Download the story/show - Palm Beach State College

Study Guide
Young Artists of the Palm Beach Opera
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at 10:15 AM
Show lasts one hour…geared for Grades 5-12
presented at
Eissey Campus Theatre
Palm Beach State College
11051 Campus Drive, Palm Beach Gardens
561-207-5900
THE STORY/SHOW:
Opera – a story told in words set to music
Palm Beach Opera’s Young Artists will sing arias and ensembles from favorite
operas such as The Barber of Seville, The Tales of Hoffmann, and La Traviata
and discuss elements of opera with students.
THEMES AND IDEAS (Concepts Explored): Love and Loss, loyalty, forgiveness,
betrayal, honor, friendship and roles in society
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THE COMPANY/ARTISTS:
8 singers (2 sopranos, 2 mezzo, 2 tenor, 1 baritone, 1 bass)
The Palm Beach Opera Young Artist Program (YAP) targets skills necessary to
develop a successful career as an opera performer and helps further the
young career of a few select artists. The ideal candidate for this program is an
emerging professional artist who is at the crossroads of having participated in
previous YAPs or summer apprenticeships and is just at the precipice of
beginning a fully-professional career. Women should be between the ages of
20 and 30. Men should be between the ages of 20 and 35. Beginning in the
2012-2013 season Palm Beach Opera increased the career building aspects of
the Young Artists Program by increasing the number of performance
opportunities of each Young Artist.
3-4 singers will participate in the school show program.
BRIDGETTE GAN – SOPRANO
Bridgette Gan is thrilled to be a Young Artist with Palm Beach Opera this season. Bridgette has
received top awards from The Giulio Gari Foundation, Gerda Lissner Foundation, Central City
Opera, the Licia Albanese-Pucinni Competion, Opera Index Vocal Competition, the
Philadelphia Orchestra Albert M. Greenfield Competition and the National Opera Association Voice
Competition, among others. Bridgette just recently sang and covered Musetta at Ash Lawn Opera and made
her role debut as the Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Pacific Opera Project. She was a Gerdine Young
Artist at Opera Theatre Saint Louis in 2012 where she covered Frasquita in Carmen, performed in Sweeney
Todd and the American premiere of Alice in Wonderland.. Bridgette was an apprentice artist with Central City
Opera in 2010 and 2011 where she performed Frasquita in Carmen, Celie in Signor Deluso, and
Venus/Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld. Ms. Gan completed her Masters in Opera Performance from the
Maryland Opera Studio where she portrayed Konstanze in Entführung aus dem Serail and Florencia in
Florencia en el Amazonas.
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CLAIRE KUTTLER – SOPRANO
Soprano, Claire Kuttler most recently performed Female Chorus in Britten’s The Rape of
Lucretia. Opera News wrote of her portrayal, “She released a glistening torrent of sound,
railing against injustice with passion, rage and resignation.” In recent seasons, the singing
actress has been seen as Mimí in La Bohème at Central City Opera, Fargo Moorhead Opera, and Bel Cantanti
Opera. Other credits include Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with Mannes Opera, The Wife in Le Pauvre Matelot
with Pocket Opera of New York, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte at the Maryland Opera Studio, and Micaela in
Carmen at the Crested Butte Music Festival. An enthusiastic performer of American works, Claire originated
the role of Elaine O’Neill in John Musto’s Later the Same Evening and sang Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of
1915″ with the Mannes Orchestra as a winner of the conservatory’s concerto competition. She has also had
the honor to sing for former President George W. Bush and for President Barack Obama while living in
Washington D.C.
RACHEL ARKY – MEZZO SOPRANO
Mezzo-soprano Rachel Arky, whose “expressive phrasing and fine sound” are coupled with an
“endearing” and “convincing” stage presence, was recently seen as Maddalena
(Rigoletto/Natchez Festival of Music), Lola (Cavalleria rusticana/New Jersey Verismo Opera),
Paula (scenes/Florencia en el Amazonas/Chautauqua Opera), Zellah (cover/The Mark of Cain/Chelsea Opera),
and Der Trommler (cover/Der Kaiser von Atlantis/Opera Moderne). Ms. Arky’s assignments during the 2014
season at Palm Beach Opera include Berta (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Giulietta (cover/Les contes d’Hoffmann) and
Lady in Waiting (Macbeth). This past year, the New York-born mezzo-soprano was a finalist in a number of
prestigious competitions, including the Marcello Giordani Foundation Voice Competition (for which she also
won an Encouragement Prize), the Mario Lanza Institute Scholarship Competition, the New Jersey Verismo
Opera Competition, and the Arkadi Foundation Opera Idol Competition. Prior to 2012, Ms. Arky won Third
Place in the Liederkranz Voice Competition (Art Song Division), was a Semi-Finalist in the Opera Columbus
Irma M. Cooper Competition, and received an Encouragement Grant from Career Bridges. Rachel completed
her M.M. at Manhattan School of Music and her undergraduate studies at Barnard College, Columbia
University, where she graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She currently based out of New York
City and is represented by Wade Artist Management. www.rachelarky.com/
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JOANA RUSCHE – MEZZO SOPRANO
Praised by Opera News as being “notably sweet-voiced,” Ms. Rusche has performed in operas,
concerts and recitals around the world, including Italy, Austria, the United Kingdom and the
United States. Ms. Rusche recently made her debut with Opera North in the title role in La
Cenerentola, where she was hailed as “an effervescent Cinderella” and was praised for managing “Rossini’s
florid lines with flair and warmth.” Ms. Rusche also performed the role of Inez in Opera New Jersey’s
production of Il Trovatore as part of the Victoria J. Mastrobuono Emerging Artist Program. She was
highlighted as one of the more “powerful voices” and “convincing characterizations” on the stage. Previous
roles include Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, L’Enfant in L’Enfant et les Sortileges, the Mother in Amahl and the
Night Visitors and Fidalma in Il Matrimonio Segreto. Ms. Rusche is a recent winner of the Heafner Williams
Vocal Competition, the Charlotte Opera Guild Auditions, the state and national levels of the National
Federation of Music Clubs Student Auditions, and the Long Leaf Opera National Vocal Competition.
www.joanarusche.com/
JOSEPH DENNIS – TENOR
Joseph Dennis, lyric tenor, was born in Sacramento California to a family that loved music. He
moved to McKinney Texas when he was 13 and attended McKinney High School there. After
graduation, he attended Collin College in Dallas for a short stint as a theatre major performing
in diverse musical roles such as the Balladeer from Sondheim’s ASSASSINS and Rick from the Bat Boy the
Musical and received a nomination for best actor in a musical. Shortly after, he left school to travel, work and
teach. During this time, his twin brother Joshua Dennis began studying opera with Maestro Bruce Fowler at
Stephen F Austin State University. Upon return from his missionary service, he took a voice lesson from
Maestro Fowler and fell in love with performing again. At the University, he has performed in the roles of
Elder Gleaton from Susannah, Alfred from Die Fledermaus, King Kaspar from Amahl and the Night Visitors, as
well as Gastone from La Traviata. Joseph has been a participant in the NATS regional competition and has
won first place in the Senior division, first place in the Graduate division, and has been the recipient of the
Grady Harlan “2011 Most Professional Voice” award. Joseph was also a winner of the 2012 San Antonio
Tuesday Music Club Competition. Joseph attended W. Steve Smith’s training program at Northwestern in
Chicago. Joseph has also performed in the roles of Pylade in Gluck’s Iphigenie en Tauride, Fenton in Verdi’s
Falstaff, and was the tenor soloist in Beethoven’s 9th symphony. He also sang in Dubois 7 Last Words of
Christ along side renowned Soprano Leona Mitchell and accomplished Bass David Robinson. He is currently
engaged in singing for the Apprentice Singer Program at the Santa Fe Opera in the role of Giuseppe in La
Traviata and covering the role of Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro.
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NICHOLAS NESTORAK – TENOR
Nicholas Nestorak has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hillsdale College and a Master of Music
Degree from the University of Michigan where he was a student of Melissa Borg Osmond and
of George Shirley. Nestorak performed the role of Don Ottavio in the University of Michigan’s
Fall 2012 main stage production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and the role of Tanzmeister in the Winter 2013
production of Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos. Nestorak has also performed internationally, where in 2012 he sang
the role of Tamino in the Lyric Opera Studio of Weimar’s production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in Weimar,
Germany. In November of 2012, Nestorak competed in the Great Lakes Region of the Metropolitan Opera
National Council Auditions and received an Encouragement Award. Most recently, Nestorak participated as a
Marcello Giordani Young Artist with the 2013 Crested Butte Music festival, where he sang the Ufficiale and
covered Count Almaviva in their production of Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Seviglia, and was awarded the Rosalind
Jackson Memorial Award for Excellence.
TOBIAS GREENHALGH – BARITONE
Baritone Tobias Greenhalgh is a versatile singer on the rise, whom Opera News recently
claimed was “so clearly headed for success”. Most recent credits include 1st place in the
Liederkranz Opera Competition, “Dr. Malatesta” (Don Pasquale) and ”Ferryman” (Curlew
River) with Juilliard Opera, and “Samuel” (Pirates of Penzance) with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, in which the
Wall Street Journal praised him for his “scene-stealing” portrayal. This season, Tobias will be performing the
role of “Leo Stein” in Ricky Ian Gordon’s new opera “27″ with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, an opera gala in Alice
Tully Hall, The St. Matthew Passion in Chicago, and a solo recital at Caramoor. Tobias has been recognized for
his vocal capabilities in various competitions, including the Grand prize in The Metropolitan International
Music Festival Competition, 1st place in the Mario Lanza Competition, 2nd place in The NY Oratorio Society
Competition. Tobias is a recent graduate of The Juilliard School, where he earned both his Bachelors and
Masters degrees in Vocal Performance. Tobias is the co-creator of “Operation Superpower”, a superhero
opera for kids, which was recently featured on a PBS Newshour special on entrepreneurship in the classical
arts. Tobias frequently performs with the New York Festival of Song. Tobias studies under Dr. Robert C.
White.
PETER TOMASZEWSKI – BASS-BARITONE
“Peter Tomaszewski…puts his warm, hefty bass-baritone to telling use…shaping phrases with
stylish flair and extracting something colorful out of nearly every syllable of text.”- Tim Smith
(Baltimore Sun). Peter served as a Young Artist with Palm Beach Opera last season (2013);
playing the first Nazarene in Salome, Doctor Grenvil in La Traviata and Herman Broder in a version of Ben
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Moore’s new opera, Enemies: a Love Story. He returns this season to play the Physician in Macbeth, Basilio in
the family show of The Barber of Seville, as well as Luther and Crespel in The Tales of Hoffmann. Other stage
roles include: Nick Shadow in The Peabody Conservatory’s The Rake’s Progress, Gregorio in Annapolis Opera’s
Romeo and Juliet, and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte with Maryland Concert Opera. Tomaszewski hails from the
rural outskirts of Bellingham, Washington and attended The Peabody Conservatory in Maryland where he
studied with the celebrated English bass baritone, John Shirley-Quirk. There he earned a Masters of Music in
Vocal Performance and the selective Opera Graduate Performance Degree. www.petertomaszewski.com
3 – 4 singers from the Young Artists program will perform for the school
show.
PRE-PERFORMANCE DISCUSSIONS:
1. Prior to attending the performance, students should discuss audience
etiquette. Common etiquette rules include:
a. Respect for performers
b. No food, drinks, or gum in the theatre
c. No talking, no cell phones and no cameras in the theatre
d. Clapping should be polite and appropriate
2. Through discussion or written response, reflect on the following:
a. What are some plays or live theatre productions you have seen?
b. Have you seen an opera before?
c. How is a story told through music?
d. What is an opera? How it is different from other musical forms
(classical, musical theatre, jazz, country, etc.)
e. Compare and Contrast: How is telling a story through music the
same / different from a play with spoken word? A movie in a theatre?
A television show at home? A book? Which do you prefer? Why?
f. Explore themes that are commonly found in operas (love, hate,
betrayal, discovery, friendships, loyalty, honor etc.)
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3. Define and discuss vocabulary used in opera.
a. Leitmotif - thematic passage of music: a musical theme that
recurs in the course of a work to evoke a particular character
or situation.
b. Orchestra - a large group of musicians playing classical music,
consisting of sections of string, woodwind, brass, and
percussion players, and directed by a conductor
c. Vocal Ranges
1. Tenor – high male
2. Baritone – mid-range male
3. Bass – low male
4. Soprano – high female
5. Mezzo-Soprano – mid-range female
6. Contralto – low female
d. Composer - somebody who composes: a creator of something,
especially of music
e. Librettist - author of opera's words: a writer of the words for a
dramatic musical work such as an opera or musical
f. Musical score - a written form of a musical composition; parts
for different instruments appear on separate staves on large
pages
g. Aria - opera song: a melody sung solo or as a duet in an opera,
oratorio, or cantata
h. Recitative - singing like speech: a style of singing that is close
to the rhythm of natural speech, used in opera for dialogue and
narration
4. Compare stories told through spoken word vs. stories told through
music. How are they the same? How are they different? What emotions
do they evoke?
5. Introduce class to DVD or audio of arias or recitatives from classic
operas to familiarize them with what they will be seeing and hearing in
the theatre.
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES:
1. Have the students write their own one act story and set it to music.
2. Choose a scene from a popular opera and have students perform the
scene using costumes, props, backdrops, etc. Assign students roles
including singers, director, set designer, props mistress, costume head,
etc.
3. Discuss the roles of the composer and librettist and pair students to
compose a song.
4. Introduce a classic opera scene and ask students to reset it in a different
time period.
5. Have students choose a character from an opera and write their back
story. How did the character get to this point in which we meet them?
What is their family situation? Who are their friends? How does their
story continue once the opera is over?
6. Discuss other styles of music. Have the students choose one aria and
orchestrate the song in a different style such as jazz, musical theatre,
classical, country, rock, etc.
POST PERFORMANCE DISCUSSIONS:
1. Have a dialogue about the performance. What did the students like
about the program? What didn’t they like about it? What surprised
them?
2. Discuss the interplay of voice and orchestra. How did the instrumental
music tell the story without the use of voice?
3. Discuss the historical background of the story and how it was achieved
on stage (costumes, sets, props, etc.).
CORE CURRICULUM:
NGSSS.MU.5.C.1.1,1.2,2.2.1,2.2,3.1
NGSSS.MU.68.C.1.1,1.2,1.3,1.4,3.1
NGSSS.MU.68.F.3.1
NGSSS.MU.68.H.1.1,1.4,1.5,3.1
NGSSS.MU.912.C.1.1,1.2,1.3,1.4,2.2,3.1
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INTERACTIVE LINKS:
Use these links in the classroom to explore opera further with your students;
More comprehensive definitions and examples of opera
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera
Bringing opera to the public in a “flash mob”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zmwRitYO3w
Opera America’s learning center which provides educational resources about
opera
http://www.operaamerica.org/content/education/learningCenter/index2.as
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INTERNET LINKS:
To learn more about opera, visit these links;
A general site for opera information www.operaamerica.org
San Diego Opera’s glossary of operas www.operapaedia.org
Palm Beach Opera www.pbopera.org
Metropolitan Opera Guild www.operaed.org
Washington Opera http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org
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