La Fanciulla del West

Music by Giacomo Puccini

Puccini’s rarely performed masterwork La Fanciulla del West is a romantic Western epic featuring one of opera’s greatest scores and lushest orchestrations. The two casts are led by internationally acclaimed sopranos Susan Bullock and Jill Gardner in the title role of Minnie, who stands alongside Tosca and Butterfly as one of Puccini’s greatest heroines. The 75-member Maryland Lyric Opera Orchestra appears on stage with the Maryland Lyric Opera Chorus and is conducted by Music Director Louis Salemno. Concert performance.

Sung in Italian, with English surtitles

Running time is about 2 hours and 35 minutes, including one intermission

The Music Center at Strathmore

Sep 14 & 15, 2018

The Music Center at Strathmore

La Fanciulla del West

Cast

Minnie: Susan Bullock/Jill Gardner
Jack Rance: Mark Delavan/Aleksey Bogdanov *±
Dick Johnson: Jonathan Burton/Yi Li *±
Nick: Joseph Michael Brent *
Ashby: Kenneth Kellogg *±
Sonora: SeungHyeon Baek *
Wowkle: Catherine Martin ‡
Jake Wallace/Billy Jackrabbit: Norman Garrett ±
Jose Castro: Jose Sacín
Trin: Tim Augustin‡
Bello: Yazid Gray*
Harry: Jesús Daniel Hernández ±
Joe: Mauricio Miranda ±
Happy: Hunter Enoch *±
Sid: Jeffrey Gates
Larkens: Ethan Lee Greene
Postiglione: Antonio Chase *

* Alumnus of MDLO Young Artist Institute
± Alumnus of Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program
‡ MDLO Competition Winner


Conductor: Louis Salemno
Lighting Designer: Joan Sullivan-Genthe
Chorus Master: Steven Gathman
Concert Master Jose Miguel Cueto
Assistant Conductor Husan Park
Assistant Conductor Hai Jin

Synopsis

Opera in three acts.  Italian-language librettoby Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini, based on the play “The Girl of the Golden West” by the American author David Belasco. 

Time:1849 to 1850.

Place: A mining camp at the foot of the Cloudy Mountains, California. 

Act 1

Inside the Polka Saloon

A group of Gold Rush miners enter the “Polka” saloon after a day working at the mine (“Hello! Hello! Alla ‘Polka'”). After a song by traveling minstrel Jake Wallace (“Che faranno i vecchi miei”), one of the miners, Jim Larkens, is homesick and the miners collect enough money for his fare home (“Jim, perché piangi?”). A group of miners playing cards discover that Sid is cheating and want to attack him. Sheriff Jack Rance quiets the fight and pins two cards to Sid’s jacket, as a sign of a cheat.

A Wells Fargo agent, Ashby, enters and announces that he is chasing the bandit Ramerrez and his gang of Mexicans. Rance toasts Minnie, the woman who owns the saloon, as his future wife, which makes Sonora jealous. The two men begin to fight. Rance draws his revolver but at that moment, a shot rings out and Minnie stands next to the bar with a rifle in her hands (“Hello, Minnie!”). She gives the miners a reading lesson from the Bible (“Dove eravamo?”).

The Pony Express rider arrives (“La posta!”) and delivers a telegram from Nina Micheltorena, offering to reveal Ramerrez’s hideout. The sheriff tells Minnie that he loves her, but Minnie puts him off as she is waiting for the right man (“Ti voglio bene, Minnie”).

A stranger enters the saloon and asks for a whisky and water. He introduces himself as Dick Johnson from Sacramento, whom Minnie had met earlier. Johnson invites Minnie to dance with him and she accepts. Angrily, Rance watches them.

Ashby returns with the captured Ramerrez gang member, Castro. Upon seeing his leader, Johnson, in the saloon, Castro agrees to lead Rance, Ashby and the miners in a search for Ramerrez, and the group then follows him on a false trail and in what turns out to be a wild goose chase. But before Castro leaves, he whispers to Johnson that somebody will whistle and Johnson must reply to confirm that the place is clear. A whistle is heard, but Johnson fails to reply.

Minnie shows Johnson the keg of gold that she and the miners take turns to guard at night and Johnson reassures her that the gold will be safe there. Before he leaves the saloon, he promises to visit her at her cabin. They confess their love for each other. Minnie begins to cry, and Johnson comforts her before he leaves. 

Act 2

Minnie’s dwelling, later that evening 

Wowkle, a Native American woman who is Minnie’s servant, her lover Billy Jackrabbit and their baby are present as Minnie enters, wanting to get ready for Johnson’s visit. Johnson enters Minnie’s cabin and she tells him all about her life. It begins to snow. They kiss and Minnie asks him to stay till morning. He denies knowing Nina Micheltorena. As Johnson hides, a posse enters looking for Ramerrez and reveal to Minnie that Johnson is the bandit Ramerrez himself. Angry, she orders Johnson to leave. After he leaves, Minnie hears a gunshot and she knows Johnson has been shot. Johnson staggers in and collapses, Minnie helps him by hiding him up in the loft. Rance enters Minnie’s cabin looking for the bandit and is about to give up searching for Johnson when drops of blood fall on his hand. Rance forces Johnson to climb down. Minnie desperately makes Rance an offer: if she beats him at poker, he must let Johnson go free; if Rance wins, she will marry him. Hiding some cards in her stockings, Minnie cheats and wins. Rance honors the deal and Minnie throws herself on the unconscious Johnson on the floor. 

Act 3

In the Great Californian Forest at dawn, sometime later

Johnson is again on the run from Ashby and the miners. Nick and Rance are discussing Johnson and wonder what Minnie sees in him when Ashby arrives in triumph: Johnson has been captured. Rance and the miners all want Johnson to be hanged. Johnson accepts the sentence and only asks the miners not to tell Minnie about his capture and his fate (“Ch’ella mi creda”). Minnie arrives, armed with a pistol, just before the execution and throws herself in front of Johnson to protect him. While Rance tries to proceed, she convinces the miners that they owe her too much to kill the man she loves, and asks them to forgive him (“Ah! Ah! E Minnie!”). One by one, the miners yield to her plea (“E anche tu lo vorrai, Joe”). Rance is not happy but finally he too gives in. Sonora unties Johnson and sets him free. The miners bid Minnie farewell (“Le tue parole sono di Dio”). Minnie and Johnson leave California to start a new life together.

Meet the Artists

Susan Bullock

Susan Bullock

Soprano

Learn More

Susan Bullock’s unique position as one of the world’s most sought-after dramatic sopranos was recognized by the award of a CBE in June 2014.

Of her most distinctive roles, Wagner’s Brünnhilde has garnered outstanding praise leading Susan Bullock to become the first ever soprano to sing four consecutive cycles of Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Royal Opera House under Sir Antonio Pappano. Appearances as Richard Strauss’ Elektra have brought her equal international acclaim and collaborations with some of the world’s leading conductors including Fabio Luisi, Semyon Bychkov, Seiji Ozawa, Sir Mark Elder and Edo de Waart.

In recent seasons, Susan has begun to explore new repertoire making debuts as Klytaemnestra (Elektra) for the Canadian Opera Company under Johannes Debus, the role of Liz Stride in the world premiere of Iain Bell’s Jack the Ripper for ENO; and her acclaimed portrayal of Mother for Scottish Opera in Mark Anthony-Turnage’s Greek at BAM which she debuted at the Edinburgh International Festival. Further debuts include in the role of Kostelnička (Jenůfa) for Grange Park Opera, both Gertrude and The Witch (Hänsel und Gretel) for Opera North and Grange Park Opera, Mrs Lovett (Sweeney Todd) for Houston Grand Opera, her debut as Mother in the European premier of Missy Mazzoli’s award winning Breaking the Waves for Scottish Opera also at the Edinburgh International Festival, and a welcome return to the role of Mrs Lovett with Bergen National Opera. The 19/20 season brough further new roles including in special virtual projects Feast in the Time of Plague and her debut as an actor in Keith Warner’s unique staging of King Lear in which she plays Goneril at The Grange Festival. In the current season, Susan returns to Opera Frankfurt as Magdelone in Carl Nielsen’s Maskarade and new production by Tobias Kratzer conducted by Titus Engel and she returns to the role of Kostelnička for Den Norske Opera.

Jill Gardner

Jill Gardner

Soprano

learn more

Jill Gardner sits among today’s leading operatic heroines. Gardner is hailed for her portrayals of the leading ladies of verismo repertoire and Puccini heroines alike. Considered one of the great interpreters of the title role of Tosca, she has performed the role with many opera houses, including Opera Carolina, Hawaii Opera Theatre, Arizona Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera in her role début. This season, Ms. Gardner performs in concert with Tabor Opera House, performs the role of Giorgetta/Santuzza in Tabbaro/Cavalleria Rusticana with Maryland Lyric Opera, and the title role of Tosca with Tri-Cities Opera and Eugene Opera. Last season, Ms. Gardner performed the role of Anna Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene with Virginia Opera, Minnie in La fanciulla del West with Maryland Lyric Opera, and Cio-Cio-San in Madama Butterfly with Greensboro Opera. She also performed as Minnie in La fanciulla del West with Virginia Opera, the Marquise of Berkenfield in La fille du Regiment with Hawaii Opera Theatre, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth with Opera Tampa. 

Ms. Gardner has quite a history as a leading lady in opera’s most infamous repertoire. Some highlights from these include the title role of Manon Lescaut with Opera Grand Rapids; Madama Butterfly in her role début with Arizona Opera; Suor Angelica with Opera Carolina; Tatiana in Eugene Onegin with Eugene Opera; Mimì in La bohème with Boston Lyric Opera; Marguerite in Faust with Madison Opera; and Nedda in Pagliacci with Michigan Opera Theatre and her début with Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Yi Li

Yi Li

Tenor

Learn More

Proving himself a formidable talent and a rising star to watch in the opera world, Tenor Yi Li is quickly gaining attention across the globe. Most recently, Li débuted the role of Cheng Quing in Meredith Monk’s ATLAS with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and moved into bigger repertoire, debuting the role of Dick Johnson in La fanciulla del West in Maryland Lyric Opera’s inaugural season. He subsequently returned there as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor and Turridu/Luigi in Il Tabarro/Cavalleria Rusticana as well as returned to The Metropolitan Opera as the Young Lover in Il tabarro.

Upcoming engagements include a return to Maryland Lyric Opera for Turandot and his debut at Opera Tampa in Cavalleria Rusticana.

Other operatic engagements include the role of Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles with Toledo Opera; Nicias in Thaïs with China National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing; Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Intermountain Opera Bozeman, Nashville Opera, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Cassio in Otello at The National Center Performing Arts in Beijing; the role of Alfredo in La traviata with Finger Lakes Opera; and his performance in Huang Ruo’s innovative contemporary opera, Paradise Interrupted. Mr. Li has also joined the esteemed roster of The Metropolitan Opera for productions of Manon Lescaut, Roméo et Juliette, and Der fliegende Holländer.

Concert engagements include Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with Canterbury Chorale at Carnegie Hall, Indianapolis Opera’s Opera’s Rising Stars Concert and a Chinese New Year Concert with Shenzen Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center.

Mr. Li recently graduated from Washington National Opera’s revered Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program where his assignments included Rodolfo in La bohème and productions of Die Zauberflöte and Dialogues des Carmélites. At San Francisco Opera’s world-renowned Merola Program, assignments included Belfiore in La finta giardiniera, Smith in Bizet’s La jolie fille de Perth, and Lionel in Martha.

Mr. Li’s training includes an Artist Diploma in Voice from University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he performed Tamino in Die Zauberflöte, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, and Ruggero in La rondine. During his time there, he also performed The Duke in Rigoletto at Cincinnati Opera and Don José in Carmen at CCM Spoleto Festival. He also holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Sichuan Conservatory in China, where performances include Alfredo in La traviata, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Rodolfo in La bohème, and Cavradossi in Tosca.

Finding success on the emerging artist competition circuit, Yi Li’s talent has been recognized by several elite foundations and organizations. Mr. Li was a Grand Final Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a finalist at Operalia: The World Opera Competition, Winner of the Sullivan Musical Foundation Award, China’s representative at the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, 3rd Prize at the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition, Finalist in the 49th International Singing Competition of Toulouse, and won the Grand Prize in Opera Columbus Irma M. Cooper Vocal Competition and CCM’s Corbett Scholarship Competition. He also received a grant from Giulio Gari Foundation and performed at their annual gala.

Joseph Michael Brent

Joseph Michael Brent

Tenor

learn more

Tenor Joseph Michael Brent, a native New Yorker, began his operatic career as a doctoral student at the University of Georgia, Athens. Since graduating in the fall of 2014, Dr. Brent’s lyric tenor voice has continued to gain recognition around the United States and abroad. Most recently, he became the inaugural tenor resident artist of the Michigan Opera Theatre Studio, under the artistic direction of internationally acclaimed tenor Richard Leech and opera impresario Dr. David Dichiera. He completed two seasons as resident artist, ending his tenure at the Michigan Opera Theatre in the spring of 2017.

As a member of the Michigan Opera Theatre Studio Dr. Brent’s roles included Theodore “Laurie” Lawrence (Little Women), Martin (The Tender Land), the Kronprinz (Silent Night), Malcolm (Macbeth), Trin (La Fanciulla del West), and Remendado (Carmen).

José Sacín

José Sacín

Baritone

learn more

José Sacín, Peruvian Baritone and Artistic Director of Opera NOVA, has performed in companies such as The Washington National Opera, Opera Delaware, Caramoor Festival, Opera Camerata of Washington, Teatro Municipal de Lima, Mediterranean Opera Festival, Maryland Lyric Opera, Auditorio Nacional de Madrid and the Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow, Teatro Nacional de San Jose, Opera North and the Baltimore Opera. Main opera roles include Scarpia in Tosca, Giorgio Germont in La Traviata, Dr. Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Dulcamara in L’elisir d’amore, Tonio in Pagliacci, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola, Marcello in La Bohème, Count Di Luna in Il Trovatore, Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte, Vidal in Luisa Fernanda and the title roles in Gianni Schicchi, Don Giovanni, Macbeth, Falstaff and Rigoletto. Sacin is very active in the recital stage performing Schubert’s Winterreise, Schumann’s Dichterliebe and programs of Latin American Art Songs and Italian Art Songs. He appears in the Naxos recording of Ramirez’s Misa Criolla with the Choral Arts of Washington. 

As a conductor, Sacin has performed in Hansel and Gretel, La Cenerentola, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Treemonisha, Die Zauberflöte, Verbena de la Paloma, Monkey See Monkey Do and El Barberillo de Lavapies.

Mauricio Miranda

Mauricio Miranda

Tenor

Learn More

Tenor Mauricio Miranda has recently performed with MDLO as The Emperor Altoum in Turandot by Puccini, as Il Conte di Lerma in Don Carlo by Verdi, as Don Curzio in Le nozze di Figaro by Mozart, and as Joe in La fanciulla del West by Puccini. His future roles with MDLO include The Judge in Un ballo in maschera and Doctor Caius in Falstaff by Verdi.

During his career, Miranda has performed at the Kennedy Center, Strathmore Music Center, Palacio Euskalduna and Teatro La Laboral (Spain); Teatro Goldoni (Italy), Teatro Municipal de Santiago (Chile), among others. His oratorio repertoire includes works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Mozart, Rossini, Beethoven and Schubert, and he has given concerts in Chile, Argentina, Peru, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and the United States. He performed with conductors such as Louis Salemno, Dimitry Jurowsky, Jan Latham-Koenig, Roberto Rizzi-Brignoli, and Daniele Rustioni; and directors such as Emilio Sagi, Anne Bogart, Hugo de Ana and Jean Louis Grinda. Miranda has sung Mozart's Requiem at the Washington National Cathedral, and the role of Eros in the U.S. premiere of Debussy's opera Diane au bois. His soloist career began in South America, and he continued his training in Europe and North America with Bruno Pola in Germany, Isabel Penagos in Spain and Diana Soviero in the U.S.

He graduated from the Cafritz Young Artist Program at the Washington National Opera. Miranda received his degree in Music Theory from the National Conservatory of the University of Chile and was the winner of the prestigious FONDART scholarship.

Hunter Enoch

Hunter Enoch

bass-baritone

learn more

Bass-baritone Hunter Enoch joined the Cafritz Young Artist program at Washington National Opera in the fall of 2015. During his time with the company, he was heard as Count Almaviva in the Young Artist performance of Le nozze di Figaro, a Corporal in The Daughter of the Regiment, ADC in The Dictator’s Wife, covered Joseph De Rocher in Dead Man Walking, and sang Sharpless in the Young Artist performance of Madame Butterfly. His WNO debut was as Moralés in Carmen and he was later heard as James Miller in the world premiere of Better Gods. In the 2019-2020 season, Mr. Enoch returned to WNO as Montano in Otello, and sang the role of Kurwenal in Act 2 of Tristan und Isolde with the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Gianandrea Noseda at both the Kennedy Center and at Lincoln Center, and performed Palémon with Maryland Lyric Opera. In the 2018-19 Mr. Enoch performed the role of William Dale in Silent Night at Washington National Opera, made his company and role debut as Scarpia for Opera Birmingham, and sang Happy in La Fanciulla del West and Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor for Maryland Lyric Opera, and debuted Wotan with Pacific Northwest Opera in The Ring in One Evening. This season Mr. Enoch will sing Scarpia with Anchorage Opera and returns to Pacific Northwest Opera as Germont in La Traviata.

Louis Salemno

Louis Salemno

Music Director

learn more

Louis Salemno is the Music Director of Maryland Lyric Opera and is the principal conductor for all its performances, including the recent Thaïs, La fanciulla del West, and the MDLO Orchestra concert featuring pianist Leon Fleisher. He oversees the recruitment and training of the emerging artists of the MDLO Institute and leads the team responsible for auditioning, hiring, and managing the MDLO Orchestra and Chorus.

Maestro’s long and storied international conducting career includes posts at some of the world’s leading opera houses, including Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, and New York City Opera, among many others. He studied with Nadia Boulanger in France and was mentored by the legendary Kurt Herbert Adler, Krzysztof Penderecki, Gianandrea Gavazzeni and Bruno Bartoletti.  As a pianist, he has appeared in recital with Montserrat Caballe and Denyce Graves.

As a mentor, he held the post of Resident Coach for Washington National Opera’s acclaimed Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program for nearly a decade, where he also trained conducting students as well as visiting conductors in preparation for performances. He has also mentored singers at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia and the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. He studied piano with Mieczyslaw Horszowski and conducting with Max Rudolf at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

Joan Sullivan Genthe

Joan Sullivan Genthe

Lighting Designer

learn more

Joan Sullivan-Genthe has designed lighting in major theaters throughout the United States and in Europe. As a specialist in opera design she has regularly collaborated with many of the world’s foremost opera directors and designers. Her North American credits include lighting for San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, Los Angeles Opera, New York City Opera, Dallas Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Portland Opera, Cleveland Opera, Tulsa Opera and Chicago Opera Theater, in addition to her work as resident lighting designer for Washington National Opera, in Washington, DC.

European credits include the Zeffirelli production of Pagliacci for Royal Opera, Covent Garden; Turandot for Seville’s Teatro de la Maestranza and Finnish National Opera/Helsinki (Frisell/Ponnelle); Il Trovatore in Göteborg, Sweden (Lawless/Dugardyn); Dialogues des Carmélites for the Grand Théâtre de Genève (Rochaix/Dahlstrom); The Medium/The Telephone double bill, directed by composer Gian Carlo Menotti, at the Spoleto Festival; and the Carl Sternheim play Bürger Schippel, seen at Den Nationale Scene in Bergen, Norway. Several of her Washington National Opera designs have been seen on tour in Japan; and productions televised nationally by PBS have included Pagliacci, Le Cid, and the world premiere of Menotti’s Goya, all with Placido Domingo; La Rondine, and Die Fledermaus.
Ms. Sullivan-Genthe joined Washington National Opera (then known as The Washington Opera) in 1984. Her work for that company included designing more than 125 productions produced at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. These have included high profile world premieres of Menotti’s Goya and Argento’s The Dream of Valentino as well as the U.S. premieres of Wolf-Ferrari’s Sly with José Carreras, Krasa’s Betrothal in a Dream, and Chinese composer Jin’s Savage Land. During her time in Washington, she presented numerous lectures and demonstrations about stage lighting both for the Opera and the Kennedy Center Education Department; lit educational programs presented by the Opera for elementary and high school students; and worked with college student interns interested in getting practical experience in opera.
After discovering opera at Indiana University School of Music, Ms. Sullivan-Genthe began her professional career at Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she assisted lighting designers Gil Wechsler, Duane Schuler, Gilbert Hemsley and Ken Billington and designed for the Opera’s young artists program and ballet school. During her tenure in Chicago she realized the original lighting design of the premiere production of Penderecki’s Paradise Lost for Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
A three-year stint as Associate Lighting Designer at San Francisco Opera followed, during which she originated the lighting for the US version of the John Cox/David Hockney production of Stravinsky’s Rake’s Progress and a new production of Le nozze di Figaro (Frisell/Brown).
She began her full-time design career in 1984 dividing the majority of her time between Washington, DC and the Seattle Opera where she created over forty production in the ensuing eleven years. Notable productions in Seattle include two versions of the Wagner’s Ring Cycle — the final iteration of the original Seattle production and the initial Ring of the Speight Jenkins administration. Designed by Robert Israel with director, François Rochaix, the production became so successful it was produced four times in ten years.
Ballet credits include the original works Age of Anxiety (Bernstein) by choreographer John Neumaier for BalletWest in Salt Lake City and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; as well as Neumaier’s Now and Then (Ravel) for the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto. She designed lighting for numerous productions of the Ballet School of the Lyric Opera of Chicago when that company was headed by former prima ballerina Maria Tallchief.
Ms. Sullivan-Genthe’s work has been featured in Theatre Crafts and Lighting Dimensions magazines as well as in J. Michael Gillette’s classic textbook Designing with Light.

Steven Gathman

Steven Gathman

Chorus Master

learn more

Steven Gathman was appointed Chorus Master of Maryland Lyric Opera last fall and prepared the chorus for La Fanciulla Del West. He has spent 24 years with Washington National Opera and was appointed Chorus Master in 1997. He has prepared the WNO Chorus for over 120 productions in seven languages. For WNO he has conducted performances of Tosca, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La clemenza di Tito, Der fliegende Holländer, and Carmen. At the Miami Summer Music Festival he has conducted Dido and Aeneas, The Medium, Albert Herring, L’Enfant et les Sortilèges and Gianni Schicchi. He has served on the music staffs of the Metropolitan Opera, Il Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy, Michigan Opera Theatre and Opera Pacific. He was on the faculty of the University of Maryland at College Park and served as a guest coach at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, in addition to giving master classes around the country. He holds a bachelor’s of music in piano from DePaul University and a doctor of musical arts degree in piano accompanying and chamber music from the University of Michigan.

Jose Miguel Cueto

Jose Miguel Cueto

Concert Master

Learn More

Violinist José Miguel Cueto has over 40 years of experience leading orchestras in the USA and abroad. His multitalented skills as concertmaster, soloist and chamber musician make him a much sought-after artist. After completing his studies at the Conservatory of Music in his native Puerto Rico, Cueto was awarded a scholarship to further his violin studies under the tutelage of laureate violinist Berl Senofsky at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. Recognized for his “bravura playing and full-blooded music making” José Cueto has performed worldwide in North, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Europe and China. Among others, his festival appearances include performances on the Casals, Aspen, Alba, Usa/China, Autunno Musicale Veronese, and for the American Liszt Society. His four-decade partnership with pianist Nancy Roldán encompasses recordings and worldwide performances hailed by critics as … “superb, powerful, well balanced and exciting.” Mr. Cueto has recorded for Centaur, Sonora, Marquis, Crystal, and Educo labels, performing in chamber ensembles and as soloist with orchestras. Mr. Cueto has previously served as Concertmaster of Concert Artists of Baltimore and the Baltimore Opera Orchestra. He teaches at Catholic University of America and St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where he’s also been Artist in Residence and Head of Strings. Cueto shares his expertise as violin teacher, chamber ensemble, orchestra coach and lecturer in studio and master class settings. He plays a 1920 Stefano Scarampella and a 2005 violin made specially for him by Luiz Bellini.

Husan Park

Husan Park

Associate Conductor

learn more

Ms. Husan Park has collaborated as assistant conductor and continuo-player for over twenty years at theaters such as Teatro Municipal in Santiago de Chile, Music Festival in Perpignan, Festspiele Erl in Tirol in Austria, Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, Theater an der Wien in Austria, Performing Art Center in Nanjing, Music festival in Shanghai, Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, Festival de Ópera Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Teatro Principal Palma de Mallorca, Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo, Teatro Arriaga in Bilbao, Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofía, and Palau de la Música in Valencia, Spain. 

Ms. Park has worked with conductors Jesús López Cobos, Riccardo Frizza, Speranza Scappucci,  Corrado Rovaris, Andrea Licata, Sachio Fujioka, Ramón Tebar, David Giménez, and Leonardo García-Alarcón, among others; and with stage directors such as Emilio Sagi,  Guy Joosten, Giancarlo del Monaco, Joan Anton Rechi, Gustavo Tambascio, Davide Livermore, and Carlos Wagner. 

She collaborated with international opera singers including José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Jaime Aragall, Isabel Rey, José Bros, Cristina Gallardo-Domás, Ángeles Blancas, Juan Diego Flórez, Aquiles Machado, David Menéndez, Ana Ibarra, Sabina Puértolas, Davinia Rodríguez, Giovanna Casolla, Bruno de Simone, Giacomo Prestia, Gloria Scalcchi, Franco Farina, Pietro Spagnoli, Norah Amsellen, Carlo Colombara, Luciana D’Intino, Daniella Barcellona, Fabio Sartori, Elena Prokina, KS Peter Weber, KS Edith Lienbacher, and Anton Scharinger. 

In 2014, she collaborated at the world première of "El Juez", an opera composed by Christian Kolonovits for the tenor José Carreras, under the direction of Emilio Sagi and David Giménez. During her career Ms. Husan Park has given recitals as soloist and as collaborative pianist at Musikverein Wien and Konzerthaus Wien in Austria, Teatro Real de Madrid, Palau de Les Arts, Palau de la Música de Valencia in Spain and at theaters in Germany, Italy, France, Finland, El Salvador, and in South Korea. 

As vocal coach and assistant, Ms. Park has collaborated at masterclasses with Plácido Domingo, KS Walter Berry, KS Hilde Zadek, KS Hilde Rössel-Majdan, KS Edith Lienbacher, Paul Hamburger, Margit Fleischmann, Maggie Zimmermann, Ana Luisa Chova, and David Menéndez. Her extensive repertoire spans operas from Monteverdi to Adès, and from different epochs and styles (including Operettes and Zarzuelas) in Italian, German, French, English, Spanish and Russian. 

She majored in Piano at Konservatorium der Stadt Wien; Vocal Coaching (Liedbegleitung) and Opera Coaching (Opernkorrepetition) at Hochschule f. Musik u. darst. Kunst in Wien, Austria. At the same city in 2001 she became an Austrian citizen. As vocal coach and professor she taught at the Universität f. Musik u. darst. Kunst in Vienna, Austria, and in Conservatorio Superior de Música de Valencia Joaquín Rodrigo, Spain.

Currently, Ms. Park combines work as vocal coach at the Centre de Perfeccionament Plácido Domingo at the Palau de Les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, Spain with opera productions throughout Europe.

Photos and Videos

Register to receive special ticket offers and information about events

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this performance has been postponed and all ticket sales suspended until further notice. Please stay tuned for updates on our website.