2022-23 SEASON
Celebrating 25 years of opera theatre
25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
HONORING MARTILE ROWLAND
TUESDAY, AUGUST 29 AT 5:30 P.M.
DOORS OPEN AT 5:00 P.M.
Join us for a special evening at the Penrose House Garden Pavilion at El Pomar Foundation, 1661 Mesa Avenue, Colorado Springs CO 80906. The special evening includes dinner, program and performances by Met soprano Brittany Renee, mezzo Stephanie Brink and tenor Eric Botto accompanied by Daniel Brink. Donations requested of $125 or more.
Featuring works by Bernstein, Bizet, Donizetti and Puccini.
Grand Piano rental sponsored by Susanne Wheeler
Featuring works by Bernstein, Bizet, Donizetti and Puccini.
Grand Piano rental sponsored by Susanne Wheeler
starring
Brittany Renee
sponsored by Allan and Gloria Wendt
Hailed for her “luminous tones” and “lush voice,” and praised by Opera News for her “plush soprano bloom,” Grammy Award winning American soprano Brittany Renee is amazing audiences with her finesse and shimmering stage presence.
Last season, Ms. Renee made her Lyric Opera of Chicago debut in the leading role of Destiny/Loneliness/Greta in Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmon’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, of which Chicago Classical Review wrote she "was uniformly excellent from top to bottom…". Earlier in the 21-22, season Ms. Renee made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Evelyn in their own production of the instantly-beloved opera. Praised by critics, her portrayal as Evelyn "offered an uplifting lightness, a lovely, crystalline soprano that was all youthful excitement - more from her, please!" - (Gabrielle Ferrari, Parterre Box), and "masterfully oozed vocal and physical sensuality" - (David Salazar, OperaWire). Renee also performed Annie in the Met’s historic production of Porgy & Bess, which won Best Opera Recording at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards. In summer 2022, Brittany Renee was heard in the Metropolitan Opera’s Summer Recital Series in Central Park, and performed a solo recital with the Florentine Opera as part of their Al Fresco Recital Series.
In the current season, Ms. Renee returns to the Met for performances of Sadie Griffith in a new production of Terrance Blanchard’s Champion, Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore, and Ancella in David McVicar’s new production of Cherubini’s rarely performed Medea, which will open the season. She will also join them for their new production of Don Giovanni, as well as for revivals of Rigoletto and Peter Grimes. The upcoming season will see Renee’s house debut with the San Francisco Opera as Julie in Omar, in addition to her return to the Metropolitan Opera for Carmen.
sponsored by Allan and Gloria Wendt
Hailed for her “luminous tones” and “lush voice,” and praised by Opera News for her “plush soprano bloom,” Grammy Award winning American soprano Brittany Renee is amazing audiences with her finesse and shimmering stage presence.
Last season, Ms. Renee made her Lyric Opera of Chicago debut in the leading role of Destiny/Loneliness/Greta in Terence Blanchard and Kasi Lemmon’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, of which Chicago Classical Review wrote she "was uniformly excellent from top to bottom…". Earlier in the 21-22, season Ms. Renee made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Evelyn in their own production of the instantly-beloved opera. Praised by critics, her portrayal as Evelyn "offered an uplifting lightness, a lovely, crystalline soprano that was all youthful excitement - more from her, please!" - (Gabrielle Ferrari, Parterre Box), and "masterfully oozed vocal and physical sensuality" - (David Salazar, OperaWire). Renee also performed Annie in the Met’s historic production of Porgy & Bess, which won Best Opera Recording at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards. In summer 2022, Brittany Renee was heard in the Metropolitan Opera’s Summer Recital Series in Central Park, and performed a solo recital with the Florentine Opera as part of their Al Fresco Recital Series.
In the current season, Ms. Renee returns to the Met for performances of Sadie Griffith in a new production of Terrance Blanchard’s Champion, Giannetta in L’elisir d’amore, and Ancella in David McVicar’s new production of Cherubini’s rarely performed Medea, which will open the season. She will also join them for their new production of Don Giovanni, as well as for revivals of Rigoletto and Peter Grimes. The upcoming season will see Renee’s house debut with the San Francisco Opera as Julie in Omar, in addition to her return to the Metropolitan Opera for Carmen.
Stephanie Brink
sponsored by Mary McKinley
Stephanie Brink, Contralto, has performed extensively in the American Southwest with Opera Theatre of the Rockies, Arizona Opera, Opera West!, and Lyric Opera of Orange County. Notable roles include Flora in Verdi’s La Traviata, La Zia Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Dritte Dame in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Zosia in Heggie’s Two Remain. Miss Brink holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College, and a Master of Music degree from the University of Arizona. She is a member of the Performance Faculty at Colorado College and is a voice student of renowned soprano Martile Rowland.
sponsored by Mary McKinley
Stephanie Brink, Contralto, has performed extensively in the American Southwest with Opera Theatre of the Rockies, Arizona Opera, Opera West!, and Lyric Opera of Orange County. Notable roles include Flora in Verdi’s La Traviata, La Zia Principessa in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Dritte Dame in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Zosia in Heggie’s Two Remain. Miss Brink holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College, and a Master of Music degree from the University of Arizona. She is a member of the Performance Faculty at Colorado College and is a voice student of renowned soprano Martile Rowland.
- Eric Botto
Mexican-American tenor Eric Botto is best known for his vocal and dramatic versatility onstage. He has triumphed in roles such as Rodolfo in La bohème, Alfredo in La traviata, Roméo in Roméo et Juliette, Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles, and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi. 2023 marks multiple house, role, and composer debuts for Eric, as he is privileged to debut the role of Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia with New Amsterdam Opera, Satyavān in Sāvitri and Toby in The Medium with First Coast Opera, and Benvolio in Roméo et Juliette with Opera San Antonio. This November, Eric will cover the role of Prunier and perform the role of Gobin in La rondine with Opera on the James.
Eric has received accolades from various competitions in recent years, including 1st place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (West Central Region), 2nd place in Lyra New York’s International Vocal Competition, the Career Advancement Award from Pikes Peak Opera League, and was deemed a finalist in the nationally recognized 2022 Lotte Lenya Competition, hosted by the Kurt Weill Foundation. Eric holds an Artist Diploma from the University of Colorado, a Master of Music from the University of Mobile (Mobile, Alabama), and a Bachelor of Music from Colorado State University. Eric currently studies with dramatic baritone and vocal pedagogue, Dr. John Seesholtz.
Daniel Brink
Sponsored by Nicole de Naray
Daniel Brink, Music Director, Coach/Piano, is well known as a teacher, vocal coach, and collaborative artist throughout the Front Range of Colorado. He served on the artistic staff of the Colorado Opera Festival, and with Opera Theatre of the Rockies. He has also served on the faculty for the Vocal Arts Festival since its inception. He has been a member of the music faculty at Colorado College since 1987. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the University of Southern Colorado and received his Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Sponsored by Nicole de Naray
Daniel Brink, Music Director, Coach/Piano, is well known as a teacher, vocal coach, and collaborative artist throughout the Front Range of Colorado. He served on the artistic staff of the Colorado Opera Festival, and with Opera Theatre of the Rockies. He has also served on the faculty for the Vocal Arts Festival since its inception. He has been a member of the music faculty at Colorado College since 1987. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the University of Southern Colorado and received his Master of Music degree in Collaborative Piano from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Grand Piano rental sponsored by Susanne Wheeler
Meet our 25th Anniversary Honorees
|
James Allbritten
Kitty Brilliant Daniel S. Brink Jenny & Robert Cowan Susan & Michael Grace Sally Hybl Donald P. Jenkins Dr. Susan Rae Jensen Steven LaCosse George Preston Libby Rittenberg Herman Tiemens John Watkins Jeanna Wearing Susanne Wheeler Christopher Wilkins |
In Memoriam
Michael Anselmi John Carter Kathleen Fox Collins William Hochman Virginia Snow Beatrice Vradenburg Barbara Webb |
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