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A message from Patty Isacson Sabee
Welcome to the Detroit Opera House—we are thrilled to have you with us today.
Whether you are here to enjoy the jazzy offerings of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the chilling, dystopian landscape of Poul Ruders’ opera The Handmaid’s Tale, or the groundbreaking approach to modern dance embodied by the Paul Taylor Dance Company—or all three!—you already know Detroit Opera as a producer of world-class opera and a presenter of internationally acclaimed dance companies.
But we’re also the steward of an amazing historic opera house, with one of the largest stages in the country, built by and for our community. Detroit Opera embodies the innovative spirit and diverse perspectives of our city. We weave together incredible artistry, spellbinding drama, magical stagecraft, and stories that hit home—all in a spectacular venue. Detroit Opera is creating an ambitious standard for American opera and dance that emphasizes community, accessibility, artistic risk-taking, and collaboration. Beyond opera and dance, we’re committed to bringing you more opportunities to enjoy performing arts and cultural events that shine on our stage and stretch our imaginations. We hope you’ll visit our website often to find out more about what is on offer here.
Every time you attend a performance or event at the Detroit Opera House, you are supporting the arts in Detroit and our mission to bring unforgettable opera and dance to our region. So many people have asked me what they can do to help Detroit Opera—please continue to be our advocates! Tell others about your experiences here and encourage them to check us out. You can make a difference.
Patty Isacson Sabee President & CEO, Detroit Opera
SATURDAY / MAY 02 / 2:00PM
Detroit Opera Youth Chorus at the Detroit Opera House
SCAN
Sip & Stroll at the DOH
Have you ever strolled by the Detroit Opera House and wanted to know what it looks like inside? Join us for a 90-minute “Sip & Stroll” experience at the Detroit Opera House. Tours offer participants the chance to see our beautiful, historic 1922 theater, designed by renowned architect C. Howard Crane, and include the mainstage and backstage areas, plus a visit to the rooftop for spectacular views of downtown Detroit from our SkyDeck (weather permitting). Sip & Stroll tours include a glass of premium red or white wine, bottled water, and snacks. Must be 21 years old with a valid ID. Visit DetroitOpera.org for available dates and to purchase tickets.
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Join Detroit Opera’s volunteer community and share your gifts and talents. Have fun and make friends while participating in a multitude of opportunities all supporting Detroit Opera’s mission. Our volunteers are ambassadors for Detroit Opera and the city of Detroit, warmly welcoming patrons from near and far to the beautiful, 103-year-old Detroit Opera House for an experience they will cherish forever.
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“Once, my body belonged to me.”
SUN / MAR 01 / 2:30PM
THU / MAR 05 / 7:30PM SAT / MAR 07 / 7:30PM
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE, IN ASSOCIATION WITH POLYARTS, PRESENTS with Eimear Noone
SAT / APR 11 / 7:30PM SUN / APR 12 / 2:30PM
Since its founding in 1954, the Paul Taylor Dance Company has been a groundbreaking force in American modern dance and has been described by The New York Times as “one of the most exciting, innovative and delightful dance companies in the entire world.” The program salutes the American dance icon with repertory that includes Company B, a seminal piece of Americana that recalls the turbulent era of the Great Depression through the hit songs of the Andrews Sisters, and a 50th anniversary presentation of Taylor’s masterpiece Esplanade described by The New Yorker as “a mythic dimension on ordinary aspects of our daily lives.”
25/26 DANCE
director’s NOTE
From Brenna Corner
In a world increasingly dominated by all sorts of noise, art and storytelling have become vital anchors preserving our shared humanity and fostering empathy. Music and storytelling are universal languages, expressing the complexities of the human spirit where words alone fail. These creative pursuits provide the essential framework through which we process our collective history and envision a more compassionate future.
This adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale strives to drive home the importance and essence of musical storytelling; even in a society designed to silence women, the human impulses of love and connection remain an unquenchable essential and in the world of Gilead an act of defiance.
The musical landscape of this piece is as unforgiving and complex as the novel. Ruders’ score doesn’t just paint a picture of a time, it constructs the confining space
of a cold dystopian world. The orchestration is visceral, an almost tactile tension between freedom and control. There are jagged, claustrophobic elements that represent Offred’s daily life under the regime counterbalanced by lyrical fragments of her previous life. This allows us to hear the silence enforced by the Republic of Gilead along with the inner turmoil of a woman desperate to survive. It makes the piece terrifying in its vast social-political scale and haunting in its personal stakes.
It pulls the audience into the psychological reality of someone whose every breath is a struggle for existence and also an act of resistance.
Narratively, the piece takes place in a variety of different times— Before Gilead, during Gilead, and after Offred's experience. Scenes slide together almost seamlessly between these times, creating a patchwork of Offred’s memories. Visually and conceptually, we have sought to manifest Offred’s relived experiences through the central use of a massive, doublesided mirror that dominates the stage. This mirror serves as a literal and metaphorical wall, trapping Offred within her own gaze while allowing the audience to witness the overlapping layers of her reality. As the light shifts, the glass transforms—sometimes creating the stark, cold reality of the Commander’s household, and at other times becoming transparent enough to reveal the ghosts of her past. It creates a haunting representation of the memories at war in her mind. Offred might see her own reflection in the restrictive red uniform of a Handmaid, only to have the face of her lost daughter or her former self emerge from the other side of the glass. This constant play of reflection emphasizes the suffocating sense of being watched, but more important, it illustrates how trauma creates a prison of the mind where the past and present bleed into one another.
At its core, this production focuses on the raw, emotional pulse of the story: the bond of motherhood.
While the Republic of Gilead views Offred merely as a biological vessel, for me the true heart of the piece lies in her identity as a mother plagued by the loss of her daughter. This production highlights the unbearable guilt Offred carries, the soul-crushing sensation of selfhatred for having failed her daughter by failing to protect her during the rise of the regime. Her daughter is more than a memory to be recalled; she is a constant, ghostly presence on our stage, often glimpsed as a reminder of everything that the regime has stolen. Gilead is a world where motherhood is used as a weapon of the state to ensure compliance, yet Offred's refusal to let her daughter’s image fade away becomes a profound act of love and her act of rebellion.
It is a profound honor to bring Poul Ruders’ operatic masterpiece, The Handmaid’s Tale, to the Detroit Opera stage. Bringing this production to Detroit feels especially vital and timely. I am incredibly humbled to share such a provocative and sonically rich work with you. There is no better place for this exploration of the fragility of freedom and the enduring strength of the human spirit. I invite you to join us in this journey of survival and unbreakable love.
Synopsis
Inside the fractured mind of a woman, a memory is being pieced back together—she shares her story, reliving the past:
Though she once lived freely in the United States, her world changed overnight when a plummeting birth rate, driven by environmental collapse, triggered a fundamentalist uprising. A theocratic regime known as the Republic of Gilead seized control, stripping women of their rights—banning them from work, property ownership, literacy, and autonomy. Fertile women, especially those deemed non-compliant with the new moral order, were torn from their families and forced into training centers run by “Aunts.” There, they were indoctrinated to serve as Handmaids: assigned to elite, childless households to be ritually impregnated by the male head of the house, under the gaze of his Wife. Failure to bear a child after three placements meant exile to the deadly Colonies to clean up toxic waste.
As the world around her is controlled by force, Offred navigates an inner landscape shaped by psychological survival. The deepest wound: being torn from her daughter during their failed escape. That loss—impossible to name or undo—echoes through everything. What unfolds is not just a dystopian nightmare, but the slow and painful attempt to make meaning of it.
PROLOGUE
The memory begins with violence: Offred is captured, separated from her husband, Luke, and their child. Taken to the Red Center, she trains among other women deemed fertile. Moira, her best friend, resists and escapes. After graduation from the Red Center, the women are assigned to households as Handmaids.
ACT I
Now several years into her life as a Handmaid, the woman, named Offred (Of-Fred), arrives at her third placement. She recognizes the Commander’s Wife as Serena Joy, a former Gospel television personality. She meets the household staff: Nick, a driver, and Rita, a cook.
Every interaction triggers memories of the life she lost: meeting and marrying Luke, raising their daughter.
On a shopping trip, Offred and her assigned companion, Ofglen, encounter Janine—now Ofwarren—visibly pregnant. Later, Nick quietly approaches her, and the Commander unexpectedly visits her bedroom—both forbidden acts. A visit to the doctor includes a covert offer of illegal insemination. Back at the house, the ritual impregnation “ceremony” occurs, followed by covert nighttime visits to the Commander’s study.
At the Red Center, all ranks of Gileadean women gather to celebrate the birth of Janine’s child. Back at the house, Offred’s disorientation grows.
ACT II
The next morning, Rita panics upon finding Offred unresponsive.
On another shopping outing, Ofglen tells Offred that Ofwarren’s baby was euthanized due to deformities. They visit Soul Scrolls (shops where customers can ring up and order prayers) to pray for her, when Ofwarren enters, clearly mentally unwell after the death of her child. She’s reliving a moment from The Time Before when she is taken out of Soul Scrolls by Eyes (secret police). Ofglen and Offred visit the wall, where Ofglen tells Offred about a secret resistance group known as Mayday.
Later, in the Commander’s study, Offred learns that the household’s previous Handmaid hanged herself—explaining Rita’s earlier panic.
After the next ceremony, the Commander sneaks Offred into Jezebel’s, an elite brothel. There, she unexpectedly is reunited with Moira, who has been forced into sex work.
Serena Joy, desperate for a child, gives Offred a photo of her missing daughter, in exchange for sleeping with Nick. Offred and Nick become lovers.
At a public execution called a Salvaging, Handmaids are forced to kill a purported rapist—actually a member of the resistance. Ofglen mercifully renders him unconscious before the others descend.
Soon after, Offred receives a new shopping partner; the original Ofglen has died by suicide to avoid capture.
Back at the house, Serena Joy confronts Offred about her secret meetings with the Commander.
Police arrive to arrest Offred. Nick whispers that they are resistance operatives and urges her to trust them. As she is taken away, she doesn’t know whether she’s being rescued—or punished.
CODA
The opera ends with Offred beginning a new chapter—not of escape, but of reckoning. As the music fades, we sense a woman no longer crushed beneath her guilt, but beginning to face it. The trauma of losing her daughter has not left her, but neither has her need to survive for her. In that space between grief and hope, her journey toward forgiveness finally begins.
These performances of The Handmaid’s Tale are presented with support from:
Niamh O’Sullivan (Offred ) is generously sponsored by Ethan & Gretchen Davidson
Lisa Marie Rogali (Offred in the Before Times) is generously sponsored by Donald & Antoinette Morelock
Davia Bouley (Serena Joy ) is generously sponsored by Bharat & Lynn Gandhi
Ann Toomey (Ofglen) is generously sponsored by Mary Kramer
Brianna J. Robinson (Moira) is generously sponsored by the Detroit Opera Volunteer Association (DOVA)
Jana McIntyre ( Janine/Ofwarren) is generously sponsored by Barbara Kratchman
COMPOSER: Poul Ruders
LIBRETTO: Paul Bentley
Based on the novel by Margaret Atwood
WORLD PREMIERE:
March 6, 2000, Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen
PRODUCTION PREMIERE:
July 26, 2025, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
SUN / MAR 01 / @2:30PM
PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK
@1:30PM WITH BRENNA CORNER, ROBERTO KALB, AND NATHALIE DOUCET
THU / MAR 05 / @7:30PM
PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK
@6:30PM WITH MARIT STRINDLUND, NAOMI ANDRÉ, AND NATHALIE DOUCET
SAT / MAR 07 / @7:30PM
PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK
@6:30PM WITH MARIT STRINDLUND, NAOMI ANDRÉ, AND NATHALIE DOUCET
No photography or video is allowed during the performance. Please silence all phones.
CONTENT WARNING: The Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian setting based on the original novel, contains graphic depictions of sexual and physical violence, state-enforced pregnancy, and gender-based oppression, as well as scenes of psychological trauma and hangings. Audience discretion is advised. Not recommended for children under 16 years of age.
AUNT LYDIA ................................ Alexandra LoBianco
SERENA JOY ......................................... Davia Bouley
THE COMMANDER ....................................... Sam Carl
OFFRED IN THE BEFORE TIMES ............... Lisa Marie Rogali
LUKE ...................................... Travis Leon Williams
OFGLEN ............................................. Ann Toomey
MOIRA ......................................... Brianna J. Robinson
JANINE/OFWARREN .............................. Jana McIntyre
OFFRED’S MOTHER ................................. Ariana Lucas
RITA ................................................... Sara Couden
NICK ......................................... Andrew Stenson
DOCTOR ..................................... Matthew DiBattista
NEW OFGLEN .................................. Elena Zelinko
Detroit Opera Resident Artist Detroit Opera debut
DETROIT OPERA CHORUS
Detroit Opera cast and chorus are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists
CHORUS DIRECTOR ....................................... Katherine Kozak
CHORUS
Amour Bethea, Handmaid A1
Alaina Brown
Katelyn Brown
Jacqueline Conlon, Widow
Selah-Marie Castellano
Lily Belle Czartorski
Elise Eden
Delaney Finn, Warren's Wife/Echo
Anna Hart
Paige Heidrich
Rose Iannuzzi
Leslie Ann Naeve, Moira’s Aunt
Jessie Neilson, Handmaid
Kristina Riegle, Econo Wife/Girl
Morgan Seemann
Abagail Solomon
Tia Wilson, Handmaid B1
Elena Zelinko
SUPERNUMERARIES
Meridith Karls, Offred's Daughter
Will Floss, Guard
Kurt Frank, Eye
Regis Haynes
Cameron Barrett Johnson, Commander X
Matthew Konopacki, Man
David Magumba
Jovan Osborne
Kevin Starnes, Guard
Terrence Stewart
Ashley Dawley, Kelly Drenth, Elizabeth Forsythe, Audrey Huizenga, Dayanna Price, Sarah Wagner, Handmaid/Aunt/Jezebel/Protester
Jaime Bellos, Brandon Doyle, Jake Falls, Jahleel Hunley, Joseph Kelly, Sterling Orlowski, Devon Prough, Glen Woods, Eye/Guard
DETROIT OPERA ORCHESTRA
Detroit Federation of Musicians, Local #5, of the American Federation of Musicians
VIOLIN I
Daniel Stachyra*
Interim Concertmaster
Yuri Popowycz*
Acting Assistant Concertmaster
Henrik Karapetyan*
Beth Kirton*
Jenny Wan*
Andrew Wu*
Courtney Lubin
David Ormai
Ying-Li Pan
Florina Petrescu
VIOLIN II
Emelyn Bashour* Principal
Solveig Geenen*
Molly Hughes*
Bryan Johnston*
Velda Kelly *
Jenny Berg
Karen Donato
Chase Ward
VIOLA
Scott Stefanko* Acting Principal
Jacqueline Hanson*
Chloé Thominet*
Joseph Deller
James Greer
Julianne Zinn
CELLO
Ivana Biliskov* Principal
Benjamin Maxwell*
Gabriel Hennebury
Wesley Hornpetrie
Julia Knowles
Robert Paddock
BASS
Derek Weller* Principal
Clark Suttle*
Gary Gatzke
Jean Posekany
HARP
Juan Riveros* Principal
PICCOLO
Collin Stavinoha* Principal
OBOE
Eli Stefanacci* Principal
Yuki Harding
Mark Doerr* Oboe / English Horn
CLARINET
Roi Karni* Principal
Lisa Raschiatore
J. William King* Clarinet / Bass Clarinet
BASSOON
Daniel Fendrick* Principal
Liam Jackson
Natalie Law
HORN
Colin Bianchi* Principal
Natalie Sweasy *
Samuel Sidorowicz
Madison Warren
TRUMPET
David Ammer* Principal
Elijah Leonard*
Derek Lockhart
TROMBONE
Jordan Dove* Principal
Dustin Nguyen*
Bryan Pokorney Trombone / Bass Trombone
TUBA
David Zerkel Acting Principal
TIMPANI
Eric Stoss* Principal
PERCUSSION
John Dorsey* Principal
David Taylor
KEYBOARD
Mike Karloff
SAMPLER
John Etsell
* Detroit Opera Core Orchestra Members
Members of the violin sections occasionally rotate.
PHOTO
POUL RUDERS | COMPOSER
Born: Ringsted, Denmark, March 27, 1949
Poul Ruders is one of today’s most highly regarded composers for the opera stage and the symphonic concert hall. He graduated from the Royal Danish Academy as an organist in 1975. Following early studies in piano and organ, he studied orchestration with the Danish composer Ib Norholm. As a composer, he is largely self-taught. His operas have been staged in Copenhagen, New York City, London, Toronto, Munich, and elsewhere; his orchestral music has been commissioned by orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Ruders’ best-known work is The Handmaid’s Tale (1998), his opera inspired by Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel. As English critic Stephen Johnson wrote, “In The Handmaid’s Tale—more than in any of his other works—Ruders draws together the themes which have preoccupied him for so long: the apocalyptic, the elemental and the human, aching tenderness, grotesque irony, despair—but perhaps also, as in the closing pages of Symphony No.1, a flicker of hope.” Ruders’ other operas include Kafka's Trial (2003), exploring Kafka's unfinished masterpiece and including dramatized events from the writer’s life; and Selma Jezková (2007), based on the Lars von Trier film Dancer in the Dark. His opera The Thirteenth Child is based on a story by the Brothers Grimm and was premiered at Santa Fe Opera in 2019. Ruders has composed 45 symphonic works and concertos, and dozens of solo and chamber pieces. Solar Trilogy, a set of three symphonic poems— Gong, Zenith and Corona—can be performed individually or as a huge dramatic triptych. His Manhattan Abstraction: A Symphonic Skyline is an homage to New York’s giant contraption of concrete, glass, and chrome.
Poul Ruders shares his thoughts about The Handmaid’s Tale in a recent conversation at detroitopera.org/news.
PAUL BENTLEY | LIBRETTIST
Born: Sheffield, England, July 25, 1942
Paul Bentley is a British stage, film, television actor, and writer. He wrote librettos for Poul Ruders’ operas
The Handmaid’s Tale and Kafka’s Trial, as well as for Ana Sokolovic’s The Midnight Court, Dominique Le Gendre's Bird of Night, and James Rolfe’s Inês. His novel The Man Who Came After Hyacinth Bobo is set during the Fourth Crusade and the Siege of Constantinople. He is also author of the play Inquisition, about Jesuit scientist Teilhard de Chardin, and a radio play in which Jane Austen meets Lord Byron. As an actor, Bentley has performed frequently in London’s West End; his credits include Stephen Sondheim's Assassins, Company, and Follie s; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats and Aspects of Love; the Captain in Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore; and Dame Edna—the Spectacle. He played the High Septon in the TV series Game of Thrones. Bentley has said, “Despite the fact that I have spent a lifetime acting and singing, if I am remembered for anything I reckon it will be because I wrote librettos for Poul Ruders, a composer of immense distinction...As opera is the greatest of all the art forms, there is nothing more exciting than helping to create one.”
MARIT STRINDLUND | CONDUCTOR
Marit Strindlund is one of the most renowned and inspiring opera conductors of her generation in Scandinavia. She was Music Director and Chief Conductor at Folkoperan Opera House in Stockholm from 2013 to 2021, where she led many successful productions including Tristan and Isolde , Bluebeard’s Castle , La traviata , Turandot , Satyagraha , Ålevangeliet, The Tales of Hoffmann, and others. Marit also held the position of Artistic Director and Music Director at Spira Performing Arts Center with Jönköpings Sinfonietta from 2020 to 2023.
In the 2024–25 season, Marit made her debuts at Staatsoper Stuttgart and Wiener Festwochen, and with the orchestra of Komische Oper Berlin, amongst others. In spring 2025, Marit headed back to Staatsoper Stuttgart to conduct the world premiere of Der rote Wal to great critical acclaim. She also returns in the 2025–26 season for two productions, including the famously scandalous production of Sancta with renowned stage director and performance artist Florentina Holzinger.
In 2026, Marit returns to Opera Ballet Vlaanderen and makes her house debuts at Detroit Opera for The Handmaid’s Tale (also her American debut) and the Danish National Opera for Carmen. In 2027, she will conduct two productions at the Komische Oper Berlin, making her operatic debut at the house. She will also debut at Theater St. Gallen in Switzerland with a new production of Susannah by Carlisle Floyd.
Previously, Marit has conducted numerous opera productions in Belgium, the U.K., and Scandinavia, including a very successful Pelléas et Mélisande in a co-production for Bergen National Opera, Opéra de Dijon, Antwerp’s Muziektheater Transparant, and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen; Usher for Opera Ballet Vlaanderen; Sir John in Love for London’s Opera Holland Park; Songs of Wars I Have Seen for Operadagen Rotterdam; La bohème and The Pearl Fishers at Norway’s RingsakerOperaen; The Brothers Lionheart at Göteborg Opera; Ålevangeliet at Norrlandsoperan; and La bohème and The Magic Flute at Wermland Opera.
From 2015 to 2019, Marit was appointed by the Swedish Minister for Culture as a member of the artistic board of the national Swedish Performing Arts Agency.
Marit studied orchestral conducting at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm with Jorma Panula, and at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, specializing in opera, with Mark Elder and Mark Shanahan.
Instagram: @marit.strindlund.conductor
BRENNA CORNER | DIRECTOR
Brenna Corner is an international opera and theater stage director working across the United States, Canada, and Europe. She is also the Artistic Director of Pacific Opera Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. Select directing projects include Macbetto and Il trovatore (Washington National Opera); Pagliacci (Glimmerglass Festival); The Little Prince (Pacific Opera Victoria); H.M.S. Pinafore and L’elisir d’amore (Vancouver Opera); Carmen (Des Moines Metro Opera); Don Giovanni (Seattle Opera); Hansel and Gretel (San Diego Opera and Vancouver Opera); La bohème (Calgary Opera); Dead Man Walking (Israeli Opera); La bohème (The Dallas Opera); Noye’s Fludd and Scalia/Ginsburg (Glimmerglass Opera); Sweeney Todd (New Orleans Opera); Der fliegende Holländer (Cincinnati Opera and Houston Grand Opera); and Carmen (The Atlanta Opera).
She was the founding Artistic Director of Manitoba Underground Opera, which produces a festival of new operatic experiences each August in Winnipeg. She has also worked as a dramatic coach for training programs including the Washington National Opera Cafritz Young Artists Program in Washington, D.C.
Brenna made her directorial mainstage debut in 2016 with a new production of Hansel and Gretel designed by the Old Trout Puppet Workshop for Vancouver Opera. This production has since toured North America, and was mostly recently produced for San Diego Opera as part of their 2019–20 season. She made her American directorial debut in February 2017 with New Orleans Opera, creating a new production of Sweeney Todd .
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she created new opera experiences through film including Don Giovanni for Seattle Opera, Carmen: Up Close and Personal for Vancouver Opera, Dear Mom: a web series for Kentucky Opera, and Green Envelopes for Manitoba Underground Opera.
Brenna was a member of the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artists Program with Vancouver Opera and spent two years as the resident director for The Atlanta Opera Studio Artist Program. She is a certified member of Fight Directors Canada and has choreographed many fights for both opera and theater.
She studied classical music at the University of Manitoba and has diplomas in theater from Grant MacEwan College and the British American Drama Academy.
Instagram: @corner.brenna
NIAMH O’SULLIVAN | OFFRED
Irish mezzo-soprano Niamh O’Sullivan has been praised for her “bewitchingly beautiful, dark vibrant voice” (Süddeutsche Zeitung). A BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist from 2023 to 2025 and former studio member of the Bayerische Staatsoper, Niamh has quickly established herself as one of the most exciting mezzos today. The 2024–25 season saw Niamh make a series of debuts, including her house and role debut as Ino (Semele) and role debut as Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier) for Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, and role debuts as Ursule (Béatrice et Bénédict) and Maddalena (Rigoletto) for Irish National Opera. She also sang Ino in her return to the Royal Opera House. In the 2023–24 season, Niamh made her role debut as Wellgunde in a new Barrie Kosky production of Das Rheingold at the Royal Opera House, and as Carmen in La tragédie de Carmen at the Buxton Festival, in addition to singing Wellgunde in Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung and Mercédès in Carmen for Opernhaus Zürich. Other recent plans have included Meg Page (Falstaff ) at Opernhaus Zürich, Mercédès at English National Opera, and Mirza (Lalla-Roukh) and Paulina (Ein Wintermärchen) with Wexford Festival Opera. Niamh’s close association with Irish National Opera has seen her sing Charlotte (Werther), Mercédès, Tisbe (La Cenerentola), Third Maid (Elektra), Asteria (Bajazet), and Alva in the world premiere of The First Child for the company. In concert, Niamh has performed Elgar’s Sea Pictures at the Prinzregententheater for the Munich Festspiele, Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah with the Münchner Hofkantorei, the main role of Cain in Scarlatti’s Il primo omicidio with the Munich Jakobsplatz Orchestra conducted by Daniel Grossmann, Cousser’s The Universal Applause of Mount Parnassus at the Wigmore Hall with Ensemble Marsyas conducted by Peter Whelan, and Messiah with the Ulster Orchestra. As a member of the Opera Studio at the Bayerische Staatsoper from 2016 to 2018, Niamh sang numerous roles including Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel ), Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly), and the Secretary (The Consul ). Niamh studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin and was a participant of the Académie du Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in 2023. Instagram: @niamhosullivan.mezzo
ALEXANDRA LOBIANCO | AUNT LYDIA
American soprano Alexandra LoBianco, who “gave an impassioned performance” in the title role of Aida at Seattle Opera (The Seattle Times), has established herself as a dramatic soprano of distinctive versatility, musicality, and consistency. The current season includes performances of Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth for her role and house debut with Boston Lyric Opera, as well as concert appearances with the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Hailing from St. Petersburg, Florida, Alexandra began her journey in opera with a foundation in voice, theater, and clarinet. She quickly garnered recognition for her talent, winning first prize at the Liederkranz Foundation and Irene Dalis Vocal Competitions in 2011, and at the Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition and the Sullivan Foundation Awards in 2013. These early successes laid the groundwork for a distinguished career on the international stage. Alexandra has performed with numerous opera companies of note, while taking on some of the most challenging
roles in the repertoire. Career highlights include Leonore in Fidelio with the Wiener Staatsoper and North Carolina Opera, Brünnhilde in Die Walkür e and Siegfried with Seattle Opera and North Carolina Opera, Minnie in La fanciulla del West with Des Moines Metro Opera, and the title role in Turandot with Des Moines Metro Opera, Palm Beach Opera, and Maryland Lyric Opera. She has also appeared as Santuzza in Cavalleria rusticana with Seattle Opera, Alice Ford in Falstaff with Santa Fe Opera, and Marianne Leitmetzerin in Der Rosenkavalier at the Metropolitan Opera, which was featured in the Met’s Live in HD broadcast series. Recent seasons have also included performances as Leonora in Il trovatore with Opera Colorado, the Mother in Hansel and Gretel with Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Foreign Princess in Rusalka with the Canadian Opera Company, and the title role in Tosca with Seattle Opera and Portland Opera. In a stunning international turn, Alexandra stepped in for an ailing colleague as Leonore in Fidelio for her debut with the Wiener Staatsoper while under contract for the title role in Turandot . Subsequent engagements with the Wiener Staatsoper included performing as Helmwige and covering Brünnhilde in Die Walküre while on tour in Japan. Instagram: @lobiancosoprano
DAVIA BOULEY | SERENA JOY
American contralto Davia Bouley has attracted attention from U.S. and European audiences alike for her alluring stage presence and voice of “true beauty” (OperaWire). She has performed with opera companies, at music festivals, and in concert halls all over the United States and Europe, including the Cincinnati Opera, Theater Dortmund, Munich’s Isarphilharmonie, Berliner Philharmonie, the Aspen Music Festival, Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Current and recent career highlights include her debut as Serena Joy in The Handmaid’s Tale at Detroit Opera; Zweite Dame at the Grand Teton Music Festival in Die Zauberflöte , under the musical direction of Sir Donald Runnicles; Siegrune in Die Walküre with Theater Dortmund, directed by Peter Konwitschny; and a tour of concert debuts as Flosshilde in Der Ring an einem Abend with the Staatskapelle Weimar, performing at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Isarphilharmonie, Weimarhalle, Meistersingerhalle in Nuremburg, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, and Berliner Philharmonie. Davia made her European debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin as Paysanne 2 in their new production of Meyerbeer’s Le prophète under the baton of Enrique Mazzola. She then continued to be a regular guest for seven seasons at the company, with roles that included Lola in Cavalleria rusticana , Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte , the Beggar Woman in Graham Vick’s Death in Venice alongside Ian Bostridge, Maestra delle Novizie in Suor Angelica , Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream , and the Third Secretary in the Berlin premiere of Nixon in China . U.S. engagements have included Silver Dollar in The Ballad of Baby Doe with Amarillo Opera, the alto soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Round Top Music Festival, Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and Little Buttercup in H.M.S. Pinafore with Indianapolis Opera, and Giovanna in Rigoletto and Dritte Dame in Die Zauberflöte with Cincinnati Opera, conducted by Bernard Labadie. A native of Southern California, she holds a master’s degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University. Instagram: @daviabouley
SAM CARL | THE COMMANDER
Sam Carl is a rising bass-baritone whose rich, resonant voice and commanding stage presence are drawing increasing attention across European and American stages. This season, Sam makes his role debut as Claggart in a revival of Billy Budd at the Glyndebourne Festival under Nicholas Carter. He also debuts at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet as Prince Gremin in Eugene Onegin and returns to Opera Ballet Vlaanderen as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, to Dutch National Opera as Angelotti in Barrie Kosky’s Tosca , and to Theater Basel as Banquo in a new production of Macbeth directed by Herbert Fritsch. In the 2024–25 season, he returned to Dutch National Opera for two new productions: as Hobson in Peter Grimes, directed by Barbora Horáková and conducted by Lorenzo Viotti, and as Der Geisterbote in Katie Mitchell’s staging of Die Frau ohne Schatten , conducted by Marc Albrecht. He also returned to the Bayerische Staatsoper as Astradamors in Le Grand Macabre, made his role debut as Alidoro in La Cenerentola at the Opéra national de Lorraine (also touring to Caen, Reims, and Luxembourg), and debuted as Timur in Christof Loy’s new production of Turandot at Theater Basel. His U.S. debut followed soon after, in the role of Nick Shadow in The Rake’s Progress for Des Moines Metro Opera. Other recent highlights include his debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper as Panthée in a new production of Les Troyens, his return to Dutch National Opera as La Talpa/Betto di Signa in Il trittico and as Der Holzhacker in Königskinder, his debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu as Prince Gremin, and multiple appearances at the Glyndebourne Festival, including as Leporello in Don Giovanni, as Achilla in Giulio Cesare , and as Nick Shadow. He has also appeared at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen as Mephistopheles in Robert Schumann’s Szenen aus Goethes Faust , and at the Staatstheater Darmstadt as Colline in La bohème and in the title role of Don Quichotte. Instagram: @samcarlopera
LISA MARIE ROGALI
OFFRED IN THE BEFORE TIMES
Award-winning American mezzo-soprano Lisa Marie Rogali has been praised for her “warm, nuanced voice” and “spontaneity” on the stage. This season, Lisa returns to Virginia Opera to make her role debut as Angelina (La Cenerentola). She brings her magnetic Carmen to both Toledo Opera and Gulfshore Opera, and returns to Detroit Opera as Offred in the Before Times (The Handmaid’s Tale). In the 2024–25 season, Lisa made her debut in the title role of Carmen with both Virginia Opera and Florentine Opera, with a portrayal hailed by The Virginian-Pilot as “not to be missed, a bangup performance.” As part of Sarasota Opera’s Winter Festival, she reprised her charming Rosina (Il barbiere di Siviglia), garnering high praise from Opera with Opera News who called her “a Rossini star in the making.” She returned to the South Florida Symphony as the alto soloist in their annual Messiah, and she concluded the season by bringing her celebrated Rosina to Central City Opera. Other recent highlights include her residency with Detroit Opera, where she performed Kate Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly) and the Dog/Woodpecker (The Cunning Little Vixen). She also made her role debut as Rosina with North Carolina Opera, made her Carnegie Hall debut in Mozart’s Coronation Mass, and performed the title role in The Rose Elf by David Hertzberg with
OrpheusPDX. She has received accolades from the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition, Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, Dallas Opera National Vocal Competition, and others. Instagram: @lisamarierogali
TRAVIS LEON WILLIAMS | LUKE
Travis Leon Williams is an American tenor hailing from Lansing, Michigan. His love for classical voice blossomed when his parents introduced him to Universal Pictures’ 1943 film version of The Phantom of the Opera at age seven. His professional credits include Spoletta in Tosca and soloist in Opera Legends in Black at Opera Las Vegas, Holiday Pops soloist with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, soloist in Opera Grand Rapids’ season-kickoff gala, Roland Hayes in Black Swan Radio Hour at Vegas City Opera, and Mr. Jefferson (and other roles) in Rent at The Dio. Travis was the Division I winner of the 2019 Opera Grand Rapids Collegiate Competition (VanderLaan Prize). In 2019 he attended the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS), where he won second prize in the Meistersinger Competition. He received a 2022 Encouragement Award in the Oregon District of the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition. Travis serves as a voice coach at DeWitt High School and is a member of the Verna D. Holley Project. He is an adjudicator for the Sutton Foster Awards and a teaching artist with the Disney Musicals in Schools program at the Wharton Center. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Western Michigan University in 2020 and Master of Music degree in vocal performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in 2022. Instagram: @bravotravissimo
ANN TOOMEY | OFGLEN
American soprano Ann Toomey, whom Naples Daily News proclaimed to be “a brilliant Floria Tosca [whose] rich voice projects power that doesn’t disintegrate under adversity,” is a former member of the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, a 2016 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions national semifinalist, and a 2019 Richard F. Gold Career Grant recipient. Recently, she made her European debut, to critical acclaim, performing the title role in Suor Angelica at the Berlin Philharmonie, under the baton of Kirill Petrenko. Highlights of the immediate past and current season include Woglinde in Das Rheingold with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, the Una poenitentium in Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Giancarlo Guerrero and the Nashville Symphony, Meg Page in Sir John in Love at Bard SummerScape, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd with Dayton Opera, the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Opera San Antonio, and First Lady in Die Zauberflöte with Glyndebourne Festival. In recent seasons, Ann sang the title role of Tosca with Sarasota Opera, Opera Naples, and Livermore Valley Opera; the Witch in Into the Woods with Tulsa Opera; and Ortlinde in Act III of Die Walkür e with Detroit Opera. During the 2018–19 season, she performed as Musetta in La bohème with Lyric Opera of Chicago, completing her three-year residency with the Ryan Opera Center. She debuted at Lyric Opera of Chicago as First Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Ann is a native of Detroit and currently lives in Chicago. Instagram: @abtoomey
BRIANNA J. ROBINSON | MOIRA
Soprano Brianna J. Robinson, whom The Boston Globe proclaimed as “a radiant voice and presence,” is a native of Ravenna, Ohio. She was a Resident Artist with the Detroit Opera in the 2024–25 season, during which her featured role debuts included Annina in La traviata and Antron’s Mother/Kevin’s Mother/Ensemble in Anthony Davis’s The Central Park Five. Brianna is a former Jane & Steven Akin Emerging Artist with Boston Lyric Opera, where she had two successful jump-ins—as Julie in Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels’s Pulitzer Prize–winning opera, Omar, and as Léontine in Chevalier de Saint-Georges’s The Anonymous Lover. In December 2023, she made her debut at Carnegie Hall with The Cecilia Chorus of New York in Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Dona nobis pacem. In May 2024, she was awarded First Prize in the George Shirley Vocal Competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Brianna has performed in the Handel and Haydn Society’s immersive concert experience Crossing the Deep, and with such ensembles as the Akron and the Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestras. Brianna was a finalist in Opera Ebony’s Benjamin Matthews Vocal Competition and was awarded first prize at the Getting to Carnegie competition in 2020. She made her international debut in Ruse, Bulgaria, in 2021, creating the role of Ophelia in the world premiere of Joseph Summer’s Hamlet . Brianna is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Eastman School of Music. Instagram: @brianna.jashai
JANA MCINTYRE | JANINE / OFWARREN
Soprano Jana McIntyre is a George and Nora London Foundation Award Winner and a finalist in the Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition. This performance marks her debut with Detroit Opera; she returns to Bard SummerScape for Die ägyptische Helena (Aithra) and San Francisco Opera for Parsifal (Flower Maiden). Last season, Jana debuted at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tytania) and at OrpheusPDX in Il sogno di Scipione (Fortuna), and returned to Opera Santa Barbara in La fille du régiment (Marie). She also made her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic as soprano soloist in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream , conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Additional orchestral highlights included her debut with the New York Philharmonic in Boulez’s Pli selon pli: Improvisations sur Mallarmé, I and II (conducted by David Robertson), and a return to Bard Music Festival for Martinů’s Petrklíč. Jana joined the roster of San Francisco Opera for Die Zauberflöte and Innocence, and debuted with Toledo Opera and Opera Grand Rapids in Die Zauberflöte (Königin der Nacht), with Arizona Opera in Le nozze di Figaro (Barbarina), and with the Santa Fe Opera in Jenůfa (Jano). Jana is the recipient of awards from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, the Jensen Foundation, and the Shoshana Foundation. She was a Young Artist with the Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera and an Apprentice Singer with the Santa Fe Opera. Instagram: @janamac
ARIANA LUCAS | OFFRED’S MOTHER
Contralto Ariana Lucas, celebrated for her “authentic contralto depths” (Opera News) and “formidable stage presence” (hr2-kultur radio), is rapidly establishing herself as a leading talent in the dramatic repertoire across Europe. Ariana opened her 2025–26 season with a return to one of her signature roles, Klytämnestra in Elektra at the Theater St. Gallen. This was followed by her “larger than life” (Seen and Heard International ) house and role debut as Leokadja Begbick in Barrie Kosky's acclaimed production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. In 2024–25 she made her Maifestival debut as Mary in Der fliegende Holländer and was a resident artist at Staatstheater Wiesbaden where she debuted as Mescalina in a new production of Le Grand Macabre. Notable engagements also include her Italian radio debut as First Maid (Elektra) with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome under Sir Antonio Pappano, the Housekeeper (Die schweigsame Frau) at the Bard SummerScape festival, and her Chinese debut as Fricka (Die Walkür e) with the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra. Other important appearances include her Staatsoper Berlin debut as First Maid (Elektra), Salzburger Landestheater as the Good Fairy (Alma Deutscher’s Cinderella), Flosshilde (Götterdämmerung) and Brigitta (Die tote Stadt) at Wuppertaler Bühnen, and Amastre (Xerxes) at the International Handel Festival in Karlsruhe. Ariana began her German career with an acclaimed house and role debut in the 2015–16 season as Erda in David Hermann’s Das Rheingold with Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, where she continued as an artist in residence until 2022. Instagram: @arianalucas.de
SARA COUDEN | RITA
Praised by Opera News for her “unusually rich and resonant” voice, contralto Sara Couden is a premier interpreter of operatic, orchestral, chamber, and song repertoire. Her 2025–26 season includes a debut with the Houston Symphony in selections from La vida breve , a role and house debut as Ježibaba (Rusalka) with Pacific Northwest Opera, Die Hexe/Die Mutter (Hänsel und Gretel ) with Lakes Area Music Festival, and appearances with the St. Louis Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, and Tucson Symphony as the alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah. Sara’s latest triumphs include her San Francisco Opera debut as Rita in Poul Ruders’s The Handmaid’s Tale , a return to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Mrs. Sedley (Peter Grimes), her debut appearance in recital at the Manchester Music Festival, and her role debut as Baba the Turk (The Rake’s Progress) with Lakes Area Music Festival, as well as company debuts with The Philadelphia Orchestra as Mother/Chinese Cup/Dragonfly (L’enfant et les sortilèges), the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra as the alto soloist in Julia Perry’s Stabat Mater, the Seattle Symphony in Handel’s Messiah , and the California Symphony in songs by Mahler. Sara also recently released her debut solo album, Artur Schnabel—Complete Vocal Works, on the Steinway & Sons label. Instagram: @saracouden
ANDREW STENSON | NICK
American tenor Andrew Stenson, praised by The Wall Street Journal for his “vivid tenor that is both beautiful and full of raw feeling,” is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. In addition to singing many of the standard lyric tenor roles, Andrew has created leading characters in two important world premieres—Danny Chen in An American Soldier with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and Gen Watanabe in Bel Canto with Lyric Opera of Chicago (where he returned to sing Ferrando in Così fan tutte). Andrew has sung such roles as Candide, Tamino in The Magic Flute , Ernesto in Don Pasquale, Tonio in La fille du régiment, Almaviva in The Barber of Seville, and Sprink in Silent Night with the opera companies of Seattle, Minnesota, Dallas, Utah, Palm Beach, and Arizona, and Washington National Opera. In Europe, he has sung with the Glyndebourne and Wexford Festivals, and the opera companies of Toulouse and Bordeaux. He has appeared with the symphonies of San Francisco, Philadelphia, Seattle, Kansas City, and Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival. He has also won top prizes in several major vocal competitions. During the pandemic, Andrew participated in several virtual productions presented by Seattle Opera. He appeared in their stagings of The Elixir of Love , Don Giovanni , and Tosca , as well as in a solo recital. In the present season, Andrew returns to the Minnesota, Seattle, and Metropolitan Operas. Instagram: @tenorstenson
MATTHEW DIBATTISTA | DOCTOR
Described as “brilliant” by Opera News, tenor Matthew DiBattista is continually in demand on some of the world’s most prestigious stages. Known for an exceptionally varied repertoire, Matthew has performed over 70 operatic roles to date. Recent engagements include his Houston Grand Opera debut as Tinca and Gherardo in Il trittico; San Francisco Opera debut as the Doctor in The Handmaid’s Tale; Carnegie Hall debut as the Teacher in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, recorded on Deutsche Grammophon; the Captain in Odyssey Opera’s recording of The Lord of Cries, which received a Grammy nomination; and the Witch in Hansel and Gretel with the Helena Symphony. He has been on the roster of the Metropolitan Opera and performed several seasons with Lyric Opera of Chicago, where he recently sang Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor. Other successes include appearances at the Glimmerglass Festival, Florida Grand Opera, Cincinnati May Festival, Boston Pops, New Orleans Opera, Opera Omaha, Tulsa Opera, Opera Boston, Virginia Opera, Opera Colorado, Tanglewood Music Center, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Symphony, Wichita Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, Dayton Philharmonic, Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, Charleston Symphony, and Long Beach Opera. Matthew has also appeared for nine straight seasons as a principal artist with Opera Theatre of St. Louis. Instagram: @mattdibatenor
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AMANDA TESTINI | REVIVAL DIRECTOR
Amanda Testini is an Italian-Canadian director and choreographer based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Her work spans opera and theater across Canada and the U.S., with credits at the Glimmerglass Festival, Arts Club Theatre Company, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Bard on the Beach, Vancouver Opera, and Pacific Opera Victoria. In the 2025–26 season, Amanda directs Orpheus in the Underworld (Toronto City Opera), La rondine (Good Mess Opera Theatre), and Orpheus & Eurydice (Pacific Opera Victoria). She is also assistant director for Rigoletto (Vancouver Opera) and choreographer for East Van Panto: West Van Story (Theatre Replacement). Recent directorial highlights include Amahl and the Night Visitors with Edmonton Opera and The Medium for Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. She also assisted on La clemenza di Tito (Pacific Opera Victoria), The Handmaid’s Tale (Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity), and The Magic Flute (Vancouver Opera). At the Glimmerglass Festival in 2025, she returned for a second summer to assistant direct Elizabeth Cree and choreograph Rumpelstiltskin and the Unlovable Children , following her work on La bohème and The Rip Van Winkles the previous summer. During her time as a Young Artist with Vancouver Opera, Amanda directed Blond Eckbert and Cavalleria rusticana in concert, choreographed and assistant directed H.M.S. Pinafore , and assistant directed La Cenerentola and The Barber of Seville. She is a graduate of Studio 58’s acting program at Langara College.
GILLIAN GALLOW | SET DESIGNER
Gillian Gallow is a set and costume designer whose work has been seen around the world. She designed costumes for Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata , a two-part adaptation of the Sanskrit epic, which was premiered at Ontario’s Shaw Festival (2023) and most recently staged at Lincoln Center (2025). Other notable designs include costumes for the 2017 Canadian Opera Company (COC) production of Louis Riel , composed by Harry Somers with a libretto by Mavor Moore and Jacques Languirand, and the 2018 world premiere of the COC’s Hadrian , composed by Rufus Wainwright with a libretto by Daniel MacIvor. Her upcoming projects include designing the set for the COC’s Empire of Wild , a new opera by Métis artists Ian Cusson and Cherie Dimaline.
JESSICA OOSTERGO | COSTUME DESIGNER
Jessica Oostergo is a set and costume designer, born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, and a new resident of Edmonton, Alberta. Her design work has been seen on stages and screens across North America. Jessica worked as the Assistant Head of Wardrobe at Bard on the Beach for seven seasons and has taught design foundations and set design at Langara College’s Studio 58. She is a four-time Jessie Richardson Theatre Award winner, with a total of eight nominations, and a graduate of Studio 58 and Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Select credits: Death of a Salesman (Citadel Theatre); Elf (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Die Walkür e (Edmonton Opera); Heist (Grand Theatre/Citadel Theatre); A Streetcar Named Desire
(Citadel Theatre/Theatre Calgary); The Sound of Music (Grand Theatre/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre/Citadel Theatre); Ring of Fire , The Legend of Georgia McBride (Arts Club Theatre); Sunrise Betties (ITSAZOO Productions); Dance Nation , Bunny (The Search Party); An Undeveloped Sound (Electric Company Theatre); and Julius Caesar (Bard on the Beach). Website: jessicaoostergo.com
SOPHIE TANG | LIGHTING DESIGNER
Sophie Tang is an award-winning lighting and set designer working in theater, opera, and dance. She has worked with companies including Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Electric Company Theatre, Vancouver Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, City Opera Vancouver, Theatre Calgary, Arts Club Theatre, Bard on the Beach, Citadel Theatre, Canadian Stage, and others. Selected credits: The Handmaid’s Tale (Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity); Pride and Prejudice (Grand Theatre); The Little Prince (Pacific Opera Victoria); The Three Musketeers (Citadel Theatre/Arts Club Theatre); The Lehman Trilogy (Theatre Calgary); Salesman in China , The Rez Sisters (Stratford Festival); The Apple Cart (Shaw Festival); Choir Boy (Canadian Stage/Arts Club Theatre); Jersey Boys, The Legend of Georgia McBride , The Twelve Dates of Christmas, The Orchard (After Chekhov) (Arts Club Theatre); Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night , Henry V, Romeo and Juliet , Harlem Duet (Bard on the Beach); The Pearl Fishers, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Vancouver Opera). Website: sophieyufeitang.com
JOSH SAMUELS | SOUND DESIGNER
Josh Samuels is a New York City–based sound designer, mixer, and audio engineer working at the intersection of sound, art, and technology. Having started out in theater, they have worked on countless shows across the country and in New York City, including 10 Broadway productions. Their expansive experience in sound includes theater, opera, live music, recorded music, film, broadcast, podcast, immersive, architecture, and various other forms of live events and installation sound. They are a proud member of USA 829 and hold a degree in theatrical design from Ithaca College.Website: jsamuelsdesign.com
S. KATY TUCKER | PROJECTION DESIGNER
Katy Tucker is a New York–based video and projection designer. Katy began her career as a painter and installation artist, exhibiting her work at a variety of galleries, such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Dupont Underground, the Dillon Gallery, and Artists Space in New York City. She has collaborated with musicians like Paul McCartney, Helga Davis, Pamela Z, Paola Prestini, Amanda Gookin, and Jeffrey Zeigler. Her work in live performance has been seen in numerous places around the world including Broadway, Off-Broadway, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Ballet, Carnegie Hall, the Park Avenue Armory, BAM, the Kennedy Center, San Francisco Opera, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dutch National Opera, the Sydney Opera House, Houston Grand Opera, and more. Upcoming: Smash, “a comedy about a musical,” at the Imperial Theater on Broadway, opening April 10; Tannhäuser at Houston Grand Opera with Francesca Zambello;
Lunar Eclipse, directed by Kate Whoriskey at Second Stage Theater; The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs at Washington National Opera; and Siegfried at Teatro alla Scala. Recent: Die Walküre and Das Rheingold at Teatro alla Scala, directed by Sir David McVicar; Macbeth at Washington National Opera/Kennedy Center; Turandot at Washington National Opera, directed by Francesca Zambello, with a new ending composed by Christopher Tin; Medea at the Canadian Opera Company; The Pianist, written and directed by Emily Mann; Florencia en el Amazonas at the Metropolitan Opera; and Klangwolke 23: Odyssey at the Brucknerhaus in Linz, Austria.
JOANNE MIDDLETON-WEAVER WIG / MAKEUP DESIGNER
Born in England, Joanne Middleton-Weaver came to the U.S. in the late 1980s. She began apprenticing with Elsen Associates at what was then Washington Opera, now Washington National Opera. Joanne has since designed at many opera companies throughout the U.S. during her 30-year career including the Glimmerglass Festival, Sarasota Opera, Palm Beach Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera, to name a few. She has designed for Detroit Opera since 1995. Her credits there include La boh ème, The Passenger, Frida , Margaret Garner, Cyrano, Faust, Così fan tutte , and makeup design for X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X
JOE WRIGHT INTIMACY / FIGHT DIRECTOR
Joe Wright is a fight and intimacy director, movement coach, stunt performer, and actor based in Southeast Michigan whose personal mission is to make the magic of movement and storytelling accessible to everybody and every body. He is a Certified Teacher and Theatrical Firearms Safety Instructor with the Society of American Fight Directors, a Certified Instructor for Fight Directors Canada, a founder/co-coordinator of the annual Mitten Mayhem Stage Combat Workshop (held in late October), and a founder/lead instructor at Theatrica Gladiatoria (which has year-round classes in stage combat). He has taught for the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance (Ann Arbor); Lake Michigan College; and Eastern Michigan University’s Department of Theatre Arts. Some of his latest work has been seen at Open Book Theatre (The Fantasticks, Clue), Detroit Public Theatre (Soft Target), Croswell Opera House (Bonnie & Clyde), Eastern Michigan University Theatre (The Lightning Thief ), Lake Michigan College (Puffs), and The Dio (Misery, The Play That Goes Wrong). Joe wishes to extend deep gratitude to Amanda Buchalter. Without her assistance with this fight and intimacy work, it could not have been accomplished. Website: fightglad.com
ANDREA BEASOM | ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Andrea Beasom’s work has been hailed as “visually stimulating” by OperaWire , “ethereal and intimate” by BroadwayWorld, and “sexy” by the Los Angeles Times. Her direction and award-winning choreography have been featured at Washington National Opera, Kennedy Center, LA Opera, Seattle Opera, Atlanta Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera San Antonio, Glimmerglass Festival, Indiana University
Jacobs School of Music, Bard SummerScape, Berkshire Opera Festival, and Austin Opera. Andrea has collaborated with Washington National Opera artistic director Francesca Zambello and many other celebrated directors. She has worked closely with the Tony and Olivier Award–winning composer Jeanine Tesori, Tony Award–winning director Warren Carlyle, American theater director Anne Bogart, and artists including Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Nadine Sierra, Kelsey Grammer, and Christine Ebersole. In addition to her work as a director and choreographer, Andrea has performed as a professional singer and dancer at the Royal Opera House Muscat, Kennedy Center, Hawaii Opera Theatre, New York City Center, LA Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington National Opera, Pasadena Playhouse, Glimmerglass Festival, and Dallas Opera. She danced with Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Pasadena Dance Theatre; in commercial productions for Sony, Puma, Moncler, and Microsoft; and in the film The One That I Want . Andrea earned her Bachelor of Music degree in voice from Mannes School of Music. Website: andreabeasom.com
JOEY GUTHMAN
ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER
Joey Guthman is a joyously passionate lighting and scenic designer for theater, dance and intimate music performance. Joey’s designs are known for being daringly colorful, emotionally evocative and dramaturgically detailed. His work for Detroit Opera has included Highway 1, USA and Down in the Valley (Associate Lighting Designer). Joey is based in Los Angeles, and his work has been seen at Pasadena Playhouse, REDCAT, Royce Hall at UCLA, Getty Villa, Garry Marshall Theatre, El Portal Theatre, California Theatre, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Atwater Village Theatre, L.A. Dance Project, and many others. As an associate designer, Joey has supported projects with Center Theatre Group, South Coast Repertory, SITI Company, Opera Santa Barbara, and Music Academy of the West. He has been a guest artist at University of La Verne, Occidental College, Pomona College, and California State University, Long Beach. He has taken part in international tours with L.A. Dance Project, Collage Dance Collective, and Kronos Quartet. In 2023, Joey joined the faculty at Pepperdine University. He holds a BFA from Emerson College. Website: jguthmandesign.com
BLAKE MANNS
ASSOCIATE PROJECTION DESIGNER
Blake Manns is a video and projection designer based in Austin, Texas. Recent credits include: (as Projection Designer) Treasure Island (Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Roméo et Juliette (Washington National Opera); (as Animator) the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, the 59th Annual CMA Awards; (as Associate Projection Designer) Der Ring des Nibelungen (Teatro alla Scala, Milan), Smash (Broadway’s Imperial Theatre), Skeleton Crew (Broadway’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre). Website: blakemanns.com
KATHERINE KOZAK | CHORUS DIRECTOR
Katherine Kozak became Detroit Opera’s Chorus Director and Music Administrator with the start of the 2025–26 season. Previously, Katherine served for three years as Head of Music, Chorus Director, and Principal Coach of Arizona Opera’s Pullin Opera Studio. She has worked on staff at the Glimmerglass Festival for 14 summer seasons, eight of them as Chorus Director. Her work at the Glimmerglass Festival can be heard on Château du Versailles Spectacles’ 2021 multimedia recording of John Corigliano and William M. Hoffman’s opera The Ghosts of Versailles, for which she also performed on celesta and piano. Katherine has worked as chorus director, pianist, and coach at U.S. companies including Florida Grand Opera Chorus, where she prepared approximately 20 productions. She has served as head coach, rehearsal pianist, recitalist, supertitle caller, recitative accompanist, assistant conductor, and administrator at the Dallas Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Opera Colorado, and Central City Opera, among others. She has assisted many conductors, notably Richard Bonynge, Joseph Colaneri, John DeMain, and George Manahan. In addition to working with many top-ranked Young Artist programs, she has also worked with singers at The Juilliard School as associate coach, and at Florida’s University of Miami as visiting assistant professor. Katherine earned her Master of Music degree in vocal coaching and accompanying from the University of Illinois, where she was a student of John Wustman. She has enjoyed collaborating with singers since age 11, when she began accompanying and touring with the Singing Angels, based in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.
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Poppy Hernandez
Trinita Johnson
Darlene King Turner
Anna Krumm
Alison Linn
Vernice McDaniel
Sharon McWhorter
Kathryn Nowinski
Cully Sommers
Sylvia Taschka
Kim Trent
Karin Waidley
THE HANDMAID’S TALE Giving Circle
Members of Detroit Opera’s The Handmaid’s Tale Giving Circle made an additional contribution to stand behind one of the most urgent and searing operatic works of our time. We thank them for their dedicated support.
Kevin Dennis & Jeremy Zeltzer
Mary Ann & Carl Fontana
Aaron & Carolynn Frankel
Carol Gagliardi & David Flesher
William Hulsker & Aris Urbanes
Kathleen Ligocki & Pete Rosenau
Matthew & Mona Simoncini
Ronald & Mildred Burkman
Carolyn Demps & Guy Simon
Lisa DiChiera
Alex Escobar & Michael Durant
Joyce M. Hennessee
Barbara Heller
Julie & Peter Hollinshead
Ann Katz
Denise J. Lewis
Ms. Jennifer M. Moody
Professor Tsehaya D. Smith
Bret & Susanna Williams
We extend our gratitude to additional supporters of The Handmaid’s Tale Giving Circle, whose contributions were received beyond February 15, 2026.
PHOTO BY RITA TAYLOR, COURTESY OF BANFF CENTRE FOR ARTS AND CREATIVITY.
Detroit Opera Needs You!
Philanthropic support is essential to sustaining opera and dance in Detroit. Contributions from individuals help Detroit Opera present exceptional performances, support artists, and engage our community through the power of live performance.
By becoming a Friend of Detroit Opera you are supporting Detroit Opera’s artistic and community activities and in return you receive behind-the-scenes experiences, and opportunities to connect more deeply with artists and fellow supporters. The DiChiera Society offers an elevated way to engage with the art you love. With an annual gift of $3,000 or more, members enjoy exclusive access to the Frankel Lounge at all opera and dance performances, as well as invitations to special events. Learn more about becoming a member and help ensure opera and dance continue to thrive in Detroit for generations to come.
USE THE QR CODE TO DONATE NOW!
Thank you to our donors Contributors to Detroit Opera
Detroit Opera gratefully acknowledges the generous support of our corporate, foundation, government, and individual donors whose contributions were received between July 1, 2024, and December 19, 2025. Your generosity is essential to sustaining Detroit Opera as a vibrant cultural resource for our community.
Foundations, Corporate & Government Support
$500,000-$999,999
William Davidson Foundation
John. S. and James L. Knight Foundation
State of Michigan
$250,000-$499,999
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Ford Foundation
$100,000-$249,999
Ford Philanthropy
General Motors
Gilbert Family Foundation
Mellon Foundation
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation
$50,000-$99,999
J. Addison Bartush and Marion M.
Bartush Family Foundation
Max M. & Marjorie Fisher Foundation
Milner Hotels Foundation
$25,000-$49,999
The Fred and Barbara Erb
Family Foundation
Hudson-Webber Foundation
Kresge Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
The Ruth F. Rattner and Ann F. & Norman D. Katz Charitable Foundation
Kurt Weill Foundation For Music
Matilda R. Wilson Fund
$10,000-$24,999
DTE Energy Foundation
MGM Grand Detroit
Oliver Dewey Marcks Foundation
OPERA America
Penske Corporation
Ralph L. and Winifred E. Polk Foundation
Ida and Conrad H. Smith Endowment for MOT
The Mary Thompson Foundation
Burton A. Zipser and Sandra D. Zipser Foundation
$5,000-$9,999
C&N Foundation
Co-Ette Club, Inc.
Aaron Copland Fund For Music
Gerson Family Foundation, Inc.
James and Lynelle Holden Fund
The Karen & Drew Peslar Foundation
Louis and Nellie Sieg Fund
Donald R. and Esther Simon Foundation
Somerset Collection Charitable Foundation
Strum Allesee Family Foundation
The Samuel L. Westerman Foundation
$1,000-$4,999
ABM Janitorial Services
John A. & Marlene L. Boll Foundation
Joyce Cohn Young Artist Fund
Detroit Children’s Choir
The Gilmour-Jirgens Fund
Marjorie & Maxwell Jospey Foundation
Josephine Kleiner Foundation
Warsh-Mott Funds
Individual Support
The National Circle
Introduced in 2024, the National Circle unites Detroit Opera’s foremost supporters at a pivotal moment in our history. With annual contributions of $25,000 or more, these visionary donors affirm their belief in the transformative power of live performance to inspire meaningful change—both in our city and across the nation.
$100,000+
Ethan & Gretchen Davidson
Linda Dresner & Ed Levy Jr.
David & Christine Provost
Matthew & Mona Simoncini
Richard Sonenklar & Gregory Haynes
Barbara A. Walkowski
$50,000-$99,999
Richard Alonzo
Enrico & Kathleen DiGirolamo
Patricia Isacson Sabee & David Sabee
Mary Kramer
Denise J. Lewis
Lorna Thomas, MD
Jesse & Yesenia Venegas
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
$25,000-$49,999
Lisa A. Applebaum
Richard and Joanne Brodie
Alex Erdeljan
Carl & Mary Ann Fontana
Barbara Lucking Freedman*
Jane Iacobelli
Barbara & Michael* Kratchman
The Hon. Jack & Dr. Bettye Arrington Martin
Susanne McMillan
The DiChiera Society
Ali Moiin & William Kupsky
Allan & Joy Nachman Philanthropic Fund
Ann & James B. Nicholson
Ebbie & Ayana Parsons
Mrs. Ruth F. Rattner*
Barbara Van Dusen
KEY * Deceased
DiChiera Society members honor the legacy and vision of our founder, David DiChiera, while advancing Detroit Opera’s future as one of the nation’s most significant and innovative opera and dance organizations. Their commitment supports our ongoing focus on community engagement, accessibility, and bold artistic exploration under the leadership of Barbara Walkowski Artistic Director Yuval Sharon.
$10,000-$24,999
Gene P. Bowen
Mr. Thomas Cohn
Kevin Dennis & Jeremy Zeltzer
Dr. Raina Ernstoff & Mr. Sanford Hansell
Maxine & Stuart Frankel Foundation
Bharat & Lynn Gandhi
Toby Haberman
Jody & Tara Ingle
Nancy & Bud Liebler
Ms. Mary C. Mazure
Donald & Antoinette Morelock
Mr. Cyril Moscow*
William & Wendy Powers
Dr. & Mrs. Samir M. Ragheb
Dr. Irvin D. Reid & Dr. Pamela Trotman Reid
Evan & Kelsey Ross
Salome E. Walton
Prof. Michael Wellman
$5,000-$9,999
Nina Abrams
Ms. Christine Ammer
Dr. Lourdes V. Andaya
Dr. Harold M. Arrington
Gregory & Mary Barkley
Wayne Brown & Brenda Kee
Albert & Janette Cassar
Sue Cutler & Jeff Fessler
Ms. Violet Dalla Vecchia
Reverend Bill Danaher
Walter & Lillian Dean
Lisa DiChiera
Maria & David Duey
Nell Duke & David Ammer
Marianne Elrick & Kenneth Myers
Fern Espino & Tom Short
Mr. Michael Fisher
Joseph Fontana & Nada Jurisich-Fontana
Ralph & Erica Gerson
Andrew Glancy
James & Nancy Grosfeld
Beverly Hall Burns
Barbara Heller
Ellen Hill Zeringue
Julie & Peter Hollinshead
William Hulsker & Aris Urbanes
Addison & Deborah Igleheart
Andy Levin & Mary Freeman
Don Manvel
Mrs. L. William Moll
Robert & Susan Morris
Mr. George & Mrs. Jo Elyn Nyman
Joshua & Rachel Opperer
Ms. Linda Orlans
Sara A. Pozzi, Ph.D.
Waltraud Prechter
Carrie & Ted Pryor
Janice Ross
Anthony & Sabrina Rugiero
Leon & Debbie Saperstein
Mrs. Rosalind B. Sell
Terry Shea & Seigo Nakao
Simmons & Clark Jewelers, Michael & Stacey Simmons
Christopher Stavrou
Ned & Joan Winkelman
$3,000-$4,999
Thomas & Gretchen Anderson
Sandra & Doug Bitonti Stewart
Paul & Lee Blizman
Bob & Rosemary Brasie
Dr. & Mrs. Ronald T. Burkman
Carolyn Demps & Guy Simons
Marla Donovan
Marjory Winkelman Epstein
James & Margo Farber
Sally & Michael Feder
Ms. Laurie R. Frankel
Dr. Glendon M. Gardner & Leslie Landau
Mr. Lawrence Glowczewski
Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Christine Hage
Ms. Carole Hardy
Richard & Involut Jessup
Roberto Kalb & Mane Galoyan
Ann Katz
Max Lepler & Rex Dotson
Mary B. Letts
John & Arlene Lewis
Stephan & Marian Loginsky
Mr. Loreto A. Manzo
Ms. Mary McGough
Patrick & Patricia McKeever
Benjamin Meeker & Meredith Korneffel, MD
Brian & Lisa Meer
Ms. Evelyn Micheletti
Eugene & Lois Miller
Phillip Minch
Van Momon & Pamela L. Berry
Brian Murphy & Toni Sanchez-Murphy
Geoffrey Nathan
Friends of Detroit Opera
George & Nancy Nicholson
Brock & Katherine L. Plumb
Lois & Mark Shaevsky
Susan Sills-Levey & Michael Levey
Susan A Smith
Frank & Susan Sonye
Sharon Tevis Finch
Buzz Thomas & Daniel VanderLey
Joseph & Rosalie Vicari
Stanley Waldon
Dr. John Weber & Dr. Dana Zakalik
Bret & Susanna Williams
Dr. Lucia Zamorano
Every gift helps ensure that opera and dance continue to flourish in our community, bringing to life the indescribable magic that begins when the curtain rises. Friends of Detroit Opera—among our most loyal and essential supporters—sustain this work through annual contributions of $500 or more & enjoy exclusive benefits in recognition of their generosity.
$1,000-$2,999
Ms. Geraldine Atkinson
Mr. Jason Batke
Martin & Marcia Baum
Ms. Kanta Bhambhani
Mr. Stanislaw Bialoglowski
Constance Bodurow
Ms. Nicole A. Boelstler
Mrs. Marlene L. Boll
Marsha Bruhn
Ilse Calcagno
Mrs. Judith Christie
Harriet Clark
John & Doreen Cole
Tonino & Sarah Corsetti
Cristina DiChiera & Neal Walsh
Ms. Mary J. Doerr
Mr. David Egner
Ms. Judith Ellis
Burke & Carol Fossee
Carol Gagliardi & David Flesher
Marcelo Ganasevici
Arline Geronimus
Mr. Nathaniel Good
Rober & Ann Greenstone
Kimberly Hastie
Fay & Allen Herman
Adriana Herrera
Christina Hopkins
Joel Howell
Mary Ellen Hoy & Jim Keller
Paul Jednak & Tim Kasunic
Marc Keshishian & Susanna Szelestey
Mr. & Mrs. Gerd H Keuffel
Sam Logan Khaleghi
Justin & Joanne Klimko
Gregory Knas
Jennifer Lindsay Kott
Ms. Vera C. Magee
Federico Mariona & Clara Sumeghy-Mariona
Ms. Janet Groening Marsh
Mr. Ronald Michalak
Mary F. Miller
Ms. Maryanne Mott
Iuliana & Ovidiu Niculescu
Ms. Pamela Patton-Cone
Margaret Pehrson
Mark & Kyle Peterson
Ankur Rungta & Mayssoun Bydon
Professor Alvin* & Mrs. Harriet Saperstein
Mary Schlaff & Sanford Koltonow
Kingsley & Lurline Sears
Anthony & Theresa Selvaggio
Timothy & Kelli Shaheen
Ms. Brenda Shufelt
Joe Skoney & Luisa Di Lorenzo
Ms. Theresa Spear & Mr. Jeff Douma
Gabriel & Martha Stahl
Ms. Mary Anne Stella
Andrew J. Sturgess
Manuel Tancer & Claire Stroker
Mr. Jon Teeuwissen
Dr. Jewlee Weah Tweh
Jeff & Amy Voigt
Gary L. Wasserman & Charles A. Kashner
Eileen Weiser & Richard Caldarazzo
Erica White
Katina Zaninovich
$750-$999
David A. Agius
Eric Alonas
D.L. Anthony, Ph.D.
Frank & Jenny Brzenk
Mr. Michael Clyne
Murray & Alice Ehrinpreis
Dr. Anne Missavage & Mr. Robert Borcherding
Maury Okun & Tina Topalian
Mr. Carl R. Smith
Dr. Andrew James Stocking
Dennis & Jennifer Varian
$500-$749
Antonia Abbey & James Lee
Wallace Ayotte
Ms. Allison Bach &
Mr. Michael Cool
Ms. Mary Anne Barczak
Marceline Bright
Ms. Susan Burns
Stephen Calkins & Joan Wadsworth
Oliver & Susan Cameron
Paula Lisa Cole
Gerald Davis
Mr. John R. DiLodovico
Manisha Dostert
Daniel H Ferrier
Barbara Fisher & William Gould
Yvonne Friday & Stephen Black
John Gierak & Dona Tracey
Joseph & Lois Gilmore
Gil Glassberg & Sandra Seligman
Ms. Anita DeMarco Goor
Philip & Martha Gray
Henry Grix & Howard Israel
Ms. Rosemary Gugino
Beth Hoger & Lisa Swem
Ms. George-Ann Howell
Lawrence John & Lilian Lai
Kimberly Johnson
Carol Johnston
Geraldine & Jacqueline Keller
Ms. Lee Khachaturian
Ms. Cynthia Kratchman
William & Jean Kroger
Mary Jane & Jeff Kupsky
Albert Kurt
Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Levin
Mr. John Lovegren & Mr. Daniel Isenschmid
John & Kimi Lowe
Mrs. Marsha Lynn
Jane Panikkar
Bertram & Elaine Pitt
Elaine & Bertram Pitt
Garry Post & Robert Hill
Shawn Rieschl Johnson & Christian Kirby
Adam D. Rubin, M.D, Lakeshore Professional Voice Center
Mr. Richard Lee Ruby
Mr. Rodney Michael Rusk
Charles & Pamela Schiffer
Demetrius Shields
Anthony Smith & Leland Calloway
Catherine Strumbos
Mr. Bruce Tackett
Frank Tenkel
Dr. Gretchen Thams
Pete Tully
Maria Urquidi
Salvatore Ventura
Ms. Janet Beth Weir
Meredith Weston-Band & Jeffery Band
Elliot & Dr. Susan Zeltzer
Gifts in Tribute
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to those who have made generous gifts to Detroit Opera in honor or in memory of loved ones. The names of those being honored or remembered are listed in bold below.
IN HONOR OF
Ethan D. Davidson
Reverend Bill Danaher
Carl Fontana
Mrs. Nina Dodge Abrams
Paul & Orvilla Ashely
Thomas E Barron
Michael J Bartoy
Beverly Anne Bloomberg
Andre Boulanger
Wilson Curle
Mary Jo & Donald Dawson
David Feeny
Pamela Fontana
Cynthia Gitt
Peter Gude
Patricia Isacson Sabee & David Sabee
Theresa Johnson
Mary Kramer
Allen A Lewis
James Peggs & Margaret Talburtt
Sarah Siwek
Teresa Taranta
Sara Valenti
Rick Warner
Robert Wittenberg
Patricia Isacson Sabee
William Austin
Juliano Bitonti Stewart
Katrina Fasulo
Angela Nelson-Heesch
Brenda Kee
Dr. Ali Moiin & Dr. William Kupsky
Dr. Ali Moiin & Dr. William Kupsky
Mary Jane & Jeff Kupsky
William & Elizabeth S. Kupsky Household
Jon Teeuwissen
Manisha Dostert
Lorna Thomas, MD
Paul & Lee Blizman
Barbara Walkowski
Neal S. Goren
IN MEMORY OF
Wickam Allen
Beth Buzzelli Carlson
Betty Brooks
Ethan & Gretchen Davidson
Cathy Mosseau
Nicoangelo Corsetti
Tornino & Serafina Corsetti
Armando Delicatio
Patricia Bentley
Judith Gordon & Lawrence Banka
Jacqueline Shuster
Carol DeVore
Mr. Mark S. DeVore
Shirley DiGirolamo
Enrico & Kathleen DiGirolamo
Sandy Duncan
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
Grant Eldridge
Tracy Barr
Drs. Julie B. Finn & Bradley Rowens
Heather Gehring
Shawn Rieschl Johnson & Christian Kirby
Joseph Katulic
Stuart Grigg
Alphonse S. Lucarelli
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
George & Ann Marisl
Thomas Dickson & Carol Dick
Ruth Rattner
Jody & Gary Astrein
David & Nancy Barbour Household
Ms. Lori Cohn
Elle Elder
Marianne Elrick & Kenneth Myers
Beth & Earle Erman
Ann Fishman
Amy Folbe
Richard & Eleanore Gabrys
Marilyn Goldberg
Renee Handelsman
David & Rose Handleman
Barbara Heller
Patricia Isacson Sabee & David Sabee
Ann Katz
Richard Katz
Mrs. Barbara Kratchman
Michael* & Barbara Kratchman
Victor Lebovici
Dr. Jay Levinson
Nancy & Bud Liebler
Howard Luckoff
Alex & Lisa MacDonald
Angela Nelson-Heesch
Ali Moiin & William Kupsky
Bluma Schechter
Mrs. Bluma Schechter
Ms. Lisa Schwartz
Grace Serra
Martha Siefman
Mr. Mark Sussman
Mr. William Volz
Gary L. Wasserman & Charles A. Kashner
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
Sharon Zimmerman
Suzann Kaye Ripple
Ms. Catherine Pappas
Miss Alison Piech
Gladys Santiago
Ruth Roby Glancy
The Glancy Foundation
Angeline Rooks
Maria McMullen
Karol Ross
Susan Stepek
William Sandy
Julie & Peter Hollinshead
Tamara Whitty
Phyllis Osler
Every effort has been made to accurately reflect donor, honoree, and memorial names for gifts received between July 1, 2024 and December 19, 2025. Should you find an error or omission please contact Angela Nelson-Heesch at anelsonheesch@detroitopera.org or 313.237.3438.
Avanti Society Members Setting the Stage for Tomorrow
Found throughout Italian opera, the word avanti means “ahead” or “forward.” The Avanti Society— Detroit Opera’s planned giving recognition program—honors a special group of donors whose generosity is guided by vision and foresight. By including Detroit Opera in their estate plans, members ensure that the transformative power of opera and dance will continue to inspire audiences in our community and across the nation for generations to come. With deep gratitude, we thank our Avanti Society members for shaping the future of Detroit Opera.
Douglas* & Sarah Allison
Richard & Mona* Alonzo
Janet Ames
Dr. Lourdes V. Andaya§
Mr. & Mrs. Agustin Arbulu§
Chester* & Emilia Arnold§
George & Joanne Arrick
Dr. Leora Bar-Levav
Lee & Floy Barthel
Brett & Veronica Batterson§
Richard & Gwen Bowlby
Mrs. Doreen Bull
Roy E.* & Ilse Calcagno§
Dr. & Mrs. Thomas & Dorothy* Carson
Dr. & Mrs. Victor J.* & Katherine Cervenak
Father Paul F. Chateau
Mary Christner
Mr. Gary L. Ciampa
Prof. Kenneth Collinson
Douglas & Minka Cornelsen
Dr. Robert A. Cornette§#
Mr. Thomas J. Delaney
Walter & Adel Dissett
Ms. Mary J. Doerr§
Mrs. Helen Ophelia Dove-Jones
Marianne T. Endicott§#
David & Jennifer Fischer
Herbert & Betty Fisher§
Mrs. Barbara Frankel* & Mr. Ronald Michalak§#
Mr. & Mrs. Herman Frankel§#
Byron & Marilyn Georgeson§
William Gipperich
Albert & Barbara Glover
Robert Green
Mr. Ernest Gutierrez
Stephen & Aline Hagopian
Mr. Lawrence Hall§
Jerome & Margot Halperin§
Heather Hamilton
Charlene Handleman
Preston* & Mary Happel
Mr. Kenneth E. Hart§
Eugene* & Donna Hartwig§
Dr. & Mrs. Gerhardt A. & Rebecca P. Hein
Fay & Allen Herman
Derek & Karen* Hodgson
Andrew & Carol Howell
Dr. Cindy Hung§
Eleanor & Alan Israel
Ms. Kristin R. Jaramillo§
Don Jensen & Leo Dovelle§
John Jickling
Patrick J.* & Stephanie
Germack Kerzic
Josephine Kessler
Edward & Barbara Klarman
Robert & Wally Klein#
Erwin H. & Suzanne Klopfer§#
Myron & Joyce LaBan
Max Lepler & Rex Dotson
Linda Dresner & Ed Levy, Jr.
Mr. Hannan Lis
Florence LoPatin
Stephen Lord
Ms. Denise Lutz
Laura & Mitchell Malicki
Ms. Jane C. McKee§
Bruce Miller
Orlando & Dorothy Miller§
Ms. Monica Moffat
Drs. Stephen & Barbara Munk
Harold Munson & Libby Berger
Tiffany Nance
Mr. Jonathan F. Orser
Ms. Julie Owens
Mr. Dale J. Pangonis§
Charles A. & Mary Parkhill
Allison Prost
Mr. Richard M. Raisin§#
Ms. Deborah Remer
Dr. Joshua Rest
James & Marguerite S. Rigby§
Mr. Bryan L. Rives
Ms. Patricia H. Rodzik§
David & Beverly Rorabacher
Dulcie Rosenfeld
Professor Alvin* & Mrs. Harriet Saperstein
Ms. Susan Schooner§
Mark & Sally Schwartz
Arlene Shaler§
Ms. Ellen Sharp
Ms. Edna J Pak Shin
Harold & June Siebert
Mrs. Loretta Skewes
Ms. Anne Sullivan Smith
Richard* & Roberta Starkweather§#
Ms. Mary Anne Stella
Stanford C. Stoddard
Ronald F. Switzer§ & Jim McClure
Lillie Tabor
Peter & Ellen Thurber
Alice* & Paul Tomboulian
Jonathan* & Salome E. Walton
Susan Weidinger
Mr. Andrew Wise
Larry* & Mary Lou Zangerle
We express profound thanks to these Avanti Society members whose planned gifts to Detroit Opera have been realized.
Robert G. Abgarian
Robert & Margaret Allesee#
Mona Alonzo
Serena Ailes Stevens
Mr. & Mrs. J. Addison Bartush§#
Mr. & Mrs. Mandell Berman
Margaret & Douglas Borden
Charles M. Broh
Milena T. Brown
Charlotte Bush Failing
The Gladys L. Caldroney
Mary C. Caggegi
Allen B. Christman
Miss Halla F. Claffey
Ms. Virginia M. Clementi
Hon. Avern Cohn & Ms. Lois Pincus Cohn
Robert C. & RoseAnn B. Comstock
Mrs. Mary Rita Cuddohy
James Danaher
Marjorie E. DeVlieg
Nance Dewar
James P. Diamond
Dr. David DiChiera
Mrs. Karen V. DiChiera
Nina S. Drolias
Charles & Mary Jane Duncan§
Mr. Wayne C. Everly
Dr. Evelyn J. Fisher
Mrs. Anne E. Ford
Ms. Pamela R. Francis§
Mrs. Rema Frankel
Barbara Lucking Freedman
Edward P. Frohlich
The Priscilla A.B. Goodell
Freda K. Goodman
Priscilla R. Greenberg, Ph.D. §#
Maliha Hamady
Ms. Nancy B. Henk
Mary Adelaide Hester
Ms. Patricia Hobar
Gordon V. Hoialmen
Carl J. Huss
Aaron E. Jabbour
Mr. John Jesser
H. Barbara Johnston
Maxwell & Marjorie Jospey
Ida King
Mrs. Josephine Kleiner
Misses Phyllis & Selma Korn§#
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Krolikowski§
Leslie Lazzerin
Mr. Philip Leon
Dores & Wade McCree
Vivien McDonald
Lucie B. Meininger
Helen M. Miller
Ella M. Montroy
Ronald K. Morrison
Ruth Mott
Clarice Odgers Percox
Elizabeth M. Pecsenye
Thomas G. Porter
Magdalena Predeteanu
Mrs. Ruth F. Rattner
Mitchell Romanowski
Ms. Joanne B. Rooney
Concetta Ross
Mr. & Mrs. Giles L. & Beverly Ross
Ms. Merle H. Scheibner
Drs. Heinz & Alice Platt Schwarz§
Ms. Laura Sias
Mrs. Marge Slezak
Ida & Conrad H. Smith
Ms. Phyllis Funk Snow§
Edward L. Stahl
Dr. Mildred Ponder Stennis
Mary Ellen Tappan
Margaret D. Thurber
Mr. & Mrs. George & Inge Vincent§#
Herman W. Weinreich
J. Ernest Wilde
Mrs. Ruth Wilkins
Helen B. Wittenberg
Mr. & Mrs. Walter & Elizabeth Work§
Joseph J. Zafarana
George & Pearl Zeltzer§
KEY
§ Founding Members
# Touch the Future donors
* Deceased
Membership in the Avanti Society is open to all who wish to declare their intention for a planned gift to Detroit Opera. Call Demetrius Shields to learn more, 313.309.8255.
Detroit Opera Honor Roll
Detroit Opera gratefully acknowledges these distinguished donors for their lifetime giving. Their extraordinary generosity has shaped the history of our company—from its founding in 1971 by Dr. David DiChiera as Michigan Opera Theatre, to the opening of the Detroit Opera House in 1996, and to our bold transformation into Detroit Opera in 2022 under the leadership of Barbara Walkowski Artistic Director Yuval Sharon.
Their visionary support sustains the vitality of Detroit Opera today, making possible world-class opera and dance performances as well as acclaimed community programs that inspire and engage audiences throughout our region.
$10,000,000+
The William Davidson Foundation
Ford Motor Company Fund
The State of Michigan
$5,000,000+
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
General Motors
John S. & James L. Knight Foundation
The Kresge Foundation
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
$2,000,000+
Mr. & Mrs. Douglas* & Sarah Allison
Mr. Lee & Mrs. Floy Barthel
Marvin, Betty & Joanne Danto
Dance Endowment & Marvin & Betty
Danto Family Foundation
Mr. & Mrs. Herman & Sharon Frankel
Lear Corporation
Linda Dresner & Ed Levy Jr. Masco Corporation
McGregor Fund
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
The Skillman Foundation
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
KEY
* Deceased
$1,000,000+
Richard & Mona* Alonzo
AT&T
Bank of America
Mandell L. & Madeleine H. Berman Foundation
Mr.* & Mrs. John A. Boll Sr. Compuware Corporation
Robert & RoseAnn Comstock
Joanne Danto & Arnold Weingarden
Ethan & Gretchen Davidson
DTE Energy Foundation
The Fred A. & Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation
Mrs. Margo Cohen Feinberg & Mr. Robert Feinberg
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
Mrs. Barbara Frankel* & Mr. Ronald Michalak
Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Frankel*
Hudson-Webber Foundation
JPMorgan Chase
Paul Lavins
National Endowment for the Arts
Matthew & Mona Simoncini
Richard Sonenklar & Gregory Haynes
Dr. & Mrs. Sam B. Williams*
Matilda R. Wilson Fund
Every effort has been made to accurately reflect donor names and gift levels. Should you find an error or omission, please contact Angela Nelson-Heesch at anelsonheesch@detroitopera.org or 313.237.3438
Orchestra
Detroit Federation of Musicians, Local #5, of the American Federation of Musicians
VIOLIN
Daniel Stachyra
Interim Concertmaster
Yuri Popowycz
Acting Asst. Concertmaster
Emelyn Bashour
Principal Second Violin
Anna Bittar-Weller
Solveig Geenen
Molly Hughes
Bryan Johnston
Henrik Karapetyan
Velda Kelly
Beth Kirton
Jenny Wan
Andrew Wu
VIOLA
John Madison
Principal
Jacqueline Hanson
Scott Stefanko
Chloé Thominet
CELLO
Ivana Biliskov
Principal
Benjamin Maxwell
Andrea Yun
Open Position
BASS
Derek Weller
Principal
Clark Suttle
HARP
Juan Riveros
Principal
FLUTE
Collin Stavinoha
Principal
Andrea Velasquez
PICCOLO
Andrea Velasquez
OBOE
Eli Stefanacci
Principal
Mark Doerr
ENGLISH HORN
Mark Doerr
CLARINET
Roi Karni
Principal
J. William King
BASS CLARINET
J. William King
BASSOON
Daniel Fendrick
Principal
Open Position
HORN
Colin Bianchi
Principal
Natalie Sweasy
TRUMPET
David Ammer
Principal
Elijah Leonard
TROMBONE
Jordan Dove
Principal
Dustin Nguyen
TIMPANI
Eric Stoss
Principal
PERCUSSION
John Dorsey
Principal
Administration & Staff
LEADERSHIP
Patty Isacson Sabee, President & CEO
Yuval Sharon, Barbara Walkowski Artistic Director
Roberto Kalb, Music Director
Daniel T. Brinker, General Manager, Detroit Opera House & Parking Center
Shawn Rieschl Johnson, Chief Programming & Production Officer
Jon Teeuwissen, Artistic Advisor for Dance
Samantha Teter, Chief Marketing Officer
Ataul Usman, Senior Director of Human Resources
ADMINISTRATION
William Austin, Executive Assistant
ARTISTIC DEPARTMENT
Nathalie Doucet, Head of Music & Director of Detroit Opera Resident Artist Program
Elizabeth Anderson, Artistic Administrator
DANCE
Kim Smith, Dance Administrator
DETROIT OPERA YOUTH CHORUS
Twannette Nash, Chorus Administrator
Jane Arvidson Panikkar, Preparatory Chorus Conductor
Rebecca O-G Eaddy, Principal Chorus Conductor
Maria Cimarelli, Preparatory Chorus Accompanist
Joseph Jackson, Principal Chorus Accompanist
DEVELOPMENT
Juliano Bitonti Stewart, Director of Development
Chelsea S. Kotula, Director of Institutional Giving
Angela Nelson-Heesch, Director, Data Analytics & Operations
Valentino Peacock, Manager of Data & Operations
Demetrius Shields, Manager of Individual Giving
Stephani Davis, Development Coordinator
EDUCATION
Branden Hood, Director of Education
Alaina Brown, Program Coordinator: Education & Community Programs
Eliza Beutler, Program Administrator
FACILITIES
Vanessa Boyd, Facilities Manager
Juan Benavides, Building Engineer
Kevie Crumb, Facilities & Event Technician
FINANCE
Kimberley Burgess, Accountant
Rita Winters, Accountant
HUMAN RESOURCES
Denver Harvey, Human Resources Coordinator
MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS
Leah Hill, Director of Marketing
Anna Herscher, Lead Graphic Designer
Jennifer Melick, Communications & Media Relations Manager
Deirdre Michael, Website Administrator
Austin Richey, Digital Media Manager & Storyteller
Arthur White, Director of Community & Audience Engagement Position is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
MUSIC
DEPARTMENT
Katherine Kozak, Chorus Director & Music Administrator
Molly Hughes, Orchestra Personnel Manager
Jean Posekany, Orchestra Librarian
PRODUCTION
Elizabeth Anderson, Production Coordinator
Kathleen Bennett, Production Finance Administrator
Jeff Beyersdorf, Technical Director
Eden Cope, Assistant Technical Director
Brian Dambacher, Production Manager
Monika Essen, Property Master
Suzanne Hanna, Costume Director
Kaila Madison, Technical Assistant
Brodrick Whittley, Assistant Technical Director
COSTUMES
Michaela Tanksley, Wardrobe Supervisor
Patricia Sova Jr., First Hand
Mary Ellen Shuffett, Fitting Assistant
Eileen Thorna , Tailor
Maureen Abele, Paul Moran, Lupe Vazquez, Stitchers
WIGS & MAKEUP
Erika Broderdorf, Wig & Makeup Crew Coordinator
STAGE CREW
John Kinsora, Head Carpenter
Jerome Bowie, Head Electrician
Pat McGee, Head Propertyman
Chris Baker, Head of Sound
Pat Tobin, Head Flyman
Dee Dorsey, Surtitle Operator
Mary Ellen Shuffett, Head of Wardrobe
IATSE Local #38 Stage Crew
IATSE Local #786 Wardrobe
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Rock Monroe, Director of Safety & Security
Lieutenant Lorraine Monroe
Sergeant Demetrius Newbold
Officer Gary Cabean
Officer A.M. Hightower
Officer Michelle Johnson
Officer Terrence Hunter
Officer Khalil Nalis
TICKETING & BOX OFFICE
Amy Brown, Director of Ticketing and Booking
Stephanie Stoiko, Box Office Manager
Evan Carr, System Administrator
Alex Robinson, Box Office Associate
Chris Simpson, Box Office Associate
Ellen Smith, Group Sales Associate
VENUE OPERATIONS
Alexis Means, Director of Operations & Patron Experiences
Holly Clement, Senior Manager of Events & Rentals
Jennifer George-Consiglio, Manager of Venue Operations
Michael Hauser, Curator of History & Architecture
Kathie Booth, Volunteer Coordinator
USHERS
Max Aghili, Christine Berryman, Ellen Bishop, Kathie Booth, Lori Burkhardt, Randall Davis, Erin Doakes, Suzanne Erbes, Pamela Fergusson, Sue Hargrave, Myrna Mazure, Ennis Mcgee, S teven McReynolds, Heddie O’Connor, Bill Ried, Kim Ried, Edna Rubin, Ida Vance, Sheryl Weinan-Yee
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
Please observe the lighted exit signs located throughout the theater. In the event of an emergency, remain calm and walk, do not run, to the nearest exit. Ushers and security personnel are trained to assist. An emergency medical technician (EMT) is on-site during most events. Contact an usher or staff member if you need medical assistance.
GUEST SERVICES:
Vincent Lobby and Broadway Lounge
There are a variety of amenities for your comfort and use located in both guest services locations. Wheelchairs, booster seats*, earplugs, assisted listening devices, feminine hygiene products, basic first aid items, and more are complimentary and available for your convenience. Coat check is also available. The Vincent Lobby is located on the Madison Street side of the building and the Broadway Lounge is located on the Broadway Street side of the building.
*Limited quantity
PHOTOGRAPHY, RECORDING, AND CELL PHONE USE
Photography and/or recording during any performance is strictly prohibited. Photographs taken in the lobby areas, before or after a performance, and during intermission are welcome. As a courtesy to all guests, please turn off all electronic devices and refrain from use during the performance.
RESTROOMS
Women’s restrooms are located off the Ford Lobby (Broadway Street entrance) and down the stairs, and on third floor (Madison Street entrance). Men’s restrooms are located under the Grand Staircase and on the third floor (Broadway Street side). There are two sets of elevators or stairs available to access all third-floor restrooms. All third-floor restrooms are wheelchair accessible (women’s restroom, press 3R in the elevator). There are single-use unisex wheelchair accessible restrooms on the first floor of the Broadway Street side of the building and the Madison Street side of the building. There is also a wheelchair accessible women’s restroom on the Broadway Street side of the building.
NO SMOKING
The Detroit Opera House is a non-smoking facility. This includes e-cigarettes, vapes, and other “smokeless” products.
USHERS
Ushers are stationed throughout the building to assist patrons as needed. Please direct questions, concerns, and feedback to them during your visit. Enjoy volunteering? Please go to guest services or the Detroit Opera website, DetroitOpera.org/support/volunteer, for information on becoming a volunteer.
LOST AND FOUND
During the performance, lost and found is located in guest services. Unclaimed items are logged and taken to the Safety and Security office after each performance. To inquire about a misplaced or lost item, please call 313.961.3500. Items left over 30 days will be discarded or donated.
RECORDING IN PROGRESS
Entry and presence on the event premises constitute your consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded, and to the release, publication, exhibition, or reproduction of any and all recorded media for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity in connection with Detroit Opera and its initiatives. By entering the event premises, you waive and release any claims you may have related to the use of recorded media of you at the event.
