Author Archives: robbucher

present
Carmen in Concert
(The KSO & NKU’s SOTA Take on Opera’s Greatest Femme Fatale)

7:30 p.m. Friday, March 28, 2025
3:00 p.m. Sunday, March 30, 2025
Greaves Concert Hall, NKU

In March of 1875 George Bizet’s opera Carmen received its premiere in Paris just weeks before the composer’s death. For the work’s 150th anniversary, the KSO and the School of the Arts at NKU have teamed-up for a full concert presentation with nationally acclaimed leads Kristin Chávez (Carmen), native Northern Kentuckian Matthew Pearce (Don Jose) and Morgan Smith (Escamillo). Local students and area singers fill out the cast along with NKU choirs, dancers,
and youth choirs from the prep department and Ignite.

Carmen has become a top-ten classic opera due its number of universally recognizable tunes and its wily, freespirited title character. As a soldier (Don Jose) and bull-fighter (Escamillo) compete for Carmen’s attention, the affair spirals out of control leading to her demise.

The KSO has collaborated with UK Opera Theater and CCM for concert presentations of Tosca, Otello, La Boheme, Rigoletto, Samson & Delilah and Turandot since 2000. The opportunity to work with students and faculty from NKU again creates unique, new experiences to engage with professional singers, directors and musicians that would not be possible (cost, logistics) without combining the forces of over 150 performers. (See full cast list and lead bios attached).

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and NKU’s School of the Arts break out their “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves” (without Cher) to celebrate 150 years of Carmen (with English supertitles). Join the KSO & SOTA for two dates to experience Carmen in concert — 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 28 and 3:00 p.m. (matinée) Sunday, March 30 at Greaves Concert Hall on the campus of NKU. For additional info and tickets — kyso.org or (859) 431-6216.

Cast: 

• Carmen, a Gypsy girl – Kirstin Chávez
• Don José, Corporal of the Dragoons – Matthew Pearce
• Escamillo, Toreador (bull-fighter) – Morgan Smith
• Micaela, a village maiden – Meg Booker*
• Zuniga, Captain of the Dragoons – Stephen Hanna
• Morales, Officer – Alan Rendzak
• Frasquita, companion of Carmen – Kimberly Legel*
• Mercedes, companion of Carmen – Annie Hovey*
• El Dancaïro, smuggler – Joshua Turner*
• El Remendado, smuggler – Henry Benson

Production Staff:

• Stage Director – Audrey Chait*
• Conductor – James Cassidy
• SOTA Vocal Coordinator – Dr. Kimberly Lazzeri*
• Vocal Coach – Stephen Variames*
• Chorus Master – Katie Barton*
• Youth Chorus Director – Holly Bowen*
• Stage Manager – Ellis Clay*
• Greaves Hall Manager – Kyle Malesevich*

* SOTA

Carmen Lead Bios

Kirstin Chávez, Carmen
Kirstin Chávez has captured attention and acclaim in her signature roles and is recognized as one of the definitive Carmens of today; Opera News reported that her Carmen in Graz, Austria was “the Carmen of a lifetime. With her dark, generous mezzo, earthy eroticism, volcanic spontaneity and smoldering charisma, Chávez has it all, including a superb command of French and a sense of humor.” Ms Chávez’ Carmen has taken her all around globe and into such celebrated venues as Lincoln Center, the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Arena di Verona, in Italy, and the Welsh National Opera.

Kirstin Chávez has earned praise for her performances in modern operas, with Jo in Adamo’s Little Women (Opera Pacific), Thérèse, in Tobias Picker’s Thérèse Raquin (San Diego Opera) and Sondra Finchley in Picker’s An American Tragedy, which was her Metropolitan Opera principal debut in 2005. In 2018/19, Kirstin was seen as Flora in the highly anticipated production and HD broadcast of La Traviata at the MET, which marked the beginning of Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s tenure as music director.

Over the past two years, Kirstin and several talented colleague/friends have created and prepared Kirstin’s new ‘one-woman Carmen show’ called CARMEN INSIDE OUT. This is a dream realized for Kirstin because it provides an outlet for her to share the depths and intricacies of the character of Carmen who has come to be so much a part of her during her 20+ year professional career.

Kirstin Chávez was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but spent most of her childhood in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where her parents worked as English and Music teachers. She received a Bachelor of Music degree, from New Mexico State University, and a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. Kirstin currently teaches voice at the University of Utah.

Matthew Pearce, Don Jose
Hailing from Lexington, KY, tenor Matthew Pearce is praised for his “confidence, brightness and high level of control” (Operawire). This season, he sings Don Pizzarro in Paer’s Leonora (Chicago Opera Theatre) and the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto (Pacific Opera Victoria), and will reprise the role of Don José in Carmen with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and the West Virginia Symphony. This season marks his seventh performance of the role with companies including The Glimmerglass Festival, Portland Opera, Washington National Opera and the Chautauqua Institution. Highlights: Lennie Small in Of Mice and Men (Livermore Valley Opera), Simon Tam in Slanted: An American Rock Opera (Opera Theatre St. Louis), Ground Controller in the workshop of Grounded (Metropolitan Opera), and a soloist in Das Buch mit Sieben Siegeln (Dallas Symphony) and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (Chattanooga Symphony); Monostatos in Samson and Dalila, Rodolfo, Boyar in Boris Godunov, First Prisoner in Fidelio, and The Magician in The Consul (Washington National Opera); Guard in Prisoner of the State (New York Philharmonic), Poem in October (Juilliard Orchestra/AXIOM ensemble), Easter Oratorio Thy Will be Done (National Chorale), and Tebaldo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Chautauqua Institution).

Morgan Smith, Escamillo
Known for his riveting dramatic portrayals and the power and beauty of his voice, American baritone Morgan Smith has been entrusted to create 16 roles in world premieres, including Starbuck in Jake Heggie’s widely celebrated Moby-Dick. Mr. Smith has also earned universal praise for performances in traditional repertoire, notably Escamillo (Carmen), the title role of Don Giovanni, Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Count Alamaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Four Villains (Les contes d’Hoffmann), and the title role of Eugene Onegin. Recently, Morgan’s work as Richard in Kevin Puts’ The Hours has been heard in workshops with Cincinnati Opera and The Metropolitan Opera.

Recent successes include Scarpia in Tosca with National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Herman in Ben Moore’s Enemies, a Love Story with Kentucky Opera, Paul Jobs in The (R)Evolution of Steve Jobs with Seattle Opera, Tadeusz in Weinberg’s The Passenger with Israeli Opera, Joseph De Rocher in Dead Man Walking with Welsh National Opera, his title role debut of Eugene Onegin at Lyric Opera Kansas City, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly at Kentucky Opera and Opéra de Montréal; the reprise of his critically acclaimed Starbuck at Dallas Opera and LA Opera, Marcello in La Bohème with Oper Leipzig and San Diego Opera.

Mr. Smith performed Don Giovanni with Arizona Opera, Austin Opera, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Morgan Smith made his KSO debut in the Summer 2022 in a tribute to Stephen Sondheim — “Sunday in the Park with Steve”

Audrey Chait, Stage Director
Audrey Chait is a director, writer, and producer of opera and theater. She is on the artistic staff at Cincinnati Opera, and has been a member of the NKU music department faculty since 2019. Favorite recent directing credits include Carmen for the Reno Philharmonic; L’elisir d’amore and La fille du regiment for Opera St. Louis; Don Pasquale, and La Cenerentola for Opera Las Vegas; The Bartered Bride, Dinner at Eight, and the Bach St. John Passion for CCM; and Scalia/Ginsburg with Opera North. Ms. Chait also directed the Kentucky Opera’s outreach tour of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Her new libretto adaptation of The Elixir of Love premiered at Tri-Cities Opera in May 2021. Ms. Chait holds a BA in Literary Arts from Brown University and an Artist Diploma from CCM. She has been directing opera since 2009