HER VERSION
Embark on a multi-genre journey at the Arlington Museum of Art, inspired by the music of Taylor Swift!
Opera Arlington cordially invites you to Her Version, an evening of music at the Arlington Museum of Art. The event draws inspiration from the AMA’s current exhibits, including Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Collection, Girl in a Country Song: Women of Country Music, Hometown Harmonies, and Toni Martin: Butterfly Kisses.
The musicians of Opera Arlington will guide you through a musical exploration of popular music, musical theatre, and operatic hits, all while celebrating the empowering themes woven throughout Taylor Swift’s music. Join us as local artists Jocelyn Hansen, Tres Hunter, Bailey Sutton, Jason Nichols, Bree Nichols, and Sara Steele lend their talents, bringing fresh perspectives to the fusion of musical genres and the profound influence music has on our lives.
AUGUST 10, 2023
THURSDAY
6:00pm
Arlington Museum of Art
201 West Main Street, Arlington, Texas 76010Duration: approx. 1.5 hours
PROGRAM NOTES & TRANSLATIONS
“Mastermind” from Midnights (2022)
by Taylor Swift (b. 1989)
Jocelyn Hansen, soprano | Tres Hunter, guitar
“Lavender Haze” from Midnights (2022)
by Taylor Swift (b. 1989)
Tres Hunter, bass and guitar
“This is the Moment” from Jekyll and Hyde (1990)
by Frank Wildhorn (b. 1958)
Jason Nichols, tenor | Sara Steele, piano
“They Just Keep Moving the Line” from Smash (2013)
by Marc Shaiman (b. 1959) & Scott Wittman (b. 1954)
Jocelyn Hansen, soprano | Sara Steele, piano
“Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific (1949)
by Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) & Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960)
Tres Hunter, bass | Sara Steele, piano
Serenade (Ständchen) from Swan Songs (Schwanengesang) (1829)
by Franz Schubert (1797–1828)
Tres Hunter, bass | Sara Steele, piano
Softly my songs plead through the night to you;down into the silent grove, beloved, come to me!Slender treetops whisper and rustle in the moonlight;my darling, do not fear that the hostile betrayer will overhear us.Do you not hear the nightingales call? Ah, they are imploring you;with their sweet, plaintive songs they are imploring for me.They understand the heart’s yearning; they know the pain of love;with their silvery notes they touch every tender heart.Let your heart, too, be moved, beloved—hear me!Trembling, I await you! Come, and bring me happiness!
English translation © Richard Wigmore
The Silver Aria “Gold is a fine thing” from The Ballad of Baby Doe (1956)
by Douglas Moore (1893–1969)
Bailey Sutton, soprano | Sara Steele, piano
INTERMISSION
Duet “Chiedi all’aura lusinghiera” from The Elixir of Love (L’elisir d’amore) (1832)
by Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)
Bailey Sutton, soprano | Jason Nichols, tenor | Sara Steele, piano
ADINA: Ask the alluring breeze why it flies without rest—one moment upon the lily, then upon the rose, then through the field, and along the brook;She will tell you that it is in her nature to be capricious and unfaithful.
NEMORINO: So what should I do? ADINA: Forget your love and flee from me!
NEMORINO: Dear Adina, I can't! ADINA: You can't? Why?
NEMORINO: Why? Ask the river why, lamenting, it runs down from the hill where his source is found, and into the sea;And in that sea, it dies. That river will tell you that he is drawn there by a power he cannot name.
ADINA: Then you wish... NEMORINO: ...to die as that river did; but to die following you!
ADINA: Love another! You're allowed. NEMORINO: Ah! It is not possible!
ADINA: To get over this madness—for faithful love is madness!—you must follow my example, and change lovers every day!As one nail drives out another, so new love drives out the old. That's how I live happy, and keep my heart free!
NEMORINO: Ah! You're the only one I see, day and night, and everywhere I look! It's useless trying to forget you.I have your face written on my heart... Perhaps anyone else could change lovers as you do—But as for me, my first love will never leave my heart!
Adina’s Aria “Prendi, per me sei libero” from The Elixir of Love (L’elisir d’amore) (1832)
by Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)
Bailey Sutton, soprano | Sara Steele, piano
Take this! Because of me, now you are free.Stay here in your homeland.There's no destiny so bitter that it can't be changed one day.Stay here where everyone loves you—wise, loving, and honest as you are—You will not always be discontented and aggrieved.
Mimi’s Aria “Sì, mi chiamano Mimì” from La bohème (1896)
by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)
Bree Nichols, soprano | Jason Nichols, tenor | Sara Steele, piano
Yes, They call me Mimi, but my real name is Lucia. My story is brief: I embroider silk and satin, making lilies and roses.I love all things that talk of love, of springtime, of dreams and fancies— the things with names that sound like poetry... Do you know what I mean?
RODOLFO: Yes.
They call me Mimì. And why? I don't know. I take meals by myself; I don't go to Mass much, but I often pray to the Lord.I live all alone… Up there, in my little white room, I look out over the rooftops and into the sky.But when the spring thaw comes, the sun's first rays are mine! The first kiss of April is mine! The first sunlight is mine.
A rose blooms in my vase; I watch it unfold, petal by petal. How sweet is the perfume of a flower! But the flowers I sew, alas, have no scent.I wouldn’t know what else to say about myself: I'm just your neighbor, come to disturb you at this inconvenient hour.
Duet “O soave fanciulla” from La bohème (1896)
by Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)
Bree Nichols, soprano | Jason Nichols, tenor | Sara Steele, piano
Rodolfo: Oh, lovely girl! Oh, sweet face bathed in the soft moonlight. In you, I see in you the dream I want to dream forever!
Mimì: (Love, you alone guide me!)
Rodolfo: The deepest tenderness already trembles in my soul. Love trembles in our kiss!
Mimì: No, please!
Rodolfo: You're mine!
Mimì: Your friends are waiting. What if… I came with you?
Rodolfo: What? Mimì! It would be so lovely to stay here. It's cold outside.
Mimì: I’ll stay near you.
Rodolfo: … And when we come back?
Mimì: Someone’s curious!
Rodolfo: Give me your arm, my darling... Tell me you love me.
Mimì: I love you.
Both: Love!
“On My Own” from Les Misérables (1980)
by Claude-Michel Schönberg (b. 1944)
Jocelyn Hansen, soprano | Sara Steele, piano
Trio “A Heart Full of Love” from Les Misérables (1980)
by Claude-Michel Schönberg (b. 1944)
Jocelyn Hansen, soprano | Bree Nichols, soprano | Jason Nichols, tenor | Sara Steele, piano
“Glitter And Be Gay” from Candide (1956)
by Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990)
Bailey Sutton, soprano | Sara Steele, piano
MEET THE PERFORMERS
Jocelyn Hansen, soprano | @jhansoprano
Praised for her “creamy and effortlessly produced soprano” (Texas Classical Review), Iowa-native soprano Jocelyn Hansen is emerging as a versatile performer in the realms of opera and musical theatre. She made her mainstage debut with The Dallas Opera in the 2022 season as the Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto and will return in 2023 in the world premiere of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. In 2020, Jocelyn finished a two-year tenure as an Education Artist with The Dallas Opera, singing the roles of Laurette in Doctor Miracle and Manuelita in Pépito. Her musical theatre performances include Ens. Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Cinderella’s Stepmother in Into the Woods with The Ohio Light Opera in 2019.
Jocelyn's vocal flexibility has also been showcased on the concert stage, including performing as the soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and the Amarillo Symphony, and with the Abilene Philharmonic in Broadway A La Carte. Other role highlights include Pamina in The Magic Flute and Soeur Constance in The Dialogues of the Carmelites. In addition to performing, Ms. Hansen is an active voice teacher, clinician, and pedagogue, specializing in crossover training between genres. Jocelyn holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Iowa State University and a Master’s Degree from Michigan State University and is completing her doctorate at the University of North Texas.
Bailey Sutton, soprano
Bailey Sutton is a young American soprano rapidly gaining recognition for her shimmering, silver tone and nuanced musicality. Originally from La Grange, North Carolina, Bailey frequently performs in concert and on the opera stage with North Carolina Opera as a soloist and ensemble member. She recently created the role of Hero in the world premiere of Evan Keene’s Much Ado About Nothing at Stafford Opera Troupe, and has also portrayed Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel and Gretel and Drusilla from Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea. In addition to opera, Bailey has performed many musical theater and straight theater roles, such as Mrs. Nordstrom from Sondheim’s A Little Night Music, and Abby Brewster from Joseph Kesselring’s Arsenic and Old Lace.
Bailey was a finalist in the 2019 Orpheus Vocal Competition in Tennessee, where she won the Donizetti Award; later that season, she was selected as a Young Artist for the 2020 CoOPERAtive program at Westminster Choir College and was a semi-finalist in the 2020 Premiere Opera Foundation + NYIOP Vocal Competition.
Off the stage, Bailey is passionate about serving her community through the arts and empowering young musicians. She currently serves students as the director of choirs and musical theatre at North Lenoir High School, in addition to teaching voice lessons and performing as a regular soloist at the First United Methodist Church in Wilson, NC. Bailey holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from East Carolina University.
Tres Hunter, bass | @tresthebass
Obsessed with musical storytelling, Tres Hunter, bass, has brought characters to life on stages around the globe. He made his Opera Arlington debut this season as Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte. Recognized for his performance talent at a young age, Tres began performing across the U.S. during his teenage years and soon after made his international debut as a performer at Hong Kong Disneyland at the age of 22. In the U.S., Tres sings at The Dallas Opera as an Educational Artist and is a member of Verdigris Ensemble. He is known for his wide breadth of operatic roles, ranging from Collatinus in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia to the Simone in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. Tres also performs frequently with Red River Lyric Opera, where he recently appeared as Alidoro in La Cenerentola. Off the stage, Tres Hunter currently lives in the DFW Metroplex with his partner, their pug, and orange tabby cat and he enjoys fishing on the weekends.
Jason Nichols, tenor | @jasonnnichols
Jason Nichols, who sings “with vulnerability and passion” (The Roanoke Times), is a versatile tenor with ample experience both on stage and in the studio. Jason performs frequently with Opera Arlington and has recently made concert and recital appearances abroad in Paris, Prague, Olomouc, and Madagascar. In the 2019-2020 season, he appeared in The Dallas Symphony’s production of Salome under conductor Fabio Luisi, and premiered the modern adaptations of two operas by J.H. Schmelzer at the Olomouc Baroque Festival in the Czech Republic. This past season, Jason performed in multiple cities in the Czech Republic as part of a recital series that revived rare works of Czech art song. A 2016 district winner in the Metropolitan Opera Competition and Apprentice Artist with Opera Roanoke, Jason has also performed under the illustrious batons of Marzio Conti, Hilary Griffiths, Lukas Beikercher, Marius Stieghorst, and Steven White.
On the opera stage and in concert, Jason has appeared as Don José (Carmen), Il Duca (Rigoletto), Rodolfo (La Bohème), and many more. He holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Georgia and a Graduate Artist Certificate from the University of North Texas.
Bree Nichols, soprano | @singbree
Founder and General Director of Opera Arlington, Bree Nichols is an Arlington-based soprano, vocal educator, and arts professional who has performed across the United States and internationally. An innovator in community opera initiatives, Bree founded Stafford Opera Troupe in her hometown of Stafford, Virginia in 2016, where she created the Summer Opera Program offering free training and performance opportunities to emerging singers. At Stafford Opera Troupe, she served as General Director and Music Director for three seasons, producing operas such as Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Viardot's Cendrillon. In addition to her work with Opera Arlington, Bree currently serves growing musicians on the faculty of NTX Vocal Arts Exchange. A Fulbright grantee to the Czech Republic in 2021–22, Bree is known for her interpretations of Czech vocal music in addition to a diverse operatic repertoire. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from University of North Texas and a Master of Music degree from University of Georgia.
Sara Steele, piano
Sara Steele, originally from Springfield, Missouri, is an active collaborative pianist and vocal coach in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. A Presser Award winner, Sara has performed at Carnegie Hall as a winner of the chamber music division of the Semper Pro Musica Competition and has accompanied master classes given by Mary Dibbern, Kathy Kelly, and Tamara Wilson. Sara has performed with the Springfield, Missouri Symphony Orchestra and also adjudicated the Martha Guengrich Piano Festival and piano guild auditions throughout Missouri. She served on faculties of the Colorado Vocal Institute, Music in the Marche and Brancaleoni International Music Festival.
Sara has completed a Graduate Artist Certificate in Opera Coaching, and is finishing a DMA in Collaborative Piano, both from the University of North Texas, where she was a graduate assistant for UNT Opera. Currently, Sara is a Vocal Coach and Music Director of the Texas Christian University Opera Studio, Pianist for The Dallas Opera Outreach and Education program, and freelances throughout the DFW Metroplex. She holds two Master of Music degrees, one in Collaborative Piano and the other in Performance and Pedagogy, both from Baylor University, and a BM in Piano Performance from Southwest Baptist University.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This performance would not be possible without the generosity of our donors. Thank you for being a part of our mission to empower artists and enrich our community through music! To become a part of the Opera Arlington family and join the movement for the arts in our city, please consider making a gift today.
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