LEON WILSON CLARK OPERA SERIES SHEPHERD SCHOOL OPERA and the SHEPHERD SCHOOL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA present GIULIO CESARE An opera in three acts Music by George Frideric Handel Libretto by Nicola Francesco Naym Judith Soren Weinstein, guest director Kenneth Goldsmith, music director ' Thomas Jaber, music director Matt Coldwell, set and lighting designer Ruth Dentel, costume designer March 25, 27, 29 and 31, 1999 7:30 p.m. Wortham Opera Theatre RICE UNIVERSITY ~ ~ic CAST (in order of appearance) Giulio Cesare, Roman Emperor . AlokKumar Curio, Roman tribune and aide to Cesare . Adam Feriend Cornelia, wife of Pompey . Andrea Jaber Sesto, Son of Pompey and Cornelia . Kristina Driskill Achilla, counselor to Tolomeo . Brady Knapp Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. Tracy Rhodus Nireno, confidant of Cleopatra and Tolomeo . Stephanie Bradow Tolomeo, King of Egypt. Joan Allouache SHEPHERD SCHOOL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Larry Rachlejf, Music Director Violin I Cello Bassoon Jonathan Godfrey, Erin Breene, Shawn Jones concertmaster principal Amy Yang Nathaniel Farny Sandra Halleran Jocelyn Adelman Horn Jeffrey Garza Double Bass Shane Smith Violin II David Molina Fia Mancini, Eric Reed Kristina Crago principal Flute Stephan Ellner Martha Councell Harpsichord Alessandra Jennings Caroline Kung Jason Hardink Emma Philips Oboe . Orchestra Manager Viola Yu~-Pey Lin Martin Merritt Anna Bach-y-Rita, Omri Raveh principal Orchestra Librarian Daniel Sweaney Karen Slotter CHORUS Marla Buonodono, Amy Cowan, Shahrzad Mowlavi, Natalie Priest, Cara Spinks, Alyson Tom, Ryan Dohoney, Benjamin Eley, Austin Ku, Chien Yo Lee, Andrew Sudduth, Craig Verm UNDERSTUDIES Sesto . David Ray . A ch ilia Brandon Gibson Cleopatra Leslie Heal Tolomeo. Laural Klein Giulio Cesare Composed by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) in 1723-24 with libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym. A. First performed at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, London, on February 20, 1724. The action takes place in Egypt, in and around Alexandria, 48-47 B.C. ACT! Scene 1 - The Roman camp Scene 2 - Tolomeo's throne room Scene 3 - The Roman camp - later that evening Scene 4 - Tolomeo's throne room INTERMISSION (15 minutes) ACT II Scene 1 - A garden in the Egyptian palace Scene 2 - The garden of the Seraglio Scene 3 - A garden in the Egyptian palace Scene 4 - The Seraglio INTERMISSION (15 minutes) ACT III Scene 1 - The banks of the Nile Scene 2 - A battlefield Scene 3 - Tolomeo's throne room Scene 4 - A prison Scene 5 - Cleopatra's coronation ARTISTIC AND PRODUCTION STAFF Director . Judith Soren Weinstein Music Director, Orchestral Preparation, Conductor . Kenneth Goldsmith Music Director, Vocal Preparation, Continua . Thomas Jaber Fight Director . Brian Byrne Associate Fight Director. Lera/do Anzaldua Set and Lighting Designer . Matt Coldwell Technical Director . Matt Coldwell Stage Carpenter and Electrician Matt Coldwell Costume Designer . Ruth Dentel Production Stage Manager. Alex Stutler Scenic Artist . Kathy Neumeyer Rehearsal Accompanist . Jason Hardink Scenic Technicians . Kristina Driskill, Joan Allouache Scenic Carpenters . Roger Evans, Anthony Contello Shop Assistants . Jeremy Moeller, Anne Huter, Jamie Kent, Omri Raveh Costume Assistant Suzanne Hatcher, Eva Sheie Milliner . Natalie Roberts Surtitle Projectionist . Erin Wall Running Crew . Brandon Gibson, Eric Esparza, Kristin Anderson This production is made possible by a generous endowment from the late Dr. Leon Wilson Clark. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Special thanks to Houston Grand Opera, the University ofHouston Theatre_Department, San Jacinto College Theatre Department, Pat Houk, Megan Freemantle, Nancy Kritikos, Stahlman Lumber, Ideas Etc., Matthew Bartkowiack, Diana and William P. Hobby, Alex Stutler, John Knudsen, George Myers Coldwell, and Lisa Chen. English translation for Surtitles provided by Houston Grand Opera. BIOGRAPHIES Director JUDITH SOREN WEINSTEIN has worked both throughout the United States and internationally on a variety of opera and music theater pieces. This production of Giulio Cesare marks her debut at The Shepherd School of Music. In the summer of 1998, Ms. Weinstein directed the world premiere of a new performing edition of Monteverdi's Orfeo for the Israeli Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv. Recent productions include Cosi fan Tutte at the Utah Opera, a semi-staged version of Vivaldi's rarely produced opera Arsilda with the Little Orchestra Society starring Lynn Redgrave, as well as a double bill of Haydn's La Canterina and Malcolm Williamson's The Happy Prince for New York University. Previous productions have ranged from Handel's Semele to Verdi's La Traviata. KENNETH GOLDSMITH is violinist of the Mirecourt Trio, an ensemble that enjoys international acclaim through tours, prize-winning recordings, and television and radio broadcasts. He is currently Professor of Music at The Shepherd School of Music. As a recitalist and soloist with orchestra, Mr. Goldsmith has toured the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Taiwan, and the People's Republic of China. His teachers include William Kroll, Mischa Mischakoff, and Nathan Milstein, and he holds degrees from George Peabody College and Stanford University. Mr. Goldsmith has given master classes throughout the United States, Eu­ rope, and the Orient, and appears frequently in recital with pianist Jo Anne Ritacca. His extensive recorded repertoire, both solo and with the Mirecourt Trio and Lyric Art String Quartet, appears on the following record labels: ABC, Genesis, CR!, Innova, Grand Prix, Audax, Gasparo, Bay Cities, and TR Records. With the Mirecourt Trio, he has embarked on a compact disc series for Music and Arts ofAmerica featuring new American music and the standard literature for piano trio. In 1962 Mr. Goldsmith won the Young Concert Artists Competition in New York City, and he received a special award at the Kennedy-Rookefeller Inter­ national Violin Competition in Washington, D. C., in 1980. With the Mirecourt Trio, he was a finalist at the 1976 Naumburg Chamber Music Competition in New York. Mr. Goldsmith has been Concertmaster of several American sym­ phony orchestras and has performed with virtually every major conductor and soloist. l{is academic career includes posts at Stanford University, California State University at Fullerton, Grinnell College, University ofIowa, Pomona College, University of California at Irvine, and the University of Houston. THOMAS JABER is Director of Choral Activities and Associate Professor of Vocal Coaching at The Shepherd School ofMusic. In addition to the respon­ sibilities ofcoaching graduate students and senior voice majors, Mr. Jaber teaches choral conducting and conducts three ensembles: Shepherd Singers, Rice Chorale, and Sallyport. These groups have been heard nationwide on both National Public Radio and the CBS Radio Network. Before moving to Houston in 1988, Mr. Jaber was Music Director of the Opera Theatre of Temple Univer­ sity in Philadelphia. A member of the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music from 1976-1988, Mr. Jaber also worked as a vocal coach and conductor at Philadelphia's Academy of Vocal Arts from 1977-1986. He was also chosen as vocal coach for the Opera Company ofPhiladelphia/Luciano Pavarotti Inter­ national Competition. Before coming to Houston, Mr. Jaber was the Organist/Choirmaster of the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where he conducted a professional chorus of twenty singers. He is currently the Organist at Chapelwood United Methodist Church in Houston. SHEPHERD SCHOOL VOICE DEPARTMENT AND OPERA STUDIES FACULTY Joyce Farwell, Professor of Voice and Chair of the Voice Department Janet de Chambrier, Vocal Coach Debra Dickinson, Artist Teacher of Opera Studies for Acting and Movement Michael Franciosi, Vocal Coach Thomas Jaber, Associate Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Vocal Coach Kathleen Kaun, Professor of Voice William Murray, Associate Professor of Voice Jo Anne Ritacca, Vocal Coach UPCOMING EVENT OF SHEPHERD SCHOOL OPERA Sunday, April 18, and Monday, April 19 Student-directed recital ofscenes from opera and musical theater featuring excerpts from works including Mozart's Cosi fan Tutte, Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Puccini's Madame Butterfly, and Barber's A Hand ofBridge. 7:30 p.m., Wortham Opera Theatre at Alice Pratt Brown Hall Free admission, no tickets required. RICE .