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Home , Heidi Stober, Santa Fe Opera

Studio Buddies Newsletter

Published semi-annually by the Houston Grand Guild December 2008

Contents Welcome

2008 In Review 1 2008 has been another exciting year for the Studio (HGOS) and its alumni. We are fortunate to continue the tradition of featuring Studio artists in productions, as Upcoming Highlights 3 well as welcoming back our distinguished alumni to the Wortham Center. We were sad to say

HGO Studio Alumni 3 goodbye to HGO Studio Director Hector Vásquez in Spring 2008, but were equally delighted to welcome Laura Canning, the new Studio Director for the 2008/09 season. Travelling Buddies 3 2008 in Review

Hellos and Goodbyes 4 Winter 2008 opera lover Jess Carnes said were joined by current Studio The 2007/08 season was an “It’s the best Queen of the members Beau Gibson, incredible one for recent Night I’ve ever seen.” Albina Albina Shagimuratova, and HGO Studio alumna Tamara reprised this role at the Alicia Gianni. It should be Wilson (HGOS ’05-’07). In her Salzburg Music Festival in the noted that this was Beau’s first year after the Studio, summer of 2008 under the first appearance as a clown Tamara starred in two major baton of legendary at HGO (at least on stage), roles in a world-class opera conductor Riccardo Muti to First-year Studio artist Joseph house! Following her rave reviews. Alicia Gianni Li coached La bohème as portrayal of Amelia in Un played a charming and well as the workshop for ballo in maschera, Tamara adorable Papagena, André Previn’s A Brief was joined onstage in showcasing the character’s Encounter, which will be Mozart’s Die Entführung aus ethereal nature as well as premiered this season. HGO dem Serail (The Abduction kindly human aspects. concluded the 2007/08 from the Seraglio) by fellow season with Benjamin On February 8th, 2008, HGO HGO Studio alums Nicholas Britten’s interpretation of the held the the 19th Annual Phan (HGOS ’02-’05) and Herman Melville novella Billy Concert of Arias, Eleanor (HGOS ’04-’06) in Budd starring HGO Studio ▲ During a brief stop in Houston in McCollum Competition for their hilarious depictions of alumnus Daniel Belcher November, Wynne Mattison got to Young Singers. From a field of Pedrillo and Blonde, (HGOS ’97-’99) in the title spend some time with Albina more than 600 artists, HGO respectively. Mozart’s Die role. Recent HGO Studio Shagimuratova before heading to welcomed Caitlin Lynch, Zauberflöte () alumnus Ryan McKinny Palm Beach, Florida where she will soprano, Octavio Moreno, gave us the chance to see (HGOS ’05-’08) returned to be performing Gilda in Rigoletto in baritone, and Adam Cioffari, current HGO Studio members play Mr. Flint and was joined December. bass-baritone, into the Maria “Masha” Markina, by current studio members Houston Grand Opera Studio. Jamie Barton, Albina Beau Gibson, Liam Bonner, Additionally, the HGO Studio Shagimura tova, Rebekah and James J. Kee. Billy Budd also brought in two wonderful Camm, Beau Gibson, and was an exceptionally new pianist/coaches, Alicia Gianni, as well as powerful opera with its Stephen Hopkins and David alumni Jon Kolbet (HGOS ’92- tightly-knit all-male cast Hanlon. Octavio Moreno ’94) as the mischievous which gave an opportunity recently completed three Monostatos and Chen-Ye for every character to shine. years as a resident artist at Yuan (HGOS ’98-’01) as the the Academy of Vocal Arts in At the end of the season we venerable Speaker of the Philadelphia where during were both sad and proud to Temple. The Magic Flute 2008 he was featured in say goodbye to Liam Bonner, served to truly showcase the JUBILATE! A Concert of baritone, Rebekah Camm, incredible talent of the HGO Sacred Music and Oratorio soprano, Alicia Gianni, Studio as two members were Masterpieces well as in soprano, Grant Loehnig, in the top-billed featured Verdi's La traviata. pianist/coach, Evan Rogister, roles. Rebekah Camm conducting fellow, and played the beautiful young Spring 2008 Albina Shagimuratova, Pamina, a role for which she ▲ Asad Jafari with J.J. Kee and soprano, as they completed received many accolades. HGO rounded out the season Beau Gibson at Wolf Trap Opera. their work with the HGO Rebekah was also featured with two powerful tragedies, J.J. and Beau are standing on Studio and proceeded to as the special guest in a Puccini’s La bohème and telephone books, by the way. launch their professional September 2008 episode of Britten’s Billy Budd. For La careers. The HGO Studio NPR’s “From the Top” in bohème we welcomed Buddies concluded the relation to this role. Albina home HGO Studio alumni season with a pool party at Shagimuratova took on the Joshua Hopkins (HGOS ’03- Jo Lyday’s home following formidable role of Queen of ’05), Nikolay Didenko (HGOS the Art Car Parade where the Night. Former HGO Guild ’03-’05), and Ana María Liam Bonner sat on HGO’s President and long-time Martínez (HGOS ’94-’95) who

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2 TYPE TITLE HERE award-winning art car entry Witch in Humperdinck's Hänsel feistiness and confidence went and sang opera karaoke und Gretel. Faith Sherman up against legendary mezzo (slowest… largo… ever…). went north to Chautauqua Dolora Zajick’s tragic Santuzza. Opera where she was Pagliacci featured the return Concluding the season was featured as Dorabella in of alumni Ana María Martínez the Miller Outdoor Theater’s Mozart’s Così fan tutte, joined to HGO as Nedda/Colombina presentation of Christopher by Derrick Parker (HGOS ’98- and Scott Hendricks (HGOS Theofanidis’s The Refuge, ’00) as Don Alfonso. Adam ’97-’99) as Silvio. We were featuring Albina Cioffari took part in San thrilled to see current HGO Shagimuratova, Faith Francisco Opera’s Merola Studio member Beau Gibson in Sherman, Jamie Barton, Beau Program, where he was the major role of Gibson, Liam Bonner, Ryan featured as Masetto in Don Beppe/Arlecchino (marking McKinny, and Rebekah Giovanni as well as singing in Beau’s second portrayal of a Camm reprising her haunting the Grand Finale Concert. clown… food for thought). role in the Central American Stephen Hopkins returned to First-year Studio artist Stephen movement. David Hanlon the CoOPERAtive Program in Hopkins served as served as the principal coach Princeton, New Jersey as a pianist/coach for Cav/Pag. for The Refuge. staff accompanist/coach. ▲ Kathy Moore, Heidi Stober, HGO Music Director Kathy HGO welcomed back HGO Summer 2008 Norman Reinhardt and Steve Kelly served as the Artistic Studio alumna and mezzo goddess Joyce DiDonato as Homer in Santa Fe HGO Studio members and Director for the Berkshire Beatrice in Berlioz's Beatrice alumni keep themselves busy Opera where she also and Benedict playing opposite during the so-called “off- conducted Mozart’s Le nozze fellow alum Norman Reinhardt season” throughout the di Figaro featuring Ryan as the charming (and country and the world. This McKinny as Figaro, Liam acrobatic) Benedict. Also summer the HGO Studio Bonner as Count Almaviva, featured were recent HGO seemed to collectively move and Tamara Wilson as the Studio alumni Ryan McKinny eastward as thirteen of the Countess. Joseph Li joined (HGOS ’05-’08) as Don Pedro young artists at the Wolf Trap Kathy Kelly as the and Liam Bonner (HGOS ’05- Opera Company were HGO pianist/coach and assistant ’08) as the sweetly in-love Studio members or alumni. conductor. He also appeared Claudio, all looking very Yes, you read correctly: as a recitalist for the Clark handsome in military uniforms. THIRTEEN. Current HGO Guild Museum’s “Vocal Colors” So excited was Liam about his President Jennifer Sickler series and the multi-genre costume that he even let referred to it as “HGO Studio “Secrets of the Sky and Sea” at wigmaster Dotti Staker hide his East” while your author called the Colonial Theatre. Heidi perfect hair under a wig. it “HGO Studio-on-the- Stober began a two-year Young Studio member David Potomac.” Ryan McKinny, contract as a resident artist at Hanlon, pianist/coach, served Liam Bonner, Beau Gibson, the Deutsche Oper, Berlin ▲ Rebekah Camm & Asad Jafari as the diction coach pianist for Tamara Wilson, Marjorie where she was joined by backstage at LA Opera (again) Beatrice and Benedict. The Owens, Maria Markina, Albina Shagimutatova who alternate cast performances Rebekah Camm, James J. opened as Queen of the Night of this opera, nicknamed Kee, Jeremy Frank, Evan in Die Zauberflöte. Fiona Beatrice and Beau by Studio Rogister, Grant Loehnig, Eric Murphy sang Annio in La head Laura Canning, featured Melear, and Joshua Clemenza di Tito at Lincoln current HGO Studio members Winograde all took part in the Center, at the Faith Sherman as Beatrice, Wolf Trap Opera this past Heidi Stober sang Tigrane in Beau Gibson as Benedict, summer. It should be noted and Norman Caitlin Lynch as Hero, and that Joshua Winograde (HGO- Reinhardt (HGOS ’03-’06) sang Jamie Barton as Ursula. Studio ’00-’03) served as Head Fenton in . Laquita of Wolf Trap Opera Studio and Mitchell (HGOS ’02-’05) sang in On December 7th, 2008, we Eric Melear (HGOS ’02-’04) Porgy and Bess at the Opera held the annual Buddies was their Music Director. Ask Comique, Paris and visited Christmas party at the lovely Beau about his costume from with Joyce DiDonato (HGOS home of Jennifer Sickler, HGO Ariadne auf Naxos. ’96-’98) and Ana María Guild President. Food was Martínez while she was there. plentiful and delicious and the Incoming HGO Studio artist conversation was lively! Caitlin Lynch was part of Autumn 2008 Glimmerglass Opera where On December 12th and 13th ▲ Joyce DiDonato and Carol she performed music from The 2008/09 season kicked off the Studio held its annual Fletcher taken at the Lyric Opera Mendelssohn's A Midsummer with a bang with the Cav/Pag Showcase (formerly known as of Chicago in March 2008, Night’s Dream. Jamie Barton double bill of Mascagni's “Studio Scenes”) with the following The Barber of Seville returned to the Opera Theater Cavalleria rusticana and theme of “Masquerade”. The starring Joyce as Rosina. of St. Louis where she played Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with Showcase featured scenes Suzuki in Puccini’s Madama HGO Studio member Maria from ranging from The Butterfly and at the Aspen Markina playing Lola in Rape of Lucretia to Don Opera Theater she reprised Cavalleria rusticana. Sparks Pasquale, from to one of her favorite roles, The flew as Masha’s outstanding Dead Man Walking, and the portrayal of Lola’s haughty

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3 Studio Snippets finale was a hilarious rendition Edward Teller in San Francisco reprising his Armored Man in of the Momus scene from La Opera's world premiere Die Zauberflöte, joining fellow Alumnus Derrick Parker and bohème with Caitlyn Lynch as production of John Adams’ studio alumni Tamara Wilson his wife Heather welcomed Musetta and J.J. Kee as Doctor Atomic, directed by and Albina Shagimuratova, their first child, Grace Marcello. On the second night . and later he will perform the Elizabeth Parker, on October of the Showcase we were On December 14th we said role of Froh in Das Rheingold 4th, weighing 7 lbs 8 oz in suprised by a visit from baritone goodbye to young tenor Beau (suspended on wires, no less). Pennsylvania. Richard Paul Fink (HGOS ’84- Gibson who left the Studio to go ’87), fresh from his success as to Los Angeles where he will be

Liam Bonner was featured in Upcoming Highlights the September 2008 issue of Opera News: Jamie Barton is making her debut in January 2009. But fear not, for those of us who

http://www.metoperafamily. can’t make it to New York, we will have a chance to see a preview of this recital on January 10th

org/operanews/issue/article. where she will be accompanied by Kathy Kelly. This recital is being sponsored by St. Phillip

aspx?id=4984&issueID=325 Presbyterian Church in cooperation with Grace Song, Inc., Keith Weber, Artistic Director. The reception will be sponsored by HGO Studio Buddies Program and the St. Philip’s Choir.

HGO Studio alumni returning to Houston Grand Opera this Winter and Spring include Albina

Heidi Stober was featured in Shagimuratova for Rigoletto,after performing this role for the Palm Beach Opera alongside former the January 2008 issue of Studio artist Chen-Ye Yuan. Opera News:

http://www.metoperafamily. HGO Studio Alumni org/operanews/issue/article. aspx?id=3657&issueID=178 The Houston Grand Opera Studio is arguably the finest young artist training program in the country and as a result most HGO Studio alumni have gone on to have highly successful professional careers.

Their performances are too many to mention individually, so your author has compiled a list of their

roles and locations over the past year and put them into a convenient table for your review as an

Laura Canning met her appendix to this newsletter, which is posted at http://www.hgoguild.org/Studio/. future husband Mike on a blind date at a Travelling Buddies Glyndebourne Opera production of Così fan tutte Here in the HGO Studio Buddies program we truly heart our artists and we often go to see them across the world wherever they are performing. Last May Wynne Mattison met up with Laura Canning in London for an initial meeting to discuss this season’s Buddies program, at a cute café across the

street from the British Museum. Also in London at the same time were Fred and Imelda Gott to see

Beau Gibson has a three- their former artist Fiona Murphy performing for ENO. This summer Jennifer Sickler and Asad Jafari pound chihuahua named went to Wolf Trap Opera and Christa Cooper met up with Joshua Hopkins in Central City where he Dignan who sings along was singing Junius in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia. Kathy Moore and Steve Homer met up with Heidi when Beau sings (Dignan is

a male soprano). Stober and Norman Reinhardt, where they were performing in Santa Fe. In September Asad Jafari

flew to see Rebekah Camm perform with the LA Opera in the Woody Allen directed Gianni Schicchi.

Recently Bill and Lucila Haase had a mini-reunion in Chicago with HGO Studio alumni Craig Terry (HGOS ’00-’02) and Laquita Mitchell.

J.J. Kee has a pet

hedgehog and two sugar

gliders. The sugar gliders

don’t sing but their rapid

chattering serves as

inspiration for J.J. to sing “A

un dottor della mia sorte.”

Laura Canning carried an 8- foot pole with prop fish on a train from Cardiff to Liverpool for that evening’s performance of La bohème (see photo to the right)

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Hellos and Goodbyes

Welcome to Laura at the Welsh National Opera by number of different positions Canning Anthony Freud, a position she there including being the held for ten years. Marketing Coordinator for Houston Grand Opera was HGO for 3 ½ years and Laura was married to her very fortunate this year to Program Coordinator for the husband Mike Deacon welcome Laura Canning as HGO Studio since 2002. December 29th, 2001 at Cardiff the new Director of the HGO Castle in a Così themed Because of her hard work Studio. Laura was born in wedding featuring a and amazing efforts with the Portmouth, England and at the performance of the Così trio, HGO Studio, the HGO Guild tender age of two she and her and the Welsh National Opera awarded Rubena its most family moved to Hong Kong, costume department and recent Bravo award in returning to England a few props department made her September 2008 - this award years later and settling in dress, jewelry, and veil! Laura recognizes professional Reading. This is where she was has two handsome sons, excellence and dedication introduced to music and William, age 5, and to sustaining the very high began as a singer and playing Christopher, age 3, who keep standard of the progressive the contrabassoon. At the age her non-work time quite opera company that HGO is. of 16 Laura went to Austria on occupied. a school trip and upon visiting One of Rubena’s co-workers the Vienna she Here are a few quotes from said, “It is a miracle to see decided that she wanted to Studio artists about Laura: how many things Rubena work in opera. accomplishes every day and “It is great to work in an and it never seems to be an Laura went off to Cambridge environment as encouraging inconvenience to her, so to study languages and music and conducive to learning as selfless is her attitude. Every ▲ Christa Cooper with Joshua where she found that she had the HGO Studio, and I cannot single thing that I have gone Hopkins at Central City where particularly strong imagine what it would be like to her with has been turned he was performing in The Rape management and without Laura Canning, who around so fast!” of Lucretia. organizational skills which absolutely radiates positive helped her in her work in energy and is on top of every We wish Rubena all the luck theater as a producer, stage single thing concerning the in the world in her future manager, and front house Studio.” pursuits and we will miss her manager. It is here where greatly! Laura went to her first opera, “[Laura is] the most supportive Così fan tutte. boss that a young singer can hope to have. I feel that I am in After university, Laura received the best possible hands with a baptism of fire in the opera her.” world working with two management companies Farewell to Rubena where she worked with singers Buerger and opera companies and learned the rep. Then Laura We were very sad to say joined the permanent staff of goodbye to Rubena Buerger, ▲ Diane Zola and Rubena Glyndebourne for two years as the Program Coordinator for Buerger after Rubena received the Assistant to the Director of the HGO Studio. Rubena is a 13 the HGO Guild’s Bravo Award Artistic Administration after year veteran of the Houston which she was appointed to Grand Opera and has held a the role of Artists Administrator

Dear readers, Whose feet could these be? ▼ We hope you’ve enjoyed this issue of the Houston Grand Opera Studio Buddies Newsletter. If we have made any omission or errors, please accept our apologies.

If you have news to report about yourself or about a Studio member, alumnus/alumna, staff member, or Buddy, or if you have any comments or suggestions, please email: Studio Buddies Trustee, Wynne Mattison: [email protected] Thank you and see you in the Spring! Asad S. Jafari HGO Guild Buddy & Newsletter Editor