PLÁCIDO DOMINGO ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD GENERAL DIRECTOR

JAMES CONLON RICHARD SEAVER MUSIC DIRECTOR

The Two Foscari

The Flying Dutchman

GIUSEPPE VERDI

RICHARD WAGNER

September 15 – October 9, 2012 October 1, 2012, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts

March 9 – 30, 2013

(I Due Foscari)

(Der fliegende Holländer)

Conlon, Lehnhoff, Bauer, Schmidt-Futterer, Schuler, Sayers; Tómasson, Matos, Morris, Creswell, Plenk, Miller

Conlon, Strassberger, Knight, Ullrich, Poet; Domingo, Meli, Poplavskaya, Orlov, Cox, Bliss Production made possible by a generous gift from the Milan Panic Family. Special additional funding from Barbara Augusta Teichert.

Production made possible by a generous gift from The Pacific Theaters Foundation, Malsi and Michael Forman, and Margaret and Christopher Forman, in honor of Dorothy Forman.

Cinderella

Don Giovanni

(La Cenerentola)

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

GIOACHINO ROSSINI

September 22 – October 14, 2012 Conlon/Domingo, Stein/Fortner, Wögerbauer, Bickel, Schuler, Hickey; D’Arcangelo, Bizic, Di Giacomo/Meade, Isokoski, Constantinescu/Oeste, Dunaev, Bloom, Orlov

March 23 – April 13, 2013 Conlon, Font, Guillen, Faura, Dorca; Lindsey/Kemoklidze, Barbera, Priante, Corbelli, Tappan, Miller, Ulivieri Special underwriting support from The Seaver Endowment and the Jane and Peter Hemmings Production Fund, a gift of the Flora L. Thornton Trust.

Production made possible by generous gifts from The Carol and Warner Henry Production Fund for Mozart Operas and Marilyn Ziering. Special additional funding from Mark Dalzell and Leslie and John Dorman.

Tosca GIACOMO PUCCINI

Madame Butterfly

May 18 – June 8, 2013 Domingo, Caird, Christie, Schuler; Radvanovsky, Berti, Ataneli, Bloom, Cokorinos, Rosel

GIACOMO PUCCINI November 17 – December 9, 2012 Gershon, Daniels, Yeargan, Strawbridge; Dyka, Jovanovich, Kitic, Owens, Rosel, Szkafarowsky, Kim

Production made possible by a generous gift from the Alfred and Claude Mann Fund, in honor of Plácido Domingo.

WORLD PREMIERE

Renée Fleming and Susan Graham in Recital

Dulce Rosa

January 19, 2013, at Walt Disney Concert Hall

May 19 – June 9, 2013, at the Eli and Edythe Broad Stage

Presented in partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Domingo, Sparks, Pardess, Wood, Militello, Okun; Antúnez, Daza, Fedderly

LEE HOLDRIDGE

Production made possible by a generous gift from Rosemary and Milton Okun.

OFFICIAL TIMEPIECE OF LA OPERA

PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE P1

DONOR RECOGNITION

25th Anniversary Angels LA Opera wishes to recognize and thank those who made extraordinary leadership commitments in honor of the Company’s 25th Anniversary Season, a milestone achievement. Following the tradition established by previous Angel campaigns (listed on page P14), the support of the 25th Anniversary Angels ensures LA Opera’s continued artistic excellence and prominence in the worldwide cultural community.

Sebastian Paul and Marybelle Musco The Seaver Family Marc and Eva Stern Foundation The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation Colburn Foundation County of Los Angeles Carol and Warner Henry Alfred and Claude Mann Flora L. Thornton Marilyn Ziering Mr. Harold Alden and Dr. Geraldine Alden The Annenberg Foundation Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter The Blue Ribbon Yuki and Alex Bouzari Kelly and Robert Day Dunard Fund USA Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Brindell Roberts Gottlieb The Green Foundation Bernard and Lenore Greenberg, in honor of Leonard Green LGHG Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Milan Panic Ronus Foundation Christopher V. Walker Lenore and Richard Wayne Ziering Family Foundation Selim K. Zilkha and Mary Hayley / Selim K. Zilkha Foundation

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program

PLÁCIDO DOMINGO, ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD GENERAL DIRECTOR JAMES CONLON, RICHARD SEAVER MUSIC DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER KOELSCH, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PRESENTS

GIUSEPPE VERDI

The Two Foscari (I Due Foscari)

Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave Based on the historical play by Lord Byron

CREATIVE TEAM

CAST (in order of vocal appearance)

CONDUCTOR

BARBARIGO, A SENATOR

Ben Bliss†

JACOPO LOREDANO, A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF TEN

Ievgen Orlov*

OFFICER OF THE COUNCIL OF TEN

Omar Crook*

This production includes live flames.

JACOPO FOSCARI, THE DOGE’S SON

Francesco Meli*

Supertitles written by Thaddeus Strassberger.

LUCREZIA CONTARINI, HIS WIFE

Marina Poplavskaya

PISANA, HER CONFIDANTE

Tracy Cox†

FRANCESCO FOSCARI, DOGE OF VENICE

Plácido Domingo

SERVANT OF THE DOGE

Hunter Phillips*†

James Conlon DIRECTOR

Thaddeus Strassberger* SET DESIGNER

Kevin Knight COSTUME DESIGNER

Mattie Ullrich* LIGHTING DESIGNER

Bruno Poet* CHORUS DIRECTOR

Grant Gershon ASSOCIATE CONDUCTOR

Bruno Cinquegrani

PRODUCTION NOTES

SUPPORT

STAGE MANAGER

Lyla Forlani MUSICAL PREPARATION

Susanna Lemberskaya Audrey Saint-Gil Nino Sanikidze

Pre-performance lectures by James Conlon. Pre-performance lectures are generously sponsored by the Flora L. Thornton Foundation and the Opera League of Los Angeles. New production.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Trevore Ross

The running time is approximately two hours and 40 minutes, which includes two intermissions.

Production made possible by a generous gift from

The Milan Panic Family. Special additional funding from

Barbara Augusta Teichert.

PROMPTER

Nino Sanikidze Please turn off all cell phones, electronic devices and watch alarms. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the house management. Members of the audience who leave during the performance will not be shown back into the theater until the next intermission. The use of cameras and recording equipment is strictly prohibited. Your use of a ticket acknowledges your willingness to appear in photographs taken in public areas of the Music Center and releases the Center and its lessees and others from liability resulting from use of such photographs. Any microphones onstage are for recording or broadcast purposes only, and are not associated with any amplification.

Co-production with Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (Valencia), Theater an der Wien (Vienna) and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (London). Scenery constructed by CBS Scenic Studios, Hollywood. Props constructed by Studio Sereno, Los Angeles. Costumes constructed by the Los Angeles Opera Costume Shop. Specialty masks constructed ­­­­by Tom Banwell Designs, Inc., Penn Valley, CA. Wigs constructed by the Los Angeles Opera Wig and Make-Up Department. * LA Opera debut †Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

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news and previews

Underwriter Profile – The Milan Panic Family

They are contributors to the 25th Anniversary, 20th Anniversary and Domingo’s Angels campaigns. Milan Panic is an entrepreneur, statesman, global businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of MP Biomedicals LLC, and the former chairman and CEO of ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. An American citizen since 1963, he received special permission from President George H. W. Bush to serve as prime minister of Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1993. Mr. Panic was elected to the Opera’s

PHOTO BY STEVE COHN PHOTOGRAPHY

LA Opera’s Company premiere of The Two Foscari has been made possible by a generous underwriting gift from the Milan Panic Family. This marks the tenth seasonopening production that the family has supported, an extraordinary demonstration of commitment to LA Opera that began with The Girl of the Golden West in 2002. For many years they have been among LA Opera’s most committed supporters.

Board of Directors in 2002 and currently serves as Vice Chairman. A native of Belgrade, Mrs. Panic is the mezzo-soprano Milena Kitic, who has appeared at many of the major international opera houses during her career, including the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Festspielhaus Salzburg and Metropolitan Opera. For LA Opera, she has performed Carmen, Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann and Meg Page in Falstaff, and she will return

as Suzuki in Madame Butterfly later this season. She is an adjunct professor at the Chapman University College of Performing Arts, where she works closely with student singers to share her knowledge and experience. She frequently leads master classes for USC Thornton School of Music, UC Irvine and the Classical Singers Association. In addition to their unstinting support of LA Opera and many other performing arts organizations, the Panic family has supported various universities, research programs, museums and charities as well as international relief organizations for humanitarian aid, including the inoculation of more than 200,000 children in Kosovo. LA Opera is honored to have leaders who understand the important role of the arts in our community, and is deeply grateful for the wonderful support of these most dedicated and generous friends.

Underwriter Profile: Barbara Augusta Teichert With her generous gift in support of The Two Foscari, Barbara Augusta Teichert continues an impressive seven-season tradition of underwriting an LA Opera production or special concert. Previous underwriting credits include last season’s presentation of Simon Boccanegra, as well as Il Postino (2010), Tamerlano (2009),

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Die Walküre (2008), the Verdi Requiem (2007), Luisa Fernanda (2007) and the 2008 gala celebrating Plácido Domingo’s 40th anniversary in Los Angeles. She also supported the 2006 refurbishment of La Traviata for its filming and worldwide release on DVD. A member of LA Opera’s 20th Anniversary Angels leadership giving program, she was elected to the Company’s Board of Directors in 2009. A resident of Pennsylvania, Ms. Teichert promotes opera on two coasts with her philanthropy. For the Metropolitan Opera, she has provided

support for the world premiere of The First Emperor (2006), for Iphigénie en Tauride (2007 and 2011) and Simon Boccanegra (2010). She served on the board of Washington National Opera for nine years and provided full or partial underwriting support for a dozen productions there over a decade. She is also supporting the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s presentation of Kevin Puts’ Silent Night in February 2013. LA Opera is grateful to Barbara Teichert for her leadership philanthropy and for her unflagging commitment to opera.

SYNOPSIS Setting: Venice, 1457

member of the Council, and the senator

begs his father to show leniency, but the

Doge Francesco Foscari reigned in

Barbarigo learn that the Doge has

Doge advises him to resign himself to his

Venice for the unusually long period of

preceded them into the chambers,

fate. In desperation, Lucrezia interrupts

34 years. These years were marked by

seemingly serene.

the proceedings with her children.

almost continual warfare, during which



Jacopo embraces them and they kneel

the Doge vastly increased not only the

gruesome torture during which the

before the Doge, pleading for mercy.

glory of Venice but also her dominion.

Council has ironically been coercing him

The senators are unwavering: Jacopo



to deny his crime rather than confess it.

must return to Crete alone. Jacopo

opposition, and his defeated rival Pietro

As he waits to be summoned before the

senses that death cannot be far away.

Loredano continued to oppose him

Council, he salutes his beloved Venice,

ceaselessly. In a moment of anger,

which he has missed so dearly in exile.

ACT III

Foscari declared that he could never

An official tells him to hope for

The Piazza San Marco is filled with a

consider himself the true Doge while

clemency, but Jacopo rails against the

festival crowd celebrating the joys of

Loredano lived. When Pietro and his

unjust hatred that he must face.

love and life, indifferent to the destiny of

brother died, Pietro’s son Jacopo



Foscari and the Doge. Jacopo is

suspected that the Doge had poisoned

to plead his case before the Doge, who

escorted from the palace. As he sadly

them, and he wrote the Doge’s name in

has taken no action to save his own

bids farewell to Lucrezia and his children,

his business records as debtor for their

son. When word arrives that Jacopo will

he urges his beloved not to give their

lives. (After Foscari’s death, Loredano

once again be condemned to exile,

enemies the satisfaction of seeing her

grimly marked the debt as paid.)

Lucrezia gives vent to her fury.

tears. Loredano arrives to hasten the





departure and Jacopo is exiled forever.

Foscari had faced much political

The throne Foscari had coveted was

Jacopo Foscari has endured

Jacopo’s wife Lucrezia is determined

The Council of Ten has reached a

far from a seat of repose. Three of his

verdict. The corrupt senators cynically



four sons had died; to Jacopo, the

praise the impartiality of Venetian justice.

the tragedy unfolding before him,

survivor, he looked for the continuation



bemoans his tragic fate: his only

of his name and comfort in his declining

of being both a powerful ruler and a father

surviving child must endure bitter exile.

age. Jacopo, however, was no more

powerless to help his own son. Lucrezia

Barbarigo rushes in with evidence

fortunate than his father. Condemned by

pleads with him to revoke Jacopo’s

exonerating Jacopo from the murder

his father’s detractors of accepting

sentence, but the Doge tells her that he

for which he was earlier accused. The

extravagant gifts from foreign

cannot under Venetian law. She asks if he

Doge’s joy is short-lived: a grief-stricken

governments—a treasonous crime—he

would plead, then, as a father for his son.

Lucrezia announces that Jacopo died at

was exiled to Treviso, not far from Venice.

Seeing the old man in tears, she begins

the very moment his boat pulled away

When one of the Council of Ten who had

to hope that he might take action.

from shore. She invokes heaven’s fury

The Doge reflects bitterly on the irony

convicted him was murdered, suspicion

The Doge, a seeming bystander to

against her husband’s persecutors.

pointed towards Jacopo. He was found

ACT II



guilty and sent into even further exile in

Jacopo Foscari is tortured again as he

which have beset him, the Doge

Crete. Willing to risk his life to return to

awaits his sentence. In his delirium, he

effectively withdraws from public life.

his homeland and family for even a day,

has a terrifying vision of the ghost of

The Council of Ten and the Senate ask

he sent a letter to the Duke in Milan. As

Carmagnola, a famous mercenary

for his resignation. The Doge refuses,

it was a serious crime to communicate

leader who fell out of favor with the

reminding them that twice he had

with foreign governments, he knew that

Doge and was decapitated. He awakens

attempted to step down in order to

a spy would intercept it and that he

in the arms of Lucrezia, who tells him

place his duty to his family before that

would be brought back to Venice to

that his exile will separate them forever.

of his country. Twice he was denied, and

face justice again.

The Doge arrives, no longer hiding his

he was even forced to vow to remain in



sorrow. Jacopo now sees in his father

office until his death. As he cries out,

the sentence for his latest crime against

not authoritarian rigor but paternal

“Give me back my son, and I will obey!”

the state.

affection; this will be a comfort to him

the Council divests him of his Ducal ring,

in exile. Loredano coldly announces that

crown and mantle. Increasingly

ACT I

Jacopo must leave Venice without the

delusional, the Doge begins to hear the

In the Doge’s Palace, the Council of Ten

comfort of his wife and children.

bells of San Marco tolling in honor of his

enter to deliberate the latest case



successor. Unable to bear the agony any

against the Doge’s son. Loredano,

reconvene to confirm the sentence; the

longer, his heart suddenly breaks and he

sworn enemy of the Doge and a

Doge solemnly enters to preside. Jacopo

dies a lonely and dejected man.

The opera begins as Jacopo awaits

The Council of Ten and Senate

Disheartened by the tragic events

In fond memory of Tara Colburn, supertitles are underwritten by Dunard Fund USA.

PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE P5

a note from music director james conlon

Verdi: Pater Familias 1813: The birth year of Giuseppe Verdi

He recounts the story of the forced

characteristic devotion to concision

and Richard Wagner

abdication of a great Venetian statesman

produces one of his shortest operas.

1913: The birth year of Benjamin Britten

(Francesco Foscari) resulting from an



2013: The year LA Opera and the

unseemly, clandestine intrigue by other

of Foscari is the subject and the primacy

classical music world will mark these

Venetian nobles. (The Doge of the

of the father-son relationship. There is no

three anniversaries. Actually, 2013 will

Venetian Republic was the head of state,

question that the plight of the father is

serve as our center line for observing

and the word Doge is the Venetian form

the single most central theme spanning

these birthdates. We have already begun

of the Latin word Dux, whence the

Verdi’s entire output. Its absence in an

this process, and it will extend into 2014.

English word duke and Mussolini’s self-

opera is the exception rather than the



One could barely think of three

appellation Duce). Considering that the

rule. Psychobiography is a highly

composers who were personally and

work was intended to be premiered in

unreliable, if not an entirely unworthy,

artistically so different. And yet, aside

Venice, this constituted an unacceptable

approach to analyzing works of art, but it

from their centenary celebrations, they

affront to the nobility at large and to the

is tempting to state the obvious. Verdi’s

have one enormous attribute in

still-prominent Foscari family. It was

loss of his first wife and two infant

common. All three unquestionably stand

rejected as unsuitable, and Verdi later

children within 22 months between 1838

at the zenith of their respective operatic

substituted it for a commission in Rome,

and 1840 clearly left its mark on the

cultures. In presenting The Two Foscari

where it was premiered.

composer as well as the man.

(I Due Foscari), in its first production in





a major American opera house in 40

occasional bombast in his early operas,

dimensional; few are stick figures of

years, LA Opera brings to light an

he took a decisive step toward elegance

good or bad. Many of the fathers are

essential work from Verdi’s early period,

and refinement. Foscari is a determined

unsympathetic by their actions, but win

which will be especially appreciated by

step towards intimate drama following

our compassion through their own

Verdi lovers. This opera represents an

larger-scaled works. It demonstrates a

sufferings, or incapacity to prevent their

important step in the development of

pattern he was to repeat nine years

own tragic fates and/or those of their

Verdi’s style and musical vocabulary, in

later, following the medieval and stormy

children. The Two Foscari is the first of

which he gradually transforms the

Il Trovatore with the elegant Parisian

the series of complex father-son

inherited culture of Rossini, Donizetti

“drawing room” romance of La Traviata.

relations, passing through I Masnadieri

and Bellini into a language of his own,



(with a good and bad son) and Luisa

quintessentially defining and

Foscari within a tight family unit: the

Miller (which will present a clear contrast

personifying the Italian 19th century.

aging Doge Francesco, his son Jacopo,

between the “good” and the “bad” father­)



persecuted by the intriguing nobles,

on through Monfort and his son Henri (in I

26 theatrical works (not counting

and Jacopo’s devoted and courageous

Vespri Siciliani) until it finds its apotheosis

several revised versions). Between his

wife, Lucrezia. Venice is an alternatingly

in the portrayal of the monumentality

first opera, Oberto (1839), and Falstaff

colorful and lugubrious background,

failed relationship between King Philip II

(1893) are 54 years. Foscari (1844) was

one of the first examples of Verdi’s

of Spain and his son Don Carlo.

written five years into that trajectory—in

fascination with the political world and



terms of works written, not yet a quarter

the ambiance of power. The first two

tragic entity, bound together by their

of his ultimate output and in terms of

words of the opera, an example of

implacable enemies’ thirst for vengeance.

years, less than ten percent of the way.

Verdi’s famous “parola scenica” (“the

The conflict between paternal love and

It may be, by our standards, an “old-

scenic word”), are “silenzio …mistero”

the demands of the crown break the will

fashioned” opera. It certainly would

(silence and mystery), which are said to

of the aging father; the death (murder)

have been considered as such by the

reign over and to have protected Venice

of his son breaks his heart. Only the

composer himself. But we have come to

since its infancy. In contrast, the

commanding presence of Lucrezia

measure the sophistication of Italian

populace sings to Venice, the daughter,

remains alive at the end of the Foscari

opera precisely by the yardstick Verdi

wife and mistress of the sea, as a

reign to face the victorious enemies of

has provided us through his

mirror; the blue lagoon reflects the

her family. Brought to its end by the

extraordinary life’s productivity.

brightness of day, and the moon

silent and mysterious forces that ruled “la



transforms its night into silver. Verdi

Serenissima,” the “Most Serene Republic

hearing, is actually how much there is

uses identifying motifs for his principal

of Venice,” the demise of the Foscari

that was new and significant at the time,

characters in a more consistent way

family shows that the “daughter, wife and

starting with Verdi’s choice of subject.

than in his previous operas. His

mistress of the sea” was all but serene.

Foscari is the sixth opera of Verdi’s

What it is easy for us to miss, in a first

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After dispensing raw energy and

Verdi concentrates the action of

But by far the most important aspect

His fathers are complex and multi-

The Foscari family trio is a unified and

ARTISTS

CONDUCTOR

One of today’s preeminent conductors, James Conlon has cultivated a vast symphonic, operatic and choral repertoire. Since his 1974 New York Philharmonic debut, he has been a guest conductor with virtually every major North American and European orchestra and a frequent guest conductor at the Metropolitan Opera where he has conducted over 250 performances. In addition to being Richard Seaver Music Director of LA Opera, he is music director of both the Ravinia Festival, summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (since 2005), and the Cincinnati May Festival (since 1979). He was principal conductor of the Paris National Opera (1995-2004); general music director of the City of Cologne (1989-2002); and music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic (1983-1991). In an effort to raise public consciousness for the works of composers who were suppressed by the Nazi regime, he has devoted himself to extensive programming of this music in North America and Europe. He has been honored with the Zemlinsky Prize, the Music Institute of Chicago’s Dushkin Award and the Anti-Defamation League’s Crystal Globe, and he has received honorary doctorates from the Juilliard School, Chapman University and Brandeis University. He was awarded France’s highest distinction, the Légion d’Honneur, by thenPresident Jacques Chirac. In 2005 he was one of five recipients of the inaugural Opera News Awards. In 2009, he won two Grammy Awards (Best Classical Recording; Best Opera Album) for LA Opera’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, released on DVD on EuroArts. He is engaged in a three-year homage to Benjamin Britten leading up to the 2013 centenary of the composer’s birth, conducting symphonic and choral works and six

operas, including LA Opera’s recent Turn of the Screw and Albert Herring, in both the U.S. and Europe. PHOTO BY ERAJ ASADI

James Conlon

Thaddeus Strassberger DIRECTOR

Thaddeus Strassberger, who makes his LA Opera debut, was awarded the prestigious European Opera Prize in 2005 for his production of Rossini’s La Cenerentola for Opera Ireland and Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden. Following his success with Hamlet for the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center, he returned there to direct and design the scenery for Nabucco, a co-production with the Minnesota Opera and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. His recent productions of The Marriage of Figaro and The Rape of Lucretia (Norwegian National Opera) are scheduled for revivals in the coming seasons along with a new Don Giovanni. His production of Rossini’s rarity La Gazzetta (Rossini in Wildbad Festival, Germany) garnered nominations for Best Production and Best Direction from Opernwelt magazine. He has a long association with Bard Summerscape in New York, where he has directed landmark productions of Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots, the North American stage premiere of Franz Schreker’s Der ferne Klang, and Chabrier’s Le Roi malgré Lui, and in 2013 will direct Taneyev’s monumental Oresteia. Upcoming company debuts include Palau de les Arts in Valencia, Theater an der Wien in Vienna, and the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London.

Kevin Knight SCENIC DESIGNER

Kevin Knight made his LA Opera debut last season with Albert Herring. He has designed for many of the world’s

leading opera companies, with credits including The Tsar’s Bride (Covent Garden), Rusalka and The Marriage of Figaro (Oslo), Lulu and Die Frau ohne Schatten (Lyric Opera of Chicago), Tosca and Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (Canadian Opera Company), La Bohème and Albert Herring (Santa Fe Opera), Pastorale (world premiere, Stuttgart), Tannhäuser (La Scala), Il Trovatore (Bologna, Japan, Bilbao), I Lombardi (Florence), I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Spoleto Festival USA), The Miserly Knight and A Florentine Tragedy (Lisbon), Die Drei Pintos and Mirandolina (Wexford Opera Festival, Lugo Opera Festival), La Finta Gardiniera (Garsington Opera Festival), Daphne and Ariadne auf Naxos (Venice, Antwerp), Königskinder (Naples; winner of the Premio Abbiati), Sweeney Todd and Don Giovanni (Opera North). He directed and designed the world premiere of Naomi Wallace’s stage adaptation of Birdy for the West End and American productions (winner of the Barrymore Award for outstanding contribution to stage design) and The Truman Capote Talk Show (winner, Edinburgh Fringe First Award) also produced in London, Off Broadway and on a European tour.

Mattie Ullrich COSTUME DESIGNER

Mattie Ullrich makes her LA Opera debut. Her recent work in opera includes Nabucco for Washington National Opera (a co-production with Minnesota Opera and Opera Company of Philadelphia), The Rape of Lucretia for the Norwegian National Opera, Le Roi malgré lui and Der ferne Klang for Bard SummerScape, and Zaide, Così fan tutte and Ariadne auf Naxos for Wolf Trap Opera. She received the European Opera Prize in 2006 for her collaboration with Thaddeus Strassberger for Opera Ireland’s

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ARTISTS production of La Cenerentola. In addition to opera, her repertoire encompasses film, theater, musicals and print. She designed the costumes for a reworking of the Stephen Schwartz musical Working with new songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda (Tony Awardwinning creator of In The Heights). Other theatrical credits include Off Broadway’s The Pride directed by Joe Mantello (director of Wicked) and The Starry Messenger starring Matthew Broderick. Her notable film work includes Year of the Fish (Sundance 2007) and the award-winning short Sovereignty. She is currently collaborating with Mr. Strassberger on a new production of Don Giovanni for the Norwegian National Opera, as well as remounting their production of Le Roi malgré lui for the Wexford Opera Festival in Ireland.  

Bruno Poet LIGHTING DESIGNER

Bruno Poet’s work in leading opera houses includes Rinaldo (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Il Trovatore (Danish National Opera); The Magic Flute (Oviedo); Pelléas et Mélisande (Buenos Aires); Macbeth (Strasbourg, Monte Carlo); Das Portrait (Bregenz, Kaiserslautern); Sunset Boulevard (Göteborg); The Marriage of Figaro (Oslo); L’Arbore di Diana (Barcelona, Madrid); Al Gran Sole Carico d’Amore (Berlin, Salzburg); I Puritani (Amsterdam); Peter Grimes, Don Pasquale (Geneva); A Florentine Tragedy, Gianni Schicchi (Athens); Salome, Una Cosa Rara, La Corte Del Faraon (Valencia); La Clemenza di Tito (Barcelona, Leipzig); and Rusalka (Sydney, where he received the Green Room Award). In the U.K., he has lit productions for English National Opera, English Touring Opera, Royal Opera House and Opera North, as well as 14 consecutive seasons for Garsington Opera. He has lit

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productions for the RSC and, in London, the Royal Court, Donmar, Old Vic and in the West End, as well as Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein at the National Theatre, for which he has been nominated for a 2012 Olivier Award. Concert lighting includes the recent world tour by Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi.

Grant Gershon CHORUS DIRECTOR

Grant Gershon has conducted LA Opera performances of La Traviata, the world premiere of Daniel Catán’s Il Postino and Handel’s L'Allegro, il Penseroro ed il Moderato. Newly appointed as LA Opera’s Resident Conductor, he will conduct Madame Butterfly later this season. He made his 2011 Santa Fe Opera debut conducting Vivaldi’s Griselda. At the Hollywood Bowl he led the 2010 opening concert of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Classical Series. He is in his 12th season as Music Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, where he has led nearly 100 performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall, including virtually all of the major choral works. In 2007, he conducted the Minnesota Opera’s world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath and led subsequent performances of the work with the Utah Symphony. His discography includes two Grammy-nominated recordings: Sweeney Todd and Ligeti’s Grand Macabre, as well as five CDs with the Master Chorale, including the newly released Górecki Miserere on Decca Records. He is a member of the Board of Councilors for the Thornton School and the Board of Directors of Chorus America.    

Plácido Domingo FRANCESCO FOSCARI

Plácido Domingo is a world-renowned, multifaceted artist. Recognized as one of the finest and most influential singing actors in the history of opera, he is also a conductor and a major force as an opera administrator in his role as Eli and Edythe Broad General Director of LA Opera. His repertoire now encompasses 140 roles, a number unmatched by any other tenor in history, with over 3600 career performances. His more than 100 recordings of complete operas, compilations of arias and duets, and crossover discs have earned him 12 Grammy Awards, including three Latin Grammys, and he has made more than 50 music videos and won two Emmy Awards. In addition to three feature opera films—Carmen, La Traviata and Otello—he voiced the role of Monte in Beverly Hills Chihuahua, played himself on The Simpsons, and his telecast of Tosca from the authentic settings in Rome was seen by more than one billion people in 117 countries. He has conducted more than 450 opera performances and symphonic concerts with the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Vienna Staatsoper, LA Opera, Chicago Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic, Montréal Symphony, National Symphony, London Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Berlin Philharmonic. In 1993, he founded the international voice competition Operalia. He has celebrated the 40th anniversary of his debuts at the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, La Scala and Arena di Verona. He recently created the role of Pablo Neruda in the world premiere of Daniel Catán’s Il Postino in Los Angeles (filmed for telecast and DVD release), with subsequent performances taking place in Vienna, Paris and Santiago, as well as future

ARTISTS

Francesco Meli JACOPO FOSCARI

Italian tenor Francesco Meli, who makes his LA Opera debut, was born in Genova in 1980. In 2002 he made his professional debut at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy in Macbeth, Petite Messe Solennelle and Puccini’s Messa di Gloria (broadcast by RAI). He has appeared in all the major opera houses of Italy, including La Scala, where he made his debut in Dialogues des Carmélites conducted by Riccardo Muti. He performed in the opening nights for three consecutive seasons of the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro (Bianca e Falliero, Torvaldo e Dorliska and Maometto II). Other appearances include Don Giovanni and Falstaff at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées, La Sonnambula in Lyon, and new productions of Don Giovanni and Maria Stuarda at La Scala. Other Italian appearances include Così fan tutte and I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata in Parma, Lucia di Lammermoor and Don Pasquale in Bologna, The Barber of Seville in Venice, L’Elisir d’Amore in Florence, and Don Pasquale and La Traviata in Torino. He debuted in Vienna in Così fan tutte conducted by Riccardo Muti, in Tokyo in Maometto II and at Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera in Rigoletto. His most recent appearances include Il Trovatore in Venice, Un Ballo in Maschera in Parma, La Traviata in Hamburg, Rigoletto in Trieste, and Werther with the Washington National Opera. Later this season, he will return to the Metropolitan Opera in a new production of Maria Stuarda and to Torino in L’Elisir d’Amore.

Marina Poplavskaya LUCREZIA CONTARINI

Since her acclaimed 2006 performance as Rachel in the Royal Opera Covent Garden’s concerts of Halevy’s La Juive, Russian-born soprano Marina Poplavskaya has established herself as one of the most arresting young artists to be heard today. The British press hailed her as a major new singer, and as a result of this great success she received invitations from important theaters throughout the world such as the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Berlin State Opera and the Salzburg Festival. She began the 2011/2012 season as Violetta at Covent Garden. After appearing in Act 4 of Otello opposite Plácido Domingo in gala performances at the Royal Opera, she returned to the Metropolitan Opera as Marguerite in a new production of Faust. In February of 2012, she made her debut at the Bavarian State Opera as Violetta and subsequently in March at the Vienna State Opera as Amelia in Simon Boccanegra. She then sang Leonora in a new production of Il Trovatore at the Theatre Royale de la Monnaie in Brussels. Future projects include her debut as Lisa in The Queen of Spades at the Vienna State Opera, a new production of Meyerbeer’s Robert le Diable at Covent Garden, Eugene Onegin at the Metropolitan Opera, and Otello and Tannhäuser at the Berlin State Opera, both under Daniel Barenboim. She will also sing Verdi’s Requiem under Seymon Bychkov and Desdemona in Tokyo. She made her LA Opera debut in La Traviata in 2009.

Ievgen Orlov LOREDANO

Ukrainian bass Ievgen Orlov, who makes his Company debut, also appears with LA Opera this season as the

Commendatore in Don Giovanni. Since 2006 he has been a soloist at the Ukrainian National Opera, where his roles have included Gremin in Eugene Onegin, King Rene in Iolanta, Malyuta and Sobakin in The Tsar’s Bride, Banquo in Macbeth, Monterone in Rigoletto, Kontchak in Prince Igor, the Bonze in Madame Butterfly, the King of Egypt and Ramfis in Aida, Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville and Creon in Oedipus Rex. He has worked with important conductors including Igor Blazhkov, Pedro Halffter, Massimo Zanetti, Nello Santi and Plácido Domingo. In 2010, he was a prize winner of the Operalia World Opera Competition. That same year, he was also a guest soloist for a gala concert at the Opéra de Quebec and he took part in the Salzburg Festival’s Young Singers Project. In 2011 he made his debut as King Phillip II in Don Carlo at Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville and performed the High Priest in Nabucco at the Peralada Festival. Earlier this year, he performed Zaccaria in Nabucco in Bilbao. Future projects include the Bonze in Madame Butterfly in Barcelona, Guardiano in La Forza del Destino in Bilbao and Basilio in The Barber of Seville in Chile. PHOTO BY KENNETH DOLIN

performances in Madrid. Later this season, he will add another new role to his repertoire, the baritone role of Giorgio Germont in La Traviata, during his 45th season at the Metropolitan Opera.

Ben Bliss BARBARIGO

Tenor Ben Bliss, a second-year member of the DomingoThornton Young Artist Program, made his LA Opera debut in 2011 as Benvolio in Roméo et Juliette. In 2012, he returned as Parpignol in La Bohème, as well as Daniel in LA Opera’s Cathedral production of The Festival Play of Daniel. He also performed the Guard/ Revolutionary in Krenek’s The Secret Kingdom and Harlequin in Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis with the Colburn Orchestra. He has been the tenor soloist for Bach’s Magnificat with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and for Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the La Jolla Symphony. He also made a singing guest appearance on NBC’s Whitney.

PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE P9

artistic personnel

Tracy Cox

CHORUS

ORCHESTRA

SOPRANO

FIRST VIOLIN

CELLO

HORN

Christina Borgioli Jamie Chamberlin Lisa Crave Leslie Dennis Nicole Fernandes Ayana Haviv Terri Hill Virenia Lind* Renee Sousa* Lori Stinson Rebecca Tomlinson*

Roberto Cani

John Walz

Steven Becknell

STUART CANIN CONCERTMASTER

PRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL

Jessica Guideri

Rowena Hammill ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Daniel Kelley James Atkinson

PISANA

Soprano Tracy Cox, a third-year member of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program, made her LA Opera debut in 2010 as Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro. While spending the summer at the Music Academy of the West, she was named the 2012 winner of the Marilyn Horne Song Competition. Earlier this year, she sang the role of the Second Lady in The Secret Kingdom at the Colburn School. She earned both her B.A. and her M.M. in Voice Performance from UCLA on full scholarship from the Gluck Foundation. Her many roles there included Medea in Cavalli’s Giasone, the Older Woman in Jonathan Dove’s Flight and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is a former member of the Wolf Trap Opera Studio.

Hunter Phillips SERVANT OF THE DOGE

Baritone Hunter Phillips, who makes his LA Opera debut, is a member of the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program. He will return as the Official Registrar in Madame Butterfly later in the season. Originally from Los Angeles, he first pursued a degree in law at Boston University where he sang in productions of The Magic Flute, The Barber of Seville and Lucia di Lammermoor. After receiving his J.D. and passing the California Bar Exam, he decided to pursue opera full time. He was a regional semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Earlier this year, he performed in the LA Opera/Getty Center collaboration Émigrés and Experimentalists.

P10  PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE

ALTO Natalie Beck** Aleta Braxton** Sara Campbell Veronica Christenson* Michelle Fournier** Kelly Krantz Adriana Manfredi Helene Quintana* Adrien Raynier** Jennifer Wallace* Belinda Wilkins

TENOR Stephen Arel* Scott Blois* Omar Crook Rafael Duran James Guthrie Steven Harms John Kimberling* Charles Lane* Francis Lucaric* Sal Malaki* Mark David Miller** Gabriel Reoyo-Pazos George Sterne** Todd Strange Daniel Suk Jan-Kees van der Gaag*

BASS Mark Beasom** Michael Blinco Reid Bruton* Julian Fielder* Gregory Geiger Michael Geiger* Abdiel Gonzalez Robert Hovencamp* Mark Kelley* David Kress* Steven Pence Vincent Robles James Martin Schaefer Tim Smith* Michael Stevens Arthur Wand*

*Has appeared in 50 or more productions **Has appeared in 100 or more productions

ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER

Lisa Sutton ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER

Margaret Wooten Jinny Leem Olivia Tsui Tamsen Beseke James Stark Armen Anassian Loránd Lokuszta Movses Pogossian

Dane Little Kim Scholes Xiao-Dan Zheng Nadine Hall

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Jenny Kim

TRUMPET

BASS

Tim Morrison

David Young

David Washburn

PRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL

ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Ann Atkinson ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

TROMBONE William Booth

SECOND VIOLIN

Frances Liu Wu Don Ferrone Tim Eckert

Ana Landauer

FLUTE

PRINCIPAL

Steve Scharf ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Florence Titmus Leslie Katz Michele Kikuchi Cynthia Moussas Tina Chang Qu Jayme Miller Grace Oh

PRINCIPAL

Alvin Veeh Terry Cravens

TUBA

Heather Clark PRINCIPAL

Angela Wiegand

James Self PRINCIPAL

OBOE

HARP

Leslie Reed

JoAnn Turovsky

PRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL

Lelie Resnick

TIMPANI

VIOLA

CLARINET

Gregory Goodall

Andrew Picken

Stuart Clark

PRINCIPAL

Shawn Mann ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Karie Prescott Dmitri Bovaird Kazi Pitelka Kate Vincent Alma Fernandez Carolyn Riley

PRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL

PERCUSSION

Stephen Piazza

Theresa Dimond PRINCIPAL

BASSOON

Timm Boatman

William May PRINCIPAL

Judith Farmer

Stuart Canin Concertmaster Chair made possible by a deeply appreciated gift from Dunard Fund USA.

SUPERNUMERARIES Nancy B. Berggren (La Dogaressa)

MYSTERY PLAYERS

CHILDREN

Anastasia Coon Stephen Hues Sarah M. Moser (Flying Angel) Dalmacio Pueblos (Winged Fire Breather) Carlos Ragas Andrew Scott Jason Turner Lis Vizcarra

Donovan Baise Ranya Jaber Hannah Victoria Stock

production staff MUSICAL ASSISTANT TO JAMES CONLON

Ignazio Terrasi

WARDROBE

ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER

Lee Smilek

Azra King-Abadi

WARDROBE ASSISTANT

PROJECTIONS CREATED BY

Shelley Graves-Jimenez Mary Lehman Kathleen Melcher Martin Morse Laura Oswald Angelo Rivera

Alisa Lapidus ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS

Meredith Greenburg Whitney McAnally Taylor Saleeby

Robert Devis Demetra Willis HEAD USHERS

Carolyn Van Brunt VICE PRESIDENT OF GUEST SERVICES

VARI*LITE AUTOMATED LIGHTING PROVIDED BY

SEASONAL DRESSERS

Vari-Lite Inc.

WIGS AND MAKE-UP

THE DOMINGO-THORNTON YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM

STAGE MANAGEMENT INTERN

Michael Vitale ASSOCIATE CHORUS MASTER

Karen Cooksey SUPERTITLE PREPARATION / CUER

Linda Zoolalian STUDIO TEACHER

Marie Wilson-Rogers

COSTUME SHOP Allison Achauer Laina Babb Heather Bair Leslie Ann Smith

Darren K. Jinks WIGMASTER

Samantha Wooten ASSOCIATE WIGMASTER

Brandi Strona CREW FOREMAN

Renee Horner Lisa Reitano Nicole Rodrigues SENIOR WIG & MAKE-UP ARTISTS

Linda Cardenas LEAD STYLIST

CUTTER / DRAPERS

Jennifer Shaw

STAGE CREW

ASSISTANT CUTTER / DRAPER

Reina Alirez FIRST HAND

Yuan Anne Hua Blanca Miranda Hortencia Santos Pamela Walt Jennifer Wolff Anna Wong SEAMSTERS

Camilla Hansen Tammie Merheb CRAFTSPERSONS

Sharon McGunigle HEAD TAILOR

Wing Cheung

Harold E. Conroy OPERA CARPENTER

TAILORS

Misty Ayres Jeannique Prospere COSTUME SUPERVISORS

Claudia Adelina COSTUME ASSISTANT

Manuel Garcia ASSISTANT PRODUCTION & STOCK COORDINATOR

Stefanie Cytron PRODUCTION ASSISTANT – BUYER

Named in recognition of a generous gift from the Flora L. Thornton Foundation, the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program has the goal of developing the talents of exceptionally gifted young artists to become performers of potentially international stature, whose first loyalty would be to LA Opera. Generous support also provided by the Colburn Foundation and Lenore and Richard Wayne.

Thomas Laurence Conroy ASSISTANT OPERA CARPENTER

Steve Williams

Additional support from the Hanna and Leo Orsten Fund for Emerging Artists.

OPERA ELECTRICIAN

Stan Williams OPERA ASSISTANT ELECTRICIAN

Allen Tate OPERA PROPERTY MASTER

Sheldon Ross ASSISTANT OPERA PROPERTY MASTER

2012/13 PARTICIPANTS

Christopher Allen ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

Ben Bliss TENOR

Todd Reynolds OPERA AUDIO ENGINEER

Hae Ji Chang SOPRANO

ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD TAILOR

Rafael Avila Manuel Medina Rene Santos

Identifying and encouraging talented young artists with enormous potential is essential to the future of opera. Since the Company’s inception, Los Angeles Opera has been committed to nurturing a resident ensemble of young singers who would benefit from long-term professional development. Inaugurated in 2006, the Domingo-Thornton Young Artist Program builds on the success of the Company’s highly respected Resident Artist Program.

DOROTHY CHANDLER PAVILION HOUSE STAFF Timothy L. Conroy

Tracy Cox SOPRANO

Joshua Guerrero TENOR

MASTER CARPENTER

Gary Earl HOUSE HEAD ELECTRICIAN

James Draper MASTER OF PROPERTIES

Jeff Des Enfants

D’Ana Lombard SOPRANO

Rebecca Nathanson SOPRANO

Hunter Phillips

MASTER AUDIO

BARITONE

Jim Payne

Amanda Woodbury

HOUSE MANAGER

SOPRANO

Melinda Brown PRODUCTION ASSISTANT – STOCK

Special thanks to the staff of the Music Center. Directors, singers, choreographers, stage managers, ensemble members and assistant directors in this production are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists. Orchestra musicians are represented by the American Federation of Musicians, Local 47. The following employees are represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Machine Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC,: Stage Crew, Local 33; Treasurers and Ticket Sellers, Local 857; Wardrobe Crew, Local 768; Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists, Local 706. Interns in the Technical Department are students at California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, California). All editorial materials copyright Los Angeles Opera, 2012. The opinions expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Los Angeles Opera. Recorded welcome announcements voiced by Jamieson K. Price.

PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE P11

los angeles opera company staff Plácido Domingo

Alisa Lapidus

Janey K. Campbell

ELI AND EDYTHE BROAD GENERAL DIRECTOR

PRODUCTION MEDIA MANAGER

MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER

James Conlon

Lisa Coto

Terri Bobadilla

PROPERTIES COORDINATOR

RESEARCH MANAGER

Tony Reveles Melissa Ficociello

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING

RICHARD SEAVER MUSIC DIRECTOR

Christopher Koelsch PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

John P. Nuckols VICE PRESIDENT, ADVANCEMENT

Faith Raiguel VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

RESIDENT LEAD SCENIC ARTISTS

Chris Carey TECHNICAL PAYROLL OFFICER

Katelan Braymer Maura Reinhart

Andrea Danowski PAYROLL AND BENEFITS MANAGER

Juliet Brown Lindsay Burn

COSTUME DIRECTOR

SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR

SENIOR DIRECTOR, FINANCE

Stacy C. Brightman, Ph.D. SENIOR DIRECTOR, EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Grant Gershon RESIDENT CONDUCTOR

Rupert Hemmings SENIOR DIRECTOR, PRODUCTION

Gerrie Maloof

COSTUME DEPARTMENT MANAGER

John Bishop

SENIOR CRAFTSPERSON

Gloriana Siman PRODUCTION & STOCK COORDINATOR

SENIOR DIRECTOR, LABOR RELATIONS AND HUMAN RESOURCES

John Musselman

Patricia McLeod

Neal Anderson

SENIOR DIRECTOR, DEVELOPMENT

MAINTENANCE ASSISTANT

Joshua Winograde

Janine Allen

SENIOR DIRECTOR, ARTISTIC PLANNING

HEAD OF WARDROBE

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

NETWORK MANAGER

Jill Burnham

TESSITURA ADMINISTRATOR

Thomas Hand

EDUCATION MANAGER

Anthony Jones COMMUNITY PROGRAMS & TOUR MANAGER

Carmen Recker SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER

Garrett Collins COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Lyla Forlani

EDUCATION PROGRAMS ASSISTANT

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

Jacob H. Shideler

Jessie Kim

Melissa Karpel

ARTISTIC AND OPERATIONS ASSOCIATE

REHEARSAL ADMINISTRATOR

EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS COORDINATOR

RESEARCH ASSISTANT

Mariana Silva

DEVELOPMENT

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

MANAGER OF DATA SERVICES

ARTIST SERVICES MANAGER

MUSIC LIBRARIAN

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER

Richard Comito

Susan Lang

Mark Fabulich

Mary Schultz

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

PRODUCTION

MUSIC ADMINISTRATION

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE ASSISTANT

Jennifer Babcock

ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION

MANAGER OF CHORUS, DANCERS AND SUPERS

Jeannie Jones

Michael Masuda

Nandani Sinha

Gretchen Meyerhoefer

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE MANAGER

EDUCATION & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

SENIOR CUTTER / DRAPER

Hallie Dufresne

FINANCE AND OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATOR

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING ASSISTANT

Jennifer Green

Gregory White

Stephen Moriyama

Nicole Michela

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, SPECIAL EVENTS

Sarah Al-Atrakchi

SENIOR ACCOUNTING MANAGER

Kathleen Martin

SPECIAL EVENTS

COSTUMES

Denice Behdad

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP

WALLY RUSSELL LIGHTING INTERNS

Diane Rhodes Bergman, APR VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Samantha Leo

FINANCE

Eli Villanueva RESIDENT STAGE DIRECTOR

Natalie Buickians Julia Petraglia Cindy Varghese INTERNS

Felino Jason Vasquez

BOX OFFICE James M. Bell BOX OFFICE TREASURER

Tom Bucher FIRST ASSISTANT TREASURER

Dale Bridges Johannsen Shane K. Morton Shawnet Sweets ASSISTANT TREASURERS

Michael Meyer PATRON TICKETING SERVICES

Susan Wong TICKET SELLER

AUDIENCE SERVICES Kimberly Price AUDIENCE SERVICES MANAGER

ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN

Marlinda Menashe

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Bruce Hall

B rady

DIRECTOR, INSTITUTIONAL GIVING AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

Jill Michnick

Gary W. Murphy

PERSONAL ASSISTANT TO JAMES CONLON

 IRECTOR OF BOARD RELATIONS AND D SPECIAL EVENTS

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Ignazio Terrasi

Anne Nie

MUSICAL ASSISTANT TO JAMES CONLON

DIRECTOR, MAJOR GIFTS

Robert Harrington Joseph Howells Margaret Prill Joseph Selway Marlow Wyatt

Steel

ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER

William Gorin

Nino Sanikidze HEAD COACH, DOMINGO-THORNTON YOUNG ARTIST PROGRAM

ADMINISTRATION

Robin Green EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

ANNUAL FUND

HUMAN RESOURCES AND FINANCE COORDINATOR

TECHNICAL Jeff Kleeman

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, ANNUAL FUND

Margie Schnibbe TECHNICAL PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

P12  PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, SOCIAL MEDIA

SALES AND MARKETING

AUDIENCE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES

CONSULTANTS

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT, INDIVIDUAL GIVING

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Melanie Underhill

Mark A. Rice

DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANT, INDIVIDUAL GIVING

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, MAJOR GIFTS

Studio Fuse Robert Millard PHOTOGRAPHY

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Keith Rainville BRAND MANAGER

Christine Weil

GRAPHIC DESIGN

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Julia Graham Rivera

INDIVIDUAL GIVING DESIGN MANAGER

Shannita Williams

Sophia Sanchez

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Carolina Angulo

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, PUBLICATIONS

Matchbox Studio Margo McAdams

Laura Bennett

Mark Lyons

AUDIENCE SERVICES SUPERVISOR

Jolane Weist MARKETING DATA AND PRICING ANALYST

Garrett Collins COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

news and previews

Introducing Christopher Koelsch He has helped produce over 30 new productions—including four world premieres, the Ring cycle and seven television recordings—working in close collaboration with the Company’s principal architects, including Peter Hemmings, LA Opera’s founding general director. During this time, most recently as senior vice president and chief operating officer, he has been responsible for all aspects of artistic and strategic planning, overseeing the Company’s music administration, production, marketing, public relations and educational administration. “It is a great honor and thrill for me to work with Plácido Domingo and James Conlon as we build the future of LA Opera,” said Mr. Koelsch. “All three of us are committed to ensuring that each of our productions is as meticulously executed and artistically noteworthy as possible, and it’s a challenge that I find deeply rewarding and invigorating. As befits the city in which we are so fortunate to work, LA Opera is one of the most adventurous opera companies in the United States. We will build upon the company’s rich legacy with some exciting plans in upcoming seasons, and our new Off-Grand initiatives speak to an increasingly robust engagement with the richly diverse Southern California community. We are all truly optimistic about what the future has in store, and I look forward to continuing my work with this great company as we plan the next chapter of its singular story.” “The time has come for LA Opera to have its own full-time business leader to join with me in continuing to advance the Company’s central artistic position, not only in Los

PHOTO BY REBECCA ROTENBERG

LA Opera’s President and CEO Christopher Koelsch has a new title this season, but he has been a crucial member of the Company’s leadership team for the last 15 years.

Angeles but in the world of music,” said Mr. Domingo. “I cannot think of anyone more appropriate than Christopher Koelsch. Christopher is one of the most skilled professionals I have worked with and I embrace our future together at LA Opera.” Trained as a dramaturg and stage director at Colgate University and the University of Michigan, Mr. Koelsch began his career as rehearsal administrator at the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina. He became the company manager at Opera Pacific and then joined LA

Opera in 1997. After serving as vice president for artistic planning, he was promoted to senior vice president and chief operating officer in 2010. He currently also serves on the USC Thornton School of Music Board of Councilors. “Christopher has wonderful artistic sensibilities,” said Board Chairman Marc I. Stern. “His experience in all departments has proven him to be a very pragmatic manager and his knowledge of the business of an arts organization is exactly what we need going forward.”

PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE P13

DONOR RECOGNITION

20th Anniversary Angels

MARC I. STERN, CHAIR

LA Opera wishes to honor those individuals who have made an extraordinary leadership commitment to the Company. Building upon the remarkable foundation created by the Founding and Domingo’s Angels, the outstanding support of the 20th Anniversary Angels has helped ensure an artistically vibrant and financially secure future for LA Opera. Please see page P2 for a listing of the 25th Anniversary Angels.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation

Carol and Warner Henry

Marc and Eva Stern Foundation

Colburn Foundation

Alfred and Claude Mann

Flora L. Thornton

County of Los Angeles

Sebastian Paul and Marybelle Musco

Marilyn Ziering

Richard Seaver and Sara Jayne Kimm

Mr. Harold Alden and Dr. Geraldine Alden

Brindell Roberts Gottlieb

Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer

The Annenberg Foundation

The Green Foundation

Tarasenka Pankiv Fund (Tara Colburn)

Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter

Bernard and Lenore Greenberg, in honor of Leonard Green

Barbara Augusta Teichert

Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E. Levine Family Foundation

Christopher V. Walker

Yuki and Alex Bouzari Nancy Daly Edgar Foster Daniels Kelly and Robert Day

LGHG Foundation

Leslie and John Dorman

Beatrix F. Padway, in honor of Nathaniel W. Finston

Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman

Mr. and Mrs. Milan Panic

Domingo’s Angels



The Joop van den Ende Foundation Lenore and Richard Wayne Ziering Family Foundation Selim K. Zilkha and Mary Hayley / Selim K. Zilkha Foundation

MARC I. STERN, CHAIR MARY HAYLEY, CO-CHAIR WARNER HENRY, CO-CHAIR

Domingo’s Angels are individuals who made a leadership commitment to fulfilling the artistic initiatives of the Domingo Seasons, 2001-2005. Their remarkable generosity provided a new threshold from which the artistic professionals associated with LA Opera created and produced opera that thrilled and inspired Los Angeles audiences and the world.

Robert V. Adams and Barbara Abercrombie

The Green Foundation

Richard Seaver and Sara Jayne Kimm

Lenore and Bernard Greenberg

Marc and Eva Stern Foundation

Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter

Carol and Warner Henry

The Skirball Foundation

Colburn Foundation

Flora L. Thornton Foundation

Kelly and Robert Day

Walter Lantz Foundation / Edward A. Landry, Trustee

Marta and Plácido Domingo

Rosemary and Milton Okun

Leslie and John Dorman

Mr. and Mrs. Milan Panic

Selim K. Zilkha and Mary Hayley / Selim K. Zilkha Foundation

Founding Angels

WARNER HENRY, CHAIR

LA Opera is grateful for the vision, boldness and extraordinary generosity of the Founding Angels, whose commitment to the Company in its early years helped ensure the future of opera in Los Angeles.

Mr. and Mrs. Roy L. Ash

Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation

Richard Seaver

Dorothy Collins Brown

The Skirball Foundation

Mr. Richard D. Colburn

The Emese and Leonard Green Foundation

The Edgar Foster Daniels Foundation

Carol and Warner Henry

Flora L. Thornton Foundation

Forman Family Foundation

Opera League of Los Angeles

P14  PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard H. Straus

DONOR RECOGNITION

Artistic Excellence Circle

MILENA KITIC, CHAIR

LA Opera is pleased to recognize the Artistic Excellence Circle, a dedicated group of individuals whose annual support ensures that its productions continue to feature today’s leading singers, conductors, directors and designers—all of the elements that make each season memorable. To learn more about the Artistic Excellence Circle, please call John Nuckols at 213.972.7256.

PREMIER DIAMOND PATRON

($500,000 & ABOVE)

Annenberg Foundation The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation Colburn Foundation County of Los Angeles Kelly and Robert Day Malsi Doyle and Michael Forman LGHG Foundation Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation Brindell Roberts Gottlieb Carol and Warner Henry

DIAMOND PATRON

($250,000 & ABOVE)

The Ahmanson Foundation Mr. Harold Alden and Dr. Geraldine Alden Ambassador Frank and Kathy Baxter The Blue Ribbon Yuki and Alex Bouzari Mark Houston Dalzell Leslie and John Dorman Dunard Fund USA The Fund for the Performing Arts The Green Foundation Lenore and Bernard Greenberg

PLATINUM PATRON

Maxwell H. Gluck Foundation The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation The Opera League of Los Angeles Mr. and Mrs. Milan Panic Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Lloyd E. Rigler - Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation Rolex Herbert Simon Family Foundation Christopher V. Walker Ziering Family Foundation

($150,000 & ABOVE)

Margaret and David Barry Mr. and Mrs. Alex Furlotti Dan Murphy Foundation Hanna Orsten

PLATINUM PATRON

Alfred and Claude Mann Sebastian Paul and Marybelle Musco Music Center Foundation Rosemary and Milton Okun The Tarasenka Pankiv Fund (Tara Colburn) Ronus Foundation The Richard Seaver Trust for the Opera Marc and Eva Stern Foundation Marilyn Ziering Selim K. Zilkha and Mary Hayley / Selim K. Zilkha Foundation

Laura and Carlton Seaver Thurmond Smithgall and the Lanie and Ethel Foundation Eugene and Marilyn Stein Ms. Barbara Augusta Teichert

($100,000 & ABOVE)

Anonymous Moshe Barkat and Evelina Haroutunian The Capital Group Companies Charitable Foundation Joyce and Aubrey Chernick Edgar Foster Daniels and Maxime Ohayon Gemini Industries, Inc. Hispanics for Los Angeles Opera The Norman and Sadie Lee Foundation

Los Angeles County Arts Commission Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors / Zev Yaroslavsky National Endowment for the Arts The Eleanor Hutchinson Parker Foundation Penny and Harold B. Ray Barry and Nancy Sanders Weingart Foundation Alyce and Warren Williamson

PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE P15

DONOR RECOGNITION

THE OPERA COUNCIL

Chaired by Paul and Catherine Tosetti

The dedicated support of the Opera Council enables LA Opera to achieve its artistic goals. This program offers exclusive privileges and behind-the-scenes opportunities to those individuals, foundations and corporations who make annual gifts of $25,000 or more. For information, please call 213.972.3160.

GRAND GOLD PATRON ($75,000 & ABOVE) Mr. Haig S. Bagerdjian Edward E. and Alicia Garcia Clark

Lauren B. Leichtman and Arthur E. Levine Family Foundation

Louis Colen

Mr. and Mrs. Carlos Mollura, Sr.

Flora L. Thornton Foundation Wells Fargo

GRAND GOLD PATRON ($50,000 & ABOVE) Anonymous

Peter and Diane Gray

Dr. Armin and Barbara Sadoff

Mr. and Mrs. Arnon Adar

Mr. and Mrs. John F. Hotchkis

The SahanDaywi Foundation

Mr. Marvin Antonowsky

Mr. and Mrs. David K. Ingalls

Mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Sands

Mr. James Asperger and Ms. Christine Adams

Dr. and Mrs. Harold Karpman

Yoriko Saneyoshi

Paul and Marie-France Bloch

Mr. K. Gregory Keever

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Saunders

Maynard and Linda Brittan

Richard Kendall and Lisa See

Pamela and E. Randol Schoenberg

Siobhan and William Burke

Lawrence A. Kern

Tina and David Segel

Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Conn

Travis and Thomas Kranz

Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Seidel

Ana and Robert Cook

Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Kuppenheimer

Chester James Semel

Mari L. Danihel

Edward and Madeleine Landry

Mrs. Leonard Straus

Michael and Jane Eisner

James and Ellen Strauss

Geoff Emery

Walter Lantz Foundation / Edward A. Landry, Trustee

Fraternity of Friends

Susan Lord and Scott Richard Lord

Paul and Catherine Tosetti

Gerri Lee Frye

The Rauch Family Foundation in recognition of Cecilia and Dudley Rauch

Lenore and Richard Wayne

Natalya and Craig Garner

Rx for Reading

Good Works Foundation

PREMIER GOLD PATRON

Ellen and Arnold Zetcher

($35,000 & ABOVE)

Anonymous

Eric L. Small

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors/ Don Knabe

GOLD PATRON

Jacob and Sandra Terner

Brigitta B.Troy US Bank

($25,000 & ABOVE)

Anonymous (2)

In Memory of Morrie Hazan

Robert V. Adams and Barbara Abercrombie

Dr. Louise Horvitz and Carrie Fishman

Dr. Leslie A. Pam and Dr. Ann Christie Petersen / Esper A. Petersen Foundation

Doris Alexander

Lynda Hughes and Walter de Logi

Linda Pierce

Maria Altmann, in memory of Fritz Altmann

Tim Johnson and Jean Cunningham

The John J. and Elisabeth N. Pollon Family Trust

Jill C. Baldauf and Steven L. Grossman

In Memory of H. Kirkland Jones

The Louis and Harold Price Foundation

Bank of America Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Jones

Eileen and Charles Read

Bank of the West

Mrs. Trudy Lampert

Ira M. Resnick Foundation

Shallom and Jilla Berkman

Sherry Lansing and William Friedkin

Resolution Economics

David Bohnett

Bill and Trudy Rutledge

The Otis Booth Foundation

City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs

Dr. Robert N. Braun and Dr. Joan Friedman

Merrill Lynch

The David and Linda Shaheen Foundation

Janet and Nicholas Ciriello

Moss Foundation

Robert and Carol Shahin

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hardin Coulombe

Jose L. Nazar

William and Helen Smollen

Katherine and Arpad Domyan

Anthony and Olivia Neece

The Rose Hills Foundation

Joyce and Mal Fienberg

Nuveen Investments

Donna Wagner

Mr. and Mrs. Charles I. Gold and David Gold

Christine Marie Ofiesh and Aaron Belokamen

Esther and Abe Zarem

Em Green

Mr. and Mrs. Peter O’Malley

Susan Zolla, in memory of Edward M. Zolla

Mr. and Mrs. Ted Orden

P16  PERFORMANCES  MAGAZINE

Ariane and Lionel Sauvage