(The Barber of Seville)

M E R C U RY O P E R A R O C H E S T E R P R E S E N T S

S E P T E M B E R 2 6 & 2 8 , 2 0 0 8G R E E C E AT H E N A P E R F O R M I N G A RT S C E N T E R

Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Gioacchino Rossini‘s

presents

Gioacchino Rossini‘s

(The Barber of Seville)

Libretto by Cesare Sterbini based upon the play by Pierre Beaumarchais

Gerard FlorianoArtistic Director & Conductor

John DaviesStage Director

With the Mercury Opera OrchestraHarpsichord Continuo by Nancy James

Set Design by Robert Little, Courtesy of Tri-Cities Opera Co., Inc.Lighting Design by Nic Minetor

Costume Design by Nellica RaveSupertitles translated and prepared by Dyan Yoder for the Florentine Opera Co.

There will be one 20-minute intermission.

SceneSeville, Spain, in 1815; takes place over the period of one day.

SynopsisAct I, Scene 1 – the public square in front of Dr. Bartolo’s home

A band of musicians and a poor student named Lindoro serenade at the window of Rosina. Lindoro, who is Count Almaviva in disguise, hopes to make the beautiful Rosina love him for himself, not his money. Almaviva pays off the musicians who depart, leaving him to brood alone. Figaro approaches, singing. Figaro used to be a servant of the Count who asks him for assistance in meeting Rosina, of-fering him money if he is successful in arranging this. Figaro advises the Count to disguise himself as a soldier and to feign drunkenness in order to gain entrance to the house. For this suggestion, he is richly rewarded.

Scene 2 – a little later, inside Dr. Bartolo’s home Knowing the Count only by the name of Lindoro, Rosina writes to him. As she is leaving the room, Bartolo and Basilio enter. Bartolo is suspicious of the Count, and Basilio advises that he be put out of the way by creating false rumors about him. When the two have gone, Rosina and Figaro enter. Figaro asks Rosina to write a few encouraging words to Lindoro, which she has actually already written. As Berta, Bartolo’s housekeeper, answers the door, she is confronted by the Count, now disguised as an intoxicated soldier. In fear of the drunken man, she rushes to Bartolo for protection and he tries to remove the supposed soldier, but does not succeed. The Count manages to have a quick word with Rosina, whispering that he is Lindoro and passing her a letter. Bartolo is suspicious and demands to know what is in the piece of paper in Rosina’s hands, but she fools him by handing over her laundry list. Bartolo and the Count start arguing and the noise attracts the attention of some nearby soldiers. Bartolo believes that the Count has been arrested, but Almaviva only has to mention his name to the officer to be released.

≈ 20-Minute Intermission ≈

Act II – inside Dr. Bartolo’s home, later that day Almaviva again appears at the doctor’s house, this time disguised as a singing teacher and pretending to act as substitute for the supposedly ailing Basilio, Rosina’s regular teacher. Initially, Bartolo is suspicious, but does allow Almaviva to enter when the Count gives him Rosina’s letter. He describes his plan to discredit Lindoro whom he believes to be one of the Count’s servants, intent on pursuing women for his master. Figaro enters and insists on shaving Dr. Bartolo. When Basilio suddenly appears, he is bribed to feign sickness by a full purse from Almaviva. Finally Bartolo detects the trick, drives everybody out of the room, and instructs Basilio to rush to a notary to draw up the marriage contract with Rosina. He then shows Rosina the letter she wrote to “Lindoro,” and convinces her that Lindoro is merely a flunky of Almaviva. There is a thunder storm. The Count and Figaro climb up a ladder to the balcony and enter the room through a window. Rosina shows Almaviva the letter and expresses her feelings of betrayal and heartbreak. Almaviva reveals his identity and the two reconcile. While Almaviva and Rosina are enraptured by one another, Figaro keeps urging them to leave. Two people are heard approaching the front door, and attempting to leave by way of the ladder, they realize it has been removed. The two are Basilio and the notary and Basilio is given the choice of accepting a bribe and being a witness, or receiving two bullets in the head (an easy choice, he says). He and Figaro witness the signatures to the marriage contract between the Count and Rosina. Bartolo barges in, but is too late. The befuddled Bartolo (who was the one who had removed the ladder) begrudgingly accepts Rosina’s marriage to Count Almaviva.

CastCount Almaviva .................................................................................... Daniel WeeksDr. Bartolo, physician & guardian of Rosina ............................................. Jimi James Rosina, ward of Dr. Bartolo ....................................................................Quinn PatrickFigaro, a barber ................................................................................ Evan Thomas JonesBasilio, music master to Rosina ....................................................................Won ChoFiorello, servant to Count Almaviva ..................................................Mario MartinezBerta, housemaid of Dr. Bartolo ........................................... Kimberly Upcraft-RussAn officer ........................................................................................................ Dan Welch

Chorus – Soldiers & Musicians Bill Hearne, Nicholas Gerling, Jason Holmes, Craig Larson, Kyle Meek,

Charles Palella, Dennis Rosenbaum, Matthew Swensen, Michael Thering, Dan Welch

Supernumeraries – House Staff of Dr. Bartolo & MusiciansKatie Edinger, Lindsay Holmes, Robert Holmes, Nakiya Peterkin

Children – Figaro’s “Gang”Alexander Christie, Michael Leadbetter, Lili Smith, Mimi Smith

Mercury Opera Orchestra Violin IWilfredo Deglans, concertmasterShannon NanceMargaret LeenhoutsJanet Milnes

Violin IIJohn SullivanJeremy HillSherry McCarthy

ViolaOlita PoveroDavid Hult

CelloKathleen Murphy KempJoan Kinsella

BassMichael GriffinJosh Kerr

FluteRebecca GilbertJoanna Bassett

PiccoloJoanna Bassett

OboeEmily Agnew

ClarinetRobert DiLutisRamon Ricker

BassoonJennifer Hostler

HornAlex SchuhanDavid Angus

TrumpetDoug ProsserWes Nance

TromboneMark Kellogg

Timpani/PercussionMark Maynor

Orchestra ManagerRamon Ricker

LibrarianAndrew Smith

Artistic & Production StaffArtistic Director & Conductor............................................................ Gerard FlorianoStage Director .................................................................................................. John DaviesCoach Accompanist & Harpsichord/Continuo ........................................Nancy JamesStage Manager ........................................................................................Kathleen McNally Production Manager /Technical Director ......................................... Matthew ScheidtSet Designer ................................................................................................... Robert LittleLighting Designer ............................................................................................Nic MinetorCostume Designer ..........................................................................................Nellica RaveChorusmaster .................................................................................................Dean Ekberg Assistant Stage Director ...........................................................................Robert StraussAdditional Accompanists ............................................... Jason Holmes & Kevin NitschAssistant Stage Manager .......................................................................... Amanda Wood Production Assistant ..................................................................................Lindsay Chasse Props Assistant ............................................................... Lisa Rosenbauer & Lynn ZicariCostumes provided by ....................................Mercury Opera Costume CollectionHair Dressers ...................................................... Sue Harrison & Danielle LetourneauAssistant Lighting Designer .....................................................................Dan O’DonnellLight Board Operator ............................................................................. Jenny KleinhenzSurtitle Translation ........................................................................................... Dyan YoderSurtitle Operator .................................................................... Stephan Holden-CorbettTicket Service .......................................................................................... RPO Box OfficeTheatre courtesy of ........................................ Judith Ranaletta & Athena Show ChoirHouse Manager & Ushers ......................................................................Hon. John Ninfo

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.

Corporate Donors

Major Underwriter$10,000 and aboveConstellation Brands

Corporate Patron $1,500 to $4,999Harter Secrest & Emery LLPLeyerle Publications Nixon Peabody LLPRBC Dain Rauscher

Business Patron $500 to $999B&L Wholesale SupplyCanandaigua National BankRochester Lumber Company

Individual andFoundation Support

Platinum$25,000 and aboveNew York State Music Fund

Gold$10,000 to $24,999Ron & Jane FondillerSuzanne & Gerard GouvernetCraig & Susan LarsonNYS Council on the ArtsNYS Legislature – Sen. Jim AlesiNYS Legislature – Sen. Joseph Robach Mary K. MenzieThe Rainbow Fund

Silver$5,000 to $9,999The Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation The Guild of Mercury Opera RochesterRose-Marie B. KlipsteinNYS Legislature – Assemblyman Joseph MorelleRochester Area Community FoundationThe Haskell Rosenberg Memorial Fund for Opera

Maestro$2,500 to $4,999Dr. George AbrahamAgneta D. Borgstedt, MDMargaret J. CarnallSarah H. CollinsSunny RosenbergJoel & Friederike Felber Seligman

Prima Voce$1,000 to $2,499AnonymousJames & Catherine AquavellaArthur & Jeanette AxelrodCortland & Ella BrovitzNancy & Alan CamerosJohn & Carol CondemiSteven & Lee Ann DaiglePeter & Suzanne DurantHarold & Joan FeinbloomDavid & Linda FriedmanBenton HessKristen Kessler & Michael WilliamsJack & Gail LangerakJames & Jane LittwitzMary E. McNamaraJanet PatlowBarbara Reifler & Charles UnisonJudith & Ramon RickerJon L. & Katherine T. SchumacherDr. Kyu H. ShinThomas SmithHelga & Alexander StrasserPeggy Weir

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Coro$100 to $249Etta AtkinRuth & George BeedeMort & Maxine BittkerSarah BlissDavid O. BoehmBeverly T. BowenWilliam & Anne BuckinghamJosephine BuckleyEileen BuholtzJohn & Anna BundschuhRosalie CavallaroThomas ChristianNorinne ColeLillian CourtheouxLouise CreaturaTimothy & Karen CroweHelmut & Catherine DaehnChristopher C. DahlJoseph & Judy DarweeshLinda Wells DaveyPeter & Mary Jane DavidsonTony & Gill DecharioRosalie DiPasqualeThomas DonnanEric M. DreyfussMarcia L. ElwittGeorge M. EwingJoseph & Maria FinettiAmy FujimuraHarry & Marion FulbrightAnn & Tim FulreaderPat & Bob FussellJohanna M. Gambino

Contributors

Evelyn & Wesley GhyzelDonald & Harriette GinsbergTeresa Giuliani-ImburgiaCoral T. GlassmanSusan & Stanley GordonMarie GrahamHelen & George H. GreerMarian D. GriswoldHarold & Marilyn Grunert Ann HarkenriderSally A. HarperCarolyn HarveyJohn & Charlotte HayfordWarren & Barbara HeiligmanJoseph R. HeintzmanH. Lawrence & Jo HelferGloria HorwitzDaniel B. & JoAnn HoveyR. Greggson & Denise HowellDavid & Joan HuntGwyneth HuntingRobert & Maria IsgroMary & Frank JungSharon & John KarlRobert & Connie KleinLouise KlinkeJohn & Janet KucabaRonald KwasmanJohn & Alice LeddyDavid & Dorothy LeidigWerner & Sandra LemkeJennifer LloydSwaminathan MadhuKaren MaherDavid & Rose ManciniMaxine ManjosStephen MatkowskiRobert & Karen McIverRobert & Chita McKinneyThomas & Dale McMeekinThomas & Mary Lou MeesTerry MeloreAndrea Swanton MercierHarry & Linda MessinaMona MillerSanford & Jill MillerRosemarie MolserIlene MontanaLee & Brenda MossJohn & Annabel MuenterPhilip S. NashMichael & Carol NewcombJohn C. Ninfo & Judith RanalettaFrederick NuernbergJohn & Patricia O’Brien Mildred OrtbachDonald & Andrea PedersenDavid & Marjorie PerlmanPaul & Tamea PetersenDorothy PitlickPeter PlummerAndrea Pope

Frank & Mary PosatoDavid RakovThaddeus ReszelGeorge & Rosa RichDanforth RogersRichard & Beatrice RosenbloomJustin & Kelly RunkeBertha SantiroccoEleanor SantoJames Sawatsky & David AmesConrad SchegEugene Schneider, MD & Gloria Baciewicz, MDJoan SchultzArthur & Kathryn SchusterPaul SchuttAnthony & Gloria SciolinoMark & Holley ShaferDavid SharkeyJack & Marcia ShermanVirginia SkuseCharles SpeirsBurton SpillerNorma & Glenna SpindelmanMuriel SteinbergRobert & Carol StilesJune M. StornelliSydney SutherlandFrank & Rose SwiskeyRobert TerhorstDavid & Ellen ThurberKathleen TooleBill & Mary Anna TowlerEugene ToyHarry & Pamela TurnerHerbert & Monica UlrichGary & Marie Van GraafeilandPaul & Joan Van NessMargaret VanasJudit S. Wagner, MDMargaret WebberBob Weeks & Pam GoodRobin & Michael WeintraubAnne WestPamela S. Wilkens WhiteJean Grant WhitneyChristine WickertMary Alice & Bob WolfGeorge & Caroline WuSigne & Bob ZaleRobert & Carol Zimmerman

Gifts In KindAIDS Community Health Center B&L Wholesale SupplyRichard A. Kroll, AttorneyLeyerle Publications Mark IV EnterprisesParachute GraphicsRochester Art SupplyRochester Lumber CompanyShaheen Management

Soundown, Inc. Temple B’rith Kodesh

Special Thanks:Bethlehem Lutheran ChurchBlackfriars TheatreBonnie ChoiEastman School of MusicGeva Theatre CenterKids Helping Kids Soundown, Inc.Tournedos at the Inn on BroadwayJCC CenterstageBob KlieNazareth CollegeRon NetskyKevin NitschTed’s Barber Shop Thomas MusicTinkerman’s Barn

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list, occasional errors and omissions do occur. Please con-tact Mercury Opera Rochester at 585-473-6567 with any changes or corrections. This list reflects donors of record at the Coro level and above (minimum of $100 donation) as of September 21, 2008.

Tribute & Honorary GiftsTribute and Honorary Gifts are a special way to remember loved ones or commemorate special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, births, or graduations.

In Memory of Patricia Carr AtwaterSuzanne & Peter Durant

Tax-deductible contributions by check or credit card are grate-fully accepted by Mercury Opera Rochester, 1600 N. Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14621, and also at our website at www.mercuryoperarochester.org.

This production is funded in part by grants from the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York State Legislature.

Program Notes“Because of its abundance of ideas, comic verve, and truth of declamation, I cannot help but believe that Il Barbiere di Siviglia is the most beautiful opera buffa ever written.” With these words the 85-year-old Giuseppe Verdi in 1898 assessed the work you have come to the theater today to witness. Its virtues have been extolled by many great composers from Beethoven to Richard Strauss, and it is a staple of the repertoire of virtually every opera house in the world.

It is difficult to imagine how such a brilliant work came about when one considers the circumstances surrounding its creation. The twenty-three-year-old Gioachino Rossini was commissioned by the Teatro di Torre Argentina in Rome on December 26, 1815 to compose an opera, based on a libretto to be supplied to him, for the carnival season that was beginning that very day; the first performance was to take place in exactly eight weeks…February 20, 1816. Rossini’s contract stipulated that he was to deliver the completed opera to the theater by January 15, be responsible for the preparation of both the singers and the orchestra, be present at all musical and staging rehearsals, and conduct the performances from the harpsichord…all this for a fee roughly equivalent to a thousand dollars today.

The libretto chosen for the opera was by Cesare Sterbini, based on the play Le Barbier de Séville by Beaumarchais. The choice of this subject could be classified as either bad or good, depending upon your perspective. It was good because the story was a familiar and popular one, but bad because a very well-respected operatic setting of the story had already been composed by Giovanni Paisiello. Rossini wrote to the seventy-five-year-old Paisiello asking for permission to use the subject, and Maestro Paisiello replied that he had no objections. Unfortunately, due to a number of stage mishaps, which included the appearance of a black cat on stage, and the presence in the opening night audience of Paisiello’s supporters intent upon creating a disturbance, the premiere of Rossini’s new opera was a fiasco. Rossini wisely stayed away from the theater the next evening, pleading illness, but after the performance was ended a large group from the audience, led by the first Almaviva, Manuel Garcia, gathered under Rossini’s hotel window, shouting “Bravo, bravissimo Figaro.” And since that night, Barbiere has never lost its immense popularity.

Mercury Opera Rochester is extremely proud to have assembled such a fine cast of young singers for this production. Quinn Patrick, who sang Zerlina so beautifully in last season’s Don Giovanni, was born to sing these Rossini coloratura roles. And Evan Jones has all the qualifications of a world-class Figaro: vocal and physical agility combined with an excellent sense of comic timing. Mercury is particularly grateful to Daniel Weeks, a very experienced Rossini tenor, for stepping in at very late notice in the role of Almaviva, replacing the indisposed announced artist. We are also proud to present the Rochester stage-directing debut of John Davies. Besides having directed productions in many regional opera houses, Mr. Davies has sung the role of Don Bartolo in fourteen different productions of Barbiere, and has appeared as Don Basilio in yet another one. He is a real “singer’s director,” and his comic genius and stylistic know-how permeate the proceedings throughout.

- Benton Hess

BiographiesGerard Floriano, Artistic Director/Conductor American Conductor Gerard Floriano is equally accomplished in both the operatic and orchestral arenas. As Artistic Director of Rochester Opera Factory, he led the rise of this ambitious company, conducting full-scale critically acclaimed performances of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, Leoncavallo’s I Pagliacci, Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, and Puccini’s Suor Angelica. As Co-Artistic Director of Mercury Opera Rochester, Dr. Floriano has led Puccini’s La Bohème, Copland’s The Tender Land, Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors (twice), Kern & Hammerstein’s Show Boat, Mozart’s Die

Entführung aus dem Serail, Donizetti’s Elixir of Love and Mascagni’s L’Amico Fritz in the company’s first three seasons, as well as Bernstein’s Candide with the Janiec Opera Company at the Brevard Summer Music Festival in 2007. Writing about L’Amico Fritz, D&C music critic John Pitcher wrote “Floriano proved to be nothing les 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. In December of 2005, Dr. Floriano led the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in holiday concerts throughout the area and in March 2006 made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut with the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra. A regular guest conductor in Europe, Dr. Floriano has led performances in Krakow, Warsaw, Prague, Barcelona, Florence and Leipzig. He recently conducted the Orchestra di Vicenza and Venice Opera in a spectacular performance of Mozart’s Requiem. Dr. Floriano is acclaimed as an innovative programmer and dedicated educational conductor. Under his leadership for the past 15 seasons, the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra has become a premiere training orchestra for the most talented young musicians in western NY. Dr. Floriano is Director of Choral Activities at the SUNY Geneseo and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music with Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Conducting.

John Davies, Stage Director The distinguished American bass-baritone John Davies, a native of nearby Syracuse and recently seen as Leporello in Mercury’s production of Don Giovanni, has performed on operatic stages across the United States. Audiences have enjoyed his insightful and individual interpretations of the roles of Donizetti, Mozart and Rossini and his accomplished characterizations in the operettas of Strauss and Sullivan, as well as the more dramatic works of Beethoven, Menotti and Floyd. Highlights of last season include his return to Indianapolis Opera directing Die

Zauberflöte, and appearances onstage both as the title role in Syracuse Opera’s production of Don Pasquale and as Captain Kadd in Peter Schickele’s The Abduction of Figaro. Mr. Davies is Artistic Director of the Empire Opera Theater which he founded in 1997. He made his mainstream directing début with Il Barbiere di Siviglia for the Opera Theatre at Wildwood in 2003, and in spring of 2005 he directed Knoxville Opera’s production of La Fille du Régiment. Past appearances include engagements with the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Opera Carolina as well as the Opera Companies of Anchorage, Arizona, Atlanta, Berkshire, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Chautauqua, Dayton, Delaware, Fort Lauderdale, Kansas City, Kentucky, Knoxville, Lake George, Memphis, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nashville, Omaha, Piedmont, Portland, Rochester, Syracuse, Salt Lake City, Virginia, and the Opera Theatre at Wildwood. In addition to operatic work, Mr. Davies has sung as bass-baritone soloist with the symphony orchestras of Boston, Chattanooga, Detroit, Indianapolis, San Francisco and St. Louis.

Nancy James, Coach/Accompanist & Harpsichord Continuo Nancy James, Pianist, received her Bachelor of Music from the Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, in Musical Studies, and her Masters in Vocal Coaching from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA. After several years of performing and freelancing in the Boston area, she returned to her native Syracuse where she worked in many capacities for Syracuse Opera for 17 years. Most recently she worked as their Chorus Master, Vocal Coach and Assistant Conductor from 2000-2007. Mrs. James performs and teaches throughout the Central New

York area and is currently a member of the Voice Faculty of Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music. Mrs. James also serves as the Minister of Music at Fairmount Community Church as well as Organist at the Temple Concord in Syracuse. In addition to an active private studio of 25 piano and voice students, she has performed with the Syracuse Symphony and continues to work in many capacities with members of the SSO.

Won Cho, Basilio Making his fourth appearance with Mercury Opera Rochester, Korean-Canadian bass/baritone Won Cho is has been a winner of several inter-national and national opera competitions and is known for the unique vocal 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 hous-es and orchestras in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Mid East, and his native Korea. With Mercury Opera, he has performed the roles of Colline

in La Bohème, the Commendatore in Don Giovanni and Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Mr. Cho’s 2007-2008 season included his Mexican debut in Die Zauberflöte with the Xalapa Sym-phony, Missa Solemnis and Lord Nelson Mass at Haydn Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria, 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 engage-ments include The Creation in Toronto, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Theatre of Lakeland and Anchorage Opera, Bach Cantata No. 60 with the Florida Orchestra, three Messiah engagements in Florida, a recital for Palm Beach Symphony, Brahms Requiem with Winter Park Bach Festival, and his debut at Carnegie Hall in the Mozart Requiem. 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 the Opera Program at University of South Florida in Tampa.

Jimi James, Dr. Bartolo Baritone and Syracuse native Jimi James is making his debut with Mercury Opera Rochester with this production. A performer of unusual versatility and equally unusual pedigree, Mr. James. leapt into a full-time performance career just five years ago, having sung many years as a part-time professional. Since then Mr. James has learned and performed fourteen roles with twelve different companies. His roles with Syracuse Opera are numerous: Escamillo, the title role in The Marriage of Figaro (both also with West Virginia Symphony), Papageno, Schaunard, Thomas Garrett (She

Never Lost a Passenger), and Masetto, and last season he added Monterone in Syracuse Opera’s fall production of Rigoletto and Tonio in their spring production of Pagliacci. Last season also marked his return as Escamillo to Annapolis Opera, where he previously performed the role of Dr. Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and his debut with Granite State Opera as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor. Mr. James has appeared with Opera Memphis as Enrico (Lucia di Lammermoor) and Masetto, with Opera Vivente as Mustafa and in the title role in Rigoletto, with Tri-Cities Opera as Germont in La Traviata, Connecticut Concert Opera as Plunkett in Flotow’s Martha, and as Billy

Bigelow with Annapolis Chamber Orchestra. Mr. James’ solo concert credits include Carmina Burana, the Requiem settings of Brahms, Fauré, Mozart and Verdi, Bach cantatas 211, 145, 78 and 68, Songs of Love and War (Moravec), Mefistofele in Boito’s Prologue to Mefistofele, Elijah, Schubert Mass in G, Messiah and The Wolf in Peter vs. the Wolf. Mr. James is particularly fond of his roles for children’s opera, having over 600 performances to his credit. In this capacity, he has sung the roles of Peter in Hansel and Gretel, Don Giovanni Pig in The Three Little Pigs, The Wolf in both The Return of Little Red Riding Hood and Little Red’s Most Unusual Day, The Giant in Jack and the Beanstalk and Dinty in Never Tickle a Mule. Mr. James was a finalist in the Chester Ludgin American Verdi Baritone Competition, winner of the Joyce Dutka Arts Foundation Vocal Competition and recipient of the Manfred Meyer Artist of the Year award.

Evan Thomas Jones, Figaro Baritone Evan Thomas Jones is making his Mercury Opera debut in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Mr. Jones has sung a wide variety of roles in opera including Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Raimbaud in Le Comte Ory, Marullo in Rigoletto and Sam in Trouble in Tahiti. In addition to an active opera career, Mr. Jones has portrayed a number of roles in music theater and operetta. Highlights include the roles of Voltaire and Pangloss in Candide, Major General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus and Leon Czolgosz in Assassins. In concert he has

been featured as the baritone soloist in Fauré’s Requiem, Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs and Serenade to Music, as Porgy/Jake/Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess and John Rutter’s Mass for the Children. Mr. Jones has sung with the Berkshire Opera Company, Compañía Lírica Nacional de Costa Rica, Florida State Opera, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra and the Augusta Choral Society. In the 2007-2008 season he performed the roles of Fredrik Egerman in A Little Night Music and Danilo Danilovich in The Merry Widow with Eastman Opera Theatre, and won 1st Prize in the Friends of Eastman Opera voice competition. In October he made his debut with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra as a soloist in Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music as part of the RPO’s “Opening Night Spectacular” and reappeared with the RPO in December as the baritone soloist and narrator in The Polar Express. In February, Mr. Jones made the world premiere recording of Randol Bass’ Passage Into Spirit with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. This coming season, he will be making his debut with Opera Theater of Lakeland as Schaunard in La Bohème. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Mr. Jones is a graduate of Florida State University and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in voice at the Eastman School of Music.

Mario Martinez, Fiorello 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, 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 Alcindoro/Benoit in Mercury Opera’s production of La Bohème last spring, 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, New

York, teaching voice, vocal pedagogy and song literature, where he has created and developed innovative programs such as 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.

Quinn Patrick, Rosina Young American mezzo-soprano Quinn Patrick regularly receives acclaim for the sweet purity and strength of her lyric voice enhanced by a sizzling coloratura facility combined with an engagingly sincere personality in a wide variety of operatic roles and concert repertoire spanning the centuries from Monteverdi to Mark Adamo. Highlights of the current (2008-9) season include a residency with the Florestan Recital Project which involves a week of teaching and performing, Messiah with the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, Candide with the Mansfield Symphony,

and the Saint Matthew Passion a the Elmwood Chamber Music Festival. This is Ms. Patrick’s third appearance with Mercury Opera, having performed the roles of Zerlina in last season’s Don Giovanni, and Beppe in the company’s inaugural production, L’Amico Fritz. Recently she made her Lincoln Center début with The National Chorale singing Copland’s In the Beginning and Beethoven’s Symphony No 9 and her début with the Jacksonville Symphony under Fabio Mechetti. She made her Carnegie Hall début in Mozart’s “Coronation” Mass and a rare performance of Brusa’s Missa Pro Defunctis with the New England Symphonic Ensemble. Other engagements included Artpark, Buffalo Philharmonic, Boulder Philharmonic, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Chautauqua Festival, Syracuse Symphony, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh led by Robert Page, the annual Messiah Festival of the Arts in Lindsborg (KS), Ash Lawn-Highland Festival and Glimmerglass Opera. A Texas native, Ms. Patrick received her training at Trinity University in San Antonio and the University of Colorado at Boulder. Currently she is pursuing a Doctorate in voice at the Eastman School of Music, where last season she appeared as Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music.

Kimberly Upcraft-Russ, Berta Kimberly Upcraft-Russ enjoys a reputation as a versatile artist, equally at home with the music of Handel as with the music of the late 20th century. While in Rochester, she has performed leading roles with the Eastman Opera Theatre, including Mrs. Grose in The Turn of the Screw and Angelica in Suor Angelica. Other operatic portrayals include such varied roles as Zita in Gianni Schicchi and Zerlina in Don Giovanni. Ms. Upcraft-Russ has also been a featured soloist with the Eastman Philharmonia in performances of Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder under the baton of Mendi

Rodan. Most recently, Ms. Upcraft-Russ performed as the soprano soloist for performances of Verdi’s Requiem at Nazareth College with the Rochester Philharmonic, Murary Sidlin conducting. Other oratorio appearances in Rochester and elsewhere have included performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the SUNY Geneseo Orchestra and Chorus, Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio, Vivaldi’s Gloria and both Faure and Durufle’s Requiem. Upcoming recitals will include the music of Jake Heggie, Benton Hess and Stephen Sondheim. Ms. Upcraft-Russ has been on the faculties of SUNY Fredonia and the Eastman Community Music School, and is currently an adjunct professor of voice at Nazareth College. She received the Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance and Literature and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, the Master of Music in Voice Performance from University of North Carolina in Greensboro and the Bachelor of Music in Music Education from SUNY at Fredonia.

Daniel Weeks, Count Almaviva A lyric tenor with an Italianate timbre and a wide vocal range, Daniel Weeks continues to delight critics and audiences alike. His varied career encompasses opera, oratorio, recitals and a teaching position at the University of Louisville. In 2007/08, Mr. Weeks debuted with the Pittsburgh Symphony and returned to Cincinnati Opera for the world-premiere of Rise for Freedom: The John P. Parker Story. He also performed with Kentucky Opera, sang concerts in Poland and the Czech Republic, at Carnegie Hall (MidAmerica Productions), and closed the season at

Avery Fisher Hall (National Chorale). This season finds Mr. Weeks with the Memphis Symphony, the Huntsville Symphony, and the Winter Park Bach Society. Operatically, Mr. Weeks was a National Finalist in the MONC Auditions, and has since performed with the Cincinnati Opera, Florentine Opera of Milwaukee, Austin Lyric Opera, Kentucky Opera, Nevada Opera, and the Belleayre Music Festival. In 2001, he toured the country as Ferrando in Mozart’s Così fan tutte with San Francisco Opera’s Western Opera Theater. On the concert stage, Mr. Weeks has appeared with the Houston Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Columbus Symphony, the Florida Orchestra, the Xalapa Symphony (Mexico), the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Louisville Orchestra, the Chatauqua Symphony, and the Brevard Orchestra with Keith Lockhart (Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings). He has been a frequent soloist at Carnegie Hall with the Oratorio Society of New York and MidAmerica Productions. As a recitalist, Mr. Weeks won the NFMC Young Artist Competition and in 2000, was invited by Marilyn Horne to give his New York recital debut with her foundation, which led to three years of touring the country giving recitals and master classes as part of the Horne Foundation’s recital/residency presentations. His CD entitled, Women of Firsts is due to be released this fall with Centaur Records.

Dean Ekberg, Chorusmaster Dean Ekberg earned the BA degree in Applied Music from SUNY Fredonia and the MM degree in conducting from the Eastman School of Music, where his studies continue. He has served on the production staff of the Chautauqua Opera Association, Opera Theatre of Rochester, Eastman Opera Theatre, Rochester Opera Factory and a number of community theater organizations. His theatrical work has included stage management, musical preparation, stage direction and conducting. During his tenure as Choral Director at Gates Chili High School he also directed their dramatic productions and was music director for their annual musical theater productions. In addition to his work at Gates Chili and in musical theater, he has been director of the Nazareth College Children’s and Youth Choirs, and has served in leadership roles for the Monroe County School Music Association, New York State School Music Association, and American Choral Directors Association, and is a member of the board of directors for Madrigalia. He is currently coordinator for voice adjudicators for NYSSMA, Director of Music at Gates Presbyterian Church, Music Director of the Rochester Cathedral Choir School, and an Adjunct Instructor for Mansfield (PA) University. He was the recipient of the 2001 Rochester Philharmonic Musicians’ Award for Outstanding Music Educators in Choral music, and has twice been listed in Who’s Who in American Education. In March of 2002, he was honored by the music students of Gates Chili High School by induction into Tri-M Music Honor Society as an honorary life member.

Kathleen McNally, Stage Manager Kathleen F. “Kat” McNally has been managing both professionally and non-professionally since 1985. Ms. McNally is a stage manager for JCC CenterStage, properties controller and serves on their Board of Directors. She is also the stage manager for the high school performances here at Greece Athena under the direction of Judith Ranaletta. Ms. McNally can also be found in the booth at RAPA and Geva and is an adjudicator for RBTL’s Stars of Tomorrow Program. New to Mercury, but not to opera, Ms. McNally served as SM for Desert Opera Theater in Los Angeles

for 10 years, favorites include La Bohème, The Mikado, Madama Butterfly and The Sorcerer. When not in a theater, Ms. McNally teaches yoga, plays the grand piano and synthesizer at Church of the Assumption for their Life Teen Mass and is an aspiring impressionistic artist. She is married to her very supportive husband, Brian, and mother of two, Amanda (ASM) 24, and Liam, 3.

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 eighth 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 18-month-old red-haired Ramonda, the darling of Rochester’s opera community.

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 sixth production with the company as Production Manager and Technical Director.

Robert Strauss, Assistant Stage DirectorRobert Strauss has had as diverse a career behind the production table as he has in front of it. As a stage director, he has been involved in full productions of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, Cimarosa’s The Secret Marriage, Trial by Jury, Dido and Aeneas, Seussical the Musical, Godspell, the New York State premiere of Benton Hess’ Felice, and Mercury Opera Rochester’s inaugural tour of Amahl and the Night Visitors. He has served as music director for Man of La Mancha, Godspell, Oklahoma!, The Fantasticks, It’s a Wonderful Life – the Musical, and numerous scenes production. He was also production stage manager for Suor Angelica and for a Verdi Gala, both in West Virginia. Robert is no stranger to local audiences, having just finished performing in the revue, Finding a Way Back, with local artists Don Kot and Chandra Downs. He has also recently appeared as the tenor soloist in Haydn’s Creation (Finger Lakes Chorale) and Britten’s St. Nicolas (Susquehanna Valley Chorale), as Simeon/Butler in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Rochester Children’s Theatre – for which he learned to play the accordion), as Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden. With Mercury Opera, he has sung the roles of Mr. Splinters in The Tender Land, King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Pedrillo in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. He will return to the stage with Mercury as Spoletta in the January production of Tosca.

Mercury Opera Rochester is beginning its fourth season of fully staged operas and opera education programs for young peo-

ple and adults. Our first three seasons have proved popular with both audiences and music critics. The company, formed in 2004 from several independent opera-related organizations, has gained experience and community support in these initial years.

Our mission is to provide professional productions of the highest artistic quality. We pro-duce a diverse repertoire of operas for a growing, appreciative audience. In order to grow future audiences for opera, we are committed to a vigorous educational and outreach program. We are committed to maintain fiscal responsibility in carrying out our mission. We also hope that a thriving company can provide performance opportunities for local musicians, both professional and avocational.

Ticket sales do not begin to cover our annual expenses. In order to continue to provide excellence in opera programming, we also depend on contributions from friends like you. Your financial support allows us to carry out our mission in Rochester.

For more information about Mercury Opera Rochester and our upcoming performances, our donor opportunities and educational programs, call 585-473-6567 or check our web-site at www.mercuryoperarochester.org. We keep our patrons informed of our activities via mail and 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 DirectorLynn Zicari, Operations Manager

Nellica Rave, Costume Collection Manager

Board of Directors:Craig Larson, President

C. Gavin Strakosh, Vice PresidentWilliam Hearne, Treasurer

Justin Runke, Secretary

Arthur AxelrodAgneta Borgstedt

Sarah Collins Steven DaiglePeter Durant

Gerard FlorianoRon Fondiller

David FriedmanBenton Hess

Kristen Kessler Jack Langerak

Douglas LowryMary McNamara

Mary Menzie

Judith RickerSunny Rosenberg

Friederike SeligmanThomas SmithHelga StrasserGreg WeberAnne Wells

Interns:Stephan Holden-Corbett and Andrew Smith

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, 1600 N. Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY, 14621, and on our website at www.mercuryoperarocester.org.

1600 N. Clinton Ave., Rochester, NY 14621 • 585-473-6567www.mercuryoperarochester.org

Planned Giving & BequestsPlease consider 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 EducationOur future audiences are in the classrooms of local schools. Regularly, 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 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 President of the Guild, Agneta Borgstedt, at 585-334-2323.

Upcoming Mercury Opera Events!Menotti’s

Amahl and the Night Visitors (all performances at 7 PM):

December 19 – St. Mary’s Church in CanandaiguaDecember 20 & 21 – location in Rochester TBA

Tickets: Adults - $15, Children under 13 - $5

Puccini’s

ToscaFriday, Jan. 16, 2009 at 8:00 PM and Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009 at 2:00 PM

Accompanied by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Eastman TheatreTickets: $85, $65, $45, $25, Students - $15

Tickets are available from the RPO Box Office at 108 East Ave, by phone at (585) 454-2100, and online at www.rpo.org.

(Some convenience fees may apply.)

The Mercury Opera Chorus performs a concert version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s

IolantheFriday, Nov. 14, at 8:00 PM and Sunday, Nov. 16, 2009 at 2:00 PM

at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Fairport. Free admission – donations accepted.

Guild ActivitiesLectures at the Fairport Library – call 223-9091 to reserve a seat

Wednesday, October 22, 7 PM – Operatic DuetsWednesday, October 29, 7 PM – Verdi & Shakespeare

Wednesday, November 5, 7 PM – Puccini’s Tosca

Merchandise Available on our Website

Show the world that you love opera and support Mercury Opera Rochester at the same time! A variety of colorful and practical merchandise is available on our website, with beautiful full-color photographs from all of our productions, T-shirts and other clothing, bumper stickers, and notecards. Items are very reasonably priced, and all proceeds go to support our productions and opera education programs.