Nominees Announced for Maria Callas Award, Dinner Held May 19

The Dallas Opera is proud to announce the eighteen artists from around the world who are vying for the prestigious "Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year" Award to be announced at the annual Dallas Opera Board and Trustee Appreciation Dinner on Thursday, May 19th at 6:30 PM in the Crescent Ballroom of the Rosewood Crescent Hotel, 400 Crescent Court in Uptown Dallas.

The award is awarded by the Dallas Opera audience to a single performer each season for a particularly remarkable and memorable company debut. The deadline for casting your vote is Tuesday, May 3rd at 5:00 PM.
"In the new Winspear Era," explains Dallas Opera General Director and CEO Keith Cerny, "we are determined to create state-of-the-art productions and commission new works that will attract the finest singers, conductors, directors and designers the world has to offer. And the task of choosing an honoree for this award should become more difficult for our subscribers with each outstanding season."
"We have a remarkable list-not only in quality but in quantity," adds Dallas Opera Artistic Director Jonathan Pell. "This season allowed me an unusual opportunity to bring nearly twenty of the most talented singers in the world to Dallas for their acclaimed company debuts and I, for one, am glad not to have to make the final choice from a roster of so many extraordinary artists."

This year, balloting for the award will be conducted entirely online at www.dallasopera/ballot. Any Dallas Opera subscriber, full or FLEX, who has renewed for the upcoming 2011-2012 Season is eligible to cast a ballot. The results will be verified by the independent accounting firm of Travis, Wolff & Company, L.L.P
The winner will receive an etched-crystal plaque, created for the Dallas Opera by award-winning designers from Tiffany & Co., which bears the likeness of legendary soprano Maria Callas, who launched the company in 1957 with an unforgettable recital at the Music Hall in Fair Park.

NOMINEES FOR 2011 AWARD

Meredith Arwady - "Hostess of the Inn" in BORIS GODUNOV
Evgeny Akimov - "Dmitri" in BORIS GODUNOV
Elena Belfiore - "Smeton" in ANNA BOLENA
Elena Bocharova -"Marina" in BORIS GODUNOV
Charles Castronovo - "Romeo" in Romeo & Juliet
Kirstin Chávez - "Maddalena" in RIGOLETTO
Laura Claycomb - "Gilda" in RIGOLETTO
Roxana Constantinescu - "Stephano" in Romeo & Juliet
Vitaly Efanov - "Pimen" in BORIS GODUNOV
Paolo Gavanelli - "Rigoletto" in RIGOLETTO
Georgia Jarman - "Elvira" in DON GIOVANNI
Mikhail Kazakov - "Boris Godunov" in BORIS GODUNOV
Mikhail Kolelishvili - "Varlaam" in BORIS GODUNOV
Mirco Palazzi - "Leporello" in DON GIOVANNI
Ailyn Pérez - "Zerlina" in DON GIOVANNI
Oxana Shilova - "Xenia" in BORIS GODUNOV
Andrei Spekhov - "Shchelkalov" in BORIS GODUNOV
Paulo Szot - "Giovanni" in DON GIOVANNI

The Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award was launched during the 1991-1992 Dallas Opera Season.
Sharon Sweet was the first recipient for her impressive performance in the title role of Aida. Subsequent winners have included Cecilia Bartoli, Mary Dunleavy, Elizabeth Futral, Hei-Kyung Hong, Denyce Graves, Indira Mahajan, Mary Mills, Patricia Racette, Latonia Moore, Christopher Ventris, Catherine Naglestad, James Valenti, and last year's winner, Canadian tenor Ben Heppner (Captain Ahab in the world premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer's Moby-Dick).

THE DALLAS OPERA WISHES TO EXPRESS ITS GRATITUDE TO OUR EXCLUSIVE PARTNERS:

AMERICAN AIRLINES - OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
LEXUS - OFFICIAL VEHICLE OF THE DALLAS OPERA
CARTIER - OFFICIAL JEWELER & WATCHMAKER OF THE DALLAS OPERA
ROSEWOOD CRESCENT HOTEL - OFFICIAL HOTEL OF THE DALLAS OPERA

In grateful appreciation of their service and commitment,
The Dallas Opera dedicates this season to Joanna and Peter Townsend.

Ticket Information for the 2011-2012 Dallas Opera Season

All performances are in the new Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Subscriptions start at just $75 and are on sale now. For more information, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online at www.dallasopera.org.

THE DALLAS OPERA 2011-2012 SEASON INFORMATION
The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Fifth International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in downtown Dallas. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00 p.m. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance. Assistance is available for the hearing impaired.

LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR by Gaetano Donizetti
Dead Men DO Wear Plaid!
October 21, 23(m), 26 & 29, and November 6(m), 2011
An opera in three acts first performed at Teatro San Carlo, Naples on September 26, 1835.
Text by Salvatore Cammarano, based on Sir Walter Scott's novel, The Bride of Lammermoor.
Time: Around 1700
Place: Scotland
Conductor: Riccardo Frizza
Stage Director: Garnett Bruce
Costume Design: Peter J. Hall
Lighting Design: Marie Barrett
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Fight Choreographer: Bill Lengfelder
Starring: Elena Mosuc* (Lucia Ashton), Bryan Hymel* (Sir Edgardo di Ravenwood), Luca Grassi** (Lord Enrico Ashton), Jordan Bisch* (Raimondo Bidebent), Scott Quinn (Normanno), Aaron Blake (Lord Arturo Bucklaw), and Cynthia Hanna* (Alisa).

KATYA KABANOVA by Leoš Janá?ek
October 28, 30(m), November 2, 5 & 13(m), 2011
Romance Reigns in Rural Russia!
An opera in three acts first performed in Brno, October 23, 1921.
Text by Cervinka, based on Ostrovsky's "The Storm."
Time: Around 1860
Place: The little town of Kalinov on the banks of the Volga River
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Stage Director: David Alden
Scenic Design: Charles Edwards
Costume Design: John Morrell
Lighting Designer: Adam Silverman*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Patricia Racette (Katerina Kabanova), Susan Bickley* (Marfa Kabanova), Roger Honeywell* (Boris Grigoryevich), Anthony Dean Griffey* (Tikhon), John Tessier* (Vanya Kudrjas), Sasha Cooke* (Varvara), Andrew Shore (Dikoy), Ann McMahon Quintero* (Glasha), and Aaron Blake (A Passerby)

TRISTAN & ISOLDE by Richard Wagner
February 16, 19(m), 22 & 25, 2012
A Special Opera-in-Concert, with projections by Moby-Dick's Elaine McCarthy!
Ancient Myths, Modern Cine-Magic!
An opera in two acts first performed in Munich, June 10, 1865.
Text by Richard Wagner, based on an ancient Celtic and Icelandic legend.
Time: Legendary
Place: A ship at sea; outside King Marke's palace, Cornwall; Tristan's castle at Kareol
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Stage Director: Christian Räth
Video Design: Elaine McCarthy
Lighting Design: Alan Burrett
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Jeanne-Michele Charbonnet (Isolde), Clifton Forbis (Tristan), Elizabeth Bishop (Brangäne), Jukka Rasilainen** (Kurvenal), Kristinn Sigmundsson* (King Marke), Scott Quinn (Melot), and Aaron Blake (A Young Sailor/A Shepherd).

THE LIGHTHOUSE by Peter Maxwell Davies
Inaugural production of the Dallas Opera Chamber Series
Presented in collaboration with the Dallas Theater Center
In the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre at the AT&T Performing Arts Center
March 16, 17 & 18(m), 2012
A chilling supernatural and psychological thriller!
Time: December 1900
Place: Edinburgh Court of Enquiry, Fladda Isle Lighthouse off the Scottish coast
Conductor: Nicole Paiement*
Stage Director: Kevin Moriarty* (opera directorial debut)
Scenic Design: Beowulf Boritt*
Costume Design: Claudia Stephens*
Cast to be announced.

LA TRAVIATA by Giuseppe Verdi
April 13, 15(m), 18, 21, 27 & 29(m), 2012
Let's Party Like It's 1849!
An opera in three acts first performed in Venice at Teatro La Fenice, March 6, 1853
Text by Francesco Maria Piave, based on Alexandre Dumas' play, La dame aux camélias
Time: 19th century
Place: Paris
Conductor: Marco Guidarini
Stage Director: Bliss Hebert
Production Design: Allen Charles Klein
Lighting Design: Thomas Hase
Choreographer: Rosa Mercedes*
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Starring: Myrtò Papatanasiu** (Violetta Valéry), James Valenti (Alfredo Germont), Laurent Naouri* (Giorgio Germont), Amanda Crider* (Flora Bervoix), Timothy Mix* (Baron Douphol), Tom Corbeil* (Marchese D'Obigny), Ethan Herschenfeld* (Doctor Grenvil), and Susan Nicely (Annina).

THE MAGIC FLUTE by W.A. Mozart
April 20, 22(m), 25, 28, May 4 & 6(m), 2012
Hearts Tested, Tried and True!
An opera in two acts first performed in Vienna, September 30, 1791.
Text by Emanuel Schikaneder.
Time: Legendary
Place: Mythological Egypt
Conductor: Graeme Jenkins
Production: August Everding
Stage Director: Matthew Lata
Scenic Design: Jörg Zimmermann*
Costume Design: Renate Kalanke*
Lighting Design: Duane Schuler
Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman
Chorus Master: Alexander Rom
Children's Chorus Master: Melinda Cotten
Starring: Ava Pine (Pamina), Shawn Mathey* (Tamina), Patrick Carfizzi (Papageno), L'ubica Vargicová* (The Queen of the Night), Raymond Aceto (Sarastro), Kevin Langan (The Speaker), David Cangelosi (Monostatos), Angela Mannino* (Papagena), Caitlin Lynch* (First Lady), Lauren McNeese* (Second Lady), Maya Lahyani* (Third Lady), Aaron Blake (First Man in Armour) and Darren K. Stokes* (Second Man in Armour).

* Dallas Opera Debut
** American Debut

 

 

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