Bird Songs of Opera
May 2023
Illustrations by Zak Eidsvoog
Director’s Note
My love of birds began with the Steller’s Jay.
It was the Spring of 2020, and I had gotten to know the micro-ecosystem around my apartment in excruciating detail. Every morning, I’d go out onto the balcony with my mug of coffee and listen as the day awoke: neighbors’ doors shutting, the occasional passing car, and, of course, the bird songs. I was drawn to the brassy shook shook shook shook call of a bird I came to know as the Steller’s Jay. She was a bold bright blue, with a fetching black tuft on her head and she seemed to delight in digging up my potted plants to deposit peanuts for later snacking. I loved her, and she got me curious about the other birds in my vicinity. I downloaded a birding app, and thus, a hobby was born!
Learning about birds has reshaped the way I listen to the world around me. Any old errand or commute is transformed into a scavenger hunt, and each new sighting offers a little thrill in the midst of an ordinary day. Learning the birds’ names has brought me into a new kind of connection with nature too; suddenly, the sky is populated with well-known neighbors. Bird Songs of Opera is a tribute to this ideal–that when we slow down, listen, and learn from what we hear, we are treated to ever deepening levels of beauty. When we attend to the landscape around us–whether that landscape is natural, musical or interpersonal–we are rewarded with connection and belonging.
I’m incredibly grateful to so many collaborators who helped bring this piece to fruition. To Maddy, for dreaming up the brilliant idea of opera singers as birds; to Emily Eisele and my collaborators at Bedrock Theatre, with whom I have been investigating this “trail performance” style for the past 8 years; to the generous staff of Leach Botanical Garden, who welcomed us into their space; and to the cast, crew and designers who have brought Bird Songs to such vivid life. It’s a blessing to be part of this flock!
- Joellen Sweeney
The Artists
Maeve Stier | The Birder / Accordionist / Arranger
Maeve Stier is a multi-disciplinary performing artist and arranger from Portland, OR. In the world of musical theater, they played accordion in Stumptown Stages' production of Cabaret and premiered a 6-person queer retelling of The Music Man with Third Rail Repertory Theater. Other performance experience includes roles and workshops with Portland Opera, PSU Opera, Orpheus PDX, and Aquilon Music Festival, as well as chorus work with the Oregon Symphony, Portland Opera, and internationally acclaimed artists such as Pink Martini, Sarah Brightman, and Josh Groban. They are a regular performer at Mendelssohn's and can be found at markets, festivals, and street corners around the PNW with their accordion.
Madeline Ross | The Northern Flicker / Music Director
Madeline Ross made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2019 as a jazz soloist where she “scatt[ed] to beat the band” (NY Concert Review). She has performed with Portland Opera, Resonance Ensemble, The Oregon Symphony, 45th Parallel, Portland Opera To Go, and Opera Theater Oregon, and was recently hailed for “effortlessly nailing” her performance as Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte (Oregon ArtsWatch). She won first prize at the National Association of Teachers of Singing classical voice competition in 2020 and has recently returned from a performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. premiering An African American Requiem with Resonance Ensemble and NEWorks Philharmonic Orchestra. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Renegade Opera, Portland’s unconventional opera company. Recent engagements include an experimental theater production with Shaking the Tree Theatre and a role debut as First Wood Sprite in Dvorak’s Rusalka with Portland Opera and upcoming engagements include a role debut as Tamiri in Mozart’s Il re pastore with Orpheus PDX and Clorinda in Rossini’s Cinderella with Portland Opera to Go, an opera outreach program of Portland Opera. www.madelinelross.com | www.renegadeopera.org
Erica Jaturaporn | The Chickadee
Thairish soprano Erica Jaturaporn’s journey down the rabbit hole into the world of opera began outdoors - their late father heard them giving a performance to their front yard and decided to sign them up for voice lessons (their first instructor happened to be a retired San Francisco Opera star). It is fitting that their Renegade Opera debut also be sung surrounded by their very first "number one fan” and constant muse - nature, the neteru. Prior to occupying unceded Clackamas and Mollala land, Jaturaporn was an active artist on Tongva land. They were on the Voice Faculty of South Pasadena Music Center and Conservatory, sang as a Cathedral Singer at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, was a featured artist with the Burbank Chamber Music Society, and had their latest role as Lucy from Menotti’s The Telephone, produced by Opera Italia. They earned their BM and MM Vocal Performance degrees from Willamette University and UCLA, respectively.
Abigail Krawson | The Mourning Dove
Abigail Krawson is dynamic performer, an engaging educator, and a passionate producer of innovative opera and vocal performances. She is on the roster of both The Portland Opera Chorus and The Portland Symphonic Choir, she is a choral director for children and youth choirs at Lake Grove Presbyterian, and she also maintains an active solo calendar in and around Portland. In the 2021-22 season she sang Vivaldi's Gloria and Mozart's Vespers Solennes de Confessore with Eugene Concert Choir, was the soprano Flower in Blythely Ever After, a rock/opera cabaret with Stephanie Blythe at Boston Lyric Opera, and performed with OrpheusPDX as Proserpina in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo. In the 2019-20 season, Abigail sang Adele in Die Fledermaus with Amarillo Opera, Suor Genovieffa in Suor Angelica with Opera West, joined both The Phoenix Theatre (Sound of Music) and Arizona Opera (La Bohème) as an ensemble member. In the 2018-19 season, Abigail took First Prize at the Southwest Vocal Competition, sang with The Arizona Musicfest Chorus, performed the soprano solo in Rutter's Requiem, and also made her directing debut working with Detour Company Theatre, an inclusive theatre company in Scottsdale, AZ. Past season highlights include the saucy Musetta in La Bohème, the vocally punishing, but ever charming Zerbinetta in Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, the charming Marzelline in Fidelio, and Adamo’s heart-wrenching Beth in Little Women. And on the concert stage, she has performed the solos in Strauss’ Brentano Lieder, Mozart's Requiem, Brahms' Requiem and Handel's Messiah. www.abigailkrawson.com
JOannah Ball | The Anna’s Hummingbird
American soprano Joannah Ball brings her shimmering, facile voice and nuanced musicality to operatic and concert repertoire across the United States. Engagements include Renegade Opera’s The Secret Diaries virtual project and the role of Madame Herz in Der Schauspieldirektor in Salem, OR. She has also appeared with Opera Theater Oregon in Two Yosemites, Festival Oregon Chorale in their unabridged performance of Handel’s Messiah, and as soprano soloist with Willamette Master Chorus in Rutter’s Requiem. Operatic roles include Adele (Die Fledermaus) and Despina (Così fan tutte), Princess Zara (Utopia Limited) and scenes from The Mikado, The Ballad of Baby Doe, Carmen, and Hansel and Gretel. Additional solo oratorio performances include Bach Cantatas “Nun komm der heiden Heiland”, “Gottes Zeit ist die aller beste Zeit” and Schubert’s Mass in G. Her passion for collaboration and innovation has led her to perform several new works by composers in Boston and Oregon, including a premier of a chamber work for soprano, cello, percussion and dancers by composer Kevin Joest with choreography by Inés Beaumonte Cosín. Ms. Ball completed graduate studies at The Boston Conservatory and a BM in voice performance at Willamette University. She is on the adjunct voice faculty at Pacific University and Reed College and is the Past President of NATS Cascade Chapter.
Mahsheed Massarat | The Steller’s Jay
Mahsheed Massarat, mezzo soprano is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, earning a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Opera in May 2020. She continues to study with acclaimed Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano, Susanne Mentzer. During her time at the conservatory Ms. Massarat was the recipient of multiple accolades including a two-year Graduate Scholarship Award and a two-time recipient of SFCM’s professional development grants. In 2018 she sang the role of Mrs. Peachum in Kurt Weill’s The Threepenny Opera with SFCM’s musical theatre department as well as the title role of Bizet’s Carmen and Second Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte in the SFCM Opera Scenes Program in 2019. In 2019 she made her principle role debut at the Chicago Summer Opera as Cornelia in Handel’s Giulio Cesare in addition to preparing several opera scenes. She sang the Act One Finale of Cosi fan tutte as Dorabella, The Quintet from Carmen as Mercedes, and The Evening Prayer and Act Three Scene One from Hänsel und Gretel as Hänsel. She also did a spoken French role of Le garde champêtre in the program’s production of Le mariage aux lanternes by Offenbach. In 2020, Ms. Massarat sang the role of Matilda in Handel’s Ottone as well as chorus in David Conte’s Firebird Motel. In 2022, Massarat performed in an Opera and Musical Theatre Scenes Showcase in San Jose, CA. The program featured works from a variety of composers from Verdi to Elton John. When Ms. Massarat is not performing, she enjoys teaching voice and currently serves as a lead voice instructor and administrative assistant for the Colorful Universe Music School of Santa Clara in addition to her position as the voice instructor for Westside Music School here in Portland, Oregon.
Nick Toto | The Great Horned Owl
Nick Tibbs-Toto is a non-binary singing actor and dragking from Los Angeles and is a recent transplant here to Portland. They grew up as a chorister in the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and have been singing in operas from a young age. They received their Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Arts from the USC Thornton School of Music. Since graduating they have been creating art opportunities for themselves and others around them. They have a digital drag show, The Tibbs and Toto Show, which makes space for drag artists like kings that wouldn’t be seen otherwise. This has brought them back to opera with a chance to show their community something new.
Joellen Sweeney | Stage Director
Joellen Sweeney is an actor, director, and teaching artist from Portland, Oregon. Her creative research focuses on immersive and site-specific performance; Joellen loves to create and support events that build connectedness between people and their environment. Recent regional credits include work with Renegade Opera (Director: Tito, Orfeo in Underland, Secret Diaries of Pennsylvania Avenue), Seattle Shakespeare Company, Artists Repertory Theatre, Anonymous Theatre, Shaking the Tree Theatre, Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble and Northwest Children's Theatre. She is also a co-founder of Bedrock Theatre, a performance collective that combines storytelling, live music and hiking in parks and wilderness areas. Joellen earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program. She is also a proud alumna of Willamette University, the Third Rail Repertory Theatre Mentorship Program and the Shakespeare & Company Month-Long Intensive. When she is not at the theatre, Joellen enjoys singing, studying ocean science and hiking with her husband, Alec.
Elyse Bradford | The Stage Manager
Elyse Bradford is excited to stage manage and share Renegade Opera's work with you! Elyse is a writer, actor, and stage manager based in PDX. She is currently producing/sound engineering Season 2 of her fictional audio drama, "Average Folks", and will be returning to the stage this summer with Penguin Productions! She is also a member of the Third Rail Mentorship Program's 2022-23 season. She is thankful for the different skills she's been able to build so far, and looks forward to creating many things to come!
