Lyric Opera 2019-2020 Issue 9 The Queen of Spades

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 22 EMILY POGORELC | MASHA Previously at Lyric: Three roles since 2018|19, most recently Paralegal/ Dead Man Walking (2019|20); Trainbearer/ Elektra (2018|19). In 2018 the soprano, a Milwaukee native and second-year Ryan Opera Center member, graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music; earned the Ginette Theano Prize for Most Promising Talent at the inaugural Glyndebourne Opera Cup; debuted at Washington National Opera as Cunegonde/ Candide ; and participated in the prestigious Mozart Academy at the Aix-en- Provence Festival. Among other previous successes are Xerxes , L’occasione fa il ladro , and Sweeney Todd (Glimmerglass Festival); Charlie Parker’s Yardbird (New York’s Apollo Theater); and La bohème , L’enfant et les sortilèges , and The Rape of Lucretia (all at Curtis). The soprano has also appeared at Carnegie Hall and with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. She has received first prize in numerous competitions, including The Carolyn Bailey and Dominick Argento Vocal Competition and the Hal Leonard Art Song Competition. Emily Pogorelc is sponsored by Sally and Michael Feder , Ms. Gay K. Stanek , and Jennifer L. Stone . MARIO ROJAS | MAJOR-DOMO Previously at Lyric: Four roles since 2017|18, most recently Alfredo Germont and Gastone de Letorières/ La traviata , Parpignol/ La bohème (all 2018|19). The Mexican tenor, a third-year Ryan Opera Center member, is an alumnus of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Don José/ La tragédie de Carmen , Nemorino/ L’elisir d’amore ). He has portrayed Rodolfo/ La bohème at Mexico City’s Palacio de Bellas Artes. Among the honors Rojas has received are third place in the 2018 Dallas Opera Vocal Competition, winner of the 2018 Metropolitan Opera National Council Illinois District Auditions, and, in 2015, the Marta Eggerth Kiepura Award in the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation International Vocal Competition, third place in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition, and the Emerging Singers Award in the Opera Index Vocal Competition. He has been heard with soprano Nicole Cabell and pianist Craig Terry at the Harris Theater’s Beyond The Aria recital series. Mario Rojas is sponsored by the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation . ERIC FERRING | CHAPLITSKY Previously at Lyric: Five roles since 2018|19, most recently Older Brother/ Dead Man Walking (2019|20); Lurcanio/ Ariodante (2018|19). The Iowa-born tenor, a second-year Ryan Opera Center member, is an alumnus of Drake University and Boston Conservatory. Ferring is a former Pittsburgh Opera resident artist and Santa Fe Opera apprentice artist. He made his role debut as Tamino/ The Magic Flute at the 2019 Verbier Festival and will reprise that role later this season at North Carolina Opera, New Orleans Opera, and The Santa Fe Opera. He has also been heard at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Wolf Trap Opera, and Seagle Music Colony. Last summer he participated in the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme at Snape- Maltings (England) and the Mozart Academy of the Aix-en-Provence Festival. Among Ferring’s honors have been a Sara Tucker Study Grant from The Richard Tucker Foundation and a Career Grant from The Sullivan Foundation. Eric Ferring is sponsored by Richard O. Ryan , Richard W. Shepro and Lindsay E. Roberts , and Cynthia Vahlkamp and Robert Kenyon . ANTHONY REED | NARUMOV Previously at Lyric: Imperial Commissioner/ Madama Butterfly , Second Prison Guard/ Dead Man Walking (both 2019|20). The bass, a first-year Ryan Opera Center member, is an alumnus of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Merola Opera Program. He was recently heard at Wolf Trap Opera portraying Friar Laurence/ Romeo and Juliet . A former Adler Fellow with San Francisco Opera, he has been heard on the company’s mainstage as the King of Egypt/ Aida , the Speaker/ The Magic Flute , and Dr. Grenvil/ La traviata . He has sung Don Basilio/ The Barber of Seville with Annapolis Opera and Haydn’s Creation with North Carolina Master Chorale. Among other roles in his repertoire are Sarastro/ The Magic Flute and Don Magnifico/ La Cenerentola . He has performed with Grammy Award-winning symphony orchestras and some of the world’s most esteemed conductors, among them Nicola Luisotti and Donald Runnicles. Anthony Reed is sponsored by J. Thomas Hurvis . TAYLOR BIBAT | PUPPETEER Lyric debut A graduate of Oberlin College who also trained at the prestigious Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and the National Puppetry Conference, the puppeteer has worked in Chicago with Blair Thomas & Co., Redmoon Theater, Victory Gardens Theater, Oracle Productions, Barrel of Monkeys, and the Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival. She has created and performed short-form work in various styles in Nasty, Brutish and Short: A Puppet Cabaret (co-curator), Puppet Playlist (Sinking Ship Productions, New York), and Puppetzilla Puppet Slam (L.A. Puppet Guild). In addition to producing for Fonco Studios, Bibat’s work in film has included production work on The Addams Family , The Red Line , and for Heather Henson’s Handmade Puppet Dreams . SEAN GARRATT | PUPPETEER Lyric debut Sean Garratt has helped lead numerous puppet workshops and been a puppet consultant for productions and drama schools throughout the U.K., Europe, and the U.S. Important highlights in his puppetry experience include the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony (London), composer Helmut Lachenmann’s The Little Match Girl at the 2016 Spoleto USA festival and The Magic Flute at the Bregenz Festival. Acting credits include performance at Shakespeare’s Globe (London), the National Theatre of Scotland, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and Chicago Opera Theater. He has worked widely as a voiceover artist and has taught clown technique throughout Britain and America. Garratt is an alumnus of the East 15 Acting School (University of Essex).