MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM SUMMER FESTIVAL PRESENTS

THE MEROLA GRAND FINALE

Presented at the War Memorial Oera Ho!se on A!"!st #$

SAN FRAN%IS%O& '!l( )*& )+#, - The Merola Opera Programs
Summer Festival concludes with the popular Merola Grand Finale
at 7:30 pm on Saturda!" #ugust $%" at the &ar Memorial Opera
'ouse (onductor #ri Pelto will lead the orchestra and )0$* Merola
#pprentice Stage +irector Omer ,en-Seadia will stage this varied
musical program .eaturing wor/s 0! ,oito" +oni1etti" 'andel"
2eoncavallo" Mascagni" Mo1art" O..en0ach" Poulenc" 3ossini"
Strauss" Stravins/! and 4erdi

56t is an honor .or me to 0e wor/ing with this !ear7s e8traordinar!
group o. singers and pianists on the Merola Grand Finale Together we7ll 0e presenting a vital evening o. opera
and relishing in a tremendous program that .eatures various st!les and .orms .or us and the audience to en9o!:
said )0$* Merola #pprentice Stage +irector Omer ,en-Seadia 5&e can7t wait to share with the audience the
culmination o. an e8traordinar! 9ourne! we have ta/en together this summer" re.ining our cra.ts and leading
the path into thrilling new worlds:

(onductor Ari Pelto is #rtistic #dvisor o. Opera (olorado and Principal Guest (onductor o. Opera Memphis
&ith per.ormances that have 0een called poetic" earth!" vigorous and highl! individual" he is in demand at elite
opera houses" 0allets" s!mphonies and conservatories throughout the ;nited States 3ecent highlights and
upcoming opera house engagements include La bohme with the Opera Theatre o. St 2ouis and the St 2ouis
S!mphon!" The Cunning Little Vixen at (hautau<ua" Rusalka and La bohme at ,oston 2!ric Opera" Romeo et
Juliet at Minnesota Opera" and The Magic Flute, Figaro" and Hansel and Gretel at Portland Opera 'e has also
0een a regular guest conductor o. the #tlanta ,allet (ommenting on a per.ormance o. Pro/o.ievs Cinderella"
the #tlanta =ournal (onstitution wrote" 5;nder #ri Peltos 0aton" the orchestra has never sounded 0etter" nor
the chemistr! 0etween pit and stage 0een <uite so palpa0le: 6n )0$)" he colla0orated with Tw!la Tharp on the
premiere o. her new 0allet" The rincess and the Goblin

Merolas )0$* #pprentice Stage +irector Omer .en/Seadia most recentl! wor/ed with the ;niversit! o.
(incinnati (ollege-(onservator! o. Music 0! directing Gaetano +oni1ettis !on as"uale# 3o0in Guarino" the
= 3alph (or0ett +istinguished (hair in Opera" re.erred to Omer as having 5the maturit!" the vision and the
artistic cra.t to lead a main stage production:

The .irst Merola Grand Finale was held in $>?7 as 0oth a concert and an audition .or San Francisco Operas
general director 6n $>7% the concert was opened to the pu0lic as the Merola artists .inal per.ormance o. the
summer Showcasing the progress made 0! the Merola artists during the course o. the program and
highlighting their uni<ue talents" this !ears Merola Grand Finale will .eature all )3 Merola )0$* singers The
.ive )0$* Merola apprentice coaches" Edoardo .arsotti" Ronn( Mi0hael Green1er"" 2irill 2!3min" Sahar
No!riand .lair Salter" are involved in musical preparations .or the concert

The Merola Opera Program is dedicated to the continuing education and training o. the .inest !oung operatic
talent and the development o. this talent into pro.essional opera singers" coaches and stage directors o. the
highest artistic cali0er Merola operates in close artistic colla0oration with San Francisco Opera 0ut is an
independent nonpro.it organi1ation Governed 0! a separate 0oard o. directors" Merola is responsi0le .or its
own long-term .inancial sta0ilit! and .undraising" and is grate.ul to the hundreds o. lo!al mem0ers" donors and
.oundations who support the program

The Merola Opera Program .ull! underwrites each participants travel" housing" coaching and educational
e8penses" as well as all production costs associated with the summer schedule and a wee/l! stipend .or each
participant #lumni o. the program include =o!ce di +onato" S!lvia Mc@air" Patricia 3acette" 3uth #nn
Swenson" (arol 4aness" +e0orah 4oigt" #nna @etre0/o" Susan Graham" +olora Aa9ic/" ,rian #sawa" =ess
Thomas" 3olando 4illa1Bn and Thomas 'ampson as well as Patric/ Summers

The )0$* Merola Grand Finale is graciousl! underwritten" in part" 0! the ,lanche The0om Trust and the =ac/
' 2und (harita0le Trust #ri Pelto is sponsored" in part" 0! +arla and 3ichard ,astoni The Merola Grand
Finale 3eception is sponsored 0! Fred M 2evin C @anc! 2ivingston" and The Shenson Foundation in
memor! o. ,en C # =ess Shenson

To do4nload artist i0t!res& 5isit www0o8netDmerola

%astin" 6or the A!"!st #$ Merola Grand Finale is as 6ollo4s 7not listed in er6orman0e order89

Les mamelles de Tirsias EPoulencF
5Pu0lic" attende1 sans impatience:
2e directeur Thomas G!nther

Hamlet EThomasF
54ains regretsGMonseigneurG OphHlieI+oute de la lumiJre:
OphHlie Amanda Wood1!r(
'amlet Ed4ard Nelson

Rodelinda E'andelF
5Kduige" tinganniI+i (upido impiego i vanni:
Gari0aldo Rh(s Llo(d Tal1ot

La Fille du regiment E+oni1ettiF
52a voilLI#u 0ruit de la guerre:
Marie :!;in 2im
Sulpice S0ott R!ssell

Zaz E2eoncavalloF
5Aa1L" piccolo 1ingara:
(ascart Gideon Da1i

Ariadne auf Naxos EStraussF
5Minds/op.G Mer/t au.G:
Aer0inetta Tal(a Lie1erman
(omposer Shirin Es<andani

La clemenza di Tito EMo1artF
5+eh" per <uesto istante solo:
Sesto Nian Wan"

Lucrezia Borgia E+oni1ettiF
54ieni" la mia vendettaINualun<ue sia levento:
#l.onso Anthon( Reed
3ustighello Min";ie Lei

I Pagliacci E2eoncavalloF
5SilvioG # <uestoraI+ecidi il mio destin:
@edda Maria Fas0iano
Silvio Ale=ander Elliott
Tonio Gideon Da1i

os! fan tutte EMo1artF
52a mia +ora0ellaIO la .ede della .emminaI;na 0ella serenata:
Ferrando Min";ie Lei
Guglielmo Rh(s Llo(d Tal1ot
+on #l.onso Anthon( Reed

"efistofele E,oitoF
52altra notte in .ondo al mare:
Margherita 2aren %hia/lin" Ho

T#e Ra$e%s Progress EStravins/!F
>4ar! the songI(ome masterIM! tale shall 0e told:
Tom 3a/ewell .en;amin Werle(
@ic/ Shadow Matthe4 St!m

La enerentola E3ossiniF
5SP" tutto cangerLI2L del ciel:
#lidoro S3(mon Wa0h
(enerentola Shirin Es<andani

Rigoletto E4erdiF
52a donna J mo0ileI;n dP se 0en rammentomi:
Gilda Adelaide .oede0<er
Maddalena Eli3a .onet
6l +uca %hon" Wan"
3igoletto Gideon Da1i
Spara.ucile Anthon( Reed

La &rande'(uc#esse de &rolstein EO..en0achF
54ous aime1 la dangerI#hG Nue 9aime la militaireG:
+uchesse Eli3a .onet
(horus T!tti Merolini

L%amico Fritz EMascagniF
5Su1el" 0uon dPITutto tace:
Su1el '!lie Adams
Frit1 %ase( %ande1at

Falstaff E4erdiF
54olgiti e miraITutto nel mondo J 0urla:
#lice '!lie Adams
@annetta Adelaide .oede0<er
+ame Nuic/l! Eli3a .onet
Meg Shirin Es<andani
Fenton .en;amin Werle(
+r (aius %hon" Wan"
,ardol.o %ase( %ande1at
Falsta.. Matthe4 St!m
Pistola S0ott R!ssell
(horus t!tti Merolini

%ALENDAR EDITORS& PLEASE NOTE9 )+#, %alendar o6 Per6orman0es

Merola Oera Pro"ram Presents
Merola Grand Finale and Re0etion
7:30 pm Saturda!" #ugust $%
Tic/ets: Q*? Grand Tier C Orchestra PrimeDQ3? OrchestraDQ)? +ress (ircle
3eception 0egins at $0 pm in the Opera 'ouse (a.H
R3eception tic/ets are an additional Q?0 each
TI%2ETS9

Tic/ets .or the #ugust $7 Merola Grand Finale are Q)?" Q3? and Q*? 3eception tic/ets are Q?0 Tic/ets .or the
per.ormance ma! 0e purchased 0! calling San Francisco Opera ,o8 O..ice at E*$?F S%*-3330 open .rom $0
am to ? pm Monda! and $0 am to % pm Tuesda! through Frida! or online at wwws.operacom

For more in.ormation a0out Merola" please visit wwwmerolaorg or phone E*$?F ??$-%)>>

PHOTO %REDITS9

Tutti Merolini )0$* D Mristen 2o/en

PRESS AND MEDIA RELATIONS %ONTA%T9

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Maren #mes /arenT/arenamescom
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Merola Mar/eting" P3 and Kvents #ssociate
Mell! Sepich /sepichTs.operacom
E*$?F ??$-%)>>

UUU
2ed artisticall! 0! San Francisco Opera (enter +irector and internationall! acclaimed soprano Sheri
Greenawald" the Merola Opera Program is an independent nonpro.it organi1ation which operates in
colla0oration with the San Francisco Opera Founded in $>?7 and named .or San Francisco Operas .ounder"
Gaetano Merola" the Program is recogni1ed as one o. the most prestigious operatic training programs in the
world The Merola Opera Program t!picall! receives more than S00 applications .or appro8imatel! 30
positions Throughout the summer" the Merola artists participate in master classes and private coaching with
opera luminaries Participants V who include singers" apprentice coaches and an apprentice stage director V also
receive training in operatic repertor!" .oreign languages" diction" acting and stage movement