After attending part of yesterday afternoon’s rehearsal for the Dallas opera’s production of Tristan, I went over and watched the first two acts of the dress rehearsal for SMU’s production of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, which is being given this weekend in the Bob Hope Theater on the SMU campus.

From what I saw and heard, it would be well worth your trying to fit it into your weekend plans.  The production is double cast, so I have no idea how the second cast will be, but several of the young singers I heard last night gave charming performances.  The production, staged by Hank Hammett and conducted by Paul Phillips, both on the faculty at the university, had great energy and a surprising degree of polish, and the sets and costumes (by two students) were more stylish and clever than some productions I have attended at major opera companies around the world.

Hear Angela Mannino (Papagena in The Magic Flute) and Andrew Bidlack (Sandy/Officer 1 in The Lighthouse) two musicians making their Dallas Opera debuts later this season at Arts & Letters Live’s Fashioned Forward performance on Tuesday, February 7 at the Dallas Museum of Art. Inspired by the creative spirit of fashion icon Jean Paul Gaultier, six musicians will respond to his collection in a one-of-a-kind, one-night only performance with selections ranging from Mendelssohn and Madonna to Gershwin and Gaga. Don’t miss this special half-price offer of $15, which also allows you access to the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition at 6:00 p.m. prior to the performance. Call 214-922-1818 and give the code OPERA to purchase tickets.

Fashioned Forward

A Musical Exploration of the Creative Spirit of Fashion Icon Jean Paul Gaultier

Tuesday, February 7, 7:30 p.m.
Horchow Auditorium, Dallas Museum of Art

Inspired by the exhibition The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk

Jean Paul Gaultier, who ingeniously reinvented underwear as outerwear, is renowned for his creative construction of garments ranging from the sublime to the avant-garde. His portfolio of impeccable craftsmanship and calculated innovation has both garnered praise and fueled controversy around the world. Using Gaultier’s creative spirit as inspiration, six musicians respond to his collections in a one-of-a-kind, one-night-only performance with musical selections ranging from Mendelssohn and Madonna to Gershwin and Gaga. Fashioned Forward revels in the fusion of French fashion with the eclectic musings of Diana Vreeland, Mark Doty, and Jean Paul Gaultier himself.

This marks the seventh collaboration of Arts & Letters Live with artistic programmer Ryan Taylor, who will create a multimedia extravaganza blending visuals of Gaultier’s work with musical and literary excerpts designed to resonate with the imagination of this celebrated French couturier, designer, and social provocateur.

Musicians:

Angela Mannino, soprano

Jamie Van Eyck, mezzo-soprano

Andrew Bidlack, tenor

Chad Sloan, baritone

Joseph Li, piano

Wes Yoakam, guitar

Prior to the performance, ticketholders are invited to a private viewing of The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

The Dallas Opera Guild Presents
The 24th Annual
Dallas Opera Guild
Vocal Competition
~~~~~~
Honoring Elaine and Bill Blaylock
~~~~~~
SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012
The Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House
At the AT&T Performing Arts Center
2403 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201

FINALS COMPETITION AT 7:30 PM
Free Admission

~~ Semi-final Round Begins at 11:30 AM ~~
Free Daytime Parking in Lexus Red Garage

DALLAS, JANUARY 31, 2012 –The Dallas Opera Guild is proud to present the 24th Annual “Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition,” an on-stage showcase for talented young opera singers with Texas connections on Saturday, March 10, 2012 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201.
This marks only the second time this eagerly anticipated vocal competition will be held in the acoustically acclaimed Winspear Opera House.
There is no charge for admission to any part of the event (although donations are definitely welcome), and Lexus Red Garage parking is available FREE for the Semi-final Round, from 11:30 AM until 4:00 PM. There will be a $15.00 parking fee for the Finals Round of the Guild competition, which gets underway at 7:30 PM that same evening; however, local opera lovers can obtain a discount for self-parking by going to http://dallasopera.org/vocalcompetition. Click on the “Buy Parking” button and then, in the promo code box, enter the word VOCAL before clicking on the “Submit” link. Follow additional instructions to obtain your print-on-demand parking coupon for this event.
Twenty-four semi-finalists (aged 22 to 30) chosen from a field of fifty qualified applicants will compete for thousands of dollars in prize monies ($19,000 was awarded in 2007, 2009, and 2010; $20,500 in 2011) at this year’s competition, open to singers preparing for a career in the field of opera. They must be current Texas residents or out-of-state residents attending a Texas college or university.

Judges for this year’s event include:

• Scott Altman, General Director of Arizona Opera
• Sheri Greenawald, Opera Center Director, San Francisco Opera
• Christopher Hahn, General Director of Pittsburgh Opera
• Robin Thompson, Arts Consultant, Virginia Opera and additional companies
• And from The Dallas Opera, Artistic Director Jonathan Pell, who also acts as artistic advisor to this eagerly anticipated annual competition.

“Of all the things I do, over the course of the opera season, the vocal competition is one of the things I look forward to the most, because it gives me an enormous sense of personal satisfaction,” explains Mr. Pell.
“Being able to help identify, nurture, and develop young talent is the most wonderful part of my job,” Mr. Pell adds. “The Dallas Opera Guild Competition has helped quite a few struggling young singers, many of whom have gone on to forge significant international opera careers. People like Clifton Forbis, who is here rehearsing the role of Tristan in Tristan & Isolde and Latonia Moore, who opens our next season in the Winspear Opera House in the title role of Aida.”

The Dallas Opera Guild is pleased to announce that the Honorees for the 24th Annual Vocal Competition are Elaine and Bill Blaylock. The Blaylocks have been involved with The Dallas Opera and The Dallas Opera Guild in positions of leadership and service for many years. During their term as co-presidents of The Dallas Opera Guild in 1999-2000, the Bessylee Penland Endowment Fund was established to benefit the Vocal Competition.

Preliminary judges for this year’s competition included Vocal Coach/Pianist and Translator Martha Gerhart, who teaches both voice and diction at SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts; Angela Wilson, professional opera singer and instructor of Voice at Texas Christian University; and Dallas Opera Head of Music Staff Michael Heaston, who also serves as Head of Music Staff and Program Director of the prestigious Young American Artists Program at Glimmerglass Opera.
The singers in both the semi-final and finals rounds will be accompanied by Dallas Opera pianist and vocal coach Julian Reed and SMU accompanist and faculty vocal coach Jason Smith.

“Fred and I have been impressed with the extraordinary level of talent revealed by these young Texas singers,” admits Dallas Opera Guild Competition Co-Chair Sandi Ciarochi. “It’s been both humbling and rewarding to listen to their entry CDs, to learn about their personal experiences to date, to witness their resolve and—above all—to share their obvious joy when they learn that they’ve been selected to compete as semi-finalists.”
“It’s also incredibly reassuring to see parents and grandparents,” she adds, “bringing their children and grandchildren to this competition as a means of introducing them to Opera. Aficionados understand that when they share that love of the art form with the next generations, it enriches them both.”

“With funding for the arts rapidly diminishing,” explains Guild Competition Co-Chair Fred Ciarochi, “it’s great to have this opportunity to recognize, honor and promote homegrown talent, particularly when you realize how many of our Guild Vocal Competition singers go on to become nationally and internationally recognized.
“Just sitting in the audience is a thrilling experience and when audience members cast their personal votes for the ‘People’s Choice’ award, you can detect how passionate people become when singers’ careers are at stake.”

Audience participation, in fact, is part of the fun at each year’s Dallas Opera Vocal Competition and, for the thirteenth consecutive year, attendees will be given the chance to vote on their personal favorites for “The People’s Choice Award.”

The Dallas Opera Guild’s Vocal Competition, not only provides vital assistance to the young opera stars of tomorrow, but also creates an outstanding opportunity for people from throughout the community to hear exceptional up-and-coming talents, in free performances in a magnificent setting.

This year’s Semi-finalists are:

• Rachel Alexander, age 22, mezzo-soprano
• Vanessa Becerra, age 22, soprano
• Laura Begley, age 23, mezzo-soprano
• John Boehr, age 29, baritone
• Adam Cannedy, age 27, baritone
• Claudia Chapa, age 28, mezzo-soprano
• Ashley Cutright, age 26, mezzo-soprano
• Corrie Donovan, age 26, soprano
• Heather Hawk, age 29, soprano
• Joel Herold, age 29, baritone
• Jeawook Lee, age 29, tenor
• Justin Manalad, age 26, baritone
• Julie Marx, age 23, soprano
• Audra Methvin, age 25, soprano
• Njabulo Mthimkhulu, age 30, baritone
• Ian José Ramirez, age 24, tenor
• Elisabeth Rosenberg, age 29, soprano
• Sarah Parnicky, age 24, soprano
• Sinae Song, age 28, soprano
• Xiaobo Su, age 30, soprano
• Sarah Tucker, age 24, soprano
• Ashley Renée Watkins, age 27, soprano
• Jennifer Whalen, age 28, soprano
• Amanda Woodbury, age 24, soprano

“The Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition offered much-needed career and financial support at a crucial time in my life,” says Jennifer Black (First Prize, People’s Choice Award, 2001). “I had just completed my studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio, as well as my first summer with San Francisco’s Merola Opera Program, and was on my way to The Yale School of Music.
“The chance to participate in this competition was a real ‘vote of confidence’ that encouraged me to continue on this path I had chosen. I feel blessed to have been a recipient of the Guild’s generous support.”

The Underwriting Co-Chairmen for the event are Bilye Werner and Jeanette Wharton.
This free, spring musical event has become a favorite among opera aficionados and vocal music lovers across North Texas. For additional information about the 24th Annual Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition, please contact The Dallas Opera Guild at 214-443-1040.

Select Stars of Earlier Competitions

Clifton Forbis (tenor), winner of our second annual Vocal Competition in 1990, has forged a dynamic international career. He sang the title role of Samson in Samson et Dalila at San Francisco Opera and Siegmund in the Canadian Opera Company’s 2006 production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen to open their new Four Seasons Opera House. He also performed Act I of Die Walküre in January 2006 with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. Mr. Forbis has sung Otello at La Scala and in numerous productions at the Metropolitan Opera and other important theaters around the world and – most notably – brought his interpretation of the role to open the new Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at The Dallas Center for the Performing Arts in October of 2009 and returns this February in one of the title roles of Tristan & Isolde.

1998 First Prize winner Latonia Moore (soprano), who also captured the inaugural People’s Choice Award that year, brought the audience to their feet in her memorable 2004 Dallas Opera debut as Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen, earning the Maria Callas Award for The Dallas Opera debut of the year. She “triumphed as a radiant-voiced Micaela” recreating that role for her debut with the New York City Opera. The New York Times wrote of “her radiant, warm sound and lovely phrasing,” saying, “What she has already is special: a distinctive, poignant sound that makes an audience sit up.” She made her Carnegie Hall debut in the title role of L’Arlesiana for Opera Orchestra of New York and recently made her debut at London’s Covent Garden as Liu in Turandot and returns there in the title role of Verdi’s Aida, the role in which she will return to the TDO stage next fall.

Jesus Garcia (tenor) competed in The Dallas Opera Guild’s Vocal Competition in 1996, 1997, and 1999, winning Second Place that year. Long a favorite of Guild members, Jesus studied at the University of North Texas before attending the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2001 who starred as Rodolfo in Baz Luhrman’s La bohème on Broadway, Jesus has also sung the Berlioz Requiem at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., the role of Prince Ramiro in La Cenerentola with the Washington National Opera at Kennedy Center, as well as in School matinee performances for The Dallas Opera. Mr. Garcia has performed at the Spoleto Festival, Houston Grand Opera, and Bordeaux Opera (France), among other venues.

Third Place winner Steven LaBrie (baritone) barely met the age requirement to enter our 2006 competition, then walked away with both the People’s Choice Award and a special Mozart Aria award given by TDO’s former General Director Karen Stone in honor of the composer’s 250th birthday. His win propelled him into a coveted spot at AVA, where he performed roles in Il barbiere de Siviglia and Eugene Onegin, in addition to his role as Antonio in Le Nozze de Figaro with The Living Opera. He went on to take First Place in an historic tie with baritone Michael Sumuel in the 2009 Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition and made his official Dallas Opera debut this season in the role of Paris in Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet.

Tenor Scott Scully, winner of the 2000 People’s Choice Award, has sung with Opera Ontario (Canada), San Francisco Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and Arizona Opera and recently made his Dallas Opera debut in Lohengrin. He was a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio and the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program. Very active in concert, he has sung Carmina Burana with the Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Ballet, Falstaff and Billy Budd with the Cleveland Orchestra, and has collaborated with a list of illustrious conductors. In addition to the Dallas Opera Guild award, he received the Pavarotti award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, among others.

Jennifer Black (soprano), winner of our 2001 Vocal Competition and the People’s Choice Award, has participated in the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. In 2006, she made her debut with the New York City Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, and sang at Carnegie Hall. She was previously a National Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and was described by The New York Times as “a sensitive, rich-voiced soprano.” Last season at the Metropolitan Opera she sang leading roles in Adriana Lecouvreur and La sonnambula.

Angela Neiderloh (mezzo soprano), Second Place winner of the 2002 competition, spent three years in the Houston Grand Opera Studio, and has sung with the San Francisco Opera Center, Wolf Trap Opera, and the Houston Grand Opera. Her concert credits include solos with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Aspen Festival Orchestra, and the Columbia Symphony, among others. The New York Times has praised her as “an engaging coloratura mezzo-soprano.”

Marjorie Owens, First Place winner of the 2002 competition and the People’s Choice Award, was a winner of the 2006 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She was a member of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Lyric Opera Center for Young Artists, after spending three years with the Houston Grand Opera Studio. She has performed with the Fort Worth Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Wolf Trap Opera in Washington, D.C., and the Aspen Opera Theater. The New York Times included Marjorie in their compilation of “the upcoming Great Big American Voices.”

Winner of the 2003 People’s Choice Award, Erik Nelson Werner (baritone) has sung with the Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Opera, New York City Opera and Opera Orchestra of New York, and has sung extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe. He performed at Carnegie Hall in February 2007, and has won numerous awards throughout the years, including the Brahms Competition in Graz, Austria, and the Geneva International Music Competition. He has re-trained and has recently re-launched his career as a tenor.

Baritone Weston Hurt, winner of both our 2005 Vocal Competition and the People’s Choice Award, has performed throughout the United States and Latin America and made his debut with The Dallas Opera in La bohème. He debuted with the New York City Opera in 2006, and has also sung with the Opera Orchestra of New York, and the National Symphony at Wolf Trap. His 2007 engagements included the Arizona Opera, Opera Grand Rapids, and the role of Baldassare in L’Arlesiana with the Opera Orchestra of New York. A graduate of the Juillard Opera Center, he has won numerous awards, including Opera Index, Inc., Palm Beach Opera Competition, two career grants from the Santa Fe Opera, and was a finalist for the Sara Tucker Career Grant.

First Place winner Takesha Meshé Kizart (soprano, 2006) signed with artistic manager Tim Menah of Askonas Holt, Ltd. in London and recently appeared in the title role of Tosca for The Dallas Opera’s 2008 School Performances which led to her U.K. debut in the role at Opera North in Leeds. A former vocal performance honors student at UNT, she has won numerous competitions throughout the world, including national semi-finalist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Marian Anderson Historical Society, Mario Lanza Institute Vocal Scholarship Competition, Opera Index, and the Voci Verdiane International Competition in Busseto, Italy, where she became the first African-American to ever win the Grand Prize.

Tenor Scott Quinn, who tied for Second Place in the 2008 competition, served as The Dallas Opera’s “Young Artist in Residence” the following year, singing principal roles in several mainstage productions, including Roberto Devereux (Lord Cecil) and La bohème (Parpignol). He continues to sing roles for us today, including a recent appearance as Normanno in TDO’s revival of Lucia di Lammermoor.

Last year’s First Place winner, 26-year-old countertenor John Holiday, Jr., a 2007 graduate of Southern Methodist University now working towards a master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (2012), wowed judges and audience members alike with his extraordinary renditions of “Crude furie” from Händel’s Serse and “Che farò senza Euridice” from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, which showcased the exceptional beauty and timbre of his unusual vocal type. And he took critics by storm in December’s production of “A Gathering: The Dallas Arts Community Reflects on 30 Years of AIDS.” Performing “Ave Maria,” Mr. Holiday, wrote Mark Lowry of “Theater Jones,” gave a performance “that had to be heard to be believed.”

~~~~

THE DALLAS OPERA GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES
THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS FOUNDATION,
PRESENTER OF THE 2011-2012 SEASON

AND SPECIAL THANKS
TO THE AT&T PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND STAFF
FOR THEIR SUPPORT OF THE
2012 DALLAS OPERA GUILD VOCAL COMPETITION

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE “TRAGIC OBSESSIONS” SEASON
IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7
VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG
For high-resolution, digital photographs suitable for print
To arrange an interview
Or for additional information
Please contact Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR
214.443.1014 or suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

THE DALLAS OPERA WISHES TO EXPRESS ITS GRATITUDE TO OUR EXCLUSIVE PARTNERS:

AMERICAN AIRLINES – OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
LEXUS – OFFICIAL VEHICLE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
CARTIER – OFFICIAL JEWELER & WATCHMAKER OF THE DALLAS OPERA
ROSEWOOD CRESCENT HOTEL – OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE DALLAS OPERA

Ticket Information for the 2011-2012 Dallas Opera Season

All performances (unless noted) are in the acoustically acclaimed Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. FLEX subscriptions (three performances) begin at $75. Single tickets start at just $25. For more information or to make your purchase, contact the friendly staff at The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org. Principal cast members and events may be subject to change. All ticket sales are final.

THE DALLAS OPERA 2011-2012 SPRING SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Fifth International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in downtown Dallas. With the exception of Tristan & Isolde, evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00 p.m. Tristan’s evening performances will start at 7:00 p.m. and matinees at 2:00 p.m. Performances of The Lighthouse (new chamber opera series) will take place in the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre located directly across Flora street from the Winspear in the AT&T Performing Arts Center. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance. Assistance is available for the hearing impaired.

TRISTAN & ISOLDE by Richard Wagner
February 16, 19(m), 22 & 25, 2012
A fully staged, updated new production with projections by Moby-Dick’s Elaine J. McCarthy!
Ancient Myths, Modern Cine-Magic! A special Thursday night Opening with a special curtain time for all evening performances: 7:00 p.m.!
An opera in two acts first performed in Munich, June 10, 1865.
Text by Richard Wagner, based on an ancient Celtic and Icelandic legend.
Time: Legendary
Place: A ship at sea; outside King Marke’s palace, Cornwall; Tristan’s castle at Kareol
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Stage Director: Christian Räth
Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy
Lighting Design: Alan Burrett
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet (Isolde), Clifton Forbis (Tristan), Mary Phillips (Brangäne), Jukka Rasilainen** (Kurvenal), Kristinn Sigmundsson* (King Marke), Stephen Gadd** (Melot), and Aaron Blake (A Young Sailor/A Shepherd).

THE LIGHTHOUSE by Peter Maxwell Davies
Inaugural production of the Dallas Opera Chamber Series
Presented in collaboration with the Dallas Theater Center
In the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center
March 16, 17 & 18(m), 2012
A chilling supernatural and psychological thriller!
Time: December 1900
Place: Edinburgh Court of Enquiry, Fladda Isle Lighthouse off the Scottish coast
Conductor: Nicole Paiement*
Stage Director: Kevin Moriarty* (opera directorial debut)
Scenic Design: Beowulf Boritt*
Costume Design: Claudia Stephens*
Starring: (in order of vocal appearance:) Andrew Bidlack* (Officer 1/Sandy), Robert Orth (Officer 2/Blazes), and Daniel Sumegi (Officer 3/Arthur/Voice of the Cards).

LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi
April 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 & 29(m), 2012
Let’s Party Like It’s 1849!
An opera in three acts first performed in Venice at Teatro La Fenice, March 6, 1853
Text by Francesco Maria Piave, based on Alexandre Dumas’ play, La dame aux camélias
Time: 19th century
Place: Paris
Conductor: Marco Guidarini
Stage Director: Bliss Hebert
Production Design: Allen Charles Klein
Lighting Design: Thomas Hase
Choreographer: Rosa Mercedes*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Myrtò Papatanasiu** (Violetta Valéry), James Valenti (Alfredo Germont), Laurent Naouri* (Giorgio Germont), Amanda Crider* (Flora Bervoix), Timothy Mix* (Baron Douphol), Mark McCrory (Marchese D’Obigny), Ethan Herschenfeld* (Doctor Grenvil), and Susan Nicely (Annina).

THE MAGIC FLUTE by W.A. Mozart
April 20, 22(m), 25, 28, May 4 & 6(m), 2012
Hearts Tested, Tried and True!
An opera in two acts first performed in Vienna, September 30, 1791.
Text by Emanuel Schikaneder.
Time: Legendary
Place: Mythological Egypt
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Production: August Everding
Stage Director: Matthew Lata
Scenic Design: Jörg Zimmermann*
Costume Design: Renate Kalanke*
Lighting Design: Duane Schuler
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children’s Chorus Master: Melinda Cotten
Starring: Ava Pine (Pamina), Shawn Mathey* (Tamina), Patrick Carfizzi (Papageno), L’ubica Vargicová* (The Queen of the Night), Raymond Aceto (Sarastro), Kevin Langan (The Speaker), David Cangelosi (Monostatos), Angela Mannino* (Papagena), Caitlin Lynch* (First Lady), Lauren McNeese* (Second Lady), Maya Lahyani* (Third Lady), Aaron Blake (First Man in Armour) and Darren K. Stokes* (Second Man in Armour).

* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Operatic Debut

______________________________________________________________________________________
The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; TACA; the Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera. Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera. Cartier is the official jeweler and watchmaker of The Dallas Opera. Rosewood Crescent Hotel is the official hotel of The Dallas Opera. Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News. A special thanks to Mrs. William W. Winspear and the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for their continuing support.

###

In 2009, the company gave four performances of Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux to an audience of around 12,000 students of various ages, at the same time that we were presenting the opera for our subscription audiences.  These school performances were given with an alternate cast of young American singers just launching their careers.

I was delighted to read today that Angela Meade,  the soprano who sang “Elisabetta” in the school cast of that production just a little over two years ago, is this year’s recipient of the prestigious Beverly Sills Award, given to an important young artist at New York’s Metropolitan Opera.

Angela, who earlier this season appeared at the Met in the title role of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena in a run of performances following Anna Netrebko, can be heard and seen on the Met’s February 25^th  HD transmission of Verdi’s Ernani, both at local movie theaters and on radios around the world.

I am simply delighted that Angela has been recognized in this way, and is already well on her way to becoming an important singer of the “next” generation.

I am even more  pleased that the Dallas Opera was able to give this artist an opportunity to take on such a challenging Donizetti heroine at the very beginning of her professional career.

Brava Angela!

February 23 (Denton) and 24 (Dallas) at 7:30 p.m.

Ava Pine, Theodora * Ryland Angel, Didymus

Richard Croft, Septimius * Jeffrey Snider, Valens * Jennifer Lane, Irene

Pre-concert lecture:  Dr. Ruth Davis, University of Cambridge, at 6:30 p.m.

A tragic tale of love, faith and virtue set in 4th century Antioch, Handel’s oratorio Theodora follows the martyred princess Theodora and her Roman lover Didymus.  Featuring extraordinary soloists, including Ava Pine and Ryland Angel alongside UNT faculty members Richard Croft, Jeffrey Snider and Jennifer Lane, Dallas Opera Music Director Graeme Jenkins will lead the UNT Baroque Orchestra and Collegium Singers at both Winspear halls—the Winspear Performance Hall in Denton and the Winspear Opera House in Dallas.

Continuing the tradition of UNT faculty/student performance collaborations, a student will also join this outstanding cast in the role of the Messenger through a competitive audition process.

Theodora is presented by UNT College of Music and is made possible by the UNT Fine Arts Series, the AT&T Performing Arts Center, the Dallas Opera, and Don and Ellen Winspear.  This will be the fifth production of UNT’s Handel Oratorio series.

Ticket Information:

The Feb. 23 performance will take place in the Winspear Performance Hall at the Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton.  Tickets are $12-$20 and can be purchased by visiting music.unt.edu/mpac or by calling 940-369-7802.

The Feb. 24 performance will take place in the Winspear Opera House in Dallas.  Tickets are $12-$20 and can be purchased by visiting www.attpac.org, or by calling 214-880-0202.

If you and the kids or grand-kids haven’t caught the Dallas Opera’s new production of Georges Bizet’s “Doctor Miracle,” you have another chance tonight and next week. Details from KidBeat Columnnist Nancy Churnin of “The Dallas Morning News” and more on the Dallas Opera’s “kid-friendly philosophy” from Wendy Settle of The Assignment Desk at ”Pegasus News. 

Get thee to the Rosewood Center for Family Arts, home of Dallas Children’s Theater!

(Photo courtesy of Karen Almond, Dallas Opera)

Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR

Knowing how tremendously hard tenor Ben Heppner worked to create the role of Captain Ahab in Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s world premiere production of “Moby-Dick” (Dallas Opera, 2010), it’s incredibly gratifying to see that the artist looks back on that difficult process–I mean, YOU try singing for a couple of hours on a peg-leg!–as something truly worthwhile and that the role has evolved into one of his favorites.

Read it all here in this “Calgary Herald” interview by Bob Clark.  Photo by Gavin Young.  Also, check out this interesting behind-the-scenes look in “The Globe and Mail” by Shelley Youngblut.

Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR

Yes, as suspected, the announcement that the Dallas Opera and Cowboys Stadium have partnered for an April 28th live simulcast of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” has quickly become the talk of the town.

You may select from a variety of journalistic takes on the upcoming event…

From Daniel J. Wakin at “The New York Times”

Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell at “The Dallas Morning News”

Gregory Sullivan Isaacs at “Theater Jones”

WFAA Television

Sarah Blaskovich at “Pegasus News”

Jerome Weeks at KERA’s “Art and Seek”

Peter Simek at “D Magazine”

Jeanne Prejean at “My Sweet Charity”

Greg Janda of NBC5

Jamie Laughlin at “The Dallas Observer”

The Associated Press and NPR Classical

Ben Maller of “The Post Game” on Yahoo! Sports

And Liz Johnstone of “The Front Burner” blog for D Magazine

Where Glenn Hunter weighed in with an “Onion-esque” spoof.

Here’s another silly spoof from Jimmy Fowler at “Fort Worth Weekly.”  What?  It’s not meant to be?  Seriously? I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.  Portions of it read like dialogue written for Margaret Dumont from the Marx Brothers’ ”A Night at the Opera.” 

In any event – get ‘em while they’re hot!  Here’s one more link to the reserved seats page.

I sincerely hope we’ll see you there, with the entire extended family.

(Photo of Charlotte Jones Anderson, Keith Cerny, and Gene Jones courtesy of Karen Almond, Dallas Opera)

Suzanne Calvin, Manager/Director Media & PR

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Contact: Suzanne Calvin (214.443.1014/suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org)

Or Megan Meister (214.443.1071/megan.meister@dallasopera.org)

THE DALLAS OPERA, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH COWBOYS STADIUM,

PROUDLY ANNOUNCES

A LANDMARK PUBLIC EVENT:

DALLAS OPERA’S 2012 COWBOYS STADIUM SIMULCAST!

~~~~

MOZART’S THE MAGIC FLUTE LIVE!

SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012 at 7:30 PM

STADIUM DOORS OPEN AT 6:00 PM

~~~~

FREE SEATING, FREE PARKING, PAID CONCESSIONS

FREE TICKETS AVAILABLE THROUGH TDO WEBSITE

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            ARLINGTON, TX, JANUARY 26, 2012 – The Dallas Opera, in partnership with Cowboys Stadium, is extremely proud to announce the first classical music simulcast ever conducted in a North Texas sports venue.  The announcement was made earlier today by representatives of both organizations—Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny and Charlotte Jones Anderson, Executive Vice-President Brand Management/President of Charities—following a meeting of Dallas Opera Board held on-site at the stadium.

Gene Jones (the wife of Dallas Cowboys Owner, President and General Manager Jerry Jones), whose vision led to the Stadium’s museum-quality collection of contemporary art, was on-hand to welcome guests and attending media.  Setting the stage for today’s announcement, Ms. Jones explained, “Sports and art are not typically thought of as belonging together.  Yet sporting events and great art do something similar—they get people talking.”

The Dallas Opera’s 2012 Cowboys Stadium Simulcast of Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE will take place on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 7:30 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM) at the high-tech home of the Dallas Cowboys at One Legends Way in Arlington, Texas.  Patrons will be able to enjoy a complete, unabridged live performance on the world’s largest high-definition video board structure, comprised of four massive viewing screens (the largest, 72 feet tall and 160 feet wide) suspended directly above the playing field.

            Seating will be reserved and free tickets can be obtained through the Dallas Opera website, effective immediately, at www.dallasopera.org/cowboys.

“We are excited to partner with the Dallas Opera on such a distinctive event,” said Dallas Cowboys Executive Vice President of Brand Management Charlotte Anderson.  “Our organization admires and respects The Dallas Opera’s original thinking and stewardship in making a ground-breaking event like this a reality.  We truly value the importance of the arts in our community, and we hope that this first-of-its-kind opera broadcast gives us a way of sharing our love of the arts with a new audience at Cowboys Stadium.”

“One of the goals of the Dallas Opera is to bring great singing and world-class theater to the widest possible audience,” explains Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny.  “As part of our commitment to expanding our community outreach we are thrilled to announce an unprecedented, ‘game-changing’ collaboration with the Cowboys organization.  Let me also say that the Dallas Opera is especially grateful for the generous support of the Jones Family, encouraging our efforts to create one of the most unique and memorable events in the history of this opera company.

“I hope that the centralized location of Cowboys Stadium will draw music and theater lovers from all across North Texas to this free simulcast of Mozart’s action-packed masterpiece,” Mr. Cerny adds, “especially those who, for a variety of reasons, have perceived opera as an intimidating or challenging art form, rather than the fantastic entertainment experience it is.”

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            THE MAGIC FLUTE will star soprano Ava Pine, the Dallas Opera’s very first Resident Young Artist, in the role of Pamina—one of her personal favorites.  Ms. Pine, a Baroque specialist with a tremendous local fan base, made her Dallas Opera debut as Anna in our 2006 production of Nabucco, and has appeared on our stage in numerous roles including Adele in Die Fledermaus, Zozo in The Merry Widow, Elvira in L’italiana in Algeri, the Slave in Salome and, most recently, as one of three featured artists in the Dallas Opera’s Family Concert, performed in the Winspear last November.

Wherever she goes, Ms. Pine makes the critics struggle for superlatives.  Of her 2008 role debut as Adele, Dallas Morning News Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell wrote: “She can sparkle through coloratura, but also radiate lower-register warmth.  And she’s no less dazzling an actress, dancing, flirting and pretty much tying everyone around her little finger.”

Earlier this season, Ms. Pine appeared with the DSO in Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 conducted by Jaap van Zweden, Bach cantatas with the New Jersey Symphony, and Handel’s Messiah with Boston Baroque and Duke University.  She also made her role debut as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro at Opera Colorado and sang the title role in Handel’s Theodora at the University of North Texas with Dallas Opera Music Director Graeme Jenkins conducting.

Ava Pine’s performance is made possible with support from The Charron and Peter Denker Rising Stars Endowment Fund.

Alongside Ms. Pine, the Dallas Opera has cast celebrated tenor Shawn Mathey as Tamino.  “He is simply one of the finest Mozartean tenors in the world,” explains Artistic Director Jonathan Pell “and we have spent years trying to tempt him to come to Dallas for his long-awaited debut on our stage.  I think audiences will find him absolutely thrilling, from his first note to his last.”

Mr. Mathey’s 2011-12 Season engagements have included debuts with San Francisco Opera as Don Ottavio and with Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera as Lysander in Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  He is also slated to record Bruckner’s Mass No. 3 in F minor with Marek Janowski conducting the Orchestre de la Suisse Romand.  Praised by Lawrence A. Johnson of Chicago Classical Review for “displaying a honeyed tenor and proving both ardent and amusing,” Mr. Mathey is in tremendous demand overseas (Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, Italy, and Sweden) as well as at opera companies across the U.S.

Bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi, a comic genius who nearly galloped away with the Dallas Opera’s final production in the Music Hall, The Italian Girl in Algiers, returns in the role of the original Birdman, Papageno, Tamino’s love-sick companion.  The multifaceted Mr. Carfizzi’s recent engagements include Paolo in Simon Boccanegra with San Francisco Opera, Brander in Le damnation de Faust (Berlioz) at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Nourabad in Les pêcheurs de perles for Seattle Opera, Dr. Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia for the Canadian Opera Company, and additional roles at the Met including Schaunard in La bohème, the Mandarin in Turandot, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Haly in L’italiana in Algeri and Peter Quince in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Slovakian soprano L’ubica Vargicová, praised by the international media for her remarkable technique, her glittering high notes, and her commanding stage presence has made the Queen of the Night a signature role since her operatic debut while still a student in Bratislava, and she has left audiences gasping around the world.  The New York Times wrote of her Metropolitan Opera debut in this role, that Ms. Vargicová “dispatched the Queen of the Night’s devilish coloratura with fearless attack, bright tone, and impressive accuracy.”  That she is breathtakingly beautiful is merely the icing on the cake; it is her artistry in the coloratura repertoire that has enabled her to earn rave reviews as Lucia di Lammermoor, Ophelia, Amina in Bellini’s La sonnambula, and Marie in La Fille du régiment opposite Juan Diego Flórez.  She has appeared in prestigious venues from Carnegie Hall to Japan’s finest concert halls, in the wake of her dazzling 2003 Salzburg Festival debut as Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann (a landmark production staged by David McVicar and conducted by Kent Nagano).

Bass Raymond Aceto, the chilling Sparafucile in the Dallas Opera’s acclaimed 2011 production of Rigoletto, has appeared in more than a dozen productions with TDO since his 1995 debut as Monterone, portraying a host of unforgettable characters from Leporello in Don Giovanni (2003), Colline in La bohème (1999), and Fafner in Siegfried (2000) to Lodovico in the Dallas Opera’s 2009 inaugural production in the Winspear Opera House: Verdi’s Otello.

Opera News reported in November 2008 “The American bass has a magnificently warm, round and full voice coupled to a compelling stage presence.”  He was also identified as one of the “world class” artists in the Dallas Opera’s cast of Rigoletto (Opera Warhorses) and his performance was termed “a rare treat.”

Engagements this season have included the roles of Banquo in Macbeth at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and Timur in Turandot for San Francisco Opera.  This summer, after appearing as Sarastro in our production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Mr. Aceto will portray the cruel Baron Scarpia in the Santa Fe Opera Festival production of Tosca.

Bass Kevin J. Langan, who has sung numerous roles with the Dallas Opera, will appear in the role of The Speaker.  He was recently described as “the complete package: vibrant, ringing tone, polished phrasing, incisive diction and convincing, unfussy acting” (MusicalCriticism.com).

Mr. Langan has nearly 1300 performances to his credit and a vast repertoire (more than 80 roles from the early Baroque through the 20^th century) that has made him a leading bass for San Francisco Opera for three decades.  Recently, he became the first artist in SFO history to sing 300 performances in leading roles.  Mr. Langan has also been a leading bass for Lyric Opera of Chicago for the past eleven years, in addition to fourteen seasons—and 165 performances—at Santa Fe.  It was at Sante Fe Opera that he created the role of Henry Mosher in the 1996 world premiere of Tobias Picker’s Emmeline, broadcast on PBS.

A native of New York City, Mr. Langan’s talents can be enjoyed on numerous opera DVD releases.  His orchestral appearances have ranged from the Cincinnati May Festival as Rocco in Fidelio under Music Director James Conlon, The Caramoor Festival as Rocco in Leonore under John Nelson, The Pittsburgh Symphony in Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied, and the Chicago Symphony in Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass (both under Michael Tilson Thomas).  Other appearances include Trulove in The Rake’s Progress with The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra under Edo de Waart, and Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex with The National Symphony in Washington.

Tenor David Cangelosi, one of the most consistently insightful opera artist bloggers in cyberspace, will sing the role of Monostatos.  Heaped with critical plaudits for his contributions to the success of the recent San Francisco Ring Cycle, Heard and Seen International declared him: “…possibly the greatest Mime ever.  Nobody has ever been more effective or as amusing as David Cangelosi…he made every minute of this often annoying role a total pleasure.”  He most recently appeared with the Dallas Opera in our monumental, widely acclaimed 2011 production of Boris Godunov.  Prior to the role of Shuisky, Mr. Cangelosi made a memorable marriage broker in TDO’s revival of the Francesca Zambello production of Madama Butterfly that closed the 2010 Season.

            David Cangelosi has firmly established himself as an artist who combines both excellent singing and winning characterizations with opera companies and symphony orchestras, worldwide.  In 2004, Mr. Cangelosi made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Mime in Das Rheingold, conducted by James Levine, and returned in recent seasons for performances of Incredibile in Andrea Chenier, Tinca in Il tabarro, and the dual role of Nathanael/Spalanzani in Les Contes d’Hoffmann.  Other roles at the Metropolitan Opera have included Basilio (The Marriage of Figaro), Goro (Madama Butterfly), and Spoletta (Tosca).

“This production from Lyric Opera of Chicago,” says Dallas Opera Artistic Director Jonathan Pell “is the most magical Magic Flute I’ve ever experienced.  It’s been revived there, time and again, because it’s so immensely popular but it’s a production that could never have been done in our previous performance venue.

“Our move to the Winspear Opera House has finally made it possible to bring this incredibly charming, classic, August Everding production to Dallas and we’ve gone out of our way to stack-the-deck with the addition of a delightful cast.”

Mozart’s 1791 masterpiece is one of the greatest comic operas of all time, made all the more interesting by the poignant—even disturbing—moments endured by the lead characters, as they attempt to earn their “happy ending.”

The Magic Flute comes by its zany plot honestly, having been inspired not only by 18^th century Masonic practices, but by literature reflecting several different traditions.  Among these is the 1731 Viennese essay (supposedly translated from an ancient Greek source) about an Egyptian prince named “Sethos” who is called upon to endure an initiation by the four elements: fire, water, earth and air.  He is also forced to battle a giant serpent.

The Magic Flute also contains hints of an Arthurian Romance from the late Middle Ages, in which the hero is discovered and aided by three mysterious ladies.  Later in the tale, the hero encounters a curious character covered in animal skins that bears more than a passing resemblance to this opera’s famously endearing birdman, Papageno.

The music, on the other hand, couldn’t be more polished or more focused.  Reflecting the highest ideals of the Age of Enlightenment and filled with wit, warmth, and genuine humanity, The Magic Flute continues to bewitch audiences with its variety of perfectly expressed musical moods—from utterly comic to soaring and sublime.

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            Soprano Angela Mannino will make her Dallas Opera debut in the role of Papagena, and the Three Ladies will be sung by soprano Caitlin Lynch, mezzo-soprano Lauren McNeese, and mezzo-soprano Maya Lahyani in their company debuts.

Resident Young Artist Aaron Blake will return to the Dallas Opera stage in the dual role of Second Priest and First Man in Armor.  Bass Darren K. Stokes will sing the role of the Second Man in Armor.

The simulcast performance will be conducted at the Winspear Opera House by the Dallas Opera’s Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director Graeme Jenkins, who most recently raised the baton on our season opening production of Lucia di Lammermoor.

Maestro Jenkins drew tremendous praise for the work that brought our 2010-2011 Season to a close: Modest Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov.  According to Dallas Morning News Classical Music Critic Scott Cantrell, it was “a triumph for any opera house, anywhere.”

Jenkins has conducted more than a hundred different operas from Australia to Amsterdam to Vienna, and has served as music director for this company since 1994.

This production will be staged by Matthew Lata, making his TDO debut.

Mr. Lata has staged more than a hundred productions with leading opera companies throughout the U.S.  He began his career as a director on the staff of the Lyric Opera of Chicago for five seasons. During that time he directed revivals and special productions for the Lyric Opera of Chicago Center for American Artists.  Mr. Lata served as an apprentice with Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, Frank Corsaro and Lotfi Mansouri under the auspices of the National Opera Institute, and as production stage manager and assistant director for a number of theaters, prior to joining the staff in Chicago.

He has been a script consultant for various theaters, including the New Playwright’s Theater in Washington and the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, in addition to regularly staging works for Lyric Opera of Chicago, Hawaii Opera Theatre, and Florida Grand Opera.  Mr. Lata also directed the world premiere of Anton Coppola’s Sacco and Vanzetti to international acclaim at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and staged New York City Opera’s National Tour of La Fille du régiment.

He has taught at the University of Missouri/Kansas City and guested at Northwestern and Yale.  Currently, he serves as Director of Opera at Florida State University.  Mr. Lata is married to the noted mezzo-soprano Phyllis Pancella.

            Scenic design for The Magic Flute is by Jörg Zimmermann in his company debut, with costumes designed by Renata Kalanke.

Lighting design will be by Duane Schuler, with wig and make-up designs by David Zimmerman.

Chorus preparation will be by Dallas Opera Chorus Master Alexander Rom and Children’s Chorus Master Melinda Cotton.

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            Single tickets for the remaining mainstage productions of the Dallas Opera’s “Tragic Obsessions” Season are on sale now, starting at just $25, through the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or online at www.dallasopera.org.  Student Rush best-available tickets can be purchased at the lobby box office for $25 (one per valid Student I.D.) ninety minutes prior to each performance.

FLEX Subscriptions for the opera lovers in your life secures seats for all spring mainstage productions: Tristan & Isolde, La traviata, and The Magic Flute.  It also gives you the first chance to obtain one or more of the limited number of tickets available to see the Dallas Opera’s new production of a haunting1980 chamber opera: The Lighthouse by Peter Maxwell Davies.  Marking the operatic debut of director Kevin Moriarty, Artistic Director of the Dallas Theater Center, this work will play to intimate audiences in the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre across the street from the Winspear.

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EVENTS AND GUEST ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

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PRESENTER OF THE 2011-2012 SEASON

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Ticket Information for the 2011-2012 Dallas Opera Season

            All performances (unless noted) are in the acoustically acclaimed Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center.  FLEX subscriptions (three performances) begin at $75.  Single tickets start at just $25.  For more information or to make your purchase, contact the friendly staff at The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org. Principal cast members and events may be subject to change.  All ticket sales are final.

THE DALLAS OPERA 2011-2012 SPRING SEASON INFORMATION

The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-FifthInternational Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in downtown Dallas. With the exception of Tristan & Isolde, evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00 p.m.  Tristan’s evening performances will start at 7:00 p.m. and matinees at 2:00 p.m.  Performances of The Lighthouse (new chamber opera series) will take place in the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre located directly across Flora street from the Winspear in the AT&T Performing Arts Center.   English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance.  Assistance is available for the hearing impaired.

TRISTAN & ISOLDE by Richard Wagner

February 16, 19(m), 22 & 25, 2012

A fully staged, updated new production with projections by Moby-Dick’s Elaine J. McCarthy!

Ancient Myths, Modern Cine-Magic!  A special Thursday night Opening with a special curtain time for all evening performances: 7:00 p.m.!

An opera in two acts first performed in Munich, June 10, 1865.

Text by Richard Wagner, based on an ancient Celtic and Icelandic legend.

Time: Legendary

Place: A ship at sea; outside King Marke’s palace, Cornwall; Tristan’s castle at Kareol

Conductor: Graeme Jenkins

Stage Director: Christian Räth

Video Design: Elaine J. McCarthy

Lighting Design: Alan Burrett

Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet (Isolde), Clifton Forbis (Tristan), Mary Phillips (Brangäne), Jukka Rasilainen** (Kurvenal), Kristinn Sigmundsson* (King Marke), Stephen Gadd** (Melot), and Aaron Blake (A Young Sailor/A Shepherd).

THE LIGHTHOUSE by Peter Maxwell Davies

Inaugural production of the Dallas Opera Chamber Series

Presented in collaboration with the Dallas Theater Center

In the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center

March 16, 17 & 18(m), 2012

A chilling supernatural and psychological thriller!

Time: December 1900

Place: Edinburgh Court of Enquiry, Fladda Isle Lighthouse off the Scottish coast

Conductor: Nicole Paiement*

Stage Director: Kevin Moriarty* (opera directorial debut)

Scenic Design: Beowulf Boritt*

Costume Design: Claudia Stephens*

Starring: (in order of vocal appearance:) Andrew Bidlack* (Officer 1/Sandy), Robert Orth (Officer 2/Blazes), and Daniel Sumegi (Officer 3/Arthur/Voice of the Cards).

LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi

April 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 & 29(m), 2012

Let’s Party Like It’s 1849!

An opera in three acts first performed in Venice at Teatro La Fenice, March 6, 1853

Text by Francesco Maria Piave, based on Alexandre Dumas’ play, La dame aux camélias

Time: 19^th century

Place: Paris

Conductor: Marco Guidarini

Stage Director: Bliss Hebert

Production Design: Allen Charles Klein

Lighting Design: Thomas Hase

Choreographer: Rosa Mercedes*

Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Myrtò Papatanasiu** (Violetta Valéry), James Valenti (Alfredo Germont), Laurent Naouri* (Giorgio Germont), Amanda Crider* (Flora Bervoix), Timothy Mix* (Baron Douphol), Mark McCrory (Marchese D’Obigny), Ethan Herschenfeld* (Doctor Grenvil), and Susan Nicely (Annina).

THE MAGIC FLUTE by W.A. Mozart

April 20, 22(m), 25, 28, May 4 & 6(m), 2012

Hearts Tested, Tried and True!

An opera in two acts first performed in Vienna, September 30, 1791.

Text by Emanuel Schikaneder.

Time: Legendary

Place: Mythological Egypt

Conductor: Graeme Jenkins

Production: August Everding

Stage Director: Matthew Lata

Scenic Design: Jörg Zimmermann*

Costume Design: Renate Kalanke*

Lighting Design: Duane Schuler

Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Children’s Chorus Master: Melinda Cotten

Starring: Ava Pine (Pamina), Shawn Mathey* (Tamina), Patrick Carfizzi (Papageno), L’ubica Vargicová* (The Queen of the Night), Raymond Aceto (Sarastro), Kevin Langan (The Speaker), David Cangelosi (Monostatos), Angela Mannino* (Papagena), Caitlin Lynch* (First Lady), Lauren McNeese* (Second Lady), Maya Lahyani* (Third Lady), Aaron Blake (First Man in Armour) and Darren K. Stokes* (Second Man in Armour).

* Dallas Opera Debut

** American Operatic Debut

______________________________________________________________________________________

The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from:  City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; TACA; the Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).  American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera.  Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera.  Cartier is the official jeweler and watchmaker of The Dallas Opera.  Rosewood Crescent Hotel is the official hotel of The Dallas Opera.  Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News.  A special thanks to Mrs. William W. Winspear and the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for their continuing support.

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This is the story.

In 1973 I bought a contemporary Guatemalan dance mask on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, and it was the beginning of a slide down a very slippery slope…

Over the years the collection grew, and now it has taken over great deal of the house.  I have them in every room, but have tried to keep them out of the bedroom and sunroom. Slowly but surely though just a few have crept onto the walls even in there.  Many of them are quite small, so it isn’t quite as overwhelming as it might sound.

I will tell you a story, though.

About three or four years ago I was once again in Santa Fe and attended the annual ethnographic art show, a major event with dealers from around the world.   I had stopped to admire a Lega mask (a tribe from the Congo that has a particular appeal to me for some inexplicable reason) and trying to detain me with small talk the dealer mentioned that it was from a particular collection of someone that I know.  I stopped in my tracks, since I have known this man professionally for almost 35 years (he is now retired, but was an important artists’ manager at a large agency in New York.)   I mumbled something about knowing him but that I hadn’t known that he collected African art, and the dealer said “Oh yes, he has one of the major collections in the United States.”  Anyway, when I got back to Dallas I called up my old colleague and told him the story.  We laughed about it, and he said that it was strange that neither of us knew about the others interest in African art, and he promised to send me a catalogue from a museum show that featured part of his collection, and invited me to come by his apartment the next time I was in New York.  Well, amazingly, something came up out of the blue and I had to go to New York unexpectedly about two weeks later.   I called him, of course, and he invited me over to see his collection.

When I walked into his typical (i.e. small) one bedroom apartment on New York’s upper West Side I saw the most terrifying sight.   I saw the nightmare of what could be my future—it was almost like Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

Everywhere I looked, wall to wall, floor to ceiling, amassed like stacks of old newspapers were piles of masks, woodcarvings, native costumes, headdresses, spears and shields.  He wasn’t a collector—he was a hoarder!   There were some really amazing pieces, but nothing was displayed or illuminated or showcased in any way.

I was simply horrified—because I could see myself living like that if I weren’t careful.

In an epiphany, I realized that since I could never acquire all of anything, no matter how much I specialized or limited my collection, then I might as well stop now.  Right then, in that moment, I decided to go “cold turkey” and stopped buying masks.

Now to be perfectly honest, I have “fallen off the wagon” a few times since then, but I have become more discerning and have only bought a few small things on my travels.

I am now at a point, though, where I am beginning to feel the need to de-accession, not continue to collect.

I wonder how long this feeling will last?