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3 1 S TA N N U A L G A L A
2 0 1 6W W W . O P E R A F O U N D A T I O N . O R G
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For more than a century, the name C.J. Lawrencehas been synonymous with providing soundinvestment advice to individuals and institutions.
Analytical rigor and proprietary investmentdisciplines are the foundation of our portfolio management process.
PROUD SUPPORTER OFTHE OPERA FOUNDATION FOR MANY YEARS
3
Dear Friends,
Welcome to our 31th annual Opera Gala!
2016 was yet another exciting year for the Opera Foundation. We
received over 160 applications for our audition in February and the
competition was fierce. We heard about 50 highly qualified singers on
the day with representatives from the three opera houses, Deutsche
Oper Berlin, Teatro Regio di Torino and the Bayerische Staatsoper
picking four exciting young singers for the 2016/17 season.
Berlin picked two highly promising sopranos: our first singer ever
from Puerto Rico, Meechot Marrero, who will perform for us tonight,
and Abigail Levis who was selected after auditioning for us for the
second time and who will debut at the Deutsche Oper Berlin this month in Les Huguenots. Teatro Regio
chose Atlanta-born lyric tenor, Cullen Gandy who debuted in La Bohème this October. Lastly, the Bayerische
Staatsoper in Munich chose the exciting young tenor, Galeano Salas from Houston, Texas, who will also per-
form for us tonight.
Opera insiders may have heard that unfortunately our guest of honor, Catherine Naglestad had to withdraw
from her Metropolitan Opera appearance in Salome this month for medical reasons. We wish her well but
are honored that Opera Foundation alumna and mezzo-soprano, Nicole Piccolomini has agreed to perform
for us tonight in her place. Nicole was the winner of our “Curt Engelhorn” scholarship in 2006 which led
to three full seasons at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Since then she has had an amazing career appearing in
important theaters around the world including La Scala, Bayerische Staatsoper, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino,
Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, Oper Leipzig, Teatro Regio di Parma, Teatro Massimo Bellini di
Catania and the Dutch National Opera just to name a few.
To date we have supported 64 singers with professional scholarships. Our annual auditions in New York are
today well established among young graduates of the major music schools as an important launching pad
for individual singing careers. Thanks to your loyal support we have played an important part in supporting
the Arts. We are especially grateful to our long-term sponsors: The Ladenburg Foundation, the Eklund and
Dupire families, and Joseph Oughourlian of Amber Capital. A special thank you goes to our friends from
Puerto Rico who have agreed to support this year’s winner, Meechot Marrero via the “Kinesis Endowment
Scholarship” for her full year at the Deutsche Oper Berlin this season. It is thanks to such enthusiastic support
that we can continue to grow our programs.
This evening would not be possible without the dedicated work of our Executive Director, Elizabeth Walbroel.
Liz has kept our programs running smoothly for the past 23 years and has established our annual Opera
Gala as a true New York institution not to be missed. As one the Opera Foundation’s Trustees since 1993
and its President for the past 11 years, I have been privileged to work with a very dynamic board of directors
who make all of this possible. Thank you all for your loyal support.
Wishing you an enjoyable evening!
Bernhard Koepp, President, The Opera Foundation
For more than a century, the name C.J. Lawrencehas been synonymous with providing soundinvestment advice to individuals and institutions.
Analytical rigor and proprietary investmentdisciplines are the foundation of our portfolio management process.
PROUD SUPPORTER OFTHE OPERA FOUNDATION FOR MANY YEARS
4
Dear Guests of the Opera Foundation and Friends of the Deutsche Oper Berlin,
A few weeks ago I attended a performance in our house
which was very touching for me: It was the first night of our
new children’s opera “Lena and the secret of the blue deers.”
On first sight there was nothing spectacular on stage: Just
three musicians, a puppet player and a single singer, but as
the simplicity of the set was ideal to awake the fantasy, this
story about a girl gaining self- confidence was told in such a
gripping way that the young audience was left spellbound.
And above all it was the singer who showed with all her
grace and presence what opera is about: communication.
This young singer was Soprano Meechot Marrero from Puerto Rico, one of the two scholars
you had sent to us this season. And I mention this example not only to tell you how concerned
we are with attracting younger audiences, but also to show the variety of challenges our
singers have to face.
This variety of challenges makes the Deutsche Oper Berlin one of the best places for young
operatic singers not only to develop their talents, but also to discover the many facets of
musical theatre in the 21st century: from the experimental techno operas and pieces for
children we offer in our small stage to the big Repertoire from Mozart via Wagner and Verdi to
new works of great contemporary composers like Aribert Reimann.
At Deutsche Oper Berlin every young singer can find his place in the world of opera – for
some it is the big stage, for others it may be the work with children – who are, as we all know,
among the most demanding of all audiences.
I am extremely grateful that you offer this unique opportunity to young, promising singers
every year and I can assure you that they profit from this as much as we do! Thank you for this.
All the best from Berlin,
Dietmar Schwarz
General Manager, Deutsche Oper Berlin
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Dear Guests of the Opera Foundation,
The partnership between Teatro Regio Torino and The Opera
Foundation has spanned over almost ten years. A collabo-
ration that becomes every year more and more tight, for
which I would like to thank The Opera Foundation’s President
Bernhard Köpp, the Executive Director Elizabeth Walbröl,
and Joseph Oughourlian who generously supports through
his firm Amber Capital the scholarship dedicated to our
opera house.
We have been delighted to welcome, since 2008, eleven
young singers who studied and performed in our productions, growing thanks to this import-
ant experience not only artistically but also personally, so much so that we have established
with many of these young singers strong friendship links.
I am convinced that music is not only a matter of pure technique but also of human relationships,
and that the emotion of art arises precisely from the alchemy between these two aspects. I
would therefore like to underline the importance of the support given by The Opera Foundation
to young American talents and to reaffirm our willingness to make our expertise and passion
available to them.
Best Regards,
Walter Vergnano
General Manager, Teatro Regio Torino
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Dear Members and Friends of the Opera Foundation,
Over the past five years, the collaboration between the
Bayerische Staatsoper and the Opera Foundation has
proven to be a very important and fruitful support for our
Young Artist Program. We are delighted that the young
tenor Galeano Salas – who you will have the pleasure of
hearing tonight – can spend the current season with us in
Munich thanks to the generous support of the Björn Eklund
Scholarship of the Opera Foundation.
The origins of the Young Artist Program of the Bayerische
Staatsoper - the "Opernstudio" - date back to the 1970s. Today, the program supports highly
talented young artists from all over the world and prepares them for an international career as
opera singers. Former members perform not only in Munich but in important opera theaters
worldwide. Our program typically runs one or two seasons and consists of role studies, vocal
lessons, acting and movement classes as well as language training. The fact that our program
is completely integrated into the extensive performing schedule of the Bayerische Staatsoper
with over 40 different opera productions per year gives our singers the invaluable experience
to work side by side with the world’s leading opera singers, conductors and stage directors.
Galeano Salas started the season in Munich by singing the role of “Alfredo” in our production
of “Lucia di Lammermoor.” His further performances will include roles in different operas such
as La Bohème, Mefistofele, Semiramide and Nabucco to list just a few. As you will hear tonight
he already is a very fine artist with a most prominent voice, and his time in Munich will give
him the opportunity not only to gain even more advice for his vocal technique and stagecraft,
but also to widen his repertoire and his overall artistic vision. These experiences are most
important for young singers, and it is wonderful that each year the Opera Foundation makes
it possible for one singer to share this experience. And in the end, our performances can
only be as good as our artists are talented, and therefore we are grateful that the Opera
Foundation has continued to help us finding the interesting young American singers that we
could welcome in Munich over the past seasons.
I am wishing you all the best on behalf of my colleagues at the Bayerische Staatsoper and I am
looking forward to welcoming many of you at our performances in Munich.
Sincerely,
Henning Ruhe
Executive Director, Opernstudio, Bayerische Staatsoper
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THE LADENBURG FOUNDATION
Thank you for supporting a scholarship for 21 years bearing the name of Curt
Engelhorn, the prominent German philanthropist. Thanks to your support, an entire
generation of young American opera talent have launched their singing careers.
Your support has had a major impact on the Arts and strengthened long standing
cultural ties across continents.
THE CURT ENGELHORN SCHOLARS
BAVAT MAROM / Soprano Curtis School of Music
CATHERINE CANGIANO / Soprano Juilliard School
MARK TEVIS / Tenor Mannes School of Music
ANNE MARIE SEAGER / Mezzo-Soprano Juilliard School
LAURE DE MARCELLUS / Mezzo-Soprano Tel Aviv School of Music
RAQUELA SHEERAN / Soprano Juilliard School
HAROLD WILSON / Bass-Baritone Indiana University
JESSICA MILLER / Soprano Manhattan School of Music
CHERI ROSE KATZ / Soprano Universitaet Salzburg
MELISSA SHIPPEN / Soprano Juilliard School
NICOLE PICCOLOMINI / Soprano Academy of Vocal Arts
JULIA BENZINGER / Mezzo-Soprano Royal Northern College of Music
ERICA MILLER / Soprano University of Southern California
JAMES KEE / Baritone Curtis School of Music
REBECCA JO LOEB / Mezzo-Soprano Juilliard School
KATHRYN LEWEK / Soprano Eastman School of Music
ANDREW HARRIS / Bass West Virginia University
MATTHEW NEWLIN / Tenor Chicago College of the Performing Arts
THOMAS LEHMAN / Baritone Eastman School of Music
NICOLE HASLETT / Soprano Manhattan School of Music
ABIGAIL LEVIS / Mezzo-Soprano Moores School of Music
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MATTHEW GRILLS / Tenor Eastman School of Music
JOHN CARPENTER / Baritone Penn State School of Music
LEELA SUBRAMANIAM / Soprano Manhattan School of Music
GALEANO SALAS / Tenor Yale University / Academy of Vocal Arts
DIEGO MATAMOROS / Baritone Yale University
DOMINIC MICHAEL ARMSTRONG / Tenor Juilliard School
JOHN PAUL HUCKLE / Bass Boston University
MATTHEW PEÑA / Tenor Manhattan School of Music
RACHEL HAUGE / Mezzo-Soprano Boston University
ANNIE ROSEN / Mezzo-Soprano Mannes School of Music
SCOTT JOHNSON / Baritone University of Wisconsin
RYAN MILSTEAD / Baritone University of Illinois at Urban Champaign
SAMANTHA KORBEY / Mezzo-Soprano Manhattan School of Music
KATE FRUCHTERMAN / Soprano Mannes School of Music
CULLEN GANDY / Tenor Juilliard School
MEECHOT MARRERO / Soprano Yale University
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OUR UNDERWRITERS
The Opera Foundation thanks our underwriters Amber Capital, the Dupire and Eklund
Families, and the Kinesis Endowment:
AMBER CAPITAL SCHOLARS
BJÖRN EKLUND SCHOLARS
KINESIS SCHOLAR
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31ST ANNUAL GALA 2016
Musical Program
PERFORMANCES BY
2006/07 WINNER OF
THE CURT ENGELHORN SCHOLARSHIP
Nicole PiccolominiMezzo-Soprano
2016/17 WINNER OF
THE BJÖRN EKLUND SCHOLARSHIP
Galeano SalasTenor
2016/17 WINNER OF
THE KINESIS SCHOLARSHIP
Meechot MarreroSoprano
Elizabeth HastingsPiano
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2016 GUEST OF HONOR
Catherine Naglestad / Soprano
American soprano Catherine Naglestad’s rise to international prominence is as
much due to a striking dramatic persona as it is to an impressive vocal versatility,
demonstrated by a career built on the foundations of Mozart, Handel and Gluck and
matured through the heroines of Verdi, Puccini, Richard Strauss and Wagner.
Karan Armstrong / Hildegard Behrens / Francisco Casanova / Vladimir Chernov /
Diana Damrau / Ghena Dimitrova / Plácido Domingo / Alexander T. Ercklentz / Simon
Estes / Barbara Frittoli / Denyse Graves / Kirsten Harms / Ben Heppner / Kristan
Johannsson / Dr. Bernd von Maltzan / Eva Marton / Maestro Kurt Masur / Angela
Meade / Sherrill Milnes / Danielle De Niese / Rene Pape / Luciano Pavarotti / Susanna
Phillips / Hermann Prey / Samuel Ramey / Maestro Julius Rudel / Matti Salminen / Bryn
Terfel / Maestro Christian Thielemann / Joseph Volpe / Bernd Weiki / Robert Wilson /
Gösta Winberg
PAST GUESTS OF HONOR
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2006/07 CURT ENGELHORN SCHOLARSHIP WINNER
Nicole Piccolomini / Mezzo-Soprano
Nicole Piccolomini was the 2006 recipient of the Curt Engelhorn Scholarship and
we are very excited that she returns to New York to sing for us. As a result of the
Opera Foundation support, she spent three seasons at Deutsche Oper Berlin from
2006-2009 singing many roles. Since then she has appeared at important theaters
in Europe and the United States including la Scala, Staatsoper Berlin, Opéra National
de Paris-Bastille, Bayerische Staatsoper, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Lyric Opera
of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, Oper Leipzig, Teatro Regio di Parma; Teatro Massimo
Bellini di Catania and the Dutch National Opera among others.
This season she makes her debut as Mistress Quickly in Falstaff with The Shanghai
Opera, Theater Bonn as the title role in Piazzolla’s Maria de Buenos Aires and returns
to Oper Leipzig for Erda in Siegfried. She will also sing performances of Wagner’s
Wesendonck Lieder and Mahler’s Rückert Lieder in Kunnersdorf, Germany. Originally
from Long Island, NY, Ms. Piccolomini received a BM from The Juilliard School in
NYC and continued her studies at The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.
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AT Kearney
A Partnershipof Note
A.T. Kearney is a leading global management consulting firm with o�icesin more than 40 countries. Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors tothe world‘s foremost organizations. A.T. Kearney is a partner-owned firm, committed to helping clients achieve immediate impact and growing advantage on their most mission-critical issues.
www.atkearney.com
Victor Dijon von MontetonConductor, Concert Pianist,A.T. Kearney Principal
A.T. Kearney is committed to investmentin the arts and in people who reflect the diversity of thought and culture that makes our world a richer place. We are proud to support and celebrate The Opera Foundation’s31st Annual Opera Gala.
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The Opera Foundation Ad 2016 CROPS.pdf 1 10/31/16 2:04 PM
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AT Kearney
A Partnershipof Note
A.T. Kearney is a leading global management consulting firm with o�icesin more than 40 countries. Since 1926, we have been trusted advisors tothe world‘s foremost organizations. A.T. Kearney is a partner-owned firm, committed to helping clients achieve immediate impact and growing advantage on their most mission-critical issues.
www.atkearney.com
Victor Dijon von MontetonConductor, Concert Pianist,A.T. Kearney Principal
A.T. Kearney is committed to investmentin the arts and in people who reflect the diversity of thought and culture that makes our world a richer place. We are proud to support and celebrate The Opera Foundation’s31st Annual Opera Gala.
C
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CM
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CY
CMY
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The Opera Foundation Ad 2016 CROPS.pdf 1 10/31/16 2:04 PM
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2016/17 BJÖRN EKLUND SCHOLARSHIP WINNER
Galeano Salas / Tenor
Praised for his romantic Italianate sound, Mexican American tenor Galeano Salas is
quickly establishing himself as one of the leading young tenors of his generation.
His 2016/17 season will be spent in Munich, thanks to the Opera Foundation schol-
arship, singing as a member of the Bayerische Staatsoper's Opera Studio. There he
will be debuting the roles of Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor, Gastone in La Traviata,
along with many others. Most recently Mr. Salas sang the Italian Singer in R. Strauss'
Capriccio with the Santa Fe Opera. Other recent roles include Il Duca di Mantua in
Verdi's Rigoletto, the title role in Massenet’s Werther, Avito in Montemezzi’s L'amore
dei Tre Re and Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème.
Hailing from Houston, Texas, Mr. Salas earned his bachelor's degree from the University
of Houston. He earned his master's degree from Yale University in Connecticut and
has just completed his artist diploma at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia,
where he was a student of William Stone.
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2016/17 KINESIS SCHOLARSHIP WINNER
Meechot Marrero / Soprano
Puerto Rican soprano Meechot Marrero, hailed by El Nuevo Día as, “a revelation…
a young Puerto Rican star with a great career ahead” is a recent master’s degree
recipient of the Yale School of Music, and in the 2016/17 season, will join the Deutsche
Oper Berlin ensemble, after being awarded the Kinesis Scholarship from the Opera
Foundation. At Deutsche Oper Berlin, Ms. Marrero will perform the roles of Frasquita
in Carmen, Giannetta in L’Elisir d’Amore, Papagena in Die Zauberflöte, Belinda in
Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Bianca and Gabriela in La Rondine. She will also
return to the Savannah Voice Festival as Juliette in Roméo et Juliette.
A native of Corozol, Puerto Rico, Ms. Marrero is the recipient of the Career Bridges
grant from the Schuyler Foundation, and the Phyllis Curtin Career Entry Prize from
the Yale School of Music. Ms. Marrero began her musical studies with the San Juan
Children’s Choir, and, after completing a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology
at the University of Puerto Rico, received further training from the Puerto Rico Music
Conservatory and Yale Opera at the Yale School of Music.
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BERGDORF GOODMAN • BARNEYS NEW YORK • SAKS BROOKFIELD • CHANTECAILLE.COM
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2016/17 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
CURT ENGELHORN SCHOLARSHIP
Abigail Levis / Mezzo-Soprano
Named "Debut Artist of the Year" by the Joy in Singing
Foundation, Abigail Levis is one of the most exciting
young singers of today. Critics around the world have
described her artistry as “fearless,” “dazzling,” “impres-
sive” and “breathtaking.” Highlights of her last season
included appearances with Joy in Singing, Los Angeles
Opera and Utah Opera. In the 2016/17 season Ms. Levis
will sing many important roles and make company debuts
with Portland Baroque, Toronto Symphony, and Deutsche
Oper Berlin, as a result of the Opera Foundation's Curt
Engelhorn Scholarship.
AMBER CAPITAL SCHOLARSHIP
Cullen Gandy / Tenor
Cullen Gandy is an Atlanta-born lyric tenor who has
been hailed for his unique musicality and command-
ing voice. He has enjoyed success singing in the great
American operatic and concert venues, and among the
superlative artists of this generation. Critics herald Mr.
Gandy as possessing a "velvety" (Washington Post), "...
sweet-voiced tenor" (NY Times), with a "...strong and
confident sound, with elements of sophistication" (Atlan-
ta Journal Constitution). This Spring, Mr. Gandy makes
his Opera Memphis debut as Gonzalve in Ravel’s L’heure
Espagnole and his Bellingham festival debut featured in
Mozart’s Requiem Mass. At the beginning of the 2016/17
season, he travels to Europe to sing with the Teatro
Regio Torino, as a winner of the Opera Foundation’s
Amber Capital Scholarship.
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Ambassador Harald Braun
Michael Bucheit
Ambassador Sebastiano Cardi
Sylvie Chantecaille
Lena Eklund
José Enrique Fernández
Brigitte Gerney
Sylvie del Giudice-Weilman
Richard Karl Goeltz
Günter Greiner
Wassila Guiga-Lotfi
Alexander T. Ercklentz
Nadia Koepp
Anne Charlotte Marcantetti
Maestro Gianandrea Noseda
Joseph Oughourlian
Benjamin Schliemann
Annaliese Soros
Walter Vergnano
The Honorable Brita Wagener
Werner Walbröl
Peter Prinz Wittgenstein
Chantecaille Beauté
Credit Industriel et Commercial
Cecilia and Bruno Dupire
C.J. Lawrence LLC
Wassila and Sherif Lotfi
Mannheim LLC
Morgan Stanley
Louise and Benjamin Schliemann
Sylvie and Charles Weilman
Ariane and Santiago Trigo
Dr. Martin Bussmann
Fiorenza Scholey Cohen
Cecilia Dupire
Bernhard Koepp / President
Philip Lasser
Sherif Lotfi
Dr. Daniel Mahler
Katherine Fürstenberg-Raettig
Santiago Trigo
Elizabeth Walbröl / Executive Director
Amber Capital
A.T. Kearney, Inc.
Eklund and Dupire Families
The Kinesis Endowment
The Ladenburg Foundation
HONORARY COMMITTEE
UNDERWRITERS
SPONSORS
THE OPERA FOUNDATION — TRUSTEES
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HISTORY OF THE OPERA FOUNDATION
The Opera Foundation was originally launched in 1986. Its purpose is to support young Amer-
ican opera singers abroad via scholarships and study grants and to foster cross cultural ties
between young opera singers around the world. The first scholarship program was estab-
lished in 1986 with the Deutsche Oper Berlin, thanks to the late Professor Götz Friedrich.
In 2008, a second scholarship program was established with Teatro Regio Torino, thanks
to Maestro Gianandrea Noseda. In 2012, we announced a 3rd scholarship program with
the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich. The Foundation has awarded 64 scholarships since
inception, including study grants for voice coaching and linguistic purposes. The Opera
Foundation is proud of the fact that many of our singers have gone on to build long lasting
careers in the operatic world.
The idea to establish the first scholarship program was the brainchild of Professor Götz
Friedrich, the legendary “Intendant” and creative force behind the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Professor Friedrich, along with his American-born wife, the soprano, Karan Armstrong, together
with an enthusiastic group of New York-based supporters, envisioned this program for young
American singers as a cross-cultural bridge between the United States and Germany. In 2008
this cross-cultural bridge was extended to include Italy and the Teatro Regio di Torino.
For 31 years, the Foundation’s supporters have expanded to include individuals and corpo-
rations from all over the world, drawing from the rich cultural and corporate diversity of New
York City and its environment.
It is the Opera Foundation’s goal to continue expanding its scholarship activities where it
believes it can make a difference in the development of young opera talent, in the spirit of
cultural exchange between the United States and beyond.
3 1 S TA N N U A L G A L A
2 0 1 6W W W . O P E R A F O U N D A T I O N . O R G
Yes!I want to make a pledge.
Name
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Other Amount $
Donations are 100% tax deductible.