La Boheme - Opera Guild of Rochester

Mercury Opera Rochester presents
La Boheme
by Giacomo Puccini
June 6 & 7
8:00 PM
Eastman Theatre
presents
Giacomo Puccini‘s
La Boheme
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa & Luigi Illica,
based upon the novel Scènes de la Vie de Bohème
by Henry Murger
An opera in four acts
Gerard Floriano
Artistic Director & Conductor
Michael Ehrman
Stage Director
Accompanied by the Mercury Opera Orchestra
Scenery Design by Robin Vest
Lighting Design by Nic Minetor
Costume Design by Nellica Rave
Makeup & Hair Design by Elsen Associates, Inc.
Scene
Paris, in the mid-1920’s
Synopsis
Act I – in the attic apartment on Christmas Eve
Four young men, Rodolfo, Marcello, Colline and Schaunard, best friends – artistic,
idealistic and poor – try to keep warm in their attic apartment on Christmas Eve.
After putting off the landlord, who has come to collect the rent, three head out
for dinner. Rodolfo stays behind to finish his writing and is interrupted by Mimi,
their neighbor whose candle has gone out and who needs a light. While looking
for Mimi’s dropped key, the two fall in love and happily run out to join the others
for dinner.
≈ Brief Pause ≈
Act II – in a café in the Latin Quarter, later that evening
In the Café Momus, the five are interrupted by the entrance of Musetta, who is
Marcello’s ex-girlfriend, and her new flame, an older, rich gentleman. Musetta
makes a scene and sings one of the best-known melodies in all opera, “Musetta’s
Waltz,” while flirting with Marcello, and ultimately winning him back. A military
drum corps distracts the crowd while the 4 friends and their 2 girls skip out on
their bill, leaving the tab to the abandoned and unhappy rich gentleman.
≈ 15-Minute Intermission ≈
Act III – a street on the outskirts of Paris
Mimi has come to speak with Marcello at the hotel where he is staying with
Musetta. Both couples are having their squabbles and are in the process of
breaking up, Mimi and Rodolfo over Mimi’s illness, and Marcello and Musetta
over her flirtations and his jealousy. Mimi and Rodolfo agree to wait until spring
to break up; Marcello and Musetta end their relationship explosively.
≈ 10-Minute Intermission ≈
Act IV – in the attic apartment in early summer
Back in the attic apartment, both men are missing their girlfriends when Musetta bursts in, having found Mimi collapsed on the stairs, very ill. Musetta and
the other roommates run out to sell various things to get money for medicine.
Alone, Mimi and Rodolfo renew their love. The roommates all return and Rodolfo is the last to realize that Mimi has died.
Cast
Marcello, a painter................................................................................Andrew Oakden
Rodolfo, a poet...................................................................................... Steven Tompkins
Colline, a philosopher......................................................................................Won Cho
Schaunard, a musician..................................................................................John Buffett
Benoit, the landlord................................................................................ Mario Martinez
Mimi, a seamstress.......................................................................................... Jill Gardner
Parpignol, a vendor of toys.............................................................. Grady S. Bailey III
Musetta, a flirtatious girl..................................................................... Elena O’Connor
Alcindoro, a wealthy admirer of Musetta.........................................Mario Martínez
People of the Latin Quarter, Vendors, Soldiers, Waiters
Malaina Beattie, Christopher Blasting, Sheila Buck, Marc Cataldi, Ke Chen, Alex Cupelo,
Melissa Cushman, Pat Fussell, Jess Galchutt, Jennifer Groves, Bill Hearne,
Anna Heller-Jackson, Jason Holmes, Lindsay Holmes, Robert Holmes, Denise Kless,
Kyle Meek, Mary Menzie, Rena Monti, Nicholas Moran, Herga Muñoz Casanga, Julia Natoli,
Aaron Netsky, Nathan Oakes, Becki Boyanski Place, Danielle Relyea, Lisa Rosenbauer,
Dennis Rosenbaum, Karen Schillinger, Catherine Siniscalco, Matthew Swensen, Laura
Szymanowicz, Michael Thering, Shirlyn Washington, Dan Welch, Ashley Wool, Lynn Zicari.
Children – Members of the Bach Children’s Chorus
at Nazareth College
Jeriann Beiter, Erin Breen, Briannamarie Burrhus, Jenna D’Angelo, Meghan Dewan,
Tressa Johnson, Julia Larson, Katya Lyubomirsky, Melanie Mashner, Melissa Mashner,
Bethany McLean, Maria Rogers, Elizabeth Rossborough, Alex Santini,
Elizabeth Stansbury, Paesha Tuttle
Mercury Opera Orchestra
Violin I
Wilfredo Deglans,
concertmaster
Lee Wilkins
Shannon Nance
Ellen Rathgen
Betsy Sprague
Kenneth Langley
Margaret Leenhouts
Janet Milnes
Violin II
John Sullivan
Lara Sipols
Angel OuYang
Eriko Yoshida-Daly
David Leung
Sherry McCarthy
Viola
George Taylor
Olita Povero
Heidi Stauber
Joanne Lowe
Janeen Wilkins
Flute
Glennda Dove
Diane Smith
Trumpet
Doug Prosser
Wes Nance
Piccolo
Diane Smith
Trombone
Mark Kellogg
Cello
Kathleen Murphy Kemp
Patricia Garvey
Ingrid Bock
Lisa Caravan
Joan Kinsella
Andrew Barnhart
Oboe
Erik Behr
Timpani
Charles Ross
Clarinet
Margaret Quackenbush
Alice Meyer
Percussion
Jim Tiller
Bass
Michael Griffin
Josh Kerr
Jeff Weeks
Bassoon
John Hunt
Horn
Alex Schuhan
Sophia Goluses
Harp
Grace Wong
Manager
Ramon Ricker
Artistic & Production Staff
Artistic Director & Conductor............................................................ Gerard Floriano
Stage Director........................................................................................... Michael Ehrman
Stage Manager.................................................................................................Ken Saltzman
Production Manager /Technical Director.......................................... Matthew Scheidt
Set Designer......................................................................................................... Robin Vest
Lighting Designer.............................................................................................Nic Minetor
Costume Designer...........................................................................................Nellica Rave
Wigs & Make-up Designer.................................... Jennifer Lloyd for Elsen Associates
Rehearsal Accompanist...........................................................................Tatiana Vassilieva
Assistant Stage Director..................................................................................... Joel Atella
Assistant Stage Manager.....................................................................Mary Beth Lowery
Interim Stage Manager................................................................................. Lindsay Baker
Props Assistant................................................................................................Holley Shafer
Wardrobe Manager........................................................................... Claudette Hercules
Wardrobe Assistant.................................................................... Elizabeth Krzyzanowski
Costumes provided by .......................................................................Costume World &
Mercury Opera Costume Collection
Hair Assistants..................................................... Sue Harrison & Danielle Letourneau
Make-up Assistant.............................................................................................Lesley Bush
Assistant Lighting Designer...................................................................... Dan O’Donnell
Light Board Operator.............................................................................. Jenny Kleinhenz
Surtitles.............................................. Words for Music, translation by Victor DiRenzi
Surtitle Operator........................................................................................Robert Strauss
RPO Patron Services Manager............................................................David Henderson
House Manager & Ushers..........................................................................David T. Meyer
Many thanks to the Guild of Mercury Opera Rochester and to the many volunteers
who have enabled the company to produce world-class opera in Rochester.
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In Memory of Patricia Carr Atwater
Suzanne & Peter Durant
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This production is funded in part
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State Council on the Arts and the
New York State Legislature.
Notes from the Director
One of the world’s favorite operas, La Bohème was composed around the
turn of the 20th century, but was originally set in the 1830’s. The world première
performance was in Turin on February 1, 1896 and was conducted by the young
Arturo Toscanini. Four friends, an aspiring painter, musician, author and philosopher, live together in a small attic apartment. Their lives revolve around finding
enough money to pay the rent, eat, have fun, and find love, but not necessarily in
that order.
Perhaps more than any other classic opera, La Bohème lends itself to contemporary interpretation. The opera follows the stories of a circle of young artists
who long for a deeper connection to society. Sound familiar? The same theme
is the basis for the Academy Award winning movie Moonstruck, which uses the
music of the passionately romantic opera throughout as a backdrop for its own
love story; the recent Broadway hit Rent is a version of the story updated to
the current time.
Paris in the 1920’s was the artistic capital of the world, a city where freedom of
self-expression was encouraged and flourished. Among the many creative artists
who lived there were Picasso, Miro, Chagall, Poulenc, Satie, Stravinsky, Milhaud,
Josephine Baker, Isadora Duncan, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce,
Ezra Pound and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The new and experimental in both art and
fashion were welcomed; corsets were discarded and replaced by the brassiere,
the flapper dress and the cloche hat were born, the Charleston emerged as the
new dance craze, and the first Surrealist art show was given. Women learned to
be independent, to smoke and drink cocktails. The use of the telephone and the
electric light became widespread. It is during this colorful, lively period – in the
year 1925 – that this production of La Bohème is set.
– Michael Ehrman
Bach Children’s Chorus at Nazareth College
Founded by its current director, Karla Krogstad, in 1989, the BCC maintains a
very busy performance schedule. The children sing with numerous organizations
in the Rochester area, including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the
Rochester Chamber Orchestra. The BCC provides unique choral training, with
the opportunity for performance of classical and multi-cultural music.
The children, who always perform from memory, have been repeatedly commended for their clear diction, musical expression, and remarkable proficiency
in difficult repertoire. The Bach Children’s Chorus members acquire new songs
every year, experiencing a wide range of styles from folk to Baroque to modern.
Every year, the chorus travels to sing and sightsee, often at historic locations.
Auditions take place in the spring of each year for the following season.
Information about the chorus can be found on their website www.bachkidsusa.org
or by calling 585-582-3082.
Biographies
Gerard Floriano, Artistic Director/Conductor
Conductor Gerard Floriano is equally accomplished in both the
operatic and orchestral arenas. As Artistic Director of Rochester
Opera Factory and Co-Artistic Director of Mercury Opera Rochester,
he conducted critically acclaimed performances of Cavalleria
Rusticana, Pagliacci, Die Fledermaus, Suor Angelica, L’Amico
Fritz, Elixir of Love, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Amahl
and the Night Visitors and Kern’s theatrical masterpiece Show
Boat. Writing about L’Amico Fritz, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle music critic John
Pitcher wrote “Floriano proved to be nothing less than a virtuoso conductor… He led his
fine orchestra with color, precision and a welcome degree of sweep... ushering in a New
Age of Good Opera” in western New York. Dr. Floriano has led the Rochester Philharmonic
Orchestra and made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut with the Greater Buffalo Youth
Orchestra. A regular guest conductor in Europe, he has led performances in Krakow,
Warsaw, Prague, Barcelona, Florence and Leipzig. Dr. Floriano is acclaimed as an innovative
programmer and dedicated educational conductor. Under his leadership, the Greater Buffalo
Youth Orchestra has become a premiere training orchestra for talented young musicians in
western NY. Dr. Floriano is Director of Choral Activities at the SUNY Geneseo and
Resident Conductor at the Brevard Summer Music Festival, where in the summer of 2007,
he conducted a production of Bernstein’s Candide. He is a graduate of the Eastman School
of Music.
Michael Ehrman, Stage Director
Michael Ehrman has staged opera productions for companies including
Houston Grand Opera, Greater Miami Opera, Wolf Trap Opera,
Chautauqua Opera, Atlanta Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Chicago
Opera Theater. Recent productions include Vanessa, Noye’s Fludde,
The Barber of Seville, The Crucible, Romeo et Juliette, and
The Tales of Hoffmann. He directed Street Scene, The Ballad
of Baby Doe, Carmen, and The Magic Flute. Of special note,
he staged the American Opera Series in Central City form 1996-1999,
including the fortieth anniversary Ballad of Baby Doe, Susannah, The Crucible, and
Street Scene. Other works in his repertoire include La Traviata, Pagliacci, Macbeth,
Cosi fan Tutte, Faust, Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, Albert Herring, The Turn of
the Screw, Eugene Onegin, Tosca, and The Postman Always Rings Twice. Ehrman’s
acclaimed production of the musical Carnival was named on several of Chicago’s “Ten Best”
lists for 2005. Mr. Ehrman has extensive experience as a teacher and as author/director of
many educational opera programs. He was Director of Opera at Northwestern University, the
University of Tennessee at Knoxville and at Roosevelt University/Chicago College of Performing
Arts. He has also directed at Yale University, University of Kentucky, Hartt School of Music,
and Shenandoah University. He served on the artistic staffs and was Stage Director/Acting
Coach for the Young Artist Programs at Central City Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Wolf Trap,
Greater Miami Opera, Virginia Opera, Lake George Opera, Utah Opera, The Israeli Vocal Arts
Institute, Intermezzo Young Artist Program, Brevard Music Center, and the New National
Theater in Tokyo. Most recently he directed the Chicago premiere of Ronald Perera’s The
Yellow Wallpaper, La Bohème for Madison Opera, Le Nozze di Figaro at the Hartt
School, Manon and Romeo et Juliette at Indiana University and The Sound of Music
and Carmen at Brevard Music Center. Other recent engagements have included Falstaff for
Indianapolis Opera, La Bohème and Camelot at the Brevard Center, and Susannah and Le
Nozze di Figaro at Indiana University.
Grady S. Bailey III, Parpignol
Grady Bailey makes his Mercury Opera debut in the role of Parpignol.
He has performed on concert stages and in churches and cathedrals
throughout the United States and Europe, and his extensive repertoire
includes opera, oratorio, and an extensive art song repertoire that has been
lauded for the clear, supple and agile quality of his voice and his musical
interpretation of repertoire. A native of Mississippi, Mr. Bailey is a graduate
of Millsaps College, attended Indiana University School of Music and is
currently a candidate for a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies at Nazareth College of Rochester. He
has had the privilege of studying with McCarrell Ayers, Donald Kilmer, Virginia Zeani and Nicolo
Rossi-Lemini. Mr. Bailey has appeared with Mississippi Opera, Millsaps Singers, Jackson Symphony
Orchestra, Delta State University Alumni Chorale, Indiana University Philharmonic, Indiana
University Opera Theatre, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Christ Church Cathedral Choir of
Men & Boys,Vermont Symphony, Piedmont Chamber Singers, First Unitarian Church of Rochester,
RIT Singers RIT Philharmonic, Rochester Chamber Orchestra and the Finger Lakes Chorale. Mr.
Bailey resides in Rochester, is Organist/Music Director for St. John’s Episcopal Church in Honeoye
Falls and Adjunct Instructor in Voice at Rochester Institute of Technology.
John Buffett, Schaunard
Baritone John Buffett, a native of Ohio, is thrilled to be making his Mercury
Opera debut as Schaunard. Currently a candidate for the Masters Degree
at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Robert Swensen,
Mr. Buffett also received his undergraduate education at Eastman.
His favorite roles at Eastman include Count Carl Magnus in A Little
Night Music, Le Roi in Cendrillon, Liberto in L’incoronazione di
Poppea, Carnival in Le Carnival and as a member of the ensembles in
Sweeney Todd, Susannah, and La Rondine. Recently, Mr. Buffett
won Eastman’s concerto competition and will perform Ravel’s Don Quichotte á Dulcinée
with the orchestra next year. He also recently placed 2nd in the 2008 Jessie Kneisel Lieder
competition. Mr. Buffett has sung in Masterclasses with Håkan Hagegård, Mira Zakai, Thomas
Muraco, and Darren Woods. Other professional engagements include performances with Ohio
Light Opera, Apollo’s Fire, and various Cleveland and Rochester area groups. Before entering
Eastman in 2003, John spent a year as an English Speaking Union scholar at the prestigious
Wells Cathedral School, where he won numerous awards and honors for both his singing and
trumpet playing.
Won Cho, Colline
Making his third appearance with Mercury Opera Rochester, KoreanCanadian Bass baritone Won Cho is known for the unique range and
beauty of his voice as well as his outstanding acting ability. Thanks to
his energetic voice and stage presence, he is in demand in both concert
and operatic repertoire, appearing with many of the opera houses and
orchestras in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Mid East, and his native
Korea. Mr, Co has been described as possessing “the voice and presence
to make himself instantly known on stage.” With Mercury Opera, he has
performed the role of the Commendatore in Don Giovanni and Osmin in Die Entführung
aus dem Serail. Mr. Cho’s 2007-2008 season included his Mexican debut as Sprecher in
Die Zauberflöte with the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Mass in C with the
Palm Beach Symphony, and Messiah with The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, Tampa Oratorio
Society, Sarasota Chorale Society, and the Florida orchestra. Future engagements include
The Creation in Toronto, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Theatre of
Lakeland and Anchorage Opera, and Missa Solemnis & Lord Nelson Mass at Esterházy
Palace in Eisenstadt,Austria. Mr. Cho received degrees from Manhattan School of Music, Boston
University, and University of Memphis. He has served on faculty at University of Northern
Iowa and SUNY Fredonia, and currently serves as a Voice Professor & Coordinator of Opera
Program at University of South Florida in Tampa. He currently is on the roster of Thea Dispeker
Artist Management agency in New York City.
Jill Gardner, Mimi
Soprano Jill Gardner is emerging as one of today’s young singing
actresses of exceptional promise. Noted for her “effortlessly produced,
rich voice” (Opera News), the Syracuse Post-Standard recently states of
her performance in The Merry Widow that “Jill Gardner’s Hanna, the
title character, stood head and shoulders above all the rest. She is a
powerhouse yet often touching soprano, who moves as if she is floating
and acts with more nuance than most opera singers.” Ms. Gardner made
her debut with Mercury Opera earlier this season when she was called
in as a last minute replacement for the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. In the 200708 season, Ms. Gardner makes several company debuts including Florida Grand Opera in the
role of Musetta in La Bohème and Boston Lyric Opera as Mimi in La Bohème, a role which
she was recently called last-minute to cover this season at Lyric Opera of Chicago. In the
summer of 2008 she will debut with Hawaii Opera Theatre as Countess Charlotte Malcolm in
Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. In the 2008-09 season, Ms. Gardner will make her debut at
Lyric Opera of Chicago as Nedda in I Pagliacci and Madison Opera in her first performances
of Margherite in Faust. She will also appear with the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra in
Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem. A former member of the prestigious Young American
Artists Program at Glimmerglass Opera, Ms. Gardner returned as a principal artist last summer
in the role of Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld.As a Young Artist in 2006, she created
the role of Madame Loiseau in the world premiere of Harke’s The Greater Good, which
was recorded by the Naxos Record Label. She has also appeared with Syracuse Opera (The
Merry Widow), New York Opera Projects (Susannah), Piedmont Opera Theater (Mimi/La
Bohème), Tri-Cities Opera (Countess/Le Nozze di Figaro, Violetta/La Traviata, CioCio San/Madama Butterfly) and in concert with Opera Omaha, the Syracuse Symphony
Orchestra and the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mario Martínez, Benoit & Alcindoro
During his professional career, Baritone Mario Martínez has appeared
with the Rochester Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, Western
New York Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony and Philharmonic
Orchestras of Santo Domingo, Orchard Park Chorale and Symphony, New
Eastman Symphony, Eastman Philharmonia, Mercury Opera Rochester,
Opera Rochester, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Opera de las Américas and
Compañia Lírica Dominicana. Recent performances include his leading
roles in the critically acclaimed Mercury Opera productions of L’Elisir
D’Amore (Dr. Dulcamara) and L’amico Fritz (Rabbi David), as well as a concert presentation
at Merkin Concert Hall, at the Kauffman Center, in New York City. Other operatic roles
include Emperor Uberall in Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis, the title role in Verdi’s
Falstaff, Almaviva in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Angellotti in Puccini’s Tosca, The Father
in Milhaud’s Le Pauvre Matelot, Bohechio in Braga’s Opera 1492, Junius in Britten’s The
Rape of Lucretia, Raymondo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Pizarro in
Beethoven’s Fidelio, and Marullo in Verdi’s Rigoletto. In addition to his active performance
career, Mr. Martínez serves as Coordinator of Vocal Studies at Nazareth College in Rochester
teaching voice, vocal pedagogy and song literature, where he created and developed the Annual
Vocal Fest, the Barbara Staropoli Singing Competition, the Nazareth College Vocal Pedagogy
Series and the Summer School of the Arts Musical Theatre Program, a joint venue with BOCES.
Mr. Martínez has also taught at SUNY Fredonia and at the Eastman School of Music Community
Education Division.
Andrew Oakden, Marcello
Baritone Andrew Oakden continues to garner critical acclaim in opera
houses across the United States and abroad making his international
debut with Opera de Nice (France) as Rambaldo (La Rondine). Also this
season he performs the roles of Marcello (La Bohème) with Mercury
Opera and Sharpless (Madama Butterfly) with Utah Opera. Last
season he made his New York City Opera mainstage debut performing
the roles of Alfio (Cavalleria Rusticana) and Tonio (Pagliacci.) He
recently made his Ft. Worth Symphony debut in the role of Papageno
(Die Zauberflöte) and earlier this season with the Santa Fe Symphony in Carmina Burana.
In 2005, he performed the Mandarin (Turandot) and Pietro (Simon Boccanegra) at Santa
Fe Opera, and Alfio (Cavalleria Rusticana) and Tonio (Pagliacci) at Sarasota Opera where
he additionally covered Stankar in Verdi’s (Stiffelio.) Following his success as Tonio at Sarasota
Opera, The Sunday Telegraph (London) wrote: “…the unexpected thrill of a young baritone,
Andrew Oakden, stepping in at a moment’s notice into the role of Tonio and bringing the house
down with his superb singing of the prologue…Oakden is a name to note.” Mr. Oakden was
the 1st Prize Winner in the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition as well as being a recent
finalist in both the regional Metropolitan Opera Competition and the 2005 MacAllister Awards.
Upcoming engagements include his role debut as Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Florida
Grand Opera and Raleigh (Roberto Devereux) with Dallas Opera.
Elena O’Connor, Musetta
Soprano Elena O’Connor makes her debut with this performance. Previously, she has sung the role of Musetta under Julius Rudel and
the direction of Ed Berkeley at the Aspen Music Festival. She has also
appeared as Gilda in Rigoletto and Micaela in Carmen at the Aspen
Music Festival, where she is also a winner of the Festival’s Vocal Concerto
Competition. Other honors come from Mobile Opera’s Rose PalmaiTenser Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions,
and the Palm Beach Opera International Vocal Competition, where she
was a winner two consecutive years. With Palm Beach Opera, Ms. O’Connor toured as the
title role in their production of Chauls’s Alice in Wonderland and performed concerts
throughout South Florida with Maestro Kamal Khan. A native of Rochester, Ms. O’Connor did
her undergraduate studies at Eastman and the University of Miami School of Music, where
she sang the role of Francesca in the U.S. premiere of Luigi Mancinelli’s Paolo e Francesca,
South Florida’s Sun-Sentinel calling her portrayal “stunning.” She was also recently praised in
the New York Times for her “standout” performance at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in Scott
Joplin’s Treemonisha with Collegiate Chorale. As an art song enthusiast, Ms. O’Connor has
been a three-time fellow with the University of Miami’s Lieder program in Salzburg, Austria,
where as an honoree of the Schloss-Leopoldskron Competition, she was featured in concerts
and worked in masterclasses with Helen Donath and the late Jerry Hadley. In the summer of
2006, she was a member of the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Institute Program for Singers under
the auspices of James Conlon and Margo Garrett, where she studied and performed works
of Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Poulenc. Also under the auspices of Maestro Conlon, Ms
O’Connor was one of the youngest ever featured soloists in the long history of the Cincinnati
May Festival, performing the soprano role in Bach’s Cantata No. 21 under Robert Porco,
Cincinnati’s Enquirer referring to her “a young star to watch.” She currently resides in New
York City.
Steven Tompkins, Rodolfo
Tenor Steven Tompkins makes his professional opera debut singing the
role of Rodolfo in La Bohème with Mercury Opera. The Naples (FL) Sun
Times describes his voice as “fused with power and passion” and predicts
that “the young tenor, so handsome, will have a great career ahead.”
The Ann Arbor News simply calls his voice “outstanding.” Mr. Tompkins
made his professional orchestral debut in 2005 with the International
Symphony Orchestra in Sarnia, Ontario, singing Handel’s Messiah and
the Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio. Other solo performances with
orchestra include The Seven Last Words of Christ of both Schütz and Dubois, Bach’s
Cantata No. 4 and Cantata No. 12, Haydn’s The Creation, Schubert’s Mass in G and
Mendelssohn’s Elijah. On the concert stage, he appears regularly in recital on the Essex
Summer Concert Series in Essex, NY, and with the Naples Opera Society in Naples, Florida.
Mr. Tompkins is continuing his opera studies as a member of the select Specialist Program at
the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, where he received the Master of Music degree in vocal
performance, having been awarded full-tuition scholarships for both degrees. He is a graduate of
Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester NY with a B.S. Degree in Vocal Performance. At UMAA
he has performed the leading tenor roles of Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème conducted
by Martin Katz, Jenik in The Bartered Bride by Smetana, Don José in La Tragédie de
Carmen by Georges Bizet, adapted by Peter Brook, and The Man with a Paint Box in Domenic
Argento’s Postcard from Morocco. In November 2007 Mr. Tompkins was a semi-finalist in
the Czech and Slovak International Vocal Competition held in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He has
received another full-tuition award to study in June 2008 at the Scuola Italia in Urbania, Italy,
where he will perform in concerts at the Teatro Bramante.
Joel Atella, Assistant Director
Joel Atella is in his final year studying vocal performance at the Eastman School of Music. He
began performing in 1996, flying sky high as Michael Darling in Peter Pan, and is a 2005
Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He has appeared onstage with Mercury Opera Rochester
in the chorus of Norma, and is excited to join the Artistic Staff as Assistant Director for
this production. Mr. Atella’s Eastman Opera Theatre credits include Major Domo/Chorus in
The Merry Widow and the mute role of Toby in The Medium. A native of Fort Collins,
Colorado, he thanks his parents and JM for their love and support.
Karla M. Krogstad, Director of the Bach Children’s Chorus at Nazareth College
Karla Krogstad earned degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music, University of
Connecticut, and the Eastman School of Music. She is an active arranger of music for children’s
voices. Ms Krogstad has conducted the Chorus in such diverse works as Britten’s War
Requiem, Orff‘s Carmina Burana, the Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovsky’s
Nutcracker, and Mahler’s Symphony #3. She lives in Rochester with her husband, Bob and
daughter, Ingrid.
Nic Minetor, Lighting Designer
Lighting designer/director for theater, film and TV, Nic Minetor has been resident designer for
more than 40 productions of Eastman Opera Theatre, including Candide, La Bohème, The
Medium, Dialogues of the Carmelites and Sweeney Todd; and many Opera Theatre
of Rochester and Geva Theatre productions, including A Christmas Carol. This is his eighth
production with Mercury Opera Rochester. His work has also been seen at NTID, SUNY
Brockport, Elmira and Nazareth Colleges.
Nellica Rave, Wardrobe Coordinator
Nellica Rave is pleased to be working with Mercury Opera Rochester for her seventh production. Ms. Rave has been designing costumes nation-wide for ten years. She has her MFA in Costume
Design from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Favorite projects include designing
West Side Stories for New World Theater, Blithe Spirit for Pioneer Valley Summer Theater,
and costume shop for the Paralympics Opening Ceremonies in 2002. She has worked locally for
the JCC, Eastman Opera Theatre, RIT, Irondequoit Theatre Guild and TYKES. Ms. Rave is on the
staff of Mercury Opera Rochester as the resident Costume Collection Manager. She and her
husband are the very proud parents of 16-month-old red-haired Raimonda.
Ken Saltzman, Stage Manager
Ken Saltzman returns to Rochester directly from stage managing La Sonnambula and La
Traviata with Michigan Opera Theatre. Earlier this year, Ken stage managed Mercury Opera’s
production of Don Giovanni, as well as his 8th Yuletide Celebration with the Indianapolis
Symphony Orchestra, a benefit concert given by Jessye Norman, Le Nozze di Figaro, and his
2nd world premiere opera, Cyrano, with Michigan Opera Theatre. Ken has worked with opera
companies in cities that include Philadelphia, Atlanta, Honolulu, Tucson/Phoenix, Indianapolis,
Dayton and Memphis. Upcoming engagements include The Music Man with our nation’s
2nd largest theatre, Kansas City Starlight Theatre, and the return to Detroit for Michigan Opera
Theatre’s world premiere, Margaret Garner starring Denyce Graves, which Ken will then
bring to Chicago. Ken and his partner, Duane Prill, make their home on Lamoka Lake in the
Finger Lakes region.
Matthew Scheidt, Production Manager/Technical Director
A native of Rochester, Matthew Scheidt has been building scenery and working in production
management for Eastman Opera Theatre for the last six years. He has worked in the local
theatre scene for over 15 years as stagehand and audio engineer. In addition, Mr. Scheidt has built
the sets for Mercury Opera Rochester’s productions of L’Amico Fritz, L’Elisir d’Amore,
Abduction from the Seraglio, and Don Giovanni. This is his fourth production with the
company as Production Manager and Technical Director.
Tatiana Vassilieva, Accompanist
A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Tatiana Vassilieva is a dual Master’s degree candidate at the
Eastman School of Music studying piano performance with Nelita True and collaborative piano
with Jean Barr. She has recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in piano performance at
Eastman with Nelita True and Fernando Laires. As a soloist, Ms. Vassilieva has appeared with
the Rochester Philharmonic, Cornell Chamber, Eastern Festival, and the Greece Symphony
orchestras. Other performance highlights include a “Rising Stars Recital” at the Eastman
Young Artist International Piano Competition and the Eastern Music Festival concert at
the Kennedy Center. Ms Vassilieva is also a skilled accompanist and has been a recipient of
Eastman’s “Excellence in Accompanying Award” for the past two years. Last May, she won first
prize in piano at the Jessie Kneisel Competition for the Performance of German Lieder. Ms.
Vassilieva received additional training in collaborative piano at the Music Academy of the West
in Santa Barbara, CA, and the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, MA, where she will return
this summer.
F
inishing its third season of both diverse and
popular operas, education programs, and
community outreach, the primary mission of
Mercury Opera Rochester is to produce a diverse
repertoire of professional opera of the highest
artistic quality for a growing, appreciative audience,
maintain fiscal responsibility, educate and cultivate future audiences for opera, and
provide performance opportunities for local singers – professional, emerging, and
avocational.
For more information about Mercury Opera Rochester and any of our upcoming performances, call 585-473-6567 or check our in-depth website at mercuryoperarochester.org.
We keep patrons informed of our projects via mail & email. If you would like to be
added to our private mailing list or would like to receive our newsletter, please let
us know.
Artistic Directors:
Benton Hess & Gerard Floriano
Staff:
Kristen Kessler, Executive Director
Lynn Zicari, Operations Manager
Nellica Rave, Costume Collection Manager
Board of Directors:
Craig Larson, President
C. Gavin Strakosh, Vice President
William Hearne, Treasurer
Justin Runke, Secretary
Arthur Axelrod
Agneta Borgstedt
Sarah Collins
Steven Daigle
Peter Durant
Gerard Floriano
Ron Fondiller
David Friedman
Benton Hess
Kristen Kessler
Jack Langerak
Douglas Lowry
Mary McNamara
Mary Menzie
Rosalba Pisaturo
Judith Ricker
Sunny Rosenberg
Friederike Seligman
Thomas Smith
Helga Strasser
We need your help!
Community response has exceeded our expectations, as more people have seen live
professional opera here than in a long time. Opera productions are very expensive (think
sets, costumes, singers, orchestra, theatre, stage hands….the list goes on and on.) Your
ticket price covers less than half of our costs. We need your help to continue to make
the vision of Mercury Opera Rochester a reality. If you enjoy our performance and agree
with our goals, please support our future. Consider a donation to continue professional
opera performances and to reach out to future opera lovers in Rochester. Tax-deductible
donations are gratefully accepted by Mercury Opera Rochester, 26 Gibbs Street, Rochester,
NY, 14604, and on our website at www.mercuryoperarocester.org.
Planned Giving & Bequests
Please consider leaving Mercury Opera Rochester in your estate plans, whether by will,
trust, insurance, life income arrangement, or through current income gifts. Your concern
and appreciation for Mercury Opera Rochester will extend far beyond your own lifetime.
Opera Connection! and Opera Education
Our future audiences are in the classrooms of local schools. Since its inception, Mercury
Opera Rochester has invited high school students in the 5-county area to attend dress
rehearsals of our performances, accompanied by their music teachers. We have also
hosted several master classes for high school students (with student performers) given
by internationally recognized singers who are here to perform in our mainstage productions. We have solicited and been successful in gaining participation of local high school
vocalists in our productions as chorus members.
Recently Mercury Opera Rochester began a program in high schools called Opera Connection! The program, initially funded by the New York State Music Fund, is a series of
lecture/workshops given by teaching artists which compare and contrast the hit Broadway musical Rent with the opera on which it was based, Puccini’s La Bohème. Professionals who had sung the roles on Broadway and in professional opera companies performed
in the classrooms and spoke with students. The program culminated in a performance
by the students for other participating schools, and it was a tremendous success, eliciting moving reactions from students and teachers, and remarkable interest in opera and
Mercury’s future productions. We hope to receive funding to repeat the program in
spring 2008 and in future seasons with other opera/show pairs. Please call the office at
585-473-6567 if you are interested in helping with this exciting new education project.
Our extensive adult education program is run primarily by the Guild of Mercury Opera
Rochester, and includes regular lectures at several local libraries, video showings and
trips to regional opera productions. For more information about the Guild programs,
check our website at www.mercuryoperarochester.org (where you can also find the
handouts for all the lectures) or call the office at 585-473-6567.
26 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY 14604 • 585-473-6567
www.mercuryoperarochester.org