Carmen by Georges Bizet

 on May 14, 16, 18 2008 at  the Willson Auditorium, 404 W. Main Street, Bozeman, Montana

Tickets go on sale in April. Opera classes will be offered in April.  

IOA is celebrating 30 years of producing Grand Opera in Bozeman.  Our artistic director is assembling a stellar cast for next May’s production of Carmen. The title role will be played by Audrey Babcock. We are thrilled to welcome back two singers from previous years. Tenor Scott Piper will be Don Jose. He sang the part of Des Grieux in our 2006 production of Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. Jennifer Welch-Babidge will sing Micaela. In 2004 she appeared on the Willson stage as Lucia in Lucia de Lammermoor. Carlos Archuleta will sing Escamillo.

 A Metropolitan Opera Regional Finalist two years in a row, Audrey Babcock has sung Carmen for the Florida Grand Opera and covered the role for the New York City Opera. Other roles include Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, and Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana. She has appeared with Seattle Opera, Santa Fe Opera, New York City Opera. Upcoming engagements include Lyric Opera of San Diego.

Scott Piper has played Don Jose at New York City Opera. He has also sung with Houston Grand Opera,  Vancouver Opera, New People’s Theater of Moscow (Russia), Minnesota Opera, and Opera Pacific. He appears as Alfredo in the new DVD of Franco Zeffirelli’s production of La Traviata conducted by Placido Domingo.

Carlos Archuleta makes his first appearance with IOA singing Escamillo. His recent engagements include the Washington National Opera, Minnesota Opera and San Antonio Opera.  He will sing the role of Escamillo with New York City Opera in October 2008, and at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK, in February, 2009.

Jennifer Welch-Babidge will sing the role of Micaela. Frequently appearing on the Metropolitan Opera stage, her roles with the company include Marzelline in Fidelio, Chloe in Queen of Spades, Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and Freia in Das Rheingold. She has also appeared at Carnegie Hall with the Metropolitan Opera Chamber Ensemble and James Levine. In recent seasons, her acclaimed performances encompass the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor at New York City Opera, Opera Colorado, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and Greensboro Opera Company. Ms. Babidge has sung with San Francisco Opera and Houston Grand Opera.

Baritone Jeffrey Buchman will sing the role of Zuniga. Mr. Buchman won the 5th International Luciano Pavarotti Voice Competition and made his debut in Pavarotti Plus at Lincoln Center at the invitation of the world renowned tenor. He has performed with Utah Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Greater Miami Opera, Boston Lyric and Hong Kong Opera.

Dancer & choreographer Rosa Mercedes, from Barcelona, Spain, has enjoyed an extensive and critically acclaimed career which has seen her work featured by the Metropolitan Opera, Opera di Roma, Michigan Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera, Baltimore Opera, Washington Summer Opera, Florentine Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, Dallas Opera and Florida Grand Opera in productions of SAMSON ET DALILA, AIDA, CARMEN, LA TRAVIATA, LA GIOCONDA, DIE FLEDERMAUS, SALOME, AIDA, BALLO IN MASCHERA, DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE, CORONAZIONE DI POPPEA, ROMEO ET JULIETTE, DON GIOVANNI, TURANDOT, THE MERRY WIDOW and LA VIDA BREVE.

Steven Daigle, Director

Steven Daigle, associate professor of opera and dramatic director of Eastman Opera Theatre, has served as part of the artistic staff for more than 200 lyric theater productions. Daigle served on the faculty at Kent State University and as assistant director and acting director of the Opera Theater program at the Oberlin Conservatory. In the summer of 1998 he served on the faculty of the Oberlin in Italy program in Urbania, Italy. In 1999 he was appointed artistic director of Ohio Light Opera Company.

Julian Dawson, Conductor

Conductor Julian Dawson held appointments as Staff Accompanist for the BBC in Scotland, Associate Conductor for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Scottish Opera.  Maestro Dawson was Director of Orchestras and Opera at Illinois State University for 26 years and opera conductor for nine seasons at the Brevard Music Center. He recently spent five summers as conductor for the Oberlin in Italy opera program in Urbania, Italy. He was Principal Coach of the Chicago Opera Theater and currently conductor for the DePaul University Opera Theater's production of Purcell's The Fairy Queen.

IOA Carmen poster for 2008. For the past 15 years, Bozeman High School students in Mark Sullivan’s AP art class have taken up the challenge to create a poster for IOA’s next production. This year’s winner is Mishael Lee.

Read a Recent Article about Mishael Lee