 The Queen of Spades (1887) by Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky. Libretto by composer's brother Modest Tchaikovsky, and is based on a short story by Alexander Pushkin.
Obsessed with gambling, Herman regularly watches his friends play cards but himself never places bets. Overhearing a story about a secret of three winning cards, known only to an old Countess who is also the grandmother of Herman's love interest Liza, he now becomes obsessed with finding out the secret. 
New to Russian Studio - The Queen of Spades poster. I worked on this production with Opera Company of Philadelphia. Gian Carlo Menotti was the stage director, Régine Crespin was the Countess. Opera was televised on PBS Great Performances.
 Donald St. Pierre returns to Russian Opera Workshop 2014. In previous summer programs Don helped prepare Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Iolanta and Pique Dame, and Rachmaninoff's Aleko and Francesca da Rimini.
Donald St. Pierre was associated with the Skylight Opera Theatre as music director from 1978 to 1990. He conducted more than fifty productions there, from Monteverdi's Il Coronazione di Poppea to Stephen Oliver's Mario and the Magician (American premiere). He was keyboard player of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra until 1978. In 1986 he served as chorus master at the Vienna State Opera for Leonard Bernstein's Quiet Place (recorded by DGG and conducted by the composer). As a recital accompanist, Mr. St. Pierre has appeared at such venues as New York's Lincoln Center, London's Wigmore Hall and Almeida Theatre, and Paris's Théâtre du Châtelet, as well as at the Tanglewood, Santa Fe Chamber Music, Bowdoin, Bard, and Grand Teton music festivals. He is one of the contributing composers to the AIDS Quilt Songbook, published by Boosey & Hawkes and recorded on the Harmonia Mundi label. Mr. St. Pierre serves on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music.  Raehann Bryce-Davis was accepted in to the Florida Grand Opera Young Artist Program 2013/2014.
Russian Opera Workshop Credits 2012: The Countess (Pique Dame) and Governess, The Queen of Spades Congratulations, Raehann!  Kirsten C. Kunkle has been accepted in the 2013 NATS Intern Program - National Association of Teachers of Singing
Russian Opera Workshop Credits: Iolanta and Brigitta, Iolanta (2011); Zemphira, Aleko (2012), Liza, The Queen of Spades (2012) Congratulations, Kirsten! 
What a week of alumni mini reunions! Yesterday, at my AVA Eugene Onegin rehearsal the visitor from Miami was Jeff Williams (ROW 2012).
During Russian Opera Workshop 2012 summer program Jeff performed the title role in Rachmaninoff's "Aleko" and Prince Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky's "Pique Dame". Thanks again to Shelley Jackson (ROW 2011 Iolanta; AVA Artist 2013 Tatyana) for taking the photo. |
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