®

An Evening of Gilbert & Sullivan

featuring:William Florescu, Stage Director/Emcee Scott S. Stewart, Musical Preparation Lisa Kelly, Stage Manager Ruben Piirainen, Pianist Leroy Y. Davis, Baritone*Nancy Anne Davis, Soprano Brianne Sura, Mezzo-SopranoJim Gottfried, Tenor

Katherine Fili, Mezzo-soprano* Ariana Douglas, Soprano*Thomas Leighton, Tenor*Nathan Krueger, BaritoneLauren Decker, ContraltoJohn Stumpff, TenorTimothy W. Schmidt, Baritone

EnsembleJulia Rigoni, SopranoCindy Thomas, Mezzo-soprano Gustavo Chaviano, TenorJoel Spiess, BaritoneCarra Chrzan, Soprano

* 2015-2016 Florentine Opera Studio Artist

Florentine Opera Production and

Administrative Staff: General Director William Florescu

Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor Joseph Rescigno

Director of Artistic Administration Lisa Kay Hanson

Chorus Master

& Associate Conductor Scott S. Stewart

Director

of DevelopmentEric Lind

Director of Marketing & Communications

Richard Clark

Interim Director of FinanceNed Storer

Director of Design

& Production Noele Stollmack

Production Stage Manager

Lisa Kelly

Costume Shop ManagerMel Benson

Development Manager

Kelly Schlicht

Patron Services Manager Claire Braby

Education & Community

Engagement Manager Pablo Siqueiros

Marketing &

Development AssociateDanielle Chaviano

Production & Education

Associate Lizzy Cichowski

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Cflorentine opera camerata

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2015-2016

1 FLORENTINE OPERA @ The Center FLORENTINE OPERA @ The Center 2

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An Evening of Gilbert & Sullivan

®

PROGRAM (no intermission)

Program order subject to change.

November 20 & 21, 2015 at 7:30pm

The Pirates of Penzance When the foeman bears his steel (The Slave of Duty) (1879) Sergeant: Leroy Davis Mabel: Nancy Davis Edith: Brianne Sura Major General: Jim Gottfried

Ensemble

The Yeomen of the Guard Were I thy bride (The Merryman and His Maid) (1888) Phoebe: Katherine Fili Shadbolt: Leroy Davis

H.M.S. Pinafore The hours creep on apace (The Lass That Loved a Sailor) (1878) Josephine: Ariana Douglas

Trio: Never mind the why and wherefore (The Lass That Loved a Sailor) (1878) Josephine: Ariana Douglas Captain: Tom Leighton Sir Joseph: Leroy Davis

When I was a lad (The Lass That Loved a Sailor) (1878) Sir Joseph: Nathan Krueger Ensemble

The Gondoliers We’re called gondolieri (The King of Barataria) (1889) Giuseppe: Tom Leighton Marco: Leroy Davis

Ruddigore My eyes are fully open (The Witch’s Curse) (1887) Mad Margaret: Lauren Decker Despard: Leroy Davis Robin: John Stumpff

Patience Quintet: If Saphir I choose to marry (Bunthorne’s Bride) (1881) Duke: Tom Leighton Colonel: Nathan Krueger Major: Leroy Davis Angela: Katherine Fili Saphir: Ariana Douglas

The Mikado Madrigal: Brightly dawns our wedding day (The Town of Titipu) (1885) Yum-Yum: Ariana Douglas Pitti Sing: Katherine Fili Nanki Poo: Tom Leighton Pish Tush: Leroy Davis

Trio: Here’s a how-de-do! (The Town of Titipu) (1885) Yum-Yum: Ariana Douglas Nanki Poo: Tom Leighton Ko-Ko: Leroy Davis

Finale: For he’s gone and married Yum-Yum (The Town of Titipu) (1885) Yum-Yum: Ariana Douglas Pitti Sing: Katherine Fili Nanki Poo: Tom Leighton Poo Bah: Tim Schmidt Pish Tush: Leroy Davis Ko-Ko: Nathan Krueger Peep Bo: Brianne Sura Ensemble

3 FLORENTINE OPERA @ The Center FLORENTINE OPERA @ The Center 4

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIESRuben Piirainen, Florentine Opera Staff AccompanistMr. Piirainen holds degrees in piano performance from the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music and Bowling Green State University. His credits include the past two seasons of @ The Center Series; numerous performances with Skylight Music Theatre; performances on piano, harpsichord, and toy piano with Present Music; pianist and celesta player with Festival City Symphony and Kenosha Symphony Orchestra; performance on toy piano at the 2012 Make Music New York Festival; numerous projects with Milwaukee Opera Theatre; and a CD recording of Pulitzer Prize winning composer Jennifer Higdon’s music.

Leroy Y. Davis, Baritone*Recent highlights of American baritone Leroy Y. Davis include Cosi fan tutte as a guest artist for the New England Conservatory, and Pirates of Penzance & La Traviata for Shreveport Opera. Mr. Davis has also participated in productions of La Traviata and Ragtime with The Opera Company of Middlebury. Mr. Davis was a regional finalist in the 2015 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Nancy Anne Davis, SopranoMs. Davis is a regular performer with the Florentine Opera. She has performed the soprano solos in both the Bach Magnificat and the Rutter Requiem with the Choral Arts Society. Other recent roles include Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, Casilda in The Gondoliers and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. In 2003, she was an apprentice artist with the Des Moines Metro Opera. She has also participated in the Young Artist Festival in Bayreuth, Germany, the Castleton program under the direction of Lorin Maazel, she has sung with the Fort Worth Symphony, and the Crested Butte Music Festival. Brianne Sura, Mezzo-SopranoMs. Sura earned her Master’s Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she was awarded the Elizabeth Stoekler Stevens Prize in Lied. She has since performed principal roles with Nashville Opera, Florentine Opera Company, St. Petersburg Opera, Madison Opera Company, Skylight Opera Theatre, Elgin Opera, Milwaukee Opera Theater, BASOTI, Fresco Opera, Music By the Lake, and La Musica Lirica in Urbania, Italy among others. She recently received the graduate of the last decade award from her undergraduate alma mater, Carroll University and was also the winner of Fresco Opera’s Dueling Divas vocal competition at Edgewood. Brianne is a chorister with the Florentine Opera Company. Jim Gottfried, TenorMr. Gottfried has been a chorister with the Florentine Opera Company since 2006 and was most recently in productions of Elmer Gantry and Madama Butterfly. Jim enjoys working with Community Theater groups in the Washington County area and has recently played rolls such as Shrek in Shrek: The Musical, Daddy Warbucks in Annie, and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Jim holds a BS in Fine Arts from University of Wisconsin-Platteville and works for the flexographic printing company CL&D Graphics located in Oconomowoc, WI. Jim lives in Hartford with his wonderful wife, Heidi and handsome boys, Harrison and Stuart.

Katherine Fili, Mezzo-soprano*Recent highlights of Katherine’s career include Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus and both Nancy & Florence in Albert Herring. Other credits include The Nurse in Lee Hoiby’s Romeo & Juliet, The Sorceress in Dido & Aeneas, Bessie in Das Kleine Magahonny, and The Chinese Tea Cup in L’enfant et les sortilèges. Katherine also sung the role of Mrs. Fox in the chamber premiere of Fantastic Mr. Fox with Microscopic Opera. Katherine graduated in 2014 from The Maryland Opera Studio and completed her undergraduate studies in 2012 at Carnegie Mellon University.

Ariana Douglas, Soprano*Ariana Douglas, soprano, is from Appleton, WI. She earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she studied under the direction of Julia Faulkner. She recently finished a Master of Music from Louisiana State University and studied with Dennis Jesse. Some of her recent roles include: Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, Nevěsta in Martinů’s Hlas lesa, Magda in La Rondine, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni and Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte. Non-opera credits include the soprano soloist for Mozart’s Requiem with the LSU Symphony Orchestra and Bruckner’s Te Deum with MSO.

Thomas Leighton, Tenor*Mr. Leighton is from Saugerties, NY, and holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY with graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Recent engagements include Julia Adolphe’s Sylvia, at NYC’s Bargemusic, and with Milwaukee’s Present Music. As a Studio Artist with Madison Opera in the 2014-2015 Season, he appeared in Fidelio and Sweeney Todd. Last season also included the role of Tamino in University Opera’s production of Die Zauberflöte. In the 2015-2016 season Mr. Leighton has appeared in Florentine Opera’s Madama Butterfly, and in concert with the Milwaukee Symphony. Later this season he will make his solo debut with the Madison Symphony in Carmina Burana, and return to the Florentine stage in Die Fledermaus.

Nathan Krueger, BaritoneMr. Krueger has been a chorister with the Florentine Opera Company since 2010. Upcoming engagements include concerts with the Madison Choral Project, as bass soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the South Shore Choral, and a spring recital tour with cmetq, a one-man opera for voice and electronics. He has also performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago Chorus, Santa Fe Opera, Madison Bach Musicians, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Arizona Opera, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, the Tucson Chamber Artists, L’opera Piccola in Chicago, and Opera Southwest. Mr. Krueger is Assistant Professor of Voice at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Lauren Decker, ContraltoMs. Decker, contralto, is a Milwaukee singer currently studying with Dr. Connie Haas. Ms. Decker was a winner of the 2014 and 2015 Wisconsin District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Ms. Decker received her BFA in vocal performance at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her role and scene credits include Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Gaea in Strauss’ Daphne, and Ulrica, in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera. She has just returned from her second summer studying under Dolora Zajick at the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices. Ms. Decker will be joining the Lyric Opera’s Ryan Opera center as an ensemble member for their 2016-2017 season.

in order of appearance

* 2015-2016 Florentine Opera Studio Artist5 FLORENTINE OPERA @ The Center FLORENTINE OPERA @ The Center 6

John Stumpff, TenorMr. Stumpff is a chorister with Florentine Opera Company. In addition to singing in the chorus, he was most recently seen as Yakuside in Madama Butterfly and Parpignol in La Bohème. Past credits include Don Jose in Carmen, Ferrando in Cosi fan tutte, King Kasper in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Male Chorus in Rape of Lucretia. Mr. Stumpff is the soloist and tenor section leader for Queen of All Saints Basilica in Chicago. Mr. Stumpff earned his Masters from the University of Iowa and his Bachelors from Cornell College.

Timothy W. Schmidt, BaritoneTimothy W. Schmidt is a bass-baritone from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to singing with the Florentine Opera, he has appeared as a soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester (N.Y.) Philharmonic, Bel Canto Chorus, Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, White Heron Chorale, Kenosha Chamber Choir, and Southeastern Wisconsin Performing Arts. He trained at Lawrence University and the Eastman School of Music. Beyond his musical activities, Mr. Schmidt works as an attorney for a northern Illinois-based corporation. He lives in the Milwaukee area with his wife, Asst. District Attorney Molly Schmidt, and their attorney work product, Julia.

Julia Rigoni, SopranoMs. Rigoni is a versatile singer and pianist with a distinctive musical background. She has experience in opera, oratorio, contemporary and church music. As a musician who is passionate about music educa-tion, Ms. Rigoni enjoys teaching voice and piano lessons through her studio in Chicago’s North Shore. She also serves as the Music Associate at First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest, IL. Ms. Rigoni is a graduate of Carthage College (Kenosha, WI) and the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University where she earned her Master of Music degree.

Cindy Thomas, Mezzo-sopranoShortly after relocating to Milwaukee in 1981 after earning her BA in Vocal Performance from Silver Lake College, Ms. Thomas sang under John Anello, Sr. with Music Under the Stars in Washington Park and later with the Florentine Opera Chorus, which Mr. Anello had founded 50 years earlier. From her first time onstage with the Florentine in Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci in 1985 to the current season, she has enjoyed every moment and looks forward to many more!

Gustavo Chaviano, TenorGustavo Chaviano is delighted to be making his Florentine Opera Chorus debut this weekend. He will return later this season in Die Fledermaus. Gustavo teaches high school choir at Arrowhead Union High School in Hartland, WI. He co-directs four choirs in addition to co-directing Arrowhead’s Broadway Company, which is an award winning musical theatre troupe. In addition to teaching, Gustavo has per-formed with the Skylight Music Theatre, UW-Whitewater Symphony Orchestra, and Greendale Com-munity Theatre. He received his Bachelor’s of Music from UW-Whitewater, where he studied voice with Brian Leeper and Dr. Julie Cross.

Joel Spiess, BaritoneMr. Spiess is enjoying his fifth season as a chorister with Florentine Opera Company, where he has performed in main stage productions, summer outdoor concerts, and last year’s Gilbert & Sullivan production of Trial by Jury. Previous choral engagements include Madison Opera, Madison Chamber Choir, and Isthmus Vocal Ensemble. Spiess studied with Julia Faulkner at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he performed with University Opera and University Theatre, and he has served as both voice instructor and music director for community organizations. Spiess holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and daylights in student academic services at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Carra Chrzan, SopranoMs. Chrzan has been a chorister with the Florentine Opera Company since 2008. She has a BA in Music from Barnard College of Columbia University, an MM in Vocal Performance from UW-Milwaukee, and an MBA from Marquette University. Favorite performances include Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Turandot, Elmer Gantry, Assassins, A Chorus Line, and The Rocky Horror Show (a long, long time ago).

Ensemble Singers

Artists Biographies, continued…

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7 FLORENTINE OPERA @ The Center FLORENTINE OPERA @ The Center 8

William Florescu, Stage Director/EmceeWilliam Florescu has been General Director of the Florentine Opera Company since 2005. Prior to that, he was General Director of the Lake George Opera from 1999-2005, and the Columbus Light Opera from 1993-1999.

Companies he has guest directed for include Hawaii Opera Theatre, Nashville Opera, Opera Columbus, Lake George Opera, and Opera Birmingham and Kentucky Opera. He is also active as an adjudicator and master teacher for such institutions as The Metropolitan Opera National Council, Fort Worth Opera, University of Michigan, Eastman School of Music, Westminster Choir College, Shreveport Opera, Opera Birmingham, Opera Columbus, Rutgers University, The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Classical Singer Convention. He is committed to new opera, having been a co-commissioner of Ned Rorem’s Our Town for Lake George Opera (now Opera Saratoga). In March of 2010, he produced the Midwest premiere of Robert Aldridge’s Elmer Gantry. This production was commercially released on the Naxos label this past July. The Florentine’s recording of Gantry won two Grammy awards in February, and was recently named to the Opera News Top 10 recordings of 2011 list. In October 2010, the Florentine produced the world premiere of Rio de Sangre by Don Davis (the composer of the music for all three of The Matrix films). This was commercially released on the Albany Records Label, and was also a Grammy winner. This year, the Florentine’s recording of Carlisle Floyd’s Wuthering Heights will be released on Reference Records. Active also as a writer, he has had articles published in Classical Singer Magazine, and in several Opera America publications. Over the past three seasons Mr. Florescu has directed Albert Herring, Susannah, and La Traviata and La Bohéme for the Florentine, Candide at Rutgers University, and Cimarosa’s L’Impresario in Angustie for La Musica Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy. Last season he directed La Traviata for Shreveport Opera and L’Elisir d’Amore for the Florentine. This season he directs Madama Butterfly and Jake Heggie’s Three Decembers for the Florentine, and also directs the Heggie work for Kentucky Opera.

Mr. Florescu serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for Opera America, as well their Strategic Planning Committee and New Works Forum.

Scott S. Stewart, Musical PreparationMr. Stewart has been the Associate Conductor and Chorus Master of the Florentine Opera for over thirty years, coach of the Florentine Studio Artists Program, Musical Director of Florentine Opera Summer Series, and Program Director of the Florentine Opera High School Master Class program. He studied choral conducting with Margaret Hawkins; orches-tral conducting with Kenneth Schermerhorn; private independent study with Roberto Benaglio, former Chorus Master of La Scala and the Dallas Opera. Mr. Stewart is a 2012 recipient of the Civic Music Association’s Distinguished Citizen Professional in the Arts. Conducted Florentine educational performances of L’Italiana in Algeri, The Barber of Seville, Hänsel and Gretel, Doctor Miracle and The Impresario. Has penned many educational in-school programs and developed new outreach programs for the Florentine Opera, as well as adapted and re-orchestrated operas for young audiences.

Lisa Kelly, Production Stage ManagerRecent credits as Production Stage Manager include La Traviata, Le Comte Ory, Elektra, Peter Grimes, Eugene Onegin, La Rondine, Don Pasquale and Amahl and the Night Visitors with Des Moines Metro Opera; Romeo & Juliet, Il Trova-tore, Le Nozze de Figaro and La Cenerentola with Opera Colorado; Il Trovatore with Utah Opera; The Barber of Seville and The Crucible with Piedmont Opera, and The Turn of the Screw with Opera Cleveland. Her upcoming engagements for the Florentine are Three Decembers, Die Fledermaus, Home for the Holidays, and Florentine After Dark. Her past Florentine Engagements include La Traviata (2013), Julius Caesar (2014), La Bohème (2014), The Flying Dutchman (2014), Wuthering Heights (2015), Elmer Gantry (2015), The Elixir of Love (2015), and Madama Butterfly (2015).

Florentine Opera Company® productions reflect the highest musical and theatrical standards, while supporting community and educational programs. As a leader in Wisconsin’s art community and the nation’s sixth-oldest opera company, the Florentine Opera seeks to establish a significant presence in the cultural, educational and civic life of the state of Wisconsin and beyond. Audiences enjoy beautiful main stage productions that include first-rate vocal artistry brought to life by established and emerging international, national and local opera stars. With a foundation of fiscal responsibility, the company continues to grow its artistic and educational programs. Through its community engagement and in-school educational programming, the Florentine provides vital arts education experiences for children, nurtures new audiences, and expands cultural horizons for the next generation. The Florentine Opera is a cornerstone member organization of the United Performing Arts Fund and receives funds from Milwaukee County, the State of Wisconsin, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as support from corporations, foundations and individuals. The Florentine Opera Company is an organizational member of OPERA America.

Production Staff

Artists Biographies, continued…

9 FLORENTINE OPERA @ The Center FLORENTINE OPERA @ The Center 10

®

An Evening of Gilbert & Sullivan

featuring:William Florescu, Stage Director/Emcee Scott S. Stewart, Musical Preparation Lisa Kelly, Stage Manager Ruben Piirainen, Pianist Leroy Y. Davis, Baritone*Nancy Anne Davis, Soprano Brianne Sura, Mezzo-SopranoJim Gottfried, Tenor

Katherine Fili, Mezzo-soprano* Ariana Douglas, Soprano*Thomas Leighton, Tenor*Nathan Krueger, BaritoneLauren Decker, ContraltoJohn Stumpff, TenorTimothy W. Schmidt, Baritone

EnsembleJulia Rigoni, SopranoCindy Thomas, Mezzo-soprano Gustavo Chaviano, TenorJoel Spiess, BaritoneCarra Chrzan, Soprano

* 2015-2016 Florentine Opera Studio Artist

Florentine Opera Production and

Administrative Staff: General Director William Florescu

Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor Joseph Rescigno

Director of Artistic Administration Lisa Kay Hanson

Chorus Master

& Associate Conductor Scott S. Stewart

Director

of DevelopmentEric Lind

Director of Marketing & Communications

Richard Clark

Interim Director of FinanceNed Storer

Director of Design

& Production Noele Stollmack

Production Stage Manager

Lisa Kelly

Costume Shop ManagerMel Benson

Development Manager

Kelly Schlicht

Patron Services Manager Claire Braby

Education & Community

Engagement Manager Pablo Siqueiros

Marketing &

Development AssociateDanielle Chaviano

Production & Education

Associate Lizzy Cichowski