Tag: opera saratoga

Opera Saratoga has announced the establishment of a new executive leadership position, with Amanda Robie, formerly the company’s Managing Director, appointed to the role,

Robie will collaborate closely with the General and Artistic Director, as well as the Board of Directors, to shape and advance the strategic direction of the company.

Opera Saratoga, formerly known as Lake George Opera, began with a production of Die Fledermaus at the Diamond Point Theatre on July 5, 1962, playing to an audience of 230. The Company now calls Saratoga Springs home and performs for more than 25,000 people annually, celebratings its 60th anniversary this season.

Serving the communities of Saratoga Springs, the Lower Adirondack and New York State Capital Region, Opera Saratoga provided access to world-class opera through the production of an annual Summer Festival, as well as year-round activities including extensive educational programs, mentorship of emerging operatic artists, and unique opportunities for the public to experience opera in both our home theater and non-traditional venues that leverage and embrace the unique cultural, historic, and natural resources of the area.

A resident of Saratoga Springs, Ms. Robie began her career in opera as a mezzo-soprano, having studied voice at Bucknell University and The Boston Conservatory. A notable highlight of her performing career was her role as Cousin Hebe in Opera Saratoga’s 2013 production of H.M.S. Pinafore. Driven by a desire to influence the operatic world beyond the stage, she transitioned into arts administration, holding positions at the Boston Opera Collaborative, Fort Worth Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera. In 2019, she joined Opera Saratoga as Managing Director, where she played a pivotal role in navigating the company through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, overseeing its return to live performances, and leading the search for a new General Director.

“I am honored to step into the role of Executive Director at Opera Saratoga,” said Ms. Robie. “I look forward to continuing my work with this extraordinary company and vibrant community to ensure the continued vitality and success of opera in the region.”

“Amanda is an invaluable asset to Opera Saratoga, and both the Board and I are deeply appreciative that she has accepted this new leadership role,” said Mary Birnbaum, General and Artistic Director. “Her warmth, leadership, and in-depth knowledge of the art form make her a central figure at Opera Saratoga. Artists, technicians, and administrators alike consistently cite her as a major reason they choose to return to the company. I am excited to continue our partnership and to work alongside her in shaping the future of Opera Saratoga, beginning with the 2025 Summer Festival, which will run from May 20 to June 29.”

For more information about Amanda Robie or to buy subscriptions to the Summer Season, please visit our website at operasaratoga.org

Additionally, Opera Saratoga has announced the creative teams for its Summer Festival 2025. The musical She Loves Me, with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Joe Masteroff, will be directed by John Matsumoto Giampietro. Jacques Offenbach’s La Vie Parisienne will be directed by Mary Birnbaum and conducted by Juliane Gallant, making her U.S. debut. Both productions feature scenic design by Krit Robinson and lighting design by Anshuman Bhatia.

The cast of She Loves Me includes Festival Artists Christine Taylor Price (Amalia Balash), Kate Morton (Ilona Ritter), Shavon Lloyd (Steven Kodaly), Michael Segura (Ladislav Sipos), Jack O’Leary (Arpad Lazlo), Wagner Pastor (Head Waiter), and Guest Artist Peter Kazaras (Mr. Maraczek). Nathan Cicero will serve as assistant conductor, with Festival Artist Paige Dirks-Jacks as assistant director. June 21, 25, 27 at 7:30 pm and June 28 & 29 at 2:00 pm at Universal Preservation Hall.

La Vie Parisienne features Festival Artists Sungyeun Kim (Gabrielle), Fantine Douilly (Pauline), Chase Sanders (Baroness), Sadie Spivey (Clara), Tivoli Treloar (Metella), Kate Morton (Mme. de Folle-Verdure), Brennan Martinez (Léonie), Chuanyuan Liu (Mme. de Quimper-Karadec), Randy Ho (Gardefeu), Wagner Pastor (Gontran/Prosper), Geoffrey Schmelzer (Le Baron), Michael Segura (Urbain), Jack O’Leary (Joseph), as well as guest artists Michael Hawk (Bobinet) and César Andrés Parreño (Frick/Bresélien). Gloria Yin will serve as assistant conductor, and Zoe Lesser will be the assistant director. The book for La Vie Parisienne will be translated and updated by Tim Drucker (director of Trixie and Katya Live!) June 20, 26 & 28 at 7:30 pm and June 22 at 2:00 pm at Universal Preservation Hall.

A Mass for Women in Bathrooms, the work-in-progress presentation from composer Emma O’Halloran and librettist Naomi O’Connell will feature singers Brennan Martinez, Sadie Spivey and Chase Sanders, as well as electronics by Alex Dowling and music preparation by Laurie Rogers. June 22 at 7:30 pm and June 27 at 2:00 pm at Universal Preservation Hall.

In a Grove composed by Chris Cerrone with libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann will feature Chase Sanders (Leona), Chuanyuan Liu (Priest/Medium), Sadie Spivey (Leona’s Mother), Shavon Lloyd (Luther), Randy Ho (Ambrose), Wagner Pastor (Policeman), Geoffrey Shmelzer (Woodcutter). This site specific installation will feature sound design by Sam Torres and will be conducted by Luke Poeppel. May 28 at 5:00 pm, 7:00 pm, and May 29 at 5:00 pm, 7:00 pm (Rain date: May 31 at 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm) at the Ferndell Pavilion in Saratoga Spa State Park.

Subscriptions to Opera Saratoga are on sale through February 1 at www.operasaratoga.org or by calling Proctors Box Office at 518-346-6204. Other special events include concerts, free family performances and a gala.

Saratoga Springs’ own Opera Saratoga has elected four new members to its Board in preparation of the 2024 summer season, and under the leadership of General and Artistic Director, Mary Birnbaum.

New board members include: Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Works, Jason Golub; Supervising Judge of the Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District, Hon. Christina Ryba; local business owner and musician Derek Stannard; and, president and CEO of Empire Media Network, Abby Tegnalia.

“It is tremendously exciting to have these four new members joining our board. All community leaders in the Capital Region, each new member brings a valuable perspective and talent to our leadership team. I am looking forward to working with them as we continue to take Opera Saratoga forward.”

board President Steve Rosenblum

Opera Saratoga shares the following about the new Board Members

Jason Golub is a lifelong lover of musical theater but relatively new to opera. He currently serves as the Commissioner of Public Works for Saratoga Springs and has held professional roles as an anti-corruption lawyer and chief compliance officer at General Electric, and various leadership roles at hedge funds and law firms. He attended Connecticut College and Columbia Law School. He is excited to help continue to build on Opera Saratoga’s success by expanding the reach of Opera Saratoga to new audiences in Saratoga Springs and beyond, including his two kids, Zoe and Max.

The Honorable Christina L. Ryba was elected in 2015 to serve as Justice of the Supreme Court of New York in the Third Judicial District and in 2023 she was appointed Supervising Judge of the Supreme Court in the Third Judicial District. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Permanent Commission on Access to Justice whose mission is to ensure equal access to justice in New York State. Prior to beginning her judicial term in 2016, she held various positions in the court system for the Office of Court Administration (OCA) and in the NYS Supreme Court Appellate Division, Third Department, including Special Projects Counsel to the Deputy Chief Administrative Judge for Courts Outside New York City and Special Projects Counsel to the Presiding Justice of the Appellate Division, Third Department. Prior to her work with the judiciary, Judge Ryba was an associate at Nixon Peabody. She also served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of New York Litigation Bureau. Additional public service includes appointments first as General Counsel and then as Deputy Director for the City of Albany Community Development Agency. She began her career in public service with the City of Albany Corporation Counsel’s office. Judge Ryba is Second Vice President of the Association of Justices of the Supreme Court of the State of New York; member of the New York Women Judges Association; past-president of the Albany County Bar Foundation; past-president of the Albany County Bar Association; member of Judicial Friends Association; member of the American Bar Association; and a Trustee of Albany Law School, where she chairs the Law Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee.

Derek W. Stannard, pianist, organist, tenor, and conductor, is a graduate of the Crane School of Music with degrees in Performance and Music Education. From 2014-2019, Mr. Stannard was the Artistic Director and founder of Auriel Camerata, an acclaimed fully professional choral ensemble in the Capital District. He is currently the organist at Bethesda Episcopal Church, Saratoga Springs, and has served as Organist and Director of Music Ministries at Church of the Immaculate Conception, Glenville, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Bennington, Christ Church United Methodist, Glens Falls, and Grace Church, Canton, among others. From 2015 to 2021 he served as Associate Conductor of Burnt Hills Oratorio Society (now called Saratoga Voices), and served on their board until 2022. As a soloist, Mr. Stannard has been featured with many ensembles, including with Aoede Consort (Carnegie Hall premier of works by Vladimir Pleshakov), Albany Pro Musica, Burnt Hills Oratorio Society, Battenkill Chorale, Adirondack Voices, Voices of Cooperstown, and the Berkshire Choral Festival. In 2006, Mr. Stannard had the privilege of premiering the opera The Sailor-Boy and the Falcon at the Crane School of Music with Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe. In addition to his vocal and choral work, he has given organ recitals throughout the capital district including Christ Church Methodist, Glens Falls, St. Peter’s Church, Bennington, Silver Bay Chapel, Silver Bay, and the Cathedral of All Saints, Albany. Mr. Stannard is the proprietor of The Pampered Pooch and Pals, a pet supply store in Ballston Spa. He is delighted to be serving on the board of Opera Saratoga.

Abby Tegnelia is the president and CEO of Empire Media Network, which publishes Saratoga Living and Capital Region Living magazines, a hyper-local Substack email newsletter, and the programs for Albany Symphony Orchestra and the SPAC summer classical season—while also producing a vibrant calendar of community and private events. A lifelong supporter of the performing arts, she attended a magnet school for the arts for dance (and performed in Don Quixote with American Ballet Theater principal dancer Leslie Browne) before moving to NYC to get her masters in journalism at Columbia University and begin her journalism career at New York magazine. She has written for Glamour, Marie Claire, Robb Report and many others, and served as editor-in-chief of several regional magazines on the west coast before moving to Saratoga Springs in 2019 for her work with Empire Media.