Merola Program

Schwabacher Summer Concert

WHEN: VENUE: SATURDAY, BING JULY 7, 2018 CONCERT HALL 7∶30 PM

Photo: Kristen Loken Program

Schwabacher Summer Concert

Kathleen Kelly, Conductor Umezawa, Director Galen Till, Costume Design Eric Watkins, Lighting Design

Samuel Barber: Vanessa, Act I: Scene 1

Vanessa: Brittany Nickell

Erika: Megan Grey

Anatol: Brian Michael Moore

Major-Domo: Andrew Moore

Giacomo Puccini: Il tabarro, Act II: Scenes 1 and 3

Giorgetta: Marlen Nahhas

Frugola: Megan Grey

Luigi: Christopher Colmenero

Michele: Jaeman Yoon

Tinca: Brian Michael Moore

Talpa: Andrew Moore

Armante: Kendra Berentsen

Amante: WooYoung Yoon

—INTERMISSION—

PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please be considerate of others and turn off all phones, pagers, and watch alarms. Photography and recording of any kind are not permitted. Thank you.

2 Georges Bizet: Les pêcheurs de perles

Act I: “C’est toi, toi qu’enfin je revois…

Au fond du temple saint”

Act II: “Me voilà seule dans la nuit…

Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre…

De mon amie Fleur endormie…Leïla! Leïla!...

Ton coeur n’a pas compris le mien”

Act III: “L’orage s’est calmé…O Nadir, tendre ami…

Qu’ai-je vu?...Je frémis, je chancelle”

Leïla: Kendra Berentsen

Nadir: WooYoung Yoon

Zurga: SeokJong Baek

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: , Act II, Scene 13

Don Giovanni: Xiaomeng Zhang

Leporello: Andrew Moore

Commendatore: Jaeman Yoon

Donna Anna: Brittany Nickell

Donna Elvira: Marlen Nahhas

Zerlina: Kendra Berentsen

Don Ottavio: Brian Michael Moore

Masetto: SeokJong Baek

This concert is named in memory of Merola’s late Chairman, James Schwabacher, and is graciously underwritten, in part, by the Frances K. and Charles D. Field Foundation, the Jack H. Lund Charitable Trust, The Bernard Osher Foundation, and Leslys Vedder in memory of James Forrest Vedder.

Merola’s performance at Bing Concert Hall is sponsored, in part, by David Hugle and Haggai Niv, Dana Horner, and Mrs. Helen Breck and Kirby Wilcox.

Kathleen Kelly is sponsored, in part, by Darla and Richard Bastoni, and Bob and Terri Ryan. Aria Umezawa is sponsored, in part, by Miss Ursula Grunfeld and D.G. Mitchell.

3 Synopses

Vanessa Unbeknownst to the others, Giorgetta Les pêcheurs de perles Music by and Luigi are having an affair. Music by Georges Bizet Libretto by Frugola, Talpa’s wife, arrives looking Libretto by Eugène Cormon and for her husband. When Tinca claims Michel Carré ACT I, Scene 1 he loves nothing more than to drink, When her lover, Anatol, was called Luigi says drink is the only way to ACT I away 20 years ago, Vanessa covered cope with the futility of life. Frugola “C’est toi, toi qu’enfin je revois… all the mirrors in the house and said dreams of being in a cottage with her Au fond du temple saint” she would not uncover them until cat. Giorgetta imagines life in Paris Anatol returned. Now, at last, she has instead of on the barge, and she and ACT II received word that he is coming. Luigi discover they come from the “Me voila seule dans la nuit… Vanessa, her mother the Baroness, same village just outside Paris. They Comme autrefois dans la nuit and Erika, Vanessa’s niece, prepare for share their happy memories, but sombre…De mon amie fleur his arrival. Erika tries to distract when Michele comes out of the cabin, endormie…Leïla! Leïla!...Ton coeur n’a Vanessa. Vanessa covers her face, as Luigi realizes he cannot bear to share pas compris le mien” she has covered the mirrors. When Giorgetta with her husband. He asks Anatol arrives, she tells him that if he Michele to leave him in Rouen on their ACT III still loves her, she will show him her next trip. However, when Michele goes “L’orage s’est calmé…O Nadir, tendre face. From the shadows, he responds back in the cabin, Luigi agrees to ami…Qu’ai-je vu?...Je frémis, je chancelle” that he believes he will love her. return to the barge for a rendezvous Vanessa throws back her veil and finds with Giorgetta that evening. Giorgetta After a year away, the hunter Nadir returns herself looking at a man twenty years will light a match to tell him it is safe to a pearl-diving village in the Far East, younger than her Anatol. Horrified, to come aboard. After Luigi leaves, where his childhood friend Zurga has Vanessa rushes out. The Baroness Michele returns to the deck. He tries recently been chosen as its leader. Nadir goes to comfort her. The young man to rekindle Giorgetta’s love for him by and Zurga recall how their friendship was explains to Erika that he is Anatol’s recalling the happier days before the almost destroyed when they both fell in son and bears the same name. death of their baby a year earlier. He love with a beautiful Hindu priestess. They reminds her of how all three of them pledge to stay away from her and would fit under his cloak and asks preserve their friendship. But Nadir does Il tabarro why she no longer loves him. not tell Zurga that he spent a night with Music by Giorgetta refuses to respond and the woman and has loved her ever since. Libretto by Giuseppe Adami escapes into the cabin. Tormented by Leïla, the priestess the two friends love, the thought of his wife’s infidelity, knows she is breaking her vows by loving Act II, Scenes 1 and 3 Michele worries Giorgetta has a lover, Nadir. She calms her fears by telling Luigi, Tinca, and Talpa have been but tells himself it can’t be Luigi herself Nadir is watching over her. Nadir unloading Michele’s barge on the because he asked to go to Rouen. comes into her sacred enclosure. They Seine. Michele’s young wife, Giorgetta, Tormented by the thought of his wife’s declare their love, but Leïla warns him that serves them wine as the sun sets. infidelity, he lights his pipe. if they are seen they will be put to death.

4 Photo: Kristen Loken

Don Giovanni it is too late. Giovanni laughs. Elvira defiance. While Leporello watches in Music by leaves, but screams on her way out. terror from beneath the table, the Libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte Giovanni sends Leporello to see what is Commendatore drags Giovanni into the matter. Leporello screams as well the underworld. Donna Anna, Don ACT II , Scene 13 and tells Giovanni that the statue has Ottavio, Donna Elvira, Zerlina, and “Già la mensa è preparata” appeared in response to Giovanni’s Masetto arrive, determined to confront dinner invitation. When heavy knocks Giovanni. Instead they find a shaken Don Giovanni feasts alone in his dining fall on the door, Leporello is too afraid Leporello who relates the horrifying room, attended by his servant, to answer. Giovanni opens the door scene he witnessed. Free of Giovanni, Leporello. Though he has invited the and finds himself staring at the statue the others ponder the future. Ottavio statue of the Commendatore (whom of the man he killed. The wants to marry Anna right away, but Giovanni killed in a duel after attacking Commendatore invites Giovanni to Anna says she needs a year of the Commendatore’s daughter Anna) dine in his realm. Giovanni agrees, but mourning first. Elvira declares she will to dine with him, Giovanni has no when he takes the Commendatore’s enter a convent. Zerlina and Masetto actual expectation of the statue hand, a chill grips him. The head home for dinner. Leporello says appearing. Donna Elvira arrives and Commendatore commands Giovanni he will go to the nearest tavern and begs Giovanni to change his life before to repent, but Giovanni responds with seek out a less challenging employer.

5 Biographies

SeokJong Baek, Kendra Berentsen, Christopher Colmenero,

Hometown: Jeon-Ju, South Korea Hometown: Portland, Oregon Hometown: Burlington, Vermont Schools: Manhattan School of Music; Schools: Merola Opera Program; Schools: Mannes College; The New Aspen Music Festival and School ; School for Music; SUNY Purchase; Teachers: Ashley Putnam International Vocal Arts Institute Minnesota Opera Resident Artist; Major Roles or Experience: Giorgio Blacksburg; International Vocal Arts Opera Saratoga; Chautauqua Opera Germont (La traviata); Marcello (La Institute Montreal Teachers: Frank Lopardo, Julia bohème); Gautru (Le roi l’a dit); Tschang, Teachers: Marlena Malas, Deborah Faulkner, Dennis Petersen, Bonnie (Das Land des Lächelns) Birnbaum, Rita Shane, Yelena Kurdina, Hamilton, Jacque Trussel Other Interests: Reading, exercising, Valery Ryvkin, Chuck Hudson Major Roles or Experience: Judge tennis, hiking, meditating Major Roles or Experience: Juliette Danforth (The Crucible); Awards: 2017 Extraordinary Prize (Roméo et Juliette); Zerlina (Don (Il Postino); Mavra (Mavra); Le Prince Sonora International Opera Giovanni); Adele (Die Fledermaus); Charmant (Cendrillon); Tamino (Die Competition Francisco Araiza, Mexico; Pamina (Die Zauberflöte); Carolina (Il Zauberflöte); Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi) 2017 2nd Prize Alfredo Silipigni Vocal matrimonio segreto); Manon (Manon); Other Interests: Family, music, New Competition, New Jersey State Opera; Herz (The Impresario); Serpina (La serva York Yankees, Italian food 2017 2nd prize New Jersey Association padrona); Baby Doe (The Ballad of Baby Awards: 2017 of Verismo Opera; 2016 Doe); Frasquita (Carmen); Flora (The National Council (MONC) Upper Encouragement Award Opera Index Turn of the Screw); Zerbinetta (Ariadne Midwest Regional, 3rd Place; 2017 Vocal Competition, NY; Recipient of auf Naxos); Soeur Constance (Dialogues MONC Minnesota District Winner; 2016 The Mae Zenke Orvis Opera des Carmélites); Gretel (Hänsel und MONC Eastern District Winner; 2015 Scholarship and The Presser Gretel); Cunegonde (Candide) Giulio Gari International Vocal Foundation Scholarship Other Interests: Painting, hiking, Competition Encouragement Award; Upcoming: Resident Artist at Lyric running, teaching 2015 Gerda Lissner International Vocal Opera of Kansas City Competition Encouragement Award; 2014 Richard F. Gold Career Grant; 2014 Chautauqua Opera Young Artist Encouragement Award

6 Megan Grey, Mezzo-Soprano Andrew Moore, -Baritone Brian Michael Moore, Tenor

Hometown: Cedar Falls, Iowa Hometown: Point Pleasant, NJ Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio Schools: University of Northern Iowa; Schools: Rutgers University; Schools: Merola Opera Program; Los Chautauqua Opera Company Young International Vocal Arts Institute NYC Angeles Opera Domingo-Colburn-Stein Artist Program Teachers: Eduardo Chama, Mignon Young Artist Program; Aspen Music Teachers: Jean McDonald Dunn Festival and School; Brevard Music Major Roles or Experience: Hänsel Major Roles or Experience: St. Peter Festival; Manhattan School of Music (Hänsel und Gretel); Proserpina (L’Orfeo); (Der Mond); Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro); Teachers: Stephen King , Mark Oswald, L’enfant (L’enfant et les sortilèges); Mrs. Rocco (Fidelio); Adonis (Venus and Karl Resnik McLean (Susannah); Frau Reich (Die Adonis); Guglielmo (Così fan tutte); Major Roles or Experience: Don lustigen Weiber von Windsor); Sorceress L’arbre (L’enfant et les sortilèges) Ottavio (Don Giovanni); Spoletta (); and Spirit (Dido and Aeneas) Other Interests: Italian cooking, Nathanaël (Les contes d’Hoffmann); Other Interests: Cooking, kayaking, watching scary movies, traveling the Remendado (Carmen); Macduff reading, watching Netflix, playing cello, world (Macbeth); Pedrillo (Die Entführung aus hanging out with my cats Awards: Victoria J. Mastrobuono dem Serail) Awards: Iowa District Metropolitan Scholarship Recipient, 2017; Michael Other Interests: Building computers, Opera National Council Auditions Fardink Memorial Award 2017; MM baking, taking care of my pet chinchilla Winner 2018; 1st Place Graduate Finalist, Curtis 2017; Alfredo Silipigni Awards: Una Finestra sui Due Mondi, Division Central Region NATS 2017; 2nd Competition with New Jersey State Spoleto Festival; Western Region place Classical Singer 2016; Dominick Opera, Finalist 2017 Finalist, Metropolitan Opera National Argento and Carolyn Bailey National Council Auditions; Eastern Region Opera Association Vocal Competition Finalist, MONC Auditions Finalist 2015; Schubert Club (MN) Scholarship Winner 2014 & 2015

7 Marlen Nahhas, Soprano Brittany Nickell, Soprano Jaeman Yoon, Baritone

Hometown: Houston, Texas Hometown: Coral Springs, Florida Hometown: Seoul, South Korea Schools: Oklahoma City University; Schools: Jacksonville University; Schools: Mannes School of Music Indiana University; Lyric Opera of Manhattan School of Music; Music Teachers: Arthur Levy, Joshua Greene Kansas City Resident Artist; Central Academy of the West Major Roles or Experience: Count (Le City Opera Apprentice Artist; Utah Teachers: Nikki Li Hartliep nozze di Figaro) Festival Opera Festival Artist Major Roles or Experience: Elizabeth Other Interests: Travel, watching funny Teachers: Vinson Cole, Carol Vaness (Second Nature); Madame de Volanges videos Major Roles or Experience: Cio-Cio (The Dangerous Liaisons); Lady Macduff Awards: Premiere Opera International San (Madama Butterfly); Rosalinde (Die (Macbeth by Bloch); Anna Maurrant Vocal Competition, 2017 Grand Prize; The Fledermaus); Violetta (La traviata); (Street Scene) Opera Index, 2017 Major Award; The Antonia (Les contes d’Hoffmann) Other Interests: Reading, going to the Giulio Gari Foundation, 2017 Grants Prize; Other Interests: Musical theatre, good movies, makeup, cooking vegan 2016 Merit-based full tuition Scholarship, coffee, travel, great food, Walt Disney recipes Mannes School of Music; 2014 Classic World Awards: Metropolitan Opera National Vocal Music Competition of Daegu, Awards: Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Northeastern Grand Prize; 2012 Hwacheon Bimok Council Auditions, 1st Place Indiana District Winner 2018; Premier Opera Vocal Music Competition, 3rd Prize District - 2015, 2016; 1st Place Kansas Competition Finalist 2017; The Opera City District - 2018; Michael Ballam Index Award 2017; Alan and Joan Taub International Opera Competition, Ades Competition, 3rd place 2016 1st Place; Central City Opera Bonfils- Stanton Young Artist Award

WooYoung Yoon, Tenor

Hometown: Seoul, South Korea Schools: Manhattan School of Music; Kyung Hee University; Martina Arroyo Foundation; Trentino Music Festival

8 Teachers: Neil Rosenshein, Alfred Kim Teachers: Marlena Malas music arrangement of Hansel and Gretel Major Roles or Experience: Don José Major Roles or Experience: Tancredi (Il in a remarkable production by Basil (Carmen); Ottokar (Der Zigeunerbaron); combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda); Twist. From 2003–2008 Kathleen was Tito (); Belmonte (Die Kuligin (Káťa Kabanová); Minskman also the Music Director of the Berkshire Entführung aus dem Serail); Rodolfo (Flight); Fernando (Fidelio); Licinio Opera, conducting two productions (Luisa Miller); Riccardo (Un ballo in (Aureliano in Palmira); Giove (La Calisto); each summer and overseeing the young Maschera); Rodolfo (La bohème) Schaunard (La bohème); Giovanni (Don artist program. Other Interests: Skiing, cooking, Giovanni) astronomy, cosmology, learning great Other Interests: Cooking, swimming singing from great singers and Awards: MONC New England Regional coaches, traveling to all the beautiful 2nd place; -Puccini places in the world, surfing Foundation IVC Encouragement Award; Awards: Metropolitan Opera National Guild Competition Finalist Council Auditions, Eastern Region Finalist 2018; Finalist, Vienna Festival Competition 2017; Finalist, Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition 2017; Aria Umezawa, Director Finalist, Alfredo Silipigni Vocal Competition 2017; Honorable Mention, Currently completing her second year Metropolitan International Vocal as a Adler Fellow, Competition 2016; 2nd Prize, Korean Aria Umezawa is the first stage director Vocal Competition 2011 to be awarded the fellowship in 15 years. Upcoming: Empire Opera: Belmonte Kathleen Kelly, Conductor She is the cofounder of the Toronto- (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) based, independent opera company Kathleen Kelly, who returns to Merola Opera 5, and served as its artistic where she was an apprentice coach in director from 2012 to 2017. In addition, 1991 and 1992, enjoys a wide-ranging she is the creator, writer, and director of and dynamic musical life as a pianist, the web series Opera Cheats, and she opera coach, conductor, and master was the 2016 Merola Apprentice Stage teacher. The first woman and first Director, where her staging of the American named as Director of Musical Merola Grand Finale concert was Studies at the , praised by the San Francisco Chronicle: Kathleen joined the faculty of the “Over the decades, I’ve never seen the University of Michigan in 2015 as that job dispatched with the elegance, verve Xiaomeng Zhang school’s first Coach/Conductor of and sheer theatrical imagination that Baritone Opera. Kathleen was an assistant to Aria Umezawa brought to it on at the Metropolitan Opera Saturday night in the War Memorial Hometown: Wenzhou, China from 1997–2006, specializing in works of . This young Canadian Schools: The ; Manhattan Wagner, Strauss, and Berg. While music artist … marshalled her fellow Merolini School of Music; Shanghai Conservatory director of the Houston Grand Opera with the dexterity of an experienced of Music; Bel Canto at Caramoor Studio, she conducted her own chamber master.”

9 Orchestra

VIOLIN I FLUTE BASS TROMBONE Craig Reiss Stacey Pelinka David Ridge Tatiana Freedland Michelle Caimotto Carol Kutsch TUBA Julie Kim PICCOLO Zachariah Spellman Josepha Fath Leslie Chin Alice Kennelly TIMPANI Daryl Schilling OBOE Mark Veregge Dan Flanagan Peter Lemberg Karen Shinozaki Kathleen Conner PERCUSSION Victor Avdienko VIOLIN II ENGLISH HORN Lane Sanders Joe Edelberg Laura Reynolds Eva Karasik HARP Elizabeth Corner CLARINET Wendy Tamis David Wilson Arthur Austin Maxine Nemerovski Diana Dorman CELESTE Gulnar Spurlock Thomas Morris Baker Peeples BASS CLARINET Karen Sremac ORCHESTRA MANAGER VIOLA Craig McAmis Melinda Rayne BASSOON Patrick Kroboth Debbie Kramer LIBRARIAN Caroline Lee David Granger Tim Spears Daria D’Andrea Oscar Hasbun HORN CONTRACTOR Maria Caswell Mark Almond Kent Reed Bethany Zare CELLO Brian McCarty MUSICAL PREPARATION Adelle Akiko Kearns Scott Hartman Annie Brooks Dina Weinshelbaum Matthew Gemmill Judiyaba TRUMPET James Maverick Janet Witharm William Harvey Thomas Morris Farley Pearce Kenneth Olson Dylan Girard BASS Tim Spears TROMBONE Ken Miller Samuel Schlosser Michel Taddei Craig McAmis Andrew McCorkle

10 About the Merola Opera Program

Jayne C. Davis, Chairman Carlyn Clause, President Jean Kellogg, Executive Director

The Merola Opera Program is widely regarded as the foremost opera training program for aspiring singers, coach accompanists, and stage directors. Merola nurtures the opera stars of tomorrow, presents operatic works that reach a diverse audience, and provides community outreach through educational programs for students and the general public.

Named for San Francisco Opera’s first general director, Gaetano Merola, the Merola Opera Program began during the 1954-55 season and established its full training program in 1957. Each fall, nearly 1,000 young artists apply to the Program. During the 12-week, all- expenses-paid summer training program, they have the rare opportunity of studying, coaching, and participating in master classes with established professionals. Participants also perform in two fully staged opera productions, the Schwabacher Summer Concert, and the Merola Grand Finale, all with full orchestra.

Merola has served as a proving ground for hundreds of artists including , Ailyn Pérez, Patricia Racette, Nadine Sierra, Elza van den Heever, Carol Vaness, , Joyce DiDonato, , , Brian Jagde, Stuart Skelton, Rolando Villazón, , Lucas Meachem, and Patrick Summers, among many others. Merola operates in close artistic collaboration with San Francisco Opera but is an independent nonprofit organization, governed by a separate board of directors. Merola is responsible for its own fundraising, primarily from loyal members and foundations.

Merola provides a nurturing environment for young opera artists of the highest caliber to hone their skills and invites passionate supporters to be part of the journey. For information on the Merola Opera Program, please visit merola.org.

James H. Schwabacher (1920–2006) was not only instrumental in the establishment and development of the Merola Opera Program—he became its very heart and soul, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to the next generation of vocal talent. Jim was, first and foremost, a noted tenor and scholar who graced many opera stages. And just as important to him as making music was encouraging others to do the same. Jim took pride in passing on to young artists insights gleaned from his own career and studies, and he conveyed his rigorous musical standards with a gentle and loving touch. In addition to his artistic leadership, Jim provided vital financial and administrative stewardship to Merola, serving as President of the Board of Directors for 29 years and subsequently as Chairman of the Board for 15 years.

Devoted to the future of opera for more than half a century, his leadership continues to inspire us to identify, train, and nurture the world’s finest young operatic talent.

11 TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Merola Opera Program 2018 Summer Festival

Mozart’s Il re pastore · July 19 & 21 Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress · August 2 & 4 Merola Grand Finale and Reception · August 18 For tickets, visit the SF Opera Box Office at 301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco or call (415) 864-3330. For more information, visit merola.org.