SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera

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SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera
STUDIO
       H O U S T O N          G R A N D        O P E R A

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SHOWCASE
AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG
SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera
WELCOME
W
              elcome to the HGO
              Digital production of the
              HGO Studio Showcase.
I am delighted that you are joining
us for the streamed version of this
beloved annual tradition, which
took place live for a limited audience
earlier this fall due to safety protocols.

Since 2019 I have had the privilege
of serving as Artistic Advisor for
HGO and the HGO Studio program,
but that is far from the beginning of
my association with this wonderful
company. More than two decades
ago, I was a starry-eyed artist training
with the HGO Studio, dreaming of a
life as an opera singer performing
on the stages of the world’s greatest
opera houses. Even though I had              HGO Studio Showcase host Ana María Martínez
no guarantee at the time of how my
professional life would go, it was, in fact, here, at this very place, where I was able to develop
my artistry and launch what would turn out to be the career of my dreams.

It is a tremendous joy to work with the talented young artists selected to train with this
prestigious program, and to watch them grow and develop as they pursue their own dreams.
Competition for entry to the HGO Studio is intense for a reason. There are very few places
that offer an opportunity like this one. Areas of focus include languages, combat lessons,
and vocal and acting coaching, among many others. Our young artists also get the chance
to perform roles in mainstage productions before audiences of thousands, alongside current
major opera stars. This program truly nurtures tomorrow’s stars in a most comprehensive way.

I know it is also a thrill for HGO’s audiences to watch these young artists develop over the
course of their many performances with HGO each season. Their spotlight starts with this
event, which each year kicks things off with a selection of opera scenes carefully curated by
HGO Studio Director Brian Speck and Music Director Miah Im as a means to showcase their
talents and create excitement for the season ahead.

From Blake Denson and Raven McMillon performing a scene from Rigoletto in roles that are
sure to become staples in their respective repertoires, to Ricardo Garcia and Cory McGee
honing their dramatic skills in a piece from The Rake’s Progress, many of the Showcase’s
offerings feature our artists trying on parts for the very first time. Of note, two of the selections
are from mainstage operas HGO will perform this season—Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet and
Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites—providing a wonderful taste of the delights to come.

Our Studio artists spent months preparing for the Studio Showcase. Please join me in
welcoming them. I hope you enjoy the program!

Ana María Martínez
HGO Artistic Advisor

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SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera
PROGRAM       Gluck          Orfeo ed Euridice – Act III
              (1714-87)      “Vieni, segui… Vieni, appaga il tuo consorte!”
                             Euridice: Raven McMillon
                             Orfeo: Emily Treigle • Piano: Alex Munger

              Strauss        Der Rosenkavalier – Act II
              (1864-1949)    “Mir ist die Ehre wiederfahren… Ich kenn’ Ihn schon
                             recht wohl”
                             Octavian: Sun-Ly Pierce • Sophie: Elena Villalón
                             Piano: Bin Yu Sanford

              Gounod         Faust – Act IV
              (1818-93)      “Qu’attendez-vous encore?... Vous qui faites
                             l’endormie… que voulez-vous, messieurs?”
                             Méphistophélès: William Guanbo Su
                             Faust: Eric Taylor • Valentin: Luke Sutliff
                             Piano: Kirill Kuzmin

              Verdi          Rigoletto – Act I
              (1813-1901)    “Figlia! Mio padre!”
                             Rigoletto: Blake Denson • Gilda: Raven McMillon
                             Giovanna: Sun-Ly Pierce
                             Duke of Mantua: Ricardo Garcia
                             Piano: Bin Yu Sanford

              Intermission

              Stravinsky     The Rake’s Progress – Act III
              (1882-1971)    “How dark and dreadful… I burn! I freeze!”
                             Tom Rakewell: Ricardo Garcia
                             Nick Shadow: Cory McGee
                             Anne Trulove: Elena Villalón
                             Piano: Kirill Kuzmin • Harpsichord: Alex Munger

              Poulenc        Dialogues of the Carmelites – Act II
              (1899-1963)    “Pourquoi vous tenez-vous ainsi”
                             Chevalier de la Force: Eric Taylor
                             Blanche de la Force: Sun-Ly Pierce
                             Mère Marie: Emily Treigle • Piano: Kirill Kuzmin

              Rossini        L’italiana in Algeri – Act I
              (1792-1868)    “Oh! che muso, che figura!”
                             Isabella: Emily Treigle • Mustafà: Cory McGee
                             Taddeo: Luke Sutliff • Haly: Blake Denson
                             Piano: Bin Yu Sanford
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SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera
Gounod                          Romeo and Juliet – Act IV
(1818-93)                       “Va! je t’ai pardonné… Nuit d’hyménée!”
                                Juliet: Elena Villalón • Romeo: Ricardo Garcia
                                Piano • Alex Munger

CRE ATIVE TE AM
Ana María Martínez			                         Host
Kristine McIntyre			                          Stage Director
Ben Doyle			                                  HGO Digital Video Director
Daniel James			                               HGO Digital Producer
Michael James Clark			                        Lighting Designer
Adam Noble			                                 Fight Director

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Kristen Burke			                              Interim Director of Production
Meg Edwards                 		                Stage Manager
Meghan Spear              		                  Assistant Stage Manager
Dotti Staker 			                              Hair & Makeup
Kristie Osi			                                Costume Realizer
Jeremy Johnson 			                            English Subtitles
Kirill Kuzmin, Kevin J. Miller,               Musical Preparation
  Peter Pasztor
Carl Ferguson 			                             Assistant Technical Director
Megan 			                                     Properties Design Director

The entire staff of HGO contributed to the success of this production. For a full listing of the
company’s staff, please visit HGO.org/about-us/people.

Performing artists, stage directors, and choreographers are represented by the American Guild of
Musical Artists, the union for opera professionals in the United States.
Stage crew personnel provided by IATSE, Local #51.
Wardrobe personnel provided by Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local #896.

With deepest thanks to the members of the HGO Studio Committee, who helped make the Studio
Showcase possible:

Jack Roth, Chair      Patrick Carfizzi      Maureen Hetzel         Beth Madison          Allyn Risley
Warren Ellsworth,     Molly Crownover       Mel Hetzel             Miguel Miro-          John Serpe
 Vice Chair           Lynn Gissel           Steve Homer             Quesada              Janet Sims
Robin Angly           Sandy Godfrey         Marianne Kah           Valerie Miso-         Dian Stai
Saúl Balagura         Ellen R. Gritz        Stephanie Larsen        Quesada              Harlan Stai
Michelle Beale        Brenda Harvey-        Richard Leibman        Kathy Moore           John G. Turner
Larissa Bither         Traylor              Carolyn J. Levy        Charlene Nickson      Bob Wakefield
Melinda Brunger       Nancy Haywood         Tracy Maddox           Gloria Portela        Trey Yates

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SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera
WHO’S WHO                           KRISTINE
                                                           Opera, and Hometown to the World with
                                                           Santa Fe Opera, as well as Flight for Utah
                                    MCINTYRE
                                                           Opera and The Dallas Opera.
                                    Director
                                    Stage director                                ANA MARÍA
                                    Kristine McIntyre                             MARTÍNEZ
                                    has directed more                             Host
              than 90 operas across the U.S. with                                 Grammy Award-
              a focus on new, contemporary, and                                   winning soprano Ana
              American works. Productions include                                 María Martínez is
              Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s Moby           considered one of the foremost sopranos
              Dick (Utah Opera, Pittsburgh Opera,          of her time, with an international career
              Chicago Opera Theater, Opera San             that spans the world’s most important
              Jose); Dead Man Walking (Lyric Opera of      opera houses and concert halls. HGO’s
              Kansas City, Des Moines Metro Opera,         artistic advisor since 2019, Martínez
              Madison Opera); the world premieres          has a storied history with the company,
              of Louis Karchin’s Jane Eyre (Center for     performing roles including Cio-Cio San
              Contemporary Opera, New York) and            in Madama Butterfly (2010), the title role
              Mark Lanz Weiser and Amy Punt’s The          in Carmen (2014), Marguerite in Faust
              Place Where You Started (Art Share,          (2016), and Florencia in Florencia en el
              LA); new productions of Wozzeck, Billy       Amazonas (2019). During the 2020-21
              Budd (regional Emmy award), and Peter        season, Martínez performed the role
              Grimes, as well as As One (Kaminsky          of Mimì in La bohème at San Diego
              / Campbell / Reed), Glory Denied,            Opera, the world’s first-ever drive-in
              and Soldier Songs (Des Moines Metro          opera production, and portrayed Nedda
              Opera), Jonathan Dove’s Flight (Pittsburgh   in Pagliacci at Palm Beach Opera. She
              Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera,               also gave a series of virtual performances
              Austin Opera), Jake Heggie’s The End         including a “Living Room Recital” for
              of the Affair (Lyric Opera of Kansas         Los Angeles Opera, and curated and
              City) and Three Decembers (Des               performed in two Spanish themed virtual
              Moines Metro Opera); Florencia en el         programs: Suite Española, a celebra-
              Amazonas (Madison Opera), Elmer              tion of the music of Spain, for HGO,
              Gantry (Tulsa Opera), Of Mice and            and “Pasión Latina,” alongside pianist
              Men (Utah Opera, Austin Opera, Tulsa         Craig Terry, for Lyric Opera of Chicago.
              Opera), the world premiere of Kirke          Other engagements last season include
              Mechem’s John Brown (Lyric Opera of          her first-ever performances in the title
              Kansas City); new productions of Street      role of Tosca at Opera Philadelphia and
              Scene, The Tender Land (Michigan             then again at Cincinnati Opera. Martínez’s
              Opera Theater), and Lee Hoiby’s Bon          career highlights include Cio-Cio San and
              Appétit; a staged concert version            Musetta in La bohème at the Metropolitan
              of Vanessa (Toledo Opera), and the world     Opera; the title role in Rusalka at the
              premiere of The Canticle of the Black        Glyndebourne Festival and Teatro Colón in
              Madonna (Newmark Theater, Portland).         Buenos Aires; the title role in Luisa Miller
              Current projects include new produc-         and the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro at
              tions of UNKNOWN with UrbanArias, A          the Bayerische Staatsoper; Violetta in La
              Thousand Acres with Des Moines Metro         traviata, Donna Elvira, and Cio-Cio San

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SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera
at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden;
                                                                     KIRILL KUZMIN
Donna Elvira at San Francisco Opera; Nedda
                                                                     Pianist and
in I Pagliacci, Tatiana in Eugene Onegin,
                                                                     Principal Coach
Marguerite in Faust, Fiordiligi in Così fan
                                                                     HGO Studio alumnus
tutte, and Rusalka at Lyric Opera of Chicago;
                                                                     Kirill Kuzmin is currently
Elisabetta in Don Carlo, Amelia in Simon
                                                                     principal coach at
Boccanegra, Mimì, Violetta, Nedda, and the
                                                HGO and a music staff member at The
title role in Carmen at Los Angeles Opera;
                                                Glimmerglass Festival. In the 2020-21 HGO
and her major roles with HGO. Orchestral
                                                Digital season, he accompanied Arturo
highlights include performances with the
                                                Chacón-Cruz and Sasha Cooke for their
Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic,
                                                Live from The Cullen recitals and served on
Boston Symphony Orchestra, Filharmonica
                                                music staff for numerous other productions.
della Scala, Puerto Rico Symphony, Seoul
                                                In the 2019-20 season, Kuzmin served
Philharmonic, Tchaikovsky Symphony in
                                                on HGO’s music staff for productions
Moscow, the Sinfônica Brasileira, and the
                                                of Saul and Aida. Previous HGO credits
BBC Symphony.
                                                include Eugene Onegin (also as diction
                      MICHAEL JAMES             coach), Le nozze di Figaro, Faust, Giulio
                      CLARK                     Cesare (also as continuo player), and West
                      Lighting Designer         Side Story, as well as two of Wagner’s monu-
                      Michael James Clark       mental Ring cycle operas, Siegfried and
                      is the lighting super-    Götterdämmerung. He also served as
                      visor for HGO. He         principal coach for HGO’s world premiere of
designed lighting for HGO’s production          Ricky Ian Gordon and Royce Vavrek’s The
of Aida (2020) and La bohème at Miller          House Without a Christmas Tree and
Outdoor Theatre, as well as the world           was involved in the world premiere of David
premiere of The Phoenix (2019). He lit the      Hanlon and Stephanie Fleischmann’s After
HGOco world premieres of Some Light             the Storm. In the summer of 2020, he
Emerges (2017), After the Storm (2016),         had been engaged to serve as principal
and O Columbia (2015); Otello (2014);           coach for the production of Die Feen at the
Die Fledermaus, Aida, and Il trovatore          Glimmerglass Festival, but it was canceled
(2013); La bohème, La traviata, and The         due to COVID-19. He returned to the
Rape of Lucretia (2012); The Marriage of        Glimmerglass Festival this summer.
Figaro (2011); the world premiere of Cruzar
la Cara de la Luna (2010); and numerous                              BLAKE DENSON
outdoor productions. Clark also has designed                         Baritone
lighting for Teatro La Fenice, San Francisco                         Gloria M. Portela and
Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, Stages                            Richard E. Evans/
                                                                     Carolyn J. Levy/Liz Grimm
Repertory Theatre, Theatre Under the Stars,
                                                                     and Jack Roth Fellow
and Rice University.
                                                Second-year HGO Studio artist Blake Denson,
                                                originally from Paducah, Kentucky, was a
                                                Grand Finals Winner in the 2020 Metropolitan
                                                Opera National Council Auditions and is
                                                a 2018 alumnus of HGO’s Young Artists
                                                Vocal Academy (YAVA). For HGO’s 2021-22

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SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera
WHO’S WHO     season, Denson will perform the role
              of Morales in Carmen, Daddy/Tim
                                                             Suite Española: Explorando Iberia. He
                                                             was a studio artist at Wolf Trap Opera,
              in alternate cast performances of The          where he covered Romeo in Romeo
              Snowy Day, Jailer in Dialogues of the          and Juliet and Giocondo in La pietra del
              Carmelites, and Gregorio in Romeo and          paragone, and a voice fellow with Music
              Juliet. During the 2020-21 HGO Digital         Academy of the West, where he sang
              season he appeared in Giving Voice;            Jenik in The Bartered Bride. Recent roles
              Hansel and Gretel as Peter; and Suite          include Lamplighter/Drunkard in The
              Española: Explorando Iberia. He obtained       Little Prince and Fenton in Falstaff. As a
              his Bachelor of Music in voice degree          first-year apprentice at Santa Fe Opera,
              from the University of Kentucky School of      he covered Parpignol in La bohème and
              Music and completed his Master of Music        sang Fenton/Normanno in the Apprentice
              degree at Rice University’s Shepherd           Scenes Night. Recently, Garcia won the
              School of Music. Denson was a studio           New Orleans District of the Metropolitan
              artist at Wolf Trap Opera in 2018 and          Opera National Council Auditions and
              was set to return to Wolf Trap Opera           advanced to the Gulf Coast Region finals.
              for a second season in the summer of           This summer, he returned to Wolf Trap
              2020 to perform the Commander and              Opera as Valcour in The Anonymous
              cover the title role in Eugene Onegin, as      Lover and sang the role of Grimoaldo
              well as cover the role of Marcello in La       in Rodelinda at the Aspen Music Festival.
              bohème, but those productions were
                                                                                   CORY MCGEE
              canceled due to COVID-19.
                                                                                   Bass
                                   RICARDO GARCIA                                  Beth Madison Fellow
                                   Tenor                                           A second-year HGO
                                   Dr. Ellen R. Gritz and                          Studio artist from
                                   Mr. Milton D. Rosenau                           Stafford, Virginia,
                                   Jr./Michele Beale and     Cory McGee completed his Master
                                   Dick Anderson Fellow
                                                             of Music degree at Rice University’s
              A second-year HGO Studio artist from           Shepherd School of Music. He was the
              Castro Valley, California, Ricardo Garcia      second prize winner in HGO’s 2020
              completed his Master of Music in Voice at      Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert
              the San Francisco Conservatory of Music        of Arias. For HGO’s 2021-22 season,
              (SFCM) and holds a Bachelor of Music           McGee will perform the role of Billy in The
              in Voice from the University of the Pacific.   Snowy Day. During the 2020-21 HGO
              For HGO’s 2021-22 season, Garcia               Digital season he appeared in The Making
              will perform the role of El Remendado          of The Snowy Day, an Opera for All as
              in Carmen, Papí/Jasper in in alternate         Billy, and in Giving Voice. In summer
              cast performances of The Snowy Day,            2019, he joined Santa Fe Opera as an
              First Commissioner in Dialogues of the         apprentice artist, portraying the role of
              Carmelites, and Romeo in alternate             the Gardener in Ruder’s The Thirteenth
              cast performances of Romeo and                 Child. In 2018 he was a studio artist
              Juliet. During the 2020-21 HGO Digital         with Wolf Trap Opera, where he played
              season he appeared in Vinkensport              La Voce in Mozart’s Idomeneo and
              as Hans Sach’s Trainer; The Making of          Ranger Nat in David Hanlon’s chil-
              The Snowy Day, an Opera for All; and           dren’s opera, Listen, Wilhelmina!, and

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SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera
was a soloist in “Bernstein at 100 – A           Codes of Mary Bowser and Lucy in Picker’s
Celebration.” Recent engagements include         Awakenings. Her recent roles included La
the title role in The Marriage of Figaro and     Princesse in L’enfant et les sortilèges with
Pandolfe in Massenet’s Cendrillon (Oberlin       the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and
Opera Theater) and Leporello in Don              Papagena in The Magic Flute at CCM in the
Giovanni (Oberlin in Italy). He returned to      summer of 2020, which were canceled due
Santa Fe this summer as an apprentice artist     to COVID-19. This summer she performed the
for the second time, performing the role of      role of Frasquita in Carmen with Cincinnati
Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.            Opera and Rosina in The Barber of Seville
Later this season, he will make debuts with      with Opera Steamboat. Later this season,
Michigan Opera Theater and Florentine Opera      she joins Opera Philadelphia in her role and
as Colline in La bohème.                         company debuts as Gilda in Rigoletto.

                     RAVEN MCMILLON                                  ALEX MUNGER
                     Soprano                                         Pianist/Coach
                     Kathleen Moore and                              Gary Hollingsworth and
                     Steven Homer/Nancy                              Ken Hyde/Trey Yates/Dr.
                     Haywood Fellow                                  Saúl and Ursula Balagura
                                                                     Fellow
                      A second-year HGO
Studio artist from Baltimore, Raven McMillon     A third-year HGO Studio artist from New
was recently recognized as a 2021 Grand          Berlin, Wisconsin, Alex Munger previously
Finals Winner in the Metropolitan Opera’s        served as a staff pianist at the University
Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition.          of Illinois, where he helped prepare La
For HGO’s 2021-22 season, McMillon will          bohème and The Rape of Lucretia. For
perform the role of Frasquita in Carmen,         HGO’s 2021-22 season, Munger will serve
Peter in The Snowy Day, and Papagena in          as coach for Carmen, The Magic Flute, and
The Magic Flute. During the 2020-21 HGO          Romeo and Juliet. Previously with HGO, he
Digital season, McMillon performed the roles     served as coach for Vinkensport and Hansel
of Rona Richards in The Impresario; Peter in     and Gretel during HGO Digital’s inaugural
The Making of The Snowy Day, an Opera for        season; coach for My Favorite Things: Songs
All; and Gretel in Hansel and Gretel. She also   from The Sound of Music, Rigoletto, and
featured in the HGO Digital concert Giving       La favorite; and with HGO Studio singers
Voice and performed as Sister Margaretta         in recital and other performances. Previous
in HGO’s My Favorite Things: Songs from          engagements include a 2020 recital of
The Sound of Music. McMillon received her        Schumann’s Dichterliebe with tenor Richard
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Vocal Performance       Trey Smagur, presented by the Houston
at Carnegie Mellon University and completed      Symphony, and an appearance at the Bay
her graduate degree at the University of         View Music Festival (Carmen), where he
Cincinnati College – Conservatory of Music       returned in 2019 as a faculty pianist for its
(CCM). Her opera credits include Adele           two-week opera and art song program. In
in Die Fledermaus; the title role in Goldie      2018, Munger was a fellowship pianist with
B. Locks and the Three Singing Bears;            the Aspen Opera Center, where he worked
Linfea in La Calisto; and Barbarina in The       on The Barber of Seville; he returned to
Marriage of Figaro. In addition to her opera     Aspen in the summer of 2019. In the summer
credits, McMillon has also workshopped new       of 2020 and 2021, he served as a coaching
roles such as Mary in Chiao’s The Secret         fellow at Wolf Trap Opera. He received

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SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera
WHO’S WHO     his Master of Music degree in Vocal
              Coaching and Accompanying from the
                                                                                WILLIAM
                                                                                GUANBO SU
              University of Illinois.
                                                                                Bass
                                  SUN-LY PIERCE                                 Anne and Albert Chao
                                  Mezzo-Soprano                                 Fellow
                                  Mr. and Mrs. Charles                           A third-year HGO
                                  G. Nickson/John          Studio artist from Beijing, William Guanbo
                                  Serpe and Tracy          Su is a Grand Finals Winner of the 2019
                                  Maddox Fellow
                                                           Metropolitan Opera National Council
              Originally from Clinton, New York, Chinese   Auditions and the second place winner
              American mezzo-soprano Sun-Ly Pierce         in HGO’s 2019 Eleanor McCollum
              is a second-year HGO Studio artist and       Competition Concert of Arias. For HGO’s
              the first prize winner in HGO’s 2020         2021-22 season, Su will perform the
              Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert         roles of Zuniga in Carmen, First Officer
              of Arias. For HGO’s 2021-22 season,          in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Second
              she will perform the roles of Mercedes       Armored Man in The Magic Flute, A
              in Carmen, Sister Mathilde in Dialogues      Mandarin in Turandot, and the Duke
              of the Carmelites, 2nd Lady in The           of Verona in Romeo and Juliet. During
              Magic Flute, and Stephano in Romeo           the 2020-21 HGO Digital season, he
              and Juliet. Last season with HGO, she        performed the role of Bowie Krebs
              appeared as Liesl in My Favorite Things:     in The Impresario and in fall 2019 with
              Songs from The Sound of Music and            HGO, he performed the role of Usher in
              as Hansel in HGO Digital’s Hansel and        Rigoletto. He has studied German lieder
              Gretel. Pierce completed the graduate        at the Franz Schubert Institute in Vienna,
              vocal arts program at the Bard College       and in 2017 won first prize in the Gerda
              Conservatory of Music and holds a bach-      Lissner Lieder Competition. During the
              elor’s degree in vocal performance from      summer of 2019, he sang Count Ceprano
              the Eastman School of Music. As a winner     in Verdi’s Rigoletto with Opera Theatre
              of the Marilyn Horne Song Competition,       of Saint Louis as a Gerdine Young Artist.
              Pierce was set to perform on an interna-     Last spring, he made his Austin Opera
              tional recital tour with pianist Chien-Lin   debut as Angelotti in Tosca, and this
              Lu featuring the premiere of a new song      summer, he returned to the Aspen Music
              cycle by two-time Grammy Award–winning       Festival as a voice fellow to sing Sarastro
              composer Jennifer Higdon, which was          in The Magic Flute and Garibaldo
              canceled due to COVID-19. In the fall        in Rodelinda.
              of 2019, Pierce joined the Broad Street
              Orchestra as Dorinda in Handel’s Acis                              LUKE SUTLIFF
              and Galatea. She returned to the Music                             Baritone
              Academy of the West this summer as                                 Lynn Gissel/Brenda
              2021 Vocal Fellow.                                                 Harvey-Traylor Fellow
                                                                                 A first-year HGO
                                                                                 Studio artist from
                                                           Littleton, Colorado, Luke Sutliff recently
                                                           completed his Master of Music degree
                                                           at Rice University’s Shepherd School of

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SHOWCASE AVAILABLE DECEMBER 3, 2021 THROUGH JANUARY 2, 2022 AT HGODIGITAL.ORG - Houston Grand Opera
Music. For HGO’s 2021-22 season, he will          performed several leading roles, including
perform El Dancairo in Carmen, M. Javelinot/      Nemorino in The Elixir of Love and Rodolfo
Thierry in Dialogues of the Carmelites, and       in La bohème, in addition to appearing
Mercutio in alternate cast performances           in Carmina Burana with Salt Lake City’s
of Romeo and Juliet. At the Shepherd              Ballet West. Taylor has participated in
School, he appeared as Kaiser Overall in Der      Apprentice Artist programs with Santa Fe
Kaiser von Atlantis and Johannes Zegner           Opera, Central City Opera, and Utah Lyric
in Proving Up. He holds a Bachelor of Music       Opera. He had been set to perform in
degree from the Juilliard School, where he        Santa Fe Opera’s Tristan and Isolde and
studied with the late Sanford Sylvan and          HGO’s Werther and Parsifal last season, but
made his Alice Tully Hall debut performing        those engagements were canceled due to
Fauré’s L’horizon chimérique. Sutliff previ-      COVID-19. He was named a semi-finalist at
ously performed the roles of Demetrius in A       the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council
Midsummer Night’s Dream and Belcore               Auditions in 2017.
in The Elixir of Love at the Chautauqua
                                                                        EMILY TREIGLE
Institute. Last summer, he had been set to
                                                                        Mezzo-Soprano
make his debut in the role of Elder McLean
                                                                        Mr. and Mrs. James W.
in Susannah at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis,
                                                                        Crownover/Mr. Veer
but that was canceled due to COVID-19.                                  Vasishta Fellow
Sutliff joined Santa Fe Opera as an Apprentice
                                                                         A first-year HGO
Artist for summer 2021, covering the role
                                                  Studio artist from New Orleans, Emily
of Jon Seward in The Lord of Cries and
                                                  Treigle was named a Grand Finals Winner
performing Demetrius in A Midsummer
                                                  in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2021 Eric
Night’s Dream.
                                                  and Dominique Laffont Competition and
                    ERIC TAYLOR                   was the third prize winner in HGO’s 2021
                    Tenor                         Eleanor McCollum Competition Concert of
                    Mrs. Sharon G. Ley and        Arias. For HGO’s 2021-22 season, she will
                    Mr. Robert F. Lietzow/        perform Mother Jeanne in Dialogues of the
                    Jill and Allyn Risley/ Drs.   Carmelites and Gertrude in Romeo and
                    Rachel and Warren A.
                                                  Juliet. This spring, she covered the title role of
                    Ellsworth IV Fellow
                                                  L’enfant in L’enfant et les Sortilèges at Rice.
A first-year HGO Studio artist from               In 2019, Treigle trained with HGO’s Young
Saint George, Utah, Eric Taylor recently          Artist Vocal Academy and participated in the
completed his Master of Music degree at           Aspen Music Festival, where she portrayed
Rice University, where he performed the           Madame Armfeldt in A Little Night Music. This
roles of Sam Polk in Susannah and Tito            summer, she returned to Wolf Trap Opera as
in La clemenza di Tito. He was named the          a Studio Artist for the second time. Previous
second prize winner in HGO’s 2021 Eleanor         roles include Bradamante in Alcina and Mrs.
McCollum Competition Concert of Arias.            Ott in Susannah, an opera made famous by
For HGO’s 2021-22 season, he will perform         her grandfather, world-renowned bass-baritone
Chevalier in Dialogues of the Carmelites,         Norman Treigle. Treigle pursued her Master of
First Armored Man in The Magic Flute,             Music degree at Rice University’s Shepherd
Pong in Turandot, and Tybalt in Romeo and         School of Music, where she received her
Juliet. While pursuing his undergraduate          Bachelor of Music degree last year.
degree in music at Westminster College, he

                                                                                            HGO.org    9
WHO’S WHO                             ELENA VILLALÓN                                BIN YU SANFORD
                                       Soprano                                       Pianist/Coach
                                       Mr. and Mrs. Harlan C.                        Stephanie Larsen/Dr.
                                       Stai Fellow                                   and Mrs. Miguel Miro-
                                                                                     Quesada/ Ms. Lynn
                                       A third-year HGO
                                                                                     Des Prez Fellow
                                       Studio artist from
               Austin, Elena Villalón was a Grand Finals        A second-year HGO Studio artist from
               Winner of the 2019 Metropolitan Opera            Seoul, Bin Yu Sanford has established
               National Council Auditions, Second Prize         herself as a solo pianist, vocal coach, and
               winner in the 2021 Hans Gabor Belvedere          chamber musician. For HGO’s 2021-22
               International Singing Competition, and the       season, Yu Sanford will serve as coach
               Audience Choice Award winner in HGO’s            for The Snowy Day, The Magic Flute, and
               2019 Eleanor McCollum Concert of Arias.          Turandot. During the 2020-21 HGO Digital
               For HGO’s 2021-22 season, Villalón will          season, she served as coach for The
               perform as Amy in The Snowy Day and              Impresario and The Making of The Snowy
               as Juliet in alternate cast performances of      Day, an Opera for All. She also appeared
               Romeo and Juliet. During the HGO Digital         with HGO Studio singers in recitals and
               2020-21 season she performed the                 other performances and served as coach
               roles of Farinelli’s Trainer in Vinkensport;     for My Favorite Things: Songs from The
               Amy in The Making of The Snowy Day,              Sound of Music. Yu Sanford earned her
               an Opera for All; and Dew Fairy and              Doctor of Musical Arts in Solo Piano
               Sandman in Hansel and Gretel. Also               Performance and an Artist Diploma in
               with HGO, she previously performed               Opera Coaching at the University of
               Page in Rigoletto; Woman in selected             Cincinnati College - Conservatory of
               performances of the world premiere of El         Music (CCM). Recently, she was selected
               Milagro del Recuerdo/The Miracle of              as one of the vocal piano fellows at Music
               Remembering; and Inez in La favorite.            Academy of the West, where she worked
               Villalón is a graduate of the University         on Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain. From
               of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of          2017 to 2020, Yu Sanford served as a
               Music (CCM), has been a vocal fellow             graduate assistant in the opera depart-
               at the Tanglewood Music Center, and is           ment at CCM. She was the first prize
               an alumna of HGO’s 2018 Young Artist             winner of the Pennsylvania MTNA Young
               Vocal Academy. In summer 2019, she               Artist Piano Competition. In the summer
               performed Barbarina in The Marriage of           of 2020, she was scheduled to join the
               Figaro at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as        Glimmerglass Festival as an apprentice
               a Gerdine Young Artist and returned to the       pianist, however the festival was canceled
               Tanglewood Music Center as a soprano             due to COVID-19.
               fellow. She returned to Opera Theatre of
               Saint Louis in the summer of 2021 as
               Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi. Also in the
               2021-22 season, she makes debuts with
               Austin Opera (Susanna in The Marriage
               of Figaro) and The Dallas Opera (Tina in
               Flight).

10   HGO.org
HOUSTON GR AND OPER A STUDIO
Faculty and Staff 2021-22

Brian Speck, Director                              Kevin J. Miller, Assistant Conductor
Miah Im, Music Director                            Madeline Slettedahl, Assistant Conductor
Jamie Gelfand, Studio Manager                      Brian Connelly, Piano Instructor
Ana María Martínez, HGO Artistic Advisor           Tara Faircloth, Drama Coach
Carlisle Floyd, Artistic Advisor                   Adam Noble, Movement Instructor
Stephen King,                                      Christa Gaug, German Instructor
Director of Vocal Instruction                      Raymond Hounfodji, French Instructor
 Sponsored by Jill and Allyn Risley, Janet        Enrica Vagliani Gray, Italian Instructor
  Sims, and James J. Drach Endowment Fund            Sponsored by Marsha Montemayor
Patrick Summers,                                   Kristine McIntyre, Showcase Director
Conducting Instructor and Coach
  Sarah and Ernest Butler Chair
Peter Pasztor, Principal Coach
 Sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. James A. Elkins
  Jr. Endowment Fund
Kirill Kuzmin, Principal Coach

The HGO Studio is grateful for the in-kind         Carol Lynn Lay Fletcher Endowment Fund
support of the Texas Voice Center. The Young       William Randolph Hearst Endowed
Artists Vocal Academy (YAVA) is generously           Scholarship Fund
underwritten by Mr. and Mrs. Robert N.             Mr. and Mrs. Melvyn Hetzel
Wakefield and the HGO Guild.                       Charlotte Howe Memorial Scholarship Fund
Additional support for YAVA is provided by Mr.     Elva Lobit Opera Endowment Fund
Patrick Carfizzi, Gwyneth Campbell, and David      Marian and Speros Martel Foundation
and Norine Gill. HGO thanks Magnolia Houston          Endowment Fund
for outstanding support of the HGO Studio and      Erin Gregory Neale Endowment Fund
YAVA programs.                                     Dr. Mary Joan Nish and Patricia Bratsas
Additional support for the Houston Grand Opera        Endowed Fund
Studio is provided by the following funds within   John M. O’Quinn Foundation Endowed
the Houston Grand Opera Endowment, Inc.:             Fund Fellow
Sylvia Barnes and Jim Trimble                      Shell Lubricants (formerly Pennzoil Quaker
The Gordon and Mary Cain Foundation                  State Company) Fund
  Endowment Fund                                   Mary C. Gayler Snook Endowment Fund
Marjorie and Thomas Capshaw                        Tenneco, Inc., Endowment Fund
 Endowment Fund                                    Weston-Cargill Endowed Fund
James J. Drach Endowment Fund
The Evans Family

                                                                                     Official Airline of Houston Grand Opera

                                                                                                       HGO.org                 11
HGO.ORG/STUDIO
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