Opera Lafayette 19/20 Season Brochure

Opera Lafayette
REAWAKENING MASTERPIECES FOR 25 YEARS

Opera
Lafayette
Ryan Brown, Artistic Director
Diana Hossack, Executive Director
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dorsey C. Dunn, Co-Chair
Nizam P. Kettaneh, Co-Chair
Adrienne Jamieson, Treasurer
Stephen E. Kitchen, Secretary
Annelyse Allen, At-Large Member
Cheryl Gorelick, At-Large Member
Ross Ain
Walter R. Arnheim
Catia G. Chapin
Marifé Hernandez
Susan A. Lynner
Leonard H. Ralston
Daniel B. Silver
JoAnn Willis
LIFE MEMBERS
OF THE BOARD
Yoko Arthur
Joel Brenner
Marie-Hélène Forget
Bill Gradison
J. Cari Elliott Gradison
Louis Hering
Vivianne C. Lake
Sophia Lynn
Chris O’Flinn
Joan Simon
Brian Vogel
NEW YORK
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE
Janet Desforges
James David Draper
Francis Dubois
Jean-Paul Fouchécourt
Anne Mackinnon
Ishtar Méjanès
Catherine S. Michaelson
Annie Pampanini
Theodora Simons
Dear Friends,
Over the last 25 years we have often described Opera Lafayette’s work as bringing
operatic history alive, the “avant old guard,” or making old things new. As the best of our
performances and recordings show, we have done so with an emotional warmth and
suppleness of expression, a careful consideration of words and poetry, and a constant
sense of adventure.
Those values are also found in Amy Severson’s watercolors created to tell families the stories of the operas
we perform, three of which are included in this brochure. As her works show, every opera is a collaborative
effort in which we achieve things none of us could have imagined doing alone, from the musical to the
visual. We try to sing as one as we take new operatic journeys, and this season we ask you to join us for three
new productions, including one modern premiere!
Our first program, John Blow and Anne Kingsmill Finch’s Venus and Adonis (1683), an English chamber
opera inspired by 17th-century French models, highlights some of the extraordinary talents of the next
generation while recapturing the intimacy which has been a hallmark of Opera Lafayette’s performances
from the beginning. In Washington, we return for these special performances to what is now The George
Washington University Flagg Building , Corcoran School of the Arts and Design; in New York we make our
debut in the extraordinary warm acoustics and ambiance of El Museo del Barrio, on 5th Avenue’s Museum
Mile.
Our second program, the centerpiece of Opera Lafayette’s season, is a production of Beethoven’s Leonore
(1805), the composer’s first version of his opera Fidelio. Following Opera Lafayette’s celebrated modern
premiere and DVD of Gaveaux and Bouilly’s 1798 Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal, these performances
highlight both the 18th-century roots and revolutionary appeal of Beethoven’s masterpiece. With Leonore,
we return to The Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater and then perform and film Beethoven’s original
version in New York at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College.
Our final program is a unique recreation of a popular crowd-pleaser. Revisiting the original spirit of
18th-century opéra-comique, Opera Lafayette translates and updates Philidor’s 1761 Le Maréchal ferrant
(The Blacksmith) to the American West. The opera explores and celebrates rural themes and audience
participation, traveling from opera houses in southwestern Colorado to Washington and New York.
Perhaps no other Opera Lafayette season has featured such a variety of opera. Following these emotional,
dramatic, and comic journeys, however, all three operas conclude in a final unifying chorus: Venus and
Adonis’ chorus mourns lost love; Leonore’s celebrates virtue and freedom, and The Blacksmith’s extols us to
“Strike while the iron’s hot.”
Come forge some wonderful memories and sing along with us as we celebrate our 25th anniversary!
Ryan Brown

2019/2020 25th-Anniversary Season
Venus and Adonis (1683)
JOHN BLOW, composer | ANNE KINGSMILL FINCH, librettist
NOVEMBER 21 AND 23 + , 2019, 7:00 P.M.
Flagg Building, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, The George Washington University
500 17th Street NW, Washington, DC
NOVEMBER 22, 2019, 7:00 P.M.
El Museo del Barrio | 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street, New York, NY
Leonore (1805)
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN, composer | JOSEPH SONNLEITHNER, librettist
FEBRUARY 26, 2020, 7:00 P.M.
Eisenhower Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC
MARCH 2, 2020, 7:00 P.M.
The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College | 695 Park Ave, New York, NY
Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith) (1761)
FRANÇOIS ANDRÉ DANICAN PHILIDOR, composer
English translation by NICK OLCOTT, from the French libretto by FRANÇOIS-ANTOINE QUÉTANT
May 11, 2020, 7:00 P.M.
Terrace Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC
May 14 + , 2020, 7:00 P.M.
El Museo del Barrio | 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street, New York, NY
+
indicates that an Opera Lafayette benefit will be held in conjunction with these two performances.
For more information, contact Katherine Offutt, Development and Special Events Associate, 202.546.9332, ext. 606 or KatherineOffutt@OperaLafayette.org.

JOHN BLOW
Venus and Adonis
NOVEMBER 21 & 23, 2019, 7:00 P.M.
FLAGG BUILDING, CORCORAN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AND DESIGN
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | WASHINGTON, DC
NOVEMBER 22, 2019, 7:00 P.M.
El Museo del Barrio | New York, NY
Venus and Adonis painting by Amy Severson.

Venus and Adonis (1683)
JOHN BLOW, composer
ANNE KINGSMILL FINCH, librettist
November 21 and 23 + , 2019, 7:00 P.M.
Flagg Building, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, The George Washington University
Performance sung in English
Produced in collaboration with The Corcoran School of Arts and Design, Music Program of The George Washington
University in Washington, DC
Opera Lafayette opens its 25th-anniversary season featuring the 21st-century’s next generation of leadership in early
music and dance. These brilliant young artists present Venus and Adonis, the French-inspired chamber opera which
prefigured Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.
In librettist Anne Kingsmill Finch’s version of this pastoral myth, Venus, the goddess of Love, encourages her lover Adonis
to heed the call of the hunt, which he does only reluctantly. Created for the English court, where Venus was played by
the king’s mistress and Cupid by their daughter, this ultimately tragic tale is interspersed with humorous scenes that
poke fun of courtiers while extolling the virtues of shepherds and true love.
Single Tickets: $25 - $105
Purchase: OperaLafayette.org | 202.546.9332, ext. 1
These performances are supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
+ On Saturday, November 23, Venus and Adonis will be a part of Opera Lafayette’s annual DC Benefit. To learn more about attending all the
festivities, including a Special Patron Recital in the Salon Doré and a reception, dinner, award presentation, and a special performance by Lea
Desandre and Thomas Dunford, contact Katherine Offutt, Development and Special Events Associate, 202.546.9332, ext. 606 or
KatherineOffutt@OperaLafayette.org.

Thomas Dunford
Julia Bengtsson
Lea Desandre
ARTISTIC TEAM
Thomas Dunford, Guest Music Direction
Julia Bengtsson *, Choreography / Stage Direction
Anna Kjellsdotter *, Costumes
Douglas Williams
Sarah Shafer
Véronique Filloux
CAST
Lea Desandre, Venus
Douglas Williams, Adonis
Sarah Shafer *, Cupid
Cupids, Hunters: Véronique Filloux,
Patrick Kilbride, Daniel Moody *,
and Jonathan Woody
Patrick Kilbride
Daniel Moody
Jonathan Woody
DANCERS
Julia Bengtsson
Matthew Ting
MUSICIANS
Thomas Dunford, lute and continuo
Loretta O’Sullivan, cello and continuo
Violaine Cochard *, harpsichord and continuo
Ryan Brown and Jacob Ashworth, violins
Kyle Miller, viola
Anthony Manzo, bass
Nina Stern, recorder
Meg Owens, oboe and recorder
* Opera Lafayette debut
Venus and Adonis by Antonio Canova. Photo by Rama.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Leonore
FEBRUARY 26, 2020, 7:00 P.M.
Eisenhower Theater at The Kennedy Center | Washington, DC
MARCH 2, 2020, 7:00 P.M.
The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College | New York, NY
Leonore painting by Amy Severson.

Leonore (1805)
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN, composer
JOSEPH SONNLEITHNER, librettist
February 26, 2020, 7:00 P.M.
Eisenhower Theater at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC
Performance sung in German with English supertitles
The centerpiece of Opera Lafayette’s 25th-anniversary season is Beethoven’s Leonore (1805), the composer’s first version
of his opera Fidelio. The company’s first opera sung in German and its largest production to date, these performances
are the culmination of Opera Lafayette’s Leonore Project, which aims to recapture the origins of this touchstone of the
operatic canon.
The story of bravery and injustice speaks to us today. A wife disguised as a man seeks to rescue her husband, wrongfully
imprisoned and awaiting his death. The score, filled with heartbreaking arias, delightful love duets, and transcendent
choral and instrumental works, is recognized as among the most powerful opera compositions.
This season’s production of the Beethoven Leonore follows the company’s 2017 modern premiere of Gaveaux and
Bouilly’s Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal (1798), which was released earlier this year on DVD on the Naxos label. Drawing
from memories of Opera Lafayette’s acclaimed performance or after watching the DVD, audiences will have a unique
opportunity to hear the close relationship between these two works.
Single Tickets: $25 - $135
Purchase: OperaLafayette.org | 202.546.9332, ext. 1
Kennedy-Center.org | 202.467.4600
Beethoven’s Leonore is supported by the Wage Foundation.

Oriol Tomas
Laurence Mongeau
Ryan Brown
ARTISTIC TEAM
Oriol Tomas, Stage Director
Laurence Mongeau, Set and Costume Designer
Rob Siler, Lighting Designer
Ryan Brown, Conductor
Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus
Nathalie Paulin
Pascale Beaudin
Jean-Michel Richer
Norman Patzke
Stephen Hegedus
Keven Geddes
CAST
Nathalie Paulin, Leonore
Jean-Michel Richer, Florestan
Stephen Hegedus *, Rocco
Pascale Beaudin, Marcelline
Norman Patzke # , Pizarro
Keven Geddes, Jaquino
Alexandre Sylvestre, Don Fernando
Alexandre Sylvestre
* Opera Lafayette debut
# US debut

FRANÇOIS-ANDRÉ DANICAN PHILIDOR
Le Maréchal ferrant
(The Blacksmith)
MAY 11, 2020, 7:00 P.M.
Terrace Theater at The Kennedy Center | Washington, DC
MAY 14, 2020, 7:00 P.M.
El Museo del Barrio | New York, NY
Le Maréchal ferrant painting by Amy Severson.

Le Maréchal ferrant (1761)
(The Blacksmith)
FRANÇOIS ANDRÉ DANICAN PHILIDOR, composer
English translation by NICK OLCOTT
Adaptation by NICK OLCOTT and RYAN BROWN
from the French libretto by FRANÇOIS-ANTOINE QUÉTANT
May 11, 2020, 7:00 P.M.
Terrace Theater at The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
Arias will be sung in French, but text and American songs will be performed in English.
Opera Lafayette presents the modern premiere of Philidor’s Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith) (1761), bridging city
and country and celebrating rural themes and audience participation. The company will rehearse and present the debut
performance in the Mancos Opera House in southwestern Colorado before bringing the performances to Washington,
DC and New York.
For the first time Opera Lafayette translates an 18th-century French opéra-comique to be sung and spoken in English,
recapturing the humor and immediacy of the original by adapting the story to the late 19th-century American West
and integrating American folk songs into the plot where French folk songs were originally sung. The folk songs include
familiar tunes like “Buffalo Gals” which invite audience participation as well as ones with insightful social commentary
like “When I was Single” and “Darlin’ Corey”. Prepare to sing along with our cast!
Single Tickets: $25 - $120
Purchase: OperaLafayette.org | 202.546.9332, ext. 1
Kennedy-Center.org | 202.467.4600
Philidor’s Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith) is supported in part by Opera America.

Nick Olcott
Lisa Schlenker
Marsha LeBoeuf
ARTISTIC TEAM
Nick Olcott, Direction and Translation
Nick Olcott and Ryan Brown, Adaption
Lisa Schlenker *, Scenic Design
Marsha LeBoeuf *, Costume Design
Keri Thibodeau *, Lighting Design
Laurent Deleuil
Pascale Beaudin
Véronique Filloux
CAST
Laurent Deleuil *, Marcel
Pascale Beaudin, Claudine
Véronique Filloux, Jeannie
Jack Swanson *, Cody
Frank Kelley *, Slim MacBride / Banjo
Jonathan Woody, Eustis
Jack Swanson
Frank Kelley
Jonathan Woody
MUSICIANS
Ryan Brown, violin
Gary Cook *, guitar/banjo
Doug Balliett, contrabass
Ryan Brown
Gary Cook
Doug Balliett
* Opera Lafayette debut
The first blacksmith shop in West Union, Custer County, Nebraska. Photo by Solomon D. Butcher.

Tickets
In honor of our 25th anniversary season, Opera Lafayette is offering 25% of our ticket inventory for only $25.
Single Ticket Prices
Venus and Adonis Leonore The Blacksmith
Gold $105 $135 $120
Silver $80 $105 $93
Bronze $60 $80 $70
Green $50
25 Club $25 $25 $25
Single tickets may be purchased through Opera Lafayette’s Box Office: OperaLafayette.org | 202.546.9332, ext. 1
Subscribe!
Buy tickets to multiple productions, and you receive several subscriber benefits that save you money and enhance your
Opera Lafayette experience.
Save!
• 20% when you buy tickets to all three productions or 10% when you buy tickets to two productions.
• $5.00 / ticket as Opera Lafayette waives per ticket administration fees for subscribers.
• Discounts on tickets for Community Engagement events.
Seats!
• Sit in the best seats in the house. We seat subscribers first.
• Enjoy your seats from season to season. When you renew, every effort is made to provide subscribers with the same
seat(s) in the same venue or comparable seats in new venues.
Service!
• Resolve any ticket issues by contacting Opera Lafayette without the hassle of calling our various venues.
• Reduce your incoming email. We will not send advertisements about our productions to our subscribers.
Smile and Enjoy!
• Participate in online lectures presented by Ryan Brown. NEW!
• Access to information about upcoming productions.
• Receive an informative email in advance of each performance with information that will enhance your evening.

Community Engagement
Offering Experiences for All Stages of Life
Opera Lafayette is committed to inspiring a public appreciation for forgotten repertoire through audience engagement
programs for people of all ages. Throughout the years, Opera Lafayette has been consistently increasing its community
engagement efforts, and during our 25th anniversary we present a culmination of these efforts.
Opera Starts with Oh!
Last season, Opera Lafayette piloted a family program, which unravels the many elements of opera through play and
immersive activities for families. Each atelier is centered around the story of an upcoming Opera Lafayette production
and explores a different element of what makes opera magical. With the help of teaching artists and visiting performing
artists and designers, families will sing, dance, design, and more!
The Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital
921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, DC
Saturday, January 18, 2020, 3:00 p.m. – Designed to Empower: Leonore
Saturday, April 4, 2020, 3:00 p.m. – How the West Was Sung: Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith)
Left: A participant of Opera Starts with Oh! dresses as royalty. (@2019 Richard Corman) Center: Theorbist Arash Noori watches on as Emma Jaster tells an opera story for a rapt audience of families at Opera
Starts with Oh! at Carousel of Languages in New York. (@ 2019 Richard Corman) Right: Choreographer/Dancer Julia Bengsston teaches children and adults a baroque dance at Opera Starts with Oh! at The Hill
Center at the Old Naval Hospital in Washington, DC (@2019 Ersian François)

Opera for Tweens and Teens
Opera Lafayette has been introducing early opera to youth in middle and high schools for many years. Most recently,
we have partnered with Bowie High School, Paul Public Charter School, and Woodrow Wilson High School. We work
with each school to design a unique program based on the focus of the teacher and the class curriculum. Past programs
have been designed around female empowerment for our production of Gaveaux’s Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal, the
European perspective of the American Indian in the 1800s and its impact on Opera Lafayette’s production of Rameau’s
Les Sauvages, and encouraging children to take a stand against bullies building on the Bible’s iconic story featured in
Stradella’s La Susanna. If you are interested in presenting an in-school program, contact Ersian François, Artist Services
and Community Engagement Manager, at ErsianFrancois@OperaLafayette.org or 202.546.9332, ext. 608.
Members of The Bowie Center for the Performing Arts’ Youth Production Arts Program gather around artists choreographer/stage director Seán Curran and Ryan Brown after a dance master class.
(@2019 Ersian François)
Opera Lafayette at The Bowie Center for the Performing Arts
Opera Lafayette is pleased to partner with The Bowie Center for the Performing Arts in the joint mission of adding to the
cultural offerings in Bowie, MD. Last year, we presented three masterclasses highlighting two of our staged productions
to the Center’s youth production arts program, and the Center presented a preview performance of Handel’s Radamisto.

Due to overwhelming and positive feedback, the two organizations are collaborating again. Opera Lafayette will present
four masterclasses around all three productions, and the Center will present a preview performance of our Leonore by
Beethoven on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 4:00 p.m.
Members of Opera Lafayette’s Young Patrons at Old Europe in Washington, DC at OperaToberfest.
(@ 2017 Emily Sakowitz )
Opera for Young Adults
While Opera Lafayette is committed to preserving
historically significant works, we also believe that
these works should be presented in imaginative
ways to illuminate its relevance to our modern
world. Through our established partnership with
Stanford in Washington, we have been able to
engage in meaningful conversations with young
adults about what the arts mean to their generation
through intimate concerts and talks, pre-show
lectures, and post-performance conversations. And,
sometimes we just have fun, like at OperaToberfest!
Opera for Adults
Pre-performance discussions with Ryan Brown are a long-standing company tradition
that regularly attract standing-room-only audiences to learn more about the opera
being performed, its musical and historical relevance, and hear insider updates about
the evening’s production and performance. This event takes place one-hour before
nearly every Opera Lafayette performance. (This season the only exception is the
Saturday, November 23, 2019 performance of Venus and Adonis.)
These pre-performance discussions are so popular that this season Opera Lafayette
is offering an online discussion provided by Ryan approximately one-month before
each production. Donors of $100 and above are invited to attend one of the season’s
live events, and subscribers are invited to participate online during the live event. The
event will be available to download for everyone who is interested in learning more.
Ryan Brown gives a pre-performance discussion at
the Kennedy Center (@ 2018 Diana Hossack)
Opera Lafayette also performs at local events and in public performances throughout the Washington, DC and NY metro
areas. We have presented season preview programs, performed in private homes, Embassies, and branches of DC Public
Library, and been invited to perform for such prestigious events as “France in the White House” presented by The White
House Historical Association.

Ryan Brown and Soprano Jaely Chamberlain Turner, an Opera Lafayette Young Artist alum, performed at the seminar "France in the White House" presented by The White House Historical Assocation.
This season we are expanding our community offerings to include events in advance of performance day and presented
in venues throughout various New York and Washington, DC neighborhoods. These events are intended for our regular
patrons who are attracted to gaining a more holistic understanding of our season’s operas. These events are also
designed with opera novices in mind. We want to connect people from other arts and humanities disciplines, and even
other sectors, to opera, and pique their interest in opera as it relates to their advocation or vocations. Here are just some
examples of events already on our calendar.

Pop-Up Exhibition: “Written by a Lady”
In partnership with the Folger Shakespeare Library
Thursday, November 14, 2019, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Paster Reading Room, Folger Shakespeare Library
In collaboration with the Folger Shakespeare Library, we explore the libretto for John Blow’s Venus and Adonis,
based on Shakespeare’s poem, along with some of the Restoration-era’s female literary voices.
The work of Anne Kingsmill Finch, Countess of Winchilsea (1661/1720), provides a focus for this discussion
of attribution, collaboration, and early feminist literature. Her collection of poetry—published only as “Written
by a Lady”—explores romance, social justice, and mental health struggles. In addition, Finch is credited as the
librettist for this early English opera of Venus and Adonis, though the unique, irreverent text may also have ties
to Aphra Behn and Anne Killigrew.
Folger Library Director Mike Witmore will be in conversation with Dr. Jennifer Keith, Folger Institute Fellow
(2014/2015) and editor of the forthcoming Cambridge Edition of The Works of Anne Finch. After the talk,
Director of Collections Greg Prickman will guide you through related rare materials from the Folger collection.
Tickets: $15 (can be purchased on the Folger website) $10 tickets are available for Opera Lafayette donors and
subscribers
An Opera Lafayette Screening
Thursday, February 6, 2020, 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. | Avalon Theatre 1
Grab some popcorn and wine and watch a screening of Opera Lafayette’s DVD recording of Pierre Gaveaux and
Jean-Nicolas Bouilly’s Léonore, our L’Amour conjugal (1798). Following the movie, Ryan Brown and guest will
compare and contrast this opera with Beethoven’s Leonore (1805) and discuss how each foreshadows Fidelio,
Beethoven’s only opera.
Opera Lafayette believes that in the right setting opera IS for everyone. If you are interested in partnering with us, please
contact Diana Hossack, Executive Director, at DianaHossack@OperaLafayette.org or 202.546.9332, ext. 602.

Recordings
Building a Legacy
Central to Opera Lafayette’s mission is creating a legacy of the forgotten repertoire the company brings back to life. In
2005, Opera Lafayette released its first CD on the Naxos label, and now has 12 commercial audio recordings. In 2018,
Opera Lafayette released its first DVD, and now has two video recordings on the Naxos label. In 2019 Opera Lafayette
published two illustrated books. These books complement Opera Lafayette’s discography and further bolsters the legacy
of baroque opera to new audiences. Visit OperaLafayette.org to purchase these items.
Illustrated Retellings
As told by Kelley Rourke and illustrated by Amy Severson
Radamisto (2019)
George Frideric Handel, composer
Nicola Francesco Haym, librettist
Based on L’amor tirrannico by Domenico
Lalli and after L’amour tyrannique by
Georges de Scudery
La Susanna (2019)
Alessandro Stradella, composer
Giovanni Battista Giardini, librettist
Based on Susanna and The Elders from
The Book of Daniel
DVDs
Les Fêtes de l’Hymen et de l’Amour, ou
Les Dieux d’Égypte (2019)
Jean-Philippe Rameau, composer
Louis de Cahusac, librettists
Cover: Louis Forget
Léonore, ou L’Amour conjugal (2018)
Pierre Gaveaux, composer
Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, librettist
Also available on Blu-ray
Cover: Pierre-Etienne Bergeron

CDs
L’épreuve villageoise (2016)
André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry, composer
Pierre Desforges, librettist
Cover: Louis Forget
Les Femmes Vengées (2015)
François-André Danican Philidor,
composer
Michel-Jean Sedaine, librettist
Cover: Louis Forget
Lalla Roukh (2014)
Félicien David, composer
Michel Carré and Hippolyte Lucas, librettists
Cover: Louis Forget
Le Roi et le fermier (2013)
Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny, composer
Michel-Jean Sedaine, librettist
Cover: Restored 1780 set designs for Le Roi et le fermier • Photo by
J.M. Manaï
Le Magnifique (2012)
André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry, composer
Michel-Jean Sedaine, librettist
Cover: The Composer André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry by Jean-Baptiste
Stouf (1724-1826) Purchase, Josephine Bay Paul and C. Michael Paul
Foundation Inc. Gift and Charles Ulrick and Josephine Bay Foundation
Inc. Gift, 1969 (69.77) • Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Sancho Pança (2011)
François-André Danican Philidor, composer
Antoine-Alexandre-Henri Poinsinet,
librettist
Cover: Louis Forget
Le Déserteur (2010)
Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny, composer
Michel-Jean Sedaine, librettist
Cover: The Deserter Pardoned by George Moreland (1763-1804)
(The Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, UK / The Bridgeman Art Library
Zélindor, roi des Sylphes (2009)
François Rebel and François Francœur,
composers
Text by François-Augustin Paradis de Moncrif
Cover: Louis Forget
The Tragedy of Armide (2008)
Jean-Baptiste Lully, composer
Philippe Quinault, librettist
Rinaldo and Armida by Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641)
(Louvre, Paris, France, Lauros / Giraudon / The Bridgeman Art Library)
Rameau Operatic Arias (2007)
Featuring Jean-Paul Fouchécourt
Cover: Carol Rosegg
Oedipe à Colone (2006)
Antonio Sacchini
Cover: Oedipus and Antigone by Johann-Peter Krafft (1780-1856)
(The Art Archive / Musée du Louvre Paris / Dagli Orti)
Orphée et Euridice (2005)
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Cover: Orpheus Leading Eurydice from the Underworld, 1861 by Jean
Baptiste Camille Corot (1796-1875) (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston,
Texas, USA / Bridgeman Art Library)

Mission
Opera Lafayette, which performs its entire season in New York City and Washington, DC, is renowned for its performances
of both forgotten works that were popular and significant to the cultural history of the 17th through 19th centuries, and
early opera which is already part of the modern canon. Each program incorporates the latest research and musicological
expertise, uses period instruments and artists performing at the highest level, and as appropriate, includes dance –
an important, yet often neglected element of baroque opera. This attention to detail ensures that each rediscovered
gem adheres closely to the way the composers originally intended their masterpieces to be heard. While preserving
these historically significant works, Opera Lafayette stages each performance in imaginative and inventive ways which
illuminate the music’s original appeal as well as its relevance to our modern world. Central to the company’s mission
is building a legacy of the timeless repertoire Opera Lafayette brings back to life. This is achieved through an extensive
discography, mounting revivals, and inspiring a public appreciation for this repertoire through its audience engagement
programs for audiences of all ages.
Supporting Opera Lafayette
Opera Lafayette’s ability to reawaken masterpieces, engage with the community, and generate a legacy of recorded
works relies in great part on the patronage and generous support of individual, foundation, and corporate donors, to
whom we are deeply grateful. You can support Opera Lafayette in many ways:
Benefits
Each year Opera Lafayette presents an annual benefit in both Washington, DC and New York City. These events
typically showcase an Opera Lafayette production, create a festive and fun atmosphere, and raise about 20% of
the company’s annual budget. The dates for the 25th Anniversary Benefits are:
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Celebrating 25 Years of Bravos and Bouquets
associated with Venus and Adonis by John Blow
Flagg Corcoran, School of the Arts and Design | The Westin Georgetown
Ryan Brown at first performance of Violins of Lafayette at the Corcoran’s Salon Doré (@ 1994 Naomi Reddert)
Thursday, May 14, 2020
25th Anniversary Performance and Candlelight Awards Dinner
associated with Le Maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith) by Françoise André Danican Philidor
El Museo del Barrio | The Burden Mansion
“Trotting Cracks at the Forge" Currier & Ives / Museum of the City of New York. 57.300.114

Sponsorship
If you are interested in helping Opera Lafayette on a specific
project, such as a production, a recording, or an illustrated
retelling for our family program, we also welcome sponsorship
giving and would be pleased to discuss upcoming projects with you.
Donations of Stock
Opera Lafayette accepts stock donations through a Fidelity
brokerage account. Please notify Opera Lafayette staff when
donating stock.
Watch for an
exciting
announcement
about a new
matching
campaign!
Employee/Retiree Matching Gift Program
If your employer offers matching gifts, your dollars can go twice as
far in supporting Opera Lafayette.
Bequests
One sentence in your will can help ensure that your legacy supports Opera Lafayette’s future for years to come.
In Name Of
Recognize a departed loved one with a contribution to Opera Lafayette in his or her name, or celebrate a
milestone with a gift in honor of someone special. For additional questions or inquiries of these and other
possibilities, please contact Katherine Offutt, Development and Special Events Associate, at 202.546.9332,
ext. 606 or KatherineOffutt@OperaLafayette.org.
House an Artist
Learn more about how you can house one of our artists in Washington, DC or New York City. If you are interested
in housing an artist, contact Ersian François, Artist Services and Community Engagement Manager, at
202.546.9332, ext. 608 or ErsianFrancois@OperaLafayette.org.
Cover Captions: Line 1 (left to right): Countertenor John Holiday in Opera Lafayette's performance of Vivaldi's Catone in Utica (@ 2015 Louis Forget); Cellist Loretta O'Sullivan, a member of the Opera Lafayette
Orchestra (@ 2016 Jana Huntnerova); Tenor Aaron Sheehan and dancer Benny Olk in Opera Lafayette's production of Actéon by Charpentier (@ 2013 Louis Forget); and Soprano Lucía Martín Cartón in Opera
Lafayette's co-production with Heartbeat Opera of Stradella’s La Susanna (@2019 Louis Forget)
Line 2 (left to right): Soprano Nathalie Paulin in Opera Lafayette's production Opera and the French Revolution (@ 2016 Louis Forget); Mezzo-sopranos Hagar Sharvit and Caitlin Hulcup (seated) as Lauren
Kravitz takes a leap with the help of her partner, both members of the Seán Curran Dance Company in Opera Lafayette's production of Handel's Radamisto (@ 2019 Louis Forget); Tenors Karim Sulayman and
Jeffrey Thompson in Opera Lafayette production of Grétry's Le Magnifique (@ 2011 Louis Forget); and Soprano Sophie Junker and child actor Sofia Brunetti in Opera Lafayette's production of Chabrier's Une
Éducation manquée (@ 2016 Louis Forget)
Line 3 (left and right): Jeffrey Thompson in Opera Lafayette's production of Le Roi et le fermier by Monsigny (@ 2012 Louis Forget); Carly Fox Horton of the New York Baroque Dance Company in Opera
Lafayette's production of Rameau's Les Fêtes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour ou Les Dieux d'Égypte (@ 2014 Louis Forget); Ryan Brown, violinist, for Opera Lafayette’s La forêt enchantée by Geminiani (@2018 Tina
Buchman); and Chitra Kalyandurg of Kalanidhi Dance in Opera Lafayette's production of Lalla Roukh by Félicien David (@ 2013 Louis Forget)

Annual Giving
Annual contributions are the lifeblood of Opera Lafayette. Mailed cash or checks, gifts made online, and all “general”
donations support important operational and programming expenses. Check out our new contributor benefits below.
Friend
($99 or less)
Supporter
($100 - $499)
Subscription to Reflections - a newsletter X X
Invitations to Opera Lafayette events X X
Listing in Opera Lafayette program books X X
Invitation to attend live recording of Ryan Brown discussion on upcoming opera
Listing in Opera Lafayette’s annual report newsletter
25% discount on Opera Lafayette DVDs, CDs, and illustrated opera retellings
Reserved seating for Ryan Brown’s pre-performance discussion
Invitation to a working Opera Lafayette rehearsal
Annual choice of one free Opera Lafayette DVD, CD, or illustrated opera retellings
Authographed copy of choice of Opera Lafayette merchandise
Invitation for two to one performance reception per season
Invitation to dinner with Ryan Brown
Two complimentary tickets for one Opera Lafayette performance
Listing in Benefit program books
Invitation to a private salon performance
Recognition on supertitles display
Backstage access following performances
Special gift from Opera Lafayette related to an seasonal production
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Donor’s Circle
($500 - $999)
Patron’s Circle
($1,000 - $2,499)
Sustainer’s Circle
($2,500 - $4,999)
Trustees’ Circle
($5,000 - $9,999)
Benefactor’s Circle
($10,000 - $19,999)
Leader’s Circle
($20,000+)
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Opera Lafayette
921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20003
DC 202.546.9332 | NY 202.634.9388
OperaLafayette@OperaLafayette.org
OperaLafayette.org