Nicole Heaston, Soprano / Richard Bado, Piano

APRIL 9, 2021 Available on demand through May 9, 2021 Program

Selections from Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson Aaron Copland (1900-1990) Why do they shut me out of heaven? The world feels dusty Heart, we will forget him Dear March, come in!

“Steal Me, Sweet Thief” from The Old Maid and the Thief Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007)

“Ain’t it a Pretty Night!” from Susannah Carlisle Floyd (b. 1926)

“Embraceable You” from Girl Crazy George Gershwin (1898-1937) / Ira Gershwin (1896-1983)

“Someone to Watch Over Me” from Oh, Kay! George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin

“I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady Frederick Loewe (1901-1988) / Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986)

“Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel?” Traditional Spiritual arr. John L. Cornelius II

“Jesus Loves Me” William Batchelder Bradbury (1816-1868) arr. John L. Cornelius II

“Plenty Good Room” Traditional Spiritual arr. John L. Cornelius II

Ben Doyle Director The entire staff of HGO contributed to the success of this Daniel James Producer production. For a full listing of the company’s staff, please visit HGO. Molly Dill Producing Director org/about-us/people. Michael James Clark Lighting Designer Kristen Burke Stage Manager Performing artists, stage directors, and choreographers are Jeremy Johnson English Subtitles represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, the union for Dotti Staker Hair & Makeup opera professionals in the United States. Judy Malone-Stein Wardrobe Stage crew personnel provided by IATSE, Local #51.

Wardrobe personnel provided by Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local #896.

Video Production Streaming Partner Produced in association with Austin Opera Who’s Who

NICOLE HEASTON (UNITED STATES) SOPRANO

HGO Studio alumna Nicole Heaston also performed in HGO Digital productions Vinkensport and The Impresario, as well as co-hosting and performing in Giving Voice. Heaston has performed with opera compa- nies throughout the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Dallas Opera, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Semperoper Dresden, Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, and the Glyndebourne Festival in England. Praised for her “warm, supple soprano” (Houston Chronicle) and for her “radiant” and “handsomely resonant voice” (The New York Times), Heaston regularly appears in her hometown, Houston. She was most recently seen at HGO singing in the first Giving Voice (2020) recital, making her role debut as Mimì in La bohème (2018); and performing Adina in The Elixir of Love (2016). Other HGO roles include Pamina in The Magic Flute (2015, 1997); Gilda in performances of Rigoletto (2001); Zerlina in Don Giovanni (1999); Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro (1998); the title role in the world premiere of Jackie O (1997); Mrs. Hayes in Susannah and St. Settlement in Four Saints in Three Acts (1996); and performances of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (1995). Equally active as a concert and recital soloist, Heaston has performed with orchestras throughout the United States, including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra for the Kennedy Center’s 11th annual gala.

RICHARD BADO (UNITED STATES) The Sarah and Ernest Butler Chorus Master Chair PIANO

HGO Studio alumnus Richard Bado is director of artistic operations and chorus master at HGO. He made his professional conducting debut in 1989 leading HGO’s acclaimed production of Show Boat at the newly restored Cairo Opera House in Egypt. Since then, he has conducted for Houston Ballet, La Scala, Opéra national de Paris, New York City Opera, the Aspen Music Festival, Tulsa Opera, the Russian National Orchestra, the Florida Philharmonic, the Montreal Symphony, and Wolf Trap Opera. With HGO, he has conducted Carousel (2016) and Robert Wilson’s production of Four Saints in Three Acts at the Edinburgh Festival (1996). For HGO Digital this season, he also performed the role of Butler in Vinkensport and accompanied Reginald Smith, Jr. and Jack Swanson for their Live from The Cullen recitals; for HGO, he will conduct My Favorite Things: Songs from The Sound of Music at the University of Houston’s TDECU Stadium this spring. An accomplished pianist, Bado appears regularly with Renée Fleming in recital. He has also played for Cecilia Bartoli, Frederica von Stade, Susan Graham, Denyce Graves, Marcello Giordani, Ramón Vargas, Samuel Ramey, Jamie Barton, Ryan McKinny, and Nathan Gunn. Bado holds music degrees from the Eastman School of Music, where he received the 2000 Alumni Achievement Award, and West Virginia University; he also studied advanced choral conducting with Robert Shaw. He has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. For 12 years, he was the director of the opera studies program at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He has served on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Dolora Zajick Institute for Young Dramatic Voices, the International Vocal School in Moscow, and the Texas Music Festival, and has served on the music staffs of the Metropolitan Opera, Seattle Opera, the Bolshoi Opera Young Artist Program, Opera Australia, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Utah Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and Wolf Trap Opera. He regularly judges for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. He received HGO’s Silver Rose Award in 2013 in celebration of his 25th year as chorus master.