We’ve spent the last few weeks putting the finishing touches on the auction catalog, and let me tell you, it’s a pretty spectacular auction. It’s always dangerous for me to put together the catalog because I get carried away imagining how fabulous my life would be if I bought all the travel packages or all the dining certificates. This year I’ve also been fantasizing about starting my own wine collection – despite the fact that I have absolutely no room to store all the fantastic wines we are offering this year and the fact that I don’t really know all that much about wine.

Here are a few things I’m looking forward to the most about this year’s gala:

• Having real wine experts on hand at the auction to help answer questions about wine and help guests pick out the perfect wine (which will make starting my home cellar that much easier…)
• Spending the evening at the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel
• Drooling over the amazing travel packages we have this year including TWO trips to Hawaii (which were especially tempting during the rainstorm we had last week) and a jaw-dropping VIP wine country getaway at Greystone Estate in the Vines.
• Dressing up in my brand new dress that I bought especially for the event
• Seeing Merola guests in their tiaras (hopefully!)

The whole staff has really gotten into the royal theme, especially once we decided we’d like to name the tables after some of operas most famous royal characters. Our list got too long for me to post here, but we’d love to hear who your favorite royal characters are. Personally, I think I’d like to sit at the Xerxes table, but the Lucrezia Borgia table could also be a lot of fun… 

If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, there’s still time! Just click here.

Speaking of royal opera characters, here's Svetlana Nikitenko (Merola 1998) singing Queen of the Night, and Donita Volkwijn ('98) as Pamina during their Merola summer

And what a fun year it has been! Remember that fantastic Spring Benefit at the St. Regis back in April, with that stunning performance by the Adler Fellows?  Or what about the excitement of meeting a whole new group of Merolini back in June? I had a great time spying on rehearsals at Day at Merola and having a picnic at Yerba Buena gardens while the Merolini performed the Schwabacher Summer Concert. And who could forget the singing talent displayed at Il barbiere di Siviglia? Or the laugh out loud antics of the final number at the Merola Grand Finale?

And over at the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco Opera was featuring more Merola alums than I can list in one post.  Susannah Biller, Leah Crocetto, Kendall Gladen, Susan Graham, Thomas Hampson,  Nadine Sierra… the list goes on and on. I think every production this season was filled with Merola alums, including the incredible Ring Cycle.

What was your favorite Merola moment this year? I think my favorite Merola moment would have to be listening to Leah Crocetto as Liù in Turandot and knowing that I worked for a company that helped shape this fabulous singer.  It was an incredibly moving performance, made all the more moving by my connection to Merola and, by extension, my connection to the amazing singers that come out of the program. I think that’s what makes Merola so special. And I know that it’s this connection to the opera stars of tomorrow that makes our membership so continuously generous and unfailingly supportive.

I look forward to another year of amazing memories to come in 2012, and I hope that you (and all our members) will be there to share in it with all of us! From the whole Merola staff, we wish you very merry holidays and a happy new year!  We will see you in the New Year!

As I have been gathering my thoughts about my amazing experiences during and after the Merola program, I feel overwhelmed with gratitude. Although I had worked for regional opera companies and as a coach and accompanist in New York, I studied and prepared for two years before feeling brave enough to play and sing the Quintets from The Magic Flute, an act of Madama Butterfly, the Carmen quintet, Baba the Turk’s aria from The Rake’s Progress and a piano solo “to show piano proficiency” for my Merola audition. Even though my voice quivered and my fingers shook, I was accepted – and totally thrilled and delighted to be able to participate in such a prestigious training program.

The summer was a whirlwind of absolutely inspiring and rigorous coaching and conducting classes with the brilliant Maestri Kathy Cathcart, Patrick Summers and Ian Robertson; intensive language classes with Elena Servi, Nora Norden and Patricia Kristof-Moy; as well as Alexander and Tai Chi lessons, coachings, and playing for productions of Madama Butterfly and L’Italiana in Algeri.

Two of my favorite memories are of the stunning beauty of Pat Racette’s very first Madama Butterfly – already a star at 19! –and the very inspiring masterclasses and lessons of Regine Crispin. The biofeedback stress management lessons she generously gave us as a gift remain very valuable to this day. The warm, supportive Merola family and the excellent training contributed to a very productive and rewarding experience.

During the summer my interest in prompting was encouraged by the very esteemed Maestro Philip Eisenberg. I received a generous grant to study privately at the Metropolitan Opera with Susan Webb, and then was able to study and apprentice with Philip. Fortunately, the prompt box at the San Francisco Opera is large enough to seat two people, so I was able to observe and learn from both Philip and another absolutely brilliant and generous prompter, Maestro Jonathan Khuner.

To prepare for the 1990 Ring, I received another grant to study German diction with Nora Norden. I went through each word, and she polished and refined my German pronunciation and brought the story, so dear to her, to life for me. I will always be grateful that I worked with her not only on my first Ring, but the most recent one in 2011. Due to the training I received at Merola and the rigorous work with Nora, I was prepared to prompt the Ring in Chicago and the Bayreuth festival. I was absolutely delighted to be invited back to San Francisco to prompt Das Rheingold and Götterdämmerung in 2011, and thrilled to be collaborating with my distinguished colleagues, fellow Merola alums Bryndon Hassman, Adele Eslinger and Matthew Piatt.

The thorough training, encouragement and support I received not only from my teachers, but from the amazing Merola supporters, have meant so much to me on both a personal and a professional level. There are so many to whom I owe special thanks, perhaps chief among them, the wonderful Jane Roos, who was my delightful, generous sponsor. To say I’m grateful for the extraordinary training I received through the Merola program is an understatement. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

The event will be Saturday, April 21, 2012, at The Four Seasons in San Francisco.  The theme:  “A Royal Affair”.  And despite the name of this blog entry, tiaras ARE optional. 

This year’s benefit celebrates all the famed royal opera characters we love so well (and let’s face it, we also just wanted an excuse to dress up like a princess).  This year the event will feature a lavish silent auction with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres fit for a King or Queen, a formal sit-down dinner (or should I say “banquet” because it sounds more royal?), a concert featuring the 2012 San Francisco Opera Adler Fellows and our own version of a royal ball (after-dinner dancing and more cocktails).   

We have been working non-stop in the office getting ready for the event. We went through more than three potential themes, more than seven different designs and weeks of careful editing, just so that I could make this announcement today.

Tickets go on sale today, November 1!  You can buy them online by following this link to brown paper tickets, or you can learn more about the event here. 

This year, we have some very exciting (very royal) incentives for buying your tickets and tables early: namely, a reduced price and extra recognition on our website.  So really, there’s no reason to wait.  We can’t wait to welcome you to “A Royal Affair”!

The biggest news is the arrival of our new (and first ever) Executive Director, Jean Kellogg. It’s so exciting to have a new face in the office, and to have a new member of the Merola team! Jean’s first week was a hectic one.  It started off with Merola’s Annual meeting which is actually a great way to jump into Merola head first, since the meeting is a chance for the Board to summarize the Merola year for some of our donors (and in this case, for our new Executive Director). It was a fabulous meeting, and a great way for me to look back on the year that just passed and reflect on all the work we’ve done. Phew, it was quite a year! As I was listening to reports on the success of the Spring Benefit, reports on our members’ phenomenal generosity, reports of our great ticket sales this year and much much more, I remembered all the frantic days in the office and fantastic events that made up the past 12 months. I felt really proud to work for Merola, and extremely proud to work with the people I do. Which makes it even more exciting to bring someone new on board. 

Jean’s first week closed with a little party for the Board and staff, which gave us all a chance to welcome her properly. And a chance to say goodbye to Board President Patrick Wilken. Don’t worry, he’s really not going anywhere—he’s just ending his term as President (but that’s been another big change around here lately). We also welcomed our new Board President Donna Blacker at the reception, which is really exciting! See photos from the party here. Of course all this change means there are some adjustments that need to be made, so we’ve been all trying to settle in and adapt as quickly as possible. Even if that means spending the afternoon trying to find a decent lamp for Jean’s new office (luckily we were successful). 

My name is Laura Michelson and I have had the pleasure of interning at Merola for the past two summers. I first heard about the Merola Opera Program in high school from my voice teacher, soprano Sharon Davis, who was a member of the Merola Class of 1971. From Sharon, I learned that Merola is an incredibly unique experience that truly prepares its young artists for full-blown operatic careers.   But little did I know that Merola would help to prepare me for my own career, too…just not a career in singing.I have loved opera for as long as I can remember.  My preference for Puccini over pop music often confused my peers: “You really like this stuff?” they’d ask me, as we rode in my car listening to “The Very Best of Maria Callas,” which I continually listened to on repeat for almost two years of high school. “Yeah!” I’d reply enthusiastically. “What’s not to like?”

Despite my enthusiasm, my friends often did not understand opera’s appeal. To them, it was antiquated and inaccessible and definitely not the kind of music they would want to listen to on repeat as they drove friends around in their cars. But my obsession with opera grew throughout high school and I dove into voice lessons and summer vocal programs with the hope that someday I would be able to study voice in college. Happily in the spring of my senior year of high school, I was accepted into the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University as a vocal performance major. I spent four very happy years at Blair and I graduated this past May with my Bachelors of Music in voice.

So how did this life long love of opera me to Merola? About halfway through my bachelor’s degree, I started thinking about ways in which I could be involved with an opera company during the summer and Merola immediately came to mind. I inquired if Merola needed a summer intern and fortunately they did and I enthusiastically became a part of Merola’s 2010 summer season. Now, as my second summer at Merola is coming to a close, I feel so incredibly lucky that I’ve had the opportunity to work for this extraordinary program.

Anyone who knows about Merola knows what a phenomenal program it is for the young artists but I’ve had the unique opportunity to learn what a great program it is to work for. I’ve learned so much interning here.  I’ve learned how many Merola alums we have (1,106 including the 2011 Merolini), how many times Merola has performed Rossini’s La Cenerentola (7 – the first time in 1965 and most recently in 2007), and how many Merola Board Presidents we’ve had so far (again 7 – not including our most recent President-elect Donna Blacker). I’ve also learned how important it is to have a staff that works as a team and who is focused on not only Merola’s present but also dedicated to building the program’s future. I’ve even learned more about my own singing just from observing Merolini in master classes and productions. But perhaps most importantly, I’ve learned from my summers at Merola that I am most passionate about the longevity and legacy of performing arts organizations, which is why I’ve chosen to pursue a master’s degree in performing arts administration at New York University starting this fall.

In addition to learning so much about Merola as well as myself, I’ve had some really unique and fun experiences. One of the highlights of my two summers here was the family workshop we put on in conjunction with San Francisco Opera’s Education Department at the San Francisco public library to teach kids and families more about our 2011 production of Il barbiere di Siviglia. I had so much fun talking to the kids about the opera’s story and characters and it was such a treat to see so many of our workshop participants at the Il barbiere community previews. Another highlight for me was having the opportunity to bring my family and friends to Merola events so that they, too, could learn about this incredible program. I was even able to bring my high school voice teacher who first introduced me to Merola to several master classes and performances, giving her the fun opportunity to come back after 40 years. Having the chance to both introduce and reconnect important people in my life to the Merola community made me feel as if I was in some small way strengthening the program by further spreading Merola’s strive for excellence and celebrating its young artists as they begin their operatic careers.

The opportunities I’ve had to share Merola with my community, my friends and my family, as well as the new friends I’ve made here among the staff, the artists, and the Board, have been the most special part of my summers here.  I’ve learned so much from this program and I’ve been continually reminded of the importance of excellence and great singing.  Interning at Merola has given me the experience and the confidence to begin my own training in arts administration in the hopes that someday I too can contribute to the future of opera in an excellent and important way.

2011 Merola Grand Finale Program:

Semiramide – Rossini
Overture
San Francisco Opera Orchestra

 Les pêcheurs de perles – Bizet
“Au fond du temple saint”
Nadir – Scott Quinn
Zurga – Mark Diamond

Manon – Massenet
“Suis-je gentille ainsi?…Je marche sur tous les chemins”
Manon – Elizabeth Zharoff
Chorus – Cooper Nolan, Scott Quinn, Mark Diamond, Joo Wan Kang

Zazà – Leoncavallo
“Zazà, piccolo zingara”
Cascart – Guodong Feng

Semiramide – Rossini
“Bel raggio lusinghier”
Semiramide – Laura Krumm

Ariodante – Handel
“Andiam, fidi, al consiglio…Invida sorte avara”
Il Rè – Philippe Sly
Odoardo – Daniel Curran
Harpsichord – Robert Mollicone

Lucrezia Borgia – Donizetti
“Sei tu?…Minacciata è la mia vita”
Orsini – Renée Rapier
Gennaro – Heath Huberg

The Queen of Spades – Tchaikovsky
“Vy tak pichalni…Ya vas lubyu”
Lisa – Elizabeth Zharoff
Yeletsky – Suchan Kim

Dr. Atomic – Adams
“Batter my heart”
Oppenheimer – Jonathan Michie
Celeste – Timothy Cheung

INTERMISSION

Die Entführung aus dem Serail – Mozart
“Ich gehe doch rate ich dir”
Blonde – Suzanne Rigden
Osmin – Pei Xin Chen

Alceste – Gluck
“Divinités du Styx”
Alceste – Deborah Nansteel

Lucia di Lammermoor – Donizetti
“Lucia, perdona…Sulla tomba che rinserra…Verranno a te”
Lucia – Xi Wang
Edgardo – Cooper Nolan
Alisa – Laura Krumm

Les pêcheurs de perles – Bizet
“L’orage s’est calmé…O Nadir…”
Zurga – Joo Won Kang

Arabella –  Strauss
“Das war sehr gut Mandryka”
Arabella – Marina Boudart Harris
Mandryka – John Maynard

I vespri siciliani – Verdi
“O patria…O tu Palermo”
Procida – Pei Xin Chen

Don Pasquale – Donizetti
“Tornami a dir che m’ami”
Norina – Xi Wang
Ernesto – Daniel Curran

I Puritani – Bellini
“Il rival salvar tu dêi…Suoni la tromba”
Riccardo – John Maynard
Giorgio – Adam Lau

L’Italiana in Algeri – Rossini
“Oh che muso”
Elvira – Suzanne Rigden
Isabella – Renée Rapier
Zulma – Deborah Nansteel
Lindoro – Cooper Nolan
Mustafà – Philippe Sly
Taddeo – Suchan Kim
Haly – Joo Won Kang
Chorus – Tutti Merolini

Schwabacher Summer Concert 2011 Program:

Don Carlo by Giuseppe Verdi (in Italian)

Don Carlo – Scott Quinn  •  Rodrigo – Guodong Feng  •  A Monk – Joo Won Kang

From Act II, part one
Don Carlo is found praying for peace at the tomb of his grandfather, Emperor Charles V, in the St. Just monastery in Spain. In the background shadows, the mysterious voice of a monk warns against succumbing to worldly vanities. Don Carlo thinks he is hearing the Emperor’s voice and seeing the Emperor’s ghost as he prays. Then Don Carlo meets his friend Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa, who has just returned from Spanish-oppressed Flanders.

When Don Carlo confides that he is still vainly in love with his former betrothed Elisabeth—who was married to his father King Philip instead—Rodrigo urges Don Carlo to fight for the suffering Flemish people. The two men pledge commitment to their friend- ship and to liberty as King Philip and Queen Elisabeth pass to pray at the Emperor’s tomb.

——
I Capuleti e i Montecchi by Vincenzo Bellini (in Italian)

Giulietta – Elizabeth Zharoff   •  Romeo – Laura Krumm   •   Lorenzo – Suchan Kim

From Act I
Guilietta and Romeo—despite being from warring families—have secretly fallen in love, but Guilietta’s father Capellio has promised his daughter to Tebaldo. Lorenzo, a doctor, is charged with informing her of this immediately impending marriage. However, Lorenzo alone knows about the romance between Giulietta and Romeo. Romeo has recently arrived in Verona disguised as a messenger to discuss peace—and has suggested to Capellio that his daughter Giulietta should marry Romeo as a sign of reconciliation between the families. Capellio has rejected the offer.

In this scene, Giulietta is upset at the prospect of marrying Tebaldo. Lorenzo calms her and tells her Romeo has managed to enter the city secretly and wants to meet. At their covert meeting, Romeo proposes that they flee together to start a new life but Giulietta will not defy her father—and so she sends Romeo away.

——
Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti (in Italian)

Edgardo – Cooper Nolan  •  Enrico – Joo Won Kang

From Act III, part one
Enrico recently forced his sister Lucia to marry Arturo, despite her love for Edgardo. This scene takes place after the marriage at Lammermoor, where an enraged Edgardo cursed Lucia for betraying their promise.

In this scene, Enrico pays a visit to Edgardo and taunts him with the fact that Lucia and Arturo have just been married. The two men agree to fight a duel by the tombs of the Ravenswoods at dawn the following day.

——
Don Carlo by Giuseppe Verdi (in Italian)

Princess Eboli – Deborah Nansteel  •  Don Carlo – Scott Quinn  •  Rodrigo – Guodong Feng

Act 3, opening
Don Carlo has received a letter inviting him to a clandestine meeting at midnight in the queen’s gardens. He believes the meeting is with his beloved Elisabeth, but it is Princess Eboli, who is also in love with him, in the gardens. When Carlo discovers her identity, he rejects her and Eboli swears to expose him after determining that his love is for Elisabeth, who is now married to his father. Rodrigo arrives in time to overhear Eboli and threatens to kill her but is stopped by Carlo.

——
Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi (in Italian)

Gilda – Xi Wang  •  Duke of Mantua – Cooper Nolan  •  Rigoletto – Joo Won Kang  •  Giovanna – Laura Krumm

From Act II
Rigoletto, the Duke of Mantua’s hunchbacked court jester, is returning home after being accosted by the assassin Sparafucile. Here, Rigoletto contemplates the similarities between himself and the assassin, for Sparafucile kills men with his sword and Rigoletto uses his malicious words to “stab” his victims. Rigoletto arrives home and greets his daughter Gilda, whom he concealed from the Duke and the rest of the city. Once Rigoletto has gone, the Duke appears secretly. He overhears Gilda telling her nurse Giovanna about a student she met at church. Gilda feels guilty for not telling her father about him and confesses that she would love the student even more if he were poor. As Gilda declares her love, the Duke enters. The Duke is overjoyed but Gilda is alarmed and calls for Giovanna, unaware that the Duke has sent the nurse away. Pretending to be a student, the Duke sings to Gilda of love. She asks his name and he calls himself “Gualtier Maldè.” They hear sounds and fearing that Rigoletto has returned home, Gilda sends the Duke away but not before they exchange vows of love. Left alone, Gilda reflects on her love for the Duke, who she believes is a humble student.

——
Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (in Russian)

Tatiana – Marina Boudart Harris  •  Eugene Onegin – Suchan Kim  •  Prince Gremin – Joo Won Kang

From Act III
As a young woman, Tatiana met the worldly Eugene Onegin at her family’s country estate and immediately fell in love with him. After Tatiana expressed her feelings for him in a letter, Onegin told her he could only offer her a brother’s love. Tatiana was heartbroken and deeply embarrassed. Several years later, Onegin recognizes Tatiana at a magnificent ball that is being held at his cousin Prince Gremin’s palace. Onegin is struck by how poised and elegant Tatiana has become but he soon discovers that she is married to Gremin. Suddenly seized by love for Tatiana, Onegin flees the palace.

In Gremin’s town house, Tatiana receives Onegin in answer to an impassioned letter he has written her. Upon seeing her, Onegin falls at her feet but she remains controlled. Now married to a rich and noble man, Tatiana questions Onegin’s intent, asking if he desires her for her position or wishes to bring shame upon her. She recalls the days of her youth when they might have been happy together, but now he can only bring her grief. Onegin pleads for her love and, as he grows more ardent, Tatiana prays for courage. Suddenly she finds her strength and rushes out, leaving Onegin alone and heartbroken.

Our day is jam-packed with master classes and staging rehearsals—the Merolini are singing from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm. And so of course the Merola staff will be there from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm making sure everything runs smoothly. (Really they should have a day where people get to see what it’s like to be on staff! Although, it’s much less glamorous, and we rarely sing, so maybe that’s why no one has done it yet.) In reality, this event is challenging for the staff mostly because the check-in table is located at the North Stage Door of the Opera House, which, if you have never been there, becomes a wind tunnel when the doors open. Our summer intern is planning to wear a down jacket, having learned her lesson last year. There’s nothing like a San Francisco summer!

If I can sneak away from the check-in table, I really want to see Jane Eaglen again this year at her master class and I would love to see Kathy Cathcart’s master class. I’ve never seen her teach, but I have heard such wonderful things about her! Roy Rallo (the stage director of our summer opera Il barbiere di Siviglia) will also be there coaching, as well as Peter Kazaras (who is directing our Schwabacher Summer Concert this year), Martin Katz, Sheri Greenawald and Mark Morash. Roy and Peter are not onlyconducting master classes, they are also having open rehearsals so that our members can see what goes on at a staging rehearsal (talk about a busy day). Basically it’s madness over at the opera house. But it’s a fun kind of madness and I can’t wait to get over there and start!

Hopefully I’ll see some of you there! I’ll be the one bundled up in the arctic gear.

“Bella siccome un angelo” from Don Pasquale by Gaetano Donizetti
Jonathan Michie, baritone
Robert Mollicone, piano 

“Va! Laisse couler mes larmes” from Werther by Jules Massenet
Deborah Nansteel, mezzo-soprano
Timothy Cheung, piano

“Sibillar gli angui d’Aletto” from Rinaldo by G. F. Handel
Philippe Sly, bass-baritone
Ana Maria Otamendi, piano

“No word from Tom” from The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky
Elizabeth Zharoff, soprano
Clinton Smith, piano
And here’s a little bit about Mr. Epstein:

Matthew A. Epstein spent the 2010-11 season teaching audition techniques and career development at the Curtis Institute of Music, Juilliard, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Oper Frankfurt, English National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Merola Opera Program and the Santa Fe Opera. In past seasons he served in the same capacity at Los Angeles Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Metropolitan Opera, Mannes School of Music and Yale University, among others.

In 2010 Mr. Epstein retired as the director of Columbia Artists Vocal, ending a long association with Columbia Artists Management that began in 1972. Mr. Epstein was artistic director of Lyric Opera of Chicago from May 1999 to April 2005. He previously served as artistic consultant and later artistic advisor to general directors Carol Fox and Ardis Krainik, and to Lyric’s first artistic director, Bruno Bartoletti.   

As general director of the Welsh National Opera (1991-94), Mr. Epstein was the first American to run an opera company in Great Britain. From 1988 until 1990, he was artistic director of BAM Opera at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. As an artistic consultant, he has also worked with San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Carnegie Hall, Sony Classical and BMG/RCA Records.

Mr. Epstein has served as manager to many celebrated artists, including Kathleen Battle, Rockwell Blake, Ileana Cotrubas, Mark Delavan, Reneé Fleming, Susan Graham, Marjana Lipovsek, Catherine Malfitano, James Morris, Felicity Palmer, Samuel Ramey, Alek Shrader, Neil Shicoff, Elisabeth Söderström, Tatiana Troyanos, Frederica von Stade and more.  Throughout his career, he has been especially interested in, and identified with, the career development of American singers, conductors and stage directors.

We hope you Merola members are able to round up your friends and join us tonight! You can email me if you want to get on the list, mandre@sfopera.com.