2020/2021 COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAM 2020/2021 A YEAR IN REVIEW 2 OPERA OMAHA 2020/2021 THANK YOU Opera Omaha is exceedingly grateful to those corporations, foundations and government organizations whose generous support has ensured Opera Omaha continues to serve our region. The Fred and Eve Anonymous Simon Charitable Foundation CELEBRATING 100 YEARS ADDITIONAL SEASON SUPPORT: Tilly's Heider Family Foundation Pacific Life Making a difference. Foundation Giger Foundation The Hawks Husch Blackwell is proud to support Foundation Opera Omaha and its ongoing mission to provide quality opera programming and Adah and Leon Millard Foundation FOUNDATION a showcase for promising operatic talent in our region. Cheers to the new season! Rose Blumkin Foundation Inc. Whitmore Charitable William R. Patrick Trust Foundation GENEROUS PUBLIC SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: David E. Gardels, Partner Opera Omaha Board of Directors huschblackwell.com [email protected] | 402.964.5027 Arizona | California | Colorado | Illinois | Missouri | Nebraska | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Washington, DC | Wisconsin The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported this program through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. Visit www.nebraskaartscouncil.org for information The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. on how the Nebraska Arts Council can assist your organization, or how you can support the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. TABLE OF CONTENTS OF TABLE Miranda | 14 Opera To Go | 18 OMAHA MAGAZINE – it’s about all of us. Omaha Magazine publishes stories about interesting people who live next door and fascinating former Omahans. It is the place to www.fraserstryker.com read stories about the arts, the food, the music, and the events that are making Omaha the cultural epicenter of the Midwest. 402.341.6000 OmahaMagazine.com/SubscribeOmahaMagazine.com/pages/subscribe A.BL.E. | 24 MODULATION | 26 Opera Under the Stars | 32 Community Engagement Programs | 37 Poetry & Music Project ��������������������������������������46 Opera Omaha Donors ����������������������������������������70 2021/2022 Season �������������������������������������������� 48 Corporate & Foundation Donors ���������������������73 Omaha Steaks ����������������������������������������������������� 62 Fortissimo Society & Special Funds ����������������74 Opera Omaha Board ������������������������������������������� 66 Artists First Sponsorships ���������������������������������76 Opera Omaha Staff ��������������������������������������������� 67 Memorials & Tributes �����������������������������������������77 Craftsman's Guild ������������������������������������������������ 68 Ticket Donations ������������������������������������������������ 78 Opera Omaha Guild �������������������������������������������� 69 Repertoire History ����������������������������������������������� 80 Get Involved ��������������������������������������������������������� 82 6 OPERA OMAHA 2020/2021 WELCOME DEAR FRIENDS, I am profoundly grateful to greet you after one Fellowship has garnered the attention of major James Scurlock, and many others. The A.BL.E. series, spearheaded by Opera Omaha, provides original of the most difficult years imaginable. It’s been a institutions supporting creative placemaking across an interactive blend of performance and conversation, content for life-long learners on an ongoing basis. period of isolation, turmoil, and loss. Through it the country. The National Endowment for the Arts will develop further this summer and into the future. Video conferencing technology enabled us to check all, Opera Omaha strove to be a source of comfort (NEA), OPERA America, Hearst Foundation, and, Opera Omaha’s efforts to commission, create, and in on friends and patrons, as well as colleagues across and celebration; to share joy to the greatest extent locally, the Peter Kiewit Foundation, the Fred and Eve present new work this year were welcomed by our the country and those right here in Omaha. Frequent possible and to the best of our ability. Now, with the Simon Charitable Foundation, and the Suzanne and audience and opera artists alike. Artists across the “Zoom Soirees” with artists and members of Opera return to large-scale live performances this spring, Walter Scott Foundation, are currently underwriting world are still reeling from more than a year of Omaha’s family of patrons have been true bright we offer this publication as a commemoration of the Opera Omaha’s Fellowship. Our national funders canceled performances and an uncertain future. spots in such a dark time. While we welcome the many ways Opera Omaha has endeavored to serve, have commissioned a formal case study about the Opera Omaha became an industry leader in honoring return of live performances this spring, we value the create, and connect in the face of so many challenges Fellowship that will be disseminated nationwide. We canceled contracts and striving to keep artists new and deeper connections from the past year and – and to thank the many people and institutions who are exceedingly grateful to these funders as well as employed through the creation of new projects plan to further these initiatives to build new alliances made it possible. the Holland Foundation who made this program, and during the pandemic. Our ability to do this was only and relationships well in to the future. With ingenuity and innovation, Opera Omaha found so much of Opera Omaha’s work, possible. For more through the generosity of our ticket holders, donors, In the meantime, we can’t wait to connect with you in new ways to serve the community. Not surprisingly information about the Holland Fellowship, please see corporate sponsors like Omaha Steaks, First National person. I hope to see you at a performance of Opera during a pandemic, much of this work took place the article by Leo Biga on page 42. Bank and Valmont, local and national foundations, Under the Stars. Maybe our paths will cross in one of online. Through a generous act of the Douglas The ban on gathering in person didn’t prevent Opera as well as Opera Omaha’s Board of Directors and the parks, neighborhoods, or other sites for Opera To County Commissioners and the Omaha Community Omaha from creating new opera in the last year. Advisors. A multitude of artists join me in thanking Go, our mobile stage coming to a location near you Foundation, funds from the Federal CARES Act We partnered with Tri-Cities Opera on Miranda, the you for this sustaining support. throughout May and June. We only have a short time supported the creation of a new Opera Omaha digital world’s first live Virtual Reality Opera. We joined With as many of us as possible following health to wait for Opera Omaha’s return to the Orpheum production studio. This new equipment enabled us to Baruch Performing Arts Center in streaming a new directives to shelter in place, feelings of isolation last Theater this fall for a spectacular 2021-2022 produce and share high-quality digital content for our digital production of dwb (driving while black). Last year were common. For that reason, Opera Omaha season featuring three brand-new “made in Omaha” patrons, community partners, and even opera fans January, Opera Omaha became the Midwest online tried to stay connected to you, our subscribers, productions of beloved classics. Whether on-line or around the country. It also helped us transform our presenter for the internationally acclaimed New York- supporters, associates and community. Within one in person, Opera Omaha looks forward to serving, free annual summer concert, Opera Outdoors, into a based PROTOTYPE Festival, sharing MODULATION, week of closing down our March 2020 ONE Festival, creating, and connecting with you for years to come. live radio broadcast last August in partnership with a compilation of new works by a diverse group of we launched “Virtual Opera Omaha,” an online source In gratitude, our wonderful colleagues at KVNO. 13 composers. With the leadership of co-curators of new programming to engage individuals of all ages Opera Omaha’s primary conduit to the community Melanie Bacaling and Chabrelle Williams (a Holland in creative activities. This series by Opera Omaha ran throughout the past year remained the Holland Community Opera Fellowship alumna), Opera Omaha for 10 weeks as the nationwide shutdown extended Community Opera Fellowship. The hard-working launched a new series, Amplifying the Black Experience into the summer of 2020. The success of our online Holland Fellows stayed in touch with, and in service (A.BL.E.), recognizing that the last year not only programming and coalition building blossomed into to, countless others throughout the pandemic. We brought a global pandemic, but a long overdue racial SALON: the Shared Adult Learning Opera Network. ROGER WEITZ reckoning triggered by the murders of George Floyd, are so proud that the Holland Community Opera This national consortium of opera companies, GENERAL DIRECTOR 8 OPERA OMAHA 2020/2021 9 OUR COMMITMENT TO ANTI-OPPRESSION TO OUR COMMITMENT OUR COMMITMENT TO ANTI-OPPRESSION In May 2020, our nation faced an overdue awakening to systemic racism. At the time of the • Ongoing attention to racial diversification of the Board of Directors. Opera Omaha’s demonstrations and protests, Opera Omaha issued a statement that has been included in Nominating and Governance Committee is committed to recruiting Board prospects