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 Carmen
by Georges Bizet
Libretto Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy
based on Prosper Mérimée’s novel
Premiered: Opéra-Comique, Paris, March 1875
April 7, 8, 14, 15, 8:00 p.m.
With Opera Insights at 7:00 p.m.
Guest Conductor: Mark Gibson
Guest Stage Director: Jonathon Field
Designer: Robert O'Hearn |
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| BIOGRAPHIES OF THE CAST AND ARTISTIC TEAM |
| ARTISTIC STAFF |
 Mark Gibson,
Conductor.
Mark Gibson is the director of Orchestral Studies for Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He serves as music director of the CCM Philharmonia Orchestra, one of the world’s leading conservatory orchestras, and heads CCM’s program in orchestral conducting. For the past four years, he served as co-artistic director and conductor of the Opera Theatre and Music Festival of Lucca in Italy. He has been invited as guest professor of conducting at the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing; the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Munich; and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; and as visiting professor of conducting and ensembles at the Eastman School of Music. His work in the opera house includes productions with companies in New York, Dallas, and Cleveland, and at the Minnesota Opera, Michigan Opera Theatre, New Orleans Opera, and Opera Pacific. He has been a frequent guest at renowned summer festivals in Chautauqua and Spoleto USA. Prior to joining the faculty of CCM, he was principal conductor of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, a regular guest conductor with the New York City Opera, and resident conductor of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona. In December 2005, he debuted with the Qingdao Symphony in China, and leads productions of Carmen at Indiana University in April and Madama Butterfly at the Seoul Opera House in South Korea in May. |
 Jonathon Field,
Stage Director.
Jonathon Field has become one of America’s more versatile and popular stage directors, having directed over one hundred productions in all four corners of the United States. His productions for the Lyric Opera of Chicago include Trouble in Tahiti, Gianni Schicchi, The Old Maid and the Thief, and the Spanish Hour, which were repeated at the Illinois Humanities Festival. For San Francisco Opera’s Western Opera Theatre, he directed productions of La Cenerentola and Die Fledermaus, which played in over 20 states, as well as an updated version of La bohème for Seattle Opera. In addition to working in the standard Italian and German repertoire, he has worked in the Russian repertoire, having directed Eugene Onegin and Boris Godunov in the original Russian in San Francisco, and as well as Prokofiev’s The Love for Three Oranges. Over the past eight years, Field has directed 10 productions with the Arizona Opera, working with artists such as Teresa Zylis-Gara, Jerome Hines, Pablo Elvira, Giorgio Tozzi, and Angelina Reux.
Field’s versatility extends from the avant garde to musical comedies. He has successfully introduced computer generated scenery to the world of opera in a production of Candide, recently performed in San Francisco. He has also pioneered the use of video-projected scenery in productions of The Turn of the Screw, Tales of Hoffmann, and Der Freischütz. In the realm of operetta and musicals, he has staged H.M.S. Pinafore for Opera Omaha, Trial by Jury for Lake George Opera, Bernstein’s Wonderful Town in Chicago, and Merry Widow and Countess Maritza in San Francisco. For the Oakland Symphony, he translated and choreographed Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, using members of the Oakland Ballet.
He has worked on several world premières, including assisting Robert Altman with Bolcom’s McTeague at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and David Alden with Susa’s The Love of Don Perlimplin with San Francisco Opera. He has also worked as assistant director for several of Seattle Opera’s Wagner Ring cycles, and he has served in an administrative capacity with many opera companies and festivals.
Currently, he is artistic director of Lyric Opera Cleveland, where he has presented the operas of W.A. Mozart, Rossini, and Donizetti, as well as the Ohio première of works by John Adams, Mark Adamo, and Philip Glass. |
 Robert O’Hearn, Set and Costume Designer
Robert O’Hearn earned his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1943. He has been a scenic and costume designer for the Metropolitan Opera, Vienna Staatsoper, Vienna Volksoper, Hamburg Staatsoper, New York City Opera, Greater Miami Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and Ballet West. He served as professor for the Studio and Forum of Stage Design in New York from 1968 to 1988. O’Hearn has also given guest lectures and classes at Carnegie Mellon, Brandeis, and Penn State University. |
 Mona Tobin Houston, French Diction Coach.
Though Houston recently retired from Indiana University, she continues to be in demand as a diction and text coach for opera chorus and soloists. During her university career, she taught courses in Phonetics and Pronunciation, Advanced Translation, French for Singers, Seventeenth-century French Theater, and Seventeenth-century French Poetry. In 1989, she received the Lilly Endowment Open Faculty Fellowship to study the rehearsal process in professional theaters in Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Paris. Singers, directors, and conductors seek out Houston not only for her academic experience, but also because her musical training and excellent ear make her uniquely able to apply the pronunciation of the language to its musical context.
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| The Indiana University Children’s Choir organization is comprised of six different choirs designed to provide musical experiences for singers ranging from pre-school through high school. They have performed in a variety of local venues and have performed with the Bloomington Chamber Singers, the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, and for the Bloomington visit of the Dalai Lama in 2003. Their two recorded CDs are available through the IU Jacobs School of Music’s Marketplace. The children’s choir performs frequently in performances with the IU Choral Department and IU Opera Theater. In addition, the Children’s Chamber Choir has been invited to perform at the national conference of the Organization of American Kodály Educators in Charlotte, NC. This season marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the IU Children’s Choir. Former members of IUCC and the general public are welcome to attend the Children’s Choir’s anniversary concert on Saturday, April 29, at 7 p.m. in the Evangelical Community Church on South High Street in Bloomington. |
| THE CAST (in order of appearance) |
| Moralés |
 James Ivey, of Spartanburg, SC, is a first-year doctoral student in Voice and Literature. He received his bachelor’s degree from Shorter College in piano and his master’s degree in voice from the University of Illinois. Recent roles include the title roles in Don Giovanni and Gianni Schicchi and Maximillian in Candide. He has been a district-winner for the Metropolitan National Council auditions, NATS winner at the state and regional levels, and a finalist in the Mobile Opera competition. Ivey is a recipient of the Nancy Wustman Memorial Accompanying Award and the Joséph Schlanger Memorial Opera Award. This summer will mark his second year as vocal coach and accompanist for the Scuola Italia program for opera singers in Urbania, Italy. He is a student of Dale Moore. |
 Justin Moore is in his final year of study for both a Bachelor of Voice and a Bachelor in Russian, at IU. Last year, he was seen as the Jailor in Dialogues of the Carmélites. Before attending IU, Moore was a student at Mercyhurst College, where he performed as Guglielmo in Mozart's Così fan tutte, Charles Guiteau in Sondheim's Assassins, and Adam in Harnack's The Apple Tree. He studies with Andreas Poulimenos. |
| Micaela |
 A native of Locust Grove, GA, soprano Alexis Lundy is currently pursuing her Master of Music in Voice at Indiana University. Lundy made her Indiana University debut singing the role of Pamina in Mozart's The Magic Flute in the spring of 2005. She holds bachelor’s degrees in voice performance and music education from Shorter College in Rome, GA. She has also received many first-place awards with the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Lundy has performed such roles as Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Angelina in Trial by Jury, Edith in Pirates of Penzance, and Emily Bronte in the chamber opera How Clear She Shines! She was the 2002 second-place finalist in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National Young Artist Voice Competition. Lundy was a studio artist with Central City Opera in the summer of 2005. She is a student of Dale Moore. |
 Jing Zhang, soprano, received her bachelor’s degree from the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing and her Performer Diploma in Voice from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Zhang debuted as Tebaldi in the premiere of Don Carlos at the Shanghai Grand Theatre in 2001. Her US, debut was as Mimi in La bohème in IU Opera Theater in the 2004-05 season. She was the winner of 2005 Metropolitan Opera National Council District Auditions. She won the “Award for Excellent Singing” at the China Central Television Young Artists Competition in Beijing and was a semi-finalist, in 2003, in the Third International Opera Competition in Shizuoka, Japan. Zhang has been awarded scholarships from and participated in the Gala Concerts of the International Vocal Art Institute’s programs in New York, Puerto Rico, Japan, and China. She has been asked to participate in the Aspen Music Festival this summer. Recently, Zhang won the Bain Scholarship for 2006-07 and was one of the performers representing Indiana University in a performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., in February, 2006. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at IU Jacobs School of Music and studies with Costanza Cuccaro. |
| Dancaïre, leader of a band of smugglers |
 Carmen marks Benjamin Eley’s fourth appearance on the IU Opera Theater stage, where he has previously been seen in productions of La bohème (Benoit), H.M.S. Pinafore (Boatswain), and She Loves Me (Mr. Maraczek). Eley has also appeared extensively as a concert soloist, notably in Fauré’s Reqiuem and as baritone soloist in the world première of Juan Orrego-Salas’s cantata La ciudad celeste. A student of Patricia Stiles, he is pursuing a master’s degree in voice. |
 Brad Raymond is in his first year at Indiana University, pursuing a master’s degree. From Houston, TX, he received his undergraduate degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. Over the past year, Raymond has performed in several master classes, including those of soprano Carol Vaness and pianist Roger Vignoles. Notable awards that Raymond has won include first place in the 2004 National Opera Association National Competition and 2005 winner of the National Association for the Teachers of Singing Regional Competition. He has performed the roles of Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, the title role in Gianni Schicchi, Belcore in L’Elisir d’amore, Elder McLean in Susannah, Betto in Gianni Schicchi, and Antonio in Le Nozze di Figaro, and has done extensive scene work performing the title roles of operas Don Giovanni and William Penn. He has performed in major cities in the United States, Austria, Germany, Italy, and South Africa. Raymond is a student of Paul Kiesgen. |
| Remendado, another smuggler |
 Ulises DuBon is a senior majoring in voice. He currently studies with Patricia Stiles. Previous appearances at IU Opera Theater include Tybalt in last fall's Roméo et Juliette and the First Priest in last spring's The Magic Flute. He has also performed Nanki-Poo in The Mikado. |
 Christopher Nelson , tenor, is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Voice at Indiana University, where he studies with Paul Kiesgen. He has performed with IU Opera Theater as Ralph in H.M.S. Pinafore, Monostatos in The Magic Flute, and Parpignol in La bohème. Other production credits include Fredric in The Pirates of Penzance, Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar, Archibald in The Secret Garden, Don Quixote in The Man of La Mancha, Nicely Nicely in Guys and Dolls, Lloyd Dallas in Noises Off, and Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Nelson is a native of the greater Los Angeles area. |
| Zuniga, captain of the Guard |
 Steven Hrycelak , bass, is a first-year master's student studying with Timothy Noble. This is his second role at IU, after having performed Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Hrycelak received a BA in Music from Yale University, where he performed several operatic and musical theater roles, from Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro to Caiaphas in Jesus Christ Superstar, and where he sang with the Yale Whiffenpoofs. For the past three years, Hrycelak was a freelance vocalist in New York, where he sang with the NY Choral Artists, the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, the Bard Festival Chorale, and the NY Virtuoso Singers, to name a few. He was a featured soloist at Trinity Church Wall Street, where he sang solos in Handel's Messiah, which was broadcast live on WQXR radio, as well as solos in Haydn's Heiligmesse, which was recorded for the Hänssler Classic record label. He was also a soloist with Musica Sacra, the NY Collegium, the Waverly Consort, and the Collegiate Chorale, with whom he made his Lincoln Center debut for their A Night at the American Operetta program at Alice Tully Hall. Hrycelak has also been active as a musical director, pianist, and conductor at Yale, in NY, and in Scotland, where he was musical director of Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. |
 John Paul Huckle appeared last fall as Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet and Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A student of Robert Harrison, Huckle, bass, is a native of Pittsburgh, PA, and is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Voice from Indiana University. This past May, he finished his Performer Diploma in Voice. He has performed various roles at IU including Sarastro in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Antonio in The Marriage of Figaro, the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, Pistola in Verdi’s Falstaff, and Olin Britt in The Music Man. Huckle has attended the Brevard Music Program, where he performed in Don Giovanni and Falstaff. Last year, Huckle participated in Martina Arroyo’s role preparation class and prepared the role of John Claggart in Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd. The past two summers he attended Opera North’s Young Artist program in Lebanon, NH, and has performed the roles of Theseus in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Friar Jean in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliet, Sciarrone and the Jailer in Puccini’s Tosca, Superintendent Budd in Britten’s Albert Herring, and covered the role of Don Alhambra in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers. Past awards include Friends of Music scholarships from IU, the Mendel Opera Award, and the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Encouragement Award. This summer, he will attend Central City Opera as a member of their Young Artist program. Huckle is a former student of Giorgio Tozzi. |
| Don José, corporal of the Guard |
 A frequent performer in concert and opera, Marcos Aguiar has appeared as a soloist with the State of São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, The Municipal Theater of São Paulo Orchestra, The Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro Orchestra, University of São Paulo Orchestra, New Orleans University Orchestra and Opera Theater, Loyola University’s Opera Theater, and Louisiana Philharmonic, Brevard Music Center, among others. As one of the winners of the 6 th Aldo Baldin Opera Festival and Vocal Competition in Brazil, Aguiar debuted as Don José in Bizet’s Carmen, performed in the city of Florianópolis in 2003. In 2004, Aguiar sang Pinkerton in Pucinni’s Madama Butterfly and Don José in Bizet’s Carmen at The Municipal Theater of São Paulo. He also sang the role of Don José in Bizet’s Carmen at the 2004 State of Pará’s Opera Festival. In the same year, he appeared as Doppione of Lohengrin in Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin at the São Paulo Municipal Theater. In 2005 he made his debut at the Municipal Theater in Rio de Janeiro, singing the role of Macduff in Verdi’s Macbeth. Aguiar received his bachelor’s degree in music and vocal performance from Santa Marcelina College in São Paulo and has a master’s degree in voice from Loyola University in New Orleans. He is currently a doctoral student with Robert Harrison. |
 John Sumners , tenor, is a native of Indianapolis. He recently appeared at Indiana University as Le Chevalier in Dialogues des Carmélites and as Roméo in Roméo et Juliette. Additionally, he has performed with Central City Opera as Detlef in The Student Prince, Conchenille in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and covered the title role in Massenet’s Jongleur de Notre Dame. Past operatic roles include Edgardo in Knoxville Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor, as well as Nemorino in Elixir of Love, Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Camille in Merry Widow, and Sabastiani in Ohio Light Opera’s production of Strauss’s The Merry War. He returned to Central City Opera this past summer to perform Sam Sharkey in Britten’s Paul Bunyan and to cover and perform Pinkerton in Catherine Malfitano’s directorial debut of Madama Butterfly. Sumners holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Millikin University and a Master of Music in Voice Performance from the University of Tennessee. He is currently pursuing a Performer Diploma at Indiana University, under Timothy Noble. |
| Carmen |
 Mezzo-soprano Lisa LaFleur, originally from Lafayette, LA, is performing her third role at Indiana University; her first was the title role in La Cenerentola in 2004, followed by Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2005. Before moving to Bloomington, LaFleur graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Loyola University New Orleans. At Loyola, she performed Dorabella in Così fan tutte and Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. Also in New Orleans, she sang with the New Orleans Opera in productions of Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, Pontalba (world premiere) and Don Giovanni, as well as in the St. Louis Cathedral Concert Series as mezzo-soprano soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria and Duruflé’s Requiem. In 2004, she was a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. Last summer she performed with the Central City Opera as Kate Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly and Moppet/1st Wild Goose in Britten’s Paul Bunyan. Shortly after the completion of IU’s Carmen production, She will perform the same title role for DuPage Opera of Chicago. LaFleur is a student of Timothy Noble. |
 Sophie Louise Roland received her early training in piano, voice, and drama in Quebec. She holds an Honours BMus from Wilfrid Laurier University, an MA in Musicology and MMus in Vocal Performance from the University of Western Ontario, and is now completing a Doctor of Music in Voice under Constanza Cuccaro. Roland recently performed the role of La Prieure in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites with IU Opera Theater. Her past roles with Indiana University include Dame Quickly in Falstaff, La mère in Les Contes d’Hoffman, and Luna in the North American premiere of Jeppe. She also appeared in Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky. In addition to her operatic credits, Roland was selected to participate in the Song Fest 2004 Festival in Malibu as a professional artist where she worked with international pianist and coach Martin Katz. As a mezzo-soprano soloist, she has also appeared in concert with ensembles such as the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, London Fanshawe Symphonic Orchestra, the Windsor Symphony, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Roland was selected to participate in a master class given by Marilyn Horne at Carnegie Hall for the celebration of her 70th birthday. |
| Frasquita, a gypsy friend of Carmen |
 Sara Flores recently completed her Bachelor of Music with High Distinction in Voice from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with retired professor Virginia Zeani. In the fall of 2004, she began a Performer Diploma in Voice in the studio of Patricia Havranek. In 2003, Flores was chosen to participate in a summer program in Oderzo, Italy, under the directorship of Claudia Pinza, Maria Chiara, Maestro Maurizio Arena, and Enza Ferrari. In the same year, she was invited to perform for the Golden Key National Honor Society at the McCormick Center Grand Ball Room in Chicago. Since then, Flores has performed in masterclasses conducted by Carol Vaness and has been chosen for Indiana University Jacobs School of Music’s Student Ambassador Program. In addition to being an accomplished musician, Flores has combined her music studies with pre-medicine coursework. She has participated in the Mexican Dance Troupe, has done community service, and was named Queen of the Sociedad Mutualista Mexicana Pageant in 2000 and Queen of the Union Benefica Mexicana Pageant in 2001. |
 Laura Stelman, soprano, is a second-year master's student at Indiana University. She was previously seen on the IU Opera Theater stage as Papagena in The Magic Flute . A native of New York, Stelman received her undergraduate degree from Manhattan School of Music. In 2003-04 she toured with the Remarkable Theater Brigade, an organization which brings short educational operas to special needs children at elementary schools and hospitals. Stelman’s past roles include Amor (Gluck’s Orfeo), Olympia (Les Contes d’Hoffmann) Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), Mrs. Peachum (Threepenny Opera), and Kristy (House). She has been soprano soloist for Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb, Festival Te Deum, and Ceremony of Carols, as well as Bernstein's Chichester Psalms. Stelman is a student of Patricia Wise |
| Mercédès, another friend |
 A native of DeLand FL, Rachael Lubbers has been singing since she was eight. She graduated with high honors from the University of Florida and received her master's degree from Indiana University. At IU, she has been a soloist with the Contemporary Vocal Ensemble and the University Chorale. On stage, she has played Maria in The Sound of Music, Paul in The Toy Shop, and Das Mädchen in The Tide. She won various National Association of Teachers of Singing competitions as well as the Bella Voce and Bravo awards from the Bel Canto Foundation in Chicago. She is currently pursuing a performer diploma as a student of Timothy Noble. |
 Marie Masters is a first-year masters student at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studies with Timothy Noble. Masters will make her debut with IU Opera Theater in this production of Carmen. She also recently performed in masterclasses and a recital of Schubert song lead by Roger Vignoles. Last May, Masters sang the role of Ännchen (Der Freischütz) with Opera Orchestra of New York. She also appeared with The Cleveland Orchestra under the baton of Pierre Boulez as the soprano soloist in Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol and Four Russian Peasant Songs. In March, she performed the soprano solo in Faure’s Requiem with the Cleveland Youth Orchestra, and in May 2004, Masters sang the role of the Trainbearer (Elektra) with The Cleveland Orchestra. In 2005, Masters completed her undergraduate studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. The Ohio-born soprano’s roles with the Oberlin Opera Theatre include Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Gretel (Hansel und Gretel), Cupid (Orpheus in the Underworld), Emmie (Albert Herring), and Esmeralda (The Bartered Bride). Masters appeared with the Oberlin Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem and in Haydn’s Harmoniemesse. In the summer of 2003, she sang the role of Zerlina (Don Giovanni) in Urbania and Urbino, Italy. |
| Escamillo, oreador |
 Austin Kness , baritone, is currently in his second year of pursuing a Master of Music in Voice. Originally from Cedar Rapids, IA, Austin received his B.A. in Music from the University of Northern Iowa, where he performed in several performances including the role of Don Pedro in Offenbach's La Perichole, and as the baritone soloist in Ralph Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs. His most recent performances include the role of Eddie Carbone in William Bolcom’s A View from the Bridge, produced by the IU Opera Theater in February 2005. This past summer Kness performed the role of Moralés in Bizet's Carmen with the Cedar Rapids, IA, Opera Theater and was also a participant in the AIMS Summer Program in Graz, Austria, where he performed as the baritone soloist in Bernstein's Arias and Barcaroles. This coming summer, Austin will be participating in the Des Moines Metropolitan Opera Apprentice Program singing the role of Count Ceprano in Rigoletto. He is a student in the studio of Patricia Stiles. |
 Baritone Scott Skiba is a doctoral student at IU, where he studies with Timothy Noble and has sung Baron Zeta, Horace Tabor, Captain Balstrode, Eugene Onegin, and Marco. He has sung with the Bloomington Music Works, Indianapolis Opera, Olney Theater Center, DuPage Opera Theater, and the Pittsburgh Opera. Performance credits include Don Giovanni, Escamillo, Figaro, Giorgio Germont, King Melchior, Michele, Nick Shadow, Russlan, Tarquinius, Eisenstein, and Der Kaiser Overall. His oratorio and concert performances include soloist in the St. John Passion, Israel in Egypt, Messiah, In Terra Pax, and Christmas Oratorio; featured soloist with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, Akron Symphony, Columbus Symphony, and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra; guest recitalist at The Oberlin Conservatory of Music; and featured soloist on The McGraw Hill Companies' Young Artists Showcase. He earned his B.M. and M.M. from The Oberlin Conservatory of Music and began his vocal training in his hometown, Pittsburgh PA. Skiba recently sung the role of Cascada in The Merry Widow and covered the title role in Le Nozze di Figaro with the Indianapolis Opera. He will return to the DuPage Opera Theater this June to sing Escamillo in Carmen. |
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