An Introduction to Carmen by The Atlanta Opera: Cast, Characters, and History, Exercises of Music

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PRESENTS

Carmen

Bizet

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Carmen

• WELCOME .................................................................................................................................... Bizet
• PRE-PERFORMANCE Activities Preparing Students for the Opera
• PRE-PERFORMANCE Opera Myths .....................................................................................
• CREDITS Carmen ........................................................................................................................
• MEET THE CHARACTERS Who’s Who in the Show ......................................................
• SYNOPSIS What’s the Opera About? .................................................................................
• PRODUCTION NOTE In Depth Look atCarmen .............................................................
• COMPOSER About Bizet
• LIBRETTISTS About Halévy & Meilhac
• TIMELINE The World in Bizet’s Time
• SPOTLIGHT Angèle Sherwood Lawless - Violin............................................................
• CAST & CREATIVE Who’s Who?
• OPERA 101 The Basics
• OPERA 101 Different Styles of Opera...............................................................................
• OPERA 101 History of Opera in Atlanta...........................................................................
• IMPORTANT JOBS Who Keeps The Opera Running
• GLOSSARY Basic Opera Terms & Vocabulary
• VOCABULARY Activity ........................................................................................................
• SCIENCE Operatic Voices
• SCIENCE Types of Operatic Voices
• SCIENCE The Science of Sound
• REVIEW Writing About What We See & Hear
• SPECIAL THANKS

ACTIVITIES PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE OPERA

PRE-PERFORMANCE

Are you worried about how to act or what to wear? You are not the only one! Opera stereotypes can make the art form seem intimidating to lots of people. Having an idea of what to expect at the performance may make it easier to enjoy your experience. Here are some suggestions of things you can do before you visit The Atlanta Opera at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

START WITH THE STORY

In simple terms, an opera is a story set to music. Before the performance, review the plot synopsis of Carmen. Ask students to consider the story, characters, and setting of the opera. Use the following questions to lead a class discussion:

• What is this opera about?
• What is the time period?
• Who are the main characters?
• What struggles do the characters face?
• What are their relationships to each other?
• What do you expect to see and hear at the opera?

INTRODUCE VOCABULARY TERMS

Refer to the Glossary of Opera Terms. Discuss with the students which of these terms they may hear and/or see during the performance.

DESIGN A PROMOTIONAL POSTER

Create a poster to promote the upcoming performance ofCarmen. Display the poster in your school and send samples to The Atlanta Opera at [email protected].

Students at the Cobb Energy Centre for the Atlanta Opera’s Student Short performance. (photos: Raftermen / Andrew Snook)

Here are a few more tips to make your trip to the opera more comfortable.

REMEMBER: The opera is a live performance. You can hear the performers on stage and that means they can hear you too! Please refrain from talking or whispering during the opera. It is distracting to others around you as well as to the singers. Please do not leave your seat during the performance.

Please turn off all cell phones, beeping watches and anything else that may go “beep!”

Please do not take photographs or video or audio recordings of the performance. The light can affect the singers on stage.

If you like what you have seen and heard, let the performers know! It is okay to applaud at the end of songs, called arias, and at the end of a scene. You can even call out “bravo” (to the men on stage), “brava” (to the women) and “bravi” (for all on stage). And of course, a standing ovation is always welcome!

ACTIVITIES PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE OPERA

PRE-PERFORMANCE

Students arriving at the Cobb Energy Centre to see an Atlanta Opera performance. (photo: Raftermen)

OPERA MYTHS

Many people have preconceived ideas about the opera. Read the truth behind some of the most popular opera myths and see if they answer some of your questions about the opera as well!

MYTH 1: OPERA IS BORING & STUFFY Not true! Operas tell some of the most interesting, scandalous, and beautiful stories of all time. It is not unusual to find love triangles, murders, fatal illnesses, and messages from beyond the grave.

MYTH 2: OPERA IS SUNG IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE SO I WON’T UNDERSTAND THE STORY We can help! It is true that many operas are sung in languages other than English. Since most people in our audience do not speak other languages, we project English translations, called “supertitles,” on the screen above the stage. This way, you can follow along even if you do not understand the language. You also can read the synopsis of the opera before you arrive. Knowing the story will also help you follow along.

MYTH 3: I NEED TO WEAR A TUXEDO OR A BALL GOWN TO THE OPERA Some people like to dress up when they go to an opera performance but there is no dress code to attend an opera. You will see people wearing everything from jeans to ball gowns. Dressing up can be part of the fun of attending an opera performance but you should wear whatever makes you comfortable. The opera is a place for everybody.

MYTH 4: OPERA SINGERS JUST SCREECH & HIT HIGH NOTES ALL THE TIME Most of the music we listen to today is electronically reproduced and amplified by speakers. Opera is one of the only places you’ll hear singers perform without a microphone. All the sounds you will hear at the opera are natural and coming straight from the singers’ throats and the orchestra’s instruments to your ears. Opera singers have trained for years to project their sound and make it larger than life. While you may not be accustomed to live, unamplified singing, it can be a wonderful experience if you think about how much skill is required.

WHO’S WHO IN THE SHOW

MEET THE CHARACTERS

Character Pronunciation Voice Type The Lowdown

CARMEN

A beautiful and strong- willed “gypsy” (or Roma) woman

CAR-men (in French, car-MEN)

Tempestuous and sexually forthright, Carmen disregards the conventional female behavior of her time.

Mezzo-soprano

DON JOSÉ

A corporal in the dragoons

DON hoe-ZAY (in French, zho-ZAY)

An honest soldier whose love for Carmen leads him to betray his sense of honor and to leave behind the traditional life he has known.

Tenor

ESCAMILLO

A famous bullfighter

ess-kah-MEE-yo Self-confident and masculine, he shares Carmen’s approach to passion and love and is as physical and fearless as she is.

Baritone

ZUNIGA

A captain of the dragoons

zoo-NEE-gah Don José’s superior officer, who wants Carmen for himself. A cold man, he loves his power and position.

Bass

MICAËLA

A girl from Don José’s home village

mee-kah-AY-lah Sweet and naïve, she is in love with Don José.

Soprano

MORALÈS

A corporal in the dragoons

moh-RAH-les A fellow officer and acquaintance of Don José’s

Baritone

FRASQUITA

A friend of Carmen’s

frah-SKEE-tah (^) Soprano A gypsy girl

MERCÉDÈS

A friend of Carmen’s

mayr-SAY-dess (^) Soprano A gypsy girl

DANCAÏRE

Gypsy smuggler

dahn-kah-EER Living and working their trade in the mountains.

Baritone

REMENDADO

Gypsy smuggler

reh-men-DAH-doh Living and working their trade in the mountains.

Tenor

Courtesy of Metropolitan Opera

WHAT’S THE OPERA ABOUT?

SYNOPSIS

ACT I

A TOWN SQUARE IN SEVILLE, SPAIN

Moralès and his soldiers pass their time reading and playing dice. Micaëla appears, looking for her fiancé, Corporal Don José. She is told that José will arrive with the changing of the guard. Micaëla departs. Lieutenant Zuniga and Don José arrive for the changing of the guard. The midday bell rings, and the women who have been working in the factory come outside for their break. Among them is Carmen, who entrances all — except Don José. Carmen throws a flower at him and returns to the factory.

Micaëla returns with a letter from Don José’s mother. Suddenly, sounds of a fight are heard in the factory. Women burst loudly into the square, and Carmen is accused of wounding her co-worker with a knife. José is ordered to arrest Carmen. Once they are alone, Carmen convinces José to help her escape. Don José unties Carmen, and she flees. José is arrested.

ACT II LILLAS PASTIA’S TAVERN

At the end of a dance, Zuniga tells Carmen that José has been released after a month in prison. The famous bullfighter Escamillo arrives. He is immediately attracted to Carmen, but she refuses his advances. The smugglers Remendado and Dancaïro enter. They ask Carmen, Frasquita, and Mercédès for their help on a smuggling mission. Carmen refuses, saying again that she is waiting for Don José, her true love.

Don José arrives and Carmen dances for him. When Don José tells Carmen he must return to the barracks, she mocks him and accuses him of not loving her; if he did, he would leave the army and join her in the mountains. Don José tells her he loves her but that he must go. Zuniga bursts in. The two men brawl. Zuniga and Don José are restrained, but now that Don José has attacked his superior officer, he has no choice but to leave the army and join the smugglers.

ACT III A MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY

The smugglers are on their way to the border with their stolen goods. There is tension between Carmen and Don José. They have an argument and Carmen joins the women, who are using cards to tell their fortunes. For Carmen, the cards foresee only death.

Don José is left behind to guard stolen goods at the camp. Micaëla enters searching for Don José, but she hides when Don José fires his gun at an intruder. It is Escamillo, searching for Carmen. Don José is furious, and they fight. They are interrupted by Carmen and the other smugglers. Escamillo departs, inviting everyone — especially Carmen — to his next bullfight in Seville. Micaëla is discovered and reveals that Don José’s mother is dying. She begs him to return home. Carmen urges him to go. Don José decides he must leave, but he warns Carmen that they will meet again.

ACT IV OUTSIDE THE BULLRING IN SEVILLE

Carmen escorts Escamillo as an excited crowd cheers the bullfighters. Frasquita and Mercédès warn Carmen that Don José has been seen in the crowd. Don José finds Carmen alone and pleads with her to forget the past and start a new life with him. Carmen tells Don José that everything between them is over. When Don José tries to prevent Carmen from joining her new lover, she loses her temper. She angrily throws down a ring that Don José had given her. Enraged, Don José stabs Carmen as the crowd cheers Escamillo’s victory.

Courtesy of Opera America

rendering: Jacob A. Climer

The Atlanta Opera's 2004 production ofCarmen performed at the Atlanta Civic Center. Emily Golden as Carmen and Oziel Garza-Ornelas as Escamillo. (photo: J.D. Scott)

In 1872, Paris had a number of rival opera companies. Bizet was commissioned to writeCarmen for Opéra- Comique, which specialized in productions with singing and dialogue. Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy were commissioned to write the libretto. The decision excited some and worried others (particularly French theater director/librettist Adolphe de Leuven). Halévy offered this account:

“ ‘Carmen! Mérimée’s Carmen! Isn’t she killed by her lover? And these bandits, gypsies, and girls working in a cigar factory! At the Opéra-Comique! The family theater, the theater of wedding parties ... you’ll frighten our audience away. That’s impossible.’

I explained to M. Leuven that ours was a toned- down, softened Carmen, and that we had introduced some characters perfectly in keeping with the style of the opera comique, especially a young girl of great chastity and innocence. ... And Carmen’s death ... would be sneaked in somehow at the conclusion of a lively and brilliant act, in broad daylight, on a holiday filled with processions, dances and gay fanfares.

M. Leuven acquiesced, but after a prolonged struggle. And when I left his office, he said: ‘Please try not to let her die. Death at the Opera-Comique. That’s never happened before, do you hear, never. Don’t let her die, I implore you, my dear child.’ ”

Leuven resigned in protest over the production. The chorus, which usually stood and sang in place, grumbled at having to smoke cigarettes and misbehave. But the two principals who sang the roles ofCarmen and Don José threatened to quit if the company didn’t produceCarmen without changes.

And so,Carmen opened March 3, 1875. Some giants in French music attended, including Camille Saint- Saëns, Charles Gounod, Jules Massenet, and Léo Delibes. Much of what alarmed Leuven alarmed the public and the press, as well. It took the French years to warm up to the piece. A Vienna production later in 1875 was far more successful, andCarmen went global. Tchaikovsky saw an 1876 revival in Paris and called it a “masterpiece.” But 36-year-old Bizet didn’t live to see success. He died three months after Carmen premiered. The Atlanta Opera’s 2012 production of^ Carmen^ with María José Montiel in the title role. (photo: Jeff Roffman)

ABOUT THIS SHOW

PRODUCTION NOTE

ABOUT BIZET

COMPOSER

GEORGES BIZET (1838-1875)

Georges Bizet was born in Paris, France, on October 25, 1838, the only child of musically talented parents. His mother, a pianist, and his father, a voice teacher, began to educate him in music at the early age of four. Bizet showed remarkable musical talent and an extraordinary memory. It is said that by the age of eight he could sing back a complex melody that his father had played for him only once. By the age of ten, Bizet had gained acceptance into the reputable Paris Conservatory of Music.

Bizet was an excellent student who soon gained recognition at the conservatory, and well-known composers such as Berlioz and Liszt noted his talent at the piano. When he was only eighteen years old, Bizet wroteDr. Miracle. First performed in 1857, this one-act operetta won an important competition sponsored by Offenbach, whose works were popular at the time. Later the same year, Bizet won the Prix de Rome, the highest honor that France could award a young artist. This award paid for him to live and study in Rome for two years. During that time, Bizet began writing several operas but completed only one,Don Procopio.

When Bizet returned from Rome, he turned down a teaching position at the conservatory, deciding instead to devote himself to writing. His works only received moderate recognition, however, so Bizet grudgingly made a living as a pianist, an accompanist, and a teacher, while continuing to compose.

The 1860s and early 1870s were hard time for Bizet. His mother died, his health was unstable, his efforts as a composer were seldom rewarded, and France was engaged in the Franco-Prussian War. Not all was lost for Bizet, however. In 1867, he became happily married to the daughter of his first music composition teacher. Also, the changes brought about by the Franco- Prussian Way ushered in a renaissance of the arts in France. The following years were busy for Bizet.

In 1875, Bizet completed the operaCarmen, a work that, by most accounts, should have marked the beginning of a successful career for the young artist. The story forCarmen was taken from a short novel by Propser Mérimeé. The opera, written in the genre of opéra comique (comic opera), with musical numbers separated by dialogue, tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naive soldier who is seduced by the charms of the fiery gypsy Carmen. José abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military

duties, yet loses Carmen’s love to the glamorous toreador Escamillo after which José kills her in a jealous rage. The storyline was controversial at the time, for it included murder, betrayal, and situations of moral ambiguity. The opera showed Bizet’s mastery of the musical genre of opera comique gracefully depicting both character and atmosphere.

Despite his fear that Parisian family audiences would not be able to handle the content of the work, Bizet refused to water down the story.Carmen was not well received by audiences or critics and was poorly attended throughout its run.

The failure ofCarmen hit Bizet hard, and his health took a turn for the worse. Less than three months following the opera’s debut, Bizet died of a heart attack in Bougival, France. Within a year of his death, Carmen began to receive critical acclaim on the stages throughout Europe, helping to revive the musical genre of opera comique. Later commentators have asserted thatCarmen forms the bridge between the tradition of opéra comique and the realism or verismo that characterized late 19th-century Italian opera. Since then it has become of the most loved operas of all-time.

History is much more than just a class we take in school. Everyone has a personal history that is affected by the time in which he or she lives. For example, great changes were occurring in the world during Bizet’s time. Bizet lived from 1838 to 1875, experiencing such events as the Industrial Revolution, the United States Civil War, and the opening of the Suez Canal.

The Royal Tobacco Factory in Seville, Spain begins production.

1758

James Hargreaves invents the spinning jenny allowing a worker to produce multiple spools of thread at the same time. 1764

Beethoven is born in Bonn, Germany.

1770

The American Revolution begins.

1775

Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin greatly increasing the productivity of processing cotton. 1793

Georges Bizet is born on October 25th in Bougival, near Paris, France.

1838 Charles Dickens’ “Oliver Twist” is published.

THE WORLD IN BIZET’S TIME

TIMELINE

Napoleon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of France.

1804

Napolean Bonaparte

The sewing machine is invented by Elias Howe.

1846

Nine-year-old Bizet begins studying music at the Paris Conservatory of Music.

1847

Carmen, the novella by Prosper Mérimée, is first published in La Revue des Deux Mondes, to universally disapproving reviews for its perceived immorality.

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” is published in the New York Evening Mirror.

1845

The California Gold Rush begins when James W. Marshall finds gold in Coloma, CA.

The Communist Manifesto is published by Karl Marx.

Composer Richard Wagner begins work on the libretto for the Ring Cycle.

1848

THE WORLD IN BIZET’S TIME

TIMELINE

The Irish Potato Famine kills around one million Irish men and women. 1845 - 1849

Edgar Allan Poe

Workers panning for gold during the California Gold Rush.

THE WORLD IN BIZET’S TIME

TIMELINE

Bizet marries Geneviève, daughter of his former teacher, Halévy. They have one son.

The Suez Canal opens in Egypt.

Wagner’sDas Rheingold, the first opera of his Ring Cycle, debuts in Munich.

1869

Susan B. Anthony is arrested for illegally voting in Rochester, New York.

(^1872) The Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City.

Carmen premieres at the Opéra-Comique on March 3. The media criticizesCarmen as having an obscene libretto and obscure, colorless, undistinguished and unromantic music.

The reception ofCarmen leaves Bizet depressed. Three months to the day afterCarmen’s premiere, Bizet dies of heart failure on June 3.

1875

TIMELINE ACTIVITIES

Discuss what it would be like to live in the time of Bizet. How would your life be different or the same? How did discoveries and events of the time affect daily life? What current events and inventions have shaped your life and why?

MAKE YOUR OWN TIME LINE

Draw a vertical line on a piece of paper. Write your birth year at the top and the current year at the bottom. Then, write or draw five important world events that have happened during your lifetime. Answer these questions:

How have the world events during your lifetime affected the way you live?

How have the events affected the lives of others?

How do world events affect your life differently than they affected the lives of your parents? Your grandparents? Bizet?

Lithograph of Act I ofCarmen

POSITION IN THE ATLANTA OPERA ORCHESTRA:

Violin, 29 years. THE ATLANTA OPERA: What is your favorite Atlanta Opera production you’ve played? ANGÈLE SHERWOOD LAWLESS: Der Rosenkavelier andSilent Night (It’s really hard to pick just one!). THE ATLANTA OPERA: What do you do when you’re not playing or practicing the violin? ASL: I like to walk, run, hike, and bike; I enjoy spending time with friends and family; I teach several students, and I stay busy as a mom of two children, ages 17 and 19. AO: Where are you from and how did you get into music? ASL: I was born in Boston, but my family moved to Pensacola, Fla. when I was six years old. My father was a pianist and taught at the New England Conservatory, then at Pensacola State College. My mother is a singer and sang with the Opera Company of Boston and still teaches a full studio of voice students at her home and at Pensacola State College. Fun fact: She was cast last minute as the Duchess of Krakenthorp in the Boston Opera’s production ofThe

(photo: Bob Burnham)

ANGÈLE SHERWOOD LAWLESS - VIOLIN

SPOTLIGHT

Daughter of the Regiment with Beverly Sills singing the role of Marie and Sarah Caldwell conducting when Kitty Carlisle Hart had to cancel due to illness. The production was in French and my mother was fluent and already in the company, so she was a logical substitute. Of course, being present at many different concert and recital events with my parents opened my eyes to classical music from birth. I’m not sure what it was about the violin, but my parents tell me I started asking for a violin at age two. I didn’t start lessons until I was nine, however. AO: Any advice for young musicians? ASL: Expose yourself to as many concerts and recitals as possible. You never know what will inspire you to practice those extra hours and push you to work on something that may seem out of reach. Find a summer program that will allow you to focus on only your music. There are always so many distractions and other responsibilities during the school year. It really helps to eat, sleep, and breathe music for a few weeks out of the summer to give you the boost you need to get through the next year. And, I know it goes without saying: practice, practice, practice! AO: Besides classical, what other genres of music and/ or artists do you like? ASL: When I’m not listening to classical music I listen to Top 40, jazz/blues, or alternative. Some of my favorite artists are the Police/Sting, Adele, Macklemore, Ed Sheeran, John Legend, Bonnie Raitt and Basia. I also love Broadway show tunes and light opera. Some of my top favorites are fromThe Light in the Piazza, Wicked, andWest Side Story. AO: If you had to play any other instrument, what would it be? ASL: Cello or piano, or both. AO: What are your favorite musical moments in Carmen, and what should audiences listen for in this opera? ASL: The quintet in Act II is like a tarantella and the singers have to sing their words very quickly. AO: Overrated or underrated: “The Habanera” ASL: It’s a matter of opinion. Personally, I think it’s great. Any piece of music that has been remade and used for so many things as the “Habanera” must have something right going for it!

WHO’S WHO?

CAST & CREATIVE

JAMES MCGOUGH WIG & MAKEUP DESIGNER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT:TURANDOT, 2017

James is pleased to return to The Atlanta Opera. For the past 20 seasons, he has been the resident wig and makeup designer at the Virginia Opera. James is originally from Detroit, but his 30-year career has taken him to opera, theater, and dance companies across the United States.

ROBERT WIERZEL LIGHTING DESIGNER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT:LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, 2011

Robert Wierzel has worked in opera, theater, dance, museums, and contemporary music. Opera credits include productions with Paris Garnier, Tokyo, Toronto, Bergen, Norway, Glimmerglass Festival, Seattle, Boston Lyric, Minnesota, San Francisco, Houston, Virginia, Chicago Lyric, Opera Theatre of Chicago, Montreal, Vancouver, Portland, Wolf Trap, NYCO, and San Diego. His dance work includes work with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company. Broadway credits includeLady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill starring Audra McDonald;Fela! (Tony Award nomination), and David Copperfield’s Broadway debut,Dreams and Nightmares. Off-Broadway includes productions with the NYSF/Public Theatre, The Signature Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, and Playwrights Horizons. Regional theatre includes productions at the Alliance Theatre Company (Atlanta); Goodman Theatre; A.C.T. San Francisco; Arena Stage (Washington, D.C.), Center Stage, Chicago Shakespeare Theater; Shakespeare Theatre (Washington, D.C.); Hartford Stage; Long Wharf Theatre; The Guthrie; Mark Taper Forum; Actors Theatre Louisville, and The Old Globe. He is adjunct faculty at N.Y.U.’s Tisch School and a guest lecturer at the Yale School of Drama.

AMIR LEVY CHOREOGRAPHER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT

Born and raised in Israel, Amir Levy has received numerous awards and honors from the America- Israeli Cultural Foundation. He has been a company member with the Bat-Dor Dance Company, Ballet Hispanico of New York, and he has spent the last 20 seasons with the Metropolitan Opera as both dance captain and as principal dancer. The Met HD broadcasts showcased his work with some of today’s leading directors, including Anthony Minghella (Madama Butterfly), Julie Taymor (Die Zauberflöte), Mary Zimmerman (Lucia di Lammermoor), Francesca Zambello (Cyrano), Michael Grandage (Don Giovanni), Des McAnuff (Faust), and Francois Girard (Parsifal). Additionally, Amir has worked closely with Placido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Jonas Kaufmann, Peter Mattei, Natalie Dessay, and Anna Netrebko. Musical theater credits include the first national tour ofVictor/Victoria and the Hal PrinceEvita. He is setting the lead dancers’ tracks for the new international touring company ofEvita in association with original choreographer Larry Fuller. Also as associate choreographer, he has worked with Sara Erde and Richard Eyre on critically acclaimed productions ofWerther (Metropolitan Opera),Manon Lescaut (Baden-Baden), andLe nozze di Figaro (Metropolitan Opera). Amir is thrilled to make his Atlanta Opera debut this season.

MICHELLE LADD FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHER ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT:THE FLYING DUTCHMAN, 2017 Michelle Ladd has been working as a professional action director, choreographer, and performer of stunts, staged combat, dance, and acting for over 20 years. She honed her stage fight skills in Britain at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and built her career in Los Angeles. She is a recognized fight director with the Society of American Fight Directors and the International Order of the Sword and the Pen. She has worked throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and Asia. Her credits span theater, film, and motion capture and include motion capture stunt coordinator forThor; motion capture fight director forPirates of the Caribbean – At World’s End; motion capture combat choreographer forThe Lord of the Rings

• Return of the King andThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; performer with Barneville/ Carteret Viking Fest – Freiki Klan Denmark; fight instruction and demonstration of Parnü Vöitlus Estonia; and featured guest for Korea’s Theatre Magazine. She made her debut with The Atlanta Opera as the Stunt Coordinator forThe Flying Dutchman. She and her husband own RE:Action Stunts and Broad-Motion Entertainment while raising their three young stunt boys.

WHO’S WHO?

CAST & CREATIVE

LISA HASSON CHORUS MASTER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT:TURANDOT, 2017

This year marks Lisa Hasson’s 14th season with Des Moines Metro Opera where she is both Chorus Master and Director of the Apprentice Artist Program. Since 2009, she has been Kentucky Opera’s principal coach and music director of the studio artist program. In 2011 she was appointed Chorus Master. She has worked as a coach and repetiteur for Opera North, Indianapolis Opera, New Orleans Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Nevada Opera, Knoxville Opera, Berkshire Opera, Opera Birmingham, Utah Festival Opera, and Kentucky Opera. From 2001 to 2003, Lisa was the music director for the Artist in Residence Program at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. From 2001 to 2006, she served on the music staff of Sarasota Opera. She has been a guest artist at Miami University, McGill University, Cincinnati College-Conservatory, University of Kentucky, and the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria. Since 2013 she has been the opera coach at Miami University (Ohio), and in 2016 was a guest coach for the FGO studio program. Lisa received her Bachelor of Music in piano performance from McGill University in Montreal. It is there that she began studying opera coaching and accompanying under Dixie Ross Neill. Further studies were completed at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the National Opera Studio in London.

ROLANDO SALAZAR CHILDREN’S CHORUS MASTER

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT:LA TRAVIATA, 2013

Rolando Salazar is the Assistant Conductor, Interim Chorus Master, and the Music Administrator for The Atlanta Opera. He has served as assistant conductor and pianist at the Bellingham Festival of Music, as assistant conductor at La Musica Lirica in Novafeltria, Italy, and as coach/ conductor for the Harrower Opera Workshop. He serves as artistic director and conductor of the Georgia Piedmont Youth Orchestra while maintaining a guest conducting schedule, most recently in performances with the Georgia State University Orchestra, Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra, Georgia State University Opera, and the Ozark Family Opera. Mr. Salazar also keeps an active coaching and collaborative piano schedule in Atlanta, preparing numerous singers for engagements with major orchestras and opera houses all over the world. A student of Michael Palmer, he is a graduate of Georgia State University with a Master of Music in orchestral conducting and an Artist Diploma in orchestra and opera.

CALVIN GRIFFIN MORALÈS

ATLANTA OPERA DEBUT:THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS, 2017

Calvin Griffin is a native of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Griffin made his debut with the Florida Grand Opera singing Escamillo inCarmen. In the 2016-17 season he performed Zaretsky inEugene Onegin, Victor inBefore Night Falls, and Samuel in Un ballo in maschera. As an Arizona Opera Studio artist he performed the roles of the Captain inFlorencia en el Amazonas, Zuniga in Carmen, Pistola inFalstaff, Count Ceprano inRigoletto, Zaretsky inEugene Onegin, Speaker/ Second Armored Man in DieZauberflöte, Hortensius inLa fille du régiment, Colline inLa bohème, and Dr. Grenville inLa traviata. Last March, he made his Opera Columbus debut as Colline inLa bohème. Most recently, Calvin returned to the Glimmerglass Festival to sing Elviro inXerxes and the Undertaker inPorgy and Bess. Last season at Glimmerglass, he sang the role of Fabrizio and covered Gottardo inLa gazza ladra, and covered the title role inSweeney Todd. This season Mr. Griffin makes exciting debuts with Opera Birmingham singing Escamillo in Carmen, Opera on the James as Leporello inDon Giovanni, and Opera Orlando singing Alidoro inLa cenerentola, and will also return to Arizona Opera to sing Dr. Bartolo inIl barbiere di Siviglia. In concert he sings Handel’sMessiah with the Richmond Symphony and Bach’s Mass in B minor with Gloria Musicae in Sarasota, Fla.