Mercury Opera Rochester presents

by Giacomo Puccini

June 6 & 7 8:00 PM

Eastman Theatre

La Boheme

presents

Giacomo Puccini‘s

Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa & Luigi Illica, based upon the novel Scènes de la Vie de Bohème

by Henry Murger

An opera in four acts

Gerard FlorianoArtistic Director & Conductor

Michael EhrmanStage Director

Accompanied by the Mercury Opera Orchestra

Scenery Design by Robin VestLighting Design by Nic Minetor

Costume Design by Nellica RaveMakeup & Hair Design by Elsen Associates, Inc.

La Boheme

SceneParis, in the mid-1920’s

SynopsisAct I – in the attic apartment on Christmas Eve

Four young men, Rodolfo, Marcello, Colline and Schaunard, best friends – artistic, idealistic and poor – try to keep warm in their attic apartment on Christmas Eve. After putting off the landlord, who has come to collect the rent, three head out for dinner. Rodolfo stays behind to finish his writing and is interrupted by Mimi, their neighbor whose candle has gone out and who needs a light. While looking for Mimi’s dropped key, the two fall in love and happily run out to join the others for dinner.

≈ Brief Pause ≈

Act II – in a café in the Latin Quarter, later that evening

In the Café Momus, the five are interrupted by the entrance of Musetta, who is Marcello’s ex-girlfriend, and her new flame, an older, rich gentleman. Musetta makes a scene and sings one of the best-known melodies in all opera, “Musetta’s Waltz,” while flirting with Marcello, and ultimately winning him back. A military drum corps distracts the crowd while the 4 friends and their 2 girls skip out on their bill, leaving the tab to the abandoned and unhappy rich gentleman.

≈ 15-Minute Intermission ≈

Act III – a street on the outskirts of Paris

Mimi has come to speak with Marcello at the hotel where he is staying with Musetta. Both couples are having their squabbles and are in the process of breaking up, Mimi and Rodolfo over Mimi’s illness, and Marcello and Musetta over her flirtations and his jealousy. Mimi and Rodolfo agree to wait until spring to break up; Marcello and Musetta end their relationship explosively.

≈ 10-Minute Intermission ≈

Act IV – in the attic apartment in early summer

Back in the attic apartment, both men are missing their girlfriends when Mu-setta bursts in, having found Mimi collapsed on the stairs, very ill. Musetta and the other roommates run out to sell various things to get money for medicine. Alone, Mimi and Rodolfo renew their love. The roommates all return and Ro-dolfo is the last to realize that Mimi has died.

CastMarcello, a painter ...............................................................................Andrew OakdenRodolfo, a poet ..................................................................................... Steven Tompkins Colline, a philosopher .....................................................................................Won ChoSchaunard, a musician .................................................................................John BuffettBenoit, the landlord ...............................................................................Mario MartinezMimi, a seamstress ......................................................................................... Jill GardnerParpignol, a vendor of toys ............................................................. Grady S. Bailey IIIMusetta, a flirtatious girl .................................................................... Elena O’ConnorAlcindoro, a wealthy admirer of Musetta ........................................Mario Martínez

People of the Latin Quarter, Vendors, Soldiers, Waiters Malaina Beattie, Christopher Blasting, Sheila Buck, Marc Cataldi, Ke Chen, Alex Cupelo,

Melissa Cushman, Pat Fussell, Jess Galchutt, Jennifer Groves, Bill Hearne, Anna Heller-Jackson, Jason Holmes, Lindsay Holmes, Robert Holmes, Denise Kless,

Kyle Meek, Mary Menzie, Rena Monti, Nicholas Moran, Herga Muñoz Casanga, Julia Natoli, Aaron Netsky, Nathan Oakes, Becki Boyanski Place, Danielle Relyea, Lisa Rosenbauer, Dennis Rosenbaum, Karen Schillinger, Catherine Siniscalco, Matthew Swensen, Laura

Szymanowicz, Michael Thering, Shirlyn Washington, Dan Welch, Ashley Wool, Lynn Zicari.

Children – Members of the Bach Children’s Chorusat Nazareth College

Jeriann Beiter, Erin Breen, Briannamarie Burrhus, Jenna D’Angelo, Meghan Dewan, Tressa Johnson, Julia Larson, Katya Lyubomirsky, Melanie Mashner, Melissa Mashner,

Bethany McLean, Maria Rogers, Elizabeth Rossborough, Alex Santini, Elizabeth Stansbury, Paesha Tuttle

Mercury Opera Orchestra Violin IWilfredo Deglans, concertmasterLee WilkinsShannon NanceEllen RathgenBetsy SpragueKenneth LangleyMargaret LeenhoutsJanet Milnes

Violin IIJohn SullivanLara SipolsAngel OuYangEriko Yoshida-DalyDavid LeungSherry McCarthy

ViolaGeorge TaylorOlita PoveroHeidi StauberJoanne LoweJaneen Wilkins

CelloKathleen Murphy KempPatricia GarveyIngrid BockLisa CaravanJoan KinsellaAndrew Barnhart

BassMichael GriffinJosh KerrJeff Weeks

FluteGlennda DoveDiane Smith

PiccoloDiane Smith

OboeErik Behr

ClarinetMargaret QuackenbushAlice Meyer

BassoonJohn Hunt

HornAlex SchuhanSophia Goluses

TrumpetDoug ProsserWes Nance

TromboneMark Kellogg

TimpaniCharles Ross

PercussionJim Tiller

HarpGrace Wong

ManagerRamon Ricker

Artistic & Production Staff

Artistic Director & Conductor............................................................ Gerard FlorianoStage Director ..........................................................................................Michael EhrmanStage Manager ................................................................................................Ken Saltzman Production Manager /Technical Director ......................................... Matthew ScheidtSet Designer ........................................................................................................ Robin VestLighting Designer ............................................................................................Nic MinetorCostume Designer ..........................................................................................Nellica RaveWigs & Make-up Designer ................................... Jennifer Lloyd for Elsen Associates Rehearsal Accompanist ..........................................................................Tatiana VassilievaAssistant Stage Director .................................................................................... Joel AtellaAssistant Stage Manager ....................................................................Mary Beth Lowery Interim Stage Manager ................................................................................ Lindsay Baker Props Assistant ...............................................................................................Holley ShaferWardrobe Manager .......................................................................... Claudette HerculesWardrobe Assistant ................................................................... Elizabeth KrzyzanowskiCostumes provided by ......................................................................Costume World &

Mercury Opera Costume CollectionHair Assistants .................................................... Sue Harrison & Danielle LetourneauMake-up Assistant ............................................................................................Lesley BushAssistant Lighting Designer .....................................................................Dan O’DonnellLight Board Operator ............................................................................. Jenny KleinhenzSurtitles ............................................. Words for Music, translation by Victor DiRenziSurtitle Operator .......................................................................................Robert StraussRPO Patron Services Manager ...........................................................David HendersonHouse Manager & Ushers .........................................................................David T. Meyer

Many thanks to the Guild of Mercury Opera Rochester and to the many volunteers who have enabled the company to produce world-class opera in Rochester.

Merchandise Available on our WebsiteShow the world that you love opera and support Mercury Opera Rochester at the same time! A variety of colorful and practical merchandise is available on

our website, including 2008 calendars with beautiful full-color photographs from all of our productions, T-shirts and other clothing, bumper stickers, and

notecards. Items are very reasonably priced, and all proceeds go to support our productions and opera education programs.

Corporate Donors

Major Underwriter$10,000 and aboveConstellation Brands

Corporate Patron $1,500 to $4,999Nixon Peabody LLPRBC Dain Rauscher

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

Individual andFoundation Support

Platinum$25,000 and aboveNew York State Music Fund

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

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

Maestro$2,500 to $4,999Dr. George AbrahamAgneta D. Borgstedt, MDMargaret J. CarnallSarah H. CollinsSunny Rosenberg

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

Impressario$500 to $999AnonymousAnn AndersonRobert & Ellen CroogMaria DunphreyGerard & Joan FlorianoMary Alice FournierJoanne & Steve FrenchRob W. GoodlingWilliam & Deven HearneBob & Lindsay HolmesPaulina & Laurence KovalskyBarbara LaneWilliam LevineChuck Lundeen & John WilliamsSimi & Leonard SingerGavin & Mary Lee StrakoshGeorge & Marsha TillsonSteven C. WebberJohn White

Comprimario$250 to $499AnonymousJames & Jacquie AdamsWarren & Mary Elaine AldorettaDon & Joyce BogdanskiHelen D. Brooks

William & Marcia CaseyWilliam & Carol CroccaJoan & Harold FeinbloomCathy L. FlowersMargaret FreemanMarjorie & Donald GrinolsKaren Harkenrider & John HerringErnest & Roberta IerardiBejan & Sharon IranpourKonar FoundationMartin & Phyllis KornLeo & Charlotte LandhuisPeter LovenheimJoseph J. ManciniRebecca MartinTessa MartinBarbara McIver & Robert WasonKatharine M. McNallyAlexandra Northrop & Jules SmithTom & Esther PaulWilliam & Elizabeth PowellStephen & Elise RosenfeldPhilip & Ettie RubensteinPaul & Jean Seidel Jesse P. Woodward

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

Contributions

Joseph & Maria FinettiAmy FujimuraHarry & Marion FulbrightAnn & Tim FulreaderPat & Bob FussellJohanna M. GambinoEvelyn & Wesley GhyzelDonald & Harriette GinsbergTeresa Giuliani-ImburgiaCoral T. GlassmanSusan & Stanley GordonMarie GrahamHelen & George H. GreerMarian D. GriswoldHarold & Marilyn Grunert Sally A. HarperCarolyn HarveyJohn & Charlotte HayfordWarren & Barbara HeiligmanJoseph R. HeintzmanH. Lawrence & Jo HelferGloria HorwitzDaniel B. & JoAnn HoveyR. Greggson & Denise HowellDavid & Joan HuntGwyneth HuntingRobert & Maria IsgroMary & Frank JungSharon & John KarlRobert & Connie KleinLouise KlinkeJohn & Janet KucabaRonald KwasmanJohn & Alice LeddyDavid & Dorothy LeidigWerner & Sandra LemkeJennifer LloydSwaminathan MadhuKaren MaherDavid & Rose ManciniMaxine ManjosStephen MatkowskiRobert & Karen McIverRobert & Chita McKinneyThomas & Dale McMeekinThomas & Mary Lou MeesTerry MeloreAndrea Swanton MercierHarry & Linda MessinaMona MillerSanford & Jill MillerRosemarie MolserIlene MontanaLee & Brenda MossJohn & Annabel MuenterPhilip S. NashMichael & Carol Newcomb

John C. Ninfo & Judith RanalettaFrederick NuernbergMildred OrtbachDonald & Andrea PedersenDavid & Marjorie PerlmanPaul & Tamea PetersenDorothy PitlickPeter PlummerAndrea PopeFrank & Mary PosatoDavid RakovThaddeus ReszelGeorge & Rosa RichDanforth RogersRichard & Beatrice RosenbloomJustin & Kelly RunkeBertha SantiroccoEleanor SantoJames Sawatsky & David AmesConrad SchegEugene Schneider, MD & Gloria Baciewicz, MDJoan SchultzArthur & Kathryn SchusterPaul SchuttAnthony & Gloria SciolinoMark & Holley ShaferDavid SharkeyJack & Marcia ShermanVirginia SkuseCharles SpeirsBurton SpillerNorma & Glenna SpindelmanMuriel SteinbergRobert & Carol StilesJune M. StornelliSydney SutherlandRobert TerhorstDavid & Ellen ThurberGeorge & Marsha TillsonKathleen TooleBill & Mary Anna TowlerEugene ToyHarry & Pamela TurnerHerbert & Monica UlrichGary & Marie Van GraafeilandPaul & Joan Van NessMargaret VanasJudit S. Wagner, MDMargaret WebberBob Weeks & Pam GoodRobin & Michael WeintraubAnne WestPamela S. Wilkens WhiteJean Grant WhitneyChristine WickertPeggy Wier

Mary Alice & Bob WolfSigne & Bob ZaleRobert & Carol Zimmerman

Gifts In KindB&L Wholesale SupplyRichard A. Kroll AttorneyMark IV EnterprisesParachute GraphicsRochester Lumber Company

Additional Special Thanks:Bethlehem Lutheran ChurchBlackfriars TheatreEastman School of MusicGeva Theatre CenterTournedos at the Inn on BroadwayJCC CenterstageBob KlieMusic & ArtsNazareth CollegeRon Netsky

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list, occasional errors and omissions do occur. Please con-tact Mercury Opera Rochester at 585-473-6567 with any changes or corrections. This list reflects donors of record at the Coro level and above (minimum of $100 donation) as of May 31, 2008.

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

In Memory of Patricia Carr AtwaterSuzanne & Peter Durant

Tax-deductible contributions by check or credit card are gratefully accepted by Mercury Opera Rochester, 26 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY 14604, and also at our website at www.mercuryoperarochester.org.

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

Notes from the Director

One of the world’s favorite operas, La Bohème was composed around the turn of the 20th century, but was originally set in the 1830’s. The world première performance was in Turin on February 1, 1896 and was conducted by the young Arturo Toscanini. Four friends, an aspiring painter, musician, author and philoso-pher, live together in a small attic apartment. Their lives revolve around finding enough money to pay the rent, eat, have fun, and find love, but not necessarily in that order.

Perhaps more than any other classic opera, La Bohème lends itself to contem-porary interpretation. The opera follows the stories of a circle of young artists who long for a deeper connection to society. Sound familiar? The same theme is the basis for the Academy Award winning movie Moonstruck, which uses the music of the passionately romantic opera throughout as a backdrop for its own love story; the recent Broadway hit Rent is a version of the story updated to the current time.

Paris in the 1920’s was the artistic capital of the world, a city where freedom of self-expression was encouraged and flourished. Among the many creative artists who lived there were Picasso, Miro, Chagall, Poulenc, Satie, Stravinsky, Milhaud, Josephine Baker, Isadora Duncan, Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Ezra Pound and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The new and experimental in both art and fashion were welcomed; corsets were discarded and replaced by the brassiere, the flapper dress and the cloche hat were born, the Charleston emerged as the new dance craze, and the first Surrealist art show was given. Women learned to be independent, to smoke and drink cocktails. The use of the telephone and the electric light became widespread. It is during this colorful, lively period – in the year 1925 – that this production of La Bohème is set.

– Michael Ehrman

Bach Children’s Chorus at Nazareth CollegeFounded by its current director, Karla Krogstad, in 1989, the BCC maintains a very busy performance schedule. The children sing with numerous organizations in the Rochester area, including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rochester Chamber Orchestra. The BCC provides unique choral training, with the opportunity for performance of classical and multi-cultural music.

The children, who always perform from memory, have been repeatedly com-mended for their clear diction, musical expression, and remarkable proficiency in difficult repertoire. The Bach Children’s Chorus members acquire new songs every year, experiencing a wide range of styles from folk to Baroque to modern. Every year, the chorus travels to sing and sightsee, often at historic locations. Auditions take place in the spring of each year for the following season. Information about the chorus can be found on their website www.bachkidsusa.org or by calling 585-582-3082.

Biographies

Gerard Floriano, Artistic Director/Conductor Conductor Gerard Floriano is equally accomplished in both the operatic and orchestral arenas. As Artistic Director of Rochester Opera Factory and Co-Artistic Director of Mercury Opera Rochester, he conducted critically acclaimed performances of Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, Die Fledermaus, Suor Angelica, L’Amico Fritz, Elixir of Love, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Amahl and the Night Visitors and Kern’s theatrical masterpiece Show

Boat. Writing about L’Amico Fritz, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle music critic John Pitcher wrote “Floriano proved to be nothing less than a virtuoso conductor… He led his fine orchestra with color, precision and a welcome degree of sweep... ushering in a New Age of Good Opera” in western New York. Dr. Floriano has led the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut with the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra. A regular guest conductor in Europe, he has led performances in Krakow, Warsaw, Prague, Barcelona, Florence and Leipzig. Dr. Floriano is acclaimed as an innovative programmer and dedicated educational conductor. Under his leadership, the Greater Buffalo Youth Orchestra has become a premiere training orchestra for talented young musicians in western NY. Dr. Floriano is Director of Choral Activities at the SUNY Geneseo and Resident Conductor at the Brevard Summer Music Festival, where in the summer of 2007, he conducted a production of Bernstein’s Candide. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music.

Michael Ehrman, Stage Director Michael Ehrman has staged opera productions for companies including Houston Grand Opera, Greater Miami Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Atlanta Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Chicago Opera Theater. Recent productions include Vanessa, Noye’s Fludde, The Barber of Seville, The Crucible, Romeo et Juliette, and The Tales of Hoffmann. He directed Street Scene, The Ballad of Baby Doe, Carmen, and The Magic Flute. Of special note, he staged the American Opera Series in Central City form 1996-1999,

including the fortieth anniversary Ballad of Baby Doe, Susannah, The Crucible, and Street Scene. Other works in his repertoire include La Traviata, Pagliacci, Macbeth, Cosi fan Tutte, Faust, Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, Albert Herring, The Turn of the Screw, Eugene Onegin, Tosca, and The Postman Always Rings Twice. Ehrman’s acclaimed production of the musical Carnival was named on several of Chicago’s “Ten Best” lists for 2005. Mr. Ehrman has extensive experience as a teacher and as author/director of many educational opera programs. He was Director of Opera at Northwestern University, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and at Roosevelt University/Chicago College of Performing Arts. He has also directed at Yale University, University of Kentucky, Hartt School of Music, and Shenandoah University. He served on the artistic staffs and was Stage Director/Acting Coach for the Young Artist Programs at Central City Opera, Chautauqua Opera, Wolf Trap, Greater Miami Opera, Virginia Opera, Lake George Opera, Utah Opera, The Israeli Vocal Arts Institute, Intermezzo Young Artist Program, Brevard Music Center, and the New National Theater in Tokyo. Most recently he directed the Chicago premiere of Ronald Perera’s The Yellow Wallpaper, La Bohème for Madison Opera, Le Nozze di Figaro at the Hartt School, Manon and Romeo et Juliette at Indiana University and The Sound of Music and Carmen at Brevard Music Center. Other recent engagements have included Falstaff for Indianapolis Opera, La Bohème and Camelot at the Brevard Center, and Susannah and Le Nozze di Figaro at Indiana University.

Grady S. Bailey III, Parpignol Grady Bailey makes his Mercury Opera debut in the role of Parpignol. He has performed on concert stages and in churches and cathedrals throughout the United States and Europe, and his extensive repertoire includes opera, oratorio, and an extensive art song repertoire that has been lauded for the clear, supple and agile quality of his voice and his musical interpretation of repertoire. A native of Mississippi, Mr. Bailey is a graduate of Millsaps College, attended Indiana University School of Music and is

currently a candidate for a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies at Nazareth College of Rochester. He has had the privilege of studying with McCarrell Ayers, Donald Kilmer, Virginia Zeani and Nicolo Rossi-Lemini. Mr. Bailey has appeared with Mississippi Opera, Millsaps Singers, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Delta State University Alumni Chorale, Indiana University Philharmonic, Indiana University Opera Theatre, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Christ Church Cathedral Choir of Men & Boys, Vermont Symphony, Piedmont Chamber Singers, First Unitarian Church of Rochester, RIT Singers RIT Philharmonic, Rochester Chamber Orchestra and the Finger Lakes Chorale. Mr. Bailey resides in Rochester, is Organist/Music Director for St. John’s Episcopal Church in Honeoye Falls and Adjunct Instructor in Voice at Rochester Institute of Technology.

John Buffett, Schaunard Baritone John Buffett, a native of Ohio, is thrilled to be making his Mercury Opera debut as Schaunard. Currently a candidate for the Masters Degree at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Robert Swensen, Mr. Buffett also received his undergraduate education at Eastman. His favorite roles at Eastman include Count Carl Magnus in A Little Night Music, Le Roi in Cendrillon, Liberto in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Carnival in Le Carnival and as a member of the ensembles in Sweeney Todd, Susannah, and La Rondine. Recently, Mr. Buffett

won Eastman’s concerto competition and will perform Ravel’s Don Quichotte á Dulcinée with the orchestra next year. He also recently placed 2nd in the 2008 Jessie Kneisel Lieder competition. Mr. Buffett has sung in Masterclasses with Håkan Hagegård, Mira Zakai, Thomas Muraco, and Darren Woods. Other professional engagements include performances with Ohio Light Opera, Apollo’s Fire, and various Cleveland and Rochester area groups. Before entering Eastman in 2003, John spent a year as an English Speaking Union scholar at the prestigious Wells Cathedral School, where he won numerous awards and honors for both his singing and trumpet playing.

Won Cho, Colline Making his third appearance with Mercury Opera Rochester, Korean-Canadian Bass baritone Won Cho is known for the unique range and beauty of his voice as well as his outstanding acting ability. Thanks to his energetic voice and stage presence, he is in demand in both concert and operatic repertoire, appearing with many of the opera houses and orchestras in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Mid East, and his native Korea. Mr, Co has been described as possessing “the voice and presence to make himself instantly known on stage.” With Mercury Opera, he has

performed the role of the Commendatore in Don Giovanni and Osmin in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Mr. Cho’s 2007-2008 season included his Mexican debut as Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte with the Xalapa Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s Mass in C with the Palm Beach Symphony, and Messiah with The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, Tampa Oratorio Society, Sarasota Chorale Society, and the Florida orchestra. Future engagements include The Creation in Toronto, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Theatre of Lakeland and Anchorage Opera, and Missa Solemnis & Lord Nelson Mass at Esterházy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria. Mr. Cho received degrees from Manhattan School of Music, Boston

University, and University of Memphis. He has served on faculty at University of Northern Iowa and SUNY Fredonia, and currently serves as a Voice Professor & Coordinator of Opera Program at University of South Florida in Tampa. He currently is on the roster of Thea Dispeker Artist Management agency in New York City.

Jill Gardner, Mimi Soprano Jill Gardner is emerging as one of today’s young singing actresses of exceptional promise. Noted for her “effortlessly produced, rich voice” (Opera News), the Syracuse Post-Standard recently states of her performance in The Merry Widow that “Jill Gardner’s Hanna, the title character, stood head and shoulders above all the rest. She is a powerhouse yet often touching soprano, who moves as if she is floating and acts with more nuance than most opera singers.” Ms. Gardner made her debut with Mercury Opera earlier this season when she was called

in as a last minute replacement for the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. In the 2007-08 season, Ms. Gardner makes several company debuts including Florida Grand Opera in the role of Musetta in La Bohème and Boston Lyric Opera as Mimi in La Bohème, a role which she was recently called last-minute to cover this season at Lyric Opera of Chicago. In the summer of 2008 she will debut with Hawaii Opera Theatre as Countess Charlotte Malcolm in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. In the 2008-09 season, Ms. Gardner will make her debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago as Nedda in I Pagliacci and Madison Opera in her first performances of Margherite in Faust. She will also appear with the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra in Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem. A former member of the prestigious Young American Artists Program at Glimmerglass Opera, Ms. Gardner returned as a principal artist last summer in the role of Eurydice in Orpheus in the Underworld. As a Young Artist in 2006, she created the role of Madame Loiseau in the world premiere of Harke’s The Greater Good, which was recorded by the Naxos Record Label. She has also appeared with Syracuse Opera (The Merry Widow), New York Opera Projects (Susannah), Piedmont Opera Theater (Mimi/La Bohème), Tri-Cities Opera (Countess/Le Nozze di Figaro, Violetta/La Traviata, Cio-Cio San/Madama Butterfly) and in concert with Opera Omaha, the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra and the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mario Martínez, Benoit & Alcindoro During his professional career, Baritone Mario Martínez has appeared with the Rochester Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras of Santo Domingo, Orchard Park Chorale and Symphony, New Eastman Symphony, Eastman Philharmonia, Mercury Opera Rochester, Opera Rochester, Buffalo Opera Unlimited, Opera de las Américas and Compañia Lírica Dominicana. Recent performances include his leading roles in the critically acclaimed Mercury Opera productions of L’Elisir

D’Amore (Dr. Dulcamara) and L’amico Fritz (Rabbi David), as well as a concert presentation at Merkin Concert Hall, at the Kauffman Center, in New York City. Other operatic roles include Emperor Uberall in Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis, the title role in Verdi’s Falstaff, Almaviva in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Angellotti in Puccini’s Tosca, The Father in Milhaud’s Le Pauvre Matelot, Bohechio in Braga’s Opera 1492, Junius in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia, Raymondo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Pizarro in Beethoven’s Fidelio, and Marullo in Verdi’s Rigoletto. In addition to his active performance career, Mr. Martínez serves as Coordinator of Vocal Studies at Nazareth College in Rochester teaching voice, vocal pedagogy and song literature, where he created and developed the Annual Vocal Fest, the Barbara Staropoli Singing Competition, the Nazareth College Vocal Pedagogy Series and the Summer School of the Arts Musical Theatre Program, a joint venue with BOCES. Mr. Martínez has also taught at SUNY Fredonia and at the Eastman School of Music Community Education Division.

Andrew Oakden, Marcello Baritone Andrew Oakden continues to garner critical acclaim in opera houses across the United States and abroad making his international debut with Opera de Nice (France) as Rambaldo (La Rondine). Also this season he performs the roles of Marcello (La Bohème) with Mercury Opera and Sharpless (Madama Butterfly) with Utah Opera. Last season he made his New York City Opera mainstage debut performing the roles of Alfio (Cavalleria Rusticana) and Tonio (Pagliacci.) He recently made his Ft. Worth Symphony debut in the role of Papageno

(Die Zauberflöte) and earlier this season with the Santa Fe Symphony in Carmina Burana. In 2005, he performed the Mandarin (Turandot) and Pietro (Simon Boccanegra) at Santa Fe Opera, and Alfio (Cavalleria Rusticana) and Tonio (Pagliacci) at Sarasota Opera where he additionally covered Stankar in Verdi’s (Stiffelio.) Following his success as Tonio at Sarasota Opera, The Sunday Telegraph (London) wrote: “…the unexpected thrill of a young baritone, Andrew Oakden, stepping in at a moment’s notice into the role of Tonio and bringing the house down with his superb singing of the prologue…Oakden is a name to note.” Mr. Oakden was the 1st Prize Winner in the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition as well as being a recent finalist in both the regional Metropolitan Opera Competition and the 2005 MacAllister Awards. Upcoming engagements include his role debut as Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) with Florida Grand Opera and Raleigh (Roberto Devereux) with Dallas Opera.

Elena O’Connor, Musetta Soprano Elena O’Connor makes her debut with this performance. Previously, she has sung the role of Musetta under Julius Rudel and the direction of Ed Berkeley at the Aspen Music Festival. She has also appeared as Gilda in Rigoletto and Micaela in Carmen at the Aspen Music Festival, where she is also a winner of the Festival’s Vocal Concerto Competition. Other honors come from Mobile Opera’s Rose Palmai-Tenser Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the Palm Beach Opera International Vocal Competition, where she

was a winner two consecutive years. With Palm Beach Opera, Ms. O’Connor toured as the title role in their production of Chauls’s Alice in Wonderland and performed concerts throughout South Florida with Maestro Kamal Khan. A native of Rochester, Ms. O’Connor did her undergraduate studies at Eastman and the University of Miami School of Music, where she sang the role of Francesca in the U.S. premiere of Luigi Mancinelli’s Paolo e Francesca, South Florida’s Sun-Sentinel calling her portrayal “stunning.” She was also recently praised in the New York Times for her “standout” performance at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha with Collegiate Chorale. As an art song enthusiast, Ms. O’Connor has been a three-time fellow with the University of Miami’s Lieder program in Salzburg, Austria, where as an honoree of the Schloss-Leopoldskron Competition, she was featured in concerts and worked in masterclasses with Helen Donath and the late Jerry Hadley. In the summer of 2006, she was a member of the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Institute Program for Singers under the auspices of James Conlon and Margo Garrett, where she studied and performed works of Schumann, Rachmaninoff and Poulenc. Also under the auspices of Maestro Conlon, Ms O’Connor was one of the youngest ever featured soloists in the long history of the Cincinnati May Festival, performing the soprano role in Bach’s Cantata No. 21 under Robert Porco, Cincinnati’s Enquirer referring to her “a young star to watch.” She currently resides in New York City.

Steven Tompkins, Rodolfo Tenor Steven Tompkins makes his professional opera debut singing the role of Rodolfo in La Bohème with Mercury Opera. The Naples (FL) Sun Times describes his voice as “fused with power and passion” and predicts that “the young tenor, so handsome, will have a great career ahead.” The Ann Arbor News simply calls his voice “outstanding.” Mr. Tompkins made his professional orchestral debut in 2005 with the International Symphony Orchestra in Sarnia, Ontario, singing Handel’s Messiah and the Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio. Other solo performances with

orchestra include The Seven Last Words of Christ of both Schütz and Dubois, Bach’s Cantata No. 4 and Cantata No. 12, Haydn’s The Creation, Schubert’s Mass in G and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. On the concert stage, he appears regularly in recital on the Essex Summer Concert Series in Essex, NY, and with the Naples Opera Society in Naples, Florida. Mr. Tompkins is continuing his opera studies as a member of the select Specialist Program at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, where he received the Master of Music degree in vocal performance, having been awarded full-tuition scholarships for both degrees. He is a graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester NY with a B.S. Degree in Vocal Performance. At UMAA he has performed the leading tenor roles of Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème conducted by Martin Katz, Jenik in The Bartered Bride by Smetana, Don José in La Tragédie de Carmen by Georges Bizet, adapted by Peter Brook, and The Man with a Paint Box in Domenic Argento’s Postcard from Morocco. In November 2007 Mr. Tompkins was a semi-finalist in the Czech and Slovak International Vocal Competition held in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He has received another full-tuition award to study in June 2008 at the Scuola Italia in Urbania, Italy, where he will perform in concerts at the Teatro Bramante.

Joel Atella, Assistant Director Joel Atella is in his final year studying vocal performance at the Eastman School of Music. He began performing in 1996, flying sky high as Michael Darling in Peter Pan, and is a 2005 Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He has appeared onstage with Mercury Opera Rochester in the chorus of Norma, and is excited to join the Artistic Staff as Assistant Director for this production. Mr. Atella’s Eastman Opera Theatre credits include Major Domo/Chorus in The Merry Widow and the mute role of Toby in The Medium. A native of Fort Collins, Colorado, he thanks his parents and JM for their love and support.

Karla M. Krogstad, Director of the Bach Children’s Chorus at Nazareth College Karla Krogstad earned degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music, University of Connecticut, and the Eastman School of Music. She is an active arranger of music for children’s voices. Ms Krogstad has conducted the Chorus in such diverse works as Britten’s War Requiem, Orff‘s Carmina Burana, the Waltz of the Snowflakes from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, and Mahler’s Symphony #3. She lives in Rochester with her husband, Bob and daughter, Ingrid.

Nic Minetor, Lighting Designer Lighting designer/director for theater, film and TV, Nic Minetor has been resident designer for more than 40 productions of Eastman Opera Theatre, including Candide, La Bohème, The Medium, Dialogues of the Carmelites and Sweeney Todd; and many Opera Theatre of Rochester and Geva Theatre productions, including A Christmas Carol. This is his eighth production with Mercury Opera Rochester. His work has also been seen at NTID, SUNY Brockport, Elmira and Nazareth Colleges.

Nellica Rave, Wardrobe Coordinator Nellica Rave is pleased to be working with Mercury Opera Rochester for her seventh production. Ms. Rave has been designing costumes nation-wide for ten years. She has her MFA in Costume Design from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Favorite projects include designing West Side Stories for New World Theater, Blithe Spirit for Pioneer Valley Summer Theater, and costume shop for the Paralympics Opening Ceremonies in 2002. She has worked locally for the JCC, Eastman Opera Theatre, RIT, Irondequoit Theatre Guild and TYKES. Ms. Rave is on the staff of Mercury Opera Rochester as the resident Costume Collection Manager. She and her husband are the very proud parents of 16-month-old red-haired Raimonda.

Ken Saltzman, Stage Manager Ken Saltzman returns to Rochester directly from stage managing La Sonnambula and La Traviata with Michigan Opera Theatre. Earlier this year, Ken stage managed Mercury Opera’s production of Don Giovanni, as well as his 8th Yuletide Celebration with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, a benefit concert given by Jessye Norman, Le Nozze di Figaro, and his 2nd world premiere opera, Cyrano, with Michigan Opera Theatre. Ken has worked with opera companies in cities that include Philadelphia, Atlanta, Honolulu, Tucson/Phoenix, Indianapolis, Dayton and Memphis. Upcoming engagements include The Music Man with our nation’s 2nd largest theatre, Kansas City Starlight Theatre, and the return to Detroit for Michigan Opera Theatre’s world premiere, Margaret Garner starring Denyce Graves, which Ken will then bring to Chicago. Ken and his partner, Duane Prill, make their home on Lamoka Lake in the Finger Lakes region.

Matthew Scheidt, Production Manager/Technical Director A native of Rochester, Matthew Scheidt has been building scenery and working in production management for Eastman Opera Theatre for the last six years. He has worked in the local theatre scene for over 15 years as stagehand and audio engineer. In addition, Mr. Scheidt has built the sets for Mercury Opera Rochester’s productions of L’Amico Fritz, L’Elisir d’Amore, Abduction from the Seraglio, and Don Giovanni. This is his fourth production with the company as Production Manager and Technical Director.

Tatiana Vassilieva, Accompanist A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Tatiana Vassilieva is a dual Master’s degree candidate at the Eastman School of Music studying piano performance with Nelita True and collaborative piano with Jean Barr. She has recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in piano performance at Eastman with Nelita True and Fernando Laires. As a soloist, Ms. Vassilieva has appeared with the Rochester Philharmonic, Cornell Chamber, Eastern Festival, and the Greece Symphony orchestras. Other performance highlights include a “Rising Stars Recital” at the Eastman Young Artist International Piano Competition and the Eastern Music Festival concert at the Kennedy Center. Ms Vassilieva is also a skilled accompanist and has been a recipient of Eastman’s “Excellence in Accompanying Award” for the past two years. Last May, she won first prize in piano at the Jessie Kneisel Competition for the Performance of German Lieder. Ms. Vassilieva received additional training in collaborative piano at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA, and the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, MA, where she will return this summer.

Finishing its third season of both diverse and popular operas, education programs, and community outreach, the primary mission of

Mercury Opera Rochester is to produce a diverse repertoire of professional opera of the highest artistic quality for a growing, appreciative audience, maintain fiscal responsibility, educate and cultivate future audiences for opera, and provide performance opportunities for local singers – professional, emerging, and avocational.

For more information about Mercury Opera Rochester and any of our upcoming perfor-mances, call 585-473-6567 or check our in-depth website at mercuryoperarochester.org. We keep patrons informed of our projects via mail & email. If you would like to be added to our private mailing list or would like to receive our newsletter, please let us know.

Artistic Directors: Benton Hess & Gerard Floriano

Staff: Kristen Kessler, Executive DirectorLynn Zicari, Operations Manager

Nellica Rave, Costume Collection Manager

Board of Directors:Craig Larson, President

C. Gavin Strakosh, Vice PresidentWilliam Hearne, Treasurer

Justin Runke, Secretary

Arthur AxelrodAgneta Borgstedt

Sarah Collins Steven DaiglePeter Durant

Gerard FlorianoRon Fondiller

David FriedmanBenton Hess

Kristen Kessler Jack Langerak

Douglas LowryMary McNamara

Mary Menzie

Rosalba PisaturoJudith Ricker

Sunny RosenbergFriederike Seligman

Thomas SmithHelga Strasser

We need your help!Community response has exceeded our expectations, as more people have seen live professional opera here than in a long time. Opera productions are very expensive (think sets, costumes, singers, orchestra, theatre, stage hands….the list goes on and on.) Your ticket price covers less than half of our costs. We need your help to continue to make the vision of Mercury Opera Rochester a reality. If you enjoy our performance and agree with our goals, please support our future. Consider a donation to continue professional opera performances and to reach out to future opera lovers in Rochester. Tax-deductible donations are gratefully accepted by Mercury Opera Rochester, 26 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY, 14604, and on our website at www.mercuryoperarocester.org.

26 Gibbs Street, Rochester, NY 14604 • 585-473-6567www.mercuryoperarochester.org

Planned Giving & BequestsPlease consider leaving Mercury Opera Rochester in your estate plans, whether by will, trust, insurance, life income arrangement, or through current income gifts. Your concern and appreciation for Mercury Opera Rochester will extend far beyond your own life-time.

Opera Connection! and Opera EducationOur future audiences are in the classrooms of local schools. Since its inception, Mercury Opera Rochester has invited high school students in the 5-county area to attend dress rehearsals of our performances, accompanied by their music teachers. We have also hosted several master classes for high school students (with student performers) given by internationally recognized singers who are here to perform in our mainstage produc-tions. We have solicited and been successful in gaining participation of local high school vocalists in our productions as chorus members.

Recently Mercury Opera Rochester began a program in high schools called Opera Con-nection! The program, initially funded by the New York State Music Fund, is a series of lecture/workshops given by teaching artists which compare and contrast the hit Broad-way musical Rent with the opera on which it was based, Puccini’s La Bohème. Profession-als who had sung the roles on Broadway and in professional opera companies performed in the classrooms and spoke with students. The program culminated in a performance by the students for other participating schools, and it was a tremendous success, elicit-ing moving reactions from students and teachers, and remarkable interest in opera and Mercury’s future productions. We hope to receive funding to repeat the program in spring 2008 and in future seasons with other opera/show pairs. Please call the office at 585-473-6567 if you are interested in helping with this exciting new education project.Our extensive adult education program is run primarily by the Guild of Mercury Opera Rochester, and includes regular lectures at several local libraries, video showings and trips to regional opera productions. For more information about the Guild programs, check our website at www.mercuryoperarochester.org (where you can also find the handouts for all the lectures) or call the office at 585-473-6567.