PUTS AND CAMPBELL'S Silent Night PRESS KIT PRESENTS Silent Night

Opera in two acts Music by Libretto by Mark Campbell First performed November 12, 2011 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, St. Paul, Minnesota. Sung in English, German, French, Italian and Latin with English supertitles. Supported, in part, by grants from the San José Office of Cultural Affairs, the Carol Franc Buck Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., and the Farrington Historical Foundation, Inc.

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IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE CONDUCTOR ASSISTANT STAGE DIRECTOR Joseph Marcheso Jimmy Marcheso ANNA SØRENSEN Robert Mollicone 2/24, 2/26 PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER Julie Adams STAGE DIRECTOR Andrew G. Landis NIKOLAUS SPRINK Michael Shell CHORUS MASTER Kirk Dougherty FIGHT DIRECTOR Andrew Whitfield GERMAN OFFICER Kit Wilder MUSIC STAFF Kirk Eichelberger SET AND PROJECTION DESIGN Veronika Agranov-Dafoe JONATHAN DALE Steven Kemp Victoria Lington Mason Gates COSTUME DESIGN SUPERTITLE CUEING FATHER PALMER Melissa Nicole Torchia Victoria Lington Colin Ramsey COSTUME DIRECTOR WILLIAM DALE Alyssa Oania Branch Fields LIGHTING DESIGN MADELEINE AUDEBERT Pamila Z. Gray Ksenia Popova SOUND DESIGN LT. AUDEBERT Tom Johnson Ricardo Rivera WIG AND MAKEUP DESIGN PONCHEL Christina Martin Brian James Myer PROPERTIES MASTER LT. GORDON Lori Scheper-Kesel Matthew Hanscom TECHNICAL DIRECTOR LT. HORSTMAYER John Draginoff Kyle Albertson FRENCH GENERAL Nathan Stark KRONPRINZ Christopher Bengochea BRITISH MAJOR Vitali Rozynko

4 San José Silent Night Press Kit 5 ORCHESTRA SYNOPSIS

1ST VIOLIN EB CLARINET/ CLARINET Prologue Cynthia Baehr, Concertmaster Mara Plotkin Alice Talbot, Asst. Concertmaster LATE SUMMER, 1914 BASSOON Matthew Szemela War is declared. At a Berlin opera house, the announcement disrupts Deborah Kramer, Principal Valerie Tisdel the careers and personal lives of international opera singers Anna Carolyn Lockhart Chinh Le Sørensen and Nikolaus Sprink. In a small church in Scotland, it inspires Virginia Smedberg CONTRABASSOON dreams of heroism in William who demands that his younger brother Debra Fong Carolyn Lockhart Jonathan enlist with him, as their priest, Father Palmer, looks helpless- Daniel Flanagan ly on. In the Audebert’s Paris apartment, Madeleine protests that her FRENCH HORN husband is leaving while she is pregnant with their first child. Amid the 2ND VIOLIN Meredith Brown, Principal fervor of nationalistic songs, men prepare to go to war. Claudia Bloom, Principal Alex Rosenfeld Sally Dalke, Asst. Principal Eric Achen Act I Sue-Mi Shin Caitlyn Smith SCENE I: DECEMBER 23, LATE AFTERNOON IN AND AROUND A BATTLEFIELD Elizabeth Corner TRUMPET IN BELGIUM, NEAR THE FRENCH BORDER Sergi Goldman-Hull William B. Harvey, Principal Battle is engaged between German, French, and Scottish forces. An Carol Kutsch John Freeman attempt to infiltrate the German bunker by French and Scottish soldiers VIOLA Owen Miyoshi fails miserably. In the heat of battle, Nikolaus stabs a man to death then Chad Kaltinger, Principal TROMBONE despairs at the growing violence. William is shot, and his brother Jona- Janet Doughty, Asst. Principal Donald Benham, Principal than is forced to leave him behind. Melinda Rayne Thomas Hornig SCENE II: DECEMBER 23, EVENING Robert Seitz BASS TROMBONE After the battle, Lieutenant Gordon assesses the Scottish casualties CELLO Christian Behrens and Father Palmer attempts to offer solace to Jonathan. In his make- Lucinda Breed Lenicheck, Principal shift office in the French bunker, Lieutenant Audebert discovers his Paul Hale, Asst. Principal TIMPANI father, a French general, waiting. He reprimands Aduebert for the re- Michael Graham Arthur Storch, Principal treat, and threatens him with a transfer. The general leaves and Aude- Nancy Kim PERCUSSION bert laments the loss of his wife’s photograph. When alone, Audebert BASS Mark Veregge, Principal counts the French casualties. Missing Madeleine and wanting to see Andrew Butler, Principal James Kassis their child, he sings of needing sleep, a sentiment echoed by all the William Everett, Asst. Principal Stan Muncy soldiers. As it starts to snow, the soldiers slowly fall asleep. Alone in the German bunker, Nikolaus reveals his despair over war to an imagined FLUTE/PICCOLO KEYBOARD Anna. Mary Hargrove, Principal Veronika Agranov-Dafoe Leslie Chin SCENE III: DECEMBER 24, MORNING BAGPIPE In the German bunker, crates of Christmas fare arrive along with little OBOE Lettie Smith Christmas trees from the Kronprinz. Lieutenant Horstmayer criticizes Patricia Mitchell, Principal HARMONICA the Kronprinz for not sending them more useful presents, like ammuni- Pamela Hakl Isaiah Musik-Ayala tion and reinforcements. He receives a directive from headquarters that ENGLISH HORN Nikolaus is ordered to sing for the Kronprinz at a nearby chalet, where ORCHESTRA MANAGER he will join another opera star, Anna Sørensen. Nikolaus departs for the Pamela Hakl Mark Veregge chalet. The French soldiers receive crates of wine, bread, and choco- CLARINET lates from the quartermaster, and open them jubilantly. Aide-de-camp Mark Brandenburg, Principal Mara Plotkin

6 Opera San José Silent Night Press Kit 7 SYNOPSIS

Ponchel, a barber by trade, brings coffee to Audebert and sits him Act II down for a haircut. Ponchel recalls having coffee every morning with SCENE I: DECEMBER 25, DAWN his mother, who lives only an hour away by foot. He carries an alarm clock next to his heart (which shielded him from a bullet in the last bat- At sunrise, Jonathan tries to bury his brother, but the truce is over. Two tle) that rings at ten o’clock each morning to remind him of their daily German sentries believe he is planting mines, and prepare to shoot him. breakfast. In the Scottish bunker, crates of whiskey arrive from home Father Palmer and Lieutenant Gordon intervene. Horstmayer suggests and Jonathan writes a letter to his mother, not mentioning his brother’s that it might be best if they bury all of their dead. The three lieutenants death. meet and decide over coffee that the truce will be extended until after this is accomplished. SCENE IV: DECEMBER 24, EARLY EVENING SCENE II: DECEMBER 25, LATE MORNING, EARLY AFTERNOON At the chalet, Anna and Nikolaus perform for the Kronprinz. Follow- ing the performance, they steal a few moments alone together. Anna The soldiers gather their fallen and Father Palmer delivers last rites. A notices the cruel effect war has had on her lover. She has arranged for procession bears the bodies away. Anna looks on and vows that Nico- Nikolaus to spend the night with her and is angry when he tells her that laus will not suffer the same fate. he must return to his fellow soldiers. She vows to accompany him back SCENE III: DECEMBER 25, ALL DAY to the battlefield. News of this unofficial ceasefire has reached headquarters for all three SCENE V: DECEMBER 24, NIGHT armies. The British Major, the Kronprinz, and the French General all In the French bunker, Gueusselin volunteers to infiltrate the German react in anger and disbelief. They declare that these soldiers will be bunker, and with several grenades, begins his cross of no man’s land. punished for fraternizing with the enemy. The Scottish soldiers drink whiskey and play a bagpipe sent by anoth- SCENE IV: DECEMBER 25, EVENING er unit. Father Palmer sings a ballad about the nearness of home, and Lieutenant Horstmayer prepares to resume hostilities and Nikolaus be- when men in other bunkers hear it, they react with sadness, caution, rates him for his blind allegiance to the Fatherland and Horstmayer tells and annoyance. Nikolaus returns; his fellow soldiers greet him with him he is under arrest for insubordination. Anna takes Nikolaus firmly cheers and applause and gasp in amazement when they see Anna. by the hand and leads him across no man’s land and Horstmayer orders When the song in the Scottish bunker is finished, Nikolaus responds his men to shoot, but no one moves. Reaching the French bunker, Niko- with a rousing Christmas carol. When the bagpiper joins in, Nikolaus laus asks for asylum for himself and Anna. is emboldened to stand atop the bunker, raising a Christmas tree as a gesture of friendship. Nikolaus bravely walks into the center of no SCENE V: DECEMBER 25, LATE MORNING man’s land. Eventually, raising white flags, the three lieutenants meet The British Major reproaches the Scottish soldiers for participating and agree to an unofficial ceasefire, only for Christmas Eve. All the in an unofficial truce. They are to be transferred to areas on the front soldiers, slowly and cautiously, move from their trenches and meet in where fighting is fiercest. When the major sees a German soldier -ap no man’s land. They share their Christmas provisions, introduce them- proaching from the battlefield, he orders him shot. Jonathan complies. selves, and show one another photos. Anna appears and all the soldiers It is Ponchel, who is discovered by Audebert who runs to him. are awed by a woman at the front. Father Palmer sets up a makeshift Lieutenant Audebert returns to his small office where he finds his altar and celebrates mass, but Jonathan searches for his brother’s body father waiting. The General tells Audebert that his unit has been dis- and vows revenge. Father Palmer concludes mass and urges the men banded and he will be transferred to the fortress at Verdun. Audebert to “go in peace” as bombs explode in the distance. informs his father that he has an infant grandson, Henri. The Kronprinz informs the German soldiers that they are to be de- ployed to the Eastern Front. As the soldiers leave, they hum the Scot- Intermission (20 minutes) tish ballad that they heard in the bunker on Christmas Eve. The battle- field is left empty. Snow begins to fall.

8 Opera San José Silent Night Press Kit 9 CAST BIOGRAPHY NOTES

Julie Adams (CALIFORNIA)

Anna Sørensen. A winner of the 2014 Met- ropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, 2015 George London Award, 2015 Elizabeth Connell prize for aspiring dramatic , and recipient of a 2015 Sara Tucker Study Grant, soprano Julie Adams has been praised by the New York Times for possessing a voice that is “rich, full and slightly earthy in an expressive way.” In the 2016 – 2017 season Ms. Adams will return to San Francisco Opera as Mimi in La Bohème, conducted by Carlo Montanaro, Kate Pinkerton in Madamda Butterfly, Kristina in Makropu- los Case, and covering Princess Jia in the world premiere of Dream of the Red Chamber.

Last season saw Ms. Adams return to San Francisco Opera as a second year Adler Fellow with roles including First Lady in the Jun Kanako production of Die Zauberflöte, and Cesira in the world premiere of Marco Tutino’s La Ciociara. She also covered both the role of Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and the title role in Jenufa. Orchestral engagements included Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with Contra Costa Wind Symphony, and a chamber concert with San Francisco Op- era musicians as part of SF Opera Lab’s Chamberworks Concerts, with repertoire including Morgen! by Strauss, Previn’s Vocalise, Eternamente by Ponchielli, and Chausson’s Chanson Perpetuelle. A native of Bur- bank, California, Ms. Adams holds both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she was awarded the Phyllis C. Wattis Memorial Scholarship.

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Kyle Albertson BASS- (CALIFORNIA)

Lt. Horstmayer. Bass-baritone Kyle Albertson is renowned not only for his versatile voice, confidence, and style, but also for his ability to bring a character to life on stage. Of his recent role début as Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Fort Worth Opera, The Dallas Morning News raved: “With a drop-dead gorgeous bass-baritone, Kyle Albertson is younger than the usual Dr. Bartolo, but he’s no less delightful an object of mockery. When he turns on his falsetto to demonstrate an aria from his youth, he sounds like the famously out-of-tune Flor- ence Foster Jenkins.” This season, Mr. Albertson will be making quite a large number of débuts, including a role début of Sharpless in Madama Butterfly at Northern Lights Music Festival, Donner in Das Rheingold with the Minnesota Opera, in their first production of the opera, Lieu- tenant Horstmayer in Silent Night with Opera San Jose, and DeGuiche in Cyrano with Michigan Opera Theatre. He also will be making a house début at Lyric Opera of Chicago for their production of Das Rheingold.

​Recent operatic engagements include performances with The Metro- politan Opera as Masetto in Don Giovanni and for productions of Le nozze di Figaro, Die Zauberflöte, Dialogues des carmélites, The Merry Widow, and two productions of Manon; with Houston Grand Opera, he performed the role of Sacristan in Tosca and Mr. Rodriguez in Past the Checkpoints with Houston Grand Opera’s HGOco; with Atlanta Opera, the Sergeant of Police in Pirates of Penzance; a Dallas Opera début as Zuniga in Carmen; a Fort Worth Opera début singing Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Lyndon B. Johnson in the workshop of David T. Little’s opera JFK; a role début as the title role of Sweeney Todd with Syracuse Opera; the role of Rucker Lattimore in Cold Sassy Tree with Sugar Creek Opera Festival; and the roles of the Prison Warden in Dead Man Walking, Hobson in Peter Grimes, and the Duke in Roméo et Ju- liette all with Des Moines Metro Opera.

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Christopher Bengochea (CALIFORNIA)

Kronprinz. Praised as having “power, sure intonation, and fine diction that comes in a package tied with a ribbon of ‘natural sound” tenor, Christopher Bengochea has delighted audiences with his unique combination of vocal and dramatic interpretations in perfor- mances ranging from oratorio to opera.

Bengochea has performed the title role of Ernani and the Chicago Tribune described his performance as “flawless….He has command of Italianate style along with ringing top notes and a smooth legato - a fine, even dramatic, tenor in the making”. This award winning tenor also performed the title role in Poliuto. The Chicago Sun Times noted, “with his ringing sound and elegant phrasing, Bengochea was the very model of the martyred hero.”

Recent engagements included the title role in Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann for Palm Beach Opera (singing in three performances on three consecutive days!), the tenor part in the Verdi Requiem with the San Jose Symphony, Vasco da Gama in Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine and a Meyerbeer Retrospective concert for Opera Orchestra of New York, the title role of Idomeneo for Opera San Jose, Rodolfo in La boheme and Cavaradossi in Tosca with Opera Santa Barbara and the title role in Les Contes d’Hoffman, for West Bay City Opera in San Francisco as well as Jose in Carmen at Livermore Valley Opera Festival. He was tenor soloist with the Santa Rosa Symphony in a Verdi Gala concert and was the featured tenor soloist at Zurich’s Tonhalle in a Verdi Gala staged by the late Lotfi Mansouri and conducted by Edoardo Muller in December 2012. Bengochea sang his first Radames inAida in Montana and his first Canio in Pagliacci at the Bosie Arts Center in spring 2013.

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Kirk Dougherty TENOR (NEW YORK)

Nikolaus Sprink. In his third season as a member of OSJ’s resident company, Kirk Dougherty appears as Edgardo (Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor), Almaviva (Rossini’s The Barber of Seville), Nikolaus Sprink (Kevin Puts’ Silent Night) and Rodolfo (Puccini’s La bohème). Last season, Mr. Dougherty per- formed the roles of Mario Cavaradossi (Puc- cini’s Tosca), Don José (Bizet’s Carmen), and Mitch (Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire). He made his first appearance as a member of the resident company during the 2014-15 season as the Duke (Ver- di’s Rigoletto), Tamino (Mozart’s The Magic Flute), and the leading role of Philip in the world premiere of Mark Weiser’s Where Angels Fear to Tread.

Mr. Dougherty made his company debut at the Sarasota Opera’s 2014 winter festival, singing ten performances of Manrico in an uncut ver- sion of Verdi’s Il trovatore. He also appeared as Manrico at Baltimore Concert Opera during the 2013-14 season. As Don José (Carmen), he returned in 2015 to Anchorage Opera, where he previously sang the roles of Pinkerton (Puccini’s Madama Butterfly), Arturo (Lucia di Lam- mermoor) and Joseph Treat in the world premiere of Victoria Bond’s Mrs. President.

Mr. Dougherty was recently a soloist with the American Symphony Or- chestra in Bruch’s oratorio Moses at Carnegie Hall and with the Glacier Symphony in Das Lied von der Erde. He also appeared in concert with Opera Delaware and with Helena Symphony.

In past seasons, he has performed with many notable musical organi- zations, such as the Castleton Opera Festival, Central City Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Opera Naples, Salt Marsh Opera, Duluth Festival Opera, Manhattan Concert Productions at Carnegie Hall, and many others.

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Kirk Eichelberger BASS (CALIFORNIA)

The German Officer. Kirk Eichelberger re- turns this season as the German Officer in Silent Night. Most recently Mr. Eichelberger appeared as the Music Master in Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos with Festival Opera. Other recent performances include The Emperor in Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul and Don Fernando in Fidelio with Opera Company of Philadelphia, Mephistopheles in Faust with Opera Grand Rapids, Sparafucile in Rigoletto with Vancouver Opera, and Fer- rando in Il trovatore with Opera Manitoba. He also appeared in the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro for Opera Memphis, and Alidoro in La Cener- entola with Sacramento Opera.

In the 2011-12 season, Mr. Eichelberger was a featured soloist with the Midsummer Mozart Festival in a performance of Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor. In 2010, he appeared as Méphistophélès (Faust) with Dayton Opera, a role he repeated in 2011 with Opera Birmingham. During the summer of 2010, Mr. Eichelberger appeared as Raimondo in Festival Opera’s production of Lucia di Lammermoor, and returned to Opera San José in the fall to perform the role of Alexei Karenin in the compa- ny’s production of Anna Karenina.

During the 2007-08 season, Mr. Eichelberger made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Gambler 3 (The Gambler) and also covered the role of Jago in their production of Ernani. He also appeared as Alaska Wolf Joe (Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny) for the Spoleto Fes- tival USA 2007, Colline (La bohème) for Fremont Opera, Frère Laurent (Roméo et Juliette) for San Francisco Lyric Opera, Grandpa Moss (The Tender Land) for Trinity Opera, and Louis (A View From the Bridge) with Washington National Opera.

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Branch Fields BASS (VIRGINIA)

William Dale. Branch Fields, whom Opera America describes as “a bass of resonant richness,” and The New York Times declared to be “a gifted young bass,” is delighting audiences and critics alike, whether it be in opera, concert, or musical theater. He has sung with Santa Fe Opera, New York City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Carolina, Michigan Opera Theatre, Utah Opera, Opera San Jose, and many other regional compa- nies throughout the U.S. In concert, Branch has performed with the Munich Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and the American Symphony Orchestra. Branch’s versatility as a singing actor led to his Broadway debut in South Pacific, understudying the role of Emile de Becque in the Lincoln Center Theater production, which won 7 Tony Awards.

This past season, Mr. Fields was engaged by Opera in Williamsburg as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, and by Virginia Opera as 2nd Soldier in Salome. In December, he was asked to be the guest artist for the Williamsburg Community Chapel Christmas Concerts, attended by 8000 people, and performed the bass solos in Handel’s Messiah at the Williamsburg UMC and at the Sandler Center with Symphonicity. 2015 began with the Mozart Requiem, again with Symphonicity, and Ver- di’s Requiem in Ft. Meyers, Florida with the Gulf Coast Symphony. He reprised Sarastro for Anchorage Opera’s Magic Flute; and was Father Truelove in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress with Utah Opera. The sea- son ended with a reprise of Raimondo at Opera Fort Collins. Mr. Fields spent the summer close to home in a 34 performance run of his criti- cally acclaimed portrayal of Emile de Becque in SOUTH PACIFIC for Vir- ginia Repertory Theater. He has been nominated for a 2015 RTCC Artsie Award in the “Best Actor in a Musical” category for his performance of Emile de Becque for Va. Rep.

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Mason Gates TENOR (UTAH)

Jonathan Dale. Mason Gates returns during the 2016-17 season as Jonathan Dale in Puts and Campbell’s Silent Night. Mr. Gates made his company debut in the role of Don Cur- zio in last season’s The Marriage of Figaro. He received his Bachelor’s of Music from Brigham Young University in Utah, and his Master’s of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. A two-time recipient of the encouragement award from the Metro- politan Opera National Council Auditions, Mr. Gates was also a festival artist at Utah Festival Artist two years in a row, as well as a Vocal Fellow at the esteemed Music Academy of the West.

Recent roles include the title role in Albert Herring, Steerman in The Flying Dutchman, El Remendado (Carmen), The Man with Old Luggage (Postcard from Morocco), Spoletta (Tosca), Grigori (Boris Godunov), Rodolfo (La bohème), Ferrando (Così fan tutte), Monostatos (Die Zau- berflöte), and Edwin the Defendant (Trial by Jury).

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Matthew Hanscom BARITONE (MINNESOTA)

Lt. Gordon. Matt Hanscom began 2016 as Escamillo in Carmen followed by Stanley Kowalski in Previn’s A Streetcar Named De- sire for Opera San Jose. Previous roles with Opera San Jose include the title role in Rigo- letto, Scarpia in Tosca, Taddeo in Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri, Gino Carella in the world premiere of Mark Lanz Weiser’s Where An- gels Fear to Tread based on the novel of the same name by E.M. Forster, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, and Conte Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro. This season with Opera San José includes the roles of Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Marcello in La bohème, and Lieutenant Gordon in the West Coast premiere of Kevin Puts’ Pulitzer Prize winning Silent Night. Highlights from recent seasons include a “vocally and dramatically compelling” Comte de Toulouse in Verdi’s Jérusalem, a “fully realized portrait” of Slim in Carlisle Floyd’s Of Mice and Men, and a “most expressive, technically secure, and vocally commanding” Ping in Turandot, all with Sarasota Opera.

Matt has enjoyed success at the highest levels of national and interna- tional competition. He was an international finalist in the Neue Stimmen International Singing Competition in Gütersloh, Germany. He is a former national semi-finalist in the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition as well as a former national semi-finalist in Houston Grand Opera’s Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers. In consecutive years he was a district winner, followed by a national semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and can be seen in the documentary film The“ Audition”.

Possessing both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from North- western University in Evanston, IL, Matt is an alumnus of many of the nations premier training programs such as Wolf Trap Opera’s Filene Young Artist Program, the Santa Fe Opera, the Merola Opera Program, Opera Theatre of St. Louis’ Gerdine Young Artist Program, Chicago Op- era Theater, Sarasota Opera Studio, and Central City Opera.

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Brian James Myer BARITONE (NEVADA)

Ponchel. Baritone Brian James Myer has been praised as a stage animal of “both voice and character to make him stand out in the crowd” (Sarasota Observer). Mr. Myer joins Opera San José as a Resident Artist during the 2016–2017 season, performing Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Ponchel in the West Coast premiere of Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s Silent Night, and Schaunard in La bohème. Previous roles with Opera San José include Angelotti in Tosca, Papageno and Second Priest in Die Zauberflöte, Masetto in Don Giovanni, and the roles of Alessandro/Enrico and Gino Carella in the world premiere produc- tion of Mark Weiser’s Where Angels Fear to Tread. For his interpretation of the tragic character of Gino, Mr. Myer was hailed as “a name to look for in the future” (San José Metblogs).

Other recent engagements include Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Florida Grand Opera; Silvio in Pagliacci with Sarasota Opera; Le Dan- caïre in Carmen, Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, and Masetto in Don Giovanni with Opera Las Vegas; and the Marchese in La traviata, Pish- Tush in The Mikado, Yakusidé in Madama Butterfly, and Albert in The Ballad of Baby Doe with Chautauqua Opera.

On the concert platform, Mr. Myer has appeared as soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Milhaud’s Cantate de Psaumes, Bach’s Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio, Rutter’s Mass of the Children, and Brahms’ Liebeslieder Walzer in venues across North America. He has recently made his Opera Orlando debut as part of their Opera in the Park summer concert series, performing as a member of “The Three ” to sold-out audiences and joining the group in the recording studio for their upcoming album “Christmas Around the World”.

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Ksenia Popova SOPRANO (WASHINGTON)

Madeleine Audebert. Hailed by The News Tri- bune as “a young soprano to watch,” soprano Ksenia Popova joins Opera San Jose’s 2016- 17 season as an Associate Artist. Ms. Popova covered the roles of Lucia di Lammermoor, Berta (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) with student matinee performances of each, as well as sing the role of Madeleine Audebert in the West Coast premiere of Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell’s Silent Night. In 2017, Ms. Popova returns to the Northwest to compete in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Regional Competition, and return to Pacific Northwest Opera (formerly Skagit Opera) to sing Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.

The 2015-16 season brought role debuts as Polly Peachum in The Three- penny Opera with Tacoma Opera, for which she was cited as possessing “a soaring, powdered-sugar soprano” voice, and company debut with Skagit Opera as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. Ms. Popova made her pro- fessional company debut with Tacoma Opera in 2014-15 with Josephine in H.M.S Pinafore, and later in the season Juliette in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

In concert, Ms. Popova has appeared as the Soprano Soloist with Car- mina Burana with Greater Seattle Choral Consortium (as part of the 2016 Folklife Festival), and twice with Sammamish Symphony Orches- tra. She is a Metropolitan Opera National Council Third Place Regional winner, as well as having received Audience Favorite and Encourage- ment Awards. Other roles in Ms. Popova’s repertoire include Fiorilla in Il Turco in Italia, Clarine in Platée, Lily in The Secret Garden, and Hélène in Une Éducation Manquée.

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Colin Ramsey BASS-BARITONE (CALIFORNIA)

Father Palmer. Bass-baritone Colin Ramsey joined Opera San José’s resident company as a principal artist this season, appearing as Raimondo (Donizetti’s Lucia di Lam- mermoor), Basilio (Rossini’s The Barber of Seville), Father Palmer (Puts and Camp- bell’s Silent Night), and Colline (Puccini’s La bohème). Mr. Ramsey has performed with many companies including Seattle Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Sarasota Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Des Moines Metro Opera, The Green Mountain Opera Festival, Pacific Music Works, and The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. The 2014-15 season fea- tured his debut as a soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the St. Paul Cham- ber Orchestra with conductor Paul Agnew of Les Artes Florissants, and a return to the Pacific Northwest’s premier early music orchestra, Pacific Musicworks, for his role debut as Sarastro in Mozart’sThe Magic Flute with Grammy Winner Stephen Stubbs conducting.

Other recent engagements include Menotti’s The Consul with Seat- tle Opera and Opera Santa Barbara, Collatinus (Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia) with Vespertine Opera, Somnus/Cadmus in Handel’s Semele with Pacific Musicworks, and a debut with Austin Lyric Opera as Il Frate in Verdi’s Don Carlo, as well as his debut with Green Mountain Opera Festival reprising Alidoro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola.

Mr. Ramsey recently took 3rd Prize in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the Rocky Mountain Region and an Encourage- ment Award in the Western Region in 2011. He has won prizes from the Pasadena Opera Guild, a grant from the Opera Buffs and is the 2011 Hugh Ross Award recipient at Manhattan School of Music, an award which is given every year to a graduating singer of ‘unusual promise.’

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Ricardo Rivera BARITONE (NEW YORK)

Lt. Audebert. Ricardo Rivera made his company debut this season, appearing as Enrico in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, and in Silent Night he will sing the role of Lt. Audebert.

In the spring of 2015, Mr. Rivera made major debuts at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and San Diego Opera in the world premiere of El pasado nunca se termi- na, directed by Broadway and opera director Leonard Foglia, in the leading role of Acalán.

Upcoming engagements for Mr. Rivera include Escamillo in Carmen with El Paso Opera; Baritone Solos in both Des Knaben Wunderhorn and Fauré’s Requiem with the Pioneer Valley Symphony; and as Uncle John in Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath with Sugar Creek Op- era. Operatic performance highlights, of recent past seasons, include: Orsini in Rienzi and Mathieu in Andrea Chenier with the Opera Orches- tra of NY in Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall; Moralès and Escamillo (cover) in Stephen Wadsworth’s new production of Carmen, Thomas Martin and the Hotel Managers in the world premiere of Theodore Morrison’s Oscar, and Germont (cover) in La traviata at Santa Fe Opera; Marcello in La bohème and Escamillo in Carmen with El Paso Opera; Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with the Opera Company of Middlebury; Thomas Martin and the Hotel Managers in Oscar with Opera Philadel- phia; Le chat in L’enfant et les sortilèges and Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi at the Castleton Festival with the late conductor Lorin Maazel; Moralès in Carmen and Fiorello/L’Ufficiale inIl barbiere di Siviglia with Opera North; Ashby in La fanciulla del West with Knoxville Opera; and Corifeo in Jorge Liderman’s opera Antigona Furiosa in Chicago with Contempo and members of the multi-Grammy Award–winning ensem- ble eighth blackbird.

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Vitali Rozynko BARITONE (CALIFORNIA)

The British Major. Vitali Rozynko appears as the British Major in Silent Night. Recent engagements for Mr. Rozynko include the role of Pilatus in a staged version of Bach’s Johannes Passion with the Nederlandse Reis Opera, Le Directeur and Gendarme in Pou- lenc’s Les Mamelles de Tiresias with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the role of Spen- cer Coyle in Britten’s Owen Wingrave with The Nieuw Ensemble. He has also performed with Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Colorado, Dutch National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Cincinatti Opera and Opera de Liege. He was the soloist in the Verdi Requiem with orchestras through- out Holland, and appeared in the world premiere of “The Trees of Para- dise” with the Radio Kamer Orkest, Concertgebouw.

Other notable roles include Guglielmo in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte at the Aldeburgh Festival and Bello in Puccini’s La fanciulla del West with The Santa Fe Opera. With Opera Colorado he appeared as Harlekin (Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos) and Schaunard (Puccini’s La bohème) and was then invited to return in the title role of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. At Mississippi Opera he was Silvio (Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci), and made his début with Boston Lyric Opera as Schaunard in La bohème. With L’Op- era Royal de Wallonie, Liege, he sang the role of Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, and under Seiji Ozawa performed the role of Gendarme in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tiresias at Tanglewood Festival.

34 Opera San José Silent Night Press Kit 35 CAST BIOGRAPHY NOTES

Nathan Stark BASS (CALIFORNIA)

The French General. Nathan Stark returns to Opera San José this season to perform the role of the French General in Silent Night. Mr. Stark made his company debut as Mustafa (Rossini’s The Italian Girl in Algiers) in the company’s 2014-15 season. Recent engage- ments include his debut on the Metropoli- tan Opera stage as the One-Armed Man in Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten; First Naz- arene in Strauss’ Salome with the Boston Symphony Orchestra; the world premieres of Myers’ Buried Alive and Soluri’s Embedded and Burried Alive with Fargo-Moorhead Opera’s Poe Project; his return to Madison Opera as Sulpice in Donizetti’s La fille du regiment; bass soloist with Day- ton Philharmonic Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9; featured soloist with the Madison Symphony Orchestra in A Madison Symphony Christmas; Zuniga in Bizet’s Carmen and Sylvano in Cavalli’s La Calisto, both with Cincinnati Opera; and bass soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with the Defiant Requiem Foundation at Strathmore and at the University of New Mexico, under Murry Sidlin.

On the concert stage, Mr. Stark has been a featured soloist in Beetho- ven’s 9th Symphony, Beethoven’s Mass in C Major, Verdi’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Elijah, El retablo de Maese Pedro, and Handel’s Messiah. Additionally, he has given recitals throughout the United States and Germany, a concert of American spirituals at the Great Wall of China, performances at the U.S. Colom- bian Embassy, U.S. French Embassy, the U.S. Austrian Embassy and the Washington National Cathedral. In 2005 he was the featured soloist at the nationally televised opening ceremonies for the Air Force One Ex- hibit at the Ronald Reagan Library for former First Ladies, Laura Bush and Nancy Reagan, members and former members of the US Senate and Congress, and former President of the United States, George W. Bush.

36 Opera San José Silent Night Press Kit 37 CONTENTS OF USB DRIVE

OSJ Silent Night Calendar Release OSJ Silent Night News Release OSJ Silent Night Press Kit OSJ Silent Night Program California Theatre History Kevin Puts Bio Mark Campbell Bio Headshots Production Images

For additional information go to https://www.operasj.org/about-us/press-room/

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