Brandon Victor Dixon U of M Musical Theater Seniors
Enrico DiGirolamo
Maria C. Duey
Marianne Endicott
Fern R. Espino
Paul E. Ewing
Mary Ann Fontana
John W. Ingle III
Barbara Kratchman
Arthur C. Liebler
Dexter Mason
Ali Moiin
Allan Nachman
Ann Nicholson
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2025
CHAIR
Ethan D. Davidson
VICE CHAIR
Mary Kramer
VICE CHAIR
Denise J. Lewis
VICE CHAIR
Don Manvel
PRESIDENT/CEO
Patty Isacson Sabee
SECRETARY
Gene P. Bowen
TREASURER
Bharat C. Gandhi
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
R. Jamison Williams
Naomi André
Richard A. Brodie
Kevin Dennis
Lisa M. DiChiera
Shauna Ryder Diggs
Sara Pozzi
Carrie Pryor
Paul Ragheb
Irvin D. Reid
Evan D. Ross
Nedda Shayota
Terry Shea
Matthew Simoncini
Richard A. Sonenklar
Lorna Thomas
Jesse Venegas
Barbara Walkowski
Gary L. Wasserman
Ellen Hill Zeringue
DIRECTORS
EMERITI
Elizabeth Brooks
Shelly Cooper
Marjorie M. Fisher
Herman Frankel
Dean Friedman
Jennifer Nasser
Charlotte Podowski
C. Thomas Toppin
Richard Webb
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2025
Lourdes V. Andaya
Naomi André
Harold Mitchell Arrington
Bettye Arrington-Martin
Barbra Bloch
Gene P. Bowen
Richard Brodie
Charles D. Bullock
Thomas Cohn
Peter Cooper
Shelly Cooper
Ethan D. Davidson
Gretchen Davidson
Kevin Dennis
Cristina DiChiera
Lisa M. DiChiera
Shauna Ryder Diggs
Enrico DiGirolamo
Kathleen DiGirolamo
Debbie Dingell
Mary Jane Doerr
Linda Dresner
Maria C. Duey
Kenneth Eisenberg
Frances Eisenberg
Marianne Endicott
Fern R. Espino
Paul E. Ewing
Mary Sue Ewing
Margo Cohen Feinberg
Robert Feinberg
Carl Fontana
Mary Ann Fontana
Bharat C. Gandhi
Lynn Gandhi
Mara Ghafari
Yousif Ghafari
Toby Haberman
Gregory Haynes
John Ingle III
Tara Ingle
Patty Isacson Sabee
Jill Johnson
Ellen Kahn
Stephanie Germack Kerzic
Meredith Korneffel
Mary Kramer
Barbara Kratchman
Michael Kratchman
William Kupsky
Ed Levy Jr.
Denise J. Lewis
Arthur C. Liebler
Nancy Liebler
Marian Loginsky
Stephan Loginsky
Mary Alice Lomason
Don Manvel
Jack Martin
Dexter Mason
Benjamin Meeker
Ronald Michalak
Ali Moiin
Antoinette Morelock
Allan Nachman
Joy Nachman
Linda Orlans
Myrna Partrich
Spencer Partrich
Margaret Pehrson
Sara Pozzi
Waltraud Prechter
Carrie Pryor
Ted Pryor
Amy Ragheb
Paul Ragheb
John Rakolta
Terry Rakolta
Irvin D. Reid
Pamela Trotman Reid
Evan Ross
Kelsey Ross
Anthony Rugiero
Sabrina Rugiero
David Sabee
Nedda Shayota
Terry Shea
Thomas Short
Matthew Simoncini
Mona Simoncini
Sheila Sloan
Richard A. Sonenklar
Mary Ann Stella
Lorna Thomas
Jesse Venegas
Yesenia Venegas
Amy Voigt
Jeff Voigt
Barbara Walkowski
Gary L. Wasserman
Karen Williams
R. Jamison Williams
Jeremy Zeltzer
Ellen Hll Zeringue
TRUSTEES EMERITI
Augustin Arbulu
Dodie David
Larry David
Dede Feldman
Dean Friedman
Aviva Friedman
Mary Happel
Robert Klein
Wally Klein
Charlotte Podowski
Charles Powdowski
Marjorie Sandy
Roberta Starkweather
C. Thomas Toppin
Bernie Toppin
Mary Lou Zieve
FOUNDING MEMBERS
Lynn & Ruth Townsend*
Avern & Joyce Cohn*
John & Mardell* De Carlo
David DiChiera*
Karen VanderKloot DiChiera*
Aaron & Bernice Gershenson*
Donald & Josephine Graves*
Roman & Katherine Gribbs*
John & Gwendolyn Griffin*
Harry & Jennie Jones*
Wade & Dores McCree*
Harry J. Nederlander*
E. Harwood Rydholm*
Neil & Phyllis* F. Snow
Richard & Beatrice Strichartz*
Robert & Clara “Tuttie” VanderKloot*
Sam & Barbara Williams*
Theodore & Virginia Yntema*
KEY
*Deceased
When your event is held here, it's a guarantee.
From walking down the aisle to hosting an annual fundraiser, the theater is all yours. Michigan's premier venue is unmatched, offering versatile spaces for any celebration. Home to world-class performances and legendary productions, the historic Detroit Opera House offers a backdrop of elegance and drama. Between our exclusive lounges, main stage, grand lobby, and 360° panorama-view Sky Deck, this iconic venue is guaranteed to impress your guests.
Discover why we’re Detroit’s destination for show-stopping experiences.
A message from Patty Isacson Sabee
On behalf of Detroit Opera’s family of musicians and artists, staff and board, production crew and volunteers, I’m delighted to welcome you to the historic Detroit Opera House for our 25/26 season.
There is much to inspire in the rich world of opera and dance presentations that you have come to enjoy here. We also hope these presentations will inspire deeper conversations about issues that affect us all, and this season we invite you to journey along with us as we explore American identity, as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Each unique opera and dance production offers us an opportunity to participate in a dialogue around the question: Has America at 250 lived up to its promise?
At Detroit Opera, we remain committed to sharing the beauty and emotional depth of opera, which is the foundation of who we are. At the same time, by presenting diverse programming that celebrates the many ways music and culture can move us, we honor our city’s dynamic artistic spirit and open new doors for audiences to experience the wonder of live performance.
In addition, as our beautiful home enters its 29th year of hosting performances and events for the greater Detroit community, we hope you will join us for more opportunities to experience the vibrancy and variety of what we can bring to this stage.
If Bugs Bunny is what first introduced you to the magical world of opera, please bring family and friends and join us in April for a concert celebrating Bugs’s 85th birthday. Classic Looney Tunes cartoons including “The Rabbit of Seville” and “What’s Opera, Doc?” will be projected on our big screen while the Detroit Opera Orchestra performs the original, iconic scores live!
Or if the magic of our dance presentations inspires you to get your groove on, head down to the Detroit Opera House on January 31 for Symphonic PFunk: Celebrating the Music of Parliament Funkadelic and enjoy the Detroit Opera Orchestra in collaboration with legendary funkmaster George Clinton, joined by special guests Nona Hendryx, Vernon Reid, and Bilal. Clinton’s unique PFunk style blends jazz, rock, pop, classical, and gospel, and this concert will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hear Clinton’s songbook with the grandeur of a full orchestra.
Whatever inspires you to join us at Detroit Opera, we thank you for being here. It is so important today for us all to be together, for the transformative power of performance to engage and connect us.
Patty Isacson Sabee President & CEO, Detroit Opera
Youth Chor us
Detroit Opera Youth Chorus (DOYC) is a world class training program for singers ages 8 through high school seniors. Choristers learn from Detroit Opera professionals who skillfully build a solid foundation of artistic expression and music theory. Many of our DOYC alumni have gone on to prestigious conservatories and universities majoring in vocal performance or musical theater.
Upcoming performances:
FRI / NOV 07 / 8:00PM SAT / NOV 08 / 8:00PM
SUN / NOV 09 / 3:00PM
Carmina Burana
with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Tickets @ DSO.org
THU / DEC 14 / 2:00PM
A Winter Fantasy
at First Presbyterian Church Royal Oak Tickets @ DetroitOpera.org
THU / MAY 02 / 2:00PM
Dean Burry’s
The Hobbit
Youth Opera at Detroit Opera House Tickets @ DetroitOpera.org
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.
Volunteers are the heart of all we do.
For lovers of opera, dance, theater, history, and community.
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.
Easily sign up for events using our online volunteer portal!
“Once, my body belonged to me.”
SUN / MAR 01 / 2:30PM
THU / MAR 05 / 7:30PM SAT / MAR 07 / 7:30PM
Dance Theatre of Harlem
SAT / NOV 15 / 7:30PM
SUN / NOV 16 / 2:30PM
Dance Theatre of Harlem is a Detroit favorite returning to the Detroit Opera House after their 2023 performances. Arthur Mitchell created the company in New York City after making history in 1955 as the fi rst Black principal dancer at New York City Ballet. He was also the famed protégé of George Balanchine, the “Father of American Ballet.” This performance will include a fi rst look at Firebird by John Taras, a DTH signature classic, first created in 1982, being performed for the first time in more than 20 years. Iconic works created by Jodie Gates, Robert Garland, and others will also be featured on the program.
SUN / DEC 07 / 2:30PM
THU / DEC 11 / 7:30PM
SAT / DEC 13 / 7:30PM
Highways and Valleys—Two American Love Stories is a unique double bill combining voices often excluded from the operatic mainstream: the “dean of African American music,” William Grant Still, and the Jewish émigré Kurt Weill. From their marginalized positions in American society, both composers sought out the heart of American folk music and brought it into the world of opera.
A message from Jon H. Teeuwissen
Welcome! As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, our Dance @ Detroit Opera 25/26 Season celebrates the evolution of dance in America, focusing on neoclassical ballet, modern, and theatrical jazz dance.
This fall, we dive into neoclassical ballet, the new vocabulary of ballet developed by George Balanchine that allowed dancers to move with greater speed. Considered the “father of American ballet,” Russian-born of Georgian descent, Balanchine choreographed for the renowned Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo and later came to America, where he and art connoisseur/impresario Lincoln Kirstein co-founded the School of American Ballet, and later the New York City Ballet.
Balanchine will be spotlighted on Stars of American Ballet’s Detroit program with his ballet Who Cares?, danced to some of Gershwin’s best-loved songs. The Stars program also includes In the Night, choreographed by Jerome Robbins to Chopin nocturnes. Robbins choreographed his first ballet, Fancy Free, for American Ballet Theatre, and used the same theme to develop the Broadway hit On the Town. He went on to choreograph many Broadway shows, notably West Side Story. He returned to choreographing for ballet when Balanchine invited him to join the New York City Ballet. The program includes the sensual pas de deux from Light Rain, Gerald Arpino’s most popular ballet. Arpino co-founded the Joffrey Ballet with Robert Joffrey and served as resident choreographer. Joffrey is the link to Twyla Tharp, who is also represented on the Stars program with her ballet Brel, featuring a male solo dancer and music by Jacques Brel. In 1973, Joffrey invited Twyla Tharp, a fixture of New York City’s downtown modern dance scene, to create a contemporary ballet. She created Deuce Coupe, set to music by The Beach Boys. This first “crossover” ballet created by a modern dance choreographer was a major success and gave Tharp huge visibility.
This season we’re delighted to welcome back Dance Theatre of Harlem, co-founded by Arthur Mitchell, the first Black principal dancer at New York City Ballet. As Balanchine was Mitchell’s mentor, DTH reflects the neoclassical ballet aesthetic. Robert Garland, current artistic director and former company member who performed many Balanchine ballets, notably The Four Temperaments, is a Balanchine devotee. Garland’s own choreography will be represented on the program with Nyman String Quartet #2. Also on the program is Passage of Being, a 2025 ballet by Jodie Gates, who in addition to her work as choreographer has danced with the Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.
In 2026, we will feature both modern and theatrical jazz dance with works of Paul Taylor and Bob Fosse. Enjoy!
Jon H. Teeuwissen Artistic Advisor for Dance
SAT OCT 18 @7:30PM
PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK @6:30PM WITH DANIEL ULBRICHT
SUN OCT 19 @2:30PM
PRE-PERFORMANCE TALK @1:30PM WITH DANIEL ULBRICHT
No photography or video is allowed during the performance. Please silence all phones.
PROGRAM
In The Night
Music by Frédéric Chopin
Choreography by Jerome Robbins
OLIVIA MACKINNON EMILIE GERRITY BRITTANY POLLACK
HARRISON COLL
TYLER ANGLE ANDREW VEYETTE
Pianist Elaine Chelton
In the Night is performed by permission of The Robbins Rights Trust.
Light Rain
Music by Douglas Adams and Russ Gauthier
Choreography by Gerald Arpino
BECKANNE SISK CHASE O’CONNELL
Brel
Music by Jacques Brel
Choreography by Twyla Tharp
Lighting Design by James F. Ingalls
Costume by Santo Loquasto
DANIEL ULBRICHT
DANIEL ULBRICHT Artistic Director
Daniel Ulbricht was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, and began his dance training at the age of 11. At age 16, Daniel was invited by the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, to continue his training. As a student at SAB, Daniel performed with New York City Ballet as a Jester in Peter Martins’s The Sleeping Beauty. In December 2000, he became an apprentice with New York City Ballet, and in November 2001, he joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet. In January 2005, Daniel was promoted to the rank of soloist, and then principal dancer in May 2007. During his time there, he danced featured roles in a number of Balanchine, Robbins, Martins, and Wheeldon ballets including George Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, Tarantella, Stars and Stripes, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mozartiana, The Nutcracker, Symphony in Three Movements, and The Steadfast Tin Soldier ; Jerome Robbins’s Fancy Free, Interplay, A Suite of Dances, and The Four Seasons; and Peter Martins’s Jeu de cartes, Hallelujah Junction, Eight More, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and Romeo + Juliet, among many others. Daniel also danced Tarantella at the 2004 Kennedy Center Honors to celebrate the Balanchine Centenary. He has also performed at a number of national and international festivals and galas. Daniel is a guest teacher at SAB, Ballet Academy East, as well as numerous well-known national dance schools, private schools, and universities throughout the United States. Daniel created and teaches a course at Yale University. He is currently the Director of Programming at Manhattan Youth Ballet, and is a former Artistic Director of New York State Summer School of the Arts in Saratoga Springs, New York. Daniel is also founder and director of Stars of American Ballet, a touring group focusing on high art, education, and outreach, and the co-founder and producer of Dance Against Cancer, an annual benefit for the American Cancer Society. Daniel is also on the board of the National Dance Institute.
ELAINE CHELTON Pianist
Elaine Chelton has performed at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, and in Denmark, France, Russia, China, and Japan as a piano soloist for the New York City Ballet. She has premiered new ballets by Eliot Feld, Boris Eifman, Liam Scarlett, and Robert Binet, and has worked with Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, and Susan Stroman. She was featured in the PBS special New York City Ballet in Paris, broadcast live from the Châtelet Theatre, and has also performed at the Vail International Festival of Dance, and Dancers’ Workshop in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She studied piano with Zenon Fishbein, Morey Ritt, and Leon Pommers, and composition with Hugo Weisgall. She composed the music for God’s Country, which was an official selection of the New York Musical Theater Festival in 2013. Her Voice of the City received a workshop production at The Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton, Ohio, where it was named one of the top 10 best musicals. She has made two CDs of ballet music for Roper Records, and her music is featured on Luellen Abdoo’s CD, Luango. Elaine was honored with the John Castellini Silver Jubilee Award from Queens College, of which she is an alumna. She is a recipient of an Anna Sosenko Assist Trust grant and a member of the Dramatists Guild.
INDIANA WOODWARD was born in Paris, France, and began her dance training at the age of 10 at the Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet in Venice, California. Indiana began studying at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, during the 2010 summer course and enrolled as a full-time student that fall. In August 2012, she became an apprentice with New York City Ballet, and she joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in December 2012. Indiana was promoted to soloist in February 2017. In 2020, she was promoted to the rank of principal dancer.
TYLER ANGLE was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and began his dance training at the age of nine with Deborah Anthony at the Allegheny Ballet Company. He entered the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, full-time in the fall of 2001. In the fall of 2003, Tyler became an apprentice with New York City Ballet. As an apprentice, he danced a featured role in Michel Fokine’s Chopiniana, performed by SAB as part of New York City Ballet’s winter 2004 season. Tyler joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in June 2004. He was promoted to the rank of soloist in December 2007, and in October 2009 was promoted to principal dancer. He has danced featured roles in Balanchine’s Agon, Allegro Brillante, Concerto Barocco, Jewels, Mozartiana, and Vienna Waltzes ; Robbins’s Dances at a Gathering, Glass Pieces, and In G Major ; and Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel (A Dance), DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse, and Polyphonia.
BRITTANY POLLACK was born in Princeton, New Jersey, and began her dance training at the age of five at the Princeton Ballet School, where her teachers included Douglas Martin, Maria Youskevitch, and Mary Barton. During the summers of 2008 and 2009, Unity attended the summer sessions at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, and enrolled as a full-time student in fall 2009. She became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in December 2012 and joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in November 2013. In February 2017, Unity was promoted to soloist, and in 2021, she was promoted to principal dancer. She has danced featured roles in Balanchine’s Agon, Chaconne, The Nutcracker, and Western Symphony ; Robbins’s Dances at a Gathering and The Four Seasons ; and Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia.
BECKANNE SISK began her ballet training with Longview Ballet Theater at the age of five. She studied there until age 13 when she moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to attend the Rock School for Dance Education on scholarship. She was a part of the school’s Rock Academy of the Performing Arts (RAPA) program for four years. While there, Beckanne won the Jerome Robbins Award in 2007, and competed at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) from 2007 to 2010, placing first and third. Adam Sklute invited her to join Ballet West II in 2010, at age 17, after seeing her compete at YAGP. After one year with Ballet West II, she joined the main company as a new artist in 2011, and was promoted to principal in 2015. She has performed the female principal roles in Anna-Marie Holmes’s Don Quixote; John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet and Onegin; and Adam Sklute’s adaptations of Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. Beckanne’s performance in Willam Christensen’s The Nutcracker was noticed by The Washington Post, which called her “one of the most charming and beguiling ballerinas to embody the role in recent memory. She was every bit the fairy-tale queen of one’s dreams—regal but warm, expressive but subtly so, who sustained her balances as if mere air held her up, and yet paradoxically, her dominant quality was softness.” Her performance in Cranko’s Onegin was also recognized by Pointe magazine as one of the “Standout Performances of 2019.” Original principal roles have been created on her by many renowned contemporary choreographers such as Nicolo Fonte, Val Caniparoli, Edwaard Liang, and Matthew Neenan. She has since become an international guest star. In addition to her dancing, Beckanne was featured on the CW’s Breaking Pointe television show for two seasons and has appeared in Vogue México. She also won the bronze medal in the Beijing International Ballet Competition in June 2012, and was awarded the 2012 Princess Grace Dance Fellowship. Beckanne joined Houston Ballet as principal dancer from 2023 to 2025 and is currently a principal dancer with The National Ballet of Canada.
CHASE O’CONNELL was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and started taking dance classes at the age of two. At age 13, he received a scholarship to train at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. He studied under Vladimir Djouloukhadze and Anatoli Kucheruk from 2007 to 2009. In 2009 he received a scholarship to train at The Royal Ballet School in London, England. There, he studied under Meelis Pakri and David Peden. While at school, he had the privilege to perform with English National Ballet in their 2010 production of The Nutcracker. After studying at The Royal Ballet School for two years, Chase joined the world-renowned Paris Opera Ballet to perform in their 2011 production of Rudolf Nureyev’s Cinderella In 2012 he began his contract with Ballet West II. He was promoted into the main company in 2013, and then promoted to principal in 2016. While at Ballet West, he has performed principal roles in ballets by John Cranko, Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, Jerome Robbins, Nicolo Fonte, Stanton Welch, and Adam Sklute. He has also had contemporary principal roles created on him by Nicolo Fonte, Edwaard Liang, Africa Guzman, and Val Caniparoli. Chase has danced in galas internationally, and his performance in Onegin was one of Pointe magazine’s top performances of 2019. Chase joined Houston Ballet as principal dancer from 2023 to 2025 and is currently a principal dancer with The National Ballet of Canada.
EMILIE GERRITY was born in Danbury, Connecticut, and began her dance training at the age of five at Betty Jean’s Dance Studio in Wappingers Falls, New York, before studying at the New Paltz School of Ballet. Emilie attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, during the summers of 2004, 2005, and 2006, before enrolling as a full-time student in winter 2006. While at SAB, she performed George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco as part of Protégés II at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in June 2008. Emilie was named as an apprentice in 2009 and joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in September 2010. In February 2017, Emilie was promoted to soloist. In 2023, she was promoted to the rank of principal. She has danced featured roles in Balanchine’s Agon, The Four Temperaments, The Nutcracker, Raymonda Variations, and Serenade; Robbins’s The Four Seasons, Moves, and In the Night ; and Wheeldon’s Carousel (A Dance) and Polyphonia
ANDREW VEYETTE was born in Denver, Colorado and began his dance training at age 9, studying with Betty Downs at Dance Arts in Visalia, California. Andrew continued his studies at Westside Ballet in Santa Monica, California. While at Westside Ballet, Andrew trained with Yvonne Mounsey and was personally coached by Nader Hamed. He entered the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, in fall 1998. In spring 2000, Andrew became an apprentice with New York City Ballet; later that season, he joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet. In March 2006, Andrew was promoted to soloist, and in May 2007 he was promoted to Principal Dancer.
HARRISON COLL was born in Manhattan and began his dance training at the age of four in a creative dance class for boys. In 2003 he joined as a full time student at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, with instructors including Olga Kostritzky, Jock Soto, Andrei Kramarevsky, Sean Lavery, Peter Martins, and Darci Kistler. In November 2012, Coll became an apprentice with NYCB and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in August 2013. He was promoted to soloist in October 2018.
OLIVIA MACKINNON was born in Mobile, Alabama, and began her dance training at the age of three at the Mobile Ballet. At the age of 11, she performed with Mobile Ballet’s company. During the summers of 2008 and 2009, Olivia attended the summer sessions at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, and enrolled as a full-time student in fall of 2010. Olivia became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in November 2012 and joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in October 2013. She was promoted to soloist in April 2023.
Detroit Opera Needs You
Because of your dedication and support, Detroit Opera continues to provide meaningful artistic experiences for our community and inspires audiences of the future.
Looking ahead, please help us raise the barre— your support uplifts the art of ballet and ensures Detroit remains a destination for the world’s leading dance companies including Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Charitable contributions generate a significant portion of our overall funding and are investments in the future of performing arts in our community. Without donations, opera and dance cannot thrive in southeast Michigan.
Thank you for all the ways you support us!
All Giving Circle Members will receive a collectible pin, along with other special opportunities.
Scan the QR code to learn more about the Dance Theatre of Harlem Giving Circle and donate today!
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 August 31, 2025. Your generosity is essential to sustaining Detroit Opera as a vibrant cultural resource for our community.
Foundations, Corporate & Government Support
$1,000,000+
William Davidson Foundation
The State of Michigan
$500,000-$999,999
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
$250,000-$499,999
Ford Foundation
Mellon Foundation
$100,000-$249,999
J. Addison Bartush and Marion M. Bartush
Family Foundation
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Ford Philanthropy
General Motors
Gilbert Family Foundation
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation
$50,000-$99,999
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation
Milner Hotels Foundation
$25,000-$49,999
Applebaum Family Philanthropy
Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation
Hudson-Webber Foundation
Kresge Foundation
MGM Grand Detroit
National Endowment for the Arts
The Karen & Drew Peslar Foundation
Rattner and Katz Charitable Foundation
Matilda R. Wilson Fund
Kurt Weill Foundation For Music
$10,000-$24,999
DTE Energy Foundation
Geoinge Foundation
Masco Corporation
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
$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
Honigman LLP
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
Marjorie & Maxwell Jospey Foundation
Josephine Kleiner Foundation
Elmira L. Rhein Family 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+
Richard & Mona* Alonzo
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
Enrico & Kathleen Digirolamo
Patricia Isacson Sabee & David Sabee
Mary Kramer
Mrs. Phyllis Funk Snow*
Lorna Thomas, MD
Jesse & Yesenia Venegas
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
$25,000-$49,999
Lisa A. Applebaum
Alex Erdeljan
Carl & Mary Ann Fontana
Jane Iacobelli
Michael & Barbara Kratchman
Denise J. Lewis
Nancy & Bud Liebler
The Hon. Jack & Dr. Bettye Arrington Martin
Susanne McMillan
Allan & Joy Nachman Philanthropic Fund
Ann & James B. Nicholson
Ebbie Parsons III & Ayana Parsons
Mrs. Ruth F. Rattner*
Barbara Van Dusen
The DiChiera Society
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
Lisa DiChiera
Dr. Raina Ernstoff & Mr. Sanford Hansell
Maxine & Stuart Frankel Foundation
Bharat & Lynn Gandhi
Toby Haberman
Jody & Tara Ingle
Ali Moiin & William Kupsky
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
Ms. Christine Ammer
Nina Abrams
Dr. Lourdes V. Andaya
Dr. Harold M. Arrington
Gregory & Mary Barkley
Wayne Brown & Brenda Kee
Sue Cutler & Jeff Fessler
Walter & Lillian Dean
Maria & David Duey
Nell Duke & David Ammer
Marianne Elrick & Kenneth Myers
Joseph Fontana & Nada Jurisich-Fontana
Ralph & Erica Gerson
Beverly Hall Burns
Ms. Carole Hardy
Ellen Hill Zeringue
William Hulsker & Aris Urbanes
Addison & Deborah Igleheart
Mary B. Letts
Andy Levin & Mary Freeman
Don Manvel
Mrs. L. William Moll
Van Momon & Pamela L. Berry
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
Mrs. Rosalind B. Sell
Terry Shea & Seigo Nakao
Michael & Stacey Simmons
Christopher Stavrou
Ned & Joan Winkelman
$3,000-$4,999
Sandra & Doug Bitonti Stewart
Paul & Lee Blizman
Bob & Rosemary Brasie
Dr. & Mrs. Ronald T. Burkman
Albert & Janette Cassar
Carolyn Demps & Guy Simons
Marla Donovan
Fern Espino & Tom Short
James & Margo Farber
Sally & Michael Feder
Ms. Laurie R. Frankel
Mr. Lawrence Glowczewski
Mr. & Mrs. Robert & Christine Hage
Barbara Heller
Roberto Kalb & Mane Galoyan
Dr. Glendon M. Gardner & Leslie Landau
Ann Katz
Max Lepler & Rex Dotson
John & Arlene Lewis
Stephan & Marian Loginsky
Ms. Mary McGough
Benjamin Meeker & Meredith Korneffel, MD
Brian & Lisa Meer
Ms. Evelyn Micheletti
Phillip Minch
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
Thomas & Gretchen Anderson
D.L. Anthony, Ph.D.
Ms. Geraldine Atkinson
Mr. Jason Batke
Martin & Marcia Baum
Mr. Stanislaw Bialoglowski
Ms. Nicole A. Boelstler
Mrs. Marlene L. Boll
Constance Bodurow
Marsha Bruhn
Ilse Calcagno
Harriet Clark
John & Doreen Cole
Tonino & Sarah Corsetti
Ms. Mary J. Doerr
Murray & Alice Ehrinpreis
Ms. Judith Ellis
Burke & Carol Fossee
Carol Gagliardi & David Flesher
Marcelo Ganasevici
Arline Geronimus
Allan Gilmour & Eric Jirgens
Mr. Nathaniel Good
Robert & Ann Greenstone
Kimberly Hastie
Fay & Allen Herman
Adriana Herrera
Julie & Peter Hollinshead
Joel Howell
Mary Ellen Hoy & Jim Keller
Paul Jednak & Tim Kasunic
Richard & Involut Jessup
Marc Keshishian & Susanna Szelestey
Mr. & Mrs. Gerd H. Keuffel
Sam Logan Khaleghi
Gregory Knas
William & Jean Kroger
Jennifer Lindsay Kott
Mrs. Marsha Lynn
Ms. Vera C. Magee
Mr. Loreto A. Manzo
Ms. Janet Groening Marsh
Patrick & Patricia McKeever
Eugene & Lois Miller
Mary F. Miller
Ms. Maryanne Mott
Iuliana & Ovidiu Niculescu
Ms. Pamela Patton-Cone
Margaret Pehrson
Mark & Kyle Peterson
Ms. Irene Piccone
Ankur Rungta & Mayssoun Bydon
Prof. Alvin* & Mrs. Harriet Saperstein
Mary Schlaff & Sanford Koltonow
Kingsley & Lurline Sears
Anthony & Theresa Selvaggio
John Snyder
Ms. Theresa Spear & Mr. Jeff Douma
Gabriel & Martha Stahl
Ms. Mary Anne Stella
Dr. Andrew James Stocking
Andrew J. Sturgess
Manuel Tancer & Claire Stroker
Mr. Jon Teeuwissen
Dr. Jewlee Weah Tweh
Jeff & Amy Voigt
Gary L. Wasserman & Charles A. Kashner
Erica White
Katina Zaninovich
$750-$999
Eric Alonas
Frank & Jenny Brzenk
Carol Johnston
Vincent & Kathy Scanio
Robert & Janet Swanson
Dennis & Jennifer Varian
$500-$749
Antonia Abbey & James Lee
David A. Agius
Wallace Ayotte
Ms. Allison Bach & Mr. Michael Cool
Ms. Mary Anne Barczak
Ms. Kanta Bhambhani
Marceline Bright
Ms. Susan Burns
Stephen Calkins & Joan Wadsworth
Susan Cameron
Paula Lisa Cole
Gerald Davis
Cristina DiChiera & Neal Walsh
Mr. John R. DiLodovico
Manisha Dostert
Daniel H. Ferrier
Yvonne Friday & Stephen Black
John Gierak & Dona Tracey
Joseph & Lois Gilmore
Gil Glassberg & Sandra Seligman
Philip & Martha Gray
Ms. Rosemary Gugino
Beth Hoger & Lisa Swem
Ms. George-Ann Howell
Lawrence John & Lilian Lai
Kimberly Johnson
Ms. Lee Khachaturian
Justin & Joanne Klimko
Ms. Cynthia Kratchman
Mary Jane & Jeff Kupsky
Albert Kurt
Robert & Mary Lou Labe
Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Levin
John & Arlene Lewis
Mr. John Lovegren & Mr. Daniel Isenschmid
John & Kimi Lowe
Mrs. Marsha Lynn
Dr. Anne Missavage & Mr. Robert Borcherding
Jane Panikkar
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
Catherine Strumbos
Clara Sumeghy
Mr. Bruce Tackett
Frank Tenkel
Dr. Gretchen Thams
Ms. Janet Beth Weir
Meredith Weston-Band & Jeffery Band
Ms. Richelle Wojtczak
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
Armando Delicatio
Judith Gordon & Lawrence Banka
Lisa DiChiera
Mrs. Ruth F. Rattner*
Carl & Mary Ann 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
Mrs. Ruth F. Rattner*
Dr. Ali Moiin & Dr. William Kupsky
David Kupsky Law Group, LLC
Mary Jane & Jeff Kupsky
Mrs. Mary Jane Kupsky
William & Elizabeth S. Kupsky Household
Shane Pliska & Karl Lievense
Dr. Ali Moiin & Dr. William Kupsky
Brett Scott
Marcelo Ganasevici
Jon Teeuwissen
Manisha Dostert
Lorna Thomas, MD
Paul & Lee Blizman
Barbara Walkowski
Neal S. Goren
IN MEMORY OF
Wickam Allen
Beth Buzzelli Carlson
Armando Delicatio
Patricia Bentley
Jacqueline Shuster
Carol DeVore
Mr. Mark S. DeVore
David DiChiera
Louis & Nellie Sieg Fund
Sandy Duncan
R. Jamison & Karen Williams
Grant Eldridge
Tracy Barr
Drs. Julie B. Finn & Bradley Rowens
Heather Gehring
Shawn Rieschl Johnson & Christian Kirby
Al 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
Mrs. Marilyn Goldberg
Renee Handelsman
David & Rose Handleman
Barbara Heller
Patty Isacson Sabee & David Sabee
Richard Katz
Ann Katz
Mrs. Barbara Kratchman
Michael & Barbara Kratchman
Victor Lebovici
Dr. Jay Levinson
Nancy & Bud Liebler
Howard Luckoff
Alex & Lisa MacDonald Household
Ali Moiin & William Kupsky
Angela Nelson-Heesch
Bluma Schechter
Mrs. Bluma Schechter
Ms. Lisa Schwartz
Grace Serra
Martha Siefman
Mr. Mark Sussman
Mr. William Volz
Gary L. Wasserman & Charles A. Kashner
Rick & Karen Williams
Sharon Zimmerman
Suzann Kaye Ripple
Ms. Catherine Pappas
Miss Alison Piech
Gladys Santiago
Angeline Rooks
Maria McMullen
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 August 31, 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
Dr. Lourdes V. Andaya§
Mr. & Mrs. Agustin Arbulu§
Chester* & Emilia Arnold§
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
Maria Dudlar
Marianne T. Endicott§#
David & Jennifer Fischer
Herbert & Betty Fisher§
Mrs. Barbara Frankel* & Mr. Ronald Michalak§#
Mr. & Mrs. Herman Frankel§#
Byron & Marilyn Georgeson§
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
Paul Lavins*
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 & Mr. Pat McGuire
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
Daniel Valentino Peacock
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
Bashar Sarraf
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
Ms. Betsy R. Spratt
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#
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
Robert C. & RoseAnn B. Comstock
Mrs. Mary Rita Cuddohy
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
Mr. John Jesser
H. Barbara Johnston
Maxwell & Marjorie Jospey
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
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
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
Peter Ecklund
HORN
Colin Bianchi
Principal
Natalie Sweasy
TRUMPET
David Ammer
Principal
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
Andrew Berg, Chief Development Officer
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
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
Suzanne Hanna, Costume Director
Michaela Tanskley, 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 Vernon Smith
Officer Khalil Nalis
TICKETING & BOX OFFICE
Amy Brown, Director of Ticketing and Booking
Stephanie Stoiko, Box Office Manager
Evan Carr, System Administrator
Holly McDermott, Box Office Associate
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, Jo-Ann Hale, Sue Hargrave, Myrna Mazure, Ennis Mcgee, Steven McReynolds, Heddie O’Connor, Bill Ried, Kimberly 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.
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE, IN ASSOCIATION WITH CHEW ENTERTAINMENT, PRESENTS
Symphonic PFunk: Celebrating The Music of Parliament Funkadelic
AND THE DETROIT
CONDUCTED BY RAY CHEW
Featuring George Clinton with Nona Hendryx, Vernon Reid, and Bilal
