BRAVO!

Lexington Society Newsletter Vol. 8 No. 2 Winter 2009

Bluegrass Opera Company – It’s Not What You Think The name Bluegrass Opera Company may conjure up images of Grand Old Opry transported to Kentucky, but think “new music” instead — innovative, alternative, and even edgy. BOC is a group of young professionals working to expand the audience for opera and other forms of staged musical drama in Lexington under the direction of Lorne Dechtenberg, a doctoral fellow in composition at the UK School of Music and the artistic director of BOC. Dechtenberg explains, “Because we pride composers across the country (both students and ourselves on being a company of creators, professionals) to submit excerpts from their new not a company of imitators, we perform only works for BOC’s first public performance on new works — those that have not yet had a September 8 at Natasha’s Café. They received more professional premiere. We intend to help make than 50 entries from composers in the , Lexington one of the country’s leading locations Canada, Mexico, and even Great Britain. The final program included selections from five new (Johnny Appleseed, The Wonderful Witch of Oz, Headlines, Face Value, and Sex, Drugs, and Aliens), two musicals (Lady Windermere’s Fan and The Mothers of Ludlow), and a dramatic song cycle (William Blake’s Experience), by five different composers. This response clearly shows that composers throughout the English- speaking world are already excited about what this new opera company is doing. According to Dechtenberg, BOC is designed to complement, not compete with, the UKOT program by performing a wide variety of works outside the published operatic repertoire and offering performance opportunities to individuals who are not already appearing in leading The company concludes a show at Natasha’s Cafe in downtown Lexington. roles with UKOT. He emphasizes that BOC fully supports UKOT in every way, and he for new operas, , and musical theatre, hopes that the opera-loving public in the Bluegrass drawing in people from across the country to will support and appreciate his interest in expanding attend the premieres of promising new works the range of staged musical experiences in Lexington. performed in their entirety with full orchestra.” BOC will mount another program of operatic BOC includes singers and musicians, both excerpts at Natasha’s Café in February 2009 and graduate and undergraduate students, from several plans its first fully staged production in April. different areas in the UK School of Music. Last spring, Dechtenberg and his two co-founders, Arianna Afshari and Taylor Eldred, invited By Mary Powell Page 2

Catherine Malfitano: Singing, Directing, Inspiring

Catherine Malfitano, one of America’s leading tight interior focus on one character to a broad external lyric , visited the University of Kentucky view of the entire ensemble. What motivated you, in late November to judge the and how do you approach preparing your singers? National Council District Auditions and to lead A: I grew up in with musical parents a master class the following day. She took time to who were not singers (my father was a violinist and my meet with LOS Bravo Guild member Mary Powell mother, a ballet dancer), so I have always enjoyed all to answer questions on a wide range of topics. aspects of a production, watching how the stage director, choreographer, and set and costume designers do their Question: You are a staunch supporter of American work. After I began teaching in 1998, I realized that I opera composers and have created major roles in the liked helping students learn how to explore their characters premieres of numerous new works, including Doll Bilby in art songs as well as operatic arias, and focusing on the in ’s Bilby’s Doll (1976, Houston Grand total picture, not just the individual roles, for ensembles Opera), and four operas by : Trina in and scenes. My husband suggested that I try directing, McTeague in 1992, Beatrice in in and, of course, I like a challenge. A director asks, “How 1999, and Victoria in A Wedding in 2004, all at Lyric can I tell this story in a new way?” Since I have sung more Opera of Chicago, and Medusa (2003, Cincinnati Opera). than 70 roles (so far), I can draw upon my experience as However, as you noted in a recent interview, many new a performer to find new approaches to familiar works. operas “disappear” after an initial well-publicized premiere. Do you think that new operas commissioned jointly by Q: In 2003 you took on a tremendous challenge — two or three regional opera companies are less likely to singing all three roles in a triple bill (Poulenc’s La Voix suffer this fate because they receive wider exposure? Humaine, both Annas in Kurt Weil’s The Seven Deadly Answer: Yes, and I believe that collaborative projects Sins, and the title role in the world staged premiere of are a good idea for reasons of economy as well as for giving William Bolcom’s Medusa) in one spectacular evening. new works broader publicity. Many opera companies like How did you approach this operatic marathon? to do premieres because of the glamour, but it takes a A: In 1992, I sang the title role in a live telecast of very savvy company, one that is willing to take risks, to with Plácido Domingo. Each act was televised do a revival. It is particularly rewarding when you can from the actual location in described in the work with a composer on subsequent productions, as I opera, so we were frantically racing across the city did with the role of Catherine in Bolcom’s A View from during the act intervals, hoping not to get taught in the Bridge, not only at its premiere in Chicago but also traffic. The tremendous success of this adventurous a few years later at the Metropolitan Opera and, most production encouraged me to take on all three of these recently, at Washington National Opera, with several wonderful short operas in one evening. I had sung the of the other original cast members. Bolcom continued title role in concert productions of Medusa, and when to develop the music, adding new arias for Catherine Cincinnati Opera director Nicholas Muni suggested and Eddie for the Met’s production. That was fun. that we create a staged version, how could I say no?

Q: Your operatic career has recently taken a new turn Q: And your stunning in 1990 for Deutsche — in 2005, you directed for Central Oper Berlin — what’s it like to “go there” into that role? City Opera in Colorado, and since then your director’s A: In exploring the character of this amazing 16-year- credits include La Voix Humaine for Theatre Royal old, I realized that she is a true innocent, in the sense of de in , The Saint of Bleecker Street not knowing anything about love. She’s seen plenty of lust and La Bohème for CCO, and for Washington and other monstrous behavior in her stepfather’s court, National Opera, with for but she knows nothing of “normal” life. Evil characters Opera’s Merola program and Tosca for ahead. This step requires quite a change from a Continued on page 3

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miles a week on a track to get in shape, and noted that this training improved her performance in an unexpected way, by teaching her to focus “on the moment” as athletes do and not worry about what’s going to happen 10 minutes ahead.]

Q: When UK Opera Theatre was preparing its production of ’s new comic opera, The Hotel Casablanca, in the fall of 2007, the UKOT cast traveled to San Francisco to see the premiere of this opera at ’s Merola Program, and they very much enjoyed meeting you during that visit. Pasatieri is one of your favorite American composers, isn’t he? There were smiles all around for the three winners of the Metropolitan A: Yes, and I was sad to see him turn Opera National Council District Auditions held Nov. 22. From left: Chris Conley, countertenor; Amanda Balltrip, ; judges and away from opera and work principally on Catherine Malfitano; and Andrea Trusty, mezzo-soprano. The three winners the orchestration of film scores after being will compete in the regional auditions in Cincinnati on Jan. 18, 2009. denigrated by several music critics in the 1980s for being “too melodic.” I created the like serial killers (and I think Salome would have killed roles of Masha in Pasatieri’s (Houston Grand again, out of boredom) are complex and interesting to Opera, 1974) and Catherine in his Washington Square portray, and I’m always curious to know how they came to (Detroit Opera, 1976), and I love his sensuous melodies, the point where we see them in operas or other works of which are now appreciated by a new generation of critics. art. You certainly don’t have to agree with their actions, but if you look into their backgrounds, you understand Q: How did you like working with Greg immediately how lucky the rest of us are to have lives Turay, a graduate of UKOT, who sang filled with real love, understanding, and companionship. Rodolfo in A View from the Bridge? This role also required serious physical training, so that A: I love Greg, and I am a big supporter of his career. I could perform the 10-minute-long “Dance of the Seven He really developed during his time in the Young Veils” after singing for an hour, then sing the final scene Artists’ program at the Metropolitan Opera, and now (the most emotionally demanding part of the opera) in has quite a secure stage presence. I encouraged him full voice.” [In an interview for Runner’s World shortly to try some different roles — such as Tony in West after this performance, Malfitano described running 30 Side Story with Central City Opera this past summer.

Our Lincoln Reminder A cast of more than 375 performers tells the story of our violinist Mark O’Connor plays music made known widely 16th president when the Kentucky Humanities Council and to the public by filmmaker Ken Burns’s The Civil War. Our the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre present Our Lincoln Lincoln also includes Metropolitan Opera stars Angela Brown, February 2 at the Kennedy Center. Our Lincoln features the performing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” and Kentuckian Gregory American Spiritual Ensemble; the University of Kentucky Turay, whose tenor solo is the world premiere of a composition Symphony Orchestra performing Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait based on the Gettysburg Address. Dramatic selections include with spoken word by Nick Clooney; and the U.S. premiere of Kentucky Repertory Theatre’s cameo from One Man’s Lincoln, River of Time, a new Kentucky folk opera about young Lincoln. and Kentucky Chautauqua theatrical vignettes. More than 170 voices of the Lexington Singers, their Children’s For ticket information, contact Joan Rue at (859) 257-9331 Choir, and the UK Chorale will participate. Nationally known or visit www.kennedy-center.org. Winter 2009 Page 4

Meet the New Graduate Students

Two of this year’s new graduate students bring diverse days, there were exciting performance opportunities and interesting résumés to University of Kentucky Opera in Lexington, and the UKOT affiliation would open Theatre. Soprano Catherine Clarke is familiar from her doors for regional performances. This fall she began her performance as Violetta in La Traviata in the fall of studies for a doctorate of musical arts in voice degree. 2006. We remember tenor Bruce Bean as the graduate Clarke, double cast with Amanda Balltrip, sang the role student winner of last spring’s Alltech Competition. of Musetta in the recent production of La Bohème. She Clarke, known offstage as Cacey, is a native of also performed in Lindsay’s 2008 birthday recital and in Maysville, Ky. She won the Lewis Award undergraduate the UK Symphony Orchestra’s season-opening concert. scholarship in the University of Kentucky School of Yes, coming home to Kentucky is bringing more music Music. After graduating in 1996, she moved to Boulder into Clarke’s life; moreover, she has a sense of belonging. to complete a master’s in voice at the University of Bruce Bean is a native of Nashville, Tenn., and Colorado. After participating in summer programs in graduated from Oakwood University in Huntsville, Aspen and Chautauqua, she settled in New York in Ala. He is a candidate for a master’s degree in vocal 2000. Working as an office temp, manager of an import performance and pedagogy. Bean comes from a musical company showroom, and as a hostess at the famed family and began singing church solos when he was Café Fiorello, she supported herself while taking voice six. As a concert choir soloist, he discovered classical lessons and auditioning. Clarke performed frequently music (“the most beautiful music in the world”) in in churches and with orchestras, but the hoped-for big high school at Pine Forge Academy in Pennsylvania. break in opera did not happen. Eventually, the hard life At Oakwood University, Bean majored in chemistry in in New York began to take the joy out of singing. preparation for his goal of becoming a dentist. He studied In 2006, Clarke moved back to Maysville, believing voice under Dr. Angelique Clay and continued to enjoy she could make a meaningful musical contribution by his love of performing and traveling. Simultaneously, he teaching, singing, and being part of the Kentucky arts studied conducting and sang as a soloist in the choir. community. Being close to her family was an equally Bean, the graduate student winner of last year’s Alltech important aspect of the decision. She now has a voice Competition, believes his presence at UK is “divine studio at the Downing Performing Arts Academy in intervention” because UKOT offers what matters most Maysville and, until entering UK this semester, was the to him — the opportunity to develop his voice to its curator of a miniatures collection in a Maysville museum. fullest potential while being close to his family. Bean still In August 2006, Dr. Everett McCorvey convinced intends to pursue dentistry and conducting, as well as to Clarke, then a visiting artist, to learn the role of Violetta open a management firm that represents individuals in in UKOT’s La Traviata. When performing in Tedrin Blair different aspects of the arts (singers, models, producers, Lindsay’s 2007 birthday recital, “It all came into place,” artists). “There is no reason I can’t be an ace-of-all- Clarke recalled. UK knew her, she was encouraged trades. It may take a little longer, but I’ll get it done.” to enroll by her many friends from undergraduate By Louise Shouse

What’s New at UKOT “There are so many wonderful things you can do in the Trish Clark is the newest addition to the UKOT family. field besides working in it full-time, including teaching and Coming from a career in education and theater, she has been working within the community where you live. It’s not just hired as the Town and Gown Coordinator at UKOT, a position about creating art; it’s about reaching out and having everybody in which she fosters the relationship between the community participate in life.” and UKOT. Her recent projects at UKOT include coordinating An actress from a very young age, Clark continues to perform the Alltech Celebration of Song at Victorian Square as well as with Actors’ Guild of Lexington and the Lexington Shakespeare an outreach program at Bryan Station High School focusing on Festival, for which she once served as the artistic director. Shakespeare and the use of Shakespeare in opera and art song. By Amelia Groetsch

BRAVO! Page 5 Catherine Malfitano as Teacher

Once again an acclaimed soprano took the stage at She added, “It is breath nurturing the vowels.” Memorial Hall, not to sing but to coach aspiring opera Amanda Balltrip performed Tallulah’s Act I aria from singers. On November 23 Catherine Malfitano, (see Pasatieri’s Hotel Casablanca, which she had sung in the accompanying article) focused on expressivity with UK production of the opera and which the judges had four singers, each of whom had participated in the requested her to sing at the previous day’s auditions. Metropolitan Opera National Council district auditions “You sang it differently today than you did yesterday,” the day before. She explained that in short one-time observed Malfitano. “It’s good for it to be different day-to- classes she does not concentrate on technique because, “It’s day.” The two then continued to work on re-interpreting like throwing a wrench onto a windshield and then telling the aria by changing the attitude of the character. (the students) to go off and fix it.” She added, “Young Megan McCauley chose to sing “Depuis le jour” from singers don’t understand Louise by Charpentier. that technique isn’t Malfitano praised her the goal. You change voice and encouraged your technique over the her to work on course of your career connecting and sharing and constantly re-tool. with the audience. “The You don’t sing at 40 most important tool the like you sang at 30.” singer has is the face,” In a departure from she told McCauley. “I previous master classes, used to think I was Malfitano, who was one hooked up to everyone of the judges for the in the audience. It’s auditions, asked each about sharing. You have singer to perform an to trust in yourself.” aria while she listened Catherine Naiser from the audience. sang “Ach, ich fühl’s” Working with 29-year- from Die Zauberflöte old Corinne Morini, by Mozart. Malfitano who sang “Quel advised her to exude guardo il cavaliere” radiance. “There from by is a radiance in Donizetti, Malfitano every character,” Catherine Malfitano works with Amanda Balltrip, left. stressed the importance said Malfitano. of separating the text She told Naiser to from singing. She asked Morini to speak the text in work from ecstasy because it keeps the singer alive and English and then Italian and told her, “As a character, keeps her from being “comfortable and droopy.” unless you know exactly what the words mean you can’t As always, the master class ended too soon both for sing them well.” Morini had asked to work more on her the audience and the students, but it is sure to have legato and Malfitano told her to pay more attention to a lasting impact on all who were in attendance. her vowels. “In Italian, the life is in the vowels. It’s about living in the vowels and less emphasis on the consonants.” By Pat Trotter

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LexingtonOpera Society Lecture Series Tedrin Blair Lindsay, Instructor Spring 2009 Class Schedule Location: Niles Gallery of the Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library, UK Campus 28 February In Depth with Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande (1902) 7 March The Artistry of Régine Crespin 14 March The Artistry of Shirley Verrett and Grace Bumbry 21 March Spring Break 28 March In Depth with Mozart’s Così fan tutte (1790), Act I 4 April In Depth with Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Act 2 11 April In Depth with Strauss’ (1911) 18 April In Depth with Strauss’ (1912/1916) Tedrin’s Commentary on the Spring 2009 Class Topics

We will usher in the spring semester with the crowning to the vagaries and cruelties of love. Its surprising modernity achievement of French Impressionist music, the ravishing makes this my personal favorite of Mozart’s operas. Pelléas et Mélisande, Debussy’s only opera. Then, in a blatant We will end the semester with another pair of Strauss effort to entice visiting opera lovers in town for Lucia and the operas, as similar to each other as Salome and Elektra are, yet Alltech competition to attend our wonderful class, we will as different from those two as possible. The first is Strauss and celebrate the careers of three mid-20th century divas, first von Hofmannsthal’s reinterpretation of the Mozartean operatic the glorious French dramatic soprano Régine Crespin, then, style, Der Rosenkavalier. This work also happens to be another in a particularly interesting comparison/contrast pairing, two of opera’s greatest studies of the unpredictable motivations African-American mezzos who flirted with becoming sopranos of the human heart, with three of the most beautiful female later in their careers, Shirley Verrett and Grace Bumbry. As roles ever written. Three possibly even more gorgeous women’s a further incentive to guests, the two “diva lectures” will be parts grace their next opera, Ariadne auf Naxos, the unique plot offered as a two-for-the-price-of-one package of $25. of which is part situation comedy, part grand opera, and part After spring break, we will explore another Mozart/Da vaudeville, all as a show-within-a-show. It also features the Ponte masterwork, Così fan tutte, in detail over the course of most stunning coloratura showpiece in all opera, and one of the two weeks, as we did with Don Giovanni. If Don Giovanni is most rapturous finales as well. about sexuality versus society, Così fan tutte is about the human Don’t miss a note of this fabulous spring season of the LOS heart versus itself. This complex, intimate work is the creators’ Lecture Series! brilliant and disturbing assessment of how vulnerable we all are

SOOP Concludes Successful Season The fall tour of the 2008-2009 SOOP season concluded this musical story to thousands of children. A special addition Nov. 25 with the final performance of The Billy Goats Gruff. to the SOOP program this season was the new cargo van that Featuring the music of Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti, the UKOT was able to purchase to transport sets, costumes, props, 35-minute performance teaches its elementary school audiences and performers from school to school and will continue to do about the dangers of bullying. The SOOP singers — Diana so for many seasons to come. Vetter, Sheena Law, Justin Moore, and Craig Price — along By Amelia Groetsch with technical director Aubin Munn and pianist Elizabeth Yanarella traveled to about 25 counties across the state bringing

BRAVO! Page 7 A Tribute to Gail Robinson

Students, former colleagues, family, and friends paid in the wings with other young singers and listening tribute to the late Gail Robinson with words and music at to Ms. Robinson perform. “We couldn’t believe the a moving memorial November 23 in Lexington. Hundreds magnificence of her singing,” she said. “It was very filled First Presbyterian Church to celebrate the life of clear that every man at the Metropolitan Opera was in the remarkable soprano-turned-voice teacher, who died love with her, and every woman wanted to be her.” in October of complications from rheumatoid arthritis. Van Stade bade Ms. Robinson farewell The rich and varied musical program ranged from the with Brahms’ “Wiegenlied.” mournful “Going Home,” performed by Ms. Robinson retired from the stage in the American Spiritual Ensemble, to the 1988 as her disease progressed, becoming celebratory Easter Chorus from Mascagni’s director of the Met’s National Council Cavalleria rusticana. Fittingly, Ms. Robinson’s Auditions and Young Artist Development prized students sang some of their teacher’s Program. Jonathan Friend, the artistic favorite arias. In an impromptu change administrator of the Met for the past 25 of program, soprano Amanda Balltrip, years, told the audience Ms. Robinson was the last student Ms. Robinson taught, equally happy, if not more so, helping young sang her winning aria, “Ah! non credea singers. When Ms. Robinson was offered mirarti” from Bellini’s , from the job as the University of Kentucky’s the previous day’s Metropolitan Opera endowed chair in voice in 1999, she told National Council District Auditions. Friend, “I want to see if I can really teach.” Born August 7, 1946, in Jackson, Though Friend chided UKOT’s Dr. Tenn., Ms. Robinson herself was a Everett McCorvey for “seducing” winner in the Metropolitan Opera Ms. Robinson to Lexington, he National Council Auditions at age 19. In early nevertheless remembers Ms. Robinson saying, “I 1970 she made her Met debut in a small role in have never been so happy as when I have been Mozart’s Magic Flute and went on to sing in more teaching. This is what I do best. I love it.” than 200 performances for the house while gaining McCorvey, who first brought Ms. Robinson to international acclaim for her breathtaking coloratura. Lexington for a master class in 1988, said, “She Friends from the Metropolitan Opera, where Ms. was the most important hire that we at UK ever Robinson began her career in 1970, traveled to Lexington made.” He recalled her dignity, loyalty, and class. to honor their colleague. Frederica Van Stade, the Most importantly, he said, “Gail totally focused world-renowned mezzo-soprano who started her career on her students. She was a their champion.” at the Met alongside Ms. Robinson, recalled standing By Jackie Duke Beasley

Rewards of Reaching Out Students at Lexington’s Ashland Elementary School were “How can you hold a note so long?” “How old are you?” thrilled by a performance of The Billy Goats Gruff in October. “Why do you like to sing?” The opera came to the school as part of the Schmidt Opera The best part for me is that my husband, Ben Kaufmann, who Outreach Program. If you have not seen one of SOOP’s has tutored for the past several years at Ashland, underwrote productions, you are in for a treat. It is opera performed at the this performance as a gift to me. To have the opportunity to kids’ level — and it works fabulously. see these children’s faces as they watched the show was the best Dr. Everett McCorvey introduced the work and explained present I could have received. to students what they were about to see. The students were If you need a gift for a person who already has everything attentive, captivated, and very involved in this story, which he or she needs, I highly suggest underwriting one of SOOP’s highlights the problem of bullying. Afterward, the cast took performances. It will be the best $500 you ever spent. questions from the audience, and the questions were priceless: By Janet Zusman

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