Program
Prelude to Carmen Georges Bizet
(1838-1875)
Mr. Troy
“La ci darem la mano” from Don Giovanni Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
(1756-1791)
Ms. Butler Cornelius and Mr. Hartmann
“E la solita storia del pastore” from L’Arlesiana Francesco Cilea
(1866-1950)
Mr. Carter
Barcarolle from Les contes d’Hoffmann Jacques Offenbach
(1819-1880)
Ms. Coker and Ms. Wilcox
Flower Song from Carmen Georges Bizet
Mr. Martin
“Come Scoglio” from Così fan tutte Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ms. Coker
“Ella giammai m’amo” from Don Carlo Giuseppe Verdi
(1813-1901)
Mr. Hartmann
“Soave sia il vento” from Così fam tutte Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ms. Coker, Ms. Wilcox, and Mr. Carter
Quartet from Act IV of Rigoletto Giuseppe Verdi
Ms. Butler Cornelius, Ms. Wilcox, Mr. Martin, and Mr. Hartmann
***Intermission***
“Winterstürme” from Die Walküre Richard Wagner
(1813-1883)
Mr. Carter
accompanied by Ms. Wisuthseriwong (11/9) and Mr. Bumgardner (11/11)
Card Trio from Carmen Georges Bizet
Ms. Butler Cornelius, Ms. Coker, and Ms. Wilcox
“Vesti la giubba” from Pagliacci Ruggiero Leoncavallo
(1857-1919)
Mr. Carter
“Chacun le sait” from La fille du Regiment Gaetano Donizetti
(1797-1848)
Ms. Butler Cornelius
Duet from Act IV of La Bohème Giacomo Puccini
(1858-1924)
Mr. Martin and Mr. Hartmann
“Non piu mesta” from La Cenerentola Gioacchino Rossini
Ms. Wilcox
“Votre toast” from Carmen Georges Bizet
Mr. Hartmann, Ms. Butler Cornelius, Ms. Coker, Ms. Wilcox, Mr. Martin, and Mr. Carter
_____
The hall is equipped with a listening assistance system.
Patrons needing such assistance should contact an usher in the lobby.
Artists’ Biographies
Polly Butler Cornelius, soprano, is a frequent performer of opera,
oratorio, recitals and music theatre throughout the United States.
She has received awards and recognition from and the National
Association of Teachers of Singing (Artist Award), the Orpheus
Vocal Artist Competition, the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, the Fort
Worth Opera Company, and Shreveport Opera. She has performed
leading opera roles with The Opera Company of North Carolina, the
Piedmont Opera Theatre, Opera Carolina, the Greensboro Opera
Company and the Brevard Music Festival. She has been a soloist
with the North Carolina Symphony, the American Institute of Musical
Studies Orchestra in Graz, Austria, and the Greensboro Symphony
Orchestra, in the Duke Chapel and at Foundry Methodist Church in
Washington, DC for President Clinton in 2000. She holds a Master of Music degree from UNC
Greensboro, a Bachelor of Music degree from Converse College, she studied at the Goethe
Institute in Rothenburg, Germany and the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria.
Ms. Butler Cornelius has studied voice and coached in New York with Doris Yarick-Cross, Arlene
Shrut, Sylvia Plyler, Warren Jones and Nico Castel. She has performed under the baton of
distinguished opera conductors such as Gerhardt Zimmermann, Joseph Colaneri, Benton Hess,
Valery Ryvkin, and the late Norman Johnson. Polly is a full-time Lecturer of Voice at Elon
University where her students and recent graduates are currently performing in regional theatres
and opera companies, on National Broadway Tours, and have been admitted to prestigious
graduate music programs.
Brian Carter, a native of North Carolina, has gained national attention
as a tenor with Wagnerian potential. A student of renowned soprano
Jane Eaglen, he appeared for two seasons with San Francisco Opera
Company’s Merola Opera Program, performing in scenes from Die
Walküre, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Idomeneo, and Der
Freischütz, as well as in a mainstage role as the Devil in Angélique. In
addition, he has performed with Opera North as Benoit and Parpignol
in La Bohème as well as Torquemada in the Spanish Hour. At the
University of Houston, where he finished his MM, Mr. Carter sang the
roles of Max in Der Freischütz, Hoffmann in Les Contes d'Hoffmann,
Truffaldino in Love for Three Oranges, Cedric Prestwick in The
Impresario, and Boris in Katya Kabanova. While at UNCG, under the guidance of Dr. Carla
LeFevre and David Holley, he appeared as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, Pluto in Orpheus in
the Underworld, Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, and the Learned Judge in Trial by Jury.
Recently, Mr. Carter was invited to be a concert performer and grant recipient for the Wagner
Society of Washington DC’s Emerging Singers Program under the direction of Evelyn Lear and
Thomas Stewart. Additionally, he was the winner of the 2001 North Carolina District Metropolitan
Opera National Council auditions and has appeared as a soloist with the Northwest Symphony
Orchestra. He maintains a private voice studio as well as teaching master classes for schools
and universities.
Karen Coker, a native of Asheboro, toured England in the title role of
Kurt Weill's One Touch of Venus with Opera North (UK). Opera
News hailed her performance, saying “the cast was nigh perfect...
they all looked their parts and acted them flawlessly. Taking on the
challenge of personifying ideal feminine beauty, the elegant Karen
Coker shimmered around the stage as Venus with seductive allure to
spare.” She reprised the role of Venus at the Ravenna Festival in
Italy and again in London at the West End Theater Sadler’s Wells in
2005. Ms. Coker made her professional debut as Micaëla in the
Baltimore Opera Studio production of Peter Brooks' La Tragèdie de
Carmen and her mainstage Baltimore Opera debut as Kate Pinkerton
in Madama Butterfly. Also with the Baltimore Opera Studio, she
added the roles of Marguerite in Faust, Musetta in La Bohème, and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte to
her repertoire. As an apprentice with the Pittsburgh Opera, Ms. Coker performed the roles of
Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Norina in Don Pasquale, and Lady with a
Cake Box in Dominick Argento's Postcard from Morocco. More recently, she performed in Opera
New York's production Tales from the Manhattan Woods, an adaptation of Strauss' Die
Fledermaus. With the Ezio Pinza Council for American Singers of Opera (EPCASO) in Italy, she
performed excerpts from La Bohème and Don Giovanni, while studying with such legendary
singers as Claudia Pinza, Maria Chiara, Virginia Zeani. As a concert performer, she has
appeared as the soprano soloist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's Youth Series in Heinz
Hall and the soprano soloist in Fauré's Requiem.
Donald Hartmann, bass-baritone, as been described as
possessing a, “big, rich voice with an amazing timbre.” His recent
engagements include Benoit/Alcindoro in La Bohème with Toledo
Opera, Opera Carolina, and Florentine Opera, the Sacristan in
Tosca with Madison Opera and Opera Carolina, Monterone in
Rigoletto and Soldier in Salome with Michigan Opera Theatre, as
well as a return to Toledo Opera as Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro.
In 2006-2007, Mr. Hartmann will perform the Bonze in Madama
Butterfly and the Sargeant of Police in Pirates of Penzance with
Opera Carolina. Mr. Hartmann has appeared regularly with
Michigan Opera Theater as the Sacristan in Tosca, Abimelech in
Samson and Delilah, Marullo in Rigoletto, Benoit/Alcindoro in La
Bohème, and others. He has also performed with Toledo Opera in roles such as: Mikado, Zuniga
in Carmen, Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Simone in Gianni Schicchi , and others. European
engagements have included Simon Boccanegra, Così fan tutte, Oklahoma, Xerxes, Die
Czardasfürstin, Wiener Blut, Im Weissen Rossl, Die Verkaufte Braut, and Aufstieg und Fall der
Stadt Mahagony at the Stadttheater Regensburg. At the Vereinigte Städtisches Bühnen
Krefeld/Mönchengladbach he performed in productions of: Der Meistersinger, Carmen, Così fan
tutte, Die Czardasfürstin, Frau Luna, Don Carlo, Mignon, Don Giovanni, Entführung aus dem
Serail, Die Lustige Witwe, and Orpheus in der Unterwelt. A busy concert recitalist and oratorio
soloist, Donald Hartmann has sung Papageno excerpts with the renowned Detroit Symphony
Orchestra, and Beethoven Symphony #9 with New Mexico Symphony, Perrysburg Symphony,
Livonia Symphony, and Macomb Symphony.
William Martin, tenor, sang leading tenor roles, such as Hoffmann,
Lenski, Alfredo, Pinkerton, Don Jose, and Lohengrin, for nearly a
decade in German opera houses such as Mainz, Dortmund, Bremen,
Muenster, and the Semper Oper in Dresden. He has also appeared
with the Chicago Opera Theater, the Grant Park Symphony, the
Milwaukee Opera Company, the Light Opera Works of Evanston, the
Ohio Light Opera Festival, and the Marriott Lincolnshire Dinner
Theater. He won the Grand Prize in the Bel Canto Foundation
Competition while earning his undergraduate and MM degrees at
Northwestern University, which afforded him the opportunity to study
in Italy with Tito Gobbi. He supplemented his education with
apprenticeships at the Central City Opera and with the Aspen Musical
Festival. Mr. Martin, who earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at UNCG, has served as
Assistant Professor of music at Western Carolina University since 2001, after teaching at Bethel
College, Daytona Beach Community College, and Kent State University. He appears regularly
with nearly all the musical organizations in the greater Asheville area, including the Asheville Lyric
Opera, with whom he sang the role of Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly last March. He will
be appearing again with the Asheville Symphony in December in their annual “Holiday Pops”
Concert and has sung with the Asheville Choral Society and the Carolina Concert Choir of
Hendersonville, NC. He makes his home in Cullowhee, NC with his wife, Cherry, and their
daughter, Ariana.
Ann Marie Wilcox, mezzo-soprano, thrives on a career that includes a
variety of musical genre including oratorio, opera, art song, and musical
theater. Musical theater portrayals have included Aldonza in Man of la
Mancha, Nettie in Carousel, Gwendolyn in the musical adaptation/play of
The Importance of Being Ernest, Meg Brockie in Brigadoon, Mad
Margaret in Ruddigore and Petra in Utah Opera’s production of A Little
Night Music (which was also part of the 2002 Salt Lake City Cultural
Olympiad). Favorite opera roles have included Carmen, Maddalena in
Rigoletto, Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus, Prince Charming in
Cendrillon, Dido in Dido and Aeneus, the Mother in Amahl and the Night
Visitors, Dorabella in Così fan tutte, and Isabella in The Italian Girl from
Algiers. Ann Marie can be heard on the Albany Record label as Adah in
Naughty Marietta, Bertha in The Red Mill, and singing "You’ll Never Walk
Alone" on Gold & Silver: Celebrating 25 Years of Ohio Light Opera - a celebration of the Ohio
Light Opera’s Twenty Fifth Anniversary. Her concert appearances include a program of
Sondheim and Webber songs for the Gulf Coast Symphony, Mozart Requiem at New Haven
Symphony and solos with Mid-America Productions at Carnegie Hall in the Mozart Requiem and
Vivaldi’s Gloria.
Artistic Staff
David Holley, conductor, is the Director of Opera at UNCG, where
his productions have won First Place in the NOA Opera Production
Competition seven times since 1994, most recently for Floyd’s
Susannah and Adamo’s Little Women. Mr. Adamo was in residence
and attended opening night, and upon his recommendation, G.
Schirmer used four excerpts from UNCG’s production of Little
Women for its promotional CD, Thirty New Operas, which was
distributed to opera companies world-wide in the fall of 2005. Mr.
Holley has recently finished writing a libretto for Libby Larsen, who
has been commissioned by the UNCG Opera Theatre to compose a
new American opera, adapting William Inge’s play, Picnic, to be
premiered in the spring of 2009. An active singer as well, he has
appeared with regional opera companies in Dallas, Atlanta,
Rochester, Phoenix, Banff (Alberta, Canada), Greensboro, Shreveport, Baton Rouge,
Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Pensacola, and elsewhere in a diversity of leading roles including
Pinkerton, Don José, Tamino, and the title roles in The Tales of Hoffmann and Roméo and
Juliette.
Matthew Thomas Troy is founder and music director of the Fibonacci
Chamber Orchestra. Currently he is the Education Director and
Conducting Assistant to Maestro Robert Moody with the Winston-
Salem Symphony. In August of 2006 Troy was honored to be selected
to compete in the Jordania International Conducting Competition as
one of only twenty-four competitors from fourteen countries. Troy
received his Bachelor of Music from the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro (UNCG) School of Music, studying viola with Dr. Scott
Rawls. Upon graduating, Troy began playing principal viola in The
Philharmonia of Greensboro. Since then he has been featured
regularly as a Guest Conductor of the Philharmonia and has conducted
concerts as part of the Opus Concert Series and Music for a Sunday
Evening in the Park. In the fall of 2005 Troy earned the Master of
Music degree in conducting at UNCG as a student of Maestro Robert
Gutter. However, before completing his degree he was selected to join the faculty at Wake
Forest University as Interim Conductor of the University Orchestra in 2004. During his time at
UNCG, Troy was the Assistant Conductor for the UNCG Symphony Orchestra and gained other
professional experience. This includes serving as Guest Conductor of the Salisbury Symphony
Orchestra, as well as Conductor of the Salisbury Youth Orchestra and Assistant Conductor of the
Winston-Salem Youth Symphony. Remaining active as a teacher, Troy is in his third year on the
string faculty of the Music Academy of North Carolina with an accomplished studio where his
students have won local and state awards including principal chairs at All-State events. In 2005
Troy was awarded the Music Academy’s Mary Elizabeth King Brown Award for Teaching
Excellence. Not limiting himself to instrumental music, Troy is also an experienced vocalist in
classical and popular genres. He has sung with the Greensboro Opera Company and has been
featured as a clinician for high school choral students at Salisbury State University in Salisbury,
MD. Troy has directed and performed in several a capella ensembles and has written
arrangements in this oeuvre. In the summer of 2005 he attended the Medomak Conductors
Retreat in Maine, where he studied with renowned conductor Kenneth Kiesler and pedagogue
Marianne Ploger. There he also had the opportunity to collaborate and study with legendary
pianist, Lorin Hollander. In April 2006, Troy was selected to attend an Orchestral and Operatic
Conducting Workshop where he studied with Maestro Gerard Schwarz. With the Fibonacci
Chamber Orchestra Troy has performed with internationally renowned pianist John Salmon and
has given the North Carolina premiere of “Lairs of Soundings” by composer Dan Locklair. Future
engagements include being featured as Conductor for the 2007 North Carolina Western Regional
High School All State Repertory Orchestra and 2007 Forsyth County Middle School Honors
Orchestra among others
James Bumgardner, pianist, holds an MM in Vocal
Performance from the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro, where he is currently completing the DMA. He has
taught on the faculties of the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill and UNCG, and he presently teaches studio voice at
Guilford College. Mr. Bumgardner’s vocal credits span both
opera and oratorio, including the roles of Raphael in Haydn’s
Creation, The Courtier in the world premier of James Carlson’s
Motets and Marginalia, and Olin Blitch in Carlisle Floyd’s
Susannah.
In addition to teaching voice, Mr. Bumgardner is an active
coach-accompanist. He works both as coach and musical
director for opera and musical theatre in various venues, and
frequently collaborates with singers in recital. Mr. Bumgardner
is also passionate about the Anglican choral tradition, maintaining a presence in that field in both
the US and Great Britain. He is resident conductor for the chamber series "SummerMusic" in
Blowing Rock, NC, where he also directs the music at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church.
Christy L. Wisuthseriwong, piano, a native of Raleigh, is
currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in
collaborative piano at the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro, where she studies with Dr. Andrew Harley. She
received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and
Pedagogy at Meredith College in Raleigh. In addition, Christy
studied collaborative piano with Benton Hess at UNCG, where
she earned her Master of Music in accompanying and worked
frequently as an accompanist for the UNCG Opera Theatre,
playing for the annual “Tour to the Schools” and the North
Carolina premiere of Mark Adamo’s Little Women, among other
shows. After completing her MM, she participated in the opera
abroad program Oberlin in Italy. Ms. Wisutherseriwong teaches
private piano lessons at the Music Academy of North Carolina,
where she has served as the official accompanist for the Music
Academy’s Annual Cello Competition for the past three years. She works as a freelance pianist
in the Greensboro area, playing for lessons, rehearsals, masterclasses, and recitals for students
at UNCG, Greensboro College, and Guilford College. Christy has been a chorus accompanist for
several shows with the Greensboro Opera Company, has worked as an accompanist for their
summer opera camp, and has played for musicals for both the UNCG Theatre Department as well
as the Community Theatre of Greensboro.
Fibonacci Chamber Orchestra
Matthew Troy, founder and music director
Violin I
Wayne Reich, concertmaster
Jane York
Megan Morris
Emily Rudder
Laura Doyle
Lisa Gattuso
Violin II
Seung Hee Kwon *
Michael Cummings
Jared Mathews
Andrew Liggit
Viola
Lindsay Parsons *
Patrick Scully
Caitie Leming
Cello
Diane Bonds *
Meaghan Skogen
Kendall Ramseur
Kellie Burgess
Jesse McAdoo
Bass
Rebecca Marland *
Stella Heine
Harp
Clarke Carriker
* principal
Flute and Piccolo
Laura Pritchett *
Caroline Rohm
Oboe and English Horn
Thomas Pappas *
Tom Turanchik
Clarinet
Robyn Brown *
Sara Lloyd
Bassoon
Becky Hammontree *
Amanda Harman
Horns
Mary Pritchett-Boudreault *
Mary Sylvester
Kate Hopper
Philip Kassel
Trumpet
Zac Lee
Wayne Bennett
Trombone
Paul Pietrowski *
Paul Palm
Sean Devlin
Tuba
Brad Slusarczyk
Timpani and Percussion
Mike Austin
Joseph Cox
The Fibonacci Chamber Orchestra would like to recognize the following donors:
Mr. Greg Matthews
Moore Music Company
Mr. & Mrs. Mark Chandler
Mr. Kermit Reel
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Leming
Dr. James B. Macomson
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Alexander
Ms. Jacqueline Miller
Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Slate
Holland Logistics
Mr. & Mrs. Eric and Emily Morgan
Proceeds from “Bravi, tutti!” will be distributed among three
UNCG School of Music funds or projects:
The Richard Cox Vocal Arts Scholarship
The William McIver Pedagogy Lectureship
The Charles A. Lynam Vocal Competition
If you would like to contribute to one or more of these, please circle above,
fill out the form below and mail to:
David Holley, Director of Opera
UNCG School of Music
P.O. Box 26170
Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
Please make your check out to:
UNCG School of Music
Name __________________________
Address __________________________
City ________________ State________ Zip ______________
Upcoming UNCG Opera Theater Events
Vienna!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
3:30 pm
Champagne…waltzing…dinner…silent auction…and…
Act II of Die Fledermaus
J. Strauss
Call 336.334.5493 for information
***************************
The Ballad of Baby Doe
Douglas Moore
March 29-30 and April 1, 2007
***************************
An Evening of Opera
and
Musical Theatre
April 22, 2007
Excerpts from your favorite operas and musicals, including
Porgy and Bess, Showboat, Carousel, South Pacific,
Oklahoma!, La Bohème, Gianni Schicchi, and more!
