Loyola University New Orleans School of Music and Theatre Arts Presents Opera Gala Recital with Greer Grimsley, bass-baritone Luretta Bybee, mezzo-soprano Jay Hunter Morris, tenor Clifton Forbis, tenor Amy Johnson, soprano Tyler Smith, tenor Gordon Hawkins, baritone Carol Rausch, piano Michael Borowitz, piano Saturday, September 21, 2019, 7:30 p.m. Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall Program This evening’s performances will be chosen from the following operas and songs: Gott! welch‘ Dunkel hier! Ludwig van Beethoven from Fidelio (1770-1827) Nemico della Patria? Umberto Giordano from Andrea Chénier (1867-1948) Federico’s Lament Francesco Cilea from L‘Arlesiana (1866-1950) Vesti La Giubba Ruggero Leoncavallo from Pagliacci (1857-1919) Act I Duet Giacomo Puccini from Tosca (1858-1924) Dio mi potevi Giuseppi Verdi from Otello (1813-1901) Si pel ciel from Otello Die Frist ist um Richard Wagner from Der fliegende Holländer (1813-1883) Höre mit Sinn, was ich dir sage from Götterdämmerung Winterstürme from Die Walküre O Freund, ich werde sie nicht wiedersehn Erich Korngold from Die tote Stadt (1897-1957) The Giver of Stars Richard Hundley (1931-2018) About the Performers Greer Grimsley bass-baritone Greer Grimsley is internationally recognized as an outstanding singing actor and one of the most prominent Wagnerian singers of our day. Continuing his reign as a leading interpreter of the god Wotan, he sang the eminent role for The Metropolitan Opera’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in Robert Lepage’s landmark production, directly followed by Stephen Wadsworth’s production for Seattle Opera, his 3rd complete Cycle for the company in the last decade. His interpretation of Wotan has also brought him to multiple esteemed international opera houses; some highlights of this include his portrayal of the role in the entirety of Der Ring des Nibelungen with Deutsche Oper Berlin; Teatro Comunale di Bologna, under Gatti’s baton; Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, New National Theatre Tokyo, and the Nikikai Opera Foundation in Tokyo. His treatments of some of Wagner’s other greatest characters earned him critical acclaim both domestically and internationally. Including the title role of Der fliegende Holländer with Seattle Opera and Ravinia Festival, under the baton of Maestro James Conlon in his final performance with the company; Telramund in Lohengrin with The Metropolitan Opera, Royal Danish Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Seattle Opera; Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde with Prague National Theatre, Royal Danish Opera, the Ópera de Bellas Artes in Mexico, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Seattle Opera; and Amfortas in Parsifal with The Metropolitan Opera. This season, Mr. Grimsley reprises his signature role of Wotan in Der Ring des Nibelungen with San Francisco Opera, sings the title role of Macbeth with Opera San Antonio, Kurwenal in Tristan und Isolde with Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Pirate King in Pirates of Penzance and is featured in the end of the season concert for San Diego Opera, Orest in Elektra in Houston Grand Opera, Scarpia in Tosca with Michigan Opera Theatre, and sings excerpts from Die Walküre with Pacific Symphony. Future engagements through 2020 include multiple returns to The Metropolitan Opera as well as the Dallas Opera and Teatro Real in Madrid. Mr. Grimsley has performed one of his other signature roles, that of Jokanaan in Salome, with The Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, San Diego Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Vancouver Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Scottish National Opera, the New National Theatre in Tokyo, Ópera de Bellas Artes in Mexico, Den Jyske Opera in Denmark, and in his Dallas Opera début with Deborah Voigt in the title role. The San Francisco Chronicle exclaimed: “Bass-baritone Greer Grimsley was a thunderous and dramatically compelling Jokanaan. Grimsley invested the part with rhetorical strength and an air of moral solidity - the perfect antithesis to Salome's eroticized jitters.” Notable US engagements over the last several seasons include the role of Scarpia in Tosca with San Diego Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera, L’Opera de Montreal, Portland Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Colorado, and in a return to Seattle Opera; the role of Jack Rance in La fanciullla del West with Minnesota Opera and Seattle Opera; the role of Don Pizarro in Fidelio with The Metropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, and Portland Opera; the title role of Macbeth with Minnesota Opera, Vancouver Opera, and Opera Lyra Ottawa; Wotan in Das Rheingold with Minnesota Opera; Captain Balstrode in Peter Grimes and Escamillo in Carmen with The Metropolitan Opera; the world première of Ashoka’s Dream as Canyka with Sante Fe Opera; the role of Mephistopheles in Faust with San Diego Opera, New Orleans Opera, and Arizona Opera; the role of Amonsaro in Aïda with Portland Opera; the role of Claggart in Billy Budd with Pittsburgh Opera and in his Los Angeles Opera début; and his much anticipated role début as the title role in Sweeney Todd with Vancouver Opera, which he recently reprised with New Orleans Opera and Glimmerglass Opera. An active concert artist, some of Greer’s favorite concert engagements include Verdi’s Requiem with the Atlanta Symphony at Carnegie Hall; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Seattle Symphony and San Antonio Symphony; the High Priest in Samson et Dalila with Washington Concert Opera and Atlanta Symphony; Scarpia in Tosca with Deborah Voight and the Minnesota Orchestra; and Don Pizarro in Fidelio with the Saint Louis Symphony and in his New York Philharmonic début with conductor Kurt Masur at the inaugural season of the Lincoln Center Festival. Luretta Bybee Mezzo-soprano Luretta Bybee is proven to be an artist of remarkable range and versatility in her performances throughout the world. She is now in demand as a dynamic and comedic singing actress. Continuing her forays into the realm of musical theatre and character acting and singing, Ms. Bybee has portrayed roles such as Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music with the Pine Mountain Music Festival, Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore and her role début as Golde in Fiddler on the Roof at Shreveport Opera, and Mrs. Lovett in Sondheim’s beloved horror story Sweeney Todd at Vancouver Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, and New Orleans Opera. This season, Bybee performs Ruth in Pirates of Penzance alongside her equally-acclaimed husband Greer Grimsley at San Diego Opera. In future seasons, she will appear with Dallas Opera. Recently, Ms. Bybee appeared as Madame de la Haltière in Cendrillon with New Orleans Opera, Mary in Der fliegende Holländer with Opera Carolina and Seattle Opera, and Dame Marthe in Faust with Arizona Opera. She also recently sang as a soloist in the NYFOS Sondheim Concert at Carnegie Hall and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Seattle Symphony and San Antonio Symphony. She made her Seattle Opera début as Princess Maria in Prokofiev’s War and Peace, in a production directed by Francesca Zambello, released on video. She returned as a house favorite as Mary in Der fliegende Holländer, Paula in Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas, Amanda in the world première of Daron Hagen’s Amelia, Klytämnestra in Elektra, Waltraute in Die Walküre, Second Norn and Waltraute cover in Götterdämmerung, and Fricka in both Das Rheingold and Die Walküre. She also appeared in Seattle Opera’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in 2005, 2009, and 2013. Other appearances have included Herodias in Salome at the Arizona Opera, Orlando Opera, and Cleveland Opera; Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera with Opera Memphis; the title role in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia for Opéra de Montréal; and Dalila in Samson et Dalila with Memphis Opera. International recognition came early in her career when she sang the title role in the world tour of Peter Brook’s La tragédie de Carmen. Bizet’s heroine has since figured heavily in Ms. Bybee’s career success. The Seattle Times hailed: “Luretta Bybee…is a sexy, adroit Carmen whose wealth of experience shows in every phrase and gesture.” She has performed the role for over 25 opera companies throughout the world. Ms. Bybee’s interpretations of Rossini characters earlier in her career garnered widespread recognition and praise. In addition to her appearances as Isabella at New York City Opera, she sang the role in Cologne, Dublin and at the Festival International de Santander. She made her Frankfurt Opera début in concert performances of Tancredi and sang the role of Falliero in the American première of Rossini’s Bianca e Falliero at Florida Grand Opera. Ms. Bybee also enjoyed great success as Farnace in Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto at the Wexford Festival and in Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. The Verdi Requiem marked Ms. Bybee’s début at Carnegie Hall. She also appeared as the mezzo-soprano soloist in a Verdi Gala with the Jacksonville Symphony and sang Bernstein’s Songfest to open the season at the 92nd St. Y in New York, and again in with Seiji Ozawa at the Tanglewood Festival. Additionally, she sang Händel’s Messiah with the Colorado and Houston Symphonies. Ms. Bybee created the role of Joanna in Carly Simon’s opera Romulus Hunt in its world première in New York. The production was directed by Francesca Zambello and recorded on Angel records. A sought-after educator, clinician, and competition judge, Professor Bybee serves on the voice faculty at Loyola University’s College of Music and Media in New Orleans. Jay Hunter Morris tenor Opera singer, Grammy-Winner and Author, Jay Hunter Morris came into the National spotlight when he created the role of Tony in Terrence McNally’s celebrated play Master Class, on Broadway in 1995. Career highlights include performances in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Seattle, Santiago, Santa Fe, San Diego, Calgary, Toronto, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Hawaii, Atlanta, Paris, Monte Carlo, Budapest, Tokyo, Nice, Strasbourg, Frankfurt, Vienna, Taipei, Beijing and Rome.