at ABAO/Bilbao
RECENT APPEARANCES: Tommy’s Amazing Journey solo performance with Edmonton, Kelowna and Vancouver International Fringe Festivals; MacDuff in MacBeth with Heroic Opera, Vancouver; Soloist in From Broadway With Love/Circle Bright Productions, Vancouver UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Suddie in Battle of Ballantyne Pier (Workshop)
Chief Conductor: Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie; Principal Conductor: San Diego Opera from 2020/21
RECENT APPEARANCES: Stage Manager for Silent Light with Opera in the 21st Century; Stage Manager for Hir with Pi Theatre; Assistant Stage Manager for Fidelio with Pacific Opera; Stage Manager for Mom’s the Word 3 with The Belfry Theatre; Assistant Stage Manager for The Overcoat – A Musical Tailoring with Vancouver Opera
RECENT APPEARANCES: Orombello in Beatrice di Tenda with London Bel Canto Festival, U.K.; Nemorino in L’elisir d’Amore with Burnaby Lyric Opera; Leicester in Maria Stuarda with Pavilion Opera, U.K. UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Opera Kelowna www.facebook.com/pg/MyBoldTenor
UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Stage Manager, The Flight of the Hummingbird with Vancouver Opera
www.yvesabel.com
Yves Abel's appearance sponsored by Yoshiko Karasawa
ANGUS BELL DOCTOR GRENVIL Bankstown, Australia
NICHOLAS BORG BARON DOUPHOL London, ON
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Customs Officer in La Bohème, 2019
VO DÉBUT
RECENT APPEARANCES: Montano in Otello, 2017 with Vancouver Opera; Beethoven Symphony No.9 with New Westminster Symphony Orchestra; Herald in Rigoletto with Vancouver Opera; John Allison in The Lake / n’-ha-a-itk with Astrolabe Musik Theatre and Turning Point Ensemble UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: John Allison in The Lake / n’-ha-a-itk with Astrolabe Musik Theatre and Opus 59 Films; Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes with Viktor Neumann Productions
RECENT APPEARANCES: Action in West Side Story in Concert with Windsor Symphony Orchestra; Figaro in I due Figaro with Voicebox: Opera in Concert, Toronto; Pangloss in Candide with Toronto Operetta Theatre UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Fiorello in The Barber of Seville with Vancouver Opera www.nicholasborgbaritone.com
LESLIE DALA ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR & CHORUS DIRECTOR Toronto, ON LAST VO APPEARANCE: Conductor for La Cenerentola, 2019 RECENT APPEARANCES: The River of Light; World premiere with Vancouver Bach Choir and Vancouver Opera Orchestra; Max Richter: Four Seasons Recomposed with the Wexford Opera Festival Ireland UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Brahms Requiem, Arvo Pärt Berliner Messe, Handel’s Messiah with the Vancouver Bach Choir; The Nutcracker with Goh Ballet; Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera with Vancouver Opera Program Director for the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program www.lesliedala.com
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Nicholas Borg’s appearance sponsored by Patricia Charles Leslie Dala’s performance sponsored by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous
BIOGRAPHIES
EMILY DORN VIOLETTA VALÉRY Mississauga, ON
CARMEN GARCIA MAKE-UP DESIGNER Valencia, Spain
ALAIN GAUTHIER DIRECTOR Montréal, QC
ANDREW HAJI ALFREDO GERMONT London, Ontario
VO DÉBUT
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Make-up Designer for Faust, 2019
VO DÉBUT
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore, 2017
RECENT APPEARANCES: Micäela in Carmen with Seattle Opera; Soprano Soloist for Mozart ‘s Mass in C Minor with Orchestra Sinfonic Nazionale della RAI; Marguerite in Faust with Landestheater Detmold UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Gretel in Hänsel und Gretel with Landestheater Detmold; Soprano Soloist for Beethoven’s Mass in C Major for BBC Philharmonic; Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Landestheater Detmold Developing Artist Grant Recipient from the Hnatyshyn Foundation
RECENT APPEARANCES: Make-up Designer for Faust, La Bohème and The Merry Widow for Vancouver Opera; Make-up Designer for Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte and Silent Night for UBC Opera UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Make-up Designer for Barber of Seville and Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera with Vancouver Opera Make-up for Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Pasazerka and Il viaggio a Reims with UBC Opera
RECENT APPEARANCES: Director for Le Nozze di Figaro with Festival d’opéra de Québec; Director for Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Manitoba Opera; Director for La Traviata with Pacific Opera Victoria UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Director for Written on Skin with Opéra de Montréal; Director for La Vie Parisienne with Atelier d’opéra de l’Université de Montréal; Director for La Chauve-Souris with Opéra de Québec www.alaingauthieropera.com
RECENT APPEARANCES: Soloist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with National Arts Centre Orchestra; Rodolfo in La Bohème with Canadian Opera Company; Cassio in Otello with Canadian Opera Company UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Soloist in Handel’s Messiah and “A Lightly Classical Christmas” concert with Edmonton Symphony Orchestra; Soloist in Berlioz’s Messe Solennelle with Belgrade Philharmonic; Soloist in a tour of the Netherlands with Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra www.andrewhaji.com
www.emilydornsoprano.com
Emily Dorn's appearance sponsored by Martha Lou Henley, C.M.
MICHELLE HARRISON ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Vancouver, BC
KEVIN LAMOTTE LIGHTING DESIGNER Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
IRINA MEDVEDEVA ANNINA Thunder Bay, ON, Born in Russia
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Assistant Stage Manager for La Cenerentola, 2019
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Lighting Designer for Il barbiere di Siviglia, 2011
VO DÉBUT
RECENT APPEARANCES: Assistant Stage Manager for La Bohème with Vancouver Opera; Assistant Stage Manager for It’s a Wonderful Life with Gateway Theatre; Stage Manager for The Barber of Seville with Burnaby Lyric Opera; Assistant Stage Manager for A Christmas Carol with Gateway Theatre
RECENT APPEARANCES: Lighting Designer for La Traviata with Winnipeg Opera, Edmonton Opera & Pacific Opera Victoria; Lighting Designer for Man and Superman, The Ladykillers, Brigadoon, Victory and Mythos (with Stephen Fry) for the Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Assistant Stage Manager for It’s a Wonderful Life with Patrick Street Productions
Awards include Jessie Richardson Award, Pauline McGibbon Award, and Dora Mavor Moore Award. Kevin is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.
RECENT APPEARANCES: Musetta (cover) in La Bohème with Brott Opera, Hamilton; Norina in Don Pasquale with Stratford Summer Music Festival; Vixen in Cunning Little Vixen with Opera Nuova, Edmonton UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Rosina (cover) in The Barber of Seville with Vancouver Opera 1st place winner—Michigan Comic Opera Guild Competition Artist Diploma, The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music
Andrew Haji’s appearance sponsored by Michael and Inna O’Brian Alain Gauthier’s performance sponsored by Mr. Bruce Munro Wright Irina Medvedeva’s performance sponsored by Mike & Kathy Gallagher
irinamedvedeva.com @irina.mdeva Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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Program 1 Oct 31 Nov 1 2 Aszure Barton BUSK Johan Inger B.R.I.S.A.
Back from electrifying performances in New york City and Barcelona
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Imre Kollรกr, conductor (Budapest) Sera Gรถsch, soprano (Vienna) Roman Martin, tenor (Vienna)
Waltzes, Polkas & Operetta Hits European Singers, Ballroom Dancers & Ballet
January 1, 2020 at 2:30 pm ORPHEUM THEATRE
604.876.3434 vancouversymphony.ca VIP Tickets Available
salutetovienna.com/vancouver Produced by Attila Glatz Concert Productions. Artists subject to change without notice.
BIOGRAPHIES
WILLY MILES-GRENZBERG MARCHESE D’OBIGNY St Catharines, ON
PARVIN MIRHADY HEAD OF COSTUMES Tehran, Iran
REBECCA MULVIHILL ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER Vancouver, BC
DAEVYD PEPPER GASTONE DE LETORIÈRES Bracebridge, ON
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Customs Sergeant in La Bohème¸ 2019
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Costume Design Consultant for Faust and La Cenerentola, 2019
VO DÉBUT
VO DÉBUT
RECENT APPEARANCES: Poet in Wang Wei Poems with AU Ensemble, Amsterdam Tour; Old Man in The Old Man and the Sea with Turning Point Ensemble; Ranger Pete Clarkson in Debris with Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra; Soloist in Canada Golden Maple Film Festival Awards Ceremony
RECENT APPEARANCES: Costume Design Consultant for Don Giovanni with UBC Opera; Costume Design Consultant for La Bohème with Vancouver Opera; Costume Design Consultant for The Merry Widow with Vancouver Opera; Costume Design Consultant for Silent Night with Vancouver Opera
RECENT APPEARANCES: Assistant Stage Manager for The Taming of the Shrew with Bard on the Beach; Assistant Stage Manager for Shakespeare in Love with Bard on the Beach; Assistant Stage Manager for The Shoplifters with Arts Club
RECENT APPEARANCES: Scaramuccio in Ariadne auf Naxos with Highlands Opera Studio, Haliburton; Jupiter in Semele with Toronto Lyrics Opera Centre, Toronto; Tenor in Chamberwerx with Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Costume Design Consultant for The Passenger with UBC Opera; Costume Design Consultant for The Barber of Seville for Vancouver Opera
UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Stage Manager for The Father with The Search Party, Vancouver; Assistant Stage Manager for Anywhere But Here with Electric Company
Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program www.daevydpepper.com
Daevyd Pepper’s appearance sponsored by Ms. Jane McLennan
CHRISTINA PODDUBIUK SCENIC & COSTUME DESIGNER Stratford, Ontario VO DÉBUT RECENT APPEARANCES: Costume Designer for Private Lives, Stratford Festival; Production Designer for Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet, Stratford Festival; Costume Designer for Love’s Labour’s Lost, Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Production Designer for The Light in the Piazza, Theatre Calgary www.punchandjudy.ca
Christina Poddubiuk’s appearance sponsored by Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt
TRACEY POWER CHOREOGRAPHER, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Vancouver, BC
SOPHIE TANG ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER Vancouver, BC
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Assistant Director/Movement Director for The Marriage of Figaro, 2017
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Assistant Lighting Designer, Merry Widow, 2018
RECENT APPEARANCES: Playwright/Choreographer of GLORY with WCT/National Tour; Director/Choreographer of ELF The Musical with Western Canada Theatre, Choreographer of ONEGIN with Arts Club, Playwright/Co-composer of Miss Shakespeare with Musical TheatreWorks
RECENT APPEARANCES: Lighting designer, The Orchard with Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver; Lighting designer, Little Volcano with Veda Hille x Theatre Replacement, Vancouver; Lighting designer, Old Man and the Sea with Turning Point Ensemble, Vancouver
UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Director/Creator of Chelsea Hotel; The Songs of Leonard Cohen with WCT; Director/Co-Creator of Hey Viola! The Viola Desmond Project, World Premiere. Betty Mitchell, Sterling and Jessie Richardson Awards recipient.
UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Lighting Designer, Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave, Arts Club Theatre, Vancouver; Lighting Designer, Straight White Man, ITSAZOO Productions, Vancouver; Lighting Designer, Peter Pan, Carousel Theatre for Young People, Vancouver
www.traceypower.ca VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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BIOGRAPHIES
BRANDON THORNHILL FLORA’S SERVANT Jacksonville, FL
KINZA TYRRELL PRINCIPAL RÉPÉTITEUR Victoria, BC
GENA VAN OOSTEN FLORA BERVOIX Stouffville, ON
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Chorus in Faust, 2019
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Chorus Director & Assistant Conductor for Faust, 2019
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Tisbe in La Cenerentola, 2019
RECENT APPEARANCES: Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Burnaby Lyric Opera UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Chorus in The Barber of Seville with Vancouver Opera
RECENT APPEARANCES: Guest Artist with Rochester Philharmonic; Children’s Chorus Director for La Bohème with Vancouver Opera; Assistant Conductor & Chorus Director for The Merry Widow with Vancouver Opera; Chorus Director for Carmen with Opera Kelowna UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: BC concerts with cellist Ofra Harnoy; Recording CD for Analekta Dr. Tyrrell is Head Coach of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program
RECENT APPEARANCES: Praskowia in The Merry Widow with Vancouver Opera; Eduige in Rodelinda with Opera in Concert, Toronto; Witch in Dido and Aeneas with Theatre of Early Music, Ottawa UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Berta in The Barber of Seville with Vancouver Opera; Vera Lynn in Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera with Vancouver Opera Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program www. genavanoosten.com
Gena van Oosten's appearance sponsored by Mrs. Irene McEwen
ANDREA VAN PELT RÉPÉTITEUR Toronto, ON
CHENYE YUAN GIORGIO GERMONT Da Lian, China
VO DÉBUT
LAST VO APPEARANCE: Seikyo in Tea: A Mirror of Soul, 2013
RECENT APPEARANCES: Répétiteur for Silent Light with Against the Grain, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity; Répétiteur for The Magic Flute with Toronto City Opera; Répétiteur for Fidelio with Toronto City Opera UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Répétiteur for The Barber of Seville with Vancouver Opera; Répétiteur for Another Brick in the Wall: The Opera with Vancouver Opera Member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Program
Andrea Van Pelt’s appearance sponsored by The Edwina and Paul Heller Memorial Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation
RECENT APPEARANCES: Giorgio Germont in La Traviata with National Center for Performing Arts, Beijing; Wen Tianxiang in Marco Polo with Guangzhou Opera House UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS: Chou En-lai in Nixon in China with English National Opera; Soloist in Faure’s Requiem with China Philharmonic Orchestra Gold Medalist at 10th International Tchaikovsky Competition and jury member at 15th, Moscow, St.Petersburg.Vocal professor at Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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LA TRAVIATA ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS VANCOUVER OPERA ORCHESTRA Violin 1 Mark Ferris, Concertmaster Angela Cavadas, Associate Concertmaster Richard Dorfer Evelyn Creaser-Rumley Heilwig von Koenigsloew Yun Jung Ken Lin Domagoj Ivanovic Lawrie Hill Sarah Westwick Violin 2 Andrea Siradze, Principal Petro Krysa, Acting Assistant Principal Ellen Farrugia Paula Wise Adrianne Stride Sandra Fiddes Tina Park Toni Stanick Viola Tawnya Popoff, Principal Isabelle Roland, Assistant Principal Barbara Irschick Marie-Claude Brunet Mila Tymoshenko Colin Miles Cello Rebecca Wenham, Principal Heather Hay, Assistant Principal Peggy Lee Susan Round Robin Copas Bass Les Kasprzak, Principal Michael Vaughan, Assistant Principal Meaghan Williams Laurence Mollerup Flute/Piccolo Brenda Fedoruk, Principal Anne-Elise Keefer
VANCOUVER OPERA CHORUS Mary Backun, Principal Michelle Anderson Bassoon Ingrid Chiang, Principal Allan Thorpe
Kevin Armstrong, baritone Sergio Augusto, tenor D’Arcy Blunston, soprano Tristan Chalcraft, tenor Henry Chen, baritone Rebecca Collett, soprano
Horn Laurel Spencer, Principal Nick Anderson Steve Denroche Dawn Haylett
Francesca Corrado, mezzo
Trumpet Tom Shorthouse, Principal Jim Littleford
Richard (Doug) DeVillier, bass-baritone
Trombone Jeremy Berkman, Principal Jim Tranquilla
Brenda Glass Alexander, mezzo
Bass Trombone Sharman King Cimbasso Drew Dumas, Acting Principal Timpani Phillip Crewe, Principal Percussion Graeme Tofflemire, Principal Lauri Lyster Harp Janelle Nadeau, Acting Principal Orchestra Manager Jim Littleford Orchestra Librarian Tom Shorthouse Orchestra Stage Manager Jim Tranquilla
Bette Cosar, soprano Eve-Lyn de la Haye, soprano Frantz De Rycke, bass-baritone Glenn de Verteuil, bass-baritone Christian Garcia, tenor Dean Giustini, bass-baritone Martina Govednik, mezzo William Grossman, tenor Allyson Hop, soprano Adam Kozak, tenor Melanie Krueger, soprano Aviva Lacterman, soprano Lyndon Ladeur, tenor Katherine Landry Yacht, mezzo Michael MacKinnon, bass-baritone Harout Markarian, tenor Ed Moran, baritone Megan Morrison, mezzo Wade Nott, tenor Heather Pawsey, soprano Mark Pepe, tenor Elena Razlog, mezzo Dionne Sellinger, mezzo Diane Speirs, soprano Zainen Suzuki, baritone Brandon Thornhill, bass-baritone Barbara Towell, mezzo Szu-Wen Wang, soprano Moriah Wax, mezzo Don Wright, tenor Karen Ydenberg, soprano
Oboe Emma Ringrose, Principal Erin Marks Clarinet
SUPERNUMERARIES Fatima Gulamani Jessica Oryall
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PRODUCTION TEAM VANCOUVER OPERA PRODUCTION Technical Director Autumn Coppaway Stage Manager Marijka Asbeek Brusse Assistant Stage Manager Michelle Harrison Rebecca Mulvihill SURTITLESâ„¢ Operator Leah Giselle Field Facility Manager/ Assistant Technical Director Kevin MacLeod Head of Costumes Parvin Mirhady Cutter Paul Fan Sewers Irena Kosciuk Ping Liu Head Wardrobe Dresser Lily Yuen Wig Builder Christine Hackman Production Wigs/Wig Stylist Dianne Holme Head of Make-Up Carmen Garcia Head of Properties Heidi Wilkinson Assistant Head of Properties Chris Hall Properties Builder/Buyer Carol MacDonald Assistant Lighting Designer Sophie Tang Production Head Carpenter Scott Ellis Production Head Electrician Mike Bowen
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Opera Allsorts LA TR AVIATA
A mix of tidbits and tales about Verdi’s romantic tragedy
INSPIRED BY TRAVIATA La Traviata has inspired many great works of modern fiction, including the 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and Baz Luhrmann`s 2001 musical film Moulin Rouge. Music from the opera has also appeared in The Godfather, In the Line of Fire, Bruno, Spectre, and La La Land.
RICHARD GERE AND JULIA ROBERTS IN PRETTY WOMAN (1990)
VIOLETTA Originally based on Alexandre Dumas fils’s 1848 novel La Dame aux Camélias, the character of Violetta is inspired by the famous French courtesan Marie Duplessis. Duplessis was romantically linked to Dumas, Franz Liszt, Alexandre Dumas père (author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo) among others, but like Violetta she was tragically taken by consumption (tuberculosis) at the age of 23.
MID-18TH CENTURY SCANDALS La Traviata is the only opera Verdi set in his own time period of 1850s Paris, but fearing moral outrage by audiences over its scandalous content, censors forced him to change the setting back to the mid-18th century. Vancouver Opera’s version presents the opera in the equally scandalous dance hall scene of 1920s Paris. GENEVIÈVE VIX AS VIOLETTA IN THE OPÉRA-COMIQUE PRODUCTION VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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FESTIVAL & SPECIAL PROJECT SUPPORT
Vancouver Opera thanks the very special donors who have chosen to support the Festival Campaign. Included are gifts and pledges in support of the Festival itself and a variety of extraordinary initiatives. We salute the remarkable generosity of these core supporters! VANCOUVER OPERA FESTIVAL PATRON
FESTIVAL CHAMPIONS
Martha Lou Henley, C.M.
Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt Michael & Inna O’Brian
Yoshi Karasawa & Michael Audain
FESTIVAL FOUNDERS Jill Bodkin Anthem Properties Divyesh & Charu Gadhia Julia & Demas Kim Bill & Risa Levine George & Jessica MacIntosh
Jana & Bill Maclagan Mary & Rod McNeil John & Dana Montalbano Andrew Mahon Foundation Ms. Bev Park & Mr. Jim Logan Ken Spencer & Judy Gale
Pascal & Isabelle Spothelfer Dr. Heather Clarke The Bruendl Foundation Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver
Dr. George Luciuk & Lidia Schuster Patricia Charles Roberta Lando Beiser Moh Faris & Family
Ms. Mary Jordan Paul McEwen & Gwynneth Jones Wayne Wiens
Tom & Diana Herbst Ms. Shirley Barnett Deborah E. Graystone Dr. Linda Kaser & Dr. Judy Halbert Nika Collison & Daniel Robertson Maestro Jonathan Darlington David & Janice Podmore
Mo Dhaliwal Mrs. Aurora R. Hernandez Blaize & Allan Reich Mrs. Ronnie Tessler Dr. Maurice & Mrs. Jane Wong Mike & Kathy Gallagher Dr. Andrei Krassioukov Anne Morley
FESTIVAL VISIONARIES The Aquilini Group The Paul & Edwina Heller Memorial Fund Ms. Jane McLennan Mrs. Irene McEwen FESTIVAL LEADERS & SUPPORTERS The Grayross Foundation Arlene Gladstone & Hamish Cameron Lynn Smith & Jon Sigurdson Sherry Killam Michael Stevenson & Jan Whitford Mr. & Mrs. Bruce & Lis Welch James W. Wright
PHOTO OF STEPHANIE TRITCHEW & MATTHEW DALEN BY CAREN TERESCHAK THE SCORPION’S STING—VANCOUVER OPERA (2018)
VANCOUVER OPERA’S YULANDA M. FARIS
YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAM Vancouver Opera is committed to the training of young artists and has offered training programs over much of its six-decade history. One of the earliest programs was started by the late Irving Guttmann, the first Artistic Director of Vancouver Opera. None other than the great mezzo-soprano Judith Forst—now a mentor to our current young artists—was a participant. Forst went on to an international career spanning five decades and she performed on the most illustrious operatic stages of the world. In the 1990s Vancouver Opera’s young artists’ training program launched many notable careers under then Music Director David Agler and Head of Music, Carol Isaac. Isaac went on to become a member of the music staff of the Metropolitan Opera, but she returns each year as a visiting guest coach to our current young artists. In 2012 a more permanent program was created thanks to the generosity and the vision of the Faris family and the late
Yulanda M. Faris. Since the creation of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program, over 40 singers, répétiteurs, and stage directors have benefited from professional training, mentorship and performance opportunities. Alumni of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program are now performing and working in theatres across Canada, the United States, and Europe and helping to spread the excellent reputation of Canadian artists around the world. Each year a number of generous donors sponsor individual artists in the program. Thank you to this year’s generous sponsors of our Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program: Pat Charles, Mike & Kathy Gallagher, The Edwina and Paul Heller Memorial Fund held at Vancouver Foundation, Mrs. Irene McEwen, Ms. Jane McLennan, and TD Bank. Leslie Dala, Program Director, Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program
TO SUPPORT YOUNG ARTIST TRAINING AT VANCOUVER OPERA, CONTACT CARMEN MURPHY AT CMURPHY@VANCOUVEROPERA.CA OR 604 331 4832
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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THE KETTLE PROJECT:
INTRODUCING THE SPARK LIGHT THEATRE COLLECTIVE In 2014 Vancouver Opera established an innovative partnership with the Kettle Society, a community service organization that supports people living with mental illness, homelessness, and drug use. The partnership resulted in two groundbreaking theatrical performances. Requiem for a Lost Girl by Onalea Gilbertson and Marcel Bergman (2016) and The Troubadour and the Tallow Candle (2017) by Lesley Sutherland. Both of these chamber works featured original work written by Kettle artists in fully staged performances produced by Vancouver Opera. The performers, writers, and singers from the Kettle have become confident artists who are eager to take full ownership of the creative process. Over the past five years, the original partnership developed into a theatre collective in which artists, staff, and production personnel are equal contributors. For the first time, the collective is producing an original work that is inspired by the philosophy and practice found in Theatre for Living. Introduced to Vancouver by David Diamond through Headlines Theatre, Theatre for Living has been practiced here over the past 37 years. It is a part of a worldwide movement
inspired by Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed and the work of Augusto Boal in developing Theatre of the Oppressed. Theatre for Living uses theatre to educate and build community between participants and audience members. The process is led by the participants and involves unpacking theatre games through critical reflection. The work is focused on the principles of social justice and holds the potential for dramatic social change. Through an embodied process, participants develop original narratives inspired by their personal experiences. The ever-evolving practice explores and examines social constructs that contribute to the oppression of marginalized communities. Art is a catalyst for social change. The Kettle artists are looking ahead to the 2020 Vancouver Opera Festival and have begun the process of creating an original production under their new collective name, Spark Light Theatre. Colleen Maybin, Director, Education and Community Engagement at Vancouver Opera Courtney Dugan, Education and Community Projects Coordinator at Vancouver Opera
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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DONOR SPOTLIGHT
MARTHA LOU HENLEY, C.M. For many years, Martha Lou Henley, or “Louie” as she’s affectionately known to us, has been a champion and supporter of Vancouver Opera. Her enthusiasm for opera is unparalleled, and she’s become an important factor in our success. Louie loves to be part of the creative process and she can often be found in the rehearsal hall watching our world-class casts, orchestra, and chorus members prepare for shows. She’s equally enamoured by the showcase presentations of VO’s children’s programs such as Opera Camp. Her generosity over the years has allowed us to expand our education programs in both scope and reach, engaging tens of thousands of students all throughout BC each year. Her passion for our education programs motivated her to give a substantial matching gift to our new opera for young audiences, The Flight of the Hummingbird. The opera’s message of “doing what I can” resonated for her and she hopes to inspire others to get involved. The opera speaks to how individuals can make a huge difference in the community, and Louie has made a huge difference in ours. Thank you, Louie, for all that you are and all that you do for us! We’re truly grateful.
INVESTING IN EMERGING ARTISTS Since 2004, the David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund has been investing in emerging artists at Vancouver Opera. This assistance helps provide crucial training and performance experience that allows young artists to bridge the gap between their postsecondary education and a professional career. In this production of La Traviata, mezzo-soprano Gena van Oosten, who participated in the 2018–19 Young Artists Coaching Intensive, is cast in the role of Flora Bervoix. Other young artists featured in the production are baritone Nicholas Borg as Baron Douphol, tenor Daevyd Pepper in the role of Gastone de Letorières and soprano Irina Medvedeva as Annina. Behind the scenes, Andrea Van Pelt is our musical preparator.
WE THANK THE DAVID SPENCER ENDOWMENT ENCOURAGEMENT FUND TRUSTEES AND EXPRESS OUR SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR THEIR ROLE IN HELPING VO BECOME A LEADER IN YOUNG ARTIST TRAINING IN CANADA.
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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VANCOUVER OPERA FOUNDATION
The Vancouver Opera Foundation is committed to financially supporting the operations and special projects of Vancouver Opera through its attainment, establishment, and management of permanently endowed funds. The funds invested in the Vancouver Opera Foundation are presently valued at more than $14 million.
GIFTS OF $1,000,000 OR MORE Martha Lou Henley, C.M.
Moh and Yulanda Faris
GIFTS OF $100,000 OR MORE Donors who wish to remain anonymous (1) B.C. Arts Renaissance Fund Jake Boxer and Family Canada Cultural Investment Fund Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Christopher
The David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund Estate of Steve Floris Mr. Ken & Mrs. Ellen Mahon Estate of Winifred Denise Mara
McGrane-Pearson Endowment Fund Bill & Irene McEwen Fund Rix Family Foundation Estate of Jean M. Southam, C.M. Vancouver Foundation Estate of Alan Wolrige
Estate of Katherine J. Heller Lagniappe Foundation
Dr. Earl & Mrs. Anne Shepherd
Leslie Cliff Barrie and Ann Gillmore Dr. David & Mrs. Margaret Hardwick Mr. & Mrs. Bjorn Hareid Mr. & Mrs. Gerald A.B. McGavin
Dr. Ian & Mrs. Jane Strang Rix Clinical Labs Estate of Anne Ethel Stevens Bruno Wall & Jane MacDonald Estate of Maureen Woodman
Hugh & Judy Lindsay Michael & Micki Partridge Dr. Beverley Tamboline
Vancouver Opera Orchestra
GIFTS OF $50,000 OR MORE Jamie & Cindy Bruce Cartier Investments
GIFTS OF $20,000 OR MORE Andrew Mahon Foundation Russell & Lee Anthony Estate of Dorothy Boyce Mr. & Mrs. Gerhard & Ariane Bruendl The Toni Cavelti Fund
GIFTS OF $10,000 OR MORE Mr. George and Mrs. Anne Cross The Illahie Foundation Arlene Gladstone
GIFTS OF $1,000 OR MORE Estate of Marilyn Reid Anonymous (1) John & Marietta Hurst S.A. Jarislowsky Investments Mr. Peter & Mrs. Barbara Richards Christine Anton Mr. David E. Ritchie & Estate of Marjory Bankes Mary Jordan Diane Kennedy Ms. Gloria Beauchamp Mrs. Donna Battye RTDS Technologies Ms. Lois M. Bewley Victor & Anna Kern Foundation Estate of Freda Rush Marnie Carter Killy Foundation Diana Lam Mr. Leo & Mrs. Maureen Sauve Dr. Heather Clarke J E Smith Ms. Rosemary Cunningham Dawne Lacterman in memory of Sophie Turko Andrew Steele in memory of James Dehoney Richard Lester Lisa Ethans Richard Loney Manulife Financial Marlene Trussell Tom Ferries & Lisa Pankratz Vancouver Opera Guild Deux Mille Foundation Joseph E. & Arlene McHugh Mathisen Private Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Max Wieczorek Mr. Allen & Mrs. Ruth Fowlis June Wilson Estate of Meri Ingebord Katherine Mirhady Cecilia Gill Sharon Morrow Carla Weiner Allyn & Kathleen Murison in memory of Mary White Dr. Irving Guttman C.M., O.B.C. Patrick & Aileen Murison The Wolridge Foundation Mr. Paul Heller Diana and Tom Herbst Estate of Ronald David Pearson
IRVING GUTTMAN LEGACY FUND Honouring the achievements of Vancouver Opera’s founding Artistic Director, with funds used to encourage the most promising young Canadian singers at Vancouver Opera. Anonymous (7) Laura Arpiainen Ms. Elizabeth Atmore Mr. Walter Ball Mr. & Mrs. Harry Bell-Irving Mrs. Phyllis W. Berry Ms. Lois M. Bewley Mr. David Boothroyd Donna Brendon Mr. & Mrs. Gerhard & Ariane Bruendl Mrs. Joan Buckham Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence Burr Marnie Carter Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Christopher Dr. Philip Clement David & Donna Cook
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Bette Cosar E. Patricia Crehan Mr. & Mrs. Peter Culos Ms. Rosemary Cunningham Mr. C.A. De Roode Ms. Judith Deavy Sheila DeJong Ms. Marisa Demare Richard DeVillier Mrs. Katherine Dickinson Valerie Dunsterville & Richard Dunsterville Mr. Harry Edinger Moh & Yulanda Faris Tom Ferries & Lisa Pankratz Leslie Finlay
Nancy Flexman Judith Forst Ms. Mary Fraser Mrs. John Friesen Suzanne Gaston-Voute Genus Capital Management Inc. Arlene Gladstone & Hamish Cameron Mrs. Elaine Godwin Harry & Effie Gordon Dr. Sherrill Grace Kenneth Owen Gracie Mrs. Vera G. Grant Christopher Grauer Mrs. Shirley Gray Charlotte Guttman Frank Guttman
IRVING GUTTMAN LEGACY FUND CONT Mr. & Mrs. John Hagen Mr. James Harris Kenneth Hegler Mr. Paul Heller Martha Lou Henley, C.M. Diana and Tom Herbst Ms. Annie Hess Lore Hoffmann Mr. Ralph Hoffman Mr. John F. Howes Hughes Condon Marler Architects Mr. John & Mrs. Marietta Hurst Noriko & Naotaka Ike Mr. Robert Kemeny & Dr. Susan Jung-Kemeny Dr. Linda Kaser & Dr. Judy Halbert Susan Kessler Dr. & Mrs. Robert Krell Ms. Dorothy Kuva Mr. Bruce Lang Dr. Donald and Ms. Carol Lyster Mr. Alex & Mrs. Barbara Mahood
Ms. Jane Srivastava Mr. A.R. Steele Dr. Ian & Mrs. Jane Strang Ronald Sutherland Dr. Carol Tsuyuki & Mr. Craig Tomlinson Ms. Sheila Vaney Ms. Joan Voisine Dr. Robert Wakefield Carla Weiner Mrs. Gwyneth Westwick Mrs. Mary White Mr. Christopher Whitney Mr. Ian Whitaker John Wiebe Mr. & Mrs. Roy E. Williams Miss Eva Williamson Bruce Munro Wright James Wright Creativity Fund Mr. Harold and Mrs. Erna Zinn
Anne Mathisen T. Mawson Alex McLeod Ms. Sharon & Dr. John McNeill Dr. Katherine Mirhady Ms. Maureen Molaro Ms. Sharon Morrow Kathleen Murison Sharon Newman Micki & Michael Partridge Ms. Sheila Pratt Mrs. Jane Regier Mr. Peter & Mrs. Barbara Richards Mrs. Leila Robertson Mr. William Robertson Kelly Robinson Mr. Leo & Mrs. Maureen Sauve Schloss Enterprises Ltd. Mr. W. K. Schmidt David Shefsiek & Blaine Hendsbee Ms. Agnes Shin Arianna Sovernigo
JAMES W. WRIGHT CREATIVITY FUND Vancouver Opera is deeply grateful to all those who made special gifts to the James W. Wright Creativity Fund in honour of his many years of service and on the occasion of his retirement in June 2016. Anonymous donors (2) Ms. Shirley Barnett Roberta Lando Beiser Mr. Jeremy Berkman Dan and Ursula Bowditch Carol Brauner Kenneth Broadway Jamie & Cindy Bruce The Bruendl Foundation Neil Carnell Patricia Charles Dr. Heather Clarke Cindy Cooper Mr. & Mrs. Cruickshank Robert Dales in memory of Dr. Irving Guttman, C.M., O.B.C. Ms. Elisabeth Dawson David De Corlieu Ms. Audrey Dewan Roslyn Eisenberg Mohammed A. Faris & Family Tom Ferries & Lisa Pankratz Shirley Fitterman Divyesh and Charu Gadhia Ken Spencer & Judy Gale Mike & Kathy Gallagher Arlene Gladstone & Hamish Cameron Mrs. Elaine Godwin
Kenneth Owen Gracie Mr. Earl Drake & Ms. Monica Gruder Drake Martha Lou Henley, C.M. Jens & Linda Lee Henriksen Diana and Tom Herbst Mrs. Marian M Hingston Lore Hoffmann Mr. Howard R. Jang Linda M Johnston Ms. Lynn Kagan In memory of Tom Blom Sherry Killam Julia and Demas Kim Susan Knott Paul Larocque Bill & Risa Levine Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Lindsay Mr. & Mrs. Harold & Jenny Locke Mrs. Barbara Lowy Jana and Bill Maclagan Mr. Charles & Mrs. Phyllis Maclean Genny MacLean Paul McEwen and Gwynneth Jones John & Peggy McLernon Mr. & Mrs. D. Murray Michael and Inna O’Brian Valerie and Brian Owen Mr. David Parkes
Micki & Michael Partridge Mr. Hein Poulus & Ms. Mollie Massie-Poulus Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt Blaize & Allan Reich Mr. John Robinson Diane Roscoe Dr. Cecil Sigal Gillian and Russell Smith Ms. Karen Smith Lynn Smith & Jon Sigurdson Pascal & Isabelle Spothelfer Ms. Jane Srivastava Michael Stevenson and Jan Whitford Robert Swansborough Mary Tait & Bill Sirett Dr. Beverley Tamboline Dr. Barry & Mrs. Ronnie Tessler Gina Thorstenson & Bob Bartholomew Dr. Carol Tsuyuki & Mr. Craig Tomlinson Eugene Vigil Ms. Alexandra Volkoff Lis & Bruce Welch Dr. Roy and Mrs. Gwyneth Westwick Dr. Maurice & Mrs. Jane Wong Mr. Bruce Munro Wright Ms. Nancy Wu
VOCE Established in memory of Chorus past, in support of Chorus present, in preparation for Chorus future. Brenda Alexander Christine Anton Claudio Arato Angus Bell Dawne Dye
Irving Guttman Martha Lou Henley, C.M. Richard Loney In memory of Richard Loney, from his family
Neil MacKenzie Kathleen Murison Allyn & Kathleen Murison, in memory of Patrick and Aileen Murison
Lorna Olson Micki Partridge Ms. Diane Speirs
RTDS Technologies Marlene Trussell Karen Wilson
VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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VANCOUVER OPERA ROUND TABLE A special group of community leaders whose outstanding generosity and commitment enable the company to maintain the highest level of artistic excellence. Vancouver Opera is proud to recognize their continued loyalty and dedication. LEADERSHIP CIRCLE | $50,000+ Mike & Kathy Gallagher Martha Lou Henley, C.M.*
Yoshiko Karasawa Michael and Inna O’Brian
Alan & Gwendoline Pyatt
MAESTRO'S CIRCLE | $20,000—$34,999 Mohammed A. Faris & Family Brigitte & Henning Freybe
Signe Jurcic The Illahie Foundation
Mary Tait & Bill Sirett
DIRECTOR'S CIRCLE | $10,000—$19,999 Donors who wish to remain anonymous (1) Val & Dick Bradshaw Mrs. Alix Brown Mr. & Mrs. Gerhard & Ariane Bruendl Patricia Charles The Mary & Gordon Christopher Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Allen Fowlis
Mrs. Barbara Lowy Dr. George Luciuk & Dr. Lidia Schuster Jane Macdonald Mrs. Irene McEwen Paul McEwen and Gwynneth Jones Ms. Jane McLennan Dr. Earl & Mrs. Anne Shepherd*
Dr. Ian & Mrs. Jane Strang Dr. Beverley Tamboline Mr. Bruce Munro Wright
Ms. Lynn Kagan Julia and Demas Kim Andrew Mahon Foundation Miriam Maisonville and David Sauder Mr. & Mrs. Gerald A. B. McGavin John & Peggy McLernon Mr. Ian Michaud Anne Miloni & Darlene Miloni Graham Mirhady Family Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation
Mrs. Lorna Mochinski Ms. Bev Park & Mr. Jim Logan Lynn Smith & Jon Sigurdson Wayne Wiens, in memory of Andrea Pinto Lebowitz Gillian and Russell Smith Pascal & Isabelle Spothelfer Dr. Rosemary Vernon Wilkinson
Dr. Martin Hosking Ms. Mary Jordan Mrs. Evelyn Kahn In Memory of Tom Blom Dr. Linda Kaser & Dr. Judy Halbert Mr. Hank & Mrs. Janice Ketcham Dr. Marla Kiess Dr. Andrei Krassioukov Robert Laing & Edward Wilson Mr. & Mrs. R. Michael LePage Bill & Risa Levine Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Lindsay* Doris Luking in memory of Hans Luking Jana and Bill Maclagan Marilyn & Hart Mauritz Mr. & Mrs. David McDonald Mr. Stuart & Mrs. Della McLaughlin Mathisen Family Foundation Dr. & Mrs. T. Warner Mrs. Anne Morley Simon & Carmen Murphy in memory of Brian Joe Dr. & Mrs. David R. Neima
Micki & Michael Partridge* George and Santi Pick Richard and Elise Rees Donald & Dorothy Ritchie Mr. Anthony Roper Abe & Leyla Sacks Bob Sewell and Susan Van der Flier Curtis Smecher Mr. Ross & Ms. Ursula Southam Michael Stevenson and Jan Whitford Dr. Larry Stonesifer and Mr. Ronald Angress John & Judy Taylor Mrs. Neri Tischler and Dr. Aron Tischler Dr. Carol Tsuyuki & Mr. Craig Tomlinson Dr. Sandra Vestvik Dr. Eugene Wang James & Veronica Weinkam Fei Wong Dr. Maurice & Mrs. Jane Wong Andrea Wood & Peter Cavanagh
INNER CIRCLE | $5,000—$9,999 Donors who wish to remain anonymous (2) Mr. Hans Alwart Ms. Shirley Barnett Dr. Heather Clarke Divyesh and Charu Gadhia Dr. David Hardwick* Lori Hareid in memory of Bjorn Hareid Mrs. Judith Helliwell & Dr. John Helliwell Diana and Tom Herbst Mrs. Marietta Hurst
PATRON | $2,500—$4,999 Donors who wish to remain anonymous (2) Joanie Anderson Mr. Russ & Mrs. Lee Anthony* Jim & Sarah Armstrong Suzanne & Brad Bailuk Ms. Meera Bawa Stephanie A. Carlson Mr. Michael & Mrs. Eunice Chan Mr. Edward & Mrs. Dorothy Chiasson Nika Collison and Daniel Robertson William and Emmanuelle Davis Ms. Elisabeth Dawson In memory of Barbara Roy Shirley Fitterman Senator Jack Austin & Ms. Natalie V. Freeman Mr. Sven & Mrs. Juliette Freybe Ms. Judy Garner Ms. Kim Gaynor Arlene Gladstone & Hamish Cameron Mrs. Elaine Godwin Jens & Linda Lee Henriksen Mrs. Aurora R. Hernandez Mrs. Marian M Hingston
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BENEFACTOR | $1,500—$2,499 Donors who wish to remain anonymous (4) Gordon & Minke Armstrong Barbara Armstrong Ms. Wendy G. Baker Roberta L. Beiser Ms. Lois M. Bewley Mr. Alexander Bjornson Jill Bodkin Dan and Ursula Bowditch Ms. Regina Boxer John and Veronica Braico John & Ruth Brock Vivienne and James Brosnan Jamie & Cindy Bruce Miss Irene Caudwell Ms. Gillian E. Chetty Mr. Michael J. Chutter Dr. Peter & Jean Cooperberg Lorna Court & John Mancini Ms. Pat Dairon Dr. Joseph De Wet Susan Drury & Dennis Perry Valerie Dunsterville & Richard Dunsterville Drs. Allen and Connie Eaves Mr. Harry Edinger Ms. Vivian Eliopoulos Stephanie & Mark Emanuel Dr. Virginia Evans Tom Ferries & Lisa Pankratz Paul Forrest Frank and Joan Lew Charitable Trust Mrs. Pamela Friedrich Barrie & Ann Gillmore* Mrs. San Given
Mr. Earl Drake & Ms. Monica Gruder Drake Mr. Roland Haebler & Mrs. Catherine Haebler Judith and Poul Hansen Ms. Nancy Hermiston John Horning and Lorraine Larkin Mr. Paul Janke Reet Kana Horatio & Jackie Kemeny Mr. Sharman King Mrs. Elizabeth Kirkwood Susan Knott Dr. Sharon Grimes Knox Peter Ko Jon & Eva LaFollette Tom and Karen Lane Kirk LaPointe & Mary Lynn Young Pierre & Betty Lebel Maria Leone Chuck Lew in memory of Mary Helen Lew Mr. & Mrs. Harold & Jenny Locke Dr. Jan Lyons Mrs. Nancy Macdonald Dr. Alistair MacKay Marlene Mackenzie Mr. Charles & Mrs. Phyllis Maclean Genny MacLean Mr. & Mrs. John and Sidney Madden Ms. Elaine Mah Mrs. Rosemary Mallory Mr. Michael Mann Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Mary McIlwaine Dr. Paul Mitchell-Banks Dr. Peter & Mrs. Eve Munns Mr. & Mrs. D. Murray
Mrs. Mary Orr Valerie and Brian Owen Joyce Pearkes Ms. Lorraine Portier Mollie Massie & Hein Poulus James & Mona Radelet David Radler Blaize & Allan Reich Mrs. Margot & Mr. Klaus Richter Kitten Roberts Mr. Ian Robertson & Mrs. Sian Pitman Mr. John Robinson Ms. Carol U. Ross Ruth E. and Dr. William Hy Ross Foundation Dr. Wes Schreiber David & Cathy Scott Dr. Cecil Sigal Dr. Hilda Stanger Dr. and Mrs. Peter Stevenson-Moore Dr. Barry & Mrs. Ronnie Tessler Mrs. Anne Tweedy Ms. Alexandra Volkoff Judy & Neil Watson Dr. Roy and Mrs. Gwyneth Westwick Mr. Paul Westwick Alexi White Ms. Terry Wilkinson Eric and Shirley Wilson Ms. Kathleen Winton John and Mia Wong Mr. Joe D. Wurz & Mrs. Kathleen M. Wurz Dr. Edwin & Mrs. Patricia Yen
The contributions listed reflect gifts made to Vancouver Opera to September 20, 2019. Every effort is made to ensure our lists are accurate at the time of printing. We sincerely apologize for any errors or omissions. *Lifetime Opera Round Table
OPERA ROUND TABLE
For more information, please contact
Members of the Opera Round Table enjoy many exclusive benefits, including guided backstage tours, invitations to Prelude Dinners, reserved theatre parking and access to the members’ lounge at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, plus personalized subscription and ticket service. Priority in requests for tickets, subscription changes, and seat improvements increase according to overall giving at all levels of the Opera Round Table.
Carmen Murphy Director, Donor Development 604 331 4832 vancouveropera.ca/support
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REPLACE
tchaikovsky
EUGENE ONEGIN JANUARY 11–25 A DECADENT RUSSIAN ROMANCE
2019/20 SEASON SPONSOR: IN MEMORY OF KARYL WINN PRODUCTION SPONSOR: SEATTLE OPERA FOUNDATION
In Russian with English subtitles. Evenings 7:30 PM Sundays 2:00 PM Featuring the Seattle Opera Chorus and members of Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
MCCAW HALL 206.389.7676 SEATTLEOPERA.ORG/ONEGIN © Philip Newton
For Tatyana, it’s love at first sight. She stays up all night baring her soul in a passionate letter to Onegin, only to suffer crushing heartbreak the next day. When he finally returns her affections, it’s too late—a rival has appeared. With breathtaking music by Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, 1812 Overture) and a story based on Alexander Pushkin’s masterful verse novel, Eugene Onegin is poignant Russian romance at its finest. Lush orchestrations, elegant ballroom dances, grand sets, and elaborate period costumes bring 1800s Russia to life on the McCaw Hall stage for the first time in this achingly beautiful tale of longing, remorse, and love unfulfilled.
ORGANIZATIONAL DONORS, PARTNERS AND SPONSORS Vancouver Opera is proud to present our organizational and institutional partners. Your support for our mainstage, training and community outreach programs, special events, and even our operational funding helps us build our community together.
2020 FESTIVAL PRESENTING SPONSOR
PARTNERS
Official Winery
Emerging Artists Sponsor
Young Artists Sponsor
Student Dress Rehearsal & Student Rush Tickets Sponsor
The McGrane-Pearson Endowment Fund Official Piano Partner
Official Accessibility Partner
Official Hospitality Partner
Official Fitness Equipment Provider
SPONSORS
V A N C O U V E R
OPERA
THE
Hospitality | Development | Consulting
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MEDIA SPONSORS
GOVERNMENT AND INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO Vancouver Opera Foundation
Vancouver Opera Endowment Trust
The David Spencer Endowment Encouragement Fund FOUNDATION SUPPORT D&V Horswill Family Foundation, held at Vancouver Foundation
The Arthur Toft Foundation
Fred and Minnie Toft Foundation
The Bruendl Foundation
George W. Norgan Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation
The Edith Lando Charitable Foundation
Greygates Foundation
The Hannah Woodnutt Smith Memorial Fund
Joan C. McCarter Foundation, through the Victoria Foundation
The McGrane-Pearson Endowment Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation
Lightburn Family Fund, held at Vancouver Foundation Minovitz Family Foundation Private Giving Foundation RBC Foundation
Vancouver Foundation Vancouver Opera Association Endowment Fund Victoria Foundation
The Andrew Mahon Foundation
VANCOUVER OPERA IS A PROUD MEMBER OF
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The Vancouver Opera Guild cordially welcomes new members. No qualifications other than an interest in opera are required. For information on the benefits of membership and for membership forms, please check our website at
vancouveroperaguild.com
VANCOUVER OPERA GUILD ESCORTED OPERA TOURS
NEW YORK METROPOLITAN OPERA
FRENCH FESTIVALS
MARCH 23 – 29, 2020
JULY 2020
Der Fliegende Hollander (Wagner) with Sir Bryn Terfel La Cenerentola (Rossini) with Tara Errault and Javier Camarena Tosca (Puccini) with Anna Netrebko Werther (Massenet) with Piotr Beczala, Joyce DiDonato and Etienne Dupuis
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA JUNE 25 – 28, 2020
Approximately 12 days Beaune International Baroque & Romantic Opera Festival: an annual summer festival notable for revivals of many baroque operas, concerts of oratorios and church music and recitals. The Chorégies d’Orange: one of the oldest festivals in France dating back to 1869, it takes place in a perfectly preserved Roman amphitheatre seating 8,300 people. The schedule includes a mixture of opera and classical music concerts. Aix-en-Provence Music Festival: devoted mainly to opera, the festival also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumental music.
The Revolution of Steve Jobs (Mason Bates) Ernani (Verdi) with Russell Thomas Partenope (Handel)
Check for brochures at the Guild Centre at the QE Theatre or call Lis Dawson at 604-922-8008 or Genny MacLean (Great Expeditions) at 604-738-5535 for more information.
VANCOUVER OPERA GUILD EXECUTIVE Massoud Abedi – President
Jennifer Coté – Vice-President
Diana Herbst – Treasurer
Nancy Wu – Secretary
The Vancouver Opera Guild provides volunteer and financial support to Vancouver Opera. For membership information, please contact Vancouver Opera at 604 682 2871 or visit vancouveroperaguild.com
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
JON & EVA LAFOLLETTE Ten years ago, Jon and Eva LaFollette made a trip from Seattle to see their first Vancouver Opera production, Madama Butterfly. At the time, this dynamic duo would fully admit that they didn’t know La Traviata from Il Trovatore, but ever the adventurers, they committed to the journey and have never looked back. Since that first experience, they’ve been to every VO production and became members of the Opera Round Table in 2012. Always the life of the party, Jon and Eva were thrilled to take part in the inaugural VOX gala last April. Their exuberant paddle raising in the live auction won them a package to sit in the Director’s Box for Die Zauberflöte at the UK’s Glyndebourne Festival. Part of their giving philosophy is to raise the paddle, not just because it’s for a good cause, but because you never know what new friends you’ll meet. We’re thrilled that their curiosity led them to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and we’ve truly enjoyed getting to know them over the years. Said Jon when asked why they keep coming back: “Having an opera family as inclusive, exuberant, and passionate as Vancouver Opera makes our journey from Seattle for every production a joy.” For more information about joining the Opera Round Table contact Carmen Murphy at 604 331 4832
VOLUNTEERS MAKE OUR SEASON Thank you to the generous contributions of volunteers that help make our season a success. We’re always looking for volunteers to help at the theatre and in the office and it’s a great way to meet like-minded people who share a passion for the arts. For more information, contact: volunteer@vancouveropera.ca or apply at vancouveropera.ca/support/volunteer.
PATRON P INFORMATION PRE-SHOW TALKS
PERFORMANCE ETIQUETTE
Learn more about the Vancouver Opera production you’re about to see at our complimentary Pre-Show Talks. A great added value to your VO ticket, and an opportunity to gain insight about the performance, Pre-Show talks are offered an hour before every performance. Topics range from the composer’s life and repertoire, to historical context about the work, to more details about the artists involved with the production. Each talk lasts approximately 25 minutes.
In consideration of other patrons and the performers, please refrain from rustling programs, unwrapping candy, or whispering during the performance. Given some people’s allergies, we also ask patrons to avoid wearing perfume or other scented products.
ACCESSIBILITY Elevators in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre parkade provide patron access to the street level and the main entrances of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and the Vancouver Playhouse. There is also a driveway for taxis and pick-up/drop-off for patrons with physical needs. Seating for patrons using wheelchairs is available on the orchestra and mezzanine levels of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, and on the orchestra level of the Vancouver Playhouse. Elevator access is available from each theatre’s main lobby to the upper levels. For more information, please call the VO Ticket Centre. Patrons who are hard-of-hearing may borrow Sennheiser Infrared Hearing System headsets for any performance, free of charge. Headsets are available at the theatre coat check. This system was made possible through the generous donation of Wolverton Securities Limited and the Vancouver Foundation. Wheelchair accessible washrooms are on the orchestra and mezzanine levels. Gender-inclusive washrooms are located near the main entrance. ELECTRONIC DEVICES Please turn off all mobile phones, pagers, and alarm watches before entering the theatre, so as not to disrupt the performance. Pagers may be left at the coat check; patrons will be alerted of any calls at the first convenient break. LATECOMERS To avoid disrupting the performance, latecomers may not be seated once the show has started. If possible, they will be ushered to their seats at the first appropriate break.
RECORDINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS Any recording (video, audio) or photographs of VO performances are strictly prohibited without the permission of Vancouver Opera. We welcome you to take photos of the curtain call and share using the hashtag #TraviataVO. TICKET SERVICES Purchases A variety of subscription packages as well as single tickets can be purchased online through the VO’s website or by calling the VO Ticket Centre. Visit, write or call: VO Ticket Centre, 1945 McLean Drive, Vancouver T: 604 683 0222 | E: tickets@vancouveropera.ca vancouveropera.ca/tickets Hours of operation: Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:00pm Exchanges and Lost Tickets Please contact the Ticket Centre directly with any questions about exchanging and/or replacing tickets. Print your tickets at home! Vancouver Opera now offers an easy, convenient way to get your tickets immediately after purchasing a VO ticket or subscription package. With a valid email address, you can receive your e-tickets directly to your inbox, whether you purchase tickets online or through the VO Ticket Centre. You can get your tickets sooner and avoid waiting in line at the theatre before the performance. PRIVACY Vancouver Opera is committed to protecting your privacy. For information on VO’s patron privacy policy, please visit our website: vancouveropera.ca.
PARKING Parking is available at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre parkade, located off Cambie Street between West Georgia and Dunsmuir Streets. Accessible parking is available with an accessible parking decal. Parking is limited, so plan to arrive early.
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Patrons are requested to speak to a Vancouver Opera or Civic Theatres representative at intermission in the case of any disturbance or discomfort during a performance.
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ADMINISTRATION
DISTINGUISHED HONORARY PATRON Martha Lou Henley, C.M.
VANCOUVER OPERA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2019–2020 SEASON Chair: Bill Maclagan Mass Abedi Meera Bawa Alex Bjornson
Treasurer & Secretary: Richard Rees Heather Clarke Catherine Dangerfield Judy Halbert
Kirk LaPointe Maria Leone Jennifer Muench
Past Chair: Jill Bodkin Pascal Spothelfer Carol Tsuyuki Susan Van der Flier
Alexi White Andrea Wood
VANCOUVER OPERA STAFF Kim Gaynor, General Director Director of Artistic Planning Tom Wright
Jonathan Darlington, Music Director Emeritus
Director, Education & Community Engagement Colleen Maybin
ARTISTIC PLANNING Associate Director, Artistic Planning: Adrianne Wurz Music Associate Conductor / Chorus Director: Leslie Dala Principal Répétiteur / Assistant Conductor / Assistant Chorus Director: Kinza Tyrrell Répétiteur: Tina Chang, Angus Kellett Orchestra Manager: Jim Littleford Music Librarian: Tom Shorthouse Orchestra Stage Manager: Jim Tranquilla Production Technical Director: Autumn Coppaway Building Manager and Assistant Technical Director: Kevin MacLeod Head of Costumes: Parvin Mirhady Head of Properties: Heidi Wilkinson EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Education & Community Projects Coordinator: Courtney Dugan
YULANDA M. FARIS YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAM Irina Medvedeva, Soprano Gena van Oosten, Mezzo-Soprano
Director of Development Lisa Westermark
Director of Marketing Sarah Hitner
Chief Financial Officer Catriona Cheng
DEVELOPMENT Director, Donor Development: Carmen Murphy Development Manager, Grants & Proposals: Azfir Balenciaga Manager, Donor Development: Erin Reddekopp Coordinator, Events & Development: Cameron Clark MARKETING Creative Director: Annie Mack Marketing and Sales Manager: Vincent Wong Lottery Sales and Marketing Coordinator: Evan MacDonald Digital Communications Manager: Michael Mann Graphic Designer: Yvonne Olivotto Ticket Centre Associate: Charlene Hibbard Patron Services Manager: Tamerin Elliott Publicist: Cynnamon Schreinert FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Director of Information Technology: Hali Autio Accountant and Payroll Administrator: Firan Tse Office Manager and Junior Accountant: William Murgatroyd
Program Head: Leslie Dala
Daevyd Pepper, Tenor Nicholas Borg, Baritone
Head Coach: Kinza Tyrrell
Andrea Van Pelt, Pianist
VANCOUVER OPERA FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2019–2020 SEASON Chair: Michael Gallagher
Treasurer and Secretary: Paul McEwen
Jill Bodkin Jake Boxer Neil Carnell
Heather Clarke Emily MacKinnon
Bill Maclagan Richard Rees
Russell Smith Pascal Spothelfer VANCOUVER OPERA | LA TRAVIATA
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