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Les Troyens in Concert

Fight for love before it burns.

January 17 & 19, 2025
McCaw Hall

Overview

Bridges’ rich, opulent voice illuminated every line of her role.”

– The Seattle Times

[Russell Thomas provided] a feast of the raw, powerful, emotional singing that opera lovers hunger for.”

– Los Angeles Times


Music and libretto by Hector Berlioz

Following our celebrated 2023 production of Samson and Delilah in Concert, join us for an abridged version of Hector Berlioz’s epic in a concert version featuring full orchestra and chorus. Les Troyens à Carthage (Acts 3, 4, & 5) begins after the fall of Troy as Aeneas arrives at Carthage with tales of the Trojan War. Upon arrival, he orders his army to assist Queen Dido in defeating the invading Nubians before falling in love with the Queen himself. However, when duty calls, the two lovers are parted while a funeral pyre burns.

For the Seattle Opera debut of Berlioz’s 19th-century grand opera, we are excited to welcome back mezzo-soprano and Tacoma native J’Nai Bridges (Samson and Delilah in Concert ’23) as Dido, the Queen of Carthage, and Russell Thomas (Nabucco ’15), “a tenor of gorgeously burnished power” (The New York Times), as Aeneas.

Also available in a 2024/25 season package.

Performance Information

Performance Information

McCaw Hall

In French with English subtitles

Evening performance at 7:30 PM. Sunday matinee at 2:00 PM.

Performance Time: 2 hours 40 minutes including one intermission

Pre- and Post-Show Talks on every performance date.
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Digital Program

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Movie-style rating: PG-13

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Accessibility Offerings

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Synopsis Translations available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, German, Russian, Tagalog, and Somali.
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Cast

J'Nai Bridges

Dido

Mezzo-soprano

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Carmen,Carmen (‘26)
Hometown: Tacoma, WA

Previously at Seattle Opera: Dido, Les Troyens in Concert (’25)
Seattle Opera Debut:
Delilah, Samson and Delilah in Concert (’23)

Engagements: Lucinda, Intelligence (Houston Grand Opera); Soloist, Stabat Mater (New York Philharmonic); Mezzo-soprano, El Niño (Metropolitan Opera); Carmen, Carmen (Hamburg State Opera, Arena di Verona, Dutch National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Teatro Lirico di Cagliari); Nefertiti, Akhnaten (Metropolitan Opera); Soloist, Still and Negrón with Gustavo Dudamel (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Last Updated: January 2024

 

J'Nai Bridges

Dido

Jan. 17 & 19

Russell Thomas

Aeneas

Tenor
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Aeneas, Les Troyens in Concert

Hometown: Miami, FL
Seattle Opera Debut: Foresto, Attila (’11)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Ismaele, Nabucco (’15); Hoffmann, The Tales of Hoffmann (’14)
Seattle Opera Young Artist: 2002/03
Engagements: Kaiser, Die Frau ohne Schatten (Metropolitan Opera); Florestan, Fidelio, Radames, Aida (Lyric Opera of Chicago); Cavaradossi, Tosca (Royal Opera House Covent Garden); Calaf, Turandot (LA Opera)

Last Updated: December 2024

Russell Thomas

Aeneas

Jan. 17 & 19

Kelley O'Connor

Anna

Mezzo-soprano
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Anna, Les Troyens in Concert

Hometown: Clovis, CA
Seattle Opera Debut
Engagements: Soloist, Mahler’s Third Symphony (San Francisco Symphony); Mahler’s Second Symphony (Kansas City Symphony Orchestra); Neruda Songs (Aspen Music Festival); Recitalist, Kelley O’Connor & Robert Spano in Recital (Detroit Chamber Music Society); Soloist, Thomas Ades’ America: A Prophecy (Gewandhaus Orchester, Cleveland Orchestra); Verdi’s Requiem (Colorado Symphony)

Last Updated: January 2025

Kelley O'Connor

Anna

Seattle Opera Debut
Jan. 17 & 19

Adam Lau

Narbal

Bass
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Narbal, Les Troyens in Concert; Cesare Angelotti, Tosca

Hometown: San Francisco, CA
Seattle Opera Debut: Papa and Makoto Kobayashi, An American Dream (’15)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Soloist, 60th Anniversary Concert & Gala (’24); Angelotti, Tosca (’21); Masetto, Don Giovanni (’21); Alidoro, Cinderella (’19); Kōbun Chino Otogawa, The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (’19); Ferrando, Il trovatore (’19); Speaker, The Magic Flute ('17)
Engagements: Colline, La bohème (Opera Philadelphia); Dr. Grenvil, La traviata (Metropolitan Opera); Sarastro, The Magic Flute (Ravinia Festival); Soloist, Verdi’s Requiem (Carnegie Hall); Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro (Utah Opera); Sam, Un Ballo in Maschera  (San Francisco Opera)

Last Updated: January 2025

Adam Lau

Narbal

Jan. 17 & 19

Andrew Potter

Panthée

Bass
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Panthée, Les Troyens in Concert

Hometown: Mansfield, OH
Seattle Opera Debut: Mullah/Sharif/Soldier, A Thousand Splendid Suns (’23); Abimelech, Samson and Delilah in Concert (’23)
Engagements: Harašta, The Cunning Little Vixen (Detroit Opera); Colline, La bohème (Pacific Symphony); Quince, A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Atlanta Opera); Ferrando, Il trovatore (Opera Santa Barbara); Angelotti, Tosca (Dallas Opera); Vodnik, Rusalka (Portland Opera)

Last Updated: February 2024

Andrew Potter

Panthée

Jan. 17 & 19

Tess Altiveros

Ascagne

Soprano
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Ascagne, Les Troyens in Concert; Papagena, The Magic Flute
At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Edith, The Pirates of Penzance

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: Clorinda, The Combat (’17)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Nana/Market #1/Wajma, A Thousand Splendid Suns (’23); Giannetta, The Elixir of Love (’21, ‘22); Female Soldier, The Falling & The Rising (’19); E, O+E (’18)
Engagements: Soloist, Missa Solemnis (Boulder Philharmonic); Soloist, Cinco Poemas de Vinicius de Moraes (Greenville Symphony); Mimì, La bohème (Intermountain Opera); Susanna, Le nozze di Figaro (Opera Idaho); Soldier, The Falling & The Rising (Des Moines Metro Opera, Arizona Opera, Intermountain Opera, Opera Memphis)

Last Updated: October 2024

Tess Altiveros

Ascagne

Jan. 17 & 19

John Matthew Myers

Iopas

Tenor
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Iopas, Les Troyens in Concert

Hometown: Lake Forest, CA
Seattle Opera Debut
Engagements: Mao Tse-Tung, Nixon in China (Opera National de Paris); Mario Cavardossi, Tosca (Arizona Opera); Froh, Das Rheingold, Waldemar, Gurrelieder (Los Angeles Philharmonic); Bacchus, Ariadne auf Naxos (Teatro La Venice, Opernhaus Zürich)

Last Updated: December 2024

John Matthew Myers

Iopas

Seattle Opera Debut
Jan. 17 & 19

Richard L. Hodges

Mercure/Ghost of Priam

Baritone
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25: Mercure/Ghost of Priam, Les Troyens in Concert

Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Seattle Opera Debut: Friend/Ensemble, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X ('24)
Engagements: Ensemble, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (The Metropolitan Opera); Friend/Ensemble, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X (Detroit Opera); Lawyer Frazier/Undertaker, Porgy and Bess (Greensboro Opera Company); Preacher, Sweet Land (The Industry LA); William Still, Sanctuary Road (Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra); Director of Voice Studies, Western Washington University

Last Updated: September 2024

Richard L. Hodges

Mercure/Ghost of Priam

Jan. 17 & 19

Creative Team

Ludovic Morlot

Conductor

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Conductor, Carmen
Hometown: Lyon, France

Judith Fong Conductor Emeritus of Seattle Symphony

Previously at Seattle Opera: Conductor, Les Troyens in Concert (‘25); Das Rheingold (’23); Samson and Delilah in Concert ('23); Welcome Back Concert: Die Walküre (’21)
Seattle Opera Debut: Beatrice and Benedict (’18)

Engagements: Music Director (Barcelona Symphony Orchestra); Conductor Emeritus (Seattle Symphony); Associate Artist (BBC Philharmonic); Guest Conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Danish National Symphony)

Last Updated: January 2024

Ludovic Morlot

Conductor

Anderson Nunnelley

Director

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Assistant Stage Director, Carmen

Hometown: Traverse City, MI
Seattle Opera Debut: Assistant Director, Charlie Parker’s Yardbird (’20)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Director, Les Troyens in Concert (’25); Assistant Director, Alcina (’23); Associate Director, A Thousand Splendid Suns (‘23); Assistant Director, Blue (‘22)
Engagements: Madame Butterfly (LA Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Pittsburgh, Opera Utah); Pelléas et Mélisande, Rigoletto (Santa Fe Opera); El Relicario de los Animales (Long Beach Opera); Nacht Ohne Morgen (Staatsoper Berlin, Opéra Comique); LA Opera Staging Staff 2025/26

Last Updated: January 2025

Anderson Nunnelley

Director

Robert Aguilar

Lighting Designer

Lighting Designer
At Seattle Opera in 2024/25:
Les Troyens in Concert

Hometown: Sunnyside, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: Lighting Designer, Orpheus and Eurydice ('22)
Engagements: The Skin of Our Teeth, Fat Ham, Laughs in Spanish (Seattle Rep); Mary Poppins, Something’s Afoot, Waitress (5th Avenue Theatre); The Hobbit, A Christmas Story (Pittsburgh Public Theater); Beautiful, Once on This Island (Village Theatre); Waitress, In the Heights (Theatre Under the Stars); Golden (ACT Contemporary Theatre)

Last Updated: September 2024

Robert Aguilar

Lighting Designer

Ashlee Naegle

Wigs, Hair, and Makeup Manager & Designer

At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Wigs, Hair, and Makeup Manager & Designer, The Pirates of PenzanceFellow TravelersCarmen; Hair and Makeup Manager & Designer, Daphne in Concert

Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Seattle Opera Debut: Hair and Makeup Intern, Giulio Cesare (2007)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Wigs, Hair, and Makeup Designer, Pagliacci ('24); Jubilee ('24); Lucidity ('24); Les Troyens in Concert ('25); The Magic Flute ('25); Tosca ('25); Supplemental Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer, Das Rheingold ('23); Alcina ('23); X: The Life & Times of Malcolm X ('24); The Barber of Seville ('24)

Ashlee Naegle made a name for herself early on in her career by mastering the dying art of wig building. She created and designed for several companies around town until the Seattle Opera created an in-house Hair and Makeup Designer position for her in 2017. During her time as the in-house Hair and Makeup Designer, she has built a sizable wig collection, built a department, and set high standards for wigs, hair and makeup. With each production, her designs are custom built for the performers and their characters to create a believable façade for the audience as well as complement the costumes and production as a whole.

Last Updated: July 2025

Ashlee Naegle

Wigs, Hair, and Makeup Manager & Designer

Michaella Calzaretta

Chorus Master

Chorus Master

Hometown: Muscatine, IA
Seattle Opera debut: The Elixir of Love (’22)
Michaella Calzaretta made her Seattle Opera debut in 2022 as the company’s new chorus master and head of music staff. Acclaimed for her high standards and superb preparation skills, Calzaretta oversees all musical activities at the company and prepares the chorus for main stage productions. In January, the chorus embarked on their immensely successful first-ever tour to Mt. Vernon and Vashon Island. Recent praise includes “Her chorus was one of the stars... the voices were radiant” (Bachtrack) and “... the singers are both zesty and accurate (they’re also extremely nimble)” (The Seattle Times). Calzaretta is a doctoral candidate in choral conducting at Indiana University.

Last Updated: July 2024

Michaella Calzaretta

Chorus Master

Staging Staff

Jonathan Moore

Production Stage Manager

Production Stage Manager

Hometown: Houston, TX
Seattle Opera Mainstage Debut: Les Troyens in Concert (’25)
Jonathan Moore (he/him) is thrilled to be a part of the Seattle Opera Production Team as Production Stage Manager. He has primarily worked in opera and ballet, including, most recently, a 4-season stint at the Houston Ballet. He has also stage managed for plays, musicals, a Fringe Festival, concerts, and a drag show. Favorite projects include a tour to Tokyo, an opera in a hot spring, and several operas in barns. He has worked across the country, including in New York, San Diego, San Antonio, Steamboat Springs, and Logan, UT.

Last Updated: February 2025

Jonathan Moore

Production Stage Manager

Seattle Opera Debut

Cristine Reynolds

Assistant Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager
At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Daphne in Concert

Hometown: San Anselmo, CA
Seattle Opera Debut: Aida ('92)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Les Troyens in Concert (‘25); An American Dream (‘15); The Ring Cycle (‘00–13, ‘95); Pelleas et Melisande (‘93)
Engagements: Acis, Galatea & Polyphemus (Orpheus PDX); Forsythe County is Flooding (with the Joy of Lake Lanier) (Atlanta Opera); mindplay (Arena Stage); Freaky Friday (Alley Theatre, Cleveland Play House); Vanity Fair (Shakespeare Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre); Red Riding Hood (Seattle Children’s Theatre)

Last Updated: September 2024

Cristine Reynolds

Assistant Stage Manager

Bret Torbeck

Assistant Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager
At Seattle Opera in 2025/26: Daphne in Concert (‘26)

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Seattle Opera Debut: Blue ('22)
Previously at Seattle Opera: Les Troyens in Concert (‘25); Bound (‘23); The Elixir of Love (‘22)

Engagements: The Skin of Our Teeth, The Tempest, What the Constitution Means to Me (Seattle Rep); Sweat (ACT Theatre); Candide (Alliance Theatre and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra); Eugene Onegin (Spoleto Festival)

Last Updated: September 2024

Bret Torbeck

Assistant Stage Manager

Orchestra & Chorus

Orchestra

Violin I
Helen Kim, Concertmaster
Emerson Millar, Assistant Concertmaster
Jennifer Bai
Timothy Garland
Leonid Keylin
Ji Yeon Lee
Wayne Lee
Andy Liang
Mikhail Shmidt
John Weller
Jeannie Wells Yablonsky
Ilana Zaks
Caitlin Kelley
Victoria Parker

Violin II
Cameron Daly, Principal
Kathleen Boyer, Asst. Principal
Evan Anderson
Natasha Bazhanov
Brittany Breeden
Stephen Bryant
Xiao-po Fei
Artur Girsky
Seunghoon Lee
Andrew Yeung
Elizabeth Phelps
Tamas Kocis

Viola
Mara Gearman, Principal
Timothy Hale, Asst. Principal
Wesley Dyring
Gerald Liu
Ursula Steele
Daniel Stone
Mitso Floor
Kayleigh Miller
Camille Ripple
Marta Lambert

Cello
Nathan Chan, Principal
Eric Han, Asst. Principal
Sunnat Ibragimov
David Sabee
Charles Jacot
Jake Hanegan
Emily Hu
Page Smith

Double Bass
Jordan Anderson, Principal
Will Langlie-Miletich, Asst. Principal
Sam Casseday
Jennifer Godfrey
Travis Gore
Todd Larsen

Flute
Jeffrey Barker, Principal
Bridget Pei
Zartouhi Dombourian-Eby

Piccolo
Zartouhi Dombourian-Eby

Oboe
Mary Lynch VanderKolk, Principal
Stefan Farkas

Clarinet
Benjamin Lulich, Principal
Eric Jacobs

Bassoon
Seth Krimsky, Principal
Paul Rafanelli
Kipras Mažeika
Brittany Harington

Horn
Jeffrey Fair, Principal
Jenna Breen
John Turman
Danielle Kuhlmann

Trumpet
David Gordon, Principal
Christopher Stingle
Alexander White
Sarah Viens

Trombone
Ko-ichiro Yamamoto, Principal
Carson Keeble
Eden Garza

Tuba
John DiCesare, Principal

Timpani
Eric Schweikert, Principal

Percussion
Michael Werner, Principal
Jonathan Wisner
Matt Decker

Harp
Valerie Muzzolini, Principal
Alexis Colner

 

Personnel Manager
Constance Aguocha

Assistant Personnel Manager
Keith Higgins

Rotational members of the string sections are listed alphabetically.

 

Chorus

Soprano
Clarice Alfonso
Gemma Balinbin
Brandi Birdsong
Jennifer Campbell
Karen Early Evans
Sarah Fletcher
Dana Johnson Robbins
Ellaina Lewis
Linda Mattos
Ibidunni Ojikutu
Eleanor Stallcop-Horrox
Shelly Traverse
Amy Van Mechelen
Lyndee White
Eliza Woodyard

Alto
Lorraine Burdick
Erica Convery
Anneliese Floyd
Sarah Larkworthy
Sara Litchfield
YeonSoo Lee
Madison Lombardo
Myah Rose Paden
Dawn Padula
Elizabeth Peterson
Melissa Plagemann
Bianca Raso
Carmen Souza
Heidi Vanderford
Lucy Weber

Tenor
Callum Alden
Hugh Davis
Andrew Etherington
Kenneth Foster
James Galbraith
Kimani Iba
Tim Janecke
Eric Angus Jeffords
Ian Loney
Carson Lott
Jacob Malpocker
Korland Simmons
Jon Suek
Brendan Tuohy
Stephen Wall

Bass
Mark Davies
Craig Garretson
Craig Grayson
Glenn Guhr
Bertram Gulhaugen
Zachary Martin
James Mayclin
Terence Mejos
Michael Monnikendam
Micah Parker
Will Schlott
Jonah Spool
Revere Taylor
Isaiah Utto-Galarneau
Robin Wyatt-Stone

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Photos & Videos

Listen to the Music

Articles & Events

Mezzo-Soprano J'Nai Bridges Returns Home

In an interview with South Seattle Emerald, J'Nai Bridges talks about growing up in Tacoma, choosing singing over basketball, and what she enjoys most about performing in her hometown.

Read Now

Interview with Ludovic Morlot

In a new interview with Broadway World, conductor Ludovic Morlot discusses Berlioz's work and the finer details of this upcoming concert performance.

Read Now

A Conversation with Russell Thomas

In an interview with Seattle Opera, tenor Russell Thomas shares his favorite roles, his inspirations, his future goals, and more. 

Read Now

Why A Concert Les Troyens?

Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean explores the reasoning behind our concert presentation of Les Troyens à Carthage.

Read Now

A Conversation with J'Nai Bridges

In this conversation with Seattle Opera, mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges talks about growing up in Lakewood, WA; her love of basketball; and returning home to perform in our 2023 concert production of Samson and Delilah.

Read Now

Principal Singer Season Sponsor

Joan Watjen—in memory of Craig M. Watjen

Production Sponsors

ArtsFund
ArtsWA

Artist Sponsors

Anne M. Redman—Russell Thomas "Aeneas"
Dr. Michael P. Theisen—J'Nai Bridges "Dido"