Song of the Earth | Digital Playbill

MAR 20-29, 2026

Opera + Community Studios

SONG OF THE EARTH

(Das Lied von der Erde)

Music by GUSTAV MAHLER

Chamber arrangement by ARNOLD SCHOENBERG

Text from HANS BETHGE’S Die chinesische Flöte

Conductor

DAVID ANGUS

Stage Director ANNE BOGART

MUSIC IS A VITAL PART OF THE CULTURAL FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY.

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t SCAN to open BLO’s Song of the Earth Study Guide LEARN MORE ABOUT SONG OF THE EARTH

t Scan to watch a pre-show video lecture with BU professor Allison Voth

From the Directors

Dear Friends of the Opera,

Welcome to Boston Lyric Opera’s newly renovated Opera + Community Studios. As winter gives way to spring, we’re delighted to welcome you into a season of renewal, growth, and new beginnings. We open this chapter with two performances created for this space: Song of the Earth (Das Lied von der Erde) and Raehann in Recital, featuring internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano Raehann BryceDavis in a rare, close-up performance.

In many ways, Song of the Earth feels like a fitting beginning. Gustav Mahler’s meditation on nature, renewal, and the cycles of life resonates with this moment of transformation at BLO. With this production, we continue our tradition of creating immersive, experiential performances that foster a direct connection between audiences and artists. Raehann in Recital builds on this legacy by inaugurating BLO’s new “In Recital” series, which showcases world-class artists in the intimate setting of the Opera + Community Studios.

As these performances wrap up, activity here continues without pause, with rehearsals beginning immediately for our next large-scale production, Daughter of the Regiment. Looking further ahead to our 50th Anniversary Season in 2026/27, our expanded, redesigned facility allows us to confidently kick off this milestone season with Gioachino Rossini’s William Tell — a towering masterpiece about freedom that is rarely performed in the U.S. due to the immense orchestral and choral forces it requires. Our fall 2026 production will mark the first fully staged presentation of William Tell in Boston.

Designed as a space for creative practice, rehearsals, workshops, performances, and artmaking, the redesigned and expanded Studios will serve not only BLO and the more than 800 artists and cultural workers we engage each year, but also the neighbors and partners with whom we share this space, enriching the creative life of our interconnected communities.

The Opera + Community Studios you have entered for today’s performance are a keystone of our future as New England’s leading opera company. As you look around this space — perhaps for the first time — we invite you to share in our excitement for a facility that is already serving as a scalable performance venue, a launching pad for our larger-scale projects that will continue at beloved Boston theaters like the Colonial and the Cutler Majestic, and a creative center for the region.

Thank you to all who have made — and continue to make — the Opera + Community Studios possible: our dedicated Board members, our patrons and supporters, and the many creatives, architects, designers, construction workers, and others who turned this vision into a reality. Finally, we thank you — our audience — for joining us today and in our next chapter here at the Opera.

With gratitude for what is to come,

Bradley Vernatter

Stanford Calderwood General Director & CEO

Nina Yoshida Nelsen Artistic Director

UPCOMING

BLO EVENTS

MAR 24

RAEHANN IN RECITAL

BLO’s Opera + Community Studios

APR 7

OPERA NIGHT

Boston Public Library, Central Branch

APR 12

OPERA INNOVATORS: BRENDA RAE MASTERCLASS

BLO’s Opera + Community Studios

APR 24-

MAY 3

DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT

Emerson Colonial Theatre

JUN 13

SHE WAS THERE: SCREENING & CONVERSATION

The West End Museum

JUN 14

SHE WAS THERE: CONCERT & RECEPTION Museum of African American History

Page 2, from top: Mitridate (2024) and Noah's Flood (2025).

Page 3, from top: Street Stage at Plaza Betances with partners from Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (2025); Create Your Own Opera participants at Saint Brendan School, Dorchester, MA (2025); and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel (2025).

COLLABORATION LEARNING BELONGING

Dear Friends,

For the past 15 years, Boston Lyric Opera has developed installation productions that take opera to new and unexpected places — from The Handmaid’s Tale at Harvard University’s Lavietes Basketball Pavilion, mirroring the book’s fictional ‘Red Center’ re-education facility; to Pagliacci, which transformed the Steriti Memorial Ice Rink into a Big Top circus with food trucks, carnival acts, and acrobats; to our most recent installation of Bluebeard’s Castle | Four Songs at the Flynn Cruiseport on Boston Harbor.

Installation productions like these have become an important part of BLO’s work, particularly because these performances typically attract higher than usual numbers of first-time attendees, deepening our connection to the community and making opera more accessible to all. This practice has very much become part of BLO’s core identity.

We enter a new era with the addition of our Opera + Community Studios. Now, BLO has the capacity to present installation productions right here in our Studios, expanding current programming opportunities while still presenting productions in traditional theater spaces and other venues across Boston.

This week, we are pleased to welcome you all to the newly remodeled Opera + Community Studios with two performance experiences that explore the many possibilities presented by this space and test how we can continue to adapt it for future projects.

While Song of the Earth may not be an opera, at least according to the traditional definition, it is presented here with the narrative and staging that highlight its dramatic arc in new ways — showcasing potential future productions that serve to expand BLO’s season and provide more touchpoints with our community.

Raehann in Recital offers a rare opportunity to spotlight the depth, versatility, and brilliance of one of our exceptional opera cast members, Raehann Bryce-Davis. This recital marks the beginning of what we hope will be many similar programs in future seasons.

On behalf of BLO, thank you all for being here to experience what our new Opera + Community Studios has to offer. We can’t wait to welcome you back many more times.

With appreciation,

Alicia M. Cooney

Wayne C. Davis Board Chair Board President

Board of Directors

Alicia Cooney Board Chair

Wayne Davis Board President

Miguel de Bragança Vice Chair

Andrew Eisenberg Vice President

Susan W. Jacobs

Treasurer

Dr. Irving H. Plotkin Clerk

Board of Advisors

Russell Lopez

Lawrence St. Clair

Lydia Kenton Walsh Co-Chairs

Michael Puzo

Immediate Past Board Chair

Bradley Vernatter

Ex Officio | Stanford

Calderwood General Director & CEO

Timothy Fulham

Christine Goerke

Jack Gorman

Frank Graves

Lisa Hillenbrand

Jennifer Ritvo Hughes

Amelia Welt Katzen

Sally Kornbluth

Maria J. Krokidas

John Loder

Abigail B. Mason

Jo Frances Meyer

Anne M. Morgan

Dr. Susan E. Bennett

Richard M. Burnes, Jr.

Ellie Cabot

Carole Charnow

Carol Deane

Larry DeVito

JoAnne Walton

Dickinson

Laura Dike

Robert Eastman

Willis Emmons

Brian Gokey

Sylvia Han

David Hoffman

Amy Hunter

Louise Johnson

Janika LeMaitre

Lynne Levitsky

Anita Loscalzo

Kathryn McDaniel

Jillian McGrath

Kate Meany

A. Neil Pappalardou

Maria Park

Winfield Perry

Susan Rodgerson

Vincent D. Rougeau

Alex Senchak

Peter Wender

George Yip

Leadership Council

David Scudder Chair

Steven P. Akin

Linda Cabot Black

Willa Bodman

Paul Montrone

Ray Stata

Emeriti

Steven P. Akin

J.P. Bargeru

Horace H. Irvine IIu

Sherif A. Nada

E. Lee Perryu

Elaine Murphy

Jane Pisciottoli Papa

Bill Poduska

Susanne Potts

Stephen Ricci

Carl Rosenberg

Allison Ryder

Simone Santiago

Barbara Senchak

Tricia Swift

Wynne Szeto

Frank Tempesta

Richard Trant

Amy Tsurumi

Archana

Venkataraman

Robert Walsh

Yin-Yin Wang

Tania Zouikin

As of January 30, 2026 uDeceased

Getting Into Opera

GBH Music partnered with Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) and New England Conservatory (NEC) to explore the artistry behind opera in a dynamic video series featuring legendary singers Patricia Racette, Susan Graham, and Davóne Tines. Designed for newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts alike, Getting into Opera reveals how powerful performances are shaped through vocal coaching, stage direction, and artistic mentorship.

Filmed in front of a live audience in GBH’s acoustically acclaimed Fraser Performance Studio, each episode showcases rising talents from BLO’s Jane & Steven Akin Emerging Artists Initiative and NEC’s opera program. Episodes are available on GBH Music’s YouTube channel.

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SONG OF THE EARTH

(DAS LIED VON DER ERDE)

Music by GUSTAV MAHLER

Chamber arrangement by ARNOLD SCHOENBERG

Text from HANS BETHGE’S

Die chinesische Flöte

Sung in German with English surtitles, with additional spoken text in English

David Angus, BLO Music Director

2025/26 Season Sponsor Linda Cabot Black

PERFORMANCES

FRI, MAR 20 | 7:30PM SAT, MAR 21 | 3:00PM

SUN, MAR 22 | 3:00PM

FRI, MAR 27 | 7:30PM

SAT, MAR 28 | 3:00PM

SUN, MAR 29 | 3:00PM

Approximate running time: 90 minutes, with no intermission

OPERA + COMMUNITY STUDIOS

15 Channel Center Street Boston, MA 02210

W Boston Lyric Opera Debut

C Boston Lyric Opera Principal Debut

l Boston Lyric Opera Jane & Steven Akin

Emerging Artist

t Boston Lyric Opera Jane & Steven Akin

Emerging Artist Alum

CREATIVE TEAM

Conductor

DAVID ANGUS

Stage Director

ANNE BOGART

Set Designer

SARA BROWN

Costume Designer

HAYDEE ZELIDETH

Lighting Designer

BRIAN H SCOTT

Projection & Pre-Show Design

MASARY STUDIOS W

Intimacy Director/Fight Choreographer

ANGIE JEPSON

Boston Lyric Opera Orchestra

ANNIE RABBAT Orchestra Leader

Rehearsal Coach/Pianist

DOUGLAS SUMI

Stage Manager

MICHAEL JANNEY

Brandon Jovanovich’s appearance is supported by Katie & Paul Buttenwieser.

Raehann Bryce-Davis’ appearance is supported by Winfield & Linda Perry.

Use of materials by permission from Belmont Music Publishers.

1920 chamber arrangement by Arnold Schoenberg. Completed by Rainer Riehn in 1983.

Additional spoken text by Anne Bogart.

Scenic elements provided by Upstate Scenic.

ARTISTS

The Lover

RAEHANN BRYCE-DAVIS W

The Poet

BRANDON JOVANOVICH

The Mother

ELLEN LAUREN W

SYNOPSIS

Song of the Earth takes place in a single room inhabited across time by three figures: the Poet, who occupies the space shortly before his death; the Lover, who remains after him, suspended in memory; and the Mother, who lives in the present, grieving the loss of her child. Though they share the room, they exist in different temporal states, their lives overlapping without fully touching. Through Mahler’s songs and additional spoken text written by Anne Bogart, the work becomes a meditation on grief, memory, and endurance — ending not with resolution, but with continuation, as loss and life persist side by side.

MOVEMENTS

1. Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde (The Drinking Song of Earth’s Sorrow)

2. Der Einsame im Herbst (The Lonely One in Autumn)

3. Von der Jugend (Of Youth)

4. Von der Schönheit (Of Beauty)

5. Der Trunkene im Frühling (The Drunk in Springtime)

6. Der Abschied (The Farewell)

BLO

is Celebrating 15 Years of the Jane & Steven Akin Emerging Artists Initiative!

The pursuit of a successful career in opera is a challenging and expensive undertaking. BLO proudly provides opportunities and funding for Emerging Artists to hone their talents with regular coaching and mentorship, to expand their repertoire by preparing new roles, and to be heard by diverse audiences in BLO productions and community events. More than 50 artists have benefited from this initiative since its inception.

2025/26 JANE & STEVEN AKIN EMERGING ARTISTS

First row, from left: Alexandra Dietrich director | Mary Kray mezzo-soprano

Josie Larsen soprano | Morgan Mastrangelo tenor

Second row, from left: Devon Russo bass-baritone | Laura Santamaria soprano

Zizhao Wang bass-baritone | Angela Yam soprano

Presented in partnership by Boston Lyric Opera & Boston Conservatory at Berklee, the Opera Innovators Series brings together visionary artists & creative leaders in opera for a dynamic educational & professional development program. This series offers BLO’s Jane & Steven Akin Emerging Artists and BCB voice students unparalleled access to groundbreaking perspectives, fostering the next generation of opera’s innovators.

FINAL MASTERCLASS OF THE SEASON OPERA INNOVATORS SERIES

Brenda Rae Masterclass | SUN, APR 12 t LEARN MORE

Thank you to David & Janet McCue for their generous support of Boston Lyric Opera in presenting the Opera Innovators Series this season.

A Room

by Anne Bogart, BLO Artistic Associate

Imagine that you are standing at a window, looking out. You are in the very place where you once stood a decade ago, perhaps longer. The light falls in a similar pattern as it did then — the same window, the same room, the same view — but you have changed. Is it possible that more than one version of you stands here, layered like negatives of a photograph placed one on top of another? Perhaps your younger self has not vanished, but continues to echo — a vibration, a lingering residue of being. Time may not erase so much as accumulate, each moment settling on top of the last. The room, too, may hold the trace of those past selves, humming quietly beneath the surface of the present, waiting for your stillness to hear them.

If this is true for you, might it not also be true for the people whose lives have intersected with yours? Relationships leave spatial and emotional residues. Imprints of proximity, attention, and care persist long after the relationship’s visible form has changed. The laughter, the silences, the angers and frustration, the love that filled the air — could these too remain, folded into the atmosphere that we go on breathing? When lovers or companions depart — through distance, change, or death — they are not completely erased; their absence becomes a structure that still resonates with traces of connection.

A room, then, is not merely a container for time but also a witness to it, a chamber that remembers not only what has happened there but who we were while it was happening. The walls, like the layers of a palimpsest, retain unseen inscriptions. Beneath every coat of paint or crack in plaster lies the record of those who once lived there. It has been said that every breath we take contains a molecule once exhaled by another — by Caesar, or by a shepherd in the Pyrenees, or by someone who once stood at this very window. The molecules around us may yet vibrate with what was once laughter or grief. To step into a room, then, is to step into history.

We often live as if time unfolds neatly, moment following moment in clean succession. Yet it may be more truthful to sense ourselves surrounded

that Remembers

by echoes. Buildings, like bodies, may remember; surfaces absorb, release, and retain experience the way fabric holds a scent or skin recalls a touch. If this intuition is not fantasy but perception, then perhaps we live within a continuum of breath and presence that transcends the boundaries of life and death. Much of living involves holding the fact of death at arm’s length, so that we can keep moving through the world without becoming paralyzed. Yet in doing this, we risk forgetting something essential: our lives are woven together with the lives of those who came before us. If the room “remembers,” then we are never fully alone: the past — and the dead — share the same air we breathe. To deny death is also to deny this deep continuity of being.

Gustav Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth) occupies a similar threshold between beauty and transcendence, composed in 1908-09, during a period of acute personal crisis. In the span of a single year, Mahler was forced to resign from the Vienna Court Opera, lost his daughter Maria to scarlet fever and diphtheria, and learned that he was suffering from a serious heart condition. Against this backdrop of loss and mortality, Mahler encountered Hans Bethge’s Die chinesische Flöte (The Chinese Flute), a volume of ancient Chinese poetry in German translation. From these texts he drew the six songs that comprise Das Lied von der Erde a meditation on impermanence, cyclical renewal, and human longing for continuity within nature’s vast transience.

This production takes Mahler’s meditation as a point of departure. The staging unfolds within a single room — a site of overlap between times, lives, and states of being. Three figures inhabit it separately, yet in resonance with one another. The first is the Poet in 1910, writing a work he will not live to see published. The second is his Lover, standing at the window years later, suspended in memory. The third is a Mother in the present day, lying in bed, suspended between dreaming and waking, unable to face the day yet attempting to awaken to a life altered by the death of her child. These figures do not encounter one another directly, yet their presences interlace. They share the same physical space but exist in parallel temporalities, their lives vibrating

“Theater, like music, is an art of presence — a form built from the disappearance of that presence. Each performance is both fleeting and lasting, an event that vanishes even as it leaves its mark on space and memory.”

across decades like harmonies on a single instrument. Each senses, perhaps without knowing, the residues of the others. The room itself remembers them all.

Theater, like music, is an art of presence — a form built from the disappearance of that presence. Each performance is both fleeting and lasting, an event that vanishes even as it leaves its mark on space and memory. In this way, the stage becomes a room that remembers. Within it, time collapses: three lives share one space, just as centuries of living and dying coexist within a single breath.

Are we guests in a crowded present? Perhaps the past is not behind us, but within and around us, folded into the matter of the world. To exist is to cohabit — with the past, with those who have gone, and with what endures in the air between us. If we could listen more carefully, we might hear the whispering of innumerable lives — both human and nonhuman — in the bricks, in the floorboards, in the air itself. To open ourselves to that awareness is to rediscover intimacy with the past, with each other, and with the fragile, astonishing fact of being alive.

Gustav Mahler, drypoint, roulettes by Emil Orlík (1903) Drawings and Prints, Metropolitan Museum of Art

1923

When Grief Is the Ground We Share

by Kira Troilo, Art & Soul Consulting

In 1907, Gustav Mahler endured three blows in rapid succession: the death of his daughter, a heart diagnosis that snapped his own mortality into focus, and his departure from the Vienna Court Opera. From that collapse, he composed Das Lied von der Erde, not as a tidy answer to loss, but as a work that stays with it. A meditation on impermanence. A love letter to the fact that we are here at all.

In 2026, we arrive in this theater carrying our own ledger of hard things. Climate grief. Fracture and fatigue. Pandemic aftershocks that still live in our bodies. The strange loneliness that can grow even while we’re “connected.” Many of us have gotten good at performing resilience; at keeping the show moving because stopping to feel it all can feel like drowning.

And yet: here we are. Together. In the same room. Breathing the same air.

Grief doesn’t resolve. It returns.

Mahler didn’t write a requiem. He wrote drinking songs and spring dawns and, at the end, a farewell that keeps whispering ewig (“forever”) not as denial, but as surrender to the cycle. The architecture of this piece mirrors what every theater artist knows in their bones: grief doesn’t conclude on cue. It rehearses. It moves through numbness, memory, anger, tenderness, sometimes all in the same hour. Not toward a neat kind of peace, but toward something quieter and truer: acknowledgment.

In Song of the Earth, we hear that double reality at once: the ache of what disappears, and the stubborn fact that “the lovely earth everywhere blossoms and grows anew” anyway. Not to minimize what’s lost, but to widen the frame. To remind us that heartbreak has always lived alongside birdsong. That the world has always been ending and beginning.

What this room can hold

In this decade, my work as an inclusion and culture consultant has lived inside high-stakes creative rooms—spaces where trust can be thin, time is often short, and what’s at risk is both the art and the people making it. What I’ve learned is simple, and it’s not always easy: we don’t build community by pretending difference doesn’t exist, or by treating grief as a private problem everyone should manage quietly on their own. We build it by creating containers strong enough to hold what’s true: the fractures, the fury, the exhaustion, and enough space for beauty to still enter.

Das Lied von der Erde is that kind of container. Mahler draws on Chinese poetry (filtered through German paraphrase), and something in that distance (across language, across time) creates an echo chamber of longing that feels strangely intimate. The work insists that our individual sorrows belong to a larger human pattern: seasons turn, empires fall, hearts break, and still the earth endures. Not because it’s indifferent, but because renewal is part of its nature.

The farewell we walk together

The final movement, Der Abschied (The Farewell), doesn’t offer closure. It offers company. The voice doesn’t “win” against loss. It doesn’t outrun it. It doesn’t climb a ladder into certainty. Instead, it dissolves into the orchestra, into the horizon, into that repeated ewig until it becomes less about duration and more about presence. What lasts isn’t a single life. What lasts is the fact of aliveness itself—passed, somehow, hand to hand.

This is part of the work of 2026: to grieve what’s gone without giving up on what might still grow. To sit beside strangers whose lives don’t mirror ours and discover that this music lands in all our chests the same way. To let art do what it has always done at its best: make a shared human reality visible, audible, bearable.

“The work insists that our individual sorrows belong to a larger human pattern: seasons turn, empires fall, hearts break, and still the earth endures. Not because it’s indifferent, but because renewal is part of its nature.”

We can’t fix the widening distance between us by wishing it closed. But for these ninety minutes, we can stop performing resilience. We can let the music hold what is too heavy to hold alone. We can practice (calmly, compassionately, curiously) what it means to be human together.

The earth renews itself. So do we—not by forgetting, but by returning. Again and again. Ewig

Kira Troilo is Founder & CEO of Art & Soul Consulting, where she helps creative teams collaborate under pressure by building brave, care-forward systems that make it safe enough to tell the truth before the crisis.

DAVID ANGUS | Conductor

Now in his sixteenth year as Boston Lyric Opera’s music director, Anglo-Danish conductor David Angus recently served as music director and conductor for BLO’s Ride of the Valkyries! gala production Other highlights of his BLO career include last season’s 80th anniversary production of Carousel directed by Anne Bogart, a new production of Mitridate, the critically acclaimed online productions of desert in and The Fall of the House of Usher, and a “backwards” La bohème. In addition to his work with BLO, he conducted a new Sweeney Todd at the Royal Opera in Stockholm, The Marriage of Figaro in Prague, and several recordings of new American works with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Prior to BLO, Angus was music director of The Glimmerglass Festival and Chief Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of Flanders. He has led orchestras and choirs throughout Europe, particularly in Scandinavia, including the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and several Danish orchestras. He has conducted most of the major orchestras in Great Britain, including the London Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra, most of the BBC orchestras, the London Mozart Players, and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. He has also conducted the Toscanini Orchestra in Parma, the Porto Symphony Orchestra in Portugal, Wexford Festival Opera, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the LPO, and the Huddersfield Choral Society, as well as his former orchestra in Belgium. Angus was a boy chorister at King’s College under Sir David Willcocks and read music at Surrey University. He was a conducting fellow at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, where he won several prizes for opera conducting.

ANNE BOGART | Stage Director

Anne Bogart is Boston Lyric Opera’s Artistic Associate and most recently worked as stage director for the company’s production of Carousel. Previous notable productions with BLO include Bluebeard’s Castle | Four Songs and The Handmaid’s Tale. A professor at Columbia University, where she runs the graduate directing program, Bogart is the author of six books: A Director Prepares; The Viewpoints Book; And Then, You Act;

Conversations with Anne; What’s the Story; and The Art of Resonance. Recent theater works with SITI Company include Falling and Loving; The Bacchae; the theater is a blank page; Persians; Steel Hammer; A Rite; Café Variations; Trojan Women; American Document; Antigone; Freshwater Under Construction; Who Do You Think You Are; Radio Macbeth; Hotel Cassiopeia; Death and the Ploughman; La Dispute; Score; bobrauschenbergamerica; Room; War of the Worlds; Cabin Pressure; Alice’s Adventures; Culture of Desire; Bob; Going, Going, Gone; Small Lives/Big Dreams; The Medium; Hay Fever; Private Lives; Miss Julie; and Orestes. Opera credits include Tristan and Isolde, Croatian National Theatre; Macbeth, I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and Carmen, Glimmerglass Festival; Norma, Washington National Opera; I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Carmen, Glimmerglass Festival; Seven Deadly Sins, New York City Opera; and three operas by Deborah Drattell: Nicholas and Alexandra, Los Angeles Opera; Marina: A Captive Spirit, American Opera Projects; and Lilith, New York City Opera.

SARA BROWN | Set Designer

Sara Brown (she/her) is a set designer for theatre, opera, and dance. Designs for Boston Lyric Opera include Carousel, Fellow Travelers, Champion, and Bluebeard | Four Songs. Other designs include Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and Pride and Prejudice at the Hartford Stage Company; The Lehman Trilogy and Common Ground: Revisited at the Huntington Theatre Company; The Day at Jacob’s Pillow; Hagoromo at The Brooklyn Academy of Music; Fellow Travelers and La rondine at Minnesota Opera; World of Wires at The Kitchen in NYC and Festival d’Automne in Paris; Prince of Providence at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, RI; Der Freischütz with Heartbeat Opera in NYC; and The Mother of Us All at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her virtual and online designs include set design for The Other Shore, a virtual reality dance performance developed with the dance and visual art company zoe/juniper; and the production design for an online film version of the play Fat Ham produced by The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia. She is an Associate Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Music & Theater Arts. Examples of her work can be seen at www.sarabdesign.com

HAYDEE ZELIDETH |

Costume Designer

Haydee Zelideth is a Chicana artist and costume designer. Clothes carry on public conversations with others and share stories about who we are, who we are not, and who we wish to be. They are a means of exploring how image can open up perceptions of race, class, socioeconomic status, and more — all of which is what most interests her. She grew up on both sides of the Mexican border and these experiences inform her point of view and how she approaches her work, giving depth, dimension, and color to the specificities of someone’s life.

BRIAN H SCOTT | Lighting Designer

Brian H Scott, a lighting designer based in New York City, recently designed Carousel, Bluebeard’s Castle|Four Songs, and The Handmaid’s Tale with Anne Bogart and Boston Lyric Opera; Tristan and Isolde with Anne Bogart and the Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka; the theatre is a blank page with Ann Hamilton and SITI Company; Lost In the Stars for LA Chamber Orchestra; Falling and Loving with Elizabeth Streb and SITI Company; as well as a number of projects with Kronos Quartet. He created lighting for Tears become…Streams become, Bound to Hurt, and Neck of the Woods with artist Douglas Gordon; and habitus and The Event Of A Thread with Ann Hamilton. He designed lighting for Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet’s Landfall. As a SITI Company member, he designed lighting for Chess Match No.5 and Steel Hammer with Bang on a Can All Stars; American Document with Martha Graham Dancers; as well as bobrauschenbergamerica, The Bacchae, Trojan Women, and many others.

MASARY STUDIOS | Projection & Pre-Show Design

MASARY is a transdisciplinary media arts collective based in Fort Point, Boston. Since 2015, they have explored the interplay of space and light through a practice integrating media, materials, perception and architecture. The group specializes in creating works for unconventional spaces, with an emphasis on site specificity. Their work has been shown extensively in New England and toured throughout North America.

MASARY’s works are in the permanent collections of The City Of Boston, The State of MA, the Museum of Science, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Notable local works include “Waking the Monster” at Fenway Park (October 2015), and “SOLSTICE: Reflections on Winter Light” at the Mount Auburn Cemetery (annual since 2021).

ANGIE JEPSON | Intimacy Director/Fight Choreographer

Angie Jepson is an intimacy director, fight choreographer, and professor based in the Boston area. She is thrilled to return to the BLO after serving as the fight choreographer and intimacy director for Macbeth, Mitridate, and Carousel, as well as the intimacy director on The Anonymous Lover, La Cenerentola, and Bluebeard’s Castle|Four Songs. Her fight and intimacy work has been seen onstage at theaters including the Manhattan Theatre Club, the Huntington Theatre Company, Trinity Repertory Company, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Gloucester Stage, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company, SpeakEasy Stage Company, Greater Boston Stage Company, Central Square Theater, and at several universities in the Boston area. She is currently on the faculty at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where she teaches in the theatre and opera departments. She is a certified intimacy director with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators, and a certified teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors. She holds an MFA in acting from Brandeis University.

RAEHANN BRYCE-DAVIS | The Lover

In the 2025/26 season, mezzosoprano Raehann Bryce-Davis returns to Washington National Opera as Amneris in Aida, in a new production by Francesca Zambello, conducted by Kwamé Ryan. She makes her role debut as Carmen at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen and her house debut at Boston Lyric Opera in Song of the Earth (Das Lied von der Erde). She also appears in concert for a night of opera arias at St. Matthew’s Music Guild and for Verdi’s Requiem with the Oakland Symphony. In the 2024/25 season, Ms. Bryce-Davis made her Houston Grand Opera debut as Azucena in Il trovatore and her house and role debut at the Grand Théâtre de Genève as Marfa in Khovanshchina, in

a new Calixto Bieito production under Alejo Pérez. She returned to Dutch National Opera as Marina in Boris Godunov. Career highlights include debuts at The Metropolitan Opera as Baba the Turk in The Rake’s Progress and at Santa Fe Opera as Ježibaba in Rusalka. She has made return appearances with The Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Dutch National Opera, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, and La Monnaie de Munt. Ms. Bryce-Davis holds a Master of Music and Professional Studies Certificate from the Manhattan School of Music and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Texas at Arlington.

BRANDON JOVANOVICH |

The Poet

Brandon Jovanovich appears regularly at the world’s leading opera companies in French, Italian, German, and Slavic opera. He began the 2025/26 season in the title role of Parsifal in a new production at San Francisco Opera, and later returns to Lyric Opera of Chicago as Herod in Salome. He also joins Boston Lyric Opera for a new, staged version of Song of the Earth (Das Lied von der Erde) alongside Raehann Bryce-Davis. Other recent performances include Ulysses, Penelope, Bayerische Staatsoper; Captain Ahab, Moby Dick, The Metropolitan Opera; a program of Wagner scenes with Washington National Opera; the titular role in Peter Grimes conducted by Simone Young at Teatro alla Scala; Gherman, The Queen of Spades, Bayerische Staatsoper opposite Asmik Grigorian and later Lise Davidsen; Dick Johnson, La Fanciulla del West, Staatsoper Berlin; Siegmund in a concert performance of the first act of Die Walküre with Fort Worth Symphony conducted by Robert Spano and directed by James Robinson; Sergei in Graham Vick’s production of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk conducted by Kerri-Lynn Wilson at The Metropolitan Opera; Luigi, Il tabarro, Gran Teatre del Liceu; Laca, Jenůfa, Opera of Palau de les Arts in Valencia; and Florestan, Fidelio, Wiener Staatsoper. He also appeared as a soloist in San Francisco Opera’s Centennial Gala.

ELLEN LAUREN

| The Mother

Ellen Lauren has been SITI Company’s co-artistic director with Anne Bogart for over 30 years. Collaborators include Bill T Jones/Arnie Zane Dance, Ann Hamilton, Martha Graham Dance, New York City Opera Company, and Streb SLAM. Since

1989, Lauren has been an associate artist with the Suzuki Company of Toga (SCOT). As an actor (with SCOT), she has toured internationally as Agave, Dionysus; Jocasta, Oedipus; Juliet, Waiting for Romeo; Goneril, King Lear; and Clytemnestra, Electra. Since 1995, she has been a faculty member at The Juilliard School of Drama (John Erskine Faculty Prize). Most recently, she performed in SpaceBridge at ArtsEmerson. Lauren has served as guest faculty at National Academy Helsinki, National Academy San Juan, École Jacques Lecoq Paris, Moscow Art Theatre, Sfumato Theatre Bulgaria, Iceland National Academy, Banff Center for Arts and Creativity, Casa Teatro de Bogotá, Beijing Academy, Theatre Activo Milan, UCLA, USD Old Globe Theatre, and Columbia University, among others. She was the first recipient of the TCG’s Fox Fellowship for Distinguished Achievement. She is published in American Theatre Magazine (“In Search of Stillness”). She is a regional theatre company member of Alley Theatre, StageWest, and the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She is working on her book, The Invisible Body.

BRADLEY VERNATTER |

Stanford Calderwood General Director & CEO

Bradley Vernatter is the Stanford Calderwood General Director & Chief Executive Officer of Boston Lyric Opera, the company’s top leadership role. Now in his 13th year with BLO and leading the company since 2021, he has guided BLO’s recovery from the pandemic, driven the funding campaign for and the move into its Opera + Community Studios, and shaped the organization’s strategic plan, which will lead BLO into its 50th anniversary season in 2026/27. Throughout his career, Vernatter has produced a range of operas, multi-disciplinary performances, and media productions. In 2020, he was recognized by Boston Business Journal as one of Boston’s “40 Under 40” rising young leaders. He was a member of the YW Boston LeadBoston 2022 cohort and served on the board of advisors at Artists For Humanity, a non-profit that empowers teens through employment in the arts. Additionally, he contributes to social entrepreneurship projects addressing access to basic services. Previously, Vernatter served as BLO’s Acting General and Artistic Director, after having served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Before BLO, he was Direc-

tor of Operations for Opera Omaha and Associate Producer for the company’s ONE Festival. He held artistic and management positions with Wexford Festival Opera, Chicago Opera Theater, the Castleton (VA) Festival, and the Miller Theatre at Columbia University. Vernatter holds a Master of Business Administration from the IE-Brown MBA program (Madrid/Providence, R.I.), a Bachelor of Arts from Otterbein College, and a certificate in professional fundraising from Boston University. He is an alumnus of the OPERA America Leadership Intensive, through which he has participated in the Civic Action Group and as a grant reviewer.

NINA YOSHIDA NELSEN |

Artistic Director

Nina Yoshida Nelsen (she/her) made her Boston Lyric Opera debut in 2021 as Mamma Lucia, Cavalleria Rusticana. She was featured as a singer and storyteller in the filmed documentary-concert B., which marked an artistic culmination of BLO’s “The Butterfly Process.” She joined the company as an Artistic Advisor in 2021, participating in artistic discussions

and decisions, company auditions, and more. Most recently, she served as dramaturg for BLO’s widely acclaimed 2023 production of Madama Butterfly. Nelsen has performed traditional and contemporary operatic roles throughout North America and Europe, including performances with Washington National Opera, Lincoln Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, and Avery Fisher Hall. She continues to perform actively with companies across the United States and Canada. Recent and upcoming work includes classic and contemporary repertoire with regional and nationally recognized opera houses. As Co-Founder of the Asian Opera Alliance, Nelsen has worked to uplift Asian artists and to advocate for greater representation within the industry. She was recently featured in TIME Magazine and was the subject of an NHK World documentary centered on Jack Perla and Jessica Murphy Moo’s opera An American Dream and Nelsen’s origination of the role of Hiroko Kobayashi at Seattle Opera. A Boston University alumna, Nelsen received undergraduate degrees in violin and psychology, and a master’s degree in voice. She also holds an Artist Diploma from Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts.

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Tickets available now at bso.org

Acclaimed soloist Evgeny Kissin joins the BSO on April 23 and 25 for an evening of piano concertos, featuring two contrasting works by Mozart and Scriabin. To close the BSO’s 2025-26 Symphony Hall season in the following week, conductor Dima Slobodeniouk leads Beethoven’s larger-than-life Symphony No. 9, paired with John Adams’ gently unfolding Harmonium for chorus and orchestra.

PAUL LEWIS

ORCHESTRA

Violin

Annie Rabbat

Orchestra Leader

Colin Davis Acting Principal Second

Violin

Viola

Don Krishnaswami

Acting Principal

Cello

Aron Zelkowicz

Acting Principal

Bass

Barry Boettger

Acting Principal

Flute

Ann Bobo

Acting Principal

COVERS

Mary Kray l Mezzo-Soprano

Oboe

Grace Shryock

Acting Principal

Clarinet

Jan Halloran Principal

Bassoon

Rachel Juszczak

Acting Principal

Horn

Kevin Owen Principal

Percussion

Craig McNutt

Acting Principal

Harmonium/Celesta

Brett Hodgdont

Piano

Douglas Sumi

PRODUCTION STAFF

Michael Janney Stage Manager

Talia Feldberg Assistant Stage Director

Em Bonnici Assistant Stage Manager

Adrian Speth Assistant Stage Manager

Deb Sullivan Assistant Lighting Designer

Liz Perlman Costume Supervisor

Emme Shaw Properties Supervisor

Chloe Moore Assistant Costume Designer

Natalia St Jean Surtitle Operator

Ryan Edwards MASARY Studios

Sam Okerstrom-Lang MASARY Studios

Jeremy Stewart, PhD MASARY Studios

Grace Fo MASARY Studios

Odie DeSmith MASARY Studios

Caleb Hawkins MASARY Studios

PRODUCTION CREW

Michael Geoghegan Head Production Carpenter

TJ Willis First Assistant Production Carpenter

Alex Yuscavitch Second Assistant Production Carpenter

Ari Huy Head Production Electrician

Sumner Ellsworth Lighting Programmer

Harrison Nicol First Assistant Production Electrician

Kaitlyn Gottke Second Assistant Production Electrician

Emily Picot Head Production Properties

Dave Picot Head Production Properties

Bryan Ritchie Audio/Video Supervisor

The artists and stage managers employed on these productions are members of the American Guild of Musical Artists. All musicians are members of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada. Many of the scenic, costume, and lighting designers are members of United Scenic Artists, Local USA-829 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). Stagehands are represented by Local #11 of IATSE. Wardrobe crew are represented by Local #775 of IATSE. BLO is a member of OPERA America, the national service organization for opera in the US and Canada.

Joshua DeChristopher Head Production Audio

Chris Norman Head Production Video

Jack Gruman Video Programmer

Dianna Reardon Head Wardrobe Supervisor

Melinda Abreu Head Hair & Makeup

Monique Peoples Head Hair & Makeup

MUSIC STAFF

William Manley Orchestra Contractor & Music Librarian

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Boston Lyric Opera extends its gratitude to the following vendors, partners, individuals, community organizations, and school partners for their extraordinary courtesy in making our 2025/26 Season possible:

4Wall Entertainment | Rui Alves, Mike Texeira

Acentech, Inc. | Carl Rosenberg, Jonah Sacks, Khaleela Zaman

Allison Voth

American Repertory Theater

Artists for Humanity

ArtsBoston

Arts Connect International

ArtsEmerson

Ball Square Films | Kathy Wittman

Beth Harris | Fortepiano Tuner

Boston Centers for Youth & Families

Boston Children’s Museum

Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music

Boston Harbor Now

Boston Properties

Boston Public Library

Boston Public Schools Visual & Performing Arts Office

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Boston University | College of Fine Arts

C3 Commercial Construction Consulting, Inc. | Doug Anderson

Capron Lighting & Sound Co. | Jeff Antonellis, Ryan Frost

Cartage America | Tim Riley

The Catered Affair

Charlestown Navy Yard

City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture

Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP | Andrew Eisenberg

Costume Works, Inc. | Liz Perlman

Cultural Equity Incubator

Devon Lumber

Dynamix, Inc.

East Cambridge Piano |

James Nicoloro

Emerson College

Emmanuel Music

First Parish Brookline

Flansburgh Architects

Fly Over the City

The Friends of Titus Sparrow Park

Furnished Quarters

GBH

Gilbane Building Company

Groundwater Arts

HallKeen Management | Jennifer Zarrella, Randy Pelletier

Hibernian Hall | Harris Lefteri

High Output

HILB Group

HUB International

HYM Investment Group

IATSE Local #11 JACET | Colleen Glynn

InnoPsych, Inc. | Dr.

Charmain Jackman

Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción

Janet Buecker

JCA Arts Marketing

Jim Jenson

JKJ Retirement Services | Ben Hall, Jack McDonald

Les Éditions Buissonnières

Music Publishing

Louis A. Gentile Piano Service

MASARY Studios

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation

Massachusetts Rivers Alliance

Megan Gilron | Staging Research

Midway Artist Studios | Raber Umphenour

Mike Marchetti

Mike Mejia

Andrew Motta

Museum of Science

Myles Standish Business Condominiums

National Parks of Boston

NEPS Primary Freight

New England Conservatory of Music

Nile Scott Studios

Production Advantage

ProPrint

Tony Rickard

Robert Silman Associates

Structural Engineers | Ben Rosenberg, Steven Au Yeung

The Rose Kennedy Greenway

Rosebrand, Inc.

Ryder Transportation

Sew What, Inc. | Andrea Fraser

Seyfarth Shaw, LLP |

Brian Michaelis

Sika Consulting | Kemarah Sika

Smartpress

SoWa Boston

Starburst Printing & Graphics, Inc.

Stone Living Lab

Tarlow, Breed, Hart & Rodgers, P.C. | Michael Radin

TDF | Theatre Development Fund

Ten31 Productions

Tessitura

Think Outside The Vox

Truro Historical Society

The Trustees of Reservations

TYGER Design + Production

United Parish Brookline

United Staging & Rigging | Eric Frishman

Vantage Technology Consulting Group | Geoffrey Tritsch

Wetherbee Creative |

Wendy Wetherbee

WBUR

YW Boston | Anouska Bhattacharyya

BOSTON LYRIC OPERA

LEADERSHIP

Bradley Vernatter Stanford Calderwood

General Director & Chief Executive Officer

Nina Yoshida Nelsen Artistic Director

David Angus Music Director

Anne Bogart Artistic Associate

Vimbayi Kaziboni Artistic Advisor

ARTISTIC & COMMUNITY

Ben Richter Senior Director of Producing Operations

Lisa Hanson Director of Producing Operations

Roxanna Myhrum Director of Programs & Events

Nancy McDonald Director of Business Operations

Morgan Beckford Director of Learning

Scot Burckhardt Director of Production

Brett Hodgdon Head of Music & Chorus Director

Ian Rouillard Assistant Director of Production

Kimberly Sabio Manager of Artistic Operations

V Brancazio Programs & Events Manager

Natalie Main Artistic Coordinator

Michael Janney Production Associate

Laura Nevitt Resident Teaching Artist

Kylie Fletcher Resident Teaching Artist

Sepehr Davallou Resident Teaching Artist

Ji Yung Lee Coach/Pianist

Brendon Shapiro Coach/Pianist

Douglas Sumi Coach/Pianist

ADMINISTRATION

Lizabeth Malanga Senior Director of Administration

Caterina Pina Director of People Operations

Eboni Bell Executive Administrator

Kathryn McKeon Interim Executive Administrator

Erika Dooley Senior Office Administrator

FINANCE

Jarrell Perkins Chief Financial Officer

Michelle Rawding Finance Manager

PHILANTHROPY

Ishan Johnson Chief Philanthropy Advisor

Laura Jekel Director of Annual Giving & Philanthropy

Shelly Cornell Senior Philanthropy Advisor

Randy Biagas-Hill Philanthropy Coordinator

Katherine Leary Prospect Researcher

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Julia Propp Senior Director of External Affairs

Alfredo Muñoz Director of Marketing & Sales

Ryan Cannister Marketing & Communications Manager

Hannah Cassell CRM & Database Administrator

Amy Advocat Manager of Institutional Communications & Philanthropy

Charley Gibson Audience Services Manager

Lauren Florek Senior Patron Services Coordinator

Natalia St Jean Editorial Coordinator

Wren Rodziewicz Database Coordinator

Natalie Barnaby Patron Services Associate

Nicole DeGrandpre Marketing Associate

JMK PR Public Relations

Leapfrog Arts Graphic Design

Mouth Media Website

JCA Consulting CRM Applications

Russell Philanthropies Consultant

Phillip C. Song, MD Consulting Laryngologist

Division Chief of Laryngology at Massachusetts

Eye and Ear

Dr. Charmain Jackman

Mental Health & Wellbeing Consultant | InnoPsych

Art & Soul Consulting Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

EMERITUS ARTISTS

John Conklin Artistic Advisor & Designer Emeritus u u Deceased

As of January 12, 2026

We’re almost there — help BLO close the final $1M!

We’re proud to share that over $10 million has already been raised toward Boston Lyric Opera’s $11 million goal to establish our Opera + Community Studios — BLO’s new civic arts space in Fort Point where artists and communities will create, connect, and collaborate. Opera + Community Studios is more than a building — it’s a civic investment in Boston’s cultural future.

Help BLO raise the final $1 million to bring this shared arts space to life by 2026.

Scan the QR code to make a donation

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed to the development of the Opera + Community Studios through your presence and your gifts. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

$1,000,000+

Anonymous Foundation (2)

Alicia M. Cooney & Stephen Quigley

Wayne Davis & Ann Merrifield

Barbara & Amos Hostetter

The Paul & Sandra Montrone Family

Mr. & Mrs. Ray Stata

$500,000 - $999,999

Miss Wallace Minot Leonard Foundation

$100,000 - $499,999

Willa & Taylor Bodman

Miguel & Suki de Bragança

Mr. Lawrence M. DeVito

Massachusetts Cultural Council

Movement Arts Creation Studio

Lise Olney & Tim Fulham

David W. Scudder & Betsy Ridge

Dr. Robert Walsh & Lydia Kenton Walsh

$50,000 - $99,999

Anonymous (1)

Rick Burnes

Cabot Family Charitable Trust

Andrew L. Eisenberg & John Vetrano

Mimi Hewlett

John M. Loder

Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture

Anne M. Morgan

Winfield & Linda Perry

Stephen & Geraldine Ricci

$25,000 - $49,999

Family of John M Conklin

Sylvia Han & Bruce Rubenstein

Maria Krokidas & Bruce Bullen

Abigail B. Mason

Christine & Michael Puzo

Allison Ryder & David Jones

Rumena & Alexander Senchak

Andrew Sherman & Russ López

Bradley Vernatter

Peter J. Wender

$10,000 - $24,999

Robert Eastman

Flansburgh Architects

Jack D. Gorman

Susan W. Jacobs

Kate Meany

Mr. Carl Rosenberg

Mr. & Mrs. Vincent & Robin Rougeau

George & Moira Yip

Ms. Tania Zouikin

$1 - $9,999

Anonymous (1)

Ms. Ellen Cabot

Anne Lyons Dolan in memory of Susan Eastman

Alan & Lisa Dynner

Lisa Hillenbrand

Jennifer Ritvo Hughes & Marcus Hughes

Ms. Louise Johnson

Amelia & Joshua Katzen

Courtney Keller

Drs. Lynne & Sidney Levitsky

Gregory E. Moore & Wynne W. Szeto

Mr. Anthony Pangaro &

Ms. Creelea Henderson

Jane Pisciottoli Papa

Janet & Irv Plotkin

Nicholas G. Russell

Ms. Tricia Swift

Mr. & Mrs. Frank Tempesta

Yin-Yin Wang

Donations as of January 15, 2026

We are honored to recognize our donors who generously support Boston Lyric Opera through gifts to our annual fund and The Opera Gala. We are deeply grateful for the following contributions made to BLO between July 1, 2024 and January 15, 2026. Our fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30, and we list donors at the level of their total giving made during a fiscal year — either this fiscal year or last — whichever is highest.

MEMBERS ($100 - $2,999) | We are grateful for the commitment of our members, the largest community of supporters at Boston Lyric Opera. Members enjoy opportunities to explore opera and engage with others who share their passion through invitations to special events and other exciting benefits.

ORFEO SOCIETY ($3,000 +) | The Orfeo Society supports Boston Lyric Opera in all our endeavors, from stage to film to community programs. These aficionados come together regularly to hear artists perform and to learn about our groundbreaking productions from the creative teams, all while providing invaluable direct support to BLO.

GOLDOVSKY SOCIETY | Membership is given in recognition of those who have made a provision in a will, living trust, deferred gift plan, or retirement plan that will benefit Boston Lyric Opera.

ENDOWMENT | We recognize donors to our endowment, who believe in BLO’s fiscal sustainability.

For more information or to make a gift, please contact Ishan Johnson, Chief Philanthropy Advisor, at ijohnson@blo.org or 617.702.8961.

Please note that if your donation was received or adjusted after the dates above, it may not be reflected until the next playbill due to publication deadlines. If you note that your donation is not reflected correctly in this playbill, please contact Ishan Johnson, Chief Philanthropy Advisor, at ijohnson@blo.org or 617.702.8961.

CRESCENDO ($100,000+)

Jane & Steven Akin

Barr Foundation

Linda Cabot Black

Willa* & Taylor Bodmanl

Katie & Paul Buttenwieser

Gerard & Sherryl Cohen

Alicia M. Cooney* & Stephen Quigleyl

Wayne Davis* & Ann Merrifieldl

Andrew L. Eisenberg* & John Vetranol Gardner Hendrie

Marilee Wheeler Trust Charitable Fund

Mattina R. Proctor Foundation

Christine & Michael Puzo* l

David W. Scudder & Betsy Ridgel

VIVACE ($50,000 - $99,999)

Anonymous (1)

Rick Burnes*

Miguel* & Suki de Bragançal

John H. Deknatel & Carol M. Taylor

Barbara & Amos Hostetter

ALLEGRO ($10,000 - $24,999)

Anonymous (3)

The Acorn Foundation

BPS Arts Expansion Fund at EdVestors

Ms. Ellen Cabot* l

Ms. RoAnn Costin

Alberto Cribiore & Kristin Sebastian Priscilla Deck & Sean Kelly

Susan W. Jacobs* l

Abigail B. Mason*

Massachusetts Cultural Council

Miss Wallace Minot Leonard Foundation

The Paul & Sandra Montrone Family

Mrs. E. Lee Perry

Winfield* & Linda Perryl

The Poduska Family Foundation

Helen Pounds

Stephen* & Geraldine Riccil

Wendy Shattuck & Sam Plimpton

PRESTO ($25,000 - $49,999)

Anonymous (1)

Mr. John W. Brewer

Mr. Mark H. Dalzell

Alan & Lisa Dynner

Jack D. Gorman* l

The Joseph & Robert Cornell

Memorial Foundation

Maria Krokidas* & Bruce Bullenl

Susan Denison

Robert Eastman* l

Estate of Emily C. Hoodu

Frank Graves & Christine Dugan

Kathy & Ron Groves

The Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation

HarborOne Bank

Janika* & George LeMaitre

John M. Loder* l Mayor’s Office of Arts & Culture

David & Janet McCue

Anne M. Morgan* l

Kristine A. Moyer Higgins & Robert F. Higgins

Elaine Murphy in memory of Buck Haberkornl

Lise Olney & Tim Fulham* l OPERA America

Mr.u & Mrs. A. Neil Pappalardo*

Ms. Maria Park

Janet & Irv Plotkin* l Polaris Capital Management

William & Lia Poorvu

Erinn Rhodes & Jason Rhodes

Allison Ryder* & David Jones

Mr.* & Mrs. Ray Statal

Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation

Mimi Hewlett

Mr. Keith Higgins

Lisa Hillenbrand* l

Mr.u & Mrs. Edward C. Johnson

Amelia* & Joshua Katzen

Milling Kinard

Lincoln & Therese Filene Foundation

Dr. Joseph & Mrs. Anita Loscalzo* l

*Board Member lLyric Circle Member (those with multi-year commitments to our annual fund) uDeceased

Nagesh Mahanthappa & Valentine Talland

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency

MEDITECH

Jo Frances Meyer* & Carl Herbert

National Endowment for the Arts

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Olney III

Paul & Edith Babson Foundation

Melinda & James Rabbl

Peter & Suzanne Read

Mr.* & Mrs. Vincent & Robin Rougeaul

Barbara* & Andrew Senchak

Rumena & Alexander Senchak* l

Andrew Sherman & Russ López* l

Larry* & Beverly St. Clairl

Andrew Szentgyorgyi, Nicholas Szentgyorgyi & Nancy Brickhouse

Bradley Vernatter

Dr. Robert Walsh* & Lydia Kenton Walsh* l

Peter J. Wender* l Jerry Wheelock & Elizabeth Wood

Michael Wyzga & Judy Ozbun

George* & Moira Yip

Ms. Tania Zouikin*

ADAGIO ($5,000 - $9,999)

Anonymous (2)

Anonymous in memory of James W. Boynton

Mark & Pam Alcaide

Nancy Altschuler

Mr. Peter Ambler & Ms. Lindsay Miller

Bill & Vicki Barke

Drs. Susan E. Bennett* & Gerald B. Pierl

Roger Berman

Kathy Boyce

The Chay Family

Ms. Mei Po Cheung

Mr. Lawrence M. DeVito* l

Ms. JoAnne Dickinson* l

Laura Dike & Vaughn Miller*

Dr. Jordan S. Ruboy Charitable Fundu

Martin Elvis & Giuseppina Fabbiano

Kathryn G. Freed in memory of Dean & Patti Freed

Fremont Giving Fund

Gilbane Building Company

Melissa Gilliam & William Grobman

Dr. Kurt D. Gress &

Mr. Samuel Y. Parkinson

Nick & Marjorie Greville

Mr. Joseph Hammer

Sylvia Han* & Bruce Rubensteinl

David Hoffman* & Deborah Friedman

Morton Hoffman in loving memory of

Sandy Hoffmanu

Amy Hunter* & Steven Maguirel

Ms. Louise Johnson*

Ellen & Robert Kaplan

Butler & Lois Lampson

Drs. Lynne* & Sidney Levitsky

Liana Enterprises

Ms. M. Lynne Markus*

Kathryn McDaniel* l

Kate Meany* l

Gregory E. Moore &

Wynne W. Szeto* l

Mario & Nancy Nicosia

Jane Pisciottoli Papa* l

Anthony & Katharine Pell

Dr. Douglas Reeves

Mr. Carl Rosenberg*

Russell Philanthropies

Stephen & Peg Senturial

R. S. Steinberg

Ms. Tricia Swift* l

Mr.* & Mrs. Frank Tempestal

Dr. Nelson Thaemert & Mr. Brian Gokeyl

Mr. Richard Trant*

Ms. Amy Tsurumi* l

Yin-Yin Wang* l

GRAZIOSO ($3,000 - $4,999)

John Barstow & Genie Ware

Michael Barza & Judith Robinson

Tamara P. & Charles H. Davis II

Elaine Epstein & Jim Krachey

Mr. & Mrs. Dozier Gardner

Anne Giudice

David Kirkl

Dr. Maydee G. Lande in memory of her father

Alice Levine & Paul Weissman

Shari & Christopher Noe

Nick Russo

John & Debra Sculley

Mr. John Stevens & Ms. Virginia McIntyre

Ernst Ter Haar

Michael Young

ADVOCATE ($1,000 - $2,999)

Anonymous (10)

Mr. Bernard Aserkoff

George & Hillery Ballantyne

Ms. Nesli Basgoz

Christine Bassett & Carey Alexander

Richard & Mahala Beams

John & Molly Beard

John Belchers

Sherie & Walter Bush

Ms. Jane Carr & Mr. Andrew Hertig

Michael & Bernie Caruso in honor of Barbara Case Senchak

Tip & Nino Catalano

Ms. Nina Cohen

Marjorie B. & Martin Cohn

William & Ellen Cross

Pamela & Belden Daniels

Marianne DePamphilis & Ronald Caccavaro

Valerie Dixon

Anne Lyons Dolan in memory of Susan Eastman

Mr. Mark Donohoe

Ms. Priscilla Douglas

Zach Durant-Emmons & Willis Emmons

Edmund & Betsy Cabot Charitable Foundation

Eran & Yukiko Egozy

Johannes Eijmberts & Wiebe Tinga

Mark Elefante & Amy Selinger

Eli Lilly & Company Foundation

Ms. Kathleen Emrich & Mr. Robert Sherwood

Assia Khellaf Eyüboglu & Vedat Eyüboglu

Lawrence & Atsuko Fish

Christopher & Hilary Gabrieli

Nathaniel & Nancy Gardiner

Mrs. G. Peabody Gardner

Gatling Family Giving Fund

Temple Gill & Christopher Yens

Bill Glazer & Tom Smith in honor of Russ López & Andrew Sherman

Dr. David Golan & Dr. Laura Green

Dr. Joan Goldberg

Susan Goldberg & Geoffrey Etnire

Barbara & Steve Grossman

HarborOne Foundation

The Hargrove Pierce Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. John Henn

Dr. Robert J. Henry, M.D.

Art & Eloise Hodges

Ms. Jeannette Hsu

Mr. Craig S. Hughes

Susan Graham Johnston

Mr. Adrian Jones

Eva R. Karger

Stan & Sandy Keller

Helen Kim & Colin Warwick

Ms. Lucy LaFleche

Pam Lassiter

Paul Lee

Marilyn Levitt & Andrew Friedland

Maestro Keith Lockhart & Ms. Emiley Zalesky Lockhart

Joe & Pam LoDato

Tod Machover & June Kinoshita

Steven Maler & Anthony Liquori

Mr. Joseph Mari

Rob & Danny McBride

Jillian* & Andrew McGrath

The Michaud Family

Ms. Kati Mitchell

Rumiko Mizuuchi-Adamowicz & Laurent Adamowicz

Mark & Caroline Murphy

William Reinfeld

Art & Elaine Robins

Elizabeth Ross & William O’Reilly

Lee Sandwen

John Sasso & Mary Jo Adams

Mr. & Mrs. Robert Schechter

Ellie Schmidt

Michael Schwartz & Claudia Aronow

Lisa Serafin Sheehan & Brian Sheehan

Annie Short

Mrs. Sarah D. Billinghurst Solomon

Susan Stamler

Richard Starbuck & Deane Hall

Campbell Steward

Myles Striar

Rev. Nancy Taylor

Ms. Melissa Tully

Ms. Paula Tyack

Mrs. Wat Tyler

Mary Verhage

Roderick J. Wagner

Thomas Watson

Albert & Judith Zabin

SUSTAINER ($500 - $999)

Anonymous (11)

Anonymous in honor of Hans Eijmberts & Wiebe Tinga

Daren Bascome

Nina & Donald Berk

Dr. Nancy Berkowitz

Garen Bohlin & Diana Sorensen

Amy & Ethan d’Ablemont Burnes

Ms. Bettina Burr in honor of Irv Plotkin

James F. Crowley, Jr.

Gene & Lloyd Dahmen

Joanna Humphrey Flynn & Bryan Flynn

Carl Folta & Molly Lemeris in honor of Maria Krokidas

Arthur & Gloria Fox

Ms. Christine G. Hannon

Pauline Ho Bynum in memory of Susan Eastman

Fred Hoppin

Thomas & Sonja Ellingson Hout

Martin Kalilow

Ricardo & Marla Lewitus

Mr. Merrill Mack

Eric Mankin

Tyler B. Martin

John & Christina McCormick

Silvio Micali & Daniela Caruso-Micali

Giampaolo Nicosia

Robertu & Carolyn Osteen

Mr. William Pananos

John Parisi

Mr. Gene Pokorny

Mr. Jack Reynolds in memory of Stevie Giacalone

Patricia Romeo-Gilbert

Simon Rosenthal & Nouri Newman

Mr. Michael Schaefer

Jay Scheib

Patrick Seaver

Mr. Robert Shapiro

Lesley Silvester & E.J. Kahn III

Sanjay & Amanda Talluri

Ann B. Teixeira

Michael & Judith Thoyer in honor of Erinn Rhodes

Judith Verhave

Linda & Harvey Weiner

Steve Weiner & Don Cornuet

Angela & Christopher Winchenbaugh

Ed & Keryn Wojosecki

Mr. & Ms. Douglas Woodlock

Joan & Michael Yogg

Harvey Young & Heather Schoenfeld

CONTRIBUTOR ($250-$499)

Anonymous (10)

Anonymous in honor of Benedict Hensley, baritone

Anonymous in honor of Chris Noe

Anonymous, in honor of

Susan Eastman

Anonymous in memory of

Thomas Duffy Gill, Jr.

Dean Anderson & Jean Scarrow

Camille Batarekh & Ann O’Rourke

Peter Bienstock

Sarah B. Blume in honor of

Linda Cabot Black

C. Anthony Broh & Jennifer L. Hochschild

Rebecca Bowen & Toby Bottorf

Ms. Janet Buecker

Mr. & Mrs. Philip Cantillon

Sangita Chandra

Connie Chin

Sharon Daniels

Ms. Kathryn Disney

Lisa Dobberteen

Anne & Gary Dunning

Svetlana Evdokimova

Jack Fabiano & Noel McCoy

Mr. Lloyd Fillion

Kate Gilbert & Chris Colbert

Sandra Gilpatrick

Prof. James A. Glazier

Sylvia Hammer

Mr. & Mrs. James J. Harper

Yael & Eliot Heher

Anneliese Henderson

William Hess in honor of

Thomas Hess

Wendy Hull

Elinore & Herbert Kagan

Courtney Keller

Carol Kemp

Mr. Anthony & Mrs. Susan Kiernan

Blade Kotelly

Robert W. Kruszyna

York Lo & Rebecca Pearson Lo Quinn MacKenzie

Andrew Magdanz & Susan Shapiro

Magdanz

Ken Maillar & Annie Grear

Bruce Malin

Ms. Deena Matowik

Marc Maxwell in honor of Russ López & Andrew Sherman

Margaret McDormand in memory of Anna Elizabeth McDormand

Evelyn McFadden in memory of George Seaman

Ms. Virginia Meany

Ms. Diane Ota

Paul Hart Miller Foundation

Luke & Susie Perry

Ted Pietras

Ms. Helen R. Pillsbury

R. Lynn Rardin & Lynne A. O’Connell

Jim & Sandy Righter

Robert & Iris Fanger Family Foundation

Susan Rodgerson*

Nicholas G. Russell

Mr. Frank Santangelo

John & Ruth Schey

Schrupka Fund

Lauren Schultes

Michael Skatrud

Otto & Dorothy Solbrig

Ellie Starr

John & Mary Tarvin

Glen & Andrea Urban

Steve Walch & Linda Williams

Jerome Weinstein

Polly Pitt Whiteside in honor of Richard Trant

Susan Wing & Thomas Lavin

SUPPORTER ($100-$249)

Anonymous (3)

Alan Benenfeld

Stuart & Dorothy Bless

Carol V. Brown

Charles & Sheila Donahue

Jacqueline G. Haslett, EdD

Newell & Betty Hale Fund of Greater Worcester

Susan Porter & Robert Kauffman

Susan Wheltle

Ms. Jennifer Yanco

Ms. Cynthia Yee

THE BORIS GOLDOVSKY

SOCIETY FOR PLANNED GIVING

Anonymous (1)

Ms. Diana Abrashkin

Michael Barza & Judith Robinson

Linda Cabot Black

Rick Burnes

Mr. David Cole-Rous & Ms. Norma Greenberg

Alicia M. Cooney & Stephen Quigley

Gene Dahmen

Tim Daughters

Tamara P. & Charles H. Davis II

Wayne Davis

Janice Mancini Del Sesto

Mr. Lawrence M. DeVito

Anne Lyons Dolan in memory of Susan Eastman

Dr. Jordan S. Ruboy Charitable Fundu

Mr. Dan Durou

Alan & Lisa Dynner

Margaret Eagle & Eli Rapaport

ENDOWMENT

Anonymous (2)

Anonymous Foundation

Ms. Ann Beha & Mr. Robert A. Radloff

Linda Cabot Black

Katie & Paul Buttenwieser

The Calderwood Charitable Foundation

Robert Eastman

Martin Elvis

Ms. Anne Ewers

Kathryn G. Freed in memory of

Dean & Patti Freed

Catherine & Frederick Grein

Allison Groves

Gillian Stuart Hamer

Mr. Joseph Hammer

Mr. & Mrs. John Henn

Mimi Hewlett

Ms. Myrna F. Howe

Amy Hunter & Steven Maguire

Susan W. Jacobs

Ellen & Robert Kaplan

Eva R. Karger

Courtney Keller

Ms. Mary Kiley

Robert W. Kruszyna

Mr. David Latham

Joe & Pam LoDato

Russell López & Andrew Sherman

Timothy Blodgett

Miguel & Suki de Bragança

Dr. & Mrs. Eric & Elaine Bucher

Mr. & Mrs. John Cabot

Alicia M. Cooney & Stephen Quigley

Wayne Davis & Ann Merrifield

Alan & Lisa Dynner

Jody Gill

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS

Mr. Stephen Lord

Ms. M. Lynne Markus

Christopher Marrionu

Abigail B. Mason

Domenico Mastrototaro

Richard S. Milstein, Esq.

Mary & Sherif Nada

Jane Pisciottoli Papa

Marie E. Pereto-Hedin

Janet & Irv Plotkin

Sandy & Herb Pollacku

Christine & Michael Puzo

Peter & Suzanne Read

Stephen & Iris Taymore Schnitzer

David W. Scudder

Wendy Shattuck & Sam Plimpton

Mrs. Lois Silverman

Mr. Michael Tronic

Peter J. Wender

Mrs. Marillyn Zacharis

Ms. Tania Zouikin

Abigail B. Mason

Janet & Irv Plotkin

Helen Pounds

Sheila W. & Samuel M. Robbins

David W. Scudder & Betsy Ridge

Wendy Shattuck & Sam Plimpton

Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation

Ms. Tania Zouikin

Boston Lyric Opera’s 2025/26 season is supported in part by the Barr Foundation; The HarborOne Foundation; the Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation; the Mattina R. Proctor Foundation; Miss Wallace Minot Leonard Foundation; the Poduska Family Foundation; BPS Arts Expansion at EdVestors; the Paul & Edith Babson Foundation; Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation; OPERA America; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture; and Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Corporate sponsors include Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete; MEDITECH; Analog Devices Inc.; Polaris Capital Management; Gilbane Building Company; Flansburgh Architects; and The Residence Inn by Marriott (Boston Downtown/Seaport). Boston Lyric Opera also acknowledges the incredible support of its Board of Directors, Board of Advisors, and other donors and patrons.

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GET AN INSIDER’S LOOK BEYOND THE STAGE: BLO.ORG/SEASON

OPERA INNOVATORS

PRE-SHOW OPERA LECTURES

DECONSTRUCTING OPERA

STREET STAGE: SUMMER 2025 CONCERT IN THE COURTYARD

OPERA CREATION BOOT CAMP

OPERA ON TOUR: DAUGHTER OF THE REGIMENT

OPERA NIGHT AT THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP

All performances begin on time. To respect the enjoyment of others, BLO observes a no-late seating policy. While we understand that traffic conditions, public transportation, weather, and other factors can have unexpected effects on your arrival, we wish to minimize disruptions for our seated patrons and for our artists on stage. Additionally, if you must leave during the performance, reentry may be prohibited.

As a courtesy to the artists and for the comfort of those around you, please turn off mobile phones, watch alarms, and other devices with audible signals prior to the start of the performance. The use of cameras or recording devices in the theater is strictly prohibited. For BLO productions & subscriptions, visit BLO.org or call BLO Audience Services at 617.542.6772, MON-FRI | 10-5.

ACCESSIBILITY

Wheelchair access to the Opera + Community Studios is available at 15 Channel Center Street. BLO Staff will be on site to assist with wayfinding and other needs. Restrooms with accessible stalls are located on both levels. Accessible seats are available for each performance at all price levels. If you have questions or concerns about an accessibility need, please contact us at boxoffice@blo.org and one of our staff will be in touch with you as soon as possible.

EXITS

Fire exits are marked by red illuminated signs. The exit closest to your seat indicates the shortest route out of the building. In the event of a fire or other emergency, calmly walk to the closest exit and proceed outside to street level, using stairs only (not elevators). If an evacuation is needed, please follow the instructions of BLO Staff.

Mask wearing is no longer required for most performances and events, but strongly encouraged at all times while in the performance space.