John Conklin • Speight Jenkins • Risë Stevens • Robert Ward John Conklin John Conklin Speight Jenkins Speight Jenkins Risë Stevens Risë Stevens
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2011 NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20506-0001 John Conklin • Speight Jenkins • Risë Stevens • Robert Ward John Conklin John Conklin Speight Jenkins Speight Jenkins Risë Stevens Risë Stevens Robert Ward Robert Ward NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS 2011 John Conklin’s set design sketch for San Francisco Opera’s production of The Ring Cycle. Image courtesy of John Conklin ii 2011 NEA OPERA HONORS Contents 1 Welcome from the NEA Chairman 2 Greetings from NEA Director of Music and Opera 3 Greetings from OPERA America President/CEO 4 Opera in America by Patrick J. Smith 2011 NEA OPERA HONORS RECIPIENTS 12 John Conklin Scenic and Costume Designer 16 Speight Jenkins General Director 20 Risë Stevens Mezzo-soprano 24 Robert Ward Composer PREVIOUS NEA OPERA HONORS RECIPIENTS 2010 30 Martina Arroyo Soprano 32 David DiChiera General Director 34 Philip Glass Composer 36 Eve Queler Music Director 2009 38 John Adams Composer 40 Frank Corsaro Stage Director/Librettist 42 Marilyn Horne Mezzo-soprano 44 Lotfi Mansouri General Director 46 Julius Rudel Conductor 2008 48 Carlisle Floyd Composer/Librettist 50 Richard Gaddes General Director 52 James Levine Music Director/Conductor 54 Leontyne Price Soprano 56 NEA Support of Opera 59 Acknowledgments 60 Credits 2011 NEA OPERA HONORS iii iv 2011 NEA OPERA HONORS Welcome from the NEA Chairman ot long ago, opera was considered American opera exists thanks in no to reside within an ivory tower, the small part to this year’s honorees, each of mainstay of those with European whom has made the art form accessible to N tastes and a sizable bankroll. the nation. Risë Stevens brought opera to Through the last century, opera has mass audiences in movies like Going My become an increasingly American art form, Way and through The Ed Sullivan Show. democratically available to all who wish to Robert Ward transformed one of the country’s enjoy it. defining moments in history and theater with Photo by Michael Eastman Whether it’s Opera Tampa bringing his score for The Crucible. Speight Jenkins performances to retirement homes, or the has made the Seattle Opera house one of Metropolitan Opera’s live transmissions in the most transparent and welcoming artistic movie theaters, or free student performances centers in the country. And John Conklin’s set by the LA Opera or the Des Moines Metro designs are quintessentially American in their Opera, increasingly opera is seeping out of the boldness and innovation. concert hall and throughout the community. Each of these honorees is deserving of One of my favorite current trends is the our accolades, admiration, and appreciation. opera flash mob, which brings unannounced They are among our finest artists, and have performances to unexpected places like truly helped make art work in America. train stations, shopping centers, or in my case, the middle of a speech I was giving in Rocco Landesman Chautauqua, New York this past summer––it was the only time that I actually enjoyed being interrupted. 2011 NEA OPERA HONORS 1 Greetings From NEA Director of Music and Opera ince the Arts Endowment was Center. Since the inception of the initiative, we created in 1965, the agency has have been honored to have Supreme Court been a steadfast partner with opera Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “call to order” the S companies to capture and disseminate NEA Opera Honors awards event. contemporary stories devoted to love, The 2011 NEA Opera Honors, announced tragedy, challenges, and victories. Through by NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman in June the years the Arts Endowment has supported of this year, marks the fourth annual tribute of a wide range of opera projects ranging from this initiative. The remarkable individuals that Photo by Kevin Allen commissions and premieres to performances we salute in 2011––stage director John Conklin, and broadcasts in cities throughout the nation, general director Speight Jenkins, mezzo- including Great American Voices. This national soprano Risë Stevens, and composer Robert initiative, sponsored by The Boeing Company, Ward––join the ranks of the distinguished sent vocal ensembles from opera companies roster of previous recipients of the highest to perform memorable melodies for members honor for opera bestowed by our nation. of the military and their families at military In addition to recognizing individuals for installations nationwide. their extraordinary contributions to the opera Established by Congress in December 2007 art form, NEA Opera Honors also enhances and announced by then-NEA Chairman Dana public awareness of opera in America as a Gioia on January 9, 2008, the NEA Opera Honors reflection of our lives. Through these awards is a special initiative to recognize individuals and the resulting annual observance of OPERA who have made extraordinary contributions America’s National Opera Week, audiences to opera in America. Similar to the NEA’s other are able to experience the accessibility, lifetime achievement awards, the selection excitement, and contemporary relevance process is triggered by public nomination. of the world of opera. The NEA website The inaugural awards were presented arts.gov also offers oral histories and in 2008 in partnership with OPERA America, invaluable information on opera in America. the service organization for the opera field, The NEA Opera Honors initiative has and Washington National Opera under benefited from remarkable partnerships the leadership of General Director Plácido with OPERA America, Washington National Domingo. A memorable program took place at Opera, and many other opera companies and the Harman Center for the Arts in Washington, individual advocates throughout the nation. DC and resulted in a national radio broadcast Similarly, this initiative has benefited from the via WFMT in Chicago. The 2009 awards enthusiasm, skills, and dedication of the entire concert also took place at the Harman Center, NEA team. and was again broadcast on WFMT. In 2010 Brava to opera in America! the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts hosted the awards concert, and this year Wayne S. Brown we return to the original location at the Harman 2 2011 NEA OPERA HONORS From OPERA America President/CEO he NEA Opera Honors are a wonderful Productions of operas by American celebration of opera’s essential place composers were almost unheard of in the in the American cultural landscape decades that encompassed World War II, T and are a well-deserved tribute to putting opera at risk of becoming a “museum the tremendous contributions of exceptional art form.” But with a burgeoning arts artists and administrators who have advanced community after the war, including a number the art form in our country. of exceptionally talented composers, an The arrival of opera in most communities American opera repertoire was born. At the Photo by Dario Acosta in the United States is relatively recent. front of this wave of creativity was Robert Nearly three-quarters of the opera companies Ward, whose Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, in existence today were founded since The Crucible, remains a pillar of the opera 1960; more than half since 1970. Over canon in this country. the intervening decades, the standard With the deeply appreciated support of excellence in production has steadily of the NEA, OPERA America is honored to improved and few people have contributed to organize National Opera Week each fall. this increased quality more than scenic and Yearly, more than 100 organizations in at least costume designer John Conklin. The Seattle 30 states offer admission-free activities that Opera, founded in 1964, is emblematic of the highlight the excitement and accessibility explosion in the formation of opera companies of opera in this country, bringing public that coincides with the establishment of attention to the art form and additional the NEA itself. It is under the leadership acknowledgement to the NEA Opera of its dynamic second general director, Honors recipients. Speight Jenkins, that the company has As we honor four individuals who have achieved international renown not only for its shaped the American opera tradition, OPERA spectacular stagings of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, America and our members prepare for but also for superb performances of works another celebration of the inventiveness and from across the opera repertoire. allure of opera. National Opera Week 2011 American opera singers have illuminated (October 28 through November 6) will build the stages of opera houses around the world on the critical success of prior years and for decades, but every significant innovation will further establish opera as a vital part of depends on the work of a pioneer, and Risë our nation’s cultural community. Indeed, all Stevens is just such a pioneer. An American of us who work today to strengthen the field superstar, she brought her musicianship, and advance the art form are building on the charisma, and grace to a broad public through dynamic leadership of the of the 2011 NEA radio, film, and television––and, yes, as a Opera Honorees. Carmen that most people remember as the greatest of them all. Marc A. Scorca 2011 NEA OPERA HONORS 3 Opera in America By Patrick J. Smith n this, the fourth year since the 2008 institution of the National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honors, the honorees selected from the opera field join the 13 previous awardees to form a group that well- defines the myriad world that is opera in the United States. Among Ithe honoree ranks are four singers, four composers, three conductors, four general directors, one stage director and, this year, the first set and costume designer—all of whom represent the extraordinary diversity and influence that opera has manifested in the past 75 years. The growth and spread of the art form is especially well-evidenced in this superior collection of honorees. It is a common misperception Gregg Baker as Robert Garner, Denyce Graves (thankfully vanishing today) that opera is as Margaret Garner, and Angela Brown as Cilla with members of the chorus in Michigan a closed artistic society, walled-off from Opera Theatre’s 2005 production of Margaret Garner, commissioned by David DiChiera.