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Biographies of the Artists |
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Yefim
Maizel (Stage Director) — Yefim Maizel has directed and
assisted in the former Soviet Union, in Europe and in the
U.S. at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco, Washington,
Kirov, Wexford, and Santa Fe Opera as well as Opera Pacific,
Michigan Opera Theater and Opera Santa Barbara. A Russian
native, Mr. Maizel currently makes his home in San
Francisco, where he is a member of the faculty of the Bay
Area Summer Opera Training Institute. From 1993 to 1998 Mr.
Maizel worked as assistant director for San Francisco Opera
in productions of Pique Dame, Ruslan and Lyudmila, Madama
Butterfly, Faust, Rusalka, Prince Igor, Eugene Onegin and
Simone Boccanegra among others. He made his Metropolitan
debut in 1999, and continues to direct and assist direct
there to the present. This production of Eugene Onegin,
marks Mr. Maizel’s IU Opera Theater debut. |
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David
Effron (Conductor) —
Distinguished symphony and opera
conductor, David Effron has, over a forty year career,
conducted major symphony and opera companies throughout the
world. Music Director of the Brevard Music Center, David
Effron is also Professor of Conducting at the Indiana
University School of Music. He previously held this same
position at the Eastman School of Music for twenty years
where he was Music Director of the Eastman Philharmonia.
Other positions he has held include, Music Director of the
Heidelberg Summer Festival, Principal Conductor of the
Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Artistic Director
and Principal Conductor of the Central City Opera Festival,
and Music Director of the Youngstown Symphony.
Maestro Effron has been a guest
conductor for many leading North American ensembles,
including the Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Music
Festival, Bach Aria Group, orchestras of Pittsburgh,
Cincinnati, Denver, Buffalo, Rochester, New Mexico, and the
National Ballet of Washington. As an opera conductor, he has
appeared on the podium of the San Francisco Opera, New York
City Opera, Tulsa Opera, Greater Buffalo Opera, and Opera
Columbus. In addition to his work as a conductor, he has
continued his interest in piano performance and has
accompanied such notable artists as George London, Sherrill
Milnes, and Benita Valente. |
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Guoping Wang
(Choreographer) — Guoping Wang is a native of China
and trained at the Shanghai Dance School, then danced with
the Shanghai Ballet Company from July 1980 to October 1991.
He then wnet on to study ballet in the graduate program at
the School of Music at Indiana University. Mr. Wang joined
Ballet Chicago in 1993, performing lead roles with the
company through 1995. In 1997, while also a member of the
Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. Mr. Wang was recognized by the
Chicago Dance Community with the Ruth Page Award for
Outstanding Dance Achievement. He joined the School of
Ballet Chicago faculty in Spring of 2002 and is currently a
visiting lecturer in ballet at Indiana University.
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Mark Somerfield (Lighting Designer) —
Guest
Lighting Designer, Mark Somerfield makes his IU
Opera Theater debut with this production of
Eugene Onegin.
Mr. Somerfield has designed lighting for many stage
and opera productions, such as Opera Santa Barbara,
Music Academy of the West, Basque Opera Festival,
Pennsylvania Stage Company, Cincinnati Ballet and
Virginia Stage Company. He is currently Lighting
Designer and Director of Production for the
Department of Music at the University of California
at Santa Barbara. Among his productions are
Faust,
Cosi fan tutte,
an award winning production of
Madama Butterfly,
Don Giovanni, La
Boheme,
La Traviata
and many more. Mr. Somerfield holds a Masters of
Fine Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati,
College-Conservatory of Music and is a frequent
lecturer on lighting design at such venues as
Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Miami University,
Interlochen Arts Camp and the University of
Wisconsin. |
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Katherine
Altobello (Madame Larina) — Mezzo-Soprano Katherine
Altobello is currently a Master’s Candidate in voice at
Indiana University. A native of Austin, Texas, Ms.
Altobello completed a Bachelors of Music and a Bachelors of
Theatre from Southwestern University in Georgetown.
Favorite roles include Hansel in Hansel and Gretel,
Mercedes in Carmen, and Cherubino in Le Nozze di
Figaro. This summer Ms.Altobello was thrilled to
perform the role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady
at Brevard Music Center, under the baton of New England
Conservatory’s John Greer. IU roles include Silver Dollar
in The Ballad of Baby Doe, and Mrs. Wiinthrop in
The Secret Garden among others. Ms. Altobello is
a student of Patricia Stiles. |
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Michelle
Auslander (Tatyana) — Michelle Auslander, soprano, has
most recently received her Performer’s Diploma in Vocal
Performance from Indiana University, where she has recently
begun her doctoral studies. This is Ms. Auslanders’ second
year as an Associate Instructor, and studies with
internationally acclaimed soprano and teacher, Costanza
Cuccaro. She began her undergraduate studies at the Peabody
Conservatory, and completed her bachelors degree in Vocal
Performance at George Mason University. Her masters in
music/vocal performance is from Boston University. Ms.
Auslander has been an apprentice artist at the Sarasota
Opera Company, and a fellowship artist at the Brevard Music
Center, where she sang the title role in Puccini’s Suor
Angelica. Other roles to her credit include; Hanna in The
Merry Widow, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Zerlina in Don
Giovanni, Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito, Lauretta in
Gianni Schicchi, and Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor. Ms.
Auslander has been the recipient of several gr! ants and
awards, including an encouragement award from the
Metropolitan Opera Association, a career grant from the
National Society of Arts and Letters, a national finalist in
Orlando Opera’s Heinz Rehfuss Vocal Competition, the Women’s
Guild Academic Scholarship to Boston University, and the
winner of the Indianapolis Matinee Musical Vocal
Competition. In addition, Ms. Auslander has also done
numerous solo recitals in various areas including Chicago,
Indiana and Florida, as well as having been the soloist in
such pieces as Vaughn-Williams Donna Nobis Pacem, the Brahms
Liebeslieder Waltzes and the Mozart Requiem. |
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Jordan Bisch (Gremin) —
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Erik Friedman (Zaretski) — |
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Michael Forbes (Guillot) — Michael Forbes is a
second-year Masters student in the Opera Direction
program, where he is a student of Vincent Liotta. He
was last seen as stage manager for La Bohème at the
IU Opera Theater and as assistant director for “She
Loves Me.” He is thrilled to be working with such a
wonderful cast and crew on this great show. |
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Jasmina Halimic (Tatyana) — Soprano Jasmina Halimic was
a Master’s Degree student in Music at Indiana University.
She has coached with Teresa Kubiak and studies with Carlos Montané. |
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Crystal
Jarrell (Olga) — Mezzo-soprano Crystal Jarrell is
currently pursuing a Master of Music in Voice at
Indiana University. Her previous roles with the IU
Opera Theater include Emily in The Ballad of Baby
Doe, and Olga in The Merry Widow. Ms.Jarrell has
also performed the roles of Mary Stone in Douglas
Moore’s The Devil and Daniel Webster, Zita in
Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and The Mother in
Menotti’s The Consul. Before coming to IU, she
received her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance
from Abilene Christian University in her native
Texas. Ms. Jarrell is a student of Patricia Stiles. |
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Young
Ju Lee (Gremin) —
Bass-baritone Young Ju Lee, a native Korean, is a third year
graduate student in Vocal Performance at Indiana University.
He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Yonsei
University at Seoul, Korea. Some of his roles have included
the title role in The Turk in Italy, Pistola in Falstaff, and Marquis in
La Traviata with the IU Opera Theater. He had been
offered a position as Apprentice Artist with the Des Moines
Metro Opera for the summer of 2003. Mr. Lee is a student of
Andreas Poulimenos. |
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Edward
Mout (Lenski) — Tenor Edward Mout is pursuing a
Performer Diploma in Voice. He previously received his
Bachelors of Arts in Applied Mathematics from University of
California at San Diego. Mr. Mout began performing at an
early age, as a member of the children’s chorus of the San
Diego Opera. He was previously seen as Fenton in last
season’s IU Opera Theater production of Falstaff.
This summer he participated as a Gerdine Young Artist with
the Opera Theater of Saint Louis. Mr. Mout is a student of
James McDonald. |
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Sarah
McCormack (Filipyevna) — Sarah McCormack,
mezzo-soprano, was born in London, England, and raised in
São Paulo, Brazil. She received her bachelor’s degree from
Indiana State University and is working toward a master’s
degree in voice performance at Indiana University. She
performed the roles of Katisha in The Mikado, Aldonza in Man
of La Mancha and Effie in The Ballad of Baby Doe in IU Opera
Theatre’s 2003-2004 season. Ms. McCormack is currently in
the studio of Patricia Stiles. |
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Carrie Reading
(Madame Larina) —
Mezzo-soprano Carrie
Reading has two Bachelors degrees from Indiana
University: A Bachelors of Music in Vocal
Performance and a Bachelors of Arts in Mathematics.
She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in
Vocal Performance. The mezzo-soprano has appeared
in two IU Opera Theater productions, as Emily in
The Ballad of Baby Doe and Frou-Frou in The
Merry Widow. Most recently she performed
the role of Donna Ribalda in P.D.Q. Bach’s The
Stoned Guest for Bloomington Music Works.
Ms. Reading is a student of Patricia Havranek. |
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David Sievers (Triquet) — Tenor
David Sievers is finishing his Doctor of Music
degree at IU, where he last appeared as Dr. Caius in
IU’s production of Falstaff. Eugene Onegin marks
David’s sixth production with IU Opera. This summer,
David was a member of I Solisti di Lucca (Italy) and
performed the role of Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi
with the Opera Theater and Music Festival of Lucca.
He has also performed principal roles with
Bloomington Music Works, the Bloomington Early Music
Festival, Spokane Opera, Washington East Opera and
Richland Light Opera. An active church musician
since the age of 12, David is Director of Music
Ministries at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Franklin,
IN. David is a native of Kennewick, WA and is a
student of Gary Lakes. |
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Scott
Skiba (Eugene Onegin) — Baritone Scott Skiba is native
of Pittsburgh, PA. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music
degree at IU, where he has appeared as Horace Tabor in
The Ballad of Baby Doe. Baron Zeta in The Merry Widow
and Captain Balstrode in Peter Grimes. Other roles
in his repertoire include Nick Shadow in The Rake’s
Progress, the title role of Don Giovanni, Tarquinius in
The Rape of Lucretia and Michele in Il Tabarro.
He studies with Timothy Noble. |
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Jonathan
Stinson (Eugene Onegin) — Baritone Jonathan Stinson is a
Doctoral Voice student, native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
He completed his Bachelor of Music degree at Oberlin
Conservatory and his Master of Music at Indiana University.
Mr. Stinson has performed many roles at IU Opera Theater,
including Ned Keene in Peter Grimes, Lescaut in
Manon, John Brooke in Little Women and Harry in
Jeppe. Mr. Stinson has also performed with
the Battle Creek Symphony, Lafayette Symphony, Carmel Bach
Festival and Ohio Light Opera. Jonathan Stinson studies
with James McDonald. |
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Hyounsoo
Sohn (Olga) — Mezzo-soprano Hyounsoo Sohn is currently
an Artist Diploma student at Indiana University, where she
previously received a Performer Diploma in Professional
Opera Studies. Ms. Sohn, received her Bachelor of Music in
Voice from Kyoung Hee University in her native Korea. Ms.
Sohn has appeared in several IU Opera Theater productions,
including as Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Nicklaus in
The Tales of Hoffmann, Zaida in Turk in Italy
and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, a role she will
reprise with the Indianapolis Opera this November. Ms. Sohn
is a student of Patricia Havranek. |
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Christopher Sponseller — (Lenski) Tenor Christopher
Sponseller received his Bachelor of Music from the
University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. While a
student at UOP Mr. Sponseller performed numerous operatic
roles, including Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas at
the Museumsinselfestival in Berlin, Germany. He also
performed the role of Dandini in La Cenerentola at
the Kennedy Center. He is currently in his final year of the
Masters Program at IU, where he has appeared as Dapertutto
in Tales of Hoffmann, Bardolfo in Falstaff and
Bob Boles in Peter Grimes. Mr. Sponseller studies
with Timothy Noble. |
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Patricia Thompson – (Filippyevna)-Mezzo-soprano
Patricia Thompson is currently pursuing a doctorate in Voice
Performance at Indiana University, and has received a
Bachelors Degree in Music from St. Olaf College, Northfield,
MN and a Master’s Degree in Voice Performance from Indiana
University. Ms. Thompson has appeared in several IU Opera
Theater productions, including as Hata in The Bartered
Bride, Cornelia in Julius Caesar, and Dame Quickly in
Falstaff . She has also been active as a soloist with the IU
Choral Department, singing the alto solos in Schumann’s Der
Rose Pilgerfahrt and Vivaldi’s Gloria. Ms. Thompson is a
student of Patricia Stiles. |
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October
22, 23. 29, 30, 8:00 p.m.
Musical Arts Center, School of Music, Indiana
University
Enjoy the pre-concert informance
one hour before each performance
Stage Director Yefim Maizel will present his thoughts on
October 22, and 23
Musical Arts
Center LobbyMusical Arts
Center Lobby |
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Curtain time for IU Opera
Theater is promptly at 8 p.m., by which time all
opera goers should be in their seats.
Latecomers
will be seated at
the discretion of the management. Thank you for
your cooperation. |
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