Opera Company of Middlebury presents…
A BERNSTEIN FESTIVAL
Featuring special events, films, a series of pre-performance talks, and our mainstage production, The Bernstein Songbook featuring Trouble in Tahiti, directed by Douglas Anderson and conducted by Filippo Ciabatti. See below for full schedule.
The Bernstein Songbook, featuring Trouble in Tahiti: October 3, October 4, October 5
Film Screenings:
September 24 - Leonard Bernstein: The Gift of Music
September 25 - West Side Story
October 2 - Candide
Tickets go on sale on August 18 for members and August 25 for the general public.
Under the age of 26? Check out our Opera Under 26 program to learn how to get free tickets to the opera!
A BERNSTEIN FESTIVAL
Composer of ballet, film and theater music, conductor of major world orchestras, pianist and educator, Leonard Bernstein’s career is the most remarkable and far-ranging in American music. Opera Company of Middlebury opens its 23rd season with an in-depth look at the man and his work. The two-week A Bernstein Festival weaves together documentaries and films, with a special “Songbook” evening covering his Broadway musicals, from On the Town (1944) through Candide (1956) and West Side Story (1957), culminating in a full production with orchestra of his rarely seen short opera, Trouble in Tahiti. You’ll come away with a fuller appreciation of the man, his genius, his trials and struggles, and his indelible contributions to music and theater.
Trouble in Tahiti staged by Douglas Anderson with orchestra conducted by Music Director Filippo Ciabatti
Tickets go on sale on August 18 for members and August 25 for the general public.
Under the age of 26? Check out our Opera Under 26 program to learn how to get free tickets to the opera!
All events will take place at Town Hall Theater, Middlebury.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 – A BERNSTEIN FESTIVAL OPENING NIGHT
6:30pm – Prosecco reception: Open to all, light refreshments served. Prosecco available for 21+, N/A option available
7:00pm – Pre-show talk with OCM Music Director Filippo Ciabatti
7:30pm – Screening of Leonard Bernstein: The Gift of Music
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 – WEST SIDE STORY
6:30pm – Bar/doors open
7:00pm – Pre-show talk with OCM Artistic Director Douglas Anderson
7:30pm – Screening of West Side Story
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2 – CANDIDE
6:30pm – Bar/doors open
7:00pm – Pre-show talk with OCM Artistic Director Douglas Anderson
7:30pm – Screening of OCM’s Candide
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3 – THE BERNSTEIN SONGBOOK OPENING NIGHT
6:30pm – Pre-show talk with Chorus Master Nathaniel Lew
7:30pm – THE BERNSTEIN SONGBOOK featuring Trouble in Tahiti
Followed by a Prosecco reception: Open to all, light refreshments served. Prosecco available for 21+, N/A option available
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 – THE BERNSTEIN SONGBOOK
1:00pm – Pre-show talk with Helen Lyons, OCM Board member and Music Manager at Vermont Public
2:00pm – THE BERNSTEIN SONGBOOK featuring Trouble Tahiti
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5 – THE BERNSTEIN SONGBOOK
1:00pm – Pre-show talk with Dr. Danielle Simon, OCM Board member and Assistant Professor of Music at Middlebury College
2:00pm – THE BERNSTEIN SONGBOOK featuring Trouble in Tahiti
Olga Perez Flora Dinah
Cuban-American mezzo-soprano Olga Perez Flora has earned acclaim for her “smoky tones,” as praised by Opera News. Celebrated for her riveting portrayal of Carmen—including her debut with Amarillo Opera—she brings depth and charisma to every role. Dr. Flora has performed with opera companies and symphonies across the U.S. and abroad, most recently as Anita in West Side Story with Indianapolis Opera and as soloist in Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the Louisiana Philharmonic. Other highlights include Carmen and Before Night Falls with Opera Southwest, her debut album Canciones de mi Corazón celebrating Cuban classical music, and podcast co-hosting duties on Santa Fe Opera’s Key Change. She was also featured in Opera Southwest’s Frida and Michael Ching’s Completing the Picture with Opera Company of Middlebury. Dr. Flora is Associate Professor of Voice at the University of New Mexico and is thrilled to return to her opera company home, OCM! olgaperezflora.squarespace.com
Kenneth Stavert Sam
Baritone Kenneth Stavert is a fixture on stages throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Hailed as “the real thing, a classic Verdi baritone with resonance, flexibility, and vigor,” he brings a signature boldness to each role he inhabits. Kenneth’s recent performances include Silvio (Pagliacci) with Vero Beach Opera, Sonora (La Fanciulla del West) with Washington Opera, Belcore (L’elisir d’amore), Conte di Luna (Il Trovatore) and his role debut as Don Carlo (Ernani) with Southern Illinois Music Festival, the title role in Macbeth with Heartbeat Opera, and Sharpless in Pacific Opera Project’s revival production of the Japanese/English translation of Madama Butterfly. Other notable highlights include Marcello (La Boheme) with Dayton Opera, Newport Classical Music Festival, Gulfshore Opera and Pacific Opera Project, Scarpia (Tosca) with Opera in the Heights, Ponchel (Silent Night) with Opera San José, Yamadori (Madama Butterfly) with Santa Fe Opera and Harlekin (Ariadne auf Naxos) with Palm Beach Opera. kennethstavert.com
Evan Fleming Jazz Trio
Hailing from New Jersey, baritone Evan Fleming is an avid performer of both stage and concert repertoire. He began 2025 as a Smith Young Artist with Cedar Rapids Opera, singing the role of the King in Massenet’s Cinderella. In February, he premiered Souls for Abigail by Steven Naylor with Praecepta, followed by a residency as a Tyler Young Artist with Opera on the James. While in Virginia, he appeared in several chamber operas, including a reprise of Ben in Menotti’s The Telephone. In the 2023–24 season, he was a Resident Artist with Toledo Opera and a Summer Studio Artist with Florentine Opera, performing roles such as Harry Houdini in Ragtime and Gregorio in Roméo et Juliette. Evan holds degrees from Montclair State University and the University of Alabama. Middlebury audiences may remember him as a 2023 Young Artist with OCM, and he is thrilled to return this season as a guest artist! evan-fleming.com
Patrick Bessenbacher Jazz Trio
Praised for his “purity of tone and ardent, youthful stage presence” (Opera News), tenor Patrick Bessenbacher hails from Overland Park, Kansas, where he grew up as a three-sport athlete and avid music lover. Recent performances include Consigliere in Catapult Opera’s new production of San Giovanni Battista by Alessandro Stradella, Acis in Florentine Opera’s Acis and Galatea, and Count Bandiere in the U.S. premiere of Salieri’s La Scuola de’ Gelosi with Pacific Opera Project. He has also performed with Opera San José, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera Birmingham, West Bay Opera, and the Opera Company of Middlebury, among others. Patrick holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Master of Music from The Juilliard School. He is represented by Kathy Olsen of Encompass Arts. In his free time, Patrick enjoys skiing in the mountains, relaxing on the beach, and spending time with family and friends - whether adventuring or simply sharing good company. patrickbessenbacher.com
Rachel Weinfeld Jazz Trio
Rachel Weinfeld has made a name for herself as a versatile crossover artist in both opera and musical theatre. Praised for her “outstanding comedic timing” and “heavenly soprano,” her recent roles include Johanna in Sweeney Todd (Vermont Rep), Maria in The Sound of Music, Julie in Carousel, Fiona in Brigadoon (Ohio Light Opera), Marian Paroo in The Music Man (Great Plains Theatre), and Phoebe D’Ysquith in A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Festival 56). She made her concert debut as Julie in “The Bench Scene” from Carousel alongside Nathan Gunn and has also performed with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. In 2024, she was a semi-finalist in the prestigious Lotte Lenya Competition. A Michigan native, Rachel holds a BM from Ball State University and an MM from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A sought-after voice teacher, she is a member of the University of Vermont faculty and maintains a private studio in Burlington. rachelweinfeld.com
Orchestra
Conductor: Filippo Ciabatti
Concertmaster
Second Violin
Principal Viola
Principal Cello
Principal Bass
Flute doubling Piccolo
Oboe doubling English Horn
Clarinet doubling Bass Clarinet
Bassoon doubling Contrabassoon
Horn
Trumpet
Trombone
Timpani doubling Percussion
Piano
Brooke Quiggins-Saulnier
Vlad Hontilǎ
Stefanie Taylor
Tyler James
Nicholas Browne
Rachel Braude
Michelle Farah
Nuno Antunes
April Verser
Patrick Kennelly
Elizabeth Jewell
Kevin Virgilio
Nicola Cannizzaro
Eden West
Coming soon!
Coming soon!
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