To My Arms/Restore Program

To My Arms /Restore is a two-part work embodying Doug Varone’s decades’ long choreographic fascination between the deeply emotional and the immensely physical. Set to a suite of arias by George F. Handel, To My Arms builds a landscape of love and loss, evoking a strange otherworld of intimacy. In stark contrast, Restore feels as if it has been ripped out of today’s front pages, and brings a message of community, defiance, resilience in the face of ever-present danger, reflecting our world’s recoiling and rebounding. Driven by the 21st-century sound of Festival Voices and Nico Bentley’s Handel Remixed, the score fuses Handel’s 18th-century choral score Dixit Dominus with beats more commonly heard in clubs around the globe. Accompanied by live music by the 100-member MasterVoices and the New York Baroque Incorporated (NYBI), the entire evening is conducted by Ted Sperling.

To My Arms/Restore was created in residence at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, Hunter College, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Purchase College, Marbletown MultiArts Center, and The Wheelhouse. The work was commissioned with major individual funding support from Lida Orzeck, Jody and John Arnhold, Vapnek Family Fund, Joseph Smith and Gavin Berger, among others, with additional commissioning funds provided by the O’Donnell-Green Music and Dance Foundation. The dance received its first performance on March 16, 2024 at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, Purchase NY.

 

To My Arms
(Part 1)

Choreography by Doug Varone
Music by George Frideric Handel, Suite of arias and duets from the operas Atalanta, Orlando, Giulio Cesare,
Samson, Serse, Agrippina, Scipione, Alexander Balus, Semele and Teseo*
Lighting Design by Derek Van Heel
Costume Design by Caitlin Taylor

1. Courtney Barth and Ryan Yamauchi
2. Joniece “JoJo” Boykins, Daeyana Moss and Thryn Saxon
3. Brad Beakes and Jake Bone
4. Courtney Barth
5. Joniece “JoJo” Boykins and Daeyana Moss
6. Jake Bone
7. Thryn Saxon with Marc Anthony Gutierrez
8. Full Company
9. Brad Beakes
10. Courtney Barth and Ryan Yamauchi
11. Full Company

Liz Lang, Soprano
Emily Donato, Soprano
Jake Ingbar, Countertenor
John Easterlin, Tenor
Benjamin Howard, Baritone

Accompanied by New York Baroque Incorporated
Oboe: Andrew Blanke
Violin: Ravenna Lipchick, Shelby Yamin
Viola: Jimmy Drancsak, Annie Garlid
Cello: Serafim Smigelskiy
Bass: Wen Yang
Theorbo: Adam Cockerham
Harpsichord: Caitlyn Koester

Ted Sperling, Conductor

*Complete list of arias/duets under Music Credits

INTERMISSION

Restore
(Part 2)

Choreography by Doug Varone
Music by Nico Bentley, Handel Remixed
Lighting Design by Derek Van Heel
Costume Design by Caitlin Taylor

Courtney Barth, Brad Beakes, Jake Bone, Marc Anthony Gutierrez, Joniece “JoJo” Boykins, Daeyana Moss, Thryn Saxon, Ryan Yamauchi

With

MasterVoices
Accompanied by New York Baroque Incorporated

Ted Sperling, Conductor

Credits

DOUG VARONE AND DANCERS
Artistic Director: Doug Varone
General Manager: Patty Bryan
Development: Fran Kirmser
Financial Officer: Lynn Wichern
Production Manager: Tricia Toliver
Audio Assistant: Ashur Rayis
Rehearsal Director: Ryan Yamauchi
Company Manager: Jake Bone
Education Manager: Brad Beakes
Tour Manager: Jake Bone
Costume Manager: Courtney Barth
Workshop Coordinators: Courtney Barth, Ryan Yamauchi
Licensing and Staging: Brad Beakes
Marketing Associate: Jordan Ryder
Social Media Coordinators: Joniece “JoJo” Boykins and Daeyana Moss
For touring/performance information: info@performingartsstrategies.com

MUSIC CREDITS

To My Arms
Care Selve from Atalanta, HWV 35
Quando spieghi I tuoi from Orlando, HWV 31
V’adoro Pupille from Giulio Cesare, HWV 17
To Fleeting Pleasures Make Your Court from Samson, HVW 57
Troppo oltraggi la mia fede from Serse, HVW 40
Bel piacere from Agrippina, HWV 6
Ombra mai fu from Serse, HWV 40
Scoglio d’immota fronte from Scipione, HWV 20
Convey Me to Some Peaceful Shore from Alexander Balus, HWV 65
Oh Sleep, Why Dost Thou Leave Me from Semele, HWV 58
Addio! Mio caro bene from Teseo, HWV 9

Restore
Handel Remixed was commissioned and premiered by Festival Voices.

Board of Directors, DOVA, Inc.
Carol Walker, President
Richard J. Caples
Guillermo Izabal
Naomi Grabel
Miranda Kozak
Jeanne Murphy
Barbara Parker
Gabrielle Preiser
Mylene Ramos Seidl
Doug Varone

Advisory Board
Julia Glawe
Lawrence Greene
Lynn Wichern

DOUG VARONE AND DANCERS is incorporated as DOVA, Inc., a not-for-profit tax-exempt organization founded in 1995. Contributions to the Company’s work are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated. Please make your gift payable to:

DOVA, Inc.
224 W. 35th St, Suite 500 #591 New York, NY
10001 USA
Website: dovadance.org
Instagram and Facebook: @dovadance
Email: info@dovadance.org

Special thanks to Jay Wegman, Ian Driver, Shelton Lindsay, Joan Finkelstein, Artem Agafonov and Navigo Productions, Alberto Ruiz, Donald Short, Fran Kirmser, Joan Winters, Ted Sperling, Wen Yang, Ev Mann, and Peter and Julie Gale, and Nico Bentley, Oskar McCarthy, and Greg Batsleer.

Doug Varone and Dancers

The 2023/24 season marks the Company’s 38th year. On the concert stage, in opera, theater and on the screen, Varone’s kinetically thrilling dances make essential connections and mine the complexity of the human spirit.

On tour, the company has performed in more than 125 cities in 45 states across the U.S. and in Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America. Stages include The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, San Francisco Performances, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Toronto’s Harbourfront, Moscow’s Stanislavsky Theater, Buenos Aires’ Teatro San Martin, the Venice Biennale, Marble Hall in Tokyo, and the Bates, Jacob’s Pillow and American Dance Festivals. In opera and theater, the company regularly collaborates on the many Varone-directed or choreographed productions that have been produced around the country.

Doug Varone and Dancers are among the most sought-after ambassadors and educators in the field. The company was selected to tour as part of the DanceMotionUSA (SM) program, a joint project between BAM and the US Department of State, touring, performing and teaching in Argentina, Paraguay and Peru for a month. This project culminated in the premiere of a new commissioned work for Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival, in collaboration with the Argentina-based Brenda Angiel Aerial Dance. The DEVICES Program, a mentoring initiative for emerging choreographers began its pilot year in 2014. This unique program mentors 10 artists over the course of several months in the creation and presentation of new works. Other educational initiatives include Virtual Varone, a program which creates virtual residencies around the globe and the Education/Performance Project which enfolds college dance students into the company’s repertory, directly sharing the stage with company dancers. The Project has been a cornerstone in the company’s teaching and mentorship programs, creating an important dialogue with young dancers about their artistry and the effect they can have in the world today.

Varone, his dancers and designers have been honored with 11 Bessie Awards. The Company’s creative output is as varied as Varone’s interests. Recent projects include: everything is fine, a full evening movement play based on the poems of Billy Collins, with a new score by David Van Tieghem; The Scrapbook, a digital journal of 10 films created and directed by Varone, set to iconic songs from the 1940s-50’s and Somewhere, Varone’s acclaimed non-narrative version of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story. To learn more about the Company, visit dovadance.org.

Doug Varone (Artistic Director) Award-winning choreographer and director Doug Varone works in dance, theater, opera, film, and fashion. His New York City-based Doug Varone and Dancers has been commissioned and presented to critical acclaim by leading international venues for over three decades.

In the concert dance world, Varone has created a body of works globally. Commissions include Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance Company, The Limón Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Rambert Dance Company, Martha Graham Dance Company, Batsheva Dance Company, Bern Ballet, among others. In addition, his dances have been staged on more than 100 college and university programs around the country.

In opera, Doug Varone is in demand as both a director and choreographer. Among his productions at The Metropolitan Opera are Richard Strauss’ Salome, the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy, Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps, designed by David Hockney, and Hector Berloiz’s Les Troyens. He has staged multiple premieres and new productions for Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Washington Opera, New York City Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera, among others. His numerous theater credits include choreography for Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theaters across the country. Other projects include directing and choreographing MasterVoices production of Dido and Aeneas at NY’s City Center, starring Tony Award winners Kelli O’Hara and Victoria Clark, staging Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize winning oratorio, Anthracite Fields for the Westminster Choir and the Bang on a Can All-Stars and choreographing the MasterVoices revival of Kurt Weill’s musical Lady in the Dark at City Center.

Varone received his BFA from Purchase College where he was awarded the President’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Numerous honors and awards include a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, an Obie Award, two individual Bessie Awards, a Doris Duke Artist Award, the Jerome Robbins Fellowship at the Bogliasco Institute in Italy, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Dance Guild. He is currently on the faculty of Purchase College, Conservatory of Dance and a Resident Artist at USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance.

Courtney Barth is a New York based dancer originally from Las Vegas, NV. They are a graduate of SUNY Purchase where they studied abroad at London Contemporary Dance School. While abroad she performed Crystal Pite’s ‘Polaris’ at Sadlers Wells. Since graduation she has worked with Shannon Gillen at NYC fashion week, Kensaku Shinohara at the Queens Museum and is currently a company member with Hannah Garner’s 2nd Best Dance Company. Courtney joined Doug Varone and dancers in 2017. She also acts as Costume Manager and Workshop Coordinator for the company.

Brad Beakes is a New York City based dance artist originally from Glendora, California and a graduate of California State University, Fullerton. In his performance career, Beakes has been honored to dance with the Limón Dance Company (2016-2017), Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company (2011-2016), Nikolais Dance Theatre (2011-2018), and Keith Johnson/Dancers among other collaborators. Beakes has had the pleasure of teaching with the New York City Department of Education, Gibney, Limón Institute, Dance International Program of Japan, Manhattanville College, and SUNY Purchase College. Brad has been a performer, teacher, and administrator with Doug Varone and Dancers since 2017.

Jake Bone, originally from Dallas, Texas, earned a BFA in Dance with honors at the University of North Texas where he performed works by Bebe Miller, Nick Cave, Kihyoung Choi, and Anna Sokolow. Since moving to New York City, he has been a company member for Bare Dance Company, Gibney Dance Company, and Awakening Movement. He has also had the pleasure of working with the Median Movement, the Metropolitan Opera, Bulareyaung Pagarlava, Kensaku Shinohara, and Steeledance. Jake joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2015 and serves as the Company Manager and Tour Manager.

Joniece “JoJo” Boykins is an African American native of Inglewood, California. She received her BFA in dance from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase College. During her time at Purchase, she performed the works of Doug Varone, Peter Chu, Kevin Wynn, Jonathan Reidel, Alexandra Beller, and Nejla Yatkin. Alongside her studies, she has attended professional programs such as Springboard Danse Montreal, Hubbard Street, Alvin Ailey, and Ron K. Brown/ Evidence’s summer workshop. She has performed in works by Donald McKayle, Rennie Harris, Christopher Huggins, Tommie Waheed, Lula Washington, and Tamica Washington-Miller. JoJo joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2021.

Marc Anthony Gutierrez is originally from the Bay Area, where he began his dance training with DACPAC under the direction of Cheryl Copeland and Dominique Lomuljo. He received his BFA from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance (2022) as a scholarship recipient. He has attended intensives at San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Alonzo King Lines, and Springboard Danse Montreal. Over the years, he has had the privilege of performing works by Sidra Bell, Andrea Miller, and Kyle Abraham. During his senior year he began working with Gallim and assisted Miller on a new commission for A.I.M (2023).

Daeyana Moss, a Bronx native, attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts where she received the Father Fame award in 2017. She then continued her education at Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase graduating in 2021. Ms. Moss has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Janis Brenner, Joseph Hernandez, Annie Rigney, José Limón, Lajamartin, Anna Sokolow, and Doug Varone. She recently performed in Armenia with Gaspard & Dancers. Ms. Moss performed in Sleep No More Halloween and New Years Eve in 2023 at the McKittrick Hotel under the creative direction of Stephanie Batten Bland and Marla Phelan. She joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2021.

Thryn Saxon is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in NYC. Thryn has performed with Sleep No More, Kate Weare Company, and is currently working with Helen Simoneau Danse. Her work under the moniker SAXYN Dance Works has been performed at The Perez Art Museum, Windhover Performing Arts Center, Arts on Site, Gelsey Kirkland Theater, and 92Y where her solo “lorelei” was selected for the Future Dance Festival 2022. Most recently Thryn was selected as the RADicle 22/23 AIR at The Croft in Michigan. Thryn joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2022.

Ryan Yamauchi was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and began his dance training at the Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts. He later moved to New York and received his BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase. Ryan has had the pleasure of dancing with 2nd Best Dance Company, Loni Landon Dance Projects, NVA & Guests, and Sidra Bell Dance New York. He has also performed as a guest dancer with Gibney Dance Company, Santa Fe Opera, and Santa Barbara Dance Theater. Ryan began working with Doug Varone and Dancers in 2015.

Tricia Toliver (Production Stage Manager) was the resident Lighting Designer/Production Manager for the Barnard College Dance Department from 2009-2022, designing lighting for new works by many noted choreographers. She has had the pleasure of working primarily in the dance world for such companies as the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Lucinda Childs, Lar Lubovitch, The Limon Dance Company, Doug Varone and Dancers, Donald Byrd/The Group, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Susan Marshall, David Dorfman Dance, Camille A. Brown Dance Company, Parsons Dance and Complexions. She danced with Donald Byrd/The Group from 1987-1991.

Caitlin Taylor (Costume Designer) is a freelance dancer and costume designer based in New York City. She has designed costumes for Sidra Bell Dance New York, UNA Projects, Cirio Collective, HIVEWILD, The Dash Ensemble, Loni Landon Dance Projects, Kayla Farrish, Brandon Coleman, The Limón Dance Company, New York City Ballet, and NVA & Guests. Caitlin has done costume reconstruction for Alexander Whitley Dance Company, the touring production of RENT, and Doug Varone and Dancers. Assisting designer Mark Eric, She has worked on commissions for Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and Ballet X, among others.

Derek Van Heel (Lighting Designer) designs have been seen in venues large and small; from Jazz At Lincoln Center, The Town Hall, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, to the kinds of basements, bars, churches, and teeny-tiny rooms where New York theater is often forged. He is especially drawn to new works, and has contributed to dozens of premieres and workshop productions. Notable collaborations include New York City Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Madison Opera, The Montana Repertory Theatre, Finger Lakes Opera, Syracuse Opera, Red Fern Theatre Company, Palm Beach Opera, Actor’s Studio Drama School, Scandinavian American Theatre, Origin Theatre, and The Civilians. His award-winning designs for Ren Gyo Soh’s Butoh Medea have been seen internationally in Italy, Turkey, Poland, Czechia, and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Ashur Rayis is a Brooklyn-based composer, sound designer, and audio/video engineer. Clients include The Public, St Ann’s Warehouse, and The Signature. He is a founding member of Monster Trux movement collective and Eat Drink Tell Your Friends puppetry collective.

Patty Bryan (General Manager) has been involved with dance companies and dance organizations throughout her professional career. She has held senior administrative positions with Rena Shagan Associates, Armitage Gone! Dance, DanceBrazil, Gina Gibney Dance, Shen Wei Dance Arts and the New York State Dance Force. She has served as Board Chair of Pentacle Dance/Works, President of the Nancy Meehan Dance Company Board, President of the Laban/Bartinieff Institute for Movement Studies Board and was co-founder and Board President of Dance Umbrella in Austin, TX. She also performed with the Nancy Meehan Dance Company. She has been with DOVA since 2019.

Festival Voices (Score Arrangement) Formed in 2017 by creative producer Oskar McCarthy and conductor Gregory Batsleer, Festival Voices’ mission is simple: to create transformative choral experiences. Festival Voices believes in the power of choral music to change lives. At Festival Voices’ core is a professional vocal ensemble dedicated to advancing and redefining the choral tradition, with a particular focus on presenting large-scale choral works reimagined live with electronic music. Festival Voices has curated performances for various UK summer festivals, including Wilderness and Latitude. The group has appeared twice at the London Handel Festival and created multi-art performances at Ugly Duck and Southbank Centre. In summer 2024, Festival Voices will partner with Bold Tendencies, London, for the launch of their summer season, in a programme that will include FV’s new version of Mozart’s Requiem. https://www.festivalvoices.com/ | @festivalvoices

Nico Bentley (Composer) Nico Bentley is a composer, producer and DJ from London. He takes a deep interest in all forms of music, but especially jazz, classical, African and electronic music, holding a BA and MA in the first two respectively from Leeds Conservatoire.Nico is a key regular collaborator with Festival Voices and the musical director and producer of the live African dance music collective Afriquoi, fusing traditional African music with western electronic music. Nico has performed as a session musician live on tours around the world; credits include Seal, Shift K3y, Secaina Hudson and Idris Elba/Wretch 32. Studio credits include James Morrison and Billie Martin. Nico has extensive experience of producing music for advertising and TV, including for Schwarpzkopf Live, McArthur Glenn, Tesco and Adidas/Stella McCartney. He was also a producer for The Beating Heart project, including producing an LP release for Faith Musa, released on Decca in 2019.

MasterVoices

MasterVoices (formerly The Collegiate Chorale) was founded in 1941 by legendary American choral conductor Robert Shaw. Under the artistic direction of Tony Award winner Ted Sperling since 2013, the group is known for its versatility and a repertoire that ranges from choral masterpieces and operas in concert to operettas and musical theater. Season concerts feature a volunteer chorus of 100+ members from all walks of life alongside a diverse roster of world-class soloists from across the musical spectrum, including Julia Bullock, Dove Cameron, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Renée Fleming, John Holiday, Jennifer Holliday, Norm Lewis, Victoria Clark, and Kelli O’Hara. Under Sperling’s direction the group has created cross–disciplinary collaborations with such diverse creative minds as legendary lyricist Sheldon Harnick, Vogue Editor-at-Large Hamish Bowles, fashion designer Zac Posen, Silk Road visual artist Kevork Mourad, illustrator Manik Choksi, stage designer Doug Fitch, and choreographers Doug Varone and Andrew Palermo. Roger Rees was the group’s Artistic Associate from 2003–2015, and in 2021 the group received a New York Emmy Award nomination and a Drama League Award nomination for its multi-genre digital concert production of Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns. The group was also heard last month at Radio City Music Hall in Lord of the Rings – The Two Towers and at Montclair State University (NJ) in the PEAK Performances presentation of Blind Injustice.

Known for its presentation of lesser-known artistic treasures, the group has received recent accolades for productions of rarely-heard works such as this season’s acclaimed revival of Sondheim and Shevelove’s The Frogs, last season’s New York City premiere of Sheldon Harnick’s full English translation of Bizet’s Carmen, Lady in the Dark by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin, Victor Herbert’s Babes in Toyland, the Gershwins’ Let ‘Em Eat Cake, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur Laurents’s Anyone Can Whistle, and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe. They also commission and premiere new works; recent examples include choral works by Ricky Ian Gordon, Marisa Michelson, Tariq Al-Sabir, and Randall Eng.

As one of the country’s first interracial and interfaith choruses, MasterVoices (as The Collegiate Chorale) performed at the opening of the United Nations and has sung and recorded under the batons of esteemed conductors including Serge Koussevitzky, Arturo Toscanini, and Leonard Bernstein, among others. It has been engaged by top-tier orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic, and has appeared at the Verbier and Salzburg Festivals.

Ted Sperling, Conductor and Artistic Director of MasterVoices
One of today’s leading musical artists, Tony Award-winning Maestro Ted Sperling is a classically trained musician whose career has spanned from the concert hall and the opera house to the Broadway stage. He is a multi-faceted artist known for his work as conductor, orchestrator, singer, pianist, violinist, violist, director, and music director. He won the 2005 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his orchestrations of The Light in the Piazza, for which he was also Music Director.

Artistic Director of MasterVoices for the past ten years, he has led acclaimed productions of rarely-heard gems as both director and conductor. These include Kurt Weill’s The Firebrand of Florence, Knickerbocker Holiday, The Road of Promise (based on The Eternal Road and subsequently recorded on Navona Records), and the 2018-19 season’s sold–out three–performance run of Lady in the Dark at New York City Center. Other notable productions with the group include Carnegie Hall performances of Stephen Sondheim’s The Frogs and Anyone Can Whistle; George and Ira Gershwin’s satirical musicals Of Thee I Sing and Let ‘Em Eat Cake; a reconstruction of Victor Herbert’s Babes in Toyland; Song of Norway; the New York City premieres of David Lang’s battle hymns at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum; and Ricky Ian Gordon’s operas The Grapes of Wrath at Carnegie Hall and 27 at New York City Center. During the pandemic season of 2020-2021, Maestro Sperling spearheaded a filmed production of Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns for MasterVoices, producing and music directing 24 short musical films and directing half of them. This project was nominated for a Drama League Award, and featured over 100 artists collaborating remotely, including Renée Fleming, Take 6, Jennifer Holliday and Julia Bullock.

Formerly Principal Conductor of the Westchester Philharmonic, Maestro Sperling has been a guest conductor with the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Boston Pops, San Diego Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, the Iceland Symphony, Czech National Symphony, and BBC Concert Orchestra, as well as New York City Opera and Houston Grand Opera. Sperling has conducted multiple concerts for PBS’s Live From Lincoln Center, the American Songbook Series at Lincoln Center, and the Lyrics and Lyricists series at the 92nd Street Y. He conducted Audra McDonald in a double bill of La Voix Humaine and the world premiere of Send: Who Are You? I Love You? at the Houston Grand Opera.

In addition to his directing work with MasterVoices, Mr. Sperling’s work as a stage director includes the world premieres of four critically acclaimed original Off-Broadway musicals—including The Other Josh Cohen and See What I Wanna See—and a noted production of Lady in the Dark at the Prince Theater in Philadelphia, starring Andrea Marcovicci. He graduated summa cum laude from Yale University, and received the Faculty Prize at The Juilliard School. He made his Broadway stage debut as Wallace Hartley in Titanic and appeared as Steve Allen in the finale of Season Two of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Mr. Sperling is a professor at NYU, conducting three different orchestras and training the next generation of Broadway musicians and conductors.

Liz Lang, Soprano
Opera News has applauded soprano Liz Lang for her “comedic timing and clear resonant tone.” Known for her crossover abilities throughout multiple genres, the 23/24 season brings some exciting opportunities including a salon hosted by opera great James Morris, an evening with Equinox Swing Orchestra, and an appearance as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with Voices of Ascension. She brings her acclaimed recital Prohibition to New York featuring previously censored classical and jazz music, travels to Venice, Italy for an artist residency and writing retreat to begin work on her newest show, and makes her repertoire debut singing Barber’s Knoxville:

Summer of 1915 with Riverside Orchestra. Recently Liz made her Off-Broadway debut as Glinda in Wicked: Drunk Musicals, her role debut as Mimì in La Bohème with Savannah Voice Festival and played a party for Coca-Cola at the Statue of Liberty with her jazz-fusion band. More details at lizlangsoprano.com.

Emily Donato, Soprano
Emily Donato, from Brooklyn NY, was awarded first prize in the 2023 Handel Aria Competition, and was a member of the 2023 Virginia Best Adams Quartet at the Carmel Bach Festival. She made her Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium solo debut in 2023 in Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Oratorio Society of New York conducted by Kent Tritle, and has appeared as a soloist with Voices of Ascension led by Dennis Keene. In 2021, she was awarded first prize in the Lyndon-Woodside Oratorio Competition, and appeared as the soprano soloist in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass on Yale Schola Cantorum and Juilliard415’s Scandinavian Tour. She performed J.S. Bach Cantata 82A “Ich Habe Genug” with Masaaki Suzuki. Emily has worked with conductors David Hill, Nicholas McGegan, Simon Carrington and Leon Botstein. She received a B.A. from Bard College and a M. M. from the Yale School of Music.

Jake Ingbar, Countertenor 
American countertenor Jake Ingbar has performed with the San Francisco Opera, Aldeburgh Festival, Los Angeles Opera, Dutch National Opera, Festival Aix-en-Provence, Minnesota Opera, Aspen Music Festival, Guthrie Theatre, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Les Talens Lyriques, Capella Regia Polona, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and Polish National Opera, with leading conductors James Conlon, Emmanuelle Haïm, Christophe Rousset, Roberto Kalb, Ottavio Dantone, Stephen Stubbs, Gary Wedow, David Stern, and Petr Kotik, and with stage directors Calixto Bieito, Barrie Kosky, and Francesca Zambello. Stage roles include Narciso/Agrippina, Mercury/La morte d’Orfeo, Nireno/Giulio Cesare, Leonardo/El último sueño de Frida y Diego, among others. In concert, he has performed works of Bach and Pergolesi. He made his Het Concertgebouw debut in a recital of Britten and Purcell. This season, he joins the roster of the Metropolitan Opera to work on John Adams’ El Niño with Marin Alsop. Mr. Ingbar earned degrees from Rice University and The Juilliard School.

Jake Ingbar appears courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera.

John Easterlin, Tenor
JOHN EASTERLIN, a five-time Grammy Award recipient, with four listings in the Guinness Book of World Records, his opera credits include the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Opéra National de Paris, Wiener Staatsoper, ROH Covent Garden, ENO, Teatro Real, Bolshoi Theatre, COC Toronto, Israeli Opera, Beijing Opera, and the Sydney Opera House; in addition to the Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington National, Houston Grand, Dallas, and Florida Grand opera companies. Soloist with the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and ASO at Carnegie Hall, he created the role of Andy Warhol in Glass’ The Perfect American and Larry King in Turnage’s Anna Nicole. A master puppeteer and certified magician, his additional opera appearances include the Glimmerglass, Ravinia, Spoleto, Saito Kinen, and Merida festivals. Recipient of the Olivier, Gramophone, and Diapason D’Or L’Année awards, he made his Broadway debut as Ubaldo Piangi in The Phantom of the Opera.

Benjamin Howard, Baritone
Hailed as a “standout” (Chicago Tribune), baritone Benjamin Howard is a rising talent based in New York City. He has recently been a soloist at Bronx Opera, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Pacific Opera Project, and Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre. Up next this spring, Benjamin will debut with Orchestra Miami, singing Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer). Stage highlights include the title role in Don Giovanni, the Count in Le Nozze di Figaro, Rapunzel’s Prince in Into the Woods, and Pish-Tush in The Mikado. In concert, he has performed Haydn arias with the Auryn String Quartet, the Fauré and Duruflé Requiems, and the complete Songs of Travel by Vaughan Williams, among others. A Los Angeles native, Benjamin Howard is currently a baritone/bass in New York’s world-renowned Saint Thomas Choir of Men & Boys, and also a founding member of NYC’s new Fourth Wall Ensemble.

Ted Sperling, Artistic Director
Jennifer Collins, Executive Director
Julie Morgan, Associate Conductor & General Manager
Christopher Judd, Development Manager & Artistic Associate
Geneva Lyman, Marketing & Engagement Coordinator
For more information, visit mastervoices.org. Connect with MasterVoices on Facebook and Instagram (@mastervoicesny)

New York Baroque Incorporated (NYBI)

Hailed as “truly excellent” and “studded with stars in the making” (New York Times), New York Baroque Incorporated (NYBI) is a conductor less orchestra of period instruments in New York City, bringing vital, informed, and fresh performances of a wide range of 17th and 18th-century repertoire while creating a vibrant landscape for collaborations between historical performance and living composers. NYBI has shared the stage with renowned soloists including Richard Egarr, Vivica Genaux, Monica Huggett, and Jakub Jòzef Orliński, and has graced prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Morgan Library, Spoleto Festival USA, and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. Striving to make music on period instruments a living art form, NYBI has premiered works by Nico Muhly, Hollis Taylor, and Huang Ruo. The orchestra also dedicates itself to bringing to life unknown works of the Baroque, and has revived and presented modern-day premieres of Cavalli’s Veremonda (1652), Aliotti’s Santa Rosalia (1687) and Seckendorff’s Proserpina (1777).

The 2023-24 season brings NYBI a world-premiere multi-disciplinary mashup with dancers and a DJ alongside NYBI’s live performance of George Frideric Handel’s Dixit Dominus, choral collaborations with Princeton Pro Musica and The Saint Thomas Choir, and a festival devoted to music inspired by the four wind gods of Greek mythology. For information and upcoming events visit www.NYBaroque.org

Wen Yang has earned praise both for her “angelically played” solos (Charleston Today) and for “knocking people off their seats” (Sarasota Herald-Tribune) as a double bass and viola da gamba player. She enjoys being a freelance musician, and has performed with musicians including William Christie, Jordi Savall, Masaaki Suzuki, Monica Huggett, Ton Koopman, and Richard Egarr. Wen is the founder and Artistic Director of New York Baroque Incorporated (NYBaroque.org), a period-instrument orchestra that has been called “truly excellent” and “studded with stars in the making” by The New York Times.

An alum of The Juilliard School and Yale School of Music, Wen studied viola da gamba with Sarah Cunningham, and double bass with Don Palma, Timothy Cobb and Robert Nairn. She can also be found cooking, and living in New York City with her husband, Ezra, daughter Pepper, and two tuxedo cats, Ollie and Mimi.

SUPPORT AND SPECIAL THANKS

THANK YOU TO THE INDIVIDUALS BELOW FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT FOR TO MY ARMS / RESTORE:

Doug Varone and Dancers’ programs are supported in part by Jody and John Arnhold, The Bulova Gale Foundation, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Doris Duke Performing Artist Awards, Dubose and Dorothy Heyward Memorial Fund, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Gladys Kreible Delmas Foundation, Harkness Foundation for Dance, Howard Gilman Foundation, the New York Community Trust, O’Donnell-Green Music and Dance Foundation, SHS Foundation, Vapnek Family Fund and Shubert Foundation, as well as public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

We also gratefully acknowledge our many individual supporters including.

$10,000 – $30,000
Jody and John Arnhold
Gavin Berger
Lida Orzeck
Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Vapnek

$2,000 – $9,999
Peter and Julie Gale
Mark F. Goldfield and Mary E. Hatch
Maureen Hayes
Naomi S Grabel and Neil Kutner
Jeanne Murphy and William C. Oris
Barbara Parker
Maxine Pollak
Gabriel Preiser
Joseph A Smith
Marie Varone
Carol and Peter Walker

Up to $1,999
Nancy Adler
Hiram Alba
Richard Beatty
Linda Belans
Robert Belshaw
Patricia Bennett
Ellen Berger
Dareon Blowe
Sarah Bodley
Chad Bolton
Rocky Bornstein
Maria Bosch
Mary Kesler Breslow
Josephine Brunner
Richard Caples
Terese Capucilli
Elizabeth Carroll
Juliana Chen
Mae Chesney
Jacqueline V. and John E. Ciano
Robert Dorf
Felicia Furman Dryden
Nancy Duncan
Lenore Eggleston-Herbst
Lois Murphy and Benjamin Eisner
Gale Epstein
Mr. Marcus Fang
Elisa King and David Farer
Laura Faure
Greta Fifner
Elisa Schindler Frankel
Donna Freireich
Robert E. Gilson
Sondra Graff
Josh Gravholt
Lawrence Greene
Jack Gunther
Noel and Terrance Hefty
Jaclynn Villamil Heikkila
Robert Herbst
Lisa Herlinger-Thompson
Joan Hershey
Phoebe Higgins
Barbara Horn
Keith Johnson
C. Nicholas Johnson
Janice Kabel
Andrew Kaplan
James Kaplin
Judith Kent
Elaine Khosova
Sharon T. Kirschner
Mark Kornspan
Marc Kushner
Catherine Lala
John Lanasa
Barbara Levine
Rachel List
Winthrop Lockwood
Nova Loverro
Daniel Maiuri
Steven Masi
Trisha McCullough
Heidi Meyer
Johnna Modene
Kevin Murphy
Jon Nakagawa
Madeleine Nichols
Ann Nishihira
Paul O’Neil
Robert O’Neill
Nathan Osburn
Douglas E. Padgett, M.D.
Helen Parker
Jeffrey Parker
Mary Beth (Elizabeth) Peil
Nicole Pierce
Jay O. Sanders and Maryann Plunkett
Rosalind and Elizabeth Prohaska
Lisa Race
Katherine Roeder
David Ronis
John Rossell
Lisa Rubin
Julio Santiago
Kyle Saxon
Kimberly Sickmen
Robert Small
Siri Smith
Andrea Snyder
Peter Stathas
Deborah Stiles
Julia and Paul Sutter
Roger Tolle
Amy Trandem
Marya Christina Ursin
Paul Vershbow
Leigh Vogel
Cynthia Williams
Christine Wright

ABOUT NYU SKIRBALL

NYU Skirball holds close James Baldwin’s dictum that “artists are here to disturb the peace.” Our mission is to present adventurous, transdisciplinary work that inspires yet provokes, confirms yet confounds, and entertains yet upends. We proudly embrace renegade artists who surprise, productions that blur aesthetic boundaries, and thought-leaders who are courageous, outrageous, and mind-blowing.

A roster of international artistic visionaries command our stage, often with North American or World Premieres, including directors Milo Rau and Toshiki Okada; choreographers Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Florentina Holzinger, and Faustin Linyekula; composers Du Yun, George Lewis, and John Zorn; the theatre ensembles Elevator Repair Service, Forced Entertainment, Gob Squad, Wooster Group, and Teatro La ReSentida; along with the dance companies A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Big Dance Theater, and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance. Eminent scholars, authors, and paradigm shifters headline our events and have included Kwame Anthony Appiah, Judith Butler, David Chalmers, Angela Davis, Zadie Smith, and Slavoj Žižek.

NYU Skirball’s engagement programming supports the University’s academic mission with conjunctions of cutting-edge live art and practical, experiential curricular resources, including artists’ conversations, workshops, scholarly essays, and diverse public events. Our work promotes encounters with boundary-pushing art forms, enhances critical thinking, nurtures imaginations, and employs the performing arts as an essential means of teaching, researching, and lifelong learning.

We are NYU’s largest classroom. We want to feed your head.

 

NYU SKIRBALL FUNDING

NYU Skirball’s programs are made possible in part with support from the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature; and by Howard Gilman Foundation; FUSED (French U.S. Exchange in Dance), a program of FACE Foundation in partnership with Villa Albertine; General Delegation of the Government of Flanders to the USA; Collins Building Services; Korean Cultural Center New York; Marta Heflin Foundation; Harkness Foundation for Dance; Van Cleef & Arpels; as well as our valued donors through memberships, commissioning, and Stage Pass Fund support.

NYU SKIRBALL MEMBERS ARE FRIENDS...WITH BENEFITS

FRBenefits include:
• Up to 30% off one ticket per show
• Advance notice of upcoming events
• Exclusive pre-sale tickets
• Subscription to NYU Skirball’s e-newsletter
• Personalized NYU Skirball Member card
• Member offers at local Greenwich Village restaurants and shops
(Fully tax-deductible)

Sidekick $125All of the benefits Friends receive plus:
• Up to 30% off two tickets per show
• Complimentary NYU Skirball tote bag
• Complimentary ticket exchanges
• VIP reserved seating for select NYU Skirball humanities events
($110 tax-deductible)

Comrade $250All of the benefits Sidekicks receive, plus:
• Up to 30% off four tickets per show
• Waived ticketing fees (savings of up to $6 per ticket)
• Exclusive access and invitations to meet artists
• Invitations to private dress rehearsals
($235 tax-deductible)

Bosom Buddy $1000All of the benefits Besties receive, plus:
• Two complimentary drinks at the Lobby Café per Skirball Presents production
• Two passes to all Skirball humanities event receptions
• Enhanced pre-sale, prior to Member pre-sale
• Dedicated patron line for personalized customer service
($955 tax-deductible)

JOIN AS A BOSOM BUDDY MEMBER

Soul Mate $2500All of the benefits Bosom Buddies receive, plus:
• Four passes to all NYU Skirball humanities event receptions
• Ability to secure premium house seats
($2455 tax-deductible)

NYU SKIRBALL TEAM

NYU SKIRBALL ACADEMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL

Sheril Antonio
Senior Associate Dean, Strategic Initiatives, NYU Tisch

Ulrich Baer
University Professor

Una Chaudhuri
Divisional Dean for the Humanities &
Vice Dean for Interdisciplinary Initiatives

Anna Deavere Smith
University Professor

Michael Dinwiddie
Associate Professor, NYU Gallatin

Georgina Dopico
Interim Provost, NYU

Karen Finley
Arts Professor, NYU Tisch

Faye Ginsburg
David B. Kriser Professor, NYU Arts & Science

Lynn Gumpert
Director, NYU Grey Art Gallery

Sylvaine Guyot
Professor of French Literature, Thought, and Culture,
NYU Arts & Science

André Lepecki
Professor; Chair of Performance Studies, NYU Tisch

Julie Malnig
Associate Professor, NYU Gallatin

Judith Graves Miller
Professor Emerita of French and Collegiate Professor, NYU Arts & Science

Pamela Pietro
Arts Professor; Chair of Dance, NYU Tisch

Rubén Polendo
Associate Dean, Institute Of Performing Arts, NYU Tisch

J. Ryan Poynter
Associate Vice Provost for Academic Affairs & Chief of Staff

Karen Shimakawa
Associate Professor; Academic Associate Dean, NYU Tisch

Catharine Stimpson
University Professor

Justin Townsend
Arts Professor; Chair of Graduate Design for Stage & Film, NYU Tisch

Tomi M. Tsunoda
Associate Arts Professor; Chair of Drama, NYU Tisch

Bryan Waterman
Associate Professor, English Literature, NYU Arts & Sciences

Deborah Williams 
Clinical Professor, Liberal Studies

Julia Wolfe
Professor of Music Composition; Artistic Director of Music Composition, NYU Steinhardt

 

NYU SKIRBALL ARTISTIC ADVISORY COUNCIL

Kyle Abraham

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker

David Lang

Elizabeth LeCompte

Eiko Otake

Annie-B Parson

Philippe Quesne

Alex Timbers

 

NYU SKIRBALL STAFF

Jay Wegman
Director

Emily Anderson
Supervisor, Lighting And Sound

Cliff Billings
Ticket Operation Specialist

J De Leon, PhD
Associate Director, Engagement

Brian Emens
Theater Technician

George Faya
Theater Technician

Angie Golightly
Theater Technician

Jenny Liao
Manager, Operations

Craig Melzer
Box Office Manager

Kimberly Olstad
Director, Development

Jordan Peters
Front of House Supervisor

Alberto Ruiz
Production Manager

Don Short
Senior Supervisor, Lighting And Sound

Caroline Grace Steudle
Administrative Coordinator

Ian Tabatchnick
Director, Operations

Julia Thorncroft
Marketing Manager

Helene Davis 
Press Representative

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