The Dallas Opera Presents CARMEN, 10/25 - 11/10

The Dallas Opera has announced the opening production of their 2013-2014 "By Love Transformed" Season: Georges Bizet's colorful, sensual and passionate 19th century masterpiece, CARMEN, one of the most beloved and popular works in the entire opera canon. CARMEN opens on Friday, October 25, 2013 in theMargot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District.

The Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance will begin at 8:00 PM; it will be preceded by FIRST NIGHT red carpet arrivals and pre-performance dinner (beginning at 6:00 PM), chaired by Mary Beth and Jay Marshall.

The performance itself will be followed by the sensational after-party hosted by Chairs Rhonda and Fraser Marcus. For tickets and information about FIRST NIGHT 2013, contact Dallas Opera Special Events Manager Tracy Mott attracy.mott@dallasopera.org

Subsequent performances of CARMEN are scheduled for October 27(m), 30, November 2, 8, and 10(m), 2013, with generous support from Alice W. and Richard D. Bass, Joy S. and Ronald Mankoff, Betty and Steve Suellentrop, Joanna and Peter Townsend, and James R. Seitz, Jr..

Full season subscriptions are still available, beginning at just $76, and single tickets start at a new low price of $19. Contact the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or purchase online, 24/7, at dallasopera.org.

She's the woman no man can resist and, as performed by renowned French mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine in her American debut, who would want to say "non"? Hailed as "Best Newcomer" in the 2011 French Classical Music Awards, Margaine will have her hands full with two head-turning, heart-melting Don Josés: tenors Brandon Jovanovich, who last captivated us as Pinkerton in the Dallas Opera's 2010 production of Madame Butterfly, and Bruno Ribeiro (an acclaimed international star from Portugal) making his eagerly anticipated company debut.

This truly phenomenal cast, from American soprano Mary Dunleavy in the role of Micaëla to bass-baritone Dwayne Croftas Escamillo the Toreador, will bring on the sizzle-as well as the steak! Featuring classic Jean-Pierre Ponnelle scenery from the San Francisco Opera, this production conducted by Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director Emmanuel Villaume will make all the other good/bad girls of opera seem tame, if not lame, in comparison.

Georges Bizet's 1875 masterpiece will be staged by American director Chris Alexander, The James R. Seitz, Jr., Stage Director in Honor of John Gage, who dazzled in his 2005 Dallas Opera debut with his staging of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, starring Mary Dunleavy and Marcus Haddock; returning in the spring of 2009 to direct the company's final performances in the Music Hall at Fair Park: a delightful and daffy rendering of Rossini's The Italian Girl in Algiers (L'italiana in Algeri).

American tenor Brandon Jovanovich will sing the role of Don José on Oct. 25, 27, and 30, while TDO newcomer, Portuguese tenor Bruno Ribeiro will portray the obsessed lover on Nov. 2, 8 and 10, 2013.

This outstanding international cast includes soprano Danielle Pastin in her company debut as Frasquita; mezzo Audrey Babcock in her Dallas Opera debut as Mercédès; bass Kyle Albertson (another company debut) as Zuniga; baritone Stephen LaBrie as the smuggler, La Dancaire; tenor William Ferguson in his Dallas Opera debut as Remendado and baritone John David Boehr in his TDO debut as Moralès.

Mr. Jovanovich, who enthralled Dallas audiences in our 2010 production of Madame Butterfly (described by Huffington Post's Rodney Punt as the definitive Pinkerton of our time), has been dazzling critics recently in the title role of Wagner'sLohengrin. San Francisco Chronicle Classical Music Critic Joshua Kosman wrote: "Jovanovich combined sweet-toned lyricism and ardent heroism in just the proportions required for this tricky role. His singing was thrillingly pure and tireless, his stage presence simultaneously tender and aloof."

Portuguese tenor Bruno Ribeiro, on the other hand, "gives rich voice to soulful pleadings" and has been praised for allowing "vulnerability to color his expressive tenor" (examiner.com).

Soprano Mary Dunleavy "melds outstanding acting ability with a flexible and gorgeous voice" (William Thomas Walker,cvnc.org), characteristics on display in her tour de force portrayal of all four love interests in the Dallas Opera's 2005 production of Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, earning rave reviews and that season's "Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award."

Bass-baritone Dwayne Croft swept Dallas Opera goers off their feet as Marcello in our 2009 production of La bohème. A singer praised by The Classical Review for his "musical intelligence" and an onstage presence that is both "dashing and ardent."

Soprano Danielle Pastin impressed reviewer James O. Welsch with her "stunning lyrical beauty and tone." And Catherine Reese Newton of The St. Louis Tribune praised mezzo-soprano Audrey Babcock as "a vocal and dramatic knockout." Bass Kyle Albertson, on the other hand, was applauded by ConcertoNet for his "splendid interpretation" of the role of Henry Kissinger in Long Beach Opera's production of Nixon in China; while baritone Steven LaBrie caught the ear of The Opera Critic "with his rich yet flexible voice, good looks and charismatic personality" and tenor William Ferguson was praised as "a mellifluous, charismatic tenor," by Steve Smith of The New York Times. Baritone John David Boehr earned the plaudits of Michael Anthony ofMinnPost.com for his "welcome energy and adroit singing" at Minnesota Opera.

As for Maestro Villaume, Lawrence A. Johnson recently wrote that "he displayed his considerable bona fides in French repertoire once again, conducting a performance that conveyed the melodic richness of Bizet's music with elegance, delicacy and dramatic point as needed."

"I think Bizet was totally aware that he was breaking new ground in this work and it's part of what gives the opera such incredible intensity," explains Dallas Opera Music Director Emmanuel Villaume. "At the same time, he pulls it off with taste, a great deal of elegance and, I wouldn't say "restraint" exactly, but there's always a frame around what's happening onstage that is quite interesting.

"Whenever you break new ground in the arts," Maestro Villaume adds, "the first one to get there is usually the same one who gets it right. Everyone who follows is simply looking to repeat or expand upon that success; to create the same magic-and that magic is this: every time you experience Carmen, the experience becomes unique."

Costume design is by Werner Iverke in his company debut, with lighting design by Thomas C. Hase.

The Dallas Opera Chorus will be prepared by Chorus Master Alexander Rom and the children's chorus by Children's Chorus Master Melinda Cotten.

Performances will continue on October 27(m), 30, November 2, 8 & 10(m), 2013 in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House, selected by Southern Living as the best new venue for opera. All evening performances besides the Opening Night of the Season will begin promptly at 8:00 PM. Sunday matinees begin at 2:00 PM.

A free, pre-performance lecture ("The Joy and Ronald Mankoff Pre-Opera Talks") will be conducted one hour prior to curtain at most performances-excluding the Linda and Mitch Hart Season Opening Night Performance. The Dallas Opera Guild also hosts "Opera Insights," a lively panel discussion featuring artists, directors and designers, on the Sunday afternoon prior to opening. For more details, visit dallasopera.org.

Parking onsite will be available in the Lexus Red Parking beneath the Winspear Opera House and the Lexus Silver Parking adjacent to the Wyly Theatre. Should those reach capacity, additional paid parking is available at nearby One Arts Plaza and in several surface lots. Prices range from $5 to $25 per vehicle.

Subscriptions for the mainstage productions of the Dallas Opera's "By Love Transformed" Season are on sale now, starting at just $76, through the Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or online at www.dallasopera.org. Student Rush best-available tickets can be purchased at the lobby box office for $25 or $50 (one per valid Student I.D.) ninety minutes prior to each performance. Single tickets start at just $19.

Tickets for the Dallas Opera's 2013 Opening Night Celebration, FIRST NIGHT, presented by NGP Energy Capital Management, are available through Dallas Opera Special Events Manager Tracy Mott at tracy.mott@dallasopera.org.

CARMEN KEY BIOS:

EMMANUEL VILLAUME, Conductor

Mrs. Eugene McDermott Music Director in honor of Graeme Jenkins

Emmanuel Villaume launches his tenure as music director of The Dallas Opera with these performances of Carmen. He made his debut with the company in 1998 conducting Gounod's Faust and returned in 2002 to conduct Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. He is a frequent guest conductor at the world's leading opera companies, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, the Washington National Opera, Santa Fe Opera, London's Royal Opera , the Paris Opera, Monte Carlo Opera, Venice's La Fenice, the Munich Staatsoper, Berlin's Deutsche Oper , the Hamburg Staatsoper, Madrid's Teatro Real, Buenos Aires' Teatro Colon and the Klangbogen Festival in Vienna. He has led the Montreal Symphony in Montreal and at Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Symphony, the Boston Symphony, the orchestras of Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, St. Louis, Detroit, Minnesota, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Beethovenhalle Orchestra of Bonn, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, the Prague Philharmonic, the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane symphonies, and, in concert, the orchestras of the Bastille Opera, Teatro alla Scala, La Fenice orchestra, and the China National Opera Orchestra for three concerts during the Olympic Games of 2008. Emmanuel Villaume was Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the National Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra for several years and is currently Chief Conductor of the National Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra in Bratislava. He served as the Spoleto Festival USA's Music Director for Opera and Orchestra from 2001 to 2010. Emmanuel Villaume has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon, Decca and EMI.

CHRIS ALEXANDER, Stage Director

The James R. Seitz, Jr. Stage Director in Honor of John Gage

Director Chris Alexander made his Dallas Opera debut staging Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann in 2005, and returned for our last production in the Music Hall, Rossini's L'italiana in Algeri in 2009. Born in Utah, but based in Germany, he made his U.S. directing debut at the Seattle Opera in 2000 directing Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov. He has returned there for many productions, including Verdi's Falstaff, Beethoven's Fidelio, and Richard Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos, a production that earned him the company's 2003-2004 Artist of the Year award. In addition, he has also directed Puccini's Turandot and Tchaikovsky's Maid of Orleans for the San Francisco Opera, Ariadne auf Naxos and Werther for Washington National Opera and Die Meistersinger and Der Rosenkavalier for Cincinatti Opera. His many European productions include Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims, Wagner's Tannhäuser, and Verdi's Otello in Mannheim; Rossini's La Cenerentola in Munich; Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia and the German premiere of Battistelli's Prova d'orchestra in Dusseldorf; Bizet's Carmen and Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades in Bern; Wagner's Die fliegende Holländer in Linz; and Puccini's La bohème in Hanover. Founder of the Bremen Shakespeare Company, he has directed more than 60 plays in Germany and Switzerland, has translated many of Shakespeare's works.

JEAN-PIERRE PONNELLE, Scenic Designer

Renowned director/designer Jean-Pierre Ponnelle was born in Paris, where he studied philosophy, art and history. He began his career as a designer in Germany with a production of Henze's Boulevard Solitude in 1952. In 1962 he designed and directed his first production, Wagner's Tristan and Isolde, in Düsseldorf, an opera which later served as a his debut at the Bayreuth Festival in 1981. His work throughout the world included productions at the Metropolitan Opera, the San Francisco Opera, Milan's La Scala and the Salzburg Festival. His well received productions of opera for television and on film include The Marriage of Figaro and Madame Butterfly. His 1969 production of Mozart's then neglected La clemenza di Tito helped re-establish this work in the repertory, and was later filmed on location at ancient archaeological sites in and around Rome. His production of Rossini's La Cenerentola has been seen at The Dallas Opera in 1979, 1994 and 2004. He died in Munich in 1988 of a pulmonary embolism following a tragic fall into the orchestra pit during rehearsals for a production of Carmen.

PETER J. HALL, Costume Designer

Peter J. Hall, who died in 2010, designed for such theatrical luminaries as Luciano Pavarotti, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Plácido Domingo, Dame Joan Sutherland, Dame Judi Dench, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Dame Maggie Smith and Elizabeth Taylor. He designed costumes for London's Royal Opera House, the Vienna State Opera, Milan's La Scala, the Kirov in Saint Petersburg, Sydney's Opera Australia, the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera and the Teatro Nuovo in Argentina. He also designed for London's National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company. He designed costumes (and occasionally, scenery as well) for more than seventy productions for The Dallas Opera, beginning with The Barber of Seville in 1962. His last new production for the company involved creating the costumes for Ariadne auf Naxos in 2006, but his costume designs have been seen on stage in the Winspear in the Dallas Opera's Lucia di Lammermoor in 2011, Aida in 2012 and now Carmen in 2013.

THOMAS HASE, Lighting Designer

Thomas C. Hase returns to The Dallas Opera for this production of Carmen, having designed the lighting for La bohème in the final season at the Music Hall,Otello, the inaugural productions at the Winspear, and La traviata. In the United States his work includes designs for Los Angeles Opera, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, Portland Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera, Dallas Theater Center, Center Stage, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. His designs for Company on Broadway and The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny for Los Angeles Opera have been released on DVD. Internationally, his work includes designs for Theater Erfurt), Opera Malmö, the Barbican and Sadler's Wells in London, Abbey Theater and Riverdance in Dublin, Opera North , Finnish and Dutch National Operas, Opéra de Marseille, Munich's Bayerische Staatsoper, Canadian Opera Company and the Luminato Festival in Toronto, Singapore Arts Festival, Tokyo Metro Arts Center and over 100 designs for theater, opera, and ballet at Stadttheater Giessen. Mr. Hase has been the resident lighting designer and director for Cincinnati Opera for 17 years. Upcoming projects include Carmen for Theater Erfurt's Cathedral Steps Festival, and both La bohème and Der Rosenkavalier for Opera Malmö.

JOHN DE LOS SANTOS, Choreographer

John de los Santos made his choreographic debut with the Dallas Opera in last season's Don Giovanni. As a director/choreographer, his productions include Carmen and The Mikado (Fort Worth Opera), Orpheus and Euridice (Voices of Change), Carmina Burana (Northern Lights Music Festival), and The Music Man (Utah Festival Opera). His choreography for David Gately's production of Carmen has been seen at Washington National Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Florida Grand Opera, and Austin Lyric Opera. He has served on the faculty of the Seagle Music Colony in Scroon Lake, New York, where his directing credits include Anything Goes, Crazy For You, The Medium, La bohème, and Brigadoon. For Dallas' Uptown Players, he choreographed the regional premiere of Altar Boyz and the American premiere of Closer to Heaven. For Addison's WaterTower Theatre, he choreographed the regional premiere of Spring Awakening. For Fort Worth Opera, he has choreographed Rigoletto, Salome, La traviata, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and the world premieres of Frau Margot and Before Night Falls.

ALEXANDER ROM, Chorus Master

A native of Kharkov, Ukraine, Alexander Rom graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory of Music with a Masters Degree in Choral Conducting. Since immigrating to the United States, he has worked as a performer, conductor, educator, voice teacher, opera coach and composer. Maestro Rom has been the chorus master for The Dallas Opera since 1990. Maestro Rom has also been an opera coach with The Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Savonlinna Opera Festival, Cincinnati Festival and Ravinia Festival. Maestro Rom has worked with world renown singers including Paul Plishka, Mirella Freni, Nikolai Ghiaurov, Jorma Hynninen, Helga Dernesch, Martti Talvela, Joyce di Donato, and Jerry Hadley. Maestro Rom is an Honorary Visiting Professor at Sibelius Academy and Helsinki Conservatory of music in Finland. He was a Visiting Professor at Savonlinna Opera Festival Music Institute for ten years, where he staged and musically prepared a production of Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. He was a founder and a Music Director of The Grace Choral Society of Brooklyn, New York. Maestro Rom's music and arrangements for voice, chorus, piano and other instruments have been performed in many prestigious venues. Mr. Rom maintains a private voice studio in Dallas, Texas.

MELINDA COTTEN, Children's Chorus Master

Melinda Cotten first worked with The Dallas Opera as the Director of the Texas Boy's Choir in 1996. She made her debut as Children's Chorus Master in 2000. She has prepared children for numerous TDO productions including Carmen (1996, 2004 and 2013), Wozzeck, The Cunning Little Vixen, Hansel and Gretel, Tosca (2002 and 2008), La bohème (2003 and 2009), The Queen of Spades, Turandot, Die Zauberflöte (2006 and 2012), Macbeth, the inaugural Winspear production of Otello, and Boris Godunov. She has also prepared young singers for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's presentation of Carmina Burana. She is a former Texas All-State Soprano and a member of the Texas Choral Directors Association. A noted accompanist, adjudicator and choral workshop clinician, Ms. Cotten has appeared as a soloist with the Richardson and Allen Symphony orchestras, produced summer workshops for singers and has operated a private voice studio since 1990. She was the Director of The Texas Boys Choir Resident Performing Choir (1994 - 1997) and has been a guest conductor for the Garland and Irving Symphony Orchestras. In August of 2012, the "genii" from our production of The Magic Flute sang the National Anthem at Cowboy's Stadium in an arrangement written by Ms. Cotton.

CARMEN CAST BIOS:

CLÉMENTINE MARGAINE, Carmen

French mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine makes her American debut with these performances of the title role in Carmen. For her "great artistic talent and outstanding vocal expressiveness" she was awarded the European Culture Prize in February 2012. She was also the winner of the "Young Artist of the Year" in a nationwide competition throughout France in 2011. She has been a member of the ensemble at Berlin's Deutsche Oper where she has had great success in the title role of Bizet's Carmen, as the mezzo soloist in a staged version of Verdi's Requiem and as Marguerite in Berlioz' La damnation de Faust. In 2006 she was invited by William Christie to sing La Discorde and Roxanne in Europe galante by André Campra in Versailles, Bilbao and San Sebastian, followed by Bradamante in Handel`s Alcina, Annio in Mozart's La clemenza di Tito and the Third Lady in The Magic Flute in Avignon, Reims and Vichy. Her concert repertoire includes oratorios such as Rossini`sLe petite messe solenelle and Stabat mater, the Duruflé, Verdi and Mozart Requiems, Dvorak's Stabat mater, the Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio, Mahler`s Kindertotenlieder and Mussorgsky`s Songs and Dances of Death. In future seasons, she will debut at Washington National Opera as Carmen and Chicago Lyric Opera as Dulcinée in Massenet's Don Quichotte.

BRANDON JOVANOVICH, Don José (October 25, 27, 30)

Tenor Brandon Jovanovich made his Dallas Opera debut in 2005 as Turridu in Cavalleria rusticana. The 2012/2013 season saw Mr. Jovanovich return to San Francisco Opera in the title role of Lohengrin, to Los Angeles Opera for Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (a role he sang with the Dallas Opera in 2010), to Brussel's La Monnaie for the Chevalier des Grieux in Manon Lescaut, and to Zürich for the role of Sergej in Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. Mr. Jovanovich made role debuts in Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen as Froh (Das Rheingold) and Siegmund (Die Walküre) with the San Francisco Opera in 2011, in the highly acclaimed production by Francesca Zambello, conducted by Donald Runnicles. That season Chicago audiences also heard his Bacchus inAriadne auf Naxos with Lyric Opera of Chicago and in the title role of Don Carlos at Houston Grand Opera. He sang the Prince in Dvo?ák's Rusalka at Glyndebourne, which was recorded and later released on DVD. Other career highlights include his debut at La Scala, Milan in the title role of Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann, and performances of Don Jose in Carmen with the Metropolitan Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Bayerische Staatsoper, the Arena di Verona and at the Glyndebourne Festival.

BRUNO RIBEIRO, Don José (November 2, 8, 10)

Portuguese tenor Bruno Ribeiro makes his Dallas Opera debut as Don José in this production of Carmen. His recent credits include La rondine at Florida Grand Opera, La traviata and the title role in Roberto Devereux at The Minnesota Opera, Il corsaro at Bilbao Opera, Tosca at Leipzig Opera, Manon at St. Gallen Opera, Virginia at the Wexford Opera Festival, Carmen at the Klosterneuburg Opera Festival, I Capuleti e i Montecchi in Dublin and Lucrezia Borgia at the Staatsoper in Munich. Mr. Ribeiro has also sung at many theatres in Italy, including productions of Il corsaro and Nabucco at the Verdi Festival in Parma, and Salome, L'amore dei tre re, and Don Carlo at the Teatro Regio in Torino. He has appeared as Ismaele in Nabucco for the St. Margarethen Opera Festival, Austria which was recorded and is available on DVD. Mr. Ribeiro has also enjoyed a busy concert schedule, including Mozart's Coronation Mass in Bari and Rossini's Stabat mater in Rome, as well as recital appearances throughout Europe. In the past year, he has sung concerts in the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, Canada and at the Teatro São Carlos in Lisbon, Portugal. Future engagements include La traviata with Hong Kong Opera, Stiffelio with L'Opera de Monte Carlo and Manon with L'Opera de Montreal.

MARY DUNLEAVY, Micaëla

Mary Dunleavy returns to The Dallas Opera for the first time since winning the Maria Callas Debut Artist of the Year Award in 2005 for her portrayal of all the heroines in Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann. Highlights of recent seasons include her role debut as Donna Elvira in Christopher Alden's production of Don Giovanni at Portland Opera, Marguerite in a new production of Faust with Opéra de Montréal, and a return to the Metropolitan Opera, to cover Donna Anna in a new production of Don Giovanni. She also appeared in the 2012 Steven Spielberg film, Lincoln, singing music from Gounod's Faust. Other important recent engagements include Strauss' Intermezzo at the New York City Opera, Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the San Francisco Opera and Violetta in La traviata under Lorin Maazel at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Ms. Dunleavy has sung more than 60 performances of La traviata at opera houses including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu. Additional career highlights include Gilda in Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera, and appearances as Micaëla in Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera. Her Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, a role which she retired after 84 performances, was heard at the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco, Washington, and the Staatsoper Berlin..

DWAYNE CROFT, Escamillo

Baritone Dwayne Croft made his Dallas Opera debut as Marcello in a production of La bohème in 2009. Since joining the Metropolitan Opera in 1989, Mr. Croft has appeared in more than 400 performances of 30 roles there, including the title role in Billy Budd, Pelléas in a new production of Pelléas et Mélisande,the title roles in Don Giovanni, Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Eugene Onegin, Count Almaviva in a new production of Le nozze di Figaro, Giorgio Germont in La traviata, Marcello in La bohème and Rodrigo in Don Carlo. In his 2012/2013 season, Mr. Croft returned to the Metropolitan Opera for Escamillo (Carmen), Ping (Turandot), Chorèbe (Les Troyens), Rambaldo (La rondine), and Donner (Das Rheingold). This past summer he created the role of Walt Whitman in the world premiere of Oscar at Santa Fe Opera, where he has also appeared as Mozart's Don Giovanni and Rossini's Barber of Seville. Mr. Croft has appeared often with the Washington Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Los Angeles Opera, and the San Francisco Opera. In Europe, he has appeared with the Vienna Staatsoper, the Paris Opéra, the Teatro la Fenice in Venice, the Netherlands Opera , the Cologne Opera and at the Salzburg Festival.

DANIELLE PASTIN, Frasquita

Danielle Pastin makes her Dallas Opera debut in this production of Carmen. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 2011 singing Masha in The Queen of Spades and returned there the following season to sing Frasquita in Carmen. In the summer of 2012 she made her Santa Fe Opera debut as Mimì in La bohème, replacing an ailing colleague on just a few hours' notice. Engagements in the 2013 -2014 season include Mimi in La bohème with Arizona Opera, Manitoba Opera and at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Other recent highlights include the role of Gazardiel in the world premiere of Free Will at the Savonlinna Opera Festival, Nedda in Pagliacci with Austin Lyric Opera, Violetta in La traviata and the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with Syracuse Opera, Micaëla in Carmen at Fresno Grand Opera. As a resident artist at the Pittsburgh Opera Company, Ms. Pastin made her debut in the East Coast premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath, and she returned to Pittsburgh Opera as Female Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia, and school performances of La bohème and Le nozze di Figaro.

AUDREY BABCOCK, Mercédès

Mezzo-soprano Audrey Babcock makes her debut with the Dallas Opera singing Mercédès in Carmen. The summer of 2013 brought her French debut with the Festival Lyrique-en-Mer in the title role of Carmen. Her 2013 - 2014 season includes several other company debuts. Later this season she debuts with Boston Lyric Opera as Maddalena in Rigoletto, and with Fort Worth Opera for the world premiere of the new work, With Blood, With Ink. In 2012-2013 she sang Maddalena in Rigoletto with Opera Saratoga, returned to Florentine Opera as Carmen, and title role in a reading of La Reina with the American Lyric Theater in New York. She recently appeared as Erika in Sarasota Opera's Vanessa, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Tulsa Opera, and debuted a new workThe Poe Project with the American Lyric Theater. Additional career highlights include Jo in Little Women with Utah Opera, 2nd Lady in Die Zauberflöte with Charleston's Spoleto Festival, USA, the Secretary in Menotti's The Consul with Opera New Jersey, and the title role in the New York premiere of Tobias Picker's Thérèse Raquin. Ms. Babcock is a winner of the George London Award, the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Award, and an Opera Index Encouragement Award.

KYLE ALBERTSON, Zuniga

Bass-baritone Kyle Albertson is making his Dallas Opera debut in these performances of Carmen. This season's engagements also include a return to the Metropolitan Opera for The Magic Flute and Papageno in The Magic Flute with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. In recent seasons he has sung the title role of Sweeney Todd with Syracuse Opera, appeared at the Glimmerglass Festival as Gus O'Neill in John Musto's Later the Same Evening and as Rucker in Cold Sassy Tree with Sugar Creek Opera Festival. He also made his debut as Lescaut in Manon Lescaut with Opera Grand Rapids and sang Leporello in Don Giovanni with Opera on the James. With Chicago Opera Theater he has performed Quince in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Henry Kissinger in Nixon in China. As an Apprentice Artist at Santa Fe Opera for two summers, he performed Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro, and covered the roles of Howard Joyce in the world premiere of Paul Moravec's The Letter and the Four Villains in Les contes d'Hoffmann. Mr. Albertson was a Resident Artist at Minnesota Opera, where he performed the villains in Les contes d'Hoffmann and Nilikantha in Lakmé. He has also participated in the Merola Opera Program and was a member of the Aspen Opera Theater Center.

STEVEN LABRIE, Le Dancaïre

Dallas native Steven LaBrie made his debut with Glimmerglass Opera as Araspe in the United States premiere of Handel's Tolomeo, followed by another United States premiere as the Miller in El gato con botas with Gotham Chamber Opera. He made his debut with the Dallas Opera as Paris in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette (and sang Mercutio in the school performance matinees of that production.) He has performed with Opera New Jersey in Carmen, and Opera Santa Barbara in La bohème. This past summer he sang Don Alvaro in Rossini's Il viaggio a Reims at Wolf Trap Opera, and sang the baritone solos in Carmina Burana with the National Symphony Orchestra, as well as gave a recital at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC. Mr. LaBrie has recently received the Grand Prize at the Florida Grand Opera Young Patronesses of the Opera Competition, and was awarded First Place in the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition in 2009. Mr. LaBrie is a graduate of The Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA) in Philadelphia. During his residency there, he performed such roles as Marcello in La bohème, Malatesta in Don Pasquale, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, and Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia.

WILLIAM FERGUSON, Remendado

Tenor William Ferguson makes his Dallas Opera debut in this production of Carmen. He made his debut with the Santa Fe Opera in 2006 as Caliban in the North American premiere of Thomas Adès' The Tempest, and in 2005, bowed in Sydney with Opera Australia singing Truffaldino in a new production of The Love for Three Oranges subsequently released on compact disc under the Chandos label. The same year, Ferguson joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera where he has performed Beppe in Pagliacci as well as roles in Le nozze di Figaro and The Magic Flute (under the baton of James Levine). A regular artist at The New York City Opera, his performances have included the title role in Candide, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, the Funeral Director in A Quiet Place,The Electrician in Powder Her Face, and Hérisson de Porc-Épic in L'Étoile. Additional credits include Andres in Wozzeck with Opera Festival of New Jersey, Ferrando in Così fan tutte at The Aspen Music Festival, George in Our Town with Central City Opera, Frederic in Pirates of Penzance with both Virginia Opera and Opera Omaha, and Gonzalve in L'Heure Espagnole and Fenton in Falstaff at the Tanglewood Music Center (both conducted by Seiji Ozawa.)

JOHN DAVID BOEHR, Moralès

John David Boehr, a native of Dallas, makes his debut with the company in this production of Carmen. He was selected for Glimmerglass Opera's prestigious Young American Artist Program, covering Harold Hill in The Music Man and performing that role on the company's tour to Oman. His association with New York City Opera includes covering the title role in Don Giovanni. Other recent engagements include Dandini in La Cenerentola with Palm Beach Opera and Schaunard in La bohème with Fort Worth Opera. He has also been a resident artist with the Tanglewood Festival and Santa Fe Opera, and at the Minnesota Opera, where his roles included Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette, Silvano in Un ballo in maschera and the title role in The Barber of Seville. He holds a degree from Baylor University and was a winner in The Dallas Opera Guild, Palm Beach Opera and the Metropolitan Opera Council Southwest Regional Auditions.

THOM HAWKINS, Lillas Pastia

Thom Hawkins is a long-time chorister of The Dallas Opera who has performed French dialogue roles in a previous production of Carmen as well as inManon. Mr. Hawkins has also performed as a soloist in Pagliacci and La rondine, and in other TDO productions. Additionally, he has made appearances with The Lyric Opera of Dallas, and The Summer Opera of Washington, D.C. He is tenor soloist at Temple Shalom and at Fifth Church of Christ Scientist, both in Dallas. Mr. Hawkins, who holds a Masters of Music degree from Southern Methodist University, is an Orff Schulwerk-trained elementary music specialist in the Mesquite I.S.D., and has prepared the children's chorus for La bohème, Hansel and Gretel, and Tosca at TDO.

EVENTS, GUESTS AND ARTISTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT "SEPTEMBER AT THE DALLAS OPERA"

IS CONVENIENTLY AVAILABLE ONLINE, 24/7

VISIT WWW.DALLASOPERA.ORG AND CHECK THE CALENDAR LISTINGS

For high-resolution, digital photographs suitable for print

To arrange an interview

Or for additional information

Please contact Suzanne Calvin, Director of Media & Public Relations

214.443.1014 or suzanne.calvin@dallasopera.org

The Dallas Opera's 2013-2014 "By Love Transformed" Season

Is Sponsored by Texas Instruments Foundation

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

AMERICAN AIRLINES - OFFICIAL AIRLINE OF THE DALLAS OPERA

LEXUS - OFFICIAL VEHICLE OF THE DALLAS OPERA

Ticket Information for the 2013-2014 Dallas Opera Season

All performances are in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Subscriptions are now on sale to the general public, starting at just $76. Single Tickets starting at $19 and Flex Subscriptions are also on sale. Family performances are $5 (Family Performance Subs are $12 for three family performances) and are on sale now. For more information or to make your purchase, contact The Dallas Opera Ticket Services Office at 214.443.1000 or visit us online, 24/7, at www.dallasopera.org.

THE DALLAS OPERA 2013-2014 SEASON INFORMATION

The Dallas Opera celebrates its Fifty-Seventh International Season in the Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center in the Dallas Arts District. Evening performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. English translations will be projected above the stage at every performance and assistance is available for the hearing impaired.

CARMEN by Georges Bizet

October 25 (special time, 8:00 p.m.), October 27(m), 30, November 2, 8 & 10(m), 2013

The most irresistible bad girl in opera-How can you possibly say "non"?

An opera in four acts first performed in Paris on March 3, 1875

Text by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy based on the novella by Prosper Mérimée

Time: 19th century

Place: Seville, Spain

Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume

Stage Director: Chris Alexander

Scenic Design: Jean-Pierre Ponnelle

Costume Design: Werner Iverke

Lighting Design: Thomas Hase

Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Children's Chorus Master: Melinda Cotten

Starring: Clémentine Margaine**(Carmen), Brandon Jovanovich (Don José Oct. 25, 27, 30), Bruno Ribeiro* (Don José Nov. 2, 8, 10), Mary Dunleavy (Micaëla), Dwayne Croft (Escamillo), Danielle Pastin*(Frasquita), Audrey Babcock*(Mercédès), Kyle Albertson*(Zuniga), Steven LaBrie (Le Dancaïre), William Ferguson* (Remendado), John David Boehr*(Moralès).

DEATH AND THE POWERS by Tod Machover

February 12, 14, 15 & 16(m), 2014

Science fiction and poignant family drama combine in a major regional premiere!

An opera in one act first performed in Monte Carlo, Monaco at the Salle Garnier on September 24, 2010.

Text by Robert Pinsky, based on a story by Pinsky and Randy Weiner

Time: Unknown time in the future

Place: Earth, the home of billionaire Simon Powers

Conductor: Nicole Paiement

Stage Director: Diane Paulus*

Associate Director: Andrew Eggert*

Scenic Design: Alex McDowell*

Costume Design: David Woolard*

Lighting Design: Don Holder

Choreography: Karole Armitage*

Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman

Starring: Robert Orth (Simon Powers/Robot One), Joélle Harvey (Miranda/Robot Four), Patricia Risley(Evvy/Robot Three), Hal Cazalet*(Nicholas/Robot Two), Frank Kelley*(The United Way), David Kravitz*(The United Nations), Tom McNichols*(The Administration).

DIE TOTE STADT ("THE DEAD CITY") by Erich Wolfgang Korngold

March 21, 23(m), 26, 29 and April 6(m), 2014

The Hitchcock-like tale of one man's dark obsession with the woman he loved and lost.

An opera in three acts first performed in Hamburg & Cologne, Germany on December 4, 1920

Text by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Paul Schott based on a novel by Georges Rodenbach, Bruges la morte

Time: End of the 19th century

Place: The city of Bruges in northwestern Belgium

Conductor: Sebastian Lang-Lessing*

Stage Director: Mikael Melbye

Scenic Design: Mikael Melbye*

Costume Design: Dierdre Clancy*

Video Design: Wendall Harrington*

Lighting Design: Mark McCullough

Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman

Choreography: Matthew Ferraro*

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Anne Petersen**(Marietta) , Jay Hunter Morris (Paul), Morgan Smith (Fritz), Weston Hurt (Frank), Katherine Tier*(Brigitta), Andrew Bidlack (Albert), Jan Lund**(Victorin), Jennifer Chung (Juliette), Angela Turner Wilson (Lucienne).

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE by Gioachino Rossini

March 28, 30(m), April 2, 5, 11 & 13(m), 2014

Figaro, a scheming barber and jack-of-all-trades plots to release a headstrong girl from her gilded cage!

An opera in two acts first performed in Rome on February 20, 1816

Text by Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais, from his comedy Le Barbier de Séville

Time: 18th century

Place: Seville, Spain

Conductor: Giuliano Carella*

Stage Director: Herb Kellner

Original Production: John Copley

Scenic Design: John Conklin

Costume Design: Michael Stennet

Lighting Design: TBD

Wig & make-up Design: David Zimmerman

Chorus Master: Alexander Rom

Starring: Nathan Gunn (Figaro), Isabel Leonard*(Rosina), Alek Shrader*(Count Almaviva), Donato DiStefano (Dr. Bartolo), Burak Bilgili*(Don Basilio), Nathan De'Shon Myers (Fiorello), Christian Teague*(Ambrogio).

DALLAS OPERA FAMILY PERFORMANCES

Jack and the Beanstalk: October 26, 2013 and April 5, 2014

Family Concerts: November 3, 2013 and February 1, 2014

The Elixir of Love: November 9, 2013 and April 12, 2014

* Dallas Opera Debut

** American Debut

The Dallas Opera is supported, in part, by funds from: Texas Instruments Foundation, TACA, City of Dallas, Office of Cultural Affairs; the Texas Commission on the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). American Airlines is the official airline of The Dallas Opera. Lexus is the official vehicle of The Dallas Opera. Advertising support from The Dallas Morning News. A special thanks to the Elsa von Seggern Foundation for its continuing support.

To post a comment, you must register and login.