Author Archives: Puccini

Puccini Society 2019/2020 Season

Hello friends!  We’re definitely at the end of summer this weekend, and most groups are well into their plans for the coming year.  While I was in Santa Fe I contacted several singers whom we want to have this year, and whom I had talked with previously.  It looks like another good year of programs.  I sent out our dates and the singers made their choices. We can still book one more program if anyone has suggestions.

This is what it looks like so far:

  • Oct. 19;  Francisco Bedoy, tenor
  • Nov. 16; Rachel Davies, mezzo
  • Dec. 14; Julie Johnson, mezzo at the home of Linda and Tom Smith
  • Jan. 18 or 25; Mary Dibbern with Gabby Gifford and Malcom Payne, baritone
  • Feb. 15 or March 21; hopefully Lauren McNeese, sop. singing Strauss songs
  • April 18; Josefina Maldonado, soprano

I look forward to seeing everyone again soon, and welcome any suggestions. 

I hope everyone has had a good summer,

Marilyn Halla

End of Season Supper – May 5, 2019

The Puccini Society of Dallas Presents

Ed Flaspoehler and Friends
A Program of New Music by Dallas Composers

Sunday, May 5, 2019, 5:30 PM

Join us in celebrating the end of the season with supper and an evening of music by Dallas Composers. Program includes the premiere performance of the Sonata for Flute and Piano (2018) by Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, and the Piano Trio, “Moments in Memory,” by Mark Landson.

Ed Flaspoehler – Flute
Gregory Sullivan Isaacs – Composer
Mark Landson – Composer and Violin
John Landefeld – Cello
Sunny Heesun Yun– PianoS

Hosted by Bettie Francis
3600 Princeton Avenue
Dallas, TX 75205

Members $40, Guests $45

Valet Parking

R.S.V.P. to Bettie Francis
at 214.528.4554 or
P.O. Box 25105
Dallas, TX 75225 or
[email protected]

Gregory Sullivan Isaacs is an American musician, composer, classical music critic and music director who has held musical directorships of opera, choral, and symphonic organizations. Since 2014, he has been the senior classical music critic for the online arts magazine TheaterJones, as well as a freelance writer for other publications, including The Fort Worth Star Telegram.  He is a member of ASCAP and the Music Critics Association of North America.

Mark Landson is a violinist, violist, composer, the founder and Director of Open Classical, and the founder and violist of contemporary music group Neo Camerata. He has been featured by the Dallas Observer in their “Top 100 Creatives in Dallas” series, by DFW arts website TheaterJones in their “Forward Thinkers” series, and through numerous other broadcast interviews and press articles as a prolific contributor to the creative culture of North Texas.

Pianist Sunny Heesun Yun is from South Korea. As a solo pianist, she has performed throughout America, Europe, and South Korea. She won the first place in several international competitions, including Rose Petroff Foundation Piano Competition in San Antonio, Texas, American Protégé International Piano and String Competition in New York City, American Protégé International Concerto Competition in New York City, and International Symphonic Workshops Piano Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. Sunny Yun is a member of the piano faculty at Eastfield College in Dallas.

Puccini Society member Ed Flaspoehler is an accomplished flutist. In 2018, he commissioned his friend, Gregory Sullivan Isaacs, to write a Sonata for Flute and Piano, which will receive its first public performance with Puccini Society of Dallas on May 5, 2009. Ed also performs frequently at Open Classical, hosted by Mark Landson, and has invited Mark to perform his piano trio, “Moments in Memory,” on the same program.

Cellist, John Landefeld, will perform as part of the piano trio.

Puccini’s Manon Lescaut – February 23, 2019

The Puccini Society of Dallas Presents

Dr. Stephen Dubberly, UNT Opera
A Lecture and Performance on
Puccini’s Opera Manon Lescaut

featuring
Alisa Magallon, Soprano, and
James Chamberlain, Tenor

Hosted by
Enika and Richard Schultz
5042 Lakehill Court
Dallas, TX 75220

Valet Parking
Members $25 – Guests $30

R.S.V.P. to Bettie Francis
P.O. Box 25105
Dallas, TX 75225 or
puccinisociety @ aol.com
https://www.puccinidallas.com

STEPHEN DUBBERLY Associate Professor and Music Director at UNT’s Opera Department

Our February program will be presented by Stephen Dubberly, UNT School of Music Director of Opera.  Many of you know Stephen and will welcome him back again.  He will discuss Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” which will be presented by the Dallas Opera in early March.  Along with his informative talk on the composition and history and story of this work, he will bring singers from the UNT Opera Program to sing arias from this opera.  Enika and Richard Schulze will host us once again, and members of the Dallas Opera Guild will be invited to attend.  

Please put Saturday, Feb. 23 on your calendar and plan to attend this program.  “Manon Lescaut” is one of the less familiar Puccini operas, and your attendance of a performance will be greatly enhanced by learning more about it.

In 2016 The Dallas Opera presented the French version of this story, “Manon” by Jules Massenet, but the Italian version is an entirely different work, and is one of Puccini’s most beautiful compositions.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Marilyn Halla

Wind Song Trio – January 13, 2019

The Puccini Society of Dallas Presents
The Wind Song Trio
Haley Sicking, Soprano,
Robin Korevaar, Clarinet, and
Jonathan Tsay, Piano

Sunday, January 13, 2019, 3:00PM

Hosted by Bill and Leslie Cornog
6812 Hunter’s Glen Road
Dallas, TX 75205

Valet Parking
Guests $30 – Members $25

R.S.V.P. to Bettie Francis
P.O. Box 25105
Dallas, TX 75225 or
puccinisociety @ aol.com
https://www.puccinidallas.com

Haley Sicking

Puccini Friends:  Happy New Year!  We begin the new year with a program presented by the Wind Song Trio on Sunday ( not the usual Sat.) afternoon, Jan. 13.  You may recall this trio presented our program a few years back at the home of Faye Briggs and were enthusiastically received by all.

Haley Sicking, soprano recently sang on the program given in conjunction with the Dallas Opera’s Women Conductors Symposium with the Dallas Opera Orchestra under the direction of Emmanuel Villaume.  She will sing for us along with Robin Korevaar, clarinet and Jonathan Tsay, piano.  This fine professional trio has presented various programs throughout the community, among which is the Basically Beethoven summer series at the Moody Performance Hall.

Our program is given in memory of our well remembered member, Gus Hoehn.  Gus was a music enthusiast and life long clarinet player in addition to being a successful engineer.  Many of Gus’ friends will join us to remember and honor him.

We meet at the lovely, art filled home of Bill and Leslie Cornog, 6— Hunter’s Glen, 75205, at our regular 3:00 time.  I hope to see you there!

Marilyn Halla

A Night in Berlin – November 30, 2918

The Puccini Society of Dallas recommends

Opera in Concert presents

A Night In Berlin

“A Night in Berlin”, features complete performances in English of
Mahagonny Songspiel by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill and
The Tide by Boris Blacher

Come experience the jazzy opera that created a riot when it premiered in 1927! Also on the bill is a tense psychological drama of four characters trapped by the tide on a half-sunken wreck.

Featuring: Rachel Catlett, Gabrielle Gilliam, Stephanie Smittie, Stephen Brennfleck, Doug Brunker, Edward Crafts, Joshua Hughes and John Kuether. Stephen Dubberly directs from the keyboard.

Kurth Hall in Sammons Center, Friday, November 30, 2018
Address: 3630 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75219

Tickets are $20 ($10 for students)

www.operainconcert.org

Courtney Stancil and Christopher Leach – December 8, 2018

The Puccini Society of Dallas presents

An Afternoon of Opera Arias and Duets

Courtney Stancil, Soprano
Christopher Leach, Tenor
Mary Dibbern, Pianist

Saturday, December 8, 2018, at 3:00PM

Hosted by Nancy Ashley
3816 Southwestern Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75225

Valet Parking

Members: $25, Guests: $30

R.S.V.P. to Bettie Francis
P.O. Box 25105
Dallas, TX 75225 or
puccinisociety @ aol.com

https://www.puccinidallas.com

2018-19 Programs

PUCCINI SOCIETY PROGRAMS 2018-19

  • Sept. 22:
    Jackie Lengfelder, soprano and Ted Carlson, baritone, Mary Dibbern, pianist
    Linda and Tom Smith hosts
  • Oct. 13:
    Students of Barbara Hill Moore
    Hosted by Antony and Katherine Francis
  • Nov. 17:
    Tamora Wood, mezzo soprano and Darla Mattern, soprano
    Tommy DeSalvo, pianist
    Eleanor Krebs, host
  • Dec. 8:
    Courtney Stancil, soprano and Charles Karanja, tenor,
    Mary Dibbern, pianist
    Nancy Ashley, hostess
  • January date TBA:
    Wind Song Trio
    Gus Hoehn Memorial Concert
  • Feb. 10:
    Opera in Concert Gala
    Edward Crafts, baritone
    Barbara Bradfield, hostess
  • Feb. 23:
    Stephen Dubberly lecture on Puccini’s “Manon Lescot”
    Location TBA
  • May:
    Puccini Party
    Ed Flaspoehler performs Gregory Isaacs’ flute sonata
    Bettie Francis, hostess

School Daze – November 17, 2017

The Puccini Society of Dallas
Recommends:

“School Daze” by Opera in Concert

This fall, Opera in Concert presents two comic operas about education: “The Schoolmaster”, with a bumbling teacher trying to control his unruly class, and “Une Education Manquee” about a young couple whose schooling has neglected a crucial subject – “the birds and the bees”!

Performers include Edward Crafts, John Kuether, Lauren McNeese and Jocelyn Hansen, with Stephen Dubberly as music director and pianist.

Fri, November 17, 2017
8:00 PM – 11:00 PM CST

Sammons Center For the Arts
3630 Harry Hines Blvd
Dallas, TX 75219

Tickets online through Eventbrite

Puccini Society Events for Spring 2016

2016 Program Schedule

Portrait of Giacomo Puccini by Anne Cushing Ganz

Portrait of Giacomo Puccini by Anne Cushing Ganz

January 23
Erin Alcorn, soprano and Natalie Arduino, mezzo soprano
Mary Dibbern, pianist
“Music Around the World”

February 20
Students of Edward and Heather Crafts
Musica della Marche, Urbino, Italy

March 19
Desiree Mays of Santa Fe lectures
“The Real Madam Butterfly”
“Wagner’s Women”

April 3
Joint event with Dallas Opera Guild and Dallas Theater Guild
David Geist, Broadway pianist, conductor, coach
Contrasts opera and Broadway musicals

May 14
Wind Song Trio
Haley Sicking, soprano; Robin Korevaar, clarinet; Jonathan Tsay, piano

Programs for 2015-2016

The Puccini Society of Dallas – Programs for 2015-2016

Portrait of Giacomo Puccini by Anne Cushing Ganz

Portrait of Giacomo Puccini by Anne Cushing Ganz

Our Puccini Society board met recently to work on plans for the coming year.

Our new season will begin October 10 at Enika and Richard Schulze’s lovely home, with an event announcing the release of Jared Schwartz’s new CD by Toccata Classics/London of Gabriel Faure’s Songs for Bass Voice and Piano.  Accompanying Jared on the CD is Roy Howat, Scottish pianist and musicologist, who is known worldwide for his concerts, broadcasts and lectures.  Our own renowned Mary Dibbern is Artistic Director for the album, which is scheduled to be released in late September.

In addition, we will feature Mary Dibbern’s latest book, “Massenet and his Letters,” by Pendragon Press.  The original book of the composer’s letters was published in French in 2001 by his descendant, Ann Massenet.  Mary has translated the book into English.  It features letters and documents from the composer’s son-in-law and wife, whose long and frequent spa cures forced Massenet to experience unbearable solitude.  Our gathering will celebrate French composers and art songs.

On March 19 we are planning a joint meeting with The Wagner Society of Dallas, featuring noted opera lecturer Desiree Mays from Santa Fe.  Many of you may have attended her pre-performance lectures during The Santa Fe Opera season.  In addition, Ms. Mays gives pre-performance lectures at The Metropolitan Opera and The San Francisco Opera and leads opera tours for Act I Travel.  She also publishes “Opera Unveiled” each spring, giving an overview and synopsis of The Santa Fe Opera season.

Ms. Mays has prepared a new lecture on the recently discovered story of the actual Madam Butterfly and her real son.  She will lecture on this at The Metropolitan Opera later in March.  Our program will feature her Puccini lecture followed by our usual reception and then a lecture, “Wagner’s Women,” which she presented to The Wagner Society in San Francisco in 2014 to great acclaim.  Everyone is welcome to attend both lectures.

On April 3 we will co-sponsor a very special event with The Dallas Opera Guild and The Dallas Theater Center Guild.  It will be at the home of Kathy and Harlan Crow in their Presidential Library and concert hall.  With The Dallas Opera production of “Show Boat” just ready to open, our program will compare Broadway musicals with opera.  The Dallas Theater Center is presenting two musicals this season:  “Moonshine” and “Dream Girls”.  Broadway pianist and conductor David Geist of Santa Fe will present a program, which he wrote for The Santa Fe Opera Guild last year.  Stay tuned for details and information on this very special collaboration.

Of course, we will also present outstanding singers, who will sing Puccini arias in our other programs this season.  One of these programs will feature Edward and Heather Crafts’ young area students whom we helped sponsor in their summer program Musica Nelle Marche in Urbino, Italy, this year. Please plan to join us for all these outstanding programs next season.