The Glenn Gould School Opera

Niccolò Piccinni: La Cecchina Libretto by Carlo Goldoni

Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at 7:30 pm Friday, March 17, 2017 at 7:30 pm These are the 702nd and 703rd concerts at Koerner Hall Leslie Dala, conductor Marilyn Gronsdal, director Laura Gardner, set & properties designer Siobhán Sleath, lighting designer Ming Wong, costume designer Lesley Abarquez Bradley*, stage manager Samuel Tam, assistant conductor Anna Theodosakis, assistant director Brahm Goldhamer, répétiteur Rachel Andrist, language coach Courtney Pyke, production manager Andreane Christiansen, assistant stage manager Tamara Vukovic, assistant stage manager John Sharpe, SURTITLESTM Cecchina: Jonelle Sills Mengotto: Kjel Erickson Sandrina: Kendra Dyck Armidoro: Jocelyn Fralick Paoluccia: Lillian Brooks Lucinca, the Marchesa: Lynn Isnar Tagliaferro/The Writer: Bradley Christensen Marchese: Asitha Tennekoon

Royal Conservatory Orchestra

*Lesley Abarquez Bradley appears with the permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Synopsis The villa of the Marchese della Conchiglia, 1963. Cecchina, a young woman of unknown birth, works in the garden of the Marchese della Conchiglia. Mengotto, the factotum, declares his love for her, which she refuses. The Marchese arrives and overcomes Cecchina by declaring his love for her; Cecchina, although she thinks she has feelings for him, finds this confusing and disconcerting and runs away. The Marchese is convinced that she will come around to his way of thinking and enlists Sandrina, a maid, to convince Cecchina of his love. Sandrina is jealous of all the attention paid to Cecchina. She tells the Marchese’s secret to Cavaliere Armidoro, who is engaged to the Marchese’s sister, Lucinda. Horrified by the impropriety of the match, Armidoro declares that he will not wed Lucinda if Cecchina and the Marchese are married. In response, Lucinda summons Cecchina to tell her that she will be sent away to work for the Marchesa’s sister. Cecchina flees after Sandrina and Paoluccia, Lucinda’s maid, slander her to the Marchese and to Mengotto, who believe the women and reject Cecchina.

After Cecchina’s return with Mengotto and subsequent intervention by the Marchese, a German soldier, Tagliaferro appears on the scene. Following an encounter with Mengotto, Tagliaferro explains to the Marchese that he is searching for a young woman who was lost 20 years ago during the war when the German army withdrew from the region – who, as it turns out, is a baroness. Convinced that Cecchina is the lost daughter, the Marchese presents Cecchina with the evidence of her nobility. While Cecchina ponders upon her newfound heritage, the Marchese announces to Armidoro, Lucinda, and rest of the household that he will wed a noble German woman. Jubilation and surprises ensue.

Leslie Dala Conductor Leslie Dala is the Music Director of the Vancouver Bach Choir, the Associate Conductor and Chorus Director of Vancouver Opera, and the Music Director of the Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra. He has worked at The Banff Centre for the Arts, the Canadian Opera Company, the Santa Fe Opera, l’Opera National du Rhin, Edmonton Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, and Saskatoon Opera, and he is a frequent guest conductor with the UBC Opera Ensemble, the COSI Program in Sulmona, Italy, and Soundstreams Canada. This past season’s highlights include a concert in Toronto with soprano Adrianne Pieczonka featuring George Crumb’s Ancient Voices of Children; a debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in a program featuring the Indigo Girls; an 80th birthday gala concert celebrating iconic composer Steve Reich with the composer in attendance; the North American premiere of Philippe Boesmans’s opera Julie with Soundstreams and Canadian Stage Theatre; Carmina Burana, Messiah, and St. Matthew Passion with the Vancouver Bach Choir; Madama Butterfly with Vancouver Opera; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the UBC Opera Ensemble. This season he is guest conducting the Kamloops Symphony and the Thunder Bay Symphony, making his debut at The Glenn Gould School, and conducting Le nozze di Figaro at the inaugural Vancouver Opera Festival as well as Don Giovanni at the COSI Program.

Marilyn Gronsdal Director A native of Saskatchewan, Marilyn Gronsdal began her career in opera in Vancouver before relocating to Toronto to become a member of the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio. She has directed productions for Manitoba Opera (Nosferatu – also writing the libretto with composer Randolph Peters), Saskatoon Opera (Don Pasquale, Carmen, Madama Butterfly), the Canadian Children’s Opera Company (Pirates of Penzance), the University of Toronto Opera Division (Alcina, La finta giardiniera), Opéra de Montréal (Der fliegende Holländer – COC remount), and the Canadian Opera Company (La bohème). In addition, she has worked as an Assistant Director on many productions for the Canadian Opera Company and was the production AD for the COC Ring Cycle. International COC credits include remounting Robert Lepage’s The Nightingale and Other Short Fables at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and productions of Siegfried in Lyon, Oedipus Rex and Symphony of Psalms at the Edinburgh Festival, and La traviata in New Zealand. Ms. Gronsdal also served as a jury member for the Helikon Opera’s inaugural International Competition for Young Opera Directors in Moscow in 2013. In June 2017, she directs Don Giovanni for Saskatoon Opera.

Laura Gardner Set Designer Ms. Gardner’s recent credits include set and costume design of Peter and the Starcatcher (Globe Theatre); Lady Windermere’s Fan, Mad About Munsch, Ideal Husband (GBC); Les Zinspirees 3D (TFT); Parade (Sheridan); and Cunning Little Vixen (Glenn Gould School). She designed sets for Alcina (Glenn Gould School), Kitchen Radio (Blyth), and Jesus Christ Superstar (Hart House), and costumes for Emily’s Piano (YPT), Chess (Sheridan), Canada 3000 (Watermark), and New Jerusalem (Harold Green Jewish Theatre). Finally, she served as stylist for The Hotline Always Blings Twice and Click Bait and Switch (Second City Toronto), and Life, Death and the Blues (TPM). .lauragardnerdesign.ca

Siobhán Sleath Lighting Designer Ms. Sleath’s recent design credits include Miracle on 34th Street, Shrek, A Year with Frog and Toad, The Addams Family (Neptune Theatre); The Ladies Foursome (Theatre Aquarius); The Telephone and The Medium (U of T Opera); Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Avenue Q (Sudbury Theatre Centre); Sexy Laundry (Drayton Entertainment); Therefore Choose Life and Stars of David (Harold Green Jewish Theatre); A Few Brittle Leaves (Buddies in Bad Times); Seismology (Anandam Dancetheatre); Elegies: A Song Cycle (Acting Up Stage); and The Last Resort (Globe Theatre). She was also the associate lighting designer on Sousatzka The Musical as well as Ariodante and Norma at the Canadian Opera Company. She was recently nominated for a Pauline McGibbon Award. .siobhansleathdesign.com

Ming Wong Costume Designer Ming Wong is a Toronto costume designer who works in theatre, film, and television. Recently, she designed Rocking Horse Winner (Tapestry Opera), Gertrude & Alice (Buddies in Bad Times – Dora nomination), and Supers (short film) for Good Film and TV. Ms. Wong continues to create custom clothing and accessories, and offers personal styling and image consulting. Selected credits include Breathing Corpses, Creditors, The River (Coal Mine); Domesticated (Company Theatre/Canadian Stage); Hello Dolly, Merrily We Roll Along (Theatre Sheridan); Pelléas et Mélisande (Against the Grain); The Wanderers (Cahoots); The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble (Obsidian and Factory); Gorey Story (Thistle Project – Dora nomination). mingwongdesign.com

Lesley Abarquez Bradley Stage Manager Lesley Abarquez Bradley is excited to be returning to The Glenn Gould School, following the successful run of Cendrillon last fall. Previous stage management credits for The GGS include Alcina, La belle Hélène, The Cunning Little Vixen, and A Silent Serenade. Working primarily in opera for the past 20 years, she has stage managed for the Canadian Opera Company, Against the Grain Theatre, Tapestry Opera, Canadian Children’s Opera Company, University of Toronto Opera School, Queen of Puddings, and The Banff Centre.

Brahm Goldhamer Répétiteur Brahm Goldhamer is one of Toronto’s most experienced and respected collaborators and vocal coaches. He has performed across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, and is in great demand as recital collaborator with some of Canada’s most celebrated soloists. For the past 35 years, he has been a faculty member of The Royal Conservatory of Music and The Glenn Gould School. His performances include work with Opera in Concert, Toronto Operetta Theatre, CBC’s “Music Around Us,” the Elora Festival, Debut Atlantic, and Opera Anonymous. He was nominated for a Dora Award for Best Musical Direction following his work with Comus Music Theatre. Since 1990, Mr. Goldhamer has worked in Italy as music director and vocal coach in a variety of educational settings and summer music festivals, including Oberlin at Casalmaggiore and Flagstaff in Fidenza. In addition, he has worked for several summers as a music director and collaborator with Highlands Opera Studio in Haliburton, Ontario, with Co-Artistic Directors, Canadian tenor Richard Margison and Metropolitan Opera director Valerie Kuinka. During the summer of 2015, he worked as music director with the Maritime Concert Opera in their production of I pagliacci. For the past two years, Mr. Goldhamer has also presented solo piano recitals devoted to the music of Franz Schubert in the Temerty Theatre. He has been a choral director and music director at a number of synagogues within Toronto and currently is Music Director at Beth Sholom Congregation.

Anna Theodosakis Assistant Director Director Anna Theodosakis graduated from The University of Toronto last spring with a Diploma in Operatic Stage Direction. She had the honour of being the first student director of a UofT Opera mainstage production with The Medium. She is currently the resident stage director for Indie T.O. company, MYOpera, having directed The Rape of Lucretia last season, and she will be directing their 2017 production of L’italiana in Algeri. She is also the resident stage director of the Canadian Art Song Project and is collaborating with the Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio this spring on a new commission. Ms. Theodosakis was the assistant director for Paul Curran’s Lucretia at The Banff Centre and adapted the production for the Toronto Summer Music Festival. Other summer directing credits include Manitoba Underground Opera’s The Magic Flute and Muskoka Opera Festival’s Eugene Onegin. She most recently directed Opera Laurier’s The Tales of Hoffmann. Also a choreographer, she choreographed for Toronto companies such as the CCOC and UofT Opera, including their hit production of Orphée aux enfers this fall. She is delighted to work with Marilyn Gronsdal and the students of The Glenn Gould School in this beautiful space.

Royal Conservatory Orchestra Joaquin Valdepeñas, Resident Conductor The Royal Conservatory Orchestra (RCO), part of the Temerty Orchestral Program, is widely regarded as an outstanding ensemble and one of the best training orchestras in North America. The Conservatory’s orchestral students gain critical performance experience in the acoustically renowned Koerner Hall, as well as invaluable musical insights by being led by such distinguished conductors as Gábor Takács-Nagy, Johannes Debus, Bramwell Tovey, and Tito Muñoz this season; past guest conductors have included Sir Roger Norrington, Peter Oundjian, Leon Fleisher, Mario Bernardi, Richard Bradshaw, Ivars Taurins, Julian Kuerti, Tania Miller, Nathan Brock, Uri Mayer, and Lior Shambadal. The RCO ensures that instrumental students in the Performance Diploma Program and the Artist Diploma Program of The Glenn Gould School graduate with extensive orchestral performance experience. Additionally, at least two winners of The Glenn Gould School Concerto Competition have the opportunity to appear each year as soloists with the RCO. Graduates of the RCO have joined the ranks of the greatest orchestras in the world, including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the BBC Orchestra, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic, Tafelmusik, the Hallé Orchestra of Manchester, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Leipzig Gewandhaus. The RCO has been invited to perform at the Isabel Bader Performing Arts Centre in Kingston this season, has been heard on CBC Radio, and has toured China during the 2004-05 season.