Download prominent san francisco opera debuts scheduled for the 2016–17

PROMINENT SAN FRANCISCO OPERA DEBUTS
SCHEDULED FOR THE 2016–17 SEASON
ANDREA CHÉNIER
YONGHOON LEE
(South Korea)
Andrea Chénier
South Korean tenor Yonghoon Lee makes his San Francisco Opera debut in the title role of
Andrea Chénier. Lee studied at the Seoul National University and at Mannes College, The New
School for Music, New York. After performing widely in South Korea, he made his international
debut in 2007 in the title role of Don Carlo at the Teatro Municipal in Santiago. His repertory
includes Rodolfo (La Bohème), Don José (Carmen), Turiddu (Cavalleria Rusticana), Calaf
(Turandot), and Manrico (Il Trovatore), which he has performed for such opera houses as the
Metropolitan Opera; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; La Scala; Deutsche Oper Berlin; and
the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Lee’s numerous awards include first prize at the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation
International Vocal Competition.
ANNA PIROSI
(Italy)
Maddalena di Coigny
Since her triumphant debut at the 2013 Salzburg Festival, Anna Pirozzi is one of the leading
sopranos of the Italian dramatic repertory and is making her San Francisco Opera debut in the
role of Maddalena di Coigny in Andrea Chénier. Her recent schedule has included Tosca in
Turin, Astana, Leipzig, and Berlin (Deutsche Oper); Abigaille (Nabucco) in Florence, Sanxay,
Leipzig, Valencia, and Verona; her debut at the Teatro San Carlo of Naples in Cavalleria
Rusticana; Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci in Macerara as well as collaborations with
Maestro Riccardo Muti on her acclaimed Salzburg Abigaille and role debut of Elvira in Ernani at
Rome Opera in December 2013.
Recent engagements led the Italian soprano to Turin (Aida), Bilbao (Elisabetta in Roberto
Devereux), Rome (Tosca), Piacenza (Nabucco and Macbeth), Leipzig (Nabucco), Las Palmas
(Nabucco), and Naples (Adriana Lecouvreur). In February 2016, Anna Pirozzi makes her debut
at La Scala in the role of Lucrezia Contarini in I Due Foscari alongside Plácido Domingo and
conducted by Michele Mariotti, while in July 2016 she will debut at the Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden as Leonora in Il Trovatore.
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GEORGE GAGNIDZE
(Tbilisi, Georgia)
Carlo Gérard
Georgian baritone George Gagnidze makes his San Francisco Opera debut in the role of Carlo
Gérard in Andrea Chénier. Trained at the State Conservatory in his native Georgia, Gagnidze
debuted as Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera in 1996 at the Paliashvili State Opera. Guest
performances followed at Deutsche Oper Berlin, La Scala, the Vienna State Opera, the Teatro
Real in Madrid, the Verdi Festival in Parma, the Teatro Felice in Genoa, the Paris Opéra Bastille,
as well as several performances at the Metropolitan Opera. He has also toured China, Japan, and
South Korea.
His celebrated debut in the title role of Rigoletto at the Festival in Aix-en-Provence in 2013
under the direction of Robert Carsen, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda, strengthened his
reputation as an outstanding singer-actor. His acclaimed performance of Scarpia in Tosca at the
Met was screened in cinemas worldwide and published on DVD. In the 2015–16
season, Gagnidze returns to the Met to perform Scarpia in Tosca and Tonio in Pagliacci.
J’NAI BRIDGES
(Lakewood, Washington)
Bersi
Making her San Francisco Opera debut as Bersi in Andrea Chénier, American mezzo-soprano
J’nai Bridges recently completed a three-year residency with the distinguished Patrick G. and
Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Highlights of her tenure at the Lyric
include Inez in Il Trovatore under the baton of Asher Fisch, Vlasta in Mieczysław Weinberg’s
The Passenger (conducted by Sir Andrew Davis), Flora in La Traviata, and Rosina in Il Barbiere
di Siviglia.
In the 2015–16 season, Bridges returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago to sing the role of Carmen in
the world premiere of Bel Canto, an opera by Jimmy Lopez, based on the novel by Ann Patchett.
Bridges has also performed Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with San Diego Opera, the mezzosoprano solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic
and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra in Berkeley, the mezzo-soprano solo in Mahler’s
Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” with the Lexington Philharmonic, and Ravel’s Shéhérezade
with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the NDR Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg.
Highlights of recent seasons include performances of Ravel’s Chansons Medécasses with Yo-Yo
Ma and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; the title role of Carmen with Finger
Lakes Opera; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Santa Fe Symphony, the Oregon
Symphony, and also in Caracas, Venezuela under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. She has also
performed Suzuki with Wolf Trap Opera and Adalgisa in Norma with Knoxville Opera.
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DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER
PUREUM JO
(Seoul, South Korea)
Dai Yu
Soprano Pureum Jo is making her San Francisco Opera debut as Dai Yu in Dream of the Red
Chamber. A Houston Grand Opera Studio Artist and a graduate of The Juilliard School, where
she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Jo has appeared as Matsukaze in Toshio
Hosokawa’s Matsukaze (Spoleto Festival USA, Lincoln Center Festival), Blanche in Dialogues
des Carmélites (The Chautauqua Institution), and Sandrina in La Finta Giardiniera. At Houston
Grand Opera, she has performed the roles of Papagena and Pamina in The Magic Flute and the
Rose in Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince. Later this season at Houston Grand Opera, Jo is to
perform the role of Miss Prayne in Carlisle Floyd’s Prince of Players. She has also appeared in
concerts at Alice Tully Hall and Carnegie Hall, including the Marilyn Horne Foundation Annual
Recital, Juilliard’s Wednesdays at One series, Juilliard Songfest coached by Brian Zeger, a
concert of Rameau works with Juilliard415 under Robert Mealy, and as a soloist in Haydn’s
Mass in Time of War and Mozart’s Laudate Dominum. Jo won Second Prize in the 2014 Eastern
Region Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. She is a student of Marlena Malas and
is the recipient of the Anna Case MacKay Scholarship.
YIJIE SHI
(Shanghai, China)
Bao Yu
Making his San Francisco Opera debut as Bao Yu in Dream of the Red Chamber, tenor Yijie Shi
has sung at many internationally renowned venues including the Metropolitan Opera, Accademia
Nazionale di Santa Cecilia di Roma, the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, Teatro San Carlo di Napoli,
Deutsche Oper Berlin, Opéra de Nancy, Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse, Opéra de Lausanne,
Teatro La Fenice di Venezia, and Teatro Comunale di Bologna. Last season, he performed the
role of Fenton in Falstaff at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence under the baton of Zubin
Mehta, Conte Alberto in Rossini’s L’Occasione Fa Il Ladro at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in
Paris, and Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia at the Avenches Opera Festival in
Switzerland. Past productions include Rossini’s Armida at the Metropolitan Opera, where he
performed the role of Ubaldo. Shi opened the 2015–16 season making his role debut as Edgardo
in Lucia di Lammermoor in Florence. Among his future plans are Narciso in Il Turco in Italia at
Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse and Argirio in Tancredi at Opéra de Marseille.
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QIULIN ZHANG
(Xi’an, China)
Granny Jia
Contralto Qiulin Zhang is making her American and San Francisco Opera debuts as Granny Jia
in Dream of the Red Chamber. Trained in China and France, she has performed at many of
Europe’s prestigious opera houses and concert halls. Among her many roles, she sang
Maddalena in Rigoletto in Rennes, Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly
in Saint-Étienne and Marseille, the title role of Carmen at the Hong Kong Festival with the
Orchestre National de Lille, and Erda in several stagings of the Ring, including Robert Wilson’s
production at Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet. In concert, she performed Das Lied von der Erde with
the Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach, and with the Orchestre National de
Lille, conducted by Jean-Claude Casadesus. Zhang recently took part in Detlev Glanert’s Solaris
at the Cologne Opera. Among her future plans are performances of Suzuki at the Avenches
Festival in Switzerland, the Hong Kong Festival, and La Monnaie Royal Theatre in Brussels.
HYONA KIM
(Seoul, South Korea)
Lady Wang
Making her San Francisco Opera debut as Lady Wang in Dream of the Red Chamber, mezzosoprano Hyona Kim was a finalist in the 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
and, in 2013, the Grand Winner of the Joy in Singing Competition which subsequently led to a
recital performance at New York’s Merkin Concert Hall. She was also a First Prize winner of the
Gerda Lissner Competition and a multiple grant winner at the Licia Albanese-Puccini and Giulio
Gari Competitions. Kim earned her master’s degree and professional studies diploma from
Mannes College of Music in New York City. During her time at Mannes Opera, she performed
Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Annina in La Traviata. In
2012, Kim made her Houston Grand Opera debut originating the role of Hal-Mo-Ni
(grandmother) in Jeeyoung Kim’s From My Mother’s Mother at HGOco. She recently sang
Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with New York City’s Ensemble 212. Upcoming performances
include Su Lian Tan’s Lotus Lives at Tufts University.
KAREN CHIA-LING HO
(Taipei, Taiwan)
Princess Jia
Making her San Francisco Opera debut as Princess Jia in Dream of the Red Chamber, soprano
Karen Chia-ling Ho is a winner of the prestigious Renée Fleming Award from the Eastman
School of Music. She has also been honored by the Metropolitan Opera National Council
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Auditions (South Carolina District Winner and Southeast Regional Finalist), the Marcello
Giordani Foundation International Vocal Competition, the Sergio Franchi Music Foundation, and
was a finalist in the Belvedere and Francisco Viñas Competitions. Ho made her role and
company debut this year as Liù in Turandot with St. Petersburg (Fla.) Opera. This past season,
she presented in concert with the American Composers Orchestra in Washington D.C. music by
the Chinese composer Li Shaosheng and appeared in concerts of operatic arias and duets with
both the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. In the summer of
2014, she participated in San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program where she was featured
as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. Ho is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
BRIGHT SHENG
(Shanghai, China)
Composer and co-librettist
Bright Sheng is respected as one of the leading composers of our time, whose stage, orchestral,
chamber, and vocal works are performed regularly by the greatest performing arts institutions
throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Proclaimed by the MacArthur Foundation in 2001
as “an innovative composer who merges diverse musical customs in works that transcend
conventional aesthetic boundaries,” Sheng’s music is evident with a strong Asian influence.
However, it is the synthesis with Western musical tradition that makes his work truly distinctive
and original, an outcome from his profound understanding of both cultures, as Sheng admits: “I
consider myself both 100% American and 100% Asian.”
In addition to composing, Sheng enjoys an active career as a conductor and concert pianist, and
frequently acts as music advisor and artistic director to orchestras and festivals. He is currently
the Leonard Bernstein Distinguished University Professor at University of Michigan, and the Y.
K. Pao Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
where, in 2011, he founded and has been serving as the Artistic Director of The Intimacy of
Creativity—The Bright Sheng Partnership: Composers Meet Performers in Hong Kong.
Born in China, Sheng moved to New York in 1982 where he pursued his graduate work and
studied composition and conducting privately with his mentor Leonard Bernstein. His music is
exclusively published by G. Schirmer, Inc.
DAVID HENRY HWANG
(Los Angeles, California)
Co-librettist
David Henry Hwang's work includes the plays M. Butterfly, Chinglish, Golden Child, Yellow
Face, The Dance and the Railroad, and FOB, as well as the Broadway musicals Aida (co-
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author), Flower Drum Song (2002 revival), and Disney’s Tarzan. He is also America’s mostproduced living opera librettist, who has worked with composers Philip Glass (1000 Airplanes
on the Roof), Osvaldo Golijov (Ainadamar), Bright Sheng (The Silver River), Unsuk Chin (Alice
in Wonderland), Huang Ruo (Dr. Sun Yat-sen), and Howard Shore (The Fly). Hwang is a Tony
Award winner and three-time nominee, a three-time OBIE Award winner, and a two-time finalist
for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. His screenplays include Possession (co-writer), Golden Gate,
and M. Butterfly, and he is currently developing an original television series for Lionsgate and
Bravo. Yellow Face was adapted into a full-length movie for YouTube by the YOMYOMF
Network in 2013. Hwang won the 2011 PEN/Laura Pels Award, the 2012 Inge Award, the 2012
Steinberg “Mimi” Award, and a 2014 Doris Duke Artist Award. He serves on the boards of the
Lark Play Development Center, American Theatre Wing, and the Actors Fund, and as the
President of Young Playwrights Inc. Hwang was recently the Residency One Playwright at New
York’s Signature Theatre, which produced a season of his plays, including the premiere of his
newest work, Kung Fu.
STAN LAI
(Taipei, Taiwan)
Director
Making his San Francisco Opera debut, Stan Lai is one of the most acclaimed
playwrights/directors in Asia, known not only for creating some of the most memorable works
for the contemporary Chinese stage, but also for creating bold new genres and staging
innovations. He is artistic director of Performance Workshop in Taiwan and festival artistic
director of China’s Wuzhen Theatre. Lai’s works, which include over 30 original plays, two
feature films, and four operas, include his epic 2000 play A Dream Like a Dream (“the most
elaborate theater work in Chinese history,” according to China Daily), and 1986’s Secret Love in
Peach Blossom Land (“the most popular contemporary play in China,” wrote the New York
Times). Born in the U.S. and based in Taiwan, Lai received a doctorate degree in dramatic art
from UC Berkeley. He was a professor and founding dean of the College of Theatre at Taipei
National University of the Arts and has also been a visiting professor and artist-in-residence at
Berkeley and Stanford University. In 2015, his Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land received its
American premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
TIM YIP
(Hong Kong, China)
Production Designer
Tim Yip is an art director and designer best known for his work in film. In 2001, he won the
Academy Award for art direction for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as a BAFTA
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(British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award for the film’s costume design. After
studies in Hong Kong, Yip went on to work with many celebrated film directors, including John
Woo, Ang Lee, Tsai Ming Liang, Stanley Kwan, and Feng Xiaogang. He is well known in
Taiwan, having worked with the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre, Contemporary Legend Theatre, and
U Theatre, among other companies. As an artist, Yip first gained attention for his “New
Orientalism” aesthetic. He has presented many exhibitions in costume, photography, and visual
art. He is making his San Francisco Opera debut with the world premiere of Dream of the Red
Chamber.
DON PASQUALE
LAWRENCE BROWNLEE
(Youngstown, Ohio)
Ernesto
Making his San Francisco Opera debut as Ernesto in Don Pasquale, tenor Lawrence
Brownlee has sung with nearly every leading international opera house and festival, as well as
major orchestra, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony,
New York Philharmonic, Academia di Santa Cecila, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra,
San Francisco Symphony, and the Bayerische Rundfunk Orchestra.
In addition, Brownlee has appeared on the stages of the top opera companies around the globe,
including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, the Bavarian State Opera, Royal Opera
Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera, Opera National de Paris, Opernhaus Zürich, the Berlin
State Opera, Teatro Real Madrid, Théâtre Royale de la Monnaie, and the festivals of Salzburg
and Baden Baden. Recent performance highlights include Carmina Burana with the LA
Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Berlioz Requiem at the Edinburgh Festival, La
Cenerentola at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, La Donna del Lago at the Metropolitan Opera, and Il
Barbiere di Siviglia at the Paris Opéra.
In addition to his acclaimed bel canto performances, Brownlee has also originated contemporary
roles including Lorin Maazel’s 1984 and, most recently, Opera Philadelphia’s world premiere of
Yardbird, based on the life story of iconic jazzman Charlie Parker.
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THE MAKROPULOS CASE
MIKHAIL TATARNIKOV
(St. Petersburg, Russia)
Conductor
Making his San Francisco Opera debut as conductor of The Makropulos Case, Tatarnikov was
appointed musical director and principal conductor of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, one of Russia's
oldest opera halls, in 2012. Tatarnikov made his debut as a conductor at St.
Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre in 2006 with the premiere of the ballet Metaphysics and
Prokofiev’s Second Symphony. In 2007, he conducted his first opera, a new production of
Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges. He has subsequently conducted a large number of
operas and concerts.
In past seasons, he has conducted at La Scala, Bayerische Staatsoper, La Monnaie Brussels,
Opéra de Bordeaux, Latvian National Opera, Bergen Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, and the
Mariinsky Theatre, including Russia’s first ever performance of Billy Budd. Future operas
include Manon Lescaut at Deutsche Oper Berlin, The Gambler at Opéra de Monte-Carlo,
concerts with the Seoul Philharmonic and Seattle Symphony, and concert performances of The
Demon at La Monnaie Brussels, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Mikhailovsky
Orchestra.
AIDA
RETNA
(Los Angeles, California)
Artistic Designer
Contemporary graffiti artist RETNA was introduced to the Los Angeles mural scene at an early
age, and has lead one of the largest graffiti art collectives in the city since he was in high school.
Through the appropriation of fashion advertisements, RETNA reinvents them with intricate line
work, complex layering, and a powerful range of color. Incorporating elements of fine art and
graffiti into his varied compositions, RETNA combines visual linguistics, urban poetics, and
a unique power, exploring an eclectic range of media, including graffiti, photography, and
painting. The artist has exhibited at venues throughout the world, with shows at L.A. Art
Machine in Los Angeles, Don Gallery in Milan, Yves Laroche Galerie d’Art in Montreal, and
Art for All in Malaga, Spain, among others.
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RIGOLETTO
NINO MACHAIDZE
(Tblisi, Georgia)
Gilda
Making her San Francisco Opera debut as Gilda in Rigoletto, Nino Machaidze appeared at La
Scala as Marie in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment in 2007. It was those performances, followed
by her debut at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma in the same role, that launched her international
career. In the summer of 2008, Machaidze made her debut at the Salzburg Festival as Juliette in
the new production of Roméo et Juliette opposite Rolando Villazón. She has since made
important international debuts in theaters including the Metropolitan Opera; Bavarian State
Opera in Munich; Berlin State Opera; Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona; Théâtre Royal de la
Monnaie in Brussels; Opéra National de Paris; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; and at Los
Angeles Opera.
In recent seasons, she has sung Fiorilla in Il Turco in Italia at the Gran Tetaro del Liceu in
Barcelona and Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Marie at the Vienna State Opera, the title role of
Luisa Miller at Hamburg State Opera, and Violetta in La Traviata at Los Angeles Opera.
ROB KEARLEY
(Great Britain)
Director
Making his San Francisco Opera debut directing Rigoletto, Rob Kearley has worked with
companies across Europe and North America including English National Opera, Canadian Opera
Company, Opera North, Opera de Lyon, Prague State Opera, Prague National Theatre, Teatro
Comunale Bolzano, and the Bregenz Festival and alongside directors David Pountney,
Christopher Alden, Tim Albery, Robert Carsen, Chen Shi-Zheng, and Yoshi Oida, among others.
Kearley was formerly a member of the Swingle Singers and Synergy Vocals with whom he
toured widely. He sang and recorded the world premieres of works by composers including
Berio, Corghi, Reich, Laing, and Mackey, working with orchestras including the BBC
Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Toronto
Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Ensemble Modern, Steve Reich and Musicians,
London Sinfonietta, and Orchestre National de Lyon.
Recent engagements included Portraits de Manon at Wexford Opera; revivals of Weinberg’s The
Passenger for Israeli Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Houston Grand Opera; directing at the
2012 Europa Cantat Festival in Turin; Judith Weir’s Miss Fortune at the Royal Opera, Covent
Garden; working with the Opéra Comique in Paris; a new production of Gounod’s Faust and a
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production of Britten’s Death in Venice for Opera North; Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte for
Bregenzer Festspiele; and Britten’s Peter Grimes for Opéra de Lyon.
DON GIOVANNI
ILDEBRANDO D’ARCANGELO
(Pescara, Italy)
Don Giovanni
Making his San Francisco Opera debut as Don Giovanni, Italian bass-baritone Ildebrando
D’Arcangelo was winner of the Toti dal Monte International Competition in 1989 and in 1991.
He sings for the world’s leading opera houses, including La Scala; Royal Opera House, Covent
Garden; Metropolitan Opera; Vienna State Opera; Opéra-Bastille; Théâtre du Capitole de
Toulouse; Rome Opera; Liceu, Barcelona; the Maggio Musicale, Florence; and the Salzburg
Festival. His repertory also includes Leporello, Don Pasquale, Figaro, Guglielmo (Così fan
tutte), Giorgio (I Puritani), Mustafà (L’Italiana in Algeri), Alidoro (La Cenerentola), and Henry
VIII (Anna Bolena).
Don Giovanni is central to D’Arcangelo’s repertory today. In autumn 2010, he premiered two
new productions at the Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Vienna State Open, then in 2011 a new
production conducted by Daniel Barenboim at La Scala, followed by a new Zeffirelli production
at the Arena di Verona. Moreover, he recorded the title role for Deutsche Grammophon at
Festspielhaus Baden-Baden which was released in autumn 2012 to great critical acclaim. More
recently, he has performed the role at the Royal House, Covent Garden; San Diego Opera; the
Salzburg Festival; and Los Angeles Opera.
ERIN WALL
(Calgary, Alberta)
Donna Anna
Erin Wall has sung leading roles in many of the world’s great opera houses, including the
Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Vienna Staatsoper, Opéra National de Paris, and Lyric Opera
of Chicago, and appears in concert with leading maestri and symphony orchestras worldwide.
Highlights of her 2014–15 season included several performances of her signature role, Donna
Anna in Don Giovanni, which she reprised at the Bavarian State Opera and debuted at Seattle
Opera. She also made her Lyric Opera Kansas City debut as Anna Sørensen in Kevin Puts’
Pulitzer-winning opera Silent Night. She sang Clémence in Kaija Saariaho’s L’amour de loin in
concert performances in Trondheim, Norway, and in a new Robert LePage production with
L’Opéra de Québec. She debuted with the Tonhalle Zurich, the Bayerische Rundfunk, Royal
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Liverpool Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony, and the Tokyo Symphony. Her extensive concert
schedule saw her return to the London Symphony, Tanglewood/BSO, Philadelphia, Melbourne
Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Royal Scottish National Orchestra,
Nashville Symphony, and the Grant Park Music Festival.
JACOPO SPIREI
(Florence, Italy)
Director
Making his San Francisco Opera debut directing Don Giovanni, Jacopo Spirei is winner of the
2012–13 season audience prize at the Salzburg Landestheater for Così fan tutte. His engagements
as director also include Don Giovanni, Pilger von Mekka (Salzburg Landestheater); Cambiale di
Matrimonio (Theater an der Wien); The Bear, Maderna's Satyricon and Matrimonio Segreto
(Danish Royal Opera); La Cenerentola (Festival Internacional de Música, Cartagena, Colombia),
Pagliacci (Wexford Festival Opera); a double bill of Bastiano e Bastiana and Paisiello’s Serva
Padrona (Lugo Opera Festival, Teatro Comunale di Bologna); Così fan tutte (Ente concerti
Marialisa de Carolis, Sassari); and La Finta Giardiniera and Le Nozze di Figaro (Cortona, Italy).
Jacopo has worked with the renowned Graham Vick as associate and revival director all over the
world including at Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Birmingham
Opera Company (including world premiere of Stockhausen's Mittwoch aus Licht), Houston
Grand Opera, Bregenz Festival, New National Theater Tokyo, and Teatro Sao Carlos in Lisbon
(Wagner's Ring).
MARK MINKOWSKI
(Paris, France)
Conductor
Making his San Francisco Opera debut conducting Don Giovanni, French conductor Marc
Minkowski is particularly known for his outstanding successes in the field of opera, for his
concerts, and for his work with Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble. He appears regularly at the
Salzburg and Aix-en-Provence Festivals, at the Paris Opera and at the Théâtre du
Châtelet. Minkowski began his career as a bassoonist before studying with Charles Bruck at the
Pierre Monteux Conducting School in Maine. In 1984, he founded the period-instrument
ensemble Les Musiciens du Louvre. Together with this ensemble, Minkowski has achieved
international success both in concerts and recordings and has been instrumental in the revival and
recording of many rare operas by Gluck (Armide, Alceste, and lphigénie en Tauride), Rameau
(Hyppolyte et Aricie), and Lully (Phaéton).
In addition to his work in Baroque and Classical repertories, Minkowski has explored many
20th-century masterpieces with leading European orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic,
the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Dresden Staatskapelle. He is artistic director of the Salzburg
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Mozartwoche and founder of the Ré Majeure Festival. Recent engagements include Idomeneo
and La Traviata at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Der fliegende Holländer at
Theater an der Wien.
THE SOURCE
TED HEARNE
(Brooklyn, New York)
Composer
Composer, singer and bandleader Ted Hearne draws on a wide breadth of influences ranging
across music's full terrain, to create intense, personal, and multi-dimensional works. Hearne's
newest theatrical work, The Source, sets text from the Iraq and Afghanistan War Logs, along
with words by Chelsea Manning (the U.S. Army private who leaked those classified documents
to WikiLeaks), and was premiered to rave reviews in October 2014 at the Brooklyn Academy of
Music’s Next Wave Festival. Hearne’s piece Katrina Ballads, another modern-day oratorio with
a primary source libretto, was awarded the 2009 Gaudeamus Prize in composition and was
named one of the best classical albums of 2010 by Time Out Chicago and The Washington Post.
A recent collaboration paired him with legendary musician Erykah Badu, for whom he wrote an
evening-length work combining new music with arrangements of songs from her 2008 album
New Amerykah: Part One. Law of Mosaics, Hearne’s 30-minute piece for string orchestra, will
see performances this year by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony.
His album of the same name, with Andrew Norman and A Far Cry, was named one of The New
Yorker’s notable albums of 2014 by Alex Ross.
Ted Hearne was awarded the 2014 New Voices Residency from Boosey and Hawkes, and
recently joined the composition faculty at the University of Southern California. Recent and
upcoming commissions include orchestral works for the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles
Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and A Far Cry; chamber
works for eighth blackbird, Yarn/Wire, and Alarm Will Sound; and vocal works for Volti, The
Crossing, and Roomful of Teeth.
MARK DOTEN
(Brooklyn, New York)
Librettist
Mark Doten was born in Minnesota. His first novel, The Infernal, about the war on terror post9/11, was published by Graywolf Press in 2015. He wrote the libretto for composer Ted Hearne's
The Source, an oratorio about Chelsea Manning and WikiLeaks, which had its world premiere at
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BAM's Next Wave Festival in October 2014, and was named one of the best classical vocal
pieces of the year by The New York Times. He co-hosts a literary podcast with novelist Adam
Wilson. He is the literary fiction editor at Soho Press.