HGO Studio Holiday Celebration

Home , Julius Caesar (overture), Silent Night (opera)

7:30 P.M. CT | DECEMBER 18, 2020 Available on demand through January 17, 2021 HGO Studio Holiday Celebration

Program

Let the Bright Seraphim, from Samson George Frideric Handel Elena Villalón, soprano † (1685–1759) Tetsuya Lawson, trumpet * Alex Munger, piano †

O Come, All Ye Faithful John Francis Wade Ricardo Garcia, tenor † (1711–1786) Bin Yu Sanford, piano †

You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch Albert Hague (1920–2001) / Cory McGee, bass † Theodor Geisel (1904–1991) Nicholas Newton, bass-baritone † William Guanbo Su, bass † Alex Munger, piano †

Grown-Up Christmas List David Foster (b. 1949) / Lindsay Kate Brown, mezzo-soprano † Linda Thompson-Jenner (b. 1950) Alex Munger, piano †

Mi Yemalel Folk Tune; text by Menashe Ravina (1899–1968), Artists of the HGO Studio † arr. Max Helfman (1901–1963)

At the Center of Nonviolence, Nicolas Flagello from Passion of Martin Luther King (1928–1994) Nicholas Newton, bass-baritone † Bin Yu Sanford, piano †

The Lamb Lee Hoiby Ricardo Garcia, tenor † (1926–2011) Bin Yu Sanford, piano †

Evening Prayer, from Hansel and Gretel Engelbert Humperdinck Raven McMillon, soprano † (1854–1921) Sun-Ly Pierce, mezzo-soprano † Alex Munger, piano † HGO Studio Holiday Celebration

I’ll Be Home for Christmas Walter Kent (1911–1994) / Kim Gannon (1900-1974) Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Hugh Martin (1914–2011) / Ralph Blane (1914–1995) Blake Denson, baritone † Sun-Ly Pierce, mezzo-soprano † Alex Munger, piano †

O Holy Night Adolphe Adam (1803–1856) / Artists of the HGO Studio arr. René Clausen (b. 1953) Bin Yu Sanford, piano †

Silent Night Franz Xaver Gruber Artists of the HGO Studio (1787–1863) Bin Yu Sanford, piano †

* HGO debut † HGO Studio artist

Credits

Producing Director Molly Dill The entire staff of HGO contributed to the success of this produc- Video Director Ben Doyle tion. For a full listing of the company’s staff, please visit HGO.org/ Video Producer Daniel James about-us/people. Lighting Designer Michael James Clark Stage Manager Kristen Burke Performing artists, stage directors, and choreographers are repre- English Subtitles Jeremy Johnson sented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, the union for Hair & Makeup Dotti Staker opera professionals in the United States. HGO Studio Director Brian Speck HGO Studio Music Director Miah Im Orchestral musicians are represented by the Houston Stage Director for “Mr. Grinch” Tara Faircloth Professional Musicians Association, Local #65-699, American Musical Preparation Richard Bado, Federation of Musicians. Sarah and Ernest Butler Chorus Master Chair, Stage crew personnel provided by IATSE, Local #51. Miah Im, Bin Yu Sanford†, Wardrobe personnel provided by Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Alex Munger† Local #896.

Guarantor Video Production Streaming Partner HGO Studio Holiday Celebration

Who's Who LINDSAY KATE BROWN RAVEN MCMILLON (Waterloo, NY) (Baltimore, MD) MEZZO-SOPRANO SOPRANO HGO Digital appearance: Gertrud in Hansel HGO Digital appearances: Rona Richards and Gretel. Third-year HGO Studio artist. in The Impresario; Gretel in Hansel and Gretel; Peter in The Making of The Snowy Day, an Previously at HGO: Giovanna in Rigoletto; Opera for All. First-year HGO Studio artist. Second Lady in The Magic Flute (COVID-19 cancellation). Third prize winner in HGO’s 2018 Eleanor McCollum Competition Underwriter: Brenda Harvey-Traylor Concert of Arias.

Raven McMillon received her bachelor of fine arts in vocal perfor- Underwriters: Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crownover / Lynn Gissel mance at Carnegie Mellon University and completed her graduate degree at the University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of This year Lindsay Kate Brown won first place in the Upper Midwest Music (CCM). Her opera credits include Adele in Die Fledermaus; Region of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the title role in Goldie B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears; Linfea competed in the national Grand Finals. She earned an artist diploma in La Calisto; and Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro. In addition to at Rice University and made her professional debut with Tri-Cities her opera credits, McMillon has also workshopped new roles such Opera in 2014. In summer 2018, she was a young artist at Des as Mary in Chiao’s The Secret Codes of Mary Bowser and Lucy Moines Metro Opera, where she reprised the role of Ma Moss in Picker’s Awakenings. Her recent roles included La Princesse in in Copland’s The Tender Land and covered the role of Ježibaba L’enfant et les sortilèges with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and in Dvořák’s Rusalka. In 2019 she sang the role of the Composer in Papagena in Die Zauberflöte at CCM in the summer of 2020, which Ariadne auf Naxos with Wolf Trap Opera. She was set to join The were canceled due to COVID-19. Santa Fe Opera as an Apprentice Artist in summer 2020, but that was canceled due to COVID-19. ELENA VILLALÓN (Austin, TX) SUN-LY PIERCE SOPRANO (Clinton, NY) MEZZO-SOPRANO HGO Digital appearances: Farinelli’s Trainer in Vinkensport; Amy in The Making of The HGO Digital appearance: Hansel in Hansel Snowy Day, an Opera for All; Dew Fairy and and Gretel. First-year HGO Studio artist. Sandman in Hansel and Gretel. Second-year HGO Studio artist. Previously at HGO: First prize winner in HGO’s 2020 Eleanor Previously at HGO: Page in Rigoletto; Woman in selected perfor- McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. mances of the world premiere of El Milagro del Recuerdo/The Miracle of Remembering; Inez in La favorite. Audience Choice Award Underwriters: Charlene and Chuck Nickson/Tracy Maddox and winner in HGO’s 2019 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of John Serpe Arias. Alumna of HGO’s Young Artists Vocal Academy (2018). Originally from Clinton, Chinese American mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Underwriters: Dian and Harlan Stai Pierce completed the graduate vocal arts program at the Bard College Conservatory of Music and holds a bachelor’s degree in Elena Villalón was a Grand Finals winner of the 2019 Metropolitan vocal performance from the Eastman School of Music. As a winner Opera National Council Auditions. She is a recent graduate of of the Marilyn Horne Song Competition, Pierce will perform on the University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music (CCM)., an international recital tour with pianist Chien-Lin Lu featuring the has been a vocal fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, and is an premiere of a new song cycle by two-time Grammy Award winning alumna of HGO’s 2018 Young Artist Vocal Academy. In summer composer, Jennifer Higdon. The past fall, Pierce joined the Broad 2019, she performed Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro at Opera Street Orchestra as Dorinda in Handel’s Acis and Galatea. She was Theatre of Saint Louis as a Gerdine Young Artist and returned to the set to return to the Music Academy of the West this summer as a Tanglewood Music Center as a soprano fellow. In the summer of 2020 Vocal Fellow, but this was canceled due to COVID-19. 2020, she was set to make her Santa Fe Opera debut as First Wood Sprite in Rusalka, but this was canceled due to COVID-19. HGO Studio Holiday Celebration

RICARDO GARCIA NICHOLAS NEWTON (Castro Valley, CA) (San Diego, CA) TENOR BASS-BARITONE

HGO Digital appearances: Hans Sach’s HGO Digital appearances: Daddy/Tim Trainer in Vinkensport; The Making of The in The Making of The Snowy Day, an Opera for Snowy Day, an Opera for All; Suite Española. All; Giving Voice. Second-year HGO Studio artist. First-year HGO Studio artist. Previously at HGO: Monterone Underwriters: Michelle Beale and Dick Anderson/Dr. Ellen Gritz and in Rigoletto; Second Soldier in Salome (COVID-19 cancellation). Third Mickey Rosenau prize winner in HGO’s 2019 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. Alumnus of Young Artists Vocal Academy (2016). Ricardo Garcia recently completed his master’s degree in voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) and holds a bachelor’s Underwriters: Nancy Haywood/Kathy Moore and Steve Homer/Jill degree from the University of the Pacific. He was a studio artist at and Allyn Risley Wolf Trap Opera, where he covered Roméo in Roméo et Juliette and Giocondo in La pietra del paragone, and a voice fellow with Music Nicholas Newton’s notable performances include the roles of Academy of the West, where he sang Jenik in The Bartered Bride. Count Ceprano in Rigoletto and Capulet (cover) in Roméo et Recent roles include Lamplighter/Drunkard in The Little Prince and Juliette with Wolf Trap Opera, Achilla in Julius Caesar at Rice Fenton in Falstaff. As a first-year apprentice at Santa Fe Opera, he University, and L’arbre and Le fauteuil in L’enfant et les sortilèges at covered Parpignol in La bohème and sang Fenton/Normanno in the the Aspen Music Festival. Newton was a 2019 national semifinalist in Apprentice Scenes Night. Recently, Garcia won the San Francisco the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the first-place District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and winner in the 2018 Virginia & Susan Hawk Competition. In summer advanced to the region finals in Los Angeles. 2019, he sang Monterone in Rigoletto with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. In the summer of 2020, he had been set to return to Wolf Trap Opera as Colline in La bohème, but that production was canceled BLAKE DENSON due to COVID-19. (Paducah, KY) BARITONE CORY MCGEE (Stafford, VA) HGO Digital appearances: Giving Voice; BASS Peter in Hansel and Gretel; Suite Española. First-year HGO Studio artist. HGO Digital appearances: Billy in The Making of The Snowy Day, an Opera for Previously at HGO: 2018 Alumnus of HGO’s Young Artists All; Giving Voice. First-year HGO Studio artist. Vocal Academy Previously at HGO: Second prize winner in HGO’s 2020 Eleanor Underwriters: Elizabeth Grimm and Jack Roth/Carolyn Levy/ McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. Gloria Portela and Dick Evans Underwriter: Beth Madison Blake Denson was a Grand Finals winner in the 2020 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and is a 2018 alumnus of HGO’s Cory McGee recently completed his master of music degree at Young Artists Vocal Academy (YAVA). He obtained his bachelor Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. In summer 2019, he of music in voice degree from the University of Kentucky School joined Santa Fe Opera as an apprentice artist, portraying the role of Music and recently completed his master’s degree at Rice of the Gardener in Ruder’s The Thirteenth Child. In 2018 he was University’s Shepherd School of Music. Denson was a Studio Artist at a studio artist with Wolf Trap Opera, where he played La Voce in Wolf Trap Opera in 2018 and was set to return to Wolf Trap Opera for Mozart’s Idomeneo and Ranger Nat in David Hanlon’s children’s a second season in the summer of 2020 to perform the Commander opera, Listen, Wilhelmina!, and was a soloist in “Bernstein at 100 – A and cover the title role in Eugene Onegin, as well as cover the role of Celebration.” Recent engagements include the title role in Le nozze di Marcello in La bohème, but those productions were canceled due to Figaro and Pandolfe in Massenet’s Cendrillon (Oberlin Opera Theater) COVID-19. and Leporello in Don Giovanni (Oberlin in Italy). HGO Studio Holiday Celebration

WILLIAM GUANBO SU BIN YU SANFORD (Beijing, China) (Seoul, Korea) BASS PIANIST/COACH

HGO Digital appearance: Bowie Krebs in The HGO Digital appearances: Coach for The Impresario. Second-year HGO Studio artist. Impresario and The Making of The Snowy Day, an Opera for All. She will also appear with Previously at HGO: Usher in Rigoletto; Fifth Jew HGO Studio singers in recitals and other performances. First-year in Salome (COVID-19 cancellation); Second Armored Man in The HGO Studio artist. Magic Flute (COVID-19 cancellation). Second place winner in HGO’s 2019 Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of Arias. Underwriters: Stephanie Larsen and Lynn Des Prez/Valerie and Miguel Miro-Quesada Underwriters: Anne and Albert Chao Bin Yu Sanford has established herself as a solo pianist, vocal coach, William Guanbo Su is a Grand Finals Winner of the 2019 Metropolitan and chamber musician. Yu Sanford earned her master of music in Opera National Council Auditions. He has been a Gerdine Young solo piano performance and an artist diploma in opera coaching at Artist at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and a voice fellow at the the University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music (CCM). Aspen Music Festival. He has studied German lieder at the Franz Recently, she was selected as one of the vocal piano fellows at Music Schubert Institute in Vienna, and in 2017 won first prize in the Academy of the West, where she worked on Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Gerda Lissner Lieder Competition. During the summer of 2019, Mountain. Since 2017, Yu Sanford has served as a graduate assistant he sang Count Ceprano in Verdi’s Rigoletto with Opera Theatre of in the opera department at CCM. She was the first prize winner of the Saint Louis as a Gerdine Young Artist. He was scheduled to return to Pennsylvania MTNA Young Artist Piano Competition. In the summer Aspen in summer 2020 to perform the role of Sarastro in The Magic of 2020, she was scheduled to join the Glimmerglass Festival as Flute until it was canceled due to COVID-19. an apprentice pianist, however the festival was canceled due to COVID-19. ALEX MUNGER (New Berlin, Wisconsin) TETSUYA LAWSON PIANIST/COACH (Brisbane, Australia) TRUMPET HGO Digital appearances: Coach for Vinkensport and Hansel and Gretel. He will Tetsuya Lawson is currently Principal Trumpet also appear with HGO Studio singers in recitals of the Houston Grand Opera and Houston and other performances. Second-year HGO Studio artist. Ballet orchestras. Giving performances described as “alert, precise, and exhilarating throughout,” by Previously at HGO: Coach for Rigoletto, La favorite, and The Magic Performing ArtsHub, he is an orchestral musician, chamber player, Flute (COVID-19 cancellation). He also appeared with HGO Studio solo performer, and educator. As an orchestral musician, Lawson singers in recital and other performances. has performed extensively throughout Australia and internationally, including concerts at The Royal Concertgebouw, the Concert Hall of Underwriters: Saul and Ursula Balagura and Trey Yates the KKL Lucerne, Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall, Tongyeong Concert Hall, Regentabau, Sydney Opera House, and the Royal Festival Hall. Alex Munger previously served as a staff pianist at the University of He has performed as both a soloist and competition winner with the Illinois, where he helped prepare La bohème and The Rape of Lucretia. Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and he also performs frequently In 2018, Munger was a fellowship pianist with the Aspen Opera Center, as guest principal trumpet with diverse chamber ensembles such as where he worked on Il barbiere di Siviglia; he returned to Aspen in the the Southern Cross Soloists and Camerata (Australia). Lawson has summer of 2019. He received his master of music degree in vocal attended world-renowned music festivals and academies including coaching and accompanying from the University of Illinois. Previous the Tanglewood Music Center, Pacific Music Festival (Japan), the engagements include the Bay View Music Festival (Carmen), where Lucerne Festival Academy (Switzerland), and the Britten-Pears Young he returned in 2019 as a faculty pianist for its two-week opera and art Artist Programme (UK). He completed his undergraduate studies at song program. He appeared with tenor Richard Trey Smagur in a recital the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, studying primarily of Schumann’s Dichterliebe at Houston’s Jones Hall in a program under Sarah Butler and Richard Madden. He then attended Rice presented by the Houston Symphony. In the summer of 2020, he University’s Shepherd School of Music as a graduate student, where served as a coaching fellow at Wolf Trap Opera. he studied with Barbara Butler and Charlie Geyer.