Lyric Opera 2019-2020 Issue 8 Madama Butterfly

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 21 DEBORAH NANSTEEL | SUZUKI Previously at Lyric: Siegrune/ Die Walküre (2017|18); Gertrude/ Romeo and Juliet (2015|16). The American mezzo-soprano began 2019|20 at Washington National Opera, where she portrayed Emilia/ Otello and the Second Lady/ The Magic Flute . Among her recent successes have been Marthe/ Faust (WNO), the Mother/ The Consul (Opera Saratoga), Alisa/ Lucia di Lammermoor (her Metropolitan Opera debut role), and roles in several contemporary works: Lucinda/ Cold Mountain (North Carolina Opera, after creating the role in The Santa Fe Opera’s world premiere), Sister Helen/ Dead Man Walking (Opera on the Avalon), and Granma/ The Grapes of Wrath and Grace/ The Summer King (both at Michigan Opera Theatre). Nansteel has also portrayed Nettie Fowler/ Carousel and Elvira/ An American Tragedy at the Glimmerglass Festival. The mezzo-soprano is an alumna of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the young-artist programs of Washington National Opera (works of Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, and Jeanine Tesori), Seattle Opera (Giulietta/ Un giorno di regno , Maddalena/ Rigoletto ), and San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program (Berta/ The Barber of Seville ). ANTHONY CLARK EVANS | SHARPLESS Previously at Lyric: Eleven roles since 2013|14, most recently Riccardo/ I puritani (2017|18); Gregorio/ Romeo and Juliet (2015|16). The Kentucky-born baritone, a Ryan Opera Center alumnus who has portrayed Sharpless at San Francisco Opera and San Diego Opera, reprises the role this season at Opera Philadelphia. Last season Evans starred at Kentucky Opera in his role debut as Rigoletto. His other Puccini roles include Marcello/ La bohème (Dallas, St. Louis) and Lescaut/ Manon Lescaut (this season in San Francisco). Evans scored a great success at The Santa Fe Opera last summer as Zurga/ The Pearl Fishers . Among other recent performances are the Huntsman/ Rusalka (Metropolitan Opera debut), Leporello/ Don Giovanni (Tulsa), Tonio/ Pagliacci (San José), and the Richard Tucker Gala (Carnegie Hall, PBS telecast). Evans represented the U. S. in the 2017 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, reaching the final round. He has previously been a national winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and first-prize winner in the Giulio Gari Foundation Vocal Competition, Marcello Giordani Foundation Competition, and Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition. RODELL ROSEL | GORO Previously at Lyric: 22 roles since 2005|06, most recently Pang/ Turandot (2017|18); Monostatos/ The Magic Flute (2016|17). The Filipino-American tenor, a Ryan Opera Center alumnus, was heard earlier this season as Monostatos/ The Magic Flute (Metropolitan Opera, debut at London’s Royal Opera). Later in the season he will be featured in Ariadne auf Naxos (Phoenix) and The Marriage of Figaro (Los Angeles). Other recent credits include Monostatos and Goro (Seattle), First Jew/ Salome , Spalanzani/ Les contes d’Hoffmann , and Don José/ Carmen (all in Los Angeles), Njegus/ The Merry Widow (Milwaukee), Anthony Candolino/Jake Heggie’s Great Scott (Dallas, world premiere), and Mime/ Siegfried (Houston). Career highlights also include performances at the Metropolitan Opera ( Les contes d’Hoffmann , Der Rosenkavalier ) and at Santa Fe (Paul Moravec’s The Letter , world premiere), Pittsburgh ( Madama Butterfly ), Wolf Trap (John Musto’s Volpone , Grammy nominee), Milwaukee ( Albert Herring ), the Cleveland Orchestra ( Salome ) , and Ravinia ( The Marriage of Figaro , The Magic Flute , Idomeneo ). Rosel is a former Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Finals winner. DAVID WEIGEL | THE BONZE Previously at Lyric: Four roles since 2018|19, most recently First Prison Guard /Dead Man Walking (2019|20); Dr. Grenvil/ La traviata (2018|19). Born in California and raised in North Carolina, the bass-baritone is a second-year Ryan Opera Center member and will also sing Sourin/ The Queen of Spades at Lyric this season. Weigel is an alumnus of Furman University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the A. J. Fletcher Opera Institute, and the University of Michigan. A Michigan District winner of the 2016 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, he performed with San Francisco Opera’s Merola Opera Program in 2017 (Death/ Savitri ) and 2013 (Collatinus/ The Rape of Lucretia ). Weigel, who sang the title role/ The Marriage of Figaro at the Aspen Festival last summer, has also been heard with North Carolina Opera, Greensboro Opera, Piedmont Opera, Asheville Lyric Opera, Opera North, and the Brevard Music Center. David Weigel is sponsored by Lois B. Siegel, Michael and Salme Harju Steinberg, and Mrs. J. W. Van Gorkom . RICARDO JOSÉ RIVERA | PRINCE YAMADORI Previously at Lyric: Baron Douphol/ La traviata , Schaunard/ La bohème (both 2018|19). The Puerto Rican baritone, a second-year member of Lyric’s Ryan Opera Center, has portrayed Guglielmo/ Così fan tutte at the International Vocal Academy of Rome; sung several recitals with the American Masters of Opera Academy in Moscow; and performed as a participant in Tel-Aviv’s International Vocal Arts Institute. He has had repeat engagements at the Performing Arts Center of San Juan and at the University of Puerto Rico Theater, including Don Pasquale , Gianni Schicchi , and Don Quixote/Ravel’s Master Peter’s Puppet Show (part of the 2016 Casals Festival). Rivera recently earned his master’s degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He has also participated in numerous summer programs, including VOICExperience in Savannah and the Aspen Music Festival, where he has appeared in Berlioz’s Béatrice et Bénédict and Luke Bedford’s opera Seven Angels. Ricardo José Rivera is sponsored by the Mrs. Myung S. Chung Family, Dr. David H. Whitney and Dr. Juliana Chyu, and Drs. Joan and Russ Zajtchuk .