Contact: Edward Wilensky
Phone: 619.232.7636 x248
Afterhours: 619.889.6769
Massenet’s Masterpiece Don Quixote Returns to San Diego Opera
Return of bass Ferruccio Furlanetto as Don Quixote in one of his signature roles
San Diego, CA – San Diego Opera’s final opera of the 2014 season is Jules Massenet’s French masterpiece Don Quixote which opens on Saturday, April 5, 2014 for four performances only. Based on the acclaimed novel by Miguel Cervantes, these performances welcome back the great bass Ferruccio Furlanetto, seen last season as Thomas Becket in Murder in the Cathedral, singing the title role of the wandering knight. Also returning for these performances is mezzo-soprano Anke Vondung, seen in 2011’s Der Rosenkavalier as Octavian, as Dulcinea, Don Quixote’s love interest. Bass Eduardo Chama returns to reprise his role as Don Quixote’s sidekick, Sancho Panza, in the same role he performed here in 2009. Returning to round out the cast is tenor Joel Sorensen as Rodriguez and tenor Simeon Esper as Juan. Making Company debuts are soprano Micaële Oesta as Pedro and soprano Susannah Biller as Garcias. San Diego Opera’s resident conductor Karen Keltner brings her mastery of the French repertoire to the podium, and making her directorial debut with the Company is Keturah Stickann. The ballet will be choreographed by Kristina Cobarrubia. The sets are designed by Ralph Funicello and the costumes by Missy West. The lighting designer is Marie Barrett. This production is owned by San Diego Opera. These performances will be the third time Don Quixote has been performed by San Diego Opera with other performances in 1969 and 2009.
The wandering knight Don Quixote, filled with old fashioned notions of chivalry and honor, has fallen in love with the town beauty, Dulcinea, and offers her his devotion. Dulcinea instead offers him a quest; retrieve a stolen necklace from a group of dangerous bandits. So begins a fantastical voyage of the knight-errant and his faithful servant Sancho Panza that takes them from a Spanish village, to the misty countryside where windmills are mistaken for giants, and mountain hideaways inhabited by bandits. But Dulcinea’s destiny is different from Don Quixote’s and the eccentric knight is left wondering if there is a place for him and his ways in this world anymore. With a familiar story and moving music, Don Quixote will delight audiences with its wonderful sets, world-class cast and stunning music. Sung in French with English translations above the stage
Don Quixote will have a live radio broadcast on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at 7PM on KPBS radio, 89.5 FM (97.7 FM Calexico) and online at www.kpbs.org
Pre-production photos can be found online at: sandiegoopera.smugmug.com/Other/2014-Pre-Production-Artwork/
The Cast
Ferruccio Furlanetto, Don Quixote
Italian bass Ferruccio Furlanetto made his San Diego Opera debut in 1985 in the title role in Verdi’s Oberto, returning for Méphistophélès in Faust and the title role in Don Giovanni on two occasions each, King Philip in Don Carlo, Basilio in The Barber of Seville, the title roles of Boris Godunov and Don Quixote, and was seen last season as Thomas Becket in Murder in the Cathedral. He also sang in the Verdi Requiem earlier this season. Recent engagements include Mustafa in The Italian Girl in Algiers at Vienna Staatsoper, Jacopo Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the title role of Attila at San Francisco Opera, Boris Godunov at the Vienna Staatsoper, the Bolshoi Theatre, Teatro Massimo in Palermo and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, De Silva in Ernani, Méphistophélès, Don Basilio in The Barber of Seville and King Philip at the Metropolitan Opera, De Silva in Tokyo and Bologna, Jacopo Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra at the Vienna Staatsoper and the Metropolitan Opera, the London Proms, the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, and Madrid’s Teatro Real, Don Quixote at Madrid’s Teatro Real, Oroveso in Norma at the Salzburg Festival and King Philip and Boris Godunov at The Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, making him the first Italian ever to sing those roles there. At the Salzburg Festival he was first heard in 1986 as Mozart’s Figaro, returning as Leporello, Don Alfonso, Don Giovanni and King Philip. He appears regularly with the opera companies in Vienna, Milan, Paris, London, Florence, Rome, Turin and with the Metropolitan Opera. Many of his performances are available on more than twenty-seven CDs and DVDs including King Philip, Don Giovanni, Attila, Figaro, Alfonso and Leporello. Ferruccio Furlanetto is a Kammersänger of the Vienna Staatsoper and an Honorary Ambassador to the United Nations.
Anke Vondung, Dulcinea
German mezzo-soprano Anke Vondung made her Company debut as Octavian in 2011’s Der Rosenkavalier. She made her singing debut at Operanschule Mannheim as Nancy in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring. She enjoys a long relationship with Semperoper Dresden where she sang for two seasons as a house singer and is now a frequent guest artist singing such roles as Sesto in La clemenza di Tito, Idamante in Idomeneo: King of Crete, Siébel in Faust, Wellgunde in Das Rheingold, Waltraute in Die Walkure, Tebaldo in Don Carlo, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Meg Page in Falstaff, as well as the title role of Carmen, among others. She is known for her portrayal of Octavian which she recently performed at the Munich Opera Festival, Opera de Bastille and Deutsche Staatsoper. Other notable performances include Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro and Dorabella in Così fan tutte at Bayerische Staatsoper. She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Cherubino and returned to sing Annio in La clemenza di Tito. An active recitalist, she has sung with many major orchestras around the world.
Eduardo Chama, Sancho Panza
Argentinean bass-baritone Eduardo Chama made his San Diego Opera debut as Dr. Bartolo in The Barber of Seville in 2006 and returned in 2009 to sing Sancho Panza. Recent engagements include the title role of Falstaff with Portland Opera, Leporello in Don Giovanni with Atlanta Opera, Nashville Opera, Seattle Opera, New York City Opera, Florentine Opera, Cleveland Opera, Opera Colorado and Opera Omaha, Méphistophélès in Faust with Calgary Opera, Don Magnifico in Cinderella with Glimmerglass Opera, Mustafa in The Italian Girl in Algiers with Palm Beach Opera and the title role of Gianni Schicchi with New Israeli Opera. Well known for the role of Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro, he has performed this with New York City Opera, Calgary Opera, Orlando Opera, Kentucky Opera, Tulsa Opera, Cleveland Opera, Utah Opera and Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf. Other notable performances include Dr. Bartolo with Grand Theatre de Genève, the title role of Don Pasquale with Seattle Opera and Kentucky Opera, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte with Portland Opera, Crespel in The Tales of Hoffmann with New York City Opera, Amonasro in Aida with Opera de Puerto Rico and Sancho Panza with Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Seattle Opera, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and Teatro Real in Madrid. Chama is also an accomplished concert soloist.
Joel Sorensen, Rodriguez
American tenor Joel Sorensen made his San Diego Opera debut as Curley in Of Mice and Men in 1999, returning as Camp Williams in Cold Sassy Tree in 2001, as Andres in Wozzeck in 2007, Rodriguez in Don Quixote in 2009, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet in 2010, as Pang in Turandot and Valzacchi in Der Rosenkavalier in 2011, last season as the First Tempter/First Knight in Murder in the Cathedral, and earlier this season as Beppe in Pagliacci. He made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 2000 in Samson and Delilah, returning for Sly, Madama Butterfly, Der Rosenkavalier, War and Peace, The Barber of Seville, Tosca and The Magic Flute. He made his debut with New York City Opera as Monostatos in The Magic Flute, returning in Madama Butterfly, Falstaff, Turandot, The Marriage of Figaro, Prince Igor, La rondine, The Seven Deadly Sins and Margaret Garner. Other appearances include Tosca with Los Angeles Opera, King Herod in Salome with Florentine Opera, Pedrillo in Entführung aus dem Serail for Atlanta Opera and Mime in Siegfried for Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh and Longborough Festival. Other companies with which he has sung include San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Portland Opera and Palm Beach Opera.
Simeon Esper, Juan
American tenor Simeon Esper made his San Diego Opera debut in 2007 as Heinrich der Schreiber in Tannhäuser, returned in 2008 as Beppe in Pagliacci, in 2011 for the roles of the Major Domo to Faninal and the Innkeeper in Der Rosenkavalier, and in 2012 as the Third Jew in Salome. He made his debut with Theater Bielefeld in Germany as David in Wagner’s Meistersinger von Nurnberg and returned to the company that fall to begin a festival contract with roles that included Jaquino in Fidelio, the Steersman in The Flying Dutchman and Graf Elemer in Arabella. With Seattle Opera, he has sung a young Seaman/A Shepherd in Tristan und Isolde, Major Domo to Faninal in Der Rosenkavalier, Heinrich in Tannhäuser, Diener in Elektra, Sir Bruno Robertson in I Puritani and the First Guard in The Magic Flute. Other notable roles include the title role in Dr. Miracle and Jude in Salome with Atlanta Opera, Nathanael in Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Scaramuccio in Ariadne auf Naxos with Sarasota Opera, Mr. Upfold in Albert Herring with Paris Opera Comique, Sellem in The Rake’s Progress and The Steersman in The Flying Dutchman at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.
Micaëla Oeste, Pedro
San Diego Opera debut. American soprano Micaëla Oeste’s recent performances include Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Los Angeles Opera, Virtù and Pallade in L’incoronazione di Poppea with Opéra National de Montpellier, Croyble in Thais with Teatro de la Maestranza de Seville, Flavia Gemmira in Eliogabalo with Gotham Chamber Opera, Oscar in A Masked Ball, Nannetta in Falstaff, the Woodbird in Siegfried, the First Niece in Peter Grimes, and Annina in La traviata with Washington National Opera, and Créuse in Médeé and Giunone in Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria with Chicago Opera Theatre. On the concert stage, she previously appeared at Beijing’s Reignwood Theater for a concert of opera favorites that included excerpts of the title role of Linda di Chamounix and Ilia in Idomeneo: King of Crete. In recital at the Accademia Teatro alla Scala, she sang arias and scenes from Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare and Ophélie in Hamlet in addition to Italian songs. And as a guest soloist, she sang Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 in concert at Northern Illinois University.
Susannah Biller, Garcias
San Diego Opera debut. American soprano Susannah Biller has spent the past two seasons as a member of the prestigious Adler Fellowship Program with San Francisco Opera. She has been heard with San Francisco Opera as Despina in Così fan tutte, Frasquita in Carmen, Lolita in Heart of a Soldier, Kristina in The Makropulos Case and Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor. Additional productions with San Francisco include Nixon in China, The Magic Flute, Der Ring des Nibelungen, Serse, and Werther. Other recent engagements include Fortuna in Il sogno di Scipione and Eritea in Eliogabalo with Gotham Chamber Opera, and Nannetta in Falstaff with Portland Opera.
Karen Keltner, Conductor
San Diego Opera’s Resident Conductor Karen Keltner has been associated with the Company since 1982 and has conducted a broad repertoire for San Diego Opera including Faust, La bohème, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, The Pearl Fishers, Samson and Delilah, Wozzeck, Carmen, The Conquistador, Così fan tutte, Thérèse Raquin, The Flying Dutchman, The Lighthouse, Cold Sassy Tree, A Streetcar Named Desire and Rigoletto. Other engagements have been with Utah Festival Opera, Opéra National du Rhin, Strasbourg, New York City Opera, Anchorage Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Glimmerglass Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Opera Carolina. Keltner gives master classes for singers in universities and cities where she guest conducts.
Keturah Stickann, Stage Director
American stage director Keturah Stickann made her Company debut as the choreographer in Pagliacci in 2009, returning for Rigoletto, Peter Grimes, Romeo and Juliet, Moby-Dick and Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. Her directing credits includeMadama Butterflyat Opera Santa Barbara,The Pearl Fishersat Sarasota Opera (for which she was also the choreographer),Tragedie de Carmenat Brevard Music Institute,La traviataandManonat Knoxville Opera, andLe Nozze di Figaro,Suor Angelica, andThe Old Maid and the Thiefat Emerald City Opera. She is currently touring as movement director and choreographer for Jake Heggie'sMoby-Dick, and as associate director and choreographer forCruzar la Cara de la Luna, both with director Leonard Foglia. Last year she also remounted Michael Hampe's production ofTannhaüserat the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, Chile, and at the Nikikai Opera in Otsu, Japan. Trained as a classical and contemporary dancer, she received her degree in choreography from Columbia College in Chicago, and her choreography has been seen at Arizona Opera, the Dallas Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, Virginia Opera, Atlanta Opera and Florida Grand Opera, among others.
Kristina Cobarrubia, Choreographer
American Choreographer Kristina Cobarrubia debuted at San Diego Opera in 2009’s Don Quixote, where she contributed as Assistant Choreographer. She returned in 2010 to choreograph La traviata and again in 2011 to choreograph Carmen. She has studied Flamenco for over twenty years, on the West Coast and in New Mexico, along with visits to Spain. Cobarrubia danced with Flamenco Olivar (2004-2008), Companía Antonio Vargas (2001), the Solera Flamenco Dance Company (1990-1993), and her own co-production with Las Chicas de Coral (1996). Presently, she is the Director of Flamenco Arana, where she choreographs and dances for concerts, private shows, and festivals, including the Eveoke Celebrate Dance Festival and the San Diego Nations of Dance Festival. She teaches Flamenco dance for Flamenco Arana and for California Ballet. She also has a B.A. from University of California San Diego (Magna Cum Laude), and an essay of hers, “Madre de Baile,” was published in Mamaphonic: Balancing Motherhood and Other Creative Acts in 2004.
Ralph Funicello, Set Designer
American Scenic Designer Ralph Funicello made his Company scenic design debut in 2009 with Don Quixote, returning last season for Murder in the Cathedral. Broadway credits include Julius Caesar, Brooklyn Boy, Henry IV (Outer Critic’s Circle, Drama Desk and Tony Award nominations) and King Lear; for Off Broadway, Ten Unknowns and Pride’s Crossing. He has designed for numerous theatres including the Old Globe Theatre where he is an associate artist and has designed sets for the Summer Shakespeare Festival for the past ten years, American Conservatory Theatre, Lincoln Center Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, South Coast Rep, New York City Opera, The Shakespeare Theatre in Washington D.C., Stratford Festival of Canada, and The Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford on Avon. Funicello has received The Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaberation, A Los Angeles Music Center Distinguished Arts Award and the L.A. Drama Critics’ Circle Award. He currently holds the position of Powell Chair in Set Design at SDSU.