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A C A D E M Y O F M U S I C

A P R I L 2 4 , 2 6 M , 2 9 , M AY 1 , 3 M , 2 0 1 5

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Opera_ChipL_Pennsylvania Trust 8/14/13 11:31 AM Page 1

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8 Don Carlo

12 Synopsis & Running Time

13 Program Notes

16 Artist Bios

20 Orchestra & Chorus

37 Up Next: Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD

4 Letter from the Chairman

5 Board of Directors

6 Welcome from the General Director

23 Leadership Support & Major Gifts

25 Annual Fund Support

28 Corporate Council

35 Administration

Showcase is published by Kimmel Center, Inc. 1500 Walnut Street, 17th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19102 215-790-5800 / Fax: 215-790-5801 www.kimmelcenter.org

For information about advertising in Showcase, contact Joe Ciresi at 215-790-5884.

Photo: The cupola at El Escorial monastery, built near Madrid by King Philip II in 1584, inspired the set design for Don Carlo

CONTENTS

OPERA PHILADELPHIA GENERAL INFORMATIONPROGRAM INFORMATION

Dear Friends,

National Public Radio calls Don Carlo “one of the most enigmatic, yet profoundly beautiful operas Giuseppe Verdi ever composed.” It offers some of Verdi’s finest music and a complex plot—sometimes in four acts and sometimes in five (tonight, it’s four)—ripe with intense personal and political intrigue and set amid an uneasy peace which could erupt into war again at any moment.

In other words, it is grand opera at its most grandiose!

When we staged our company premiere of Don Carlo in 2004, an emerging bass-baritone from Philadelphia stepped in at the last minute to perform the role of the Friar. Today, Eric Owens is an internationally renowned superstar, and we are delighted to welcome him home to make his role debut as King Philip II. He is joined by an amazing cast of returning favorites like Troy Cook, Morris Robinson, Ashley Emerson, and Jeremy Milner, along with three outstanding stars all making their company debuts: Dimitri Pittas as Don Carlo; Leah Crocetto as Elisabeth; and Michelle DeYoung as Princess Eboli.

This amazing cast has come together with Jack Mulroney Music Director Corrado Rovaris and director Tim Albery to offer a stunning new production of Verdi’s masterpiece, providing an emphatic exclamation point to our 40th Anniversary Season at the Academy of Music. Thank you for joining us tonight.

Sincerely,

D A N I E L K . M E Y E R , M . D .C H A I R M A N

F R O M T H E C H A I R M A N

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Daniel K. Meyer, M.D., ChairmanDavid B. Devan*, President

Frederick P. Huff, Vice ChairJoel M. Koppelman, Vice Chair Alice Strine, Esq., Vice ChairScott F. Richard, Secretary

Thomas Mahoney, TreasurerStephen A. Madva, Esq., Chairman Emeritus

Benjamin Alexander

Sandra Baldino

F. Joshua Barnett, M.D., J.D.

Willo Carey

Nicholas Chimicles, Esq.

Ady L. Djerassi, M.D.

Ehab Hammad

Mark Hankin

Frederick P. Huff

Caroline Kennedy

Joel M. Koppelman

Beverly Lange, M.D.

Ellen Berman Lee

Gabriele Lee

Peter Leone

Thomas Mahoney

Daniel K. Meyer, M.D.

Agnes Mulroney

Scott F. Richard

Harold Rosenbluth

Stephen G. Somkuti, M.D.

Jonathan H. Sprogell

James B. Straw

Alice Strine, Esq.

Kenneth R. Swimm

Maria Trafton

Charlotte Watts

Donna Wechsler

Honorary Members

Dennis Alter

Alan B. Miller

H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest

Stephen A. Madva, Esq.

List as of April 2015*Ex officio

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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D AV I D B . D E VA NG E N E R A L D I R E C T O R & P R E S I D E N T@ d d e v a nFor more of David’s thoughts on the making of Don Carlo, read his blog at devantagepoint.tumblr.com

WELCOME

Dear Friends,

Opera Philadelphia has enjoyed a tremendous amount of national media coverage about our commitment to new works; but in reality, it is works from the standard canon, like Don Carlo, that command the majority of our time and resources.

The bulk of this planning time is spent on casting and identifying the right creative team. Tonight’s production of Don Carlo was four years in the making, and it all started with Eric Owens. In 2011, Eric let me know that he wanted to debut King Philip II with Opera Philadelphia, and that conversation put a series of events into action.

First, we had to move another Verdi opera we had originally planned for April 2015 to a future season. Second, we spent a year securing the rest of the cast that would be at the international level of Eric. Third, we needed to find an insightful director to work with Music Director Corrado Rovaris and to select a creative team for a new production that would honor the talents of everyone assembled. In Tim Albery we found the perfect director, who in turn recruited designers Andrew Lieberman, Constance Hoffman, and Thomas Hase to realize this vision. All four of these artists are debuting with the company.

And finally, we worked out co-production arrangements with Washington National Opera and Minnesota Opera, who will stage the production after its premiere here in Philadelphia.

I hope you enjoy the culmination of four years’ worth of work this evening. And while tonight is all about Don Carlo, I hope you will join me in looking ahead with excitement to next season’s productions of Verdi’s La traviata and Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love, and future productions of great operas like Puccini’s Turandot and Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro.

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THAW_OperaCoPhl_fullpg.indd 2 11/18/14 10:19 AM

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Don Carlo

New ProductionCo-produced with Washington National Opera and Minnesota Opera

OPERA PHILADELPHIA

Music Giuseppe Verdi

Text François Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle

Conductor Corrado Rovaris

Director Tim Albery*

Set Design Andrew Lieberman*

Costume Design Constance Hoffman*

Lighting Design Thomas Hase*

Chorus Master Elizabeth Braden

Wig & Make-up Design David Zimmerman

Stage Manager Jenny Harber

*Opera Philadelphia debut

Production underwritten in part by Ms. Barbara Augusta Teichert

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Don CarloTHE

CASTDON CARLO

Dimitri Pittas*

ELISABETH DE VALOISLeah Crocetto*

PRINCESS EBOLIMichelle DeYoung*

KING PHILIP IIEric Owens

RODRIGOTroy Cook

THE GRAND INQUISITORMorris Robinson

TEBALDOAshley Emerson

FRIARJeremy Milner

THE CELESTIAL VOICESarah Shafer

THE ROYAL HERALD &CONTE DI LERMA

Mingjie Lei*

*Opera Philadelphia Debut

11t h e d e v e l o p e r s o f 17 0 6 r i t t e n h o u s e

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SYNOPSIS

Approximate running time for Don Carlo is three hours and seven minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.

Don Carlo and Elisabeth de Valois, princess of France, were betrothed to be married and had, at a chance meeting, secretly fallen in love; however, for reasons of state, the princess has been forced to marry Carlo’s father, King Philip II of Spain. Carlo confides his love to his friend Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa, a radical democrat, who advises him to forget Elisabeth and ask his father for the governorship of Flanders, where he may mitigate the brutalities of Spanish rule. Philip refuses his son’s request in great anger. Meanwhile, tortured with fears that his far younger wife is deceiving him, he co-opts Rodrigo into spying for him. The Princess Eboli, Elisabeth’s lady-in-waiting, furious to discover that her passionate love for Carlo is unreturned, informs the King of Carlo’s love for Elisabeth. Philip orders his rebellious son thrown into prison, but balks at ordering his death, despite the threats of the Grand Inquisitor, who is head of the church and the power behind the throne. The Inquisitor demands instead that the king denounce his new protégé, Rodrigo, a greater menace because of his liberalism. Philip refuses. Thoroughly embittered, the King rails at Elisabeth for her supposed unfaithfulness. Eboli repents her rash confession and determines to rescue Carlo from prison. She accomplishes this mission in the confusion that ensues after the treacherous shooting of Rodrigo, as he visits Carlo in prison. Carlo plans to escape for Flanders to lead a rebellion against his father, but his last farewell to Elisabeth is interrupted by Philip and the Grand Inquisitor. Church and State have united to arrest him.

—Tim Albery

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238 Belmont Ave.Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004

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PROGRAM NOTES

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• Fresh seafood dishes, seasonal pastas and exquisite meat dishes

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By Diana Burgwyn

When he accepted an invitation to create a work for the Paris Opéra, Giuseppe Verdi knew his task would not be easy. “Write for the Opéra, where the performances last half a day? Poor me!” he wrote. Indeed, the preference of wealthy operagoers in that city was for long productions with melodramatic plots, lavish stage sets, action-packed crowd scenes, and a mandatory ballet--together forming what was known as “grand opera.”

Verdi bested even the deceased grand opera king Giacomo Meyerbeer by composing Don Carlo, a five-act opera of over four hours, complete with ballet, a parade, and the spectacle of heretics being burned to death. However, he had to make cuts because the last train from Paris to its suburbs would have left by the final curtain. The premiere on March 11, 1867 was a relative success, and over the years Verdi developed several more versions, both in the original French and in Italian, to suit the needs of various opera houses. Still, it was not until the latter half of the 20th century that Don Carlo was recognized as the masterpiece it is; indeed, many musicologists and knowledgeable operagoers consider it to be Verdi’s supreme achievement.

The libretto by Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle was taken from a dramatic poem by the German-born Friedrich Schiller, whom Verdi greatly admired. Both play and opera were loosely based on historical figures of the time. Set in 1560 during the infamous Spanish Inquisition, the opera tackles huge issues: religious dogma and political calculation pitted against personal freedom and the brotherhood of man. Its greatness lies in the composer’s masterful musical characterizations, both vocal and orchestral, which bring those issues to vibrant life.

In the opera, King Philip II of Spain is a devout Catholic who adheres religiously to the

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dictums of the Catholic Church and its blind, 90-year-old, all-powerful Grand Inquisitor. As a means of ending the longtime war between Spain and France, he has decided to marry his son Carlo’s fiancée, the French-born princess Elisabeth of Valois. The great love between Carlo and Elisabeth is thus shattered, and Philip soon suspects wrongly that she has been unfaithful to him.

Carlo, hot-headed and somewhat unstable, is in despair over the loss of Elisabeth. Disdaining his father’s religious beliefs, he is in sympathy with his close friend Rodrigo, Duke of Posa (the opera’s only fictional character), who is determined to end the savage repression of the Dutch Protestants in Flanders, then part of the Spanish Empire. The long-suffering Elisabeth is the moral center of the opera: pure, strong, honorable, despite the pain of having been denied Carlo’s love and the terrible betrayal of the jealous Princess Eboli, who is also in love with him.

Each character in the opera is richly drawn. King Philip’s most powerful aria is also his most intimate. Sitting alone in his chambers, he expresses his heartache in realizing that Elisabeth has never loved him. She, in turn, reaches her spiritual apogée when she prays for peace in Flanders and her own death. The previously vengeful Princess Eboli undergoes a transformation when, recognizing the misery she has inflicted on the innocent Elisabeth, she curses her own beauty.

The Grand Inquisitor needs no aria; his bass voice, whether used at full volume or in ominously quiet tones, has the desired chilling effect. How different he is from the opera’s passionate freedom fighter, Rodrigo, whose ringing tones are meshed with Carlo’s in one of the most stirring duets of male friendship ever penned.

As for Carlo, let us remember him less for his anguish and weakness than for his brief moment of glory when he is ready to depart for Flanders. Elisabeth, thrilled by his courage, joins him in an exquisite duet as they imagine the joy of their meeting in heaven.

Diana Burgwyn is a Philadelphia-based freelance writer who specializes in music.

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ADDITIONAL CASTARTISTICAssistant Director .....................................................Amanda ConsolPrincipal Pianist............................. ............................ Grant LoehnigMusical Assistant........................... .........................Matthew BrowerSupertitle Author............................. ..............................Chris BergenSupertitle Operator ......................................................... Tony Solitro

PRODUCTION/TECHNICALProperties Master............................................................ John BryantAssistant Lighting Designer ..............................................Chris FreyTechnical Director ................................................Stephen DickersonMaster Electrician............................................................Terry SmithProperties......................................................................... Paul LodesFlyman ..............................................................................Mike RuffoAssistant Electrician ......................................................Sean Gallen

Assistant Stage Managers ............................Becki Smith, Jen ShawWardrobe Supervisor .....................................................Elisa MurphyCostume Shop Assistant............................................ Stephen SmithShopper/Crafts ....................................................... Kathryn CalhounCutter/Tailor ..................................................... Althea "Nell" UnrathCutter/ Draper ..............................................................Kara MorascoFirst Hands ...............................Patrick Mullhall, Joyanne Rampulla,

Andre "Carl" Thomas, Derwin Cooper, Kevin Ross, Mark Mariani

Stitchers ......................................Suzie Morris Barrett, Pam Raines, Suzan Cerceo, Frankie Fehr, Kathy PiersonDyer/Painter ............................................ Julie Watson, Kate EdelsonWig & Make-up Assistant ....................................Glenna WilliamsonCaptain of Supernumeraries ...........................................Dave Tukey

SUPERNUMERARIES: Andrew Arcangeli, Ezequiel Hernandez, Lisa Panzer, Dave Tukey, Kristine Terrado

A Commitment to Safety: The safety and comfort of visitors, artists, volunteers, and staff at the Academy of Music are of paramount importance. In the event of an emergency, audience members will be advised of appropriate procedures by ushers and security staff. At this time, please take note of the exit nearest you. A red, illuminated EXIT sign should be visible, with an arrow indicating the direction of the exit door. Should an emergency arise, you will be directed to leave the auditorium and further instructions will be provided as to the safest and quickest way to exit the building. Patrons who need special assistance should contact an usher. Smoking is prohibited on the Kimmel Center campus.

Accessibility: The Academy of Music is wheelchair accessible from the east lobby entrance on Broad Street. Seating is available on the Parquet and Balcony levels, with accessible restrooms located on the Canteen level. Assistive listening devices are available for loan. A limited number of ADA-compliant parking spaces are available in the Kimmel Center garage.

Coat Check & Restrooms: A complimentary coat check is located on the ground floor of the Academy of Music. Restrooms are located on all levels of the Academy of Music.

Food and Beverage: Concessions by Chef Jose Garces and Garces Group are available to Academy of Music and Merriam patrons at satellite bars located in the lobbies and upper levels. Water fountains are located on all levels of the Academy of Music

Official Ticket Outlet: Ticket Philadelphia, a division of the Kimmel Center, is the only authorized outlet for individual tickets for shows at the Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, and Merriam Theater. We urge patrons to purchase tickets only through kimmelcenter.org, ticketphiladelphia.org, or the official websites of our Resident Companies. Tickets purchased from other sources are purchased at your own risk. Many unauthorized ticket sellers use website names that are similar to our website or even include the names of our various venues. These websites are not authorized to sell tickets to events in our venues. By purchasing only through our official outlets, you are assured that the ticket you receive is valid and is being sold to you at face value.

FACILITIES

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TIM ALBERY(Mono, Ontario, Canada)

DIRECTOR

Opera Philadelphia debut

Recent Activities: Tannhäuser, Chicago Lyric Opera; Kátya Kabanová, Boston Lyric Opera; The Coronation of Poppea, Opera North

ELIZABETH BRADEN(Easton, Pennsylvania)

CHORUS MASTER

2014 Oscar2006 Margaret

Garner2004 The Grand Duchess of

Gerolstein (Partial Listing)

Recent Activities: Director of Music, Wallingford Presbyterian Church; Chorus Master, The Barber of Seville, Opera Philadelphia; Chorus Master, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Curtis Opera Theatre

TROY COOK(Quakertown, Pennsylvania)Baritone

RODRIGO

2012 Silent Night2009 Madame Butterfly2006 La bohème(Partial Listing)

Recent Activities: Watty Watkins, Lady Be Good, Teatro de la Zarzuela; Sharpless, Madama Butterfly, Utah Opera; Riccardo, I puritani, Boston Lyric Opera

LEAH CROCETTO(Spartanburg, South Carolina)Soprano

ELISABETH DE VALOIS

Opera Philadelphia debut

Recent Activities: Lidoine, Dialogues des Carmelites, Washington National

Opera; Mimì, La bohème, San Francisco Opera; Desdemona, Otello, English National Opera

MICHELLE DEYOUNG(Grand Rapids, Michigan)Mezzo-soprano

PRINCESS EBOLI

Opera Philadelphia debut

Recent Activities: Judith, Bluebeard’s Castle, Israel Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and

BBC Symphony Orchestra; Fricka, Das Rheingold, Hong Kong Philharmonic; Herodias, Salome, Opera San Antonio

ASHLEY EMERSON(Bangor, Maine)Soprano

TEBALDO

2013 Powder Her Face

Recent Activities: Soeur Constance, Dialogues des Carmelites, Washington National Opera; Marie, La

fille du Régiment, Greensboro Opera; Barbarina, Le nozze di Figaro, The Metropolitan Opera

THOMAS HASE(Chicago, Illinois)

LIGHTING DESIGN

Opera Philadelphia debut

Recent Activities: Doctor Zhivago, Malmö Opera; Don Giovanni, San Diego Opera; Iolanta, The Dallas Opera

CONSTANCE HOFFMAN(Oakland, California)

COSTUME DESIGNER

Opera Philadelphia debut

Recent Activities: Khovanshchina, Vlaamse Opera; Billy Budd, Berlin State Opera; Die Fledermaus, English National Opera

ARTISTS

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MINGJIE LEI(Hengyang, China)Tenor

ROYAL HERALD and CONTE DI LERMA

Opera Philadelphia debut

Recent Activities: Dorvil, La scala di seta, Curtis Opera Theatre; Brighella, Ariadne

auf Naxos, Curtis Opera Theatre; Romeo, Roméo et Juliette, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

ANDREW LIEBERMAN(Decatur, Illinois)

SET DESIGN

Opera Philadelphia debut

Recent Activities: Partenope, San Francisco Opera; The Mystery of Love and Sex, Lincoln Center Theater; Il Turco in Italia, Teatro Regio di Torino

JEREMY MILNER(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)Bass

A FRIAR

2012 La bohème 2011 Carmen 2011 Phaedra (Partial Listing)

Recent Activities: Capulet, Roméo et Juliette, Tulsa Opera; Title Role, Markheim, Little Opera Theatre of New York; Hagen, Der Ring des Nibelungen, Grand Theatre de Geneve

ERIC OWENS(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)Bass-baritone

KING PHILIP II

2008 Norma 2003 Macbeth 1994 Romeo & Juliet (Partial Listing)

Recent Activities: The Dutchman, Der Fliegende Holländer, Washington National Opera; Verdi Requiem, New York Philharmonic; Porgy, Porgy and Bess, Lyric Opera of Chicago

DIMITRI PITTAS(New York, New York)Tenor

DON CARLO

Opera Philadelphia debut

Recent Activities: Nemorino, L’elisir d’amore, Deutsche Oper Berlin; Rodolfo, La bohème, Opera

de Paris; Rodolfo, La bohème, Opera National de Bordeaux

MORRIS ROBINSON(Atlanta, Georgia)Bass

THE GRAND INQUISITOR

2013 Nabucco2005 Aida

Recent Activities: Sparafucile, Rigoletto,

Atlanta Opera; Sarastro, The Magic Flute, Houston Grand Opera; Joe, Show Boat, San Francisco Opera

$45.00 3-Course Menu

BYOB - No Corkage

Live Piano Nightly

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CORRADO ROVARIS(Bergamo, Italy)

CONDUCTOR

2014 The Barber of Seville2006 Cinderella 1999 The Marriage of Figaro (Partial Listing)

Recent Activities: RAI National Symphony

Orchestra; Olimpie, Festival Pergolesi Spontini; La traviata, Opéra de Lausanne

SARAH SHAFER*(State College, Pennsylvania)Soprano

THE CELESTIAL VOICE

2014 Ainadamar

Recent Activities: Lieder with Richard Goode, Carnegie Hall; Messiah, National Orchestra of

Mexico; Constance, Dialogues of the Carmelites, Curtis Opera Theatre

DAVID ZIMMERMAN(Mt. Pleasant, Texas)

WIG & MAKE-UP DESIGN

2015 Oscar 2014 Ainadamar 2013 The Magic Flute (Partial Listing)

Recent Activites: Iolanta, The Dallas Opera; Everest, The Dallas Opera; Magazine features for Opera News, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair

*Opera Philadelphia Emerging Artist

GlassWeekend ‘15

glassweekend.com 800.998.4552 | Millville, NJ

EMANATION: ART + PROCESS

at WHEATONARTS June 12*—14

2015

Malaria. Luke Jerram

Wedding Compotes in Colony Harvest Amber Cowan

MA RK D I ON PAUL A H AYE S C A R OLYN HE ALY A ND

JO HN P HI LL IPS D O N A L D L I P S KI V I R G I L M AR T I

M I C H A E L O A T M A N J U D Y P F A F F J O C E L Y N E P R I N C E

RO B WY N NE M ARK Z IRP E L

*Registrants only

Guest Artists AMBER COWAN and LUKE JERRAM International Galleries Panel Discussions

Studio Events

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VIOLIN I Luigi Mazzocchi, ConcertmasterIgor Szwec, Assistant ConcertmasterMeichen Liao-BarnesCharles ParkerDiane BarnettYan C. SimmonsDonna GranthamElizabeth KaderabekErica MillerAlexandra Cutler-FetkewiczBlake Espy

VIOLIN II Emma Kummrow, PrincipalSarah Dubois Karen Banos Paul ReiserLisa VaupelJennifer LeeGuillaume CombetEliza ChoYu-Hui Tamae Lee

VIOLA Jonathan Kim, PrincipalCarol Briselli, Assistant PrincipalJulia DiGaetaniEllen TrainerElizabeth JaffeKathleen FosterSteven Heitlinger

CELLOPriscilla Lee, Principal

Vivian Barton-Dozor, Assistant PrincipalBrooke BeazleyDane AndersonJennifer LorenzoDavid Moulton

BASSMiles B. Davis, PrincipalAnne PetersonStephen GroatFrederick Weiss

FLUTEAdeline Tomasone, PrincipalEileen GryckyKimberly Trolier

OBOEGeoffrey Deemer, PrincipalEvan OcheretStephen Labiner

CLARINETJoseph A. Smith, PrincipalAllison Herz

BASSOONJacob Smith, PrincipalJon GaarderMichael Pedrazzini

FRENCH HORNAngela Bilger, PrincipalKaren SchubertTodd WilliamsRyan StewartAdam Lesnick

Lyndsie Wilson

TRUMPETBrian D. Kuszyk, PrincipalFrank Ferraro David SealsRobert SkoniczinSteven HeitzerEric Schweingruber

TROMBONERobert Gale, PrincipalEdward CascarellaPhilip McClellandBrad WardMatthew GouldJonathan Schubert

CIMBASSOPaul Erion, Principal

HARPSophie Bruno Labiner, Principal

TIMPANIMartha Hitchins, Principal

PERCUSSIONRalph Sorrentino, PrincipalSusan Jones

ORGANLucas Brown

TUBABrian Brown

OPERA PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRACORRADO ROVARIS, JACK MULRONEY MUSIC DIRECTOR

SOPRANOKaty Avery Jessica BeebeVeronica Chapman-SmithRuth Ann Cunningham Katie Dufendach Noël Graves-WilliamsJulie-Ann Green Valerie Haber Rebecca M. HokeJessica Mary MurphyChristine Nass Aimee PilgermayerEvelyn Santiago Rebecca SilerAmy Spencer Lisa Helmel ThomasRebecca Whitlow

ALTOJennifer BeattieMargaret Caldwell-BlanchardRenée CantwellMarissa ChalkerJoanna Gates

Eve E. HyzerRaffaella Lo Castro Katherine Mallon-Day Maren Montalbano Ellen Grace PetersPaula Rivera-Dantagnan Karina SweeneyKaitlyn Tierney

TENORDane AllisonSang B. Cho Matthew CoxRyan FlemingAli Javaheri A. Edward Maddison Fernando MancillasKristoffer Mihalka Siddhartha MisraDonLeroy MoralesGeorge SomervilleDaniel Taylor Paul VetranoCory O’Niell WalkerSteven Williamson

BASSEnnio Brugnolo Gregory Cantwell Jeffrey Chapman Peter Christian Stephen Dagrosa Lucas DeJesusJim Osby Gwathney, Jr. Dorian Payton Hall Chris HodgesAaron Ellery Hoke Mark MalacheskyJohn David Miles Frank Mitchell Garrett ObryckiAndrew Thomas PardiniLourin PlantDavid SaybrookDaniel SchwartzJames J. Seiler Andrew ShawAndrew SkitkoTim Stopper

OPERA PHILADELPHIA CHORUS

Featuring personalized concierge services and thoughtfully

designed living spaces that complement our outstanding

clinical care, the Barbara Brodsky Suites offer a refreshing

alternative to traditional overnight hospital accommodations.

An elegant update to the private hospital room

See a full tour of theBarbara Brodsky Suites online

mainlinehealth.org/brodsky

Introducing the Barbara Brodsky Suites

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Top left to right: Board member and Chairman’s Council member Dr. Joshua Barnett with his wife, Dr. Heidi Kolberg; Michael Gorman, husband of Frederica von Stade (center); Board member and Chairman’s Council member Nick Chimicles and his wife, Kathleen Chimicles; Board member and Leadership Circle member Peter Leone and his wife, Judy Leone. Bottom left to right: Board Chairman and Leadership Council member Daniel K. Meyer, M.D., composer Jennifer Higdon, Chairman’s Council member Andrew Wechsler, M.D., and his wife Board member Donna Wechsler; Chairman’s Council members Rita and Phil Harper; General Director’s Council member John Alchin with Vice-Chairman and Chairman’s Council member Joel Koppelman and his wife, Sharon Koppelman.

Opera Philadelphia’s top giving programs, the

Leadership Circle & Chairman’s Council, are

comprised of passionate groups of philanthropists

committed to ensuring that the future of opera is

right here in Philadelphia.

Their collective generosity underwrites more than

half of Opera Philadelphia’s artistic expenses

each season, including productions in the

Academy of Music, the nationally lauded Aurora

Series for Chamber Opera at the Perelman

Theater, Opera on the Mall, and our award-

winning programs for children.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT Rachel McCausland, Manager, Leadership & Legacy Giving

at 215.893.5909 or mccausland@operaphila.org.

T H E L E A D E R S H I P C I R C L E & C H A I R M A N ’ S C O U N C I L

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SUPPORT THE 40TH ANNIVERSARYSEASON ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN

B Y W I L L I A M B U R D E N CHAIR, 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON CAMPAIGN

It is my pleasure to join Opera Philadelphia as Chair of the 40th Anniversary Season Annual Fund Campaign. My career has taken me to opera houses all over the world, but I’ve returned to Opera Philadelphia for twelve different productions. It always feels like home to me here.

During my travels, singers, directors, designers, and composers light up when I mention Philadelphia. The opera world is buzzing about Opera Philadelphia’s transformation into one of the country’s most dynamic opera companies. The Opera’s exciting approach to the stage and community, coupled with its unparalleled commitment to new opera, has made it a beacon of artistic vitality.

I was honored to be a part of Silent Night, the first production of the American Repertoire Program to take place at the

Academy of Music, and it was my pleasure to return for the East Coast Premiere of Theodore Morrison’s Oscar, in which I sang the role of Frank Harris. As a performer, I was so thrilled to introduce this powerful work to audiences in Philadelphia. As an opera lover, I cannot wait to return in June to join you in the audience for the World Premiere of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD in the Aurora Series at the Perelman Theater.

When you support the 40th Anniversary Season Annual Fund campaign you help support not only the amazing artistic initiatives, such as the American Repertoire Program, but also the award-winning educational and outreach programs that help ensure that tomorrow’s audiences have access to the same great opera that we do today.

G E T I N V O L V E DO P E R A P H I L A . O R G / S U P P O R T | 2 1 5 . 7 3 2 . 8 4 0 0

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C O R P O R AT E C O U N C I LThe Corporate Council generously supports Opera Philadelphia’s artistic and educational

programming through contributions and in-kind donations.

2 0 1 4 - 2 0 1 5 S E A S O N S P O N S O R S

C O R P O R AT E C O U N C I L M E M B E R S

Bank of America

BNY Mellon Wealth Management

GlaxoSmithKline

Kalnin Graphics

Menchey Music

Morgan Stanley

PECO

Savona Restaurant

Varalli Restaurant

Catering By Design

Cunningham Piano Company

Donovan Interior Systems, Inc.

Evantine Design

Exelon Business Services

LinguiSearch

MAC Cosmetics

Montgomery, McCracken,

Walker and Rhoads, LLP

Moonstruck Restaurant

Termini Bros. Bakery

Trattoria San Nicola

Official Airline Official Sponsor of Opera Philadelphia’s Patron Program

Season Media Partners Intermission Reception Sponsor

Official Automotive DealershipOfficial Hotel

For more information about sponsorship opportunities, or to join Opera

Philadelphia’s Corporate Council, please contact Derren Mangum, Manager

of Institutional Giving, at 215.893.5924 or mangum@operaphila.org.

Center City Film and Video

PNC

Universal Health Services

Brand Communications Partner

Artist Accommodations Sponsor

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We understand where a single

ticket can take you. American Airlines is a proud sponsor

of Opera Philadelphia

American Airlines and the Flight Symbol logo are marks of American Airlines, Inc. oneworld is a mark of the oneworld alliance, LLC. © 2015 American Airlines, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Launched in 1991 in collaboration with the School District of Philadelphia, Opera Philadelphia’s Sounds of Learning™ program has introduced the theatrical, orchestral, and vocal splendor of opera to Philadelphia-area schoolchildren. Now in its third decade, the program has reached nearly 150,000 students in ten counties through an arts integration education program that includes opportunities to see an opera for free at the Academy of Music.

Today, the program is more popular than ever, as school districts across the region face continued fiscal pressures that negatively impact the availability of

the arts in schools.

“We are thrilled with the enrichment Sounds of Learning brings to our curriculum,” said a DePaul Catholic High School teacher. That sentiment was echoed by a Pan American Charter School teacher, who said each opera’s student guide “does a phenomenal job of incorporating lessons from other curricular areas, such as art, history, English, and science.”

O P E R A P H I L A D E L P H I A’ S S O U N D S O F L E A R N I N G ™ P R O G R A M

H A S I N S P I R E D S T U D E N T S F O R M O R E T H A N T W O D E C A D E S

A WELL ROUNDED EDUCAT ION NEVER SOUNDED SO GOOD

The Magic Flute, 2012. Photo by Kelly & Massa

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Thanks to a grant from the William Penn Foundation, Sounds of Learning™ has now expanded its programming to offer several free, teaching artist-led programs which bring the magic of opera to students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The in-class programs connect opera to biology, math, foreign language, social studies, art, music, and other disciplines. Classroom sessions are geared specifically towards the developmental, creative, and curricular needs of the students.

“Opera can offer many developmental benefits for children,” said Michael Bolton, Vice President of Community Programs. “Opera helps increase language development, teaches higher level thinking skills and creative problem solving skills in real world situations, develops an appreciation for the arts, involves all learning styles, and stimulates the imagination. Opera is literature, mythology, folk tales and legends, history, conflicts and emotions. Exposure to opera builds and sustains cultural intelligence.”

L E A R N M O R E O P E R A P H I L A . O R G / S O U N D S | 2 1 5 . 8 9 3 . 5 9 2 5

Dedicated funding for the Sounds of Learning™ program has been generously provided by:

THE WILLIAM PENN FOUNDATION

Wells FargoHamilton Family FoundationUniversal Health ServicesAnonymous

Eugene Garfield FoundationEthel Sergeant Clark Smith Memorial Fund-GlaxoSmithKlineThe Hirsig Family Fund of the Philadelphia FoundationMorgan Stanley Foundation

Victory FoundationAlpin J. and Alpin W. Cameron Memorial FundDeluxe Corporation FoundationThe McLean ContributionshipLouis N. Cassett Foundation

Photo by Phillip Todd

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O P E N I N GN I G H TG A L A

Opera Philadelphia invites you into a world of Parisian opulence, gilded fêtes, and one of the greatest love stories in all of opera. The 2015-2016 Season kicks off with a stunning production of Verdi’s La traviata, and we invite you to join in the party with a one-of-a-kind experience: the Opening Night Gala. Celebrate the opening night of the season by stepping into the glittering world of Violetta, Alfredo, Flora, and all of their fellow party-goers.

F R I D AY, O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5A C A D E M Y O F M U S I C

Opera Philadelphia’s 40th Anniversary Gala on the Avenue of the Arts. Photo by Dominic M. Mercier.

T I C K E T S O N S A L E N O W O P E R A P H I L A . O R G / G A L A | 2 1 5 . 7 3 2 . 8 4 0 0

*Some Opening Night Gala tickets do not include performance tickets to La traviata, and therefore must be purchased separately. If your current series does not include tickets to the Oct. 2 performance and you would like to attend the Opening Night Gala, please contact Subscriber & Member Services at 215.732.8400, and we would be happy to exchange your performance tickets.

T W O D I F F E R E N T T I C K E T T Y P E S :

T H I S S P E C TA C U L A R B L A C K T I E

E V E N I N G F E AT U R E S :

• Cocktails and an Elegant Dinner beginning at 5:30 p.m.

• Opening Night Performance of La traviata in the Academy of Music*

• Champagne Intermission Reception

• After-Party with dessert, dancing, and the cast of La traviata

• Full Gala tickets starting at $500 per person

• After-Party tickets for $100 per person

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O P E R A P H I L A D E L P H I A E N C O R E S O C I E T Y

If the Opera has played a significant role in your life, we invite you to pay it forward to future generations by including Opera Philadelphia in your estate plans.

Opera Philadelphia’s Encore Society acknowledges the generosity of those individuals who have included the company in their estate plans as an important philanthropic commitment to opera’s future in Philadelphia, and the Society is our way of honoring members today for the legacy they will leave tomorrow.

Not only do members enjoy exclusive access to events that allow them to celebrate the impact of their commitment to the organization’s continued artistic growth, but these gifts have the potential to provide valuable tax and income benefits now and in the future.*

Encore Society members Ben Alexander (left) and Sheila Kessler with baritone Mark Stone at the annual Encore Society Luncheon.

T O J O I N O R T O R E C E I V E

M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N :

Go to OPERAPHILA.ORG/ENCORE-SOCIETY

Contact Rachel McCausland, Manager, Leadership & Legacy Giving,

at 215.893.5909 or at mccausland@operaphila.org.

* Please consult your financial and/or legal advisors to determine which type of gift is best for you and for the legal requirements and tax advantages specific to these gifts.

OR

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Choose a Create-Your-Own 6-Concert Series for as little as $35 per concert!

This season marks Yannick’s fourth year as music director of our Fabulous Philadelphians.

2015-16 Season Highlights include

John WilliamsMay 4Living-legend John Williams makes a rare Philadelphia appearance to lead a special benefit concert with The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Yo-Yo MaApr. 28-May 1The phenomenal cello master Yo-Yo Ma kicks off a two-week celebration of John Williams’s music for concert hall and film.

Mahler’s “Symphony of a Thousand” Mar. 10-13is an enormous, ambitious, soul-stirring work that simply must be experienced live.

Subscribe Today!215.893.1999 www.philorch.org

Groups of 10 or more call 215.875.7695 All concerts are in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

All artists, dates, prices, and programs are subject to change. All tickets subject to availability. For a complete listing view our concert schedule online at www.philorch.org.

Photos: Todd Rosenberg, Jan Regan

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LEADERSHIPDavid B. Devan General Director & President Corrado Rovaris Jack Mulroney Music DirectorAnnie Burridge Managing DirectorJeremiah Marks Chief Financial OfficerDavid Levy Senior Vice President, Artistic OperationsMichael Bolton Vice President of Community ProgramsMikael Eliasen Artistic AdvisorNathan Gunn Director, American Repertoire CouncilYoungmoo E. Kim Resident Technologist

MUSICMichael Eberhard Artistic Administrator

Elizabeth Braden Chorus Master and Music

Administrator

J. Robert Loy Director of Orchestra Personnel

& Orchestra Librarian

Sarah Williams New Works Administrator

Colleen Hood Assistant Director of Orchestra

Personnel & Assistant Orchestra Librarian

David T. Little Composer in Residence

Missy Mazzoli Composer in Residence

Andrew Norman Composer in Residence

PRODUCTIONAlexander Farino Production Manager

Drew Billiau Technical Production Manager

Stephen Dickerson Technical Director

Millie Hiibel Costume Director

Meggie Scache Production Coordinator

MARKETING & MEMBERSHIPRyan Lewis Director of Marketing & Membership

Karina Kacala Marketing Manager

Michael Knight Marketing Operations Manager

Filiz O'Brien Membership Manager

Siddhartha Misra Subscriber & Member Services

Coordinator

INDIVIDUAL GIVINGErin Sammis Director of Major Gifts

Adele Betz Director of Events

Jennifer Dubin Associate Director, Individual

Giving & Patron Services

Rachel McCausland Manager, Leadership &

Legacy Giving

INSTITUTIONAL GIVINGThomas Rhodes Director of Institutional Giving

Derren Mangum Manager of Institutional Giving

COMMUNICATIONSFrank Luzi Director of Communications

Katie Dune Multimedia Communications

Coordinator

ADMINISTRATIONKen Smith Assistant to General Director &

Board Relations Coordinator

Bethany Steel Assistant to the Managing Director

COMMUNITY PROGRAMSAdrienne Bishop Education Coordinator

FINANCEBrian R. Ramos Controller

Maureen McHale Senior Accountant

COUNSELMontgomery, McCracken,Walker & Rhoads LLP General Counsel

ADMINISTRATION

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Acclaimed tenor, and star of Charlie Parker's YARDBIRD, Lawrence Brownlee, collaborates with renowned gospel, jazz,

and classical musician Damian Sneed

(pictured) for an exciting program of original spiritual

arrangements. Many of the selections on the program are from Spiritual Sketches, their acclaimed 2013 recording which will be available for sale at the event.

Selections on the program include inspiring version of such well-known spirituals like “Deep River,” “Every Time I Hear the Spirit,” “Down by the Riverside,” and many more. National Public Radio

declared, “The spirituals might be well-known, but through Brownlee's voice, they shine in new, occasionally jazz-inflected arrangements by Damien Sneed.”

The program will be held at Union Baptist Church, a National Historic Landmark where trailblazing Philadelphia contralto Marian Anderson sang as a child. Anderson, who in 1924 became the first African-American concert artist to record spirituals for RCA Victor, was the first black artist to perform with the Metropolitan Opera.

$ 1 5 T I C K E T S O N S A L E N O W O P E R A P H I L A . O R G | 2 1 5 . 7 3 2 . 8 4 0 0

IN RECITAL LAWRENCE BROWNLEEMonday, June 8 | 7:00 p.m.Union Bapt is t Church

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T I C K E T S O N S A L E N O W O P E R A P H I L A . O R G | 2 1 5 . 8 9 3 . 1 0 1 8

J U N E 5 – 1 4 , 2 0 1 5 | P E R E L M A N T H E AT E R

S C H N Y D E R / W I M B E R LY

March 12, 1955. New York City. Charlie Parker is dead. But nobody knows it yet. In that empty twilight between the here and the hereafter, the bebop legend sets out to compose his final masterpiece, revisiting the inspirations, demons, and women who fueled his creative genius.

This is the setting of Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD, a chamber opera that invites the audience directly into a musician’s mind, heart, and personal purgatory. Set after-hours in the famed New York City jazz club Birdland, the chamber opera stars Lawrence Brownlee as the Grammy Award-winning saxophonist—a role crafted around the effortless, improvisational style that makes him one of music’s most sought after tenors.

Swiss American composer and saxophonist Daniel Schnyder said the idea for the opera came to him when he first heard Brownlee sing. The composer immediately likened the color of the tenor’s voice and his technical command to the music of Charlie Parker. His music is paired with a poetic libretto by playwright Bridgette A. Wimberly to

create a work described as a “bebopera” by The New York Times. Dazzling soprano Angela Brown costars as Charlie’s mother, Addie Parker, with baritone Will Liverman debuting as jazz icon Dizzy Gillespie, who once described Parker as “the other half of my heartbeat.” Mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford, who shined in the title role in the 2011 American Premiere of Henze’s Phaedra, returns to the Aurora Series as Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter, in whose apartment Parker died.

Ron Daniels directs this World Premiere production, with Corrado Rovaris conducting the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra.

yardbirdCHARL IE PARKER’S

UP NEXT AT

O C T O B E R2 , 4 M , 7 , 9 , 1 1 M , 2 0 1 5A C A D E M Y O F M U S I C

V E R D I

L A T R AV I ATA

H I G D O N / S C H E E R

C O L D M O U N TA I N

F E B R U A R Y5 , 7 M , 1 0 , 1 2 , 1 4 M , 2 0 1 6A C A D E M Y O F M U S I C

Wo r l d P r e m i e r e

E a s t C o a s t P r e m i e r e

S E P T E M B E R 1 0 , 1 1 , 1 2 , 1 3 , 1 7 , 1 8 , 1 9 , 2 0 , 2 0 1 5O P E R A I N T H E C I T Y

O P E R A P H I L A D E L P H I A & T H E B E A R D E D L A D I E S

A N D Y: A P O P E R A

C o m p a n y P r e m i e r e

A P R I L 2 9,M AY 1 M , 4 , 6 , 8 M , 2 0 1 6A C A D E M Y O F M U S I C

D O N I Z E T T I

T H E E L I X I R O F L O V E

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C A P R I C C I O

M A R C H2 , 4 , 6 M , 2 0 1 6P E R E L M A N T H E AT E R

C U R T I S O P E R A T H E AT R E

S U B S C R I B E T O D AY ! O P E R A P H I L A . O R G | 2 1 5 . 7 3 2 . 8 4 0 0

The Academy of Music and Pere lman Theater are par t o f the Kimmel Center for the Per forming Ar ts

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F L Â N E U R F O R E V E R

The Plaza atKing of Prussia(610) 992-9730

Hermes.com

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