CIM applauds KeyBank Foundation for being a top corporate donor to the 2008 –2009 Annual Fund! Bravo!

Order the entire

series now! Tickets are $50

each recital. Call 216.791.5000 or

online at cim.edu. Tue., Jan. 26

8:00 p.m. ALISA WEILERSTEIN, cello

Inon Barnatan, piano

Wed., March 24 8:00 p.m.

YEFIM BRONFMAN, piano

JUST ANNOUNCED! Fri., April 9 8:00 p.m.

“An Evening of Jazz” ANDRÉ PREVIN, piano

DAVID FINCK, bass

Hall Mixon Masters Series

The Cleveland Institute of Music

Opera Theater presents

A ROMANTIC OPERA GALA featuring music from

Engelbert Humperdinck’s

HANSEL AND GRETEL

Carl Maria von Weber’s

DER FREISCHÜTZ

Giuseppe Verdi’s

LA TRAVIATA

David Bamberger, Director

Harry Davidson, Conductor

Dave Brooks, Set & Lighting Designer

Alison Garrigan, Costume, Wig & Makeup Designer

Kulas Hall

November 11-14, 2009

8:00 p.m.

The CIM Opera Program is supported in part by a generous grant

from the John P. Murphy Foundation

Director’s Notes :

ROMANTICISM – THEN AND NOW

In the early 19th century, Romanticism was born - and it changed

everything.

Before the early 1800s, it was assumed that emotions in music would be

balanced by aristocratic standards of good taste. With Romanticism,

emotions were permitted to reach new extremes.

During the 1700s, the reigning philosophy of the Enlightenment was

international. The Declaration of Independence spoke to this universal-

ism with the statement that ―all men are created equal.‖ Musical styles

crossed all borders. With Romanticism, many writers and musicians

dedicated themselves to the tales and tunes that were particular to their

own countries.

Before the French Revolution, the natural world was seen as an obstacle

to transportation and migration. Nobles decorated their estates with

magnificent gardens that were exquisitely designed, creating the perfect

order they felt nature had failed to provide. In the Romantic era, Nature

in its pristine state became not only a source of meaning and inspira-

tion—but also a place of dangerous and mysterious beings.

Romantic opera was launched in 1821 with Der Freischütz. A highly

emotional work, it is based on German folklore. The title refers to a

marksman who, through a pact with the devil, obtains a certain number

of bullets which will always hit their target. The contract is made in a

terrifying forest where demons roam.

Seven decades later, Hansel and Gretel still explored similar themes.

The story derives from the Brothers Grimm, who were linguists and

collectors of folklore. (They were not the original authors of the ―fairy

tales‖ which they published.) Again, the story is a traditional German

tale in which the forest is a place where an evil being dwells.

Giuseppe Verdi dealt with many aspects of Romanticism, his operas

often proclaiming themes of nationalism (Nabucco, Macbeth) and the

stormy-filled powers of nature (Rigoletto, Otello). With La traviata,

however, he turned to a Romantic novel, the very personal, semi-

autobiographical account of the affair of Alexandre Dumas the younger

with a courtesan.

Today, we are still living with the changes that Romanticism brought to

us. Public display of emotion is a prime component of talk shows and

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Financial support for the CIM Opera Theater Program in 2009

has been provided by the following:

Phyllis Donnelly-Ingold

Dr. Francis R. Gross and Dr. Jane Sembric

Ok-Sim Nam Kim ( A.D., 1987) and Dr. Chin-Tai Kim

Mr. and Mrs. S. Lee Kohrman

Ronald and Barbara Leirvik

Mrs. Sheldon S. MacLeod

John P. Murphy Foundation

Northern Ohio Opera League

CIM Opera Theater gratefully acknowledges the assistance of:

Terry Martin and Great Lakes Theater Festival

Lisa Kish and Opera Cleveland

Andrew Ferrel and the Cleveland Play House

Aaron Benson and the CSU Theatre Department

The CIM Opera Theater expresses its gratitude to:

All members of the CIM faculty and staff who have made possible

our expansion to two full productions each year.

We realize that many of you have gone above and beyond

your normal duties to make this happen.

Vocal Performance. His roles include Papageno (Die Zauberflöte),

Ben (The Telephone), Paris (Roméo et Juliette), Demetrius (A Mid-

summer Night's Dream), Melchior (Amahl and the Night Visitors)

and Marquis/Jailer (Dialogues of the Carmelites). Mr. Wanich has

been a member of Nashville Opera's Fellowship program and Opera

Cleveland's Short-Term Residency, and has attended the AIMS in

Graz program and the Harrower Summer Opera Workshop.

John Gray Watson (baritone) is completing a Bachelor of Music

degree at CIM where he studies with Clifford Billions. Mr. Watson has

sung in Austria, Italy and Slovakia. He attended the American Institute

of Music Studies in Graz, Austria. In the U.S., he has sung Antonio in

Le nozze di Figaro with the Duke Symphony Orchestra. His roles at

CIM include Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Frank in Die Fledermaus,

Somarone in Béatrice et Bénédict and the Poet in Salieri’s Prima la

musica poi le parole.

Kelsey Wood (mezzo-soprano) is a sophomore from California, study-

ing with Jung Eun Oh. She has performed as Yum-Yum in The Mikado,

the 5th Sprite in Cendrillon, and in the choruses of Suor Angelica, The

Merry Widow, L'enfant et les sortilèges, L'elisir d'amore and Béatrice et

Bénédict. She has been the alto soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasie,

soprano soloist in Schubert’s Mass in G and Britten’s Ceremony of

Carols and the soloist in Mozart’s Laudate Dominum at the Mainzer

Dom Cathedral in Germany. She has won first place in the Intimate

Opera Competition, and her division of the NATS Competition.

Xiaohan Wu (soprano) is in her first year of the Professional Studies

Program at CIM, studying with Clifford Billions. Born into a family of

music teachers, Xiaohan has been performing Chinese folk songs since

the age of four in the cities of the east coast in China. She received a

bachelor’s degree from Shanghai Teacher’s University in 2003 and

master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the University at Buffalo in

2009. Last summer she performed ―Now again‖ by Bernard Rands in

the June in Buffalo Festival, and the title role in Suor Angelica in the

Colorado College Vocal Arts Symposium.

Helen Mattison Wyatt (soprano) is a junior from Flushing, Michigan.

Her roles include the title role in Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience, The

Monitor in Puccini's Suor Angelica, Lily Craven in The Secret Garden,

Maria in West Side Story, and Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music.

She has also performed as the soprano soloist for The Whiting Audito-

rium's Christmas production of Handel's Messiah in Flint, Michigan.

Ms. Wyatt is a student of Mary Schiller.

Attention Patrons: As a courtesy to others, please reduce the volume on hearing aids and other devices that may produce noise that would detract from the performance.

Infrared Assistive Listening Devices are available for performances in Mixon Hall.

―reality TV.‖ Our world is struggling with the conflict between univers-

alism and nationalism. We flock to national parks to be inspired by the

grandeur of nature, even as we are more than ever aware of natural

forces that are far beyond our control.

And many remarkably popular works – the Harry Potter novels, the

Star Wars saga, The Phantom of the Opera – continue to portray the

world as a place filled with strange, demonic forces.

We of CIM Opera Theater hope you will enjoy our presentation of

three of the works which helped enshrine Romanticism as part of

our heritage.

-- DB

A delightful romantic comedy, featuring some of Strauss's most delectable music.

Ariadne auf Naxos “Richard Strauss in his most concise and impish mood”

As always at CIM, a projected translation keeps you in on all of the action.

Tickets: $15 adults, $10 students/seniors/groups of 10 or more Call 216.791.5000 or buy online at cim.edu.

CIM OPERA THEATER FEB. 24 –27

Casts (in order of singing)

HANSEL AND GRETEL (1893)

Music by ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK (1854-1921)

Text by ADELHEID WETTE

English translation by CONSTANCE BACHE, revised by HAMILTON BENZ

Prelude and Act 1

GRETEL Heather Engebretson *

April Martin #

HANSEL Chelsea Coyne *

Elizabeth Marie Tredent #

THE MOTHER Sarah Gardner

Kjira Robinson (Thursday only)

THE FATHER John Gray Watson

The action takes place in the hut which is home to Hansel and Gretel.

(By arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc. publisher and copyright owner.)

~ Intermission ~

DER FREISCHÜTZ (“The Freeshooter”) (1821)

Music by CARL MARIA VON WEBER (1786 - 1826)

Libretto by FRIEDRICH KIND

Act 2, Scene 1

ÄNNCHEN Claire Connelly*

Amanda Stephens#

AGATHE Laura Anne Valles*

Catheryne E. Shuman# MAX Jacob Andricks

Agathe waits for the return of her fiancé Max.

She is very tense, partly because of Max’s recent behavior,

partly because a picture has fallen from the wall and struck her head.

Her cousin, Ännchen, takes things less seriously.

~ Intermission ~

* Wednesday/Friday # Thursday/Saturday Adina (L'elisir d'amore), and sang selections as Fiordiligi (Cosi fan

tutte), Suor Angelica (Suor Angelica) and Nerone (L'incoronazione di

Poppea) with the Italian Operatic Experience program in Urbania, Italy.

Previous full roles include First Touriere (Suor Angelica), and Pernille

(Captain Lovelock). Partial roles include Hermia (A Midsummer's

Night's Dream), Empress Ottavia (L'incoronazione di Poppea),

Gianetta (L'elisir d'amore), Elisetta (Il matrimonio segreto) and

Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro).

Pamela Torrey (mezzo-soprano) is a freshman at CIM studying with

Jung Eun Oh. Her performance credits include Yum-Yum in The Mi-

kado, Constance in The Sorcerer, Tiny Tim in A Gilbert and Sullivan

Christmas Carol, The Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods, Adela in The

House of Bernarda Alba, Gwendolen in The Importance of Being Ear-

nest, The Jester in Once Upon a Mattress, and Sister Robert Anne in

Nunsense. She was a finalist in the Rochester Philharmonic League

Competition and was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Barbara

Staropli Voice Competition at Nazareth College in 2009.

Elizabeth Marie Tredent (mezzo-soprano), a junior studying with

Mary Schiller, is from Ashtabula, Ohio. Ms. Tredent spent her summer

at the Aspen Music Festival where she studied with Vinson Cole. Her

roles include Volpino in Lo speziale and Ursule in Béatrice et

Bénédict. Her scenes include Meg (Falstaff), Dorabella (Così fan tutte),

Charlotte (Werther), Mercedes (Carmen), Gertrude (Louise) and

Augusta (The Ballad of Baby Doe). Recently, she performed in The

Cleveland Orchestra’s production of Le nozze di Figaro. She won

second prize in the 2009 Great Lakes Regional NATS Competition and

first prize in the 2008 Buckeye State NATS Competition.

Laura Anne Valles (soprano) is a second year master’s student, study-

ing with Mary Schiller. While at CIM, Ms.Valles has performed the

title role in Suor Angelica, and in scenes programs has portrayed

Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte. A native Texan, she began performing at the

age of 14. She studied with Jacqueline Barlow-Ware at Capital Univer-

sity, where she obtained a Bachelor of Music Degree. She was heard at

Capital University as Katisha in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, the

First Lady in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and participated in several

master classes.

Mark Wanich (baritone) is an Artist Diploma student at CIM,

studying with Clifford Billions. He is a graduate of CIM

(Professional Studies), Middle Tennessee State University (Master

of Arts) and Georgia Southern University (Bachelor of Music), all in

Shirkey is finishing her senior year in the Bachelor of Music program,

studying with Jung Eun Oh.

Hee Chang Shin (tenor), a native of Korea, is in his second year of the

Artist Diploma at CIM with Clifford Billions. After graduating from

Chugye Arts University in Korea, Mr. Shin studied voice at Peabody

Conservatory as a Graduate Performance Diploma student with Stanley

Cornett. He has performed Alfredo in La traviata, Rodolfo in La

bohème, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Bardolfo in Falstaff, Hoffmann in Les

contes d’Hoffmann and Bènèdict in Bèatrice et Bènèdict. He won the

First Place Award in Korea’s Eumhyup Vocal Competition. In 2005, he

was the Encouragement Award Winner at the Mario Lanza

Competition.

Catheryne E. Shuman (soprano) is completing a master’s degree,

studying with Clifford Billions. She has performed both in Paris, as part

of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, and in Vienna, as a soloist. At

DePauw University, where she received her bachelor’s degree, Ms.

Shuman performed scenes as Countess Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro,

Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Mimi in La bohème and Alice Ford in

Falstaff. At CIM, she performed scenes from both Così fan tutte and Le

nozze di Figaro. Her complete roles include Mama Geno in P.D.Q.

Bach’s The Abduction of Figaro and La Badessa in Suor Angelica.

Kevin Simmons (tenor) is in his second semester at CIM studying with

Clifford Billions. Mr. Simmons’ oratorio performances include solo

roles in The Creation and The Messiah. He has also been cast in

various opera roles, appearing as Leporello in a scene from Don Gio-

vanni, as Monsieur Birdsong in The Impresario, and as Martin in a

scene from The Tender Land. Last year he was cast at CIM as Jaquino

in the opening scene from Fidelio.

Amanda Stephens (soprano) is a second year master’s student and

studies with Mary Schiller. She sang Gilda in Rigoletto and Baby Doe

in The Ballad of Baby Doe for CIM's 2009 spring scenes, and was a

Novice in CIM's spring production of Suor Angelica. She completed a

bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee, studied with Marjorie

Bennett Stephens, and sang Zerlina in Don Giovanni scenes, Second

Spirit in Die Zauberflöte scenes, and chorus in Sweeney Todd, Little

Women and A Little Night Music. She won First Place in the Advanced

Women division of the Tennessee-Kentucky NATS competition.

Anjin Stewart-Funai (soprano) is a second year CIM graduate student

studying with Mary Schiller. This past summer, she covered the role of

LA TRAVIATA (1853)

Music by GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901)

Libretto by FRANCESCO MARIA PIAVE

Act 3 and Act 4

FLORA BERVOIX Lindsey Anderson*

Helen Mattison Wyatt#

MARQUIS D’OBIGNY Troy Bruchwalski*

Joseph Lenehan#

DOCTOR GRENVIL John Gray Watson

ALFREDO GERMONT Hee Chang Shin *

Enrique Bernardo #

VIOLETTA Anjin Stewart-Funai*

Megan Crews#

BARON DOUPHOL Andrew Manea

GASTON Marcel Worrell Miller*

Tyler Houston Oldham#

A SERVANT Raymond James Irwin

GIORGIO GERMONT, Alfredo’s Father Ryan Downey*

Robert Pierce#

ANNINA, Violetta’s Companion Antonia Botti-Lodovico*

Kristen Shirkey#

FRIENDS OF FLORA

Jacob Andricks, Troy Bruchwalski, Marisa Buchheit, Ashley R. Close,

Jilda Farias, Elizabeth Frey, Chelsea Rose Friedlander, Nathaniel Fryml,

Hillary Huebler, Raymond James Irwin, Joseph Lenehan,

Agostina Migoni, Marcel Worrell Miller, Sarah Mossman,

Garrett Rhodes Murphy, Katharine Murphy, Caitlin O’Connor,

Tyler Houston Oldham, Kjira Robinson, Jessika Roy,

Kellie Rumba, Autumn Schultz, Kevin Simmons, Pamela Torrey,

Kelsey Wood, Xiaohan Wu

The action takes place in Paris about 1850 at a party given by the

courtesan Flora Bervoix, and in the bedroom of Violetta.

The courtesan Violetta Valery has left Paris to live an idyllic life

with her lover, Alfredo Germont. His father, however, convinces

her that the affair cannot last, and that she should leave him before

the scandalous relationship is disastrous for his family.

She returns to her former liaison, Baron Douphol, and agrees to

attend a party given by Flora. She does not realize that Alfredo

(and later his father) will also be there.

~ ~ ~

Covers

An announcement will be made if the following replace the listed

singers in their assigned roles: Antonia Botti-Lodovico, Gretel;

Elizabeth Frey, Hansel; Mark Wanich, Father;

Kjirsti Petersen Foutz, Ännchen; Enrique Bernardo, Max;

Ji Eun Park, Violetta; Jilda Farias, Flora.

Opera Theater

Voice Department

Artistic Director. . . David Bamberger

Music Director & Conductor. . . Harry Davidson

Opera Coach & Chorus Master. . . John Simmons

Opera Theater Administrator . . . Chelsea Coyne

Production Manager . . . Sarah Stewart

Mary Schiller, Head

Clifford Billions

Jung Eun Oh

Vinson Cole, Visiting Artist

performed in several productions such as Carmen with Bay Shore Lyric

Opera and Il Trovatore with Opera San Jose in California. Her roles

with the University of the Pacific Conservatory include The Countess in

Le nozze di Figaro, Ottavia in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Cat in Brun-

dibar and Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus. She was a soloist with the

Opera, Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca, Italy, and in the Oregon

Bach Festival Youth Choral Academy.

Jessika Roy (soprano), born in Montreal, Canada, is a freshman study-

ing with Jung Eun Oh. She has been performing since the age of seven.

She was part of Young Singers of the Palm Beaches for four years and

a member of the elite choir in her school. In the summer of 2006, she

performed at the American Celebration of Music for Mozart’s 250th

Anniversary in Austria. Her featured roles in musical theatre include

Lady Thiang in The King and I and Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn in The

Music Man.

Kellie Rumba (soprano) is a first year Master of Music student at CIM,

studying with Mary Schiller. During her undergraduate studies, Ms.

Rumba performed the role of Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Sesto

in Handel’s Julius Caesar in Egypt and Norina in Donizetti’s Don

Pasquale. Ms. Rumba enjoys choral and oratorio repertoire, and has

sung as a soloist in Haydn’s Lord Nelson’s Mass and John Rutter’s

Requiem, as well as in choruses of Verdi’s Requiem and Mendelssohn’s

Elijah. Ms. Rumba also has a BA in Spanish, and is a member of the

Latin American Art Song Alliance.

Autumn Schultz (soprano) is a senior at CIM studying with Jung Eun

Oh. Ms. Schultz spent the past summer in Munich, Germany complet-

ing a German minor, which included a performance of American

musical theater selections for a German audience. In past productions at

CIM, she was chosen to play Ida in Die Fledermaus, Second Spirit in

The Magic Flute and a chorus member in Suor Angelica. Ms. Schultz

spent her senior year of high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy,

where she performed Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro and a witch in

Dido and Aeneas.

Kristen Shirkey (soprano) is a native of Michigan. She attended the

Interlochen Arts Academy in 2005, where she studied with Jeffrey

Norris. She has been in many musicals and opera scenes, including the

CIM fall scenes program as Clorinda in Rossini's La Cenerentola, the

spring scenes program as Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen, and was a mem-

ber of the chorus of Puccini’s Suor Angelica. She completed the 2009

CIM year in the role of Gianetta in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore. Ms.

in Giulio Cesare, Peter in Hansel and Gretel, and Assan and Mr. Kof-

ner in The Consul.

Katharine Murphy (soprano) is a senior Vocal Performance major,

and a student of Jung Eun Oh. After attending the Oberlin Summer

Voice Institute in 2005, she placed third in the Buckeye Chapter of the

NATS competition in fall 2006. At CIM, she performed the role of The

Countess in a scene from Le nozze di Figaro in 2008 and portrayed

Suor Dolcina in CIM’s 2009 production of Suor Angelica. Katharine

has also participated in the choruses for CIM’s productions of Mozart’s

The Magic Flute and Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict.

Caitlin O'Connor (soprano) is a freshman at CIM studying with Mary

Schiller. Ms. O'Connor previously studied with Stephen Totter at the

Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera Academy. She has been seen with the

Pittsburgh CLO in Joseph…Dreamcoat, Evita, The Wizard of Oz, Annie

and The Music Man. Elsewhere, Ms. O'Connor has been featured in 42nd

Street, Grease (Jan) and Joseph…Dreamcoat (Narrator). Most recently,

she was nominated for Best Actress at the Gene Kelly Awards for Excel-

lence in High School Musical Theater, a county-wide awards show

patterned after the Tony Awards, for her role as Dolly in Hello, Dolly!

Tyler Houston Oldham (tenor) is a freshman in the Bachelor of Music

program at CIM, studying with Clifford Billions. His repertoire and

experiences involve a wide spectrum of musical styles including lead

roles in musical theater ranging from Marius in Les Misérables to Jesus

in Godspell. While still in high school, he was invited to perform both

at Carnegie Hall and the 2008 Beijing Olympics Music Festival with

the Nauset Massachusetts Honors Chorus. He was also the first place

winner in the Classical Singer Competition hosted by CIM in 2009.

Robert Pierce (baritone) is a second-year master’s student at CIM study-

ing with Clifford Billions. Last year at CIM, he sang Claudio in Béatrice et

Bénédict and the title role in Haydn’s The Apothecary. He received a

Bachelor of Music from Otterbein College, where he sang Mr. Ford in

Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Husband in Menotti’s Amelia

Goes to the Ball and Frank in Die Fledermaus. He was also a soloist for

performances of the Mozart Coronation Mass and the Fauré Requiem. Mr.

Pierce is currently an Opera Western Reserve Young Artist, performing in

outreach programs throughout northeastern Ohio.

Kjira Robinson (soprano) is earning her Master of Music in Vocal

Performance from CIM studying with Mary Schiller. Ms. Robinson has

CIM Orchestra

VIOLIN I

Lisa Kim, concertmaster

Keelin Davis

Juyong Park

John Heffernan

Emily Nebel

VIOLIN II

Andrea Daigle, principal

Jimin Shin

Erica Tursi

Hyun Shil Kim

VIOLA

Adam Klarfeld, principal

Allison George

Jamie Sachay

VIOLONCELLO

Pei-Shih Yang, principal

Jessica Cho

Timothy Bontje

BASS

Brenton Carter

FLUTE

Maria Haller*

Jeiran Hasan # (piccolo)

OBOE

Sara Scofidio*

Timothy Feil #

CLARINET

Jay Dubin*

Benjamin Chen #

BASSOON

Kevin Pfister*

Anthony Slusser #

HORN

Ian Petruzzi*

Olivia Sedlack #

Erin Schilling*

Zane Biddle

Thomas Park

Amanda Lee

TRUMPET

Mark Fucito*

Daniel Lewis

TROMBONE

Christopher Graham* #

Corbitt Vann

Jonathan Borgetti

TUBA

Americo Lara

TIMPANI

William DeLellis

PERCUSSION

Michael Jarrett

* Humperdinck and von Weber

# Verdi

About the Staff

David Bamberger (Artistic Director) has staged some 200 productions

on three continents in styles from grand opera to musicals. A founder of

Cleveland Opera, he was the company’s General Director from 1976 to

2004, building it into one of America's major regional opera companies.

He secured The Three Tenors in Concert to celebrate its 25th anniver-

sary. At the insistence of Jerome Robbins, Mr. Bamberger staged the

dialogue scenes for West Side Story, thus gaining permission for Cleve-

land Opera to be the only opera company in the Western hemisphere

permitted to re-create Robbins’ original choreography. Mr. Bamber-

ger’s work from coast to coast ranges from The Barber of Seville at Lin-

coln Center (New York City Opera) to The Ballad of Baby Doe (Los

Angeles Music Center), with such stars as Roberta Peters, Beverly Sills

and Sherrill Milnes. For Santiago, Chile, he staged Rigoletto and Lucia

di Lammermoor and, for the Israel Vocal Arts Institute, La Bohème and

La Cenerentola. In 1990, he represented the opera industry before

Production Staff

Set and Lighting Designer . . . Dave Brooks

Costumes, Wig & Makeup Designer . . . Alison Garrigan

Technical Director & Master Electrician . . . Ed Schmieding

Production Manager & Properties Mistress . . . Sarah Stewart

Scenic Artist . . . Terry Tufts

Supertitles . . . Paul & Kathleen Zweifel

Electrician . . . Bob Henninge

Set Construction Carpenters . . . Dan Kargle, Les Wegling,

John Englehart, Michael Sinclair

Wig/Makeup Assistant . . . Krista Tomorowitz

Wardrobe Crew . . . Kathleen Raab, Jan Wolf

Stage Manager . . . Autumn Schultz

Assistant Stage Manager . . . Stephanie Klock

Rehearsal Pianists . . . John Simmons, Alicja Basinska

Properties Mistress . . . Sarah Stewart

she performed in a master class with Danish baritone Boje (Bo)

Skovhus. In June, she performed scenes from Don Pasquale, L'elisir

d'amore, and Francesca da Rimini in Urbania, Italy, where she was

coached by Benton Hess, Bob Cowart, and Hugh Murphy.

Agostina Migoni (soprano) is in her first year of the Bachelor of Music

program CIM, studying with Mary Schiller. She made her solo concert

debut with the Irving Philharmonic Orchestra singing Mimi’s aria,

―Donde lieta uscì,” from La bohème. She appeared as Gretel in

Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, and has also sung in Verdi’s Aida,

Bernstein’s Candide and Bizet’s Carmen in various theatre venues

throughout Dallas. Her jazz combo opened for Diana Ross at the

Meyerson Symphony Center, and her high school choir was privileged

to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Marcel Worrell Miller (tenor) is a native of Washington, D.C., and a

graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Mr. Miller has

performed a number of roles with CIM Opera Theater, including

Gastone in La Traviata (Verdi), Dr. Blind in Die Fledermaus (Strauss),

Basilio and Don Curzio in The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart), Monosta-

tos in The Magic Flute (Mozart), Tarara in Utopia, Limited (Gilbert &

Sullivan), and the Clerk in The Ballad of Baby Doe (Moore). Mr. Miller

is in his last semester of undergraduate studies at CIM, studying with

Clifford Billions.

Sarah Mossman (soprano) is in her first year of the Bachelor of Music

program at CIM, studying with Mary Schiller. Among her many

leading stage roles, Sarah has performed Marian in The Music Man,

Mrs. Meers in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Rapunzel in Into the Woods

and Lucy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. She performed as a

High Holidays Cantor in 2007. In 2008, Sarah received an Honorable

Mention in the National Foundation for Arts Advancement Young Arts

Competition, and in 2009, she won the Cincinnati Overture Award as a

Vocalist.

Garrett Rhodes Murphy (baritone) is from Boston, Massachusetts,

and is in his second year at CIM, studying with Clifford Billions. He

has performed in an array of solo and ensemble settings with organiza-

tions such as Masterworks Chorale, Winsor Music Inc., Cleveland’s

Church of the Covenant and the New England Conservatory. His

conducting experience includes Handel’s Theodora and Messiah,

several Bach cantatas and Mass in B minor, Mozart’s Le nozze di

Figaro, and numerous world premieres. Operatic roles include Achilla

church's children's choir and was a cantor at two local parishes. He has

been involved in productions from Disney to Sondheim playing Willy

Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Albert in Bye, Bye

Birdie and Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd. He has also performed

leading roles in Annie, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz and

Cinderella. This past year he was privileged to sing "Happy Birthday"

to Angela Gheorghiu and appear on "Good Day Sacramento."

Stephanie Klock (soprano) is a freshman in the Bachelor of Music

program at CIM, studying with Jung Eun Oh. She has been performing

since the age of three. Ms. Klock’s musical theatre credits include Polly

in The Boy Friend, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, and the ensemble of

Les Misérables. She attended Illinois Summer Youth Music Workshop

in 2005, Interlochen Arts Camp in 2007 and 2008 where she studied

with Beverley Rinaldi, and Austin Lyric Opera Vocal Workshop in

2009. Ms. Klock received the Outstanding Performer award at the

Texas State Solo and Ensemble Contest in 2009.

Joseph Lenehan (baritone) is a freshman studying under Clifford

Billions. He was a finalist in the high school Classical Singer Competi-

tion at the Cleveland Institute of Music in the spring of 2009. He was a

cast member of the Ohio Light Opera in Wooster, Ohio, during the

summers of 2006, 2007 and 2008, singing in the ensemble of such

works as Oklahoma!, The Desert Song, The Cabaret Girl, Der Vogel-

händler, Bluebeard, Princess Ida, The Queen’s Lace Handkerchief and

The Music Man. Mr. Lenehan is from Mansfield, Ohio.

Andrew G. Manea (baritone) is in his first year of the Bachelor of

Music program at CIM, studying with Clifford Billions. He is from

Troy, Michigan, where he attended Bethany Christian School from

preschool through senior year. He began singing when he was in

seventh grade and began taking private lessons at the age of fifteen. He

won the Michigan Association of Christian School’s male vocal solo

two years in a row, and won second place in the Southfield Madrigal

Chorale scholarship competition. He also played Teddy in a school

production of Arsenic and Old Lace.

April Martin (soprano) is a first-year Master's student of Mary Schiller.

She completed her undergraduate degree at Maryville College where she

performed arias from Giulio Cesare and Die Fledermaus with the Mary-

ville College Orchestra. Ms. Martin attended the American Institute of

Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria, in the summer of 2008 where

Congress, testifying in a successful effort to garner support for the

National Endowment for the Arts. He has served on the Board of Direc-

tors of OPERA America and of the National Alliance for Musical

Theater, of which he was a founder. At home on the non-musical stage,

Mr. Bamberger directed the first major New York production of Sopho-

cles’ classic tragedy Oedipus at Colonus and a national tour of Shake-

speare’s Much Ado About Nothing. His writings include several articles

for Opera News and best-selling textbooks for religious schools. His

two-volume history of the Jews based on Abba Eban’s My People,

banned in the former Soviet Union, is now being used in Russian trans-

lation in both Russia and Israel. Mr. Bamberger’s many honors include

the Ohio Governor’s Award for Arts Administration and honorary

doctorates from Swarthmore College (his alma mater), Cleveland State

University and CIM.

Harry Davidson (Music Director & Conductor) is in his tenth season

as Music Director and Conductor of the Duke Symphony Orchestra and

Professor of the Practice of Music at Duke University. In spring 2007,

he was named Music Director and Conductor of Opera at CIM, where

he appeared for the previous two seasons as a guest conductor. In July

2000, he made his major orchestra conducting debut, leading the

National Symphony Orchestra in concert at the Kennedy Center in

Washington, D.C. Mr. Davidson has guest-conducted orchestras in

Austria, Finland and the U.S., including the Charlotte and Akron

symphonies, and completed a month-long residency at the Oberlin

College Conservatory of Music, where he taught conducting and guest-

conducted the Symphony Orchestra and Oberlin Musical Union in a

performance of Brahms’ Requiem. During the 1998/99 season, he held

the position of Associate Conductor of the Wichita Symphony Orches-

tra and Professor of Music and Director of Orchestras at Wichita State

University. In his capacity as a music director and educator, Mr. David-

son has served as Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orches-

tra and Associate Professor of Music at the University of Akron. He

frequently serves as cover conductor for the North Carolina Symphony,

and he has also served in this role for The Cleveland Orchestra. Mr.

Davidson was a finalist in both the Antal Dorati Conducting Competi-

tion with the Detroit Symphony and the Hans Swarowsky Conducting

Competition in Vienna, Austria.

John Simmons (Opera Coach & Chorus Master) has appeared in

numerous recitals in Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany,

Italy and in the U.S. at Weill Recital Hall and Merkin Hall in New York

City. A student of Yoheved Kaplinsky, he received a Master of Music

degree in piano performance from Peabody Conservatory. He also

holds a diploma in piano performance from the Hochschule für Musik

und Darstellende Kunst in Vienna, Austria, where he studied with Paul

Badura-Skoda. Mr. Simmons has coached, taught and performed at the

American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria, the

Spoleto Festival USA, the Centro Studi Italiani, the Amalfi Coast Festi-

val, the Shaker Mountain Festival and the Lincoln Center Festival. He

was on the coaching faculty at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island

University, was appointed music director of the Elysium Festival in

Bernried, Germany in 2004, and was in residence at Rutgers University

as guest professor of collaborative piano for 2004-2005. Mr. Simmons

was music director and pianist for New York Opera Project’s produc-

tion of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa in spring 2004. He has collaborated in

recital with tenor John Aler, and has performed with the London Sym-

phony Chorus, the Westminster Choir, the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago

and was featured as a soloist with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra. He

was on the coaching faculty of Juilliard Opera Center and worked with

tenors John Aler and Jonas Kaufmann.

Dave Brooks (Set Designer & Lighting Designer) recently celebrated

25 years as a set and lighting designer in the Cleveland area. Eight of

those years were spent at CIM as designer/technical director for the

Opera Theater. A list of his favorite CIM productions includes Hansel

and Gretel, The Rake’s Progress, The Medium and Die Zauberflöte.

Mr. Brooks is a Project Manager for EventWorks, Inc., a company that

produces corporate theater and special events nationwide. A recent

highlight among these events was the Presidential Debate held Septem-

ber 2008 at the University of Mississippi.

Ed Schmieding (Technical Director) has been working in technical

theater and opera since the early 1990s. Mr. Schmieding has been the

master electrician and or lighting assistant for The Great Lakes Theater

Festival, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Cleveland Opera, CIM Opera Theater,

Sesame Street Live and Vincent Lighting Systems. Some scenic construc-

tion credits include CIM operas, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, We

Gotta Bingo and Respect, the Musical. He and his wife Terri are owners of

Griffin Decorative Painting Studio, Inc. They provide commercial/

residential specialty painting and theatrical scenic construction.

Alison Garrigan has designed and acted for professional theater in this

area for many years. Here at CIM, she recently designed costumes,

wigs and hair for Die Fledermaus, "DO Make a Scene" (with Molly

Taylor) and Béatrice et Bénédict. Other production designs include The

Chelsea Rose Friedlander (soprano) is a senior pursuing a bachelor’s

degree in Vocal Performance. At CIM, she sang the role of Cherubino

in Le nozze di Figaro (Act II). In 2008, Ms. Friedlander sang Sophie in

Werther in "All the World's a Musical Stage." Last spring, Ms. Fried-

lander sang Marie from La fille du Régiment in "Great Scenes from the

World of Opera." She has won first in three consecutive NATS compe-

titions. This past summer, Chelsea was in Operaworks’ Advanced Artist

Program in California. Ms. Friedlander studies with Mary Schiller.

Nathan Fryml (bass) hails from Greenville, South Carolina, where he

received a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and Music

Theory/Composition from Furman University. He began studying piano

at the age of 8 and writing music shortly thereafter. His compositions to

date reflect an eclectic style both in their instrumentation and subject

matter. Mr. Fryml is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Piano

Performance at CIM and is a student of Emanuela Friscioni. He is a

member of the music honor society Pi Kappa Lambda and the Music

Teacher’s National Association.

Sarah Gardner (soprano) in the title role of Suor Angelica was noted

for her ―sunlit soprano and poignant phrasing‖ by the Cleveland Plain

Dealer. Ms. Gardner hails from Berwick, Pennsylvania and is in the

Professional Studies program at CIM studying with Mary Schiller. Her

opera credits include 1st Lady (Die Zauberflöte) and Lady Billows

(Albert Herring). Ms. Gardner recently took 1st place in the Ohio

NATS competition, where she also won the Richard Miller

Award. Other awards include 1st prize in the Akron Symphony

Orchestra Chorus Competition and 2nd place in the Great Lakes

Regional NATS competition.

Hillary Huebler (soprano) is a freshman at CIM, studying with Mary

Schiller. She has performed with the Saginaw Bay Symphony and Bijou

Orchestra. In 2007, she attended Interlochen Fine Arts Camp on a full

scholarship. She has been in many theatrical productions, notably The

Empress in Obama, which was written and produced by the Detroit

Theatre for the Dramatic Arts and performed at the Kennedy Center

during inauguration week. Her operatic roles include Monica in The

Medium. She placed first in her division at the 2009 Regional NATS

competition and was awarded the Most Promising High School Singer

Award.

Raymond James Irwin (baritone) is a freshman at CIM studying with

Clifford Billions. Before coming to Cleveland, Raymond directed his

Downey spent the last two summers in Rome with Operafestival di

Roma performing scenes and roles including Priest 2 and Man of

Armor in Die Zauberflöte and Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro.

Heather Engebretson (soprano) is a senior studying with Mary

Schiller and is also pursuing a minor in music theory. Former teachers

include Sandra Walker and Robert Lipsett. Ms. Engebretson’s roles

include the Queen of the Night and Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Gril-

letta (Lo Speziale) and Héro (cover; Béatrice et Bénédict). As a 2009

Crested Butte Music Festival Young Artist, Ms. Engebretson performed

the role of Barbarina (Le nozze di Figaro) under the baton of Covent

Garden’s David Syrus. Ms. Engebretson soloed with the Interlochen

Intermediate, Tuscaloosa, Muscle Shoals and Huxford Symphony

Orchestras, and was a 2006 Davidson Fellow Laureate in Music.

Jilda Farias (soprano) is pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree at CIM

where she is studying with Mary Schiller. Ms. Farias is an alumna of

Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied with Ron Gentry and

appeared as Mimi in Act II of La bohème and The Mother in a

condensed version of Hansel and Gretel. During her time at CIM she

has had performance opportunities such as the role of the Nursing Sister

in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, and the title role in a scene from Gilbert &

Sullivan’s Patience.

Kjirsti Petersen Foutz (soprano) was, at age sixteen, the youngest

member of Utah Festival Opera Company’s young artist program and

soloed with the Mid-Columbia Symphony. She performed lead roles in

ballets such as Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella. While attending the

Oberlin Conservatory she performed scenes from Il barbiere di Seviglia

(Rosina), Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Blonde), L’Egisto (Amore)

and Too Many Sopranos (Just Jeanette). Her European debut was in

Urbania, Italy, where she sang the title role in La bella dormente nel

bosco. Ms. Foutz is a second- year master’s student, studying with Clif-

ford Billions.

Elizabeth Frey (mezzo-soprano) is a junior at CIM, studying with

Mary Schiller. She transferred from the University of California-Davis

where she was heard in the leading role of The Mother in Amahl and

the Night Visitors. For the past three years, she was a member of the

UC Davis University Chorus, where she performed in Carmen with the

San Francisco Adler Fellows. She received the Wildflower Scholarship

for Voice and the UC Davis Vocal Recognition award in 2009. Ms.

Frey has also appeared in several musical theater performances includ-

ing the role of Rizzo in Grease.

About the Cast

Lindsey Anderson (mezzo-soprano) is a Professional Studies student

studying with Mary Schiller. At CIM, Ms. Anderson has performed the

roles of La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica), Ursule (Béatrice et

Bénédict), and Dritte Dame (Die Zauberflöte), as well as portions of

Augusta (The Ballad of Baby Doe), Maddalena (Rigoletto), Nicklausse

(Les contes d’Hoffmann), and Carmen. Ms. Anderson attended the Bay

Area Summer Opera Theatre Institute in San Francisco. There she sang

Zita in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and performed in several scenes from

Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia and Bizet’s Carmen. She is a Young

Artist with Northeast Ohio’s Opera Western Reserve.

Jacob Andricks (tenor) is from Bryan, Ohio. He received his Bachelor

of Arts degree (Applied Voice/Church Music) from Indiana Wesleyan

University in 2009. He competed in the Indiana chapter of the National

Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) classical singing competi-

tion from 2005-2009, receiving third place in his second and fourth

years. While on the opera stage at IWU, Mr. Andricks performed as

Harold the Herald in Meanwhile, Back at Cinderella’s and as Tamino in

Die Zauberflöte. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music degree in

Vocal Performance at CIM, studying with Clifford Billions.

Rocky Horror Show, Our Town, Nickel and Dimed, Uncle Tom's Cabin

and Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Cleveland Public Theatre; Jekyll &

Hyde, Anne Frank, Urinetown, Aida (co-designer), Miss Saigon and

The Seagull at the Beck Center; Othello, Santaland Diaries, Sin, Lysis-

trata and Hamlet for the Bad Epitaph Theater; Hot Mikado and Carmen

Jones for Great Lakes Theater Festival/All City.

Sarah Stewart (Production Manager) joined the CIM Opera Staff last

year after completing four seasons with Playhouse Square Center,

where she served as Line Producer and Production Stage Manager for

seven long-running shows in the Hanna Theatre (including Love, Janis

and Forbidden Broadway). Previously, she completed a 20-year tenure

at Cleveland Opera as Director of Production and Artistic Administra-

tor, while also serving as a member of Opera America's Production/

Technical Committee for eight years. Other local credits include work

at The Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theater Festival and Cain

Park, where she stage managed for their 50th anniversary production of

Follies. Ms. Stewart has been proud to be a member of Actor's Equity

for 25 years.

Enrique Bernardo (tenor) was born in 1980 in Peru. During the sum-

mer of 2009, he performed the role of Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore)

with Undercroft Opera as well as the tenor solo for La Misa Criolla by

Ariel Ramirez. He will be performing with Undercroft Opera next sum-

mer in the role of Alfredo in La Traviata. He has performed the roles of

Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Don Basilio/Don Curzio (Le Nozze di

Figaro), as well as cover Haroun (Djamileh) for Opera Theatre of Pitts-

burgh and Duquesne Opera Workshop. He has also worked as a repeti-

tiour for Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh.

Antonia Botti-Lodovico (soprano) is a senior studying with Mary

Schiller. Her past credits with the CIM Opera Theater include the

Nursing Sister in Suor Angelica, Third Spirit in Die Zauberflöte, Ida in

Die Fledermaus and Chorus in Béatrice et Bénédict. Her scene credits

at CIM include Giannetta in L'elisir d'amore, Marguerite in Louise and

Un Esprit in Cendrillon. Ms. Botti-Lodovico has also performed scenes

from Hansel and Gretel (Gretel), Le nozze di Figaro (Susanna) and The

Fairy Queen (First Fairy) with the Crittenden Opera Workshop. She is

from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Troy Bruchwalski (baritone) is a sophomore undergraduate studying

with Clifford Billions. Mr. Bruchwalski has a diverse and interesting

background in music, including leading roles in Fiddler on the Roof;

Bye, Bye Birdie and Thoroughly Modern Millie. In 2008, he won Clas-

sical Singer magazine’s regional competition at CIM, moving on to

compete in the national convention in New York City. In 2009, Mr.

Bruchwalski placed Second in the Buckeye State NATS competition. In

his first year at CIM, Troy performed in the chorus of Béatrice et

Bénédict and also portrayed Phantis in a scene from Gilbert and Sulli-

van’s Utopia, Limited.

Marisa Buchheit (soprano) is a junior studying with Jung Eun Oh. Her

experience on the opera stage includes Lay Sister II in Suor Angelica,

Carolina in Il Matrimonio Segreto, and Slave #3 and chorus in Die

Zauberflöte. With a background in musical theater, she has portrayed

Julie in Carousel, Mary Sunshine in Chicago, Liesl in The Sound of

Music and Maria in West Side Story. Ms. Buchheit spent the past two

summers performing in international music festivals, including the Op-

era Theater & Music Festival of Lucca, Italy and AIMS in Graz, Aus-

tria. She is a native of Chicago.

Ashley R. Close (soprano) is a graduate student studying with Jung

Eun Oh. She graduated summa cum laude in May 2009 from the Crane

School of Music SUNY Potsdam where she received her Bachelor of

Music degree. At Crane, she played the lead role of Kate in the world

premiere of scenes from The Highwayman. She has performed in mas-

ter classes with Stephanie Blythe and Melody Racine. Ms. Close also

worked with Stephanie Blythe in the world premiere of the opera The

Sailor Boy and the Falcon performed at SUNY Potsdam where Ms.

Close was the cover for the Falcon.

Claire Connelly (soprano) is a second year master’s student studying

with Mary Schiller. She began her opera career with the Tulsa Opera

performing as The Grasshopper in Janáček’s The Cunning Little

Vixen. While completing her undergraduate degree at the University of

Oklahoma, Ms. Connelly performed leading roles with Cimarron Cir-

cuit Opera Company as well as with the University of Oklahoma Opera

Theatre. Most recently she sang with Light Opera Oklahoma. Her roles

include Gianetta in The Gondoliers, Mrs. Nordstrom in A Little Night

Music, Me in The Owl, the Tree, and Me and Pauline in The Toy Shop.

Chelsea Coyne (mezzo-soprano), a native of Fort Worth, Texas, is an

Artist Diploma student of Mary Schiller. She holds a Master of Music

degree from CIM and a Bachelor of Music degree from Texas Christian

University. Ms. Coyne’s roles include Béatrice (Béatrice et Bénédict),

Carmen (La Tragédie de Carmen), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Volpino

(Lo Speziale), Third Lady (Die Zauberflöte), Pamina (The Cypress

Grove) and Rosine (Signor Deluso). Ms. Coyne won first place prizes

at the 2008 NATS Buckeye Chapter Vocal Competition and the FSOM

Vocal Competition in Salzburg, Austria. She is also an active recitalist

in Ohio and Texas.

Megan Crews (soprano) is a native of Oklahoma and is pursuing a

Professional Studies certificate at CIM, studying with Mary

Schiller. She received a Bachelor of Music at Southeastern Oklahoma

State University under the tutelage of Betty Wintle. She has appeared as

Suor Genevieve in Suor Angelica, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, The

Princess in The Goose Girl, Little Red Riding Hood, The Dew Fairy in

Hänsel und Gretel and Pamina in The Magic Flute.

Ryan Downey (baritone) is beginning his master’s degree at CIM with

Clifford Billions. Mr. Downey recently graduated from Arizona State

University with a bachelor’s in Voice Performance. During his years at

ASU, Ryan sang the bass solos in Fauré’s Requiem and Handel’s Mes-

siah. He performed with the Lyric Opera Theater at ASU in Dido and

Aeneas, Don Pasquale and played Betto in Gianni Schicchi. Mr.