DRESS REHEARSAL PHOTOS - MAY 29, 2008

Renowned American conductor Richard Buckley has been heralded by critics across the world for his dynamic contributions to both the orchestral and operatic genres. His extraordinary career includes performing with some of the world’s great opera companies: Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Washington Opera, New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Seattle Opera, Baltimore Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia and L'Opéra de Montréal. Maestro Buckley serves as Principal Conductor for Austin Lyric Opera as well as Cleveland Lyric Opera.

Rod Caspers' recent directorial credits include Assassins, University of Texas at Austin, Slammer! for New York Fringe Festival, and Ah, Wilderness! for St. Edwards University. Upcoming productions he will direct include State of Tomorrow, PBS Television Services/Public Awareness Project. He currently serves as Director of Creative Services for the Chancellor's Office at the University of Texas System.

Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle for her “bright presence both vocally and theatrically,” soprano Suzanne Ramo has made a brilliant start to her career. A former Adler Fellow, she debuted with San Francisco Opera as Woglinde and the Forest Bird in their 1999 Der Ring des Nibelungen Festival and soon was starring in the title role in The Ballad of Baby Doe. Other company appearances have included Papagena in Die Zauberflöte and Countess Olga Sukarev in Fedora as part of the Viva Domingo! Gala. She also appeared in San Francisco Opera Center’s Showcase, singing the title role in Cavalli’s La Calisto, and as Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring. In 2003, Ms. Ramo returned to San Francisco for her role debut as the Queen of the Night. Most recently, she has been heard with Utah Opera, Colorado Music Festival, in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, and Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Victoria Symphony.

A 1998 national finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Ms. Ramo made her professional debut as Papagena during her apprenticeship with Austin Lyric Opera. She has since returned to Austin as Zerlina in Don Giovanni and as Stella in a new production of Andre Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire. She has also performed in Rigoletto, Der Rosenkavalier, Semele, Falstaff, Die Fledermaus, Le Nozze di Figaro, The Turn of the Screw, Cosi fan Tutte , and La Traviata. Equally accomplished on the concert stage, Ms. Ramo has been heard in the Brahms Requiem, Mozart’s Mass in c minor, Handel’s Messiah and Poulenc’s Gloria, and recently as the Seraph in Beethoven’s Christus am Ölberge with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in San Francisco.

Joseph Evans has appeared as leading tenor at La Scala, Ireland's Wexford Festival, the New Israeli Opera, English National Opera, Welsh National Opera, Opera de Nantes, Orleans, and Nancy, La Fenice in Venice, Austria's Bregenzer Festspiele, the Grand Thêatre de Genève in Switzerland, and the New York City Opera. During recent seasons, Mr. Evans sang the role of Curley in the Houston Grand Opera, Bregenz, Austria, and Washington, D.C. productions of Carlisle Floyd's Of Mice and Men, Captain Vere in the HGO, Seattle Opera, and the New Israeli Opera productions of Billy Budd , Herod in Salome and the Prison Chaplain in Dead Man Walking with the Austin Lyric Opera, the title role in the Tokyo, Japan production of Peter Grimes , and appeared in both Eugene Onegin and The Makropulos Affair in Houston.

During the last two seasons at HGO, he premiered the role of Richard Smythe in Jake Heggie's The End of the Affair and the role of General Garcia in the premiere of Daniel Catan's Salsipuedes. Upcoming appearances in Houston will include Boris Gudonov, L'Incoronazione di Poppea, and La Nozze di Figaro. In the United States he has sung leading tenor roles during eight seasons with the New York City Opera, as well as guest appearances with major American opera companies including the Houston Grand Opera, Washington, San Diego, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Palm Beach, Boston and Cleveland. His concert appearances include performances with the New York Philharmonic, the Tokyo Philharmonic, Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Atlanta, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis Symphonies, the Orchestre L'Ile de France in Paris and the Radio-Symphonie Orchester of Berlin. Mr. Evans teaches at the University of Houston.

Since his San Francisco Opera Debut in 1974, tenor Joseph Frank has specialized in the lyric character tenor repertoire. In a career spanning over 34 years, the tenor has sung over 80 roles. He made his Metropolitan Opera and European debuts in 1979. In addition to the Metropolitan and San Francisco Opera, the tenor appears regularly with other leading opera companies here and abroad, including the opera companies of Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, Washington, San Diego and Santa Fe. As a recitalist and oratorio specialist, he has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Symphonies of Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis and Atlanta. Most recently, the tenor appeared in the highly successful Ariadne auf Naxos in a production by famed film director, William Friedkin, Tosca, with Samuel Ramey and Salvatore Licitra both with the Los Angeles Opera; a new production of Marriage of Figaro for the Austin Lyric Opera and Die Fledermaus for San Diego Opera. Other engagements include Turandot, Boris Godunov, Madama Butterfly, the world premiere of Nicholas and Alexandra with Placido Domingo, and La Fanciulla del West. He joined the School of Music and Dance at San José State University in 1991 as Professor of Voice. He regularly gives master classes in voice and opera and has been an adjudicator for numerous musical organizations throughout the country. Future engagements include Boris Godunov for the San Diego Opera.

A versatile baritone, Mr. Small has established himself as a gifted singing actor. Equally comfortable with comedy or drama, his repertoire is richly varied. He debuted his Figaro in Il Barbiere di Sivilgia for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and subsequently has had tremendous success with the role. He made his Austin Lyric Opera debut in this signature role. Mr. Small’s Figaro has charmed audiences for the opera companies of Nevada, Dayton, Toledo, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Chicago Opera Theater, Des Moines Metro Opera , Fresno Grand Opera and on tour in France and Spain with Il Teatro Lyrico d’Europa. Mr. Small has also performed with Nevada Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Pensacola Opera, Sacramento Opera, Santa Barbara Opera, Cincinatti Opera, Nashville Opera, El Paso Opera, Toledo Opera, and Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, among others.

Mr. Small’s roles with the Austin Lyric Opera include Figaro in Barber of Seville, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Valentin in Faust, Sonora in Fanciulla del West, and Marcello in La Boheme. In addition to being an accomplished performer, Mr. Small adds another credit to his busy schedule: assistant professor of music on the voice faculty and opera department at the University of Texas at Austin School of Music and Co-director of the Astoria Music Festival Vocal Academy. As a soloist, Mr. Small has appeared in concert with The Milwaukee Symphony, Louisville Symphony Pops, St. Louis Symphony, Cincinnati May Festival, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, Canton Symphony, Missouri Symphony, and Bravo! Colorado Music Festival. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in the Lord Nelson Mass and Schubert Mass in G with conductor John Rutter.

Alicia Berneche has already attracted attention as a major proponent of new compositions, bringing to them a unique, beautifully produced sound and an extraordinary acting talent. She has appeared on the stages of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Goodman Theatre, the Barbican, and BAM in the world premiere of Philip Glass’s Galileo Galilei, Portland Opera, Opera Festival of New Jersey, Skylight Opera, Lyric Opera Center, Orlando Opera, Washington Summer Opera, Annapolis Opera, Opera North, and was on the roster of the Metropolitan Opera. During the past few seasons, she has performed with the Kentucky Opera, Arizona Opera and Pine Mountain Music Festival, Opera Pacific, and Sarasota Opera. She also debuted with Austin Lyric Opera as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro. Ms. Berneche’s concert experience is equally varied and extensive. She has performed with the Chicago Chamber Musicians and appears regularly with the Honolulu Symphony.

Tonio DiPaolo's prominent career earns the tenor accolades of praise on stages throughout North America and Europe, including the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Canadian Opera Company, Houston Grand Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Washington Opera, Seattle Opera, San Francisco Opera, Cologne Opera, L'Opéra de Montréal, Minnesota Opera, Portland Opera, Arizona Opera, Baltimore Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera Omaha, Manitoba Opera, Opera Company of Boston, Austin Lyric Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Opera Columbus, New Orleans Opera, Miami Opera, Opera Colorado, and Toledo Opera, among others. Most recently, Mr. DiPaolo was seen at Atlanta Opera in Aida, Austin Lyric Opera and Cleveland Opera in Turandot, Arizona Opera in Rigoletto, as well as performances in La Fanciulla del West with Austin Lyric Opera, a concert performance of La boheme with the Spokane Symphony, Utah Opera in I Pagliacci, and Central City Opera in Carmen.

A popular figure on the concert stages in many metropolitan areas, Mr. DiPaolo made his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra as a soloist in the Verdi Requiem, and has also sung the Requiem at the Edinburgh Festival, at Carnegie Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra, and with the Buffalo Philharmonic. The tenor has appeared at the Spoleto festival in Charleston, South Carolina, and Spoleto, Italy, as well as at the Ravinia festival and the Aspen Music festival.

As an orchestral soloist, Mr. Malis has appeared at Carnegie Hall, with the BBC Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and with the Minnesota Orchestra. He has appeared in concert in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, Cardiff, Cincinnati and Stockholm’s Royal Palace. He has served as Opera Director of the Crested Butte Music Festival for ten years, and the St. Barts Music Festival for twelve. He has also served as a judge for The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Recent engagements include a critically acclaimed role debut as Kurwenal in a recording of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde for Titanic Records. Mr. Malis is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of the Frost Opera Theater at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

Ev Lunning, Frosch

Professor Ev Lunning has performed parts as varied as Mayor Shinn in The Music Man for Austin Musical Theatre and Grumio in the State Theater Company’s The Taming of the Shrew. To prepare to play King Arthur in Camelot, Lunning took voice lessons and loved it so much he still studies singing. His voice also has won national recognition for the Texas State Library’s Talking Books program. He even narrates video games like Wing Commander II. But his voice isn’t his only instrument. Lunning took up the cello at age 10 and, with Brother George Klawitter, CSC, founded the St. Edward’s University String Quartet. He loves playing to wind down the day. Most of all, his musical inclinations keep him learning: “A teacher should always be learning something so as never to lose touch with the feeling of the learning process — the confusion, the frustration and then the breakthrough."

Brian Joyce has performed with opera companies in Europe and the United States, including Opera Cleveland, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Dallas Opera, Austin Lyric Opera and the Oldenburgerische Staatstheater. His roles range the gamut of styles and periods, including Tamino (Die Zauberflöte), Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus), Male Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia), and Sam (Street Scene). From his professional debut as Parpingol in a Dallas Opera La Bohème in 1999, Mr. Joyce has managed to bring the same level of professionalism to roles small and great.

Recent roles include the First Guard and First Soldier in the American premiere of Philip Glass' Waiting for the Barbarians with Austin Lyric Opera and the Fourth Jew (Salome) in the inaugural performance of Opera Cleveland. He served as resident artist/teacher at the SolFest Opera Seminar, sponsored by the Key West (Florida) Symphony in June 2007.

Mr. Joyce's education began at the University of North Texas, where he received his Bachelor of Music degree. He completed his Master of Music at Stephen F. Austin State University and pursued doctoral work at the University of Texas at Austin before leaving for Germany and contracts with Opera companies in Oldenburg (making his European debut in 2003) and Düsseldorf.

As the 2005 National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist Winner in Woman’s Voice, a 2005 Metropolitan Opera District Winner, a Metropolitan Opera Mid-South Regional Finalist, a 2006 International Opera Singer Competition Finalist, and the Rosenblatt Award winner of the 2006 Connecticut Opera Guild Young Artist Competition, Mela (mee-la) Dailey has command of both her instrument and the stage. Ms. Dailey has received recognition in a wide variety of musical genres including opera, oratorio, art song, musical theater, vocal jazz, gospel, country, and popular music. Ms. Dailey made her professional debut at Carnegie Hall in 2003 with the Grammy nominated Conspirare Company of Voices directed by Craig Hella Johnson. She has been a recipient of the New York University Talent Scholarship for achievement in musical theater, a winner of the Second Annual University of Texas Opera Gala Aria Competition, and was selected as a New Young Artist with the Victoria Bach Festival.

Most recently, Ms. Dailey sang at the Staunton Music Festival, with the Amarillo Opera, and with the Opera Company of Brooklyn. She is Artist-in-Residence with the Amarillo Opera, and has been heard in recital in Minneapolis, Louisville, Lexington, Roanoke, and San Antonio. She will appear in concert with the Corinthian Symphony Orchestra of Klagenfurt. Future engagements include soprano soloist in Poulenc’s Gloria and the role of Adele in Die Fledermaus with the Amarillo Opera. Recent engagements included performances of the role of Ines in Il Trovatore with Austin Lyric Opera, Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore with the Opera Company of Brooklyn, performances with the Austin Symphony and Chorus Austin, as well as concerts with the Puigcerda Festival in Spain.